Rate- and State-Dependent Friction Law and Statistical Properties of Earthquakes

In order to clarify how the statistical properties of earthquakes depend on the constitutive law characterizing the stick-slip dynamics, we make an extensive numerical simulation of the one-dimensional spring-block model with the rate- and state-dependent friction law. Both the magnitude distribution and the recurrence-time distribution are studied with varying the constitutive parameters characterizing the model. While a continuous spectrum of seismic events from smaller to larger magnitudes is obtained, earthquakes described by this model turn out to possess pronounced ``characteristic'' features.Comment: Minor revisions are made in the text and in the figures. Accepted for publication in Europhys. Letter

New approach to extract important degrees of freedom in quantum dynamics using singular value decomposition: Application to linear optical spectrum in two-dimensional Mott insulators

We propose a new approach to extract the important degrees of freedom in quantum dynamics induced by an external stimulus. We calculate the coefficient matrix numerically, where the $i-l$ element of the matrix is the coefficient of the lth basis state at the ith discretized time in the solution of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation induced by the external stimulus. By performing a randomized singular value decomposition of the coefficient matrix, a practically exact solution is obtained using a linear combination of the important modes, where the number of modes is much smaller than the dimensions of the Hilbert space in many cases. We apply this method to analysis of the light absorption spectrum in two-dimensional (2D) Mott insulators using an effective model of the 2D Hubbard model in the strong interaction case. From the dynamics induced by an ultrashort weak light pulse, we find that the practically exact light absorption spectrum can be reproduced by as few as 1000 energy eigenstates in the $1.7 \times 10^{7}$-dimension Hilbert space of a 26-site cluster. These one-photon active energy eigenstates are classified into free holon and doublon (H-D) and localized H-D states. In the free H-D states, the main effect of the spin degrees of freedom on the transfer of a holon (H) and a doublon (D) is the phase shift, and the H and the D move freely. In the localized H-D states, an H and a D are localized with relative distances of $\sqrt{5}$ or $\sqrt{13}$. The antiferromagnetic (AF) spin orders in the localized H-D states are much stronger than those in the free H-D states, and the charge localization is of magnetic origin. There are sharp peaks caused by excitations to the localized H-D states below the broad band caused by excitations to the free H-D states in the light absorption spectrum

Transmission electron microscopy investigation of separated nucleation and in-situ nucleation in AA7050 aluminium alloy

High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with nanometer-scaled energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) was employed to investigate the transformation mechanisms of the GP zone → η′ → η precipitation sequence of AA7050, an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy. Serial in-situ HRTEM frames revealed that separated nucleation of an η′ precipitate occurred elsewhere as the adjacent GPII zone dissolved. Evidence from HRTEM coupled with EDX showed that in-situ nucleation of a new η2 precipitate (one form of η) took place, wherein it gradually developed from the original η′ precipitate via a similar hexagonal structure with different compositions. The in-situ transition product was composed of two distinctive regions; one was identified as η′, and the other, as η

Pressure-induced phase transition of Bi2Te3 into the bcc structure

The pressure-induced phase transition of bismuth telluride, Bi2Te3, has been studied by synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements at room temperature using a diamond-anvil cell (DAC) with loading pressures up to 29.8 GPa. We found a high-pressure body-centered cubic (bcc) phase in Bi2Te3 at 25.2 GPa, which is denoted as phase IV, and this phase apperars above 14.5 GPa. Upon releasing the pressure from 29.8 GPa, the diffraction pattern changes with pressure hysteresis. The original rhombohedral phase is recovered at 2.43 GPa. The bcc structure can explain the phase IV peaks. We assumed that the structural model of phase IV is analogous to a substitutional binary alloy; the Bi and Te atoms are distributed in the bcc-lattice sites with space group Im-3m. The results of Rietveld analysis based on this model agree well with both the experimental data and calculated results. Therefore, the structure of phase IV in Bi2Te3 can be explained by a solid solution with a bcc lattice in the Bi-Te (60 atomic% tellurium) binary system.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Two-nucleon emission in the longitudinal response

The contribution of the two-nucleon emission in the longitudinal response for inclusive electron scattering reactions is studied. The model adopted to perform the calculations is based upon Correlated Basis Function theory but it considers only first order terms in the correlation function. The proper normalization of the wave function is ensured by considering, in addition to the usually evaluated two-point diagrams, also the three-point diagrams. Results for the 12C nucleus in the quasi-elastic region are presented.Comment: 7 pages, 4 Postscript figure

Laser Machining by short and ultrashort pulses, state of the art and new opportunities in the age of the photons

An overview is given of the applications of short and ultrashort lasers in material processing. Shorter pulses reduce heat-affected damage of the material and opens new ways for nanometer accuracy. Even forty years after the development of the laser there is a lot of effort in developing new and better performing lasers. The driving force is higher accuracy at reasonable cost, which is realised by compact systems delivering short laser pulses of high beam quality. Another trend is the shift towards shorter wavelengths, which are better absorbed by the material and which allows smaller feature sizes to be produced. Examples of new products, which became possible by this technique, are given. The trends in miniaturization as predicted by Moore and Taniguchi are expected to continue over the next decade too thanks to short and ultrashort laser machining techniques. After the age of steam and the age of electricity we have entered the age of photons now