On the Stability and Structural Dynamics of Metal Nanowires

This article presents a brief review of the nanoscale free-electron model, which provides a continuum description of metal nanostructures. It is argued that surface and quantum-size effects are the two dominant factors in the energetics of metal nanowires, and that much of the phenomenology of nanowire stability and structural dynamics can be understood based on the interplay of these two competing factors. A linear stability analysis reveals that metal nanocylinders with certain magic conductance values G=1, 3, 6, 12, 17, 23, 34, 42, 51, 67, 78, 96, ... times the conductance quantum are exceptionally stable. A nonlinear dynamical simulation of nanowire structural evolution reveals a universal equilibrium shape consisting of a magic cylinder suspended between unduloidal contacts. The lifetimes of these metastable structures are also computed.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Managing Online Anti-branding Consumer Behaviours: A Multiple Case Study Analysis in the Italian Landscape

n/

Computing finite-time singularities in interfacial flows

Finite-time singularities occurring in mathematical models of free-surface flows indicate that important qualitative changes are taking place; for problems in solid and fluid mechanics this includes topological transitions-blow-up and pinch-off. For many problems, the dynamics leading to the formation of such singularities are described by self-similar solutions of the governing nonlinear partial differential equations. We present an analytical and numerical study of these similarity solutions and discuss their stability