104 research outputs found
Anomalous Sliding Friction and Peak Effect near the Flux Lattice Melting Transition
Recent experiments have revealed a giant "peak effect" in ultrapure high
superconductors. Moreover, the new data show that the peak effect
coincides exactly with the melting transition of the underlying flux lattice.
In this work, we show using dynamical scaling arguments that the friction due
to the pinning centers acting on the flux lattice develops a singularity near a
continuous phase transition and can diverge for many systems. The magnitude of
the nonlinear sliding friction of the flux lattice scales with this atomistic
friction. Thus, the nonlinear conductance should diverge for a true continuous
transition in the flux lattice or peak at a weakly first order transition or
for systems of finite size.Comment: 4 pages, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Lattice Dynamics of II-VI materials using adiabatic bond charge model
We extend the adiabatic bond charge model, originally developed for group IV
semiconductors and III-V compounds, to study phonons in more ionic II-VI
compounds with a zincblende structure. Phonon spectra, density of states and
specific heats are calculated for six II-VI compounds and compared with both
experimental data and the results of other models. We show that the 6-parameter
bond charge model gives a good description of the lattice dynamics of these
materials. We also discuss trends in the parameters with respect to the
ionicity and metallicity of these compounds.Comment: 16 pages of RevTex with 3 figures submitted as a uuencode compressed
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Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds
Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species
Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds
Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species
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