1,733 research outputs found
Stabilization of colloidal suspensions by means of highly-charged nanoparticles
We employ a novel Monte Carlo simulation scheme to elucidate the
stabilization of neutral colloidal microspheres by means of highly-charged
nanoparticles [V. Tohver et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98, 8950
(2001)]. In accordance with the experimental observations, we find that small
nanoparticle concentrations induce an effective repulsion that prevents
gelation caused by the intrinsic van der Waals attraction between colloids.
Higher nanoparticle concentrations induce an attractive potential which is,
however, qualitatively different from the regular depletion attraction. We also
show how colloid-nanoparticle size asymmetry and nanoparticle charge can be
used to manipulate the effective interactions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters. See also S.
Karanikas and A.A. Louis, cond-mat/0411279. Updated to synchronize with
published versio
Colloidal stabilization via nanoparticle haloing
We present a detailed numerical study of effective interactions between
micron-sized silica spheres, induced by highly charged zirconia nanoparticles.
It is demonstrated that the effective interactions are consistent with a
recently discovered mechanism for colloidal stabilization. In accordance with
the experimental observations, small nanoparticle concentrations induce an
effective repulsion that counteracts the intrinsic van der Waals attraction
between the colloids and thus stabilizes the suspension. At higher nanoparticle
concentrations an attractive potential is recovered, resulting in reentrant
gelation. Monte Carlo simulations of this highly size-asymmetric mixture are
made possible by means of a geometric cluster Monte Carlo algorithm. A
comparison is made to results obtained from the Ornstein-Zernike equations with
the hypernetted-chain closure
Large Attractive Depletion Interactions in Soft Repulsive-Sphere Binary Mixtures
We consider binary mixtures of soft repulsive spherical particles and
calculate the depletion interaction between two big spheres mediated by the
fluid of small spheres, using different theoretical and simulation methods. The
validity of the theoretical approach, a virial expansion in terms of the
density of the small spheres, is checked against simulation results. Attention
is given to the approach toward the hard-sphere limit, and to the effect of
density and temperature on the strength of the depletion potential. Our results
indicate, surprisingly, that even a modest degree of softness in the pair
potential governing the direct interactions between the particles may lead to a
significantly more attractive total effective potential for the big spheres
than in the hard-sphere case. This might lead to significant differences in
phase behavior, structure and dynamics of a binary mixture of soft repulsive
spheres. In particular, a perturbative scheme is applied to predict the phase
diagram of an effective system of big spheres interacting via depletion forces
for a size ratio of small and big spheres of 0.2; this diagram includes the
usual fluid-solid transition but, in the soft-sphere case, the metastable
fluid-fluid transition, which is probably absent in hard-sphere mixtures, is
close to being stable with respect to direct fluid-solid coexistence. From
these results the interesting possibility arises that, for sufficiently soft
repulsive particles, this phase transition could become stable. Possible
implications for the phase behavior of real colloidal dispersions are
discussed.Comment: 31 pages, 8 figures; version accepted for publication in the Journal
of Chemical Physic
Is knife seizure imagery an effective crime deterrent? A multi-method study
The urgency to reduce knife carrying has been recognised by the police services in Scotland and has been addressed by the introduction of various initiatives to deter knife carrying and crime. One tactic includes the sharing of knife seizure images, where pictures of knives recovered by police are shared on media outlets, however, little research has explored whether this is an effective deterrent. The study sought to explore adults' views of the use of knife images as a deterrent to carrying knives utilising a multi-method approach: (1) a cross-sectional online survey (n= 553), and (2) individual, online semi-structured interviews with adults (n = 20). Fearful, worried and angry reactions towards the use of knife seizure images were expressed among adults and concern was raised that the use of such images may reinforce rather than deter knife carrying. Adults expressed concerns that the use of such images served to reinforce negative stereotypes and stigma within communities affected by high knife crime. The implications of these findings emphasise the limitations to the use of knife seizure images as a deterrent against knife carrying and the importance of community involvement in developing preventative and non-discriminatory approaches to tackling knife carrying throughout Scotland
The Validity of Assessment Centres for the Prediction of Supervisory Performance Ratings: A meta-analysis
Vertical distribution and migration of fish larvae in the NW Iberian upwelling system during the winter mixing period: implications for cross-shelf distribution
The vertical distribution and vertical migrations of fish
larvae and implications for their cross-shelf distribution
were investigated in the northern limit of the NE
Atlantic upwelling region during the late winter mixing
period of 2012. The average positive values of the
upwelling index for February and March of this year
were far from normal, although the average hydrographic
conditions during the period of study were of
downwelling and the water column was completely
mixed. Fish larvae, most in the preflexion stage, were
concentrated in the upper layers of the water column
and their distribution was depth stratified, both day
and night. However, the larval fish community was
not structured in the vertical plane and fish larvae did
not show significant diel vertical migration (DVM),
although five species showed ontogenetic vertical
migration. In regions of coastal upwelling and in the
absence of DVM, the location of fish larvae in the
water column is crucial for their cross-shelf distribution.
Thus, the cross-shelf distribution of the six most
abundant species collected in this study can be
explained by the surface onshore flow associated with coastal downwelling, retaining larvae of the coastal
spawning species with a relatively shallow distribution
in the shelf region and transporting larvae of slope
spawning species onto the shelf. The wide vertical distribution
shown by larvae of the offshore spawning
species could be an adaptation of these species to
ensure that some larvae reach the inshore nursery
areasPlan Nacional de I+D+i (CRAMERCTM2010- 21856-CO3-02), Junta de Galicia (ECOPREGA-10MMA602021PR), Principado de Asturias (GRUPIN14-144)Postprint2,044
Dark Matter Direct Detection Signals inferred from a Cosmological N-body Simulation with Baryons
We extract at redshift z=0 a Milky Way sized object including gas, stars and
dark matter (DM) from a recent, high-resolution cosmological N-body simulation
with baryons. Its resolution is sufficient to witness the formation of a
rotating disk and bulge at the center of the halo potential. The phase-space
structure of the central galactic halo reveals the presence of a dark disk
component, that is co-rotating with the stellar disk. At the Earth's location,
it contributes to around 25% of the total DM local density, whose value is
rho_DM ~ 0.37 GeV/cm^3. The velocity distributions also show strong deviations
from pure Gaussian and Maxwellian distributions, with a sharper drop of the
high velocity tail.
We give a detailed study of the impact of these features on the predictions
for DM signals in direct detection experiments. In particular, the question of
whether the modulation signal observed by DAMA is or is not excluded by limits
set by other experiments (CDMS, XENON and CRESST...) is re-analyzed and
compared to the case of a standard Maxwellian halo, in both the elastic and the
inelastic scattering scenarios. We find that the compatibility between DAMA and
the other experiments is improved. In the elastic scenario, the DAMA modulation
signal is slightly enhanced in the so-called channeling region, as a result of
several effects. For the inelastic scenario, the improvement of the fit is
mainly attributable to the departure from a Maxwellian distribution at high
velocity.Comment: 39 page
Auxetic foam for snowsport safety devices
Skiing and snowboarding are popular snow-sports with inherent risk of injury. There is potential to reduce the prevalence of injuries by improving and implementing snow-sport safety devices with the application of advanced materials. This paper investigates the application of auxetic foam to snow-sport safety devices. Composite pads - consisting of foam covered with a semi-rigid shell - were investigated as a simple model of body armour and a large 70 x 355 x 355 mm auxetic foam sample was fabricated as an example crash barrier. The thermo-mechanical conversion process was applied to convert open-cell polyurethane foam to auxetic foam. The composite pad with auxetic foam absorbed around three times more energy than the conventional equivalent under quasi-static compression with a concentrated load, indicating potential for body armour applications. An adapted thermo-mechanical process - utilising through-thickness rods to control in-plane compression - was applied to fabricate the large sample with relatively consistent properties throughout, indicating further potential for fabrication of a full size auxetic crash barrier. Further work will create full size prototypes of snow-sport safety devices with comparative testing against current products
Are images of seized knives an effective crime deterrent? Views of young people within the Scottish context
The urgency to reduce knife carrying has been recognised by police services within Scotland and has been addressed by initiatives such as the sharing of knife seizure images on media outlets. This study sought to explore young peoples' views on the use of knife seizure images as a deterrent to carrying knives by using comparative individual interviews (N = 20) with photo elicitation. Three themes were discovered: (1) negative reactions towards images of seized knives, (2) images of knives may encourage rather than deter knife carrying, and (3) reinforcement of existing beliefs, stereotypes and stigma. These findings highlight the limitations of using knife seizure images as a deterrent and the importance of involving young people in developing preventative and non-discriminatory approaches to tackling knife crime
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