Symmetric Diblock Copolymers in Thin Films (I): Phase stability in Self-Consistent Field Calculations and Monte Carlo Simulations

We investigate the phase behavior of symmetric AB diblock copolymers confined into a thin film. The film boundaries are parallel, impenetrable and attract the A component of the diblock copolymer. Using a self-consistent field technique [M.W. Matsen, J.Chem.Phys. {\bf 106}, 7781 (1997)], we study the ordered phases as a function of incompatibility $\chi$ and film thickness in the framework of the Gaussian chain model. For large film thickness and small incompatibility, we find first order transitions between phases with different number of lamellae which are parallel oriented to the film boundaries. At high incompatibility or small film thickness, transitions between parallel oriented and perpendicular oriented lamellae occur. We compare the self-consistent field calculations to Monte Carlo simulations of the bond fluctuation model for chain length N=32. In the simulations we quench several systems from $\chi N=0$ to $\chi N=30$ and monitor the morphology into which the diblock copolymers assemble. Three film thicknesses are investigated, corresponding to parallel oriented lamellae with 2 and 4 interfaces and a perpendicular oriented morphology. Good agreement between self-consistent field calculations and Monte Carlo simulations is found.Comment: to appear in J.Chem.Phy

Visual adaptation to convexity in macaque area V4

Aftereffects are perceptual illusions caused by visual adaptation to one or more stimulus attribute, such as orientation, motion, or shape. Neurophysiological studies seeking to understand the basis of visual adaptation have observed firing rate reduction and changes in tuning of stimulus-selective neurons following periods of prolonged visual stimulation. In the domain of shape, recent psychophysical work has shown that adaptation to a convex pattern induces a subsequently seen rectangle to appear slightly concave. In the present study, we investigate the possible contribution of V4 neurons of rhesus monkeys, which are thought to be involved in the coding of convexity, to shape-specific adaptation. Visually responsive neurons were monitored during the brief presentation of simple shapes varying in their convexity level. Each test presentation was preceded by either a blank period or several seconds of adaptation to a convex or concave stimulus, presented in two different sizes. Adaptation consistently shifted the tuning of neurons away from the convex or concave adapter, including shifting response to the neutral rectangle in the direction of the opposite convexity. This repulsive shift resembled the known perceptual distortion associated with adaptation to such stimuli. In addition, adaptation caused a nonspecific response decrease, as well as a specific decrease for repeated stimuli. The latter effects were observed whether or not the adapting and test stimuli matched closely in their size. Taken together, these results provide evidence for shape-specific adaptation of neurons in area V4, which may contribute to the perception of the convexity aftereffect

A model for the phase separation controlled by doping and the internal chemical pressure in different cuprate superconductors

In the framework of a two-band model, we study the phase separation regime of different kinds of strongly correlated charge carriers as a function of the energy splitting between the two sets of bands. The narrow (wide) band simulates the more localized (more delocalized) type of charge carriers. By assuming that the internal chemical pressure on the CuO$_2$ layer due to interlayer mismatch controls the energy splitting between the two sets of states, the theoretical predictions are able to reproduce the regime of phase separation at doping higher than 1/8 in the experimental pressure-doping-$T_c$ phase diagram of cuprates at large microstrain as it appears in overoxygenated La$_2$CuO$_4$.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Electron Refrigeration in the Tunneling Approach

The qualities of electron refrigeration by means of tunnel junctions between superconducting and normal--metal electrodes are studied theoretically. A suitable approximation of the basic expression for the heat current across those tunnel junctions allows the investigation of several features of the device such as its optimal bias voltage, its maximal heat current, its optimal working point, and the maximally gained temperature reduction. Fortunately, the obtained results can be compared with those of a recent experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses eps

Efficiency of different matrix inversion methods applied to Wilson fermions

We compare different conjugate gradient -- like matrix inversion methods (CG, BiCGstab1 and BiCGstab2) employing for this purpose the compact lattice quantum electrodynamics (QED) with Wilson fermions. The main goals of this investigation are the CPU time efficiency of the methods as well as the influence of machine precision on the reliability of (physical) results especially close to the 'critical' line ~\kappa_c(\bt).Comment: 27 pages LaTeX (epsf), all figures include

Open shells in reduced-density-matrix-functional theory

Reduced-density-matrix-functional theory is applied to open-shell systems. We introduce a spin-restricted formulation by appropriately expressing approximate correlation-energy functionals in terms of spin-dependent occupation numbers and spin-independent natural orbitals. We demonstrate that the additional constraint of total-spin conservation is indispensable for the proper treatment of open-shell systems. The formalism is applied to the first-row open-shell atoms. The obtained ground-state energies are in very good agreement with the exact values as well as other state of the art quantum chemistry calculationsComment: 4 pages, 2 figures, corrected typo

187^{187}Re(\gamm,n) cross section close to and above the neutron threshold

The neutron capture cross section of the unstable nucleus $^{186}$Re is studied by investigating the inverse photodisintegration reaction $^{187}$Re($\gamma$,n). The special interest of the {\it s}-process branching point $^{186}$Re is related to the question of possible {\it s}-process contributions to the abundance of the {\it r}-process chronometer nucleus ^{187}$Re. We use the photoactivation technique to measure photodisintegration rates. Our experimental results are in good agreement with two different statistical model calculations. Although the cross sections predicted by both models for the inverse reaction$^{186}$Re(n,$\gamma$) is too low to remove the overproduction of$^{186}$Os; the two predicted neutron-capture cross sections differ by a factor of 2.4; this calls for future theoretical study.Comment: Phys. Rev. C, in pres