12,165 research outputs found
Critical point for the strong field magnetoresistance of a normal conductor/perfect insulator/perfect conductor composite with a random columnar microstructure
A recently developed self-consistent effective medium approximation, for
composites with a columnar microstructure, is applied to such a
three-constituent mixture of isotropic normal conductor, perfect insulator, and
perfect conductor, where a strong magnetic field {\bf B} is present in the
plane perpendicular to the columnar axis. When the insulating and perfectly
conducting constituents do not percolate in that plane, the
microstructure-induced in-plane magnetoresistance is found to saturate for
large {\bf B}, if the volume fraction of the perfect conductor is greater
than that of the perfect insulator . By contrast, if , that
magnetoresistance keeps increasing as without ever saturating. This
abrupt change in the macroscopic response, which occurs when , is a
critical point, with the associated critical exponents and scaling behavior
that are characteristic of such points. The physical reasons for the singular
behavior of the macroscopic response are discussed. A new type of percolation
process is apparently involved in this phenomenon.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Magnetoresistance of Three-Constituent Composites: Percolation Near a Critical Line
Scaling theory, duality symmetry, and numerical simulations of a random
network model are used to study the magnetoresistance of a
metal/insulator/perfect conductor composite with a disordered columnar
microstructure. The phase diagram is found to have a critical line which
separates regions of saturating and non-saturating magnetoresistance. The
percolation problem which describes this line is a generalization of
anisotropic percolation. We locate the percolation threshold and determine the
t = s = 1.30 +- 0.02, nu = 4/3 +- 0.02, which are the same as in
two-constituent 2D isotropic percolation. We also determine the exponents which
characterize the critical dependence on magnetic field, and confirm numerically
that nu is independent of anisotropy. We propose and test a complete scaling
description of the magnetoresistance in the vicinity of the critical line.Comment: Substantially revised version; description of behavior in finite
magnetic fields added. 7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to PR
Preliminary results on SiO v=3 J=1-0 maser emission from AGB stars
We present the results of SiO maser observations at 43GHz toward two AGB
stars using the VLBA. Our preliminary results on the relative positions of the
different J=1-0 SiO masers (v=1,2 and 3) indicate that the current ideas on SiO
maser pumping could be wrong at some fundamental level. A deep revision of the
SiO pumping models could be necessary.Comment: poster, 2 pages, 2 figures, Proc. IAU Symp. 287 "Cosmic Masers: from
OH to H0", R.S. Booth, E.M.L. Humphreys and W.H.T. Vlemmings, ed
Comment on "Optical Response of Strongly Coupled Nanopraticles in Dimer Arrays" (Phys. Rev. B 71(4), 045404, 2005)
I have re-calculated the extinction spectra of aggregates of two silver
nanospheres shown in Figs.~2 and 3 of Ref.~8. I have used the approximate
method of images according to Ref.~8 and an exact numerical technique. I have
found that the three sets of data (those I have obtained by the method of
images, the numerical results, and the results published in Ref.~8) do not
coincide. In this Comment, I discuss the reasons for these discrepancies and
the general applicability of the method of images to the quasi-static
electromagnetic problem of two interacting nanospheres.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
SiO masers from AGB stars in the vibrationally excited v=1,v=2, and v=3 states
The v=1 and v=2 J=1-0 (43 GHz), and v=1 J=2-1 (86 GHz) SiO masers are intense
in AGB stars and have been mapped using VLBI showing ring-like distributions.
Those of the v=1, v=2 J=1-0 masers are similar, but the spots are rarely
coincident, while the v=1 J=2-1 maser arises from a well separated region
farther out. These relative locations can be explained by models tools that
include the overlap of two IR lines of SiO and H2O. The v=3 J=1-0 line is not
directly affected by any line overlap and its spot structure and position,
relative to the other lines, is a good test to the standard pumping models. We
present single-dish and simultaneous VLBI observations of the v=1, v=2, and v=3
J=1-0 maser transitions of 28SiO in several AGB stars. The spatial distribution
of the SiO maser emission in the v=3 J=1-0 transition from AGB stars is
systematically composed of a series of spots that occupy a ring-like structure.
The overall ring structure is extremely similar to that found in the other 43
GHz transitions and is very different from the structure of the v=1 J=2-1
maser. The positions of the individual spots of the different 43 GHz lines are,
however, very rarely coincident, which in general is separated by about 0.3 AU
(between 1 and 5 mas). These results are very difficult to reconcile with
standard pumping models, which predict that the masers of rotational
transitions within a given vibrational state require very similar excitation
conditions, while the transitions of different vibrational states should appear
in different positions. However, models including line overlap tend to predict
v=1, v=2, v=3 J=1-0 population inversion to occur under very similar
conditions, while the requirements for v=1 J=2-1 appear clearly different, and
are compatible with the observational results.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures accepted by A&
Lectures on Non-BPS Dirichlet branes
A comprehensive introduction to the boundary state approach to Dirichlet
branes is given. Various examples of BPS and non-BPS Dirichlet branes are
discussed. In particular, the non-BPS states in the duality of Type IIA on K3
and the heterotic string on T4 are analysed in detail.Comment: 46 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX; lectures given at the TMR network school
on `Quantum aspects of gauge theories, supersymmetry and quantum gravity',
Torino, 26 January - 2 February 2000, and at the `Spring workshop on
Superstrings and related matters', Trieste, 27 March - 4 April 2000;
references adde
Easy on that trigger dad: a study of long term family photo retrieval
We examine the effects of new technologies for digital photography on people's longer term storage and access to collections of personal photos. We report an empirical study of parents' ability to retrieve photos related to salient family events from more than a year ago. Performance was relatively poor with people failing to find almost 40% of pictures. We analyze participants' organizational and access strategies to identify reasons for this poor performance. Possible reasons for retrieval failure include: storing too many pictures, rudimentary organization, use of multiple storage systems, failure to maintain collections and participants' false beliefs about their ability to access photos. We conclude by exploring the technical and theoretical implications of these findings
Theory of Optical Transmission through Elliptical Nanohole Arrays
We present a theory which explains (in the quasistatic limit) the
experimentally observed [R. Gordon, {\it et al}, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 92},
037401 (2004)] squared dependence of the depolarization ratio on the aspect
ratio of the holes, as well as other features of extraordinary light
transition. We calculated the effective dielectric tensor of a metal film
penetrated by elliptical cylindrical holes and found the extraordinarily light
transmission at special frequencies related to the surface plasmon resonances
of the composite film. We also propose to use the magnetic field for getting a
strong polarization effect, which depends on the ratio of the cyclotron to
plasmon frequencies.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Engineering Electromagnetic Properties of Periodic Nanostructures Using Electrostatic Resonances
Electromagnetic properties of periodic two-dimensional sub-wavelength
structures consisting of closely-packed inclusions of materials with negative
dielectric permittivity in a dielectric host with positive
can be engineered using the concept of multiple electrostatic
resonances. Fully electromagnetic solutions of Maxwell's equations reveal
multiple wave propagation bands, with the wavelengths much longer than the
nanostructure period. It is shown that some of these bands are described using
the quasi-static theory of the effective dielectric permittivity
, and are independent of the nanostructure period. Those bands
exhibit multiple cutoffs and resonances which are found to be related to each
other through a duality condition. An additional propagation band characterized
by a negative magnetic permeability develops when a magnetic moment is induced
in a given nano-particle by its neighbors. Imaging with sub-wavelength
resolution in that band is demonstrated
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