13,680 research outputs found
A computationally efficient method for calculating the maximum conductance of disordered networks: Application to 1-dimensional conductors
Random networks of carbon nanotubes and metallic nanowires have shown to be
very useful in the production of transparent, conducting films. The electronic
transport on the film depends considerably on the network properties, and on
the inter-wire coupling. Here we present a simple, computationally efficient
method for the calculation of conductance on random nanostructured networks.
The method is implemented on metallic nanowire networks, which are described
within a single-orbital tight binding Hamiltonian, and the conductance is
calculated with the Kubo formula. We show how the network conductance depends
on the average number of connections per wire, and on the number of wires
connected to the electrodes. We also show the effect of the inter-/intra-wire
hopping ratio on the conductance through the network. Furthermore, we argue
that this type of calculation is easily extendable to account for the upper
conductivity of realistic films spanned by tunneling networks. When compared to
experimental measurements, this quantity provides a clear indication of how
much room is available for improving the film conductivity.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Shelf-Ocean material exchange influencing the Atlantic chemical composition off NW Iberian margin since the last glaciation
Rivers are the main conduit of sediment to the shelf. The basin geology, the drainage area and the discharge rate are the major factors that determine their sediment load (Milliman and Syvistski, 1992). Besides suspended particles, dissolved components may also give some information on the eroded crust. Sr isotopes in carbonate shells of biological organisms have been used to study, in the geological record, the influence exerted by the chemical weathering of the continental crust on the seawater composition (Macdougall, 1991).
In this work, Sr isotope ratios obtained in tests of foraminifera representing the last 40 ka are presented and discussed in the scope of the palaeogeographical evolution of NW Iberia.
This work aims to present and discuss the results of Sr isotope analyses (performed, by TIMS, in the Isotope Geology Laboratory of the University of Aveiro) of tests of two species of foraminifera, from nine samples taken along the OMEX core KC 024-19 (181 cm; 42°08’98’’N, 10°29´96’’W, and 2765m), collected in the Galicia Bank area, off Galicia. Taking into account that Sr contained in the carbonate tests is usually considered as preserving the signature of the contemporaneous seawater, one planktonic species (Globigerina bulloides) and one benthic species (Cibicides wuellerstorfi) were selected in order to try to detect Sr isotope variations both through time and between two different levels of the water column.
The core age model, which records the last 40 ka, is based on a combination of oxygen isotope stratigraphy, eight AMS 14C datings and the synchronisation of the last four Heinrich Events in the Iberian Margin sedimentary records.
As a whole, the obtained 87Sr/86Sr ratios vary between 0.709209 and 0.709108, with a mean 2σ error of 0.000025. These values lie within the range of modern marine Sr isotope ratios (0.70910-0.70922), as previously defined using analyses of both seawater and marine carbonates (see compilation by Faure and Mensing, 2005). Despite their small variation, the 87Sr/86Sr ratios obtained in G. bulloides seem to indicate that Sr dissolved in seawater at the KC 024-19 core site became slightly less radiogenic after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This decrease is concomitant with diminishing amounts of the detrital components in the sediments (Fig. 1). Therefore, both the composition of dissolved Sr, as revealed by results on tests of planktonic foraminifera, and the proportions of suspended terrigenous particulate material arriving at the KC 024-19 site point to a decreasing importance of the contribution of the erosion of the Iberian Variscan crust since the Last Glacial Maximum and in the Holocene.
The 87Sr/86Sr ratios measured in tests of benthic foraminifera (C. wuellerstorfi) are more erratic and no correlation can be established with palaeogeographical/palaeoclimatic constraints. The difference between the behaviour of Sr compositions in G. bulloides and C. wuellerstorfi may indicate that whilst the planktonic foraminifera should reproduce very closely the seawater composition, the benthic organisms should, in addition to the major role of seawater, also be affected by some sort of interaction with the sediments. As such, planktonic foraminifera are probably more reliable indicators of seawater composition in studies involving very small periods and corresponding very slight variations of the 87Sr/86Sr ratios.
Taking into account that G. bulloides is a common planktonic species (living mostly in the first 50m of the water column), whose tests seem to be in equilibrium with sea water composition, variations in its 87Sr/86Sr ratios can be related with changes in the chemical composition of the water of the Atlantic Ocean off NW Iberian Margin.
The highest 87Sr/86Sr values are contemporaneous with a period of low sea level (about -140 m; Dias et al., 2000) during the LGM. According to Dias et al. (2000) at 18 ka BP the shoreline was close to the shelf break. The summital parts of the Gerês and Estrela mountains were covered by local glaciers and close to the coast freezing occurred frequently. The river catchments, which extended far to the shelf, received more rainfall due to a longer, compared to present day conditions, wet season, which promoted both physical and chemical weathering. Higher pluviosity combined with the effect of spring ice melting maintained high river discharge and consequently caused very important sediment supply to the coastal zone. The extremely narrow shelf was a very energetic environment due to sea bottom inclination and very limited long wave refraction. Therefore, at that time, a long wet season and very competent rivers should have caused important erosion of the Variscan basement in NW Iberia. Additionally, then, the shoreline was much closer to the KC 024-19 site. The combination of all these factors favoured an important deposition of terrigenous sediments and the local slight enrichment in radiogenic Sr of the seawater.
With sea level rise, after the deglaciation and during the Holocene, the river estuaries became progressively far away from the shelf break. Their competence of transport also became progressively reduced and the offshore transport of detrital sediments became progressively lower. Conversely the biogenic carbonate proportion in the sediments increased, due to lower dilution by the terrigenous particles. Simultaneously, the values of 87Sr/86Sr in the seawater at the KC 024-19 site became lower, as a consequence of a complete homogenization with the ocean global composition, which was now more effective with the increasing distance towards shoreline
Self-interaction errors in density functional calculations of electronic transport
All density functional calculations of single-molecule transport to date have
used continuous exchange-correlation approximations. The lack of derivative
discontinuity in such calculations leads to the erroneous prediction of
metallic transport for insulating molecules. A simple and computationally
undemanding atomic self-interaction correction greatly improves the agreement
with experiment for the prototype Au/dithiolated-benzene/Au junction.Comment: 4 pages. Also available at http://www.smeagol.tcd.i
Upper bound for the conductivity of nanotube networks
Films composed of nanotube networks have their conductivities regulated by
the junction resistances formed between tubes. Conductivity values are enhanced
by lower junction resistances but should reach a maximum that is limited by the
network morphology. By considering ideal ballistic-like contacts between
nanotubes we use the Kubo formalism to calculate the upper bound for the
conductivity of such films and show how it depends on the nanotube
concentration as well as on their aspect ratio. Highest measured conductivities
reported so far are approaching this limiting value, suggesting that further
progress lies with nanowires other than nanotubes.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure. Minor changes. Accepted for publication in Applied
Physics Letter
Gravitational Collapse of Self-Similar and Shear-free Fluid with Heat Flow
A class of solutions to Einstein field equations is studied, which represents
gravitational collapse of thick spherical shells made of self-similar and
shear-free fluid with heat flow. It is shown that such shells satisfy all the
energy conditions, and the corresponding collapse always forms naked
singularities.Comment: 34 pages, 9 figures, late
Explantes foliares de pupunheira (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K.) submetidos a combinações fatoriais de 2,4-D e BAP.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver protocolos para indução de calos em explantes foliares de B. gasipaes submetidos a combinações fatoriais de 2,4-D e BAP
Perturbed Self-Similar Massless Scalar Field in the Spacetimes with Circular Symmetry in 2+1 Gravity
We present in this work the study of the linear perturbations of the
2+1-dimensional circularly symmetric solution, obtained in a previous work,
with kinematic self-similarity of the second kind. We have obtained an exact
solution for the perturbation equations and the possible perturbation modes. We
have shown that the background solution is a stable solution.Comment: no figure
Calogênese em insulina vegetal (Cissus verticillata(L.) Nicolson & C. E. Jarvis).
O objetivo foi desenvolver um protocolo para a indução de calos em explantes foliares de Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicolson & C. E. Jarvis e quantificar a massa fresca obtida visando à produção de metabólitos secundários
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