6,719 research outputs found
Non-equilibrium tube length fluctuations of entangled polymers
We investigate the nonequilibrium tube length fluctuations during the
relaxation of an initially stretched, entangled polymer chain. The
time-dependent variance of the tube length follows in the early-time
regime a simple universal power law originating in the
diffusive motion of the polymer segments. The amplitude is calculated
analytically both from standard reptation theory and from an exactly solvable
lattice gas model for reptation and its dependence on the initial and
equilibrium tube length respectively is discussed. The non-universality
suggests the measurement of the fluctuations (e.g. using flourescence
microscopy) as a test for reptation models.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures. Minor typos correcte
Fluctuation Theorems of Brownian Particles Controlled by a Maxwell's Demon
We study the stochastic dynamics of Brownian particles in a heat bath and
subject to an active feedback control by an external, Maxwell's demon-like
agent. The agent uses the information of the velocity of a particle and reduces
its thermal agitation by applying a force. The entropy of the particle and the
heat bath as a whole, thus, reduces. Entropy pumping [Phys. Rev. Lett. 93,
120602 (2004)] quantifies the entropy reduction. We discover that the entropy
pumping has a dual role of work and heat contributing to free energy changes
and entropy production of the open-system with the feedback control.
Generalized Jarzynski equality and fluctuation theorems for work functional and
entropy production are developed with the presence of the entropy pumping.Comment: 4 page
Kinetic Regimes and Cross-Over Times in Many-Particle Reacting Systems
We study kinetics of single species reactions ("A+A -> 0") for general local
reactivity Q and dynamical exponent z (rms displacement x_t ~ t^{1/z}.) For
small molecules z=2, whilst z=4,8 for certain polymer systems. For dimensions d
above the critical value d_c=z, kinetics are always mean field (MF). Below d_c,
the density n_t initially follows MF decay, n_0 - n_t ~ n_0^2 Q t. A 2-body
diffusion-controlled regime follows for strongly reactive systems (Q>Qstar ~
n_0^{(z-d)/d}) with n_0 - n_t ~ n_0^2 x_t^d. For Q<Qstar, MF kinetics persist,
with n_t ~ 1/Qt. In all cases n_t ~ 1/x_t^d at the longest times. Our analysis
avoids decoupling approximations by instead postulating weak physically
motivated bounds on correlation functions.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, uses bulk2.sty, minor changes, submitted to
Europhysics Letter
Classification of graph C*-algebras with no more than four primitive ideals
We describe the status quo of the classification problem of graph C*-algebras
with four primitive ideals or less
Crystal nucleation mechanism in melts of short polymer chains under quiescent conditions and under shear flow
We present a molecular dynamics simulation study of crystal nucleation from
undercooled melts of n-alkanes, and we identify the molecular mechanism of
homogeneous crystal nucleation under quiescent conditions and under shear flow.
We compare results for n-eicosane(C20) and n-pentacontahectane(C150), i.e. one
system below the entanglement length and one above. Under quiescent conditions,
we observe that entanglement does not have an effect on the nucleation
mechanism. For both chain lengths, the chains first align and then straighten
locally. Then the local density increases and finally positional ordering sets
in. At low shear rates the nucleation mechanism is the same as under quiescent
conditions, while at high shear rates the chains align and straighten at the
same time. We report on the effects of shear rate and temperature on the
nucleation rates and estimate the critical shear rates, beyond which the
nucleation rates increase with the shear rate. We show that the viscosity of
the system is not affected by the crystalline nuclei.Comment: 9 page
Double electron capture in 156Dy, 162Er and 168Yb
The double electron capture half-lives of 156Dy, 162Er and 168Yb are
evaluated using the pseudo SU(3) model, which describes ground and excited
bands as well as their B(E2) and B(M1) transition strengths in remarkable
agreement with experiment. The best candidate for experimental detection is the
decay 156Dy -> 156Gd, with tau{1/2} (0+{gs} --> 0+{gs}) = 2.74 E22 yrs and
tau{1/2} (0+{gs} --> 0+{1}) = 8.31 E24 yrs.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure. Physics Letters B, in pres
Scoping a public health impact assessment of aquaculture with particular reference to tilapia in the UK
Background. The paper explores shaping public health impact assessment tools for tilapia, a novel emergent aquaculture sector in the UK. This Research Council’s UK Rural Economy and Land Use project embraces technical, public health, and marketing perspectives scoping tools to assess possible impacts of the activity. Globally, aquaculture produced over 65 million tonnes of food in 2008 and will grow significantly requiring apposite global public health impact assessment tools.<p></p>
Methods. Quantitative and qualitative methods incorporated data from a tridisciplinary literature. Holistic tools scoped tilapia farming impact assessments. Laboratory-based tilapia production generated data on impacts in UK and Thailand along with 11 UK focus groups involving 90 consumers, 30 interviews and site visits, 9 visits to UK tilapia growers and 2 in The Netherlands.<p></p>
Results. The feasibility, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of creating a tilapia Public Health Impact Assessment are analysed. Occupational and environmental health benefits and risks attached to tilapia production were identified.<p></p>
Conclusions. Scoping public health impacts of tilapia production is possible at different levels and forms for producers, retailers, consumers, civil society and governmental bodies that may contribute to complex and interrelated public health assessments of aquaculture projects. Our assessment framework constitutes an innovatory perspective in the field
Conduction Polarization in Sodium Germanate Glasses
Only one thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) peak was found in germanate glasses containing from 0.19 to 32.5 mol% Na20, whereas comparable silicate glasses exhibit two such peaks. Equations are developed showing that the distortion of the equilibrium Na+-ion distribution by an applied electrical field produces a polarization in general agreement with the observed TSDC peak. It is proposed that the TSDC peak is due to dc conduction
Conformational transformations induced by the charge-curvature interaction at finite temperature
The role of thermal fluctuations on the conformational dynamics of a single
closed filament is studied. It is shown that, due to the interaction between
charges and bending degrees of freedom, initially circular aggregates may
undergo transformation to polygonal shape. The transition occurs both in the
case of hardening and softening charge-bending interaction. In the former case
the charge and curvature are smoothly distributed along the chain while in the
latter spontaneous kink formation is initiated. The transition to a
non-circular conformation is analogous to the phase transition of the second
kind.Comment: 23 pages (Latex), 10 figures (Postscript), 2 biblio file (bib-file
and bbl-file
Nuclear Structure Aspects of the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay
In this article, we analyze some nuclear structure aspects of the
neutrinoless double beta decay nuclear matrix elements (NME), in the framework
of the Interacting Shell Model. We give results for the decays of 48Ca, 76Ge,
82Se, 124Sn, 128Te, 130Te, and 136Xe, using improved effective interactions and
valence spaces. We examine the dependence of the NME's on the effective
interaction and the valence space, and analyze the effects of the short range
correlations and the finite size of the nucleon. Finally we study the influence
of the deformation on the values of the NME's.Comment: To appear in EJP-
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