Data catalog for JPL Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Digby, Susan

1995-01-01

The Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) archive at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory contains satellite data sets and ancillary in-situ data for the ocean sciences and global-change research to facilitate multidisciplinary use of satellite ocean data. Geophysical parameters available from the archive include sea-surface height, surface-wind vector, surface-wind speed, surface-wind stress vector, sea-surface temperature, atmospheric liquid water, integrated water vapor, phytoplankton pigment concentration, heat flux, and in-situ data. PO.DAAC is an element of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System and is the United States distribution site for TOPEX/POSEIDON data and metadata.

Spin injection and inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of topological Kondo insulator SmB6

PubMed Central

Song, Qi; Mi, Jian; Zhao, Dan; Su, Tang; Yuan, Wei; Xing, Wenyu; Chen, Yangyang; Wang, Tianyu; Wu, Tao; Chen, Xian Hui; Xie, X. C.; Zhang, Chi; Shi, Jing; Han, Wei

2016-01-01

There has been considerable interest in exploiting the spin degrees of freedom of electrons for potential information storage and computing technologies. Topological insulators (TIs), a class of quantum materials, have special gapless edge/surface states, where the spin polarization of the Dirac fermions is locked to the momentum direction. This spin–momentum locking property gives rise to very interesting spin-dependent physical phenomena such as the Edelstein and inverse Edelstein effects. However, the spin injection in pure surface states of TI is very challenging because of the coexistence of the highly conducting bulk states. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the spin injection and observe the inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of a topological Kondo insulator, SmB6. At low temperatures when only surface carriers are present, a clear spin signal is observed. Furthermore, the magnetic field angle dependence of the spin signal is consistent with spin–momentum locking property of surface states of SmB6. PMID:27834378

Surface State-Dominated Photoconduction and THz Generation in Topological Bi2Te2Se Nanowires

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Topological insulators constitute a fascinating class of quantum materials with nontrivial, gapless states on the surface and insulating bulk states. By revealing the optoelectronic dynamics in the whole range from femto- to microseconds, we demonstrate that the long surface lifetime of Bi2Te2Se nanowires allows us to access the surface states by a pulsed photoconduction scheme and that there is a prevailing bolometric response of the surface states. The interplay of the surface and bulk states dynamics on the different time scales gives rise to a surprising physical property of Bi2Te2Se nanowires: their pulsed photoconductance changes polarity as a function of laser power. Moreover, we show that single Bi2Te2Se nanowires can be used as THz generators for on-chip high-frequency circuits at room temperature. Our results open the avenue for single Bi2Te2Se nanowires as active modules in optoelectronic high-frequency and THz circuits. PMID:28081604

Spin injection and inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of topological Kondo insulator SmB 6

DOE PAGES

Song, Qi; Mi, Jian; Zhao, Dan; ...

2016-11-11

There has been considerable interest in exploiting the spin degrees of freedom of electrons for potential information storage and computing technologies. Topological insulators (TIs), a class of quantum materials, have special gapless edge/surface states, where the spin polarization of the Dirac fermions is locked to the momentum direction. This spin–momentum locking property gives rise to very interesting spin-dependent physical phenomena such as the Edelstein and inverse Edelstein effects. However, the spin injection in pure surface states of TI is very challenging because of the coexistence of the highly conducting bulk states. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the spin injection and observemore » the inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of a topological Kondo insulator, SmB 6. At low temperatures when only surface carriers are present, a clear spin signal is observed. Moreover, the magnetic field angle dependence of the spin signal is consistent with spin–momentum locking property of surface states of SmB6.« less

Low-energy surface states in the normal state of α - PdBi 2 superconductor

DOE PAGES

Choi, Hongchul; Neupane, Madhab; Sasagawa, T.; ...

2017-08-25

Topological superconductors as characterized by Majorana surface states have been actively searched for their significance in fundamental science and technological implication. The large spin-orbit coupling in Bi-Pd binaries has stimulated extensive investigations on the topological surface states in these superconducting compounds. Here we report a study of normal-state electronic structure in a centrosymmetric α-PdBi 2 within density functional theory calculations. By investigating the electronic structure from the bulk to slab geometries in this system, we predict for the first time that α-PdBi 2 can host orbital-dependent and asymmetric Rashba surface states near the Fermi energy. This study suggests that α-PdBimore » 2 will be a good candidate to explore the relationship between superconductivity and topology in condensed matter physics.« less

Water resources data for Indiana, 1967

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1968-01-01

The surface-water records for the 1967 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The quality-of-water investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey are concerned with the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water supplies of the Nation. The basic records for the 1967 water year for quality of surface waters within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience and interest, there are also records for a few water quality stations in bordering states.

Water resources data for Indiana, 1966

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1967-01-01

The surface-water records for the 1966 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering states. The quality-of-water investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey are concerned with the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water supplies of the Nation. The basic records for the 1966 water year for quality of surface waters within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience and interest, there are also records for a few water quality stations in bordering states.

Topologically nontrivial electronic states in CaSn3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Sunny; Juneja, Rinkle; Shinde, Ravindra; Singh, Abhishek K.

2017-06-01

Based on the first-principles calculations, we theoretically propose topologically non-trivial states in a recently experimentally discovered superconducting material CaSn3. When the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is ignored, the material is a host to three-dimensional topological nodal-line semimetal states. Drumhead like surface states protected by the coexistence of time-reversal and mirror symmetry emerge within the two-dimensional regions of the surface Brillouin zone connecting the nodal lines. When SOC is included, unexpectedly, each nodal line evolves into two Weyl nodes (W1 and W2) in this centrosymmetric material. Berry curvature calculations show that these nodes occur in a pair and act as either a source or a sink of Berry flux. This material also has unique surface states in the form of Fermi arcs, which unlike other known Weyl semimetals forms closed loops of surface states on the Fermi surface. Our theoretical realization of topologically non-trivial states in a superconducting material paves the way towards unraveling the interconnection between topological physics and superconductivity.

Suppression of 1/f Flux Noise in Superconducting Quantum Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Pradeep; Freeland, John; Yu, Clare; Wu, Ruqian; Wang, Zhe; Wang, Hui; Shi, Chuntai; Pappas, David; McDermott, Robert

Low frequency 1/f magnetic flux noise is a dominant contributor to dephasing in superconducting quantum circuits. It is believed that the noise is due to a high density of unpaired magnetic defect states at the surface of the superconducting thin films. We have performed X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments that point to adsorbed molecular oxygen as the dominant source of magnetism in these films. By improving the vacuum environment of our superconducting devices, we have achieved a significant reduction in surface magnetic susceptibility and 1/f flux noise power spectral density. These results open the door to realization of superconducting qubits with improved dephasing times. State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics and Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Solid State Surfaces and Interfaces VIII

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pincik, Emil

2014-09-01

The conference SSSI VIII (November 25-28, 2013) was the 8th continuation of the series of the Solid State Surfaces and Interfaces conferences taking place usually in the Smolenice castle in the western part of the Slovak Republic. The event was organized by the following institutions of Slovak Republic: Institute of Physics of SAS Bratislava, Institute of Aurel Stodola of University of Žilina, and Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University Bratislava. More than 150 scientists of the three continents (Europe, Asia and Africa) participated on the event with almost 100 poster presentations. The representatives of all organizing institutions consider this event as very important for Middle Europe region.

Surface physics of semiconducting nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amato, Michele; Rurali, Riccardo

2016-02-01

Semiconducting nanowires (NWs) are firm candidates for novel nanoelectronic devices and a fruitful playground for fundamental physics. Ultra-thin nanowires, with diameters below 10 nm, present exotic quantum effects due to the confinement of the wave functions, e.g. widening of the electronic band-gap, deepening of the dopant states. However, although several reports of sub-10 nm wires exist to date, the most common NWs have diameters that range from 20 to 200 nm, where these quantum effects are absent or play a very minor role. Yet, the research activity on this field is very intense and these materials still promise to provide an important paradigm shift for the design of emerging electronic devices and different kinds of applications. A legitimate question is then: what makes a nanowire different from bulk systems? The answer is certainly the large surface-to-volume ratio. In this article we discuss the most salient features of surface physics and chemistry in group-IV semiconducting nanowires, focusing mostly on Si NWs. First we review the state-of-the-art of NW growth to achieve a smooth and controlled surface morphology. Next we discuss the importance of a proper surface passivation and its role on the NW electronic properties. Finally, stressing the importance of a large surface-to-volume ratio and emphasizing the fact that in a NW the surface is where most of the action takes place, we discuss molecular sensing and molecular doping.

Whispering gallery states of neutrons and anti-hydrogen atoms and their applications to fundamental and surface physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesvizhevsky, Valery

2013-03-01

The `whispering gallery' effect has been known since ancient times for sound waves in air, later in water and more recently for a broad range of electromagnetic waves: radio, optics, Roentgen and so on. It is intensively used and explored due to its numerous crucial applications. It consists of wave localization near a curved reflecting surface and is expected for waves of various natures, for instance, for neutrons and (anti)atoms. For (anti)matter waves, it includes a new feature: a massive particle is settled in quantum states, with parameters depending on its mass. In this talk, we present the first observation of the quantum whispering-gallery effect for matter particles (cold neutrons) 1-2. This phenomenon provides an example of an exactly solvable problem analogous to the `quantum bouncer'; it is complementary to recently discovered gravitational quantum states of neutrons3. These two phenomena provide a direct demonstration of the weak equivalence principle for a massive particle in a quantum state. Deeply bound long-living states are weakly sensitive to surface potential; highly excited short-living states are very sensitive to the wall nuclear potential shape. Therefore, they are a promising tool for studying fundamental neutron-matter interactions, quantum neutron optics and surface physics effects. Analogous phenomena could be measured with atoms and anti-atoms 4-5.

JPL Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) data availability, version 1-94

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) archive at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) includes satellite data sets for the ocean sciences and global-change research to facilitate multidisciplinary use of satellite ocean data. Parameters include sea-surface height, surface-wind vector, sea-surface temperature, atmospheric liquid water, and integrated water vapor. The JPL PO.DAAC is an element of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) and is the United States distribution site for Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/POSEIDON data and metadata.

Aerosolization properties, surface composition and physical state of spray-dried protein powders.

PubMed

Bosquillon, Cynthia; Rouxhet, Paul G; Ahimou, François; Simon, Denis; Culot, Christine; Préat, Véronique; Vanbever, Rita

2004-10-19

Powder aerosols made of albumin, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and a protein stabilizer (lactose, trehalose or mannitol) were prepared by spray-drying and analyzed for aerodynamic behavior, surface composition and physical state. The powders exited a Spinhaler inhaler as particle aggregates, the size of which depending on composition, spray-drying parameters and airflow rate. However, due to low bulk powder tap density (<0.15 g/cm3), the aerodynamic size of a large fraction of aggregates remained respirable (<5 microm). Fine particle fractions ranged between 21% and 41% in an Andersen cascade impactor operated at 28.3 l/min, with mannitol and lactose providing the most cohesive and free-flowing powders, respectively. Particle surface analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed a surface enrichment with DPPC relative to albumin for powders prepared under certain spray-drying conditions. DPPC self-organized in a gel phase in the particle and no sugar or mannitol crystals were detected by X-ray diffraction. Water sorption isotherms showed that albumin protected lactose from moisture-induced crystallization. In conclusion, a proper combination of composition and spray-drying parameters allowed to obtain dry powders with elevated fine particle fractions (FPFs) and a physical environment favorable to protein stability.

Surface state-dominated photoconduction and THz-generation in topological Bi2Te2Se-nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifert, Paul; Vaklinova, Kristina; Kern, Klaus; Burghard, Marko; Holleitner, Alexander

Topological insulators constitute a fascinating class of quantum materials with non-trivial, gapless states on the surface and trivial, insulating bulk states. In revealing the optoelectronic dynamics in the whole range from femto- to microseconds, we demonstrate that the long surface lifetime of Bi2Te2Se-nanowires allows to access the surface states by a pulsed photoconduction scheme and that there is a prevailing bolometric response of the surface states. The interplay of the surface state dynamics on the different timescales gives rise to a surprising physical property of Bi2Te2Se-nanowires: their pulsed photoconductance changes polarity as a function of laser power. Moreover, we show that single Bi2Te2Se-nanowires can be used as THz-generators for on-chip high-frequency circuits at room temperature. Our results open the avenue for single Bi2Te2Se-nanowires as active modules in optoelectronic high-frequency and THz-circuits. We acknowledge financial support by the ERC Grant NanoReal (n306754).

Revealing Fermi arcs and Weyl nodes in MoTe2 by quasiparticle interference mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Peng; Xu, Zhilin; Deng, Ke; Zhang, Kenan; Wu, Yang; Zhang, Haijun; Zhou, Shuyun; Chen, Xi

2017-06-01

A Weyl semimetal exhibits unique properties with Weyl nodes in the bulk and Fermi arcs on the surface. Recently, MoTe2 was found to be a type-II Weyl semimetal, providing a platform for realizing these Weyl physics. Here, we report visualization of topological surface states on the surface of MoTe2 using a scanning tunneling microscope. Scattering between topological states forms quasiparticle interference (QPI) patterns in the Fourier transform of conductance maps. The complete existence of topological surface states in energy momentum space is revealed by d I /d V mapping. By comparing QPI results with a first-principles calculation, we further unveil the locations of Weyl nodes in the surface Brillouin zone. Our work provides spectroscopic information in the unoccupied states, especially those around the Weyl nodes energy, demonstrating the node-arc correlation in Weyl semimetals.

Solid State Division progress report for period ending September 30, 1984

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Green, P.H.; Watson, D.M.

1985-03-01

During the reporting period, relatively minor changes have occurred in the research areas of interest to the Division. Nearly all the research of the Division can be classified broadly as mission-oriented basic research. Topics covered include: theoretical solid state physics; surface and near-surface properties of solids; defects in solids; transport properties of solids; neutron scattering; and preparation and characterization of research materials. (GHT)

Do the surface Fermi arcs in Weyl semimetals survive disorder?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Justin H.; Pixley, J. H.; Huse, David A.; Refael, Gil; Das Sarma, S.

2018-06-01

We theoretically study the topological robustness of the surface physics induced by Weyl Fermi-arc surface states in the presence of short-ranged quenched disorder and surface-bulk hybridization. This is investigated with numerically exact calculations on a lattice model exhibiting Weyl Fermi arcs. We find that the Fermi-arc surface states, in addition to having a finite lifetime from disorder broadening, hybridize with nonperturbative bulk rare states making them no longer bound to the surface (i.e., they lose their purely surface spectral character). Thus, we provide strong numerical evidence that the Weyl Fermi arcs are not topologically protected from disorder. Nonetheless, the surface chiral velocity is robust and survives in the presence of strong disorder, persisting all the way to the Anderson-localized phase by forming localized current loops that live within the localization length of the surface. Thus, the Weyl semimetal is not topologically robust to the presence of disorder, but the surface chiral velocity is.

Applications of Land Surface Temperature from Microwave Observations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Land surface temperature (LST) is a key input for physically-based retrieval algorithms of hydrological states and fluxes. Yet, it remains a poorly constrained parameter for global scale studies. The main two observational methods to remotely measure T are based on thermal infrared (TIR) observation...

Water resources data for Indiana, 1968

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1969-01-01

The surface-water records for the 1968 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sties within the State of Indiana are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water supplies of the Nation. These data for the 1968 water year for the quality of surface water in Indiana are presented in this report.

Emergence of Metallic Properties at LiFePO4 Surfaces and LiFePO4/Li2S Interfaces: An Ab Initio Study.

PubMed

Timoshevskii, Vladimir; Feng, Zimin; Bevan, Kirk H; Zaghib, Karim

2015-08-26

The atomic and electronic structures of the LiFePO4 (LFP) surface, both bare and reconstructed upon possible oxygenation, are theoretically studied by ab initio methods. On the basis of total energy calculations, the atomic structure of the oxygenated surface is proposed, and the effect of surface reconstruction on the electronic properties of the surface is clarified. While bare LFP(010) surface is insulating, adsorption of oxygen leads to the emergence of semimetallic behavior by inducing the conducting states in the band gap of the system. The physical origin of these conducting states is investigated. We further demonstrate that deposition of Li2S layers on top of oxygenated LFP(010) surface leads to the formation of additional conducting hole states in the first layer of Li2S surface because of the charge transfer from sulfur p-states to the gap states of LFP surface. This demonstrates that oxygenated LFP surface not only provides conducting layers itself, but also induces conducting channels in the top layer of Li2S. These results help to achieve further understanding of potential role of LFP particles in improving the performance of Li-S batteries through emergent interface conductivity.

Using microwave observations to estimate land surface temperature during cloudy conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Land surface temperature (LST), a key ingredient for physically-based retrieval algorithms of hydrological states and fluxes, remains a poorly constrained parameter for global scale studies. The main two observational methods to remotely measure T are based on thermal infrared (TIR) observations and...

Surface Andreev Bound States and Odd-Frequency Pairing in Topological Superconductor Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Yukio; Tamura, Shun

2018-04-01

In this review, we summarize the achievement of the physics of surface Andreev bound states (SABS) up to now. The route of this activity has started from the physics of SABS of unconventional superconductors where the pair potential has a sign change on the Fermi surface. It has been established that SABS can be regarded as a topological edge state with topological invariant defined in the bulk Hamiltonian. On the other hand, SABS accompanies odd-frequency pairing like spin-triplet s-wave or spin-singlet p-wave. In a spin-triplet superconductor junction, induced odd-frequency pairing can penetrate into a diffusive normal metal (DN) attached to the superconductor. It causes so called anomalous proximity effect where the local density of states of quasiparticle in DN has a zero energy peak. When bulk pairing symmetry is spin-triplet px-wave, the anomalous proximity effect becomes prominent and the zero bias voltage conductance is always quantized independent of the resistance in DN and interface. Finally, we show that the present anomalous proximity effect is realized in an artificial topological superconducting system, where a nanowire with spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman field is put on the conventional spin-singlet s-wave superconductor.

Physical-mechanical image of the cell surface on the base of AFM data in contact mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starodubtseva, M. N.; Starodubtsev, I. E.; Yegorenkov, N. I.; Kuzhel, N. S.; Konstantinova, E. E.; Chizhik, S. A.

2017-10-01

Physical and mechanical properties of the cell surface are well-known markers of a cell state. The complex of the parameters characterizing the cell surface properties, such as the elastic modulus (E), the parameters of adhesive (Fa), and friction (Ff) forces can be measured using atomic force microscope (AFM) in a contact mode and form namely the physical-mechanical image of the cell surface that is a fundamental element of the cell mechanical phenotype. The paper aims at forming the physical-mechanical images of the surface of two types of glutaraldehyde-fixed cancerous cells (human epithelial cells of larynx carcinoma, HEp-2c cells, and breast adenocarcinoma, MCF-7 cells) based on the data obtained by AFM in air and revealing the basic difference between them. The average values of friction, elastic and adhesive forces, and the roughness of lateral force maps, as well as dependence of the fractal dimension of lateral force maps on Z-scale factor have been studied. We have revealed that the response of microscale areas of the HEp-2c cell surface having numerous microvilli to external mechanical forces is less expressed and more homogeneous in comparison with the response of MCF-7 cell surface.

On the physical basis of a theory of human thermoregulation.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iberall, A. S.; Schindler, A. M.

1973-01-01

Theoretical study of the physical factors which are responsible for thermoregulation in nude resting humans in a physical steady state. The behavior of oxidative metabolism, evaporative and convective thermal fluxes, fluid heat transfer, internal and surface temperatures, and evaporative phase transitions is studied by physiological/physical modeling techniques. The modeling is based on the theories that the body has a vital core with autothermoregulation, that the vital core contracts longitudinally, that the temperature of peripheral regions and extremities decreases towards the ambient, and that a significant portion of the evaporative heat may be lost underneath the skin. A theoretical basis is derived for a consistent modeling of steady-state thermoregulation on the basis of these theories.

Partially coherent axiconic surface plasmon polariton fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yahong; Norrman, Andreas; Ponomarenko, Sergey A.; Friberg, Ari T.

2018-04-01

We introduce a class of structured polychromatic surface electromagnetic fields, reminiscent of conventional optical axicon fields, through a judicious superposition of partially correlated surface plasmon polaritons. We show that such partially coherent axiconic surface plasmon polariton fields are structurally stable and statistically highly versatile with regard to spectral density, polarization state, energy flow, and degree of coherence. These fields can be created by plasmon coherence engineering and may prove instrumental broadly in surface physics and in various nanophotonics applications.

Model for growth of fractal solid state surface and possibility of its verification by means of atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulikov, D. A.; Potapov, A. A.; Rassadin, A. E.; Stepanov, A. V.

2017-10-01

In the paper, methods of verification of models for growth of solid state surface by means of atomic force microscopy are suggested. Simulation of growth of fractals with cylindrical generatrix on the solid state surface is presented. Our mathematical model of this process is based on generalization of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation. Corner stones of this generalization are both conjecture of anisotropy of growth of the surface and approximation of small angles. The method of characteristics has been applied to solve the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation. Its solution should be considered up to the gradient catastrophe. The difficulty of nondifferentiability of fractal initial generatrix has been overcome by transition from a mathematical fractal to a physical one.

STUDY OF WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS DURING RIVERBANK FILTRATION AT THREE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES DRINKING WATER UTILITIES

EPA Science Inventory

Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a process during which surface water is subjected to subsurface flow prior to extraction from wells. During infiltration and soil passage, surface water is subjected to a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes such as filtration...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Libby, S B; Weiss, M S

Edward Teller was one of the great physicists of the twentieth century. His career began just after the key ideas of the quantum revolution of the 1920's were completed, opening vast areas of physics and chemistry to detailed understanding. Thus, his early work in theoretical physics focused on applying the new quantum theory to the understanding of diverse phenomena. These topics included chemical physics, diamagnetism, and nuclear physics. Later, he made key contributions to statistical mechanics, surface physics, solid state, and plasma physics. In many cases, the ideas in these papers are still rich with important ramifications.

Topological Electride Y2C.

PubMed

Huang, Huaqing; Jin, Kyung-Hwan; Zhang, Shunhong; Liu, Feng

2018-03-14

Two-dimensional (2D) electrides are layered ionic crystals in which anionic electrons are confined in the interlayer space. Here, we report a discovery of nontrivial [Formula: see text] topology in the electronic structures of 2D electride Y 2 C. Based on first-principles calculations, we found a topological [Formula: see text] invariant of (1; 111) for the bulk band and topologically protected surface states in the surfaces of Y 2 C, signifying its nontrivial electronic topology. We suggest a spin-resolved angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurement to detect the unique helical spin texture of the spin-polarized topological surface state, which will provide characteristic evidence for the nontrivial electronic topology of Y 2 C. Furthermore, the coexistence of 2D surface electride states and topological surface state enables us to explain the outstanding discrepancy between the recent ARPES experiments and theoretical calculations. Our findings establish a preliminary link between the electride in chemistry and the band topology in condensed-matter physics, which are expected to inspire further interdisciplinary research between these fields.

Gigantic Surface Lifetime of an Intrinsic Topological Insulator

DOE PAGES

Neupane, Madhab; Xu, Su-Yang; Ishida, Yukiaki; ...

2015-09-09

We report that the interaction between light and novel two-dimensional electronic states holds promise to realize new fundamental physics and optical devices. Here, we use pump-probe photoemission spectroscopy to study the optically excited Dirac surface states in the bulk-insulating topological insulator Bi 2Te 2Se and reveal optical properties that are in sharp contrast to those of bulk-metallic topological insulators. We observe a gigantic optical lifetime exceeding 4 μs (1 μs=10 more » $${-}$$6 s) for the surface states in Bi 2Te 2Se, whereas the lifetime in most topological insulators, such as Bi2Se3, has been limited to a few picoseconds (1 ps=10 $${-}$$12 s). Moreover, we discover a surface photovoltage, a shift of the chemical potential of the Dirac surface states, as large as 100 mV. Lastly, our results demonstrate a rare platform to study charge excitation and relaxation in energy and momentum space in a two-dimensional system.« less

Strongly Emitting Surfaces Unable to Float below Plasma Potential

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campanell, M. D.; Umansky, M. V.

2016-02-25

One important unresolved question in plasma physics concerns the effect of strong electron emission on plasma-surface interactions. Previous papers reported solutions with negative and positive floating potentials relative to the plasma edge. For these two models a very different predictions for particle and energy balance is given. Here we show that the positive potential state is the only possible equilibrium in general. Even if a negative floating potential existed at t=0, the ionization collisions near the surface will force a transition to the positive floating potential state. Moreover, this transition is demonstrated with a new simulation code.

Experimental discovery of a topological Weyl semimetal state in TaP

DOE PAGES

Xu, Su -Yang; Belopolski, Ilya; Sanchez, Daniel S.; ...

2015-11-13

Here, Weyl semimetals are expected to open up new horizons in physics and materials science because they provide the first realization of Weyl fermions and exhibit protected Fermi arc surface states. However, they had been found to be extremely rare in nature. Recently, a family of compounds, consisting of tantalum arsenide, tantalum phosphide (TaP), niobium arsenide, and niobium phosphide, was predicted as a Weyl semimetal candidates. We experimentally realize a Weyl semimetal state in TaP. Using photoemission spectroscopy, we directly observe the Weyl fermion cones and nodes in the bulk, and the Fermi arcs on the surface. Moreover, we findmore » that the surface states show an unexpectedly rich structure, including both topological Fermi arcs and several topologically trivial closed contours in the vicinity of the Weyl points, which provides a promising platform to study the interplay between topological and trivial surface states on a Weyl semimetal’s surface. We directly demonstrate the bulk-boundary correspondence and establish the topologically nontrivial nature of the Weyl semimetal state in TaP, by resolving the net number of chiral edge modes on a closed path that encloses the Weyl node. This also provides, for the first time, an experimentally practical approach to demonstrating a bulk Weyl fermion from a surface state dispersion measured in photoemission.« less

Three-component fermions with surface Fermi arcs in tungsten carbide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, J.-Z.; He, J.-B.; Xu, Y.-F.; Lv, B. Q.; Chen, D.; Zhu, W.-L.; Zhang, S.; Kong, L.-Y.; Gao, X.; Rong, L.-Y.; Huang, Y.-B.; Richard, P.; Xi, C.-Y.; Choi, E. S.; Shao, Y.; Wang, Y.-L.; Gao, H.-J.; Dai, X.; Fang, C.; Weng, H.-M.; Chen, G.-F.; Qian, T.; Ding, H.

2018-04-01

Topological Dirac and Weyl semimetals not only host quasiparticles analogous to the elementary fermionic particles in high-energy physics, but also have a non-trivial band topology manifested by gapless surface states, which induce exotic surface Fermi arcs1,2. Recent advances suggest new types of topological semimetal, in which spatial symmetries protect gapless electronic excitations without high-energy analogues3-11. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we observe triply degenerate nodal points near the Fermi level of tungsten carbide with space group P 6 ¯m 2 (no. 187), in which the low-energy quasiparticles are described as three-component fermions distinct from Dirac and Weyl fermions. We further observe topological surface states, whose constant-energy contours constitute pairs of `Fermi arcs' connecting to the surface projections of the triply degenerate nodal points, proving the non-trivial topology of the newly identified semimetal state.

Integrating Condensed Matter Physics into a Liberal Arts Physics Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collett, Jeffrey

2008-03-01

The emergence of nanoscale science into the popular consciousness presents an opportunity to attract and retain future condensed matter scientists. We inject nanoscale physics into recruiting activities and into the introductory and the core portions of the curriculum. Laboratory involvement and research opportunity play important roles in maintaining student engagement. We use inexpensive scanning tunneling (STM) and atomic force (AFM) microscopes to introduce students to nanoscale structure early in their college careers. Although the physics of tip-surface interactions is sophisticated, the resulting images can be interpreted intuitively. We use the STM in introductory modern physics to explore quantum tunneling and the properties of electrons at surfaces. An interdisciplinary course in nanoscience and nanotechnology course team-taught with chemists looks at nanoscale phenomena in physics, chemistry, and biology. Core quantum and statistical physics courses look at effects of quantum mechanics and quantum statistics in degenerate systems. An upper level solid-state physics course takes up traditional condensed matter topics from a structural perspective by beginning with a study of both elastic and inelastic scattering of x-rays from crystalline solids and liquid crystals. Students encounter reciprocal space concepts through the analysis of laboratory scattering data and by the development of the scattering theory. The course then examines the importance of scattering processes in band structure and in electrical and thermal conduction. A segment of the course is devoted to surface physics and nanostructures where we explore the effects of restricting particles to two-dimensional surfaces, one-dimensional wires, and zero-dimensional quantum dots.

30 CFR 921.700 - Massachusetts Federal program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... INTERIOR PROGRAMS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS WITHIN EACH STATE MASSACHUSETTS § 921.700... the nature of Massachusetts' terrain, climate, biological, chemical or other relevant physical...

30 CFR 921.700 - Massachusetts Federal program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... INTERIOR PROGRAMS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS WITHIN EACH STATE MASSACHUSETTS § 921.700... the nature of Massachusetts' terrain, climate, biological, chemical or other relevant physical...

30 CFR 921.700 - Massachusetts Federal program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... INTERIOR PROGRAMS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS WITHIN EACH STATE MASSACHUSETTS § 921.700... the nature of Massachusetts' terrain, climate, biological, chemical or other relevant physical...

30 CFR 921.700 - Massachusetts Federal program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... INTERIOR PROGRAMS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS WITHIN EACH STATE MASSACHUSETTS § 921.700... the nature of Massachusetts' terrain, climate, biological, chemical or other relevant physical...

Prediction of composites behavior undergoing an ATP process through data-mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Clara Argerich; Collado, Angel Leon; Pinillo, Rubén Ibañez; Barasinski, Anaïs; Abisset-Chavanne, Emmanuelle; Chinesta, Francisco

2018-05-01

The need to characterize composite surfaces for distinct mechanical or physical processes leads to different manners of evaluate the state of the surface. During many manufacturing processes deformation occurs, thus hindering composite classification for fabrication processes. In this work we focus on the challenge of a priori identifying the surfaces' behavior in order to optimize manufacturing. We will propose and validate the curvature of the surface as a reliable parameter and we will develop a tool that allows the prediction of the surface behavior.

2011 Dynamics at Surfaces Gordon Research Conference (August 7-12, 2011, Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greg Sitz

2011-08-12

The 2011 Gordon Conference on Dynamics at Surfaces is the 32nd anniversary of a meeting held every two years that is attended by leading researchers in the area of experimental and theoretical dynamics at liquid and solid surfaces. The conference focuses on the dynamics of the interaction of molecules with either liquid or solid surfaces, the dynamics of the outermost layer of liquid and solid surfaces and the dynamics at the liquid-solid interface. Specific topics that are featured include state-to-state scattering dynamics, chemical reaction dynamics, non-adiabatic effects in reactive and inelastic scattering of molecules from surfaces, single molecule dynamics atmore » surfaces, surface photochemistry, ultrafast dynamics at surfaces, and dynamics at water interfaces. The conference brings together investigators from a variety of scientific disciplines including chemistry, physics, materials science, geology, biophysics, and astronomy.« less

3-D High-Lift Flow-Physics Experiment - Transition Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGinley, Catherine B.; Jenkins, Luther N.; Watson, Ralph D.; Bertelrud, Arild

2005-01-01

An analysis of the flow state on a trapezoidal wing model from the NASA 3-D High Lift Flow Physics Experiment is presented. The objective of the experiment was to characterize the flow over a non-proprietary semi-span three-element high-lift configuration to aid in assessing the state of the art in the computation of three-dimensional high-lift flows. Surface pressures and hot-film sensors are used to determine the flow conditions on the slat, main, and flap. The locations of the attachments lines and the values of the attachment line Reynolds number are estimated based on the model surface pressures. Data from the hot-films are used to determine if the flow is laminar, transitional, or turbulent by examining the hot-film time histories, statistics, and frequency spectra.

Surface Plasmon States in Inhomogeneous Media at Critical and Subcritical Metal Concentrations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seal, Katyayani; Genov, Dentcho A.

Semicontinuous metal-dielectric films are composed of a wide range of metal clusters of various geometries—sizes as well as structures. This ensures that at any given wavelength of incident radiation, clusters exist in the film that will respond resonantly, akin to resonating nanoantennas, resulting in the broad optical response (absorption) that is a characteristic of semicontinuous films. The physics of the surface plasmon states that are supported by such systems is complex and can involve both localized and propagating plasmons. This chapter describes near-field experimental and numerical studies of the surface plasmon states in semicontinuous films at critical and subcritical metalmore » concentrations and evaluates the local field intensity statistics to discuss the interplay between various eigenmodes.« less

A novel phenomenological multi-physics model of Li-ion battery cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Ki-Yong; Samad, Nassim A.; Kim, Youngki; Siegel, Jason B.; Stefanopoulou, Anna G.; Epureanu, Bogdan I.

2016-09-01

A novel phenomenological multi-physics model of Lithium-ion battery cells is developed for control and state estimation purposes. The model can capture electrical, thermal, and mechanical behaviors of battery cells under constrained conditions, e.g., battery pack conditions. Specifically, the proposed model predicts the core and surface temperatures and reaction force induced from the volume change of battery cells because of electrochemically- and thermally-induced swelling. Moreover, the model incorporates the influences of changes in preload and ambient temperature on the force considering severe environmental conditions electrified vehicles face. Intensive experimental validation demonstrates that the proposed multi-physics model accurately predicts the surface temperature and reaction force for a wide operational range of preload and ambient temperature. This high fidelity model can be useful for more accurate and robust state of charge estimation considering the complex dynamic behaviors of the battery cell. Furthermore, the inherent simplicity of the mechanical measurements offers distinct advantages to improve the existing power and thermal management strategies for battery management.

Observations of NEA 1998 QE2 with the SMA and VLA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Bryan J.; Gurwell, M. A.; Moullet, A.

2013-10-01

Long wavelength (submm to cm) observations of NEAs are an important tool in their physical characterization. Such observations offer a unique probe into the subsurfaces of these bodies, to depths of 10's of cm, and reveal the surface and near-surface temperatures. These temperatures are critical in constraining the magnitude of the Yarkovsky effect, which is important for these small bodies in the inner solar system as it forces orbital drift [1]. Such observations also probe the physical state of the material in the upper layer of the NEAs; notably the thermal inertia. This is a strong indicator of bulk surface properties and can be utilized to distinguish rocky from porous surfaces. Very low thermal inertia may also indicate "rubble pile" type internal structure in NEAs [2]. Asteroid 1998 QE2 approached to within 0.04 AU on June 1, 2013; its closest approach in two centuries. With a diameter of ~2.5 km [3], it was a relatively bright target for radio wavelength observations, even given the weakness of the emission at those wavelengths (10's of microJy in the cm to 100's of milliJy in the submm). We used the SubMillimeter Array (SMA) and Very Large Array (VLA) to observe the asteroid from wavelengths of 1 mm to 7 cm. We will present the observed brightness temperatures as a function of wavelength, and implications for temperature and physical state of the surface and near-surface. [1] Delbo et al. 2007, Icarus, 190, 236. [2] Muller et al. 2007, IAUS 236, 261. [3] Trilling et al. 2010, AJ, 140, 770.

Superconductivity in doped Dirac semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, Tatsuki; Kobayashi, Shingo; Tanaka, Yukio; Sato, Masatoshi

2016-07-01

We theoretically study intrinsic superconductivity in doped Dirac semimetals. Dirac semimetals host bulk Dirac points, which are formed by doubly degenerate bands, so the Hamiltonian is described by a 4 ×4 matrix and six types of k -independent pair potentials are allowed by the Fermi-Dirac statistics. We show that the unique spin-orbit coupling leads to characteristic superconducting gap structures and d vectors on the Fermi surface and the electron-electron interaction between intra and interorbitals gives a novel phase diagram of superconductivity. It is found that when the interorbital attraction is dominant, an unconventional superconducting state with point nodes appears. To verify the experimental signature of possible superconducting states, we calculate the temperature dependence of bulk physical properties such as electronic specific heat and spin susceptibility and surface state. In the unconventional superconducting phase, either dispersive or flat Andreev bound states appear between point nodes, which leads to double peaks or a single peak in the surface density of states, respectively. As a result, possible superconducting states can be distinguished by combining bulk and surface measurements.

The physics and chemistry of graphene-on-surfaces.

PubMed

Zhao, Guoke; Li, Xinming; Huang, Meirong; Zhen, Zhen; Zhong, Yujia; Chen, Qiao; Zhao, Xuanliang; He, Yijia; Hu, Ruirui; Yang, Tingting; Zhang, Rujing; Li, Changli; Kong, Jing; Xu, Jian-Bin; Ruoff, Rodney S; Zhu, Hongwei

2017-07-31

Graphene has demonstrated great potential in next-generation electronics due to its unique two-dimensional structure and properties including a zero-gap band structure, high electron mobility, and high electrical and thermal conductivity. The integration of atom-thick graphene into a device always involves its interaction with a supporting substrate by van der Waals forces and other intermolecular forces or even covalent bonding, and this is critical to its real applications. Graphene films on different surfaces are expected to exhibit significant differences in their properties, which lead to changes in their morphology, electronic structure, surface chemistry/physics, and surface/interface states. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the surface/interface properties is of great importance. In this review, we describe the major "graphene-on-surface" structures and examine the roles of their properties and related phenomena in governing the overall performance for specific applications including optoelectronics, surface catalysis, anti-friction and superlubricity, and coatings and composites. Finally, perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of graphene-on-surface systems are discussed.

Brookhaven highlights, October 1978-September 1979. [October 1978 to September 1979

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-01-01

These highlights present an overview of the major research and development achievements at Brookhaven National Laboratory from October 1978 to September 1979. Specific areas covered include: accelerator and high energy physics programs; high energy physics research; the AGS and improvements to the AGS; neutral beam development; heavy ion fusion; superconducting power cables; ISABELLE storage rings; the BNL Tandem accelerator; heavy ion experiments at the Tandem; the High Flux Beam Reactor; medium energy physics; nuclear theory; atomic and applied physics; solid state physics; neutron scattering studies; x-ray scattering studies; solid state theory; defects and disorder in solids; surface physics; the Nationalmore » Synchrotron Light Source ; Chemistry Department; Biology Department; Medical Department; energy sciences; environmental sciences; energy technology programs; National Center for Analysis of Energy Systems; advanced reactor systems; nuclear safety; National Nuclear Data Center; nuclear materials safeguards; Applied Mathematics Department; and support activities. (GHT)« less

Assessment of Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy Modes Inspecting Electron Confinement in Surface-Confined Supramolecular Networks

PubMed Central

Krenner, Wolfgang; Kühne, Dirk; Klappenberger, Florian; Barth, Johannes V.

2013-01-01

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) enables the local, energy-resolved investigation of a samples surface density of states (DOS) by measuring the differential conductance (dI/dV) being approximately proportional to the DOS. It is popular to examine the electronic structure of elementary samples by acquiring dI/dV maps under constant current conditions. Here we demonstrate the intricacy of STS mapping of samples exhibiting a strong corrugation originating from electronic density and local work function changes. The confinement of the Ag(111) surface state by a porous organic network is studied with maps obtained under constant-current (CC) as well as open-feedback-loop (OFL) conditions. We show how the CC maps deviate markedly from the physically more meaningful OFL maps. By applying a renormalization procedure to the OFL data we can mimic the spurious effects of the CC mode and thereby rationalize the physical effects evoking the artefacts in the CC maps. PMID:23503526

30 CFR 947.700 - Washington Federal program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... PROGRAMS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS WITHIN EACH STATE WASHINGTON § 947.700 Washington... necessary because of the nature of the terrain, climate, biological, chemical, or other relevant physical...

30 CFR 947.700 - Washington Federal program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PROGRAMS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS WITHIN EACH STATE WASHINGTON § 947.700 Washington... necessary because of the nature of the terrain, climate, biological, chemical, or other relevant physical...

30 CFR 947.700 - Washington Federal program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... PROGRAMS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS WITHIN EACH STATE WASHINGTON § 947.700 Washington... necessary because of the nature of the terrain, climate, biological, chemical, or other relevant physical...

30 CFR 947.700 - Washington Federal program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PROGRAMS FOR THE CONDUCT OF SURFACE MINING OPERATIONS WITHIN EACH STATE WASHINGTON § 947.700 Washington... necessary because of the nature of the terrain, climate, biological, chemical, or other relevant physical...

Physics through the 1990s: Condensed-matter physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The volume presents the current status of condensed-matter physics from developments since the 1970s to opportunities in the 1990s. Topics include electronic structure, vibrational properties, critical phenomena and phase transitions, magnetism, semiconductors, defects and diffusion, surfaces and interfaces, low-temperature physics, liquid-state physics, polymers, nonlinear dynamics, instabilities, and chaos. Appendices cover the connections between condensed-matter physics and applications of national interest, new experimental techniques and materials, laser spectroscopy, and national facilities for condensed-matter physics research. The needs of the research community regarding support for individual researchers and for national facilities are presented, as are recommendations for improved government-academic-industrial relations.

Solid State Division progress report for period ending March 31, 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Green, P.H.; Hinton, L.W.

1992-09-01

During this period, the division conducted a broad, interdisciplinary materials research program with emphasis on theoretical solid state physics, superconductivity, neutron scattering, synthesis and characterization of materials, ion beam and laser processing, and the structure of solids and surfaces. The High Flux Isotope Reactor was returned to full operation.

Smectic C liquid crystal growth through surface orientation by ZnxCd1-xSe thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katranchev, B.; Petrov, M.; Bineva, I.; Levi, Z.; Mineva, M.

2012-12-01

A smectic C liquid crystal (LC) texture, consisting of distinct local single crystals (DLSCs) was grown using predefined orientation of ternary nanocrystalline thin films of ZnxCd1-xSe. The surface morphology and orientation features of the ZnxCd1-xSe films were investigated by AFM measurements and micro-texture polarization analysis. The ZnxCd1-xSe surface causes a substantial enlargement of the smectic C DLSCs and induction of a surface bistable state. The specific character of the morphology of this coating leads to the decrease of the corresponding anchoring energy. Two new chiral states, not typical for this LC were indicated. The physical mechanism providing these new effects is presented.

Three-Dimensional Models of Topological Insulators: Engineering of Dirac Cones and Robustness of the Spin Texture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soriano, David; Ortmann, Frank; Roche, Stephan

2012-12-01

We design three-dimensional models of topological insulator thin films, showing a tunability of the odd number of Dirac cones driven by the atomic-scale geometry at the boundaries. A single Dirac cone at the Γ-point can be obtained as well as full suppression of quantum tunneling between Dirac states at geometrically differentiated surfaces. The spin texture of surface states changes from a spin-momentum-locking symmetry to a surface spin randomization upon the introduction of bulk disorder. These findings illustrate the richness of the Dirac physics emerging in thin films of topological insulators and may prove utile for engineering Dirac cones and for quantifying bulk disorder in materials with ultraclean surfaces.

Drive the Dirac electrons into Cooper pairs in SrxBi2Se3.

PubMed

Du, Guan; Shao, Jifeng; Yang, Xiong; Du, Zengyi; Fang, Delong; Wang, Jinghui; Ran, Kejing; Wen, Jinsheng; Zhang, Changjin; Yang, Huan; Zhang, Yuheng; Wen, Hai-Hu

2017-02-15

Topological superconductors are a very interesting and frontier topic in condensed matter physics. Despite the tremendous efforts in exploring topological superconductivity, its presence is however still under heavy debate. The Dirac electrons have been proven to exist on the surface of a topological insulator. It remains unclear whether and how the Dirac electrons fall into Cooper pairing in an intrinsic superconductor with the topological surface states. Here we show the systematic study of scanning tunnelling microscope/spectroscopy on the possible topological superconductor Sr x Bi 2 Se 3 . We first demonstrate that only the intercalated Sr atoms can induce superconductivity. Then we show the full superconducting gaps without any in-gap density of states as expected theoretically for a bulk topological superconductor. Finally, we find that the surface Dirac electrons will simultaneously condense into the superconducting state within the superconducting gap. This vividly demonstrates how the surface Dirac electrons are driven into Cooper pairs.

Surface modification of epoxy resin using He/CF4 atmospheric pressure plasma jet for flashover withstanding characteristics improvement in vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Sile; Wang, Shuai; Wang, Yibo; Guo, Baohong; Li, Guoqiang; Chang, Zhengshi; Zhang, Guan-Jun

2017-08-01

For enhancing the surface electric withstanding strength of insulating materials, epoxy resin (EP) samples are treated by atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) with different time interval from 0 to 300s. Helium (He) and tetrafluoromethane (CF4) mixtures are used as working gases with the concentration of CF4 ranging 0%-5%, and when CF4 is ∼3%, the APPJ exhibits an optimal steady state. The flashover withstanding characteristics of modified EP in vacuum are greatly improved under appropriate APPJ treatment conditions. The surface properties of EP samples are evaluated by surface roughness, scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle. It is considered that both physical and chemical effects lead to the enhancement of flashover strength. The physical effect is reflected in the increase of surface roughness, while the chemical effect is reflected in the graft of fluorine groups.

Modelling interstellar physics and chemistry: implications for surface and solid-state processes.

PubMed

Williams, David; Viti, Serena

2013-07-13

We discuss several types of regions in the interstellar medium of the Milky Way and other galaxies in which the chemistry appears to be influenced or dominated by surface and solid-state processes occurring on or in interstellar dust grains. For some of these processes, for example, the formation of H₂ molecules, detailed experimental and theoretical approaches have provided excellent fundamental data for incorporation into astrochemical models. In other cases, there is an astrochemical requirement for much more laboratory and computational study, and we highlight these needs in our description. Nevertheless, in spite of the limitations of the data, it is possible to infer from astrochemical modelling that surface and solid-state processes play a crucial role in astronomical chemistry from early epochs of the Universe up to the present day.

Auger mediated positron sticking on graphene and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirayath, V. A.; Chrysler, M.; McDonald, A.; Lim, Z.; Shastry, K.; Gladen, R.; Fairchild, A.; Koymen, A.; Weiss, A.

Positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES) measurements on 6-8 layers graphene grown on polycrystalline copper and the measurements on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) sample have indicated the presence of a bound surface state for positrons. Measurements carried out with positrons of kinetic energies lower than the electron work function for graphene or HOPG have shown emission of low energy electrons possible only through the Auger mediated positron sticking (AMPS) process. In this process the positron makes a transition from a positive energy scattering state to a bound surface state. The transition energy is coupled to a valence electron which may then have enough energy to get ejected from the sample surface. The positrons which are bound to surface state are highly localized in a direction perpendicular to surface and delocalized parallel to it which makes this process highly surface sensitive and can thus be used for characterizing graphene or graphite surfaces for open volume defects and surface impurities. The measurements have also shown an extremely large low energy tail for the C KVV Auger transition at 263eV indicative of another physical process for low energy emission. This work was supported by NSF Grant No. DMR 1508719 and DMR 1338130.

Realization of a Hole-Doped Mott Insulator on a Triangular Silicon Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ming, Fangfei; Johnston, Steve; Mulugeta, Daniel; Smith, Tyler S.; Vilmercati, Paolo; Lee, Geunseop; Maier, Thomas A.; Snijders, Paul C.; Weitering, Hanno H.

2017-12-01

The physics of doped Mott insulators is at the heart of some of the most exotic physical phenomena in materials research including insulator-metal transitions, colossal magnetoresistance, and high-temperature superconductivity in layered perovskite compounds. Advances in this field would greatly benefit from the availability of new material systems with a similar richness of physical phenomena but with fewer chemical and structural complications in comparison to oxides. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we show that such a system can be realized on a silicon platform. The adsorption of one-third monolayer of Sn atoms on a Si(111) surface produces a triangular surface lattice with half filled dangling bond orbitals. Modulation hole doping of these dangling bonds unveils clear hallmarks of Mott physics, such as spectral weight transfer and the formation of quasiparticle states at the Fermi level, well-defined Fermi contour segments, and a sharp singularity in the density of states. These observations are remarkably similar to those made in complex oxide materials, including high-temperature superconductors, but highly extraordinary within the realm of conventional s p -bonded semiconductor materials. It suggests that exotic quantum matter phases can be realized and engineered on silicon-based materials platforms.

On Critical States, Rupture States and Interlocking Strength of Granular Materials.

PubMed

Szalwinski, Chris M

2017-07-27

The Mohr-Coulomb theory of strength identifies cohesion and internal friction as the two principal contributions to the shear strength of a granular material. The contribution of cohesion in over-compacted granular materials has been challenged and replacing cohesion with interlocking has been proposed. A theory of rupture strength that includes interlocking is derived herein. The physics-chemistry concept of critical state is elaborated to accommodate granular materials, based on empirical definitions established in the fields of soil mechanics and bulk solids' flow. A surface in state space, called the critical compaction surface, separates over-compacted states from lightly compacted states. The intersection of this surface with the Mohr-Coulomb envelope forms the critical state surface for a granular material. The rupture strength of an over-compacted granular material is expressed as the sum of cohesion, internal friction and interlocking strength. Interlocking strength is the shear strength contribution due to over-compaction and vanishes at critical state. The theory allows migrations from one critical state to another. Changes in specific volume during such migrations are related to changes in mean-normal effective stress and uncoupled from changes in shearing strain. The theory is reviewed with respect to two established research programs and underlying assumptions are identified.

Weak localization effect in topological insulator micro flakes grown on insulating ferrimagnet BaFe12O19

PubMed Central

Zheng, Guolin; Wang, Ning; Yang, Jiyong; Wang, Weike; Du, Haifeng; Ning, Wei; Yang, Zhaorong; Lu, Hai-Zhou; Zhang, Yuheng; Tian, Mingliang

2016-01-01

Many exotic physics anticipated in topological insulators require a gap to be opened for their topological surface states by breaking time reversal symmetry. The gap opening has been achieved by doping magnetic impurities, which however inevitably create extra carriers and disorder that undermine the electronic transport. In contrast, the proximity to a ferromagnetic/ferrimagnetic insulator may improve the device quality, thus promises a better way to open the gap while minimizing the side-effects. Here, we grow thin single-crystal Sb1.9Bi0.1Te3 micro flakes on insulating ferrimagnet BaFe12O19 by using the van der Waals epitaxy technique. The micro flakes show a negative magnetoresistance in weak perpendicular fields below 50 K, which can be quenched by increasing temperature. The signature implies the weak localization effect as its origin, which is absent in intrinsic topological insulators, unless a surface state gap is opened. The surface state gap is estimated to be 10 meV by using the theory of the gap-induced weak localization effect. These results indicate that the magnetic proximity effect may open the gap for the topological surface attached to BaM insulating ferrimagnet. This heterostructure may pave the way for the realization of new physical effects as well as the potential applications of spintronics devices. PMID:26891682

Rydberg phases of Hydrogen and low energy nuclear reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olafsson, Sveinn; Holmlid, Leif

2016-03-01

For over the last 26 years the science of cold fusion/LENR has been researched around the world with slow pace of progress. Modest quantity of excess heat and signatures of nuclear transmutation and helium production have been confirmed in experiments and theoretical work has only resulted in a large flora of inadequate theoretical scenarios. Here we review current state of research in Rydberg matter of Hydrogen that is showing strong signature of nuclear processes. In the presentation experimental behavior of Rydberg matter of hydrogen is described. An extensive collaboration effort of surface physics, catalysis, atomic physics, solid state physics, nuclear physics and quantum information is need to tackle the surprising experimental results that have so far been obtained. Rydberg matter of Hydrogen is the only known state of matter that is able to bring huge collection of protons to so short distances and for so long time that tunneling becomes a reasonable process for making low energy nuclear reactions. Nuclear quantum entanglement can also become realistic process at theses conditions.

Ubiquitous formation of bulk Dirac cones and topological surface states from a single orbital manifold in transition-metal dichalcogenides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahramy, M. S.; Clark, O. J.; Yang, B.-J.; Feng, J.; Bawden, L.; Riley, J. M.; Marković, I.; Mazzola, F.; Sunko, V.; Biswas, D.; Cooil, S. P.; Jorge, M.; Wells, J. W.; Leandersson, M.; Balasubramanian, T.; Fujii, J.; Vobornik, I.; Rault, J. E.; Kim, T. K.; Hoesch, M.; Okawa, K.; Asakawa, M.; Sasagawa, T.; Eknapakul, T.; Meevasana, W.; King, P. D. C.

2018-01-01

Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are renowned for their rich and varied bulk properties, while their single-layer variants have become one of the most prominent examples of two-dimensional materials beyond graphene. Their disparate ground states largely depend on transition metal d-electron-derived electronic states, on which the vast majority of attention has been concentrated to date. Here, we focus on the chalcogen-derived states. From density-functional theory calculations together with spin- and angle-resolved photoemission, we find that these generically host a co-existence of type-I and type-II three-dimensional bulk Dirac fermions as well as ladders of topological surface states and surface resonances. We demonstrate how these naturally arise within a single p-orbital manifold as a general consequence of a trigonal crystal field, and as such can be expected across a large number of compounds. Already, we demonstrate their existence in six separate TMDs, opening routes to tune, and ultimately exploit, their topological physics.

Surface enhanced Raman scattering on Tardigrada--towards monitoring and imaging molecular structures in live cryptobiotic organisms.

PubMed

Kneipp, Harald; Møbjerg, Nadja; Jørgensen, Aslak; Bohr, Henrik G; Hélix-Nielsen, Claus; Kneipp, Janina; Kneipp, Katrin

2013-10-01

Tardigrades are microscopic metazoans which are able to survive extreme physical and chemical conditions by entering a stress tolerant state called cryptobiosis. At present, the molecular mechanisms behind cryptobiosis are still poorly understood. We show that surface enhanced Raman scattering supported by plasmonic gold nanoparticles can measure molecular constituents and their local distribution in live tardigrades. Surface enhanced Raman signatures allow to differentiate between two species and indicate molecular structural differences between tardigrades in water and in a dry state. This opens new avenues for exploring cryptobiosis by studying molecular changes in live cryptobiotic organisms. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Diffraction-assisted micropatterning of silicon surfaces by ns-laser irradiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haro-Poniatowski, E., E-mail: haro@xanum.uam.mx; Acosta-Zepeda, C.; Mecalco, G.

2014-06-14

Single-pulse (532 nm, 8 ns) micropatterning of silicon with nanometric surface modulation is demonstrated by irradiating through a diffracting pinhole. The irradiation results obtained at fluences above the melting threshold are characterized by scanning electron and scanning force microscopy and reveal a good agreement with Fresnel diffraction theory. The physical mechanism is identified and discussed on basis of both thermocapillary and chemicapillary induced material transport during the molten state of the surface.

Assessing uncertainty and sensitivity of model parameterizations and parameters in WRF affecting simulated surface fluxes and land-atmosphere coupling over the Amazon region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Y.; Wang, C.; Huang, M.; Berg, L. K.; Duan, Q.; Feng, Z.; Shrivastava, M. B.; Shin, H. H.; Hong, S. Y.

2016-12-01

This study aims to quantify the relative importance and uncertainties of different physical processes and parameters in affecting simulated surface fluxes and land-atmosphere coupling strength over the Amazon region. We used two-legged coupling metrics, which include both terrestrial (soil moisture to surface fluxes) and atmospheric (surface fluxes to atmospheric state or precipitation) legs, to diagnose the land-atmosphere interaction and coupling strength. Observations made using the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility during the GoAmazon field campaign together with satellite and reanalysis data are used to evaluate model performance. To quantify the uncertainty in physical parameterizations, we performed a 120 member ensemble of simulations with the WRF model using a stratified experimental design including 6 cloud microphysics, 3 convection, 6 PBL and surface layer, and 3 land surface schemes. A multiple-way analysis of variance approach is used to quantitatively analyze the inter- and intra-group (scheme) means and variances. To quantify parameter sensitivity, we conducted an additional 256 WRF simulations in which an efficient sampling algorithm is used to explore the multiple-dimensional parameter space. Three uncertainty quantification approaches are applied for sensitivity analysis (SA) of multiple variables of interest to 20 selected parameters in YSU PBL and MM5 surface layer schemes. Results show consistent parameter sensitivity across different SA methods. We found that 5 out of 20 parameters contribute more than 90% total variance, and first-order effects dominate comparing to the interaction effects. Results of this uncertainty quantification study serve as guidance for better understanding the roles of different physical processes in land-atmosphere interactions, quantifying model uncertainties from various sources such as physical processes, parameters and structural errors, and providing insights for improving the model physics parameterizations.

Topology and symmetry of surface Majorana arcs in cyclic superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizushima, Takeshi; Nitta, Muneto

2018-01-01

We study the topology and symmetry of surface Majorana arcs in superconductors with nonunitary "cyclic" pairing. Cyclic p -wave pairing may be realized in a cubic or tetrahedral crystal, while it is a candidate for the interior P32 superfluids of neutron stars. The cyclic state is an admixture of full gap and nodal gap with eight Weyl points and the low-energy physics is governed by itinerant Majorana fermions. We here show the evolution of surface states from Majorana cone to Majorana arcs under rotation of surface orientation. The Majorana cone is protected solely by an accidental spin rotation symmetry and fragile against spin-orbit coupling, while the arcs are attributed to two topological invariants: the first Chern number and one-dimensional winding number. Lastly, we discuss how topologically protected surface states inherent to the nonunitary cyclic pairing can be captured from surface probes in candidate compounds, such as U1 -xThxBe13 . We examine tunneling conductance spectra for two competitive scenarios in U1 -xThxBe13 —the degenerate Eu scenario and the accidental scenario.

Communication: transition state theory for dissipative systems without a dividing surface.

PubMed

Revuelta, F; Bartsch, Thomas; Benito, R M; Borondo, F

2012-03-07

Transition state theory is a central cornerstone in reaction dynamics. Its key step is the identification of a dividing surface that is crossed only once by all reactive trajectories. This assumption is often badly violated, especially when the reactive system is coupled to an environment. The calculations made in this way then overestimate the reaction rate and the results depend critically on the choice of the dividing surface. In this Communication, we study the phase space of a stochastically driven system close to an energetic barrier in order to identify the geometric structure unambiguously determining the reactive trajectories, which is then incorporated in a simple rate formula for reactions in condensed phase that is both independent of the dividing surface and exact. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

Black Hole on a Chip: Proposal for a Physical Realization of the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model in a Solid-State System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pikulin, D. I.; Franz, M.

2017-07-01

A system of Majorana zero modes with random infinite-range interactions—the Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model—is thought to exhibit an intriguing relation to the horizons of extremal black holes in two-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. This connection provides a rare example of holographic duality between a solvable quantum-mechanical model and dilaton gravity. Here, we propose a physical realization of the SYK model in a solid-state system. The proposed setup employs the Fu-Kane superconductor realized at the interface between a three-dimensional topological insulator and an ordinary superconductor. The requisite N Majorana zero modes are bound to a nanoscale hole fabricated in the superconductor that is threaded by N quanta of magnetic flux. We show that when the system is tuned to the surface neutrality point (i.e., chemical potential coincident with the Dirac point of the topological insulator surface state) and the hole has sufficiently irregular shape, the Majorana zero modes are described by the SYK Hamiltonian. We perform extensive numerical simulations to demonstrate that the system indeed exhibits physical properties expected of the SYK model, including thermodynamic quantities and two-point as well as four-point correlators, and discuss ways in which these can be observed experimentally.

Factors controlling threshold friction velocity in semiarid and arid areas of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marticorena, Beatrice; Bergametti, G.; Belnap, Jayne

1997-01-01

A physical model was developed to explain threshold friction velocities u*t for particles of the size 60a??120 I?m lying on a rough surface in loose soils for semiarid and arid parts of the United States. The model corrected for the effect of momentum absorption by the nonerodible roughness. For loose or disturbed soils the most important parameter that controls u*t is the aerodynamic roughness height z 0. For physical crusts damaged by wind the size of erodible crust pieces is important along with the roughness. The presence of cyanobacteriallichen soil crusts roughens the surface, and the biological fibrous growth aggregates soil particles. Only undisturbed sandy soils and disturbed soils of all types would be expected to be erodible in normal wind storms. Therefore disturbance of soils by both cattle and humans is very important in predicting wind erosion as confirmed by our measurements.

Frontiers in Chemical Physics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowlan, Pamela Renee

2016-05-02

These are slides dealing with frontiers in chemical physics. The following topics are covered: Time resolving chemistry with ultrashort pulses in the 0.1-40 THz spectral range; Example: Mid-infrared absorption spectrum of the intermediate state CH 2OO; Tracking reaction dynamics through changes in the spectra; Single-shot measurement of the mid-IR absorption dynamics; Applying 2D coherent mid-IR spectroscopy to learn more about transition states; Time resolving chemical reactions at a catalysis using mid-IR and THz pulses; Studying topological insulators requires a surface sensitive probe; Nonlinear phonon dynamics in Bi 2Se 3; THz-pump, SHG-probe as a surface sensitive coherent 2D spectroscopy; Nanometer andmore » femtosecond spatiotemporal resolution mid-IR spectroscopy; Coherent two-dimensional THz/mid-IR spectroscopy with 10nm spatial resolution; Pervoskite oxides as catalysts; Functionalized graphene for catalysis; Single-shot spatiotemporal measurements; Spatiotemporal pulse measurement; Intense, broad-band THz/mid-IR generation with organic crystals.« less

Nature of the Surface and Its Effect on Solid-state Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georges, J. M.

1984-01-01

An important aspect of the friction and wear of solids is the nature and the mechanical behavior of the surface films. A description of the mechanical, physical, and chemical behavior of surface films is achieved by an investigation of boundary lubrication. Two major points are demonstrated. First, the sliding of two solid surfaces under boundary lubricating conditions creates third bodies in the interface. Second, the nature and the evolution of the interface are dictated by the colloidal behavior of the products generated. To illustrate these two propositions, some recent work is presented.

On physical changes on surface of human cervical epithelial cells during cancer transformations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolov, Igor; Dokukin, Maxim; Guz, Nataliia; Woodworth, Craig

2013-03-01

Physical changes of the cell surface of cells during transformation from normal to cancerous state are rather poorly studied. Here we describe our recent studies of such changes done on human cervical epithelial cells during their transformation from normal through infected with human papillomavirus type-16 (HPV-16), immortalized (precancerous), to cancerous cells. The changes were studied with the help of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and through the measurement of physical adhesion of fluorescent silica beads to the cell surface. Based on the adhesion experiments, we clearly see the difference in nonspecific adhesion which occurs at the stage of immortalization of cells, precancerous cells. The analysis done with the help of AFM shows that the difference observed comes presumably from the alteration of the cellular ``brush,'' a layer that surrounds cells and which consists of mostly microvilli, microridges, and glycocalyx. Further AFM analysis reveals the emergence of fractal scaling behavior on the surface of cells when normal cells turn into cancerous. The possible causes and potential significance of these observations will be discussed.

Influence of crystal habit on trimethoprim suspension formulation.

PubMed

Tiwary, A K; Panpalia, G M

1999-02-01

The role of crystal habit in influencing the physical stability and pharmacokinetics of trimethoprim suspensions was examined. Different habits for trimethoprim (TMP) were obtained by recrystallizing the commercial sample (PD) utilizing solvent-change precipitation method. Four distinct habits (microscopic observation) belonging to the same polymorphic state (DSC studies) were selected for studies. Preformulation and formulation studies were carried out on suspension dosage forms containing these crystals. The freshly prepared suspensions were also evaluated for their pharmacokinetic behaviour on healthy human volunteers using a cross over study. Variation of crystallization conditions produces different habits of TMP. Among the different crystal habits exhibiting same polymorphic state, the most anisometric crystal showed best physical stability in terms of sedimentation volume and redispersibility. However, habit did not significantly affect the extent of TMP excreted in urine. Modification of surface morphology without significantly altering the polymorphic state can be utilized for improving physical stability of TMP suspensions. However, the pharmacokinetic profile remains unaltered.

Ab initio study of the electron-phonon coupling at the Cr(001) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, L.; Rudenko, A. N.; Katsnelson, M. I.

2018-04-01

It is experimentally well established that the Cr(001) surface exhibits a sharp resonance around the Fermi level. However, there is no consensus about its physical origin. It is proposed to be either due to a single particle dz2 surface state renormalized by electron-phonon coupling or the orbital Kondo effect involving the degenerate dx z/ dy z states. In this paper we examine the electron-phonon coupling of the Cr(001) surface by means of ab-initio calculations in the form of density functional perturbation theory. More precisely, the electron-phonon mass-enhancement factor of the surface layer is investigated for the 3d states. For the majority and minority spin dz2 surface states we find values of 0.19 and 0.16. We show that these calculated electron-phonon mass-enhancement factors are not in agreement with the experimental data even if we use realistic values for the temperature range and surface Debye frequency for the fit of the experimental data. More precisely, then experimentally an electron-phonon mass-enhancement factor of 0.70 ±0.10 is obtained, which is not in agreement with our calculated values of 0.19 and 0.16. Our findings suggest that the experimentally observed resonance at the Cr(001) surface is not due to electron-phonon effects but due to electron-electron correlation effects.

Applicability of Satellite Freeze Forecasting and Cold Climate Mapping to the Other Parts of the United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Tasks performed to determine the value of using GOES satellite thermal imagery to enhance fruit crop production in Michigan are described. An overview is presented of the system developed for image processing and thermal image and surface environmental data bases prepared to assess the physical models developed in Florida. These data bases were used to identify correlations between satellite apparent temperatures patterns and Earth surface factors. Significant freeze events in 1981 and the physical models used to provide a perspective on how Florida models can be applied in the context of the Michigan environment are discussed.

Effect of PF impregnation and surface densification on the mechanical properties of small-scale wood laminated poles

Treesearch

Huaqiang Yu; Chung Y. Hse; Zehui Jiang

2009-01-01

The wood poles in the United States are from high-valued trees that are becoming more expensive and less available. Wood laminated composite poles (LCP) are a kind of alternative to solid poles. Considerable interest has developed in last century in the resin impregnation and wood surface densification to improve its physical and mechanical properties. In this...

Observation of a well-defined hybridization gap and in-gap states on the SmB6 (001) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhixiang; Maldonado, Ana; Paz, Wendel S.; Inosov, Dmytro S.; Schnyder, Andreas P.; Palacios, J. J.; Shitsevalova, Natalya Yu.; Filipov, Vladimir B.; Wahl, Peter

2018-06-01

The rise of topology in condensed-matter physics has generated strong interest in identifying novel quantum materials in which topological protection is driven by electronic correlations. Samarium hexaboride is a Kondo insulator for which it has been proposed that a band inversion between 5 d and 4 f bands gives rise to topologically protected surface states. However, unambiguous proof of the existence and topological nature of these surface states is still missing, and its low-energy electronic structure is still not fully established. Here we present a study of samarium hexaboride by ultralow-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. We obtain clear atomically resolved topographic images of the sample surface. Our tunneling spectra reveal signatures of a hybridization gap with a size of about 8 meV and with a reduction of the differential conductance inside the gap by almost half, and surprisingly, several strong resonances below the Fermi level. The spatial variations of the energy of the resonances point toward a microscopic variation of the electronic states by the different surface terminations. High-resolution tunneling spectra acquired at 100 mK reveal a splitting of the Kondo resonance, possibly due to the crystal electric field.

Extremely large nonsaturating magnetoresistance and ultrahigh mobility due to topological surface states in the metallic Bi2Te3 topological insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, K.; Chou, M.; Graf, D.; Yang, H. D.; Lorenz, B.; Chu, C. W.

2017-05-01

Weak antilocalization (WAL) effects in Bi2Te3 single crystals have been investigated at high and low bulk charge-carrier concentrations. At low charge-carrier density the WAL curves scale with the normal component of the magnetic field, demonstrating the dominance of topological surface states in magnetoconductivity. At high charge-carrier density the WAL curves scale with neither the applied field nor its normal component, implying a mixture of bulk and surface conduction. WAL due to topological surface states shows no dependence on the nature (electrons or holes) of the bulk charge carriers. The observations of an extremely large nonsaturating magnetoresistance and ultrahigh mobility in the samples with lower carrier density further support the presence of surface states. The physical parameters characterizing the WAL effects are calculated using the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka formula. At high charge-carrier concentrations, there is a greater number of conduction channels and a decrease in the phase coherence length compared to low charge-carrier concentrations. The extremely large magnetoresistance and high mobility of topological insulators have great technological value and can be exploited in magnetoelectric sensors and memory devices.

Water Quality Records in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

1964-01-01

The quality-of-water investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey are concerned with the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground water supplies of the Nation in conjunction with water usage and its availability. The basic records for the 1964 water year for quality of surface waters within the State of California are given in this report. For convenience and interest there are also records for a few water quality stations in bordering States. The data were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of Eugene Brown, district chemist, Quality of Water Branch.

Quality of waters in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1963-01-01

The quality-of-water investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey are concerned with the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground water supplies of the nation in conjunction with water usage and its availability. The basic records for the 1963 water year for quality of surface waters within the State of California are given in this report. For convenience and interest there are also records for a few water quality stations in bordering states. The data were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of Eugene Brown, district chemist, Quality of Water Branch.

Antibonding ground state of adatom molecules in bulk Dirac semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marques, Y.; Obispo, A. E.; Ricco, L. S.; de Souza, M.; Shelykh, I. A.; Seridonio, A. C.

2017-07-01

The ground state of the diatomic molecules in nature is inevitably bonding, and its first excited state is antibonding. We demonstrate theoretically that, for a pair of distant adatoms placed buried in three-dimensional-Dirac semimetals, this natural order of the states can be reversed and an antibonding ground state occurs at the lowest energy of the so-called bound states in the continuum. We propose an experimental protocol with the use of a scanning tunneling microscope tip to visualize the topographic map of the local density of states on the surface of the system to reveal the emerging physics.

Select strengths and biases of models in representing the Arctic winter boundary layer over sea ice: the Larcform 1 single column model intercomparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pithan, Felix; Ackerman, Andrew; Angevine, Wayne M.; Hartung, Kerstin; Ickes, Luisa; Kelley, Maxwell; Medeiros, Brian; Sandu, Irina; Steeneveld, Gert-Jan; Sterk, H. A. M.; Svensson, Gunilla; Vaillancourt, Paul A.; Zadra, Ayrton

2016-09-01

Weather and climate models struggle to represent lower tropospheric temperature and moisture profiles and surface fluxes in Arctic winter, partly because they lack or misrepresent physical processes that are specific to high latitudes. Observations have revealed two preferred states of the Arctic winter boundary layer. In the cloudy state, cloud liquid water limits surface radiative cooling, and temperature inversions are weak and elevated. In the radiatively clear state, strong surface radiative cooling leads to the build-up of surface-based temperature inversions. Many large-scale models lack the cloudy state, and some substantially underestimate inversion strength in the clear state. Here, the transformation from a moist to a cold dry air mass is modeled using an idealized Lagrangian perspective. The trajectory includes both boundary layer states, and the single-column experiment is the first Lagrangian Arctic air formation experiment (Larcform 1) organized within GEWEX GASS (Global atmospheric system studies). The intercomparison reproduces the typical biases of large-scale models: some models lack the cloudy state of the boundary layer due to the representation of mixed-phase microphysics or to the interaction between micro- and macrophysics. In some models, high emissivities of ice clouds or the lack of an insulating snow layer prevent the build-up of surface-based inversions in the radiatively clear state. Models substantially disagree on the amount of cloud liquid water in the cloudy state and on turbulent heat fluxes under clear skies. Observations of air mass transformations including both boundary layer states would allow for a tighter constraint of model behavior.

Physical Model Study of Cross Vanes and Ice

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

spacing since, in the pre-scour state, experiments and the HEC - RAS hydraulic model (USACE 2002b) found that water surface ele- vation merged with the...docs/eng-manuals/em1110- 2-1612/toc.htm. USACE (2002b) HEC - RAS , Hydraulic Reference Manual. US Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center...Currently little design guidance is available for constructing these structures on ice-affected rivers . This study used physical and numerical

Drive the Dirac electrons into Cooper pairs in SrxBi2Se3

PubMed Central

Du, Guan; Shao, Jifeng; Yang, Xiong; Du, Zengyi; Fang, Delong; Wang, Jinghui; Ran, Kejing; Wen, Jinsheng; Zhang, Changjin; Yang, Huan; Zhang, Yuheng; Wen, Hai-Hu

2017-01-01

Topological superconductors are a very interesting and frontier topic in condensed matter physics. Despite the tremendous efforts in exploring topological superconductivity, its presence is however still under heavy debate. The Dirac electrons have been proven to exist on the surface of a topological insulator. It remains unclear whether and how the Dirac electrons fall into Cooper pairing in an intrinsic superconductor with the topological surface states. Here we show the systematic study of scanning tunnelling microscope/spectroscopy on the possible topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3. We first demonstrate that only the intercalated Sr atoms can induce superconductivity. Then we show the full superconducting gaps without any in-gap density of states as expected theoretically for a bulk topological superconductor. Finally, we find that the surface Dirac electrons will simultaneously condense into the superconducting state within the superconducting gap. This vividly demonstrates how the surface Dirac electrons are driven into Cooper pairs. PMID:28198378

Spatial Charge Inhomogeneity and Defect States in Topological Dirac Semimetal Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edmonds, Mark; Collins, James; Hellerstedt, Jack; Yudhistira, Indra; Rodrigues, Joao Nuno Barbosa; Gomes, Lidia Carvalho; Adam, Shaffique; Fuhrer, Michael

Dirac materials are characterized by a charge neutrality point, where the system breaks into electron/hole puddles. In graphene, substrate disorder drives fluctuations in EF, necessitating ultra-clean substrates to observe Dirac point physics. Three-dimensional topological Dirac semimetals (TDS) obviate the substrate, and should show reduced EF fluctuations due to better metallic screening and higher dielectric constants. Yet, the local response of the charge carriers in a TDS to various perturbations has yet to be explored. Here we map the potential fluctuations in TDS 20nm Na3Bi films grown via MBE using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy. The potential fluctuations are significantly smaller than room temperature (ΔEF 5 meV = 60 K) and comparable to the highest quality graphene on h-BN; far smaller than graphene on SiO2,or the Dirac surface state of a topological insulator. This observation bodes well for exploration of Dirac point physics in TDS materials. Furthermore, surface Na vacancies show a bound resonance state close to the Dirac point with large spatial extent, a possible analogue to resonant impurities in graphene.

Electronically non-adiabatic interactions of molecules at metal surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wodtke, Alec M.; Tully, John C.; Auerbach, Daniel J.

When neutral molecules with low levels of vibrational excitation collide at metal surfaces, vibrational coupling to electron-hole pairs (EHPs) is not thought to be strong unless incidence energies are high. However, there is accumulating evidence that coupling of large-amplitude molecular vibration to metallic electron degrees of freedom can be much stronger even at the lowest accessible incidence energies. As reaching a chemical transition-state also involves large-amplitude vibrational motion, we pose the basic question: are electronically non-adiabatic couplings important at transition states of reactions at metal surfaces? We have indirect evidence in at least one example that the dynamics and rates of chemical reactions at metal surfaces may be strongly influenced by electronically non-adiabatic coupling. This implies that theoretical approaches relying on the Born-Oppenheimer approximation (BOA) may not accurately reflect the nature of transition-state traversal in reactions of catalytic importance. Developing a predictive understanding of surface reactivity beyond the BOA represents one of the most important challenges to current research in physical chemistry. This article reviews the experimental evidence and underlying theoretical framework concerning these and related topics.

Plasma effect on weld pool surface reconstruction by shape-from-polarization analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coniglio, N.; Mathieu, A., E-mail: alexandre.mathieu@u-bourgogne.fr; Aubreton, O.

2014-03-31

The polarimetric state of the thermal radiations emitted by the weld metal contains geometric information about the emitting surface. Even though the analysed thermal radiation has a wavelength corresponding to a blind spectral window of the arc plasma, the physical presence of the arc plasma itself interferes with the rays radiated by the weld pool surface before attaining the polarimeter, thus modifying the geometric information transported by the ray. In the present work, the effect of the arc plasma-surrounding zone on the polarimetric state and propagation direction of the radiated ray is analyzed. The interaction with the arc plasma zonemore » induces a drop in ray intensity and a refraction of ray optical path.« less

Charge Retention by Monodisperse Gold Clusters on Surfaces Prepared Using Soft Landing of Mass Selected Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Grant; Priest, Thomas; Laskin, Julia

2012-02-01

Monodisperse gold clusters have been prepared on surfaces in different charge states through soft landing of mass-selected ions. Gold clusters were synthesized in methanol solution by reduction of a gold precursor with a weak reducing agent in the presence of a diphosphine capping ligand. Electrospray ionization was used to introduce the clusters into the gas-phase and mass-selection was employed to isolate a single ionic cluster species which was delivered to surfaces at well controlled kinetic energies. Using in-situ time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) it is demonstrated that the cluster retains its 3+ charge state when soft landed onto the surface of a fluorinated self assembled monolayer on gold. In contrast, when deposited onto carboxylic acid terminated and conventional alkyl thiol surfaces on gold the clusters exhibit larger relative abundances of the 2+ and 1+ charge states, respectively. The kinetics of charge reduction on the surface have been investigated using in-situ Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance SIMS. It is shown that an extremely slow interfacial charge reduction occurs on the fluorinated monolayer surface while an almost instantaneous neutralization takes place on the surface of the alkyl thiol monolayer. Our results demonstrate that the size and charge state of small gold clusters on surfaces, both of which exert a dramatic influence on their chemical and physical properties, may be tuned through soft landing of mass-selected ions onto selected substrates.

Physical and Chemical Behaviors of HCl on Ice Surface: Insights from an XPS and NEXAFS Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, X.; Waldner, A.; Orlando, F.; Birrer, M.; Artiglia, L.; Ammann, M.; Bartels-Rausch, T.

2016-12-01

Ice and snow play active roles for the water cycle, the energy budget of the Earth, and environmental chemistry in the atmosphere and cryosphere. Trace gases can be taken up by ice, and physical and chemical fates of the impurities could modify surface properties significantly and consequently influence atmospheric chemistry and the climate system. However, the understanding of chemical behaviour of impurities on ice surface are very poor, which is largely limited by the difficulties to apply high sensitivity experimental approaches to ambient air conditions, e.g. studies of volatile surfaces, because of the strict requirements of vacuum experimental conditions. In this study, we employed synchrotron-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and partial electron yield Near Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) in a state-of-the-art near-ambient pressure photoelectron (NAPP) spectroscopy end station. The NAPP enables to utilize the surface sensitive experimental methods, XPS and NEXAFS, on volatile surfaces, i.e. ice at temperatures approaching 0°C. XPS and NEXAFS together provide unique information of hydrogen bonding network, dopants surface concentration, dopant depth profile, and acidic dissociation on the surfaces1. Taking the advantages of the highly sensitive techniques, the adsorption, dissociation and depth profile of Hydrogen Chloride (HCl) on ice were studied. In brief, two states of Chloride on ice surface are identified from the adsorbed HCl, and they are featured with different depth profiles along the ice layers. Combining our results and previously reported constants from literatures (e.g. HCl diffusion coefficients in ice)2, a layered kinetic model has been constructed to fit the depth profiles of two states of Chloride. On the other side, pure ice and doped ice are compared for their surface structure change caused by temperature and the presence of HCl, which shows how the strong acid affect the ice surface in turn. 1. Orlando, F., et al., Top Catal 2016, 59, 591-604. 2. Huthwelker, T.; Malmstrom, M. E.; Helleis, F.; Moortgat, G. K.; Peter, T., J Phys Chem A 2004, 108, 6302-6318.

Higher-order topological insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalaf, Eslam

2018-05-01

We study surface states of topological crystalline insulators and superconductors protected by inversion symmetry. These fall into the category of "higher-order" topological insulators and superconductors which possess surface states that propagate along one-dimensional curves (hinges) or are localized at some points (corners) on the surface. We provide a complete classification of inversion-protected higher-order topological insulators and superconductors in any spatial dimension for the 10 symmetry classes by means of a layer construction. We discuss possible physical realizations of such states starting with a time-reversal-invariant topological insulator (class AII) in three dimensions or a time-reversal-invariant topological superconductor (class DIII) in two or three dimensions. The former exhibits one-dimensional chiral or helical modes propagating along opposite edges, whereas the latter hosts Majorana zero modes localized to two opposite corners. Being protected by inversion, such states are not pinned to a specific pair of edges or corners, thus offering the possibility of controlling their location by applying inversion-symmetric perturbations such as magnetic field.

Sea State and Boundary Layer Physics of the Emerging Arctic Ocean

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

meteorological stations; weather observations; upper-air (rawinsondes, balloons and tethered kit); turbulent fluxes; radiation; surface temperature...remote sensing, in-field remote sensing will be employed, using small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), balloons , and manned aircraft (funded by other

Simultaneous Magnetic and Charge Doping of Topological Insulators with Carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Lei; Zeng, Minggang; Lu, Yunhao; Yang, Ming; Feng, Yuan Ping

2013-12-01

A two-step doping process, magnetic followed by charge or vice versa, is required to produce massive topological surface states (TSS) in topological insulators for many physics and device applications. Here, we demonstrate simultaneous magnetic and hole doping achieved with a single dopant, carbon, in Bi2Se3 by first-principles calculations. Carbon substitution for Se (CSe) results in an opening of a sizable surface Dirac gap (up to 82 meV), while the Fermi level remains inside the bulk gap and close to the Dirac point at moderate doping concentrations. The strong localization of 2p states of CSe favors spontaneous spin polarization via a p-p interaction and formation of ordered magnetic moments mediated by surface states. Meanwhile, holes are introduced into the system by CSe. This dual function of carbon doping suggests a simple way to realize insulating massive TSS.

The Hydrological Sensitivity to Global Warming and Solar Geoengineering Derived from Thermodynamic Constraints

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kleidon, Alex; Kravitz, Benjamin S.; Renner, Maik

2015-01-16

We derive analytic expressions of the transient response of the hydrological cycle to surface warming from an extremely simple energy balance model in which turbulent heat fluxes are constrained by the thermodynamic limit of maximum power. For a given magnitude of steady-state temperature change, this approach predicts the transient response as well as the steady-state change in surface energy partitioning and the hydrologic cycle. We show that the transient behavior of the simple model as well as the steady state hydrological sensitivities to greenhouse warming and solar geoengineering are comparable to results from simulations using highly complex models. Many ofmore » the global-scale hydrological cycle changes can be understood from a surface energy balance perspective, and our thermodynamically-constrained approach provides a physically robust way of estimating global hydrological changes in response to altered radiative forcing.« less

Ideal Weyl points and helicoid surface states in artificial photonic crystal structures.

PubMed

Yang, Biao; Guo, Qinghua; Tremain, Ben; Liu, Rongjuan; Barr, Lauren E; Yan, Qinghui; Gao, Wenlong; Liu, Hongchao; Xiang, Yuanjiang; Chen, Jing; Fang, Chen; Hibbins, Alastair; Lu, Ling; Zhang, Shuang

2018-03-02

Weyl points are the crossings of linearly dispersing energy bands of three-dimensional crystals, providing the opportunity to explore a variety of intriguing phenomena such as topologically protected surface states and chiral anomalies. However, the lack of an ideal Weyl system in which the Weyl points all exist at the same energy and are separated from any other bands poses a serious limitation to the further development of Weyl physics and potential applications. By experimentally characterizing a microwave photonic crystal of saddle-shaped metallic coils, we observed ideal Weyl points that are related to each other through symmetry operations. Topological surface states exhibiting helicoidal structure have also been demonstrated. Our system provides a photonic platform for exploring ideal Weyl systems and developing possible topological devices. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Large-eddy simulations of a Salt Lake Valley cold-air pool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crosman, Erik T.; Horel, John D.

2017-09-01

Persistent cold-air pools are often poorly forecast by mesoscale numerical weather prediction models, in part due to inadequate parameterization of planetary boundary-layer physics in stable atmospheric conditions, and also because of errors in the initialization and treatment of the model surface state. In this study, an improved numerical simulation of the 27-30 January 2011 cold-air pool in Utah's Great Salt Lake Basin is obtained using a large-eddy simulation with more realistic surface state characterization. Compared to a Weather Research and Forecasting model configuration run as a mesoscale model with a planetary boundary-layer scheme where turbulence is highly parameterized, the large-eddy simulation more accurately captured turbulent interactions between the stable boundary-layer and flow aloft. The simulations were also found to be sensitive to variations in the Great Salt Lake temperature and Salt Lake Valley snow cover, illustrating the importance of land surface state in modelling cold-air pools.

One-dimensional quantum matter: gold-induced nanowires on semiconductor surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudy, L.; Aulbach, J.; Wagner, T.; Schäfer, J.; Claessen, R.

2017-11-01

Interacting electrons confined to only one spatial dimension display a wide range of unusual many-body quantum phenomena, ranging from Peierls instabilities to the breakdown of the canonical Fermi liquid paradigm to even unusual spin phenomena. The underlying physics is not only of tremendous fundamental interest, but may also have bearing on device functionality in future micro- and nanoelectronics with lateral extensions reaching the atomic limit. Metallic adatoms deposited on semiconductor surfaces may form self-assembled atomic nanowires, thus representing highly interesting and well-controlled solid-state realizations of such 1D quantum systems. Here we review experimental and theoretical investigations on a few selected prototypical nanowire surface systems, specifically Ge(0 0 1)-Au and Si(hhk)-Au, and the search for 1D quantum states in them. We summarize the current state of research and identify open questions and issues.

New developments in satellite oceanography and current measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, N. E.

1979-01-01

Principal satellite remote sensing techniques and instruments are described and attention is given to the application of such techniques to ocean current measurement. The use of radiometers, satellite tracking drifters, and altimeters for current measurement is examined. Consideration is also given to other applications of satellite remote sensing in physical oceanography, including measurements of surface wind stress, sea state, tides, ice, sea surface temperature, salinity, ocean color, and oceanic leveling.

The local work function: Concept and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wandelt, K.

1997-02-01

The term 'local work function' is now widely applied. The present work discusses the common physical basis of 'photoemission of adsorbed xenon (PAX)' and 'two-photon photonemissionspectroscopy of image potential states' as local work function probes. New examples with bimetallic and defective surfaces are presented which demonstrate the capability of PAX measurements for the characterization of heterogeneous surfaces on an atomic scale. Finally, implications of the existence of short-range variations of the surface potential at surface steps are addressed. In particular, dynamical work function change measurements are a sensitive probe for the step-density at surfaces and, as such, a powerful in-situ method to monitor film growth.

Creating Spin-One Fermions in the Presence of Artificial Spin-Orbit Fields: Emergent Spinor Physics and Spectroscopic Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurkcuoglu, Doga Murat; de Melo, C. A. R. Sá

2018-05-01

We propose the creation and investigation of a system of spin-one fermions in the presence of artificial spin-orbit coupling, via the interaction of three hyperfine states of fermionic atoms to Raman laser fields. We explore the emergence of spinor physics in the Hamiltonian described by the interaction between light and atoms, and analyze spectroscopic properties such as dispersion relation, Fermi surfaces, spectral functions, spin-dependent momentum distributions and density of states. Connections to spin-one bosons and SU(3) systems is made, as well relations to the Lifshitz transition and Pomeranchuk instability are presented.

Physical Interpretation of Laboratory Friction Laws in the Context of Damage Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rundle, J. B.; Tiampo, K. F.; Martins, J. S.; Klein, W.

2002-12-01

Frictional on sliding surfaces is ultimately related to processes of surface damage, and can be understood in the context of the physics of dynamical threshold systems. Threshold systems are known to be some of the most important nonlinear, self-organizing systems in nature, including networks of earthquake faults, neural networks, superconductors and semiconductors, and the World Wide Web, as well as political, social, and ecological systems. All of these systems have dynamics that are strongly correlated in space and time, and all typically display a multiplicity of spatial and temporal scales. Here we discuss the physics of self-organization and damage in earthquake threshold systems at the "microscopic" laboratory scale, in which consideration of results from simulations leads to dynamical equations that can be used to derive results obtained from sliding friction experiments, specifically, the empirical "rate-and-state" friction equations of Ruina. Paradoxically, in all of these dissipative systems, long-range interactions induce the existence of locally ergodic dynamics, even though the dissipation of energy is involved. The existence of dissipative effects leads to the appearance of a "leaky threshold" dynamics, equivalent to a new scaling field that controls the size of nucleation events relative to the size of the background fluctuations. The corresponding appearance of a mean field spinodal leads to a general coarse-grained equation, which expresses the balance between rate of stress supplied, and rate of stress dissipated in the processes leading to surface damage. We can use ideas from thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transitions to develop the exact form of the rate-and-state equations, giving clear physical meaning to all terms and variables. Ultimately, the self-organizing dynamics arise from the appearance of an energy landscape in these systems, which in turn arises from the strong correlations and mean field nature of the physics.

Physical associations to spring phytoplankton biomass interannual variability in the U.S. Northeast Continental Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saba, Vincent S.; Hyde, Kimberly J. W.; Rebuck, Nathan D.; Friedland, Kevin D.; Hare, Jonathan A.; Kahru, Mati; Fogarty, Michael J.

2015-02-01

The continental shelf of the Northeast United States and Nova Scotia is a productive marine ecosystem that supports a robust biomass of living marine resources. Understanding marine ecosystem sensitivity to changes in the physical environment can start with the first-order response of phytoplankton (i.e., chlorophyll a), the base of the marine food web. However, the primary physical associations to the interannual variability of chlorophyll a in these waters are unclear. Here we used ocean color satellite measurements and identified the local and remote physical associations to interannual variability of spring surface chlorophyll a from 1998 to 2013. The highest interannual variability of chlorophyll a occurred in March and April on the northern flank of Georges Bank, the western Gulf of Maine, and Nantucket Shoals. Complex interactions between winter wind speed over the Shelf, local winter water levels, and the relative proportions of Atlantic versus Labrador Sea source waters entering the Gulf of Maine from the previous summer/fall were associated with the variability of March/April chlorophyll a in Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine. Sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity were not robust correlates to spring chlorophyll a. Surface nitrate in the winter was not a robust correlate to chlorophyll a or the physical variables in every case suggesting that nitrate limitation may not be the primary constraint on the interannual variability of the spring bloom throughout all regions. Generalized linear models suggest that we can resolve 88% of March chlorophyll a interannual variability in Georges Bank using lagged physical data.

Physics through the 1990s: Atomic, molecular and optical physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The volume presents a program of research initiatives in atomic, molecular, and optical physics. The current state of atomic, molecular, and optical physics in the US is examined with respect to demographics, education patterns, applications, and the US economy. Recommendations are made for each field, with discussions of their histories and the relevance of the research to government agencies. The section on atomic physics includes atomic theory, structure, and dynamics; accelerator-based atomic physics; and large facilities. The section on molecular physics includes spectroscopy, scattering theory and experiment, and the dynamics of chemical reactions. The section on optical physics discusses lasers, laser spectroscopy, and quantum optics and coherence. A section elucidates interfaces between the three fields and astrophysics, condensed matter physics, surface science, plasma physics, atmospheric physics, and nuclear physics. Another section shows applications of the three fields in ultra-precise measurements, fusion, national security, materials, medicine, and other topics.

Neutron whispering gallery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesvizhevsky, Valery V.; Voronin, Alexei Yu.; Cubitt, Robert; Protasov, Konstantin V.

2010-02-01

The `whispering gallery' effect has been known since ancient times for sound waves in air, later in water and more recently for a broad range of electromagnetic waves: radio, optics, Roentgen and so on. It consists of wave localization near a curved reflecting surface and is expected for waves of various natures, for instance, for atoms and neutrons. For matter waves, it would include a new feature: a massive particle would be settled in quantum states, with parameters depending on its mass. Here, we present for the first time the quantum whispering-gallery effect for cold neutrons. This phenomenon provides an example of an exactly solvable problem analogous to the `quantum bouncer'; it is complementary to the recently discovered gravitationally bound quantum states of neutrons . These two phenomena provide a direct demonstration of the weak equivalence principle for a massive particle in a pure quantum state. Deeply bound whispering-gallery states are long-living and weakly sensitive to surface potential; highly excited states are short-living and very sensitive to the wall potential shape. Therefore, they are a promising tool for studying fundamental neutron-matter interactions, quantum neutron optics and surface physics effects.

Potential impact of remote sensing data on sea-state analysis and prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardone, V. J.

1983-01-01

The severe North Atlantic storm which damaged the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) was studied to assess the impact of remotely sensed marine surface wind data obtained by SEASAT-A, on sea state specifications and forecasts. Alternate representations of the surface wind field in the QE2 storm were produced from the SEASAT enhanced data base, and from operational analyses based upon conventional data. The wind fields were used to drive a high resolution spectral ocean surface wave prediction model. Results show that sea state analyses would have been vastly improved during the period of storm formation and explosive development had remote sensing wind data been available in real time. A modest improvement in operational 12 to 24 hour wave forecasts would have followed automatically from the improved initial state specification made possible by the remote sensing data in both numerical and sea state prediction models. Significantly improved 24 to 48 hour wave forecasts require in addition to remote sensing data, refinement in the numerical and physical aspects of weather prediction models.

Imaging quasiperiodic electronic states in a synthetic Penrose tiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Laura C.; Witte, Thomas G.; Silverman, Rochelle; Green, David B.; Gomes, Kenjiro K.

2017-06-01

Quasicrystals possess long-range order but lack the translational symmetry of crystalline solids. In solid state physics, periodicity is one of the fundamental properties that prescribes the electronic band structure in crystals. In the absence of periodicity and the presence of quasicrystalline order, the ways that electronic states change remain a mystery. Scanning tunnelling microscopy and atomic manipulation can be used to assemble a two-dimensional quasicrystalline structure mapped upon the Penrose tiling. Here, carbon monoxide molecules are arranged on the surface of Cu(111) one at a time to form the potential landscape that mimics the ionic potential of atoms in natural materials by constraining the electrons in the two-dimensional surface state of Cu(111). The real-space images reveal the presence of the quasiperiodic order in the electronic wave functions and the Fourier analysis of our results links the energy of the resonant states to the local vertex structure of the quasicrystal.

Imaging quasiperiodic electronic states in a synthetic Penrose tiling.

PubMed

Collins, Laura C; Witte, Thomas G; Silverman, Rochelle; Green, David B; Gomes, Kenjiro K

2017-06-22

Quasicrystals possess long-range order but lack the translational symmetry of crystalline solids. In solid state physics, periodicity is one of the fundamental properties that prescribes the electronic band structure in crystals. In the absence of periodicity and the presence of quasicrystalline order, the ways that electronic states change remain a mystery. Scanning tunnelling microscopy and atomic manipulation can be used to assemble a two-dimensional quasicrystalline structure mapped upon the Penrose tiling. Here, carbon monoxide molecules are arranged on the surface of Cu(111) one at a time to form the potential landscape that mimics the ionic potential of atoms in natural materials by constraining the electrons in the two-dimensional surface state of Cu(111). The real-space images reveal the presence of the quasiperiodic order in the electronic wave functions and the Fourier analysis of our results links the energy of the resonant states to the local vertex structure of the quasicrystal.

An algorithm for analytical solution of basic problems featuring elastostatic bodies with cavities and surface flaws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penkov, V. B.; Levina, L. V.; Novikova, O. S.; Shulmin, A. S.

2018-03-01

Herein we propose a methodology for structuring a full parametric analytical solution to problems featuring elastostatic media based on state-of-the-art computing facilities that support computerized algebra. The methodology includes: direct and reverse application of P-Theorem; methods of accounting for physical properties of media; accounting for variable geometrical parameters of bodies, parameters of boundary states, independent parameters of volume forces, and remote stress factors. An efficient tool to address the task is the sustainable method of boundary states originally designed for the purposes of computerized algebra and based on the isomorphism of Hilbertian spaces of internal states and boundary states of bodies. We performed full parametric solutions of basic problems featuring a ball with a nonconcentric spherical cavity, a ball with a near-surface flaw, and an unlimited medium with two spherical cavities.

Effectiveness of violator penalties in compelling compliance with state truck weight limits

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-01-01

This is the 1997 edition of a series of reports required by Congress on America's surface transportation system. The report provides information on the physical and operating characteristics of the highway, bridge, and transit portions of our Nation'...

MONITORING THE ACCOTINK CREEK STREAM RESTORATION

EPA Science Inventory

Since the inception of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972, the United States has made great efforts in restoring and preserving the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. However, nearly half of the nation’s assessed surface water resource...

Alterations in Physical State of Silver Nanoparticles Exposed to Synthetic Human Stomach Fluid

EPA Science Inventory

The bioavailability of ingested silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) depends in large part on initial particle size, shape and surface coating, properties which will influence aggregation, solubility and chemical composition during transit of the gastrointestinal tract. Citrate-stabilize...

Majorana fermion surface code for universal quantum computation

DOE PAGES

Vijay, Sagar; Hsieh, Timothy H.; Fu, Liang

2015-12-10

In this study, we introduce an exactly solvable model of interacting Majorana fermions realizing Z 2 topological order with a Z 2 fermion parity grading and lattice symmetries permuting the three fundamental anyon types. We propose a concrete physical realization by utilizing quantum phase slips in an array of Josephson-coupled mesoscopic topological superconductors, which can be implemented in a wide range of solid-state systems, including topological insulators, nanowires, or two-dimensional electron gases, proximitized by s-wave superconductors. Our model finds a natural application as a Majorana fermion surface code for universal quantum computation, with a single-step stabilizer measurement requiring no physicalmore » ancilla qubits, increased error tolerance, and simpler logical gates than a surface code with bosonic physical qubits. We thoroughly discuss protocols for stabilizer measurements, encoding and manipulating logical qubits, and gate implementations.« less

Select strengths and biases of models in representing the Arctic winter boundary layer over sea ice: the Larcform 1 single column model intercomparison

DOE PAGES

Pithan, Felix; Ackerman, Andrew; Angevine, Wayne M.; ...

2016-08-27

We struggle to represent lower tropospheric temperature and moisture profiles and surface fluxes in Artic winter using weather and climate models, partly because they lack or misrepresent physical processes that are specific to high latitudes. Observations have revealed two preferred states of the Arctic winter boundary layer. In the cloudy state, cloud liquid water limits surface radiative cooling, and temperature inversions are weak and elevated. In the radiatively clear state, strong surface radiative cooling leads to the build-up of surface-based temperature inversions. Many large-scale models lack the cloudy state, and some substantially underestimate inversion strength in the clear state. Themore » transformation from a moist to a cold dry air mass is modeled using an idealized Lagrangian perspective. The trajectory includes both boundary layer states, and the single-column experiment is the first Lagrangian Arctic air formation experiment (Larcform 1) organized within GEWEX GASS (Global atmospheric system studies). The intercomparison reproduces the typical biases of large-scale models: some models lack the cloudy state of the boundary layer due to the representation of mixed-phase microphysics or to the interaction between micro- and macrophysics. In some models, high emissivities of ice clouds or the lack of an insulating snow layer prevent the build-up of surface-based inversions in the radiatively clear state. Models substantially disagree on the amount of cloud liquid water in the cloudy state and on turbulent heat fluxes under clear skies. Finally, observations of air mass transformations including both boundary layer states would allow for a tighter constraint of model behavior.« less

Current distribution in a three-dimensional IC analyzed by a perturbation method. Part 1: A simple steady state theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmonds, Larry D.

1987-01-01

The steady state current distribution in a three dimensional integrated circuit is presented. A device physics approach, based on a perturbation method rather than an equivalent lumped circuit approach, is used. The perturbation method allows the various currents to be expressed in terms of elementary solutions which are solutions to very simple boundary value problems. A Simple Steady State Theory is the subtitle because the most obvious limitation of the present version of the analysis is that all depletion region boundary surfaces are treated as equipotential surfaces. This may be an adequate approximation in some applications but it is an obvious weakness in the theory when applied to latched states. Examples that illustrate the use of these analytical methods are not given because they will be presented in detail in the future.

Cadmium cycling in the water column of the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension region: Insights from dissolved and particulate isotopic composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Shun-Chung; Zhang, Jing; Sohrin, Yoshiki; Ho, Tung-Yuan

2018-07-01

We measured dissolved and particulate Cd isotopic composition in the water column of a meridional transect across the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension region in a Japanese GEOTRACES cruise to investigate the relative influence of physical and biogeochemical processes on Cd cycling in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Located at 30-50°N along 165°E, the transect across the extension region possesses dramatic hydrographic contrast. Cold surface water and a relatively narrow and shallow thermocline characterizes the Oyashio Extension region in contrast to a relatively warm and highly stratified surface water and thermocline in the Kuroshio Extension region. The contrasting hydrographic distinction at the study site provides us with an ideal platform to investigate the spatial variations of Cd isotope fractionation systems in the ocean. Particulate samples demonstrated biologically preferential uptake of light Cd isotopes, and the fractionation effect varied dramatically in the surface water of the two regions, with relatively large fractionation factors in the Oyashio region. Based on the relationship of dissolved Cd concentrations and isotopic composition, we found that a closed system fractionation model can reasonably explain the relationship in the Kuroshio region. However, using dissolved Cd isotopic data, either a closed system or steady-state open system fractionation model may explain the relationship in the surface water of the Oyashio region. Particulate δ114/110Cd data further supports that the surface water of the Oyashio region matches a steady-state open system model more closely. Contrary to the surface water, the distribution of potential density exhibits comparable patterns with Cd elemental and isotopic composition in the thermocline and deep water in the two extension regions, showing that physical processes are the dominant forcing controlling Cd cycling in the deep waters. The results demonstrate that Cd isotope fractionation can match either a closed or open system Rayleigh fractionation model, depending on the relative contribution of physical and biogeochemical processes on its cycling.

Fully coupled six-dimensional calculations of the water dimer vibration-rotation-tunneling states with split Wigner pseudospectral approach. II. Improvements and tests of additional potentials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fellers, R.S.; Braly, L.B.; Saykally, R.J.

The SWPS method is improved by the addition of H.E.G. contractions for generating a more compact basis. An error in the definition of the internal fragment axis system used in our previous calculation is described and corrected. Fully coupled 6D (rigid monomers) VRT states are computed for several new water dimer potential surfaces and compared with experiment and our earlier SWPS results. This work sets the stage for refinement of such potential surfaces via regression analysis of VRT spectroscopic data. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}

Differentiation of surface and bulk conductivities in topological insulator via four-probe spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Xiaoguang; McGuire, Michael A.; Chen, Yong P.; ...

2016-03-08

Topological insulators, with characteristic topological surface states, have emerged as a new state of matter with rich potentials for both fundamental physics and device applications. However, the experimental detection of the surface transport has been hampered by the unavoidable extrinsic conductivity associated with the bulk crystals. Here we show that a four-probe transport spectroscopy in a multi-probe scanning tunneling microscopy system can be used to differentiate conductivities from the surface states and the coexisting bulk states in topological insulators. We derive a scaling relation of measured resistance with respect to varying inter-probe spacing for two interconnected conduction channels, which allowsmore » quantitative determination of conductivities from both channels. Using this method, we demonstrate the separation of 2D and 3D conduction in topological insulators by comparing the conductance scaling of Bi 2Se 3, Bi 2Te 2Se, and Sb-doped Bi 2Se 3 with that of a pure 2D conductance of graphene on SiC substrate. We also report the 2D conductance enhancement due to the surface doping effect in topological insulators. This technique can be applied to reveal 2D to 3D crossover of conductance in other complex systems.« less

Computing the Free Energy Barriers for Less by Sampling with a Coarse Reference Potential while Retaining Accuracy of the Target Fine Model.

PubMed

Plotnikov, Nikolay V

2014-08-12

Proposed in this contribution is a protocol for calculating fine-physics (e.g., ab initio QM/MM) free-energy surfaces at a high level of accuracy locally (e.g., only at reactants and at the transition state for computing the activation barrier) from targeted fine-physics sampling and extensive exploratory coarse-physics sampling. The full free-energy surface is still computed but at a lower level of accuracy from coarse-physics sampling. The method is analytically derived in terms of the umbrella sampling and the free-energy perturbation methods which are combined with the thermodynamic cycle and the targeted sampling strategy of the paradynamics approach. The algorithm starts by computing low-accuracy fine-physics free-energy surfaces from the coarse-physics sampling in order to identify the reaction path and to select regions for targeted sampling. Thus, the algorithm does not rely on the coarse-physics minimum free-energy reaction path. Next, segments of high-accuracy free-energy surface are computed locally at selected regions from the targeted fine-physics sampling and are positioned relative to the coarse-physics free-energy shifts. The positioning is done by averaging the free-energy perturbations computed with multistep linear response approximation method. This method is analytically shown to provide results of the thermodynamic integration and the free-energy interpolation methods, while being extremely simple in implementation. Incorporating the metadynamics sampling to the algorithm is also briefly outlined. The application is demonstrated by calculating the B3LYP//6-31G*/MM free-energy barrier for an enzymatic reaction using a semiempirical PM6/MM reference potential. These modifications allow computing the activation free energies at a significantly reduced computational cost but at the same level of accuracy compared to computing full potential of mean force.

Computing the Free Energy Barriers for Less by Sampling with a Coarse Reference Potential while Retaining Accuracy of the Target Fine Model

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Proposed in this contribution is a protocol for calculating fine-physics (e.g., ab initio QM/MM) free-energy surfaces at a high level of accuracy locally (e.g., only at reactants and at the transition state for computing the activation barrier) from targeted fine-physics sampling and extensive exploratory coarse-physics sampling. The full free-energy surface is still computed but at a lower level of accuracy from coarse-physics sampling. The method is analytically derived in terms of the umbrella sampling and the free-energy perturbation methods which are combined with the thermodynamic cycle and the targeted sampling strategy of the paradynamics approach. The algorithm starts by computing low-accuracy fine-physics free-energy surfaces from the coarse-physics sampling in order to identify the reaction path and to select regions for targeted sampling. Thus, the algorithm does not rely on the coarse-physics minimum free-energy reaction path. Next, segments of high-accuracy free-energy surface are computed locally at selected regions from the targeted fine-physics sampling and are positioned relative to the coarse-physics free-energy shifts. The positioning is done by averaging the free-energy perturbations computed with multistep linear response approximation method. This method is analytically shown to provide results of the thermodynamic integration and the free-energy interpolation methods, while being extremely simple in implementation. Incorporating the metadynamics sampling to the algorithm is also briefly outlined. The application is demonstrated by calculating the B3LYP//6-31G*/MM free-energy barrier for an enzymatic reaction using a semiempirical PM6/MM reference potential. These modifications allow computing the activation free energies at a significantly reduced computational cost but at the same level of accuracy compared to computing full potential of mean force. PMID:25136268

Electronic structure studies of a clock-reconstructed Al/Pd(1 0 0) surface alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirsch, Janet E.; Tainter, Craig J.

We have employed solid-state Fenske-Hall band structure calculations to examine the electronic structure of Al/Pd(1 0 0), a surface alloy that undergoes a reconstruction, or rearrangement, of the atoms in the top few surface layers. Surface alloys are materials that consist primarily of a single elemental metal, but which have a bimetallic surface composition that is only a few atomic layers in thickness. The results of this study indicate that reconstruction into a clock configuration simultaneously optimizes the intralayer bonding within the surface plane and the bonding between the first and second atomic layers. These results also allow us to examine the fundamental relationship between the electronic and physical structures of this reconstructed surface alloy.

Thermodynamic origin of surface melting on ice crystals

PubMed Central

Murata, Ken-ichiro; Asakawa, Harutoshi; Nagashima, Ken; Furukawa, Yoshinori; Sazaki, Gen

2016-01-01

Since the pioneering prediction of surface melting by Michael Faraday, it has been widely accepted that thin water layers, called quasi-liquid layers (QLLs), homogeneously and completely wet ice surfaces. Contrary to this conventional wisdom, here we both theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that QLLs have more than two wetting states and that there is a first-order wetting transition between them. Furthermore, we find that QLLs are born not only under supersaturated conditions, as recently reported, but also at undersaturation, but QLLs are absent at equilibrium. This means that QLLs are a metastable transient state formed through vapor growth and sublimation of ice, casting a serious doubt on the conventional understanding presupposing the spontaneous formation of QLLs in ice–vapor equilibrium. We propose a simple but general physical model that consistently explains these aspects of surface melting and QLLs. Our model shows that a unique interfacial potential solely controls both the wetting and thermodynamic behavior of QLLs. PMID:27791107

Land-atmosphere interactions over the continental United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zeng, Xubin

This paper briefly discusses four suggested modifications for land surface modeling in climate models. The impact of the modifications on climate simulations is analyzed with the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) land surface model. It is found that the modifications can improve BATS simulations. In particular, the sensitivity of BATS to the prescribed value of physical root fraction which cannot be observed from satellite remote sensing or field experiments is improved. These modifications significantly reduce the excessive summer land surface temperature over the continental United States simulated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model (CCM2) coupled with BATS.more » A land-atmosphere interaction mechanism involving energy and water cycles is proposed to explain the results. 9 refs., 1 fig.« less

Thermal evolution of Ganymede and Callisto - Effects of solid-state convection and constraints from Voyager imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thurber, C. H.; Hsui, A. T.; Toksoz, M. N.

1980-01-01

The imaging experiments of the Voyager 1 and 2 fly-by missions have provided a large amount of information about the nature of the surfaces of the Galilean satellites. The present investigation is concerned with the development of models regarding the thermal evolution of Ganymede and Callisto, taking into account the approach of parameterized convection. Attention is given to the physical, chemical, and geological data which are available as constraints on the thermal evolution of Ganymede and Callisto. Both satellites appear to possess surfaces composed of silicates and ice. However, their surface features are distinctly different from each other. In the discussion of thermal evolution models, attention is given to ice-dominant rheology, silicate-dominant rheology, and aspects of phase changes and solid-state convection.

The black hole interior and the type II Weyl fermions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubkov, M. A.

2018-03-01

It was proposed recently that the black hole may undergo a transition to the state, where inside the horizon the Fermi surface is formed that reveals an analogy with the recently discovered type II Weyl semimetals. In this scenario, the low energy effective theory outside of the horizon is the Standard Model, which describes excitations that reside near a certain point P(0) in momentum space of the hypothetical unified theory. Inside the horizon the low energy physics is due to the excitations that reside at the points in momentum space close to the Fermi surface. We argue that those points may be essentially distant from P(0) and, therefore, inside the black hole the quantum states are involved in the low energy dynamics that are not described by the Standard Model. We analyze the consequences of this observation for the physics of the black holes and present the model based on the direct analogy with the type II Weyl semimetals, which illustrates this pattern.

Atomic-scale observation of structural and electronic orders in the layered compound α-RuCl3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziatdinov, M.; Banerjee, A.; Maksov, A.; Berlijn, T.; Zhou, W.; Cao, H. B.; Yan, J.-Q.; Bridges, C. A.; Mandrus, D. G.; Nagler, S. E.; Baddorf, A. P.; Kalinin, S. V.

2016-12-01

A pseudospin-1/2 Mott phase on a honeycomb lattice is proposed to host the celebrated two-dimensional Kitaev model which has an elusive quantum spin liquid ground state, and fascinating physics relevant to the development of future templates towards topological quantum bits. Here we report a comprehensive, atomically resolved real-space study by scanning transmission electron and scanning tunnelling microscopies on a novel layered material displaying Kitaev physics, α-RuCl3. Our local crystallography analysis reveals considerable variations in the geometry of the ligand sublattice in thin films of α-RuCl3 that opens a way to realization of a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic ground state at the nanometre length scale. Using scanning tunnelling techniques, we observe the electronic energy gap of ~0.25 eV and intra-unit cell symmetry breaking of charge distribution in individual α-RuCl3 surface layer. The corresponding charge-ordered pattern has a fine structure associated with two different types of charge disproportionation at Cl-terminated surface.

Soliton motion in a parametrically ac-driven damped Toda lattice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rasmussen, K.O.; Malomed, B.A.; Bishop, A.R.

We demonstrate that a staggered parametric ac driving term can support stable progressive motion of a soliton in a Toda lattice with friction, while an unstaggered driving force cannot. A physical context of the model is that of a chain of anharmonically coupled particles adsorbed on a solid surface of a finite size. The ac driving force is generated by a standing acoustic wave excited on the surface. Simulations demonstrate that the state left behind the moving soliton, with the particles shifted from their equilibrium positions, gradually relaxes back to the equilibrium state that existed before the passage of themore » soliton. The perturbation theory predicts that the ac-driven soliton exists if the amplitude of the drive exceeds a certain threshold. The analytical prediction for the threshold is in reasonable agreement with that found numerically. Collisions between two counterpropagating solitons is also simulated, demonstrating that the collisions are, effectively, fully elastic. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

Electron and hole relaxation pathways in semiconductor quantum dots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klimov, V.I.; McBranch, D.W.; Leatherdale, C.A.

1999-11-01

Femtosecond (fs) broad-band transient absorption (TA) is used to study the intraband relaxation and depopulation dynamics of electron and hole quantized states in CdSe nanocrystals (NC{close_quote}s) with a range of surface properties. Instead of the drastic reduction in the energy relaxation rate expected due to a {open_quotes}phonon bottleneck,{close_quotes} we observe a fast subpicosecond 1P-to-1S electron relaxation, with the rate exceeding that due to phonon emission in bulk semiconductors. The energy relaxation is enhanced with reducing the NC{close_quote}s radius, and does not show any dependence on the NC surface properties (quality of the surface passivation). These data indicate that electron energymore » relaxation occurs by neither multiphonon emission nor by coupling to surface defects, but is likely meditated by Auger-type electron-hole energy transfer. We use fs infrared TA to probe electron and hole intraband transitions, which allows us to distinguish between electron and hole relaxation pathways leading to the depopulation of NC quantized states. In contrast to the electron relaxation, which is controlled by NC surface passivation, the depopulation of hole quantized states is extremely fast (sub-ps-to-ps time scales) in all types of samples, independent of NC surface treatment (including NC{close_quote}s overcoated with a ZnS layer). Our results indicate that ultrafast hole dynamics are not due to trapping at localized surface defects such as a vacancy, but rather arise from relaxation into intrinsic NC states or intrinsically unpassivated interface states. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xiaoguang; McGuire, Michael A.; Chen, Yong P.

Topological insulators, with characteristic topological surface states, have emerged as a new state of matter with rich potentials for both fundamental physics and device applications. However, the experimental detection of the surface transport has been hampered by the unavoidable extrinsic conductivity associated with the bulk crystals. Here we show that a four-probe transport spectroscopy in a multi-probe scanning tunneling microscopy system can be used to differentiate conductivities from the surface states and the coexisting bulk states in topological insulators. We derive a scaling relation of measured resistance with respect to varying inter-probe spacing for two interconnected conduction channels, which allowsmore » quantitative determination of conductivities from both channels. Using this method, we demonstrate the separation of 2D and 3D conduction in topological insulators by comparing the conductance scaling of Bi 2Se 3, Bi 2Te 2Se, and Sb-doped Bi 2Se 3 with that of a pure 2D conductance of graphene on SiC substrate. We also report the 2D conductance enhancement due to the surface doping effect in topological insulators. This technique can be applied to reveal 2D to 3D crossover of conductance in other complex systems.« less

The Effects of Iron Oxidation State on Clay Swelling,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-07

swelling, montmorillonite , nontronite, smectite, water, DLVO theory, surface charge, dissolution, methods, aluminum, silicon, inert atmosphere. 2G...that many physical properties of bulk water are changed when it is adsorbed between layers of Na4- montmorillonite (e.g., Oster and Low, 1964; Kolaian...Na+- montmorillonite accounted for about 13% of the total water content in the free-swelling state. We can therefore express the total water content

A new physically-based windblown dust emission ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Dust has significant impacts on weather and climate, air quality and visibility, and human health; therefore, it is important to include a windblown dust emission module in atmospheric and air quality models. In this presentation, we summarize our efforts in development of a physics-based windblown dust emission scheme and its implementation in the CMAQ modeling system. The new model incorporates the effect of the surface wind speed, soil texture, soil moisture, and surface roughness in a physically sound manner. Specifically, a newly developed dynamic relation for the surface roughness length in this model is believed to adequately represent the physics of the surface processes involved in the dust generation. Furthermore, careful attention is paid in integrating the new windblown dust module within the CMAQ to ensure that the required input parameters are correctly configured. The new model is evaluated for the case studies including the continental United States and the Northern hemisphere, and is shown to be able to capture the occurrence of the dust outbreak and the level of the soil concentration. We discuss the uncertainties and limitations of the model and briefly describe our path forward for further improvements. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposure Division (CED) develops and evaluates data, decision-support tools, and models to be applied to media-specific or receptor-specific problem areas. CED uses modeling-based

Tangent linear super-parameterization: attributable, decomposable moist processes for tropical variability studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mapes, B. E.; Kelly, P.; Song, S.; Hu, I. K.; Kuang, Z.

2015-12-01

An economical 10-layer global primitive equation solver is driven by time-independent forcing terms, derived from a training process, to produce a realisting eddying basic state with a tracer q trained to act like water vapor mixing ratio. Within this basic state, linearized anomaly moist physics in the column are applied in the form of a 20x20 matrix. The control matrix was derived from the results of Kuang (2010, 2012) who fitted a linear response function from a cloud resolving model in a state of deep convecting equilibrium. By editing this matrix in physical space and eigenspace, scaling and clipping its action, and optionally adding terms for processes that do not conserve moist statice energy (radiation, surface fluxes), we can decompose and explain the model's diverse moist process coupled variability. Recitified effects of this variability on the general circulation and climate, even in strictly zero-mean centered anomaly physic cases, also are sometimes surprising.

Surface-screening mechanisms in ferroelectric thin films and their effect on polarization dynamics and domain structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kalinin, Sergei V.; Kim, Yunseok; Fong, Dillon D.

For over 70 years, ferroelectric materials have been one of the central research topics for condensed matter physics and material science, an interest driven both by fundamental science and applications. However, ferroelectric surfaces, the key component of ferroelectric films and nanostructures, still present a significant theoretical and even conceptual challenge. Indeed, stability of ferroelectric phase per se necessitates screening of polarization charge. At surfaces, this can lead to coupling between ferroelectric and semiconducting properties of material, or with surface (electro) chemistry, going well beyond classical models applicable for ferroelectric interfaces. In this review, we summarize recent studies of surface-screening phenomenamore » in ferroelectrics. We provide a brief overview of the historical understanding of the physics of ferroelectric surfaces, and existing theoretical models that both introduce screening mechanisms and explore the relationship between screening and relevant aspects of ferroelectric functionalities starting from phase stability itself. Given that the majority of ferroelectrics exist in multiple-domain states, we focus on local studies of screening phenomena using scanning probe microscopy techniques. We discuss recent studies of static and dynamic phenomena on ferroelectric surfaces, as well as phenomena observed under lateral transport, light, chemical, and pressure stimuli. We also note that the need for ionic screening renders polarization switching a coupled physical-electrochemical process and discuss the non-trivial phenomena such as chaotic behavior during domain switching that stem from this.« less

Force-Induced Strengthening of the Interaction between Staphylococcus aureus Clumping Factor B and Loricrin

PubMed Central

Vitry, Pauline; Valotteau, Claire; Feuillie, Cécile; Bernard, Simon

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Bacterial pathogens that colonize host surfaces are subjected to physical stresses such as fluid flow and cell surface contacts. How bacteria respond to such mechanical cues is an important yet poorly understood issue. Staphylococcus aureus uses a repertoire of surface proteins to resist shear stress during the colonization of host tissues, but whether their adhesive functions can be modulated by physical forces is not known. Here, we show that the interaction of S. aureus clumping factor B (ClfB) with the squamous epithelial cell envelope protein loricrin is enhanced by mechanical force. We find that ClfB mediates S. aureus adhesion to loricrin through weak and strong molecular interactions both in a laboratory strain and in a clinical isolate. Strong forces (~1,500 pN), among the strongest measured for a receptor-ligand bond, are consistent with a high-affinity “dock, lock, and latch” binding mechanism involving dynamic conformational changes in the adhesin. Notably, we demonstrate that the strength of the ClfB-loricrin bond increases as mechanical force is applied. These findings favor a two-state model whereby bacterial adhesion to loricrin is enhanced through force-induced conformational changes in the ClfB molecule, from a weakly binding folded state to a strongly binding extended state. This force-sensitive mechanism may provide S. aureus with a means to finely tune its adhesive properties during the colonization of host surfaces, helping cells to attach firmly under high shear stress and to detach and spread under low shear stress. PMID:29208742

Physical process first law and increase of horizon entropy for black holes in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Ayan; Sarkar, Sudipta

2012-03-02

We establish the physical process version of the first law by studying small perturbations of a stationary black hole with a regular bifurcation surface in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity. Our result shows that when the stationary black hole is perturbed by a matter stress energy tensor and finally settles down to a new stationary state, the Wald entropy increases as long as the matter satisfies the null energy condition.

HAN (Hydroxylammonium Nitrate) Based Liquid Gun Propellants: Physical Properties

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-01

are obsolete UNCLASSIF IED UNCLASS IF IED 18. SUBJECT TERMS (con’t) Triethanolammonium Nitrate TEAN 19. ABSTRACT (con’t) The effect of the molecular...were synthesized and their viscosities and nsi1t9 deter,-ine.0d as a function of temperature. The results clearly show the effects of hydrogen bonding...on the physical properties. Surface tension and vapor pressure have been determined and an equation of state that accurately describes the effect of

Modelling episodic acidification of surface waters: the state of science.

PubMed

Eshleman, K N; Wigington, P J; Davies, T D; Tranter, M

1992-01-01

Field studies of chemical changes in surface waters associated with rainfall and snowmelt events have provided evidence of episodic acidification of lakes and streams in Europe and North America. Modelling these chemical changes is particularly challenging because of the variability associated with hydrological transport and chemical transformation processes in catchments. This paper provides a review of mathematical models that have been applied to the problem of episodic acidification. Several empirical approaches, including regression models, mixing models and time series models, support a strong hydrological interpretation of episodic acidification. Regional application of several models has suggested that acidic episodes (in which the acid neutralizing capacity becomes negative) are relatively common in surface waters in several regions of the US that receive acid deposition. Results from physically based models have suggested a lack of understanding of hydrological flowpaths, hydraulic residence times and biogeochemical reactions, particularly those involving aluminum. The ability to better predict episodic chemical responses of surface waters is thus dependent upon elucidation of these and other physical and chemical processes.

How Can Polarization States of Reflected Light from Snow Surfaces Inform Us on Surface Normals and Ultimately Snow Grain Size Measurements?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, A. M.; Flanner, M.; Yang, P.; Yi, B.; Huang, X.; Feldman, D.

2016-12-01

The Snow Grain Size and Pollution (SGSP) algorithm is a method applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data to estimate snow grain size from space-borne measurements. Previous studies validate and quantify potential sources of error in this method, but because it assumes flat snow surfaces, however, large scale variations in surface normals can cause biases in its estimates due to its dependence on solar and observation zenith angles. To address these variations, we apply the Monte Carlo method for photon transport using data containing the single scattering properties of different ice crystals to calculate polarization states of reflected monochromatic light at 1500nm from modeled snow surfaces. We evaluate the dependence of these polarization states on solar and observation geometry at 1500nm because multiple scattering is generally a mechanism for depolarization and the ice crystals are relatively absorptive at this wavelength. Using 1500nm thus results in a higher number of reflected photons undergoing fewer scattering events, increasing the likelihood of reflected light having higher degrees of polarization. In evaluating the validity of the model, we find agreement with previous studies pertaining to near-infrared spectral directional hemispherical reflectance (i.e. black-sky albedo) and similarities in measured bidirectional reflectance factors, but few studies exist modeling polarization states of reflected light from snow surfaces. Here, we present novel results pertaining to calculated polarization states and compare dependences on solar and observation geometry for different idealized snow surfaces. If these dependencies are consistent across different ice particle shapes and sizes, then these findings could inform the SGSP algorithm by providing useful relationships between measurable physical quantities and solar and observation geometry to better understand variations in snow surface normals from remote sensing observations.

Significant Transient Mobility of Platinum Clusters via a Hot Precursor State on the Alumina Surface.

PubMed

Beniya, Atsushi; Hirata, Hirohito; Watanabe, Yoshihide

2016-11-17

Relaxation dynamics of hot metal clusters on oxide surfaces play a crucial role in a variety of physical and chemical processes. However, their transient mobility has not been investigated as much as other systems such as atoms and molecules on metal surfaces due to experimental difficulties. To study the role of the transient mobility of clusters on the oxide surface, we investigated the initial adsorption process of size-selected Pt clusters on a thin Al 2 O 3 film. Soft-landing the size-selected clusters while suppressing the thermal migration resulted in the transient migration controlling the initial adsorption states as an isolated and aggregated cluster, as revealed using scanning tunneling microscopy. We demonstrate that transient migration significantly contributes to the initial cluster adsorption process; the cross section for aggregation is seven times larger than the expected value from geometrical considerations, indicating that metal clusters are highly mobile during a energy dissipation process on the oxide surface.

The First United States Microgravity Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powers, C. Blake (Editor); Shea, Charlotte; Mcmahan, Tracy; Accardi, Denise; Mikatarian, Jeff

1991-01-01

The United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-1) is one part of a science and technology program that will open NASA's next great era of discovery and establish the United States' leadership in space. A key component in the preparation for this new age of exploration, the USML-1 will fly in orbit for extended periods, providing greater opportunities for research in materials science, fluid dynamics, biotechnology, and combustion science. The major components of the USML-1 are the Crystal Growth Furnace, the Surface Tension Driven Convection Experiment (STDCE) Apparatus, and the Drop Physics Module. Other components of USML-1 include Astroculture, Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus, Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project, Protein Crystal Growth, Space Acceleration Measurement System, Solid Surface Combustion Experiment, Zeolite Crystal Growth and Spacelab Glovebox provided by the European Space Agency.

The physical state of finely dispersed soil-like systems with drilling sludge as an example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smagin, A. V.; Kol'Tsov, I. N.; Pepelov, I. L.; Kirichenko, A. V.; Sadovnikova, N. B.; Kinzhaev, R. R.

2011-02-01

The physical state and its dynamics were studied at the quantitative level for drilling sludge (finely dispersed waste of the oil industry). Using original methodological approaches, the main hydrophysical and technological properties of sludge samples were assessed for the first time, including the water retention curve, the specific surface, the water conductivity, the electrical conductivity, the porosity dynamics during shrinkage, the water yield, etc., which are used in the current models of water transfer and the behavior of these soil-like objects under real thermodynamic conditions. The technologically unfavorable phenomenon of the spontaneous swelling of sludge during the storage of drilling waste was theoretically explained. The water regime of the homogeneous 0.5-m thick drilling sludge layer under the free gravity outflow and permanent evaporation of water from the surface was analyzed using the HYDRUS-1D model. The high water retention capacity and the low water conductivity and water yield of sludge do not allow their drying to the three-phase state (with the entry of air) acceptable for terrestrial plants under humid climatic conditions, which explains the spontaneous transformation of sludge pits to only hydromorphic ecosystems.

WATER SECURITY MONITORING USING SURFACE-ENHANCED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY - PHASE II

EPA Science Inventory

Clean drinking water is a critical component of the United States infrastructure and is therefore a potential target for terrorists. In addition to physical attacks to the water network, like dams, pumping stations and pipelines, there must be vigilance to prevent the water i...

WATER SECURITY MONITORING USING SURFACE-ENHANCED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY - PHASE I

EPA Science Inventory

Clean drinking water is a critical component of the United States infrastructure and is therefore a potential target for terrorists. In addition to physical attacks to the water network including dams, pumping stations and pipelines, there must be vigilance to prevent the wate...

Dual passivation of intrinsic defects at the compound semiconductor/oxide interface using an oxidant and a reductant.

PubMed

Kent, Tyler; Chagarov, Evgeniy; Edmonds, Mary; Droopad, Ravi; Kummel, Andrew C

2015-05-26

Studies have shown that metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors fabricated utilizing compound semiconductors as the channel are limited in their electrical performance. This is attributed to imperfections at the semiconductor/oxide interface which cause electronic trap states, resulting in inefficient modulation of the Fermi level. The physical origin of these states is still debated mainly because of the difficulty in assigning a particular electronic state to a specific physical defect. To gain insight into the exact source of the electronic trap states, density functional theory was employed to model the intrinsic physical defects on the InGaAs (2 × 4) surface and to model the effective passivation of these defects by utilizing both an oxidant and a reductant to eliminate metallic bonds and dangling-bond-induced strain at the interface. Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy were employed to experimentally determine the physical and electronic defects and to verify the effectiveness of dual passivation with an oxidant and a reductant. While subsurface chemisorption of oxidants on compound semiconductor substrates can be detrimental, it has been shown theoretically and experimentally that oxidants are critical to removing metallic defects at oxide/compound semiconductor interfaces present in nanoscale channels, oxides, and other nanostructures.

Teaching and Research with Accelerators at Tarleton State University

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marble, Daniel K.

2009-03-10

Tarleton State University students began performing both research and laboratory experiments using accelerators in 1998 through visitation programs at the University of North Texas, US Army Research Laboratory, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Carderock. In 2003, Tarleton outfitted its new science building with a 1 MV pelletron that was donated by the California Institution of Technology. The accelerator has been upgraded and supports a wide range of classes for both the Physics program and the ABET accredited Engineering Physics program as well as supplying undergraduate research opportunities on campus. A discussion of various laboratory activities and research projectsmore » performed by Tarleton students will be presented.« less

Surface studies relevant to silicon carbide chemical vapor deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stinespring, C. D.; Wormhoudt, J. C.

1989-01-01

Reactions of C2H4, C3H8, and CH4 on the Si(111) surface and C2H4 on the Si(100) surface were investigated for surface temperatures in the range of 1062-1495 K. Results led to the identification of the reaction products, a characterization of the solid-state transport process, a determination of the nucleation mechanism and growth kinetics, and an assessment of orientation effects. Based on these results and on the modeling studies of Stinespring and Wormhoudt (1988) on the associated gas phase chemistry, a physical model for the two-step beta-SiC CVD process is proposed.

Surface Morphology of Vapor-Deposited Chitosan: Evidence of Solid-State Dewetting during the Formation of Biopolymer Films.

PubMed

Retamal, Maria Jose; Corrales, Tomas P; Cisternas, Marcelo A; Moraga, Nicolas H; Diaz, Diego I; Catalan, Rodrigo E; Seifert, Birger; Huber, Patrick; Volkmann, Ulrich G

2016-03-14

Chitosan is a useful and versatile biopolymer with several industrial and biological applications. Whereas its physical and physicochemical bulk properties have been explored quite intensively in the past, there is a lack of studies regarding the morphology and growth mechanisms of thin films of this biopolymer. Of particular interest for applications in bionanotechnology are ultrathin films with thicknesses under 500 Å. Here, we present a study of thin chitosan films prepared in a dry process using physical vapor deposition and in situ ellipsometric monitoring. The prepared films were analyzed with atomic force microscopy in order to correlate surface morphology with evaporation parameters. We find that the surface morphology of our final thin films depends on both the optical thickness, i.e., measured with ellipsometry, and the deposition rate. Our work shows that ultrathin biopolymer films can undergo dewetting during film formation, even in the absence of solvents and thermal annealing.

Comments on "The Sensitivity Study of Radiative-Convective Equilibrium in the Tropics with a Convective Resolving Model"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tao, W.-K.; Shie, C.-L.; Simpson, J.

2000-01-01

In general, there are two broad scientific objectives when using cloud resolving models (CRMs or cloud ensemble models-CEMs) to study tropical convection. The first one is to use them as a physics resolving models to understand the dynamic and microphysical processes associated with the tropical water and energy cycles and their role in the climate system. The second approach is to use the CRMs to improve the representation of moist processes and their interaction with radiation in large-scale models. In order to improve the credibility of the CRMs and achieve the above goals, CRMs using identical initial conditions and large-scale influences need to produce very similar results. Two CRMs produced different statistical equilibrium (SE) states even though both used the same initial thermodynamic and wind conditions. Sensitivity tests to identify the major physical processes that determine the SE states for the different CRM simulations were performed. Their results indicated that atmospheric horizontal wind is treated quite differently in these two CRMs. The model that had stronger surface winds and consequently larger latent and sensible heat fluxes from the ocean produced a warmer and more humid modeled thermodynamic SE state. In addition, the domain mean thermodynamic state is more unstable for those experiments that produced a warmer and more humid SE state. Their simulated wet (warm and humid) SE states are thermally more stable in the lower troposphere (from the surface to 4-5 km in altitude). The large-scale horizontal advective effects on temperature and water vapor mixing ratio are needed when using CRMs to perform long-term integrations to study convective feedback under specified large-scale environments. In addition, it is suggested that the dry and cold SE state simulated was caused by enhanced precipitation but not enough surface evaporation. We find some problems with the interpretation of these three phenomena.

Application of a fully integrated surface-subsurface physically based flow model for evaluating groundwater recharge from a flash flood event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pino, Cristian; Herrera, Paulo; Therrien, René

2017-04-01

In many arid regions around the world groundwater recharge occurs during flash floods. This transient spatially and temporally concentrated flood-recharge process takes place through the variably saturated zone between surface and usually the deep groundwater table. These flood events are characterized by rapid and extreme changes in surface flow depth and velocity and soil moisture conditions. Infiltration rates change over time controlled by the hydraulic gradients and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at the surface-subsurface interface. Today is a challenge to assess the spatial and temporal distribution of groundwater recharge from flash flood events under real field conditions at different scales in arid areas. We apply an integrated surface-subsurface variably saturated physically-based flow model at the watershed scale to assess the recharge process during and after a flash flood event registered in an arid fluvial valley in Northern Chile. We are able to reproduce reasonably well observed groundwater levels and surface flow discharges during and after the flood with a calibrated model. We also investigate the magnitude and spatio-temporal distribution of recharge and the response of the system to variations of different surface and subsurface parameters, initial soil moisture content and groundwater table depths and surface flow conditions. We demonstrate how an integrated physically based model allows the exploration of different spatial and temporal system states, and that the analysis of the results of the simulations help us to improve our understanding of the recharge processes in similar type of systems that are common to many arid areas around the world.

Atomic Mechanism of Hybridization-Dependent Surface Reconstruction with Tailored Functionality in Hexagonal Multiferroics.

PubMed

Deng, Shiqing; Cheng, Shaobo; Xu, Changsong; Ge, Binghui; Sun, Xuefeng; Yu, Rong; Duan, Wenhui; Zhu, Jing

2017-08-16

The broken symmetry along with anomalous defect structures and charging conditions at multiferroics surface can alter both crystal structures and electronic configurations, bringing in emergent physical properties. Extraordinary surface states are induced into original mutually coupled order parameters in such strongly correlated oxides, which flourish in diverse properties but remain less explored. Here, we report the peculiar surface ferroelectric states and reconfigurable functionalities driven by the relaxation of surface and consequent changes in O 2p and Y 4d orbital (p-d) hybridization within a representative hexagonal multiferroics, YMnO 3 . An unprecedented surface reconstruction is achieved by tailored p-d hybridization coupling with in-plane oxygen vacancies, which is atomically revealed on the basis of the advantages of state-of-the-art aberration-corrected (scanning) transmission electron microscopy. Further ab initio density functional theory calculations verify the key roles of in-plane oxygen vacancies in modulating polarization properties and electronic structure, which should be regarded as the atomic multiferroic element. This surface configuration is found to induce tunable functionalities, such as surface ferromagnetism and conductivity. Meanwhile, the controversial origin of improper ferroelectricity that is unexpectedly free from critical size has also been atomically unraveled. Our findings provide new insights into the design and implementation of surface chemistry devices by simply controlling the oxygen stoichiometry, greatly advance our understandings of surface science in strongly correlated oxides, and enable exciting innovations and new technological functionality paradigms.

Stereodynamics in state-resolved scattering at the gas–liquid interface

PubMed Central

Perkins, Bradford G.; Nesbitt, David J.

2008-01-01

Stereodynamics at the gas–liquid interface provides insight into the important physical interactions that directly influence heterogeneous chemistry at the surface and within the bulk liquid. We investigate molecular beam scattering of CO2 from a liquid perfluoropolyether (PFPE) surface in vacuum [incident energy Einc = 10.6(8) kcal/mol, incident angle θinc = 60°] to specifically reveal rotational angular-momentum directions for scattered molecules. Experimentally, internal quantum state populations and MJ distributions are probed by high-resolution polarization-modulated infrared laser spectroscopy. Analysis of J-state populations reveals dual-channel scattering dynamics characterized by a two-temperature Boltzmann distribution for trapping–desorption and impulsive scattering. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations of CO2 + fluorinated self-assembled monolayers have been used to model CO2 + PFPE dynamics. Experimental results and molecular dynamics simulations reveal highly oriented CO2 distributions that preferentially scatter with “top spin” as a strongly increasing function of J state. PMID:18678907

Imaging electronic states on topological semimetals using scanning tunneling microscopy

DOE PAGES

Gyenis, András; Inoue, Hiroyuki; Jeon, Sangjun; ...

2016-10-18

Following the intense studies on topological insulators, significant efforts have recently been devoted to the search for gapless topological systems. These materials not only broaden the topological classification of matter but also provide a condensed matter realization of various relativistic particles and phenomena previously discussed mainly in high energy physics. Weyl semimetals host massless, chiral, low-energy excitations in the bulk electronic band structure, whereas a symmetry protected pair of Weyl fermions gives rise to massless Dirac fermions.Weemployed scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy to explore the behavior of electronic states both on the surface and in the bulk of topological semimetal phases. Bymore » mapping the quasiparticle interference (QPI) and emerging Landau levels at high magnetic field in Dirac semimetals Cd 3As 2 and Na 3Bi, we observed extended Dirac-like bulk electronic bands. QPI imaged on Weyl semimetal TaAs demonstrated the predicted momentum dependent delocalization of Fermi arc surface states in the vicinity of the surface projected Weyl nodes.« less

Slope-Velocity-Equilibrium and evolution of surface roughness on a stony hillslope

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Slope-velocity equilibrium is hypothesized as a state that evolves naturally over time due to the interaction between overland flow and bed morphology, wherein steeper areas develop a relative increase in physical and hydraulic roughness such that flow velocity is a unique function of overland flow ...

40 CFR 721.91 - Computation of estimated surface water concentrations: Instructions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... shall be computed for each site using the stream flow rate appropriate for the site according to... computing the equation, the number of kilograms released, and receiving stream flow. (a) Number of kilograms... chemical changes and/or changes in location, temperature, pressure, physical state, or similar...

Photoemission intensity oscillations from quantum-well states in the Ag/V(100) overlayer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milun, M.; Pervan, P.; Gumhalter, B.; Woodruff, D. P.

1999-02-01

Extensive measurements have been made of the photoemission intensities recorded along the surface normal from quantum-well (QW) states of pseudomorphic Ag layers on V(100) in thicknesses from 1-7 ML as a function of photon energy in the range 15-45 eV. In all cases the QW states lead to intense peaks in the photoemission spectra which show strong oscillations in intensity with photon energy, the energy period of the oscillations becoming shorter as the films become thicker. These effects are explained in terms of interference of surface and interfaces photoemission from the sharp changes in potential at the well boundaries, and a semiquantitative description is achieved via calculations based on a simple asymmetric square-well description in the Adawi formulation of surface photoemission. An alternative picture in which intensity peaks are predicted to correspond to the conditions for direct transitions from bulk states of the overlayer material at the same initial-state energy is shown to be in direct contradiction with some of our observations. The reason for this failure, and the relationship of alternative views of the physical processes, are discussed.

Smart polymers as surface modifiers for bioanalytical devices and biomaterials: theory and practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, A. E.; Zubov, V. P.

2016-06-01

Smart, or responsive polymers can reversibly change their state of aggregation, thus switching from water-soluble to insoluble state, in response to minor changes in temperature, pH or solvent composition. Grafting of these polymers to solid surfaces imparts the surfaces with controllable wettability and adsorption behaviour. The review summarizes the theoretical models and the results of physical measurements of the conformational transitions in grafted polymer chains and polymer brushes. Primary attention is paid to the grafting density and the length and spatial arrangement of grafted chains, the role of polystyrene, organosilane or alkanethiol sublayers and their effects on adsorption of proteins and adhesion of cells. The key applications of grafted smart polymers such as cell culture and tissue engineering, cell and protein separation, biosensing and targeted drug delivery are surveyed. The bibliography includes 174 references.

High-Performance 3D Articulated Robot Display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, Mark W.; Torres, Recaredo J.; Mittman, David S.; Kurien, James A.; Abramyan, Lucy

2011-01-01

In the domain of telerobotic operations, the primary challenge facing the operator is to understand the state of the robotic platform. One key aspect of understanding the state is to visualize the physical location and configuration of the platform. As there is a wide variety of mobile robots, the requirements for visualizing their configurations vary diversely across different platforms. There can also be diversity in the mechanical mobility, such as wheeled, tracked, or legged mobility over surfaces. Adaptable 3D articulated robot visualization software can accommodate a wide variety of robotic platforms and environments. The visualization has been used for surface, aerial, space, and water robotic vehicle visualization during field testing. It has been used to enable operations of wheeled and legged surface vehicles, and can be readily adapted to facilitate other mechanical mobility solutions. The 3D visualization can render an articulated 3D model of a robotic platform for any environment. Given the model, the software receives real-time telemetry from the avionics system onboard the vehicle and animates the robot visualization to reflect the telemetered physical state. This is used to track the position and attitude in real time to monitor the progress of the vehicle as it traverses its environment. It is also used to monitor the state of any or all articulated elements of the vehicle, such as arms, legs, or control surfaces. The visualization can also render other sorts of telemetered states visually, such as stress or strains that are measured by the avionics. Such data can be used to color or annotate the virtual vehicle to indicate nominal or off-nominal states during operation. The visualization is also able to render the simulated environment where the vehicle is operating. For surface and aerial vehicles, it can render the terrain under the vehicle as the avionics sends it location information (GPS, odometry, or star tracking), and locate the vehicle over or on the terrain correctly. For long traverses over terrain, the visualization can stream in terrain piecewise in order to maintain the current area of interest for the operator without incurring unreasonable resource constraints on the computing platform. The visualization software is designed to run on laptops that can operate in field-testing environments without Internet access, which is a frequently encountered situation when testing in remote locations that simulate planetary environments such as Mars and other planetary bodies.

Suppression of low-frequency charge noise in superconducting resonators by surface spin desorption.

PubMed

de Graaf, S E; Faoro, L; Burnett, J; Adamyan, A A; Tzalenchuk, A Ya; Kubatkin, S E; Lindström, T; Danilov, A V

2018-03-20

Noise and decoherence due to spurious two-level systems located at material interfaces are long-standing issues for solid-state quantum devices. Efforts to mitigate the effects of two-level systems have been hampered by a lack of knowledge about their chemical and physical nature. Here, by combining dielectric loss, frequency noise and on-chip electron spin resonance measurements in superconducting resonators, we demonstrate that desorption of surface spins is accompanied by an almost tenfold reduction in the charge-induced frequency noise in the resonators. These measurements provide experimental evidence that simultaneously reveals the chemical signatures of adsorbed magnetic moments and highlights their role in generating charge noise in solid-state quantum devices.

Geometric Defects in Quantum Hall States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gromov, Andrey

I will describe a geometric analogue of Laughlin quasiholes in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states. These ``quasiholes'' are generated by an insertion of quantized fluxes of curvature - which can be modeled by branch points of a certain Riemann surface - and, consequently, are related to genons. Unlike quasiholes, the genons are not excitations, but extrinsic defects. Fusion of genons describes the response of an FQH state to a process that changes (effective) topology of the physical space. These defects are abelian for IQH states and non-abelian for FQH states. I will explain how to calculate an electric charge, geometric spin and adiabatic mutual statistics of the these defects. Leo Kadanoff Fellowship.

Temperature dependent dispersion and electron-phonon coupling surface states on Be(1010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Shu-Jung; Ismail; Sprunger, Philip; Plummer, Ward

2002-03-01

Temperature dependent dispersion and electron-phonon coupling surface states on Be(10-10) S.-J Tang*, Ismail* , P.T . Sprunger#, E. W. Plummer* * Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN37996 , # Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), Louisiana State University The surface states dispersing in a large band gap from -A to -Γ in Be(10-10) were studied with high-resolution, angle-resolved photoemission. Spectra reveal that the two zone-boundary surface states, S1 and S2, behave significantly different with respect to band dispersion, the temperature dependence of binding energies, and the electron-phonon coupling. The band dispersion of S1 is purely free-electron like with the maximum binding energy of 0.37+-0.05 eV at -A and effective mass m*/m =0835. However, the maximum binding energy 2.74+-0.05 eV of the S2 is located 0.2Åaway from -A and disperses into the bulk band edge at a binding energy of 1.75+-0.05 eV. Temperature dependent data reveal that the binding energies of S1 and S2 at -A shift in opposite directions at the rate of (-0.61+-0.3)+- 10E-4 eV/K and (1.71+-0.8)+-10E-4 eV/K, respectively. Moreover, from the temperature-dependent spectral widths of the surface states S1 and S2 at , the electron-phonon coupling parameters,λ, have been determined. Unusually different, the coupling strength λ for S1 and S2 are 0.67+-0.03 and 0.51+-0.04, respectively. The differences between the electron-phonon coupling, temperature dependent binding energies, and dispersions between these two zone-centered surface states will be discussed in light unique bonding at the surface and localization.

Freely Suspended Liquid Crystalline Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonin, A. A.

2003-05-01

Freely Suspended Liquid Crystalline Films Andrei A. Sonin Centre d'Etudes Atomiques de Saclay, France and Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences with a Foreword by Professor Noel Clark University of Colorado, USA This book provides a brief introduction to the physics of liquid crystals and to macroscopic physical parameters characterising freely suspended liquid crystalline (FSLC) films, and then reviews the experimental techniques for preparing these films, measuring their thicknesses, and investigating their physical properties and structural aspects. Molecular structures and defects of FSLC films and the problems of film stability, thinning and rupture are discussed in later chapters. Physical phenomena, such as orientational and phase transitions, Frederick's and flexoelectric effects, hydroelectrodynamics, etc., are also analysed. Finally, some applications of FSLC films in industry and in various branches of science are discussed. Specialists working in the physics of liquid crystals and in surface physics will find this book of interest. Industrial firms and their research centres investigating liquid crystals, biological membranes, detergent/surfactant/biomedical areas; and graduates and postgraduates in solid state physics and crystallography will also benefit from this book. The book has an easy-to-read style with just the minimum amount of mathematics necessary to explain important concepts. This is the first book dedicated exclusively to the physics of FSLC in almost a century since their discovery and last twenty years of their active studies. Andrei Sonin, a scientist in the area of FSLC and author of many articles on surface phenomena in liquid crystals, the properties and behaviour of thin liquid crystalline and surfactant films, has a long standing reputation in liquid crystals and surfactant systems and has been particularly active in issues involving surface interactions.

Simulating the performance of a distance-3 surface code in a linear ion trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trout, Colin J.; Li, Muyuan; Gutiérrez, Mauricio; Wu, Yukai; Wang, Sheng-Tao; Duan, Luming; Brown, Kenneth R.

2018-04-01

We explore the feasibility of implementing a small surface code with 9 data qubits and 8 ancilla qubits, commonly referred to as surface-17, using a linear chain of 171Yb+ ions. Two-qubit gates can be performed between any two ions in the chain with gate time increasing linearly with ion distance. Measurement of the ion state by fluorescence requires that the ancilla qubits be physically separated from the data qubits to avoid errors on the data due to scattered photons. We minimize the time required to measure one round of stabilizers by optimizing the mapping of the two-dimensional surface code to the linear chain of ions. We develop a physically motivated Pauli error model that allows for fast simulation and captures the key sources of noise in an ion trap quantum computer including gate imperfections and ion heating. Our simulations showed a consistent requirement of a two-qubit gate fidelity of ≥99.9% for the logical memory to have a better fidelity than physical two-qubit operations. Finally, we perform an analysis of the error subsets from the importance sampling method used to bound the logical error rates to gain insight into which error sources are particularly detrimental to error correction.

Material science and Condensed matter Physics. 8th International Conference. Abstracts.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulyuk, L. L.; Paladi, Florentin; Canter, Valeriu; Nikorich, Valentina; Filippova, Irina

2016-08-01

The book includes the abstracts of the communications presented at the 8th International Conference on Materials Science and Condensed Matter Physics (MSCMP 2016), a traditional biennial meeting organized by the Institute of Applied Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (IAP).A total of 346 abstracts has been included in the book. The Conference programm included plenary lectures, topical keynote lectures, contributed oral and poster presentations distributed into 7 sections: * Condensed Matter Theory; * Advanced Bulk Materials; * Design and Structural Characterization of Materials; * Solid State Nanophysics and Nanotechnology; * Energy Conversion and Storage. Solid State Devices; * Surface Engineering and Applied Electrochemistry; * Digital and Optical holography: Materials and Methods. The abstracts are arranged according to the sections mentioned above. The Abstracts book includes a table of matters at the beginning of the book and an index of authors at the finish of the book.

Advances in the surface modification techniques of bone-related implants for last 10 years

PubMed Central

Qiu, Zhi-Ye; Chen, Cen; Wang, Xiu-Mei; Lee, In-Seop

2014-01-01

At the time of implanting bone-related implants into human body, a variety of biological responses to the material surface occur with respect to surface chemistry and physical state. The commonly used biomaterials (e.g. titanium and its alloy, Co–Cr alloy, stainless steel, polyetheretherketone, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and various calcium phosphates) have many drawbacks such as lack of biocompatibility and improper mechanical properties. As surface modification is very promising technology to overcome such problems, a variety of surface modification techniques have been being investigated. This review paper covers recent advances in surface modification techniques of bone-related materials including physicochemical coating, radiation grafting, plasma surface engineering, ion beam processing and surface patterning techniques. The contents are organized with different types of techniques to applicable materials, and typical examples are also described. PMID:26816626

International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors (17th) Held in San Francisco, California on August 6-10, 1984

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-30

experimental probe of the Landau level density of states, which we find to be distinctly non -gaussian and in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions...dispersion on the cleaved Si(111)2xi surface. For good single domain 2x1 surfaces different experimental groups agree on a highly dispersive dangling-bond...work underlies the operation of new devices proposed II] and realized experimentally : a gate controlled microwave generator (2,3J and a charge

Linear-time general decoding algorithm for the surface code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darmawan, Andrew S.; Poulin, David

2018-05-01

A quantum error correcting protocol can be substantially improved by taking into account features of the physical noise process. We present an efficient decoder for the surface code which can account for general noise features, including coherences and correlations. We demonstrate that the decoder significantly outperforms the conventional matching algorithm on a variety of noise models, including non-Pauli noise and spatially correlated noise. The algorithm is based on an approximate calculation of the logical channel using a tensor-network description of the noisy state.

Towards Realistic Implementations of a Majorana Surface Code.

PubMed

Landau, L A; Plugge, S; Sela, E; Altland, A; Albrecht, S M; Egger, R

2016-02-05

Surface codes have emerged as promising candidates for quantum information processing. Building on the previous idea to realize the physical qubits of such systems in terms of Majorana bound states supported by topological semiconductor nanowires, we show that the basic code operations, namely projective stabilizer measurements and qubit manipulations, can be implemented by conventional tunnel conductance probes and charge pumping via single-electron transistors, respectively. The simplicity of the access scheme suggests that a functional code might be in close experimental reach.

Mathematical Model for Localised and Surface Heat Flux of the Human Body Obtained from Measurements Performed with a Calorimetry Minisensor

PubMed Central

Socorro, Fabiola; Rodríguez de Rivera, Pedro Jesús; Rodríguez de Rivera, Miriam

2017-01-01

The accuracy of the direct and local measurements of the heat power dissipated by the surface of the human body, using a calorimetry minisensor, is directly related to the calibration rigor of the sensor and the correct interpretation of the experimental results. For this, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the body’s local heat dissipation. When the sensor is placed on the surface of the human body, the body reacts until a steady state is reached. We propose a mathematical model that represents the rate of heat flow at a given location on the surface of a human body by the sum of a series of exponentials: W(t) = A0 + ∑Aiexp(−t/τi). In this way, transient and steady states of heat dissipation can be interpreted. This hypothesis has been tested by simulating the operation of the sensor. At the steady state, the power detected in the measurement area (4 cm2) varies depending on the sensor’s thermostat temperature, as well as the physical state of the subject. For instance, for a thermostat temperature of 24 °C, this power can vary between 100–250 mW in a healthy adult. In the transient state, two exponentials are sufficient to represent this dissipation, with 3 and 70 s being the mean values of its time constants. PMID:29182567

Mathematical Model for Localised and Surface Heat Flux of the Human Body Obtained from Measurements Performed with a Calorimetry Minisensor.

PubMed

Socorro, Fabiola; Rodríguez de Rivera, Pedro Jesús; Rodríguez de Rivera, Miriam; Rodríguez de Rivera, Manuel

2017-11-28

The accuracy of the direct and local measurements of the heat power dissipated by the surface of the human body, using a calorimetry minisensor, is directly related to the calibration rigor of the sensor and the correct interpretation of the experimental results. For this, it is necessary to know the characteristics of the body's local heat dissipation. When the sensor is placed on the surface of the human body, the body reacts until a steady state is reached. We propose a mathematical model that represents the rate of heat flow at a given location on the surface of a human body by the sum of a series of exponentials: W ( t ) = A ₀ + ∑A i exp( -t / τ i ). In this way, transient and steady states of heat dissipation can be interpreted. This hypothesis has been tested by simulating the operation of the sensor. At the steady state, the power detected in the measurement area (4 cm²) varies depending on the sensor's thermostat temperature, as well as the physical state of the subject. For instance, for a thermostat temperature of 24 °C, this power can vary between 100-250 mW in a healthy adult. In the transient state, two exponentials are sufficient to represent this dissipation, with 3 and 70 s being the mean values of its time constants.

Proximity-Induced Superconductivity and Quantum Interference in Topological Crystalline Insulator SnTe Thin-Film Devices.

PubMed

Klett, Robin; Schönle, Joachim; Becker, Andreas; Dyck, Denis; Borisov, Kiril; Rott, Karsten; Ramermann, Daniela; Büker, Björn; Haskenhoff, Jan; Krieft, Jan; Hübner, Torsten; Reimer, Oliver; Shekhar, Chandra; Schmalhorst, Jan-Michael; Hütten, Andreas; Felser, Claudia; Wernsdorfer, Wolfgang; Reiss, Günter

2018-02-14

Topological crystalline insulators represent a new state of matter, in which the electronic transport is governed by mirror-symmetry protected Dirac surface states. Due to the helical spin-polarization of these surface states, the proximity of topological crystalline matter to a nearby superconductor is predicted to induce unconventional superconductivity and, thus, to host Majorana physics. We report on the preparation and characterization of Nb-based superconducting quantum interference devices patterned on top of topological crystalline insulator SnTe thin films. The SnTe films show weak anti-localization, and the weak links of the superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) exhibit fully gapped proximity-induced superconductivity. Both properties give a coinciding coherence length of 120 nm. The SQUID oscillations induced by a magnetic field show 2π periodicity, possibly dominated by the bulk conductivity.

Large Fermi Surface of Heavy Electrons at the Border of Mott Insulating State in NiS 2

DOE PAGES

Friedemann, S.; Chang, H.; Gamża, M. B.; ...

2016-05-12

One early triumph of quantum physics is the explanation why some materials are metallic whereas others are insulating. While a treatment based on single electron states is correct for most materials this approach can fail spectacularly, when the electrostatic repulsion between electrons causes strong correlations. Not only can these favor new and subtle forms of matter, such as magnetism or superconductivity, they can even cause the electrons in a half-filled energy band to lock into position, producing a correlated, or Mott insulator. The transition into the Mott insulating state raises important fundamental questions. Foremost among these is the fate ofmore » the electronic Fermi surface and the associated charge carrier mass, as the Mott transition is approached. We report the first direct observation of the Fermi surface on the metallic side of a Mott insulating transition by high pressure quantum oscillatory measurements in NiS 2. We find our results point at a large Fermi surface consistent with Luttinger's theorem and a strongly enhanced quasiparticle effective mass. These two findings are in line with central tenets of the Brinkman-Rice picture of the correlated metal near the Mott insulating state and rule out alternative scenarios in which the carrier concentration vanishes continuously at the metal-insulator transition.« less

On the physics of dispersive electron transport characteristics in SnO2 nanoparticle-based dye sensitized solar cells.

PubMed

Ashok, Aditya; Vijayaraghavan, S N; Unni, Gautam E; Nair, Shantikumar V; Shanmugam, Mariyappan

2018-04-27

The present study elucidates dispersive electron transport mediated by surface states in tin oxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticle-based dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Transmission electron microscopic studies on SnO 2 show a distribution of ∼10 nm particles exhibiting (111) crystal planes with inter-planar spacing of 0.28 nm. The dispersive transport, experienced by photo-generated charge carriers in the bulk of SnO 2 , is observed to be imposed by trapping and de-trapping processes via SnO 2 surface states present close to the band edge. The DSSC exhibits 50% difference in performance observed between the forward (4%) and reverse (6%) scans due to the dispersive transport characteristics of the charge carriers in the bulk of the SnO 2 . The photo-generated charge carriers are captured and released by the SnO 2 surface states that are close to the conduction band-edge resulting in a very significant variation; this is confirmed by the hysteresis observed in the forward and reverse scan current-voltage measurements under AM1.5 illumination. The hysteresis behavior assures that the charge carriers are accumulated in the bulk of electron acceptor due to the trapping, and released by de-trapping mediated by surface states observed during the forward and reverse scan measurements.

On the physics of dispersive electron transport characteristics in SnO2 nanoparticle-based dye sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashok, Aditya; Vijayaraghavan, S. N.; Unni, Gautam E.; Nair, Shantikumar V.; Shanmugam, Mariyappan

2018-04-01

The present study elucidates dispersive electron transport mediated by surface states in tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticle-based dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Transmission electron microscopic studies on SnO2 show a distribution of ˜10 nm particles exhibiting (111) crystal planes with inter-planar spacing of 0.28 nm. The dispersive transport, experienced by photo-generated charge carriers in the bulk of SnO2, is observed to be imposed by trapping and de-trapping processes via SnO2 surface states present close to the band edge. The DSSC exhibits 50% difference in performance observed between the forward (4%) and reverse (6%) scans due to the dispersive transport characteristics of the charge carriers in the bulk of the SnO2. The photo-generated charge carriers are captured and released by the SnO2 surface states that are close to the conduction band-edge resulting in a very significant variation; this is confirmed by the hysteresis observed in the forward and reverse scan current-voltage measurements under AM1.5 illumination. The hysteresis behavior assures that the charge carriers are accumulated in the bulk of electron acceptor due to the trapping, and released by de-trapping mediated by surface states observed during the forward and reverse scan measurements.

An equivalent layer magnetization model for the United States derived from MAGSAT data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayhew, M. A.; Galliher, S. C. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Long wavelength anomalies in the total magnetic field measured field measured by MAGSAT over the United States and adjacent areas are inverted to an equivalent layer crustal magnetization distribution. The model is based on an equal area dipole grid at the Earth's surface. Model resolution having physical significance, is about 220 km for MAGSAT data in the elevation range 300-500 km. The magnetization contours correlate well with large-scale tectonic provinces.

A proposed physical model for the impregnated tungsten cathode based on Auger surface studies of the Ba-O-W system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forman, R.

1979-01-01

Auger spectra and work function measurements are used to study the surface reactions between tungsten surface and adsorbed layers of barium, and barium and oxygen. The barium on an impregnated tungsten cathod seems to be an intermediate state, probably a coadsorbed barium-oxygen layer on tungsten. A slightly revised version of the previously suggested (1976) impregnated tungsten cathode model is proposed. This revised model assumes that the cathode surface during life has an adsorbed surface layer of a monolayer or less of both barium and oxygen on the surface. At end of life, steep drop in electron emission and resultant cathode failure occur. Recent NASA life test results on TWT type tubes are reported and explained by the proposed model.

On the non-uniqueness of the hydro-geomorphic responses in a zero-order catchment with respect to soil moisture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jongho; Dwelle, M. Chase; Kampf, Stephanie K.; Fatichi, Simone; Ivanov, Valeriy Y.

2016-06-01

This study advances mechanistic interpretation of predictability challenges in hydro-geomorphology related to the role of soil moisture spatial variability. Using model formulations describing the physics of overland flow, variably saturated subsurface flow, and erosion and sediment transport, this study explores (1) why a basin with the same mean soil moisture can exhibit distinctly different spatial moisture distributions, (2) whether these varying distributions lead to non-unique hydro-geomorphic responses, and (3) what controls non-uniqueness in relation to the response type. Two sets of numerical experiments are carried out with two physically-based models, HYDRUS and tRIBS+VEGGIE+FEaST, and their outputs are analyzed with respect to pre-storm moisture state. The results demonstrate that distinct spatial moisture distributions for the same mean wetness arise because near-surface soil moisture dynamics exhibit different degrees of coupling with deeper-soil moisture and the process of subsurface drainage. The consequences of such variations are different depending on the type of hydrological response. Specifically, if the predominant runoff response is of infiltration excess type, the degree of non-uniqueness is related to the spatial distribution of near-surface moisture. If runoff is governed by subsurface stormflow, the extent of deep moisture contributing area and its "readiness to drain" determine the response characteristics. Because the processes of erosion and sediment transport superimpose additional controls over factors governing runoff generation and overland flow, non-uniqueness of the geomorphic response can be highly dampened or enhanced. The explanation is sediment composed by multi-size particles can alternate states of mobilization or surface shielding and the transient behavior is inherently intertwined with the availability of mobile particles. We conclude that complex nonlinear dynamics of hydro-geomorphic processes are inherent expressions of physical interactions. As complete knowledge of watershed properties, states, or forcings will always present the ultimate, if ever resolvable, challenge, deterministic predictability will remain handicapped. Coupling of uncertainty quantification methods and space-time physics-based approaches will need to evolve to facilitate mechanistic interpretations and informed practical applications.

Ladder physics in the spin fermion model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsvelik, A. M.

2017-05-01

A link is established between the spin fermion (SF) model of the cuprates and the approach based on the analogy between the physics of doped Mott insulators in two dimensions and the physics of fermionic ladders. This enables one to use nonperturbative results derived for fermionic ladders to move beyond the large-N approximation in the SF model. It is shown that the paramagnon exchange postulated in the SF model has exactly the right form to facilitate the emergence of the fully gapped d -Mott state in the region of the Brillouin zone at the hot spots of the Fermi surface. Hence, the SF model provides an adequate description of the pseudogap.

Quantum electronic stress: density-functional-theory formulation and physical manifestation.

PubMed

Hu, Hao; Liu, Miao; Wang, Z F; Zhu, Junyi; Wu, Dangxin; Ding, Hepeng; Liu, Zheng; Liu, Feng

2012-08-03

The concept of quantum electronic stress (QES) is introduced and formulated within density functional theory to elucidate extrinsic electronic effects on the stress state of solids and thin films in the absence of lattice strain. A formal expression of QES (σ(QE)) is derived in relation to deformation potential of electronic states (Ξ) and variation of electron density (Δn), σ(QE) = ΞΔn as a quantum analog of classical Hooke's law. Two distinct QES manifestations are demonstrated quantitatively by density functional theory calculations: (1) in the form of bulk stress induced by charge carriers and (2) in the form of surface stress induced by quantum confinement. Implications of QES in some physical phenomena are discussed to underlie its importance.

Local functional descriptors for surface comparison based binding prediction

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Molecular recognition in proteins occurs due to appropriate arrangements of physical, chemical, and geometric properties of an atomic surface. Similar surface regions should create similar binding interfaces. Effective methods for comparing surface regions can be used in identifying similar regions, and to predict interactions without regard to the underlying structural scaffold that creates the surface. Results We present a new descriptor for protein functional surfaces and algorithms for using these descriptors to compare protein surface regions to identify ligand binding interfaces. Our approach uses descriptors of local regions of the surface, and assembles collections of matches to compare larger regions. Our approach uses a variety of physical, chemical, and geometric properties, adaptively weighting these properties as appropriate for different regions of the interface. Our approach builds a classifier based on a training corpus of examples of binding sites of the target ligand. The constructed classifiers can be applied to a query protein providing a probability for each position on the protein that the position is part of a binding interface. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach on a number of benchmarks, demonstrating performance that is comparable to the state-of-the-art, with an approach with more generality than these prior methods. Conclusions Local functional descriptors offer a new method for protein surface comparison that is sufficiently flexible to serve in a variety of applications. PMID:23176080

Engineering Surface Critical Behavior of (2 +1 )-Dimensional O(3) Quantum Critical Points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Chengxiang; Zhang, Long; Guo, Wenan

2018-06-01

Surface critical behavior (SCB) refers to the singularities of physical quantities on the surface at the bulk phase transition. It is closely related to and even richer than the bulk critical behavior. In this work, we show that three types of SCB universality are realized in the dimerized Heisenberg models at the (2 +1 )-dimensional O(3) quantum critical points by engineering the surface configurations. The ordinary transition happens if the surface is gapped in the bulk disordered phase, while the gapless surface state generally leads to the multicritical special transition, even though the latter is precluded in classical phase transitions because the surface is in the lower critical dimension. An extraordinary transition is induced by the ferrimagnetic order on the surface of the staggered Heisenberg model, in which the surface critical exponents violate the results of the scaling theory and thus seriously challenge our current understanding of extraordinary transitions.

Physical state and temporal evolution of icy surfaces in the Mars South Pole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douté, S.; Pilorget, C.

2017-09-01

On Mars H2O and CO2 ices can be found as seasonal or perennial deposits notably in the polar regions. Their bidirectional reflectance factor (BRF) is a tracer of their evolution which is still not completely understood. It is a key parameter for characterizing the composition and the physical state, as well as for calculating the bolometric albedo, the energy balance of the icy surfaces, and thus their impact on the martian climate. The BRF is potentially accessible thanks to the near-simultaneous multi-angle, hyperspectral observations of the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) implying 11 viewing angles in visible and infrared ranges. In previous research (Ceamanos2013, Doute2015) we put forward the Multi-angle Approach for Retrieval of Surface Reflectance from CRISM Observations (MARS-ReCO), an algorithm that characterizes and corrects the aerosol scattering effects. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the BRF of surface materials are retrieved conjointly and coherently as a function of wavelength. In this work, we apply MARS-ReCO on time series of CRISM sequences over different regions of interest in the outskirts of the south permanent polar cap. The time series span from mid-spring to late summer (Ls=210-320*) during which the CO2 ice sublimates sometimes revealing H2O frost and defrosted terrains. Thanks to the atmospheric correction, we are able to identify various classes of spectrophotometric behavior. We also note a regular increase of the directional-hemispherical surface albedo during the period of the time.

Surface wave effects in the NEMO ocean model: Forced and coupled experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breivik, Øyvind; Mogensen, Kristian; Bidlot, Jean-Raymond; Balmaseda, Magdalena Alonso; Janssen, Peter A. E. M.

2015-04-01

The NEMO general circulation ocean model is extended to incorporate three physical processes related to ocean surface waves, namely the surface stress (modified by growth and dissipation of the oceanic wavefield), the turbulent kinetic energy flux from breaking waves, and the Stokes-Coriolis force. Experiments are done with NEMO in ocean-only (forced) mode and coupled to the ECMWF atmospheric and wave models. Ocean-only integrations are forced with fields from the ERA-Interim reanalysis. All three effects are noticeable in the extratropics, but the sea-state-dependent turbulent kinetic energy flux yields by far the largest difference. This is partly because the control run has too vigorous deep mixing due to an empirical mixing term in NEMO. We investigate the relation between this ad hoc mixing and Langmuir turbulence and find that it is much more effective than the Langmuir parameterization used in NEMO. The biases in sea surface temperature as well as subsurface temperature are reduced, and the total ocean heat content exhibits a trend closer to that observed in a recent ocean reanalysis (ORAS4) when wave effects are included. Seasonal integrations of the coupled atmosphere-wave-ocean model consisting of NEMO, the wave model ECWAM, and the atmospheric model of ECMWF similarly show that the sea surface temperature biases are greatly reduced when the mixing is controlled by the sea state and properly weighted by the thickness of the uppermost level of the ocean model. These wave-related physical processes were recently implemented in the operational coupled ensemble forecast system of ECMWF.

Metallic surface states in elemental electrides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naumov, Ivan I.; Hemley, Russell J.

2017-07-01

Recent high-pressure studies have uncovered an alternative class of materials, insulating electride phases created by compression of simple metals. These exotic insulating phases develop an unusual electronic structure: the valence electrons move away from the nuclei and condense at interstitial sites, thereby acquiring the role of atomic anions or even molecules. We show that they are also topological phases as they exhibit a wide diversity of metallic surface states (SSs) that are controlled by the bulk electronic structure. The electronic reconstruction occurs that involves charge transfer between the surfaces of opposite polarity making both of them metallic, resembling the appearance of the two-dimensional gas at the renowned SrTi O3 /LaAl O3 interface. Remarkably, these materials thus embody seemingly disparate physical concepts—chemical electron localization, topological control of bulk-surface conductivity, and the two-dimensional electron gas. Such metallic SSs could be probed by direct electrical resistance or by standard photoemission measurements on recovery to ambient conditions.

The influence of surface area, porous structure, and surface state on the supercapacitor performance of titanium oxynitride: implications for a nanostructuring strategy.

PubMed

Lee, Eun Joo; Lee, Lanlee; Abbas, Muhammad Awais; Bang, Jin Ho

2017-08-09

A recent surge of interest in metal (oxy)nitride materials for energy storage devices has given rise to the rapid development of various nanostructuring strategies for these materials. In supercapacitor applications, early transition metal (oxy)nitrides have been extensively explored, among which titanium oxynitride stands out due to its great potential for charge storage. Despite recent advances in supercapacitors based on titanium oxynitride, many underlying factors governing their capacitive performance remain elusive. In this work, nanostructured titanium oxynitride is prepared by firing an organic-inorganic hybrid precursor under a hot ammonia atmosphere, and the influence of its physical characteristics on the supercapacitor performance is investigated. New insights into the effects of surface area, porous structure, and surface state of titanium oxynitride on the supercapacitor performance are revealed through which a comprehensive understanding about the capacitive behavior of titanium oxynitride is provided. In addition, the implications of these insights for a nanostructuring strategy striving for higher capacitance and improved stability are discussed.

Theoretical study on adsorption and dissociation of NO2 molecules on BNNT surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singla, Preeti; Singhal, Sonal; Goel, Neetu

2013-10-01

The adsorption of NO2 molecules on (8,0) zigzag single-walled boron nitride nanotube surface is investigated using density functional theory calculations. Two interaction modes, nitro (interacting atom is N) and nitrite (O interacts with BNNT) have been studied with increase in number of NO2 molecules. The adsorption of single NO2 molecule in both configurations is observed to be exothermic and physical in nature. However, in nitrite configuration, NO2 molecules are chemisorbed on the surface leading to the dissociation of NO2 molecules into NO and O. The density of states, natural bond orbital analysis and frontier orbital pictures provide rational understanding of the charge transfer involved in the process and predict significant enhancement in the conductivity of the BNNT after NO2 adsorption. The DFT calculations show that NO2 adsorption introduces new impurity states in the band gap of bare BNNT and expand their applications as NO2 molecule gas sensor and catalytic surface for Nsbnd O dissociation depending upon the mode of adsorption.

The Force-Free Magnetosphere of a Rotating Black Hole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Contopoulos, Ioannis; Kazanas, Demosthenes; Papadopoulos, Demetrios B.

2013-01-01

We revisit the Blandford-Znajek process and solve the fundamental equation that governs the structure of the steady-state force-free magnetosphere around a Kerr black hole. The solution depends on the distributions of the magnetic field angular velocity and the poloidal electric current. These are not arbitrary. They are determined self-consistently by requiring that magnetic field lines cross smoothly the two singular surfaces of the problem: the inner "light surface" located inside the ergosphere and the outer "light surface" which is the generalization of the pulsar light cylinder.We find the solution for the simplest possible magnetic field configuration, the split monopole, through a numerical iterative relaxation method analogous to the one that yields the structure of the steady-state axisymmetric force-free pulsar magnetosphere. We obtain the rate of electromagnetic extraction of energy and confirm the results of Blandford and Znajek and of previous time-dependent simulations. Furthermore, we discuss the physical applicability of magnetic field configurations that do not cross both "light surfaces."

Teaching physics and understanding infrared thermal imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vollmer, Michael; Möllmann, Klaus-Peter

2017-08-01

Infrared thermal imaging is a very rapidly evolving field. The latest trends are small smartphone IR camera accessories, making infrared imaging a widespread and well-known consumer product. Applications range from medical diagnosis methods via building inspections and industrial predictive maintenance etc. also to visualization in the natural sciences. Infrared cameras do allow qualitative imaging and visualization but also quantitative measurements of the surface temperatures of objects. On the one hand, they are a particularly suitable tool to teach optics and radiation physics and many selected topics in different fields of physics, on the other hand there is an increasing need of engineers and physicists who understand these complex state of the art photonics systems. Therefore students must also learn and understand the physics underlying these systems.

Supercritical Fuel Pyrolysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-30

supercritical fluids . These temperatures and pressures will also cause the fuel to undergo pyrolytic reactions, which have the potential of forming...With regard to physical properties, supercritical fluids have highly variable densities, no surface tension, and transport properties (i.e., mass...effects in supercritical fluids , often affecting chemical reaction pathways by facilitating the formation of certain transition states [6]. Because

Tribology.

PubMed

Spencer, Nicholas D

2012-01-01

The 156th Faraday Discussion covered the field of tribology, focussing on the subtopics of biotribology, predictive modelling, smart surfaces, and future lubricated systems. The papers themselves covered topics that drew on the fields of biology, medicine, chemistry, physics, materials science and mechanical engineering, providing a challenging and fascinating insight into the current state of the field of tribology.

PROBLEM FORMULATION REPORT: FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL CHANGE FOR AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Meyer (1995) describes land use as "the way in which, and the purposes for which, human beings employ the land and its resources; for example, farming, mining, or lumbering" and land cover as "the physical state of the land surface: as in cropland, mountains, or forests". The def...

Models for ecological models: Ocean primary productivity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wikle, Christopher K.; Leeds, William B.; Hooten, Mevin B.

2016-01-01

The ocean accounts for more than 70% of planet Earth's surface, and it processes are critically important to marine and terrestrial life.  Ocean ecosystems are strongly dependent on the physical state of the ocean (e.g., transports, mixing, upwelling, runoff, and ice dynamics(.  As an example, consider the Coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) region.

Atomic-scale observation of structural and electronic orders in the layered compound α-RuCl3

PubMed Central

Ziatdinov, M.; Banerjee, A.; Maksov, A.; Berlijn, T.; Zhou, W.; Cao, H. B.; Yan, J.-Q.; Bridges, C. A.; Mandrus, D. G.; Nagler, S. E.; Baddorf, A. P.; Kalinin, S. V.

2016-01-01

A pseudospin-1/2 Mott phase on a honeycomb lattice is proposed to host the celebrated two-dimensional Kitaev model which has an elusive quantum spin liquid ground state, and fascinating physics relevant to the development of future templates towards topological quantum bits. Here we report a comprehensive, atomically resolved real-space study by scanning transmission electron and scanning tunnelling microscopies on a novel layered material displaying Kitaev physics, α-RuCl3. Our local crystallography analysis reveals considerable variations in the geometry of the ligand sublattice in thin films of α-RuCl3 that opens a way to realization of a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic ground state at the nanometre length scale. Using scanning tunnelling techniques, we observe the electronic energy gap of ≈0.25 eV and intra-unit cell symmetry breaking of charge distribution in individual α-RuCl3 surface layer. The corresponding charge-ordered pattern has a fine structure associated with two different types of charge disproportionation at Cl-terminated surface. PMID:27941761

Atomic-scale observation of structural and electronic orders in the layered compound α-RuCl3.

PubMed

Ziatdinov, M; Banerjee, A; Maksov, A; Berlijn, T; Zhou, W; Cao, H B; Yan, J-Q; Bridges, C A; Mandrus, D G; Nagler, S E; Baddorf, A P; Kalinin, S V

2016-12-12

A pseudospin-1/2 Mott phase on a honeycomb lattice is proposed to host the celebrated two-dimensional Kitaev model which has an elusive quantum spin liquid ground state, and fascinating physics relevant to the development of future templates towards topological quantum bits. Here we report a comprehensive, atomically resolved real-space study by scanning transmission electron and scanning tunnelling microscopies on a novel layered material displaying Kitaev physics, α-RuCl 3 . Our local crystallography analysis reveals considerable variations in the geometry of the ligand sublattice in thin films of α-RuCl 3 that opens a way to realization of a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic ground state at the nanometre length scale. Using scanning tunnelling techniques, we observe the electronic energy gap of ≈0.25 eV and intra-unit cell symmetry breaking of charge distribution in individual α-RuCl 3 surface layer. The corresponding charge-ordered pattern has a fine structure associated with two different types of charge disproportionation at Cl-terminated surface.

Atomic-scale observation of structural and electronic orders in the layered compound α-RuCl 3

DOE PAGES

Ziatdinov, Maxim A.; Banerjee, Arnab; Maksov, Artem B.; ...

2016-12-12

A pseudospin-1/2 Mott phase on a honeycomb lattice is proposed to host the celebrated two-dimensional Kitaev model which has an elusive quantum spin liquid ground state, and fascinating physics relevant to the development of future templates towards topological quantum bits. Here we report a comprehensive, atomically resolved real-space study by scanning transmission electron and scanning tunnelling microscopies on a novel layered material displaying Kitaev physics, -RuCl3. Our local crystallography analysis reveals considerable variations in the geometry of the ligand sublattice in thin films of -RuCl3 that opens a way to realization of a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic ground state at themore » nanometre length scale. Using scanning tunnelling techniques, we observe the electronic energy gap of 0.25 eV and intra-unit cell symmetry breaking of charge distribution in individual -RuCl3 surface layer. The corresponding charge-ordered pattern has a fine structure associated with two different types of charge disproportionation at Cl-terminated surface.« less

Isthmin exerts pro-survival and death-promoting effect on endothelial cells through alphavbeta5 integrin depending on its physical state.

PubMed

Zhang, Y; Chen, M; Venugopal, S; Zhou, Y; Xiang, W; Li, Y-H; Lin, Q; Kini, R M; Chong, Y-S; Ge, R

2011-05-05

Isthmin (ISM) is a 60 kDa secreted-angiogenesis inhibitor that suppresses tumor growth in mouse and disrupts vessel patterning in zebrafish embryos. It selectively binds to alphavbeta5 (αvβ5) integrin on the surface of endothelial cells (ECs), but the mechanism of its antiangiogenic action remains unknown. In this work, we establish that soluble ISM suppresses in vitro angiogenesis and induces EC apoptosis by interacting with its cell surface receptor αvβ5 integrin through a novel 'RKD' motif localized within its adhesion-associated domain in MUC4 and other proteins domain. ISM induces EC apoptosis through integrin-mediated death (IMD) by direct recruitment and activation of caspase-8 without causing anoikis. On the other hand, immobilized ISM loses its antiangiogenic function and instead promotes EC adhesion, survival and migration through αvβ5 integrin by activating focal adhesion kinase (FAK). ISM unexpectedly has both a pro-survival and death-promoting effect on ECs depending on its physical state. This dual function of a single antiangiogenic protein may impact its antiangiogenic efficacy in vivo.

EDITORIAL: Focus on Advances in Surface and Interface Science 2008 FOCUS ON ADVANCES IN SURFACE AND INTERFACE SCIENCE 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheffler, Matthias; Schneider, Wolf-Dieter

2008-12-01

Basic research in surface and interface science is highly interdisciplinary, covering the fields of physics, chemistry, biophysics, geo-, atmospheric and environmental sciences, material science, chemical engineering, and more. The various phenomena are interesting by themselves, and they are most important in nearly all modern technologies, as for example electronic, magnetic, and optical devices, sensors, catalysts, lubricants, hard and thermal-barrier coatings, protection against corrosion and crack formation under harsh environments. In fact, detailed understanding of the elementary processes at surfaces is necessary to support and to advance the high technology that very much founds the prosperity and lifestyle of our society. Current state-of-the-art experimental studies of elementary processes at surfaces, of surface properties and functions employ a variety of sophisticated tools. Some are capable of revealing the location and motion of individual atoms. Others measure excitations (electronic, magnetic and vibronic), employing, for example, special light sources such as synchrotrons, high magnetic fields, or free electron lasers. The surprising variety of intriguing physical phenomena at surfaces, interfaces, and nanostructures also pose a persistent challenge for the development of theoretical descriptions, methods, and even basic physical concepts. This second focus issue on the topic of 'Advances in Surface and Interface Science' in New Journal of Physics, following on from last year's successful collection, provides an exciting synoptic view on the latest pertinent developments in the field. Focus on Advances in Surface and Interface Science 2008 Contents Organic layers at metal/electrolyte interfaces: molecular structure and reactivity of viologen monolayers Stephan Breuer, Duc T Pham, Sascha Huemann, Knud Gentz, Caroline Zoerlein, Ralf Hunger, Klaus Wandelt and Peter Broekmann Spin polarized d surface resonance state of fcc Co/Cu(001) K Miyamoto, K Iori, K Sakamoto, H Narita, A Kimura, M Taniguchi, S Qiao, K Hasegawa, K Shimada, H Namatame and S Blügel Activated associative desorption of C + O → CO from Ru(001) induced by femtosecond laser pulses S Wagner, H Öström, A Kaebe, M Krenz, M Wolf, A C Luntz and C Frischkorn Surface structure of Sn-doped In2O3 (111) thin films by STM Erie H Morales, Yunbin He, Mykola Vinnichenko, Bernard Delley and Ulrike Diebold Coulomb oscillations in three-layer graphene nanostructures J Güttinger, C Stampfer, F Molitor, D Graf, T Ihn and K Ensslin Adsorption processes of hydrogen molecules on SiC(001), Si(001) and C(001) surfaces Xiangyang Peng, Peter Krüger and Johannes Pollmann Fermi surface nesting in several transition metal dichalcogenides D S Inosov, V B Zabolotnyy, D V Evtushinsky, A A Kordyuk, B Büchner, R Follath, H Berger and S V Borisenko Probing molecule-surface interactions through ultra-fast adsorbate dynamics: propane/Pt(111) A P Jardine, H Hedgeland, D Ward, Y Xiaoqing, W Allison, J Ellis and G Alexandrowicz A novel method achieving ultra-high geometrical resolution in scanning tunnelling microscopy R Temirov, S Soubatch, O Neucheva, A C Lassise and F S Tautz

Experimental demonstration of anomalous Floquet topological insulator for sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yu-Gui; Qin, Cheng-Zhi; Zhao, De-Gang; Shen, Ya-Xi; Xu, Xiang-Yuan; Bao, Ming; Jia, Han; Zhu, Xue-Feng

2016-11-01

Time-reversal invariant topological insulator is widely recognized as one of the fundamental discoveries in condensed matter physics, for which the most fascinating hallmark is perhaps a spin-based topological protection, the absence of scattering of conduction electrons with certain spins on matter surface. Recently, it has created a paradigm shift for topological insulators, from electronics to photonics, phononics and mechanics as well, bringing about not only involved new physics but also potential applications in robust wave transport. Despite the growing interests in topologically protected acoustic wave transport, T-invariant acoustic topological insulator has not yet been achieved. Here we report experimental demonstration of anomalous Floquet topological insulator for sound: a strongly coupled metamaterial ring lattice that supports one-way propagation of pseudo-spin-dependent edge states under T-symmetry. We also demonstrate the formation of pseudo-spin-dependent interface states due to lattice dislocations and investigate the properties of pass band and band gap states.

Experimental demonstration of anomalous Floquet topological insulator for sound

PubMed Central

Peng, Yu-Gui; Qin, Cheng-Zhi; Zhao, De-Gang; Shen, Ya-Xi; Xu, Xiang-Yuan; Bao, Ming; Jia, Han; Zhu, Xue-Feng

2016-01-01

Time-reversal invariant topological insulator is widely recognized as one of the fundamental discoveries in condensed matter physics, for which the most fascinating hallmark is perhaps a spin-based topological protection, the absence of scattering of conduction electrons with certain spins on matter surface. Recently, it has created a paradigm shift for topological insulators, from electronics to photonics, phononics and mechanics as well, bringing about not only involved new physics but also potential applications in robust wave transport. Despite the growing interests in topologically protected acoustic wave transport, T-invariant acoustic topological insulator has not yet been achieved. Here we report experimental demonstration of anomalous Floquet topological insulator for sound: a strongly coupled metamaterial ring lattice that supports one-way propagation of pseudo-spin-dependent edge states under T-symmetry. We also demonstrate the formation of pseudo-spin-dependent interface states due to lattice dislocations and investigate the properties of pass band and band gap states. PMID:27834375

Quasiparticle interference of surface states in the type-II Weyl semimetal WTe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenhan; Wu, Quansheng; Zhang, Lunyong; Cheong, Sang-Wook; Soluyanov, Alexey A.; Wu, Weida

2017-10-01

A topological Weyl semimetal (TWS) is a metal where low-energy excitations behave like Weyl fermions of high-energy physics. Recently, it was shown that, due to the lower symmetry of condensed-matter systems, they can realize two distinct types of Weyl fermions. The type-I Weyl fermion in a metal is formed by a linear crossing of two bands at a point in the crystalline momentum space—Brillouin zone. The second type of TWSs host type-II Weyl points appearing at the touching points of electron and hole pockets, which is a result of tilted linear dispersion. The type-II TWS was predicted to exist in several compounds, including WTe2. Several angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies of WTe2 were reported so far, having contradictory conclusions on the topological nature of observed Fermi arcs. In this paper, we report the results of spectroscopic imaging with a scanning tunneling microscope and first-principles calculations, establishing clear quasiparticle interference features of the surface states of WTe2. Our paper provides strong evidence for surface-state scattering. Although the surface Fermi arcs clearly are observed, it is still difficult to prove the existence of predicted type-II Weyl points in the bulk.

Imaging of surface spin textures on bulk crystals by scanning electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akamine, Hiroshi; Okumura, So; Farjami, Sahar; Murakami, Yasukazu; Nishida, Minoru

2016-11-01

Direct observation of magnetic microstructures is vital for advancing spintronics and other technologies. Here we report a method for imaging surface domain structures on bulk samples by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Complex magnetic domains, referred to as the maze state in CoPt/FePt alloys, were observed at a spatial resolution of less than 100 nm by using an in-lens annular detector. The method allows for imaging almost all the domain walls in the mazy structure, whereas the visualisation of the domain walls with the classical SEM method was limited. Our method provides a simple way to analyse surface domain structures in the bulk state that can be used in combination with SEM functions such as orientation or composition analysis. Thus, the method extends applications of SEM-based magnetic imaging, and is promising for resolving various problems at the forefront of fields including physics, magnetics, materials science, engineering, and chemistry.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gyenis, András; Inoue, Hiroyuki; Jeon, Sangjun

Following the intense studies on topological insulators, significant efforts have recently been devoted to the search for gapless topological systems. These materials not only broaden the topological classification of matter but also provide a condensed matter realization of various relativistic particles and phenomena previously discussed mainly in high energy physics. Weyl semimetals host massless, chiral, low-energy excitations in the bulk electronic band structure, whereas a symmetry protected pair of Weyl fermions gives rise to massless Dirac fermions.Weemployed scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy to explore the behavior of electronic states both on the surface and in the bulk of topological semimetal phases. Bymore » mapping the quasiparticle interference (QPI) and emerging Landau levels at high magnetic field in Dirac semimetals Cd 3As 2 and Na 3Bi, we observed extended Dirac-like bulk electronic bands. QPI imaged on Weyl semimetal TaAs demonstrated the predicted momentum dependent delocalization of Fermi arc surface states in the vicinity of the surface projected Weyl nodes.« less

Modeling, Measurements, and Fundamental Database Development for Nonequilibrium Hypersonic Aerothermodynamics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bose, Deepak

2012-01-01

The design of entry vehicles requires predictions of aerothermal environment during the hypersonic phase of their flight trajectories. These predictions are made using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes that often rely on physics and chemistry models of nonequilibrium processes. The primary processes of interest are gas phase chemistry, internal energy relaxation, electronic excitation, nonequilibrium emission and absorption of radiation, and gas-surface interaction leading to surface recession and catalytic recombination. NASAs Hypersonics Project is advancing the state-of-the-art in modeling of nonequilibrium phenomena by making detailed spectroscopic measurements in shock tube and arcjets, using ab-initio quantum mechanical techniques develop fundamental chemistry and spectroscopic databases, making fundamental measurements of finite-rate gas surface interactions, implementing of detailed mechanisms in the state-of-the-art CFD codes, The development of new models is based on validation with relevant experiments. We will present the latest developments and a roadmap for the technical areas mentioned above

Enhanced Wang Landau sampling of adsorbed protein conformations.

PubMed

Radhakrishna, Mithun; Sharma, Sumit; Kumar, Sanat K

2012-03-21

Using computer simulations to model the folding of proteins into their native states is computationally expensive due to the extraordinarily low degeneracy of the ground state. In this paper, we develop an efficient way to sample these folded conformations using Wang Landau sampling coupled with the configurational bias method (which uses an unphysical "temperature" that lies between the collapse and folding transition temperatures of the protein). This method speeds up the folding process by roughly an order of magnitude over existing algorithms for the sequences studied. We apply this method to study the adsorption of intrinsically disordered hydrophobic polar protein fragments on a hydrophobic surface. We find that these fragments, which are unstructured in the bulk, acquire secondary structure upon adsorption onto a strong hydrophobic surface. Apparently, the presence of a hydrophobic surface allows these random coil fragments to fold by providing hydrophobic contacts that were lost in protein fragmentation. © 2012 American Institute of Physics

Use of shape-preserving interpolation methods in surface modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ftitsch, F. N.

1984-01-01

In many large-scale scientific computations, it is necessary to use surface models based on information provided at only a finite number of points (rather than determined everywhere via an analytic formula). As an example, an equation of state (EOS) table may provide values of pressure as a function of temperature and density for a particular material. These values, while known quite accurately, are typically known only on a rectangular (but generally quite nonuniform) mesh in (T,d)-space. Thus interpolation methods are necessary to completely determine the EOS surface. The most primitive EOS interpolation scheme is bilinear interpolation. This has the advantages of depending only on local information, so that changes in data remote from a mesh element have no effect on the surface over the element, and of preserving shape information, such as monotonicity. Most scientific calculations, however, require greater smoothness. Standard higher-order interpolation schemes, such as Coons patches or bicubic splines, while providing the requisite smoothness, tend to produce surfaces that are not physically reasonable. This means that the interpolant may have bumps or wiggles that are not supported by the data. The mathematical quantification of ideas such as physically reasonable and visually pleasing is examined.

Slope-velocity equilibrium and evolution of surface roughness on a stony hillslope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nearing, Mark A.; Polyakov, Viktor O.; Nichols, Mary H.; Hernandez, Mariano; Li, Li; Zhao, Ying; Armendariz, Gerardo

2017-06-01

Slope-velocity equilibrium is hypothesized as a state that evolves naturally over time due to the interaction between overland flow and surface morphology, wherein steeper areas develop a relative increase in physical and hydraulic roughness such that flow velocity is a unique function of overland flow rate independent of slope gradient. This study tests this hypothesis under controlled conditions. Artificial rainfall was applied to 2 m by 6 m plots at 5, 12, and 20 % slope gradients. A series of simulations were made with two replications for each treatment with measurements of runoff rate, velocity, rock cover, and surface roughness. Velocities measured at the end of each experiment were a unique function of discharge rates, independent of slope gradient or rainfall intensity. Physical surface roughness was greater at steeper slopes. The data clearly showed that there was no unique hydraulic coefficient for a given slope, surface condition, or rainfall rate, with hydraulic roughness greater at steeper slopes and lower intensities. This study supports the hypothesis of slope-velocity equilibrium, implying that use of hydraulic equations, such as Chezy and Manning, in hillslope-scale runoff models is problematic because the coefficients vary with both slope and rainfall intensity.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McNeill, Jason Douglas

Electronic states of a thin layer of material on a surface possess unique physical and chemical properties. Some of these properties arise from the reduced dimensionality of the thin layer with respect to the bulk or the properties of the electric field where two materials of differing dielectric constants meet at an interface. Other properties are related to the nature of the surface chemical bond. Here, the properties of excess electrons in thin layers of Xenon, Krypton, and alkali metals are investigated, and the bound state energies and effective masses of the excess electrons are determined using two-photon photoemission. Formore » Xenon, the dependence of bound state energy, effective mass, and lifetime on layer thickness from one to nine layers is examined. Not all quantities were measured at each coverage. The two photon photoemission spectra of thin layers of Xenon on a Ag(111) substrate exhibit a number of sharp, well-defined peaks. The binding energy of the excess electronic states of Xenon layers exhibited a pronounced dependence on coverage. A discrete energy shift was observed for each additional atomic layer. At low coverage, a series of states resembling a Rydberg series is observed. This series is similar to the image state series observed on clean metal surfaces. Deviations from image state energies can be described in terms of the dielectric constant of the overlayer material and its effect on the image potential. For thicker layers of Xe (beyond the first few atomic layers), the coverage dependence of the features begins to resemble that of quantum well states. Quantum well states are related to bulk band states. However, the finite thickness of the layer restricts the perpendicular wavevector to a discrete set of values. Therefore, the spectrum of quantum well states contains a series of peaks which correspond to the various allowed values of the perpendicular wavevector. Analysis of the quantum well spectrum yields electronic band structure information. In this case, the quantum well states examined are derived from the Xenon conduction band. Measurements of the energies as a function of coverage yield the dispersion along the axis perpendicular to the surface while angle-resolved two-photon photoemission measurements yield information about dispersion along the surface parallel. The relative importance of the image potential and the overlayer band structure also depends on the quantum number and energy of the state. Some members of the image series may have an energy which is in an energy gap of the layer material, therefore such states may tend to remain physically outside the layer and retain much of their image character even at higher coverages. This is the case for the n = 1 image state of the Xe/Ag(111) system. The energies of image states which are excluded from the layer have a complex dependence on the thickness of the layer and its dielectric constant. The population decay kinetics of excited electronic states of the layer were also determined. Lifetimes are reported for the first three excited states for 1-6 atomic layers of Xe on Ag(111). As the image states evolve into quantum well states with increasing coverage, the lifetimes undergo an oscillation which marks a change in the spatial extent of the state. For example, the n = 2 quantum well state decreases substantially at 3-5 layers as the electron probability density in the layer increases. The lifetime data are modeled by extending the two-band nearly-free-electron approximation to account for the insulating Xe layer.« less

100 years of the physics of diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Peng; Valfells, Ágúst; Ang, L. K.; Luginsland, J. W.; Lau, Y. Y.

2017-03-01

The Child-Langmuir Law (CL), discovered a century ago, gives the maximum current that can be transported across a planar diode in the steady state. As a quintessential example of the impact of space charge shielding near a charged surface, it is central to the studies of high current diodes, such as high power microwave sources, vacuum microelectronics, electron and ion sources, and high current drivers used in high energy density physics experiments. CL remains a touchstone of fundamental sheath physics, including contemporary studies of nanoscale quantum diodes and nano gap based plasmonic devices. Its solid state analog is the Mott-Gurney law, governing the maximum charge injection in solids, such as organic materials and other dielectrics, which is important to energy devices, such as solar cells and light emitting diodes. This paper reviews the important advances in the physics of diodes since the discovery of CL, including virtual cathode formation and extension of CL to multiple dimensions, to the quantum regime, and to ultrafast processes. We review the influence of magnetic fields, multiple species in bipolar flow, electromagnetic and time dependent effects in both short pulse and high frequency THz limits, and single electron regimes. Transitions from various emission mechanisms (thermionic-, field-, and photoemission) to the space charge limited state (CL) will be addressed, especially highlighting the important simulation and experimental developments in selected contemporary areas of study. We stress the fundamental physical links between the physics of beams to limiting currents in other areas, such as low temperature plasmas, laser plasmas, and space propulsion.

First-principles calculations of different (001) surface terminations of three cubic perovskites CsCaBr3, CsGeBr3, and CsSnBr3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, C.-G.; Krasnenko, V.; Brik, M. G.

2018-04-01

Three cubic bromide perovskites CsMBr3 (M = Ca, Ge, Sn) with two different surface terminations (CsBr and MBr2) were studied in this work using the first principles method. A wide range of physical properties, including electronic band structures, atom-projected density of states for each layer, surface relaxation effects, and surface energy, were evaluated for each considered surface termination. Differences between the properties of the bulk and slab models were highlighted. It was shown that surfaces with the CsBr termination have a lower energy and a more pronounced surface rumpling than those with the MBr2 termination. As a main result of this study, it was demonstrated that the CsBr-terminated surfaces appear to be energetically more stable in each of these three considered perovskites.

Studies in electron phenomena in MOS structures: The pulsed C-V method. M.S. Thesis. Abstract Only

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, G.

1983-01-01

The pulse hysteresis capacitance voltage (C-V) provides a straight forward technique for measuring the change of various charges in MOS structures and a tool for investigating the kinetics of various electron phenomena is developed and described. The method can be used for measuring the energy distribution and kinetics of surface states with the resolution of about 1/5 x 10 to the -9 power cm eV. Some transients in an MOS structure, particularly, the thermal generation of minority charge carriers via surface states and the relaxation of minority charge carriers supplied from the inversion layer outside the MOS structure are theoretically investigated. Analytical expressions which clearly present the physics of those electron phenomena are derived.

A hybrid functional first-principles study on the band structure of non-strained Ge1-x Sn x alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaohuai; Chen, Chengzhao; Feng, Shengqi; Wei, Xinyuan; Li, Yun

2017-12-01

Not Available Project supported by the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars of the State Education Ministry of China (Grant No. [2015]-1098), the Open Project of the State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics of Fudan University, the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China (Grant No. 2016A030307038), and the University Innovating and Strengthening Project of Department of Education of Guangdong Province, China (Grant No. 2015KTSCX090).

Quantum phenomena in gravitational field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourdel, Th.; Doser, M.; Ernest, A. D.; Voronin, A. Yu.; Voronin, V. V.

2011-10-01

The subjects presented here are very different. Their common feature is that they all involve quantum phenomena in a gravitational field: gravitational quantum states of ultracold antihydrogen above a material surface and measuring a gravitational interaction of antihydrogen in AEGIS, a quantum trampoline for ultracold atoms, and a hypothesis on naturally occurring gravitational quantum states, an Eötvös-type experiment with cold neutrons and others. Considering them together, however, we could learn that they have many common points both in physics and in methodology.

Multiple Weyl points and the sign change of their topological charges in woodpile photonic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ming-Li; Xiao, Meng; Chen, Wen-Jie; Chan, C. T.

2017-03-01

We show that Weyl points with topological charges 1 and 2 can be found in very simple chiral woodpile photonic crystals and the distribution of the charges can be changed by changing the material parameters without altering space-group symmetry. The underlying physics can be understood through a tight-binding model. Gapless surface states and their backscattering immune properties also are demonstrated in these systems. Obtaining Weyl points in these easily fabricated woodpile photonic crystals will facilitate the realization of Weyl point physics in optical and IR frequencies.

A scheme for computing surface layer turbulent fluxes from mean flow surface observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffert, M. I.; Storch, J.

1978-01-01

A physical model and computational scheme are developed for generating turbulent surface stress, sensible heat flux and humidity flux from mean velocity, temperature and humidity at some fixed height in the atmospheric surface layer, where conditions at this reference level are presumed known from observations or the evolving state of a numerical atmospheric circulation model. The method is based on coupling the Monin-Obukov surface layer similarity profiles which include buoyant stability effects on mean velocity, temperature and humidity to a force-restore formulation for the evolution of surface soil temperature to yield the local values of shear stress, heat flux and surface temperature. A self-contained formulation is presented including parameterizations for solar and infrared radiant fluxes at the surface. Additional parameters needed to implement the scheme are the thermal heat capacity of the soil per unit surface area, surface aerodynamic roughness, latitude, solar declination, surface albedo, surface emissivity and atmospheric transmissivity to solar radiation.

Unprecedented quality factors at accelerating gradients up to 45 MVm -1 in niobium superconducting resonators via low temperature nitrogen infusion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grassellino, A.; Romanenko, A.; Trenikhina, Y.

We report the finding of new surface treatments that permit to manipulate the niobium resonator nitrogen content in the first few nanometers in a controlled way, and the resonator fundamental Mattis-Bardeen surface resistance and residual resistance accordingly. In particular, we find surface infusion conditions that systematically a) increase the quality factor of these 1.3 GHz superconducting radio frequency (SRF) bulk niobium resonators, up to very high gradients; b) increase the achievable accelerating gradient of the cavity compared to its own baseline with state-of-the-art surface processing. Cavities subject to the new surface process have larger than two times the state ofmore » the art Q at 2K for accelerating fields > 35 MV/m. Moreover, very high accelerating gradients ~ 45 MV/m are repeatedly reached, which correspond to peak magnetic surface fields of 190 mT, among the highest measured for bulk niobium cavities. These findings open the opportunity to tailor the surface impurity content distribution to maximize performance in Q and gradients, and have therefore very important implications on future performance and cost of SRF based accelerators. They also help deepen the understanding of the physics of the RF niobium cavity surface.« less

Unprecedented quality factors at accelerating gradients up to 45 MVm-1 in niobium superconducting resonators via low temperature nitrogen infusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grassellino, A.; Romanenko, A.; Trenikhina, Y.; Checchin, M.; Martinello, M.; Melnychuk, O. S.; Chandrasekaran, S.; Sergatskov, D. A.; Posen, S.; Crawford, A. C.; Aderhold, S.; Bice, D.

2017-09-01

We report the finding of new surface treatments that permits one to manipulate the niobium resonator nitrogen content in the first few nanometers in a controlled way, and the resonator fundamental Mattis-Bardeen surface resistance and residual resistance accordingly. In particular, we find surface ‘infusion’ conditions that systematically (a) increase the quality factor of these 1.3 GHz superconducting radio frequency (SRF) bulk niobium resonators, up to very high gradients; (b) increase the achievable accelerating gradient of the cavity compared to its own baseline with state-of-the-art surface processing. Cavities subject to the new surface process have more than two times the state-of-the-art Q at 2 K for accelerating fields >35 MVm-1. Moreover, very high accelerating gradients ˜45 MVm-1 are repeatedly reached, which correspond to peak magnetic surface fields of 190 mT, among the highest measured for bulk niobium cavities. These findings open the opportunity to tailor the surface impurity content distribution to maximize performance in Q and gradients, and have therefore very important implications on future performance and cost of SRF based accelerators. They also help deepen the understanding of the physics of the RF niobium cavity surface.

Supplement: Proceedings XIth Latin American Congress of Surface Science and Its Applications (XI CLACSA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Häberle, Patricio; Fuenzalida, Victor

2004-07-01

The 2003 Congreso Latinoamericano de Ciencia de Superficies y sus Aplicaciones (Latin American Congress of Surface Science and Its Applications) was held in Pucón, Chile, 7-12 December 2003. XI CLACSA is the continuation of a series of events that started in 1980. Until 1992, this series was called Simposio Latinoamericano de Física de Superficies (SLAFS). In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of the field, starting in 1994 the meeting became CLACSA. The conference was organized by the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Ciencia de Superficies (SLACS) with the purpose of becoming a forum for the exchange of information associated with scientific research carried out in Latin America in the field of surface physics, systems of low dimensionality and areas related to condensed matter physics and science of materials. This scientific event has enjoyed a large participation from Latin American scientists, and has helped to stimulate the collaboration between researchers from Europe, Latin America and the United States.

Drop "impact" on an airfoil surface.

PubMed

Wu, Zhenlong

2018-06-01

Drop impact on an airfoil surface takes place in drop-laden two-phase flow conditions such as rain and icing, which are encountered by wind turbines or airplanes. This phenomenon is characterized by complex nonlinear interactions that manifest rich flow physics and pose unique modeling challenges. In this article, the state of the art of the research about drop impact on airfoil surface in the natural drop-laden two-phase flow environment is presented. The potential flow physics, hazards, characteristic parameters, droplet trajectory calculation, drop impact dynamics and effects are discussed. The most key points in establishing the governing equations for a drop-laden flow lie in the modeling of raindrop splash and water film. The various factors affecting the drop impact dynamics and the effects of drop impact on airfoil aerodynamic performance are summarized. Finally, the principle challenges and future research directions in the field as well as some promising measures to deal with the adverse effects of drop-laden flows on airfoil performance are proposed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A theory of growing crystalline nanorods - Mode I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Feng; Huang, Hanchen

2018-08-01

Nanorods grow in two possible modes during physical vapor deposition (PVD). In mode I, monolayer surface steps dictate the diameter of nanorods. In mode II, multiple-layer surface steps dictate the diameter, which is the smallest possible under physical vapor deposition [5,10]. This paper reports closed-form theories of terrace lengths and nanorod diameter during the growth in mode I, as a function of deposition conditions. The accompanying lattice kinetic Monte Carlo simulations verify these theories. This study reveals that (1) quasi-steady growth exists for each set of nanorod growth conditions, and (2) the characteristic length scales, including terrace lengths and nanorod diameter at the quasi-steady state, depend on the deposition conditions - deposition rate F, substrate temperature T, and incidence angle θ - only as a function of l2D/tan θ, with l2 D = 2(v2 D/Fcosθ) 1/3 as a diffusion-limited length scale and v2D as the atomic diffusion jump rate over monolayer surface steps.

Thermodynamic holography.

PubMed

Wei, Bo-Bo; Jiang, Zhan-Feng; Liu, Ren-Bao

2015-10-19

The holographic principle states that the information about a volume of a system is encoded on the boundary surface of the volume. Holography appears in many branches of physics, such as optics, electromagnetism, many-body physics, quantum gravity, and string theory. Here we show that holography is also an underlying principle in thermodynamics, a most important foundation of physics. The thermodynamics of a system is fully determined by its partition function. We prove that the partition function of a finite but arbitrarily large system is an analytic function on the complex plane of physical parameters, and therefore the partition function in a region on the complex plane is uniquely determined by its values along the boundary. The thermodynamic holography has applications in studying thermodynamics of nano-scale systems (such as molecule engines, nano-generators and macromolecules) and provides a new approach to many-body physics.

Acoustic Type-II Weyl Nodes from Stacking Dimerized Chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhaoju; Zhang, Baile

2016-11-01

Lorentz-violating type-II Weyl fermions, which were missed in Weyl's prediction of nowadays classified type-I Weyl fermions in quantum field theory, have recently been proposed in condensed matter systems. The semimetals hosting type-II Weyl fermions offer a rare platform for realizing many exotic physical phenomena that are different from type-I Weyl systems. Here we construct the acoustic version of a type-II Weyl Hamiltonian by stacking one-dimensional dimerized chains of acoustic resonators. This acoustic type-II Weyl system exhibits distinct features in a finite density of states and unique transport properties of Fermi-arc-like surface states. In a certain momentum space direction, the velocity of these surface states is determined by the tilting direction of the type-II Weyl nodes rather than the chirality dictated by the Chern number. Our study also provides an approach of constructing acoustic topological phases at different dimensions with the same building blocks.

Weyl solitons in three-dimensional optical lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shang, Ce; Zheng, Yuanlin; Malomed, Boris A.

2018-04-01

Weyl fermions are massless chiral quasiparticles existing in materials known as Weyl semimetals. Topological surface states, associated with the unusual electronic structure in the Weyl semimetals, have been recently demonstrated in linear systems. Ultracold atomic gases, featuring laser-assisted tunneling in three-dimensional optical lattices, can be used for the emulation of Weyl semimetals, including nonlinear effects induced by the collisional nonlinearity of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. We demonstrate that this setting gives rise to topological states in the form of Weyl solitons at the surface of the underlying optical lattice. These nonlinear modes, being exceptionally robust, bifurcate from linear states for a given quasimomentum. The Weyl solitons may be used to design an efficient control scheme for topologically protected unidirectional propagation of excitations in light-matter-interaction physics. After the recently introduced Majorana and Dirac solitons, the Weyl solitons proposed in this work constitute the third (and the last) member in this family of topological solitons.

Dirac mass generation from crystal symmetry breaking on the surfaces of topological crystalline insulators

DOE PAGES

Zeljkovic, Ilija; Okada, Yoshinori; Serbyn, Maksym; ...

2015-02-16

The tunability of topological surface states and controllable opening of the Dirac gap are of fundamental and practical interest in the field of topological materials. In the newly discovered topological crystalline insulators (TCIs), theory predicts that the Dirac node is protected by a crystalline symmetry and that the surface state electrons can acquire a mass if this symmetry is broken. Recent studies have detected signatures of a spontaneously generated Dirac gap in TCIs; however, the mechanism of mass formation remains elusive. In this work, we present scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) measurements of the TCI Pb 1-xSn xSe for a widemore » range of alloy compositions spanning the topological and non-topological regimes. The STM topographies reveal a symmetry-breaking distortion on the surface, which imparts mass to the otherwise massless Dirac electrons—a mechanism analogous to the long sought-after Higgs mechanism in particle physics. Interestingly, the measured Dirac gap decreases on approaching the trivial phase, whereas the magnitude of the distortion remains nearly constant. Our data and calculations reveal that the penetration depth of Dirac surface states controls the magnitude of the Dirac mass. At the limit of the critical composition, the penetration depth is predicted to go to infinity, resulting in zero mass, consistent with our measurements. Lastly, we discover the existence of surface states in the non-topological regime, which have the characteristics of gapped, double-branched Dirac fermions and could be exploited in realizing superconductivity in these materials.« less

The Potsdam Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM-PIK) - Part 2: Dynamic equilibrium simulation of the Antarctic ice sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, M. A.; Winkelmann, R.; Haseloff, M.; Albrecht, T.; Bueler, E.; Khroulev, C.; Levermann, A.

2010-08-01

We present a dynamic equilibrium simulation of the ice sheet-shelf system on Antarctica with the Potsdam Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM-PIK). The simulation is initialized with present-day conditions for topography and ice thickness and then run to steady state with constant present-day surface mass balance. Surface temperature and basal melt distribution are parameterized. Grounding lines and calving fronts are free to evolve, and their modeled equilibrium state is compared to observational data. A physically-motivated dynamic calving law based on horizontal spreading rates allows for realistic calving fronts for various types of shelves. Steady-state dynamics including surface velocity and ice flux are analyzed for whole Antarctica and the Ronne-Filchner and Ross ice shelf areas in particular. The results show that the different flow regimes in sheet and shelves, and the transition zone between them, are captured reasonably well, supporting the approach of superposition of SIA and SSA for the representation of fast motion of grounded ice. This approach also leads to a natural emergence of streams in this new 3-D marine ice sheet model.

Characterizing the Physical and Thermal Properties of Planetary Regolith at Low Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantovani, James G.; Swanger, Adam; Townsend, Ivan I., III; Sibille, Laurent; Galloway, Gregory

2014-01-01

The success or failure of in-situ resource utilization for planetary surface exploration-whether for science, colonization, or commercialization-relies heavily on the design and implementation of systems that can effectively process planetary regolith and exploit its potential benefits. In most cases, this challenge necessarily includes the characterization of regolith properties at low temperatures (cryogenic). None of the nearby solar system destinations of interest, such as the moon, Mars and asteroids, possess a sufficient atmosphere to sustain the consistently "high" surface temperatures found on Earth. Therefore, they can experience permanent cryogenic temperatures or dramatic cyclical changes in surface temperature. Characterization of physical properties (e.g., specific heat, thermal and electrical conductivity) over the entire temperature profile is important when planning a mission to a planetary surface; however, the impact on mechanical properties due to the introduction of icy deposits must also be explored in order to devise effective and robust excavation technologies. The Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Laboratory and the Cryogenics Test Laboratory at NASA Kennedy Space Center are developing technologies and experimental methods to address these challenges and to aid in the characterization of the physical and mechanical properties of regolith at cryogenic temperatures. This paper will review the current state of knowledge concerning planetary regolith at low temperature, including that of icy regolith, and describe efforts to manipulate icy regolith through novel penetration and excavation techniques.

A 3-D Approach for Teaching and Learning about Surface Water Systems through Computational Thinking, Data Visualization and Physical Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caplan, B.; Morrison, A.; Moore, J. C.; Berkowitz, A. R.

2017-12-01

Understanding water is central to understanding environmental challenges. Scientists use `big data' and computational models to develop knowledge about the structure and function of complex systems, and to make predictions about changes in climate, weather, hydrology, and ecology. Large environmental systems-related data sets and simulation models are difficult for high school teachers and students to access and make sense of. Comp Hydro, a collaboration across four states and multiple school districts, integrates computational thinking and data-related science practices into water systems instruction to enhance development of scientific model-based reasoning, through curriculum, assessment and teacher professional development. Comp Hydro addresses the need for 1) teaching materials for using data and physical models of hydrological phenomena, 2) building teachers' and students' comfort or familiarity with data analysis and modeling, and 3) infusing the computational knowledge and practices necessary to model and visualize hydrologic processes into instruction. Comp Hydro teams in Baltimore, MD and Fort Collins, CO are integrating teaching about surface water systems into high school courses focusing on flooding (MD) and surface water reservoirs (CO). This interactive session will highlight the successes and challenges of our physical and simulation models in helping teachers and students develop proficiency with computational thinking about surface water. We also will share insights from comparing teacher-led vs. project-led development of curriculum and our simulations.

Forced synchronization of large-scale circulation to increase predictability of surface states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Mao-Lin; Keenlyside, Noel; Selten, Frank; Wiegerinck, Wim; Duane, Gregory

2016-04-01

Numerical models are key tools in the projection of the future climate change. The lack of perfect initial condition and perfect knowledge of the laws of physics, as well as inherent chaotic behavior limit predictions. Conceptually, the atmospheric variables can be decomposed into a predictable component (signal) and an unpredictable component (noise). In ensemble prediction the anomaly of ensemble mean is regarded as the signal and the ensemble spread the noise. Naturally the prediction skill will be higher if the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is larger in the initial conditions. We run two ensemble experiments in order to explore a way to reduce the SNR of surface winds and temperature. One ensemble experiment is AGCM with prescribing sea surface temperature (SST); the other is AGCM with both prescribing SST and nudging the high-level temperature and winds to ERA-Interim. Each ensemble has 30 members. Larger SNR is expected and found over the tropical ocean in the first experiment because the tropical circulation is associated with the convection and the associated surface wind convergence as these are to a large extent driven by the SST. However, small SNR is found over high latitude ocean and land surface due to the chaotic and non-synchronized atmosphere states. In the second experiment the higher level temperature and winds are forced to be synchronized (nudged to reanalysis) and hence a larger SNR of surface winds and temperature is expected. Furthermore, different nudging coefficients are also tested in order to understand the limitation of both synchronization of large-scale circulation and the surface states. These experiments will be useful for the developing strategies to synchronize the 3-D states of atmospheric models that can be later used to build a super model.

Universality of emergent states in diverse physical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidry, Mike

2017-12-01

Our physics textbooks are dominated by examples of simple weakly-interacting microscopic states, but most of the real world around us is most effectively described in terms of emergent states that have no clear connection to simple textbook states. Emergent states are strongly-correlated and dominated by properties that emerge as a consequence of interactions and are not part of the description of the corresponding weakly-interacting system. This paper proposes a connection of weakly-interacting textbook states and realistic emergent states through fermion dynamical symmetries having fully-microscopic generators of the emergent states. These imply unique truncation of the Hilbert space for the weakly-interacting system to a collective subspace where the emergent states live. Universality arises because the possible symmetries under commutation of generators, which transcend the microscopic structure of the generators, are highly restricted in character and determine the basic structure of the emergent state, with the microscopic structure of the generators influencing emergent state only parametrically. In support of this idea we show explicit evidence that high-temperature superconductors, collective states in heavy atomic nuclei, and graphene quantum Hall states in strong magnetic fields exhibit a near-universal emergent behavior in their microscopically-computed total energy surfaces, even though these systems share essentially nothing in common at the microscopic level and their emergent states are characterized by fundamentally different order parameters.

A Study of Heavy Precipitation Events in Taiwan During 10-13 August, 1994. Part 2; Mesoscale Model Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tao, Wei Kuo; Chen, C.-S.; Jia, Y.; Baker, D.; Lang, S.; Wetzel, P.; Lau, W. K.-M.

2001-01-01

Several heavy precipitation episodes occurred over Taiwan from August 10 to 13, 1994. Precipitation patterns and characteristics are quite different between the precipitation events that occurred from August 10 and I I and from August 12 and 13. In Part I (Chen et al. 2001), the environmental situation and precipitation characteristics are analyzed using the EC/TOGA data, ground-based radar data, surface rainfall patterns, surface wind data, and upper air soundings. In this study (Part II), the Penn State/NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) is used to study the precipitation characteristics of these heavy precipitation events. Various physical processes (schemes) developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (i.e., cloud microphysics scheme, radiative transfer model, and land-soil-vegetation surface model) have recently implemented into the MM5. These physical packages are described in the paper, Two way interactive nested grids are used with horizontal resolutions of 45, 15 and 5 km. The model results indicated that Cloud physics, land surface and radiation processes generally do not change the location (horizontal distribution) of heavy precipitation. The Goddard 3-class ice scheme produced more rainfall than the 2-class scheme. The Goddard multi-broad-band radiative transfer model reduced precipitation compared to a one-broad band (emissivity) radiation model. The Goddard land-soil-vegetation surface model also reduce the rainfall compared to a simple surface model in which the surface temperature is computed from a Surface energy budget following the "force-re store" method. However, model runs including all Goddard physical processes enhanced precipitation significantly for both cases. The results from these runs are in better agreement with observations. Despite improved simulations using different physical schemes, there are still some deficiencies in the model simulations. Some potential problems are discussed. Sensitivity tests (removing either terrain or radiative processes) are performed to identify the physical processes that determine the precipitation patterns and characteristics for heavy rainfall events. These sensitivity tests indicated that terrain can play a major role in determining the exact location for both precipitation events. The terrain can also play a major role in determining the intensity of precipitation for both events. However, it has a large impact on one event but a smaller one on the other. The radiative processes are also important for determining, the precipitation patterns for one case but. not the other. The radiative processes can also effect the total rainfall for both cases to different extents.

Entropic and Electrostatic Effects on the Folding Free Energy of a Surface-Attached Biomolecule: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

PubMed Central

Watkins, Herschel M.; Vallée-Bélisle, Alexis; Ricci, Francesco; Makarov, Dmitrii E.; Plaxco, Kevin W.

2012-01-01

Surface-tethered biomolecules play key roles in many biological processes and biotechnologies. However, while the physical consequences of such surface attachment have seen significant theoretical study, to date this issue has seen relatively little experimental investigation. In response we present here a quantitative experimental and theoretical study of the extent to which attachment to a charged –but otherwise apparently inert– surface alters the folding free energy of a simple biomolecule. Specifically, we have measured the folding free energy of a DNA stem loop both in solution and when site-specifically attached to a negatively charged, hydroxyl-alkane-coated gold surface. We find that, whereas surface attachment is destabilizing at low ionic strength it becomes stabilizing at ionic strengths above ~130 mM. This behavior presumably reflects two competing mechanisms: excluded volume effects, which stabilize the folded conformation by reducing the entropy of the unfolded state, and electrostatics, which, at lower ionic strengths, destabilizes the more compact folded state via repulsion from the negatively charged surface. To test this hypothesis we have employed existing theories of the electrostatics of surface-bound polyelectrolytes and the entropy of surface-bound polymers to model both effects. Despite lacking any fitted parameters, these theoretical models quantitatively fit our experimental results, suggesting that, for this system, current knowledge of both surface electrostatics and excluded volume effects is reasonably complete and accurate. PMID:22239220

Applying the Coupled-Cluster Ansatz to Solids and Surfaces in the Thermodynamic Limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruber, Thomas; Liao, Ke; Tsatsoulis, Theodoros; Hummel, Felix; Grüneis, Andreas

2018-04-01

Modern electronic structure theories can predict and simulate a wealth of phenomena in surface science and solid-state physics. In order to allow for a direct comparison with experiment, such ab initio predictions have to be made in the thermodynamic limit, substantially increasing the computational cost of many-electron wave-function theories. Here, we present a method that achieves thermodynamic limit results for solids and surfaces using the "gold standard" coupled cluster ansatz of quantum chemistry with unprecedented efficiency. We study the energy difference between carbon diamond and graphite crystals, adsorption energies of water on h -BN, as well as the cohesive energy of the Ne solid, demonstrating the increased efficiency and accuracy of coupled cluster theory for solids and surfaces.

Quantum Stress: Density Functional Theory Formulation and Physical Manifestation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Hao; Liu, Feng

2012-02-01

The concept of ``quantum stress (QS)'' is introduced and formulated within density functional theory (DFT), to underlie extrinsic electronic effects on the stress state of solids and thin films in the absence of lattice strain. An explicit expression of QS (σ^Q) is derived in relation to the deformation potential of electronic states (ξ) and the variation of electron density (δn), σ^Q=ξ(δn), as a quantum analog of classical Hook's law. Two distinct QS manifestations are demonstrated quantitatively by DFT calculations: (1) in the form of bulk stress induced by charge carriers; and (2) in the form of surface stress induced by quantum confinement. QS has broad implications in physical phenomena and technological applications that are based on coupling of electronic structure with lattice strain.

Ladder physics in the spin fermion model

DOE PAGES

Tsvelik, A. M.

2017-05-01

A link is established between the spin fermion (SF) model of the cuprates and the approach based on the analogy between the physics of doped Mott insulators in two dimensions and the physics of fermionic ladders. This enables one to use nonperturbative results derived for fermionic ladders to move beyond the large-N approximation in the SF model. Here, it is shown that the paramagnon exchange postulated in the SF model has exactly the right form to facilitate the emergence of the fully gapped d-Mott state in the region of the Brillouin zone at the hot spots of the Fermi surface.more » Hence, the SF model provides an adequate description of the pseudogap.« less

Development and evaluation of a physics-based windblown ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A new windblown dust emission treatment was incorporated in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system. This new model treatment has been built upon previously developed physics-based parameterization schemes from the literature. A distinct and novel feature of this scheme, however, is the incorporation of a newly developed dynamic relation for the surface roughness length relevant to small-scale dust generation processes. Through this implementation, the effect of nonerodible elements on the local flow acceleration, drag partitioning, and surface coverage protection is modeled in a physically based and consistent manner. Careful attention is paid in integrating the new windblown dust treatment in the CMAQ model to ensure that the required input parameters are correctly configured. To test the performance of the new dust module in CMAQ, the entire year 2011 is simulated for the continental United States, with particular emphasis on the southwestern United States (SWUS) where windblown dust concentrations are relatively large. Overall, the model shows good performance with the daily mean bias of soil concentrations fluctuating in the range of ±1 µg m−3 for the entire year. Springtime soil concentrations are in quite good agreement (normalized mean bias of 8.3%) with observations, while moderate to high underestimation of soil concentration is seen in the summertime. The latter is attributed to the issue of representing the convective dust sto

A User’s Manual for Electromagnetic Surface Patch (ESP) Code. Version II. Polygonal Plates and Wires.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-01

to geometries not large in terms of wavelength and the lack of analytical results which can provide physical insight into the problem. The first...EPTS)*Ŗ) STPM *2. ’TP’ (CABS (ETPS)*Ŗ) STTHi2.*TP*(CARS(ETTS)*Ŗ) RETURN - 1 END 296 do APPENDIX 37 * SUBROUTINE SURFFY SUBROUTINE.SURF!? (KXl,YN1...D-Ai135 837 A USER’S MAiNUAfL FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC SURFACE PATCH (ESP) 1 /4 CODE VERSION 11 P.-(U) OHIO STATE UNIV COLUMBUS U CLAS ELECTROSCIENCE LAB E

Water Resources Data for California, 1969; Part 2: Water Quality Records

USGS Publications Warehouse

1970-01-01

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground-water supplies of the Nation. Theses data for the 1969 water year for the quality of surface water in California are presented in this report. Data for a few water-quality stations in bordering States are also included. The data were collected by the Water Resources Division of the Geological Survey under the direction of R. Stanley Lord, district chief, Menlo Park, Calif.

A Toolbox for Imaging Stellar Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, John

2018-04-01

In this talk I will review the available algorithms for synthesis imaging at visible and infrared wavelengths, including both gray and polychromatic methods. I will explain state-of-the-art approaches to constraining the ill-posed image reconstruction problem, and selecting an appropriate regularisation function and strength of regularisation. The reconstruction biases that can follow from non-optimal choices will be discussed, including their potential impact on the physical interpretation of the results. This discussion will be illustrated with example stellar surface imaging results from real VLTI and COAST datasets.

Superconductivity and ferromagnetism in topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Duming

Topological insulators, a new state of matter discovered recently, have attracted great interest due to their novel properties. They are insulating inside the bulk, but conducting at the surface or edges. This peculiar behavior is characterized by an insulating bulk energy gap and gapless surface or edge states, which originate from strong spin-orbit coupling and time-reversal symmetry. The spin and momentum locked surface states not only provide a model system to study fundamental physics, but can also lead to applications in spintronics and dissipationless electronics. While topological insulators are interesting by themselves, more exotic behaviors are predicted when an energy gap is induced at the surface. This dissertation explores two types of surface state gap in topological insulators, a superconducting gap induced by proximity effect and a magnetic gap induced by chemical doping. The first three chapters provide introductory theory and experimental details of my research. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the theoretical background of topological insulators. Chapter 2 is dedicated to material synthesis principles and techniques. I will focus on two major synthesis methods: molecular beam epitaxy for the growth of Bi2Se3 thin films and chemical vapor deposition for the growth of Bi2Se3 nanoribbons and nanowires. Material characterization is discussed in Chapter 3. I will describe structural, morphological, magnetic, electrical, and electronic characterization techniques used to study topological insulators. Chapter 4 discusses the experiments on proximity-induced superconductivity in topological insulator (Bi2Se3) nanoribbons. This work is motivated by the search for the elusive Majorana fermions, which act as their own antiparticles. They were proposed by Ettore Majorara in 1937, but have remained undiscovered. Recently, Majorana's concept has been revived in condensed matter physics: a condensed matter analog of Majorana fermions is predicted to exist when topological insulators are interfaced with superconductors. The observation of Majorana fermions would not only be fundamentally important, but would also lead to applications in fault-tolerant topological quantum computation. By interfacing topological insulator nanoribbons with superconducting electrodes, we observe distinct signatures of proximity-induced superconductivity, which is found to be present in devices with channel lengths that are much longer than the normal transport characteristic lengths. This might suggest preferential coupling of the proximity effect to a ballistic surface channel of the topological insulator. In addition, when the electrodes are in the superconducting state, we observe periodic magnetoresistance oscillations which suggest the formation of vortices in the proximity-induced region of the nanoribbons. Our results demonstrate that proximity-induced superconductivity and vortices can be realized in our nanoribbon geometry, which accomplishes a first important step towards the search for Majorana fermions in condensed matter. In Chapter 5, I will discuss experiments on a magnetically-doped topological insulator (Mn-doped Bi2Se3) to induce a surface state gap. The metallic Dirac cone surface states of a topological insulator are expected to be protected against small perturbations by time-reversal symmetry. However, these surface states can be dramatically modified and a finite energy gap can be opened at the Dirac point by breaking the time-reversal symmetry via magnetic doping. The interplay between magnetism and topological surface states is predicted to yield novel phenomena of fundamental interest such as a topological magneto-electric effect, a quantized anomalous Hall effect, and the induction of magnetic monopoles. Our systematic measurements reveal a close correlation between the onset of ferromagnetism and quantum corrections to diffusive transport, which crosses over from the symplectic (weak anti-localization) to the unitary (weak localization) class. A comprehensive interpretation of data obtained from electrical transport, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, and scanning tunneling microscopy indicates that the ferromagnetism responsible for modifications in the surface states occurs in nanoscale regions on the surface where magnetic atoms segregate during sample growth. This suggests that some aspects of the observed magnetoconductance may indeed originate from surface transport despite the non-ideal nature of the samples. These observations are consistent with the prediction of a time-reversal symmetry breaking gap, which is further supported by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements.

Surface-screening mechanisms in ferroelectric thin films and their effect on polarization dynamics and domain structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinin, Sergei V.; Kim, Yunseok; Fong, Dillon D.; Morozovska, Anna N.

2018-03-01

For over 70 years, ferroelectric materials have been one of the central research topics for condensed matter physics and material science, an interest driven both by fundamental science and applications. However, ferroelectric surfaces, the key component of ferroelectric films and nanostructures, still present a significant theoretical and even conceptual challenge. Indeed, stability of ferroelectric phase per se necessitates screening of polarization charge. At surfaces, this can lead to coupling between ferroelectric and semiconducting properties of material, or with surface (electro) chemistry, going well beyond classical models applicable for ferroelectric interfaces. In this review, we summarize recent studies of surface-screening phenomena in ferroelectrics. We provide a brief overview of the historical understanding of the physics of ferroelectric surfaces, and existing theoretical models that both introduce screening mechanisms and explore the relationship between screening and relevant aspects of ferroelectric functionalities starting from phase stability itself. Given that the majority of ferroelectrics exist in multiple-domain states, we focus on local studies of screening phenomena using scanning probe microscopy techniques. We discuss recent studies of static and dynamic phenomena on ferroelectric surfaces, as well as phenomena observed under lateral transport, light, chemical, and pressure stimuli. We also note that the need for ionic screening renders polarization switching a coupled physical–electrochemical process and discuss the non-trivial phenomena such as chaotic behavior during domain switching that stem from this. ).

Linearized Flux Evolution (LiFE): A technique for rapidly adapting fluxes from full-physics radiative transfer models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Tyler D.; Crisp, David

2018-05-01

Solar and thermal radiation are critical aspects of planetary climate, with gradients in radiative energy fluxes driving heating and cooling. Climate models require that radiative transfer tools be versatile, computationally efficient, and accurate. Here, we describe a technique that uses an accurate full-physics radiative transfer model to generate a set of atmospheric radiative quantities which can be used to linearly adapt radiative flux profiles to changes in the atmospheric and surface state-the Linearized Flux Evolution (LiFE) approach. These radiative quantities describe how each model layer in a plane-parallel atmosphere reflects and transmits light, as well as how the layer generates diffuse radiation by thermal emission and by scattering light from the direct solar beam. By computing derivatives of these layer radiative properties with respect to dynamic elements of the atmospheric state, we can then efficiently adapt the flux profiles computed by the full-physics model to new atmospheric states. We validate the LiFE approach, and then apply this approach to Mars, Earth, and Venus, demonstrating the information contained in the layer radiative properties and their derivatives, as well as how the LiFE approach can be used to determine the thermal structure of radiative and radiative-convective equilibrium states in one-dimensional atmospheric models.

Feshbach resonances in the exit channel of the F + CH3OH → HF + CH3O reaction observed using transition-state spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weichman, Marissa L.; Devine, Jessalyn A.; Babin, Mark C.; Li, Jun; Guo, Lifen; Ma, Jianyi; Guo, Hua; Neumark, Daniel M.

2017-10-01

The transition state governs how chemical bonds form and cleave during a chemical reaction and its direct characterization is a long-standing challenge in physical chemistry. Transition state spectroscopy experiments based on negative-ion photodetachment provide a direct probe of the vibrational structure and metastable resonances that are characteristic of the reactive surface. Dynamical resonances are extremely sensitive to the topography of the reactive surface and provide an exceptional point of comparison with theory. Here we study the seven-atom F + CH3OH → HF + CH3O reaction using slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging spectroscopy of cryocooled CH3OHF- anions. These measurements reveal spectral features associated with a manifold of vibrational Feshbach resonances and bound states supported by the post-transition state potential well. Quantum dynamical calculations yield excellent agreement with the experimental results, allow the assignment of spectral structure and demonstrate that the key dynamics of complex bimolecular reactions can be captured with a relatively simple theoretical framework.

Feshbach resonances in the exit channel of the F + CH3OH → HF + CH3O reaction observed using transition-state spectroscopy.

PubMed

Weichman, Marissa L; DeVine, Jessalyn A; Babin, Mark C; Li, Jun; Guo, Lifen; Ma, Jianyi; Guo, Hua; Neumark, Daniel M

2017-10-01

The transition state governs how chemical bonds form and cleave during a chemical reaction and its direct characterization is a long-standing challenge in physical chemistry. Transition state spectroscopy experiments based on negative-ion photodetachment provide a direct probe of the vibrational structure and metastable resonances that are characteristic of the reactive surface. Dynamical resonances are extremely sensitive to the topography of the reactive surface and provide an exceptional point of comparison with theory. Here we study the seven-atom F + CH 3 OH → HF + CH 3 O reaction using slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging spectroscopy of cryocooled CH 3 OHF - anions. These measurements reveal spectral features associated with a manifold of vibrational Feshbach resonances and bound states supported by the post-transition state potential well. Quantum dynamical calculations yield excellent agreement with the experimental results, allow the assignment of spectral structure and demonstrate that the key dynamics of complex bimolecular reactions can be captured with a relatively simple theoretical framework.

Effects of the Physical Characteristics of Cerium Oxide on Plasma-Enhanced Tetraethylorthosiliate Removal Rate of Chemical Mechanical Polishing for Shallow Trench Isolation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sang-Kyun; Paik, Ungyu; Oh, Seong-Geun; Park, Yong-Kook; Katoh, Takeo; Park, Jea-Gun

2003-03-01

Ceria powders were synthesized by two different methods, solid-state displacement reaction and wet chemical precipitation, and the influence of the physical characteristics of cerium oxide on the removal rate of plasma-enhanced tetraethylorthosilicate (PETEOS) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) nitride films in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) was investigated. The fundamental physicochemical property and electrokinetic behavior of ceria particles in aqueous suspending media were investigated to identify the correlation between the colloidal property of ceria and the CMP performance. The surface potentials of two different ceria particles are found to have different isoelectric point (pHiep) values and differences in physical properties of ceria particles such as porosity and density were found to be the key parameters in CMP of PETEOS films. Ceria powders synthesized by the solid-state displacement reaction method yielded a higher removal rate of PETEOS and higher selectivity than powders synthesized by the wet chemical precipitation method.

Droplet Deformation in an Extensional Flow: The Role of Surfactant Physical Chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stebe, Kathleen J.

1996-01-01

Surfactant-induced Marangoni effects strongly alter the stresses exerted along fluid particle interfaces. In low gravity processes, these stresses can dictate the system behavior. The dependence of Marangoni effects on surfactant physical chemistry is not understood, severely impacting our ability to predict and control fluid particle flows. A droplet in an extensional flow allows the controlled study of stretching and deforming interfaces. The deformations of the drop allow both Marangoni stresses, which resist tangential shear, and Marangoni elasticities, which resist surface dilatation, to develop. This flow presents an ideal model system for studying these effects. Prior surfactant-related work in this flow considered a linear dependence of the surface tension on the surface concentration, valid only at dilute surface concentrations, or a non-linear framework at concentrations sufficiently dilute that the linear approximation was valid. The linear framework becomes inadequate for several reasons. The finite dimensions of surfactant molecules must be taken into account with a model that includes surfaces saturation. Nonideal interactions between adsorbed surfactant molecules alter the partitioning of surfactant between the bulk and the interface, the dynamics of surfactant adsorptive/desorptive exchange, and the sensitivity of the surface tension to adsorbed surfactant. For example, cohesion between hydrocarbon chains favors strong adsorption. Cohesion also slows the rate of desorption from interfaces, and decreases the sensitivity of the surface tension to adsorbed surfactant. Strong cohesive interactions result in first order surface phase changes with a plateau in the surface tension vs surface concentration. Within this surface concentration range, the surface tension is decoupled from surface concentration gradients. We are engaged in the study of the role of surfactant physical chemistry in determining the Marangoni stresses on a drop in an extensional flow in a numerical and experimental program. Using surfactants whose dynamics and equilibrium behavior have been characterized in our laboratory, drop deformation will be studied in ground-based experiment. In an accompanying numerical study, predictive drop deformations will be determined based on the isotherm and equation of state determined in our laboratory. This work will improve our abilities to predict and control all fluid particle flows.

A novel broadband bi-mode active frequency selective surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yang; Gao, Jinsong; Xu, Nianxi; Shan, Dongzhi; Song, Naitao

2017-05-01

A novel broadband bi-mode active frequency selective surface (AFSS) is presented in this paper. The proposed structure is composed of a periodic array of convoluted square patches and Jerusalem Crosses. According to simulation results, the frequency response of AFSS definitely exhibits a mode switch feature between band-pass and band-stop modes when the diodes stay in ON and OFF states. In order to apply a uniform bias to each PIN diode, an ingenious biasing network based on the extension of Wheatstone bridge is adopted in prototype AFSS. The test results are in good agreement with the simulation results. A further physical mechanism of the bi-mode AFSS is shown by contrasting the distribution of electric field on the AFSS patterns for the two working states.

Infrared studies of topological insulator systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Post, Kirk; Chapler, Brian; Schafgans, Alex; Liu, Mengkun; Wu, Jih-Sheng; Richardella, Anthony; Lee, Joon Sue; Reijnders, Anjan; Lee, Yun Sang; He, Liang; Kou, Xufeng; Novak, Mario; Taskin, Alexey; Segawa, Kouji; Goldflam, Michael; Stinson, H. Theodore; Qi, Xiao Liang; Burch, Kenneth; Wang, Kang; Fogler, Michael; Samarth, Nitin; Ando, Yoichi; Basov, Dimitri

The theoretical prediction, and subsequent experimental realization, of topological insulator (TI) systems, has vaulted this new class of materials to the vanguard of condensed matter physics. Since their discovery, we have carried out a number of infrared studies on various TI systems, including Bi2Se3, Bi1-xSbx, and Bi2-xSbxTe3-ySey crystals as well as Bi2Se3 and (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thin films. A key element of these works is the revelation that the infrared response of Bi1-xSbx crystals and (Bi,Sb)2Te3 thin films possess a significant, or even dominant, component from the topologically protected surface states. I will review these works and discuss future prospects of measuring the surface state response through optical spectroscopy techniques

Physics at the surface of a star in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyeong-Chan

2014-03-01

We study phenomena happening at the surface of a star in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld (EiBI) gravity. The star is made of particles, which are effectively described by a polytropic fluid. The EiBI theory was known to have a pathology that singularities happen at a star surface. We suggest that the gravitational backreaction on the particles cures the problem. Strong tidal forces near the (surface) singularity modify the effective equation of state of the particles or make the surface be unstable depending on its matter contents. The geodesic deviation equations take after Hooke's law, where its frequency squared is proportional to the scalar curvature at the surface. For a positive curvature, a particle collides with a probing wall more often and increases the pressure. With the increased pressure, the surface is no longer singular. For a negative curvature, the matters around the surface experience repulsions with infinite accelerations. Therefore, the EiBI gravity is saved from the pathology of a surface singularity.

Effect of Surface-mantle Water Exchange Parameterizations on Exoplanet Ocean Depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komacek, Thaddeus D.; Abbot, Dorian S.

2016-11-01

Terrestrial exoplanets in the canonical habitable zone may have a variety of initial water fractions due to random volatile delivery by planetesimals. If the total planetary water complement is high, the entire surface may be covered in water, forming a “waterworld.” On a planet with active tectonics, competing mechanisms act to regulate the abundance of water on the surface by determining the partitioning of water between interior and surface. Here we explore how the incorporation of different mechanisms for the degassing and regassing of water changes the volatile evolution of a planet. For all of the models considered, volatile cycling reaches an approximate steady state after ∼ 2 {Gyr}. Using these steady states, we find that if volatile cycling is either solely dependent on temperature or seafloor pressure, exoplanets require a high abundance (≳ 0.3 % of total mass) of water to have fully inundated surfaces. However, if degassing is more dependent on seafloor pressure and regassing mainly dependent on mantle temperature, the degassing rate is relatively large at late times and a steady state between degassing and regassing is reached with a substantial surface water fraction. If this hybrid model is physical, super-Earths with a total water fraction similar to that of the Earth can become waterworlds. As a result, further understanding of the processes that drive volatile cycling on terrestrial planets is needed to determine the water fraction at which they are likely to become waterworlds.

Software Package Completed for Alloy Design at the Atomic Level

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozzolo, Guillermo H.; Noebe, Ronald D.; Abel, Phillip B.; Good, Brian S.

2001-01-01

As a result of a multidisciplinary effort involving solid-state physics, quantum mechanics, and materials and surface science, the first version of a software package dedicated to the atomistic analysis of multicomponent systems was recently completed. Based on the BFS (Bozzolo, Ferrante, and Smith) method for the calculation of alloy and surface energetics, this package includes modules devoted to the analysis of many essential features that characterize any given alloy or surface system, including (1) surface structure analysis, (2) surface segregation, (3) surface alloying, (4) bulk crystalline material properties and atomic defect structures, and (5) thermal processes that allow us to perform phase diagram calculations. All the modules of this Alloy Design Workbench 1.0 (ADW 1.0) are designed to run in PC and workstation environments, and their operation and performance are substantially linked to the needs of the user and the specific application.

A surface-potential-based drain current compact model for a-InGaZnO thin-film transistors in Non-Degenerate conduction regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Fei; Ma, Xiaoyu; Deng, Wanling; Liou, Juin J.; Huang, Junkai

2017-11-01

A physics-based drain current compact model for amorphous InGaZnO (a-InGaZnO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) is proposed. As a key feature, the surface potential model accounts for both exponential tail and deep trap densities of states, which are essential to describe a-InGaZnO TFT electrical characteristics. The surface potential is solved explicitly without the process of amendment and suitable for circuit simulations. Furthermore, based on the surface potential, an explicit closed-form expression of the drain current is developed. For the cases of the different operational voltages, surface potential and drain current are verified by numerical results and experimental data, respectively. As a result, our model can predict DC characteristics of a-InGaZnO TFTs.

Hydrologic conditions controlling runoff generation immediately after wildfire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ebel, Brian A.; Moody, John A.; Martin, Deborah A.

2012-01-01

We investigated the control of postwildfire runoff by physical and hydraulic properties of soil, hydrologic states, and an ash layer immediately following wildfire. The field site is within the area burned by the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in Colorado, USA. Physical and hydraulic property characterization included ash thickness, particle size distribution, hydraulic conductivity, and soil water retention curves. Soil water content and matric potential were measured indirectly at several depths below the soil surface to document hydrologic states underneath the ash layer in the unsaturated zone, whereas precipitation and surface runoff were measured directly. Measurements of soil water content showed that almost no water infiltrated below the ash layer into the near-surface soil in the burned site at the storm time scale (i.e., minutes to hours). Runoff generation processes were controlled by and highly sensitive to ash thickness and ash hydraulic properties. The ash layer stored from 97% to 99% of rainfall, which was critical for reducing runoff amounts. The hydrologic response to two rain storms with different rainfall amounts, rainfall intensity, and durations, only ten days apart, indicated that runoff generation was predominantly by the saturation-excess mechanism perched at the ash-soil interface during the first storm and predominantly by the infiltration-excess mechanism at the ash surface during the second storm. Contributing area was not static for the two storms and was 4% (saturation excess) to 68% (infiltration excess) of the catchment area. Our results showed the importance of including hydrologic conditions and hydraulic properties of the ash layer in postwildfire runoff generation models.

Detection and drug delivery from superhydrophobic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falde, Eric John

The wetting of a rough material is controlled by surface chemistry and morphology, the liquid phase, solutes, and surfactants that affect the surface tension with the gas phase, and environmental conditions such as temperature and pressure. Materials with high (>150°) apparent contact angles are known as superhydrophobic and are very resistant to wetting. However, in complex biological mixtures eventually protein adsorbs, fouling the surface and facilitating wetting on time scales from seconds to months. The work here uses the partially-wetted (Cassie-Baxter) to fully-wetted (Wenzel) state transition to control drug delivery and to perform surfactant detection via surface tension using hydrophobic and superhydrophobic materials. First there is an overview of the physics of the non-wetting state and the transition to wetting. Then there is a review of how wetting can be controlled by outside stimuli and applications of these materials. Next there is work presented on controlling drug release using superhydrophobic materials with controlled wetting rates, with both in vitro and in vivo results. Then there is work on developing a sensor based on this wetting state transition and its applications toward detecting solute levels in biological fluids for point-of-care diagnosis. Finally, there is work presented on using these sensors for detecting the alcohol content in wine and spirits.

Unexpected carboxylate like CO adsorption at the Sr3Ru2O7 (001) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hieckel, Marcel; Mittendorfer, Florian; Redinger, Josef; Stoeger, Bernhard; Wang, Zhiming; Schmid, Michael; Diebold, Ulrike

2014-03-01

Oxide perovskite materials have attracted enormous attention because of a variety of intriguing physical properties ranging from catalysis to multiferroicity. We present a combined experimental and ab-initio (DFT) study with the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) on the adsorption of CO at the Sr3Ru2O7 (001) surface. We identify both a physisorbed and a chemisorbed CO configuraton. Unexpectedly, in the latter case adsorption occurs in a carboxylate (COO) like state. Both configurations have been confirmed by detailed STM experiments and simulations. In addition we find only a small barrier for the carboxylate formation on the surface. Work supported by the Austrian FWF, SFB F45 (FOXSI).

Geothermal-energy files in computer storage: sites, cities, and industries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

O'Dea, P.L.

1981-12-01

The site, city, and industrial files are described. The data presented are from the hydrothermal site file containing about three thousand records which describe some of the principal physical features of hydrothermal resources in the United States. Data elements include: latitude, longitude, township, range, section, surface temperature, subsurface temperature, the field potential, and well depth for commercialization. (MHR)

Manipulating topological-insulator properties using quantum confinement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotulla, M.; Zülicke, U.

2017-07-01

Recent discoveries have spurred the theoretical prediction and experimental realization of novel materials that have topological properties arising from band inversion. Such topological insulators are insulating in the bulk but have conductive surface or edge states. Topological materials show various unusual physical properties and are surmised to enable the creation of exotic Majorana-fermion quasiparticles. How the signatures of topological behavior evolve when the system size is reduced is interesting from both a fundamental and an application-oriented point of view, as such understanding may form the basis for tailoring systems to be in specific topological phases. This work considers the specific case of quantum-well confinement defining two-dimensional layers. Based on the effective-Hamiltonian description of bulk topological insulators, and using a harmonic-oscillator potential as an example for a softer-than-hard-wall confinement, we have studied the interplay of band inversion and size quantization. Our model system provides a useful platform for systematic study of the transition between the normal and topological phases, including the development of band inversion and the formation of massless-Dirac-fermion surface states. The effects of bare size quantization, two-dimensional-subband mixing, and electron-hole asymmetry are disentangled and their respective physical consequences elucidated.

Improved transition path sampling methods for simulation of rare events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chopra, Manan; Malshe, Rohit; Reddy, Allam S.; de Pablo, J. J.

2008-04-01

The free energy surfaces of a wide variety of systems encountered in physics, chemistry, and biology are characterized by the existence of deep minima separated by numerous barriers. One of the central aims of recent research in computational chemistry and physics has been to determine how transitions occur between deep local minima on rugged free energy landscapes, and transition path sampling (TPS) Monte-Carlo methods have emerged as an effective means for numerical investigation of such transitions. Many of the shortcomings of TPS-like approaches generally stem from their high computational demands. Two new algorithms are presented in this work that improve the efficiency of TPS simulations. The first algorithm uses biased shooting moves to render the sampling of reactive trajectories more efficient. The second algorithm is shown to substantially improve the accuracy of the transition state ensemble by introducing a subset of local transition path simulations in the transition state. The system considered in this work consists of a two-dimensional rough energy surface that is representative of numerous systems encountered in applications. When taken together, these algorithms provide gains in efficiency of over two orders of magnitude when compared to traditional TPS simulations.

Isthmin exerts pro-survival and death-promoting effect on endothelial cells through alphavbeta5 integrin depending on its physical state

PubMed Central

Zhang, Y; Chen, M; Venugopal, S; Zhou, Y; Xiang, W; Li, Y-H; Lin, Q; Kini, R M; Chong, Y-S; Ge, R

2011-01-01

Isthmin (ISM) is a 60 kDa secreted-angiogenesis inhibitor that suppresses tumor growth in mouse and disrupts vessel patterning in zebrafish embryos. It selectively binds to alphavbeta5 (αvβ5) integrin on the surface of endothelial cells (ECs), but the mechanism of its antiangiogenic action remains unknown. In this work, we establish that soluble ISM suppresses in vitro angiogenesis and induces EC apoptosis by interacting with its cell surface receptor αvβ5 integrin through a novel ‘RKD' motif localized within its adhesion-associated domain in MUC4 and other proteins domain. ISM induces EC apoptosis through integrin-mediated death (IMD) by direct recruitment and activation of caspase-8 without causing anoikis. On the other hand, immobilized ISM loses its antiangiogenic function and instead promotes EC adhesion, survival and migration through αvβ5 integrin by activating focal adhesion kinase (FAK). ISM unexpectedly has both a pro-survival and death-promoting effect on ECs depending on its physical state. This dual function of a single antiangiogenic protein may impact its antiangiogenic efficacy in vivo. PMID:21544092

Optimized Hypernetted-Chain Solutions for Helium -4 Surfaces and Metal Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Guo-Xin

This thesis is a study of inhomogeneous Bose systems such as liquid ('4)He slabs and inhomogeneous Fermi systems such as the electron gas in metal films, at zero temperature. Using a Jastrow-type many-body wavefunction, the ground state energy is expressed by means of Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood -Yvon and Hypernetted-Chain techniques. For Bose systems, Euler-Lagrange equations are derived for the one- and two -body functions and systematic approximation methods are physically motivated. It is shown that the optimized variational method includes a self-consistent summation of ladder- and ring-diagrams of conventional many-body theory. For Fermi systems, a linear potential model is adopted to generate the optimized Hartree-Fock basis. Euler-Lagrange equations are derived for the two-body correlations which serve to screen the strong bare Coulomb interaction. The optimization of the pair correlation leads to an expression of correlation energy in which the state averaged RPA part is separated. Numerical applications are presented for the density profile and pair distribution function for both ('4)He surfaces and metal surfaces. Both the bulk and surface energies are calculated in good agreement with experiments.

Towards Global Simulation of Irrigation in a Land Surface Model: Multiple Cropping and Rice Paddy in Southeast Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaudoing, Hiroko Kato; Rodell, Matthew; Ozdogan, Mutlu

2010-01-01

Agricultural land use significantly influences the surface water and energy balances. Effects of irrigation on land surface states and fluxes include repartitioning of latent and sensible heat fluxes, an increase in net radiation, and an increase in soil moisture and runoff. We are working on representing irrigation practices in continental- to global-scale land surface simulation in NASA's Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). Because agricultural practices across the nations are diverse, and complex, we are attempting to capture the first-order reality of the regional practices before achieving a global implementation. This study focuses on two issues in Southeast Asia: multiple cropping and rice paddy irrigation systems. We first characterize agricultural practices in the region (i.e., crop types, growing seasons, and irrigation) using the Global data set of monthly irrigated and rainfed crop areas around the year 2000 (MIRCA2000) dataset. Rice paddy extent is identified using remote sensing products. Whether irrigated or rainfed, flooded fields need to be represented and treated explicitly. By incorporating these properties and processes into a physically based land surface model, we are able to quantify the impacts on the simulated states and fluxes.

Quantifying the Mechanical Properties of Materials and the Process of Elastic-Plastic Deformation under External Stress on Material

PubMed Central

Valíček, Jan; Harničárová, Marta; Öchsner, Andreas; Hutyrová, Zuzana; Kušnerová, Milena; Tozan, Hakan; Michenka, Vít; Šepelák, Vladimír; Mitaľ, Dušan; Zajac, Jozef

2015-01-01

The paper solves the problem of the nonexistence of a new method for calculation of dynamics of stress-deformation states of deformation tool-material systems including the construction of stress-strain diagrams. The presented solution focuses on explaining the mechanical behavior of materials after cutting by abrasive waterjet technology (AWJ), especially from the point of view of generated surface topography. AWJ is a flexible tool accurately responding to the mechanical resistance of the material according to the accurately determined shape and roughness of machined surfaces. From the surface topography, it is possible to resolve the transition from ideally elastic to quasi-elastic and plastic stress-strain states. For detecting the surface structure, an optical profilometer was used. Based on the analysis of experimental measurements and the results of analytical studies, a mathematical-physical model was created and an exact method of acquiring the equivalents of mechanical parameters from the topography of surfaces generated by abrasive waterjet cutting and external stress in general was determined. The results of the new approach to the construction of stress-strain diagrams are presented. The calculated values agreed very well with those obtained by a certified laboratory VÚHŽ. PMID:28793645

Quantifying the Mechanical Properties of Materials and the Process of Elastic-Plastic Deformation under External Stress on Material.

PubMed

Valíček, Jan; Harničárová, Marta; Öchsner, Andreas; Hutyrová, Zuzana; Kušnerová, Milena; Tozan, Hakan; Michenka, Vít; Šepelák, Vladimír; Mitaľ, Dušan; Zajac, Jozef

2015-11-03

The paper solves the problem of the nonexistence of a new method for calculation of dynamics of stress-deformation states of deformation tool-material systems including the construction of stress-strain diagrams. The presented solution focuses on explaining the mechanical behavior of materials after cutting by abrasive waterjet technology (AWJ), especially from the point of view of generated surface topography. AWJ is a flexible tool accurately responding to the mechanical resistance of the material according to the accurately determined shape and roughness of machined surfaces. From the surface topography, it is possible to resolve the transition from ideally elastic to quasi-elastic and plastic stress-strain states. For detecting the surface structure, an optical profilometer was used. Based on the analysis of experimental measurements and the results of analytical studies, a mathematical-physical model was created and an exact method of acquiring the equivalents of mechanical parameters from the topography of surfaces generated by abrasive waterjet cutting and external stress in general was determined. The results of the new approach to the construction of stress-strain diagrams are presented. The calculated values agreed very well with those obtained by a certified laboratory VÚHŽ.

Electromagnetic Extended Finite Elements for High-Fidelity Multimaterial Problems LDRD Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siefert, Christopher; Bochev, Pavel Blagoveston; Kramer, Richard Michael Jack

Surface effects are critical to the accurate simulation of electromagnetics (EM) as current tends to concentrate near material surfaces. Sandia EM applications, which include exploding bridge wires for detonator design, electromagnetic launch of flyer plates for material testing and gun design, lightning blast-through for weapon safety, electromagnetic armor, and magnetic flux compression generators, all require accurate resolution of surface effects. These applications operate in a large deformation regime, where body-fitted meshes are impractical and multimaterial elements are the only feasible option. State-of-the-art methods use various mixture models to approximate the multi-physics of these elements. The empirical nature of these modelsmore » can significantly compromise the accuracy of the simulation in this very important surface region. We propose to substantially improve the predictive capability of electromagnetic simulations by removing the need for empirical mixture models at material surfaces. We do this by developing an eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) and an associated Conformal Decomposition Finite Element Method (CDFEM) which satisfy the physically required compatibility conditions at material interfaces. We demonstrate the effectiveness of these methods for diffusion and diffusion-like problems on node, edge and face elements in 2D and 3D. We also present preliminary work on h -hierarchical elements and remap algorithms.« less

Phase transitions, interparticle correlations, and elementary processes in dense plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichimaru, Setsuo

2017-12-01

Astrophysical dense plasmas are those we find in the interiors, surfaces, and outer envelopes of stellar objects such as neutron stars, white dwarfs, the Sun, and giant planets. Condensed plasmas in the laboratory settings include those in ultrahigh-pressure metal-physics experiments undertaken for realization of metallic hydrogen. We review basic physics issues studied in the past 60 some years on the phase transitions, the interparticle correlations, and the elementary processes in dense plasmas, through survey on scattering of electromagnetic waves, equations of state, phase diagrams, transport processes, stellar and planetary magnetisms, and thermo- and pycnonuclear reactions.

Quantum levitation of nanoparticles seen with ultracold neutrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nesvizhevsky, V. V., E-mail: nesvizhevsky@ill.eu; Voronin, A. Yu.; Lambrecht, A.

2013-09-15

Analyzing new experiments with ultracold neutrons (UCNs) we show that physical adsorption of nanoparticles/nanodroplets, levitating in high-excited states in a deep and broad potential well formed by van der Waals/Casimir-Polder (vdW/CP) forces results in new effects on a cross-road of the fields of fundamental interactions, neutron, surface and nanoparticle physics. Accounting for the interaction of UCNs with nanoparticles explains a recently discovered intriguing so-called 'small heating' of UCNs in traps. It might be relevant to the striking conflict of the neutron lifetime experiments with smallest reported uncertainties by adding false effects there.

Screened hybrid density functionals for solid-state chemistry and physics.

PubMed

Janesko, Benjamin G; Henderson, Thomas M; Scuseria, Gustavo E

2009-01-21

Density functional theory incorporating hybrid exchange-correlation functionals has been extraordinarily successful in providing accurate, computationally tractable treatments of molecular properties. However, conventional hybrid functionals can be problematic for solids. Their nonlocal, Hartree-Fock-like exchange term decays slowly and incorporates unphysical features in metals and narrow-bandgap semiconductors. This article provides an overview of our group's work on designing hybrid functionals for solids. We focus on the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof screened hybrid functional [J. Chem. Phys. 2003, 118, 8207], its applications to the chemistry and physics of solids and surfaces, and our efforts to build upon its successes.

Bacterial resistance of self-assembled surfaces using PPOm-b-PSBMAn zwitterionic copolymer - concomitant effects of surface topography and surface chemistry on attachment of live bacteria.

PubMed

Hsiao, Sheng-Wen; Venault, Antoine; Yang, Hui-Shan; Chang, Yung

2014-06-01

Three well-defined diblock copolymers made of poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (poly(SBMA)) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) groups were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. They were physically adsorbed onto three types of surfaces having different topography, including smooth flat surface, convex surface, and indented surface. Chemical state of surfaces was characterized by XPS while the various topographies were examined by SEM and AFM. Hydrophilicity of surfaces was dependent on both the surface chemistry and the surface topography, suggesting that orientation of copolymer brushes can be tuned in the design of surfaces aimed at resisting bacterial attachment. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli with green fluorescent protein (E. coli GFP) were used in bacterial tests to assess the resistance to bacterial attachment of poly(SBMA)-covered surfaces. Results highlighted a drastic improvement of resistance to bacterial adhesion with the increasing of poly(SBMA) to PPO ratio, as well as an important effect of surface topography. The chemical effect was directly related to the length of the hydrophilic moieties. When longer, more water could be entrapped, leading to improved anti-bacterial properties. The physical effect impacted on the orientation of the copolymer brushes, as well as on the surface contact area available. Convex surfaces as well as indented surfaces wafer presented the best resistance to bacterial adhesion. Indeed, bacterial attachment was more importantly reduced on these surfaces compared with smooth surfaces. It was explained by the non-orthogonal orientation of copolymer brushes, resulting in a more efficient surface coverage of zwitterionic molecules. This work suggests that not only the control of surface chemistry is essential in the preparation of surfaces resisting bacterial attachment, but also the control of surface topography and orientation of antifouling moieties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic studies of nanomaterials with a liquid-helium-free high-stability cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kislitsyn, Dmitry Anatolevich

This dissertation presents results of a project bringing Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) into a regime of unlimited operational time at cryogenic conditions. Freedom from liquid helium consumption was achieved and technical characteristics of the instrument are reported, including record low noise for a scanning probe instrument coupled to a close-cycle cryostat, which allows for atomically resolved imaging, and record low thermal drift. Subsequent studies showed that the new STM opened new prospects in nanoscience research by enabling Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopic (STS) spatial mapping to reveal details of the electronic structure in real space for molecules and low-dimensional nanomaterials, for which this depth of investigation was previously prohibitively expensive. Quantum-confined electronic states were studied in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) deposited on the Au(111) surface. Localization on the nanometer-scale was discovered to produce a local vibronic manifold resulting from the localization-enhanced electron-vibrational coupling. STS showed the vibrational overtones, identified as D-band Kekule vibrational modes and K-point transverse out-of plane phonons. This study experimentally connected the properties of well-defined localized electronic states to the properties of associated vibronic states. Electronic structures of alkyl-substituted oligothiophenes with different backbone lengths were studied and correlated with torsional conformations assumed on the Au(111) surface. The molecules adopted distinct planar conformations with alkyl ligands forming cis- or trans-mutual orientations and at higher coverage self-assembled into ordered structures, binding to each other via interdigitated alkyl ligands. STS maps visualized, in real space, particle-in-a-box-like molecular orbitals. Shorter quaterthiophenes have substantially varying orbital energies because of local variations in surface reactivity. Different conformers of longer oligothiophenes with significant geometrical distortions of the oligothiophene backbones surprisingly exhibited similar electronic structures, indicating insensitivity of interaction with the surface to molecular conformation. Electronic states for annealed ligand-free lead sulfide nanocrystals were investigated, as well as hydrogen-passivated silicon nanocrystals, supported on the Au(111) surface. Delocalized quantum-confined states and localized defect-related states were identified, for the first time, via STS spatial mapping. Physical mechanisms, involving surface reconstruction or single-atom defects, were proposed for surface state formation to explain the observed spatial behavior of the electronic density of states. This dissertation includes previously published co-authored material.

Fishermen Follow Fine-scaled Physical Ocean Features For Finance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, E.; Watson, J. R.; Samhouri, J.; Castruccio, F. S.

2016-12-01

The seascapes on which many millions of people make their living and secure food have complex and dynamic spatial features - the figurative hills and valleys - that control where and how people work at sea. Here, we quantify the physical mosaic of the surface ocean by identifying Lagrangian Coherent Structures for a whole seascape - the California Current - and assess their impact on the spatial distribution of fishing. We show that there is a mixed response: some fisheries track these physical features, and others avoid them. This spatial behavior maps to economic impacts: we find that tuna fishermen can expect to make three times more revenue per trip if fishing occurs on strong coherent structures. These results highlight a connection between the physical state of the oceans, the spatial patterns of human activity and ultimately the economic prosperity of coastal communities.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Libby, S B; Sessler, A M

Edward Teller died on September 9, 2003 in Stanford, California at the age of 95. He was both one of the great theoretical physicists of the twentieth century and a leading figure in the development of nuclear weapons and broader defense advocacy. Teller's work in physics, spanning many decades of the twentieth century, includes some of the most fundamental insights in the quantum behaviors of molecules and their spectra, nuclei, surfaces, solid state and spin systems, and plasmas. In the defense arena, Teller is best known for his key insight that made thermonuclear weapons possible. Teller was both a greatmore » scientific collaborator and physics teacher at all levels, known for his openness, generosity, personal warmth, and powerful physical intuition. Many of his graduate students went on to illustrious careers.« less

Physics in strong magnetic fields near neutron stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harding, Alice K.

1991-01-01

Electromagnetic phenomena occurring in the strong magnetic fields of neutron stars are currently of great interest in high-energy astrophysics. Observations of rotation rate changes and cyclotron lines in pulsars and gamma-ray bursts indicate that surface magnetic fields of neutron stars often exceed a trillion gauss. In fields this strong, where electrons behave much as if they were in bound atomic states, familiar processes undergo profound changes, and exotic processes become important. Strong magnetic fields affect the physics in several fundamental ways: energies perpendicular to the field are quantized, transverse momentum is not conserved, and electron-positron spin is important. Neutron stars therefore provide a unique laboratory for the study of physics in extremely high fields that cannot be generated on earth.

The Climate Science Special Report: Arctic Changes and their Effect on Alaska and the Rest of the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, P. C.

2017-12-01

Rapid and visible climate change is happening across the Arctic, outpacing global change. Annual average near-surface air temperatures across the Arctic are increasing at more than twice the rate of global average surface temperature. In addition to surface temperature, all components of the Arctic climate system are responding in kind, including sea ice, mountain glaciers and the Greenland Ice sheet, snow cover, and permafrost. Many of these changes with a discernable anthropogenic imprint. While Arctic climate change may seem physically remote to those living in other regions of the planet, Arctic climate change can affect the global climate influencing sea level, the carbon cycle, and potentially atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns. As an Arctic nation, United States' adaptation, mitigation, and policy decisions depend on projections of future Alaskan and Arctic climate. This chapter of the Climate Science Special Report documents significant scientific progress and knowledge about how the Alaskan and Arctic climate has changed and will continue to change.

Modeling the free energy surfaces of electron transfer in condensed phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matyushov, Dmitry V.; Voth, Gregory A.

2000-10-01

We develop a three-parameter model of electron transfer (ET) in condensed phases based on the Hamiltonian of a two-state solute linearly coupled to a harmonic, classical solvent mode with different force constants in the initial and final states (a classical limit of the quantum Kubo-Toyozawa model). The exact analytical solution for the ET free energy surfaces demonstrates the following features: (i) the range of ET reaction coordinates is limited by a one-sided fluctuation band, (ii) the ET free energies are infinite outside the band, and (iii) the free energy surfaces are parabolic close to their minima and linear far from the minima positions. The model provides an analytical framework to map physical phenomena conflicting with the Marcus-Hush two-parameter model of ET. Nonlinear solvation, ET in polarizable charge-transfer complexes, and configurational flexibility of donor-acceptor complexes are successfully mapped onto the model. The present theory leads to a significant modification of the energy gap law for ET reactions.

Photonic crystals possessing multiple Weyl points and the experimental observation of robust surface states

PubMed Central

Chen, Wen-Jie; Xiao, Meng; Chan, C. T.

2016-01-01

Weyl points, as monopoles of Berry curvature in momentum space, have captured much attention recently in various branches of physics. Realizing topological materials that exhibit such nodal points is challenging and indeed, Weyl points have been found experimentally in transition metal arsenide and phosphide and gyroid photonic crystal whose structure is complex. If realizing even the simplest type of single Weyl nodes with a topological charge of 1 is difficult, then making a real crystal carrying higher topological charges may seem more challenging. Here we design, and fabricate using planar fabrication technology, a photonic crystal possessing single Weyl points (including type-II nodes) and multiple Weyl points with topological charges of 2 and 3. We characterize this photonic crystal and find nontrivial 2D bulk band gaps for a fixed kz and the associated surface modes. The robustness of these surface states against kz-preserving scattering is experimentally observed for the first time. PMID:27703140

Revisiting kinetic boundary conditions at the surface of fuel droplet hydrocarbons: An atomistic computational fluid dynamics simulation

PubMed Central

Nasiri, Rasoul

2016-01-01

The role of boundary conditions at the interface for both Boltzmann equation and the set of Navier-Stokes equations have been suggested to be important for studying of multiphase flows such as evaporation/condensation process which doesn’t always obey the equilibrium conditions. Here we present aspects of transition-state theory (TST) alongside with kinetic gas theory (KGT) relevant to the study of quasi-equilibrium interfacial phenomena and the equilibrium gas phase processes, respectively. A two-state mathematical model for long-chain hydrocarbons which have multi-structural specifications is introduced to clarify how kinetics and thermodynamics affect evaporation/condensation process at the surface of fuel droplet, liquid and gas phases and then show how experimental observations for a number of n-alkane may be reproduced using a hybrid framework TST and KGT with physically reasonable parameters controlling the interface, gas and liquid phases. The importance of internal activation dynamics at the surface of n-alkane droplets is established during the evaporation/condensation process. PMID:27215897

Physically based modeling in catchment hydrology at 50: Survey and outlook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paniconi, Claudio; Putti, Mario

2015-09-01

Integrated, process-based numerical models in hydrology are rapidly evolving, spurred by novel theories in mathematical physics, advances in computational methods, insights from laboratory and field experiments, and the need to better understand and predict the potential impacts of population, land use, and climate change on our water resources. At the catchment scale, these simulation models are commonly based on conservation principles for surface and subsurface water flow and solute transport (e.g., the Richards, shallow water, and advection-dispersion equations), and they require robust numerical techniques for their resolution. Traditional (and still open) challenges in developing reliable and efficient models are associated with heterogeneity and variability in parameters and state variables; nonlinearities and scale effects in process dynamics; and complex or poorly known boundary conditions and initial system states. As catchment modeling enters a highly interdisciplinary era, new challenges arise from the need to maintain physical and numerical consistency in the description of multiple processes that interact over a range of scales and across different compartments of an overall system. This paper first gives an historical overview (past 50 years) of some of the key developments in physically based hydrological modeling, emphasizing how the interplay between theory, experiments, and modeling has contributed to advancing the state of the art. The second part of the paper examines some outstanding problems in integrated catchment modeling from the perspective of recent developments in mathematical and computational science.

Airborne Tomographic Swath Ice Sounding Processing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Xiaoqing; Rodriquez, Ernesto; Freeman, Anthony; Jezek, Ken

2013-01-01

Glaciers and ice sheets modulate global sea level by storing water deposited as snow on the surface, and discharging water back into the ocean through melting. Their physical state can be characterized in terms of their mass balance and dynamics. To estimate the current ice mass balance, and to predict future changes in the motion of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, it is necessary to know the ice sheet thickness and the physical conditions of the ice sheet surface and bed. This information is required at fine resolution and over extensive portions of the ice sheets. A tomographic algorithm has been developed to take raw data collected by a multiple-channel synthetic aperture sounding radar system over a polar ice sheet and convert those data into two-dimensional (2D) ice thickness measurements. Prior to this work, conventional processing techniques only provided one-dimensional ice thickness measurements along profiles.

On Riemann solvers and kinetic relations for isothermal two-phase flows with surface tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohde, Christian; Zeiler, Christoph

2018-06-01

We consider a sharp interface approach for the inviscid isothermal dynamics of compressible two-phase flow that accounts for phase transition and surface tension effects. Kinetic relations are frequently used to fix the mass exchange and entropy dissipation rate across the interface. The complete unidirectional dynamics can then be understood by solving generalized two-phase Riemann problems. We present new well-posedness theorems for the Riemann problem and corresponding computable Riemann solvers that cover quite general equations of state, metastable input data and curvature effects. The new Riemann solver is used to validate different kinetic relations on physically relevant problems including a comparison with experimental data. Riemann solvers are building blocks for many numerical schemes that are used to track interfaces in two-phase flow. It is shown that the new Riemann solver enables reliable and efficient computations for physical situations that could not be treated before.

On the important role of the anti-Jahn-Teller effect in underdoped cuprate superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamimura, Hiroshi; Matsuno, Shunichi; Mizokawa, Takashi; Sasaoka, Kenji; Shiraishi, Kenji; Ushio, Hideki

2013-04-01

In this paper it is shown that the "anti-Jahn-Teller effect" plays an essential role in giving rise to a small Fermi surface of Fermi pockets above Tc and d-wave superconductivity below Tc in underdoped cuprates. In the first part of the present paper, we review the latest developments of the model proposed by Kamimura and Suwa, which bears important characteristics born from the interplay of Jahn-Teller Physics and Mott Physics. It is shown that the feature of Fermi surfaces in underdoped LSCO is the Fermi pockets in the nodal region constructed by doped holes under the coexistence of a metallic state and of the local antiferromagnetic order. In the antinodal region in the momentum space, there are no Fermi surfaces. Then it is discussed that the phonon-involved mechanism based on the Kamimura-Suwa model leads to the d-wave superconductivity. In particular, it is shown that the origin of strong electron-phonon interactions in cuprates is due to the anti-Jahn-Teller effect. In the second part a recent theoretical result on the energy distribution curves (EDCs) of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) below Tc is discussed. It is shown that the feature of ARPES profiles of underdoped cuprates consists of a coherent peak in the nodal region and the real transitions of photoexcited electrons from occupied states below the Fermi level to a free-electron state above the vacuum level in the antinodal region, where the latter transitions form a broad hump. From this feature, the origin of the two distinct gaps observed by ARPES is elucidated without introducing the concept of the pseudogap. Finally, a remark is made on the phase diagram of underdoped cuprates.

Critical heat flux (CHF) phenomenon on a downward facing curved surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheung, F.B.; Haddad, K.H.; Liu, Y.C.

1997-06-01

This report describes a theoretical and experimental study of the boundary layer boiling and critical heat flux phenomena on a downward facing curved heating surface, including both hemispherical and toroidal surfaces. A subscale boundary layer boiling (SBLB) test facility was developed to measure the spatial variation of the critical heat flux and observe the underlying mechanisms. Transient quenching and steady-state boiling experiments were performed in the SBLB facility under both saturated and subcooled conditions to obtain a complete database on the critical heat flux. To complement the experimental effort, an advanced hydrodynamic CHF model was developed from the conservation lawsmore » along with sound physical arguments. The model provides a clear physical explanation for the spatial variation of the CHF observed in the SBLB experiments and for the weak dependence of the CHF data on the physical size of the vessel. Based upon the CHF model, a scaling law was established for estimating the local critical heat flux on the outer surface of a heated hemispherical vessel that is fully submerged in water. The scaling law, which compares favorably with all the available local CHF data obtained for various vessel sizes, can be used to predict the local CHF limits on large commercial-size vessels. This technical information represents one of the essential elements that is needed in assessing the efficacy of external cooling of core melt by cavity flooding as a severe accident management strategy. 83 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Imaging Dirac-mass disorder from magnetic dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic topological insulator Crx(Bi0.1Sb0.9)2-xTe3.

PubMed

Lee, Inhee; Kim, Chung Koo; Lee, Jinho; Billinge, Simon J L; Zhong, Ruidan; Schneeloch, John A; Liu, Tiansheng; Valla, Tonica; Tranquada, John M; Gu, Genda; Davis, J C Séamus

2015-02-03

To achieve and use the most exotic electronic phenomena predicted for the surface states of 3D topological insulators (TIs), it is necessary to open a "Dirac-mass gap" in their spectrum by breaking time-reversal symmetry. Use of magnetic dopant atoms to generate a ferromagnetic state is the most widely applied approach. However, it is unknown how the spatial arrangements of the magnetic dopant atoms influence the Dirac-mass gap at the atomic scale or, conversely, whether the ferromagnetic interactions between dopant atoms are influenced by the topological surface states. Here we image the locations of the magnetic (Cr) dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic TI Cr0.08(Bi0.1Sb0.9)1.92Te3. Simultaneous visualization of the Dirac-mass gap Δ(r) reveals its intense disorder, which we demonstrate is directly related to fluctuations in n(r), the Cr atom areal density in the termination layer. We find the relationship of surface-state Fermi wavevectors to the anisotropic structure of Δ(r) not inconsistent with predictions for surface ferromagnetism mediated by those states. Moreover, despite the intense Dirac-mass disorder, the anticipated relationship [Formula: see text] is confirmed throughout and exhibits an electron-dopant interaction energy J* = 145 meV·nm(2). These observations reveal how magnetic dopant atoms actually generate the TI mass gap locally and that, to achieve the novel physics expected of time-reversal symmetry breaking TI materials, control of the resulting Dirac-mass gap disorder will be essential.

Imaging Dirac-mass disorder from magnetic dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic topological insulator Crx(Bi0.1Sb0.9)2-xTe3

PubMed Central

Lee, Inhee; Kim, Chung Koo; Lee, Jinho; Billinge, Simon J. L.; Zhong, Ruidan; Schneeloch, John A.; Liu, Tiansheng; Valla, Tonica; Tranquada, John M.; Gu, Genda; Davis, J. C. Séamus

2015-01-01

To achieve and use the most exotic electronic phenomena predicted for the surface states of 3D topological insulators (TIs), it is necessary to open a “Dirac-mass gap” in their spectrum by breaking time-reversal symmetry. Use of magnetic dopant atoms to generate a ferromagnetic state is the most widely applied approach. However, it is unknown how the spatial arrangements of the magnetic dopant atoms influence the Dirac-mass gap at the atomic scale or, conversely, whether the ferromagnetic interactions between dopant atoms are influenced by the topological surface states. Here we image the locations of the magnetic (Cr) dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic TI Cr0.08(Bi0.1Sb0.9)1.92Te3. Simultaneous visualization of the Dirac-mass gap Δ(r) reveals its intense disorder, which we demonstrate is directly related to fluctuations in n(r), the Cr atom areal density in the termination layer. We find the relationship of surface-state Fermi wavevectors to the anisotropic structure of Δ(r) not inconsistent with predictions for surface ferromagnetism mediated by those states. Moreover, despite the intense Dirac-mass disorder, the anticipated relationship Δ(r)∝n(r) is confirmed throughout and exhibits an electron–dopant interaction energy J* = 145 meV·nm2. These observations reveal how magnetic dopant atoms actually generate the TI mass gap locally and that, to achieve the novel physics expected of time-reversal symmetry breaking TI materials, control of the resulting Dirac-mass gap disorder will be essential. PMID:25605947

Studying urban land-atmospheric interactions by coupling an urban canopy model with a single column atmospheric models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, J.; Wang, Z.

2013-12-01

Studying urban land-atmospheric interactions by coupling an urban canopy model with a single column atmospheric models Jiyun Song and Zhi-Hua Wang School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, PO Box 875306, Tempe, AZ 85287-5306 Landuse landcover changes in urban area will modify surface energy budgets, turbulent fluxes as well as dynamic and thermodynamic structures of the overlying atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). In order to study urban land-atmospheric interactions, we coupled a single column atmospheric model (SCM) to a cutting-edge single layer urban canopy model (SLUCM). Modification of surface parameters such as the fraction of vegetation and engineered pavements, thermal properties of building and pavement materials, and geometrical features of street canyon, etc. in SLUCM dictates the evolution of surface balance of energy, water and momentum. The land surface states then provide lower boundary conditions to the overlying atmosphere, which in turn modulates the modification of ABL structure as well as vertical profiles of temperature, humidity, wind speed and tracer gases. The coupled SLUCM-SCM model is tested against field measurements of surface layer fluxes as well as profiles of temperature and humidity in the mixed layer under convective conditions. After model test, SLUCM-SCM is used to simulate the effect of changing urban land surface conditions on the evolution of ABL structure and dynamics. Simulation results show that despite the prescribed atmospheric forcing, land surface states impose significant impact on the physics of the overlying vertical atmospheric layer. Overall, this numerical framework provides a useful standalone modeling tool to assess the impacts of urban land surface conditions on the local hydrometeorology through land-atmospheric interactions. It also has potentially far-reaching implications to urban ecohydrological services for cities under future expansion and climate challenges.

Maximizing the thermoelectric performance of topological insulator Bi2Te3 films in the few-quintuple layer regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Jinghua; Cheng, Long; Zhang, Jie; Liu, Huijun; Zhang, Zhenyu

2016-04-01

Using first-principles calculations and the Boltzmann theory, we explore the feasibility to maximize the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of topological insulator Bi2Te3 films in the few-quintuple layer regime. We discover that the delicate competitions between the surface and bulk contributions, coupled with the overall quantum size effects, lead to a novel and generic non-monotonous dependence of ZT on the film thickness. In particular, when the system crosses into the topologically non-trivial regime upon increasing the film thickness, the much longer surface relaxation time associated with the robust nature of the topological surface states results in a maximal ZT value, which can be further optimized to ~2.0 under physically realistic conditions. We also reveal the appealing potential of bridging the long-standing ZT asymmetry of p- and n-type Bi2Te3 systems.Using first-principles calculations and the Boltzmann theory, we explore the feasibility to maximize the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of topological insulator Bi2Te3 films in the few-quintuple layer regime. We discover that the delicate competitions between the surface and bulk contributions, coupled with the overall quantum size effects, lead to a novel and generic non-monotonous dependence of ZT on the film thickness. In particular, when the system crosses into the topologically non-trivial regime upon increasing the film thickness, the much longer surface relaxation time associated with the robust nature of the topological surface states results in a maximal ZT value, which can be further optimized to ~2.0 under physically realistic conditions. We also reveal the appealing potential of bridging the long-standing ZT asymmetry of p- and n-type Bi2Te3 systems. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c6nr00724d

Oxide films state analysis by IR spectroscopy based on the simple oscillator approximation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkov, N. V.; Yakutkina, T. V.; Karpova, V. V.

2017-05-01

Stabilization of structure-phase state in a wide temperature range is one of the most important problems of improving properties of oxide compounds. As such, the search of new effective methods for obtaining metal oxides with desired physic-chemical, electro-physical and thermal properties and their control is important and relevant. The aim of this work is identification features state of the oxide films of some metals Be, Al, Fe, Cu, Zr on the metal surface of the polycrystalline samples by infrared spectroscopy. To identify the resonance emission bands the algorithm of IR-spectra processing was developed and realized on the basis of table processor EXCEL-2010, which allow revealing characteristic resonance bands successfully and identification of inorganic chemical compounds. In the frame of simple oscillator model, resonance frequencies of normal vibrations of water and some inorganic compounds: metal oxides - Be, Al, Fe, Cu, Zr were calculated and characteristic frequencies for different states (aggregate, deformation, phase) were specified. By means of IR-spectroscopy fundamental possibility of revealing oxides films on metal substrate features state is shown, that allow development and optimization of the technology for production of the oxide films with desired properties.

Surface and Atmospheric Contributions to Passive Microwave Brightness Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Gail Skofronick; Johnson, Benjamin T.

2010-01-01

Physically-based passive microwave precipitation retrieval algorithms require a set of relationships between satellite observed brightness temperatures (TB) and the physical state of the underlying atmosphere and surface. These relationships are typically non-linear, such that inversions are ill-posed especially over variable land surfaces. In order to better understand these relationships, this work presents a theoretical analysis using brightness temperature weighting functions to quantify the percentage of the TB resulting from absorption/emission/reflection from the surface, absorption/emission/scattering by liquid and frozen hydrometeors in the cloud, the emission from atmospheric water vapor, and other contributors. The results are presented for frequencies from 10 to 874 GHz and for several individual precipitation profiles as well as for three cloud resolving model simulations of falling snow. As expected, low frequency channels (<89 GHz) respond to liquid hydrometeors and the surface, while the higher frequency channels become increasingly sensitive to ice hydrometeors and the water vapor sounding channels react to water vapor in the atmosphere. Low emissivity surfaces (water and snow-covered land) permit energy downwelling from clouds to be reflected at the surface thereby increasing the percentage of the TB resulting from the hydrometeors. The slant path at a 53deg viewing angle increases the hydrometeor contributions relative to nadir viewing channels and show sensitivity to surface polarization effects. The TB percentage information presented in this paper answers questions about the relative contributions to the brightness temperatures and provides a key piece of information required to develop and improve precipitation retrievals over land surfaces.

Open friction courses on an asphaltic concrete base: A seven-year progress report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodge, K. S.

1982-10-01

The performance of two open-friction courses (OFC) having 1/2 in. and 1/4 in. maximum-sized aggregates - and their adjacent conventional New York State 1A top-course (control) is documented over the final 4 years of their 7-year design lives. The pavements were evaluated by analysis of mix properties and surface performance. The physical properties examined by means of extracted pavement cores were aggregate gradation, binder penetration and viscosities, and void content. Testing of frictional performance, rut depths, microtecture and macrotexture, rideability, and cracking were used to evaluate the pavement's surface performance.

Orientale and South Pole-Aitken basins on the Moon: Preliminary Galileo imaging results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Head, J.; Fischer, E.; Murchie, S.; Pieters, C.; Plutchak, J.; Sunshine, J.; Belton, M.; Carr, M.; Chapman, C.; Davies, M.

1991-01-01

During the Earth-Moon flyby the Galileo Solid State Imaging System obtained new information on the landscape and physical geology of the Moon. Multicolor Galileo images of the Moon reveal variations in color properties of the lunar surface. Using returned lunar samples as a key, the color differences can be interpreted in terms of variations in the mineral makeup of the lunar rocks and soil. The combined results of Apollo landings and multicolor images from Galileo allow extrapolation of surface composition to areas distant from the landing sites, including the far side invisible from Earth.

Proceedings 5th International Conference on Optics of Surfaces and Interfaces (OSI-V), Léon, México 26-30 May 2003: physica status solidi (c) - conferences and critical reviews

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendoza, Bernardo S.

2003-05-01

physica status solidi (c) conferences and critical reviews publishes conference proceedings, ranging from large international meetings to specialized topical workshops as well as collections of topical reviews on various areas of current solid state physics research. The objective of "Optics of Surfaces and Interfaces" (OSI-V) is to bridge the gap between basic and applied science. Apart from recent advances in theoretical modeling and experimental research, special attention is given to novel techniques of optical spectroscopy at interfaces.

Retrieval with Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer and Validation during JAIVEx

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xu; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, William L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Mango, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

A state-of-the-art IR-only retrieval algorithm has been developed with an all-season-global EOF Physical Regression and followed by 1-D Var. Physical Iterative Retrieval for IASI, AIRS, and NAST-I. The benefits of this retrieval are to produce atmospheric structure with a single FOV horizontal resolution (approx. 15 km for IASI and AIRS), accurate profiles above the cloud (at least) or down to the surface, surface parameters, and/or cloud microphysical parameters. Initial case study and validation indicates that surface, cloud, and atmospheric structure (include TBL) are well captured by IASI and AIRS measurements. Coincident dropsondes during the IASI and AIRS overpasses are used to validate atmospheric conditions, and accurate retrievals are obtained with an expected vertical resolution. JAIVEx has provided the data needed to validate the retrieval algorithm and its products which allows us to assess the instrument ability and/or performance. Retrievals with global coverage are under investigation for detailed retrieval assessment. It is greatly desired that these products be used for testing the impact on Atmospheric Data Assimilation and/or Numerical Weather Prediction.

The localization of focal heart activity via body surface potential measurements: tests in a heterogeneous torso phantom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetterling, F.; Liehr, M.; Schimpf, P.; Liu, H.; Haueisen, J.

2009-09-01

The non-invasive localization of focal heart activity via body surface potential measurements (BSPM) could greatly benefit the understanding and treatment of arrhythmic heart diseases. However, the in vivo validation of source localization algorithms is rather difficult with currently available measurement techniques. In this study, we used a physical torso phantom composed of different conductive compartments and seven dipoles, which were placed in the anatomical position of the human heart in order to assess the performance of the Recursively Applied and Projected Multiple Signal Classification (RAP-MUSIC) algorithm. Electric potentials were measured on the torso surface for single dipoles with and without further uncorrelated or correlated dipole activity. The localization error averaged 11 ± 5 mm over 22 dipoles, which shows the ability of RAP-MUSIC to distinguish an uncorrelated dipole from surrounding sources activity. For the first time, real computational modelling errors could be included within the validation procedure due to the physically modelled heterogeneities. In conclusion, the introduced heterogeneous torso phantom can be used to validate state-of-the-art algorithms under nearly realistic measurement conditions.

Lifshitz Transitions, Type-II Dirac and Weyl Fermions, Event Horizon and All That

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volovik, G. E.; Zhang, K.

2017-12-01

The type-II Weyl and type-II Dirac points emerge in semimetals and also in relativistic systems. In particular, the type-II Weyl fermions may emerge behind the event horizon of black holes. In this case the horizon with Painlevé-Gullstrand metric serves as the surface of the Lifshitz transition. This relativistic analogy allows us to simulate the black hole horizon and Hawking radiation using the fermionic superfluid with supercritical velocity, and the Dirac and Weyl semimetals with the interface separating the type-I and type-II states. The difference between such type of the artificial event horizon and that which arises in acoustic metric is discussed. At the Lifshitz transition between type-I and type-II fermions the Dirac lines may also emerge, which are supported by the combined action of topology and symmetry. The type-II Weyl and Dirac points also emerge as the intermediate states of the topological Lifshitz transitions. Different configurations of the Fermi surfaces, involved in such Lifshitz transition, are discussed. In one case the type-II Weyl point connects the Fermi pockets and the Lifshitz transition corresponds to the transfer of the Berry flux between the Fermi pockets. In the other case the type-II Weyl point connects the outer and inner Fermi surfaces. At the Lifshitz transition the Weyl point is released from both Fermi surfaces. They loose their Berry flux, which guarantees the global stability, and without the topological support the inner surface disappears after shrinking to a point at the second Lifshitz transition. These examples reveal the complexity and universality of topological Lifshitz transitions, which originate from the ubiquitous interplay of a variety of topological characters of the momentum-space manifolds. For the interacting electrons, the Lifshitz transitions may lead to the formation of the dispersionless (flat) band with zero energy and singular density of states, which opens the route to room-temperature superconductivity. Originally, the idea of the enhancement of T_c due to flat band has been put forward by the nuclear physics community, and this also demonstrates the close connections between different areas of physics.

Distinct evolutions of Weyl fermion quasiparticles and Fermi arcs with bulk band topology in Weyl semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Nan; Autes, Gabriel; Matt, Christian; Lv, Baiqing; Bisti, Federico; Strocov, Vladimir; Gawryluk, Dariusz; Pomjakushina, Ekaterina; Conder, Kazimierz; Plumb, Nicholas; Radovic, Milan; Qian, Tian; Yazyev, Oleg; Mesot, Joel; Ding, Hong; Shi, Ming

By performing ARPES and first-principle calculations, we demonstrate that Weyl fermions quasiparticles in bulk and Fermi arc on surface show distinct evolutions with the bulk band topology in transition-metal monophosphides. While Weyl fermion quasiparticles exist only when the chemical potential is located between two saddle points of the Weyl cone features, the Fermi arc states extend in a larger energy scale and are robust across the bulk Lifshitz transitions associated with the recombination of two non-trivial Fermi surfaces enclosing one Weyl point into a single trivial Fermi surface enclosing two Weyl points of opposite chirality. Therefore, in some systems (NbP), Fermi arc states are preserved even if Weyl fermion quasiparticles are absent in the bulk. Our findings not only provide insight into the relationship between the exotic physical phenomena and the intrinsic bulk band topology in Weyl semimetals, but also resolve the apparent puzzle of the different magneto-transport properties observed in TaAs, TaP and NbP, where the Fermi arc states are similar. The Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation (No. IZLCZ2138954), NCCR-MARVEL funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

The Potsdam Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM-PIK) - Part 2: Dynamic equilibrium simulation of the Antarctic ice sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, M. A.; Winkelmann, R.; Haseloff, M.; Albrecht, T.; Bueler, E.; Khroulev, C.; Levermann, A.

2011-09-01

We present a dynamic equilibrium simulation of the ice sheet-shelf system on Antarctica with the Potsdam Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM-PIK). The simulation is initialized with present-day conditions for bed topography and ice thickness and then run to steady state with constant present-day surface mass balance. Surface temperature and sub-shelf basal melt distribution are parameterized. Grounding lines and calving fronts are free to evolve, and their modeled equilibrium state is compared to observational data. A physically-motivated calving law based on horizontal spreading rates allows for realistic calving fronts for various types of shelves. Steady-state dynamics including surface velocity and ice flux are analyzed for whole Antarctica and the Ronne-Filchner and Ross ice shelf areas in particular. The results show that the different flow regimes in sheet and shelves, and the transition zone between them, are captured reasonably well, supporting the approach of superposition of SIA and SSA for the representation of fast motion of grounded ice. This approach also leads to a natural emergence of sliding-dominated flow in stream-like features in this new 3-D marine ice sheet model.

Towards Improved High-Resolution Land Surface Hydrologic Reanalysis Using a Physically-Based Hydrologic Model and Data Assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Y.; Davis, K. J.; Zhang, F.; Duffy, C.; Yu, X.

2014-12-01

A coupled physically based land surface hydrologic model, Flux-PIHM, has been developed by incorporating a land surface scheme into the Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Model (PIHM). The land surface scheme is adapted from the Noah land surface model. Flux-PIHM has been implemented and manually calibrated at the Shale Hills watershed (0.08 km2) in central Pennsylvania. Model predictions of discharge, point soil moisture, point water table depth, sensible and latent heat fluxes, and soil temperature show good agreement with observations. When calibrated only using discharge, and soil moisture and water table depth at one point, Flux-PIHM is able to resolve the observed 101 m scale soil moisture pattern at the Shale Hills watershed when an appropriate map of soil hydraulic properties is provided. A Flux-PIHM data assimilation system has been developed by incorporating EnKF for model parameter and state estimation. Both synthetic and real data assimilation experiments have been performed at the Shale Hills watershed. Synthetic experiment results show that the data assimilation system is able to simultaneously provide accurate estimates of multiple parameters. In the real data experiment, the EnKF estimated parameters and manually calibrated parameters yield similar model performances, but the EnKF method significantly decreases the time and labor required for calibration. The data requirements for accurate Flux-PIHM parameter estimation via data assimilation using synthetic observations have been tested. Results show that by assimilating only in situ outlet discharge, soil water content at one point, and the land surface temperature averaged over the whole watershed, the data assimilation system can provide an accurate representation of watershed hydrology. Observations of these key variables are available with national and even global spatial coverage (e.g., MODIS surface temperature, SMAP soil moisture, and the USGS gauging stations). National atmospheric reanalysis products, soil databases and land cover databases (e.g., NLDAS-2, SSURGO, NLCD) can provide high resolution forcing and input data. Therefore the Flux-PIHM data assimilation system could be readily expanded to other watersheds to provide regional scale land surface and hydrologic reanalysis with high spatial temporal resolution.

Snowball Earth prevention by dissolved organic carbon remineralization.

PubMed

Peltier, W Richard; Liu, Yonggang; Crowley, John W

2007-12-06

The 'snowball Earth' hypothesis posits the occurrence of a sequence of glaciations in the Earth's history sufficiently deep that photosynthetic activity was essentially arrested. Because the time interval during which these events are believed to have occurred immediately preceded the Cambrian explosion of life, the issue as to whether such snowball states actually developed has important implications for our understanding of evolutionary biology. Here we couple an explicit model of the Neoproterozoic carbon cycle to a model of the physical climate system. We show that the drawdown of atmospheric oxygen into the ocean, as surface temperatures decline, operates so as to increase the rate of remineralization of a massive pool of dissolved organic carbon. This leads directly to an increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide, enhanced greenhouse warming of the surface of the Earth, and the prevention of a snowball state.

Non-Abelian fractional topological insulators in three spatial dimensions from coupled wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iadecola, Thomas; Neupert, Titus; Chamon, Claudio; Mudry, Christopher

The study of topological order in three spatial dimensions constitutes a major frontier in theoretical condensed matter physics. Recently, substantial progress has been made in constructing (3+1)-dimensional Abelian topological states of matter from arrays of coupled quantum wires. In this talk, I will illustrate how wire constructions based on non-Abelian bosonization can be used to build and characterize non-Abelian symmetry-enriched topological phases in three dimensions. In particular, I will describe a family of states of matter, constructed in this way, that constitute a natural non-Abelian generalization of strongly correlated three dimensional fractional topological insulators. These states of matter support strongly interacting symmetry-protected gapless surface states, and host non-Abelian pointlike and linelike excitations in the bulk.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ginley, Theresa P.; Wang, Yong; Law, Stephanie

In this article, we will review recent progress in the growth of topological insulator (TI) thin films by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The materials we focus on are the V 2-VI 3 family of TIs. These materials are ideally bulk insulating with surface states housing Dirac excitations which are spin-momentum locked. These surface states are interesting for fundamental physics studies (such as the search for Majorana fermions) as well as applications in spintronics and other fields. However, the majority of TI films and bulk crystals exhibit significant bulk conductivity, which obscures these states. In addition, many TI films have amore » high defect density. This review will discuss progress in reducing the bulk conductivity while increasing the crystal quality. We will describe in detail how growth parameters, substrate choice, and growth technique influence the resulting TI film properties for binary and ternary TIs. We then give an overview of progress in the growth of TI heterostructures. Furthermore, we close by discussing the bright future for TI film growth by MBE.« less

Snow multivariable data assimilation for hydrological predictions in mountain areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piazzi, Gaia; Campo, Lorenzo; Gabellani, Simone; Rudari, Roberto; Castelli, Fabio; Cremonese, Edoardo; Morra di Cella, Umberto; Stevenin, Hervé; Ratto, Sara Maria

2016-04-01

The seasonal presence of snow on alpine catchments strongly impacts both surface energy balance and water resource. Thus, the knowledge of the snowpack dynamics is of critical importance for several applications, such as water resource management, floods prediction and hydroelectric power production. Several independent data sources provide information about snowpack state: ground-based measurements, satellite data and physical models. Although all these data types are reliable, each of them is affected by specific flaws and errors (respectively dependency on local conditions, sensor biases and limitations, initialization and poor quality forcing data). Moreover, there are physical factors that make an exhaustive reconstruction of snow dynamics complicated: snow intermittence in space and time, stratification and slow phenomena like metamorphism processes, uncertainty in snowfall evaluation, wind transportation, etc. Data Assimilation (DA) techniques provide an objective methodology to combine observational and modeled information to obtain the most likely estimate of snowpack state. Indeed, by combining all the available sources of information, the implementation of DA schemes can quantify and reduce the uncertainties of the estimations. This study presents SMASH (Snow Multidata Assimilation System for Hydrology), a multi-layer snow dynamic model, strengthened by a robust multivariable data assimilation algorithm. The model is physically based on mass and energy balances and can be used to reproduce the main physical processes occurring within the snowpack: accumulation, density dynamics, melting, sublimation, radiative balance, heat and mass exchanges. The model is driven by observed forcing meteorological data (air temperature, wind velocity, relative air humidity, precipitation and incident solar radiation) to provide a complete estimate of snowpack state. The implementation of an Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) scheme enables to assimilate simultaneously ground-based and remotely sensed data of different snow-related variables (snow albedo and surface temperature, Snow Water Equivalent from passive microwave sensors and Snow Cover Area). SMASH performance was evaluated in the period June 2012 - December 2013 at the meteorological station of Torgnon (Tellinod, 2 160 msl), located in Aosta Valley, a mountain region in northwestern Italy. The EnKF algorithm was firstly tested by assimilating several ground-based measurements: snow depth, land surface temperature, snow density and albedo. The assimilation of snow observed data revealed an overall considerable enhancement of model predictions with respect to the open loop experiments. A first attempt to integrate also remote sensed information was performed by assimilating the Land Surface Temperature (LST) from METEOSAT Second Generation (MSG), leading to good results. The analysis allowed identifying the snow depth and the snowpack surface temperature as the most impacting variables in the assimilation process. In order to pinpoint an optimal number of ensemble instances, SMASH performances were also quantitatively evaluated by varying the instances amount. Furthermore, the impact of the data assimilation frequency was analyzed by varying the assimilation time step (3h, 6h, 12h, 24h).

Evaluation of Surface Cleaning of Si(211) for Molecular-Beam Epitaxy Deposition of Infrared Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaime-Vasquez, M.; Jacobs, R. N.; Benson, J. D.; Stoltz, A. J.; Almeida, L. A.; Bubulac, L. O.; Chen, Y.; Brill, G.

2010-07-01

We report an assessment of the reproducibility of the HF cleaning process and As passivation prior to the nucleation of ZnTe on the Si(211) surface using temperature desorption spectroscopy, ion scattering spectroscopy, and electron spectroscopy. Observations suggest full H coverage of the Si(211) surface with mostly monohydride and small amounts of dihydride states, and that F is uniformly distributed across the top layer as a physisorbed species. Variations in major contaminants are observed across the Si surface and at the CdTe-ZnTe/Si interface. Defects act as getters for impurities present on the Si surface, and some are buried under the CdTe/ZnTe heterostructure. Overall, the data show evidence of localized concentration of major impurities around defects, supporting the hypothesis of a physical model explaining the electrical activation of defects in long-wave infrared (LWIR) HgCdTe/CdTe/Si devices.

Loss of superhydrophobicity of hydrophobic micro/nano structures during condensation.

PubMed

Jo, HangJin; Hwang, Kyung Won; Kim, DongHyun; Kiyofumi, Moriyama; Park, Hyun Sun; Kim, Moo Hwan; Ahn, Ho Seon

2015-04-23

Condensed liquid behavior on hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surfaces is a subject with multiple practical applications, but remains poorly understood. In particular, the loss of superhydrophobicity of hydrophobic micro/nanostructures during condensation, even when the same surface shows water-repellant characteristics when exposed to air, requires intensive investigation to improve and apply our understanding of the fundamental physics of condensation. Here, we postulate the criterion required for condensation to form from inside the surface structures by examining the grand potentials of a condensation system, including the properties of the condensed liquid and the conditions required for condensation. The results imply that the same hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surface could exhibit different liquid droplet behavior depending on the conditions. Our findings are supported by the observed phenomena: the initiation of a condensed droplet from inside a hydrophobic cavity, the apparent wetted state changes, and the presence of sticky condensed droplets on the hydrophobic micro/nano-structured surface.

Steady-state currents in p-n junction filaments or grains in case of large surface recombination velocities at lateral surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Roos, O.; Lindholm, F. A.

1985-01-01

Recently it has been pointed out that the saturation current of a semiconductor filament which constitutes part of a p-n junction diverges when the surface recombination velocity at the faces become infinitely large. Here it is pointed out that this is to be expected on physical grounds since, whenever the carrier concentration is kept off equilibrium by an outside agent, and at the same time recombination lifetimes in the bulk or in surface layers tend to zero, concentration gradients tend to infinity. As also previously noted, the situation can be remedied by using realistic (finite) surface recombination velocities in model calculations. However, this procedure leads to mathematical complexities which have been circumvented recently by the introduction of a heuristic approach. It is the aim of this paper to assess the validity of the heuristic approach by means of detailed and exact calculations.

National Program for Inspection of Non-Federal Dams. Berry Brook Dam, (NH 00313), State Number 83.06, Piscataqua River Basin, Farmington, New Hampshire. Phase I Inspection Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

at embedded steel items 7 Spalling Minor spalling of surface ’+ deep exposi gcoarse aggregate of weir and dcwnstream f ce. Any Visible Reinforcing...1937, the above dam was inspected by me on _L LEO acomprie _ NOTES ON PHYSICAL CONDITI IT Ab ut mcnt s

Some New Mathematical Methods for Variational Objective Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahba, G.; Johnson, D. R.

1984-01-01

New and/or improved variational methods for simultaneously combining forecast, heterogeneous observational data, a priori climatology, and physics to obtain improved estimates of the initial state of the atmosphere for the purpose of numerical weather prediction are developed. Cross validated spline methods are applied to atmospheric data for the purpose of improved description and analysis of atmospheric phenomena such as the tropopause and frontal boundary surfaces.

Robust Representation of Integrated Surface-subsurface Hydrology at Watershed Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Painter, S. L.; Tang, G.; Collier, N.; Jan, A.; Karra, S.

2015-12-01

A representation of integrated surface-subsurface hydrology is the central component to process-rich watershed models that are emerging as alternatives to traditional reduced complexity models. These physically based systems are important for assessing potential impacts of climate change and human activities on groundwater-dependent ecosystems and water supply and quality. Integrated surface-subsurface models typically couple three-dimensional solutions for variably saturated flow in the subsurface with the kinematic- or diffusion-wave equation for surface flows. The computational scheme for coupling the surface and subsurface systems is key to the robustness, computational performance, and ease-of-implementation of the integrated system. A new, robust approach for coupling the subsurface and surface systems is developed from the assumption that the vertical gradient in head is negligible at the surface. This tight-coupling assumption allows the surface flow system to be incorporated directly into the subsurface system; effects of surface flow and surface water accumulation are represented as modifications to the subsurface flow and accumulation terms but are not triggered until the subsurface pressure reaches a threshold value corresponding to the appearance of water on the surface. The new approach has been implemented in the highly parallel PFLOTRAN (www.pflotran.org) code. Several synthetic examples and three-dimensional examples from the Walker Branch Watershed in Oak Ridge TN demonstrate the utility and robustness of the new approach using unstructured computational meshes. Representation of solute transport in the new approach is also discussed. Notice: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC0500OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for the United States Government purposes.

Enhanced surface modification engineering (H, F, Cl, Br, and NO{sub 2}) of CdS nanowires with and without surface dangling bonds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zeng, Yijie; Xing, Huaizhong, E-mail: xinghz@dhu.edu.cn; Lu, Aijiang

2015-08-07

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) can be applied in gas sensing and cell detection, but the sensing mechanism is not clearly understood. In this study, surface modification effect on the electronic properties of CdS NWs for different diameters with several species (H, F, Cl, Br, and NO{sub 2}) is investigated by first principles calculations. The surface dangling bonds and halogen elements are chosen to represent the environment of the surface. Halogen passivation drastically changes the band gaps due to the strong electronegativity and the energy level of halogen atoms. Density of states analysis indicates that valence band maximum (VBM) of halogen-passivated NWsmore » is formed by the p states of halogen atoms, while VBM of H-passivated NWs is originated from Cd 4d and S 3p orbitals. To illustrate that surface modification can be applied in gas sensing, NO{sub 2}-absorbed NWs with different coverage are calculated. Low coverage of NO{sub 2} introduces a deep p-type dopant-like level, while high coverage introduces a shallow n-type dopant-like level into the band structure. The transformation is due to that at low coverage the adsorption is chemical while at high coverage is physical. These findings might promote the understanding of surface modification effect and the sensing mechanism of NWs as gas sensors.« less

Nanoscale Surface Modifications of Orthopaedic Implants: State of the Art and Perspectives

PubMed Central

Staruch, RMT; Griffin, MF; Butler, PEM

2016-01-01

Background: Orthopaedic implants such as the total hip or total knee replacement are examples of surgical interventions with postoperative success rates of over 90% at 10 years. Implant failure is associated with wear particles and pain that requires surgical revision. Improving the implant - bone surface interface is a key area for biomaterial research for future clinical applications. Current implants utilise mechanical, chemical or physical methods for surface modification. Methods: A review of all literature concerning the nanoscale surface modification of orthopaedic implant technology was conducted. Results: The techniques and fabrication methods of nanoscale surface modifications are discussed in detail, including benefits and potential pitfalls. Future directions for nanoscale surface technology are explored. Conclusion: Future understanding of the role of mechanical cues and protein adsorption will enable greater flexibility in surface control. The aim of this review is to investigate and summarise the current concepts and future directions for controlling the implant nanosurface to improve interactions. PMID:28217214

PREFACE: XIX Latin American Symposium on Solid State Physics (SLAFES XIX)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serquis, Adriana; Balseiro, Carlos; Bolcatto, Pablo

2009-07-01

This volume contains selected papers which have been presented at the XIX Latin American Symposium on Solid State Physics (SLAFES XIX) held at Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, from 5--10 October 2008. The conference, covering all areas of Solid State Physics, is one of the most important and traditional meetings in Physics in our region. The Latin American Symposium on Solid State Physics is a forum where researchers and students from Latin America as well as leading scientists from other parts of the world get together to exchange information, strengthen collaborations and identify new challenges in Solid State Physics. This successful series of meetings has been organised in eight different countries, the last three held in Mérida, Venezuela (2002), La Habana, Cuba (2004) and Puebla, México (2006). Following the trends of previous events, SLAFES XIX included seven plenary talks, eighteen invited talks and contributions, and 28 oral and 255 poster presentations, covering mostly the latest experimental and theoretical advances in Nanophysics, Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Spintronics, Magnetism, New Materials, Superconductivity, Surfaces and Interfaces, Low-Dimensional Systems, Materials Preparation and Characterization, Theory and Computing Simulations of Materials among other topics. The group of scientists participating had come from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, France, Spain, Switzerland and the USA We are indebted to all participants for their enthusiasm and contributions and to the members of the International Advisory Commitees. We also wish to thank to the rest of the Organizing Committee: Gustavo Lozano, Ana María Llois, Laura Steren and Edith Goldberg and very specially to Javier Schmidt, Gustavo Ruano, Marcelo Romero, Lucila Cristina and Juan Carlos Moreno for their invaluable assistance during the event. Finally we gratefully aknowledge the financial support the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina, Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT), Argentina, Secretaría de Estado de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina, Centro Latinoamericano de Física (CLAF), Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina, Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing, The European Physical Journal (EPJ), EDP Science, Societa Italiana di Fisica and Springer. Adriana Serquis, Carlos Balseiro and Pablo Bolcatto

100 Years of the Physics of Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luginsland, John

2013-10-01

The Child-Langmuir Law (CL), discovered 100 years ago, gives the maximum current that can be transported across a planar diode in the steady state. As a quintessential example of the impact of space-charge shielding near a charged surface, it is central to the studies of high current diodes, such as high power microwave sources, vacuum microelectronics, electron and ion sources, and high current drivers used in high-energy density physics experiments. CL remains a touchstone of fundamental sheath physics, including contemporary studies of nano-scale quantum diodes and plasmonic devices. Its solid state analog is the Mott-Gurney law, governing the maximum charge injection in solids, such as organic materials and other dielectrics, which is important to energy devices, such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes. This paper reviews the important advances in the physics of diodes since the discovery of CL, including virtual cathode formation and extension of CL to multiple dimensions, to the quantum regime, and to ultrafast processes. We will review the influence of magnetic fields, multiple species in bipolar flow, electromagnetic and time dependent effects in both short pulse and high frequency THz limits, and single electron regimes. Transitions from various emission mechanisms (thermionic, field, and photo-emission) to the space charge limited state (CL) will be addressed, especially highlighting important simulation and experimental developments in selected contemporary areas of study. This talk will stress the fundamental physical links between the physics of beams to limiting currents in other areas, such as low temperature plasmas, laser plasmas, and space propulsion. Also emphasized is the role of non-equilibrium phenomena associated with materials and plasmas in close contact. Work supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Extremely large magnetoresistance and Kohler's rule in PdSn 4 : A complete study of thermodynamic, transport, and band-structure properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jo, Na Hyun; Wu, Yun; Wang, Lin-Lin

The recently discovered material PtSn 4 is known to exhibit extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) that also manifests Dirac arc nodes on the surface. PdSn 4 is isostructural to PtSn 4 with the same electron count. Here, we report on the physical properties of high-quality single crystals of PdSn 4 including specific heat, temperature- and magnetic-field-dependent resistivity and magnetization, and electronic band-structure properties obtained from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). We observe that PdSn 4 has physical properties that are qualitatively similar to those of PtSn 4 , but find also pronounced differences. Importantly, the Dirac arc node surface state of PtSnmore » 4 is gapped out for PdSn 4. By comparing these similar compounds, we address the origin of the extremely large magnetoresistance in PdSn 4 and PtSn 4; based on detailed analysis of the magnetoresistivity ρ ( H , T ) , we conclude that neither the carrier compensation nor the Dirac arc node surface state are the primary reason for the extremely large magnetoresistance. On the other hand, we also find that, surprisingly, Kohler's rule scaling of the magnetoresistance, which describes a self-similarity of the field-induced orbital electronic motion across different length scales and is derived for a simple electronic response of metals to an applied magnetic field is obeyed over the full range of temperatures and field strengths that we explore.« less

Extremely large magnetoresistance and Kohler's rule in PdSn 4 : A complete study of thermodynamic, transport, and band-structure properties

DOE PAGES

Jo, Na Hyun; Wu, Yun; Wang, Lin-Lin; ...

2017-10-27

The recently discovered material PtSn 4 is known to exhibit extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) that also manifests Dirac arc nodes on the surface. PdSn 4 is isostructural to PtSn 4 with the same electron count. Here, we report on the physical properties of high-quality single crystals of PdSn 4 including specific heat, temperature- and magnetic-field-dependent resistivity and magnetization, and electronic band-structure properties obtained from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). We observe that PdSn 4 has physical properties that are qualitatively similar to those of PtSn 4 , but find also pronounced differences. Importantly, the Dirac arc node surface state of PtSnmore » 4 is gapped out for PdSn 4. By comparing these similar compounds, we address the origin of the extremely large magnetoresistance in PdSn 4 and PtSn 4; based on detailed analysis of the magnetoresistivity ρ ( H , T ) , we conclude that neither the carrier compensation nor the Dirac arc node surface state are the primary reason for the extremely large magnetoresistance. On the other hand, we also find that, surprisingly, Kohler's rule scaling of the magnetoresistance, which describes a self-similarity of the field-induced orbital electronic motion across different length scales and is derived for a simple electronic response of metals to an applied magnetic field is obeyed over the full range of temperatures and field strengths that we explore.« less

Visualizing the Topologically Induced States of Strongly Correlated Electrons in SmB6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirie, Harris; Hoffman, Jennifer E.; He, Yang; Yee, Michael M.; Soumyanarayanan, Anjan; Kim, Dae-Jeong; Fisk, Zachary; Morr, Dirk; Hamidian, Mohammad

The synergy between strong correlations and a topological invariant is predicted to generate exotic topological order, fractional quasiparticles and new platforms for quantum computation. SmB6 is a promising candidate in which interactions generate an insulating state whose gap arises from heavy fermion hybridization of low lying f-states with a Fermi sea. We used spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy to visualize the hybridization of distinct crystal-field-split f-levels and the temperature-dependent evolution of an insulating gap spanning the chemical potential. Here, armed with a clear description of the bulk bands, we look within the insulating gap and directly image two dispersing surface states converging to a Dirac point close to the chemical potential. We show that these measurements are consistent with Dirac cones centered at the X and Γ points in the surface Brillouin zone corresponding to a strong topological invariant. The observation of topological states induced from strong correlations establishes SmB6 as an exciting playground for exotic physics. This work was supported by the Moore foundation, Canada Excellence Research Chair Program and the US National Science Foundation under the Grant DMR-1401480.

A phase-plane analysis of localized frictional waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putelat, T.; Dawes, J. H. P.; Champneys, A. R.

2017-07-01

Sliding frictional interfaces at a range of length scales are observed to generate travelling waves; these are considered relevant, for example, to both earthquake ground surface movements and the performance of mechanical brakes and dampers. We propose an explanation of the origins of these waves through the study of an idealized mechanical model: a thin elastic plate subject to uniform shear stress held in frictional contact with a rigid flat surface. We construct a nonlinear wave equation for the deformation of the plate, and couple it to a spinodal rate-and-state friction law which leads to a mathematically well-posed problem that is capable of capturing many effects not accessible in a Coulomb friction model. Our model sustains a rich variety of solutions, including periodic stick-slip wave trains, isolated slip and stick pulses, and detachment and attachment fronts. Analytical and numerical bifurcation analysis is used to show how these states are organized in a two-parameter state diagram. We discuss briefly the possible physical interpretation of each of these states, and remark also that our spinodal friction law, though more complicated than other classical rate-and-state laws, is required in order to capture the full richness of wave types.

A phase-plane analysis of localized frictional waves

PubMed Central

Dawes, J. H. P.; Champneys, A. R.

2017-01-01

Sliding frictional interfaces at a range of length scales are observed to generate travelling waves; these are considered relevant, for example, to both earthquake ground surface movements and the performance of mechanical brakes and dampers. We propose an explanation of the origins of these waves through the study of an idealized mechanical model: a thin elastic plate subject to uniform shear stress held in frictional contact with a rigid flat surface. We construct a nonlinear wave equation for the deformation of the plate, and couple it to a spinodal rate-and-state friction law which leads to a mathematically well-posed problem that is capable of capturing many effects not accessible in a Coulomb friction model. Our model sustains a rich variety of solutions, including periodic stick–slip wave trains, isolated slip and stick pulses, and detachment and attachment fronts. Analytical and numerical bifurcation analysis is used to show how these states are organized in a two-parameter state diagram. We discuss briefly the possible physical interpretation of each of these states, and remark also that our spinodal friction law, though more complicated than other classical rate-and-state laws, is required in order to capture the full richness of wave types. PMID:28804255

A phase-plane analysis of localized frictional waves.

PubMed

Putelat, T; Dawes, J H P; Champneys, A R

2017-07-01

Sliding frictional interfaces at a range of length scales are observed to generate travelling waves; these are considered relevant, for example, to both earthquake ground surface movements and the performance of mechanical brakes and dampers. We propose an explanation of the origins of these waves through the study of an idealized mechanical model: a thin elastic plate subject to uniform shear stress held in frictional contact with a rigid flat surface. We construct a nonlinear wave equation for the deformation of the plate, and couple it to a spinodal rate-and-state friction law which leads to a mathematically well-posed problem that is capable of capturing many effects not accessible in a Coulomb friction model. Our model sustains a rich variety of solutions, including periodic stick-slip wave trains, isolated slip and stick pulses, and detachment and attachment fronts. Analytical and numerical bifurcation analysis is used to show how these states are organized in a two-parameter state diagram. We discuss briefly the possible physical interpretation of each of these states, and remark also that our spinodal friction law, though more complicated than other classical rate-and-state laws, is required in order to capture the full richness of wave types.

Surface modification of Ti alloy by electro-explosive alloying and electron-beam treatment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gromov, Victor, E-mail: gromov@physics.sibsiu.ru; Kobzareva, Tatiana, E-mail: kobzarevatanya@mail.ru; Budovskikh, Evgeniy, E-mail: budovskih-ea@physics.sibsiu.ru

2016-01-15

By methods of modern physical metallurgy the analysis of structure phase states of titanium alloy VT6 is carried out after electric explosion alloying with boron carbide and subsequent irradiation by pulsed electron beam. The formation of an electro-explosive alloying zone of a thickness up to 50 µm, having a gradient structure, characterized by decrease in the concentration of carbon and boron with increasing distance to the treatable surface has been revealed. Subsequent electron-beam treatment of alloying zone leads to smoothing of the alloying area surface and is accompanied by the multilayer structure formation at the depth of 30 µm withmore » alternating layers with different alloying degrees having the structure of submicro - and nanoscale level.« less

These Shoes Are Made for Walking: Sensitivity Performance Evaluation of Commercial Activity Monitors under the Expected Conditions and Circumstances Required to Achieve the International Daily Step Goal of 10,000 Steps

PubMed Central

O’Connell, Sandra; ÓLaighin, Gearóid; Kelly, Lisa; Murphy, Elaine; Beirne, Sorcha; Burke, Niall; Kilgannon, Orlaith; Quinlan, Leo R.

2016-01-01

Introduction Physical activity is a vitally important part of a healthy lifestyle, and is of major benefit to both physical and mental health. A daily step count of 10,000 steps is recommended globally to achieve an appropriate level of physical activity. Accurate quantification of physical activity during conditions reflecting those needed to achieve the recommended daily step count of 10,000 steps is essential. As such, we aimed to assess four commercial activity monitors for their sensitivity/accuracy in a prescribed walking route that reflects a range of surfaces that would typically be used to achieve the recommended daily step count, in two types of footwear expected to be used throughout the day when aiming to achieve the recommended daily step count, and in a timeframe required to do so. Methods Four commercial activity monitors were worn simultaneously by participants (n = 15) during a prescribed walking route reflective of surfaces typically encountered while achieving the daily recommended 10,000 steps. Activity monitors tested were the Garmin Vivofit ™, New Lifestyles’ NL-2000 ™ pedometer, Withings Smart Activity Monitor Tracker (Pulse O2) ™, and Fitbit One ™. Results All activity monitors tested were accurate in their step detection over the variety of different surfaces tested (natural lawn grass, gravel, ceramic tile, tarmacadam/asphalt, linoleum), when wearing both running shoes and hard-soled dress shoes. Conclusion All activity monitors tested were accurate in their step detection sensitivity and are valid monitors for physical activity quantification over the variety of different surfaces tested, when wearing both running shoes and hard-soled dress shoes, and over a timeframe necessary for accumulating the recommended daily step count of 10,000 steps. However, it is important to consider the accuracy of activity monitors, particularly when physical activity in the form of stepping activities is prescribed as an intervention in the treatment or prevention of a disease state. PMID:27167121

Flow Shear Effects in the Onset Physics of Resistive MHD Instabilities in Tokamaks. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brennan, Dylan P.

The progress in this research centers around the computational analysis of flow shear effects in the onset of a 3/2 mode driven by a 1/1 mode in DIII-D equilibria. The initial idea was to try and calculate, via nonlinear simulations with NIMROD, the effects of rotation shear on driven 3/2 and 2/1 seed island physics, in experimentally relevant DIIID equilibria. The simulations indicated that very small seed islands were directly driven, as shielding between the sawtooth and the surfaces is significant at the high Lundquist numbers of the experiment. Instead, long after the initial crash the difference in linear stabilitymore » of the 3/2, which remained prevalent despite the flattening of the core profiles from the sawtooth, contributed to a difference in the eventual seed island evolution. Essentially the seed islands grew or decayed long after the sawtooth crash, and not directly from it. Effectively the dominant 1/1 mode was found to be dragging the coupled modes surrounding it at a high rate through the plasma at their surfaces. The 1/1 mode is locked to the local frame of the plasma in the core, where the flow rate is greatest. The resonant perturbations at the surrounding surfaces propagate in the 'high slip regime' in the language of Fitzpatrick. Peaked flux averaged jxb forces (see Figs. 1 and 2) agree with localized flow modifications at the surfaces in analogy with Ebrahimi, PRL 2007. We track the mode into nonlinear saturation and have found oscillatory states in the evolution. During a visit (11/09) to Tulsa by R.J. LaHaye (GA), it became clear that similar oscillatory states are observed in DIII-D for these types of discharges.« less

Topological degeneracy of non-Abelian states for dummies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oshikawa, Masaki; Kim, Yong Baek; Shtengel, Kirill; Nayak, Chetan; Tewari, Sumanta

2007-06-01

We present a physical construction of degenerate groundstates of the Moore-Read Pfaffian states, which exhibits non-Abelian statistics, on general Riemann surface with genus g. The construction is given by a generalization of the recent argument [M.O., T. Senthil, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 (2006) 060601] which relates fractionalization and topological order. The nontrivial groundstate degeneracy obtained by Read and Green [Phys. Rev. B 61 (2000) 10267] based on differential geometry is reproduced exactly. Some restrictions on the statistics, due to the fractional charge of the quasiparticle are also discussed. Furthermore, the groundstate degeneracy of the p + i p superconductor in two dimensions, which is closely related to the Pfaffian states, is discussed with a similar construction.

Quantum mechanics on the h-deformed quantum plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Sunggoo

1999-03-01

We find the covariant deformed Heisenberg algebra and the Laplace-Beltrami operator on the extended h-deformed quantum plane and solve the Schrödinger equations explicitly for some physical systems on the quantum plane. In the commutative limit the behaviour of a quantum particle on the quantum plane becomes that of the quantum particle on the Poincaré half-plane, a surface of constant negative Gaussian curvature. We show that the bound state energy spectra for particles under specific potentials depend explicitly on the deformation parameter h. Moreover, it is shown that bound states can survive on the quantum plane in a limiting case where bound states on the Poincaré half-plane disappear.

Solar Physics at Evergreen: Solar Dynamo and Chromospheric MHD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zita, E. J.; Maxwell, J.; Song, N.; Dikpati, M.

2006-12-01

We describe our five year old solar physics research program at The Evergreen State College. Famed for its cloudy skies, the Pacific Northwest is an ideal location for theoretical and remote solar physics research activities. Why does the Sun's magnetic field flip polarity every 11 years or so? How does this contribute to the magnetic storms Earth experiences when the Sun's field reverses? Why is the temperature in the Sun's upper atmosphere millions of degrees higher than the Sun's surface temperature? How do magnetic waves transport energy in the Sun’s chromosphere and the Earth’s atmosphere? How does solar variability affect climate change? Faculty and undergraduates investigate questions such as these in collaboration with the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. We will describe successful student research projects, logistics of remote computing, and our current physics investigations into (1) the solar dynamo and (2) chromospheric magnetohydrodynamics.

Interaction of marine geodesy, satellite technology and ocean physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mourad, A. G.; Fubara, D. M. J.

1972-01-01

The possible applications of satellite technology in marine geodesy and geodetic related ocean physics were investigated. Four major problems were identified in the areas of geodesy and ocean physics: (1) geodetic positioning and control establishment; (2) sea surface topography and geoid determination; (3) geodetic applications to ocean physics; and (4) ground truth establishment. It was found that satellite technology can play a major role in their solution. For solution of the first problem, the use of satellite geodetic techniques, such as Doppler and C-band radar ranging, is demonstrated to fix the three-dimensional coordinates of marine geodetic control if multi-satellite passes are used. The second problem is shown to require the use of satellite altimetry, along with accurate knowledge of ocean-dynamics parameters such as sea state, ocean tides, and mean sea level. The use of both conventional and advanced satellite techniques appeared to be necessary to solve the third and fourth problems.

Subsystem functional and the missing ingredient of confinement physics in density functionals.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armiento, Rickard Roberto; Mattsson, Ann Elisabet; Hao, Feng

2010-08-01

The subsystem functional scheme is a promising approach recently proposed for constructing exchange-correlation density functionals. In this scheme, the physics in each part of real materials is described by mapping to a characteristic model system. The 'confinement physics,' an essential physical ingredient that has been left out in present functionals, is studied by employing the harmonic-oscillator (HO) gas model. By performing the potential {yields} density and the density {yields} exchange energy per particle mappings based on two model systems characterizing the physics in the interior (uniform electron-gas model) and surface regions (Airy gas model) of materials for the HO gases,more » we show that the confinement physics emerges when only the lowest subband of the HO gas is occupied by electrons. We examine the approximations of the exchange energy by several state-of-the-art functionals for the HO gas, and none of them produces adequate accuracy in the confinement dominated cases. A generic functional that incorporates the description of the confinement physics is needed.« less

Influence of Schoolyard Renovations on Children's Physical Activity: The Learning Landscapes Program

PubMed Central

Nigg, Claudio R.; M. R. Lampe, Sarah; Kingston, Beverly A.; Mootz, Andrew L.; van Vliet, Willem

2010-01-01

Objectives. We examined whether schoolyard improvements led to increased physical activity levels among both boys and girls and assessed the aspects of schoolyard design that have an impact on physical activity. Methods. In a quasi-experimental research design, 6 schools with renovated schoolyards and 3 control schools were divided into activity areas. We calculated measures of children's physical activity by area during school hours as well as after-school hours. Results. The volume of schoolyard use was significantly higher at schools with renovated schoolyards than at control schools, and students were significantly more active at these schools. Also, activity levels were significantly higher among both boys and girls in certain schoolyard areas, such as those with soft surfaces. Conclusions. Because few public elementary schools in the United States provide daily physical education or its equivalent for all students throughout the school year, noncurriculum approaches to increasing children's physical activity are important. Renovated schoolyards increase the number of children who are physically active, as well as their overall activity levels, and reduce sedentary behaviors. PMID:20634465

Using Cassini CIRS Data to Constrain Enceladus' Libration State

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurford, T. A.; Helfenstein, P.; Spencer, J. R.; Nimmo, F.

2009-01-01

Given the non-spherical shape of Enceladus, the satellite may experience gravitational torques that will cause it to physically librate as it orbits Saturn. Physical Libration would produce a diurnal oscillation in the longitude of Enceladus' tidal bulge, which could have a profound effect on the diurnal stresses experienced by the surface of the satellite. Although Cassini ISS has placed an observational upper limit on Enceladus' libration amplitude, small amplitude librations may have geologically significant consequences. For example, a physical libration will affect heat production. along the tiger stripes as produced by tidal shear heating. We have modeled the expected power en-litted along the tiger stripes for various types of physical libration and have quantified which types of physical libration best reproduce the observed power flux as detailed in Cassini CIRS data. We find that including a physical libration does allow better fits to the observations and we have identified regions of the libration phase space that where these fits are optimized. A physical libration has important implications for tidal dissipation within Enceladus and if identified may provide an additional constraint on its interior mass distribution.

Using Cassini CIRS Data to Constrain Enceladus' Libration State

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurford, T. A.; Helfenstein, P.; Spencer, J. R.; Nimmo, P.

2010-01-01

Given the non-spherical shape of Enceladus, the satellite may experience gravitational torques that will cause it to physically librate as it orbits Saturn. Physical libration would produce a diurnal oscillation in the longitude of Enceladus' tidal bulge, which could have a profound effect on the diurnal stresses experienced by the surface of the satellite. Although Cassini ISS has placed an observational upper limit on Enceladus' libration amplitude, small amplitude librations may have geologically significant consequences. For example, a physical libration will affect heat production along the tiger stripes as produced by tidal shear heating. We have modeled the expected power emitted along the tiger stripes for various types of physical libration and have quantified which types of physical libration best reproduce the observed power f1ux as detailed in Cassini CIRS data. We find that including a physical libration does allow better fits to the observations and we have identified regions of the libration phase space that where these fits are optimized. A physical libration has important implications for tidal dissipation within Ence1adus and if identified may provide an additional constraint on its interior mass distribution.

Path integral molecular dynamics for exact quantum statistics of multi-electronic-state systems.

PubMed

Liu, Xinzijian; Liu, Jian

2018-03-14

An exact approach to compute physical properties for general multi-electronic-state (MES) systems in thermal equilibrium is presented. The approach is extended from our recent progress on path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), Liu et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 145, 024103 (2016)] and Zhang et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 147, 034109 (2017)], for quantum statistical mechanics when a single potential energy surface is involved. We first define an effective potential function that is numerically favorable for MES-PIMD and then derive corresponding estimators in MES-PIMD for evaluating various physical properties. Its application to several representative one-dimensional and multi-dimensional models demonstrates that MES-PIMD in principle offers a practical tool in either of the diabatic and adiabatic representations for studying exact quantum statistics of complex/large MES systems when the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, Condon approximation, and harmonic bath approximation are broken.

Path integral molecular dynamics for exact quantum statistics of multi-electronic-state systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinzijian; Liu, Jian

2018-03-01

An exact approach to compute physical properties for general multi-electronic-state (MES) systems in thermal equilibrium is presented. The approach is extended from our recent progress on path integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), Liu et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 145, 024103 (2016)] and Zhang et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 147, 034109 (2017)], for quantum statistical mechanics when a single potential energy surface is involved. We first define an effective potential function that is numerically favorable for MES-PIMD and then derive corresponding estimators in MES-PIMD for evaluating various physical properties. Its application to several representative one-dimensional and multi-dimensional models demonstrates that MES-PIMD in principle offers a practical tool in either of the diabatic and adiabatic representations for studying exact quantum statistics of complex/large MES systems when the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, Condon approximation, and harmonic bath approximation are broken.

Decadal predictions of the North Atlantic CO2 uptake.

PubMed

Li, Hongmei; Ilyina, Tatiana; Müller, Wolfgang A; Sienz, Frank

2016-03-30

As a major CO2 sink, the North Atlantic, especially its subpolar gyre region, is essential for the global carbon cycle. Decadal fluctuations of CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre region are associated with the evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, ocean mixing and sea surface temperature anomalies. While variations in the physical state of the ocean can be predicted several years in advance by initialization of Earth system models, predictability of CO2 uptake has remained unexplored. Here we investigate the predictability of CO2 uptake variations by initialization of the MPI-ESM decadal prediction system. We find large multi-year variability in oceanic CO2 uptake and demonstrate that its potential predictive skill in the western subpolar gyre region is up to 4-7 years. The predictive skill is mainly maintained in winter and is attributed to the improved physical state of the ocean.

Band structure engineering strategies of metal oxide semiconductor nanowires and related nanostructures: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piyadasa, Adimali; Wang, Sibo; Gao, Pu-Xian

2017-07-01

The electronic band structure of a solid state semiconductor determines many of its physical and chemical characteristics such as electrical, optical, physicochemical, and catalytic activity. Alteration or modification of the band structure could lead to significant changes in these physical and chemical characteristics, therefore we introduce new mechanisms of creating novel solid state materials with interesting properties. Over the past three decades, research on band structure engineering has allowed development of various methods to modify the band structure of engineered materials. Compared to bulk counterparts, nanostructures generally exhibit higher band structure modulation capabilities due to the quantum confinement effect, prominent surface effect, and higher strain limit. In this review we will discuss various band structure engineering strategies in semiconductor nanowires and other related nanostructures, mostly focusing on metal oxide systems. Several important strategies of band structure modulation are discussed in detail, such as doping, alloying, straining, interface and core-shell nanostructuring.

Carbon dioxide warming of the early Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arrhenius, G.

1997-01-01

Svante Arrhenius' research in atmospheric physics extended beyond the recent past and the near future states of the Earth, which today are at the center of sociopolitical attention. His plan encompassed all of the physical phenomena known at the time to relate to the formation and evolution of stars and planets. His two-volume textbook on cosmic physics is a comprehensive synopsis of the field. The inquiry into the possible cause of the ice ages and the theory of selective wavelength filter control led Arrhenius to consider the surface states of the other terrestrial planets, and of the ancient Earth before it had been modified by the emergence of life. The rapid escape of hydrogen and the equilibration with igneous rocks required that carbon in the early atmosphere prevailed mainly in oxidized form as carbon dioxide, together with other photoactive gases exerting a greenhouse effect orders of magnitude larger than in our present atmosphere. This effect, together with the ensuing chemical processes, would have set the conditions for life to evolve on our planet, seeded from spores spreading through an infinite Universe, and propelled, as Arrhenius thought, by stellar radiation pressure.

Carbon dioxide warming of the early Earth.

PubMed

Arrhenius, G

1997-02-01

Svante Arrhenius' research in atmospheric physics extended beyond the recent past and the near future states of the Earth, which today are at the center of sociopolitical attention. His plan encompassed all of the physical phenomena known at the time to relate to the formation and evolution of stars and planets. His two-volume textbook on cosmic physics is a comprehensive synopsis of the field. The inquiry into the possible cause of the ice ages and the theory of selective wavelength filter control led Arrhenius to consider the surface states of the other terrestrial planets, and of the ancient Earth before it had been modified by the emergence of life. The rapid escape of hydrogen and the equilibration with igneous rocks required that carbon in the early atmosphere prevailed mainly in oxidized form as carbon dioxide, together with other photoactive gases exerting a greenhouse effect orders of magnitude larger than in our present atmosphere. This effect, together with the ensuing chemical processes, would have set the conditions for life to evolve on our planet, seeded from spores spreading through an infinite Universe, and propelled, as Arrhenius thought, by stellar radiation pressure.

Evolution of the SrTiO3 surface electronic state as a function of LaAlO3 overlayer thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plumb, N. C.; Kobayashi, M.; Salluzzo, M.; Razzoli, E.; Matt, C. E.; Strocov, V. N.; Zhou, K. J.; Shi, M.; Mesot, J.; Schmitt, T.; Patthey, L.; Radović, M.

2017-08-01

The novel electronic properties emerging at interfaces between transition metal oxides, and in particular the discovery of conductivity in heterostructures composed of LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO) band insulators, have generated new challenges and opportunities in condensed matter physics. Although the interface conductivity is stabilized when LAO matches or exceeds a critical thickness of 4 unit cells (uc), other phenomena such as a universal metallic state found on the bare surface of STO single crystals and persistent photon-triggered conductivity in otherwise insulating STO-based interfaces raise important questions about the role of the LAO overlayer and the possible relations between vacuum/STO and LAO/STO interfaces. Here, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) on in situ prepared samples complemented by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS), we study how the metallic STO surface state evolves during the growth of a crystalline LAO overlayer. In all the studied samples, the character of the conduction bands, their carrier densities, the Ti3+ crystal field, and the response to photon irradiation bear strong similarities. Nevertheless, we report here that studied LAO/STO interfaces exhibit an instability toward an apparent 2 × 1 folding of the Fermi surface at and above a 4 uc thickness threshold, which distinguishes these heterostructures from bare STO and sub-critical-thickness LAO/STO.

The physics and chemistry behind the bubbling properties of champagne and sparkling wines: a state-of-the-art review.

PubMed

Liger-Belair, Gérard

2005-04-20

In this review, the latest results about the chemical physics behind the bubbling properties of Champagne and sparkling wines are collected and fully illustrated. The chemistry of carbon dioxide molecules dissolved into the liquid matrix (section 2) is presented, as are the three main steps of a fleeting bubble's life, that is, the bubble nucleation on tiny particles stuck on the glass wall (section 3), the bubble ascent and growth through the liquid matrix (section 4), and the bursting of bubbles at the liquid surface (section 5), which constitutes the most intriguing, functional, and visually appealing step.

Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

This is the final report of our research program on electronic transport experiments on Topological Insulator (TI) devices, funded by the DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences. TI-based electronic devices are attractive as platforms for spintronic applications, and for detection of emergent properties such as Majorana excitations , electron-hole condensates , and the topological magneto-electric effect . Most theoretical proposals envision geometries consisting of a planar TI device integrated with materials of distinctly different physical phases (such as ferromagnets and superconductors). Experimental realization of physics tied to the surface states is a challenge due to the ubiquitous presence of bulkmore » carriers in most TI compounds as well as degradation during device fabrication.« less

Physical structure changes of solid medium by steam explosion sterilization.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhi-Min; Wang, Lan; Chen, Hong-Zhang

2016-03-01

Physical structure changes of solid medium were investigated to reveal effects of steam explosion sterilization on solid-state fermentation (SSF). Results indicated that steam explosion changed the structure of solid medium at both molecular and three-dimensional structural levels, which exposed hydrophilic groups and enlarged pores and cavities. It was interesting to find that pores where capillary water located were the active sites for SSF, due to the close relationship among capillary water relaxation time, specific surface area and fermentation performance. Therefore, steam explosion sterilization increased the effective contact area for microbial cells on solid medium, which contributed to improving SSF performance. Combined with the previous research, mechanisms of SSF improvement by steam explosion sterilization contained both chemical and physical effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear ultrasonics for material state awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, L. J.

2014-02-01

Predictive health monitoring of structural components will require the development of advanced sensing techniques capable of providing quantitative information on the damage state of structural materials. By focusing on nonlinear acoustic techniques, it is possible to measure absolute, strength based material parameters that can then be coupled with uncertainty models to enable accurate and quantitative life prediction. Starting at the material level, this review will present current research that involves a combination of sensing techniques and physics-based models to characterize damage in metallic materials. In metals, these nonlinear ultrasonic measurements can sense material state, before the formation of micro- and macro-cracks. Typically, cracks of a measurable size appear quite late in a component's total life, while the material's integrity in terms of toughness and strength gradually decreases due to the microplasticity (dislocations) and associated change in the material's microstructure. This review focuses on second harmonic generation techniques. Since these nonlinear acoustic techniques are acoustic wave based, component interrogation can be performed with bulk, surface and guided waves using the same underlying material physics; these nonlinear ultrasonic techniques provide results which are independent of the wave type used. Recent physics-based models consider the evolution of damage due to dislocations, slip bands, interstitials, and precipitates in the lattice structure, which can lead to localized damage.

Electron Capture in Proton Collisions with CO.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stancil, P. C.; Schultz, D. R.; Kimura, M.; Gu, J.-P.; Hirsch, G.; Buenker, R. J.; Li, Y.

1999-10-01

Electron capture by protons following collisions with carbon monoxide is studied with a variety of theoretical approaches including quantal and semiclassical molecular-orbital close-coupling (MOCC) and classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) techniques. The MOCC treatments utilize potential surfaces and couplings computed for a range of H^+-CO orientation angles and C-O separations. Results including integral, differential, electronic state-selective, and vibrational state-selective cross sections will be presented for low- to intermediate-energies. Comparison with experiment will be made where possible and the relevance of the reaction in astrophysics and atmospheric physics will be discussed.

Physical Evaluation of Cleaning Performance: We Are Only Fooling Ourselves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pratz, Earl; McCool, A. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Surface cleaning processes are normally evaluated using visual physical properties such as discolorations, streaking, staining and water-break-free conditions. There is an assumption that these physical methods will evaluate all surfaces all the time for all subsequent operations. We have found that these physical methods are lacking in sensitivity and selectivity with regard to surface residues and subsequent process performance. We will report several conditions where evaluations using visual physical properties are lacking. We will identify possible alternative methods and future needs for surface evaluations.

Running GCM physics and dynamics on different grids: Algorithm and tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molod, A.

2006-12-01

The major drawback in the use of sigma coordinates in atmospheric GCMs, namely the error in the pressure gradient term near sloping terrain, leaves the use of eta coordinates an important alternative. A central disadvantage of an eta coordinate, the inability to retain fine resolution in the vertical as the surface rises above sea level, is addressed here. An `alternate grid' technique is presented which allows the tendencies of state variables due to the physical parameterizations to be computed on a vertical grid (the `physics grid') which retains fine resolution near the surface, while the remaining terms in the equations of motion are computed using an eta coordinate (the `dynamics grid') with coarser vertical resolution. As a simple test of the technique a set of perpetual equinox experiments using a simplified lower boundary condition with no land and no topography were performed. The results show that for both low and high resolution alternate grid experiments, much of the benefit of increased vertical resolution for the near surface meridional wind (and mass streamfield) can be realized by enhancing the vertical resolution of the `physics grid' in the manner described here. In addition, approximately half of the increase in zonal jet strength seen with increased vertical resolution can be realized using the `alternate grid' technique. A pair of full GCM experiments with realistic lower boundary conditions and topography were also performed. It is concluded that the use of the `alternate grid' approach offers a promising way forward to alleviate a central problem associated with the use of the eta coordinate in atmospheric GCMs.

Surface force and vibrational spectroscopic analyses of interfacial water molecules in the vicinity of methoxy-tri(ethylene glycol)-terminated monolayers: mechanisms underlying the effect of lateral packing density on bioinertness.

PubMed

Sekine, Taito; Asatyas, Syifa; Sato, Chikako; Morita, Shigeaki; Tanaka, Masaru; Hayashi, Tomohiro

Unequivocal dependence of bioinertness of self-assembled monolayers of methoxy-tri(ethylene glycol)-terminated alkanethiol (EG3-OMe SAMs) on their packing density has been a mystery for more than two decades. We tackled this long-standing question by performing surface force and surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopic measurements. Our surface force measurements revealed a physical barrier of interfacial water in the vicinity of the Au-supported EG3-OMe SAM (low packing density), whereas the Ag-supported one (high packing density) did not possess such interfacial water. In addition, the results of SEIRA measurements clearly exhibited that hydrogen bonding states of the interfacial water differ depending on the substrates. We also characterized the bioinertness of these SAMs by protein adsorption tests and adhesion assays of platelet and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The hydrogen bonding states of the interfacial water and water-induced interaction clearly correlated with the bioinertness of the SAMs, suggesting that the interfacial water plays an important role determining the interaction of the SAMs with biomolecules and cells.

Epitaxial Zn quantum dots coherently grown on Si(1 1 1): growth mechanism, nonlinear optical and chemical states analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Bo-Jia; Kao, Li-Chi; Brahma, Sanjaya; Jeng, Yu-En; Chiu, Shang-Jui; Ku, Ching-Shun; Lo, Kuang-Yao

2017-05-01

Oxide- and defect-free metal/semiconductor interface is important to improve Ohmic contact for the suppression of electron scattering and the avoidance of an extrinsic surface state in estimating the barrier of the Schottky contact at the nanodevice interface. This study reports the growth mechanism of Zn quantum dots coherently grown on Si(1 1 1) and the physical phenomena of the crystalline, nonlinear optics, and the chemical states of Zn quantum dots. Epitaxial Zn quantum dots were coherently formed on a non-oxide Si(1 1 1) surface through the liquid- to solid-phase transformation as a result of pattern matching between the Zn(0 0 2) and Si(1 1 1) surfaces. The growth mechanism of constrained Zn quantum dots grown through strategic magnetron radio frequency sputtering is complex. Some factors, such as substrate temperature, hydrogen gas flow, and negative DC bias, influence the configuration of epitaxial Zn quantum dots. In particular, hydrogen gas plays an important role in reducing the ZnO+ and native oxide that is bombarded by accelerated ions, thereby enhancing the Zn ion surface diffusion. The reduction reaction can be inspected by distinguishing the chemical states of ZnO/Zn quantum dots from natural oxidation or the states of Zn 3d through the analysis of x-ray absorption near the edge structure spectrum. The complex growth mechanism can be systematically understood by analyzing a noncancelled anisotropic 3 m dipole from reflective second harmonic generation and inspecting the evolution between the Zn(0 0 2) and Zn(1 1 1) peaks of the collective ZnO/Zn quantum dots in synchrotron XRD.

Imaging Dirac-mass disorder from magnetic dopant atoms in the ferromagnetic topological insulator Cr x(Bi 0.1Sb 0.9) 2-xTe 3

DOE PAGES

Lee, Inhee; Kim, Chung Koo; Lee, Jinho; ...

2015-01-20

To achieve and use the most exotic electronic phenomena predicted for the surface states of 3D topological insulators (TIs), it is necessary to open a “Dirac-mass gap” in their spectrum by breaking time-reversal symmetry. Use of magnetic dopant atoms to generate a ferromagnetic state is the most widely applied approach. However, it is unknown how the spatial arrangements of the magnetic dopant atoms influence the Dirac-mass gap at the atomic scale or, conversely, whether the ferromagnetic interactions between dopant atoms are influenced by the topological surface states. Here we image the locations of the magnetic (Cr) dopant atoms in themore » ferromagnetic TI Cr₀.₀₈(Bi₀.₁Sb₀.₉)₁.₉₂Te₃. Simultaneous visualization of the Dirac-mass gap Δ(r) reveals its intense disorder, which we demonstrate is directly related to fluctuations in n(r), the Cr atom areal density in the termination layer. We find the relationship of surface-state Fermi wavevectors to the anisotropic structure of Δ(r) not inconsistent with predictions for surface ferromagnetism mediated by those states. Moreover, despite the intense Dirac-mass disorder, the anticipated relationship Δ(r)∝n(r) is confirmed throughout and exhibits an electron–dopant interaction energy J* = 145 meV·nm². In addition, these observations reveal how magnetic dopant atoms actually generate the TI mass gap locally and that, to achieve the novel physics expected of time-reversal symmetry breaking TI materials, control of the resulting Dirac-mass gap disorder will be essential.« less

Statistical-physical model of the hydraulic conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usowicz, B.; Marczewski, W.; Usowicz, J. B.; Lukowski, M. I.

2012-04-01

The water content in unsaturated subsurface soil layer is determined by processes of exchanging mass and energy between media of soil and atmosphere, and particular members of layered media. Generally they are non-homogeneous on different scales, considering soil porosity, soil texture including presence of vegetation elements in the root zone, and canopy above the surface, and varying biomass density of plants above the surface in clusters. That heterogeneity determines statistically effective values of particular physical properties. This work considers mainly those properties which determine the hydraulic conductivity of soil. This property is necessary for characterizing physically water transfer in the root zone and access of nutrient matter for plants, but it also the water capacity on the field scale. The temporal variability of forcing conditions and evolutionarily changing vegetation causes substantial effects of impact on the water capacity in large scales, bringing the evolution of water conditions in the entire area, spanning a possible temporal state in the range between floods and droughts. The dynamic of this evolution of water conditions is highly determined by vegetation but is hardly predictable in evaluations. Hydrological models require feeding with input data determining hydraulic properties of the porous soil which are proposed in this paper by means of the statistical-physical model of the water hydraulic conductivity. The statistical-physical model was determined for soils being typical in Euroregion Bug, Eastern Poland. The model is calibrated on the base of direct measurements in the field scales, and enables determining typical characteristics of water retention by the retention curves bounding the hydraulic conductivity to the state of water saturation of the soil. The values of the hydraulic conductivity in two reference states are used for calibrating the model. One is close to full saturation, and another is for low water content far from saturation, in a particular case of the soil type. Effects of calibrating a soil depends on assumed ranges of soil properties engaged to recognizing the soil type. Among those properties, the key role is for the bulk density, the porosity and its dependence on the specific area of the soil. The aim of this work is to provide such variables of auxiliary data to SMOS, which would bring a relation of the soil moisture to the water capacity, under retrieving SM from SMOS L1C data. * The work was financially supported in part by the ESA Programme for European Cooperating States (PECS), No.98084 "SWEX-R, Soil Water and Energy Exchange/Research", AO3275.

Strongly correlated surface states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandrov, Victor A.

Everything has an edge. However trivial, this phrase has dominated theoretical condensed matter in the past half a decade. Prior to that, questions involving the edge considered to be more of an engineering problem rather than a one of fundamental science: it seemed self-evident that every edge is different. However, recent advances proved that many surface properties enjoy a certain universality, and moreover, are 'topologically' protected. In this thesis I discuss a selected range of problems that bring together topological properties of surface states and strong interactions. Strong interactions alone can lead to a wide spectrum of emergent phenomena: from high temperature superconductivity to unconventional magnetic ordering; interactions can change the properties of particles, from heavy electrons to fractional charges. It is a unique challenge to bring these two topics together. The thesis begins by describing a family of methods and models with interactions so high that electrons effectively disappear as particles and new bound states arise. By invoking the AdS/CFT correspondence we can mimic the physical systems of interest as living on the surface of a higher dimensional universe with a black hole. In a specific example we investigate the properties of the surface states and find helical spin structure of emerged particles. The thesis proceeds from helical particles on the surface of black hole to a surface of samarium hexaboride: an f-electron material with localized magnetic moments at every site. Interactions between electrons in the bulk lead to insulating behavior, but the surfaces found to be conducting. This observation motivated an extensive research: weather the origin of conduction is of a topological nature. Among our main results, we confirm theoretically the topological properties of SmB6; introduce a new framework to address similar questions for this type of insulators, called Kondo insulators. Most notably we introduce the idea of Kondo band banding (KBB): a modification of edges and their properties due to interactions. We study (chapter 5) a simplified 1D Kondo model, showing that the topology of its ground state is unstable to KBB. Chapter 6 expands the study to 3D: we argue that not only KBB preserves the topology but it could also explain the experimentally observed anomalously high Fermi velocity at the surface as the case of large KBB effect.

United States Air Force Summer Faculty Research Program for 1990. Program Management Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-05

propagation characteristics were extensively studied using pencil lead breaks in a center notch. For the fatigue studies center crack samples of 2024 - T351 ... aluminum specimens during fatigue cycling. The experimental procedure involved excitation of Rayleigh waves on the surface of each specimen and...Research Program (SFRP) provides opportunities for research in the physical sciences, engineering, and life sciences. The program has been effective

Composition-spread Growth and the Robust Topological Surface State of Kondo Insulator SmB6 Thin Films

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

1,2 1 Center for Nanophysics & Advanced Materials , University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA 2 Department of physics, University of...Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 4...Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA 5 Department of Materials Science & Engineering

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF STREAMS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES (NATIONAL STREAM SURVEY: PHASE 1). VOLUME 2. STREAMS SAMPLED, DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS, AND COMPENDIUM OF PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL DATA

EPA Science Inventory

National Stream Survey Phase I (NSS-I) field activities were conducted in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S. in the spring of 1986 by the U.S. EPA as part of the National Surface Water Survey and the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program. The Survey employed a probab...

Trends and causes of historical wetland loss in coastal Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bernier, Julie

2013-01-01

Wetland losses in the northern Gulf Coast region of the United States are so extensive that they represent critical concerns to government environmental agencies and natural resource managers. In Louisiana, almost 3,000 square kilometers (km2) of low-lying wetlands converted to open water between 1956 and 2004, and billions of dollars in State and Federal funding have been allocated for coastal restoration projects intended to compensate for some of those wetland losses. Recent research at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) focused on understanding the physical processes and human activities that contributed to historical wetland loss in coastal Louisiana and the spatial and temporal trends of that loss. The physical processes (land-surface subsidence and sediment erosion) responsible for historical wetland loss were quantified by comparing marsh-surface elevations, water depths, and vertical displacements of stratigraphic contacts at 10 study areas in the Mississippi River delta plain and 6 sites at Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in the western chenier plain. The timing and extent of land loss at the study areas was determined by comparing historical maps, aerial photographs, and satellite imagery; the temporal and spatial trends of those losses were compared with historical subsidence rates and hydrocarbon production trends.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft is secure after transfer to the work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft is secure after transfer to the work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft is lifted off the pallet for transfer to a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft is lifted off the pallet for transfer to a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers remove the protective cover from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft. Employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers remove the protective cover from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft. Employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, workers check the placement of NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft on a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, workers check the placement of NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft on a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers move NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft into a high bay clean room. Employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers move NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft into a high bay clean room. Employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, an overhead crane moves NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft toward a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, an overhead crane moves NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft toward a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, an overhead crane lowers NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft onto a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities, an overhead crane lowers NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft onto a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft is revealed. Employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft is revealed. Employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

On the design and operation of primary settling tanks in state of the art wastewater treatment and water resources recovery.

PubMed

Patziger, Miklos; Günthert, Frank Wolfgang; Jardin, Norbert; Kainz, Harald; Londong, Jörg

2016-11-01

In state of the art wastewater treatment, primary settling tanks (PSTs) are considered as an integral part of the biological wastewater and sludge treatment process, as well as of the biogas and electric energy production. Consequently they strongly influence the efficiency of the entire wastewater treatment plant. However, in the last decades the inner physical processes of PSTs, largely determining their efficiency, have been poorly addressed. In common practice PSTs are still solely designed and operated based on the surface overflow rate and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) as a black box. The paper shows the results of a comprehensive investigation programme, including 16 PSTs. Their removal efficiency and inner physical processes (like the settling process of primary sludge), internal flow structures within PSTs and their impact on performance were investigated. The results show that: (1) the removal rates of PSTs are generally often underestimated in current design guidelines, (2) the removal rate of different PSTs shows a strongly fluctuating pattern even in the same range of the HRT, and (3) inlet design of PSTs becomes highly relevant in the removal efficiency at rather high surface overflow rates, above 5 m/h, which is the upper design limit of PSTs for dry weather load.

Modeling 2D and 3D periodic nanostructuring of materials with ultrafast laser pulses (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colombier, Jean-Philippe; Rudenko, Anton; Bévillon, Emile; Zhang, Hao; Itina, Tatiana E.; Stoian, Razvan

2017-03-01

Generation of periodic arrangements of matter on materials irradiated by laser fields of uniform and isotropic energy distribution is a key issue in controlling laser structuring processes below the diffractive limit. Using three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain methods, we evaluate energy deposition patterns below a material's rough surface [1] and in bulk dielectric materials containing randomly distributed nano-inhomogeneities [2]. We show that both surface and volume patterns can be attributed to spatially ordered electromagnetic solutions of linear and nonlinear Maxwell equations. In particular, simulations revealed that anisotropic energy deposition results from the coherent superposition of the incident and the inhomogeneity-scattered light waves. Transient electronic response is also analyzed by kinetic equations of free electron excitation/relaxation processes for dielectrics and by ab initio calculations for metals. They show that for nonplasmonic metals, ultrafast carrier excitation can drastically affect electronic structures, driving a transient surface plasmonic state with high consequences for optical resonances generation [3]. Comparing condition formations of 2D laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and 3D self-organized nanogratings, we will discuss the role of collective scattering of nanoroughness and the feedback-driven growth of the nanostructures. [1] H. Zhang, J.P. Colombier, C. Li, N. Faure, G. Cheng, and R. Stoian, Physical Review B 92, 174109 (2015). [2] A. Rudenko, J.P. Colombier, and T.E. Itina, Physical Review B 93 (7), 075427 (2016). [3] E. Bévillon, J.P. Colombier, V. Recoules, H. Zhang, C. Li and R. Stoian, Physical Review B 93 (16), 165416 (2016).

Quasi-Equilibrium States in the Tropics Simulated by a Cloud-Resolving Model. Part 1; Specific Features and Budget Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shie, C.-L.; Tao, W.-K.; Simpson, J.; Sui, C.-H.; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A series of long-term integrations using the two-dimensional Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model were performed by altering imposed environmental components to produce various quasi-equilibrium thermodynamic states. Model results show that the genesis of a warm/wet quasi-equilibrium state is mainly due to either strong vertical wind shear (from nudging) or large surface fluxes (from strong surface winds), while a cold/dry quasi-equilibrium state is attributed to a remarkably weakened mixed-wind shear (from vertical mixing due to deep convection) along with weak surface winds. In general, latent heat flux and net large-scale temperature forcing, the two dominant physical processes, dominate in the beginning stage of the simulated convective systems, then considerably weaken in the final stage, which leads to quasi-equilibrium states. A higher thermodynamic regime is found to produce a larger rainfall amount, as convective clouds are the leading source of rainfall over stratiform clouds even though the former occupy much less area. Moreover, convective clouds are more likely to occur in the presence of strong surface winds (latent heat flux), while stratiform clouds (especially the well-organized type) are favored in conditions with strong wind shear (large-scale forcing). The convective systems, which consist of distinct cloud types due to the variation in horizontal winds, are also found to propagate differently. Accordingly, convective systems with mixed-wind shear generally propagate in the direction of shear, while the system with strong (multidirectional) wind shear propagates in a more complex way. Based on the results from the temperature (Q1) and moisture (Q2) budgets, cloud-scale eddies are found to act as a hydrodynamic 'vehicle' that cascades the heat and moisture vertically. Several other specific features such as atmospheric stability, CAPE, and mass fluxes are also investigated and found to be significantly different between diverse quasi-equilibrium states. Detailed comparisons between the various states are presented.

Method of Suppressing Sublimation in Advanced Thermoelectric Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakamoto, Jeffrey S. (Inventor); Caillat, Thierry (Inventor); Fleurial, Jean-Pierre (Inventor); Snyder, G. Jeffrey (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A method of applying a physical barrier to suppress thermal decomposition near a surface of a thermoelectric material including applying a continuous metal foil to a predetermined portion of the surface of the thermoelectric material, physically binding the continuous metal foil to the surface of the thermoelectric material using a binding member, and heating in a predetermined atmosphere the applied and physically bound continuous metal foil and the thermoelectric material to a sufficient temperature in order to promote bonding between the continuous metal foil and the surface of the thermoelectric material. The continuous metal foil forms a physical barrier to enclose a predetermined portion of the surface. Thermal decomposition is suppressed at the surface of the thermoelectric material enclosed by the physical barrier when the thermoelectric element is in operation.

The concept of physical surface in nuclear matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazilu, Nicolae; Agop, Maricel

2015-02-01

The main point of a physical definition of surface forces in the matter in general, especially in the nuclear matter, is that the curvature of surfaces and its variation should be physically defined. The forces are therefore just the vehicles of introducing physics. The problem of mathematical definition of a surface in term of the curvature parameters thus naturally occurs. The present work addresses this problem in terms of the asymptotic directions of a surface in a point. A physical meaning of these parameters is given, first in terms of inertial forces, then in terms of a differential theory of colors, whereby the space of curvature parameters is identified with the color space. The work concludes with an image of the evolution of a local portion of a surface.

Hydrophobic potential of mean force as a solvation function for protein structure prediction.

PubMed

Lin, Matthew S; Fawzi, Nicolas Lux; Head-Gordon, Teresa

2007-06-01

We have developed a solvation function that combines a Generalized Born model for polarization of protein charge by the high dielectric solvent, with a hydrophobic potential of mean force (HPMF) as a model for hydrophobic interaction, to aid in the discrimination of native structures from other misfolded states in protein structure prediction. We find that our energy function outperforms other reported scoring functions in terms of correct native ranking for 91% of proteins and low Z scores for a variety of decoy sets, including the challenging Rosetta decoys. This work shows that the stabilizing effect of hydrophobic exposure to aqueous solvent that defines the HPMF hydration physics is an apparent improvement over solvent-accessible surface area models that penalize hydrophobic exposure. Decoys generated by thermal sampling around the native-state basin reveal a potentially important role for side-chain entropy in the future development of even more accurate free energy surfaces.

Mass removal modes in the laser ablation of silicon by a Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Daniel J.; Ki, Hyungson; Mazumder, Jyoti

2006-06-01

A fundamental study on the Q-switched diode-pumped solid-state laser interaction with silicon was performed both experimentally and numerically. Single pulse drilling experiments were conducted on N-type silicon wafers by varying the laser intensity from 108-109 W cm-2 to investigate how the mass removal mechanism changes depending on the laser intensity. Hole width and depth were measured and surface morphology was studied using scanning electron microscopy. For the numerical model study, Ki et al's self-consistent continuous-wave laser drilling model (2001 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 34 364-72) was modified to treat the solidification phenomenon between successive laser pulses. The model has the capabilities of simulating major interaction physics, such as melt flow, heat transfer, evaporation, homogeneous boiling, multiple reflections and surface evolution. This study presents some interesting results on how the mass removal mode changes as the laser intensity increases.

Observation of unusual topological surface states in half-Heusler compounds LnPtBi (Ln=Lu, Y)

DOE PAGES

Liu, Z. K.; Yang, L. X.; Wu, S. -C.; ...

2016-09-27

Topological quantum materials represent a new class of matter with both exotic physical phenomena and novel application potentials. Many Heusler compounds, which exhibit rich emergent properties such as unusual magnetism, superconductivity and heavy fermion behaviour, have been predicted to host non-trivial topological electronic structures. The coexistence of topological order and other unusual properties makes Heusler materials ideal platform to search for new topological quantum phases (such as quantum anomalous Hall insulator and topological superconductor). By carrying out angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and ab initio calculations on rare-earth half-Heusler compounds LnPtBi (Ln=Lu, Y), we directly observe the unusual topological surface states onmore » these materials, establishing them as first members with non-trivial topological electronic structure in this class of materials. Moreover, as LnPtBi compounds are non-centrosymmetric superconductors, our discovery further highlights them as promising candidates of topological superconductors.« less

Observation of unusual topological surface states in half-Heusler compounds LnPtBi (Ln=Lu, Y)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Z. K.; Yang, L. X.; Wu, S. -C.

Topological quantum materials represent a new class of matter with both exotic physical phenomena and novel application potentials. Many Heusler compounds, which exhibit rich emergent properties such as unusual magnetism, superconductivity and heavy fermion behaviour, have been predicted to host non-trivial topological electronic structures. The coexistence of topological order and other unusual properties makes Heusler materials ideal platform to search for new topological quantum phases (such as quantum anomalous Hall insulator and topological superconductor). By carrying out angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and ab initio calculations on rare-earth half-Heusler compounds LnPtBi (Ln=Lu, Y), we directly observe the unusual topological surface states onmore » these materials, establishing them as first members with non-trivial topological electronic structure in this class of materials. Moreover, as LnPtBi compounds are non-centrosymmetric superconductors, our discovery further highlights them as promising candidates of topological superconductors.« less

Comparing Zeeman qubits to hyperfine qubits in the context of the surface code: +174Yb and +171Yb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Natalie C.; Brown, Kenneth R.

2018-05-01

Many systems used for quantum computing possess additional states beyond those defining the qubit. Leakage out of the qubit subspace must be considered when designing quantum error correction codes. Here we consider trapped ion qubits manipulated by Raman transitions. Zeeman qubits do not suffer from leakage errors but are sensitive to magnetic fields to first order. Hyperfine qubits can be encoded in clock states that are insensitive to magnetic fields to first order, but spontaneous scattering during the Raman transition can lead to leakage. Here we compare a Zeeman qubit (+174Yb) to a hyperfine qubit (+171Yb) in the context of the surface code. We find that the number of physical qubits required to reach a specific logical qubit error can be reduced by using +174Yb if the magnetic field can be stabilized with fluctuations smaller than 10 μ G .

Confinement Stabilizes a Bacterial Suspension into a Spiral Vortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wioland, Hugo; Woodhouse, Francis G.; Dunkel, Jörn; Kessler, John O.; Goldstein, Raymond E.

2013-06-01

Confining surfaces play crucial roles in dynamics, transport, and order in many physical systems, but their effects on active matter, a broad class of dynamically self-organizing systems, are poorly understood. We investigate here the influence of global confinement and surface curvature on collective motion by studying the flow and orientational order within small droplets of a dense bacterial suspension. The competition between radial confinement, self-propulsion, steric interactions, and hydrodynamics robustly induces an intriguing steady single-vortex state, in which cells align in inward spiraling patterns accompanied by a thin counterrotating boundary layer. A minimal continuum model is shown to be in good agreement with these observations.

Caldera subsidence and magma chamber depth of the Olympus Mons volcano, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuber, M. T.; Mouginis-Mark, P. J.

1992-01-01

An axisymmetric finite element model is constructed to calculate elastic stresses in a volcanic edifice to examine the relationship between surface tectonism, caldera subsidence, and the physical characteristics of Olympus Mons' magmatic reservoir. Model results indicate that the surface stress state is not strongly sensitive to the aspect ratio or pressure distribution of the magma chamber, or to the contrast in stiffness between the magma chamber and surroundings, but is strongly dependent on the depth and width of the chamber. A gross similarity is suggested between the configurations of the magmatic plumbing systems of Olympus Mons and several well-studied terrestrial volcanoes such as the Hawaiian shields.

A four-layer model for the heat budget of homogeneous land surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choudhury, B. J.; Monteith, J. L.

1988-01-01

The present model envisions the heat balance of a homogeneous land surface in terms of available energy, a set of driving potentials, and parameters for the physical state of the soil and vegetation. Two unique features of the model are: (1) the expression of the interaction of evaporation from the soil and from foliage by changes in the value of the saturation vapor pressure deficit of air in the canopy (the conclusions of this interaction being consistent with field observations); and (2) the treatment of sensible and latent heat exchange between the atmosphere and a soil consisting of two discrete layers.

On the Problem of Filtration to an Imperfect Gallery in a Pressureless Bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bereslavskii, É. N.; Dudina, L. M.

2018-01-01

The problem of plane steady-state filtration in a pressureless bed to an imperfect gallery in the presence of evaporation from the flow free surface is considered. To study such type of flow, a mixed boundary-value problem of the theory of analytical functions is formulated and solved with application of the Polubarinova-Kochina method. Based on the model suggested, an algorithm for computing the discharge of the gallery and the ordinate of free surface emergence to the impermeable screen is developed. A detailed hydrodynamic analysis of the influence of all physical parameters of the model on the desired filtration characteristics is given.

New Frontiers Science at Venus from Orbit plus Atmospheric Gas Sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smrekar, Suzanne; Dyar, Melinda; Hensley, Scott; Helbert, Joern; VOX Science and Engineering Teams

2017-10-01

Venus remains the most Earth-like body in terms of size, composition, surface age, and insulation. Venus Origins Explorer (VOX) determines how Earth’s twin diverged, and enables breakthroughs in our understanding of rocky planet evolution and habitability. At the time of the Decadal Survey the ability to map mineralogy from orbit (Helbert et al.) and present-day radar techniques to detect active deformation were not fully appreciated. VOX leverages these methods and in-situ noble gases to answer New Frontiers science objectives:1. Atmospheric physics/chemistry: noble gases and isotopes to constrain atmospheric sources, escape processes, and integrated volcanic outgassing; global search for current volcanically outgassed water.2. Past hydrological cycles: global tessera composition to determine the role of volatiles in crustal formation.3. Crustal physics/chemistry: global crustal mineralogy/chemistry, tectonic processes, heat flow, resolve the catastrophic vs. equilibrium resurfacing debate, active geologic processes and possible crustal recycling.4. Crustal weathering: surface-atmosphere weathering reactions from redox state and the chemical equilibrium of the near-surface atmosphere.5. Atmospheric properties/winds: map cloud particle modes and their temporal variations, and track cloud-level winds in the polar vortices.6. Surface-atmosphere interactions: chemical reactions from mineralogy; weathering state between new, recent and older flows; possible volcanically outgassed water.VOX’s Atmosphere Sampling Vehicle (ASV) dips into and samples the well-mixed atmosphere, using Venus Original Constituents Experiment (VOCE) to measure noble gases. VOX’s orbiter carries the Venus Emissivity Mapper (VEM) and the Venus Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (VISAR), and maps the gravity field using Ka-band tracking.VOX is the logical next mission to Venus because it delivers: 1) top priority atmosphere, surface, and interior science; 2) key global data for comparative planetology; 3) high-resolution topography, composition, and imaging to optimize future landers; 4) opportunities for revolutionary discoveries with a 3-year long mission, proven implementation and 44 Tb of data.

Mixed electrochemical–ferroelectric states in nanoscale ferroelectrics

DOE PAGES

Yang, Sang Mo; Morozovska, Anna N.; Kumar, Rajeev; ...

2017-05-01

Ferroelectricity on the nanoscale has been the subject of much fascination in condensed-matter physics for over half a century. In recent years, multiple reports claiming ferroelectricity in ultrathin ferroelectric films based on the formation of remnant polarization states, local electromechanical hysteresis loops, and pressure-induced switching were made. But, similar phenomena were reported for traditionally non-ferroelectric materials, creating a significant level of uncertainty in the field. We show that in nanoscale systems the ferroelectric state is fundamentally inseparable from the electrochemical state of the surface, leading to the emergence of a mixed electrochemical–ferroelectric state. We explore the nature, thermodynamics, and thicknessmore » evolution of such states, and demonstrate the experimental pathway to establish its presence. Our analysis reconciles multiple prior studies, provides guidelines for studies of ferroelectric materials on the nanoscale, and establishes the design paradigm for new generations of ferroelectric-based devices.« less

Spectroscopic studies of organometallic compounds on single crystal metal surfaces: Surface acetylides of silver (110)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madix, Robert J.

The nature of compounds formed by the reaction of organic molecules with metal surfaces can be studied with a battery of analytical methods based on both physicals and chemical understanding. In this paper the application of UPS, XPS, LEED and EELS as well as temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS) and chemical titration methods to the characterization of surface complexes is discussed. Particular emphasis is given to the reaction of acetylene with a single crystal surface of silver, Ag(110). Previous work has shown that this surface, when clean, is unreactive to hydrocarbons, alcohols and carboxylic acids under ultra high vacuum conditions. Preadsorption of oxygen, however, renders the surface reactive, and a wide variety of organometallic surface compounds can be formed. As expected then, no stable adsorption state and no reaction was observed with clean Ag(110) following room temperature exposure to acetylene. Following exposure at 150 K, however, a weekly bound chemisorption state was observed to desorb at 195 K, indicating a binding energy to the surface of approximately 12 kcal/gmole. Reaction with preadsorbed oxygen gave water formulation upon dosing and produced surface intermediates which yeilded two acetylene desorption states at 195 and 175 K. Heating above 300 K to completely desorb the higher temperature state produced new, well-defined LEED Features due to residual surface carbon which disappeared when the surface was heated above 550 K. Clearly, there were distinc changes in the nature of the absorbed layer at 195, 300 and 550 K. These changes were reflected in XPS. For the weakly chemisorbed acetylene a large C(ls) peak at 285.6 eV with a small, broad, indistinc shoulder at higher binding energy (288.2) was observed. The spectrum of the species following acetylene desorption at 275 K, however, showed the formulation of a large C(ls) peak at 283.6 eV in addition to peaks characteristics of the weakly chemisorbed state. This result indicated that the carbon atoms in the surface acetylide became inequivalent. Heating to 300 K produced a single peak at 282.8 eV which reverted to 283.4 when heated above 550 K; the carbon atoms became chemically equivalent. This latter state could be removed completely by O 2 to form CO 2(3). The XPS results showed quantitative conversion of all surface carbon from each state observed. Conclusive evidence regarding the identity of these states was obtained with titration experiments with deuterated acetic acid. CH 3COOD was adsorbed on top of the acetylenic residues at 150 K and heated to note the isotopes of acetylene that desorbed. The 275 K acetylene desorption peak, which showed inequivalent carbon atoms, was titrated by CH 3COOD to form C 2HD, indicating C 2H as the stable surface species. The species formed above 300 K, which showed equivalent carbon atoms in XPS, titrated to form C 2D 2, indicating a C 2 surface species. In each case the formulation of surface acetate was quantitative. The structure of these species was probed further with high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. The weakly chemisorbed molecular state exhibited vibrational losses at 300, 700 and 3270 cm -1, characteristics of an acetylene-surface stretching motion, a C-C-H bend and the C-H stretch respectively. No C-C stretch was observed, indicating that the molecule lay parallel to the plane of the surface. For adsorbed C 2H, bands were observed at 300, 690 and 3250cm -1. The high C-H stretching frequency indicated that the C-C bound order was near three. The absence of a C-C stretch in the spectrum was somewhat surprising, but was explained by a σ-π bonded complex in which the -C=CH species was flattened toward the surface by an interaction of an Ag atom with the π system of the acetylide.

Modelling surface-water depression storage in a Prairie Pothole Region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hay, Lauren E.; Norton, Parker A.; Viger, Roland; Markstrom, Steven; Regan, R. Steven; Vanderhoof, Melanie

2018-01-01

In this study, the Precipitation-Runoff Modelling System (PRMS) was used to simulate changes in surface-water depression storage in the 1,126-km2 Upper Pipestem Creek basin located within the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, USA. The Prairie Pothole Region is characterized by millions of small water bodies (or surface-water depressions) that provide numerous ecosystem services and are considered an important contribution to the hydrologic cycle. The Upper Pipestem PRMS model was extracted from the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Hydrologic Model (NHM), developed to support consistent hydrologic modelling across the conterminous United States. The Geospatial Fabric database, created for the USGS NHM, contains hydrologic model parameter values derived from datasets that characterize the physical features of the entire conterminous United States for 109,951 hydrologic response units. Each hydrologic response unit in the Geospatial Fabric was parameterized using aggregated surface-water depression area derived from the National Hydrography Dataset Plus, an integrated suite of application-ready geospatial datasets. This paper presents a calibration strategy for the Upper Pipestem PRMS model that uses normalized lake elevation measurements to calibrate the parameters influencing simulated fractional surface-water depression storage. Results indicate that inclusion of measurements that give an indication of the change in surface-water depression storage in the calibration procedure resulted in accurate changes in surface-water depression storage in the water balance. Regionalized parameterization of the USGS NHM will require a proxy for change in surface-storage to accurately parameterize surface-water depression storage within the USGS NHM.

Positrons in surface physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugenschmidt, Christoph

2016-12-01

Within the last decade powerful methods have been developed to study surfaces using bright low-energy positron beams. These novel analysis tools exploit the unique properties of positron interaction with surfaces, which comprise the absence of exchange interaction, repulsive crystal potential and positron trapping in delocalized surface states at low energies. By applying reflection high-energy positron diffraction (RHEPD) one can benefit from the phenomenon of total reflection below a critical angle that is not present in electron surface diffraction. Therefore, RHEPD allows the determination of the atom positions of (reconstructed) surfaces with outstanding accuracy. The main advantages of positron annihilation induced Auger-electron spectroscopy (PAES) are the missing secondary electron background in the energy region of Auger-transitions and its topmost layer sensitivity for elemental analysis. In order to enable the investigation of the electron polarization at surfaces low-energy spin-polarized positrons are used to probe the outermost electrons of the surface. Furthermore, in fundamental research the preparation of well defined surfaces tailored for the production of bound leptonic systems plays an outstanding role. In this report, it is envisaged to cover both the fundamental aspects of positron surface interaction and the present status of surface studies using modern positron beam techniques.

Inverse Perovskites - A New Platform For 3D Dirac Electron Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rost, A. W.; Kim, J.; Shota, S.; Hayama, K.; Abdolazimi, V.; Bruin, J. A. N.; Muehle, C.; Schnyder, A.; Yaresko, A. N.; Nuss, J.; Takagi, H.

3D Dirac semimetals show a wealth of phenomena including ultrahigh mobility, extreme transverse magnetoresistance and potential for negative longitudinal magnetoresistance. Furthermore, by introducing a gap these are often found to be topological crystalline insulators. Here, I will introduce our experiments on a new family of 3D Dirac materials - the inverse perovskites A3BO (A =Ca,Sr,Eu/B =Pb,Sn). These open up the possibility to chemically control the properties of Dirac electrons including (i) the anisotropy of the Dirac dispersion, (ii) role of spin orbit coupling, and (iii) magnetism. Our physical property measurements show all (Ca/Sr)3(Pb/Sn)O compounds host Dirac electrons at the Fermi energy with no other bands crossing EF. Quantum oscillations unveil small Fermi surfaces (frequencies <5 T) and light carriers (<0.02 me) only consistent with Dirac electrons. With the successful synthesis of Sr3Pb0.5Sn0.5O this group of materials therefore offers a unique chemical control over the physical properties of 3D Dirac electrons. Crucially, Eu3(Pb/Sn)O compounds allow for the introduction of magnetism. I will discuss the implications of this in particular with respect to surface states in these topological crystalline insulators.

Braiding by Majorana tracking and long-range CNOT gates with color codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litinski, Daniel; von Oppen, Felix

2017-11-01

Color-code quantum computation seamlessly combines Majorana-based hardware with topological error correction. Specifically, as Clifford gates are transversal in two-dimensional color codes, they enable the use of the Majoranas' non-Abelian statistics for gate operations at the code level. Here, we discuss the implementation of color codes in arrays of Majorana nanowires that avoid branched networks such as T junctions, thereby simplifying their realization. We show that, in such implementations, non-Abelian statistics can be exploited without ever performing physical braiding operations. Physical braiding operations are replaced by Majorana tracking, an entirely software-based protocol which appropriately updates the Majoranas involved in the color-code stabilizer measurements. This approach minimizes the required hardware operations for single-qubit Clifford gates. For Clifford completeness, we combine color codes with surface codes, and use color-to-surface-code lattice surgery for long-range multitarget CNOT gates which have a time overhead that grows only logarithmically with the physical distance separating control and target qubits. With the addition of magic state distillation, our architecture describes a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer in systems such as networks of tetrons, hexons, or Majorana box qubits, but can also be applied to nontopological qubit platforms.

Computationally efficient characterization of potential energy surfaces based on fingerprint distances

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schaefer, Bastian; Goedecker, Stefan, E-mail: stefan.goedecker@unibas.ch

2016-07-21

An analysis of the network defined by the potential energy minima of multi-atomic systems and their connectivity via reaction pathways that go through transition states allows us to understand important characteristics like thermodynamic, dynamic, and structural properties. Unfortunately computing the transition states and reaction pathways in addition to the significant energetically low-lying local minima is a computationally demanding task. We here introduce a computationally efficient method that is based on a combination of the minima hopping global optimization method and the insight that uphill barriers tend to increase with increasing structural distances of the educt and product states. This methodmore » allows us to replace the exact connectivity information and transition state energies with alternative and approximate concepts. Without adding any significant additional cost to the minima hopping global optimization approach, this method allows us to generate an approximate network of the minima, their connectivity, and a rough measure for the energy needed for their interconversion. This can be used to obtain a first qualitative idea on important physical and chemical properties by means of a disconnectivity graph analysis. Besides the physical insight obtained by such an analysis, the gained knowledge can be used to make a decision if it is worthwhile or not to invest computational resources for an exact computation of the transition states and the reaction pathways. Furthermore it is demonstrated that the here presented method can be used for finding physically reasonable interconversion pathways that are promising input pathways for methods like transition path sampling or discrete path sampling.« less

Nanostructured TiO2 surfaces promote polarized activation of microglia, but not astrocytes, toward a proinflammatory profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Astis, Silvia; Corradini, Irene; Morini, Raffaella; Rodighiero, Simona; Tomasoni, Romana; Lenardi, Cristina; Verderio, Claudia; Milani, Paolo; Matteoli, Michela

2013-10-01

Activation of glial cells, including astrocytes and microglia, has been implicated in the inflammatory responses underlying brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The classic activation state (M1) is characterized by high capacity to present antigens, high production of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proinflammatory cytokines. Classically activated cells act as potent effectors that drive the inflammatory response and may mediate detrimental effects on neural cells. The second phenotype (M2) is an alternative, apparently beneficial, activation state, more related to a fine tuning of inflammation, scavenging of debris, promotion of angiogenesis, tissue remodeling and repair. Specific environmental chemical signals are able to induce these different polarization states. We provide here evidence that nanostructured substrates are able, exclusively in virtue of their physical properties, to push microglia toward the proinflammatory activation phenotype, with an efficacy which reflects the graded nanoscale rugosity. The acquisition of a proinflammatory phenotype appears specific for microglia and not astrocytes, indicating that these two cell types, although sharing common innate immune responses, respond differently to external physical stimuli.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yafyasov, A. M., E-mail: yafyasov@gmail.com; Bogevolnov, V. B.; Ryumtsev, E. I.

A semiconductor—organic-insulator system with spatially distributed charge is created with a uniquely low density of fast surface states (N{sub ss}) at the interface. A system with N{sub ss} ≈ 5 × 10{sup 10} cm{sup –2} is obtained for the example of n-Ge and the physical characteristics of the interface are measured for this system with liquid and metal field electrodes. For a system with an organic insulator, the range of variation of the surface potential from enrichment of the space-charge region of the semiconductor to the inversion state is first obtained without changing the mechanism of interaction between the adsorbedmore » layer and the semiconductor surface. The effect of enhanced polarization of the space-charge region of the semiconductor occurs due to a change in the spatial structure of mobile charge in the organic dielectric layer. The system developed in the study opens up technological opportunities for the formation of a new generation of electronic devices based on organic film structures and for experimental modeling of the electronic properties of biological membranes.« less

Multidimensional intermolecular dynamics from tunable far-infrared laser spectroscopy: Angular-radial coupling in the intermolecular potential of argon--H sub 2 O

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cohen, R.C.; Saykally, R.J.

1991-12-01

Five new vibration--rotation tunneling states of Ar--H{sub 2}O (the {Sigma} and {Pi}(1{sub 11}) and the {Sigma} and {Pi}(2{sub 12}) internal rotor states and the {ital n}=1, {Pi}(1{sub 01}) stretching-internal rotor combination level) have been accessed by tunable far-infrared laser spectroscopy. The measured vibrational band origins of transitions to these states are within 2% of predictions made from an anisotropic three-dimensional intermolecular potential surface (denoted AW1) derived from a nonlinear least-squares fit to previous far-infrared spectral data (J. Phys. Chem. {bold 94}, 7991(1990)). This provides strong evidence that the AW1 intermolecular potential surface incorporates much of the essential physics of themore » intermolecular forces which bind the cluster. However, larger deviations from the predictions are found in the observed rotational term values. A detailed analysis of these deviations clearly demonstrates the need for even stronger angular-radial coupling in the Ar--H{sub 2}O intermolecular potential than the already substantial coupling present in the AW1 surface. Specifically, the presently observed {Sigma}(1{sub 11}) state and the {ital n}=1, {Sigma}(0{sub 00}) state are found to be approximately 65:35 mixtures of the basis states which represent pure stretching and internal rotation. The {Sigma}(2{sub 12}) level is found to be mixed just as strongly with {ital n}=2, {Sigma}(1{sub 01}). The formalism for accurately deperturbing vibration--rotation--tunneling states coupled by Coriolis interactions used in the above analysis is presented.« less

Exploring the science of thinking independently together: Faraday Discussion Volume 204 - Complex Molecular Surfaces and Interfaces, Sheffield, UK, July 2017.

PubMed

Samperi, M; Hirsch, B E; Diaz Fernandez, Y A

2017-11-23

The 2017 Faraday Discussion on Complex Molecular Surfaces and Interfaces brought together theoreticians and experimentalists from both physical and chemical backgrounds to discuss the relevant applied and fundamental research topics within the broader field of chemical surface analysis and characterization. Main discussion topics from the meeting included the importance of "disordered" two-dimensional (2D) molecular structures and the utility of kinetically trapped states. An emerging need for new experimental tools to address dynamics and kinetic pathways involved in self-assembled systems, as well as the future prospects and current limitations of in silico studies were also discussed. The following article provides a brief overview of the work presented and the challenges discussed during the meeting.

Modeling of Surface Geometric Structure State After Integratedformed Milling and Finish Burnishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berczyński, Stefan; Grochała, Daniel; Grządziel, Zenon

2017-06-01

The article deals with computer-based modeling of burnishing a surface previously milled with a spherical cutter. This method of milling leaves traces, mainly asperities caused by the cutting crossfeed and cutter diameter. The burnishing process - surface plastic treatment - is accompanied by phenomena that take place right in the burnishing ball-milled surface contact zone. The authors present the method for preparing a finite element model and the methodology of tests for the assessment of height parameters of a surface geometrical structure (SGS). In the physical model the workpieces had a cuboidal shape and these dimensions: (width × height × length) 2×1×4.5 mm. As in the process of burnishing a cuboidal workpiece is affected by plastic deformations, the nonlinearities of the milled item were taken into account. The physical model of the process assumed that the burnishing ball would be rolled perpendicularly to milling cutter linear traces. The model tests included the application of three different burnishing forces: 250 N, 500 N and 1000 N. The process modeling featured the contact and pressing of a ball into the workpiece surface till the desired force was attained, then the burnishing ball was rolled along the surface section of 2 mm, and the burnishing force was gradually reduced till the ball left the contact zone. While rolling, the burnishing ball turned by a 23° angle. The cumulative diagrams depict plastic deformations of the modeled surfaces after milling and burnishing with defined force values. The roughness of idealized milled surface was calculated for the physical model under consideration, i.e. in an elementary section between profile peaks spaced at intervals of crossfeed passes, where the milling feed fwm = 0.5 mm. Also, asperities after burnishing were calculated for the same section. The differences of the obtained values fall below 20% of mean values recorded during empirical experiments. The adopted simplification in after-milling SGS modeling enables substantial acceleration of the computing process. There is a visible reduction of the Ra parameter value for milled and burnished surfaces as the burnishing force rises. The tests determined an optimal burnishing force at a level of 500 N (lowest Ra = 0.24 μm). Further increase in the value of burnishing force turned out not to affect the surface roughness, which is consistent with the results obtained from experimental studies.

Surface switching statistics of rotating fluid: Disk-rim gap effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tasaka, Yuji; Iima, Makoto

2017-04-01

We examined the influence of internal noise on the irregular switching of the shape of the free surface of fluids in an open cylindrical vessel driven by a bottom disk rotating at constant speed [Suzuki, Iima, and Hayase, Phys. Fluids 18, 101701 (2006), 10.1063/1.2359740]. A slight increase in the disk-rim gap (less than 3% of the disk radius) was established experimentally to cause significant changes in this system, specifically, frequent appearance of the surface descending event connecting a nonaxisymmetric shape in strong mixing flow (turbulent flow) and an axisymmetric shape in laminar flow, as well as a shift in critical Reynolds number that define the characteristic states. The physical mechanism underlying the change is analyzed in terms of flow characteristics in the disk-rim gap, which acts as a noise source, and a mathematical model established from measurements of the surface height fluctuations with noise term.

Air-sea interaction and remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katsaros, Kristina B.; Ataktuerk, Serhad S.

1992-01-01

The first part of the proposed research was a joint effort between our group and the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), University of Washington. Our own research goal is to investigate the relation between the air-sea exchange processes and the sea state over the open ocean and to compare these findings with our previous results obtained over a small body of water namely, Lake Washington. The goals of the APL researchers are to study (1) the infrared sea surface temperature (SST) signature of breaking waves and surface slicks, and (2) microwave and acoustic scattering from water surface. The task of our group in this joint effort is to conduct measurements of surface fluxes (of momentum, sensible heat, and water vapor) and atmospheric radiation (longwave and shortwave) to achieve our research goal as well as to provide crucial complementary data for the APL studies. The progress of the project is summarized.

Uncovering glacier dynamics beneath a debris mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefeuvre, P.-M.; Ng, F. S. L.

2012-04-01

Debris-covered glaciers (DCGs) have an extensive sediment mantle whose low albedo influences their surface energy balance to cause a buffering effect that could enhance or reduce ablation rates depending on the sediment thickness. The last effect suggests that some DCGs may be less sensitive to climate change and survive for longer than debris-free (or 'clean') glaciers under sustained climatic warming. However, the origin of DCGs is debated and the precise impact of the debris mantle on their flow dynamics and surface geometry has not been quantified. Here we investigate these issues with a numerical model that encapsulates ice-flow physics and surface debris evolution and transport along a glacier flow-line, as well as couples these with glacier mass balance. We model the impact of surface debris on ablation rates by a mathematical function based on published empirical data (including Ostrem's curve). A key interest is potential positive feedback of ablation on debris thickening and lowering of surface albedo. Model simulations show that when DCGs evolve to attain steady-state profiles, they reach lower elevations than clean glaciers do for the same initial and climatic conditions. Their mass-balance profile at steady state displays an inversion near the snout (where the debris cover is thickest) that is not observed in the clean-glacier simulations. In these cases, where the mantle causes complete buffering to inhibit ablation, the DCG does not reach a steady-state profile, and the sediment thickness evolves to a steady value that depends sensitively on the glacier surface velocities. Variation in the assumed englacial debris concentration in our simulations also determines glacier behaviour. With low englacial debris concentration, the DCG retreats initially while its mass-balance gradient steepens, but the glacier re-advances if it subsequently builds up a thick enough debris cover to cause complete buffering. We identify possible ways and challenges of testing this model with field observations of DCGs, given the inherent difficulty that such glaciers may not be in steady state.

State of the Oceans: A Satellite Data Processing System for Visualizing Near Real-Time Imagery on Google Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, C. K.; Bingham, A. W.; Hall, J. R.; Alarcon, C.; Plesea, L.; Henderson, M. L.; Levoe, S.

2011-12-01

The State of the Oceans (SOTO) web tool was developed at NASA's Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as an interactive means for users to visually explore and assess ocean-based geophysical parameters extracted from the latest archived data products. The SOTO system consists of four extensible modules, a data polling tool, a preparation and imaging package, image server software, and the graphical user interface. Together, these components support multi-resolution visualization of swath (Level 2) and gridded Level 3/4) data products as either raster- or vector- based KML layers on Google Earth. These layers are automatically updated periodically throughout the day. Current parameters available include sea surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration, ocean winds, sea surface height anomaly, and sea surface temperature anomaly. SOTO also supports mash-ups, allowing KML feeds from other sources to be overlaid directly onto Google Earth such as hurricane tracks and buoy data. A version of the SOTO software has also been installed at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to support the Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). The State of the Earth (SOTE) has similar functionality to SOTO but supports different data sets, among them the MODIS 250m data product.

Active matter and Curvature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sknepnek, Rastko

Coupling between active motion and curvature is an integral part of many fundamental biological processes such as gastrulation and intestinal crypt fission. However, to date very little is known about how curvature affects active motion. Here we use a particle-based model to study the interplay between activity and curvature in dense systems. Using detailed numerical simulations and simple physical arguments, we show that the presence of curvature results in a number of steady-state configurations that have no analogues in flat geometries. These states are particularly interesting if topological constraints require the presence of defects in the ground states in the passive limit. We focus on polar and nematic active systems confined to move on the surface of a sphere and show that activity can lead to the formation of moving band and multidefect states. We extend our model to self-propelled filaments confined to a plane or the surface of a sphere. We show that the activity leads to an effective softening of the polymer chain. As a result of this softening, with the increase in activity, the system transitions between a jammed polymer-melt state, an active turbulent state characterised by a proliferation of hair-pin defects, to a region dominated by phase segregation (MIPS), finally followed by the onset of a homogenous state characterised by spiral motion of individual polymers. UK EPSRC EP/M009599/1.

FOREWORD: The 12th International Workshop on Desorption Induced by Electronic Transitions (DIET XII) (Pine Mountain, Georgia, USA, 19-23 April 2009) The 12th International Workshop on Desorption Induced by Electronic Transitions (DIET XII) (Pine Mountain, Georgia, USA, 19-23 April 2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlando, Thomas M.; Diebold, Ulrike

2010-03-01

The 12th International Workshop on Desorption Induced by Electronic Transitions (DIET XII) took place from 19-23 April 2009 in Pine Mountain, Georgia, USA. This was the 12th conference in a strong and vibrant series, which dates back to the early 1980s. DIET XII continued the tradition of exceptional interdisciplinary science and focused on the study of desorption and dynamics induced by electronic excitations of surfaces and interfaces. The format involved invited lectures, contributed talks and a poster session on the most recent developments and advances in this area of surface physics. The Workshop International Steering Committee and attendees wish to dedicate DIET XII to the memory of the late Professor Theodore (Ted) Madey. Ted was one of the main pioneers of this field and was one of the primary individuals working to keep this area of science exciting and adventurous. His overall contributions to surface science were countless and his contributions to the DIET field and community were enormous. He is missed and remembered by many friends and colleagues throughout the world. The papers collected in this issue cover many of the highlights of DIET XII. Topics include ultrafast electron transfer at surfaces and interfaces, quantum and spatially resolved mapping of surface dynamics and desorption, photon-, electron- and ion-beam induced processes at complex interfaces, the role of non-thermal desorption in astrochemistry and astrophysics and laser-/ion-based methods of examining soft matter and biological media. Although the workshop attracted many scientists active in the general area of non-thermal surface processes, DIET XII also attracted many younger scientists (i.e., postdoctoral fellows, advanced graduate students, and a select number of advanced undergraduate students). This field has had an impact in a number of areas including nanoscience, device physics, astrophysics, and now biophysics. We believe that this special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter will help foster further progress in the study of DIET processes. Since the field remains vibrant and exciting, the workshop series will continue with DIET XIII. Professor Richard Palmer (University of Birmingham, UK) will chair DIET XIII in the UK in early summer 2012. We gratefully acknowledge financial support from SPECS, HIDEN Analytical, BRUKER, The United States National Science Foundation, Georgia Institute of Technology and The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers.

Mesoscale Simulations of a Florida Sea Breeze Using the PLACE Land Surface Model Coupled to a 1.5-Order Turbulence Parameterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynn, Barry H.; Stauffer, David R.; Wetzel, Peter J.; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Perlin, Natal; Baker, R. David; Munoz, Ricardo; Boone, Aaron; Jia, Yiqin

1999-01-01

A sophisticated land-surface model, PLACE, the Parameterization for Land Atmospheric Convective Exchange, has been coupled to a 1.5-order turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) turbulence sub-model. Both have been incorporated into the Penn State/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) mesoscale model MM5. Such model improvements should have their greatest effect in conditions where surface contrasts dominate over dynamic processes, such as the simulation of warm-season, convective events. A validation study used the newly coupled model, MM5 TKE-PLACE, to simulate the evolution of Florida sea-breeze moist convection during the Convection and Precipitation Electrification Experiment (CaPE). Overall, eight simulations tested the sensitivity of the MM5 model to combinations of the new and default model physics, and initialization of soil moisture and temperature. The TKE-PLACE model produced more realistic surface sensible heat flux, lower biases for surface variables, more realistic rainfall, and cloud cover than the default model. Of the 8 simulations with different factors (i.e., model physics or initialization), TKE-PLACE compared very well when each simulation was ranked in terms of biases of the surface variables and rainfall, and percent and root mean square of cloud cover. A factor separation analysis showed that a successful simulation required the inclusion of a multi-layered, land surface soil vegetation model, realistic initial soil moisture, and higher order closure of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). These were needed to realistically model the effect of individual, joint, and synergistic contributions from the land surface and PBL on the CAPE sea-breeze, Lake Okeechobee lake breeze, and moist convection.

Gamma-ray lines from neutron stars as probes of fundamental physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brecher, K.

1978-01-01

The detection of gamma-ray lines produced at the surface of neutron stars will serve to test both the strong and gravitational interactions under conditions unavailable in terrestrial laboratories. Observation of a single redshifted gamma-ray line, combined with an estimate of the mass of the star will serve as a strong constraint on allowable equations of state of matter at supernuclear densities. Detection of two redshifted lines arising from different physical processes at the neutron star surface can provide a test of the strong principle of equivalence. Expected fluxes of nuclear gamma-ray lines from accreting neutron stars were calculated, including threshold, radiative transfer and redshift effects. The most promising probes of neutron star structure are the deuterium formation line and the positron annihilation line. Detection of sharp redshifted gamma-ray lines from X-ray sources such as Cyg X-1 would argue strongly in favor of a neutron star rather than black hole identification for the object.

Surface Magnetism on pristine silicon thin film for spin and valley transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jia-Tao

The spin and valley degree of freedom for an electron have received tremendous attention in condensed matters physics because of the potential application for spintronics and valleytronics. It has been widely accepted that d0 light elemental materials of single component are not taken as ferromagnetic candidates because of the absence of odd paired electrons. The ferromagnetism has to be introduced by ferromagnetic impurity, edge functionalization, or proximity with ferromagnetic neighbors etc. These special surface or interface structures require atomically precise control which significantly increases experimental uncertainty and theoretical understanding. By means of density functional theory (DFT) computations, we found that the spin- and valley- polarized state can be introduced in pristine silicon thin films without any alien components. The key point to this aim is the formation of graphene-like hexagonal structures making a spin-polarized Dirac fermion with half-filling. The resulting fundamental physics such as quantum valley Hall effect (QVHE), quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) and magnetoelectric effect will be discussed.

A Vertically Lagrangian Finite-Volume Dynamical Core for Global Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Shian-Jiann

2003-01-01

A finite-volume dynamical core with a terrain-following Lagrangian control-volume discretization is described. The vertically Lagrangian discretization reduces the dimensionality of the physical problem from three to two with the resulting dynamical system closely resembling that of the shallow water dynamical system. The 2D horizontal-to-Lagrangian-surface transport and dynamical processes are then discretized using the genuinely conservative flux-form semi-Lagrangian algorithm. Time marching is split- explicit, with large-time-step for scalar transport, and small fractional time step for the Lagrangian dynamics, which permits the accurate propagation of fast waves. A mass, momentum, and total energy conserving algorithm is developed for mapping the state variables periodically from the floating Lagrangian control-volume to an Eulerian terrain-following coordinate for dealing with physical parameterizations and to prevent severe distortion of the Lagrangian surfaces. Deterministic baroclinic wave growth tests and long-term integrations using the Held-Suarez forcing are presented. Impact of the monotonicity constraint is discussed.

Climate Simulations based on a different-grid nested and coupled model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dan; Ji, Jinjun; Li, Yinpeng

2002-05-01

An atmosphere-vegetation interaction model (A VIM) has been coupled with a nine-layer General Cir-culation Model (GCM) of Institute of Atmospheic Physics/State Key Laboratory of Numerical Modeling for Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (IAP/LASG), which is rhomboidally truncated at zonal wave number 15, to simulate global climatic mean states. A VIM is a model having inter-feedback between land surface processes and eco-physiological processes on land. As the first step to couple land with atmosphere completely, the physiological processes are fixed and only the physical part (generally named the SVAT (soil-vegetation-atmosphere-transfer scheme) model) of AVIM is nested into IAP/LASG L9R15 GCM. The ocean part of GCM is prescribed and its monthly sea surface temperature (SST) is the climatic mean value. With respect to the low resolution of GCM, i.e., each grid cell having lon-gitude 7.5° and latitude 4.5°, the vegetation is given a high resolution of 1.5° by 1.5° to nest and couple the fine grid cells of land with the coarse grid cells of atmosphere. The coupling model has been integrated for 15 years and its last ten-year mean of outputs was chosen for analysis. Compared with observed data and NCEP reanalysis, the coupled model simulates the main characteris-tics of global atmospheric circulation and the fields of temperature and moisture. In particular, the simu-lated precipitation and surface air temperature have sound results. The work creates a solid base on coupling climate models with the biosphere.

Voltage-induced swelling and deswelling of weak polybase brushes.

PubMed

Weir, Michael P; Heriot, Sasha Y; Martin, Simon J; Parnell, Andrew J; Holt, Stephen A; Webster, John R P; Jones, Richard A L

2011-09-06

We have investigated a novel method of remotely switching the conformation of a weak polybase brush using an applied voltage. Surface-grafted polyelectrolyte brushes exhibit rich responsive behavior and show great promise as "smart surfaces", but existing switching methods involve physically or chemically changing the solution in contact with the brush. In this study, high grafting density poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) brushes were grown from silicon surfaces using atom transfer radical polymerization. Optical ellipsometry and neutron reflectivity were used to measure changes in the profiles of the brushes in response to DC voltages applied between the brush substrate and a parallel electrode some distance away in the surrounding liquid (water or D(2)O). Positive voltages were shown to cause swelling, while negative voltages in some cases caused deswelling. Neutron reflectometry experiments were carried out on the INTER reflectometer (ISIS, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK) allowing time-resolved measurements of polymer brush structure. The PDMAEMA brushes were shown to have a polymer volume fraction profile described by a Gaussian-terminated parabola both in the equilibrium and in the partially swollen states. At very high positive voltages (in this study, positive bias means positive voltage to the brush-bearing substrate), the brush chains were shown to be stretched to an extent comparable to their contour length, before being physically removed from the interface. Voltage-induced swelling was shown to exhibit a wider range of brush swelling states in comparison to pH switching, with the additional advantages that the stimulus is remotely controlled and may be fully automated. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Basic and Applied Research in the Field of Electronics and Communications

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-02-18

Epitaxy on Semiconductor Surfaces Song, S. Ph.D., 1996 Optical Frequency Metrology Lutwak , R. Ph.D., 1996 Precision Physical Measurements...Systems." J. Opt. Soc. Am. 514(8): 2167-2173 (1997). Lutwak , R., J. Holley, P.P. Chang, S. Paine, D. Kleppner, and T. Ducas. "Circular States of...Domain Analysis of Electromagnetic Interference and Radiation Problems. Ph.D. diss., Dept. of Electr. Eng. and Comput. Sei., MIT, 1995. Lutwak , R

Office of Naval Research (ONR), Arctic and Global Prediction Program Department Research Initiative (DRI), Sea State and Boundary Layer Physics of the Emerging Arctic Ocean Quantifying the Role of Atmospheric Forcing in Ice Edge Retreat and Advance Including Wind-Wave Coupling

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

direction Sea snake CIRES/NOAA sea-surface temperature 35-channel Radiometrics radiometer CIRES/NOAA PWV , LWP, profiles of T, q Ceilometer CIRES...size distribution Stabilized, scanning Doppler Lidar Leeds winds, cloud phase, turbulence HATPRO, scanning,12 ch radiometer Leeds PWV , LWP

A Hybrid Numerical Analysis Method for Structural Health Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forth, Scott C.; Staroselsky, Alexander

2001-01-01

A new hybrid surface-integral-finite-element numerical scheme has been developed to model a three-dimensional crack propagating through a thin, multi-layered coating. The finite element method was used to model the physical state of the coating (far field), and the surface integral method was used to model the fatigue crack growth. The two formulations are coupled through the need to satisfy boundary conditions on the crack surface and the external boundary. The coupling is sufficiently weak that the surface integral mesh of the crack surface and the finite element mesh of the uncracked volume can be set up independently. Thus when modeling crack growth, the finite element mesh can remain fixed for the duration of the simulation as the crack mesh is advanced. This method was implemented to evaluate the feasibility of fabricating a structural health monitoring system for real-time detection of surface cracks propagating in engine components. In this work, the authors formulate the hybrid surface-integral-finite-element method and discuss the mechanical issues of implementing a structural health monitoring system in an aircraft engine environment.

A topological study of gravity free-surface waves generated by bluff bodies using the method of steepest descents

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The standard analytical approach for studying steady gravity free-surface waves generated by a moving body often relies upon a linearization of the physical geometry, where the body is considered asymptotically small in one or several of its dimensions. In this paper, a methodology that avoids any such geometrical simplification is presented for the case of steady-state flows at low speeds. The approach is made possible through a reduction of the water-wave equations to a complex-valued integral equation that can be studied using the method of steepest descents. The main result is a theory that establishes a correspondence between different bluff-bodied free-surface flow configurations, with the topology of the Riemann surface formed by the steepest descent paths. Then, when a geometrical feature of the body is modified, a corresponding change to the Riemann surface is observed, and the resultant effects to the water waves can be derived. This visual procedure is demonstrated for the case of two-dimensional free-surface flow past a surface-piercing ship and over an angled step in a channel. PMID:27493559

Solution-processing of chalcogenide materials for device applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zha, Yunlai

Chalcogenide glasses are well-known for their desirable optical properties, which have enabled many infrared applications in the fields of photonics, medicine, environmental sensing and security. Conventional deposition methods such as thermal evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, sputtering or pulse laser deposition are efficient for fabricating structures on flat surfaces. However, they have limitations in deposition on curved surfaces, deposition of thick layers and component integration. In these cases, solution-based methods, which involve the dissolution of chalcogenide glasses and processing as a liquid, become a better choice for their flexibility. After proper treatment, the associated structures can have similar optical, chemical and physical properties to the bulk. This thesis presents an in-depth study of solution-processing chalcogenide glasses, starting from the "solution state" to the "film state" and the "structure state". Firstly, chalcogenide dissolution is studied to reveal the mechanisms at molecular level and build a foundation for material processing. Dissolution processes for various chalcogenide solvent pairs are reviewed and compared. Secondly, thermal processing, in the context of high temperature annealing, is explained along with the chemical and physical properties of the annealed films. Another focus is on nanopore formation in propylamine-processed arsenic sulfide films. Pore density changes with respect to annealing temperatures and durations are characterized. Base on a proposed vacancy coalescence theory, we have identified new dissolution strategies and achieved the breakthrough of pore-free film deposition. Thirdly, several solution methods developed along with the associated photonic structures are demonstrated. The first example is "spin-coating and lamination", which produces thick (over 10 mum) chalcogenide structures. Both homogeneous thick chalcogenide structures and heterogeneous layers of different chalcogenide glasses or metals can be fabricated. Second, "micro-molding in capillaries" (MIMIC) and "micro-transfer molding" (muTM) methods are introduced for fabricating waveguides on flat and curved surfaces. The flexibility of the solution process allows waveguides to be patterned, for the first time, on a curved surface. Third, "micro channel filling" is demonstrated to produce the lowest loss among solution-processed chalcogenide waveguides. These results contribute to the advancement of chalcogenide processing technologies and help move closer towards the ultimate goal of fabricating reliable IR sensors.

Tribology theory versus experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferrante, John

1987-01-01

Tribology, the study of friction and wear of materials, has achieved a new interest because of the need for energy conservation. Fundamental understanding of this field is very complex and requires a knowledge of solid-state physics, material science, chemistry, and mechanical engineering. This paper is meant to be didactic in nature and outlines some of the considerations needed for a tribology research program. The approach is first to present a simple model, a field emission tip in contact with a flat surface, in order to elucidate important considerations, such as contact area, mechanical deformations, and interfacial bonding. Then examples from illustrative experiments are presented. Finally, the current status of physical theories concerning interfacial bonding are presented.

Weyl Points in Three-Dimensional Optical Lattices: Synthetic Magnetic Monopoles in Momentum Space.

PubMed

Dubček, Tena; Kennedy, Colin J; Lu, Ling; Ketterle, Wolfgang; Soljačić, Marin; Buljan, Hrvoje

2015-06-05

We show that a Hamiltonian with Weyl points can be realized for ultracold atoms using laser-assisted tunneling in three-dimensional optical lattices. Weyl points are synthetic magnetic monopoles that exhibit a robust, three-dimensional linear dispersion, identical to the energy-momentum relation for relativistic Weyl fermions, which are not yet discovered in particle physics. Weyl semimetals are a promising new avenue in condensed matter physics due to their unusual properties such as the topologically protected "Fermi arc" surface states. However, experiments on Weyl points are highly elusive. We show that this elusive goal is well within experimental reach with an extension of techniques recently used in ultracold gases.

Topological insulator film growth by molecular beam epitaxy: A review

DOE PAGES

Ginley, Theresa P.; Wang, Yong; Law, Stephanie

2016-11-23

In this article, we will review recent progress in the growth of topological insulator (TI) thin films by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The materials we focus on are the V 2-VI 3 family of TIs. These materials are ideally bulk insulating with surface states housing Dirac excitations which are spin-momentum locked. These surface states are interesting for fundamental physics studies (such as the search for Majorana fermions) as well as applications in spintronics and other fields. However, the majority of TI films and bulk crystals exhibit significant bulk conductivity, which obscures these states. In addition, many TI films have amore » high defect density. This review will discuss progress in reducing the bulk conductivity while increasing the crystal quality. We will describe in detail how growth parameters, substrate choice, and growth technique influence the resulting TI film properties for binary and ternary TIs. We then give an overview of progress in the growth of TI heterostructures. Furthermore, we close by discussing the bright future for TI film growth by MBE.« less

Quantum transport of two-species Dirac fermions in dual-gated three-dimensional topological insulators

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yang; Miotkowski, Ireneusz; Chen, Yong P.

2016-05-04

Topological insulators are a novel class of quantum matter with a gapped insulating bulk, yet gapless spin-helical Dirac fermion conducting surface states. Here, we report local and non-local electrical and magneto transport measurements in dual-gated BiSbTeSe 2 thin film topological insulator devices, with conduction dominated by the spatially separated top and bottom surfaces, each hosting a single species of Dirac fermions with independent gate control over the carrier type and density. We observe many intriguing quantum transport phenomena in such a fully tunable two-species topological Dirac gas, including a zero-magnetic-field minimum conductivity close to twice the conductance quantum at themore » double Dirac point, a series of ambipolar two-component half-integer Dirac quantum Hall states and an electron-hole total filling factor zero state (with a zero-Hall plateau), exhibiting dissipationless (chiral) and dissipative (non-chiral) edge conduction, respectively. As a result, such a system paves the way to explore rich physics, ranging from topological magnetoelectric effects to exciton condensation.« less

Surface Acoustic Wave Study of Exciton Condensation in Bilayer Quantum Hall Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollanen, J.; Eisenstein, J. P.; Pfeiffer, L. N.; West, K. W.

In bilayer two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) in GaAs a strongly correlated many-electron state forms at low temperature and high magnetic field when the total electron density nT becomes equal to the degeneracy of a single spin split Landau level. This state corresponds to a total filling factor νT = 1 and can be described in terms of pseudospin ferromagnetism, or equivalently, Bose condensation of bilayer excitons. We have simultaneously measured magneto-transport and the propagation of pulsed surface acoustic waves (SAWs) at a frequency of 747 MHz to explore the phase transition between two independent layers at νT = 1 / 2 + 1 / 2 and the correlated state at νT = 1 in a high quality double quantum well device. We tune through this transition by varying the total electron density in our device with front and backside electrostatic gates. We acknowledge funding provided by the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, an NSF Physics Frontiers Center (NFS Grant PHY-1125565) with support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF-12500028).

Topological Insulators in Ternary Compounds with a Honeycomb Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hai-Jun; Chadov, Stanislav; Muchler, Lukas; Yan, Binghai; Qi, Xiao-Liang; Kübler, Jürgen; Zhang, Shou-Cheng; Felser, Claudia

2011-03-01

One of the most exciting subjects in solid state physics is a single layer of graphite which exhibits a variety of unconventional novel properties. The key feature of its electronic structure are linear dispersive bands which cross in a single point at the Fermi energy. This is so-called Dirac cone. The ternary compounds, such as LiAuSe and KHgSb with a honeycomb structure of their Au-Se and Hg-Sb layers feature band inversion very similar to HgTe which is a strong precondition for existence of the topological surface states. These materials exhibit the surface states formed by only a single Dirac cone at the G point together with the small direct band gap opened by a strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the bulk. These materials are centro-symmetric, therefore, it is possible to determine the parity of their wave functions, and hence, their topological character. The work was supported by the supercomputing center at Stanford Institute Materials and Energy Science. The financial support of the DFG/ASPIMATT project (unit 1.2-A) is gratefully acknowledged.

Progress on Implementing Additional Physics Schemes into ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has a team of scientists developing a next generation air quality modeling system employing the Model for Prediction Across Scales – Atmosphere (MPAS-A) as its meteorological foundation. Several preferred physics schemes and options available in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model are regularly used by the USEPA with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model to conduct retrospective air quality simulations. These include the Pleim surface layer, the Pleim-Xiu (PX) land surface model with fractional land use for a 40-class National Land Cover Database (NLCD40), the Asymmetric Convective Model 2 (ACM2) planetary boundary layer scheme, the Kain-Fritsch (KF) convective parameterization with subgrid-scale cloud feedback to the radiation schemes and a scale-aware convective time scale, and analysis nudging four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA). All of these physics modules and options have already been implemented by the USEPA into MPAS-A v4.0, tested, and evaluated (please see the presentations of R. Gilliam and R. Bullock at this workshop). Since the release of MPAS v5.1 in May 2017, work has been under way to implement these preferred physics options into the MPAS-A v5.1 code. Test simulations of a summer month are being conducted on a global variable resolution mesh with the higher resolution cells centered over the contiguous United States. Driving fields for the FDDA and soil nudging are

Manipulation of photons at the surface of three-dimensional photonic crystals.

PubMed

Ishizaki, Kenji; Noda, Susumu

2009-07-16

In three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals, refractive-index variations with a periodicity comparable to the wavelength of the light passing through the crystal give rise to so-called photonic bandgaps, which are analogous to electronic bandgaps for electrons moving in the periodic electrostatic potential of a material's crystal structure. Such 3D photonic bandgap crystals are envisioned to become fundamental building blocks for the control and manipulation of photons in optical circuits. So far, such schemes have been pursued by embedding artificial defects and light emitters inside the crystals, making use of 3D bandgap directional effects. Here we show experimentally that photons can be controlled and manipulated even at the 'surface' of 3D photonic crystals, where 3D periodicity is terminated, establishing a new and versatile route for photon manipulation. By making use of an evanescent-mode coupling technique, we demonstrate that 3D photonic crystals possess two-dimensional surface states, and we map their band structure. We show that photons can be confined and propagate through these two-dimensional surface states, and we realize their localization at arbitrary surface points by designing artificial surface-defect structures through the formation of a surface-mode gap. Surprisingly, the quality factors of the surface-defect mode are the largest reported for 3D photonic crystal nanocavities (Q up to approximately 9,000). In addition to providing a new approach for photon manipulation by photonic crystals, our findings are relevant for the generation and control of plasmon-polaritons in metals and the related surface photon physics. The absorption-free nature of the 3D photonic crystal surface may enable new sensing applications and provide routes for the realization of efficient light-matter interactions.

Quality of water and chemistry of bottom sediment in the Rillito Creek basin, Tucson, Arizona, 1986-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tadayon, Saeid; Smith, C.F.

1994-01-01

Data were collected on physical properties and chemistry of 4 surface water, l4 ground water, and 4 bottom sediment sites in the Rillito Creek basin where artificial recharge of surface runoff is being considered. Concentrations of suspended sediment in streams generally increased with increases in streamflow and were higher during the summer. The surface water is a calcium and bicarbonate type, and the ground water is calcium sodium and bicarbonate type. Total trace ek=nents in surface water that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency primary maximum contaminant levels for drinking-water standards were barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and nickel. Most unfiltered samples for suspended gross alpha as uranium, and unadjusted gross alpha plus gross beta in surface water exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Arizona drinking-water standards. Comparisons of trace- element concentrations in bottom sediment with those in soils of the western conterminous United States generally indicate similar concentrations for most of the trace elements, with the exceptions of scandium and tin. The maximum concentration of total nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen in three ground- samples and total lead in one ground-water sample exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency primary maximum contaminant levels for drinking- water standards, respectively. Seven organochlorine pesticides were detected in surface-water samples and nine in bottom-sediment samples. Three priority pollutants were detected in surface water, two were detected in ground water, and eleven were detected in bottom sediment. Low concentrations of oil and grease were detected in surface-water and bottom- sediment samples.

Does the S.D.E.P. increase performance?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syltebo, Andy

2003-05-01

Through the guidance of the program, "Physical Systems," at The Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington, Andy Syltebo will be investigating how the Surface Drive Enhancement Project will affect the performance of a planing hull powered by surface drive propulsion. A radio controlled model boat of the forementioned design is the prototype vehicle used for experimentation and analysis. The idea of this project revolves around harnessing the energy in the water of a rooster tail ejected from the wake of a surface drive propeller of a boat with a planing hull design. The Surface Drive Enhancement Project (S.D.E.P. for short) is an angled set of adjustable platforms placed in the path of the rooster tail. Theoretically, it experiences the normal force of the water on its surface which, through conservation of momentum, distributes a force on the boat, with which the S.D.E.P. is attached, in both the upwards and forwards directions. This design will be tested and documented to see if it increases forward velocity without sacrificing handling characteristics.

Water levels and groundwater and surface-water exchanges in lakes of the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, Minnesota, 2002 through 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Perry M.; Trost, Jared J.; Erickson, Melinda L.

2016-10-19

OverviewThis study assessed lake-water levels and regional and local groundwater and surface-water exchanges near northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area lakes applying three approaches: statistical analysis, field study, and groundwater-flow modeling.  Statistical analyses of lake levels were completed to assess the effect of physical setting and climate on lake-level fluctuations of selected lakes. A field study of groundwater and surface-water interactions in selected lakes was completed to (1) estimate potential percentages of surface-water contributions to well water across the northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, (2) estimate general ages for waters extracted from the wells, and (3) assess groundwater inflow to lakes and lake-water outflow to aquifers downgradient from White Bear Lake.  Groundwater flow was simulated using a steady-state, groundwater-flow model to assess regional groundwater and surface-water exchanges and the effects of groundwater withdrawals, climate, and other factors on water levels of northeast Twin Cities Metropolitan Area lakes.

Octupolar tensors for liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yannan; Qi, Liqun; Virga, Epifanio G.

2018-01-01

A third-rank three-dimensional symmetric traceless tensor, called the octupolar tensor, has been introduced to study tetrahedratic nematic phases in liquid crystals. The octupolar potential, a scalar-valued function generated on the unit sphere by that tensor, should ideally have four maxima (on the vertices of a tetrahedron), but it was recently found to possess an equally generic variant with three maxima instead of four. It was also shown that the irreducible admissible region for the octupolar tensor in a three-dimensional parameter space is bounded by a dome-shaped surface, beneath which is a separatrix surface connecting the two generic octupolar states. The latter surface, which was obtained through numerical continuation, may be physically interpreted as marking a possible intra-octupolar transition. In this paper, by using the resultant theory of algebraic geometry and the E-characteristic polynomial of spectral theory of tensors, we give a closed-form, algebraic expression for both the dome-shaped surface and the separatrix surface. This turns the envisaged intra-octupolar transition into a quantitative, possibly observable prediction.

Surface Meteorological Station - ANL 10m, (1) Sonics, (1) EBBR, Physics site-3 - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Muradyan, Paytsar

2017-10-23

Sonic anemometers from Physics Site-3 and Site-9 provide wind components and virtual temperature. The energy balance Bowen ratio (EBBR) station at Physics site-3 provides measurements of the surface fluxes of latent and sensible heat, net radiation, and surface soil heat flux.

Surface Meteorological Station - ANL 10m, (1) Sonic, Physics site-9 - Raw Data

DOE Data Explorer

Muradyan, Paytsar

2017-10-23

Sonic anemometers from Physics Site-3 and Site-9 provide wind components and virtual temperature. The energy balance Bowen ratio (EBBR) station at Physics site-3 provides measurements of the surface fluxes of latent and sensible heat, net radiation, and surface soil heat flux.

Surface Meteorological Station - ANL 10m, (1) Sonics, (1) EBBR, Physics site-3 - Reviewed Data

DOE Data Explorer

Muradyan, Paytsar

2018-03-14

Sonic anemometers from Physics Site-3 and Site-9 provide wind components and virtual temperature. The energy balance Bowen ratio (EBBR) station at Physics site-3 provides measurements of the surface fluxes of latent and sensible heat, net radiation, and surface soil heat flux.

Surface Meteorological Station - ANL 10m, (1) Sonic, Physics site-9 - Reviewed Data

DOE Data Explorer

Muradyan, Paytsar

2018-03-14

Sonic anemometers from Physics Site-3 and Site-9 provide wind components and virtual temperature. The energy balance Bowen ratio (EBBR) station at Physics site-3 provides measurements of the surface fluxes of latent and sensible heat, net radiation, and surface soil heat flux.

Superconducting quantum circuits at the surface code threshold for fault tolerance.

PubMed

Barends, R; Kelly, J; Megrant, A; Veitia, A; Sank, D; Jeffrey, E; White, T C; Mutus, J; Fowler, A G; Campbell, B; Chen, Y; Chen, Z; Chiaro, B; Dunsworth, A; Neill, C; O'Malley, P; Roushan, P; Vainsencher, A; Wenner, J; Korotkov, A N; Cleland, A N; Martinis, John M

2014-04-24

A quantum computer can solve hard problems, such as prime factoring, database searching and quantum simulation, at the cost of needing to protect fragile quantum states from error. Quantum error correction provides this protection by distributing a logical state among many physical quantum bits (qubits) by means of quantum entanglement. Superconductivity is a useful phenomenon in this regard, because it allows the construction of large quantum circuits and is compatible with microfabrication. For superconducting qubits, the surface code approach to quantum computing is a natural choice for error correction, because it uses only nearest-neighbour coupling and rapidly cycled entangling gates. The gate fidelity requirements are modest: the per-step fidelity threshold is only about 99 per cent. Here we demonstrate a universal set of logic gates in a superconducting multi-qubit processor, achieving an average single-qubit gate fidelity of 99.92 per cent and a two-qubit gate fidelity of up to 99.4 per cent. This places Josephson quantum computing at the fault-tolerance threshold for surface code error correction. Our quantum processor is a first step towards the surface code, using five qubits arranged in a linear array with nearest-neighbour coupling. As a further demonstration, we construct a five-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state using the complete circuit and full set of gates. The results demonstrate that Josephson quantum computing is a high-fidelity technology, with a clear path to scaling up to large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum circuits.

Impacts of spectral nudging on the simulated surface air temperature in summer compared with the selection of shortwave radiation and land surface model physics parameterization in a high-resolution regional atmospheric model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jun; Hwang, Seung-On

2017-11-01

The impact of a spectral nudging technique for the dynamical downscaling of the summer surface air temperature in a high-resolution regional atmospheric model is assessed. The performance of this technique is measured by comparing 16 analysis-driven simulation sets of physical parameterization combinations of two shortwave radiation and four land surface model schemes of the model, which are known to be crucial for the simulation of the surface air temperature. It is found that the application of spectral nudging to the outermost domain has a greater impact on the regional climate than any combination of shortwave radiation and land surface model physics schemes. The optimal choice of two model physics parameterizations is helpful for obtaining more realistic spatiotemporal distributions of land surface variables such as the surface air temperature, precipitation, and surface fluxes. However, employing spectral nudging adds more value to the results; the improvement is greater than using sophisticated shortwave radiation and land surface model physical parameterizations. This result indicates that spectral nudging applied to the outermost domain provides a more accurate lateral boundary condition to the innermost domain when forced by analysis data by securing the consistency with large-scale forcing over a regional domain. This consequently indirectly helps two physical parameterizations to produce small-scale features closer to the observed values, leading to a better representation of the surface air temperature in a high-resolution downscaled climate.

All the adiabatic bound states of NO{sub 2}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salzgeber, R.F.; Mandelshtam, V.; Schlier, C.

1998-07-01

We calculated all 2967 even and odd bound states of the adiabatic ground state of NO{sub 2}, using a modification of the abthinspinitio potential energy surface of Leonardi {ital et al.} [J. Chem. Phys. {bold 105}, 9051 (1996)]. The calculation was performed by harmonic inversion of the Chebyshev correlation function generated by a DVR Hamiltonian in Radau coordinates. The relative error for the computed eigenenergies (measured from the potential minimum), is 10{sup {minus}4} or better, corresponding to an absolute error of less than about 2.5thinspcm{sup {minus}1}. Near the dissociation threshold the average density of states is about 0.2/cm{sup {minus}1} formore » each symmetry. Statistical analysis of the states shows some interesting structure of the rigidity parameter {Delta}{sub 3} as a function of energy. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Full Monte-Carlo description of the Moscow State University Extensive Air Shower experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fomin, Yu. A.; Kalmykov, N. N.; Karpikov, I. S.; Kulikov, G. V.; Kuznetsov, M. Yu.; Rubtsov, G. I.; Sulakov, V. P.; Troitsky, S. V.

2016-08-01

The Moscow State University Extensive Air Shower (EAS-MSU) array studied high-energy cosmic rays with primary energies ~ (1-500) PeV in the Northern hemisphere. The EAS-MSU data are being revisited following recently found indications to an excess of muonless showers, which may be interpreted as the first observation of cosmic gamma rays at ~ 100 PeV. In this paper, we present a complete Monte-Carlo model of the surface detector which results in a good agreement between data and simulations. The model allows us to study the performance of the detector and will be used to obtain physical results in further studies.

Modeling and simulation of protein-surface interactions: achievements and challenges.

PubMed

Ozboyaci, Musa; Kokh, Daria B; Corni, Stefano; Wade, Rebecca C

2016-01-01

Understanding protein-inorganic surface interactions is central to the rational design of new tools in biomaterial sciences, nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. Although a significant amount of experimental research on protein adsorption onto solid substrates has been reported, many aspects of the recognition and interaction mechanisms of biomolecules and inorganic surfaces are still unclear. Theoretical modeling and simulations provide complementary approaches for experimental studies, and they have been applied for exploring protein-surface binding mechanisms, the determinants of binding specificity towards different surfaces, as well as the thermodynamics and kinetics of adsorption. Although the general computational approaches employed to study the dynamics of proteins and materials are similar, the models and force-fields (FFs) used for describing the physical properties and interactions of material surfaces and biological molecules differ. In particular, FF and water models designed for use in biomolecular simulations are often not directly transferable to surface simulations and vice versa. The adsorption events span a wide range of time- and length-scales that vary from nanoseconds to days, and from nanometers to micrometers, respectively, rendering the use of multi-scale approaches unavoidable. Further, changes in the atomic structure of material surfaces that can lead to surface reconstruction, and in the structure of proteins that can result in complete denaturation of the adsorbed molecules, can create many intermediate structural and energetic states that complicate sampling. In this review, we address the challenges posed to theoretical and computational methods in achieving accurate descriptions of the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of protein-surface systems. In this context, we discuss the applicability of different modeling and simulation techniques ranging from quantum mechanics through all-atom molecular mechanics to coarse-grained approaches. We examine uses of different sampling methods, as well as free energy calculations. Furthermore, we review computational studies of protein-surface interactions and discuss the successes and limitations of current approaches.

Surface and Atmospheric Contributions to Passive Microwave Brightness Temperatures for Falling Snow Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skofronick-Jackson, Gail; Johnson, Benjamin T.

2011-01-01

Physically based passive microwave precipitation retrieval algorithms require a set of relationships between satellite -observed brightness temperatures (TBs) and the physical state of the underlying atmosphere and surface. These relationships are nonlinear, such that inversions are ill ]posed especially over variable land surfaces. In order to elucidate these relationships, this work presents a theoretical analysis using TB weighting functions to quantify the percentage influence of the TB resulting from absorption, emission, and/or reflection from the surface, as well as from frozen hydrometeors in clouds, from atmospheric water vapor, and from other contributors. The percentage analysis was also compared to Jacobians. The results are presented for frequencies from 10 to 874 GHz, for individual snow profiles, and for averages over three cloud-resolving model simulations of falling snow. The bulk structure (e.g., ice water path and cloud depth) of the underlying cloud scene was found to affect the resultant TB and percentages, producing different values for blizzard, lake effect, and synoptic snow events. The slant path at a 53 viewing angle increases the hydrometeor contributions relative to nadir viewing channels. Jacobians provide the magnitude and direction of change in the TB values due to a change in the underlying scene; however, the percentage analysis provides detailed information on how that change affected contributions to the TB from the surface, hydrometeors, and water vapor. The TB percentage information presented in this paper provides information about the relative contributions to the TB and supplies key pieces of information required to develop and improve precipitation retrievals over land surfaces.

Self-organization of the earth's biosphere-geochemical or geophysiological?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartzman, David W.; Shore, Steven N.; Volk, Tyler; Mcmenamin, Mark

1994-01-01

We explore the implications of indicating the biosphere's self-organization by the trend over time of the net entropic flow from the Earth's surface, the actual physical boundary of virtually all biotic mass. This flow, derived from the radiative surface entropy budget, is approximately inversely related to the surface temperature when the solar incident flux remains constant. In the geophysiological ('gaian') interpretation, biospheric self-organization has increased with the progressive colonization of the continents and evolutionary developments in the land biota, as a result of surface cooling arising from biotic enhancement of weathering. The key site for this self-organization is at the interface between land and atmosphere, the soil, where carbon is sequestered by its reaction (as carbonic and organic acids) with calcium magnesium silicates. Along with disequilibrium (steady-state) levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the occurrence of differentiated soil is the critical material evidence for biospheric self-organization, whether it be geophysiological or geochemical (ie., purely result of inorganic reactions). The computed equilibrium levels of carbon dioxide and corresponding equilibrium temperatures in the past are dramatically different from the steady-state levels. With future solar luminosity increase, the biospheric capacity for climatic regulation will decrease, leading to the ending of self-organization some two billion years from now. The Earth's surface will then approach chemical equilibrium with respect to the carbonate-silicate cycle.

Conformational epitopes at cadherin calcium-binding sites and p120-catenin phosphorylation regulate cell adhesion

PubMed Central

Petrova, Yuliya I.; Spano, MarthaJoy M.; Gumbiner, Barry M.

2012-01-01

We investigated changes in cadherin structure at the cell surface that regulate its adhesive activity. Colo 205 cells are nonadhesive cells with a full but inactive complement of E-cadherin–catenin complexes at the cell surface, but they can be triggered to adhere and form monolayers. We were able to distinguish the inactive and active states of E-cadherin at the cell surface by using a special set of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Another set of mAbs binds E-cadherin and strongly activates adhesion. In other epithelial cell types these activating mAbs inhibit growth factor–induced down-regulation of adhesion and epithelial morphogenesis, indicating that these phenomena are also controlled by E-cadherin activity at the cell surface. Both types of mAbs recognize conformational epitopes at different interfaces between extracellular cadherin repeat domains (ECs), especially near calcium-binding sites. Activation also induces p120-catenin dephosphorylation, as well as changes in the cadherin cytoplasmic domain. Moreover, phospho-site mutations indicate that dephosphorylation of specific Ser/Thr residues in the N-terminal domain of p120-catenin mediate adhesion activation. Thus physiological regulation of the adhesive state of E-cadherin involves physical and/or conformational changes in the EC interface regions of the ectodomain at the cell surface that are mediated by catenin-associated changes across the membrane. PMID:22513089

Entropy as a collective variable

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parrinello, Michele

Sampling complex free energy surfaces that exhibit long lived metastable states separated by kinetic bottlenecks is one of the most pressing issues in the atomistic simulations of matter. Not surprisingly many solutions to this problem have been suggested. Many of them are based on the identification of appropriate collective variables that span the manifold of the slow varying modes of the system. While much effort has been put in devising and even constructing on the fly appropriate collective variables there is still a cogent need of introducing simple, generic, physically transparent, and yet effective collective variables. Motivated by the physical observation that in many case transitions between one metastable state and another result from a trade off between enthalpy and entropy we introduce appropriate collective variables that are able to represent in a simple way these two physical properties. We use these variables in the context of the recently introduced variationally enhanced sampling and apply it them with success to the simulation of crystallization from the liquid and to conformational transitions in protein. Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, and Facolta' di Informatica, Istituto di Scienze Computazionali, Universita' della Svizzera Italiana, Via G. Buffi 13, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland.

Nanosecond laser coloration on stainless steel surface.

PubMed

Lu, Yan; Shi, Xinying; Huang, Zhongjia; Li, Taohai; Zhang, Meng; Czajkowski, Jakub; Fabritius, Tapio; Huttula, Marko; Cao, Wei

2017-08-02

In this work, we present laser coloration on 304 stainless steel using nanosecond laser. Surface modifications are tuned by adjusting laser parameters of scanning speed, repetition rate, and pulse width. A comprehensive study of the physical mechanism leading to the appearance is presented. Microscopic patterns are measured and employed as input to simulate light-matter interferences, while chemical states and crystal structures of composites to figure out intrinsic colors. Quantitative analysis clarifies the final colors and RGB values are the combinations of structural colors and intrinsic colors from the oxidized pigments, with the latter dominating. Therefore, the engineering and scientific insights of nanosecond laser coloration highlight large-scale utilization of the present route for colorful and resistant steels.

Defining reactive sites on hydrated mineral surfaces: Rhombohedral carbonate minerals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villegas-Jiménez, Adrián; Mucci, Alfonso; Pokrovsky, Oleg S.; Schott, Jacques

2009-08-01

Despite the success of surface complexation models (SCMs) to interpret the adsorptive properties of mineral surfaces, their construct is sometimes incompatible with fundamental chemical and/or physical constraints, and thus, casts doubts on the physical-chemical significance of the derived model parameters. In this paper, we address the definition of primary surface sites (i.e., adsorption units) at hydrated carbonate mineral surfaces and discuss its implications to the formulation and calibration of surface equilibria for these minerals. Given the abundance of experimental and theoretical information on the structural properties of the hydrated (10.4) cleavage calcite surface, this mineral was chosen for a detailed theoretical analysis of critical issues relevant to the definition of primary surface sites. Accordingly, a single, generic charge-neutral surface site ( tbnd CaCO 3·H 2O 0) is defined for this mineral whereupon mass-action expressions describing adsorption equilibria were formulated. The one-site scheme, analogous to previously postulated descriptions of metal oxide surfaces, allows for a simple, yet realistic, molecular representation of surface reactions and provides a generalized reference state suitable for the calculation of sorption equilibria for rhombohedral carbonate minerals via Law of Mass Action (LMA) and Gibbs Energy Minimization (GEM) approaches. The one-site scheme is extended to other rhombohedral carbonate minerals and tested against published experimental data for magnesite and dolomite in aqueous solutions. A simplified SCM based on this scheme can successfully reproduce surface charge, reasonably simulate the electrokinetic behavior of these minerals, and predict surface speciation agreeing with available spectroscopic data. According to this model, a truly amphoteric behavior is displayed by these surfaces across the pH scale but at circum-neutral pH (5.8-8.2) and relatively high ΣCO 2 (⩾1 mM), proton/bicarbonate co-adsorption becomes important and leads to the formation of a charge-neutral H 2CO 3-like surface species which may largely account for the surface charge-buffering behavior and the relatively wide range of pH values of isoelectric points (pH iep) reported in the literature for these minerals.

Maximal Rashba-like spin splitting via kinetic-energy-coupled inversion-symmetry breaking.

PubMed

Sunko, Veronika; Rosner, H; Kushwaha, P; Khim, S; Mazzola, F; Bawden, L; Clark, O J; Riley, J M; Kasinathan, D; Haverkort, M W; Kim, T K; Hoesch, M; Fujii, J; Vobornik, I; Mackenzie, A P; King, P D C

2017-09-27

Engineering and enhancing the breaking of inversion symmetry in solids-that is, allowing electrons to differentiate between 'up' and 'down'-is a key goal in condensed-matter physics and materials science because it can be used to stabilize states that are of fundamental interest and also have potential practical applications. Examples include improved ferroelectrics for memory devices and materials that host Majorana zero modes for quantum computing. Although inversion symmetry is naturally broken in several crystalline environments, such as at surfaces and interfaces, maximizing the influence of this effect on the electronic states of interest remains a challenge. Here we present a mechanism for realizing a much larger coupling of inversion-symmetry breaking to itinerant surface electrons than is typically achieved. The key element is a pronounced asymmetry of surface hopping energies-that is, a kinetic-energy-coupled inversion-symmetry breaking, the energy scale of which is a substantial fraction of the bandwidth. Using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we demonstrate that such a strong inversion-symmetry breaking, when combined with spin-orbit interactions, can mediate Rashba-like spin splittings that are much larger than would typically be expected. The energy scale of the inversion-symmetry breaking that we achieve is so large that the spin splitting in the CoO 2 - and RhO 2 -derived surface states of delafossite oxides becomes controlled by the full atomic spin-orbit coupling of the 3d and 4d transition metals, resulting in some of the largest known Rashba-like spin splittings. The core structural building blocks that facilitate the bandwidth-scaled inversion-symmetry breaking are common to numerous materials. Our findings therefore provide opportunities for creating spin-textured states and suggest routes to interfacial control of inversion-symmetry breaking in designer heterostructures of oxides and other material classes.

Landscape-scale soil moisture heterogeneity and its influence on surface fluxes at the Jornada LTER site: Evaluating a new model parameterization for subgrid-scale soil moisture variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, I. T.; Prihodko, L.; Vivoni, E. R.; Denning, A. S.

2017-12-01

Arid and semiarid regions represent a large fraction of global land, with attendant importance of surface energy and trace gas flux to global totals. These regions are characterized by strong seasonality, especially in precipitation, that defines the level of ecosystem stress. Individual plants have been observed to respond non-linearly to increasing soil moisture stress, where plant function is generally maintained as soils dry down to a threshold at which rapid closure of stomates occurs. Incorporating this nonlinear mechanism into landscape-scale models can result in unrealistic binary "on-off" behavior that is especially problematic in arid landscapes. Subsequently, models have `relaxed' their simulation of soil moisture stress on evapotranspiration (ET). Unfortunately, these relaxations are not physically based, but are imposed upon model physics as a means to force a more realistic response. Previously, we have introduced a new method to represent soil moisture regulation of ET, whereby the landscape is partitioned into `BINS' of soil moisture wetness, each associated with a fractional area of the landscape or grid cell. A physically- and observationally-based nonlinear soil moisture stress function is applied, but when convolved with the relative area distribution represented by wetness BINS the system has the emergent property of `smoothing' the landscape-scale response without the need for non-physical impositions on model physics. In this research we confront BINS simulations of Bowen ratio, soil moisture variability and trace gas flux with soil moisture and eddy covariance observations taken at the Jornada LTER dryland site in southern New Mexico. We calculate the mean annual wetting cycle and associated variability about the mean state and evaluate model performance against this variability and time series of land surface fluxes from the highly instrumented Tromble Weir watershed. The BINS simulations capture the relatively rapid reaction to wetting events and more prolonged response to drying cycles, as opposed to binary behavior in the control.

Antibacterial Metallic Touch Surfaces

PubMed Central

Villapún, Victor M.; Dover, Lynn G.; Cross, Andrew; González, Sergio

2016-01-01

Our aim is to present a comprehensive review of the development of modern antibacterial metallic materials as touch surfaces in healthcare settings. Initially we compare Japanese, European and US standards for the assessment of antimicrobial activity. The variations in methodologies defined in these standards are highlighted. Our review will also cover the most relevant factors that define the antimicrobial performance of metals, namely, the effect of humidity, material geometry, chemistry, physical properties and oxidation of the material. The state of the art in contact-killing materials will be described. Finally, the effect of cleaning products, including disinfectants, on the antimicrobial performance, either by direct contact or by altering the touch surface chemistry on which the microbes attach, will be discussed. We offer our outlook, identifying research areas that require further development and an overview of potential future directions of this exciting field. PMID:28773856

Agglomeration dynamics of germanium islands on a silicon oxide substrate: A grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheynis, F.; Leroy, F.; Passanante, T.; Müller, P.

2013-04-01

Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction techniques are used to characterise the thermally induced solid-state dewetting of Ge(001) thin films leading to the formation of 3D Ge islands. A quantitative analysis based on the Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami model is derived. The main physical parameters controlling the dewetting (activation energy and kinetic pre-factors) are determined. Assuming that the dewetting is driven by surface/interface minimisation and limited by surface diffusion, the Ge surface self-diffusion reads as Ds ,0c0 e-Ea/(kBT) ˜3×1018 e-2.6±0.3eV/(kBT) nm2/s. GISAXS technique enables to reconstruct the mean Ge-island shape, including facets.

Coupled wave-packets for non-adiabatic molecular dynamics: a generalization of Gaussian wave-packet dynamics to multiple potential energy surfaces

DOE PAGES

White, Alexander James; Tretiak, Sergei; Mozyrsky, Dima V.

2016-04-25

Accurate simulation of the non-adiabatic dynamics of molecules in excited electronic states is key to understanding molecular photo-physical processes. Here we present a novel method, based on a semiclassical approximation, that is as efficient as the commonly used mean field Ehrenfest or ad hoc surface hopping methods and properly accounts for interference and decoherence effects. This novel method is an extension of Heller's thawed Gaussian wave-packet dynamics that includes coupling between potential energy surfaces. By studying several standard test problems we demonstrate that the accuracy of the method can be systematically improved while maintaining high efficiency. The method is suitablemore » for investigating the role of quantum coherence in the non-adiabatic dynamics of many-atom molecules.« less

Interior and its implications for the atmosphere. [effects of Titan interior structure on its atmospheric composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, J. S.

1974-01-01

The bulk composition and interior structure of Titan required to explain the presence of a substantial methane atmosphere are shown to imply the presence of solid CH4 - 7H2O in Titan's primitive material. Consideration of the possible composition and structure of the present atmosphere shows plausible grounds for considering models with total atmospheric pressures ranging from approximately 20 mb up to approximately 1 kb. Expectations regarding the physical state of the surface and its chemical composition are strongly conditioned by the mass of atmosphere believed to be present. A surface of solid CH4, liquid CH4 solid, CH4 hydrate, H2O ice, aqueous NH3 solution, or even a non-surface of supercritical H2O-NH3-CH4 fluid could be rationalized.

Numerical Simulations of Granular Physics in the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballouz, Ronald

2017-08-01

Granular physics is a sub-discipline of physics that attempts to combine principles that have been developed for both solid-state physics and engineering (such as soil mechanics) with fluid dynamics in order to formulate a coherent theory for the description of granular materials, which are found in both terrestrial (e.g., earthquakes, landslides, and pharmaceuticals) and extra-terrestrial settings (e.g., asteroids surfaces, asteroid interiors, and planetary ring systems). In the case of our solar system, the growth of this sub-discipline has been key in helping to interpret the formation, structure, and evolution of both asteroids and planetary rings. It is difficult to develop a deterministic theory for granular materials due to the fact that granular systems are composed of a large number of elements that interact through a non-linear combination of various forces (mechanical, gravitational, and electrostatic, for example) leading to a high degree of stochasticity. Hence, we study these environments using an N-body code, pkdgrav, that is able to simulate the gravitational, collisional, and cohesive interactions of grains. Using pkdgrav, I have studied the size segregation on asteroid surfaces due to seismic shaking (the Brazil-nut effect), the interaction of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission sampling head, TAGSAM, with the surface of the asteroid Bennu, the collisional disruptions of rubble-pile asteroids, and the formation of structure in Saturn's rings. In all of these scenarios, I have found that the evolution of a granular system depends sensitively on the intrinsic properties of the individual grains (size, shape, sand surface roughness). For example, through our simulations, we have been able to determine relationships between regolith properties and the amount of surface penetration a spacecraft achieves upon landing. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that this relationship also depends on the strength of the local gravity. By comparing our numerical results to laboratory experiments and observations by spacecraft we can begin to understand which microscopic properties (i.e., grain properties) control the macroscopic properties of the system. For example, we can compare the mechanical response of a spacecraft to landing or Cassini observations of Saturn's ring to understand how the penetration depth of a spacecraft or the complex optical depth structure of a ring system depends on the size and surface properties of the grains in those systems.

Novel Quantum States with Exotic Spin Properties - Unconventional Generalization of Magnetism

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-30

including journal references, in the following categories: PaperReceived Wei-Cheng Lee, D. P. Arovas, Congjun Wu. Quasiparticle interference in the...Zhang. Quasiparticle interference on the surface of the topological insulator Bi2Te3, Physical Review B, (12 2009): . doi: 2010/01/29 14:52:09 7 W... quasiparticle excitations. A successful observation of such mode will be a demonstration of the completion between s± and dx2−y2 pairings. 4.2

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers prepare NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft for transfer to a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers prepare NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft for transfer to a work stand. There employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers begin moving NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft into the building MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - is being taken into a high bay clean room where employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers begin moving NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft into the building MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - is being taken into a high bay clean room where employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, a lift begins lowering NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft onto the ground. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be taken into a high bay clean room and employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, a lift begins lowering NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft onto the ground. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be taken into a high bay clean room and employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers get ready to remove the protective cover from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft. Employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the high bay clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers get ready to remove the protective cover from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft. Employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers check the moveable pallet holding NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be taken into a high bay clean room and employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-03-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Astrotech Space Operations processing facilities near KSC, workers check the moveable pallet holding NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft. MESSENGER - short for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging - will be taken into a high bay clean room and employees of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, builders of the spacecraft, will perform an initial state-of-health check. Then processing for launch can begin, including checkout of the power systems, communications systems and control systems. The thermal blankets will also be attached for flight. MESSENGER will be launched May 11 on a six-year mission aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is targeted for 2:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 11.

The Key Ingredients of the Electronic Structure of FeSe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coldea, Amalia I.; Watson, Matthew D.

2018-03-01

FeSe is a fascinating superconducting material at the frontier of research in condensed matter physics. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of the electronic structure of FeSe, focusing in particular on its low-energy electronic structure as determined from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, quantum oscillations, and magnetotransport measurements of single-crystal samples. We discuss the unique place of FeSe among iron-based superconductors, as it is a multiband system exhibiting strong orbitally dependent electronic correlations and unusually small Fermi surfaces and is prone to different electronic instabilities. We pay particular attention to the evolution of the electronic structure that accompanies the tetragonal-orthorhombic structural distortion of the lattice around 90 K, which stabilizes a unique nematic electronic state. Finally, we discuss how the multiband multiorbital nematic electronic structure impacts our understanding of the superconductivity, and show that the tunability of the nematic state with chemical and physical pressure helps to disentangle the role of different competing interactions relevant for enhancing superconductivity.

X-ray studies of neutron stars and their magnetic fields

PubMed Central

MAKISHIMA, Kazuo

2016-01-01

Utilizing results obtained over the past quarter century mainly with Japanese X-ray astronomy satellites, a review is given to some aspects of neutron stars (NSs), with a particular emphasis on the magnetic fields (MFs) of mass-accreting NSs and magnetars. Measurements of electron cyclotron resonance features in binary X-ray pulsars, using the Ginga and Suzaku observatories, clarified that their surface MFs are concentrated in a narrow range of (1–7) × 108 T. Extensive studies of magnetars with Suzaku reinforced their nature as neutron stars with truly strong MFs, and revealed several important clues to their formation, evolution, and physical states. Taking all these results into account, a discussion is made on the origin and evolution of these strong MFs. One possible scenario is that the MF of NSs is a manifestation of some fundamental physics, e.g., neutron spin alignment or chirality violation, and the MF makes transitions from strong to weak states. PMID:27169348

Detecting Life and Biology-Related Parameters on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levin, Gilbet V.; Miller, Joseph D.; Straat, Patricia A.; Lodder, Robert; Hoover, Richard B.

2007-01-01

An integrated, miniaturized, low-power instrument capable of the detection and early characterization of microbial life in the soil of Mars is proposed. Based on the detection apd monitoring of on-going metabolism as being the surest evidence for extant life, the experiments will probe for chirality in metabolism, for circadian rhythm, and for photosynthesis. However, the instrument package will also be able to detect biosignatures and a variety of other physical and chemical parameters of the Martian surface that have significance for life. These include the presence and the physical state of water, the existence of an oxidant, the pH and the penetrability of the soil. Using the legacy of the 1976 Viking Labeled Release (LR) life detection experiment in conjunction with state-of-the-art laser diode spectral analysis, the instrument can be flown stand-alone, with or without a rover, or as part of an MSL-type mission. Sterility for experiment integrity and for planetary protection is provided.

Efficient physics-based tracking of heart surface motion for beating heart surgery robotic systems.

PubMed

Bogatyrenko, Evgeniya; Pompey, Pascal; Hanebeck, Uwe D

2011-05-01

Tracking of beating heart motion in a robotic surgery system is required for complex cardiovascular interventions. A heart surface motion tracking method is developed, including a stochastic physics-based heart surface model and an efficient reconstruction algorithm. The algorithm uses the constraints provided by the model that exploits the physical characteristics of the heart. The main advantage of the model is that it is more realistic than most standard heart models. Additionally, no explicit matching between the measurements and the model is required. The application of meshless methods significantly reduces the complexity of physics-based tracking. Based on the stochastic physical model of the heart surface, this approach considers the motion of the intervention area and is robust to occlusions and reflections. The tracking algorithm is evaluated in simulations and experiments on an artificial heart. Providing higher accuracy than the standard model-based methods, it successfully copes with occlusions and provides high performance even when all measurements are not available. Combining the physical and stochastic description of the heart surface motion ensures physically correct and accurate prediction. Automatic initialization of the physics-based cardiac motion tracking enables system evaluation in a clinical environment.

Comparison of progressive addition lenses by direct measurement of surface shape.

PubMed

Huang, Ching-Yao; Raasch, Thomas W; Yi, Allen Y; Bullimore, Mark A

2013-06-01

To compare the optical properties of five state-of-the-art progressive addition lenses (PALs) by direct physical measurement of surface shape. Five contemporary freeform PALs (Varilux Comfort Enhanced, Varilux Physio Enhanced, Hoya Lifestyle, Shamir Autograph, and Zeiss Individual) with plano distance power and a +2.00-diopter add were measured with a coordinate measuring machine. The front and back surface heights were physically measured, and the optical properties of each surface, and their combination, were calculated with custom MATLAB routines. Surface shape was described as the sum of Zernike polynomials. Progressive addition lenses were represented as contour plots of spherical equivalent power, cylindrical power, and higher order aberrations (HOAs). Maximum power rate, minimum 1.00-DC corridor width, percentage of lens area with less than 1.00 DC, and root mean square of HOAs were also compared. Comfort Enhanced and Physio Enhanced have freeform front surfaces, Shamir Autograph and Zeiss Individual have freeform back surfaces, and Hoya Lifestyle has freeform properties on both surfaces. However, the overall optical properties are similar, regardless of the lens design. The maximum power rate is between 0.08 and 0.12 diopters per millimeter and the minimum corridor width is between 8 and 11 mm. For a 40-mm lens diameter, the percentage of lens area with less than 1.00 DC is between 64 and 76%. The third-order Zernike terms are the dominant high-order terms in HOAs (78 to 93% of overall shape variance). Higher order aberrations are higher along the corridor area and around the near zone. The maximum root mean square of HOAs based on a 4.5-mm pupil size around the corridor area is between 0.05 and 0.06 µm. This nonoptical method using a coordinate measuring machine can be used to evaluate a PAL by surface height measurements, with the optical properties directly related to its front and back surface designs.

Energy flow and energy dissipation in a free surface.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldburg, Walter; Cressman, John

2005-11-01

Turbulent flows on a free surface are strongly compressible [1] and do not conserve energy in the absence of viscosity as bulk fluids do. Despite violation of assumptions essential to Kolmogorov's theory of 1941 (K41) [2, 3], surface flows show strong agreement with Kolmogorov scaling, though intermittency is larger there. Steady state turbulence is generated in a tank of water, and the spatially averaged energy flux is measured from the four-fifth's law at each instant of time. Likewise, the energy dissipation rate as measured from velocity gradients is also a random variable in this experiment. The energy flux - dissipation rate cross-correlation is measured to be correlated in incompressible bulk flows, but strongly anti-correlated on the surface. We argue that the reason for this discrepancy between surface and bulk flows is due to compressible effects present on the surface. [1] J. R. Cressman, J. Davoudi, W. I. Goldburg, and J. Schumacher, New Journal of Physics, 6, 53, 2004. [2] U. Frisch. Turbulence: The legacy of A. N. Kolmogorov, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995. [3] A. N. Kolmogorov, Doklady Akad. Nauk SSSR, 32, 16, 1941.

Condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces: the role of local energy barriers and structure length scale.

PubMed

Enright, Ryan; Miljkovic, Nenad; Al-Obeidi, Ahmed; Thompson, Carl V; Wang, Evelyn N

2012-10-09

Water condensation on surfaces is a ubiquitous phase-change process that plays a crucial role in nature and across a range of industrial applications, including energy production, desalination, and environmental control. Nanotechnology has created opportunities to manipulate this process through the precise control of surface structure and chemistry, thus enabling the biomimicry of natural surfaces, such as the leaves of certain plant species, to realize superhydrophobic condensation. However, this "bottom-up" wetting process is inadequately described using typical global thermodynamic analyses and remains poorly understood. In this work, we elucidate, through imaging experiments on surfaces with structure length scales ranging from 100 nm to 10 μm and wetting physics, how local energy barriers are essential to understand non-equilibrium condensed droplet morphologies and demonstrate that overcoming these barriers via nucleation-mediated droplet-droplet interactions leads to the emergence of wetting states not predicted by scale-invariant global thermodynamic analysis. This mechanistic understanding offers insight into the role of surface-structure length scale, provides a quantitative basis for designing surfaces optimized for condensation in engineered systems, and promises insight into ice formation on surfaces that initiates with the condensation of subcooled water.

Surface insulating properties of titanium implanted alumina ceramics by plasma immersion ion implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Mingdong; Song, Falun; Li, Fei; Jin, Xiao; Wang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Langping

2017-09-01

The insulating property of the alumina ceramic in vacuum under high voltage is mainly limited by its surface properties. Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) is an effective method to modify the surface chemical and physical properties of the alumina ceramic. In order to improve the surface flashover voltage of the alumina ceramic in vacuum, titanium ions with an energy of about 20 keV were implanted into the surface of the alumina ceramic using the PIII method. The surface properties of the as-implanted samples, such as the chemical states of the titanium, morphology and surface resistivity, were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and electrometer, respectively. The surface flashover voltages of the as-implanted alumina samples were measured by a vacuum surface flashover experimental system. The XPS spectra revealed that a compound of Ti, TiO2 and Al2O3 was formed in the inner surface of the alumina sample. The electrometer results showed that the surface resistivity of the implanted alumina decreased with increased implantation time. In addition, after the titanium ion implantation, the maximum hold-off voltage of alumina was increased to 38.4 kV, which was 21.5% higher than that of the unimplanted alumina ceramic.

Comprehensive mechanism and structure-sensitivity of ethanol oxidation on platinum: new transition-state searching method for resolving the complex reaction network.

PubMed

Wang, Hui-Fang; Liu, Zhi-Pan

2008-08-20

Ethanol oxidation on Pt is a typical multistep and multiselectivity heterogeneous catalytic process. A comprehensive understanding of this fundamental reaction would greatly benefit design of catalysts for use in direct ethanol fuel cells and the degradation of biomass-derived oxygenates. In this work, the reaction network of ethanol oxidation on different Pt surfaces, including close-packed Pt{111}, stepped Pt{211}, and open Pt{100}, is explored thoroughly with an efficient reaction path searching method, which integrates our new transition-state searching technique with periodic density functional theory calculations. Our new technique enables the location of the transition state and saddle points for most surface reactions simply and efficiently by optimization of local minima. We show that the selectivity of ethanol oxidation on Pt depends markedly on the surface structure, which can be attributed to the structure-sensitivity of two key reaction steps: (i) the initial dehydrogenation of ethanol and (ii) the oxidation of acetyl (CH3CO). On open surface sites, ethanol prefers C-C bond cleavage via strongly adsorbed intermediates (CH2CO or CHCO), which leads to complete oxidation to CO2. However, only partial oxidizations to CH3CHO and CH3COOH occur on Pt{111}. Our mechanism points out that the open surface Pt{100} is the best facet to fully oxidize ethanol at low coverages, which sheds light on the origin of the remarkable catalytic performance of Pt tetrahexahedra nanocrystals found recently. The physical origin of the structure-selectivity is rationalized in terms of both thermodynamics and kinetics. Two fundamental quantities that dictate the selectivity of ethanol oxidation are identified: (i) the ability of surface metal atoms to bond with unsaturated C-containing fragments and (ii) the relative stability of hydroxyl at surface atop sites with respect to other sites.

GFDL's ESM2 global coupled climate-carbon Earth System Models. Part I: physical formulation and baseline simulation characteristics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dunne, John P.; John, Jasmin G.; Adcroft, Alistair J.; Griffies, Stephen M.; Hallberg, Robert W.; Shevalikova, Elena; Stouffer, Ronald J.; Cooke, William; Dunne, Krista A.; Harrison, Matthew J.; Krasting, John P.; Malyshev, Sergey L.; Milly, P.C.D.; Phillipps, Peter J.; Sentman, Lori A.; Samuels, Bonita L.; Spelman, Michael J.; Winton, Michael; Wittenberg, Andrew T.; Zadeh, Niki

2012-01-01

We describe the physical climate formulation and simulation characteristics of two new global coupled carbon-climate Earth System Models, ESM2M and ESM2G. These models demonstrate similar climate fidelity as the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory's previous CM2.1 climate model while incorporating explicit and consistent carbon dynamics. The two models differ exclusively in the physical ocean component; ESM2M uses Modular Ocean Model version 4.1 with vertical pressure layers while ESM2G uses Generalized Ocean Layer Dynamics with a bulk mixed layer and interior isopycnal layers. Differences in the ocean mean state include the thermocline depth being relatively deep in ESM2M and relatively shallow in ESM2G compared to observations. The crucial role of ocean dynamics on climate variability is highlighted in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation being overly strong in ESM2M and overly weak ESM2G relative to observations. Thus, while ESM2G might better represent climate changes relating to: total heat content variability given its lack of long term drift, gyre circulation and ventilation in the North Pacific, tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and depth structure in the overturning and abyssal flows, ESM2M might better represent climate changes relating to: surface circulation given its superior surface temperature, salinity and height patterns, tropical Pacific circulation and variability, and Southern Ocean dynamics. Our overall assessment is that neither model is fundamentally superior to the other, and that both models achieve sufficient fidelity to allow meaningful climate and earth system modeling applications. This affords us the ability to assess the role of ocean configuration on earth system interactions in the context of two state-of-the-art coupled carbon-climate models.

Mapping the Prevalence of Physical Inactivity in U.S. States, 1984-2015.

PubMed

An, Ruopeng; Xiang, Xiaoling; Yang, Yan; Yan, Hai

2016-01-01

Physical inactivity is a leading cause of morbidity, disability and premature mortality in the U.S. and worldwide. This study aimed to map the prevalence of physical inactivity across U.S. states over the past three decades, and estimate the over-time adjusted changes in the prevalence of physical inactivity in each state. Individual-level data (N = 6,701,954) were taken from the 1984-2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annually repeated cross-sectional survey of state-representative adult population. Prevalence of self-reported leisure-time physical inactivity was estimated by state and survey year, accounting for the BRFSS sampling design. Logistic regressions were performed to estimate the changes in the prevalence of physical inactivity over the study period for each state, adjusting for individual characteristics including sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, and employment status. The prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity varied substantially across states and survey years. In general, the adjusted prevalence of physical inactivity gradually declined over the past three decades in a majority of states. However, a substantial proportion of American adults remain physically inactive. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, 45 had over a fifth of their adult population without any leisure-time physical activity, and 8 had over 30% without physical activity in 2015. Moreover, the adjusted prevalence of physical inactivity in several states (Arizona, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming) remained largely unchanged or even increased (Minnesota and Ohio) over the study period. Although the prevalence of physical inactivity declined over the past three decades in a majority of states, the rates remain substantially high and vary considerably across states. Closely monitoring and tracking physical activity level using the state physical activity maps can help guide policy and program development to promote physical activity and reduce the burden of chronic disease.

Mapping the Prevalence of Physical Inactivity in U.S. States, 1984-2015

PubMed Central

Xiang, Xiaoling; Yang, Yan; Yan, Hai

2016-01-01

Background Physical inactivity is a leading cause of morbidity, disability and premature mortality in the U.S. and worldwide. This study aimed to map the prevalence of physical inactivity across U.S. states over the past three decades, and estimate the over-time adjusted changes in the prevalence of physical inactivity in each state. Methods Individual-level data (N = 6,701,954) were taken from the 1984–2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annually repeated cross-sectional survey of state-representative adult population. Prevalence of self-reported leisure-time physical inactivity was estimated by state and survey year, accounting for the BRFSS sampling design. Logistic regressions were performed to estimate the changes in the prevalence of physical inactivity over the study period for each state, adjusting for individual characteristics including sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, and employment status. Results The prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity varied substantially across states and survey years. In general, the adjusted prevalence of physical inactivity gradually declined over the past three decades in a majority of states. However, a substantial proportion of American adults remain physically inactive. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, 45 had over a fifth of their adult population without any leisure-time physical activity, and 8 had over 30% without physical activity in 2015. Moreover, the adjusted prevalence of physical inactivity in several states (Arizona, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming) remained largely unchanged or even increased (Minnesota and Ohio) over the study period. Conclusions Although the prevalence of physical inactivity declined over the past three decades in a majority of states, the rates remain substantially high and vary considerably across states. Closely monitoring and tracking physical activity level using the state physical activity maps can help guide policy and program development to promote physical activity and reduce the burden of chronic disease. PMID:27959906

Diagnosing the Nature of Land-Atmosphere Coupling: A Case Study of Dry/Wet Extremes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santanello, Joseph A., Jr.; Peters-Lidard, Christa; Kennedy, Aaron D.

2012-01-01

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of land surface and planetary boundary layer (PBL) temperature and moisture states and fluxes. In turn, these interactions regulate the strength of the connection between surface moisture and precipitation in a coupled system. To address deficiencies in numerical weather prediction and climate models due to improper treatment of L-A interactions, recent studies have focused on development of diagnostics to quantify the strength and accuracy of the land-PBL coupling at the process-level. In this study, a diagnosis of the nature and impacts oflocalland-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) during dry and wet extreme conditions is presented using a combination of models and observations during the summers of2006-7 in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. Specifically, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model has been coupled to NASA's Land Information System (LIS), which provides a flexible and high-resolution representation and initialization of land surface physics and states. A range of diagnostics exploring the links and feedbacks between soil moisture and precipitation are examined for the dry/wet regimes of this region, along with the behavior and accuracy of different land-PBL scheme couplings under these conditions. In addition, we examine the impact of improved specification ofland surface states, anomalies, and fluxes that are obtained through the use of a hew optimization and uncertainty module in LIS, on the L-A coupling in WRF forecasts. Results demonstrate how LoCo diagnostics can be applied to coupled model components in the context of their integrated impacts on the process-chain connecting the land surface to the PBL and support of hydrological anomalies.

Full-field inspection of three-dimensional structures using steady-state acoustic wavenumber spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskelo, Elise Anne C.; Flynn, Eric B.

2017-02-01

Inspection of and around joints, beams, and other three-dimensional structures is integral to practical nondestructive evaluation of large structures. Non-contact, scanning laser ultrasound techniques offer an automated means of physically accessing these regions. However, to realize the benefits of laser-scanning techniques, simultaneous inspection of multiple surfaces at different orientations to the scanner must not significantly degrade the signal level nor diminish the ability to distinguish defects from healthy geometric features. In this study, we evaluated the implementation of acoustic wavenumber spectroscopy for inspecting metal joints and crossbeams from interior angles. With this technique, we used a single-tone, steady-state, ultrasonic excitation to excite the joints via a single transducer attached to one surface. We then measured the full-field velocity responses using a scanning Laser Doppler vibrometer and produced maps of local wavenumber estimates. With the high signal level associated with steady-state excitation, scans could be performed at surface orientations of up to 45 degrees. We applied camera perspective projection transformations to remove the distortion in the scans due to a known projection angle, leading to a significant improvement in the local estimates of wavenumber. Projection leads to asymmetrical distortion in the wavenumber in one direction, making it possible to estimate view angle even when neither it nor the nominal wavenumber is known. Since plate thinning produces a purely symmetric increase in wavenumber, it also possible to independently estimate the degree of hidden corrosion. With a two-surface joint, using the wavenumber estimate maps, we were able to automatically calculate the orthographic projection component of each angled surface in the scan area.

From optical lattice clocks to the measurement of forces in the Casimir regime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wolf, Peter; Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, 92312 Sevres Cedex; Lemonde, Pierre

2007-06-15

We describe an experiment based on atoms trapped close to a macroscopic surface, to study the interactions between the atoms and the surface at very small separations (0.6-10 {mu}m). In this range the dominant potential is the QED interaction (Casimir-Polder and van der Waals) between the surface and the atom. Additionally, several theoretical models suggest the possibility of Yukawa-type potentials with sub-millimeter range, arising from new physics related to gravity. The proposed setup is very similar to neutral atom optical lattice clocks, but with the atoms trapped in lattice sites close to the reflecting mirror. A sequence of pulses ofmore » the probe laser at different frequencies is then used to create an interferometer with a coherent superposition between atomic states at different distances from the mirror (in different lattice sites). Assuming atom interferometry state-of-the-art measurement of the phase difference and a duration of the superposition of about 0.1 s, we expect to be able to measure the potential difference between separated states with an uncertainty of {approx_equal}10{sup -4} Hz. An analysis of systematic effects for different atoms and surfaces indicates no fundamentally limiting effect at the same level of uncertainty, but does influence the choice of atom and surface material. Based on those estimates, we expect that such an experiment would improve the best existing measurements of the atom-wall QED interaction by {>=} 2 orders of magnitude, while gaining up to four orders of magnitude on the best present limits on new interactions in the range between 100 nm and 100 {mu}m.« less

Growth and Characterization of III-V Semiconductors for Device Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Michael D.

2000-01-01

The research goal was to achieve a fundamental understanding of the physical processes occurring at the surfaces and interfaces of epitaxially grown InGaAs/GaAs (100) heterostructures. This will facilitate the development of quantum well devices for infrared optical applications and provide quantitative descriptions of key phenomena which impact their performance. Devices impacted include high-speed laser diodes and modulators for fiber optic communications at 1.55 micron wavelengths and intersub-band lasers for longer infrared wavelengths. The phenomenon of interest studied was the migration of indium in InGaAs structures. This work centered on the molecular beam epitaxy reactor and characterization apparatus donated to CAU by AT&T Bell Laboratories. The material characterization tool employed was secondary ion mass spectrometry. The training of graduate and undergraduate students was an integral part of this program. The graduate students received a thorough exposure to state-of-the-art techniques and equipment for semiconductor materials analysis as part of the Master''s degree requirement in physics. The undergraduates were exposed to a minority scientist who has an excellent track record in this area. They also had the opportunity to explore surface physics as a career option. The results of the scientific work was published in a refereed journal and several talks were presented professional conferences and academic seminars.

Reentry survivability modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fudge, Michael L.; Maher, Robert L.

1997-10-01

Statistical methods for expressing the impact risk posed to space systems in general [and the International Space Station (ISS) in particular] by other resident space objects have been examined. One of the findings of this investigation is that there are legitimate physical modeling reasons for the common statistical expression of the collision risk. A combination of statistical methods and physical modeling is also used to express the impact risk posed by re-entering space systems to objects of interest (e.g., people and property) on Earth. One of the largest uncertainties in the expressing of this risk is the estimation of survivable material which survives reentry to impact Earth's surface. This point was recently demonstrated in dramatic fashion by the impact of an intact expendable launch vehicle (ELV) upper stage near a private residence in the continental United States. Since approximately half of the missions supporting ISS will utilize ELVs, it is appropriate to examine the methods used to estimate the amount and physical characteristics of ELV debris surviving reentry to impact Earth's surface. This paper examines reentry survivability estimation methodology, including the specific methodology used by Caiman Sciences' 'Survive' model. Comparison between empirical results (observations of objects which have been recovered on Earth after surviving reentry) and Survive estimates are presented for selected upper stage or spacecraft components and a Delta launch vehicle second stage.

First-principles study of the Kondo physics of a single Pu impurity in a Th host

DOE PAGES

Zhu, Jian -Xin; Albers, R. C.; Haule, K.; ...

2015-04-23

Based on its condensed-matter properties, crystal structure, and metallurgy, which includes a phase diagram with six allotropic phases, plutonium is one of the most complicated pure elements in its solid state. Its anomalous properties, which are indicative of a very strongly correlated state, are related to its special position in the periodic table, which is at the boundary between the light actinides that have itinerant 5f electrons and the heavy actinides that have localized 5f electrons. As a foundational study to probe the role of local electronic correlations in Pu, we use the local-density approximation together with a continuous-time quantummore » Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the electronic structure of a single Pu atom that is either substitutionally embedded in the bulk and or adsorbed on the surface of a Th host. This is a simpler case than the solid phases of Pu metal. With the Pu impurity atom we have found a Kondo resonance peak, which is an important signature of electronic correlations, in the local density of states around the Fermi energy. We show that the peak width of this resonance is narrower for Pu atoms at the surface of Th than for those in the bulk due to a weakened Pu - 5f hybridization with the ligands at the surface.« less

Analysis of in-flight boundary-layer state measurements on a subsonic transport wing in high-lift configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

vanDam, C. P.; Los, S. M.; Miley, S. J.; Yip, L. P.; Banks, D. W.; Roback, V. E.; Bertelrud, A.

1995-01-01

Flight experiments on NASA Langley's B737-100 (TSRV) airplane have been conducted to document flow characteristics in order to further the understanding of high-lift flow physics, and to correlate and validate computational predictions and wind-tunnel measurements. The project is a cooperative effort involving NASA, industry, and universities. In addition to focusing on in-flight measurements, the project includes extensive application of various computational techniques, and correlation of flight data with computational results and wind-tunnel measurements. Results obtained in the most recent phase of flight experiments are analyzed and presented in this paper. In-flight measurements include surface pressure distributions, measured using flush pressure taps and pressure belts on the slats, main element, and flap elements; surface shear stresses, measured using Preston tubes; off-surface velocity distributions, measured using shear-layer rakes; aeroelastic deformations of the flap elements, measured using an optical positioning system; and boundary-layer transition phenomena, measured using hot-film anemometers and an infrared imaging system. The analysis in this paper primarily focuses on changes in the boundary-layer state that occurred on the slats, main element, and fore flap as a result of changes in flap setting and/or flight condition. Following a detailed description of the experiment, the boundary-layer state phenomenon will be discussed based on data measured during these recent flight experiments.

Measurement of the quantum capacitance from two-dimensional surface state of a topological insulator at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hyunwoo; Kim, Tae Geun; Shin, Changhwan

2017-06-01

A topological insulator (TI) is a new kind of material that exhibits unique electronic properties owing to its topological surface state (TSS). Previous studies focused on the transport properties of the TSS, since it can be used as the active channel layer in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). However, a TI with a negative quantum capacitance (QC) effect can be used in the gate stack of MOSFETs, thereby facilitating the creation of ultra-low power electronics. Therefore, it is important to study the physics behind the QC in TIs in the absence of any external magnetic field, at room temperature. We fabricated a simple capacitor structure using a TI (TI-capacitor: Au-TI-SiO2-Si), which shows clear evidence of QC at room temperature. In the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurement, the total capacitance of the TI-capacitor increases in the accumulation regime, since QC is the dominant capacitive component in the series capacitor model (i.e., CT-1 = CQ-1 + CSiO2-1). Based on the QC model of the two-dimensional electron systems, we quantitatively calculated the QC, and observed that the simulated C-V curve theoretically supports the conclusion that the QC of the TI-capacitor is originated from electron-electron interaction in the two-dimensional surface state of the TI.

Magnetar Giant Flares in Multipolar Magnetic Fields. III. Multipolar Magnetic Field Structure Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Guang-Rui; Huang, Lei; Yu, Cong; Shen, Zhi-Qiang

2018-02-01

We have analyzed the multipolar magnetic field structure variation at neutron star surface by means of the catastrophic eruption model and find that the variation of the geometry of multipolar fields on the magnetar surface could result in the catastrophic rearrangement of the magnetosphere, which provides certain physical mechanism for the outburst of giant flares. The magnetospheric model we adopted consists of two assumptions: (1) a helically twisted flux rope is suspended in an ideal force-free magnetosphere around the magnetar, and (2) a current sheet emerges during the flux rope evolution. Magnetic energy accumulates during the flux rope’s gradual evolution along with the variation of magnetar surface magnetic structure before the eruption. The two typical behaviors, either state transition or catastrophic escape, would take place once the flux rope loses equilibrium; thus, tremendous accumulated energy is radiated. We have investigated the equilibrium state of the flux rope and the energy release affected by different multipolar structures and find structures that could trigger violent eruption and provide the radiation approximately 0.5% of the total magnetic energy during the giant flare outburst. Our results provide certain multipolar structures of the neutron star’s magnetic field with an energy release percentage 0.42% in the state transition and 0.51% in the catastrophic escape case, which are sufficient for the previously reported energy release from SGR 1806–20 giant flares.

Oxidation of coal and coal pyrite mechanisms and influence on surface characteristics. Technical progress report, December 31, 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doyle, F.M.

1993-12-31

The objective of this research is to develop a mechanistic understanding of the oxidation of coal and coal pyrite, and to correlate the intrinsic physical and chemical properties of these minerals, along with changes resulting from oxidation, with those surface properties that influence the behavior in physical cleaning processes. The results will provide fundamental insight into oxidation, in term of the bulk and surface chemistry, the microstructure, and the semiconductor properties of the pyrite. During the thirteenth quarter, wet oxidation tests were done on coal samples from the Pennsylvania State Coal Bank. As-received and oxidized coal samples were studied bymore » Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy to detect functional groups that might be responsible for changing the hydrophobicity of coal samples. Coal samples from the Pennsylvania State Coal Bank were oxidized for 5 hours at room temperature using 10% H{sub 2}O{sub 2} at pH 1.0, 1.0 M HNO{sub 3} or 0.05 M Fe{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3} at pH 1.0. Details of the experimental procedure used in the wet oxidation tests were provided in our September 30, 1993 report, along with results of ion-exchange analysis and film flotation tests on as-received and oxidized coal samples. Table II shows the weight percentage of carboxylic and phenolic group oxygen generated by oxidation with different treatments, as determined by ion-exchange. DRIFT spectroscopic analysis was done on as-received and oxidized samples to identify different functionalities directly, to supplement the information on carboxylic and phenolic groups obtained indirectly by ion-exchange methods. The procedure for DRIFT analysis was reported in our June 30, 1993 report.« less

The effect of the indoor environment on the fate of organic chemicals in the urban landscape.

PubMed

Cousins, Anna Palm

2012-11-01

To assess the effect of the indoor environment on the urban fate of organic chemicals, an 8-compartment indoor-inclusive steady state multimedia chemical fate model was developed. The model includes typical urban compartments (air, soil, water, sediment, and urban film) and a novel module representing a generic indoor environment. The model was parameterized to the municipality of Stockholm, Sweden and applied to four organic chemicals with different physical-chemical characteristics and use patterns: formaldehyde, 2,4,6-tribromophenol, di-ethylhexylphthalate and decabromodiphenyl ether. The results show that emissions to indoor air may increase the steady state mass and residence time in the urban environment by a factor of 1.1 to 22 for the four chemicals, compared to if emissions are assigned to outdoor air. This is due to the nested nature of the indoor environment, which creates a physical barrier that prevents chemicals from leaving the urban system with outflowing air. For DEHP and BDE 209, the additional partitioning to indoor surfaces results in a greater importance of the indoor removal pathways from surfaces. The outdoor environmental concentrations of these chemicals are predicted to be lower if emitted to indoor air than if emitted to outdoor air because of the additional indoor removal pathways of dust and indoor film, leading to loss of chemical from the system. For formaldehyde and 2,4,6-TBP outdoor environmental concentrations are not affected by whether the release occurs indoors or outdoors because of the limited partitioning to indoor surfaces. A sensitivity analysis revealed that there appears to be a relationship between logK(OA) and the impact of the ventilation rate on the urban fate of organic chemicals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A ``Cyber Wind Facility'' for HPC Wind Turbine Field Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasseur, James; Paterson, Eric; Schmitz, Sven; Campbell, Robert; Vijayakumar, Ganesh; Lavely, Adam; Jayaraman, Balaji; Nandi, Tarak; Jha, Pankaj; Dunbar, Alex; Motta-Mena, Javier; Craven, Brent; Haupt, Sue

2013-03-01

The Penn State ``Cyber Wind Facility'' (CWF) is a high-fidelity multi-scale high performance computing (HPC) environment in which ``cyber field experiments'' are designed and ``cyber data'' collected from wind turbines operating within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) environment. Conceptually the ``facility'' is akin to a high-tech wind tunnel with controlled physical environment, but unlike a wind tunnel it replicates commercial-scale wind turbines operating in the field and forced by true atmospheric turbulence with controlled stability state. The CWF is created from state-of-the-art high-accuracy technology geometry and grid design and numerical methods, and with high-resolution simulation strategies that blend unsteady RANS near the surface with high fidelity large-eddy simulation (LES) in separated boundary layer, blade and rotor wake regions, embedded within high-resolution LES of the ABL. CWF experiments complement physical field facility experiments that can capture wider ranges of meteorological events, but with minimal control over the environment and with very small numbers of sensors at low spatial resolution. I shall report on the first CWF experiments aimed at dynamical interactions between ABL turbulence and space-time wind turbine loadings. Supported by DOE and NSF.

Rebuilding the Brookhaven high flux beam reactor: A feasibility study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brynda, W.J.; Passell, L.; Rorer, D.C.

1995-01-01

After nearly thirty years of operation, Brookhaven`s High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) is still one of the world`s premier steady-state neutron sources. A major center for condensed matter studies, it currently supports fifteen separate beamlines conducting research in fields as diverse as crystallography, solid-state, nuclear and surface physics, polymer physics and structural biology and will very likely be able to do so for perhaps another decade. But beyond that point the HFBR will be running on borrowed time. Unless appropriate remedial action is taken, progressive radiation-induced embrittlement problems will eventually shut it down. Recognizing the HFBR`s value as a nationalmore » scientific resource, members of the Laboratory`s scientific and reactor operations staffs began earlier this year to consider what could be done both to extend its useful life and to assure that it continues to provide state-of-the-art research facilities for the scientific community. This report summarizes the findings of that study. It addresses two basic issues: (i) identification and replacement of lifetime-limiting components and (ii) modifications and additions that could expand and enhance the reactor`s research capabilities.« less

Simulation of Ejecta Production and Mixing Process of Sn Sample under shock loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pei; Chen, Dawei; Sun, Haiquan; Ma, Dongjun

2017-06-01

Ejection may occur when a strong shock wave release at the free surface of metal material and the ejecta of high-speed particulate matter will be formed and further mixed with the surrounding gas. Ejecta production and its mixing process has been one of the most difficult problems in shock physics remain unresolved, and have many important engineering applications in the imploding compression science. The present paper will introduce a methodology for the theoretical modeling and numerical simulation of the complex ejection and mixing process. The ejecta production is decoupled with the particle mixing process, and the ejecta state can be achieved by the direct numerical simulation for the evolution of initial defect on the metal surface. Then the particle mixing process can be simulated and resolved by a two phase gas-particle model which uses the aforementioned ejecta state as the initial condition. A preliminary ejecta experiment of planar Sn metal Sample has validated the feasibility of the proposed methodology.

Results of the Komplast experiment on the long-term exposure of materials specimens on the ISS surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shumov, A. E.; Novikov, L. S.; Shaevich, S. K.; Aleksandrov, N. G.; Smirnova, T. N.; Nikishin, E. F.; Chernik, V. N.; Petukhov, V. P.; Voronina, E. N.; Sedov, V. V.; Salnikova, I. A.; Babaevskiy, P. G.; Kozlov, N. A.; Deev, I. S.; Startsev, O. V.; Shindo, D. J.; Golden, J. L.; Kravchenko, M.

2015-11-01

The Komplast materials experiment was designed by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center together with Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University and other Russian scientific institutes, and has been carried out by Mission Control Moscow since 1998. The purpose of this experiment is to study the complex effect of the low Earth orbit environment on samples of various spacecraft materials. On November 20, 1998 the Komplast experiment began with the launch of the first International Space Station module Zarya, or Functional Cargo Block (FGB). Eight Komplast panels with samples of materials and sensors were installed on the outer surface of FGB module. Two of eight experiment panels were retrieved during Russian extravehicular activity in February 2011 after 12 years of space exposure and were subsequently returned to Earth by Space Shuttle "Discovery" on the STS-133/ULF-5 mission in March 2011. The article presents the results obtained from this unique long-duration experiment on board of the International Space Station.

Microfabricated Microwave-Integrated Surface Ion Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revelle, Melissa C.; Blain, Matthew G.; Haltli, Raymond A.; Hollowell, Andrew E.; Nordquist, Christopher D.; Maunz, Peter

2017-04-01

Quantum information processing holds the key to solving computational problems that are intractable with classical computers. Trapped ions are a physical realization of a quantum information system in which qubits are encoded in hyperfine energy states. Coupling the qubit states to ion motion, as needed for two-qubit gates, is typically accomplished using Raman laser beams. Alternatively, this coupling can be achieved with strong microwave gradient fields. While microwave radiation is easier to control than a laser, it is challenging to precisely engineer the radiated microwave field. Taking advantage of Sandia's microfabrication techniques, we created a surface ion trap with integrated microwave electrodes with sub-wavelength dimensions. This multi-layered device permits co-location of the microwave antennae and the ion trap electrodes to create localized microwave gradient fields and necessary trapping fields. Here, we characterize the trap design and present simulated microwave performance with progress towards experimental results. This research was funded, in part, by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).

Temperature of surface waters in the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blakey, James F.

1966-01-01

Temperature is probably the most important, but least discussed, parameter in determining water quality. The purpose of this report is to present the average or most probable temperatures of surface waters in the conterminous United States and to cite factors that affect and are affected by water temperature. Temperature is related, usually directly, to all the chemical, physical, and biological properties of water. The ability of water to dissolve or precipitate materials is temperature dependent, the ability of water to transport or deposit suspended material is temperature dependent, and the aquatic life of a lake or stream may thrive or die because of the water temperature.Everyone is concerned, though often unknowingly, about water temperature. The amount and type of treatment necessary for a municipal supply are temperature dependent; therefore it affects the consumer cost. Temperature determines the volume of cooling water needed for industrial processes and steampower generation. Conservation and recreation practices are affected by water temperature, and the farmers' irrigation practices and livestock production may be affected by the water temperature.

Simultaneous production and co-mixing of microparticles of nevirapine with excipients by supercritical antisolvent method for dissolution enhancement.

PubMed

Sanganwar, Ganesh P; Sathigari, Sateeshkumar; Babu, R Jayachandra; Gupta, Ram B

2010-01-31

Microparticles of a poorly water-soluble model drug, nevirapine (NEV) were prepared by supercritical antisolvent (SAS) method and simultaneously deposited on the surface of excipients such as lactose and microcrystalline cellulose in a single step to reduce drug-drug particle aggregation. In the proposed method, termed supercritical antisolvent-drug excipient mixing (SAS-DEM), drug particles were precipitated in supercritical CO(2) vessel containing excipient particles in suspended state. Drug/excipient mixtures were characterized for surface morphology, crystallinity, drug-excipient physico-chemical interactions, and molecular state of drug. In addition, the drug content uniformity and dissolution rate were determined. A highly ordered NEV-excipient mixture was produced. The SAS-DEM treatment was effective in overcoming drug-drug particle aggregation and did not affect the crystallinity or physico-chemical properties of NEV. The produced drug/excipient mixture has a significantly faster dissolution rate as compared to SAS drug microparticles alone or when physically mixed with the excipients. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Defect Characterization, Imaging, and Control in Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors and Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brillson, L. J.; Foster, G. M.; Cox, J.; Ruane, W. T.; Jarjour, A. B.; Gao, H.; von Wenckstern, H.; Grundmann, M.; Wang, B.; Look, D. C.; Hyland, A.; Allen, M. W.

2018-03-01

Wide-bandgap semiconductors are now leading the way to new physical phenomena and device applications at nanoscale dimensions. The impact of defects on the electronic properties of these materials increases as their size decreases, motivating new techniques to characterize and begin to control these electronic states. Leading these advances have been the semiconductors ZnO, GaN, and related materials. This paper highlights the importance of native point defects in these semiconductors and describes how a complement of spatially localized surface science and spectroscopy techniques in three dimensions can characterize, image, and begin to control these electronic states at the nanoscale. A combination of characterization techniques including depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, surface photovoltage spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging can describe the nature and distribution of defects at interfaces at both bulk and nanoscale surfaces, their metal interfaces, and inside nanostructures themselves. These features as well as temperature and mechanical strain inside wide-bandgap device structures at the nanoscale can be measured even while these devices are operating. These advanced capabilities enable several new directions for describing defects at the nanoscale, showing how they contribute to device degradation, and guiding growth processes to control them.

Weak antilocalization effect due to topological surface states in Bi2Se2.1Te0.9

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, K.; Graf, D.; Marinova, V.; Lorenz, B.; Chu, C. W.

2017-10-01

We have investigated the weak antilocalization (WAL) effect in the p-type Bi2Se2.1Te0.9 topological system. The magnetoconductance shows a cusp-like feature at low magnetic fields, indicating the presence of the WAL effect. The WAL curves measured at different tilt angles merge together when they are plotted as a function of the normal field components, showing that surface states dominate the magnetoconductance in the Bi2Se2.1Te0.9 crystal. We have calculated magnetoconductance per conduction channel and applied the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka formula to determine the physical parameters that characterize the WAL effect. The number of conduction channels and the phase coherence length do not change with temperature up to T = 5 K. In addition, the sample shows a large positive magnetoresistance that reaches 1900% under a magnetic field of 35 T at T = 0.33 K with no sign of saturation. The magnetoresistance value decreases with both increasing temperature and tilt angle of the sample surface with respect to the magnetic field. The large magnetoresistance of topological insulators can be utilized in future technology such as sensors and memory devices.

Assimilation of MODIS Ice Surface Temperature and Albedo into the Snow and Ice Model CROCUS Over the Greenland Ice Sheet Along the K-transect Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navari, M.; Margulis, S. A.; Bateni, S. M.; Alexander, P. M.; Tedesco, M.

2016-12-01

Estimating the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface mass balance (SMB) is an important component of current and future projections of sea level rise. In situ measurement provides direct estimates of the SMB, but are inherently limited by their spatial extent and representativeness. Given this limitation, physically based regional climate models (RCMs) are critical for understanding GrIS physical processes and estimating of the GrIS SMB. However, the uncertainty in estimates of SMB from RCMs is still high. Surface remote sensing (RS) has been used as a complimentary tool to characterize various aspects related to the SMB. The difficulty of using these data streams is that the links between them and the SMB terms are most often indirect and implicit. Given the lack of in situ information, imperfect models, and under-utilized RS data it is critical to merge the available data in a systematic way to better characterize the spatial and temporal variation of the GrIS SMB. This work proposes a data assimilation (DA) framework that yields temporally-continuous and physically consistent SMB estimates that benefit from state-of-the-art models and relevant remote sensing data streams. Ice surface temperature (IST) is the most important factor that regulates partitioning of the net radiation into the subsurface snow/ice, sensible and latent heat fluxes and plays a key role in runoff generation. Therefore it can be expected that a better estimate of surface temperature from a data assimilation system would contribute to a better estimate of surface mass fluxes. Albedo plays an important role in the surface energy balance of the GrIS. However, even advanced albedo modules are not adequate to simulate albedo over the GrIS. Therefore, merging remotely sensed albedo product into a physically based model has a potential to improve the estimates of the GrIS SMB. In this work a MODIS-derived IST and a 16-day albedo product are independently assimilated into the snow and ice model CROCUS. Comparison of our results against the in situ SMB measurements over the K-transect stations shows that assimilation of IST does not considerably improve the GrIS SMB terms. The main reason is hypothesized to be due to a cold bias in the IST product. On the other hand, assimilation of 16-day albedo product reduces the RMSE of the posterior estimates of the SMB by 63%.

Water resources data for Kansas, water year 1973; Part 2, Water quality records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Diaz, A.M.; Albert, C.D.

1974-01-01

Water-resources data for the 1973 water year for Kansas include records of data for the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground water. Data on the quality of surface water (chemical, microbiological, temperature, and sediment) were collected from designated sampling sites at predetermined intervals such as once daily, weekly, monthly, or less frequently, and at some sites data were recorded on punched paper tape at 60-minute intervals. Records are given for 70 sampling stations of which 7 are partial-record stations, and for 51 miscellaneous sites. Miscellaneous temperatures of streamflow are given for 77 gaging stations, and records of chemical analyses are given for 224 ground-water sites. Locations of surface water-quality stations are shown in Figure 1, page 2. Records for pertinent water-quality stations in bordering States are also included. The records were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of C. W. Lane, district chief. These data represent that portion of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Kansas. Kansas District personnel who contributed significantly to the collection and preparation of data included in this report were: B. L. Day, L. R. Shelton, M. L. Penny, L. R. Stringer, and D. J. Dark (Kansas State Department of Health).The Geological Survey has published records of chemical quality, suspended sediment, and water temperatures since 1941 in annual series of water-supply papers entitled, "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States." Beginning with the 1964 water year, water-quality records also have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these reports is limited; they are designed primarily for rapid release of data shortly after the end of the water year to meet local needs. These records will be published later in Geological Survey water-supply papers.

In-situ investigation of laser surface modifications of WC-Co hard metals inside a scanning electron microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, H.; Wetzig, K.; Schultrich, B.; Pompe, Wolfgang; Chapliev, N. I.; Konov, Vitaly I.; Pimenov, S. M.; Prokhorov, Alexander M.

1989-05-01

The investigation of laser interaction with solid surfaces and of the resulting mechanism of surface modification are of technical interest to optimize technological processes, and they are also of fundamental scientific importance. Most instructive indormation is available with the ail of the in-situ techniques. For instance, measuring of the photon emission of the irradiated surface ane the plasma torch (if it is produced) simultaneously to laser action, makes it possible to gain a global characterization of the laser-solid interaction. In order to obtain additional information about surface and structure modifications in microscopic detail , a laser and scanning electron microscope were combined in to a tandem equipment (LASEM). Inside this eqiipment the microscopic observation is carried out directly at the laser irradiated area without any displacement of the sample. In this way, the stepwise development of surface modification during multipulse irradiation is visible in microscopic details and much more reliable information about the surface modification process is obtainable in comparison to an external laser irradiation. Such kind of equipments were realized simultaneously and independently in the Institut of General Physics (Moscow) and the Central Institute of Solid State Physics and Material Research (Dresden) using a CO2 and a LTd-glass-laser, respectively. In the following the advantages and possibilities of a LASEM shall be demonstrated by some selected investigations of WC-CO hardmeta. The results were obtained in collaboration by both groups with the aid of the pulsed CO2-laser. The TEA CO2 laser was transmitted through a ZnSe-window into the sample chamber of the SEM and focused ofAo tfte sample surface. It was operated in TEM - oo mode with a repetition rate of about 1 pulse per second. A peak power density of about 160 MW/cm2 was achieved in front of the sample surface.

A First Principles Study of H2 Adsorption on LaNiO3(001) Surfaces

PubMed Central

Pan, Changchang; Chen, Yuhong; Wu, Na; Zhang, Meiling; Yuan, Lihua; Zhang, Cairong

2017-01-01

The adsorption of H2 on LaNiO3 was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The adsorption sites, adsorption energy, and electronic structure of LaNiO3(001)/H2 systems were calculated and indicated through the calculated surface energy that the (001) surface was the most stable surface. By looking at optimized structure, adsorption energy and dissociation energy, we found that there were three types of adsorption on the surface. First, H2 molecules completely dissociate and then tend to bind with the O atoms, forming two –OH bonds. Second, H2 molecules partially dissociate with the H atoms bonding to the same O atom to form one H2O molecule. These two types are chemical adsorption modes; however, the physical adsorption of H2 molecules can also occur. When analyzing the electron structure of the H2O molecule formed by the partial dissociation of the H2 molecule and the surface O atom, we found that the interaction between H2O and the (001) surface was weaker, thus, H2O was easier to separate from the surface to create an O vacancy. On the (001) surface, a supercell was constructed to accurately study the most stable adsorption site. The results from analyses of the charge population; electron localization function; and density of the states indicated that the dissociated H and O atoms form a typical covalent bond and that the interaction between the H2 molecule and surface is mainly due to the overlap-hybridization among the H 1s, O 2s, and O 2p states. Therefore, the conductivity of LaNiO3(001)/H2 is stronger after adsorption and furthermore, the conductivity of the LaNiO3 surface is better than that of the LaFeO3 surface. PMID:28772396

Classification and properties of quantum spin liquids on the hyperhoneycomb lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Biao; Choi, Wonjune; Kim, Yong Baek; Lu, Yuan-Ming

2018-05-01

The family of "Kitaev materials" provides an ideal platform to study quantum spin liquids and their neighboring magnetic orders. Motivated by the possibility of a quantum spin liquid ground state in pressurized hyperhoneycomb iridate β -Li2IrO3 , we systematically classify and study symmetric quantum spin liquids on the hyperhoneycomb lattice, using the Abrikosov-fermion representation. Among the 176 symmetric U (1 ) spin liquids (and 160 Z2 spin liquids), we identify eight "root" U (1 ) spin liquids in proximity to the ground state of the solvable Kitave model on the hyperhonecyomb lattice. These eight states are promising candidates for possible U (1 ) spin liquid ground states in pressurized β -Li2IrO3 . We further discuss physical properties of these eight U (1 ) spin liquid candidates, and show that they all support nodal-line-shaped spinon Fermi surfaces.

Impact of the Equation of State in Models for Surfactant Spreading Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, Rachel

2014-11-01

Pulmonary surfactant spreading models often rely on an equation of state relating surfactant concentration to surface tension. Mathematically, these models have been analyzed with simple functional relationships. However, to model an experiment with a given fluid and surfactant, a physically meaningful equation of state can be derived from experimentally obtained isotherms. We discuss the comparison between model and experiment for NBD-PC lipid (surfactant) spreading on glycerol for an empirically-determined equation of state, and compare those results to simulations with traditionally employed functional forms. In particular we compare the timescales by tracking the leading edge of surfactant, the central fluid height and dynamics of the Marangoni ridge. We consider both outward spreading of a disk-shaped region of surfactant and the hole-closure problem in which a disk-shaped surfactant-free region self-heals. Support from NSF-DMS-FRG 0968154, RCSA-CCS-19788, and HHMI.

Microgravity: Teacher's guide with activities for physical science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vogt, Gregory L.; Wargo, Michael J.; Rosenberg, Carla B. (Editor)

1995-01-01

This guide is an educational tool for teachers of grades 5 through 12. It is an introduction to microgravity and its application to spaceborne laboratory experiments. Specific payloads and missions are mentioned with limited detail, including Spacelab, the International Microgravity Laboratory, and the United States Microgravity Laboratory. Activities for students demonstrate chemistry, mathematics, and physics applications of microgravity. Activity objectives include: modeling how satellites orbit Earth; demonstrating that free fall eliminates the local effects of gravity; measuring the acceleration environments created by different motions; using a plasma sheet to observe acceleration forces that are experienced on board a space vehicle; demonstrating how mass can be measured in microgravity; feeling how inertia affects acceleration; observing the gravity-driven fluid flow that is caused by differences in solution density; studying surface tension and the fluid flows caused by differences in surface tension; illustrating the effects of gravity on the burning rate of candles; observing candle flame properties in free fall; measuring the contact angle of a fluid; illustrating the effects of gravity and surface tension on fiber pulling; observing crystal growth phenomena in a 1-g environment; investigating temperature effects on crystal growth; and observing crystal nucleation and growth rate during directional solidification. Each activity includes a background section, procedure, and follow-up questions.