449 research outputs found
Magnetoplasmon excitations in an array of periodically modulated quantum wires
Motivated by the recent experiment of Hochgraefe et al., we have investigated
the magnetoplasmon excitations in a periodic array of quantum wires with a
periodic modulation along the wire direction. The equilibrium and dynamic
properties of the system are treated self-consistently within the
Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-von Weizsaecker approximation. A calculation of the
dynamical response of the system to a far-infrared radiation field reveals a
resonant anticrossing between the Kohn mode and a finite-wavevector
longitudinal excitation which is induced by the density modulation along the
wires. Our theoretical calculations are found to be in excellent agreement with
experiment.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-von Weizsacker hydrodynamics in laterally modulated electronic systems
We have studied the collective plasma excitations of a two-dimensional
electron gas with an arbitrary lateral charge-density modulation. The dynamics
is formulated using a previously developed hydrodynamic theory based on the
Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-von Weizsacker approximation. In this approach, both the
equilibrium and dynamical properties of the periodically modulated electron gas
are treated in a consistent fashion. We pay particular attention to the
evolution of the collective excitations as the system undergoes the transition
from the ideal two-dimensional limit to the highly-localized one-dimensional
limit. We also calculate the power absorption in the long-wavelength limit to
illustrate the effect of the modulation on the modes probed by far-infrared
(FIR) transmission spectroscopy.Comment: 27 page Revtex file, 15 Postscript figure
Role of phason-defects on the conductance of a 1-d quasicrystal
We have studied the influence of a particular kind of phason-defect on the
Landauer resistance of a Fibonacci chain. Depending on parameters, we sometimes
find the resistance to decrease upon introduction of defect or temperature, a
behavior that also appears in real quasicrystalline materials. We demonstrate
essential differences between a standard tight-binding model and a full
continuous model. In the continuous case, we study the conductance in relation
to the underlying chaotic map and its invariant. Close to conducting points,
where the invariant vanishes, and in the majority of cases studied, the
resistance is found to decrease upon introduction of a defect. Subtle
interference effects between a sudden phason-change in the structure and the
phase of the wavefunction are also found, and these give rise to resistive
behaviors that produce exceedingly simple and regular patterns.Comment: 12 pages, special macros jnl.tex,reforder.tex, eqnorder.tex. arXiv
admin note: original tex thoroughly broken, figures missing. Modified so that
tex compiles, original renamed .tex.orig in source
Magnetoplasmon excitations in arrays of circular and noncircular quantum dots
We have investigated the magnetoplasmon excitations in arrays of circular and
noncircular quantum dots within the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-von Weizs\"acker
approximation. Deviations from the ideal collective excitations of isolated
parabolically confined electrons arise from local perturbations of the
confining potential as well as interdot Coulomb interactions. The latter are
unimportant unless the interdot separations are of the order of the size of the
dots. Local perturbations such as radial anharmonicity and noncircular symmetry
lead to clear signatures of the violation of the generalized Kohn theorem. In
particular, the reduction of the local symmetry from SO(2) to results in
a resonant coupling of different modes and an observable anticrossing behaviour
in the power absorption spectrum. Our results are in good agreement with recent
far-infrared (FIR) transmission experiments.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures, typeset in RevTe
Indoor Radon Concentration and Risk Estimation: the EURA PROJECT
The indoor radon concentration level has been monitored in selected locations in four European countries (Iceland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden) during a yearlong measurement campaign using time-integrated passive radon dosimeters containing CR-39 track detectors. The measurements were carried out in private houses and public buildings like schools, for an exposure time of up to 6 months for each detector. Experimental data shows a great variation between different geographic areas, and often the average levels are over the acceptable radon limit of 300 Bq/m3recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). To investigate a relationship between indoor radon exposure and lung cancer, estimating the cumulative levels of exposure to indoor radon for an individual or population is necessary. We analyse the data sets and investigate the factors influencing indoor radon concentrations in order to determine the best use of the experimental information. The results show that the variables associated with indoor radon levels are strictly linked to the soil geology. Analyzing the data sets enables improved assessment of radon exposure in a given area. The average absorption effective dose equivalent for a person is computed, and the risk of lung cancer per year is evaluated. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2021-02-04-01 Full Text: PD
Dynamics in Colloidal Liquids near a Crossing of Glass- and Gel-Transition Lines
Within the mode-coupling theory for ideal glass-transitions, the mean-squared
displacement and the correlation function for density fluctuations are
evaluated for a colloidal liquid of particles interacting with a square-well
potential for states near the crossing of the line for transitions to a gel
with the line for transitions to a glass. It is demonstrated how the dynamics
is ruled by the interplay of the mechanisms of arrest due to hard-core
repulsion and due to attraction-induced bond formation as well as by a nearby
higher-order glass-transition singularity. Application of the universal
relaxation laws for the slow dynamics near glass-transition singularities
explains the qualitative features of the calculated time dependence of the
mean-squared displacement, which are in accord with the findings obtained in
molecular-dynamics simulation studies by Zaccarelli et. al [Phys. Rev. E 66,
041402 (2002)]. Correlation functions found by photon-correlation spectroscopy
in a micellar system by Mallamace et. al [Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 5431 2000)] can
be interpreted qualitatively as a crossover from gel to glass dynamics.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figure
Colloquium: Nonlinear collective interactions in quantum plasmas with degenerate electron fluids
The current understanding of some important nonlinear collective processes in
quantum plasmas with degenerate electrons is presented. After reviewing the
basic properties of quantum plasmas, we present model equations (e.g. the
quantum hydrodynamic and effective nonlinear Schr\"odinger-Poisson equations)
that describe collective nonlinear phenomena at nanoscales. The effects of the
electron degeneracy arise due to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and Pauli's
exclusion principle for overlapping electron wavefunctions that result in
tunneling of electrons and the electron degeneracy pressure. Since electrons
are Fermions (spin-1/2), there also appears an electron spin current and a spin
force acting on electrons due to the Bohr magnetization. The quantum effects
produce new aspects of electrostatic (ES) and electromagnetic (EM) waves in a
quantum plasma that are summarized in here. Furthermore, we discuss nonlinear
features of ES ion waves and electron plasma oscillations (ESOs), as well as
the trapping of intense EM waves in quantum electron density cavities.
Specifically, simulation studies of the coupled nonlinear Schr\"odinger (NLS)
and Poisson equations reveal the formation and dynamics of localized ES
structures at nanoscales in a quantum plasma. We also discuss the effect of an
external magnetic field on the plasma wave spectra and develop quantum
magnetohydrodynamic (Q-MHD) equations. The results are useful for understanding
numerous collective phenomena in quantum plasmas, such as those in compact
astrophysical objects, in plasma-assisted nanotechnology, and in the
next-generation of intense laser-solid density plasma interaction experiments.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figures. To be published in Reviews of Modern Physic
Scalar quantum kinetic theory for spin-1/2 particles: mean field theory
Starting from the Pauli Hamiltonian operator, we derive a scalar quantum
kinetic equations for spin-1/2 systems. Here the regular Wigner two-state
matrix is replaced by a scalar distribution function in extended phase space.
Apart from being a formulation of principal interest, such scalar quantum
kinetic equation makes the comparison to classical kinetic theory
straightforward, and lends itself naturally to currently available numerical
Vlasov and Boltzmann schemes. Moreover, while the quasi-distribution is a
Wigner function in regular phase space, it is given by a Q-function in spin
space. As such, nonlinear and dynamical quantum plasma problems are readily
handled. Moreover, the issue of gauge invariance is treated. Applications (e.g.
ultra-dense laser compressed targets and their diagnostics), possible
extensions, and future improvements of the presented quantum statistical model
are discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figure
Exenatide Affects Circulating Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers Independently of Changes in Body Composition
Post-stroke inhibition of induced NADPH oxidase type 4 prevents oxidative stress and neurodegeneration
Ischemic stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Only one moderately effective therapy exists, albeit with contraindications that exclude 90% of the patients. This medical need contrasts with a high failure rate of more than 1,000 pre-clinical drug candidates for stroke therapies. Thus, there is a need for translatable mechanisms of neuroprotection and more rigid thresholds of relevance in pre-clinical stroke models. One such candidate mechanism is oxidative stress. However, antioxidant approaches have failed in clinical trials, and the significant sources of oxidative stress in stroke are unknown. We here identify NADPH oxidase type 4 (NOX4) as a major source of oxidative stress and an effective therapeutic target in acute stroke. Upon ischemia, NOX4 was induced in human and mouse brain. Mice deficient in NOX4 (Nox4(-/-)) of either sex, but not those deficient for NOX1 or NOX2, were largely protected from oxidative stress, blood-brain-barrier leakage, and neuronal apoptosis, after both transient and permanent cerebral ischemia. This effect was independent of age, as elderly mice were equally protected. Restoration of oxidative stress reversed the stroke-protective phenotype in Nox4(-/-) mice. Application of the only validated low-molecular-weight pharmacological NADPH oxidase inhibitor, VAS2870, several hours after ischemia was as protective as deleting NOX4. The extent of neuroprotection was exceptional, resulting in significantly improved long-term neurological functions and reduced mortality. NOX4 therefore represents a major source of oxidative stress and novel class of drug target for stroke therapy
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