2,378 research outputs found
Nonequilibrium Phase Transitions in a Driven Sandpile Model
We construct a driven sandpile slope model and study it by numerical
simulations in one dimension. The model is specified by a threshold slope
\sigma_c\/, a parameter \alpha\/, governing the local current-slope
relation (beyond threshold), and , the mean input current of sand.
A nonequilibrium phase diagram is obtained in the \alpha\, -\, j_{\rm in}\/
plane. We find an infinity of phases, characterized by different mean slopes
and separated by continuous or first-order boundaries, some of which we obtain
analytically. Extensions to two dimensions are discussed.Comment: 11 pages, RevTeX (preprint format), 4 figures available upon requs
Direct numerical simulations of statistically steady, homogeneous, isotropic fluid turbulence with polymer additives
We carry out a direct numerical simulation (DNS) study that reveals the
effects of polymers on statistically steady, forced, homogeneous, isotropic
fluid turbulence. We find clear manifestations of dissipation-reduction
phenomena: On the addition of polymers to the turbulent fluid, we obtain a
reduction in the energy dissipation rate, a significant modification of the
fluid energy spectrum, especially in the deep-dissipation range, a suppression
of small-scale intermittency, and a decrease in small-scale vorticity
filaments. We also compare our results with recent experiments and earlier DNS
studies of decaying fluid turbulence with polymer additives.Comment: consistent with the published versio
Condensation of Silica Nanoparticles on a Phospholipid Membrane
The structure of the transient layer at the interface between air and the
aqueous solution of silica nanoparticles with the size distribution of
particles that has been determined from small-angle scattering has been studied
by the X-ray reflectometry method. The reconstructed depth profile of the
polarizability of the substance indicates the presence of a structure
consisting of several layers of nanoparticles with the thickness that is more
than twice as large as the thickness of the previously described structure. The
adsorption of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine molecules at the
hydrosol/air interface is accompanied by the condensation of anion silica
nanoparticles at the interface. This phenomenon can be qualitatively explained
by the formation of the positive surface potential due to the penetration and
accumulation of Na+ cations in the phospholipid membrane.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
Ventricular remodelling in rabbits with sustained high‐fat diet
Aim Excess weight gain and obesity are one of the most serious health problems in the western societies. These conditions enhance risk of cardiac disease and have been linked with increased prevalence for cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. Our goal was to study the ventricular remodelling occurring in rabbits fed with high‐fat diet ( HFD ) and its potential arrhythmogenic mechanisms. Methods We used 15 NZW rabbits that were randomly assigned to a control ( n = 7) or HFD group ( n = 8) for 18 weeks. In vivo studies included blood glucose, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic measurements. Optical mapping was performed in Langendorff‐perfused isolated hearts. Results Body weight (3.69 ± 0.31 vs. 2.94 ± 0.18 kg, P < 0.001) and blood glucose levels (230 ± 61 vs. 141 ± 14 mg dL −1 , P < 0.05) were higher in the HFD group vs. controls. The rate‐corrected QT interval and its dispersion were increased in HFD rabbits vs. controls (169 ± 10 vs. 146 ± 13 ms and 37 ± 11 vs. 9 ± 2 ms, respectively; P < 0.05). Echocardiographic analysis showed morphological and functional alterations in HFD rabbits indicative of left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy. Isolated heart studies revealed no changes in repolarization and propagation properties under conditions of normal extracellular K + , suggesting that extrinsic factors could underlie those electrocardiographic modifications. There were no differences in the dynamics of ventricular fibrillation (frequency, wave breaks) in the presence of isoproterenol. However, HFD rabbits showed a small reduction in action potential duration and an increased incidence of arrhythmias during hyperkalaemia. Conclusion High‐fat feeding during 18 weeks in rabbits induced a type II diabetes phenotype, LV hypertrophy, abnormalities in repolarization and susceptibility to arrhythmias during hyperkalaemia.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106944/1/apha12185.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106944/2/apha12185-sup-0001-FigS1-S4TableS1-S3.pd
Evidence for Excimer Photoexcitations in an Ordered {\pi}-Conjugated Polymer Film
We report pressure-dependent transient picosecond and continuous-wave
photomodulation studies of disordered and ordered films of
2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy) poly(para-phenylenevinylene). Photoinduced
absorption (PA) bands in the disordered film exhibit very weak pressure
dependence and are assigned to intrachain excitons and polarons. In contrast,
the ordered film exhibits two additional transient PA bands in the midinfrared
that blueshift dramatically with pressure. Based on high-order configuration
interaction calculations we ascribe the PA bands in the ordered film to
excimers. Our work brings insight to the exciton binding energy in ordered
films versus disordered films and solutions. The reduced exciton binding energy
in ordered films is due to new energy states appearing below the continuum band
threshold of the single strand.Comment: 5.5 pages, 5 figure
Turbulence-induced melting of a nonequilibrium vortex crystal in a forced thin fluid film
To develop an understanding of recent experiments on the turbulence-induced
melting of a periodic array of vortices in a thin fluid film, we perform a
direct numerical simulation of the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations
forced such that, at low Reynolds numbers, the steady state of the film is a
square lattice of vortices. We find that, as we increase the Reynolds number,
this lattice undergoes a series of nonequilibrium phase transitions, first to a
crystal with a different reciprocal lattice and then to a sequence of crystals
that oscillate in time. Initially the temporal oscillations are periodic; this
periodic behaviour becomes more and more complicated, with increasing Reynolds
number, until the film enters a spatially disordered nonequilibrium statistical
steady that is turbulent. We study this sequence of transitions by using
fluid-dynamics measures, such as the Okubo-Weiss parameter that distinguishes
between vortical and extensional regions in the flow, ideas from nonlinear
dynamics, e.g., \Poincare maps, and theoretical methods that have been
developed to study the melting of an equilibrium crystal or the freezing of a
liquid and which lead to a natural set of order parameters for the crystalline
phases and spatial autocorrelation functions that characterise short- and
long-range order in the turbulent and crystalline phases, respectively.Comment: 31 pages, 56 figures, movie files not include
Exact results and scaling properties of small-world networks
We study the distribution function for minimal paths in small-world networks.
Using properties of this distribution function, we derive analytic results
which greatly simplify the numerical calculation of the average minimal
distance, , and its variance, . We also discuss the
scaling properties of the distribution function. Finally, we study the limit of
large system sizes and obtain some analytic results.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 5 figures included. Minor corrections and addition
Analyzing the effects of surface distribution of pores in cell electroporation for a cell membrane containing cholesterol
This paper presents a model and numerical analysis (simulations) of
transmembrane potential induced in biological cell membrane under the influence
of externally applied electric field (i.e., electroporation). This model
differs from the established models of electroporation in two distinct ways.
Firstly, it incorporates the presence of cholesterol (~20% mole-fraction) in
biological membrane. Secondly, it considers the distribution of pores as a
function of the variation of transmembrane potential from one region of the
cell to another. Formulation is based on the role of membrane tension and
electrical forces in the formation of pores in a cell membrane, which is
considered as an infinitesimally thin insulator. The model has been used to
explore the process of creation and evolution of pores and to determine the
number and size of pores as a function of applied electric field (magnitude and
duration). Results show that the presence of cholesterol enhances poration by
changing the membrane tension. Analyses indicate that the number of pores and
average pore radii differ significantly from one part of the cell to the other.
While some regions of the cell membrane undergo rapid and dense poration,
others remain unaffected. The method can be a useful tool for a more realistic
prediction of pore formation in cells subjected to electroporation.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. v2: added new references, grammatical changes,
corrected typo
Chaos in Small-World Networks
A nonlinear small-world network model has been presented to investigate the
effect of nonlinear interaction and time delay on the dynamic properties of
small-world networks. Both numerical simulations and analytical analysis for
networks with time delay and nonlinear interaction show chaotic features in the
system response when nonlinear interaction is strong enough or the length scale
is large enough. In addition, the small-world system may behave very
differently on different scales. Time-delay parameter also has a very strong
effect on properties such as the critical length and response time of
small-world networks
Ekpyrosis and inflationary dynamics in heavy ion collisions: the role of quantum fluctuations
We summarize recent significant progress in the development of a
first-principles formalism to describe the formation and evolution of matter in
very high energy heavy ion collisions. The key role of quantum fluctuations
both before and after a collision is emphasized. Systematic computations are
now feasible to address early time dynamics essential to quantifying properties
of strongly interacting quark-gluon matter.Comment: Talk by R.V. at Quark Matter 2011, Annecy, France, May 23-28, 2011.
LaTex, 4 pages; v2, final version to appear in J. Phys.
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