6,574 research outputs found
Sharp transition for single polarons in the one-dimensional Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model
We study a single polaron in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model using four
different techniques (three numerical and one analytical). Polarons show a
smooth crossover from weak to strong coupling, as a function of the
electron-phonon coupling strength , in all models where this coupling
depends only on phonon momentum . In the SSH model the coupling also depends
on the electron momentum ; we find it has a sharp transition, at a critical
coupling strength , between states with zero and nonzero momentum of
the ground state. All other properties of the polaron are also singular at
, except the average number of phonons in the polaronic
cloud. This result is representative of all polarons with coupling depending on
and , and will have important experimental consequences (eg., in ARPES
and conductivity experiments)
On the distribution of high-frequency stock market traded volume: a dynamical scenario
This manuscript reports a stochastic dynamical scenario whose associated
stationary probability density function is exactly a previously proposed one to
adjust high-frequency traded volume distributions. This dynamical conjecture,
physically connected to superstatiscs, which is intimately related with the
current nonextensive statistical mechanics framework, is based on the idea of
local fluctuations in the mean traded volume associated to financial markets
agents herding behaviour. The corroboration of this mesoscopic model is done by
modelising NASDAQ 1 and 2 minute stock market traded volume
Variations in water use by a mature mangrove of Avicennia germinans, French Guiana
In the tropical intertidal zones, little is known on water uptake by mangroves. Transpiration rates are generally measured at leaf level, but few studies exist on water use at tree or stand levels. The objective of this study was to measure sap flow in trees of different sizes to appreciate the range of variation in water use that may exist in a site dominated by 80% mature Avicennia germinans. The results showed that from the dry to the wet season the mean water use increased from 3.2 to 5.3 dm3 d−1 in small trees (DBH ∼ 13 cm), from 11.5 to 30.8 dm3 d−1 in medium trees (∼24 cm) and from 40.8 to 64.1 dm3 d−1 in large ones (∼45 cm). Sapwood remained active up to a depth of 8 cm with radial variations within the stem. Weak correlations were obtained with VPD and net radiation. This study confirmed that transpiration was larger under low levels of salinity. Water use at stand level (∼1900 living stems ha−1) was estimated to be in the range of 5.8 to 11.8 m3 ha−1 d−1 according to the season
Capillary Pressure and Contact Line Force on a Soft Solid
The surface free energy, or surface tension, of a liquid interface gives rise
to a pressure jump when the interface is curved. Here we show that a similar
capillary pressure arises at the interface of soft solids. We present
experimental evidence that immersion of a thin elastomeric wire into a liquid
induces a substantial elastic compression due to the solid capillary pressure
at the bottom. We quantitatively determine the effective surface tension from
the elastic displacement field, and find a value comparable to the liquid-vapor
surface tension. Most importantly, these results also reveal the way the liquid
pulls on the solid close to the contact line: the capillary force is not
oriented along the liquid-air interface, nor perpendicularly to the solid
surface, as previously hypothesized, but towards the interior of the liquid
A Study of the Formation of Single- and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by a CVD Method
The reduction in H2/CH4 atmosphere of aluminum-iron oxides produces metal particles small enough to catalyze the formation of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Several experiments have been made using the same temperature profile and changing only the maximum temperature (800-1070 °C). Characterizations of the catalyst materials are performed using notably 57Fe Mo¨ssbauer spectroscopy. Electron microscopy and a macroscopical method are used to characterize the nanotubes. The nature of the iron species (Fe3+, R-Fe, ç-Fe-C, Fe3C) is correlated to their location in the material. The nature of the particles responsible for the high-temperature formation of the nanotubes is probably an Fe-C alloy which is, however, found as Fe3C by postreaction analysis. Increasing the reduction temperature increases the reduction yield and thus favors the formation of surface-metal particles, thus producing more nanotubes. The obtained carbon nanotubes are mostly single-walled and double-walled with an average diameter close to 2.5 nm. Several formation mechanisms are thought to be active. In particular, it is shown that the second wall can grow inside the first one but that subsequent ones are formed outside. It is also possible that under given experimental conditions, the smallest (<2 nm) catalyst particles preferentially produce double-walled rather than single-walled carbon nanotubes
The potential to narrow uncertainty in projections of stratospheric ozone over the 21st century
Future stratospheric ozone concentrations will be determined both by changes in the concentration of ozone depleting substances (ODSs) and by changes in stratospheric and tropospheric climate, including those caused by changes in anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs). Since future economic development pathways and resultant emissions of GHGs are uncertain, anthropogenic climate change could be a significant source of uncertainty for future projections of stratospheric ozone. In this pilot study, using an "ensemble of opportunity" of chemistry-climate model (CCM) simulations, the contribution of scenario uncertainty from different plausible emissions pathways for ODSs and GHGs to future ozone projections is quantified relative to the contribution from model uncertainty and internal variability of the chemistry-climate system. For both the global, annual mean ozone concentration and for ozone in specific geographical regions, differences between CCMs are the dominant source of uncertainty for the first two-thirds of the 21st century, up-to and after the time when ozone concentrations return to 1980 values. In the last third of the 21st century, dependent upon the set of greenhouse gas scenarios used, scenario uncertainty can be the dominant contributor. This result suggests that investment in chemistry-climate modelling is likely to continue to refine projections of stratospheric ozone and estimates of the return of stratospheric ozone concentrations to pre-1980 levels
The Meissner effect in a strongly underdoped cuprate above its critical temperature
The Meissner effect and the associated perfect "bulk" diamagnetism together
with zero resistance and gap opening are characteristic features of the
superconducting state. In the pseudogap state of cuprates unusual diamagnetic
signals as well as anomalous proximity effects have been detected but a
Meissner effect has never been observed. Here we have probed the local
diamagnetic response in the normal state of an underdoped La1.94Sr0.06CuO4
layer (up to 46 nm thick, critical temperature Tc' < 5 K) which was brought
into close contact with two nearly optimally doped La1.84Sr0.16CuO4 layers (Tc
\approx 32 K). We show that the entire 'barrier' layer of thickness much larger
than the typical c axis coherence lengths of cuprates exhibits a Meissner
effect at temperatures well above Tc' but below Tc. The temperature dependence
of the effective penetration depth and superfluid density in different layers
indicates that superfluidity with long-range phase coherence is induced in the
underdoped layer by the proximity to optimally doped layers; however, this
induced order is very sensitive to thermal excitation.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures + Erratu
Magnetic Field scaling of Relaxation curves in Small Particle Systems
We study the effects of the magnetic field on the relaxation of the
magnetization of small monodomain non-interacting particles with random
orientations and distribution of anisotropy constants. Starting from a master
equation, we build up an expression for the time dependence of the
magnetization which takes into account thermal activation only over barriers
separating energy minima, which, in our model, can be computed exactly from
analytical expressions. Numerical calculations of the relaxation curves for
different distribution widths, and under different magnetic fields H and
temperatures T, have been performed. We show how a \svar scaling of the
curves, at different T and for a given H, can be carried out after proper
normalization of the data to the equilibrium magnetization. The resulting
master curves are shown to be closely related to what we call effective energy
barrier distributions, which, in our model, can be computed exactly from
analytical expressions. The concept of effective distribution serves us as a
basis for finding a scaling variable to scale relaxation curves at different H
and a given T, thus showing that the field dependence of energy barriers can be
also extracted from relaxation measurements.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
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