9,071 research outputs found
A Comparison of Electrical Breakdown Characteristics of Composite Materials Prepared With Unmodified Micro and Nano Scale Barium Titanate
High permittivity polymer matrix composites (PMCs) have been widely researched, especially in the field of microelectronics. For this study, high permittivity materials were investigated for their potential to form part of a multi-layer electric field detector. The two main requirements for such composites were high permittivity and a dielectric strength comparable to most standard polymers used as dielectric materials. Polystyrene was selected as a host polymer due to its high dielectric strength and amorphous structure. Barium titanate, a ferroelectric ceramic from the perovskite family, was selected as a high permittivity filler. Polymer permittivity in PMCs is usually orders of magnitude lower compared to the filler permittivity, although the resultant permittivity of the composite is generally markedly lower than the permittivity of the filler may suggest. This is because very little energy is stored in the ceramic filler, such that any increase in composite permittivity is due to an increase in the average field with the polymer matrix.[1]Micro and nano scale barium titanate was blended into polystyrene in an effort to discern the initial differences between composites prepared with the two different filler types. It was found that the micro scale barium titanate was well dispersed and from studying SEM micrographs, appeared to have a good particle size distribution. The nanoscale barium titanate was found to be very poorly dispersed in polystyrene, with a wide particle size distributions formed of weakly bound aggregations and some seemingly chemically bonded agglomerations which were regular in shape with a surface texture which was indicative of tightly bound primary particles. Consistent with the differences in particle dispersion within the micro and nano composites, there was a marked difference in AC breakdown strength between the different materials. All electrical breakdown data was analysed using a 2 parameter Weibull distribution. Figure 1 compares the ? values for the micro and nano composites at different filler loadings.<br/
Network growth models and genetic regulatory networks
We study a class of growth algorithms for directed graphs that are candidate
models for the evolution of genetic regulatory networks. The algorithms involve
partial duplication of nodes and their links, together with innovation of new
links, allowing for the possibility that input and output links from a newly
created node may have different probabilities of survival. We find some
counterintuitive trends as parameters are varied, including the broadening of
indegree distribution when the probability for retaining input links is
decreased. We also find that both the scaling of transcription factors with
genome size and the measured degree distributions for genes in yeast can be
reproduced by the growth algorithm if and only if a special seed is used to
initiate the process.Comment: 8 pages with 7 eps figures; uses revtex4. Added references, cleaner
figure
On the Robustness of NK-Kauffman Networks Against Changes in their Connections and Boolean Functions
NK-Kauffman networks {\cal L}^N_K are a subset of the Boolean functions on N
Boolean variables to themselves, \Lambda_N = {\xi: \IZ_2^N \to \IZ_2^N}. To
each NK-Kauffman network it is possible to assign a unique Boolean function on
N variables through the function \Psi: {\cal L}^N_K \to \Lambda_N. The
probability {\cal P}_K that \Psi (f) = \Psi (f'), when f' is obtained through f
by a change of one of its K-Boolean functions (b_K: \IZ_2^K \to \IZ_2), and/or
connections; is calculated. The leading term of the asymptotic expansion of
{\cal P}_K, for N \gg 1, turns out to depend on: the probability to extract the
tautology and contradiction Boolean functions, and in the average value of the
distribution of probability of the Boolean functions; the other terms decay as
{\cal O} (1 / N). In order to accomplish this, a classification of the Boolean
functions in terms of what I have called their irreducible degree of
connectivity is established. The mathematical findings are discussed in the
biological context where, \Psi is used to model the genotype-phenotype map.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figure, Accepted in Journal of Mathematical Physic
Smart Materials as Intelligent Insulation
In order to provide a robust infrastructure for the transmission and distribution of electrical power, understanding and monitoring equipment ageing and failure is of paramount importance. Commonly, failure is associated with degradation of the dielectric material; therefore the introduction of a smart moiety into the material is a potentially attractive means of continual condition monitoring. It is important that any introduction of smart groups into the dielectric does not have any detrimental effect on the desirable electrical and mechanical properties of the bulk material. Initial work focussed on the introduction of fluorophores into a model dielectric system. Fluorescence is known to be a visible effect even at very low concentrations of active fluorophores and therefore was thought well suited to such an application. It was necessary both to optimise the active fluorophore itself and to determine the most appropriate manner in which to introduce the fluorophores into the insulating system. This presentation will describe the effect of introducing fluorophores into polymeric systems on the dielectric properties of the material and the findings thus far [1]. Alternative smart material systems will also be discussed along with the benefits and limitations of smart materials as electric field sensors
Modeling of Isotropic Backward-Wave Materials Composed of Resonant Spheres
A possibility to realize isotropic artificial backward-wave materials is
theoretically analyzed. An improved mixing rule for the effective permittivity
of a composite material consisting of two sets of resonant dielectric spheres
in a homogeneous background is presented. The equations are validated using the
Mie theory and numerical simulations. The effect of a statistical distribution
of sphere sizes on the increasing of losses in the operating frequency band is
discussed and some examples are shown.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figure
System and market failures: the unavailability of magnesium sulphate for the treatment of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Low cost and effective drugs, such as magnesium sulphate, need to be included in initiatives to improve access to essential medicines in Afric
Precise mass-dependent QED contributions to leptonic g-2 at order alpha^2 and alpha^3
Improved values for the two- and three-loop mass-dependent QED contributions
to the anomalous magnetic moments of the electron, muon, and tau lepton are
presented. The Standard Model prediction for the electron (g-2) is compared
with its most precise recent measurement, providing a value of the
fine-structure constant in agreement with a recently published determination.
For the tau lepton, differences with previously published results are found and
discussed. An updated value of the fine-structure constant is presented in
"Note added after publication."Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure. v2: New determination of alpha presented (based on
the recent electron g-2 measurement). v3: New formulae added in Sec.IIB. v4:
Updated value of alpha presente
The Number of Different Binary Functions Generated by NK-Kauffman Networks and the Emergence of Genetic Robustness
We determine the average number , of \textit{NK}-Kauffman
networks that give rise to the same binary function. We show that, for , there exists a connectivity critical value such that () for and
for . We find that is not a
constant, but scales very slowly with , as . The problem of genetic robustness emerges as a statistical property
of the ensemble of \textit{NK}-Kauffman networks and impose tight constraints
in the average number of epistatic interactions that the genotype-phenotype map
can have.Comment: 4 figures 18 page
Sensation Seeking and Perceived Need for Structure Moderate Soldiers’ Well-Being Before and After Operational Deployment
This study examined associations between sensation seeking and perceived need for structure, and changes in reported well-being among deployed soldiers. Participants (n = 167) were assessed before and after a six-month deployment to south Afghanistan. Results indicated that although well-being declined in the soldier sample as a whole following deployment, the degree of decrease was significantly different among soldiers with different personality profiles. Differences were moderated by soldiers’ level of sensation seeking and perceived need for structure. Results are discussed in terms of a person-environment fit theory in the context of preparation and rehabilitation of deployed military personnel
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