2,709 research outputs found
Analysis of Accordion DNA Stretching Revealed by The Gold Cluster Ruler
A promising new method for measuring intramolecular distances in solution
uses small-angle X-ray scattering interference between gold nanocrystal labels
(Mathew-Fenn et al, Science, 322, 446 (2008)). When applied to double stranded
DNA, it revealed that the DNA length fluctuations are strikingly strong and
correlated over at least 80 base pair steps. In other words, the DNA behaves as
accordion bellows, with distant fragments stretching and shrinking concertedly.
This hypothesis, however, disagrees with earlier experimental and computational
observations. This Letter shows that the discrepancy can be rationalized by
taking into account the cluster exclusion volume and assuming a moderate
long-range repulsion between them. The long-range interaction can originate
from an ion exclusion effect and cluster polarization in close proximity to the
DNA surface.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Constraining Relativistic Bow Shock Properties in Rotation-Powered Millisecond Pulsar Binaries
Multiwavelength followup of unidentified Fermi sources has vastly expanded
the number of known galactic-field "black widow" and "redback" millisecond
pulsar binaries. Focusing on their rotation-powered state, we interpret the
radio to X-ray phenomenology in a consistent framework. We advocate the
existence of two distinct modes differing in their intrabinary shock
orientation, distinguished by the phase-centering of the double-peaked X-ray
orbital modulation originating from mildly-relativistic Doppler boosting. By
constructing a geometric model for radio eclipses, we constrain the shock
geometry as functions of binary inclination and shock stand-off . We
develop synthetic X-ray synchrotron orbital light curves and explore the model
parameter space allowed by radio eclipse constraints applied on archetypal
systems B1957+20 and J1023+0038. For B1957+20, from radio eclipses the
stand-off is -- fraction of binary separation from the
companion center, depending on the orbit inclination. Constructed X-ray light
curves for B1957+20 using these values are qualitatively consistent with those
observed, and we find occultation of the shock by the companion as a minor
influence, demanding significant Doppler factors to yield double peaks. For
J1023+0038, radio eclipses imply while X-ray light curves
suggest (from the pulsar). Degeneracies in the
model parameter space encourage further development to include transport
considerations. Generically, the spatial variation along the shock of the
underlying electron power-law index should yield energy-dependence in the shape
of light curves motivating future X-ray phase-resolved spectroscopic studies to
probe the unknown physics of pulsar winds and relativistic shock acceleration
therein.Comment: Accepted to ApJ, 36 pages, 15 figures; comments welcom
Metastable precursors during the oxidation of the Ru(0001) surface
Using density-functional theory, we predict that the oxidation of the
Ru(0001) surface proceeds via the accumulation of sub-surface oxygen in
two-dimensional islands between the first and second substrate layer. This
leads locally to a decoupling of an O-Ru-O trilayer from the underlying metal.
Continued oxidation results in the formation and stacking of more of these
trilayers, which unfold into the RuO_2(110) rutile structure once a critical
film thickness is exceeded. Along this oxidation pathway, we identify various
metastable configurations. These are found to be rather close in energy,
indicating a likely lively dynamics between them at elevated temperatures,
which will affect the surface chemical and mechanical properties of the
material.Comment: 11 pages including 9 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. B. Related
publications can be found at http://www.fhi-berlin.mpg.de/th/paper.htm
X-ray variability patterns in blazars
We study the expected variability patterns of blazars within the two-zone
acceleration model putting special emphasis on flare shapes and spectral lags.
We solve semi-analytically the kinetic equations which describe the particle
evolution in the acceleration and radiation zone. We then perturb the solutions
by introducing Lorentzian variations in its key parameters and examine the
flaring behavior of the system. We apply the above to the X-ray observations of
blazar 1ES 1218+304 which exhibited a hard lag behavior during a flaring
episode and discuss possibilities of producing it within the context of our
model. The steady-state radio to X-rays emission of 1ES 1218+304 can be
reproduced with parameters which lie well within the ones generally accepted
from blazar modeling. Additionally, we find that the best way to explain its
flaring behavior is by varying the rate of particles injected in the
acceleration zone.Comment: accepted by A&
Feller Processes: The Next Generation in Modeling. Brownian Motion, L\'evy Processes and Beyond
We present a simple construction method for Feller processes and a framework
for the generation of sample paths of Feller processes. The construction is
based on state space dependent mixing of L\'evy processes.
Brownian Motion is one of the most frequently used continuous time Markov
processes in applications. In recent years also L\'evy processes, of which
Brownian Motion is a special case, have become increasingly popular.
L\'evy processes are spatially homogeneous, but empirical data often suggest
the use of spatially inhomogeneous processes. Thus it seems necessary to go to
the next level of generalization: Feller processes. These include L\'evy
processes and in particular Brownian motion as special cases but allow spatial
inhomogeneities.
Many properties of Feller processes are known, but proving the very existence
is, in general, very technical. Moreover, an applicable framework for the
generation of sample paths of a Feller process was missing. We explain, with
practitioners in mind, how to overcome both of these obstacles. In particular
our simulation technique allows to apply Monte Carlo methods to Feller
processes.Comment: 22 pages, including 4 figures and 8 pages of source code for the
generation of sample paths of Feller processe
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Computational Simulations of the Lateral-Photovoltage-Scanning-Method
The major task for the Lateral-Photovoltage-Scanning-Method is to detect doping striations and the shape of the solid-liquid-interface of an indirect semiconductor crystal. This method is sensitive to the gradient of the charge carrier density. Attempting to simulate the signal generation of the LPS-Method, we are using a three dimensional Finite Volume approach for solving the van Roosbroeck equations with COMSOL Multiphysics in a silicon sample. We show that the simulated LPS-voltage is directly proportional to the gradient of a given doping distribution, which is also the case for the measured LPS-voltage
Photon-induced oxidation of graphene/Ir(111) by SO<sub>2</sub> adsorption
We prepare a single layer of graphene oxide by adsorption and subsequent photo-dissociation of SO2 on graphene/Ir(111). Epoxidic oxygen is formed as the main result of this process on graphene, as judged from the appearance of characteristic spectroscopic features in the C 1s and O 1s core level lines. The different stages of decomposition of SO2 into its photo-fragments are examined during the oxidation process. NEXAFS at the carbon K edge reveals a strong disturbance of the graphene backbone after oxidation and upon SO adsorption. The oxide phase is stable up to room temperature, and is fully reversible upon annealing at elevated temperatures. A band gap opening of 330 ± 60 meV between the valence and conduction bands is observed in the graphene oxide phase
Photon-Photon Absorption of Very High Energy Gamma-Rays from Microquasars: Application to LS 5039
Very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays have recently been detected from the
Galactic black-hole candidate and microquasar LS 5039. A plausible site for the
production of these VHE gamma-rays is the region close to the mildly
relativistic outflow. However, at distances comparable to the binary
separation, the intense photon field of the stellar companion will lead to
substantial gamma-gamma absorption of VHE gamma-rays. If the system is viewed
at a substantial inclination (i > 0), this absorption feature will be modulated
on the orbital period of the binary as a result of a phase-dependent
stellar-radiation intensity and pair-production threshold. We apply our results
to LS 5039 and find that (1) gamma-gamma absorption effects will be substantial
if the photon production site is located at a distance from the central compact
object of the order of the binary separation (~ 2.5e12 cm) or less; (2) the
gamma-gamma absorption depth will be largest at a few hundred GeV, leading to a
characteristic absorption trough; (3) the gamma-gamma absorption feature will
be strongly modulated on the orbital period of the binary, characterized by a
spectral hardening accompanying periodic dips of the VHE gamma-ray flux; and
(4) gamma rays can escape virtually unabsorbed, even from within ~ 10^{12} cm,
when the star is located behind the production site as seen by the observer.Comment: Submitted to ApJ Letters. AASTeX, 12 ms pages, including 4 eps
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