87 research outputs found
Lunar laser ranging in infrfared at hte Grasse laser station
For many years, lunar laser ranging (LLR) observations using a green
wavelength have suffered an inhomogeneity problem both temporally and
spatially. This paper reports on the implementation of a new infrared detection
at the Grasse LLR station and describes how infrared telemetry improves this
situation. Our first results show that infrared detection permits us to densify
the observations and allows measurements during the new and the full Moon
periods. The link budget improvement leads to homogeneous telemetric
measurements on each lunar retro-reflector. Finally, a surprising result is
obtained on the Lunokhod 2 array which attains the same efficiency as Lunokhod
1 with an infrared laser link, although those two targets exhibit a
differential efficiency of six with a green laser link
Langevin dynamics of the Coulomb frustrated ferromagnet: a mode-coupling analysis
We study the Langevin dynamics of the soft-spin, continuum version of the
Coulomb frustrated Ising ferromagnet. By using the dynamical mode-coupling
approximation, supplemented by reasonable approximations for describing the
equilibrium static correlation function, and the somewhat improved dynamical
self-consistent screening approximation, we find that the system displays a
transition from an ergodic to a non-ergodic behavior. This transition is
similar to that obtained in the idealized mode-coupling theory of glassforming
liquids and in the mean-field generalized spin glasses with one-step replica
symmetry breaking. The significance of this result and the relation to the
appearance of a complex free-energy landscape are also discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Response properties in a model for granular matter
We investigate the response properties of granular media in the framework of
the so-called {\em Random Tetris Model}. We monitor, for different driving
procedures, several quantities: the evolution of the density and of the density
profiles, the ageing properties through the two-times correlation functions and
the two-times mean-square distance between the potential energies, the response
function defined in terms of the difference in the potential energies of two
replica driven in two slightly different ways. We focus in particular on the
role played by the spatial inhomogeneities (structures) spontaneously emerging
during the compaction process, the history of the sample and the driving
procedure. It turns out that none of these ingredients can be neglected for the
correct interpretation of the experimental or numerical data. We discuss the
problem of the optimization of the compaction process and we comment on the
validity of our results for the description of granular materials in a
thermodynamic framework.Comment: 22 pages, 35 eps files (21 figures
Locally Preferred Structure and Frustration in Glassforming Liquids: A Clue to Polyamorphism?
We propose that the concept of liquids characterized by a given locally
preferred structure (LPS) could help in understanding the observed phenomenon
of polyamorphism. ``True polyamorphism'' would involve the competition between
two (or more) distinct LPS, one favored at low pressure because of its low
energy and one favored at high pressure because of its small specific volume,
as in tetrahedrally coordinated systems. ``Apparent polyamorphism'' could be
associated with the existence of a poorly crystallized defect-ordered phase
with a large unit cell and small crystallites, which may be illustrated by the
metastable glacial phase of the fragile glassformer triphenylphosphite; the
apparent polyamorphism might result from structural frustration, i. e., a
competition between the tendency to extend the LPS and a global constraint that
prevents tiling of the whole space by the LPS.Comment: 11, 6 figures, Proceedings of the Conference "Horizons in Complex
Systems", Messina; in honor of the 60th birthday of H.E. Stanle
A Monte Carlo study of the three-dimensional Coulomb frustrated Ising ferromagnet
We have investigated by Monte-Carlo simulation the phase diagram of a
three-dimensional Ising model with nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic interactions
and small, but long-range (Coulombic) antiferromagnetic interactions. We have
developed an efficient cluster algorithm and used different lattice sizes and
geometries, which allows us to obtain the main characteristics of the
temperature-frustration phase diagram. Our finite-size scaling analysis
confirms that the melting of the lamellar phases into the paramgnetic phase is
driven first-order by the fluctuations. Transitions between ordered phases with
different modulation patterns is observed in some regions of the diagram, in
agreement with a recent mean-field analysis.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Phase diagram of an Ising model with long-range frustrating interactions: a theoretical analysis
We present a theoretical study of the phase diagram of a frustrated Ising
model with nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic interactions and long-range
(Coulombic) antiferromagnetic interactions. For nonzero frustration, long-range
ferromagnetic order is forbidden, and the ground-state of the system consists
of phases characterized by periodically modulated structures. At finite
temperatures, the phase diagram is calculated within the mean-field
approximation. Below the transition line that separates the disordered and the
ordered phases, the frustration-temperature phase diagram displays an infinite
number of ``flowers'', each flower being made by an infinite number of
modulated phases generated by structure combination branching processes. The
specificities introduced by the long-range nature of the frustrating
interaction and the limitation of the mean-field approach are finally
discussed.Comment: 32 pages, 7 figure
Effect of dynamic and static friction on an asymmetric granular piston
We investigate the influence of dry friction on an asymmetric, granular
piston of mass composed of two materials undergoing inelastic collisions
with bath particles of mass . Numerical simulations of the Boltzmann-Lorentz
equation reveal the existence of two scaling regimes depending on the strength
of friction. In the large friction limit, we introduce an exact model giving
the asymptotic behavior of the Boltzmann-Lorentz equation. For small friction
and for large mass ratio , we derive a Fokker-Planck equation for which
the exact solution is also obtained. Static friction attenuates the motor
effect and results in a discontinuous velocity distribution.Comment: 10 pages, 8 Figure
Evidence for "fragile" glass-forming behavior in the relaxation of Coulomb frustrated three-dimensional systems
We show by means of a Monte Carlo simulation study that three-dimensional
models with long-range frustration display the generic phenomena seen in
fragile glassforming liquids. Due to their properties (absence of quenched
disorder, physical motivation in terms of structural frustration, and tunable
fragility), these systems appear as promising minimal theoretical models for
describing the glass transition of supercooled liquids.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Influence of Hydrodynamic Interactions on the Adsorption Process of Large Particles
We have studied the adsorption process of non-Brownian particles on a line
incorporating hydrodynamic interactionsa and we have numerically analyzed their
effect on typical relevant quantities. We compare our model to the ballistic
deposition model (BM) and address the limitations of BM in experimental
situations. The results obtained can explain some differences observed between
recent experiments and BM predictions.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX. 4 Figures upon reques
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