2,430 research outputs found
High-dimensional quantum dynamics of adsorption and desorption of H at Cu(111)
We performed high-dimensional quantum dynamical calculations of the
dissociative adsorption and associative desorption of hydrogen on Cu(111). The
potential energy surface (PES) is obtained from density functional theory
calculations. Two regimes of dynamics are found, at low energies sticking is
determined by the minimum energy barrier, at high energies by the distribution
of barrier heights. Experimental results are well-reproduced qualitatively, but
some quantitative discrepancies are identified as well.Comment: 4 two column pages, revtex, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Elastic and thermodynamic properties of the shape-memory alloy AuZn
The current work reports on the elastic shear moduli, internal friction, and
the specific heat of the B2 cubic ordered alloy AuZn as a function of
temperature. Measurements were made on single-crystal and polycrystalline
samples using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS), semi-adiabatic
calorimetry and stress-strain measurements. Our results confirm that this alloy
exhibits the shape-memory effect and a phase transition at 64.75 K that appears
to be continuous (second-order) from the specific heat data. It is argued that
the combination of equiatomic composition and a low transformation temperature
constrain the chemical potential and its derivatives to exhibit behavior that
lies at the borderline between that of a first-order (discontinuous) and a
continuous phase transition. The acoustic dissipation does not peak at the
transtion temperature as expected, but shows a maximum well into the
low-temperature phase. The Debye temeprature value of 219 K, obtained from the
low-temperature specific heat data is in favorable agreement with that
determined from the acoustic data (207 K) above the transition.Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Direct observation of the formation of polar nanoregions in Pb(MgNb)O using neutron pair distribution function analysis
Using neutron pair distribution function (PDF) analysis over the temperature
range from 1000 K to 15 K, we demonstrate the existence of local polarization
and the formation of medium-range, polar nanoregions (PNRs) with local
rhombohedral order in a prototypical relaxor ferroelectric
Pb(MgNb)O. We estimate the volume fraction of the PNRs as a
function of temperature and show that this fraction steadily increases from 0 %
to a maximum of 30% as the temperature decreases from 650 K to 15 K.
Below T200 K the PNRs start to overlap as their volume fraction reaches
the percolation threshold. We propose that percolating PNRs and their
concomitant overlap play a significant role in the relaxor behavior of
Pb(MgNb)O.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Electrostatic Patch Effect in Cylindrical Geometry. III. Torques
We continue to study the effect of uneven voltage distribution on two close
cylindrical conductors with parallel axes started in our papers [1] and [2],
now to find the electrostatic torques. We calculate the electrostatic potential
and energy to lowest order in the gap to cylinder radius ratio for an arbitrary
relative rotation of the cylinders about their symmetry axis. By energy
conservation, the axial torque, independent of the uniform voltage difference,
is found as a derivative of the energy in the rotation angle. We also derive
both the axial and slanting torques by the surface integration method: the
torque vector is the integral over the cylinder surface of the cross product of
the electrostatic force on a surface element and its position vector. The
slanting torque consists of two parts: one coming from the interaction between
the patch and the uniform voltages, and the other due to the patch interaction.
General properties of the torques are described. A convenient model of a
localized patch suggested in [2] is used to calculate the torques explicitly in
terms of elementary functions. Based on this, we analyze in detail patch
interaction for one pair of patches, namely, the torque dependence on the patch
parameters (width and strength) and their mutual positions. The effect of the
axial torque is then studied for the experimental conditions of the STEP
mission.Comment: 28 pages, 6 Figures. Submitted to Classical Quantum Gravit
Ab initio Quantum and ab initio Molecular Dynamics of the Dissociative Adsorption of Hydrogen on Pd(100)
The dissociative adsorption of hydrogen on Pd(100) has been studied by ab
initio quantum dynamics and ab initio molecular dynamics calculations. Treating
all hydrogen degrees of freedom as dynamical coordinates implies a high
dimensionality and requires statistical averages over thousands of
trajectories. An efficient and accurate treatment of such extensive statistics
is achieved in two steps: In a first step we evaluate the ab initio potential
energy surface (PES) and determine an analytical representation. Then, in an
independent second step dynamical calculations are performed on the analytical
representation of the PES. Thus the dissociation dynamics is investigated
without any crucial assumption except for the Born-Oppenheimer approximation
which is anyhow employed when density-functional theory calculations are
performed. The ab initio molecular dynamics is compared to detailed quantum
dynamical calculations on exactly the same ab initio PES. The occurence of
quantum oscillations in the sticking probability as a function of kinetic
energy is addressed. They turn out to be very sensitive to the symmetry of the
initial conditions. At low kinetic energies sticking is dominated by the
steering effect which is illustrated using classical trajectories. The steering
effects depends on the kinetic energy, but not on the mass of the molecules.
Zero-point effects lead to strong differences between quantum and classical
calculations of the sticking probability. The dependence of the sticking
probability on the angle of incidence is analysed; it is found to be in good
agreement with experimental data. The results show that the determination of
the potential energy surface combined with high-dimensional dynamical
calculations, in which all relevant degrees of freedon are taken into account,
leads to a detailed understanding of the dissociation dynamics of hydrogen at a
transition metal surface.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, subm. to Phys. Rev.
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