333 research outputs found
Non-equilibrium Phase-Ordering with a Global Conservation Law
In all dimensions, infinite-range Kawasaki spin exchange in a quenched Ising
model leads to an asymptotic length-scale
at because the kinetic coefficient is renormalized by the broken-bond
density, . For , activated kinetics recovers the
standard asymptotic growth-law, . However, at all temperatures,
infinite-range energy-transport is allowed by the spin-exchange dynamics. A
better implementation of global conservation, the microcanonical Creutz
algorithm, is well behaved and exhibits the standard non-conserved growth law,
, at all temperatures.Comment: 2 pages and 2 figures, uses epsf.st
Comment on ``Theory of Spinodal Decomposition''
I comment on a paper by S. B. Goryachev [PRL vol 72, p.1850 (1994)] that
presents a theory of non-equilibrium dynamics for scalar systems quenched into
an ordered phase. Goryachev incorrectly applies only a global conservation
constraint to systems with local conservation laws.Comment: 2 pages LATeX (REVTeX macros), no figures. REVISIONS --- more to the
point. microscopic example added, presentation streamlined, long-range
interactions mentioned, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let
Local scale invariance as dynamical space-time symmetry in phase-ordering kinetics
The scaling of the spatio-temporal response of coarsening systems is studied
through simulations of the 2D and 3D Ising model with Glauber dynamics. The
scaling functions agree with the prediction of local scale invariance,
extending dynamical scaling to a space-time dynamical symmetry.Comment: Latex, 4 pages, 4 figure
Stuttering Min oscillations within E. coli bacteria: A stochastic polymerization model
We have developed a 3D off-lattice stochastic polymerization model to study
subcellular oscillation of Min proteins in the bacteria Escherichia coli, and
used it to investigate the experimental phenomenon of Min oscillation
stuttering. Stuttering was affected by the rate of immediate rebinding of MinE
released from depolymerizing filament tips (processivity), protection of
depolymerizing filament tips from MinD binding, and fragmentation of MinD
filaments due to MinE. Each of processivity, protection, and fragmentation
reduces stuttering, speeds oscillations, and reduces MinD filament lengths.
Neither processivity or tip-protection were, on their own, sufficient to
produce fast stutter-free oscillations. While filament fragmentation could, on
its own, lead to fast oscillations with infrequent stuttering; high levels of
fragmentation degraded oscillations. The infrequent stuttering observed in
standard Min oscillations are consistent with short filaments of MinD, while we
expect that mutants that exhibit higher stuttering frequencies will exhibit
longer MinD filaments. Increased stuttering rate may be a useful diagnostic to
find observable MinD polymerization in experimental conditions.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, missing unit for k_f inserte
Dynamical Scaling: the Two-Dimensional XY Model Following a Quench
To sensitively test scaling in the 2D XY model quenched from
high-temperatures into the ordered phase, we study the difference between
measured correlations and the (scaling) results of a Gaussian-closure
approximation. We also directly compare various length-scales. All of our
results are consistent with dynamical scaling and an asymptotic growth law , though with a time-scale that depends on the
length-scale in question. We then reconstruct correlations from the
minimal-energy configuration consistent with the vortex positions, and find
them significantly different from the ``natural'' correlations --- though both
scale with . This indicates that both topological (vortex) and
non-topological (``spin-wave'') contributions to correlations are relevant
arbitrarily late after the quench. We also present a consistent definition of
dynamical scaling applicable more generally, and emphasize how to generalize
our approach to other quenched systems where dynamical scaling is in question.
Our approach directly applies to planar liquid-crystal systems.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure
Heterocyst placement strategies to maximize growth of cyanobacterial filaments
Under conditions of limited fixed-nitrogen, some filamentous cyanobacteria
develop a regular pattern of heterocyst cells that fix nitrogen for the
remaining vegetative cells. We examine three different heterocyst placement
strategies by quantitatively modelling filament growth while varying both
external fixed-nitrogen and leakage from the filament. We find that there is an
optimum heterocyst frequency which maximizes the growth rate of the filament;
the optimum frequency decreases as the external fixed-nitrogen concentration
increases but increases as the leakage increases. In the presence of leakage,
filaments implementing a local heterocyst placement strategy grow significantly
faster than filaments implementing random heterocyst placement strategies. With
no extracellular fixed-nitrogen, consistent with recent experimental studies of
Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, the modelled heterocyst spacing distribution using our
local heterocyst placement strategy is qualitatively similar to experimentally
observed patterns. As external fixed-nitrogen is increased, the spacing
distribution for our local placement strategy retains the same shape while the
average spacing between heterocysts continuously increases.Comment: This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article
accepted for publication in Physical Biology. IOP Publishing Ltd is not
responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or
any version derived from it. The definitive publisher-authenticated version
will be available onlin
The response of Veteran's Hospital building 41 in the San Fernando earthquake
Structures which collapse or are heavily damaged in destructive earthquakes are analyzed by engineers to determine why they performed so poorly and to find out how their design could have been improved. However, it is equally important for buildings that survived exceptionally strong shaking to be analyzed and an explanation given as to why they were able to do so.
During the San Fernando, California earthquake of February 9, 1971 buildings in the strongly shaken region showed both types of performance. For example, the new Olive View Hospital main building was severely damaged, and another major building collapsed whereas two buildings at the Veteran's Administration (VA) Hospital survived with no significant damage. These two hospitals were located just north of the major surface faulting, and the VA buildings were only V-, miles southwest of Pacoima Dam. The Dam was effectively over the center of energy release of the magnitude of 6.4 earthquake and the well-known Pacoima Dam accelerogram, with peak accelerations over 1g, was recorded on a steep ridge near the abutment of the Dam. The ground shaking at the VA hospital is thought to have been less severe than that recorded at Pacoima Dam, but more severe than that recorded at the Holiday Inn, which was approximately five miles south of the nearest point on the causative fault.
Two major structures collapsed at the Veteran's Administrative Hospital killing 46 persons, which accounted for most of the casualties in the earthquake. These buildings were constructed in the 1920's and were not designed to resist earthquakes. Within the immediate neighborhood of these collapsed buildings were two other major structures that were built in the 1930's and the 1940's in accordance with building codes requiring earthquake resistance, and these survived the San Fernando earthquake without significant damage. One of these structures is the subject of this report
Theory of Phase Ordering Kinetics
The theory of phase ordering dynamics -- the growth of order through domain
coarsening when a system is quenched from the homogeneous phase into a
broken-symmetry phase -- is reviewed, with the emphasis on recent developments.
Interest will focus on the scaling regime that develops at long times after the
quench. How can one determine the growth laws that describe the time-dependence
of characteristic length scales, and what can be said about the form of the
associated scaling functions? Particular attention will be paid to systems
described by more complicated order parameters than the simple scalars usually
considered, e.g. vector and tensor fields. The latter are needed, for example,
to describe phase ordering in nematic liquid crystals, on which there have been
a number of recent experiments. The study of topological defects (domain walls,
vortices, strings, monopoles) provides a unifying framework for discussing
coarsening in these different systems.Comment: To appear in Advances in Physics. 85 pages, latex, no figures. For a
hard copy with figures, email [email protected]
Velocity Distribution of Topological Defects in Phase-Ordering Systems
The distribution of interface (domain-wall) velocities in a
phase-ordering system is considered. Heuristic scaling arguments based on the
disappearance of small domains lead to a power-law tail,
for large v, in the distribution of . The exponent p is
given by , where d is the space dimension and 1/z is the growth
exponent, i.e. z=2 for nonconserved (model A) dynamics and z=3 for the
conserved case (model B). The nonconserved result is exemplified by an
approximate calculation of the full distribution using a gaussian closure
scheme. The heuristic arguments are readily generalized to conserved case
(model B). The nonconserved result is exemplified by an approximate calculation
of the full distribution using a gaussian closure scheme. The heuristic
arguments are readily generalized to systems described by a vector order
parameter.Comment: 5 pages, Revtex, no figures, minor revisions and updates, to appear
in Physical Review E (May 1, 1997
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