247 research outputs found
Identification of Pre-1950 Synthetic Organic Pigments in Artists’ Paints. A Non-Invasive Approach Using Handheld Raman Spectroscopy
Identification of Pre-1950 Synthetic Organic Pigments in Artists’ Paints. A Non-Invasive Approach Using Handheld Raman Spectroscopy
There is little information on the actual use of early synthetic organic pigments (SOPs) in art objects, especially those from before 1950. Their presence can, however, pose a challenge to conservation because their chemical composition, as well as their lightfastness and sensitivity to solvents, are often unknown. Here, a study on the non-invasive identification of SOPs in historic pre-1950 varnished paint-outs from artists’ materials manufacturer Royal Talens is presented. The paints were analysed using a handheld Raman device. Spectra were evaluated by recording the spectra of the same samples with a benchtop instrument. This study demonstrated that the identification of SOPs in varnished oil paints with a non-invasive approach is possible and rather straightforward. The handheld Raman device allowed us to identify fourteen SOPs from eight pigment classes. Besides the occurrence of expected and the known SOPs of this time period, there were also some surprising results, like the detection of the triarylcarbonium pigments PG2 and PB8, and the monoazo Mordant Yellow 1
Nucleus-mediated spin-flip transitions in GaAs quantum dots
Spin-flip rates in GaAs quantum dots can be quite slow, thus opening up the
possibilities to manipulate spin states in the dots. We present here
estimations of inelastic spin-flip rates mediated by hyperfine interaction with
nuclei. Under general assumptions the nucleus mediated rate is proportional to
the phonon relaxation rate for the corresponding non-spin-flip transitions. The
rate can be accelerated in the vicinity of a singlet-triplet excited states
crossing. The small proportionality coefficient depends inversely on the number
of nuclei in the quantum dot. We compare our results with known mechanisms of
spin-flip in quantum dot.Comment: RevTex 4 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Analytical approaches for the characterization of early synthetic organic pigments for artists’ paints
On the influence of relative humidity on the oxidation and hydrolysis of fresh and aged oil paints
Electronic transport through nuclear-spin-polarization-induced quantum wire
Electron transport in a new low-dimensional structure - the nuclear spin
polarization induced quantum wire (NSPI QW) is theoretically studied. In the
proposed system the local nuclear spin polarization creates the effective
hyperfine field which confines the electrons with the spins opposite to the
hyperfine field to the regions of maximal nuclear spin polarization. The
influence of the nuclear spin relaxation and diffusion on the electron energy
spectrum and on the conductance of the quantum wire is calculated and the
experimental feasibility is discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Closed geodesics in Alexandrov spaces of curvature bounded from above
In this paper, we show a local energy convexity of maps into
spaces. This energy convexity allows us to extend Colding and
Minicozzi's width-sweepout construction to produce closed geodesics in any
closed Alexandrov space of curvature bounded from above, which also provides a
generalized version of the Birkhoff-Lyusternik theorem on the existence of
non-trivial closed geodesics in the Alexandrov setting.Comment: Final version, 22 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the Journal of
Geometric Analysi
Quantum Computation in Quantum-Hall Systems
We describe a quantum information processor (quantum computer) based on the
hyperfine interactions between the conduction electrons and nuclear spins
embedded in a two-dimensional electron system in the quantum-Hall regime.
Nuclear spins can be controlled individually by electromagnetic pulses. Their
interactions, which are of the spin-exchange type, can be possibly switched on
and off pair-wise dynamically, for nearest neighbors, by controlling
impurities. We also propose the way to feed in the initial data and explore
ideas for reading off the final results.Comment: 12 pages in LaTeX + 1 PostScript figur
Active Brownian Particles. From Individual to Collective Stochastic Dynamics
We review theoretical models of individual motility as well as collective
dynamics and pattern formation of active particles. We focus on simple models
of active dynamics with a particular emphasis on nonlinear and stochastic
dynamics of such self-propelled entities in the framework of statistical
mechanics. Examples of such active units in complex physico-chemical and
biological systems are chemically powered nano-rods, localized patterns in
reaction-diffusion system, motile cells or macroscopic animals. Based on the
description of individual motion of point-like active particles by stochastic
differential equations, we discuss different velocity-dependent friction
functions, the impact of various types of fluctuations and calculate
characteristic observables such as stationary velocity distributions or
diffusion coefficients. Finally, we consider not only the free and confined
individual active dynamics but also different types of interaction between
active particles. The resulting collective dynamical behavior of large
assemblies and aggregates of active units is discussed and an overview over
some recent results on spatiotemporal pattern formation in such systems is
given.Comment: 161 pages, Review, Eur Phys J Special-Topics, accepte
Consequences of various landscape-scale ecosystem management strategies and fire cycles on age-class structure and harvest in boreal forests
At the landscape scale, one of the key indicators of sustainable forest management is the age-class distribution of stands, since it provides a coarse synopsis of habitat potential, structural complexity, and stand volume, and it is directly modified by timber extraction and wildfire. To explore the consequences of several landscape-scale boreal forest management strategies on age-class structure in the Mauricie region of Quebec, we used spatially explicit simulation modelling. Our study investigated three different harvesting strategies (the one currently practiced and two different strategies to maintain late seral stands) and interactions between fire and harvesting on stand age-class distribution. We found that the legacy of initial forested age structure and its spatial configuration can pose short- (<50 years) to medium-term (150-300 years) challenges to balancing wood supply and ecological objectives. Also, ongoing disturbance by fire, even at relatively long cycles in relation to historic levels, can further constrain the achievement of both timber and biodiversity goals. For example, when fire was combined with management, harvest shortfalls occurred in all scenarios with a fire cycle of 100 years and most scenarios with a fire cycle of 150 years. Even a fire cycle of 500 years led to a reduction in older forest when its maintenance was not a primary constraint. Our results highlight the need to consider the broad-scale effects of natural disturbance when developing ecosystem management policies and the importance of prioritizing objectives when planning for multiple resource use
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