11,704 research outputs found
False Vacuum Transitions - Analytical Solutions and Decay Rate Values
In this work we show a class of oscillating configurations for the evolution
of the domain walls in Euclidean space. The solutions are obtained
analytically. Phase transitions are achieved from the associated fluctuation
determinant, by the decay rates of the false vacuum.Comment: 6 pages, improved to match the final version to appear in EP
Comportamento de pilares de betão armado sujeitos a ações monotónicas e cíclicas
Para a avaliação da resposta de estruturas de edifícios de betão armado sujeitas à ação sísmica é importante definir um conjunto de parâmetros característicos do comportamento local dos elementos de betão armado, nomeadamente o deslocamento de cedência e o deslocamento último. Nas últimas décadas foram dados importantes passos na caracterização do comportamento cíclico de pilares de betão armado, mas persistem ainda algumas questões em aberto, nomeadamente no que se refere às diferenças entre a resposta a solicitações monotónicas e cíclicas, e para os carregamentos cíclicos entre solicitações uniaxiais e biaxiais. Por outro lado, é reconhecido que em elementos de betão armado carregados axialmente e sujeitos a esforços de flexão biaxiais se observa um agravamento da degradação de rigidez e a sua ductilidade é reduzida.
O presente estudo enquadra-se numa vasta campanha de ensaios realizada sobre pilares retangulares de betão armado sujeitos à flexão cíclica, uniaxial e biaxial. Neste artigo é apresentada uma parte dos resultados e conclusões desse trabalho experimental, focando-se num conjunto de ensaios realizados em 6 pilares retangulares (3 ensaios monotónicos uniaxiais e 3 ensaios cíclicos com lei de deslocamentos impostos oblíqua com ângulos de 30o, 45o e 60o). É realizada uma análise dos resultados em termos de comportamento global dos pilares, da evolução do dano, das componentes de deformação e da dissipação de energia
Towards absolute calibration of optical tweezers
Aiming at absolute force calibration of optical tweezers, following a
critical review of proposed theoretical models, we present and test the results
of MDSA (Mie-Debye-Spherical Aberration) theory, an extension of a previous
(MD) model, taking account of spherical aberration at the glass/water
interface. This first-principles theory is formulated entirely in terms of
experimentally accessible parameters (none adjustable). Careful experimental
tests of the MDSA theory, undertaken at two laboratories, with very different
setups, are described. A detailed description is given of the procedures
employed to measure laser beam waist, local beam power at the transparent
microspheres trapped by the tweezers, microsphere radius and the trap
transverse stiffness, as a function of radius and height in the (inverted
microscope) sample chamber. We find generally very good agreement with MDSA
theory predictions, for a wide size range, from the Rayleigh domain to large
radii, including the values most often employed in practice, and at different
chamber heights, both with objective overfilling and underfilling. The results
asymptotically approach geometrical optics in the mean over size intervals, as
they should, and this already happens for size parameters not much larger than
unity. MDSA predictions for the trapping threshold, position of stiffness peak,
stiffness variation with height, multiple equilibrium points and `hopping'
effects among them are verified. Remaining discrepancies are ascribed to focus
degradation, possibly arising from objective aberrations in the infrared, not
yet included in MDSA theory.Comment: 15 pages, 20 figure
Edge phonons in black phosphorus
Exfoliated black phosphorus has recently emerged as a new two-dimensional
crystal that, due to its peculiar and anisotropic crystalline and electronic
band structures, may have potentially important applications in electronics,
optoelectronics and photonics. Despite the fact that the edges of layered
crystals host a range of singular properties whose characterization and
exploitation are of utmost importance for device development, the edges of
black phosphorus remain poorly characterized. In this work, the atomic
structure and the behavior of phonons near different black phosphorus edges are
experimentally and theoretically studied using Raman spectroscopy and density
functional theory calculations. Polarized Raman results show the appearance of
new modes at the edges of the sample, and their spectra depend on the atomic
structure of the edges (zigzag or armchair). Theoretical simulations confirm
that the new modes are due to edge phonon states that are forbidden in the
bulk, and originated from the lattice termination rearrangements.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure
2D pattern evolution constrained by complex network dynamics
Complex networks have established themselves along the last years as being
particularly suitable and flexible for representing and modeling several
complex natural and human-made systems. At the same time in which the
structural intricacies of such networks are being revealed and understood,
efforts have also been directed at investigating how such connectivity
properties define and constrain the dynamics of systems unfolding on such
structures. However, lesser attention has been focused on hybrid systems,
\textit{i.e.} involving more than one type of network and/or dynamics. Because
several real systems present such an organization (\textit{e.g.} the dynamics
of a disease coexisting with the dynamics of the immune system), it becomes
important to address such hybrid systems. The current paper investigates a
specific system involving a diffusive (linear and non-linear) dynamics taking
place in a regular network while interacting with a complex network of
defensive agents following Erd\"os-R\'enyi and Barab\'asi-Albert graph models,
whose nodes can be displaced spatially. More specifically, the complex network
is expected to control, and if possible to extinguish, the diffusion of some
given unwanted process (\textit{e.g.} fire, oil spilling, pest dissemination,
and virus or bacteria reproduction during an infection). Two types of pattern
evolution are considered: Fick and Gray-Scott. The nodes of the defensive
network then interact with the diffusing patterns and communicate between
themselves in order to control the spreading. The main findings include the
identification of higher efficiency for the Barab\'asi-Albert control networks.Comment: 18 pages, 32 figures. A working manuscript, comments are welcome
Design and implementation of a real-time wireless sensor network
This paper describes the development of wireless
sensor network prototype that gathers biometrical data
and posture information from several wearable sensor
networks and sends it in real-time to a personal
computer where the information is monitored and
stored. The wireless sensor network is based on a low
power real-time MAC protocol that was designed and
implemented in the MICAz platform. This paper also
presents some analytical results and several
experimental results regarding the behavior of the
developed system.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT
Effects of additives on the activity of a covalently immobilised lipase in organic media
Lipase from Mucor miehei was covalently immobilised onto the graft copolymer poly(ethylene)-g.co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PE-g.co-HEMA), partially hydrolysed, via a spacer arm of 1,6-diaminohexane activated with glutaraldehyde. To improve the lipolytic activity of the immobilised lipase (for the synthesis of isoamyl-caprylate, as a model), the effect of several additives was investigated. Polyethylene glycol (PEG), glutaraldehyde, organic solvents and buffers, were added during the immobilisation procedure and their effects are reported and compared with the behaviour of the lipolytic preparation without pre-treatment. An increase of 40-100% in the activity was obtained when small quantities of PEG 2000 and glutaraldehyde (used also as an activator of the spacer arm) were added. The activity had a maximum when the pH of the lipase attachment solution was 7.2 and buffered with phosphate. The effect of the aggregation level of biocatalyst particles on the amount of water retained, as well as the effect of the immobilisation on solid supports on the stability to organic solvents, is also reported.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T3C-3V8CG7H-7/1/f8c9c7095fea93b2ccae17922a1f89d
Wireless hydrotherapy smart-suit network for posture monitoring
A wireless smart-suit network for monitoring body
kinetics, heart and respiratory rate during hidrocinesiotherapy
sessions is presented. Sensing modules composed by 3-axis
accelerometers, 3-axis magnetometers and interface electronics
are used to monitor the body kinetics. Heart rate is measured
using an ear clip infrared sensor and respiratory frequency is
measured with inductance plethysmography. The sensor network
is integrated in a swimming suit and data is transmitted in real
time to a base station using a 2.4 GHz RF transceiver.
Measurements of the rotation of shoulders, hips and spine are
performed with a resolution of less than 2 degrees. A new MAC
protocol for wireless sensing and actuation, LPRT protocol,
implemented in MICAz motes is used. Some of the characteristics
of the proposed protocol are low power consumption, real-time
support and loss intolerant traffic. The protocol uses contentionfree
operation and retransmission scheme and is very flexible and
has high throughput efficiency.Agência de Inovação (ADI
Probing the stability of gravastars by dropping dust shells onto them
As a preparation for the dynamical investigations, this paper begins with a
short review of the three-layer gravastar model with distinguished attention to
the structure of the pertinent parameter space of gravastars in equilibrium.
Then the radial stability of these types of gravastars is studied by
determining their response for the totally inelastic collision of their surface
layer with a dust shell. It is assumed that the dominant energy condition holds
and the speed of sound does not exceed that of the light in the matter of the
surface layer. While in the analytic setup the equation of state is kept to be
generic, in the numerical investigations three functionally distinct classes of
equations of states are applied. In the corresponding particular cases the
maximal mass of the dust shell that may fall onto a gravastar without
converting it into a black hole is determined. For those configurations which
remain stable the excursion of their radius is assigned. It is found that even
the most compact gravastars cannot get beyond the lower limit of the size of
conventional stars, provided that the dominant energy condition holds in both
cases. It is also shown---independent of any assumption concerning the matter
interbridging the internal de Sitter and the external Schwarzschild
regions---that the better is a gravastar in mimicking a black hole the easier
is to get the system formed by a dust shell and the gravastar beyond the event
horizon of the composite system. In addition, a generic description of the
totally inelastic collision of spherical shells in spherically symmetric
spacetimes is also provided in the appendix.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figure
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