Local molecular field theory for effective attractions between like charged objects in systems with strong Coulomb interactions

Strong short ranged positional correlations involving counterions can induce a net attractive force between negatively charged strands of DNA, and lead to the formation of ion pairs in dilute ionic solutions. But the long range of the Coulomb interactions impedes the development of a simple local picture. We address this general problem by mapping the properties of a nonuniform system with Coulomb interactions onto those of a simpler system with short ranged intermolecular interactions in an effective external field that accounts for the averaged effects of appropriately chosen long ranged and slowly varying components of the Coulomb interactions. The remaining short ranged components combine with the other molecular core interactions and strongly affect pair correlations in dense or strongly coupled systems. We show that pair correlation functions in the effective short ranged system closely resemble those in the uniform primitive model of ionic solutions, and illustrate the formation of ion pairs and clusters at low densities. The theory accurately describes detailed features of the effective attraction between two equally charged walls at strong coupling and intermediate separations of the walls. New analytical results for the minimal coupling strength needed to get any attraction and for the separation where the attractive force is a maximum are presented.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. To be published in PNA

Supercurrent conservation in the lattice Wess-Zumino model with Ginsparg-Wilson fermions

We study supercurrent conservation for the four-dimensional Wess-Zumino model formulated on the lattice. The formulation is one that has been discussed several times, and uses Ginsparg-Wilson fermions of the overlap (Neuberger) variety, together with an auxiliary fermion (plus superpartners), such that a lattice version of U(1)_R symmetry is exactly preserved in the limit of vanishing bare mass. We show that the almost naive supercurrent is conserved at one loop. By contrast we find that this is not true for Wilson fermions and a canonical scalar action. We provide nonperturbative evidence for the nonconservation of the supercurrent in Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figure

"Mirror Image" space charge distribution in XLPE power cable under opposite stressing voltage polarity

The paper presents the research on space charge distribution under different polarities in full size cross-linked polyethylene power cables using the pulsed electro-acoustic technique. Under both positive and negative voltage space charge distributions possess about the same profiles but opposite polarities. Similar phenomenon had been reported previously in plaque samples and was termed as “mirror image effect”. By comparing the results among the cables treated (degassing) under different conditions, the paper concludes that the “mirror image” charge distribution is mainly attributed to bulk effect within the volume of the insulation, whilst the electron transfer by tunnelling through an electrode/insulator interface contribute to the generation of homo “mirror image” at the vicinity of the electrode

Ageing and Temperature Influence on Polarization/Depolarization Current Behaviour of Paper Immersed in Natural Ester

Transformers play an important role in providing a reliable and efficient electricity supply and are one of the most critical equipments in electric power transmission and distribution systems. The most commonly used liquid in power transformers is mineral oil due to its low price and good properties. However the performance of mineral oil starts to be limited due to environmental consideration [1]. Natural ester insulating fluid offers fire safety, environment and insulation aging advantages over mineral oil and are found to be suitable for the use in transformer insulation system [1]. However, transformer owners require to assess the status of the cellulose insulation in transformer non-destructively. Polarization/depolarization Current (PDC) measurement [2] is one of the non-destructive techniques which have been used to achieve this aim. At the present, there are few publications about the PDC behaviour of natural ester-paper insulation, though the natural ester becomes more widely used in transformers. In this paper, the influence of ageing and temperature on the PDC behaviour of the paper immersed in natural ester and mineral oil were compared. Results show PDC technique can be used to assess the aging condition of the natural-ester paper insulation. The ageing and temperature have similar influence on the PDC behaviour of the paper immersed in natural ester and in mineral oil. The depolarization current of paper immersed in natural ester is lower than that immersed in mineral oil at the same test temperature. The depolarization current of the paper immersed in natural ester and mineral oil increase with the aging time increased. Therefore, the depolarization current can be used to indicate the aging status of natural ester-paper insulation

Semantics-Space-Time Cube. A Conceptual Framework for Systematic Analysis of Texts in Space and Time

We propose an approach to analyzing data in which texts are associated with spatial and temporal references with the aim to understand how the text semantics vary over space and time. To represent the semantics, we apply probabilistic topic modeling. After extracting a set of topics and representing the texts by vectors of topic weights, we aggregate the data into a data cube with the dimensions corresponding to the set of topics, the set of spatial locations (e.g., regions), and the time divided into suitable intervals according to the scale of the planned analysis. Each cube cell corresponds to a combination (topic, location, time interval) and contains aggregate measures characterizing the subset of the texts concerning this topic and having the spatial and temporal references within these location and interval. Based on this structure, we systematically describe the space of analysis tasks on exploring the interrelationships among the three heterogeneous information facets, semantics, space, and time. We introduce the operations of projecting and slicing the cube, which are used to decompose complex tasks into simpler subtasks. We then present a design of a visual analytics system intended to support these subtasks. To reduce the complexity of the user interface, we apply the principles of structural, visual, and operational uniformity while respecting the specific properties of each facet. The aggregated data are represented in three parallel views corresponding to the three facets and providing different complementary perspectives on the data. The views have similar look-and-feel to the extent allowed by the facet specifics. Uniform interactive operations applicable to any view support establishing links between the facets. The uniformity principle is also applied in supporting the projecting and slicing operations on the data cube. We evaluate the feasibility and utility of the approach by applying it in two analysis scenarios using geolocated social media data for studying people's reactions to social and natural events of different spatial and temporal scales

A search algorithm for a class of optimal finite-precision controller realization problems with saddle points

With game theory, we review the optimal digital controller realization problems that maximize a finite word length (FWL) closed-loop stability measure. For a large class of these optimal FWL controller realization problems which have saddle points, a minimax-based search algorithm is derived for finding a global optimal solution. The algorithm consists of two stages. In the first stage, the closed form of a transformation set is constructed which contains global optimal solutions. In the second stage, a subgradient approach searches this transformation set to obtain a global optimal solution. This algorithm does not suffer from the usual drawbacks associated with using direct numerical optimization methods to tackle these FWL realization problems. Furthermore, for a small class of optimal FWL controller realization problems which have no saddle point, the proposed algorithm also provides useful information to help solve them

Isotope separation using metallic vapor lasers

The isotope U235 is separated from a gasified isotope mixture of U235 and U238 by selectively exciting the former from the ground state utilizing resonant absorption of radiation from precisely tuned lasers. The excited isotope is then selectively ionized by electron bombardment. It then is separated from the remaining isotope mixture by electromagnetic separation