27,581 research outputs found
Microfluidic immunomagnetic multi-target sorting – a model for controlling deflection of paramagnetic beads
We describe a microfluidic system that uses a magnetic field to sort paramagnetic beads by deflecting them in the direction normal to the flow. Our experiments systematically study the dependence of the beads’ deflection on: bead size and susceptibility, magnet strength, fluid speed and viscosity, and device geometry. We also develop a design parameter that can aid in the design of microfluidic devices for immunomagnetic multi-target sorting
Renormalization-group approach to superconductivity: from weak to strong electron-phonon coupling
We present the numerical solution of the renormalization group (RG) equations
derived in Ref. [1], for the problem of superconductivity in the presence of
both electron-electron and electron-phonon coupling at zero temperature. We
study the instability of a Fermi liquid to a superconductor and the RG flow of
the couplings in presence of retardation effects and the crossover from weak to
strong coupling. We show that our numerical results provide an ansatz for the
analytic solution of the problem in the asymptotic limits of weak and strong
coupling.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, conference proceedings for the Electron
Correlations and Materials Properties, in Kos, Greece, July 5-9, 200
Semimetalic graphene in a modulated electric potential
The -electronic structure of graphene in the presence of a modulated
electric potential is investigated by the tight-binding model. The low-energy
electronic properties are strongly affected by the period and field strength.
Such a field could modify the energy dispersions, destroy state degeneracy, and
induce band-edge states. It should be noted that a modulated electric potential
could make semiconducting graphene semimetallic, and that the onset period of
such a transition relies on the field strength. There exist infinite
Fermi-momentum states in sharply contrast with two crossing points (Dirac
points) for graphene without external fields. The finite density of states
(DOS) at the Fermi level means that there are free carriers, and, at the same
time, the low DOS spectrum exhibits many prominent peaks, mainly owing to the
band-edge states.Comment: 12pages, 5 figure
Optical probes of the quantum vacuum: The photon polarization tensor in external fields
The photon polarization tensor is the central building block of an effective
theory description of photon propagation in the quantum vacuum. It accounts for
the vacuum fluctuations of the underlying theory, and in the presence of
external electromagnetic fields, gives rise to such striking phenomena as
vacuum birefringence and dichroism. Standard approximations of the polarization
tensor are often restricted to on-the-light-cone dynamics in homogeneous
electromagnetic fields, and are limited to certain momentum regimes only. We
devise two different strategies to go beyond these limitations: First, we aim
at obtaining novel analytical insights into the photon polarization tensor for
homogeneous fields, while retaining its full momentum dependence. Second, we
employ wordline numerical methods to surpass the constant-field limit.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures; typo in Eq. (5) corrected (matches journal
version
Exotic Superconducting Phases of Ultracold Atom Mixtures on Triangular Lattices
We study the phase diagram of two-dimensional Bose-Fermi mixtures of
ultracold atoms on a triangular optical lattice, in the limit when the velocity
of bosonic condensate fluctuations is much larger than the Fermi velocity.
We contrast this work with our previous results for a square lattice system
in Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 97}, 030601 (2006).
Using functional renormalization group techniques we show that the phase
diagrams for a triangular lattice contain exotic superconducting phases. For
spin-1/2 fermions on an isotropic lattice we find a competition of -, -,
extended -, and -wave symmetry, as well as antiferromagnetic order. For
an anisotropic lattice, we further find an extended p-wave phase. A Bose-Fermi
mixture with spinless fermions on an isotropic lattice shows a competition
between - and -wave symmetry.
These phases can be traced back to the geometric shapes of the Fermi surfaces
in various regimes, as well as the intrinsic frustration of a triangular
lattice.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, extended version, slight modification
TagF-mediated repression of bacterial type VI secretion systems involves a direct interaction with the cytoplasmic protein Fha
The bacterial type VI secretion system (T6SS) delivers effectors into eukaryotic host cells or toxins into bacterial competitor for survival and fitness. The T6SS is positively regulated by the threonine phosphorylation pathway (TPP) and negatively by the T6SS-accessory protein TagF. Here, we studied the mechanisms underlying TagF-mediated T6SS repression in two distinct bacterial pathogens, Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We found that in A. tumefaciens, T6SS toxin secretion and T6SS-dependent antibacterial activity are suppressed by a two-domain chimeric protein consisting of TagF and PppA, a putative phosphatase. Remarkably, this TagF domain is sufficient to post-translationally repress the T6SS, and this inhibition is independent of TPP. This repression requires interaction with a cytoplasmic protein, Fha, critical for activating T6SS assembly. In P. aeruginosa, PppA and TagF are two distinct proteins that repress T6SS in a TPP-dependent and -independent pathways, respectively. P. aeruginosa TagF interacts with Fha1, suggesting that formation of this complex represents a conserved TagF-mediated regulatory mechanism. Using TagF variants with substitutions of conserved amino acid residues at predicted protein-protein interaction interfaces, we uncovered evidence that the TagF-Fha interaction is critical for TagF-mediated T6SS repression in both bacteria. TagF inhibits T6SS without affecting T6SS protein abundance in A. tumefaciens, but TagF overexpression reduces the protein levels of all analyzed T6SS components in P. aeruginosa. Our results indicate that TagF interacts with Fha, which in turn could impact different stages of T6SS assembly in different bacteria, possibly reflecting an evolutionary divergence in T6SS control
Dynamical Properties of a Growing Surface on a Random Substrate
The dynamics of the discrete Gaussian model for the surface of a crystal
deposited on a disordered substrate is investigated by Monte Carlo simulations.
The mobility of the growing surface was studied as a function of a small
driving force and temperature . A continuous transition is found from
high-temperature phase characterized by linear response to a low-temperature
phase with nonlinear, temperature dependent response. In the simulated regime
of driving force the numerical results are in general agreement with recent
dynamic renormalization group predictions.Comment: 10 pages, latex, 3 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. E (RC
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