429 research outputs found
A Novel Framework for Visual Detection and Exploration of Performance Bottlenecks in Organic Photovoltaic Solar Cell Materials
Current characterization methods of the so-called Bulk Heterojunction (BHJ), which is the main material of Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells, are limited to the analysis of global fabrication parameters. This reduces the efficiency of the BHJ design process, since it misses critical information about the local performance bottlenecks in the morphology of the material. In this paper, we propose a novel framework that fills this gap through visual characterization and exploration of local structure-performance correlations. We also propose a formula that correlates the structural features with the performance bottlenecks. Since research into BHJ materials is highly multidisciplinary, our framework enables a visual feedback strategy that allows scientists to build intuition about the best choices of fabrication parameters. We evaluate the usefulness of our proposed system by obtaining new BHJ characterizations. Furthermore, we show that our approach could substantially reduce the turnaround time
On the multiple Borsuk numbers of sets
The Borsuk number of a set S of diameter d >0 in Euclidean n-space is the
smallest value of m such that S can be partitioned into m sets of diameters
less than d. Our aim is to generalize this notion in the following way: The
k-fold Borsuk number of such a set S is the smallest value of m such that there
is a k-fold cover of S with m sets of diameters less than d. In this paper we
characterize the k-fold Borsuk numbers of sets in the Euclidean plane, give
bounds for those of centrally symmetric sets, smooth bodies and convex bodies
of constant width, and examine them for finite point sets in the Euclidean
3-space.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure
Eutactic quantum codes
We consider sets of quantum observables corresponding to eutactic stars.
Eutactic stars are systems of vectors which are the lower dimensional
``shadow'' image, the orthogonal view, of higher dimensional orthonormal bases.
Although these vector systems are not comeasurable, they represent redundant
coordinate bases with remarkable properties. One application is quantum secret
sharing.Comment: 6 page
Density functional theory for hard-sphere mixtures: the White-Bear version Mark II
In the spirit of the White-Bear version of fundamental measure theory we
derive a new density functional for hard-sphere mixtures which is based on a
recent mixture extension of the Carnahan-Starling equation of state. In
addition to the capability to predict inhomogeneous density distributions very
accurately, like the original White-Bear version, the new functional improves
upon consistency with an exact scaled-particle theory relation in the case of
the pure fluid. We examine consistency in detail within the context of
morphological thermodynamics. Interestingly, for the pure fluid the degree of
consistency of the new version is not only higher than for the original
White-Bear version but also higher than for Rosenfeld's original fundamental
measure theory.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures; minor changes; J. Phys.: Condens. Matter,
accepte
Tomosyn inhibits synaptic vesicle priming in Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans TOM-1 is orthologous to vertebrate tomosyn, a cytosolic syntaxin-binding protein implicated in the modulation of both constitutive and regulated exocytosis. To investigate how TOM-1 regulates exocytosis of synaptic vesicles in vivo, we analyzed C. elegans tom-1 mutants. Our electrophysiological analysis indicates that evoked postsynaptic responses at tom-1 mutant synapses are prolonged leading to a two-fold increase in total charge transfer. The enhanced response in tom-1 mutants is not associated with any detectable changes in postsynaptic response kinetics, neuronal outgrowth, or synaptogenesis. However, at the ultrastructural level, we observe a concomitant increase in the number of plasma membrane-contacting vesicles in tom-1 mutant synapses, a phenotype reversed by neuronal expression of TOM-1. Priming defective unc-13 mutants show a dramatic reduction in plasma membrane-contacting vesicles, suggesting these vesicles largely represent the primed vesicle pool at the C. elegans neuromuscular junction. Consistent with this conclusion, hyperosmotic responses in tom-1 mutants are enhanced, indicating the primed vesicle pool is enhanced. Furthermore, the synaptic defects of unc-13 mutants are partially suppressed in tom-1 unc-13 double mutants. These data indicate that in the intact nervous system, TOM-1 negatively regulates synaptic vesicle priming. © 2006 Gracheva et al
Improper colourings inspired by Hadwiger’s conjecture
Hadwiger’s Conjecture asserts that every Kt-minor-free graph has a proper (t − 1)-colouring. We relax the conclusion in Hadwiger’s Conjecture via improper colourings. We prove that every Kt-minor-free graph is (2t − 2)-colourable with monochromatic components of order at most 1/2 (t − 2). This result has no more colours and much smaller monochromatic components than all previous results in this direction. We then prove that every Kt-minor-free graph is (t − 1)-colourable with monochromatic degree at most t − 2. This is the best known degree bound for such a result. Both these theorems are based on a decomposition method of independent interest. We give analogous results for Ks,t-minorfree graphs, which lead to improved bounds on generalised colouring numbers for these classes. Finally, we prove that graphs containing no Kt-immersion are 2-colourable with bounded monochromatic degree
Multi-interaction mean-field renormalization group
We present an extension of the previously proposed mean-field renormalization
method to model Hamiltonians which are characterized by more than just one type
of interaction. The method rests on scaling assumptions about the magnetization
of different sublattices of the given lattice and it generates as many flow
equations as coupling constants without arbitrary truncations on the
renormalized Hamiltonian. We obtain good results for the test case of Ising
systems with an additional second-neighbor coupling in two and three
dimensions. An application of the method is also done to a morphological model
of interacting surfaces introduced recenlty by Likos, Mecke and Wagner [J.
Chem. Phys. {\bf{102}}, 9350 (1995)].
PACS: 64.60.Ak, 64.60.Fr, 05.70.JkComment: Tex file and three macros appended at the end. Five figures available
upon request to: [email protected], Fax: [+]39-40-224-60
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