3,872 research outputs found
Redox reactions with empirical potentials: Atomistic battery discharge simulations
Batteries are pivotal components in overcoming some of today's greatest
technological challenges. Yet to date there is no self-consistent atomistic
description of a complete battery. We take first steps toward modeling of a
battery as a whole microscopically. Our focus lies on phenomena occurring at
the electrode-electrolyte interface which are not easily studied with other
methods. We use the redox split-charge equilibration (redoxSQE) method that
assigns a discrete ionization state to each atom. Along with exchanging partial
charges across bonds, atoms can swap integer charges. With redoxSQE we study
the discharge behavior of a nano-battery, and demonstrate that this reproduces
the generic properties of a macroscopic battery qualitatively. Examples are the
dependence of the battery's capacity on temperature and discharge rate, as well
as performance degradation upon recharge.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure
Recognition of two distinct elements in the RNA substrate by the RNA-binding domain of the T. thermophilus DEAD box helicase Hera
DEAD box helicases catalyze the ATP-dependent destabilization of RNA duplexes. Whereas duplex separation is mediated by the helicase core shared by all members of the family, flanking domains often contribute to binding of the RNA substrate. The Thermus thermophilus DEAD-box helicase Hera (for “heat-resistant RNA-binding ATPase”) contains a C-terminal RNA-binding domain (RBD). We have analyzed RNA binding to the Hera RBD by a combination of mutational analyses, nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray crystallography, and identify residues on helix α1 and the C-terminus as the main determinants for high-affinity RNA binding. A crystal structure of the RBD in complex with a single-stranded RNA resolves the RNA–protein interactions in the RBD core region around helix α1. Differences in RNA binding to the Hera RBD and to the structurally similar RBD of the Bacillus subtilis DEAD box helicase YxiN illustrate the versatility of RNA recognition motifs as RNA-binding platforms. Comparison of chemical shift perturbation patterns elicited by different RNAs, and the effect of sequence changes in the RNA on binding and unwinding show that the RBD binds a single-stranded RNA region at the core and simultaneously contacts double-stranded RNA through its C-terminal tail. The helicase core then unwinds an adjacent RNA duplex. Overall, the mode of RNA binding by Hera is consistent with a possible function as a general RNA chaperone
Recognition of two distinct elements in the RNA substrate by the RNA-binding domain of the T. thermophilus DEAD box helicase Hera
DEAD box helicases catalyze the ATP-dependent destabilization of RNA duplexes. Whereas duplex separation is mediated by the helicase core shared by all members of the family, flanking domains often contribute to binding of the RNA substrate. The Thermus thermophilus DEAD-box helicase Hera (for "heat-resistant RNA-binding ATPase”) contains a C-terminal RNA-binding domain (RBD). We have analyzed RNA binding to the Hera RBD by a combination of mutational analyses, nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray crystallography, and identify residues on helix α1 and the C-terminus as the main determinants for high-affinity RNA binding. A crystal structure of the RBD in complex with a single-stranded RNA resolves the RNA-protein interactions in the RBD core region around helix α1. Differences in RNA binding to the Hera RBD and to the structurally similar RBD of the Bacillus subtilis DEAD box helicase YxiN illustrate the versatility of RNA recognition motifs as RNA-binding platforms. Comparison of chemical shift perturbation patterns elicited by different RNAs, and the effect of sequence changes in the RNA on binding and unwinding show that the RBD binds a single-stranded RNA region at the core and simultaneously contacts double-stranded RNA through its C-terminal tail. The helicase core then unwinds an adjacent RNA duplex. Overall, the mode of RNA binding by Hera is consistent with a possible function as a general RNA chaperon
Equilibration of isolated macroscopic quantum systems
We investigate the equilibration of an isolated macroscopic quantum system in
the sense that deviations from a steady state become unmeasurably small for the
overwhelming majority of times within any sufficiently large time interval. The
main requirements are that the initial state, possibly far from equilibrium,
exhibits a macroscopic population of at most one energy level and that
degeneracies of energy eigenvalues and of energy gaps (differences of energy
eigenvalues) are not of exceedingly large multiplicities. Our approach closely
follows and extends recent works by Short and Farrelly [2012 New J. Phys. 14
013063], in particular going beyond the realm of finite-dimensional systems and
large effective dimensions.Comment: 19 page
Regulating the automobile
Division of Policy Research and Analysis.
National Science Foundatio
Quantum Monte Carlo and variational approaches to the Holstein model
Based on the canonical Lang-Firsov transformation of the Hamiltonian we
develop a very efficient quantum Monte Carlo algorithm for the Holstein model
with one electron. Separation of the fermionic degrees of freedom by a
reweighting of the probability distribution leads to a dramatic reduction in
computational effort. A principal component representation of the phonon
degrees of freedom allows to sample completely uncorrelated phonon
configurations. The combination of these elements enables us to perform
efficient simulations for a wide range of temperature, phonon frequency and
electron-phonon coupling on clusters large enough to avoid finite-size effects.
The algorithm is tested in one dimension and the data are compared with
exact-diagonalization results and with existing work. Moreover, the ideas
presented here can also be applied to the many-electron case. In the
one-electron case considered here, the physics of the Holstein model can be
described by a simple variational approach.Comment: 18 pages, 11 Figures, v2: one typo correcte
Steady-state spectra, current and stability diagram of a quantum dot: a non-equilibrium Variational Cluster Approach
We calculate steady-state properties of a strongly correlated quantum dot
under voltage bias by means of non-equilibrium Cluster Perturbation Theory and
the non-equilibrium Variational Cluster Approach, respectively. Results for the
steady-state current are benchmarked against data from accurate Matrix Product
State based time evolution. We show that for low to medium interaction
strength, non-equilibrium Cluster Perturbation Theory already yields good
results, while for higher interaction strength the self-consistent feedback of
the non-equilibrium Variational Cluster Approach significantly enhances the
accuracy. We report the current-voltage characteristics for different
interaction strengths. Furthermore we investigate the non-equilibrium local
density of states of the quantum dot and illustrate that within the variational
approach a linear splitting and broadening of the Kondo resonance is predicted
which depends on interaction strength. Calculations with applied gate voltage,
away from particle hole symmetry, reveal that the maximum current is reached at
the crossover from the Kondo regime to the doubly-occupied or empty quantum
dot. Obtained stability diagrams compare very well to recent experimental data
[Phys. Rev. B, 84, 245316 (2011)].Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure
Positron Annihilation in the Galaxy
The 511 keV line from positron annihilation in the Galaxy was the first γ-ray line detected to originate from outside our solar system. Going into the fifth decade since the discovery, the source of positrons is still unconfirmed and remains one of the enduring mysteries in γ-ray astronomy. With a large flux of ∼10−3 γ/cm2/s, after 15 years in operation INTEGRAL/SPI has detected the 511 keV line at >50σ and has performed high-resolution spectral studies which conclude that Galactic positrons predominantly annihilate at low energies in warm phases of the interstellar medium. The results from imaging are less certain, but show a spatial distribution with a strong concentration in the center of the Galaxy. The observed emission from the Galactic disk has low surface brightness and the scale height is poorly constrained, therefore, the shear number of annihilating positrons in our Galaxy is still not well know. Positrons produced in β+-decay of nucleosynthesis products, such as 26Al, can account for some of the annihilation emission in the disk, but the observed spatial distribution, in particular the excess in the Galactic bulge, remains difficult to explain. Additionally, one of the largest uncertainties in these studies is the unknown distance that positrons propagate before annihilation. In this paper, we will summarize the current knowledge base of Galactic positrons, and discuss how next-generation instruments could finally provide the answers.Non peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio
Light scattering from disordered overlayers of metallic nanoparticles
We develop a theory for light scattering from a disordered layer of metal
nanoparticles resting on a sample. Averaging over different disorder
realizations is done by a coherent potential approximation. The calculational
scheme takes into account effects of retardation, multipole excitations, and
interactions with the sample. We apply the theory to a system similar to the
one studied experimentally by Stuart and Hall [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 80}, 5663
(1998)] who used a layered Si/SiO/Si sample. The calculated results agree
rather well with the experimental ones. In particular we find conspicuous
maxima in the scattering intensity at long wavelengths (much longer than those
corresponding to plasmon resonances in the particles). We show that these
maxima have their origin in interference phenomena in the layered sample.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figure
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