2,665 research outputs found
Valorisation of lignin – Achievements of the LignoValue project
Lignocellulosic biorefinery for production of biofuels, materials and chemicals requires valorization of all fractions including lignin. As a consequence of its poly-aromatic structure, lignin potentially serves as a source for aromatic chemicals. The developed biorefinery concept of the LignoValue project comprises two major steps: (1) Organosolv fractionation of wheat straw and willow into (hemi)cellulose and high purity lignin. (2) Further conversion of the isolated lignin via catalytic pyrolysis, supercritical depolymerization and partial hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) into different components like low molecular phenolic compounds, wood adhesives and fuel additives. The cellulose fraction resulting after organosolv fractionation is effectively hydrolysed by enzymes for biofuel production. Quality assessment of the liberated lignins shows interesting characteristics for follow-up chemistry such as high purity, relatively low molar mass and polydispersity. Catalytic pyrolysis in a fluidised bed at 400-500°C was found to convert organosolv lignin in 35-55% phenolic oil, 10% identified monomeric phenolic compounds, 10-20% water, 5-20% gas and 35-55% char. Supercritical depolymerisation of lignin in carbon dioxide based solvents resulted in a similar spectrum of products, however, at a lower temperature (ca 300°C) but at higher pressures. In both thermochemical processes the use of promotors or catalysts lead to an improved yield of the target monomeric aromatic products. Also the residual char fraction shows interesting properties for use in bio-char applications. Catalytic semi-continuous HDO of lignin in hydrogen atmosphere can be manipulated to yield both light oils or heavy oils as potential additives to fuels. Suitable catalysts were found to convert depolymerised lignin to phenolic oils in high yields. In this process no char formation is observed. The lignin oils were successfully tested on lab scale as partial substitution of phenol in resins for gluing wood panels. The LignoValue concept is critically reviewed in a techno-economic analysis demonstrating the potential for further commercial development and adoptation of this innovative biorefinery process in Europe
Non-locality of non-Abelian anyons
Topological systems, such as fractional quantum Hall liquids, promise to
successfully combat environmental decoherence while performing quantum
computation. These highly correlated systems can support non-Abelian anyonic
quasiparticles that can encode exotic entangled states. To reveal the non-local
character of these encoded states we demonstrate the violation of suitable Bell
inequalities. We provide an explicit recipe for the preparation, manipulation
and measurement of the desired correlations for a large class of topological
models. This proposal gives an operational measure of non-locality for anyonic
states and it opens up the possibility to violate the Bell inequalities in
quantum Hall liquids or spin lattices.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
From spin to anyon notation: The XXZ Heisenberg model as a (or ) anyon chain
We discuss a relationship between certain one-dimensional quantum spin chains
and anyon chains. In particular we show how the XXZ Heisenberg chain is
realised as a (alternately ) anyon model. We find the
difference between the models lie primarily in choice of boundary condition.Comment: 13 page
Defect mediated melting and the breaking of quantum double symmetries
In this paper, we apply the method of breaking quantum double symmetries to
some cases of defect mediated melting. The formalism allows for a systematic
classification of possible defect condensates and the subsequent confinement
and/or liberation of other degrees of freedom. We also show that the breaking
of a double symmetry may well involve a (partial) restoration of an original
symmetry. A detailed analysis of a number of simple but representative examples
is given, where we focus on systems with global internal and external (space)
symmetries. We start by rephrasing some of the well known cases involving an
Abelian defect condensate, such as the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition and
one-dimensional melting, in our language. Then we proceed to the non-Abelian
case of a hexagonal crystal, where the hexatic phase is realized if
translational defects condense in a particular rotationally invariant state.
Other conceivable phases are also described in our framework.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, updated reference
Non-Abelian Chern-Simons models with discrete gauge groups on a lattice
We construct the local Hamiltonian description of the Chern-Simons theory
with discrete non-Abelian gauge group on a lattice. We show that the theory is
fully determined by the phase factors associated with gauge transformations and
classify all possible non-equivalent phase factors. We also construct the gauge
invariant electric field operators that move fluxons around and
create/anihilate them. We compute the resulting braiding properties of the
fluxons. We apply our general results to the simplest class of non-Abelian
groups, dihedral groups D_n.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure
The modular S-matrix as order parameter for topological phase transitions
We study topological phase transitions in discrete gauge theories in two
spatial dimensions induced by the formation of a Bose condensate. We analyse a
general class of euclidean lattice actions for these theories which contain one
coupling constant for each conjugacy class of the gauge group. To probe the
phase structure we use a complete set of open and closed anyonic string
operators. The open strings allow one to determine the particle content of the
condensate, whereas the closed strings enable us to determine the matrix
elements of the modular -matrix, also in the broken phase. From the measured
broken -matrix we may read off the sectors that split or get identified in
the broken phase, as well as the sectors that are confined. In this sense the
modular -matrix can be employed as a matrix valued non-local order parameter
from which the low-energy effective theories that occur in different regions of
parameter space can be fully determined.
To verify our predictions we studied a non-abelian anyon model based on the
quaternion group of order eight by Monte Carlo simulation. We
probe part of the phase diagram for the pure gauge theory and find a variety of
phases with magnetic condensates leading to various forms of (partial)
confinement in complete agreement with the algebraic breaking analysis. Also
the order of various transitions is established.Comment: 37 page
Realizing non-Abelian statistics
We construct a series of 2+1-dimensional models whose quasiparticles obey
non-Abelian statistics. The adiabatic transport of quasiparticles is described
by using a correspondence between the braid matrix of the particles and the
scattering matrix of 1+1-dimensional field theories. We discuss in depth
lattice and continuum models whose braiding is that of SO(3) Chern-Simons gauge
theory, including the simplest type of non-Abelian statistics, involving just
one type of quasiparticle. The ground-state wave function of an SO(3) model is
related to a loop description of the classical two-dimensional Potts model. We
discuss the transition from a topological phase to a conventionally-ordered
phase, showing in some cases there is a quantum critical point.Comment: 20 pages in two-column format. v2: fixed typos and added reference
Quasars probing intermediate redshift star-forming galaxies
We present a sample of 46 [OIII]-emitting galaxies at z<0.8 detected in the
fibre spectra of quasars from the SDSS-DR7 through an automatic search
procedure. We also detect [OII] and Hb emission lines from most of these
galaxies in the SDSS spectra. We study both the emission and absorption
properties of a sub-sample of 17 galaxies in the redshift range z=0.4-0.7,
where MgII lines are covered by the SDSS spectra. The measured lower-limits on
the star-formation rates of these galaxies are in the range 0.2-20 M_sun/yr.
The emission line luminosities and (O/H) metallicities from R23 measured in
this sample are similar to what is found in normal galaxies at these redshifts.
Thus, this constitutes a unique sample of intermediate redshift star-forming
galaxies where we can study the QSO absorber - galaxy connection. Strong MgII
(W>1A) as well as MgI absorption lines are detected in the QSO spectra at the
redshift of most of these galaxies. Strong FeII (W>1A) absorption lines are
also generally detected whenever the appropriate wavelength ranges are covered.
This suggests that most of these systems could be bona-fide Damped Lyman-alpha
systems. We investigate various possible relations between the MgII rest
equivalent widths and the emission line properties. We find a possible (2
sigma) correlation between the emission-line metallicity of the galaxies and
the MgII rest equivalent width of the absorbers [truncated].Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables. accepted for publication in MNRA
Fourier transform and the Verlinde formula for the quantum double of a finite group
A Fourier transform S is defined for the quantum double D(G) of a finite
group G. Acting on characters of D(G), S and the central ribbon element of D(G)
generate a unitary matrix representation of the group SL(2,Z). The characters
form a ring over the integers under both the algebra multiplication and its
dual, with the latter encoding the fusion rules of D(G). The Fourier transform
relates the two ring structures. We use this to give a particularly short proof
of the Verlinde formula for the fusion coefficients.Comment: 15 pages, small errors corrected and references added, version to
appear in Journal of Physics
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