Spherical Colloids: Effect of Discrete Macroion Charge Distribution and Counterion Valence

We report the coupled effects of macroion charge discretization and counterion valence in the primitive model for spherical colloids. Instead of considering a uniformly charged surface, as it is traditionally done, we consider a more realistic situation where \textit{discrete monovalent microscopic charges} are randomly distributed over the sphere. Monovalent or multivalent counterions ensure global electroneutrality. We use molecular dynamics simulations to study these effects at the ground state and for finite temperature. The ground state analysis concerns the counterion structure and \textit{charge inversion}. Results are discussed in terms of simple analytical models. For finite temperature, strong and weak Coulomb couplings are treated. In this situation of finite temperature, we considered and discussed the phenomena of ionic pairing (pinning) and unpairing (unpinning).Comment: 24 pages, 12 (main) figures (28 EPS files). To appear in Physica

W + Jet Production at CDF

The cross section for the inclusive production of W bosons in association with jets in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV using the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF II) is presented. The measurement is based on an integrated luminosity of 320pb^-1, and includes events with up to 4 or more jets. In each jet multiplicity sample the differential and cumulative cross sections with respect to the transverse energy of the i^th-jet are measured. For W+>=2 jets the differential cross section with respect to the 2-leading jets invariant mass m_j1j2 and angular separation Delta R_j1j2 is also reported. The data are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 4 pages, FERMILAB-CONF-06-377-E, to appear in the proceedings of the 14th International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS2006

Latest Jet Results from Tevatron

This contribution reports preliminary jet results in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV from the CDF and D0 experiments. The jet inclusive cross section, measured using both the Midpoint and the K_T jet clustering algorithm, is compared to next-to-leading order QCD prediction in different rapidity regions. The b-jet inclusive cross section measured exploiting the long lifetime and large mass of B hadrons is presented and compared to QCD prediction. A complementary measurement, using the large branching fraction of B hadrons into muons, is also described. The measurement of two-particle momentum correlation in jets is presented and compared to predictions.Comment: 4 pages, Moriond QCD 2006 conference proceedin

Image charges in spherical geometry: Application to colloidal systems

The effects of image charges (i.e., induced surface charges of polarization) in spherical geometry and their implication for charged colloidal systems are investigated. We study analytically and exactly a single microion interacting with a dielectric sphere and discuss the similarities and discrepancies with the case of a planar interface. By means of extensive Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, we study within the framework of the primitive model the effects of image charges on the structure of the electrical double layer. Salt-free environment as well as salty solutions are considered. A remarkable finding of this study is that the position of the maximum in the counterion density (appearing at moderately surface charge density) remains quasi-identical, regardless of the counterion valence and the salt content, to that obtained within the \textit{single}-counterion system.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, RevTeX4, to appear in J. Chem. Phy

Determination of rotation periods in solar-like stars with irregular sampling: the Gaia case

We present a study on the determination of rotation periods (P) of solar-like stars from the photometric irregular time-sampling of the ESA Gaia mission, currently scheduled for launch in 2013, taking into account its dependence on ecliptic coordinates. We examine the case of solar-twins as well as thousands of synthetic time-series of solar-like stars rotating faster than the Sun. In the case of solar twins we assume that the Gaia unfiltered photometric passband G will mimic the variability of the total solar irradiance (TSI) as measured by the VIRGO experiment. For stars rotating faster than the Sun, light-curves are simulated using synthetic spectra for the quiet atmosphere, the spots, and the faculae combined by applying semi-empirical relationships relating the level of photospheric magnetic activity to the stellar rotation and the Gaia instrumental response. The capabilities of the Deeming, Lomb-Scargle, and Phase Dispersion Minimisation methods in recovering the correct rotation periods are tested and compared. The false alarm probability (FAP) is computed using Monte Carlo simulations and compared with analytical formulae. The Gaia scanning law makes the rate of correct detection of rotation periods strongly dependent on the ecliptic latitude (beta). We find that for P ~ 1 d, the rate of correct detection increases with ecliptic latitude from 20-30 per cent at beta ~ 0{\deg} to a peak of 70 per cent at beta=45{\deg}, then it abruptly falls below 10 per cent at beta > 45{\deg}. For P > 5 d, the rate of correct detection is quite low and for solar twins is only 5 per cent on average.Comment: 12 pages, 18 figures, accepted by MNRA

A single atom-based generation of Bell states of two cavities

A new conditional scheme for generating Bell states of two spatially separated high-Q cavities is reported. Our method is based on the passage of one atom only through the two cavities. A distinctive feature of our treatment is that it incorporates from the very beginning the unavoidable presence of fluctuations in the atom-cavity interaction times. The possibility of successfully implementing our proposal against cavity losses and atomic spontaneous decay is carefully discussed

Adsorption of Oppositely Charged Polyelectrolytes onto a Charged Rod

The adsorption of highly charged flexible polycations and polyanions on a charged cylindrical substrate is investigated by means of Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. A detailed structural study, including monomer and fluid charge distributions, is provided. The influence of a short range attraction between the polycations and the negatively charged substrate is also considered. We demonstrate that the building up of multilayer structures is highly prohibited mainly due to the high entropy penalty stemming from the low dimensionality of the substrate at strong curvature.Comment: 18 pages - 7 (main) EPS figs - revtex4 - to appear in J. Chem. Phy