Dynamics of Large-Scale Plastic Deformation and the Necking Instability in Amorphous Solids

We use the shear transformation zone (STZ) theory of dynamic plasticity to study the necking instability in a two-dimensional strip of amorphous solid. Our Eulerian description of large-scale deformation allows us to follow the instability far into the nonlinear regime. We find a strong rate dependence; the higher the applied strain rate, the further the strip extends before the onset of instability. The material hardens outside the necking region, but the description of plastic flow within the neck is distinctly different from that of conventional time-independent theories of plasticity.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures (eps), revtex4, added references, changed and added content, resubmitted to PR

Real-time observation of interfering crystal electrons in high-harmonic generation

Accelerating and colliding particles has been a key strategy to explore the texture of matter. Strong lightwaves can control and recollide electronic wavepackets, generating high-harmonic (HH) radiation which encodes the structure and dynamics of atoms and molecules and lays the foundations of attosecond science. The recent discovery of HH generation in bulk solids combines the idea of ultrafast acceleration with complex condensed matter systems and sparks hope for compact solid-state attosecond sources and electronics at optical frequencies. Yet the underlying quantum motion has not been observable in real time. Here, we study HH generation in a bulk solid directly in the time-domain, revealing a new quality of strong-field excitations in the crystal. Unlike established atomic sources, our solid emits HH radiation as a sequence of subcycle bursts which coincide temporally with the field crests of one polarity of the driving terahertz waveform. We show that these features hallmark a novel non-perturbative quantum interference involving electrons from multiple valence bands. The results identify key mechanisms for future solid-state attosecond sources and next-generation lightwave electronics. The new quantum interference justifies the hope for all-optical bandstructure reconstruction and lays the foundation for possible quantum logic operations at optical clock rates

Massive Stars in the Range 13−25M⊙\rm 13-25 M_\odot: Evolution and Nucleosynthesis. II. the Solar Metallicity Models

We present the evolutionary properties of a set of massive stellar models (namely 13, 15, 20 and 25 $\rm M_\odot$) from the main sequence phase up to the onset of the iron core collapse. All these models have initial solar chemical composition, i.e. Y=0.285 and Z=0.02. A 179 isotope network, extending from neutron up to $\rm ^{68}Zn$ and fully coupled to the evolutionary code has been adopted from the Carbon burning onward. Our results are compared, whenever possible, to similar computations available in literature.Comment: 42 pages, 18 figures, 26 tables, accepted for publicatin in ApJ

Cell and biomolecule delivery for regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine is an exciting field that aims to create regenerative alternatives to harvest tissues for transplantation. In this approach, the delivery of cells and biological molecules plays a central role. The scaffold (synthetic temporary extracellular matrix) delivers cells to the regenerative site and provides three-dimensional environments for the cells. To fulfil these functions, we design biodegradable polymer scaffolds with structural features on multiple size scales. To enhance positive cell–material interactions, we design nano-sized structural features in the scaffolds to mimic the natural extracellular matrix. We also integrate micro-sized pore networks to facilitate mass transport and neo tissue regeneration. We also design novel polymer devices and self-assembled nanospheres for biomolecule delivery to recapitulate key events in developmental and wound healing processes. Herein, we present recent work in biomedical polymer synthesis, novel processing techniques, surface engineering and biologic delivery. Examples of enhanced cellular/tissue function and regenerative outcomes of these approaches are discussed to demonstrate the excitement of the biomimetic scaffold design and biologic delivery in regenerative medicine.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/85429/1/stam10_1_014102.pd