Capture-zone scaling in island nucleation: phenomenological theory of an example of universal fluctuation behavior

In studies of island nucleation and growth, the distribution of capture zones, essentially proximity cells, can give more insight than island-size distributions. In contrast to the complicated expressions, ad hoc or derived from rate equations, usually used, we find the capture-zone distribution can be described by a simple expression generalizing the Wigner surmise from random matrix theory that accounts for the distribution of spacings in a host of fluctuation phenomena. Furthermore, its single adjustable parameter can be simply related to the critical nucleus of growth models and the substrate dimensionality. We compare with extensive published kinetic Monte Carlo data and limited experimental data. A phenomenological theory sheds light on the result.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, originally submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. on Dec. 15, 2006; revised version v2 tightens and focuses the presentation, emphasizes the importance of universal features of fluctuations, corrects an error for d=1, replaces 2 of the figure

Habitable Climate Scenarios for Proxima Centauri b With a Dynamic Ocean

The nearby exoplanet Proxima Centauri b will be a prime future target for characterization, despite questions about its retention of water. Climate models with static oceans suggest that an Earth-like Proxima b could harbor a small dayside region of surface liquid water at fairly warm temperatures despite its weak instellation. We present the first 3-dimensional climate simulations of Proxima b with a dynamic ocean. We find that an ocean-covered Proxima b could have a much broader area of surface liquid water but at much colder temperatures than previously suggested, due to ocean heat transport and depression of the freezing point by salinity. Elevated greenhouse gas concentrations do not necessarily produce more open ocean area because of possible dynamic regime transitions. For an evolutionary path leading to a highly saline present ocean, Proxima b could conceivably be an inhabited, mostly open ocean planet dominated by halophilic life. For an ocean planet in 3:2 spin-orbit resonance, a permanent tropical waterbelt exists for moderate eccentricity. Simulations of Proxima Centauri b may also be a model for the habitability of planets receiving similar instellation from slightly cooler or warmer stars, e.g., in the TRAPPIST-1, LHS 1140, GJ 273, and GJ 3293 systems.Comment: Submitted to Astrobiology; 38 pages, 12 figures, 5 table

Communications Biophysics

Contains reports on two research projects

Subpicosecond time-resolved Raman studies of field-induced transient transport in an InxGa1−xAs-based p-i-n semiconductor nanostructure

Electron transient transport in an InxGa1−xAs-based (x=0.53) p-i-nnanostructure under the application of an electric field has been studied by time-resolvedRaman spectroscopy on a subpicosecond time scale and at T=300K. The experimental results reveal the time evolution of the electron distribution function and electron drift velocity with subpicosecond time resolution. These experimental results are compared with those of both InP-based and GaAs-based p-i-nnanostructures and provide a consistent understanding and better insight of electron transient transport phenomena in semiconductors

Subpicosecond time-resolved Raman studies of LO phonons in GaN: Dependence on photoexcited carrier density

Subpicosecond time-resolved Raman spectroscopy has been used to measure the lifetime of the LO phonon mode in GaN for photoexcited electron-hole pair density ranging from1016to2×1019cm−3 . The lifetime has been found to decrease from 2.5ps , at low density, to0.35ps , at the highest density. The experimental findings should help resolve the recent controversy over the lifetime of LO phonon mode in GaN