16,254 research outputs found
Development of a phase-change thermal storage system using modified anhydrous sodium hydroxide for solar electric power generation
A thermal storage system for use in solar power electricity generation was investigated analytically and experimentally. The thermal storage medium is principally anhydrous NaOH with 8% NaNO3 and 0.2% MnO2. Heat is charged into storage at 584 K and discharged from storage at 582 K by Therminol-66. Physical and thermophysical properties of the storage medium were measured. A mathematical simulation and computer program describing the operation of the system were developed. A 1/10 scale model of a system capable of storing and delivering 3.1 x 10 to the 6th power kJ of heat was designed, built, and tested. Tests included steady state charging, discharging, idling, and charge-discharge conditions simulating a solar daily cycle. Experimental data and computer-predicted results are correlated. A reference design including cost estimates of the full-size system was developed
Random wave functions and percolation
Recently it was conjectured that nodal domains of random wave functions are
adequately described by critical percolation theory. In this paper we
strengthen this conjecture in two respects. First, we show that, though wave
function correlations decay slowly, a careful use of Harris' criterion confirms
that these correlations are unessential and nodal domains of random wave
functions belong to the same universality class as non critical percolation.
Second, we argue that level domains of random wave functions are described by
the non-critical percolation model.Comment: 13 page
Probabilistic state preparation of a single molecular ion by projection measurement
We show how to prepare a single molecular ion in a specific internal quantum
state in a situation where the molecule is trapped and sympathetically cooled
by an atomic ion and where its internal degrees of freedom are initially in
thermal equilibrium with the surroundings. The scheme is based on conditional
creation of correlation between the internal state of the molecule and the
translational state of the collective motion of the two ions, followed by a
projection measurement of this collective mode by atomic ion shelving
techniques. State preparation in a large number of internal states is possible.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, 2 table
Molecular heat pump for rotational states
In this work we investigate the theory for three different uni-directional
population transfer schemes in trapped multilevel systems which can be utilized
to cool molecular ions. The approach we use exploits the laser-induced coupling
between the internal and motional degrees of freedom so that the internal state
of a molecule can be mapped onto the motion of that molecule in an external
trapping potential. By sympathetically cooling the translational motion back
into its ground state the mapping process can be employed as part of a cooling
scheme for molecular rotational levels. This step is achieved through a common
mode involving a laser-cooled atom trapped alongside the molecule. For the
coherent mapping we will focus on adiabatic passage techniques which may be
expected to provide robust and efficient population transfers. By applying
far-detuned chirped adiabatic rapid passage pulses we are able to achieve an
efficiency of better than 98% for realistic parameters and including
spontaneous emission. Even though our main focus is on cooling molecular
states, the analysis of the different adiabatic methods has general features
which can be applied to atomic systems
Synergy between HIV-1 Tat and adenovirus E1A is principally due to stabilization of transcriptional elongation
We studied the combined effects of Tat and general trans-activators, such as E1A and phorbol esters, on human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) gene expression. Interaction between these two types of trans-activators may be involved in the transition from transcriptional quiesence during viral latency to active gene expression during productive infection. E1A cooperated with Tat to produce a fourfold greater increase in accumulation of full-length, cytoplasmic HIV-1-directed RNA than is expected if they were acting additively to increase RNA accumulation. Similarly, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) also cooperated with Tat to elevate HIV RNA levels synergistically. Analysis of transcription rates across the HIV-1-directed transcription unit indicated, unexpectedly, that synergy between Tat and E1A could not be accounted for by increased promoter proximal transcription rates that were merely additive. However, Tat and E1A produced a greater than additive increase in transcription rates in the 3' end of the gene. These findings imply that synergy between Tat and E1A (or other general transcriptional activators) is due principally to stabilization of transcriptional elongation. Furthermore, the observation that Tat elicits only a small increase in promoter proximal transcription in the presence of E1A suggests that the magnitude of the effect of Tat on initiation is decreased when the basal level of transcription is increased. These findings underscore the importance of the ability of Tat to stabilize elongation, as well as to stimulate initiation, in an HIV-1-directed transcription unit
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