635 research outputs found
Diffuse-interface model for rapid phase transformations in nonequilibrium systems
A thermodynamic approach to rapid phase transformations within a diffuse
interface in a binary system is developed. Assuming an extended set of
independent thermodynamic variables formed by the union of the classic set of
slow variables and the space of fast variables, we introduce finiteness of the
heat and solute diffusive propagation at the finite speed of the interface
advancing. To describe the transformation within the diffuse interface, we use
the phase-field model which allows us to follow the steep but smooth change of
phases within the width of diffuse interface. The governing equations of the
phase-field model are derived for the hyperbolic model, model with memory, and
for a model of nonlinear evolution of transformation within the
diffuse-interface. The consistency of the model is proved by the condition of
positive entropy production and by the outcomes of the fluctuation-dissipation
theorem. A comparison with the existing sharp-interface and diffuse-interface
versions of the model is given.Comment: 15 pages, regular article submitted to Physical Review
Pore-size dependence of the thermal conductivity of porous silicon : a phonon hydrodynamic approach
Phononhydrodynamics is used to analyze the influence of porosity and of pore size on reduction in thermal conductivity in porous silicon, with respect to crystalline silicon. The expressions predict that the thermal conductivity is lower for higher porosity and for smaller pore radius, as a consequence of phononballisticeffects. The theoretical results describe experimental data better than the assumption that they only depend on porosity
EUV spectra of highly-charged ions W-W relevant to ITER diagnostics
We report the first measurements and detailed analysis of extreme ultraviolet
(EUV) spectra (4 nm to 20 nm) of highly-charged tungsten ions W to
W obtained with an electron beam ion trap (EBIT). Collisional-radiative
modelling is used to identify strong electric-dipole and magnetic-dipole
transitions in all ionization stages. These lines can be used for impurity
transport studies and temperature diagnostics in fusion reactors, such as ITER.
Identifications of prominent lines from several W ions were confirmed by
measurement of isoelectronic EUV spectra of Hf, Ta, and Au. We also discuss the
importance of charge exchange recombination for correct description of
ionization balance in the EBIT plasma.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
Magnetoresistance of a two-dimensional electron gas with spatially periodic lateral modulations: Exact consequences of Boltzmann's equation
On the basis of Boltzmann's equation, and including anisotropic scattering in
the collision operator, we investigate the effect of one-dimensional
superlattices on two-dimensional electron systems. In addition to superlattices
defined by static electric and magnetic fields, we consider mobility
superlattices describing a spatially modulated density of scattering centers.
We prove that magnetic and electric superlattices in -direction affect only
the resistivity component if the mobility is homogeneous, whereas a
mobility lattice in -direction in the absence of electric and magnetic
modulations affects only . Solving Boltzmann's equation numerically,
we calculate the positive magnetoresistance in weak magnetic fields and the
Weiss oscillations in stronger fields within a unified approach.Comment: submitted to PR
State-resolved valence shell photoionization of Be-like ions: experiment and theory
High-resolution photoionization experiments were carried out using beams of
Be-like C, N, and O ions with roughly equal populations of
the S ground-state and the P manifold of metastable components. The
energy scales of the experiments are calibrated with uncertainties of 1 to 10
meV depending on photon energy. Resolving powers beyond 20,000 were reached
allowing for the separation of contributions from the individual metastable
P, P, and P states. The measured data compare
favourably with semi-relativistic Breit-Pauli R-matrixComment: 23 figures and 3 table
Sensing of Ethanol with Nanosize Fe-ZnO Thin Films
Sensing of ethanol with iron doped ZnO (Fe-ZnO) thin films has been studied in this work. By X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, it is found that ZnO is the main compound in the low-iron
(<10%) doped ZnO thin films. ZnFe2O4 is also found as 20–50% of iron are doped on the thin films. The 5% Fe-ZnO thin film has a very high sensitivity
(Rair/Rethanol>70) to 1000 ppm of ethanol at 300 K. It seems that iron can promote the sensivity of the ZnO thin film. The thin film doped with a greater amount (20–50%) of iron has, however, a much less sensitivity (<15) to ethanol. The chemical interactions between oxygen of ethanol and zinc on the Fe-ZnO thin film cause changes of the bond distances of Zn–O and Fe–O in the thin films to 1.90 and 1.98 Å which can be restored to 1.91 and 1.97 Å, respectively, in the absence of ethanol
Relativistic theories of interacting fields and fluids
We investigate divergence-type theories (DTT) describing the dissipative
interaction between a field and a fluid. We look for theories which, under
equilibrium conditions, reduce to the theory of a Klein-Gordon scalar field and
a perfect fluid. We show that the requirements of causality and positivity of
entropy production put non-trivial constarints to the structure of the
interaction terms. These theories provide a basis for the phenomonological
study of the reheating period.Comment: 17 pages, no figures, minor corrections mad
Characteristics of pncA mutations in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Taiwan
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pyrazinamide (PZA) is an important first-line drug in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) treatment. However, the unreliable results obtained from traditional susceptibility testing limits its usefulness in clinical settings. The detection of <it>pncA </it>gene mutations is a potential surrogate of PZA susceptibility testing, especially in MDRTB isolates. The impact of genotypes of <it>M. tuberculosis </it>in <it>pncA </it>gene mutations also remains to be clarified.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>MDRTB isolates were collected from six hospitals in Taiwan from January 2007 to December 2009. <it>pncA </it>gene sequencing, pyrazinamidase activity testing, and spoligotyping were performed on all of the isolates. PZA susceptibility was determined by the BACTEC MGIT 960 PZA method. The sensitivity and specificity of <it>pncA </it>gene analysis were estimated based on the results of PZA susceptibility testing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 66 MDRTB isolates, including 37 Beijing and 29 non-Beijing strains, were included for analysis. Among these isolates, 36 (54.5%) were PZA-resistant and 30 (45.5%) were PZA-susceptible. The PZA-resistant isolates were more likely to have concomitant resistance to ethambutol and streptomycin. Thirty-seven mutation types out of 30 isolates were identified in the <it>pncA </it>gene, and most of them were point mutations. The sensitivities of <it>pncA </it>gene sequencing for PZA susceptibility in overall isolates, Beijing and non-Beijing strains were 80.6%, 76.2%, and 86.7% respectively, and the specificities were 96.7%, 93.8%, and 100% respectively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>More than half of the MDRTB isolates in this study are PZA-resistant. Analysis of <it>pncA </it>gene mutations helped to identify PZA-susceptible MDRTB isolates, especially in non-Beijing strains.</p
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