122 research outputs found
Regular binary thermal lattice-gases
We analyze the power spectrum of a regular binary thermal lattice gas in two
dimensions and derive a Landau-Placzek formula, describing the power spectrum
in the low-wavelength, low frequency domain, for both the full mixture and a
single component in the binary mixture. The theoretical results are compared
with simulations performed on this model and show a perfect agreement. The
power spectrums are found to be similar in structure as the ones obtained for
the continuous theory, in which the central peak is a complicated superposition
of entropy and concentration contributions, due to the coupling of the
fluctuations in these quantities. Spectra based on the relative difference
between both components have in general additional Brillouin peaks as a
consequence of the equipartition failure.Comment: 20 pages including 9 figures in RevTex
Understanding Nanopore Window Distortions in the Reversible Molecular Valve Zeolite RHO
Molecular valves are becoming popular for potential biomedical applications.
However, little is known concerning their performance in energy and
environmental areas. Zeolite RHO shows unique pore deformations upon changes in
hydration, cation siting, cation type, or temperature-pressure conditions. By
varying the level of distortion of double eight-rings, it is possible to
control the adsorption properties, which confer a molecular valve behavior to
this material. We have employed interatomic potentials-based simulations to
obtain a detailed atomistic view of the structural distortion mechanisms of
zeolite RHO, in contrast with the averaged and space group restricted
information provided by diffraction studies. We have modeled four
aluminosilicate structures, containing Li, Na, K, Ca, and
Sr cations. The distortions of the three different zeolite rings are
coupled, and the six- and eight-membered rings are largely flexible. A large
dependence on the polarizing power of the extra-framework cations and with the
loading of water has been found for the minimum aperture of the eight-membered
rings that control the nanovalve effect. The calculated energy barriers for
moving the cations across the eight-membered rings are very high, which
explains the experimentally observed slow kinetics of the phase transition as
well as the appearance of metastable phases
The effect of framework flexibility on diffusion of small molecules in the metal-organic framework IRMOF-1
Many efforts have been made to model adsorption and diffusion processes in metalorganic frameworks (MOFs) in the past
several years. In most of these studies, the framework has been kept rigid. In this study, we examine the effect of using a flexible framework model on the self-diffusion coefficients and activation energies calculated for several short n-alkanes and benzene in IRMOF-1 from molecular dynamics simulations. We find only minor differences between flexible and rigid framework results. The selfdiffusion coefficients calculated in the flexible framework are 20-50% larger than the ones calculated in the rigid framework, and the activation energies differ by only 10-20%
Coupling of thermal and mass diffusion in regular binary thermal lattice-gases
We have constructed a regular binary thermal lattice-gas in which the thermal
diffusion and mass diffusion are coupled and form two nonpropagating diffusive
modes. The power spectrum is shown to be similar in structure as for the one in
real fluids, in which the central peak becomes a combination of coupled entropy
and concentration contributions. Our theoretical findings for the power spectra
are confirmed by computer simulations performed on this model.Comment: 5 pages including 3 figures in RevTex
First light with HiPERCAM on the GTC
HiPERCAM is a quintuple-beam imager that saw first light on the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (WHT) in October 2017 and on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in February 2018. The instrument uses re- imaging optics and 4 dichroic beamsplitters to record ugriz (300–1000 nm) images simultaneously on its five CCD cameras. The detectors in HiPERCAM are frame-transfer devices cooled thermo-electrically to 90°C, thereby allowing both long-exposure, deep imaging of faint targets, as well as high-speed (over 1000 windowed frames per second) imaging of rapidly varying targets. In this paper, we report on the as-built design of HiPERCAM, its first-light performance on the GTC, and some of the planned future enhancements
The Herschel-Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI): instrument and pre-launch testing
This paper describes the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI), to be launched onboard of ESA's Herschel Space Observatory, by 2008. It includes the first results from the instrument level tests. The instrument is designed to be electronically tuneable over a wide and continuous frequency range in the Far Infrared, with velocity resolutions better than 0.1 km/s with a high sensitivity. This will enable detailed investigations of a wide variety of astronomical sources, ranging from solar system objects, star formation regions to nuclei of galaxies. The instrument comprises 5 frequency bands covering 480-1150 GHz with SIS mixers and a sixth dual frequency band, for the 1410-1910 GHz range, with Hot Electron Bolometer Mixers (HEB). The Local Oscillator (LO) subsystem consists of a dedicated Ka-band synthesizer followed by 7 times 2 chains of frequency multipliers, 2 chains for each frequency band. A pair of Auto-Correlators and a pair of Acousto-Optic spectrometers process the two IF signals from the dual-polarization front-ends to provide instantaneous frequency coverage of 4 GHz, with a set of resolutions (140 kHz to 1 MHz), better than < 0.1 km/s. After a successful qualification program, the flight instrument was delivered and entered the testing phase at satellite level. We will also report on the pre-flight test and calibration results together with the expected in-flight performance
The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase
The Athena X-ray Integral Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray
spectrometer, studied since 2015 for flying in the mid-30s on the Athena space
X-ray Observatory, a versatile observatory designed to address the Hot and
Energetic Universe science theme, selected in November 2013 by the Survey
Science Committee. Based on a large format array of Transition Edge Sensors
(TES), it aims to provide spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy, with a
spectral resolution of 2.5 eV (up to 7 keV) over an hexagonal field of view of
5 arc minutes (equivalent diameter). The X-IFU entered its System Requirement
Review (SRR) in June 2022, at about the same time when ESA called for an
overall X-IFU redesign (including the X-IFU cryostat and the cooling chain),
due to an unanticipated cost overrun of Athena. In this paper, after
illustrating the breakthrough capabilities of the X-IFU, we describe the
instrument as presented at its SRR, browsing through all the subsystems and
associated requirements. We then show the instrument budgets, with a particular
emphasis on the anticipated budgets of some of its key performance parameters.
Finally we briefly discuss on the ongoing key technology demonstration
activities, the calibration and the activities foreseen in the X-IFU Instrument
Science Center, and touch on communication and outreach activities, the
consortium organisation, and finally on the life cycle assessment of X-IFU
aiming at minimising the environmental footprint, associated with the
development of the instrument. Thanks to the studies conducted so far on X-IFU,
it is expected that along the design-to-cost exercise requested by ESA, the
X-IFU will maintain flagship capabilities in spatially resolved high resolution
X-ray spectroscopy, enabling most of the original X-IFU related scientific
objectives of the Athena mission to be retained. (abridged).Comment: 48 pages, 29 figures, Accepted for publication in Experimental
Astronomy with minor editin
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