281 research outputs found
Thermodynamics of nano-cluster phases: a unifying theory
We propose a unifying, analytical theory accounting for the self-organization
of colloidal systems in nano- or micro-cluster phases. We predict the
distribution of cluter sizes with respect to interaction parameters and colloid
concentration. In particular, we anticipate a proportionality regime where the
mean cluster size grows proportionally to the concentration, as observed in
several experiments. We emphasize the interest of a predictive theory in soft
matter, nano-technologies and biophysics.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
An alternative scenario for the formation of specialized protein nano-domains (cluster phases) in biomembranes
We discuss a realistic scenario, accounting for the existence of
sub-micrometric protein domains in cell membranes. At the biological level,
such membrane domains have been shown to be specialized, in order to perform a
determined biological task, in the sense that they gather one or a few protein
species out of the hundreds of different ones that a cell membrane may contain.
By analyzing the balance between mixing entropy and protein affinities, we
propose that such protein sorting in distinct domains can be explained without
appealing to pre-existing lipidic micro-phase separations, as in the lipid raft
scenario. We show that the proposed scenario is compatible with known physical
interactions between membrane proteins, even if thousands of different species
coexist.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, published versio
Numerical study of anharmonic vibrational decay in amorphous and paracrystalline silicon
The anharmonic decay rates of atomic vibrations in amorphous silicon (a-Si)
and paracrystalline silicon (p-Si), containing small crystalline grains
embedded in a disordered matrix, are calculated using realistic structural
models. The models are 1000-atom four-coordinated networks relaxed to a local
minimum of the Stillinger-Weber interatomic potential. The vibrational decay
rates are calculated numerically by perturbation theory, taking into account
cubic anharmonicity as the perturbation. The vibrational lifetimes for a-Si are
found to be on picosecond time scales, in agreement with the previous
perturbative and classical molecular dynamics calculations on a 216-atom model.
The calculated decay rates for p-Si are similar to those of a-Si. No modes in
p-Si reside entirely on the crystalline cluster, decoupled from the amorphous
matrix. The localized modes with the largest (up to 59%) weight on the cluster
decay primarily to two diffusons. The numerical results are discussed in
relation to a recent suggestion by van der Voort et al. [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 62},
8072 (2000)] that long vibrational relaxation inferred experimentally may be
due to possible crystalline nanostructures in some types of a-Si.Comment: 9 two-column pages, 13 figure
Effective interactions of colloids on nematic films
The elastic and capillary interactions between a pair of colloidal particles
trapped on top of a nematic film are studied theoretically for large
separations . The elastic interaction is repulsive and of quadrupolar type,
varying as . For macroscopically thick films, the capillary interaction
is likewise repulsive and proportional to as a consequence of
mechanical isolation of the system comprised of the colloids and the interface.
A finite film thickness introduces a nonvanishing force on the system (exerted
by the substrate supporting the film) leading to logarithmically varying
capillary attractions. However, their strength turns out to be too small to be
of importance for the recently observed pattern formation of colloidal droplets
on nematic films.Comment: 13 pages, accepted by EPJ
Inelastic light, neutron, and X-ray scatterings related to the heterogeneous elasticity of glasses
The effects of plasticization of poly(methyl methacrylate) glass on the boson
peaks observed by Raman and neutron scattering are compared. In plasticized
glass the cohesion heterogeneities are responsible for the neutron boson peak
and partially for the Raman one, which is enhanced by the composition
heterogeneities. Because the composition heterogeneities have a size similar to
that of the cohesion ones and form quasiperiodic clusters, as observed by small
angle X-ray scattering, it is inferred that the cohesion heterogeneities in a
normal glass form nearly periodic arrangements too. Such structure at the
nanometric scale explains the linear dispersion of the vibrational frequency
versus the transfer momentum observed by inelastic X-ray scattering.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, to be published in J. Non-Cryst. Solids
(Proceedings of the 4th IDMRCS
Interaction of quasilocal harmonic modes and boson peak in glasses
The direct proportionality relation between the boson peak maximum in
glasses, , and the Ioffe-Regel crossover frequency for phonons,
, is established. For several investigated materials . At the frequency the mean free path of the
phonons becomes equal to their wavelength because of strong resonant
scattering on quasilocal harmonic oscillators. Above this frequency phonons
cease to exist. We prove that the established correlation between
and holds in the general case and is a direct consequence of
bilinear coupling of quasilocal oscillators with the strain field.Comment: RevTex, 4 pages, 1 figur
Anharmonic vs. relaxational sound damping in glasses: I. Brillouin scattering from densified silica
This series discusses the origin of sound damping and dispersion in glasses.
In particular, we address the relative importance of anharmonicity versus
thermally activated relaxation. In this first article, Brillouin-scattering
measurements of permanently densified silica glass are presented. It is found
that in this case the results are compatible with a model in which damping and
dispersion are only produced by the anharmonic coupling of the sound waves with
thermally excited modes. The thermal relaxation time and the unrelaxed velocity
are estimated.Comment: 9 pages with 7 figures, added reference
Defect structures in nematic liquid crystals around charged particles
We numerically study the orientation deformations in nematic liquid crystals
around charged particles. We set up a Ginzburg-Landau theory with inhomogeneous
electric field. If the dielectric anisotropy varepsilon_1 is positive, Saturn
ring defects are formed around the particles. For varepsilon_1<0, novel "ansa"
defects appear, which are disclination lines with their ends on the particle
surface. We find unique defect structures around two charged particles. To
lower the free energy, oppositely charged particle pairs tend to be aligned in
the parallel direction for varepsilon_1>0 and in the perpendicular plane for
varepsilon_1<0 with respect to the background director . For identically
charged pairs the preferred directions for varepsilon_1>0 and varepsilon_1<0
are exchanged. We also examie competition between the charge-induced anchoring
and the short-range anchoring. If the short-range anchoring is sufficiently
strong, it can be effective in the vicinity of the surface, while the director
orientation is governed by the long-range electrostatic interaction far from
the surface.Comment: 10 papes, 12 figures, to appear in European Physical Journal
Free energy of colloidal particles at the surface of sessile drops
The influence of finite system size on the free energy of a spherical
particle floating at the surface of a sessile droplet is studied both
analytically and numerically. In the special case that the contact angle at the
substrate equals a capillary analogue of the method of images is
applied in order to calculate small deformations of the droplet shape if an
external force is applied to the particle. The type of boundary conditions for
the droplet shape at the substrate determines the sign of the capillary
monopole associated with the image particle. Therefore, the free energy of the
particle, which is proportional to the interaction energy of the original
particle with its image, can be of either sign, too. The analytic solutions,
given by the Green's function of the capillary equation, are constructed such
that the condition of the forces acting on the droplet being balanced and of
the volume constraint are fulfilled. Besides the known phenomena of attraction
of a particle to a free contact line and repulsion from a pinned one, we
observe a local free energy minimum for the particle being located at the drop
apex or at an intermediate angle, respectively. This peculiarity can be traced
back to a non-monotonic behavior of the Green's function, which reflects the
interplay between the deformations of the droplet shape and the volume
constraint.Comment: 24 pages, 19 figure
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