2,357 research outputs found
Condition monitoring and prognostic indicators for network reliability
Large-scale investment in transmission and distribution networks are planned over the next 10-15 years to meet future demand and changes in power generation. However, it is important that existing assets continue to operate reliably and their health maintained. A research project is considering the increased use of simulation models that could provide accurate prognostics, targeting maintenance and reduce in service failures. Such models could be further refined with parameters obtained from on-line measurements at the asset. It is also important to consider the future development of the research agenda for condition monitoring of power networks and with colleagues from National Grid, PPA Energy and the Universities of Manchester and Strathclyde, the research team are preparing a Position Paper on this subject
Fabrication of Nano-Gapped Single-Electron Transistors for Transport Studies of Individual Single-Molecule Magnets
Three terminal single-electron transistor devices utilizing Al/Al2O3 gate
electrodes were developed for the study of electron transport through
individual single-molecule magnets. The devices were patterned via multiple
layers of optical and electron beam lithography. Electromigration induced
breaking of the nanowires reliably produces 1-3 nm gaps between which the SMM
can be situated. Conductance through a single Mn12(3-thiophenecarboxylate)
displays the coulomb blockade effect with several excitations within +/- 40
meV.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
'Diverse mobilities': second-generation Greek-Germans engage with the homeland as children and as adults
This paper is about the children of Greek labour migrants in Germany. We focus on two life-stages of âreturnâ for this second generation: as young children brought to Greece on holidays or sent back for longer periods, and as young adults exercising an independent âreturnâ migration. We draw both on literature and on our own field interviews with 50 first- and second-generation Greek-Germans. We find the practise of sending young children back to Greece to have been surprisingly widespread yet little documented. Adult relocation to the parental homeland takes place for five reasons: (i) a âsearch for selfâ; (ii) attraction of the Greek way of life; (iii) the actualisation of the âfamily narrative of returnâ by the second, rather than the first, generation; (iv) life-stage events such as going to university or marrying a Greek; (v) escape from a traumatic event or oppressive family situation. Yet the return often brings difficulties, disillusionment, identity reappraisal, and a re-evaluation of the German context
Electricâfield dependence of interband transitions in In_(0.53)Ga_(0.47)As/In_(0.52)Al_(0.48)As single quantum wells by roomâtemperature electrotransmittance
Roomâtemperature electrotransmittance has been used in order to investigate the interband excitonic transitions in a 250âĂ
âthick In_(0.53)Ga_(0.47)As/In_(0.52)Al_(0.48)As singleâquantumâwell system as a function of an externally applied electric field. Parity forbidden transitions, involving conductionâband states with quantum numbers up to n=5, which become more pronounced at high electric fields were observed. The groundâstate and the forbidden transitions showed a significant red shift due to the quantum confined Stark effect. A comparison with previously reported results on thinner InGaAs/InAlAs quantum wells indicated that the wideâwell sample exhibits the largest shift, as expected from theory. Despite the appreciable Stark shift, the rather large, fieldâinduced linewidth broadening and the relatively low electric field at which the groundâstate exciton is ionized poses limitations on using this wideâquantumâwell system for electroâoptic applications
Field sweep rate dependence of the coercive field of single-molecule magnets: a classical approach with applications to the quantum regime
A method, based on the Neel-Brown model of thermally activated magnetization
reversal of a magnetic single-domain particle, is proposed to study the field
sweep rate dependence of the coercive field of single-molecule magnets (SMMs).
The application to Mn12 and Mn84 SMMs allows the determination of the important
parameters that characterize the magnetic properties: the energy barrier, the
magnetic anisotropy constant, the spin, tau_0, and the crossover temperature
from the classical to the quantum regime. The method may be particularly
valuable for large SMMs that do not show quantum tunneling steps in the
hysteresis loops.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
Effect of Improving the Lattice Gauge Action on QCD Topology
We use lattice topology as a laboratory to compare the Wilson action (WA)
with the Symanzik-Weisz (SW) action constructed from a combination of (1x1) and
(1x2) Wilson loops, and the estimate of the renormalization trajectory (RT)
from a renormalization group transformation (RGT) which also includes higher
representations of the (1x1) loop. Topological charges are computed using the
geometric (L\"uscher's) and plaquette methods on the uncooled lattice, and also
by using cooling to remove ultraviolet artifacts. We show that as the action
improves by approaching the RT, the topological charges for individual
configurations computed using these three methods become more highly
correlated, suggesting that artificial lattice renormalizations to the
topological susceptibility can be suppressed by improving the action.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, poster presented at LATTICE96(improvement
Long-range ferromagnetism of Mn12 acetate single-molecule magnets under a transverse magnetic field
We use neutron diffraction to probe the magnetization components of a crystal
of Mn12 single-molecule magnets. Each of these molecules behaves, at low
temperatures, as a nanomagnet with spin S = 10 and strong anisotropy along the
crystallographic c axis. Application of a magnetic field perpendicular to c
induces quantum tunneling between opposite spin orientations, enabling the
spins to attain thermal equilibrium. Below approximately 0.9 K, intermolecular
interactions turn this equilibrium state into a ferromagnetically ordered
phase. However, long range ferromagnetic correlations nearly disappear for
fields larger 5.5 T, possibly suggesting the existence of a quantum critical
point.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Ohmic contacts to GaAs for high-temperature device applications
Ohmic contacts to n-type GaAs were developed for high temperature device applications up to 300 C. Refractory metallizations were used with epitaxial Ge layers to form the contacts: TiW/Ge/GaAs, Ta/Ge/GaAs, Mo/Ge/GaAs, and Ni/Ge/GaAs. Contacts with high dose Si or Se ion implantation of the Ge/GaAs interface were also investigated. The contacts were fabricated on epitaxial GaAs layer grown on N+ or semi-insulating GaAs substrates. Ohmic contact was formed by both thermal annealing (at temperatures up to 700 C) and laser annealing (pulsed Ruby). Examination of the Ge/GaAs interface revealed Ge migration into GaAs to form an N+ doping layer. The specific contact resistances of specimens annealed by both methods are given
Numerical Modeling of Cometary Meteoroid Streams Encountering Mars and Venus
We have simulated numerically the existence of meteoroid streams that encounter the orbits of Mars and Venus, potentially producing meteor showers at those planets. We find that 17 known comets can produce such showers, the intensity of which can be determined through observations. Six of these streams contain dense dust trails capable of producing meteor outbursts
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