35 research outputs found
Phase transitions in open quantum systems
We consider the behaviour of open quantum systems in dependence on the
coupling to one decay channel by introducing the coupling parameter
being proportional to the average degree of overlapping. Under critical
conditions, a reorganization of the spectrum takes place which creates a
bifurcation of the time scales with respect to the lifetimes of the resonance
states. We derive analytically the conditions under which the reorganization
process can be understood as a second-order phase transition and illustrate our
results by numerical investigations. The conditions are fulfilled e.g. for a
picket fence with equal coupling of the states to the continuum. Energy
dependencies within the system are included. We consider also the generic case
of an unfolded Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble. In all these cases, the
reorganization of the spectrum occurs at the critical value of
the control parameter globally over the whole energy range of the spectrum. All
states act cooperatively.Comment: 28 pages, 22 Postscript figure
Resonance trapping and saturation of decay widths
Resonance trapping appears in open many-particle quantum systems at high
level density when the coupling to the continuum of decay channels reaches a
critical strength. Here a reorganization of the system takes place and a
separation of different time scales appears. We investigate it under the
influence of additional weakly coupled channels as well as by taking into
account the real part of the coupling term between system and continuum. We
observe a saturation of the mean width of the trapped states. Also the decay
rates saturate as a function of the coupling strength. The mechanism of the
saturation is studied in detail. In any case, the critical region of
reorganization is enlarged. When the transmission coefficients for the
different channels are different, the width distribution is broadened as
compared to a chi_K^2 distribution where K is the number of channels. Resonance
trapping takes place before the broad state overlaps regions beyond the
extension of the spectrum of the closed system.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.
Effect of Activated Carbon Amendment on Bacterial Community Structure and Functions in a PAH Impacted Urban Soil
ABSTRACT: We collected urban soil samples impacted by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a sorbent-based remediation field trial to address concerns about unwanted side-effects of 2 % powdered (PAC) or granular (GAC) activated carbon amendment on soil microbiology and pollutant biodegradation. After three years, total microbial cell counts and respiration rates were highest in the GAC amended soil. The predominant bacterial community structure derived from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) shifted more strongly with time than in response to AC amendment. DGGE band sequencing revealed the presence of taxa with closest affiliations either to known PAH degraders, e.g. Rhodococcus jostii RHA-1, or taxa known to harbor PAH degraders, e.g. Rhodococcus erythropolis, in all soils. Quantification by real-time polymerase chain reaction yielded similar dioxygenases gene copy numbers in unamended, PAC-, or GACamended soil. PAH availability assessments in batch tests showed th
Downstream assessment of chlorinated organic compounds in the bed-sediment of Aiba Stream, Iwo, South-Western, Nigeria
Impacts of Heterogeneous Organic Matter on Phenanthrene Sorption: Different Aquifer Depths
Special issue on "ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES" Includes papers from 1st International Black Sea Congress on Environmental Sciences (1st IBCESS) (Giresun, Turkey, 31 August - 3 September 2016) FOREWORD
WOS: 000446013200001
The degradation potential of PET bottles in the marine environment: An ATR-FTIR based approach
The dominance and persistence of plastic debris in the marine environment are well documented. No information exists in respect to their lifespan in the marine environment. Nevertheless, the degradation potential of plastic litter items remains a critical issue for marine litter research. In the present study, polyethylene terephthalate bottles (PETs) collected from the submarine environment were characterized using ATR-FTIR in respect to their degradation potential attributed to environmental conditions. A temporal indication was used as indicative to the years of presence of the PETs in the environment as debris. PETs seem to remain robust for approximately fifteen years. Afterwards, a significant decrease of the native functional groups was recorded; some even disappear; or new-not typical for PETs-are created. At a later stage, using the PET time series collected from the Saronikos Gulf (Aegean Sea-E. Mediterranean), it was possible to date bottles that were collected from the bottom of the Ionian Sea (W. Greece). It is the first time that such a study has been conducted with samples that were actually degraded in the marine environment
Hazardous Chemicals in Plastics in Marine Environments : International Pellet Watch
Marine plastic debris, including microplastics <5Â mm, contain additives as well as hydrophobic chemicals sorbed from surrounding seawater. A volunteer-based global monitoring programme entitled International Pellet Watch (IPW) is utilizing the sorptive nature of plastics, more specifically of beached polyethylene (PE) pellets, in order to measure persistent organic pollutants (POPs) throughout the world. Spatial patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides have been revealed. Original data of IPW show large piece-to-piece variability in PCB concentrations in pellets collected at each location. This is explained by the combination of slow sorption/desorption and large variabilities of speed and route of floating plastics. The sporadically high concentrations of POPs, both sorbed chemicals and hydrophobic additives, are frequently observed in pellets and the other microplastics in open ocean and remote islands. This poses a chemical threat to marine ecosystems in remote areas
NMR characterization of 13C-Benzene sorbed to natural and prepared charcoals
Copyright © 2006 American Chemical SocietyWe investigated how the NMR properties of uniformly 13C-labeled benzene molecules are influenced by sorption to charcoals produced in the laboratory and collected from the field following wildfires. Uniformly 13C-labeled benzene was sorbed to two charcoals produced in the laboratory at 450 and 850 degrees C. The chemical shift of benzene sorbed to the higher-temperature charcoal was 5-6 ppm lower than that of benzene sorbed to the lower-temperature charcoal. This difference was attributed to stronger diamagnetic ring currents (which cause a shift to lower ppm values) in the more condensed or "graphitic" high-temperature charcoal. The chemical shift of benzene sorbed to two charcoals collected from the field following wildfires indicated a degree of charcoal graphitization intermediate between that of the two laboratory-prepared charcoals. Variable contact time and dipolar dephasing experiments showed that the molecular mobility of sorbed benzene molecules increased with increasing charcoal graphitization, and also increased with increasing benzene concentration. We propose that the chemical shift displacement of molecules sorbed to charcoal could be used to identify molecules sorbed to black carbon in heterogeneous matrixes such as soils and sediments, and to establish how condensed or "graphitic" the black carbon is.Ronald J. Smernik, Rai S. Kookana, and Jan O. Skjemsta