874 research outputs found
7.2% efficient polycrystalline silicon photoelectrode
After etching, n-type cast polycrystalline silicon photoanodes immersed in a solution of methanol and a substituted ferrocene reagent exhibit photoelectrode efficiencies of 7.2%±0.7% under simulated AM2 illumination. Scanning laser spot data indicate that the grain boundaries are active; however, the semiconductor/liquid contact does not display the severe shunting effects which are observed at a polycrystalline Si/Pt Schottky barrier. Evidence for an interfacial oxide on the operating polycrystalline Si photoanode is presented. Some losses in short circuit current can be ascribed to bulk semiconductor properties; however, despite these losses, photoanodes fabricated from polycrystalline substrates exhibit efficiencies comparable to those of single crystal material. Two major conclusions of our studies are that improved photoelectrode behavior in the polycrystalline silicon/methanol system will primarily result from changes in bulk electrode properties and from grain boundary passivation, and that Fermi level pinning by surface states does not prevent the design of efficient silicon-based liquid junctions
A 14% efficient nonaqueous semiconductor/liquid junction solar cell
We describe the most efficient semiconductor/liquid junction solar cell reported to date. Under Wâhalogen (ELH) illumination, the device is a 14% efficient twoâelectrode solar cell fabricated from an nâtype silicon photoanode in contact with a nonaqueous electrolyte solution. The cellâČs central feature is an ultrathin electrolyte layer which simultaneously reduces losses which result from electrode polarization, electrolyte light absorption, and electrolyte resistance. The thin electrolyte layer also eliminates the need for forced convection of the redox couple and allows for precise control over the amount of water (and other electrolyte impurities) exposed to the semiconductor. After one month of continuous operation under ELH light at 100 mW/cm^2, which corresponds to the passage of over 70â000 C/cm^2, thinâlayer cells retained over 90% of their efficiency. In addition, when made with Wacker Silso cast polycrystalline Si, cells yield an efficiency of 9.8% under simulated AMl illumination. The thinâlayer cells employ no external compensation yet surpass their corresponding experimental (threeâelectrode) predecessors in efficiency
Variant N=(1,1) Supergravity and (Minkowski)_4 x S^2 Vacua
We construct the fermionic sector and supersymmetry transformation rules of a
variant N=(1,1) supergravity theory obtained by generalized Kaluza-Klein
reduction from seven dimensions. We show that this model admits both
(Minkowski)_4 x S^2 and (Minkowski)_3 x S^3 vacua. We perform a consistent
Kaluza-Klein reduction on S^2 and obtain D=4, N=2 supergravity coupled to a
vector multiplet, which can be consistently truncated to give rise to D=4, N=1
supergravity with a chiral multiplet.Comment: Latex, 17 pages. Version appearing in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Investigation of MRSA transmission between pigs and the environment following intra-nasal inoculation
Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ST398 has not been detected in pigs in Ireland. However, other strains of MRSA, including MRSA t002, have been isolated from animals and humans in Ireland. The aim of this study was to determine if nasal colonization of pigs with a non-ST398 strain of MRSA could be reproduced using intra-nasal inoculation and to investigate subsequent transmission of this strain. Six pigs were inoculated intra-nasally with 2 x 109cfu MRSA t002. Six days post-inoculation these pigs were washed and moved to a clean house with 15 unexposed pigs (In-contact group). Another 15 unexposed pigs were added to the vacated house (Environment group)
-Strands
A -strand is a map for a Lie
group that follows from Hamilton's principle for a certain class of
-invariant Lagrangians. The SO(3)-strand is the -strand version of the
rigid body equation and it may be regarded physically as a continuous spin
chain. Here, -strand dynamics for ellipsoidal rotations is derived as
an Euler-Poincar\'e system for a certain class of variations and recast as a
Lie-Poisson system for coadjoint flow with the same Hamiltonian structure as
for a perfect complex fluid. For a special Hamiltonian, the -strand is
mapped into a completely integrable generalization of the classical chiral
model for the SO(3)-strand. Analogous results are obtained for the
-strand. The -strand is the -strand version of the
Bloch-Iserles ordinary differential equation, whose solutions exhibit dynamical
sorting. Numerical solutions show nonlinear interactions of coherent wave-like
solutions in both cases. -strand equations on the
diffeomorphism group are also introduced and shown
to admit solutions with singular support (e.g., peakons).Comment: 35 pages, 5 figures, 3rd version. To appear in J Nonlin Sc
On Self-Dual Gravity I
(One typo corrected and one incorrect statement removed. Extra details on
conserved quantities and symmetry algebras added).Comment: 17 pages, Latex, DAMTP-R92/4
No-Go Theorem for Horizon-Shielded Self-Tuning Singularities
We derive a simple no-go theorem relating to self-tuning solutions to the
cosmological constant for observers on a brane, which rely on a singularity in
an extra dimension. The theorem shows that it is impossible to shield the
singularity from the brane by a horizon, unless the positive energy condition
(rho+p >= 0) is violated in the bulk or on the brane. The result holds
regardless of the kinds of fields which are introduced in the bulk or on the
brane, whether Z_2 symmetry is imposed at the brane, or whether higher
derivative terms of the Gauss-Bonnet form are added to the gravitational part
of the action. However, the no-go theorem can be evaded if the three-brane has
spatial curvature. We discuss explicit realizations of such solutions which
have both self-tuning and a horizon shielding the singularity.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, revtex; added reference and minor correction
A New Fractional D2-brane, G_2 Holonomy and T-duality
Recently, a new example of a complete non-compact Ricci-flat metric of G_2
holonomy was constructed, which has an asymptotically locally conical structure
at infinity with a circular direction whose radius stabilises. In this paper we
find a regular harmonic 3-form in this metric, which we then use in order to
obtain an explicit solution for a fractional D2-brane configuration. By
performing a T-duality transformation on the stabilised circle, we obtain the
type IIB description of the fractional brane, which now corresponds to D3-brane
with one of its world-volume directions wrapped around the circle.Comment: Latex, 13 page
Bubbling AdS Black Holes
We explore the non-BPS analog of `AdS bubbles', which are regular spherically
symmetric 1/2 BPS geometries in type IIB supergravity. They have regular
horizons and can be thought of as bubbling generalizations of non-extremal AdS
black hole solutions in five-dimensional gauged supergravity. Due to the
appearance of the Heun equation even at the linearized level, various
approximation and numerical methods are needed in order to extract information
about this system. We study how the vacuum expectation value and mass of a
particular dimension two chiral primary operator depend on the temperature and
chemical potential of the thermal Yang-Mills theory. In addition, the mass of
the bubbling AdS black holes is computed. As is shown numerically, there are
also non-BPS solitonic bubbles which are completely regular and arise from
continuous deformations of BPS AdS bubbles.Comment: 37 pages, 2 figure
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