Topological Complexity of Frictional Interfaces: Friction Networks

Through research conducted in this study, a network approach to the correlation patterns of void spaces in rough fractures (crack type II) was developed. We characterized friction networks with several networks characteristics. The correlation among network properties with the fracture permeability is the result of friction networks. The revealed hubs in the complex aperture networks confirmed the importance of highly correlated groups to conduct the highlighted features of the dynamical aperture field. We found that there is a universal power law between the nodes' degree and motifs frequency (for triangles it reads T(k)\proptok{\beta} ({\beta} \approx2\pm0.3)). The investigation of localization effects on eigenvectors shows a remarkable difference in parallel and perpendicular aperture patches. Furthermore, we estimate the rate of stored energy in asperities so that we found that the rate of radiated energy is higher in parallel friction networks than it is in transverse directions. The final part of our research highlights 4 point sub-graph distribution and its correlation with fluid flow. For shear rupture, we observed a similar trend in sub-graph distribution, resulting from parallel and transversal aperture profiles (a superfamily phenomenon)

Network-Configurations of Dynamic Friction Patterns

The complex configurations of dynamic friction patterns-regarding real time contact areas- are transformed into appropriate networks. With this transformation of a system to network space, many properties can be inferred about the structure and dynamics of the system. Here, we analyze the dynamics of static friction, i.e. nucleation processes, with respect to "friction networks". We show that networks can successfully capture the crack-like shear ruptures and possible corresponding acoustic features. We found that the fraction of triangles remarkably scales with the detachment fronts. There is a universal power law between nodes' degree and motifs frequency (for triangles, it reads T(k)\proptok{\beta} ({\beta} \approx2\pm0.4)). We confirmed the obtained universality in aperture-based friction networks. Based on the achieved results, we extracted a possible friction law in terms of network parameters and compared it with the rate and state friction laws. In particular, the evolutions of loops are scaled with power law, indicating the aggregation of cycles around hub nodes. Also, the transition to slow rupture is scaled with the fast variation of local heterogeneity. Furthermore, the motif distributions and modularity space of networks -in terms of withinmodule degree and participation coefficient-show non-uniform general trends, indicating a universal aspect of energy flow in shear ruptures

Magnetic properties of geometrically frustrated SrGd2O4

A study of the magnetic properties of the frustrated rare earth oxide SrGd2O4 has been completed using bulk property measurements of magnetization, susceptibility and specific heat on single crystal samples. Two zero-field phase transitions have been identified at 2.73 and 0.48 K. For the field, H, applied along the a and b axes, a single boundary is identified that delineates the transition from a low field, low temperature magnetically ordered regime to a high field, high temperature paramagnetic phase. Several field-induced transitions, however, have been observed with H || c. The measurements have been used to map out the magnetic phase diagram of SrGd2O4, suggesting that it is a complex system with several competing magnetic interactions. The low-temperature magnetic behavior of SrGd2O4 is very different compared to the other SrLn2O4 (Ln = Lanthanide) compounds, even though all of the SrLn2O4 compounds are isostructural, with the magnetic ions forming a low-dimensional lattice of zigzag chains that run along the c axis. The differences are likely to be due to the fact that in the ground state Gd3+ has zero orbital angular momentum and therefore the spin-orbit interactions, which are crucial for other SrLn2O4 compounds, can largely be neglected. Instead, given the relatively short Gd3+-Gd3+ distances in SrGd2O4, dipolar interactions must be taken into account for this antiferromagnet alongside the Heisenberg exchange terms.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure

Evidence of a Plasmoid-Looptop Interaction and Magnetic Inflows During a Solar Flare/CME Eruptive Event

Observational evidence is presented for the merging of a downward-propagating plasmoid with a looptop kernel during an occulted limb event on 2007 January 25. RHESSI lightcurves in the 9-18 keV energy range, as well as that of the 245 MHz channel of the Learmonth Solar Observatory, show enhanced nonthermal emission in the corona at the time of the merging suggesting that additional particle acceleration took place. This was attributed to a secondary episode of reconnection in the current sheet that formed between the two merging sources. RHESSI images were used to establish a mean downward velocity of the plasmoid of 12 km/s. Complementary observations from the SECCHI suite of instruments onboard STEREO-Behind showed that this process occurred during the acceleration phase of the associated CME. From wavelet-enhanced EUVI, images evidence of inflowing magnetic field lines prior to the CME eruption is also presented. The derived inflow velocity was found to be 1.5 km/s. This combination of observations supports a recent numerical simulation of plasmoid formation, propagation and subsequent particle acceleration due to the tearing mode instability during current sheet formation.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, ApJ (Accepted

A site-controlled quantum dot system offering both high uniformity and spectral purity

In this paper we report on the optical properties of site controlled InGaAs dots with GaAs barriers grown in pyramidal recesses by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy. The inhomogeneous broadening of excitonic emission from an ensemble of quantum dots is found to be unusually narrow, with a standard deviation of 1.19 meV, and spectral purity of emission lines from individual dots is found to be very high (18-30 ueV), in contrast with other site-controlled systems.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure