696 research outputs found
High-pressure annealing of a prestructured nanocrystalline precursor to obtain tetragonal and orthorhombic polymorphs of Hf3N4
Transition metal nitrides containing metal ions in high oxidation states are a significant goal for the discovery of new families of semiconducting materials. Most metal nitride compounds prepared at high temperature and high pressure from the elements have metallic bonding. However amorphous or nanocrystalline compounds can be prepared via metal-organic chemistry routes giving rise to precursors with a high nitrogen:metal ratio. Using X-ray diffraction in parallel with high pressure laser heating in the diamond anvil cell this work highlights the possibility of retaining the composition and structure of a metastable nanocrystalline precursor under high pressure-temperature conditions. Specifically, a nanocrystalline Hf3N4 with a tetragonal defect-fluorite structure can be crystallized under high-P,T conditions. Increasing the pressure and temperature of crystallization leads to the formation of a fully recoverable orthorhombic (defect cottunite-structured) polymorph. This approach identifies a novel class of pathways to the synthesis of new crystalline nitrogen-rich transition metal nitrides
Influence of the substrate type on CVD grown homoepitaxial diamond layer quality by cross sectional TEM and CL analysis
To assess diamond-based semiconducting devices, a reduction of point defect levels and an accurate control of doping are required as well as the control of layer thickness. Among the analyses required to improve such parameters, cross sectional studies should take importance in the near future. The present contribution shows
how FIB (focused ion beam) preparations followed by electron microscopy related techniques as TEM or CL allowed to performanalysis versus depth in the layer, doping and point defect levels. Three samples grown along the sameweek in the same machinewith identical growth conditions but on different substrates (CVD-IIIa (110)
oriented, CVD-optical grade (100) oriented and a HPHT-Ib (100) oriented) are studied. Even though A-band is observed by CL, no dislocation is observed by CTEM. Point defect type and level are shown to substantially change with respect to the substrate type as well as the boron doping levels that vary within an order of magnitude. H3 present in the epilayer grown on HPHT type of substrate is replaced by T1 and NE3 point defects for epilayers grown on the CVD type one. An increase of excitonic transitions through LO phonons is also shown to take place near the surface while only TO ones are detected deeper in the epilayer. Such results highlight the importance of choosing the correct substrate.5 page
Numerical analysis of velocity magnitude on wave energy converter system in perforated breakwater
Waves are an alternative energy source that can be used for electricity generation. Wave Energy Converter (WEC) system in perforated breakwater is potentially applicable WEC system for coastal area. The magnitude of wave energy generated is determined by the volume of sea water inside the perforated breakwater. This volumetric flow rate is calculated using the flow velocity at perforated holes on the structure slope. Therefore, this research aims to study the velocity magnitude by analyzing the interrelation among wave steepness, wave run-up and relative velocity. The method used consists of applying numeric 3D flow model in the perforated structure of the breakwater with the variation of wave height, wave period and structure slope. The result shows that, the steeper the structure, the bigger is the relative run up (Ru/H). The higher the relative run up, the higher are the relative run-up velocities (V/Vru). As the velocity increase, the volumetric flow rate inside perforated breakwater will be higher, which leads to higher wave energy. Hence, it can be concluded that the higher the velocities (V/Vru), the higher is the wave energy generated
Dirac Particles in a Gravitational Field
The semiclassical approximation for the Hamiltonian of Dirac particles
interacting with an arbitrary gravitational field is investigated. The time
dependence of the metrics leads to new contributions to the in-band energy
operator in comparison to previous works on the static case. In particular we
find a new coupling term between the linear momentum and the spin, as well as
couplings which contribute to the breaking of the particle - antiparticle
symmetry
Spin relaxation in a complex environment
We report the study of a model of a two-level system interacting in a
non-diagonal way with a complex environment described by Gaussian orthogonal
random matrices (GORM). The effect of the interaction on the total spectrum and
its consequences on the dynamics of the two-level system are analyzed. We show
the existence of a critical value of the interaction, depending on the mean
level spacing of the environment, above which the dynamics is self-averaging
and closely obey a master equation for the time evolution of the observables of
the two-level system. Analytic results are also obtained in the strong coupling
regimes. We finally study the equilibrium values of the two-level system
population and show under which condition it thermalizes to the environment
temperature.Comment: 45 pages, 49 figure
Cloud water interception and resilience of tropical montane bryophytes to climate change in cloud forests of La Reunion
Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) are characterized by frequent cloud immersion, host a high diversity of global biodiversity and provide vital ecosystem services to insular populations. Climate change on islands, is expected to both raise the cloud height base as a result of temperature increase and to increase the frequency of extreme events like drought. Bryophytes contribute a significant biomass in these systems yet the role of cloud water and the resilience of bryophytes to drought in island TMCFs is still poorly known. In La Reunion, we implemented a novel method to follow cloud water interception by bryophytes in the TMCF using in situlysimeters. We showed that two abundant TMCF liverworts possess an excellent ability to intercept and store cloud water, and that stored water fluctuated according to climatic conditions. In order to better understand the ecophysiology of TMCF bryophytes, we examined chlorophyll fluorescence, under laboratory conditions, for 16 bryophyte species in response to dehydration and rehydration. This was accompanied by measurements of water retention capacity and relative water content of each species. Highest Water Retention Capacity and Relative Water Content were recorded for Sphagnumsp ( 2174 %: 91,37 %) and Anthocerossp ( 1540 %; 7815 %). Dry down curves showed that species with high water storage capacity are favored by maintaining longer optimal photosynthetic activity. After one week of desiccation, half of the species could recover 50 % of their optimal photosynthetic activity within 24 h of rehydration. Most species, after 7 weeks of desiccation, could not recover their original photosynthetic activity after rehydration. These experiments highlight the presence of various strategies for managing desiccation by TMCF bryophytes at the microhabitat level. Bryophytes inhabiting the TMCF, exhibit a strong strategy in either tolerance or drought avoidance or a combination of both strategies, indicating a better adaptation to drought than expected. However, impact of repetitive drought on the physiology of the TMCF species remains unknown. The multiplicity of responses recorded for TMCF bryophytes regarding their physiology and life forms indicate that climate change will have distinct impacts on species
Quantum master equation for a system influencing its environment
A perturbative quantum master equation is derived for a system interacting
with its environment, which is more general than the ones derived before. Our
master equation takes into account the effect of the energy exchanges between
the system and the environment and the conservation of energy in a finite total
system. This master quantum describes relaxation mechanisms in isolated
nanoscopic quantum systems. In its most general form, this equation is
non-Markovian and a Markovian version of it rules the long-time relaxation. We
show that our equation reduces to the Redfield equation in the limit where the
energy of the system does not affect the density of state of its environment.
This master equation and the Redfield one are applied to a spin-environment
model defined in terms of random matrices and compared with the solutions of
the exact von Neumann equation. The comparison proves the necessity to allow
energy exchange between the subsystem and the environment in order to correctly
describe the relaxation in isolated nanoscopic total system.Comment: 39 pages, 10 figure
Nonequilibrium dynamics of random field Ising spin chains: exact results via real space RG
Non-equilibrium dynamics of classical random Ising spin chains are studied
using asymptotically exact real space renormalization group. Specifically the
random field Ising model with and without an applied field (and the Ising spin
glass (SG) in a field), in the universal regime of a large Imry Ma length so
that coarsening of domains after a quench occurs over large scales. Two types
of domain walls diffuse in opposite Sinai random potentials and mutually
annihilate. The domain walls converge rapidly to a set of system-specific
time-dependent positions {\it independent of the initial conditions}. We obtain
the time dependent energy, magnetization and domain size distribution
(statistically independent). The equilibrium limits agree with known exact
results. We obtain exact scaling forms for two-point equal time correlation and
two-time autocorrelations. We also compute the persistence properties of a
single spin, of local magnetization, and of domains. The analogous quantities
for the spin glass are obtained. We compute the two-point two-time correlation
which can be measured by experiments on spin-glass like systems. Thermal
fluctuations are found to be dominated by rare events; all moments of truncated
correlations are computed. The response to a small field applied after waiting
time , as measured in aging experiments, and the fluctuation-dissipation
ratio are computed. For ,
, it equals its equilibrium value X=1, though time
translational invariance fails. It exhibits for aging regime
with non-trivial , different from mean field.Comment: 55 pages, 9 figures, revte
Inter-relation of sylvatic and domestic transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in areas with and without domestic vectorial transmission in Minas Gerais, Brazil
During the period 1980-1986, we captured triatomine bugs and mammalian
reservoir hosts from sylvatic and domestic situations in different
municipalities of the State of Minas Gerais. Trypanosoma cruzi was
isolated from captured bugs, mammals and patients. After cultivation in
LIT medium, the electrophoretic enzyme profiles were determined. We
obtained a total of 32 parasite isolates from regions with active
domestic transmission, and 24 isolates from areas under control. For
the first areas the results suggest introduction of T. cruzi from
sylvatic habitats, through incursion of infected opossums and/or
sylvatic T. sordida, which appears to have given rise to at least one
acute human infection. Of particular interest is the finding of
sylvatic opossums and a T. sordida nymph infected with ZB, that could
indicate return of parasites from chronic human infections to sylvatic
transmission cycles. For the areas under control we also interpret the
results as interaction between sylvatic and domestic cycles of
transmission, here through the invasion of houses by bugs carrying the
Z1 zymodeme from the sylvatic environment. The Multivariate
Correspondence Analysis gives a spatial description between the
different parasite isolates and confirms the existence of a bridge in
the opposite direction in the region with active vectorial transmission
including the exporting of Z2 through the peridomestic environment into
the sylvatic cycle. For the other areas this bridge corresponds
especially to Panstrongylus megistus, importing Z1 into the domestic
environment
Le virus Bozo (ArB 7343) : un nouvel arbovirus du groupe Bunyamwera isolé en République Centrafricaine; sa transmission expérimentale par Aedes aegypti
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