34,370 research outputs found
Chemical dynamics of triacetylene formation and implications to the synthesis of polyynes in Titan's atmosphere
For the last four decades, the role of polyynes such as diacetylene (HCCCCH) and triacetylene (HCCCCCCH) in the chemical evolution of the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan has been a subject of vigorous research. These polyacetylenes are thought to serve as an UV radiation shield in planetary environments; thus, acting as prebiotic ozone, and are considered as important constituents of the visible haze layers on Titan. However, the underlying chemical processes that initiate the formation and control the growth of polyynes have been the least understood to date. Here, we present a combined experimental, theoretical, and modeling study on the synthesis of the polyyne triacetylene (HCCCCCCH) via the bimolecular gas phase reaction of the ethynyl radical (CCH) with diacetylene (HCCCCH). This elementary reaction is rapid, has no entrance barrier, and yields the triacetylene molecule via indirect scattering dynamics through complex formation in a single collision event. Photochemical models of Titan's atmosphere imply that triacetylene may serve as a building block to synthesize even more complex polyynes such as tetraacetylene (HCCCCCCCCH)
Neutrino masses, leptogenesis and dark matter in hybrid seesaw
We suggest a hybrid seesaw model where relatively ``light''right-handed
neutrinos give no contribution to the neutrino mass matrix due to a special
symmetry. This allows their Yukawa couplings to the standard model particles to
be relatively strong, so that the standard model Higgs boson can decay
dominantly to a left and a right-handed neutrino, leaving another stable
right-handed neutrino as cold dark matter. In our model neutrino masses arise
via the type-II seesaw mechanism, the Higgs triplet scalars being also
responsible for the generation of the matter-antimatter asymmetry via the
leptogenesis mechanism.Comment: 4 page
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Graphene-polyelectrolyte multilayer membranes with tunable structure and internal charge
One great advantage of graphene-polyelectrolyte multilayer (GPM) membranes is their tunable structure and internal charge for improved separation performance. In this study, we synthesized GO-dominant GPM membrane with internal negatively-charged domains, polyethyleneimine (PEI)-dominant GPM membrane with internal positively-charged domains and charge-balanced dense/loose GPM membranes by simply adjusting the ionic strength and pH of the GO and PEI solutions used in layer-by-layer membrane synthesis. A combined system of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and ellipsometry was used to analyze the mass deposition, film thickness, and layer density of the GPM membranes. The performance of the GPM membranes were compared in terms of both permeability and selectivity to determine the optimal membrane structure and synthesis strategy. One effective strategy to improve the GPM membrane permeability-selectivity tradeoff is to assemble charge-balanced dense membranes under weak electrostatic interactions. This balanced membrane exhibits the highest MgCl2 selectivity (∼86%). Another effective strategy for improved cation removal is to create PEI-dominant membranes that provide internal positively-charged barrier to enhance cation selectivity without sacrificing water permeability. These findings shine lights on the development of a systematic approach to push the boundary of permeability-selectivity tradeoff for GPM membranes
Building Gaussian Cluster States by Linear Optics
The linear optical creation of Gaussian cluster states, a potential resource
for universal quantum computation, is investigated. We show that for any
Gaussian cluster state, the canonical generation scheme in terms of QND-type
interactions, can be entirely replaced by off-line squeezers and beam
splitters. Moreover, we find that, in terms of squeezing resources, the
canonical states are rather wasteful and we propose a systematic way to create
cheaper states. As an application, we consider Gaussian cluster computation in
multiple-rail encoding. This encoding may reduce errors due to finite
squeezing, even when the extra rails are achieved through off-line squeezing
and linear optics.Comment: 5 Pages, 3 figure
Glassy Dynamics in a Frustrated Spin System: Role of Defects
In an effort to understand the glass transition, the kinetics of a spin model
with frustration but no quenched randomness has been analyzed. The
phenomenology of the spin model is remarkably similiar to that of structural
glasses. Analysis of the model suggests that defects play a major role in
dictating the dynamics as the glass transition is approached.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted in J. Phys.: Condensed Matter,
proceedings of the Trieste workshop on "Unifying Concepts in Glass Physics
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