64,096 research outputs found
Entropy production in systems with unidirectional transitions
The entropy production is one of the most essential features for systems
operating out of equilibrium. The formulation for discrete-state systems goes
back to the celebrated Schnakenberg's work and hitherto can be carried out when
for each transition between two states also the reverse one is allowed.
Nevertheless, several physical systems may exhibit a mixture of both
unidirectional and bidirectional transitions, and how to properly define the
entropy production in this case is still an open question. Here, we present a
solution to such a challenging problem. The average entropy production can be
consistently defined, employing a mapping that preserves the average fluxes,
and its physical interpretation is provided. We describe a class of stochastic
systems composed of unidirectional links forming cycles and detailed-balanced
bidirectional links, showing that they behave in a pseudo-deterministic
fashion. This approach is applied to a system with time-dependent stochastic
resetting. Our framework is consistent with thermodynamics and leads to some
intriguing observations on the relation between the arrow of time and the
average entropy production for resetting events.Comment: (Accepted for publication in Physical Review Research
Broadband optical radiation detector
A method and apparatus for detecting optical radiation by optically monitoring temperature changes in a microvolume caused by absorption of the optical radiation to be detected is described. More specifically, a thermal lens forming material is provided which has first and second opposite, substantially parallel surfaces. A reflective coating is formed on the first surface, and a radiation absorbing coating is formed on the reflective coating. Chopped, incoming optical radiation to be detected is directed to irradiate a small portion of the radiation absorbing coating. Heat generated in this small area is conducted to the lens forming material through the reflective coating, thereby raising the temperature of a small portion of the lens forming material and causing a thermal lens to be formed therein
Double-beam optical method and apparatus for measuring thermal diffusivity and other molecular dynamic processes in utilizing the transient thermal lens effect
A sample material was irradiated by relatively high power, short pulses from a dye laser. Energy from the pulses was absorbed by the sample material, thereby forming a thermal lens in the area of absorption. The pulse repetition rate was chosen so that the thermal lens is substantially dissipated by the time the next pulse reaches the sample material. A probe light beam, which in a specific embodiment is a relatively low power, continuous wave (cw) laser beam, irradiated the thermal lens formed in the sample material. The intensity characteristics of the probe light beam subsequent to irradiation of the thermal lens is related to changes in the refractive index of the sample material as the thermal lens is formed and dissipated
Cohesion of BaReH and BaMnH: Density Functional Calculations and Prediction of (MnH Salts
Density functional calculations are used to calculate the structural and
electronic properties of BaReH and to analyze the bonding in this compound.
The high coordination in BaReH is due to bonding between Re 5 states and
states of -like symmetry formed from combinations of H orbitals in the
H cage. This explains the structure of the material, its short bond lengths
and other physical properties, such as the high band gap. We compare with
results for hypothetical BaMnH, which we find to have similar bonding and
cohesion to the Re compound. This suggests that it may be possible to
synthesize (MnH salts. Depending on the particular cation, such salts
may have exceptionally high hydrogen contents, in excess of 10 weight
Pulsed radiolysis of model aromatic polymers and epoxy based matrix materials
Models of primary processes leading to deactivation of energy deposited by a pulse of high energy electrons were derived for epoxy matrix materials and polyl-vinyl naphthalene. The basic conclusion is that recombination of initially formed charged states is complete within 1 nanosecond, and subsequent degradation chemistry is controlled by the reactivity of these excited states. Excited states in both systems form complexes with ground state molecules. These excimers or exciplexes have their characteristics emissive and absorptive properties and may decay to form separated pairs of ground state molecules, cross over to the triplet manifold or emit fluorescence. ESR studies and chemical analyses subsequent to pulse radiolysis were performed in order to estimate bond cleavage probabilities and net reaction rates. The energy deactivation models which were proposed to interpret these data have led to the development of radiation stabilization criteria for these systems
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