2,863 research outputs found
The boundary element approach to Van der Waals interactions
We develop a boundary element method to calculate Van der Waals interactions
for systems composed of domains of spatially constant dielectric response. We
achieve this by rewriting the interaction energy expression exclusively in
terms of surface integrals of surface operators. We validate this approach in
the Lifshitz case and give numerical results for the interaction of two spheres
as well as the van der Waals self-interaction of a uniaxial ellipsoid. Our
method is simple to implement and is particularly suitable for a full,
non-perturbative numerical evaluation of non-retarded van der Waals
interactions between objects of a completely general shape.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, RevTe
Is demagnetization an efficient optimization method?
Demagnetization, commonly employed to study ferromagnets, has been proposed
as the basis for an optimization tool, a method to find the ground state of a
disordered system. Here we present a detailed comparison between the ground
state and the demagnetized state in the random field Ising model, combing exact
results in and numerical solutions in . We show that there are
important differences between the two states that persist in the thermodynamic
limit and thus conclude that AC demagnetization is not an efficient
optimization method.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figur
Phase diagram of the random field Ising model on the Bethe lattice
The phase diagram of the random field Ising model on the Bethe lattice with a
symmetric dichotomous random field is closely investigated with respect to the
transition between the ferromagnetic and paramagnetic regime. Refining
arguments of Bleher, Ruiz and Zagrebnov [J. Stat. Phys. 93, 33 (1998)] an exact
upper bound for the existence of a unique paramagnetic phase is found which
considerably improves the earlier results. Several numerical estimates of
transition lines between a ferromagnetic and a paramagnetic regime are
presented. The obtained results do not coincide with a lower bound for the
onset of ferromagnetism proposed by Bruinsma [Phys. Rev. B 30, 289 (1984)]. If
the latter one proves correct this would hint to a region of coexistence of
stable ferromagnetic phases and a stable paramagnetic phase.Comment: Article has been condensed and reorganized; Figs 3,5,6 merged; Fig 4
omitted; Some discussion added at end of Sec. III; 9 pages, 5 figs, RevTeX4,
AMSTe
Adhesion-induced phase separation of multiple species of membrane junctions
A theory is presented for the membrane junction separation induced by the
adhesion between two biomimetic membranes that contain two different types of
anchored junctions (receptor/ligand complexes). The analysis shows that several
mechanisms contribute to the membrane junction separation. These mechanisms
include (i) the height difference between type-1 and type-2 junctions is the
main factor which drives the junction separation, (ii) when type-1 and type-2
junctions have different rigidities against stretch and compression, the
``softer'' junctions are the ``favored'' species, and the aggregation of the
softer junction can occur, (iii) the elasticity of the membranes mediates a
non-local interaction between the junctions, (iv) the thermally activated shape
fluctuations of the membranes also contribute to the junction separation by
inducing another non-local interaction between the junctions and renormalizing
the binding energy of the junctions. The combined effect of these mechanisms is
that when junction separation occurs, the system separates into two domains
with different relative and total junction densities.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figure
DNA Spools under Tension
DNA-spools, structures in which DNA is wrapped and helically coiled onto
itself or onto a protein core are ubiquitous in nature. We develop a general
theory describing the non-equilibrium behavior of DNA-spools under linear
tension. Two puzzling and seemingly unrelated recent experimental findings, the
sudden quantized unwrapping of nucleosomes and that of DNA toroidal condensates
under tension are theoretically explained and shown to be of the same origin.
The study provides new insights into nucleosome and chromatin fiber stability
and dynamics
Stability of bicontinuous cubic phases in ternary amphiphilic systems with spontaneous curvature
We study the phase behavior of ternary amphiphilic systems in the framework
of a curvature model with non-vanishing spontaneous curvature. The amphiphilic
monolayers can arrange in different ways to form micellar, hexagonal, lamellar
and various bicontinuous cubic phases. For the latter case we consider both
single structures (one monolayer) and double structures (two monolayers). Their
interfaces are modeled by the triply periodic surfaces of constant mean
curvature of the families G, D, P, C(P), I-WP and F-RD. The stability of the
different bicontinuous cubic phases can be explained by the way in which their
universal geometrical properties conspire with the concentration constraints.
For vanishing saddle-splay modulus , almost every phase considered
has some region of stability in the Gibbs triangle. Although bicontinuous cubic
phases are suppressed by sufficiently negative values of the saddle-splay
modulus , we find that they can exist for considerably lower
values than obtained previously. The most stable bicontinuous cubic phases with
decreasing are the single and double gyroid structures since
they combine favorable topological properties with extreme volume fractions.Comment: Revtex, 23 pages with 10 Postscript files included, to appear in J.
Chem. Phys. 112 (6) (February 2000
Dynamics of a Driven Single Flux Line in Superconductors
We study the low temperature dynamics of a single flux line in a bulk type-II
superconductor, driven by a surface current, both near and above the onset of
an instability which sets in at a critical driving. We found that above the
critical driving, the velocity profile of the flux line develops a
discontinuity.Comment: 10 pages with 4 figures, REVTE
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