321 research outputs found
Spontaneous Interlayer Charge Transfer near the Magnetic Quantum Limit
Experiments reveal that a confined electron system with two equally-populated
layers at zero magnetic field can spontaneously break this symmetry through an
interlayer charge transfer near the magnetic quantum limit. New fractional
quantum Hall states at unusual total filling factors such as \nu = 11/15 (= 1/3
+ 2/5) stabilize as signatures that the system deforms itself, at substantial
electrostatic energy cost, in order to gain crucial correlation energy by
"locking in" separate incompressible liquid phases at unequal fillings in the
two layers (e.g., layered 1/3 and 2/5 states in the case of \nu = 11/15).Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (1 color) included in text. Related papers at
http://www.ee.princeton.edu/~hari/papers.htm
Photoevaporation of protoplanetary discs I: hydrodynamic models
In this paper we consider the effect of the direct ionizing stellar radiation
field on the evolution of protoplanetary discs subject to photoevaporative
winds. We suggest that models which combine viscous evolution with
photoevaporation of the disc (e.g. Clarke, Gendrin & Sotomayor 2001)
incorrectly neglect the direct field after the inner disc has drained, at late
times in the evolution. We construct models of the photoevaporative wind
produced by the direct field, first using simple analytic arguments and later
using detailed numerical hydrodynamics. We find that the wind produced by the
direct field at late times is much larger than has previously been assumed, and
we show that the mass-loss rate scales as (where is the
radius of the instantaneous inner disc edge). We suggest that this result has
important consequences for theories of disc evolution, and go on to consider
the effects of this result on disc evolution in detail in a companion paper
(Alexander, Clarke & Pringle 2006b).Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Constraints on the ionizing flux emitted by T Tauri stars
We present the results of an analysis of ultraviolet observations of T Tauri
Stars (TTS). By analysing emission measures taken from the literature we derive
rates of ionizing photons from the chromospheres of 5 classical TTS in the
range ~10^41-10^44 photons/s, although these values are subject to large
uncertainties. We propose that the HeII/CIV line ratio can be used as a
reddening-independent indicator of the hardness of the ultraviolet spectrum
emitted by TTS. By studying this line ratio in a much larger sample of objects
we find evidence for an ionizing flux which does not decrease, and may even
increase, as TTS evolve. This implies that a significant fraction of the
ionizing flux from TTS is not powered by the accretion of disc material onto
the central object, and we discuss the significance of this result and its
implications for models of disc evolution. The presence of a significant
ionizing flux in the later stages of circumstellar disc evolution provides an
important new constraint on disc photoevaporation models.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Sheared Flow As A Stabilizing Mechanism In Astrophysical Jets
It has been hypothesized that the sustained narrowness observed in the
asymptotic cylindrical region of bipolar outflows from Young Stellar Objects
(YSO) indicates that these jets are magnetically collimated. The j cross B
force observed in z-pinch plasmas is a possible explanation for these
observations. However, z-pinch plasmas are subject to current driven
instabilities (CDI). The interest in using z-pinches for controlled nuclear
fusion has lead to an extensive theory of the stability of magnetically
confined plasmas. Analytical, numerical, and experimental evidence from this
field suggest that sheared flow in magnetized plasmas can reduce the growth
rates of the sausage and kink instabilities. Here we propose the hypothesis
that sheared helical flow can exert a similar stabilizing influence on CDI in
YSO jets.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
Double-Layer Systems at Zero Magnetic Field
We investigate theoretically the effects of intralayer and interlayer
exchange in biased double-layer electron and hole systems, in the absence of a
magnetic field. We use a variational Hartree-Fock-like approximation to analyze
the effects of layer separation, layer density, tunneling, and applied gate
voltages on the layer densities and on interlayer phase coherence. In agreement
with earlier work, we find that for very small layer separations and low layer
densities, an interlayer-correlated ground state possessing spontaneous
interlayer coherence (SILC) is obtained, even in the absence of interlayer
tunneling. In contrast to earlier work, we find that as a function of total
density, there exist four, rather than three, distinct noncrystalline phases
for balanced double-layer systems without interlayer tunneling. The newly
identified phase exists for a narrow range of densities and has three
components and slightly unequal layer densities, with one layer being spin
polarized, and the other unpolarized. An additional two-component phase is also
possible in the presence of sufficiently strong bias or tunneling. The
lowest-density SILC phase is the fully spin- and pseudospin-polarized
``one-component'' phase discussed by Zheng {\it et al.} [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 55},
4506 (1997)]. We argue that this phase will produce a finite interlayer Coulomb
drag at zero temperature due to the SILC. We calculate the particle densities
in each layer as a function of the gate voltage and total particle density, and
find that interlayer exchange can reduce or prevent abrupt transfers of charge
between the two layers. We also calculate the effect of interlayer exchange on
the interlayer capacitance.Comment: 35 pages, 19 figures included. To appear in PR
Exchange Instabilities in Semiconductor Double Quantum Well Systems
We consider various exchange-driven electronic instabilities in semiconductor
double-layer systems in the absence of any external magnetic field. We
establish that there is no exchange-driven bilayer to monolayer charge transfer
instability in the double-layer systems. We show that, within the unrestricted
Hartree-Fock approximation, the low density stable phase (even in the absence
of any interlayer tunneling) is a quantum ``pseudospin rotated'' spontaneous
interlayer phase coherent spin-polarized symmetric state rather than the
classical Ising-like charge-transfer phase. The U(1) symmetry of the double
quantum well system is broken spontaneously at this low density quantum phase
transition, and the layer density develops quantum fluctuations even in the
absence of any interlayer tunneling. The phase diagram for the double quantum
well system is calculated in the carrier density--layer separation space, and
the possibility of experimentally observing various quantum phases is
discussed. The situation in the presence of an external electric field is
investigated in some detail using the
spin-polarized-local-density-approximation-based self-consistent technique and
good agreement with existing experimental results is obtained.Comment: 24 pages, figures included. Also available at
http://www-cmg.physics.umd.edu/~lzheng/preprint/ct.uu/ . Revised final
version to appear in PR
Broken-Symmetry States in Quantum Hall Superlattices
We argue that broken-symmetry states with either spatially diagonal or
spatially off-diagonal order are likely in the quantum Hall regime, for clean
multiple quantum well (MQW) systems with small layer separations. We find that
for MQW systems, unlike bilayers, charge order tends to be favored over
spontaneous interlayer coherence. We estimate the size of the interlayer
tunneling amplitude needed to stabilize superlattice Bloch minibands by
comparing the variational energies of interlayer-coherent superlattice miniband
states with those of states with charge order and states with no broken
symmetries. We predict that when coherent miniband ground states are stable,
strong interlayer electronic correlations will strongly enhance the
growth-direction tunneling conductance and promote the possibility of Bloch
oscillations.Comment: 9 pages LaTeX, 4 figures EPS, to be published in PR
A Review of Volatile Organic Compound Contamination in Post-Industrial Urban Centers: Reproductive Health Implications Using a Detroit Lens
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of aromatic or chlorinated organic chemicals commonly found in manufactured products that have high vapor pressure, and thus vaporize readily at room temperature. While airshed VOCs are well studied and have provided insights into public health issues, we suggest that belowground VOCs and the related vapor intrusion process could be equally or even more relevant to public health. The persistence, movement, remediation, and human health implications of subsurface VOCs in urban landscapes remain relatively understudied despite evidence of widespread contamination. This review explores the state of the science of subsurface movement and remediation of VOCs through groundwater and soils, the linkages between these poorly understood contaminant exposure pathways and health outcomes based on research in various animal models, and describes the role of these contaminants in human health, focusing on birth outcomes, notably low birth weight and preterm birth. Finally, this review provides recommendations for future research to address knowledge gaps that are essential for not only tackling health disparities and environmental injustice in post-industrial cities, but also protecting and preserving critical freshwater resources
Giant planet migration during FU Orionis outbursts: 1D disc models
I present the results of semi-analytic calculations of migrating planets in young, outbursting circumstellar discs. Formed far out in the disc via gravitational fragmentation early on in its lifetime, these planets typically migrate at very slow rates and are therefore mostly expected to remain at large radii (such as is the case in HR 8799). I show that changes in the disc structure during FUor outbursts affect the planet’s ability to maintain a gap and can allow a massive giant planet’s semimajor axis to reduce by almost 5 per cent in a single outburst under the most optimistic conditions. Given that a single disc will likely undergo ∼ 10 such outbursts this process can significantly alter the expected radial distribution for GI-formed planets
Progressive, Transgenerational Changes in Offspring Phenotype and Epigenotype following Nutritional Transition
Induction of altered phenotypes during development in response to environmental input involves epigenetic changes. Phenotypic traits can be passed between generations by a variety of mechanisms, including direct transmission of epigenetic states or by induction of epigenetic marks de novo in each generation. To distinguish between these possibilities we measured epigenetic marks over four generations in rats exposed to a sustained environmental challenge. Dietary energy was increased by 25% at conception in F0 female rats and maintained at this level to generation F3. F0 dams showed higher pregnancy weight gain, but lower weight gain and food intake during lactation than F1 and F2 dams. On gestational day 8, fasting plasma glucose concentration was higher and β-hydroxybutyrate lower in F0 and F1 dams than F2 dams. This was accompanied by decreased phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and increased PPARα and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 mRNA expression. PEPCK mRNA expression was inversely related to the methylation of specific CpG dinucleotides in its promoter. DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) 3a2, but not Dnmt1 or Dnmt3b, expression increased and methylation of its promoter decreased from F1 to F3 generations. These data suggest that the regulation of energy metabolism during pregnancy and lactation within a generation is influenced by the maternal phenotype in the preceding generation and the environment during the current pregnancy. The transgenerational effects on phenotype were associated with altered DNA methylation of specific genes in a manner consistent with induction de novo of epigenetic marks in each generation
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