Driven localized excitations in the acoustic spectrum of small nonlinear macroscopic and microscopic lattices

Both bright and dark traveling, locked, intrinsic localized modes (ILMs) have been generated with a spatially uniform driver at a frequency in the acoustic spectrum of a nonlinear micromechanical cantilever array. Complementary numerical simulations show that a minimum density of modes, hence array size, is required for the formation of such locked smoothly running excitations. Additional simulations on a small 1-D antiferromagnetic spin system are used to illustrate that such uniformly driven running ILMs should be a generic feature of a nanoscale atomic lattice.Comment: Physical Review Letters, accepte

Microanalytical identification of barium sulphate crystals in statoliths of Chara Rhizoids

In contrast to higher plants, Chara rhizoids contain statolith vacuoles filled with biocrystallites of BaS04 in the form of rods composed of globular subunits ca. 7 nm in diameter. The revelation of the crystallites under electron microscopy is dependent on the fixative; best structural preservation was observed after fixation in a buffered glutaraldehyde + acrolein solution; 0s04 and KMnO4 partially dissolved both the biocrystallites and synthetic BaS04

Quantum dynamics of localized excitations in a symmetric trimer molecule

We study the time evolution of localized (local bond) excitations in a symmetric quantum trimer molecule. We relate the dynamical properties of localized excitations such as their spectral intensity and their temporal evolution (survival probability and tunneling of bosons) to their degree of overlap with quantum tunneling pair states. We report on the existence of degeneracy points in the trimer eigenvalue spectrum for specific values of parameters due to avoided crossings between tunneling pair states and additional states. The tunneling of localized excitations which overlap with these degenerate states is suppressed on all times. As a result local bond excitations may be strongly localized forever, similar to their classical counterparts.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures. Improved version with more discussions. Some figures were replaced for better understanding. Accepted in Phys. Rev.

Experimental Generation and Observation of Intrinsic Localized Spin Wave Modes in an Antiferromagnet

By driving with a microwave pulse the lowest frequency antiferromagnetic resonance of the quasi 1-D biaxial antiferromagnet (C_2 H_5 NH_3)_2 CuCl_4 into an unstable region intrinsic localized spin waves have been generated and detected in the spin wave gap. These findings are consistent with the prediction that nonlinearity plus lattice discreteness can lead to localized excitations with dimensions comparable to the lattice constant.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

The dust SED in the dwarf galaxy NGC 1569: Indications for an altered dust composition?

We discuss the interpretation of the dust SED from the mid-infrared to the millimeter range of NGC 1569. The model developed by D\'esert et al. (1990) including three dust components (Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons, Very Small Grains and big grains) can explain the data using a realistic interstellar radiation field and adopting an enhanced abundance of VSGs. A simple three-temperature model is also able to reproduce the data but requires a very low dust temperature which is considered to be unlikely in this low-metallicity starburst galaxy. The high abundance of Very Small Grains might be due to large grain destruction in supernova shocks. This possibility is supported by ISO data showing that the emission at 14.3 $\mu$m, tracing VSGs, is enhanced with respect to the emission at 6.7 $\mu$m and 850 $\mu$m in regions of high star formation.Comment: 4 pages, conference proceedings paper, "The Spectral Energy Distribution of Gas-Rich Galaxies: Confronting Models with Data", Heidelberg, 4-8 Oct. 2004, eds. C.C. Popescu & R.J. Tuffs, AIP Conf. Ser., in pres

Edge-localized states in quantum one-dimensional lattices

In one-dimensional quantum lattice models with open boundaries, we find and study localization at the lattice edge. We show that edge-localized eigenstates can be found in both bosonic and fermionic systems, specifically, in the Bose-Hubbard model with on-site interactions and in the spinless fermion model with nearest-neighbor interactions. We characterize the localization through spectral studies via numerical diagonalization and perturbation theory, through considerations of the eigenfunctions, and through the study of explicit time evolution. We concentrate on few-particle systems, showing how more complicated edge states appear as the number of particles is increased.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figure

Discrete breathers in systems with homogeneous potentials - analytic solutions

We construct lattice Hamiltonians with homogeneous interaction potentials which allow for explicit breather solutions. Especially we obtain exponentially localized solutions for $d$-dimensional lattices with $d=2,3$.Comment: 10 page