Microphase separation in weakly charged hydrophobic polyelectrolytes

Aqueous solutions of a well-defined poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-sodium 2-acrylamido-methylpropanesulfonate) (NIPAM/NaAMPS in a 95/5 molar ratio) have been investigated by means of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and rheological experiments as a function of temperature ( 25^° C T 60^° C) and polymer concentration ( 0.5wt% C 12wt%). The solutions remain optically transparent and isotropic over the whole temperature range, in contrast with the homopolyNIPAM which precipitates above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST = 32^° C). Upon addition of salt, the systems undergo a micro-macrophase separation. At temperatures above 45^° C, the SANS spectra exhibit a sharp peak at a scattering wave vector, q _max, which increases slightly with temperature. At high temperature ( T∼ 60^° C), the scattered intensity follows a power law I(q) ∼q ^-4 in the asymptotic regime, characteristic of two-density media with sharp interfaces, and q _max is found to vary with polymer concentration as q _max∼C ^0.22. Estimates of the typical sizes give values between 40 ? and 200 ?. These results provide a strong evidence of a thermally induced microphase separation, which is corroborated by the very sharp increases of the viscosity (over 2 decades) and of the stress relaxation time of the solutions, occurring in the temperature range where the scattering peak is observed. The results are discussed and compared with the theoretical models proposed for weakly charged polyelectrolytes in a poor solvent. Received 1 October 2001     

Λ(1405) as a multiquark state

In the QCD sum rule approach we predict the Λ (1405) mass by choosing the π⁰Σ⁰ multiquark interpolating field. It is found that the mass is about 1.419 GeV from Π₁ (q ²) sum rule which is more reliable than Π_q (q ²) sum rule, where Π_q (q ²) and Π₁ (q ²) are two invariant functions of the correlator Π (q ²). We also present the sum rules for the K ⁺ p and the π⁺Σ⁺ multiquark states, and compare to those for the π⁰Σ⁰ multiquark state. The mass of the Λ (1600) can be also reproduced in our approach. Received: 11 November 1997 / Revised version: 28 April 1998     

The individual success of musicians, like that of physicists, follows a stretched exponential distribution by J.A. Davies

Comment on Eur. Phys. J. B 27, 445 (2002) We analyze the distribution of success of musicians, comparing a stretched exponential (found by J.A. Davies [Eur. Phys. J. B 27, 445 (2002)]) with a distribution of the family of the q-exponential (presenting an intermediate power-law regime with a crossover to an exponential tail). We find that both assumptions yield comparable results, within the available range of data, hence a definite conclusion cannot yet be taken. But this example joins many others that has been found to be fairly described by q-exponentials (or variations of it), which may be indicative that there is a (significantly large) class of systems described by nonextensive statistical mechanics, from where q-exponentials naturally appear. Received 17 October 2002 Published online 31 December 2002     

Low temperature properties of the random field Potts chain

The random field q-states Potts model is investigated using exact groundstates and finite-temperature transfer matrix calculations. It is found that the domain structure and the Zeeman energy of the domains resembles for general q the random field Ising case (q = 2). This is also the expected outcome based on a random-walk picture of the groundstate. The domain size distribution is exponential, and the scaling of the average domain size with the disorder strength is similar for q arbitrary. The zero-temperature properties are compared to the equilibrium spin states at small temperatures, to investigate the effect of local random field fluctuations that imply locally degenerate regions. The response to field perturbations (`chaos') and the susceptibility are investigated. In particular for the chaos exponent it is found to be 1 for q = 2,..., 5. Finally for q = 2 (Ising case) the domain length distribution is studied for correlated random fields. Received 27 August 2002 Published online 19 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: rieger@lusi-sb.de     

High frequency sound and the boson peak in amorphous silica

We present the results of extensive molecular dynamics computer simulations in which the high frequency dynamics of silica, i.e. for frequencies ν > 0.5 THz, is investigated in the viscous liquid state as well as in the glass state. We characterize the properties of high frequency sound modes by analyzing J _l(q,ν) and J _t(q,ν), the longitudinal and transverse current correlation function, respectively. For wave-vectors q > 0.4 ?^-1 the spectra are sitting on top of a flat background. The dynamic structure factor S(q,ν) exhibits for q > 0.23 ?^-1 a boson peak which is located nearly independent of q around 1.7 THz and for which the intensity scales approximately linearly with temperature. We show that the low frequency part of the boson peak is mainly due to the elastic scattering of transverse acoustic modes with frequencies around 1 THz. The strength of this scattering depends on q and is largest around q = 1.7 ?^-1, the location of the first sharp diffraction peak in the static structure factor. By studying S(q,ν) for different system sizes we show that strong finite size effects are present in the low frequency part of the boson peak in that for small systems part of its intensity is missing. We discuss the consequences of these finite size effects for the structural relaxation. Received 27 June 2000 and Received in final form 9 January 2001     

Eigenstates of an operating quantum computer: hypersensitivity to static imperfections

We study the properties of eigenstates of an operating quantum computer which simulates the dynamical evolution in the regime of quantum chaos. Even if the quantum algorithm is polynomial in number of qubits n_q, it is shown that the ideal eigenstates become mixed and strongly modified by static imperfections above a certain threshold which drops exponentially with n_q. Above this threshold the quantum eigenstate entropy grows linearly with n_q but the computation remains reliable during a time scale which is polynomial in the imperfection strength and in n_q. Received 7 March 2002/ Received in final form 3 May 2002 Published online 19 July 2002     

Transmittance anomalies of a ring with lead-positional asymmetry

We examine the anomalous behavior of the transmittance through a one-dimensional ring having two branches of different lengths, as determined by the lead positions. Jumps in the transmittance phase are occurring in correspondence to both (a) zeros in the transmission at the eigenstates of the isolated ring and (b) destructive interference events. It is also found that when the ratio of the branch lengths is given by p/q satisfying p + q = 0(mod 4), the two characteristic zeros merge into a single point and the transmittance phase becomes identical to the so-called Friedel phase. Received 7 June 2002 / Received in final form 11 December 2002 Published online 4 June 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: juyeon.yi@physik.uni-regensburg.de     

Virial expansion for charged colloids and electrolytes

Using a field-theoretic approach, we derive the first few coefficients of the exact low-density (“virial”) expansion of a binary mixture of positively and negatively charged hard spheres (two-component hard-core plasma, TCPHC). Our calculations are nonperturbative with respect to the diameters d₊ and d_- and charge valences q₊ and q_- of positive and negative ions. Consequently, our closed-form expressions for the coefficients of the free energy and activity can be used to treat dilute salt solutions, where typically d ₊∼d _- and q ₊∼q _-, as well as colloidal suspensions, where the difference in size and valence between macroions and counterions can be very large. We show how to map the TCPHC on a one-component hard-core plasma (OCPHC) in the colloidal limit of large size and valence ratio, in which case the counterions effectively form a neutralizing background. A sizable discrepancy with the standard OCPHC with uniform, rigid background is detected, which can be traced back to the fact that the counterions cannot penetrate the colloids. For the case of electrolyte solutions, we show how to obtain the cationic and anionic radii as independent parameters from experimental data for the activity coefficient. Received 6 September 2001 / Received in final form 20 May 2002 Published online 24 September 2002     

Growth and addition in a herding model

A model of herding is introduced which is exceptionally simple, incorporating only two phenomena, growth and addition. At each time step either (i) with probability p the system grows through the introduction of a new agent or (ii) with probability q = 1 - p a free agent already in the system is added at random to a group of size k with rate A_k. Two versions of the model, A _k = k and A _k = 1, are solved and in both versions we find two different types of behaviour. When p > 1/2 all the moments of the distribution of group sizes are linear in time for large time and the group distribution is power-law. When p < 1/2 the system runs out of free agents in a finite time. Received 12 February 2002 Published online 9 July 2002     

Localization-delocalization transition in one-dimensional system with long-range correlated diagonal disorder

We show that the electronic states in a one-dimensional (1D) Anderson model of diagonal disorder with long-range correlation proposed by de Moura and Lyra exhibit localization-delocalization phase transition in varying the energy of electrons. Using transfer matrix method, we calculate the average resistivity and investigate how it changes with the size of the system N. For given value of α (> 2) we find critical energies E_c1 and E_c2 such that the resistivity decreases with N as a power law ∝ N ^{- γ} for electron energies within the range of [E _c1, E _c2], and exponentially grows with N outside this range. Such behaviors persist in approaching the transition points and the exponent γ is in the range from 0.92 to 0.96. The origin of the delocalization in this 1D model is discussed. Received 18 December 2001 / Received in final form 2 May 2002 Published online 14 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: sjxiong@nju.edu.cn     

Drift of a polymer chain in a porous medium --A Monte Carlo study

We investigate the drift of an end-labeled telehelic polymer chain in a frozen disordered medium under the action of a constant force applied to the one end of the macromolecule by means of an off-lattice bead spring Monte Carlo model. The length of the polymers N is varied in the range 8 < N < 128, and the obstacle concentration in the medium C is varied from zero up to the percolation threshold C≈ 0.75. For field intensities below a C-dependent critical field strength B _c, where jamming effects become dominant, we find that the conformational properties of the drifting chains can be interpreted as described by a scaling theory based on Pincus blobs. The variation of drag velocity with C in this interval of field intensities is qualitatively described by the law of Mackie-Meares. The threshold field intensity B _c itself is found to decrease linearly with C. Received 20 August 2001 and Received in final form 19 November 2001     

Radiative cooling of fullerene anions in a storage ring

Thermionic emission from hot fullerene anions, C_N ^-, has been measured in an electrostatic storage ring for even N values from 36 to 96. The decay is quenched by radiative cooling and hence the observations give information on the intensity of thermal radiation from fullerenes. The experiments are analysed by comparison with a simulation which includes the quantisation of photon energy and the statistics of emission. Experiments with heating of the molecules with a laser beam confirm the interpretation of the observations in terms of radiative cooling and give an independent estimate of the cooling rate for C₆₀ ^-. The measured cooling rates agree in general within a factor of two with the prediction from a classical dielectric model of a thermal radiation intensity of ∼ 300 eV/s for C₆₀ at 1 400 K, scaling approximately with the 6th power of the temperature and with the number of atoms in the molecule. Received 12 March 2001 and Received in final form 12 June 2001     

X-ray reflectivity of solid-supported, multilamellar membranes

We have investigated the structure of solid-supported, multilamellar membranes by X-ray reflectivity. The density profile is obtained by fitting the full q-range to a model using the bilayer Fourier coefficients as fitting parameters. The effect of hydration and the substrate boundary condition are discussed in view of the well-known Landau-Peierls effect and its implications for structure determination. The resulting bilayer density profile agrees remarkably well with previously published data of a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation for 1,2-oleoyl-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (OPPC). Received 1 October 2001 and Received in final form 21 December 2001     

Anomalous dynamical light scattering in soft glassy gels

We compute the dynamical structure factor S(q,τ) of an elastic medium where force dipoles appear at random in space and in time, due to “micro-collapses” of the structure. Various regimes are found, depending on the wave vector q and the collapse time θ. In an early time regime, the logarithm of the structure factor behaves as (qτ)^3/2, as predicted in (L. Cipelletti et al., Phys. Rev Lett. 84, 2275 (2000)) using heuristic arguments. However, in an intermediate-time regime we rather obtain a (qτ)^5/4 behaviour. Finally, the asymptotic long-time regime is found to behave as q ^3/2τ. We also give a plausible scenario for aging, in terms of a strain-dependent energy barrier for micro-collapses. The relaxation time is found to grow with the age t_w, quasi-exponentially at first, and then as t _w ^4/5 with logarithmic corrections. Received 15 April 2002     

Anomalous dynamical light scattering in soft glassy gels

We compute the dynamical structure factor S(q,τ) of an elastic medium where force dipoles appear at random in space and in time, due to “micro-collapses” of the structure. Various regimes are found, depending on the wave vector q and the collapse time θ. In an early-time regime, the logarithm of the structure factor behaves as (qτ)^3/2, as predicted in L. Cipelletti, S. Manley, R.C. Ball, D.A. Weitz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2275 (2000) using heuristic arguments. However, in an intermediate-time regime we rather obtain a (qτ)^5/4 behaviour. Finally, the asymptotic long-time regime is found to behave as q ^3/2τ. We also give a plausible scenario for aging, in terms of a strain-dependent energy barrier for micro-collapses. The relaxation time is found to grow with the age t _w, quasi-exponentially at first, and then as t _w ^4/5 with logarithmic corrections. Received 23 July 2001     

Spectroscopy of the regenerative soot

The mechanisms and processes of the formation of the regenerative soot in a graphite hollow cathode discharge that produces and emits carbon clusters are presented. Mass spectrometry with a specially designed E×B velocity filter analyzes the entire range of the charged clusters from C ₁ to ∼C ₄₃₀₀. The state of the carbon vapour within the source is evaluated by using the characteristic line emissions from the carbonaceous discharge whose formative mechanisms depend upon the kinetic and potential sputtering of the sooted cathode. The carbonaceous discharge generates atomic and ionic C and its clusters C _m (m≥ 2), noble gas metastable atoms and ions, energetic electrons and photons in the cavity of the graphite hollow cathode. The parameters of soot formation and its recycling depend critically on the discharge parameters, the geometry of the hollow cathode and 3D profile of the cusp magnetic field contours. Received 2nd July 2001 and Received in final form 10 September 2001     

Nonlinear diffusion under a time dependent external force: q-maximum entropy solutions

Nonlinear diffusion equations provide useful models for a number of interesting phenomena, such as diffusion processes in porous media. We study here a family of nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations endowed both with a power-law nonlinear diffusion term and a drift term with a time dependent force linear in the spatial variable. We show that these partial differential equations exhibit exact time dependent particular solutions of the Tsallis maximum entropy (q-MaxEnt) form. These results constitute generalizations of previous ones recently discussed in the literature [C. Tsallis, D.J. Bukman, Phys. Rev. E 54, R2197 (1996)], concerning q-MaxEnt solutions to nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with linear, time independent drift forces. We also show that the present formalism can be used to generate approximate q-MaxEnt solutions for nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with time independent drift forces characterized by a general spatial dependence. Received 25 April 2001 and Received in final form 6 June 2001     

Structural and vibrational properties of C36 and its oligomers (C36) M = 2, 3, 4 by tight-binding molecular dynamics

Non-orthogonal tight-binding molecular-dynamics is employed to calculate structural and vibrational properties of C₃₆ and its oligomers (C₃₆) _{M = 2, 3, 4} . The lowest energy configuration of the C ₃₆ cage is confirmed to have D _6h symmetry. For the dimer, too, the D _2h structure reported in the literature is found. The vibrational spectrum is identified with the power spectrum of the displacement autocorrelation function. Additional vibrational properties are extracted from the dynamical matrix. For the monomer, fair agreement with available ab initio calculations is achieved, with comparatively smaller deviations in the Raman-frequencies than for published semi-empirical calculations. The features of the vibrational modes are correlated with the structural properties of the oligomers. Received 24 November 2000 and Received in final form 24 August 2001     

Alternating magneto-birefringence of ionic ferrofluids in crossed fields

A dynamic probing of magnetic liquids is performed experimentally, using a static magnetic field modulated by another smaller field, normal and alternating. The optical magneto-birefringence under these crossed magnetic fields is recorded as a function of the frequency for different field intensities and different sizes of the magnetic nanoparticles. A general reduced behavior is found for the in-phase and the out-of-phase optical response which is well-described by a simple mechanical model. Depending on the value H _ani of the anisotropy field of the nanoparticles, we can distinguish two different high magnetic field regimes: - a rigid dipole regime (large anisotropy energy with respect to k _B T) for cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with a relaxation time inversely proportional to the field intensity H _C(H _C < H _ani), - a soft dipole regime (anisotropy energy of the order of k _B T) for maghemite nanoparticles with a relaxation time independent of the field intensity H _C(H _C > H _ani). Received 5 June 2000 and Received in final form 8 January 2001     

Structures and energetics of carbon bridged C 60 clusters

The structures and energetics of carbon bridged C₆₀ clusters (C ₆₀ ) _n C_m have been studied by simulated annealing technique within the tight-binding molecular-dynamics. The “sp² addition” ball-and-chain dimers exhibit odd-even alternations over the number of chain atoms, with the dimers containing even chain atoms more stable against dissociation than their immediate neighbors containing odd chain atoms. In addition to the usual “sp² addition” dimers, a pentagon-linked C₁₂₁ isomer and a hexagon-linked C₁₂₂ isomer are also found to be stable. Based on our tight-binding calculations, trimers and larger clusters can be simply regarded as being made up of independent or weakly interacting dimers, if the C-C₆₀ joints on a single cage are not too close to each other. Large C₆₀ clusters connected by chains each containing only one or two carbon atoms have similar stability to that of constituent dimers, indicating the possibility to form stable C₆₀-carbon polymers. Received 17 January 2001 and Received in final form 26 February 2001