1,378 research outputs found
The Computational Complexity of Knot and Link Problems
We consider the problem of deciding whether a polygonal knot in 3-dimensional
Euclidean space is unknotted, capable of being continuously deformed without
self-intersection so that it lies in a plane. We show that this problem, {\sc
unknotting problem} is in {\bf NP}. We also consider the problem, {\sc
unknotting problem} of determining whether two or more such polygons can be
split, or continuously deformed without self-intersection so that they occupy
both sides of a plane without intersecting it. We show that it also is in NP.
Finally, we show that the problem of determining the genus of a polygonal knot
(a generalization of the problem of determining whether it is unknotted) is in
{\bf PSPACE}. We also give exponential worst-case running time bounds for
deterministic algorithms to solve each of these problems. These algorithms are
based on the use of normal surfaces and decision procedures due to W. Haken,
with recent extensions by W. Jaco and J. L. Tollefson.Comment: 32 pages, 1 figur
Deep far infrared ISOPHOT survey in "Selected Area 57", I. Observations and source counts
We present here the results of a deep survey in a 0.4 sq.deg. blank field in
Selected Area 57 conducted with the ISOPHOT instrument aboard ESAs Infrared
Space Observatory (ISO) at both 60 um and 90 um. The resulting sky maps have a
spatial resolution of 15 x 23 sq.arcsec. per pixel which is much higher than
the 90 x 90 sq.arcsec. pixels of the IRAS All Sky Survey. We describe the main
instrumental effects encountered in our data, outline our data reduction and
analysis scheme and present astrometry and photometry of the detected point
sources. With a formal signal to noise ratio of 6.75 we have source detection
limits of 90 mJy at 60 um and 50 mJy at 90 um. To these limits we find
cumulated number densities of 5+-3.5 per sq.deg. at 60 um and 14.8+-5.0 per
sq.deg.at 90 um. These number densities of sources are found to be lower than
previously reported results from ISO but the data do not allow us to
discriminate between no-evolution scenarios and various evolutionary models.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysic
Noncyclic covers of knot complements
Hempel has shown that the fundamental groups of knot complements are
residually finite. This implies that every nontrivial knot must have a
finite-sheeted, noncyclic cover. We give an explicit bound, , such
that if is a nontrivial knot in the three-sphere with a diagram with
crossings and a particularly simple JSJ decomposition then the complement of
has a finite-sheeted, noncyclic cover with at most sheets.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures, from Ph.D. thesis at Columbia University;
Acknowledgments added; Content correcte
Highly-ordered graphene for two dimensional electronics
With expanding interest in graphene-based electronics, it is crucial that
high quality graphene films be grown. Sublimation of Si from the 4H-SiC(0001)
Si-terminated) surface in ultrahigh vacuum is a demonstrated method to produce
epitaxial graphene sheets on a semiconductor. In this paper we show that
graphene grown from the SiC (C-terminated) surface are of higher
quality than those previously grown on SiC(0001). Graphene grown on the C-face
can have structural domain sizes more than three times larger than those grown
on the Si-face while at the same time reducing SiC substrate disorder from
sublimation by an order of magnitude.Comment: Submitted to Appl. Phys. Let
The formation of homogentisate in the biosynthesis of tocopherol and plastoquinone in spinach chloroplasts
Homogentisate is the precursor in the biosynthesis of -tocopherol and plastoquinone-9 in chloroplasts. It is formed of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate of the shikimate pathway by the 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase. In experiments with spinach the dioxygenase was shown to be localized predominatedly in the chloroplasts. Envelope membranes exhibit the highest specific activity, however, because of the high stromal portion of chloroplasts, 60–80% of the total activity is housed in the stroma. The incorporation of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate into 2-methyl-6-phytylquinol as the first intermediate in the tocopherol synthesis by the two-step-reaction: 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Homogentisate 2-Methyl-6-phytylquinol was demonstrated by using envelope membranes. Homogentisate originates directly from 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate of the shikimate pathway. Additionally, a bypass exists in chloroplasts which forms 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate from tyrosine by an L-amino-acid oxidase of the thylakoids and in peroxisomes by a transaminase reaction. Former results about the dioxygenase in peroxisomes were verified
The structural properties of the multi-layer graphene/4H-SiC(000-1) system as determined by Surface X-ray Diffraction
We present a structural analysis of the multi-layer graphene-4HSiC(000-1})
system using Surface X-Ray Reflectivity. We show for the first time that
graphene films grown on the C-terminated (000-1}) surface have a
graphene-substrate bond length that is very short (0.162nm). The measured
distance rules out a weak Van der Waals interaction to the substrate and
instead indicates a strong bond between the first graphene layer and the bulk
as predicted by ab-initio calculations. The measurements also indicate that
multi-layer graphene grows in a near turbostratic mode on this surface. This
result may explain the lack of a broken graphene symmetry inferred from
conduction measurements on this system [C. Berger et al., Science 312, 1191
(2006)].Comment: 9 pages with 6 figure
First-Principles Calculations of Hyperfine Interactions in La_2CuO_4
We present the results of first-principles cluster calculations of the
electronic structure of La_2CuO_4. Several clusters containing up to nine
copper atoms embedded in a background potential were investigated.
Spin-polarized calculations were performed both at the Hartree-Fock level and
with density functional methods with generalized gradient corrections to the
local density approximation. The distinct results for the electronic structure
obtained with these two methods are discussed. The dependence of the
electric-field gradients at the Cu and the O sites on the cluster size is
studied and the results are compared to experiments. The magnetic hyperfine
coupling parameters are carefully examined. Special attention is given to a
quantitative determination of on-site and transferred hyperfine fields. We
provide a detailed analysis that compares the hyperfine fields obtained for
various cluster sizes with results from additional calculations of spin states
with different multiplicities. From this we conclude that hyperfine couplings
are mainly transferred from nearest neighbor Cu^{2+} ions and that
contributions from further distant neighbors are marginal. The mechanisms
giving rise to transfer of spin density are worked out. Assuming conventional
values for the spin-orbit coupling, the total calculated hyperfine interaction
parameters are compared to informations from experiments.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figure
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