123 research outputs found
Can one see the fundamental frequency of a drum?
We establish two-sided estimates for the fundamental frequency (the lowest
eigenvalue) of the Laplacian in an open subset G of R^n with the Dirichlet
boundary condition. This is done in terms of the interior capacitary radius of
G which is defined as the maximal possible radius of a ball B which has a
negligible intersection with the complement of G. Here negligibility of a
subset F in B means that the Wiener capacity of F does not exceed gamma times
the capacity of B, where gamma is an arbitrarily fixed constant between 0 and
1. We provide explicit values of constants in the two-sided estimates.Comment: 18 pages, some misprints correcte
Microscopic theory of single-electron tunneling through molecular-assembled metallic nanoparticles
We present a microscopic theory of single-electron tunneling through metallic
nanoparticles connected to the electrodes through molecular bridges. It
combines the theory of electron transport through molecular junctions with the
description of the charging dynamics on the nanoparticles. We apply the theory
to study single-electron tunneling through a gold nanoparticle connected to the
gold electrodes through two representative benzene-based molecules. We
calculate the background charge on the nanoparticle induced by the charge
transfer between the nanoparticle and linker molecules, the capacitance and
resistance of molecular junction using a first-principles based Non-Equilibrium
Green's Function theory. We demonstrate the variety of transport
characteristics that can be achieved through ``engineering'' of the
metal-molecule interaction.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.
Structure Formation, Melting, and the Optical Properties of Gold/DNA Nanocomposites: Effects of Relaxation Time
We present a model for structure formation, melting, and optical properties
of gold/DNA nanocomposites. These composites consist of a collection of gold
nanoparticles (of radius 50 nm or less) which are bound together by links made
up of DNA strands. In our structural model, the nanocomposite forms from a
series of Monte Carlo steps, each involving reaction-limited cluster-cluster
aggregation (RLCA) followed by dehybridization of the DNA links. These links
form with a probability which depends on temperature and particle
radius . The final structure depends on the number of monomers (i. e. gold
nanoparticles) , , and the relaxation time. At low temperature, the
model results in an RLCA cluster. But after a long enough relaxation time, the
nanocomposite reduces to a compact, non-fractal cluster. We calculate the
optical properties of the resulting aggregates using the Discrete Dipole
Approximation. Despite the restructuring, the melting transition (as seen in
the extinction coefficient at wavelength 520 nm) remains sharp, and the melting
temperature increases with increasing as found in our previous
percolation model. However, restructuring increases the corresponding link
fraction at melting to a value well above the percolation threshold. Our
calculated extinction cross section agrees qualitatively with experiments on
gold/DNA composites. It also shows a characteristic ``rebound effect,''
resulting from incomplete relaxation, which has also been seen in some
experiments. We discuss briefly how our results relate to a possible sol-gel
transition in these aggregates.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure
Transport via a quantum shuttle
Published versio
Young and Intermediate-age Distance Indicators
Distance measurements beyond geometrical and semi-geometrical methods, rely
mainly on standard candles. As the name suggests, these objects have known
luminosities by virtue of their intrinsic proprieties and play a major role in
our understanding of modern cosmology. The main caveats associated with
standard candles are their absolute calibration, contamination of the sample
from other sources and systematic uncertainties. The absolute calibration
mainly depends on their chemical composition and age. To understand the impact
of these effects on the distance scale, it is essential to develop methods
based on different sample of standard candles. Here we review the fundamental
properties of young and intermediate-age distance indicators such as Cepheids,
Mira variables and Red Clump stars and the recent developments in their
application as distance indicators.Comment: Review article, 63 pages (28 figures), Accepted for publication in
Space Science Reviews (Chapter 3 of a special collection resulting from the
May 2016 ISSI-BJ workshop on Astronomical Distance Determination in the Space
Age
The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship
There is an urgent need to improve the infrastructure supporting the reuse of scholarly data. A diverse set of stakeholders—representing academia, industry, funding agencies, and scholarly publishers—have come together to design and jointly endorse a concise and measureable set of principles that we refer to as the FAIR Data Principles. The intent is that these may act as a guideline for those wishing to enhance the reusability of their data holdings. Distinct from peer initiatives that focus on the human scholar, the FAIR Principles put specific emphasis on enhancing the ability of machines to automatically find and use the data, in addition to supporting its reuse by individuals. This Comment is the first formal publication of the FAIR Principles, and includes the rationale behind them, and some exemplar implementations in the community
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