711 research outputs found
The Kondo lattice model with correlated conduction electrons
We investigate a Kondo lattice model with correlated conduction electrons.
Within dynamical mean-field theory the model maps onto an impurity model where
the host has to be determined self-consistently. This impurity model can be
derived from an Anderson-Hubbard model both by equating the low-energy
excitations of the impurity and by a canonical transformation. On the level of
dynamical mean-field theory this establishes the connection of the two lattice
models. The impurity model is studied numerically by an extension of the
non-crossing approximation to a two-orbital impurity. We find that with
decreasing temperature the conduction electrons first form quasiparticles
unaffected by the presence of the lattice of localized spins. Then, reducing
the temperature further, the particle-hole symmetric model turns into an
insulator. The quasiparticle peak in the one-particle spectral density splits
and a gap opens. The size of the gap increases when the correlations of the
conduction electrons become stronger. These findings are similar to the
behavior of the Anderson-Hubbard model within dynamical mean-field theory and
are obtained with much less numerical effort.Comment: 7 pages RevTeX with 3 ps figures, accepted by PR
Inâsitu characterization of deposits in ceramic hollow fiber membranes by compressed sensing RAREâMRI
Ultrafiltration with ceramic hollow fiber membranes was investigated by compressed sensing rapid acquisition relaxation enhancement (CS-RARE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to characterize filtration mechanisms. Sodium alginate was used as a model substance for extracellular polymeric substances. Dependent on the concentration of divalent ions like Ca21 in an aqueous alginate solution, the characteristics of the filtration change from concentration polarization to a gel layer. The fouling inside the membrane lumen could be measured by MRI with a CS-RARE pulse sequence. Contrast agents have been used to get an appropriate contrast between deposit and feed. The lumen was analyzed quantitatively by exploring the membraneâs radial symmetry, and the resulting intensity could be modeled. Thus, different fouling mechanisms could be distinguished. CS-RARE-MRI was proven to be an appropriate in situ tool to quantitatively characterize the deposit formation during in-out filtration processes. The results were underlined by flux interruption experiments and length dependent studies, which make it possible to differentiate between gel layer or cake filtration and concentration polarization filtration processes
Contact-mediated nucleation in melt emulsions investigated by rheo-nuclear magnetic resonance
Increasing the efficiency of disperse phase crystallization is of great interest for melt emulsion production as the fraction of solidified droplets determines product quality and stability. Nucleation events must appear within every single one of the ÎŒm-sized droplets for solidification. Therefore, primary crystallization requires high subcooling and is, thus, time and energy consuming. Contact-mediated nucleation is a mechanism for intensifying the crystallization process. It is defined as the successful nucleation of a subcooled liquid droplet induced by contact with an already crystallized droplet. We investigated contact-mediated nucleation under shear flow conditions up to shear rates of 457âs for a quantitative assessment of this mechanism. Rheo-nuclear magnetic resonance was successfully used for the time-resolved determination of the solids fraction of the dispersed phase of melt emulsions upon contact-mediated nucleation events. The measurements were carried out in a dedicated TaylorâCouette cell. The efficiency of contact-mediated nucleation decreased with increasing shear rate, whereas the effective second order kinetic constant k increased approximately linearly at small shear rates and showed a linear decrease for shear rates higher than about 200âs. These findings are in accordance with coalescence theory. Thus, the nucleation rate is optimal at specific flow conditions. There are limitations for successful inoculation at a low shear rate because of rare contact events and at a high shear rate due to too short contact time
Magnetic impurity coupled to interacting conduction electrons
We consider a magnetic impurity which interacts by hybridization with a
system of weakly correlated electrons and determine the energy of the ground
state by means of an 1/N_f expansion. The correlations among the conduction
electrons are described by a Hubbard Hamiltonian and are treated to lowest
order in the interaction strength. We find that their effect on the Kondo
temperature, T_K, in the Kondo limit is twofold: First, the position of the
impurity level is shifted due to the reduction of charge fluctuations, which
reduces T_K. Secondly, the bare Kondo exchange coupling is enhanced as spin
fluctuations are enlarged. In total, T_K increases. Both corrections require
intermediate states beyond the standard Varma-Yafet ansatz. This shows that the
Hubbard interaction does not just provide quasiparticles, which hybridize with
the impurity, but also renormalizes the Kondo coupling.Comment: ReVTeX 19 pages, 3 uuenconded postscript figure
Structural characterisation of deposit layer during milk protein microfiltration by means of in-situ mri and compositional analysis
Milk protein fractionation by microfiltration membranes is an established but still growing field in dairy technology. Even under cross-flow conditions, this filtration process is impaired by the formation of a deposit by the retained protein fraction, mainly casein micelles. Due to deposition formation and consequently increased overall filtration resistance, the mass flow of the smaller whey protein fraction declines within the first few minutes of filtration. Currently, there are only a handful of analytical techniques available for the direct observation of deposit formation with opaque feed media and membranes. Here, we report on the ongoing development of a non-invasive and non-destructive method based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and its application to characterise deposit layer formation during milk protein fractionation in ceramic hollow fibre membranes as a function of filtration pressure and temperature, temporally and spatially resolved. In addition, the chemical composition of the deposit was analysed by reversed phase high pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). We correlate the structural information gained by in-situ MRI with the protein amount and composition of the deposit layer obtained by RP-HPLC. We show that the combination of in-situ MRI and chemical analysis by RP-HPLC has the potential to allow for a better scientific understanding of the pressure and temperature dependence of deposit layer formation
Periodic Anderson model with correlated conduction electrons
We investigate a periodic Anderson model with interacting conduction
electrons which are described by a Hubbard-type interaction of strength U_c.
Within dynamical mean-field theory the total Hamiltonian is mapped onto an
impurity model, which is solved by an extended non-crossing approximation. We
consider the particle-hole symmetric case at half-filling. Similar to the case
U_c=0, the low-energy behavior of the conduction electrons at high temperatures
is essentially unaffected by the f-electrons and for small U_c a quasiparticle
peak corresponding to the Hubbard model evolves first. These quasiparticles
screen the f-moments when the temperature is reduced further, and the system
turns into an insulator with a tiny gap and flat bands. The formation of the
quasiparticle peak is impeded by increasing either U_c or the c-f
hybridization. Nevertheless almost dispersionless bands emerge at low
temperature with an increased gap, even in the case of initially insulating
host electrons. The size of the gap in the one-particle spectral density at low
temperatures provides an estimate for the low-energy scale and increases as U_c
increases.Comment: 11 pages RevTeX with 13 ps figures, accepted by PR
Metal-insulator crossover in the Boson-Fermion model in infinite dimensions
The Boson-Fermion model, describing a mixture of tightly bound electron pairs
and quasi-free electrons hybridized with each other via a charge exchange term,
is studied in the limit of infinite dimensions, using the Non-Crossing
Approximation within the Dynamical Mean Field Theory. It is shown that a
metal-insulator crossover, driven by strong pair fluctuations, takes place as
the temperature is lowered. It manifests itself in the opening of a pseudogap
in the electron density of states, accompanied by a corresponding effect in the
optical and dc conductivity.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let
Magnetic Impurity in a Metal with Correlated Conduction Electrons: An Infinite Dimensions Approach
We consider the Hubbard model with a magnetic Anderson impurity coupled to a
lattice site. In the case of infinite dimensions, one-particle correlations of
the impurity electron are described by the effective Hamiltonian of the
two-impurity system. One of the impurities interacts with a bath of free
electrons and represents the Hubbard lattice, and the other is coupled to the
first impurity by the bare hybridization interaction. A study of the effective
two-impurity Hamiltonian in the frame of the 1/N expansion and for the case of
a weak conduction-electron interaction (small U) reveals an enhancement of the
usual exponential Kondo scale. However, an intermediate interaction (U/D = 1 -
3), treated by the variational principle, leads to the loss of the exponential
scale. The Kondo temperature T_K of the effective two-impurity system is
calculated as a function of the hybridization parameter and it is shown that
T_K decreases with an increase of U. The non-Fermi-liquid character of the
Kondo effect in the intermediate regime at the half filling is discussed.Comment: 12 pages with 8 PS figures, RevTe
An Assessment of the Individual and Collective Effects of Variants on Height Using Twins and a Developmentally Informative Study Design
In a sample of 3,187 twins and 3,294 of their parents, we sought to investigate association of both individual variants and a genotype-based height score involving 176 of the 180 common genetic variants with adult height identified recently by the GIANT consortium. First, longitudinal observations on height spanning pre-adolescence through adulthood in the twin sample allowed us to investigate the separate effects of the previously identified SNPs on pre-pubertal height and pubertal growth spurt. We show that the effect of SNPs identified by the GIANT consortium is primarily on prepubertal height. Only one SNP, rs7759938 in LIN28B, approached a significant association with pubertal growth. Second, we show how using the twin data to control statistically for environmental variance can provide insight into the ultimate magnitude of SNP effects and consequently the genetic architecture of a phenotype. Specifically, we computed a genetic score by weighting SNPs according to their effects as assessed via meta-analysis. This weighted score accounted for 9.2% of the phenotypic variance in height, but 14.3% of the corresponding genetic variance. Longitudinal samples will be needed to understand the developmental context of common genetic variants identified through GWAS, while genetically informative designs will be helpful in accurately characterizing the extent to which these variants account for genetic, and not just phenotypic, variance
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