49,070 research outputs found
Structure and phase behavior of colloidal dumbbells with tunable attractive interactions
We investigate thermodynamic and structural properties of colloidal dumbbells
in the framework provided by the Reference Interaction Site Model (RISM) theory
of molecular fluids and Monte Carlo simulations. We consider two different
models: in the first one we set identical square-well attractions on the two
tangent spheres composing the molecule (SW-SW model); in the second scheme, one
of square-well interactions is switched off (HS-SW model). Appreciable
differences emerge between the physical properties of the two models.
Specifically, the behavior of SW-SW structure factors points
to the presence of a gas-liquid coexistence, as confirmed by subsequent fluid
phase equilibria calculations. Conversely, the HS-SW develops a low-
peak, signaling the presence of aggregates; such a process destabilizes the
gas-liquid phase separation, promoting at low temperatures the formation of a
cluster phase, whose structure depends on the system density. We further
investigate such differences by studying the phase behavior of a series of
intermediate models, obtained from the original SW-SW by progressively reducing
the depth of one square-well interaction. RISM structural predictions
positively reproduce the simulation data, including the rise of ) in
the SW-SW model and the low- peak in the HS-SW structure factor. As for the
phase behavior, RISM agrees with Monte Carlo simulations in predicting a
gas-liquid coexistence for the SW-SW model (though the critical parameters
appears overestimated by the theory) and its progressive disappearance moving
toward the HS-SW model.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, 1 table, 78 reference
Metastable Markov chains: from the convergence of the trace to the convergence of the finite-dimensional distributions
We consider continuous-time Markov chains which display a family of wells at
the same depth. We provide sufficient conditions which entail the convergence
of the finite-dimensional distributions of the order parameter to the ones of a
finite state Markov chain. We also show that the state of the process can be
represented as a time-dependent convex combination of metastable states, each
of which is supported on one well
Labels for non-individuals
Quasi-set theory is a first order theory without identity, which allows us to
cope with non-individuals in a sense. A weaker equivalence relation called
``indistinguishability'' is an extension of identity in the sense that if
is identical to then and are indistinguishable, although the
reciprocal is not always valid. The interesting point is that quasi-set theory
provides us a useful mathematical background for dealing with collections of
indistinguishable elementary quantum particles. In the present paper, however,
we show that even in quasi-set theory it is possible to label objects that are
considered as non-individuals. We intend to prove that individuality has
nothing to do with any labelling process at all, as suggested by some authors.
We discuss the physical interpretation of our results.Comment: 11 pages, no figure
Effective restoration of chiral and axial symmetries at finite temperature and density
The effective restoration of chiral and axial symmetries is investigated
within the framework of the SU(3) Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. The topological
susceptibility, modeled from lattice data at finite temperature, is used to
extract the temperature dependence of the coupling strength of the anomaly. The
study of the scalar and pseudoscalar mixing angles is performed in order to
discuss the evolution of the flavor combinations of pairs and its
consequences for the degeneracy of chiral partners. A similar study at zero
temperature and finite density is also realized.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Talk given at Strange Quark Matter 2004, Cape
Town, South Africa, 15-20 September, 200
Formation energy and interaction of point defects in two-dimensional colloidal crystals
The manipulation of individual colloidal particles using optical tweezers has
allowed vacancies to be created in two-dimensional (2d) colloidal crystals,
with unprecedented possibility of real-time monitoring the dynamics of such
defects (Nature {\bf 413}, 147 (2001)). In this Letter, we employ molecular
dynamics (MD) simulations to calculate the formation energy of single defects
and the binding energy between pairs of defects in a 2d colloidal crystal. In
the light of our results, experimental observations of vacancies could be
explained and then compared to simulation results for the interstitial defects.
We see a remarkable similarity between our results for a 2d colloidal crystal
and the 2d Wigner crystal (Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 86}, 492 (2001)). The results
show that the formation energy to create a single interstitial is
lower than that of the vacancy. Because the pair binding energies of the
defects are strongly attractive for short distances, the ground state should
correspond to bound pairs with the interstitial bound pairs being the most
probable.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure
Global priorities for conservation across multiple dimensions of mammalian diversity
Conservation priorities that are based on species distribution, endemism, and vulnerability may underrepresent biologically unique species as well as their functional roles and evolutionary histories. To ensure that priorities are biologically comprehensive, multiple dimensions of diversity must be considered. Further, understanding how the different dimensions relate to one another spatially is important for conservation prioritization, but the relationship remains poorly understood. Here, we use spatial conservation planning to (i) identify and compare priority regions for global mammal conservation across three key dimensions of biodiversity-taxonomic, phylogenetic, and traits-and (ii) determine the overlap of these regions with the locations of threatened species and existing protected areas. We show that priority areas for mammal conservation exhibit low overlap across the three dimensions, highlighting the need for an integrative approach for biodiversity conservation. Additionally, currently protected areas poorly represent the three dimensions of mammalian biodiversity. We identify areas of high conservation priority among and across the dimensions that should receive special attention for expanding the global protected area network. These high-priority areas, combined with areas of high priority for other taxonomic groups and with social, economic, and political considerations, provide a biological foundation for future conservation planning efforts
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