3,444 research outputs found
AFLOW-SYM: Platform for the complete, automatic and self-consistent symmetry analysis of crystals
Determination of the symmetry profile of structures is a persistent challenge
in materials science. Results often vary amongst standard packages, hindering
autonomous materials development by requiring continuous user attention and
educated guesses. Here, we present a robust procedure for evaluating the
complete suite of symmetry properties, featuring various representations for
the point-, factor-, space groups, site symmetries, and Wyckoff positions. The
protocol determines a system-specific mapping tolerance that yields symmetry
operations entirely commensurate with fundamental crystallographic principles.
The self consistent tolerance characterizes the effective spatial resolution of
the reported atomic positions. The approach is compared with the most used
programs and is successfully validated against the space group information
provided for over 54,000 entries in the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database.
Subsequently, a complete symmetry analysis is applied to all 1.7 million
entries of the AFLOW data repository. The AFLOW-SYM package has been
implemented in, and made available for, public use through the automated,
framework AFLOW.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figure
A multi-zone model for simulating the high energy variability of TeV blazars
We present a time-dependent multi-zone code for simulating the variability of
Synchrotron-Self Compton (SSC) sources. The code adopts a multi-zone pipe
geometry for the emission region, appropriate for simulating emission from a
standing or propagating shock in a collimated jet. Variations in the injection
of relativistic electrons in the inlet propagate along the length of the pipe
cooling radiatively. Our code for the first time takes into account the
non-local, time-retarded nature of synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) losses that
are thought to be dominant in TeV blazars. The observed synchrotron and SSC
emission is followed self-consistently taking into account light travel time
delays. At any given time, the emitting portion of the pipe depends on the
frequency and the nature of the variation followed. Our simulation employs only
one additional physical parameter relative to one-zone models, that of the pipe
length and is computationally very efficient, using simplified expressions for
the SSC processes. The code will be useful for observers modeling GLAST, TeV,
and X-ray observations of SSC blazars.Comment: ApJ, accepte
Model of ionic currents through microtubule nanopores and the lumen
It has been suggested that microtubules and other cytoskeletal filaments may
act as electrical transmission lines. An electrical circuit model of the
microtubule is constructed incorporating features of its cylindrical structure
with nanopores in its walls. This model is used to study how ionic conductance
along the lumen is affected by flux through the nanopores when an external
potential is applied across its two ends. Based on the results of Brownian
dynamics simulations, the nanopores were found to have asymmetric inner and
outer conductances, manifested as nonlinear IV curves. Our simulations indicate
that a combination of this asymmetry and an internal voltage source arising
from the motion of the C-terminal tails causes a net current to be pumped
across the microtubule wall and propagate down the microtubule through the
lumen. This effect is demonstrated to enhance and add directly to the
longitudinal current through the lumen resulting from an external voltage
source, and could be significant in amplifying low-intensity endogenous
currents within the cellular environment or as a nano-bioelectronic device.Comment: 43 pages, 6 figures, revised versio
Optical and Radio Polarimetry of the M87 Jet at 0.2" Resolution
We discuss optical (HST/WFPC2 F555W) and radio (15 GHz VLA) polarimetry
observations of the M87 jet taken during 1994-1995. Many knot regions are very
highly polarized (, approaching the theoretical maximum for
optically thin synchrotron radiation), suggesting highly ordered magnetic
fields. High degrees of polarization are also observed in interknot regions.
While the optical and radio polarization maps share many similarities, we
observe significant differences between the radio and optical polarized
structures, particularly for bright knots in the inner jet, giving us important
insight into the jet's radial structure. Unlike in the radio, the optical
magnetic field position angle becomes perpendicular to the jet at the upstream
ends of knots HST-1, D, E and F. Moreover, the optical polarization decreases
markedly at the position of the flux maxima in these knots. In contrast, the
magnetic field position angle observed in the radio remains parallel to the jet
in most of these regions, and the decreases in radio polarization are smaller.
More minor differences are seen in other jet regions. Many of the differences
between optical and radio polarimetry results can be explained in terms of a
model whereby shocks occur in the jet interior, where higher-energy electrons
are concentrated and dominate both polarized and unpolarized emissions in the
optical, while the radio maps show strong contributions from lower-energy
electrons in regions with {\bf B} parallel, near the jet surface.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures; accepted for publication in AJ (May 1999
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Dynamic Structural Change of Plant Epidermal Cell Walls under Strain
The molecular foundations of epidermal cell wall mechanics are critical for understanding structure-function relationships of primary cell walls in plants and facilitating the design of bioinspired materials. To uncover the molecular mechanisms regulating the high extensibility and strength of the cell wall, the onion epidermal wall is stretched uniaxially to various strains and cell wall structures from mesoscale to atomic scale are characterized. Upon longitudinal stretching to high strain, epidermal walls contract in the transverse direction, resulting in a reduced area. Atomic force microscopy shows that cellulose microfibrils exhibit orientation-dependent rearrangements at high strains: longitudinal microfibrils are straightened out and become highly ordered, while transverse microfibrils curve and kink. Small-angle X-ray scattering detects a 7.4 nm spacing aligned along the stretch direction at high strain, which is attributed to distances between individual cellulose microfibrils. Furthermore, wide-angle X-ray scattering reveals a widening of (004) lattice spacing and contraction of (200) lattice spacing in longitudinally aligned cellulose microfibrils at high strain, which implies longitudinal stretching of the cellulose crystal. These findings provide molecular insights into the ability of the wall to bear additional load after yielding: the aggregation of longitudinal microfibrils impedes sliding and enables further stretching of the cellulose to bear increased loads
Niche partitioning of feather mites within a seabird host, Calonectris borealis
According to classic niche theory, species can coexist in heterogeneous environments by reducing interspecific competition via niche partitioning, e.g. trophic or spatial partitioning. However, support for the role of competition on niche partitioning remains controversial. Here, we tested for spatial and trophic partitioning in feather mites, a diverse and abundant group of arthropods. We focused on the two dominant mite species, Microspalax brevipes and Zachvatkinia ovata, inhabiting flight feathers of the Cory's shearwater, Calonectris borealis. We performed mite counts across and within primary and tail feathers on free-living shearwaters breeding on an oceanic island (Gran Canaria, Canary Islands). We then investigated trophic relationships between the two mite species and the host using stable isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen on mite tissues and potential host food sources. The distribution of the two mite species showed clear spatial segregation among feathers; M. brevipes showed high preference for the central wing primary feathers, whereas Z. ovata was restricted to the two outermost primaries. Morphological differences between M. brevipes and Z. ovata support an adaptive basis for the spatial segregation of the two mite species. However, the two mites overlap in some central primaries and statistical modeling showed that Z. ovata tends to outcompete M. brevipes. Isotopic analyses indicated similar isotopic values for the two mite species and a strong correlation in carbon signatures between mites inhabiting the same individual host suggesting that diet is mainly based on shared host-associated resources. Among the four candidate tissues examined (blood, feather remains, skin remains and preen gland oil), we conclude that the diet is most likely dominated by preen gland oil, while the contribution of exogenous material to mite diets is less marked. Our results indicate that ongoing competition for space and resources plays a central role in structuring feather mite communities. They also illustrate that symbiotic infracommunities are excellent model systems to study trophic ecology, and can improve our understanding of mechanisms of niche differentiation and species coexistence
Evidence Against the Sciama Model of Radiative Decay of Massive Neutrinos
We report on spectral observations of the night sky in the band around 900
angstroms where the emission line in the Sciama model of radiatively decaying
massive neutrinos would be present. The data were obtained with a high
resolution, high sensitivity spectrometer flown on the Spanish MINISAT
satellite. The observed emission is far less intense than that expected in the
Sciama model.Comment: 9 pages, accepted to Ap
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