Reduced Density Matrix Approach to Phononic Dissipation in Friction

Understanding mechanisms for energy dissipation from nanoparticles in contact with large samples is a central problem in describing friction microscopically. Calculation of the reduced density matrix appears to be the most suitable metho to study such systems that are coupled to a large environment. In this paper the time evolution of the reduced density matrix has been evaluated for an arbitrary system coupled to a heat reservoir. The formalism is then applied to study the vibrational relaxation following the stick-slip motion of a small adsorbate on a surface. The frequency dependence of the relaxation time is also determined.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures (included), revte

Adsorption and desorption dynamics of citric acid anions in soil

The functional role of organic acid anions (e.g. citrate, oxalate, malonate, etc) in soil has been intensively investigated with special focus either on (i) microbial respiration and soil carbon dynamics, (ii) nutrient solubilization, or (iii) metal detoxification. Considering the potential impact of sorption processes on the functional significance of these effects, comparatively little is known about the adsorption and desorption dynamics of organic acid anions in soils. The aim of this study therefore was to experimentally characterize the adsorption and desorption dynamics of organic acid anions in different soils using citrate as a model carboxylate. Results showed that both adsorption and desorption processes were fast, reaching a steady state equilibrium solution concentration within approximately 1 hour. However, for a given total soil citrate concentration(ctot) the steady state value obtained was critically dependent on the starting conditions of the experiment (i.e. whether most of the citrate was initially present in solution (cl) or held on the solid phase (cs)). Specifically, desorption-led processes resulted in significantly lower equilibrium solution concentrations than adsorption led processes indicating time-dependent sorption hysteresis. As it is not possible to experimentally distinguish between different sorption pools in soil (i.e. fast, slow, irreversible adsorption/desorption), a new dynamic hysteresis model was developed that relies only on measured soil solution concentrations. The model satisfactorily explained experimental data and was able to predict dynamic adsorption and desorption behaviour. To demonstrate its use we applied the model to two relevant scenarios (exudation and microbial degradation), where the dynamic sorption behaviour of citrate occurs. Overall, this study highlights the complex nature of citrate sorption in soil and concludes that existing models need to incorporate both a temporal and sorption hysteresis component to realistically describe the role and fate of organic acids in soil processes

Form factors in B->f0(980) and D->f0(980) transitions from dispersion relations

Within the dispersion relation approach we give the double spectral representation for space-like and time-like B-> f_0(980) and D-> f_0(980) transition form factors in the full q^2 range. The spectral densities, being the input of the dispersion relations, are obtained from a triangle diagram in the relativistic quark model.Comment: Talk given at MESON 2006, Krakow, 9-13 June 200

Social marketing: Immunizing against unethical practice

A simple approach for the catalytic conversion of primary alcohols into their corresponding esters and amides, with evolution of H2 gas using in situ formed ruthenium PNP- and PNN-pincer catalysts, is presented. The evaluation showed conversions for the esterification with turnover numbers as high as 4300, and 4400 for the amidation

Mesoscopic motion of atomic ions in magnetic fields

We introduce a semiclassical model for moving highly excited atomic ions in a magnetic field which allows us to describe the mixing of the Landau orbitals of the center of mass in terms of the electronic excitation and magnetic field. The extent of quantum energy flow in the ion is investigated and a crossover from localization to delocalization with increasing center of mass energy is detected. It turns out that our model of the moving ion in a magnetic field is closely connected to models for transport in disordered finite-size wires.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, subm. to Phys.Rev.A, Rap.Co

Time-dependent perturbation theory for vibrational energy relaxation and dephasing in peptides and proteins

Without invoking the Markov approximation, we derive formulas for vibrational energy relaxation (VER) and dephasing for an anharmonic system oscillator using a time-dependent perturbation theory. The system-bath Hamiltonian contains more than the third order coupling terms since we take a normal mode picture as a zeroth order approximation. When we invoke the Markov approximation, our theory reduces to the Maradudin-Fein formula which is used to describe VER properties of glass and proteins. When the system anharmonicity and the renormalization effect due to the environment vanishes, our formulas reduce to those derived by Mikami and Okazaki invoking the path-integral influence functional method [J. Chem. Phys. 121 (2004) 10052]. We apply our formulas to VER of the amide I mode of a small amino-acide like molecule, N-methylacetamide, in heavy water.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables, submitted to J. Chem. Phy

A Turbulent Origin for Flocculent Spiral Structure in Galaxies: II. Observations and Models of M33

Fourier transform power spectra of azimuthal scans of the optical structure of M33 are evaluated for B, V, and R passbands and fit to fractal models of continuum emission with superposed star formation. Power spectra are also determined for Halpha. The best models have intrinsic power spectra with 1D slopes of around -0.7pm0.7, significantly shallower than the Kolmogorov spectrum (slope =-1.7) but steeper than pure noise (slope=0). A fit to the power spectrum of the flocculent galaxy NGC 5055 gives a steeper slope of around -1.5pm0.2, which could be from turbulence. Both cases model the optical light as a superposition of continuous and point-like stellar sources that follow an underlying fractal pattern. Foreground bright stars are clipped in the images, but they are so prominent in M33 that even their residual affects the power spectrum, making it shallower than what is intrinsic to the galaxy. A model consisting of random foreground stars added to the best model of NGC 5055 fits the observed power spectrum of M33 as well as the shallower intrinsic power spectrum that was made without foreground stars. Thus the optical structure in M33 could result from turbulence too.Comment: accepted by ApJ, 13 pages, 10 figure

Scalar resonances in a unitary π−π\pi-\pi SS-wave model for D+→π+π−π+D^+ \to \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^+

We propose a model for $D^+ \to \pi^+ \pi^- \pi^+$ decays following experimental results which indicate that the two-pion interaction in the $S$-wave is dominated by the scalar resonances $f_0(600)/\sigma$ and $f_0(980)$. The weak decay amplitude for $D^+\to R \pi^+$, where $R$ is a resonance that subsequently decays into $\pi^+\pi^-$, is constructed in a factorization approach. In the $S$-wave, we implement the strong decay $R\to \pi^-\pi^+$ by means of a scalar form factor. This provides a unitary description of the pion-pion interaction in the entire kinematically allowed mass range $m_{\pi\pi}^2$ from threshold to about 3 GeV$^2$. In order to reproduce the experimental Dalitz plot for \Dppp, we include contributions beyond the $S$-wave. For the $P$-wave, dominated by the $\rho(770)^0$, we use a Breit-Wigner description. Higher waves are accounted for by using the usual isobar prescription for the $f_2(1270)$ and $\rho(1450)^0$. The major achievement is a good reproduction of the experimental $m_{\pi\pi}^2$ distribution, and of the partial as well as the total \Dppp branching ratios. Our values are generally smaller than the experimental ones. We discuss this shortcoming and, as a byproduct, we predict a value for the poorly known $D\to \sigma$ transition form factor at $q^2=m_\pi^2$.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures. Two new equations. The value for the strength of the contribution of the scalar form factor now agrees with other results in the literature. Main results unchanged. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Massive Dirac fermions and the zero field quantum Hall effect

Through an explicit calculation for a Lagrangian in quantum electrodynamics in (2+1)-space--time dimensions (QED$_3$), making use of the relativistic Kubo formula, we demonstrate that the filling factor accompanying the quantized electrical conductivity for massive Dirac fermions of a single species in two spatial dimensions is a half (in natural units) when time reversal and parity symmetries of the Lagrangian are explicitly broken by the fermion mass term. We then discuss the most general form of the QED$_3$ Lagrangian, both for irreducible and reducible representations of the Dirac matrices in the plane, with emphasis on the appearance of a Chern-Simons term. We also identify the value of the filling factor with a zero field quantum Hall effect (QHE).Comment: 15 pages. Accepted in Jour. Phys.