10,929 research outputs found
Introduction to Systems Approach
Main aspects of systems theory are outlined. Emphasis is on the interface of between time and systems - natural or artificial
Semiflexible polymers under external fields confined to two dimensions
The non-equilibrium structural and dynamical properties of semiflexible
polymers confined to two dimensions are investigated by molecular dynamics
simulations. Three different scenarios are considered: The force-extension
relation of tethered polymers, the relaxation of an initially stretched
semiflexible polymer, and semiflexible polymers under shear flow. We find
quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions for the force-extension
relation and the time dependence of the entropically contracting polymer. The
semiflexible polymers under shear flow exhibit significant conformational
changes at large shear rates, where less stiff polymers are extended by the
flow, whereas rather stiff polymers are contracted. In addition, the polymers
are aligned by the flow, thereby the two-dimensional semiflexible polymers
behave similarly to flexible polymers in three dimensions. The tumbling times
display a power-law dependence at high shear rate rates with an exponent
comparable to the one of flexible polymers in three-dimensional systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in J. Chem. Phy
Precise time and time interval (PTTI), an overview
Present applications of precise time and frequency (T/F) technology can be grouped as follows: (1) Communications systems which require T/F for time division multiplexing and for using spread spectrum techniques. (2) Navigation systems which need T/F for position fixing using a timed signal. (3) Scientific-Metrological applications which use T/F as the most precisely reproducible standard of measurement. (4) Astronomical-Space applications which cover a variety of the most demanding applications such as pulsar research, Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and laser/radar ranging. In particular, pulsar time-of-arrival measurements require submicrosecond precision over a period of one-half year referred to an extraterrestrial inertial system, and constitute the most stringent requirements for uniform timekeeping to date
Negative association in uniform forests and connected graphs
We consider three probability measures on subsets of edges of a given finite
graph , namely those which govern, respectively, a uniform forest, a uniform
spanning tree, and a uniform connected subgraph. A conjecture concerning the
negative association of two edges is reviewed for a uniform forest, and a
related conjecture is posed for a uniform connected subgraph. The former
conjecture is verified numerically for all graphs having eight or fewer
vertices, or having nine vertices and no more than eighteen edges, using a
certain computer algorithm which is summarised in this paper. Negative
association is known already to be valid for a uniform spanning tree. The three
cases of uniform forest, uniform spanning tree, and uniform connected subgraph
are special cases of a more general conjecture arising from the random-cluster
model of statistical mechanics.Comment: With minor correction
A preliminary discussion of gravitational physics experiments for the Spacelab era
An overview of past, present, and proposed future experiments in gravitational physics is given. These experiments are concerned with the measurement of relativistic gravity effects to test theories of gravitation. Certain experiments which could be performed on shuttle and Spacelab missions and the potential of Spacelab for gravitation physics research are discussed
Conformations, hydrodynamic interactions, and instabilities of sedimenting semiflexible filaments
The conformations and dynamics of semiflexible filaments subject to a
homogeneous external (gravitational) field, e.g., in a centrifuge, are studied
numerically and analytically. The competition between hydrodynamic drag and
bending elasticity generates new shapes and dynamical features. We show that
the shape of a semiflexible filament undergoes instabilities as the external
field increases. We identify two transitions that correspond to the excitation
of higher bending modes. In particular, for strong fields the filament
stabilizes in a non-planar shape, resulting in a sideways drift or in helical
trajectories. For two interacting filaments, we find the same transitions, with
the important consequence that the new non-planar shapes have an effective
hydrodynamic repulsion, in contrast to the planar shapes which attract
themselves even when their osculating planes are rotated with respect to each
other. For the case of planar filaments, we show analytically and numerically
that the relative velocity is not necessarily due to a different drag of the
individual filaments, but to the hydrodynamic interactions induced by their
shape asymmetry.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures in Soft Matter (2015
External gates and transport in biased bilayer graphene
We formulate a theory of transport in graphene bilayers in the weak momentum
scattering regime in such a way as to take into account contributions to the
electrical conductivity to leading and next-to-leading order in the scattering
potential. The response of bilayers to an electric field cannot be regarded as
a sum of terms due to individual layers. Rather, interlayer tunneling and
coherence between positive- and negative-energy states give the main
contributions to the conductivity. At low energies, the dominant effect of
scattering on transport comes from scattering within each energy band, yet a
simple picture encapsulating the role of collisions in a set of scattering
times is not applicable. Coherence between positive- and negative-energy states
gives, as in monolayers, a term in the conductivity which depends on the order
of limits. The application of an external gate, which introduces a gap between
positive- and negative-energy states, does not affect transport. Nevertheless
the solution to the kinetic equation in the presence of such a gate is very
revealing for transport in both bilayers and monolayers.Comment: 6 pages, accepted for publication in Physical Review
Spin Density Matrix of Spin-3/2 Hole Systems
For hole systems with an effective spin j=3/2, we present an invariant
decomposition of the spin density matrix that can be interpreted as a multipole
expansion. The charge density corresponds to the monopole moment and the spin
polarization due to a magnetic field corresponds to a dipole moment while heavy
hole-light hole splitting can be interpreted as a quadrupole moment. For quasi
two-dimensional hole systems in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field B
the spin polarization is a higher-order effect that is typically much smaller
than one even if the minority spin subband is completely depopulated. On the
other hand, the field B can induce a substantial octupole moment which is a
unique feature of j=3/2 hole systems.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, 3 table
Dynamic regimes of fluids simulated by multiparticle-collision dynamics
We investigate the hydrodynamic properties of a fluid simulated with a
mesoscopic solvent model. Two distinct regimes are identified, the `particle
regime' in which the dynamics is gas-like, and the `collective regime' where
the dynamics is fluid-like. This behavior can be characterized by the Schmidt
number, which measures the ratio between viscous and diffusive transport.
Analytical expressions for the tracer diffusion coefficient, which have been
derived on the basis of a molecular-chaos assumption, are found to describe the
simulation data very well in the particle regime, but important deviations are
found in the collective regime. These deviations are due to hydrodynamic
correlations. The model is then extended in order to investigate self-diffusion
in colloidal dispersions. We study first the transport properties of heavy
point-like particles in the mesoscopic solvent, as a function of their mass and
number density. Second, we introduce excluded-volume interactions among the
colloidal particles and determine the dependence of the diffusion coefficient
on the colloidal volume fraction for different solvent mean-free paths. In the
collective regime, the results are found to be in good agreement with previous
theoretical predictions based on Stokes hydrodynamics and the Smoluchowski
equation.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figure
Spin precession and alternating spin polarization in spin-3/2 hole systems
The spin density matrix for spin-3/2 hole systems can be decomposed into a
sequence of multipoles which has important higher-order contributions beyond
the ones known for electron systems [R. Winkler, Phys. Rev. B \textbf{70},
125301 (2004)]. We show here that the hole spin polarization and the
higher-order multipoles can precess due to the spin-orbit coupling in the
valence band, yet in the absence of external or effective magnetic fields. Hole
spin precession is important in the context of spin relaxation and offers the
possibility of new device applications. We discuss this precession in the
context of recent experiments and suggest a related experimental setup in which
hole spin precession gives rise to an alternating spin polarization.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter
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