2,319 research outputs found
Determination of complex absorbing potentials from the electron self-energy
The electronic conductance of a molecule making contact to electrodes is
determined by the coupling of discrete molecular states to the continuum
electrode density of states. Interactions between bound states and continua can
be modeled exactly by using the (energy-dependent) self-energy, or
approximately by using a complex potential. We discuss the relation between the
two approaches and give a prescription for using the self-energy to construct
an energy-independent, non-local, complex potential. We apply our scheme to
studying single-electron transmission in an atomic chain, obtaining excellent
agreement with the exact result. Our approach allows us to treat
electron-reservoir couplings independent of single electron energies, allowing
for the definition of a one-body operator suitable for inclusion into
correlated electron transport calculations.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures; to be published in the J. Chem. Phy
Breeding birds of a large-scale tallgrass prairie restoration in Iowa: monitoring abundance and frequency of occurrence
Little is known about avian response to habitat restoration, particularly for tallgrass prairies. Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1990, is one of the largest tallgrass prairie restorations of its kind, with land acquisition approved at 3504 ha. Point count surveys were conducted at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge from mid May through mid July, 1994-1998. Randomly selected points from four vegetation classes: cropland, herbaceous, riparian, and woodland, were surveyed over the five year study period. A total of 91 summer resident bird species were detected, including 8 grassland-specific species and 2 species from the Iowa threatened species list. We report results based upon trends in frequency of occurrence and relative abundance for 26 avian species considered characteristic of Iowa grassland and savanna communities. We detected significant increases in frequency of occurrence for 16 species, and corresponding significant increases in abundance for 6 of these species.;Several rare species and species of management concern were also observed. Riparian sites contained the highest species richness each year, while cropland sites contained lowest species richness and diversity each year. As Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge continues efforts to plant and restore prairie and savanna, we expect to see a future increase in several grassland and savanna species that would not otherwise inhabit Iowa\u27s agricultural landscape. Correlation analysis of our data indicates that, to maximize efficiency in monitoring populations over a large area, repeated sampling of points is unnecessary within a season. For continued long-term avian monitoring, we have also revised the point count methodology and included details pertaining to recommended changes and ideas for future avian research
Small ring testing of high temperature materials
In service components such as steam pipes, pipe branches, gas and steam turbine blades, etc. which operate in engineering applications such as power plant, aero-engines, chemical plant etc., can operate at temperatures which are high enough for creep to occur. Often, only nominal operating conditions (i.e. pressure, temperatures, system load, etc.) are known and hence precise life predictions for these components, which may be complex in terms of geometry or weld characteristics, are not possible. Within complex components it can also be the case that the proportion of the material creep life consumed may vary from position to position within the component. It is therefore important that non-destructive techniques are available for assisting in the making of decisions on whether to repair, continue operating or replace certain components. Small specimen creep testing is a technique which can allow such analyses to be performed. Small samples of material are removed from the component to make small creep test specimens. These specimens can then be tested to give information on the remaining creep life of the component. This paper presents the results of small ring specimens tested under creep conditions and shows the comparison to standard (full size) creep testing for materials used under high temperature in industry
Numerical Simulations and Analysis of Thermally Excited Waves in Plasma Crystals
A numerical model for a 2D-monolayer plasma crystal was established using the
Box_tree code. Box_tree is a Barnes_Hut tree code which has proven effective in
modeling systems composed of large numbers of particles. Thermally excited
waves in this plasma crystal were numerically simulated and dispersion
relations for both the longitudinal and transverse wave modes were found. These
were compared with the dispersion relations extrapolated from experiment as
well as a theory based on harmonic approximation. The results were found to
agree with theoretical dispersion relations under different wave propagation
directions with different particle charges and over a range of 0.9<k<5.Comment: 7 pages, Presented at COSPAR '0
Theoretical basis and practical aspects of small specimen creep testing
Interest in and the application of small specimen creep test techniques are increasing. This is because it is only possible to obtain small samples of material in some situations, for example, the scoop samples that are removed from in-service components, the heat-affected zones that are created when welds are used to join components and the desire to produce only small amounts of material in alloy development programmes. It is therefore important to review and compare the theoretical basis and practical aspects of each of the small specimen creep testing methods, in order to clearly understand which of the methods is the best for any specific application. This article provides the theoretical basis for each commonly used test method
Dispersion Relations for Thermally Excited Waves in Plasma Crystals
Thermally excited waves in a Plasma crystal were numerically simulated using
a Box_Tree code. The code is a Barnes_Hut tree code proven effective in
modeling systems composed of large numbers of particles. Interaction between
individual particles was assumed to conform to a Yukawa potential. Particle
charge, mass, density, Debye length and output data intervals are all
adjustable parameters in the code. Employing a Fourier transform on the output
data, dispersion relations for both longitudinal and transverse wave modes were
determined. These were compared with the dispersion relations obtained from
experiment as well as a theory based on a harmonic approximation to the
potential. They were found to agree over a range of 0.9<k<5, where k is the
shielding parameter, defined by the ratio between interparticle distance a and
dust Debye length lD. This is an improvement over experimental data as current
experiments can only verify the theory up to k = 1.5.Comment: 8 pages, Presented at COSPAR '0
Phase Transitions in a Dusty Plasma with Two Distinct Particle Sizes
In semiconductor manufacturing, contamination due to particulates
significantly decreases the yield and quality of device fabrication, therefore
increasing the cost of production. Dust particle clouds can be found in almost
all plasma processing environments including both plasma etching devices and in
plasma deposition processes. Dust particles suspended within such plasmas will
acquire an electric charge from collisions with free electrons in the plasma.
If the ratio of inter-particle potential energy to the average kinetic energy
is sufficient, the particles will form either a liquid structure with short
range ordering or a crystalline structure with long range ordering. Otherwise,
the dust particle system will remain in a gaseous state. Many experiments have
been conducted over the past decade on such colloidal plasmas to discover the
character of the systems formed, but more work is needed to fully understand
these structures. The preponderance of previous experiments used monodisperse
spheres to form complex plasma systems
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