Design and application of gas-gap heat switches

Gas-gap heat switches can serve as an effective means of thermally disconnecting a standby cryocooler when the primary (operating) cooler is connected and vice versa. The final phase of the development and test of a cryogenic heat switch designed for loads ranging from 2 watts at 8 K, to 100 watts at 80 K are described. Achieved heat-switch on/off conductance ratio ranged from 11,000 at 8 K to 2200 at 80 K. A particularly challenging element of heat-switch design is achieving satisfactory operation when large temperatures differentials exist across the switch. A special series of tests and analyses was conducted and used in this Phase-2 activity to evaluate the developed switches for temperature differentials ranging up to 200 K. Problems encountered at the maximum levels are described and analyzed, and means of avoiding the problems in the future are presented. A comprehensive summary of the overall heat-switch design methodology is also presented with special emphasis on lessons learned over the course of the 4-year development effort

Adsorbate Electric Fields on a Cryogenic Atom Chip

We investigate the behaviour of electric fields originating from adsorbates deposited on a cryogenic atom chip as it is cooled from room temperature to cryogenic temperature. Using Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency we measure the field strength versus distance from a 1 mm square of YBCO patterned onto a YSZ chip substrate. We find a localized and stable dipole field at room temperature and attribute it to a saturated layer of chemically adsorbed rubidium atoms on the YBCO. As the chip is cooled towards 83 K we observe a change in sign of the electric field as well as a transition from a localized to a delocalized dipole density. We relate these changes to the onset of physisorption on the chip surface when the van der Waals attraction overcomes the thermal desorption mechanisms. Our findings suggest that, through careful selection of substrate materials, it may be possible to reduce the electric fields caused by atomic adsorption on chips, opening up experiments to controlled Rydberg-surface coupling schemes.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Gravastars and Black Holes of Anisotropic Dark Energy

Dynamical models of prototype gravastars made of anisotropic dark energy are constructed, in which an infinitely thin spherical shell of a perfect fluid with the equation of state $p = (1-\gamma)\sigma$ divides the whole spacetime into two regions, the internal region filled with a dark energy fluid, and the external Schwarzschild region. The models represent "bounded excursion" stable gravastars, where the thin shell is oscillating between two finite radii, while in other cases they collapse until the formation of black holes. Here we show, for the first time in the literature, a model of gravastar and formation of black hole with both interior and thin shell constituted exclusively of dark energy. Besides, the sign of the parameter of anisotropy ($p_t - p_r$) seems to be relevant to the gravastar formation. The formation is favored when the tangential pressure is greater than the radial pressure, at least in the neighborhood of the isotropic case ($\omega=-1$).Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Gen. Rel. Gra

Cosmological Constraints on Radion Evolution in the Universal Extra Dimension Model

The constraints on the radion evolution in the Universal Extra Dimension (UED) model from Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) data are studied. In the UED model, where both the gravity and standard model fields can propagate in the extra dimensions, the evolution of the extra dimensional volume, the radion, induces variation of fundamental constants. We discuss the effects of variation of the relevant constants in the context of UED for CMB power spectrum and SNe Ia data. We then use the three-year WMAP data to constrain the radion evolution at z \sim 1100, and the 2 \sigma constraint on \dot{\rho} / \rho_0 (\rho is a function of the radion, to be defined in the text) is [ -8.8, 6.6] \times 10 ^{-13} yr^-1. The SNe Ia gold sample yields a constraint on \dot{\rho} / \rho_0, for redshift between 0 and 1, to be [-4.7, 14] \times 10^{-13} yr^-1. Furthermore, the constraints from SNe Ia can be interpreted as bounds on the evolution QCD scale parameter, \dot{\Lambda}_{QCD} / \Lambda_{QCD, 0}, [-1.4, 2.8] \times 10^{-11} yr^-1, without reference to the UED model.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, comments added, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Three-dimensional finite element analysis for high velocity impact

A finite element algorithm for solving unsteady, three-dimensional high velocity impact problems is presented. A computer program was developed based on the Eulerian hydroelasto-viscoplastic formulation and the utilization of the theorem of weak solutions. The equations solved consist of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, equation of state, and appropriate constitutive equations. The solution technique is a time-dependent finite element analysis utilizing three-dimensional isoparametric elements, in conjunction with a generalized two-step time integration scheme. The developed code was demonstrated by solving one-dimensional as well as three-dimensional impact problems for both the inviscid hydrodynamic model and the hydroelasto-viscoplastic model

Topological dilaton black holes

In four-dimensional spacetime, when the two-sphere of black hole event horizons is replaced by a two-dimensional hypersurface with zero or negative constant curvature, the black hole is referred to as a topological black hole. In this paper we present some exact topological black hole solutions in the Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory with a Liouville-type dilaton potential.Comment: 8 pages, Revtex, no figure

In-vivo magnetic resonance imaging of hyperpolarized silicon particles

Silicon-based micro and nanoparticles have gained popularity in a wide range of biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability in-vivo, as well as a flexible surface chemistry, which allows drug loading, functionalization and targeting. Here we report direct in-vivo imaging of hyperpolarized 29Si nuclei in silicon microparticles by MRI. Natural physical properties of silicon provide surface electronic states for dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), extremely long depolarization times, insensitivity to the in-vivo environment or particle tumbling, and surfaces favorable for functionalization. Potential applications to gastrointestinal, intravascular, and tumor perfusion imaging at sub-picomolar concentrations are presented. These results demonstrate a new background-free imaging modality applicable to a range of inexpensive, readily available, and biocompatible Si particles.Comment: Supplemental Material include

Lattice dynamics and electron-phonon interaction in (3,3) carbon nanotubes

We present a detailed study of the lattice dynamics and electron-phonon coupling for a (3,3) carbon nanotube which belongs to the class of small diameter based nanotubes which have recently been claimed to be superconducting. We treat the electronic and phononic degrees of freedom completely by modern ab-initio methods without involving approximations beyond the local density approximation. Using density functional perturbation theory we find a mean-field Peierls transition temperature of approx 40K which is an order of magnitude larger than the calculated superconducting transition temperature. Thus in (3,3) tubes the Peierls transition might compete with superconductivity. The Peierls instability is related to the special 2k_F nesting feature of the Fermi surface. Due to the special topology of the (n,n) tubes also a q=0 coupling between the two bands crossing the Fermi energy at k_F is possible which leads to a phonon softening at the Gamma point.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; to be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Exact Black Hole and Cosmological Solutions in a Two-Dimensional Dilaton-Spectator Theory of Gravity

Exact black hole and cosmological solutions are obtained for a special two-dimensional dilaton-spectator ($\phi-\psi$) theory of gravity. We show how in this context any desired spacetime behaviour can be determined by an appropriate choice of a dilaton potential function $V(\phi)$ and a ``coupling function'' $l(\phi)$ in the action. We illustrate several black hole solutions as examples. In particular, asymptotically flat double- and multiple- horizon black hole solutions are obtained. One solution bears an interesting resemblance to the $2D$ string-theoretic black hole and contains the same thermodynamic properties; another resembles the $4D$ Reissner-Nordstrom solution. We find two characteristic features of all the black hole solutions. First the coupling constants in $l(\phi)$ must be set equal to constants of integration (typically the mass). Second, the spectator field $\psi$ and its derivative $\psi^{'}$ both diverge at any event horizon. A test particle with ``spectator charge" ({\it i.e.} one coupled either to $\psi$ or $\psi^{'}$), will therefore encounter an infinite tidal force at the horizon or an ``infinite potential barrier'' located outside the horizon respectively. We also compute the Hawking temperature and entropy for our solutions. In $2D$ $FRW$ cosmology, two non-singular solutions which resemble two exact solutions in $4D$ string-motivated cosmology are obtained. In addition, we construct a singular model which describes the $4D$ standard non-inflationary big bang cosmology ($big-bang\rightarrow radiation\rightarrow dust$). Motivated by the similaritiesbetween $2D$ and $4D$ gravitational field equations in $FRW$ cosmology, we briefly discuss a special $4D$ dilaton-spectator action constructed from the bosonic part of the low energy heterotic string action andComment: 34 pgs. Plain Tex, revised version contains some clarifying comments concerning the relationship between the constants of integration and the coupling constants

The aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) of British Columbia. 11. Further additions

Ten species of aphids and new host records are added to the taxonomic list of the aphids of British Columbia