344 research outputs found
Classical double-layer atoms: artificial molecules
The groundstate configuration and the eigenmodes of two parallel
two-dimensional classical atoms are obtained as function of the inter-atomic
distance (d). The classical particles are confined by identical harmonic wells
and repel each other through a Coulomb potential. As function of d we find
several structural transitions which are of first or second order. For first
(second) order transitions the first (second) derivative of the energy with
respect to d is discontinuous, the radial position of the particles changes
discontinuously (continuously) and the frequency of the eigenmodes exhibit a
jump (one mode becomes soft, i.e. its frequency becomes zero).Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 5 ps figures, to appear in Phys.Rev.Let
GRB host galaxies with VLT/X-Shooter: properties at 0.8 < z < 1.3
Long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) are associated with the death of massive stars.
Their host galaxies therefore represent a unique class of objects tracing star
formation across the observable Universe. Indeed, recently accumulated evidence
shows that GRB hosts do not differ substantially from general population of
galaxies at high (z > 2) redshifts. However, it has been long recognised that
the properties of z < 1.5 hosts, compared to general star-forming population,
are unusual. To better understand the reasons for the supposed difference in
LGRB hosts properties at z < 1.5, we obtained VLT/X- Shooter spectra of six
hosts lying in the redshift range of 0.8 < z < 1.3. Some of these hosts have
been observed before, yet we still lack well constrained information on their
characteristics such as metallicity, dust extinction and star formation rate.
We search for emission lines in the VLT/X-Shooter spectra of the hosts and
measure their fluxes. We perform a detailed analysis, estimating host average
extinction, star-formation rates, metallicities and electron densities where
possible. Measured quantities of our hosts are compared to a larger sample of
previously observed GRB hosts at z < 2. Star-formation rates and metallicities
are measured for all the hosts analyzed in this paper and metallicities are
well determined for 4 hosts. The mass-metallicity relation, the fundamental
metallicity relation and SFRs derived from our hosts occupy similar parameter
space as other host galaxies investigated so-far at the same redshift. We
therefore conclude that GRB hosts in our sample support the found discrepancy
between the properties of low-redshift GRB hosts and the general population of
star- forming galaxies.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Melting of the classical bilayer Wigner crystal: influence of the lattice symmetry
The melting transition of the five different lattices of a bilayer crystal is
studied using the Monte-Carlo technique. We found the surprising result that
the square lattice has a substantial larger melting temperature as compared to
the other lattice structures, which is a consequence of the specific topology
of the temperature induced defects. A new melting criterion is formulated which
we show to be universal for bilayers as well as for single layer crystals.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures (postscript files). Accepted in Physical Review
Letter
Chemical Bond and Charge Transfer Dynamics of a Dye-Hierarchical TiO2 Hybrid Interface
The adsorption of Zn-Tetra-Phenyl-Porphyrin (ZnTPP) on nanoporous hierarchically organized anatase TiO2 structures, and the properties of the corresponding hybrid interface were studied by synchrotron radiation experiments. The molecular structure, electronic properties and the bonding with nanostructured TiO2 surfaces were analyzed by photoemission (XPS and UPS) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The charge transfer at the interface was investigated by means of valence band resonant photoemission experiments (ResPES) at the C K edge. We show that the charge transfer dynamics between the photo-excited ZnTPP and TiO2 is strongly influenced by the presence of defects on the TiO2 surface. On a stoichiometric anatase nanostructure, ZnTPP bonding occurs primarily via carbon atoms belonging to the molecular phenyl rings and this creates a preferential channel for the charge transfer. This phenomenon is reduced in the case of defective TiO2 surface, where ZnTPP interacts mainly through the molecule macrocycle. Our results represent a surface science study of the dye molecule behavior on a nanoporous TiO2 photoanode relevant to dye-sensitized or hybrid solar cell applications and it shows the importance of the surface oxidation state for the charge transfer proces
Phases in Strongly Coupled Electronic Bilayer Liquids
The strongly correlated liquid state of a bilayer of charged particles has
been studied via the HNC calculation of the two-body functions. We report the
first time emergence of a series of structural phases, identified through the
behavior of the two-body functions.Comment: 5 pages, RevTEX 3.0, 4 ps figures; Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Highly anisotropic g-factor of two-dimensional hole systems
Coupling the spin degree of freedom to the anisotropic orbital motion of
two-dimensional (2D) hole systems gives rise to a highly anisotropic Zeeman
splitting with respect to different orientations of an in-plane magnetic field
B relative to the crystal axes. This mechanism has no analogue in the bulk band
structure. We obtain good, qualitative agreement between theory and
experimental data, taken in GaAs 2D hole systems grown on (113) substrates,
showing the anisotropic depopulation of the upper spin subband as a function of
in-plane B.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
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