8,459 research outputs found
Single chain elasticity and thermoelasticity of polyethylene
Single-chain elasticity of polyethylene at point up to 90% of
stretching with respect to its contour length is computed by Monte-Carlo
simulation of an atomistic model in continuous space. The elasticity law
together with the free-energy and the internal energy variations with
stretching are found to be very well represented by the wormlike chain model up
to 65% of the chain elongation, provided the persistence length is treated as a
temperature dependent parameter. Beyond this value of elongation simple ideal
chain models are not able to describe the Monte Carlo data in a thermodynamic
consistent way. This study reinforces the use of the wormlike chain model to
interpret experimental data on the elasticity of synthetic polymers in the
finite extensibility regime, provided the chain is not yet in its fully
stretched regime. Specific solvent effects on the elasticity law and the
partition between energetic and entropic contributions to single chain
elasticity are investigated.Comment: 32 pages with 5 figures included. Accepted as a regular paper on The
Journal of Chemical Physics, August 2002. This article may be downloaded for
personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and
the American Institute of Physic
Compressive force generation by a bundle of living biofilaments
To study the compressional forces exerted by a bundle of living stiff
filaments pressing on a surface, akin to the case of an actin bundle in
filopodia structures, we have performed particulate Molecular Dynamics
simulations of a grafted bundle of parallel living (self-assembling) filaments,
in chemical equilibrium with a solution of their constitutive monomers.
Equilibrium is established as these filaments, grafted at one end to a wall of
the simulation box, grow at their chemically active free end and encounter the
opposite confining wall of the simulation box. Further growth of filaments
requires bending and thus energy, which automatically limit the populations of
longer filaments. The resulting filament sizes distribution and the force
exerted by the bundle on the obstacle are analyzed for different grafting
densities and different sub- or supercritical conditions, these properties
being compared with the predictions of the corresponding ideal confined bundle
model. In this analysis, non-ideal effects due to interactions between
filaments and confinement effects are singled out. For all state points
considered at the same temperature and at the same gap width between the two
surfaces, the force per filament exerted on the opposite wall appears to be a
function of a rescaled free monomer density . This
quantity can be estimated directly from the characteristic length of the
exponential filament size distribution observed in the size domain where
these grafted filaments are not in direct contact with the wall. We also
analyze the dynamics of the filament contour length fluctuations in terms of
effective polymerization () and depolymerization () rates, where again it
is possible to disentangle non-ideal and confinement effects.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figure
Nuclear star formation on 100 parsec scales: 10" resolution radio continuum, HI and CO observations
A program of radio line and continuum studies of star formation in nearby spiral galaxies is reported. The objective is a search for hot gas and peculiar dynamics in spiral nuclei with 10" to 30" angular resolution. Vigorous star formation is found to be a common phenomenon in the inner kpc of spirals. Arcsecond resolution observations of radio continuum emission at 6 and 2 cm were used to separate the thermal and nonthermal radio components. It was found that thermal and nonthermal emission are well mixed even on sizescales of 10 pc. To understand the reason for the increased level of star formation activity in spiral nuclei, HI and CO emission in these galaxies is studied. The CO transition was detected in M51, M82, NGC 253, NGC 6946 and IC 342 with T sub a approx. 0.5 to 2.0 K, at 20" angular resolution. The dynamics and spatial distribution of nuclear gas are being studied using VLA HI maps with 30" synthesized beams. Evidence for noncircular motions in HI was found in the nucleus of IC 342
Infrared spectroscopy of star formation in galaxies
The Brackett alpha and beta lines with 7.2 seconds angular and 350 km/s velocity resolution were observed in 11 infrared-bright galaxies. From these measurements extinctions, Lyman continuum fluxes, and luminosities due to OB stars were derived. The galaxies observed to date are NGC3690, M38, NGC 5195, Arp 220, NGC 520, NGC660, NGC1614, NGC 3079, NGC 6946, NGC 7714, and Maffei 2, all of which were suggested at some time to be starburst ogjects. The contributions of OB stars to the luminosities of these galaxies can be quantified from the measurements and range from insignificant to sufficient to account for the total energy output. The OB stellar luminosities observed are as high as 10 to the 12th solar luminosities in the galaxy NGC 1614. It is noteworthy that star formation can play very different roles in the infrared energy output of galaxies of similar luminosity, as for example Arp 220 and NGC 1614. In addition to probing the star formation process in these galaxies, the Brackett line measurements, when compared to radio and infrared continuum results, have revealed some unexpected and at present imperfectly understood phenomena: in some very luminous sources the radio continuum appears to be suppressed relative to the infrared recombination lines; in many galaxies there is a substantial excess of 10 micron flux over that predicted from simple models of Lyman alpha heating of dust if young stars are the only significant energy source
Emission characteristics and dynamics of the stagnation layer in colliding laser produced plasmas
The expansion dynamics of ion and neutral species in laterally colliding laser produced aluminum plasmas have been investigated using time and space resolved optical emission spectroscopies and spectrally and angularly resolved fast imaging. The emission results highlight a difference in neutral atom and ion distributions in the stagnation layer where, at a time delay of 80 ns, the neutral atoms are localized in the vicinity of the target surface 1 mm from the target surface while singly and
doubly charged ions lie predominantly at larger distances, 1.5 and 2 mm, respectively. The imaging results show that the ions were found to form a well defined, but compressed, stagnation layer at the collision front between the two seed plasmas at early times (Dt ~ 80 ns). On the other hand, the excited neutrals were observed to form a V-shaped emission feature at the outer regions of the collision front with enhanced neutral emission in the less dense, cooler regions of the stagnation layer
On the Properties of a Bundle of Flexible Actin Filaments in an Optical Trap
We establish the Statistical Mechanics framework for a bundle of Nf living
and uncrosslinked actin filaments in a supercritical solution of free monomers
pressing against a mobile wall. The filaments are anchored normally to a fixed
planar surface at one of their ends and, because of their limited flexibility,
they grow almost parallel to each other. Their growing ends hit a moving
obstacle, depicted as a second planar wall, parallel to the previous one and
subjected to a harmonic compressive force. The force constant is denoted as
trap strength while the distance between the two walls as trap length to make
contact with the experimental optical trap apparatus. For an ideal solution of
reactive filaments and free monomers at fixed free monomers chemical potential,
we obtain the general expression for the grand potential from which we derive
averages and distributions of relevant physical quantities, namely the obstacle
position, the bundle polymerization force and the number of filaments in direct
contact with the wall. The grafted living filaments are modeled as discrete
Wormlike chains, with Factin persistence length, subject to discrete contour
length variations to model single monomer (de)polymerization steps. Rigid
filaments, either isolated or in bundles, all provide average values of the
stalling force in agreement with Hill's predictions, independent of the average
trap length. Flexible filaments instead, for values of the trap strength
suitable to prevent their lateral escape, provide an average bundle force and
an average trap length slightly larger than the corresponding rigid cases (few
percents). Still the stalling force remains nearly independent on the average
trap length, but results from the product of two strongly L dependent
contributions: the fraction of touching filaments and the single filament
buckling force.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure
Hall plateaus at magic angles in bismuth beyond the quantum limit
We present a study of the angular dependence of the resistivity tensor up to
35 T in elemental bismuth complemented by torque magnetometry measurements in a
similar configuration. For at least two particular field orientations a few
degrees off the trigonal axis, the Hall resistivity was found to become
field-independent within experimental resolution in a finite field window
corresponding to a field which is roughly three times the frequency of quantum
oscillations. The Hall plateaus rapidly vanish as the field is tilted off
theses magic angles. We identify two distinct particularities of these specific
orientations, which may play a role in the emergence of the Hall plateaus.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Detection of CO from SMM J16359+6612, The Multiply Imaged Submillimeter Galaxy Behind A2218
We report the detection of CO (=32) line emission from all three
multiple images (A,B and C) of the intrinsically faint ( 0.8 mJy)
submillimeter-selected galaxy SMM J16359+6612. The brightest source of the
submm continuum emission (B) also corresponds to the brightest CO emission,
which is centered at =2.5168, consistent with the pre-existing redshift
derived from \Ha. The observed CO flux in the A, B and C images is 1.2, 3.5 and
1.6 Jy \kms respectively, with a linewidth of \kms. After
correcting for the lensing amplification, the CO flux corresponds to a
molecular gas mass of \Msun, while the
extent of the CO emission indicates that the dynamical mass of the system
\Msun. Two velocity components are seen in the CO spectra;
these could arise from either a rotating compact ring or disk of gas, or
merging substructure. The star formation rate in this galaxy was previously
derived to be 100--500 \Msun \yr. If all the CO emission arises from the
inner few kpc of the galaxy and the galactic CO-to-H conversion factor
holds, then the gas consumption timescale is a relatively short 40 Myr, and so
the submm emission from SMM J16359+6612 may be produced by a powerful, but
short-lived circumnuclear starburst event in an otherwise normal and
representative high-redshift galaxy.Comment: Appearing in the 2004 October 10 issue of the Astrophysical Journal
Letters, Volume 614, L5-L
Incorporating Chokeberry (Aronia) into a Home Landscape
Chokeberry (Aronia) is an ornamental plant that has found use in the home landscape, providing colorful displays and annually producing berries for the enjoyment of the homeowner and wildlife alike. With careful placement, this durable plant needs minimal care and has few pest problems. It is gaining attention for its timeless beauty
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