8,376 research outputs found
Performance evaluation of an emergency call center: tropical polynomial systems applied to timed Petri nets
We analyze a timed Petri net model of an emergency call center which
processes calls with different levels of priority. The counter variables of the
Petri net represent the cumulated number of events as a function of time. We
show that these variables are determined by a piecewise linear dynamical
system. We also prove that computing the stationary regimes of the associated
fluid dynamics reduces to solving a polynomial system over a tropical
(min-plus) semifield of germs. This leads to explicit formul{\ae} expressing
the throughput of the fluid system as a piecewise linear function of the
resources, revealing the existence of different congestion phases. Numerical
experiments show that the analysis of the fluid dynamics yields a good
approximation of the real throughput.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures. A shorter version can be found in the
proceedings of the conference FORMATS 201
Chiral surfaces self-assembling in one-component systems with isotropic interactions
We show that chiral symmetry can be broken spontaneously in one-component
systems with isotropic interactions, i.e. many-particle systems having maximal
a priori symmetry. This is achieved by designing isotropic potentials that lead
to self-assembly of chiral surfaces. We demonstrate the principle on a simple
chiral lattice and on a more complex lattice with chiral super-cells. In
addition we show that the complex lattice has interesting melting behavior with
multiple morphologically distinct phases that we argue can be qualitatively
predicted from the design of the interaction.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Dense loops, supersymmetry, and Goldstone phases in two dimensions
Loop models in two dimensions can be related to O(N) models. The
low-temperature dense-loops phase of such a model, or of its reformulation
using a supergroup as symmetry, can have a Goldstone broken-symmetry phase for
N<2. We argue that this phase is generic for -2< N <2 when crossings of loops
are allowed, and distinct from the model of non-crossing dense loops first
studied by Nienhuis [Phys. Rev. Lett. 49, 1062 (1982)]. Our arguments are
supported by our numerical results, and by a lattice model solved exactly by
Martins et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 504 (1998)].Comment: RevTeX, 5 pages, 3 postscript figure
Partly Occupied Wannier Functions
We introduce a scheme for constructing partly occupied, maximally localized
Wannier functions (WFs) for both molecular and periodic systems. Compared to
the traditional occupied WFs the partly occupied WFs posses improved symmetry
and localization properties achieved through a bonding-antibonding closing
procedure. We demonstrate the equivalence between bonding-antibonding closure
and the minimization of the average spread of the WFs in the case of a benzene
molecule and a linear chain of Pt atoms. The general applicability of the
method is demonstrated through the calculation of WFs for a metallic system
with an impurity: a Pt wire with a hydrogen molecular bridge.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Sound velocity and absorption measurements under high pressure using picosecond ultrasonics in diamond anvil cell. Application to the stability study of AlPdMn
We report an innovative high pressure method combining the diamond anvil cell
device with the technique of picosecond ultrasonics. Such an approach allows to
accurately measure sound velocity and attenuation of solids and liquids under
pressure of tens of GPa, overcoming all the drawbacks of traditional
techniques. The power of this new experimental technique is demonstrated in
studies of lattice dynamics, stability domain and relaxation process in a
metallic sample, a perfect single-grain AlPdMn quasicrystal, and rare gas, neon
and argon. Application to the study of defect-induced lattice stability in
AlPdMn up to 30 GPa is proposed. The present work has potential for application
in areas ranging from fundamental problems in physics of solid and liquid
state, which in turn could be beneficial for various other scientific fields as
Earth and planetary science or material research
Quantification of wind erosion under four different types of vegetation cover in quinoa fields of the Southern Bolivian Highlands
Simulations of energetic beam deposition: from picoseconds to seconds
We present a new method for simulating crystal growth by energetic beam
deposition. The method combines a Kinetic Monte-Carlo simulation for the
thermal surface diffusion with a small scale molecular dynamics simulation of
every single deposition event. We have implemented the method using the
effective medium theory as a model potential for the atomic interactions, and
present simulations for Ag/Ag(111) and Pt/Pt(111) for incoming energies up to
35 eV. The method is capable of following the growth of several monolayers at
realistic growth rates of 1 monolayer per second, correctly accounting for both
energy-induced atomic mobility and thermal surface diffusion. We find that the
energy influences island and step densities and can induce layer-by-layer
growth. We find an optimal energy for layer-by-layer growth (25 eV for Ag),
which correlates with where the net impact-induced downward interlayer
transport is at a maximum. A high step density is needed for energy induced
layer-by-layer growth, hence the effect dies away at increased temperatures,
where thermal surface diffusion reduces the step density. As part of the
development of the method, we present molecular dynamics simulations of single
atom-surface collisions on flat parts of the surface and near straight steps,
we identify microscopic mechanisms by which the energy influences the growth,
and we discuss the nature of the energy-induced atomic mobility
Infrared Optical Properties of Ferropericlase (Mg1-xFexO): Experiment and Theory
The temperature dependence of the reflectance spectra of magnesium oxide
(MgO) and ferropericlase (Mg1-xFexO, for x=0.06 and x=0.27) have been measured
over a wide frequency range (~50 to 32000 cm-1) at 295 and 6 K. The complex
dielectric function has been determined from a Kramers-Kronig analysis of the
reflectance. The spectra of the doped materials resembles pure MgO in the
infrared region, but with much broader resonances. We use a shell model to
calculate the dielectric function of ferropericlase, including both anharmonic
phonon-phonon interactions and disorder scattering. These data are relevant to
understanding the heat conductivity of ferropericlase in the earth's lower
mantle.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figure
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