A test of non-equilibrium thermodynamics in glassy systems: the soft-sphere case

The scaling properties of the soft-sphere potential allow the derivation of an exact expression for the pressure of a frozen liquid, i.e., the pressure corresponding to configurations which are local minima in its multidimensional potential energy landscape. The existence of such a relation offers the unique possibility for testing the recently proposed extension of the liquid free energy to glassy out-of-equilibrium conditions and the associated expression for the temperature of the configurational degrees of freedom. We demonstrate that the non-equilibrium free energy provides an exact description of the soft-sphere pressure in glass states

Crossover between Equilibrium and Shear-controlled Dynamics in Sheared Liquids

We present a numerical simulation study of a simple monatomic Lennard-Jones liquid under shear flow, as a function of both temperature and shear rate. By investigating different observables we find that i) It exists a line in the (temperature-shear) plane that sharply marks the boarder between an ``equilibrium'' and a ``shear-controlled'' region for both the dynamic and the thermodynamic quantities; and ii) Along this line the structural relaxation time, is proportional to the inverse shear rate, i.e. to the typical time-scale introduced by the shear flow. Above the line the liquid dynamics is unaffected by the shear flow, while below it both temperature and shear rate control the particle motion.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Entropy Crisis, Ideal Glass Transition and Polymer Melting: Exact Solution on a Husimi Cactus

We introduce an extension of the lattice model of melting of semiflexible polymers originally proposed by Flory. Along with a bending penalty, present in the original model and involving three sites of the lattice, we introduce an interaction energy that corresponds to the presence of a pair of parallel bonds and a second interaction energy associated with the presence of a hairpin turn. Both these new terms represent four-site interactions. The model is solved exactly on a Husimi cactus, which approximates a square lattice. We study the phase diagram of the system as a function of the energies. For a proper choice of the interaction energies, the model exhibits a first-order melting transition between a liquid and a crystalline phase. The continuation of the liquid phase below this temperature gives rise to a supercooled liquid, which turns continuously into a new low-temperature phase, called metastable liquid. This liquid-liquid transition seems to have some features that are characteristic of the critical transition predicted by the mode-coupling theory.Comment: To be published in Physical Review E, 68 (2) (2003

Binder Parameter of a Heisenberg Spin-Glass Model in Four Dimensions

We studied the phase transition of the $\pm J$ Heisenberg model with and without a random anisotropy on four dimensional lattice $L\times L\times L\times (L+1)$ $(L\leq 9)$. We showed that the Binder parameters $g(L,T)$'s for different sizes do not cross even when the anisotropy is present. On the contrary, when a strong anisotropy exists, $g(L,T)$ exhibits a steep negative dip near the spin-glass phase transition temperature $T_{\rm SG}$ similarly to the $p-$state infinite-range Potts glass model with $p \geq 3$, in which the one-step replica-symmetry-breaking (RSB) occurs. We speculated that a one-step RSB-like state occurs below $T_{\rm SG}$, which breaks the usual crossing behavior of $g(L,T)$.Comment: 4 pages including 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

The malaria challenge : after one hundred years of malariology

The organophosphate pirimiphos-methyl and the carbamate carbosulfan were evaluated in comparison to the pyrethroid alphacypermethrin and the 'near-pyrethroid' etofenprox against pyrethroid resistant #Anopheles gambiae and #Culex spp. in an experimental hut station located in central Côte d'Ivoire. Bednets were impregnated with the above mentioned compounds and randomly allocated to the huts. On the 40 consecutive mornings, after sleepers had occupied the huts overnight, mosquitoes were collected from the huts, identified and scored as live or dead (including delayed mortality). #An. gambiae s.l. that had been collected were tested for the presence of the kdr allele in heterozygous or homozygous form. Both non-pyrethroid treatments caused very high mortality, whereas mortality with alpha-cypermethrin and etofenprox generally did not differ from the levels observed with untreated control nets in this experiment. The nets had holes cut in them and there was considerable bloodfeeding on the sleepers, which was only significantly reduced for #An. gambiae by carbosulfan and alpha-cypermethrin. PCR genotyping suggested that there was selection for the kdr resistance allele by the pyrethroid treated nets. Organophosphates and carbamates may therefore present an alternative to be used on bednets especially in areas of pyrethroid resistance, but the safety of these insecticides will have to be carefully considered. (Résumé d'auteur