690 research outputs found
Nonequilibrium stochastic processes: Time dependence of entropy flux and entropy production
Based on the Fokker-Planck and the entropy balance equations we have studied
the relaxation of a dissipative dynamical system driven by external
Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise processes in absence and presence of nonequilibrium
constraint in terms of the thermodynamically inspired quantities like entropy
flux and entropy production. The interplay of nonequilibrium constraint,
dissipation and noise reveals some interesting extremal nature in the time
dependence of entropy flux and entropy production.Comment: RevTex, 17 pages, 9 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.
A semiclassical theory of quantum noise in open chaotic systems
We consider the quantum evolution of classically chaotic systems in contact
with surroundings. Based on -scaling of an equation for time evolution
of the Wigner's quasi-probability distribution function in presence of
dissipation and thermal diffusion we derive a semiclassical equation for
quantum fluctuations. This identifies an early regime of evolution dominated by
fluctuations in the curvature of the potential due to classical chaos and
dissipation. A stochastic treatment of this classical fluctuations leads us to
a Fokker-Planck equation which is reminiscent of Kramers' equation for
thermally activated processes. This reveals an interplay of three aspects of
evolution of quantum noise in weakly dissipative open systems; the reversible
Liouville flow, the irreversible chaotic diffusion which is characteristic of
the system itself, and irreversible dissipation induced by the external
reservoir. It has been demonstrated that in the dissipation-free case a
competition between Liouville flow in the contracting direction of phase space
and chaotic diffusion sets a critical width in the Wigner function for quantum
fluctuations. We also show how the initial quantum noise gets amplified by
classical chaos and ultimately equilibrated under the influence of dissipation.
We establish that there exists a critical limit to the expansion of phase
space. The limit is determined by chaotic diffusion and dissipation. Making use
of appropriate quantum-classical correspondence we verify the semiclassical
analysis by the fully quantum simulation in a chaotic quartic oscillator.Comment: Plain Latex, 27 pages, 6 ps figure, To appear in Physica
The noise properties of stochastic processes and entropy production
Based on a Fokker-Planck description of external Ornstein-Uhlenbeck noise and
cross-correlated noise processes driving a dynamical system we examine the
interplay of the properties of noise processes and the dissipative
characteristic of the dynamical system in the steady state entropy production
and flux. Our analysis is illustrated with appropriate examples.Comment: RevTex, 1 figure, To appear in Phys. Rev.
Periodic force induced stabilization or destabilization of the denatured state of a protein
We have studied the effects of an external sinusoidal force in protein
folding kinetics. The externally applied force field acts on the each amino
acid residues of polypeptide chains. Our simulation results show that mean
protein folding time first increases with driving frequency and then decreases
passing through a maximum. With further increase of the driving frequency the
mean folding time starts increasing as the noise-induced hoping event (from the
denatured state to the native state) begins to experience many oscillations
over the mean barrier crossing time period. Thus unlike one-dimensional barrier
crossing problems, the external oscillating force field induces both
\emph{stabilization or destabilization of the denatured state} of a protein. We
have also studied the parametric dependence of the folding dynamics on
temperature, viscosity, non-Markovian character of bath in presence of the
external field
Upper bound for the time derivative of entropy for nonequilibrium stochastic processes
We have shown how the intrinsic properties of a noise process can set an
upper bound for the time derivative of entropy in a nonequilibrium system. The
interplay of dissipation and the properties of noise processes driving the
dynamical systems in presence and absence of external forcing, reveals some
interesting extremal nature of the upper bound.Comment: RevTex, 13 pages, 6 figure
Solubilization method for isolation of photosynthetic mega- And super-complexes from conifer thylakoids
Photosynthesis is the main process by which sunlight is harvested and converted into chemical energy and has been a focal point of fundamental research in plant biology for decades. In higher plants, the process takes place in the thylakoid membranes where the two photosystems (PSI and PSII) are located. In the past few decades, the evolution of biophysical and biochemical techniques allowed detailed studies of the thylakoid organization and the interaction between protein complexes and cofactors. These studies have mainly focused on model plants, such as Arabidopsis, pea, spinach, and tobacco, which are grown in climate chambers even though significant differences between indoor and outdoor growth conditions are present. In this manuscript, we present a new mild-solubilization procedure for use with “fragile” samples such as thylakoids from conifers growing outdoors. Here, the solubilization protocol is optimized with two detergents in two species, namely Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). We have optimized the isolation and characterization of PSI and PSII multimeric mega- and super-complexes in a close-to-native condition by Blue-Native gel electrophoresis. Eventually, our protocol will not only help in the characterization of photosynthetic complexes from conifers but also in understanding winter adaptation
Fluctuation-dissipation relationship in chaotic dynamics
We consider a general N-degree-of-freedom dissipative system which admits of
chaotic behaviour. Based on a Fokker-Planck description associated with the
dynamics we establish that the drift and the diffusion coefficients can be
related through a set of stochastic parameters which characterize the steady
state of the dynamical system in a way similar to fluctuation-dissipation
relation in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. The proposed relationship is
verified by numerical experiments on a driven double well system.Comment: Revtex, 23 pages, 2 figure
Awareness of vaccination status and its predictors among working people in Switzerland
BACKGROUND: Adult vaccination status may be difficult to obtain, often requiring providers to rely on individual patient recall. To determine vaccination status awareness and the sociodemographic predictors of awareness for tetanus, hepatitis A and B, tick born encephalitis (TBE) and influenza vaccination. METHODS: Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate a questionnaire survey of 10 321 employees (4070 women and 6251 men aged 15–72 years) of two companies in Switzerland. RESULTS: Among 10 321 respondents, 75.5% reported knowing their tetanus vaccination status, 64.1% hepatitis A, 61.1% hepatitis B, 64.3% TBE and 71.9% influenza. Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 employees were not aware of their vaccination status. Differences in awareness for the five vaccinations considered correlated with gender and language. These differences persisted in multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: Women employees, German-speaking employees and employees who paid more attention to their diet were more often aware of their vaccination status. A more reliable and readily accessible data source for vaccination status is needed in order to capitalize on opportunities to update vaccinations among Swiss employees
Combination of pulsed laser ablation and inert gas condensation for the synthesis of nanostructured nanocrystalline, amorphous and composite materials
A new instrument combining pulsed laser ablation and inert gas condensation for the production of nanopowders is presented. It is shown that various nanostructured materials, such as regular metallic, semiconducting, insulating materials, complex high entropy alloys, amorphous alloys, composites and oxides can be synthesized. The unique variability of the experimental set-up is possible due to the reproducible control of laser power (pulse energy and repetition rate), laser ablation pattern on the target, and experimental conditions during the inert gas condensation, all of which can be controlled and optimized independently. Microstructure analysis of the as-prepared composite and amorphous Ni(60)Nb(40) nanopowders establishes the instrument's ability for the synthesis of materials with unique compositions and atomic structure. It is further shown that small variations of the synthesis parameters can influence materials properties of the final product, in terms of particle size, composition and properties. As an example, the laser power has been used to control the magnetic properties of amorphous Ni(60)Nb(40) nanopowders. A few selected examples of the manifold possibilities of the new synthesis apparatus are presented in this report together with detailed structural characterization of the produced nanopowders
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