827 research outputs found
Phonon Universal Transmission Fluctuations and Localization in Semiconductor Superlattices with a Controlled Degree of Order
We study both analytically and numerically phonon transmission fluctuations
and localization in partially ordered superlattices with correlations among
neighboring layers. In order to generate a sequence of layers with a varying
degree of order we employ a model proposed by Hendricks and Teller as well as
partially ordered versions of deterministic aperiodic superlattices. By
changing a parameter measuring the correlation among adjacent layers, the
Hendricks- Teller superlattice exhibits a transition from periodic ordering,
with alterna- ting layers, to the phase separated opposite limit; including
many intermediate arrangements and the completely random case. In the partially
ordered versions of deterministic superlattices, there is short-range order
(among any conse- cutive layers) and long range disorder, as in the N-state
Markov chains. The average and fluctuations in the transmission, the
backscattering rate, and the localization length in these multilayered systems
are calculated based on the superlattice structure factors we derive
analytically. The standard deviation of the transmission versus the average
transmission lies on a {\it universal\/} curve irrespective of the specific
type of disorder of the SL. We illustrate these general results by applying
them to several GaAs-AlAs superlattices for the proposed experimental
observation of phonon universal transmission fluctuations.Comment: 16-pages, Revte
Anomalous thermal conductivity and local temperature distribution on harmonic Fibonacci chains
The harmonic Fibonacci chain, which is one of a quasiperiodic chain
constructed with a recursion relation, has a singular continuous
frequency-spectrum and critical eigenstates. The validity of the Fourier law is
examined for the harmonic Fibonacci chain with stochastic heat baths at both
ends by investigating the system size N dependence of the heat current J and
the local temperature distribution. It is shown that J asymptotically behaves
as (ln N)^{-1} and the local temperature strongly oscillates along the chain.
These results indicate that the Fourier law does not hold on the harmonic
Fibonacci chain. Furthermore the local temperature exhibits two different
distribution according to the generation of the Fibonacci chain, i.e., the
local temperature distribution does not have a definite form in the
thermodynamic limit. The relations between N-dependence of J and the
frequency-spectrum, and between the local temperature and critical eigenstates
are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, submitted to J. Phys.: Cond. Ma
Editorial : Symbiosis in a Changing Environment
& nbsp;& nbsp;Non peer reviewe
Low-temperature heat transfer in nanowires
The new regime of low-temperature heat transfer in suspended nanowires is
predicted. It takes place when (i) only ``acoustic'' phonon modes of the wire
are thermally populated and (ii) phonons are subject to the effective elastic
scattering. Qualitatively, the main peculiarities of heat transfer originate
due to appearance of the flexural modes with high density of states in the wire
phonon spectrum. They give rise to the temperature dependence of the
wire thermal conductance. The experimental situations where the new regime is
likely to be detected are discussed.Comment: RevTex file, 1 PS figur
The photometric properties of a vast stellar substructure in the outskirts of M33
We have surveyed sq.degrees surrounding M33 with CFHT MegaCam in the
g and i filters, as part of the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey. Our
observations are deep enough to resolve the top 4mags of the red giant branch
population in this galaxy. We have previously shown that the disk of M33 is
surrounded by a large, irregular, low-surface brightness substructure. Here, we
quantify the stellar populations and structure of this feature using the PAndAS
data. We show that the stellar populations of this feature are consistent with
an old population with dex and an interquartile range in
metallicity of dex. We construct a surface brightness map of M33 that
traces this feature to mags\,arcsec. At these low surface
brightness levels, the structure extends to projected radii of kpc from
the center of M33 in both the north-west and south-east quadrants of the
galaxy. Overall, the structure has an "S-shaped" appearance that broadly aligns
with the orientation of the HI disk warp. We calculate a lower limit to the
integrated luminosity of the structure of mags, comparable to a
bright dwarf galaxy such as Fornax or AndII and slightly less than $1\$ of the
total luminosity of M33. Further, we show that there is tentative evidence for
a distortion in the distribution of young stars near the edge of the HI disk
that occurs at similar azimuth to the warp in HI. The data also hint at a
low-level, extended stellar component at larger radius that may be a M33 halo
component. We revisit studies of M33 and its stellar populations in light of
these new results, and we discuss possible formation scenarios for the vast
stellar structure. Our favored model is that of the tidal disruption of M33 in
its orbit around M31.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 17 figures. ApJ preprint forma
Developmental programming modulates olfactory behavior in C. elegans via endogenous RNAi pathways
Environmental stress during early development can impact adult phenotypes via programmed changes in gene expression. C. elegans larvae respond to environmental stress by entering the stress-resistant dauer diapause pathway and resume development once conditions improve (postdauers). Here we show that the osm-9 TRPV channel gene is a target of developmental programming and is down-regulated specifically in the ADL chemosensory neurons of postdauer adults, resulting in a corresponding altered olfactory behavior that is mediated by ADL in an OSM-9-dependent manner. We identify a cis-acting motif bound by the DAF-3 SMAD and ZFP-1 (AF10) proteins that is necessary for the differential regulation of osm-9, and demonstrate that both chromatin remodeling and endo-siRNA pathways are major contributors to the transcriptional silencing of the osm-9 locus. This work describes an elegant mechanism by which developmental experience influences adult phenotypes by establishing and maintaining transcriptional changes via RNAi and chromatin remodeling pathways.1
Electromechanics of charge shuttling in dissipative nanostructures
We investigate the current-voltage (IV) characteristics of a model
single-electron transistor where mechanical motion, subject to strong
dissipation, of a small metallic grain is possible. The system is studied both
by using Monte Carlo simulations and by using an analytical approach. We show
that electromechanical coupling results in a highly nonlinear IV-curve. For
voltages above the Coulomb blockade threshold, two distinct regimes of charge
transfer occur: At low voltages the system behave as a static asymmetric double
junction and tunneling is the dominating charge transfer mechanism. At higher
voltages an abrupt transition to a new shuttle regime appears, where the grain
performs an oscillatory motion back and forth between the leads. In this regime
the current is mainly mediated by charges that are carried on the grain as it
moves from one lead to the other.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, final version to be published in PR
Phonon dispersion and electron-phonon interaction in peanut-shaped fullerene polymers
We reveal that the periodic radius modulation peculiar to one-dimensional
(1D) peanut-shaped fullerene (C) polymers exerts a strong influence on
their low-frequency phonon states and their interactions with mobile electrons.
The continuum approximation is employed to show the zone-folding of phonon
dispersion curves, which leads to fast relaxation of a radial breathing mode in
the 1D C polymers. We also formulate the electron-phonon interaction
along the deformation potential theory, demonstrating that only a few set of
electron and phonon modes yields a significant magnitude of the interaction
relevant to the low-temperature physics of the system. The latter finding gives
an important implication for the possible Peierls instability of the C
polymers suggested in the earlier experiment.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
Effect of phonon scattering by surface roughness on the universal thermal conductance
The effect of phonon scattering by surface roughness on the thermal
conductance in mesoscopic systems at low temperatures is calculated using full
elasticity theory. The low frequency behavior of the scattering shows novel
power law dependences arising from the unusual properties of the elastic modes.
This leads to new predictions for the low temperature depression of the thermal
conductance below the ideal universal value. Comparison with the data of Schwab
et al. [Nature 404, 974 (2000)] suggests that surface roughness on a scale of
the width of the thermal pathway is important in the experiment.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
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