Search results for "Potential"
showing 10 items of 3348 documents
Core-melted clusters
1999
The possibility of the existence of a core-melted cluster is investigated. To this end, a pair potential is introduced, with the property that the solid state of the cluster is less dense than the liquid state. With this kind of potential, the cluster exhibits a quite unusual behavior. In addition to the known states, solid, liquid, and surface-melted, it can also be found in a “dense-liquid” phase (a disordered state appearing at low temperatures), a “core-melted” phase, and a “core-surface-melted” phase. In the core-melted phase, the external part of the cluster consists of atoms that are vibrating around regular crystalline sites, while the core atoms have much bigger mobility, sometimes…
Relaxation dynamics in orientational glasses
1991
Abstract The multipolar relaxation dynamics observed in dipolar and quadrupolar glasses are reviewed. Special attention is given to the distribution of the relaxation times and to the temperature dependence of the mean relaxation rates. Experimental evidence is provided that orientational glasses can be described in terms of ‘strong glasses’ that are characterized by a low density of configurational states in the potential energy surface. It is suggested that this behavior results from the natural separation of timescales of reorientational and diffusive processes in these crystals.
Experimental determination of effective charges in aqueous suspensions of colloidal spheres
2003
Abstract We determined the low frequency conductivity σ , the phase behaviour and the shear modulus G of colloidal fluids, respectively solids prepared from deionised aqueous suspensions of highly charged spherical particles. Conductivity measures the number of freely moving small ions Z * σ and thus relates to the ion condensation process in the electric double layer under conditions of finite macro-ion concentrations. Phase behaviour and elasticity data are consistently described by a Debye–Huckel pair potential assuming pair-wise additive macro-ion interactions. Like Z * σ , also the effective charges Z * G derived from the elasticity data scales with the ratio of macro-ion radius to Bje…
The ensemble switch method for computing interfacial tensions
2015
We present a systematic thermodynamic integration approach to compute interfacial tensions for solid-liquid interfaces, which is based on the ensemble switch method. Applying Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling techniques, we obtain results for hard spheres, which are in agreement with previous computations. The case of solid-liquid interfaces in a variant of the effective Asakura-Oosawa model and of liquid-vapor interfaces in the Lennard-Jones model are discussed as well. We demonstrate that a thorough finite-size analysis of the simulation data is required to obtain precise results for the interfacial tension.
Electrical fluctuations in monolayer-protected metal nanoclusters
2008
Abstract Monolayer-protected clusters (MPCs) are formed by a neutral or charged metallic core surrounded by an organic ligand monolayer. We estimate the electric potential fluctuations of a MPC in an electrolyte solution by using the equilibrium fluctuation–dissipation theorem and the non-linear Poisson–Boltzmann equation extended to account for ion penetration in the monolayer. Significant fluctuations are predicted because the MPC capacitance is small (approximately 1 aF). We study also the non-equilibrium case of a MPC sandwiched between two electrodes and estimate the current noise considering the nanocluster as a single electron transistor and using a theoretical approach based on the …
Competition between submonolayer ordering and multilayer adsorption: Studies of simple lattice gas models
1986
Abstract We model condensation of adatoms at a substrate surface by a semi-infinite simple cubic lattice gas system. While in the bulk there is just a nearest-neighbour attractive interaction, in the first layer adjacent to the surface we allow for a periodic potential due to the substrate with a period of two lattice spacings, or for a next-nearest-neighbour repulsive interaction mediated by the substrate. Hence order-disorder phenomena may occur in the first layer, while only gas-liquid condensation transitions can occur in layers further away from the substrate surface. The ground-state phase diagrams of this model are obtained exactly, while the behaviour at nonzero temperatures is obta…
Peltier’s and Thomson’s coefficients of thermoelectric phenomena in the observable formulation
2011
Four transport coefficients characterize the thermoelectric properties of materials. Three of them are widely measured and studied. But the number of references on the Peltier coefficient are very limited. This unequal result is a consequence of the Onsager reciprocal relation (ORR). A review on the preciseness and accuracy of Peltier coefficient measurements has been developed in this paper. Thus we can appreciate a low level in the experimental confirmation for the ORR. In order to describe the thermoelectric processes in an advantageous way, the observable formulation has been used. This is characterized by the electric potential measured at the probe terminals and for the heat flux whic…
Geographic Distribution and Niche Divergence of Two Stinkbugs,Parastrachia japonensisandParastrachia nagaensis
2014
Parastrachiidae is a small stinkbug family containing only one genus and two species, Parastrachia japonensis (Scott) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomoidea) and Parastrachia nagaensis Distant. The geographic distribution of the genus has been poorly studied. Niche conservatism refers to that idea that closely related species are more ecologically similar than would be expected, whereas niche divergence predicts they occupy distinct niche spaces. The existence of only two species within one genus suggests niche conservatism or differentiation might exist among them. Herein, the distribution of the genus was mapped, potential distributions were predicted using ecological niche modeling, and …
Different Brain Mechanisms Mediate Sensitivity to Sensory Consonance and Harmonic Context: Evidence from Auditory Event-Related Brain Potentials
2001
Abstract The goal of this study was to analyze the time-course of sensory (bottom-up) and cognitive (top-down) processes that govern musical harmonic expectancy. Eight-chord sequences were presented to 12 musicians and 12 nonmusicians. Expectations for the last chord were manipulated both at the sensory level (i.e., the last chord was sensory consonant or dissonant) and at the cognitive level (the harmonic function of the target was varied by manipulating the harmonic context built up by the first six chords of the sequence). Changes in the harmonic function of the target chord mainly modulate the amplitude of a positive component peaking around 300 msec (P3) after target onset, reflecting …
The neural basis of sublexical speech and corresponding nonspeech processing: a combined EEG-MEG study.
2014
Abstract We addressed the neural organization of speech versus nonspeech sound processing by investigating preattentive cortical auditory processing of changes in five features of a consonant–vowel syllable (consonant, vowel, sound duration, frequency, and intensity) and their acoustically matched nonspeech counterparts in a simultaneous EEG–MEG recording of mismatch negativity (MMN/MMNm). Overall, speech–sound processing was enhanced compared to nonspeech sound processing. This effect was strongest for changes which affect word meaning (consonant, vowel, and vowel duration) in the left and for the vowel identity change in the right hemisphere also. Furthermore, in the right hemisphere, spe…