10,381 research outputs found
Nuclear quantum effects in solids using a colored-noise thermostat
We present a method, based on a non-Markovian Langevin equation, to include
quantum corrections to the classical dynamics of ions in a quasi-harmonic
system. By properly fitting the correlation function of the noise, one can vary
the fluctuations in positions and momenta as a function of the vibrational
frequency, and fit them so as to reproduce the quantum-mechanical behavior,
with minimal a priori knowledge of the details of the system. We discuss the
application of the thermostat to diamond and to ice Ih. We find that results in
agreement with path-integral molecular dynamics can be obtained using only a
fraction of the computational effort.Comment: submitted for publicatio
Climate change and viticulture - a quantitative analysis of a highly dynamic research field
In this study, we analyzed the newly emerging research field of climate change in combination with viticulture. Our analyses have two objectives: First, the overall publication output and the growth of research on climate change and viticulture is presented and analyzed. We developed a sophisticated search query to cover the relevant literature as completely as possible and to exclude irrelevant literature. The time evolution of the publications of the research topic as well as the most contributing journals and countries of authors, and the major research areas are presented. Second, most important publications in the historical context of this field are identified. Both analyses are based on a carefully selected publication set of 1039 papers (articles, reviews, and conference proceedings) dealing with the implications of climate change for viticulture. The results reveal that the number of papers published per year dealing with climate change and viticulture shows a strong increase: Since around 2000, the number increased by a factor of ten, whereas in the same time period the overall number of papers increased by a factor of around two. We identified 14 citation classics which include fundamental early works of viticulture with a weak connection to climate change and more recent works with a stronger connection to climate change
Hydrogen Absorption Properties of Metal-Ethylene Complexes
Recently, we have predicted [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 226102 (2006)] that a
single ethylene molecule can form stable complexes with light transition metals
(TM) such as Ti and the resulting TMn-ethylene complex can absorb up to ~12 and
14 wt % hydrogen for n=1 and 2, respectively. Here we extend this study to
include a large number of other metals and different isomeric structures. We
obtained interesting results for light metals such as Li. The ethylene molecule
is able to complex with two Li atoms with a binding energy of 0.7 eV/Li which
then binds up to two H2 molecules per Li with a binding energy of 0.24 eV/H2
and absorption capacity of 16 wt %, a record high value reported so far. The
stability of the proposed metal-ethylene complexes was tested by extensive
calculations such as normal-mode analysis, finite temperature first-principles
molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and reaction path calculations. The phonon
and MD simulations indicate that the proposed structures are stable up to 500
K. The reaction path calculations indicate about 1 eV activation barrier for
the TM2-ethylene complex to transform into a possible lower energy
configuration where the ethylene molecule is dissociated. Importantly, no
matter which isometric configuration the TM2-ethylene complex possesses, the TM
atoms are able to bind multiple hydrogen molecules with suitable binding energy
for room temperature storage. These results suggest that co-deposition of
ethylene with a suitable precursor of TM or Li into nanopores of light-weight
host materials may be a very promising route to discovering new materials with
high-capacity hydrogen absorption properties
The effect of organic management on soil quality indicators
This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. A range of physical, biological and chemical parameters were measured in organic soil that had been managed in different ways and in a conventional control. Factors were identified that could be used to construct an index of soil quality
Stability domains of actin genes and genomic evolution
In eukaryotic genes the protein coding sequence is split into several
fragments, the exons, separated by non-coding DNA stretches, the introns.
Prokaryotes do not have introns in their genome. We report the calculations of
stability domains of actin genes for various organisms in the animal, plant and
fungi kingdoms. Actin genes have been chosen because they have been highly
conserved during evolution. In these genes all introns were removed so as to
mimic ancient genes at the time of the early eukaryotic development, i.e.
before introns insertion. Common stability boundaries are found in evolutionary
distant organisms, which implies that these boundaries date from the early
origin of eukaryotes. In general boundaries correspond with introns positions
of vertebrates and other animals actins, but not much for plants and fungi. The
sharpest boundary is found in a locus where fungi, algae and animals have
introns in positions separated by one nucleotide only, which identifies a
hot-spot for insertion. These results suggest that some introns may have been
incorporated into the genomes through a thermodynamic driven mechanism, in
agreement with previous observations on human genes. They also suggest a
different mechanism for introns insertion in plants and animals.Comment: 9 Pages, 7 figures. Phys. Rev. E in pres
Quantum Fluctuations Driven Orientational Disordering: A Finite-Size Scaling Study
The orientational ordering transition is investigated in the quantum
generalization of the anisotropic-planar-rotor model in the low temperature
regime. The phase diagram of the model is first analyzed within the mean-field
approximation. This predicts at a phase transition from the ordered to
the disordered state when the strength of quantum fluctuations, characterized
by the rotational constant , exceeds a critical value . As a function of temperature, mean-field theory predicts a range of
values of where the system develops long-range order upon cooling, but
enters again into a disordered state at sufficiently low temperatures
(reentrance). The model is further studied by means of path integral Monte
Carlo simulations in combination with finite-size scaling techniques,
concentrating on the region of parameter space where reentrance is predicted to
occur. The phase diagram determined from the simulations does not seem to
exhibit reentrant behavior; at intermediate temperatures a pronounced increase
of short-range order is observed rather than a genuine long-range order.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures, RevTe
Precision high voltage divider for the KATRIN experiment
The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN) aims to determine the
absolute mass of the electron antineutrino from a precise measurement of the
tritium beta-spectrum near its endpoint at 18.6 keV with a sensitivity of 0.2
eV. KATRIN uses an electrostatic retardation spectrometer of MAC-E filter type
for which it is crucial to monitor high voltages of up to 35 kV with a
precision and long-term stability at the ppm level. Since devices capable of
this precision are not commercially available, a new high voltage divider for
direct voltages of up to 35 kV has been designed, following the new concept of
the standard divider for direct voltages of up to 100 kV developed at the
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). The electrical and mechanical
design of the divider, the screening procedure for the selection of the
precision resistors, and the results of the investigation and calibration at
PTB are reported here. During the latter, uncertainties at the low ppm level
have been deduced for the new divider, thus qualifying it for the precision
measurements of the KATRIN experiment.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figure
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