1,550 research outputs found
Electric fields with ultrasoft pseudo-potentials: applications to benzene and anthracene
We present density functional perturbation theory for electric field
perturbations and ultra-soft pseudopotentials. Applications to benzene and
anthracene molecules and surfaces are reported as examples. We point out
several issues concerning the evaluation of the polarizability of molecules and
slabs with periodic boundary conditions.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, to appear in J. Chem. Phy
Experimental investigation of the elastoplastic response of aluminum silicate spray dried powder during cold compaction
Mechanical experiments have been designed and performed to investigate the
elasto-plastic behaviour of green bodies formed from an aluminum silicate spray
dried powder used for tiles production. Experiments have been executed on
samples obtained from cold compaction into a cylindrical mould and include:
uniaxial strain, equi-biaxial flexure and high-pressure triaxial
compression/extension tests. Two types of powders have been used to realize the
green body samples, differing in the values of water content, which have been
taken equal to those usually employed in the industrial forming of traditional
ceramics. Yielding of the green body during compaction has been characterized
in terms of yield surface shape, failure envelope, and evolution of cohesion
and void ratio with the forming pressure, confirming the validity of previously
proposed constitutive models for dense materials obtained through cold
compaction of granulates.Comment: 17 pages; Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 201
High-order density-matrix perturbation theory
We present a simple formalism for the calculation of the derivatives of the
electronic density matrix at any order, within density functional theory. Our
approach, contrary to previous ones, is not based on the perturbative expansion
of the Kohn-Sham wavefunctions. It has the following advantages: (i) it allows
a simple derivation for the expression for the high order derivatives of the
density matrix; (ii) in extended insulators, the treatment of
uniform-electric-field perturbations and of the polarization derivatives is
straightforward.Comment: 4 page
First-principles study of lattice instabilities in the ferromagnetic martensite NiMnGa
The phonon dispersion relations and elastic constants for ferromagnetic
NiMnGa in the cubic and tetragonally distorted Heusler structures are
computed using density-functional and density-functional perturbation theory
within the spin-polarized generalized-gradient approximation. For
, the TA tranverse acoustic branch along and
symmetry-related directions displays a dynamical instability at a wavevector
that depends on . Through examination of the Fermi-surface nesting and
electron-phonon coupling, this is identified as a Kohn anomaly. In the parent
cubic phase the computed tetragonal shear elastic constant,
C=(CC)/2, is close to zero, indicating a marginal
elastic instability towards a uniform tetragonal distortion. We conclude that
the cubic Heusler structure is unstable against a family of energy-lowering
distortions produced by the coupling between a uniform tetragonal distortion
and the corresponding modulation. The computed relation between the
ratio and the modulation wavevector is in excellent agreement with
structural data on the premartensitic ( = 1) and martensitic ( =
0.94) phases of NiMnGa.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.
One perception, two perspectives: measuring psychological contract dimensionality through the Psychological Contract Content Questionnaire
The present study aims to contribute to the validity strengthening of a psychological contract measure, assessing the dimensionality of the item structure of the Psychological Contract Content Questionnaire (PCCQ). According to the authors (De Vos, Buyens, & Schalk, 2003), the scale consists of two theoretical dimensions, one to measure perceived employer inducement (PEI) and the other to measure perceived employee contributions (PEC), both from the employee's perception, each divided into five content areas. Different structure models were tested in newcomers (police officers working in the Penitentiary Administration attending a one-year training) in two different stages of their entry: at their early entrance (three weeks, TI; 436 respondents) and after their encounter with the operative environment (eight months, T2; 519 respondents). Analyses were carried out using nonparametric item response theory (IRT) approach and multidimensional IRT approach. Results showed that psychological contract is a single latent construct that describes the general perception that the employee has about his/her relationship with the organization and reciprocal obligations fulfilment
Spontaneous polarization and piezoelectric constants of III-V nitrides
The spontaneous polarization, dynamical Born charges, and piezoelectric
constants of the III-V nitrides AlN, GaN, and InN are studied ab initio using
the Berry phase approach to polarization in solids. The piezoelectric constants
are found to be up 10 times larger than in conventional III-V's and II-VI's,
and comparable to those of ZnO. Further properties at variance with those of
conventional III-V compounds are the sign of the piezoelectric constants
(positive as in II-VI's) and the very large spontaneous polarization.Comment: RevTeX 4 pages, improved upon revie
The OPERA magnetic spectrometer
The OPERA neutrino oscillation experiment foresees the construction of two
magnetized iron spectrometers located after the lead-nuclear emulsion targets.
The magnet is made up of two vertical walls of rectangular cross section
connected by return yokes. The particle trajectories are measured by high
precision drift tubes located before and after the arms of the magnet.
Moreover, the magnet steel is instrumented with Resistive Plate Chambers that
ease pattern recognition and allow a calorimetric measurement of the hadronic
showers. In this paper we review the construction of the spectrometers. In
particular, we describe the results obtained from the magnet and RPC prototypes
and the installation of the final apparatus at the Gran Sasso laboratories. We
discuss the mechanical and magnetic properties of the steel and the techniques
employed to calibrate the field in the bulk of the magnet. Moreover, results of
the tests and issues concerning the mass production of the Resistive Plate
Chambers are reported. Finally, the expected physics performance of the
detector is described; estimates rely on numerical simulations and the outcome
of the tests described above.Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures, presented at the 2003 IEEE-NSS conference,
Portland, OR, USA, October 20-24, 200
Diverse cis-regulation of a vacuolar metal transporter in Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis halleri.
The vacuolar metal transporter VMT is involved in metal hyperaccumulation. VMT isexpressed at higher levels in metal hyperaccumulators Arabidopsis halleri and Noccaeacaerulescens than in non-accumulator species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana. To gatherinformation about the different transcriptional cis-regulation of VMT, we performed an insilico comparison of promoter sequences amplified from a variety of Brassicaceae species,including both hyper- and non-accumulators, and three putative motifs were identified andchosen for further in vivo analysis. Three different sequences corresponding to the VMTpromoter were amplified in A. halleri. Truncated forms were generated isolating the coresequence and deleting two of the motifs, while site-directed mutagenesis was performedon the third motif. The cloned sequences were fused to the GUS reporter gene and theobtained constructs were used for A. thaliana transformation (AtVMT promoter was used ascontrol). Promoters of both A. thaliana and A. halleri VMT are active in roots, guard cellsand hydathodes, but only Ah-pVMT seems to be specific for leaf mesophyll and trichomes
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