59,778 research outputs found
Fluctuations in mixtures of lamellar- and nonlamellar-forming lipids
We consider the role of nonlamellar-forming lipids in biological membranes by
examining fluctuations, within the random phase approximation, of a model
mixture of two lipids, one of which forms lamellar phases while the other forms
inverted hexagonal phases. To determine the extent to which nonlamellar-forming
lipids facilitiate the formation of nonlamellar structures in lipid mixtures,
we examine the fluctuation modes and various correlation functions in the
lamellar phase of the mixture. To highlight the role fluctuations can play, we
focus on the lamellar phase near its limit of stability. Our results indicate
that in the initial stages of the transition, undulations appear in the
lamellae occupied by the tails, and that the nonlamellar-forming lipid
dominates these undulations. The lamellae occupied by the head groups pinch off
to make the tubes of the hexagonal phase. Examination of different correlations
and susceptibilities makes quantitative the dominant role of the
nonlamellar-forming lipids.Comment: 7 figures (better but larger in byte figures are available upon
resuest), submitte
Partition Function Expansion on Region-Graphs and Message-Passing Equations
Disordered and frustrated graphical systems are ubiquitous in physics,
biology, and information science. For models on complete graphs or random
graphs, deep understanding has been achieved through the mean-field replica and
cavity methods. But finite-dimensional `real' systems persist to be very
challenging because of the abundance of short loops and strong local
correlations. A statistical mechanics theory is constructed in this paper for
finite-dimensional models based on the mathematical framework of partition
function expansion and the concept of region-graphs. Rigorous expressions for
the free energy and grand free energy are derived. Message-passing equations on
the region-graph, such as belief-propagation and survey-propagation, are also
derived rigorously.Comment: 10 pages including two figures. New theoretical and numerical results
added. Will be published by JSTAT as a lette
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Rainfall frequency analysis for ungauged regions using remotely sensed precipitation information
Rainfall frequency analysis, which is an important tool in hydrologic engineering, has been traditionally performed using information from gauge observations. This approach has proven to be a useful tool in planning and design for the regions where sufficient observational data are available. However, in many parts of the world where ground-based observations are sparse and limited in length, the effectiveness of statistical methods for such applications is highly limited. The sparse gauge networks over those regions, especially over remote areas and high-elevation regions, cannot represent the spatiotemporal variability of extreme rainfall events and hence preclude developing depth-duration-frequency curves (DDF) for rainfall frequency analysis. In this study, the PERSIANN-CDR dataset is used to propose a mechanism, by which satellite precipitation information could be used for rainfall frequency analysis and development of DDF curves. In the proposed framework, we first adjust the extreme precipitation time series estimated by PERSIANN-CDR using an elevation-based correction function, then use the adjusted dataset to develop DDF curves. As a proof of concept, we have implemented our proposed approach in 20 river basins in the United States with different climatic conditions and elevations. Bias adjustment results indicate that the correction model can significantly reduce the biases in PERSIANN-CDR estimates of annual maximum series, especially for high elevation regions. Comparison of the extracted DDF curves from both the original and adjusted PERSIANN-CDR data with the reported DDF curves from NOAA Atlas 14 shows that the extreme percentiles from the corrected PERSIANN-CDR are consistently closer to the gauge-based estimates at the tested basins. The median relative errors of the frequency estimates at the studied basins were less than 20% in most cases. Our proposed framework has the potential for constructing DDF curves for regions with limited or sparse gauge-based observations using remotely sensed precipitation information, and the spatiotemporal resolution of the adjusted PERSIANN-CDR data provides valuable information for various applications in remote and high elevation areas
The signature of the scattering between dark sectors in large scale cosmic microwave background anisotropies
We study the interaction between dark sectors by considering the momentum
transfer caused by the dark matter scattering elastically within the dark
energy fluid. Describing the dark scattering analogy to the Thomson scattering
which couples baryons and photons, we examine the impact of the dark scattering
in CMB observations. Performing global fitting with the latest observational
data, we find that for a dark energy equation of state , the CMB gives
tight constraints on dark matter-dark energy elastic scattering. Assuming a
dark matter particle of proton mass, we derive an elastic scattering cross
section of where is the
cross section of Thomson scattering. For , however, the constraints are
poor. For , can formally take any value.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in PR
Distribution of lipids in non-lamellar phases of their mixtures
We consider a model of lipids in which a head group, characterized by its
volume, is attached to two flexible tails of equal length. The phase diagram of
the anhydrous lipid is obtained within self-consistent field theory, and
displays, as a function of lipid architecture, a progression of phases:
body-centered cubic, hexagonal, gyroid, and lamellar. We then examine mixtures
of an inverted hexagonal forming lipid and a lamellar forming lipid. As the
volume fractions of the two lipids vary, we find that inverted hexagonal,
gyroid, or lamellar phases are formed. We demonstrate that the non-lamellar
forming lipid is found preferentially at locations which are difficult for the
lipid tails to reach. Variations in the volume fraction of each type of lipid
tail are on the order of one to ten per cent within regions dominated by the
tails. We also show that the variation in volume fraction is correlated
qualitatively with the variation in mean curvature of the head-tail interface.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures (better figures are available upon request), to
appear in J. Chem. Phy
Slow-light enhanced optical detection in liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals
Slow-light enhanced optical detection in liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals
is theoretically studied. Using a scattering-matrix approach and the
Wigner-Smith delay time concept, we show that optical absorbance benefits both
from slow-light phenomena as well as a high filling factor of the energy
residing in the liquid. Utilizing strongly dispersive photonic crystal
structures, we numerically demonstrate how liquid-infiltrated photonic crystals
facilitate enhanced light-matter interactions, by potentially up to an order of
magnitude. The proposed concept provides strong opportunities for improving
existing miniaturized absorbance cells for optical detection in lab-on-a-chip
systems.Comment: Paper accepted for the "Special Issue OWTNM 2007" edited by A.
Lavrinenko and P. J. Robert
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