11,072 research outputs found
The Microwave Thermal Thruster Concept
The microwave thermal thruster heats propellant via a heat-exchanger then expands it through a rocket nozzle to produce thrust. The heat-exchanger is simply a microwave-absorbent structure through which propellant flows in small channels. Nuclear thermal thrusters are based on an analogous principle, using neutrons rather than microwaves, and have experimentally demonstrated specific impulses exceeding 850 seconds. A microwave equivalent will likely have a similar specific impulse, since both nuclear and microwave thermal thrusters are ultimately constrained by material thermal limits, rather than the energy-density limits of chemical propellants. We present the microwave thermal thruster concept by characterizing a novel variation for beamed-energy launch. In reducing the thruster concept to practice, the enabling physical process is microwave absorption by refractory materials, and we examine semiconductor and susceptor-based approaches to achieving this absorption within the heat-exchanger structure
Optimizing the internal electric field distribution of alternating current driven organic light-emitting devices for a reduced operating voltage
This work was funded with financial means of the European Social Fund and the Free State of Saxony through the OrthoPhoto project.The influence of the thickness of the insulating layer and the intrinsic organic layer on the driving voltage of p-i-n based alternating current driven organic light-emitting devices (AC-OLEDs) is investigated. A three-capacitor model is employed to predict the basic behavior of the devices, and good agreement with the experimental values is found. The proposed charge regeneration mechanism based on Zener tunneling is studied in terms of field strength across the intrinsic organic layers. A remarkable consistency between the measured field strength at the onset point of light emission (3-3.1 MV/cm) and the theoretically predicted breakdown field strength of around 3 MV/cm is obtained. The latter value represents the field required for Zener tunneling in wide band gap organic materials according to Fowler-Nordheim theory. AC-OLEDs with optimized thickness of the insulating and intrinsic layers show a reduction in the driving voltage required to reach a luminance of 1000 cd/m2 of up to 23% (8.9 V) and a corresponding 20% increase in luminous efficacy.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
The octonionic eigenvalue problem
By using a real matrix translation, we propose a coupled eigenvalue problem
for octonionic operators. In view of possible applications in quantum
mechanics, we also discuss the hermiticity of such operators. Previous
difficulties in formulating a consistent octonionic Hilbert space are solved by
using the new coupled eigenvalue problem and introducing an appropriate scalar
product for the probability amplitudes.Comment: 21 page
Right eigenvalue equation in quaternionic quantum mechanics
We study the right eigenvalue equation for quaternionic and complex linear
matrix operators defined in n-dimensional quaternionic vector spaces. For
quaternionic linear operators the eigenvalue spectrum consists of n complex
values. For these operators we give a necessary and sufficient condition for
the diagonalization of their quaternionic matrix representations. Our
discussion is also extended to complex linear operators, whose spectrum is
characterized by 2n complex eigenvalues. We show that a consistent analysis of
the eigenvalue problem for complex linear operators requires the choice of a
complex geometry in defining inner products. Finally, we introduce some
examples of the left eigenvalue equations and highlight the main difficulties
in their solution.Comment: 24 pages, AMS-Te
Quaternionic potentials in non-relativistic quantum mechanics
We discuss the Schrodinger equation in presence of quaternionic potentials.
The study is performed analytically as long as it proves possible, when not, we
resort to numerical calculations. The results obtained could be useful to
investigate an underlying quaternionic quantum dynamics in particle physics.
Experimental tests and proposals to observe quaternionic quantum effects by
neutron interferometry are briefly reviewed.Comment: 21 pages, 16 figures (ps), AMS-Te
Quantum models related to fouled Hamiltonians of the harmonic oscillator
We study a pair of canonoid (fouled) Hamiltonians of the harmonic oscillator
which provide, at the classical level, the same equation of motion as the
conventional Hamiltonian. These Hamiltonians, say and , result
to be explicitly time-dependent and can be expressed as a formal rotation of
two cubic polynomial functions, and , of the canonical variables
(q,p).
We investigate the role of these fouled Hamiltonians at the quantum level.
Adopting a canonical quantization procedure, we construct some quantum models
and analyze the related eigenvalue equations. One of these models is described
by a Hamiltonian admitting infinite self-adjoint extensions, each of them has a
discrete spectrum on the real line. A self-adjoint extension is fixed by
choosing the spectral parameter of the associated eigenvalue
equation equal to zero. The spectral problem is discussed in the context of
three different representations. For , the eigenvalue equation is
exactly solved in all these representations, in which square-integrable
solutions are explicity found. A set of constants of motion corresponding to
these quantum models is also obtained. Furthermore, the algebraic structure
underlying the quantum models is explored. This turns out to be a nonlinear
(quadratic) algebra, which could be applied for the determination of
approximate solutions to the eigenvalue equations.Comment: 24 pages, no figures, accepted for publication on JM
Thermostatistics in the neighborhood of the -mode solution for the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam system: from weak to strong chaos
We consider a -mode solution of the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam system. By
perturbing it, we study the system as a function of the energy density from a
regime where the solution is stable to a regime, where is unstable, first
weakly and then strongly chaotic. We introduce, as indicator of stochasticity,
the ratio (when is defined) between the second and the first moment of a
given probability distribution. We will show numerically that the transition
between weak and strong chaos can be interpreted as the symmetry breaking of a
set of suitable dynamical variables. Moreover, we show that in the region of
weak chaos there is numerical evidence that the thermostatistic is governed by
the Tsallis distribution.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure
Dirac Equation Studies in the Tunnelling Energy Zone
We investigate the tunnelling zone V0 < E < V0+m for a one-dimensional
potential within the Dirac equation. We find the appearance of superluminal
transit times akin to the Hartman effect.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Universal Elasticity and Fluctuations of Nematic Gels
We study elasticity of spontaneously orientationally-ordered amorphous
solids, characterized by a vanishing transverse shear modulus, as realized for
example by nematic elastomers and gels. We show that local heterogeneities and
elastic nonlinearities conspire to lead to anomalous nonlocal universal
elasticity controlled by a nontrivial infared fixed point. Namely, at long
scales, such solids are characterized by universal shear and bending moduli
that, respectively, vanish and diverge at long scales, are universally
incompressible and exhibit a universal negative Poisson ratio and a non-Hookean
elasticity down to arbitrarily low strains. Based on expansion about five
dimensions, we argue that the nematic order is stable to thermal fluctuation
and local hetergeneities down to d_lc < 3.Comment: 4 RevTeX pgs, submitted to PR
Quaternionic Diffusion by a Potential Step
In looking for qualitative differences between quaternionic and complex
formulations of quantum physical theories, we provide a detailed discussion of
the behavior of a wave packet in presence of a quaternionic time-independent
potential step. In this paper, we restrict our attention to diffusion
phenomena. For the group velocity of the wave packet moving in the potential
region and for the reflection and transmission times, the study shows a
striking difference between the complex and quaternionic formulations which
could be matter of further theoretical discussions and could represent the
starting point for a possible experimental investigation.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figur
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