Interactions between colloids induced by a soft cross-linked polymer substrate

Using videomicroscopy imaging, we demonstrate the existence of a short-ranged equilibrium attraction between heavy silica colloids diffusing on soft surfaces of cross-linked polymer gels. The intercolloid potential can be tuned by changing the gel stiffness or by coating the colloids with a polymer layer. On sufficiently soft substrates, the interaction induced by the polymer matrix leads to large-scale colloidal aggregation. We correlate the in-plane interaction with a colloid-surface attraction.     

Asymptotic symmetry breakdown and restoration in a statistical system of particles with a short-range vector interaction,and cosmological models

A relativistic statistical system of particles interactine via a massive Prock vector field on a Schwarzschild gravitational field background, is considered. It is shown that in the case of attraction of like charges, an asymptotic breakdown of the discrete symmetry is possible at large r, and its restoration at rr. Isotropic cosmological models are constructed both for the case of attracting and repulsing charges.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp, 42–48, September. 1982.     

Attraction between like-charged walls: Short-ranged simulations using local molecular field theory

Effective attraction between like-charged walls mediated by counterions is studied using local molecular field (LMF) theory. Monte Carlo simulations of the "mimic system" given by LMF theory, with short-ranged "Coulomb core" interactions in an effective single particle potential incorporating a mean-field average of the long-ranged Coulomb interactions, provide a direct test of the theory, and are in excellent agreement with more complex simulations of the full Coulomb system by Moreira and Netz [Eur. Phys. J. E 8, 33 (2002)]. A simple, generally applicable criterion to determine the consistency parameter sigma(min) needed for accurate use of the LMF theory is presented.     

Superconductivity in Alkali-Doped C60

There ark three kinds of effective attractive interaction between C₆₀^2- and "nearly free" electron in A₃C₆₀: 1) the strong short-range attraction between the low energy unoccupied orbital of C₆₀^2- ions and the "nearly free" electrons; 2) the potential barrier due to large angular momentum of t_1u orbital; 3) the A⁺ crystal field forced "nearly free" electrons in C₆₀^2- neighborhood. All effective attraction coupling with the A⁺ optical modes and the vibration modes of C₆₀ mass center produces a strong electron-phonon interaction. It plays a principal role for A₃C₆₀ superconductivity. Based upon this mechanism critical temperature and other properties of superconductivity state can be explained by means of the BCS theory.     

Diffusion limited cluster aggregation with irreversible slippery bonds

Irreversible diffusion limited cluster aggregation (DLCA) of hard spheres was simulated using Brownian cluster dynamics. Bound spheres were allowed to move freely within a specified range, but no bond breaking was allowed. The structure and size distribution of the clusters was investigated before gelation. The pair correlation function and the static structure factor of the gels were determined as a function of the volume fraction and time. Slippery bonds led to local densification of the clusters and the gels, with a certain degree of order. At low volume fractions densification of the clusters occurred during their growth, but at higher volume fractions it occurred mainly after gelation. At very low volume fractions, the large-scale structure (fractal dimension), size distribution and growth kinetics of the clusters was found to be close to that known for DLCA with rigid bonds. Restructuring of the gels continued for long times, indicating that aging processes in systems with strong attraction do not necessarily involve bond breaking. The mean-square displacement of particles in the gels was determined. It is shown to be highly heterogeneous and to increase with decreasing volume fraction.     

Note on loss of regularity for solutions of the 3—D incompressible euler and related equations

One of the central problems in the mathematical theory of turbulence is that of breakdown of smooth (indefinitely differentiable) solutions to the equations of motion. In 1934 J. Leray advanced the idea that turbulence may be related to the spontaneous appearance of singularities in solutions of the 3—D incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The problem is still open. We show in this report that breakdown of smooth solutions to the 3—D incompressible slightly viscous (i.e. corresponding to high Reynolds numbers, or highly turbulent) Navier-Stokes equations cannot occur without breakdown in the corresponding solution of the incompressible Euler (ideal fluid) equation. We prove then that solutions of distorted Euler equations, which are equations closely related to the Euler equations for short term intervals, do breakdown.Sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No. DAAG29-80-C-0041, and partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MCS-82-01599     

Jamming transition and new percolation universality classes in particulate systems with attraction

We numerically study the jamming transition in particulate systems with attraction by investigating their mechanical response at zero temperature (T=0). We find three regimes of mechanical behavior separated by two critical transitions--connectivity and rigidity percolation. The transitions belong to different universality classes than their lattice counterparts, due to force balance constraints. We also find that these transitions are unchanged at low temperatures and resemble gelation transitions in experiments on colloidal and silica gels.     

Statistical model of the lightning leader attraction to ground objects

A statistical model of the lightning channel attraction to ground objects is proposed based on the analysis of the available experimental data on the breakdown of long air gaps and the propagation of the lightning leader channel. The model allows one to estimate the probability of lightning interception by a lightning rod and of lightning damage of the protected object. Examples of calculating the probabilities of lightning strike to the lightning rod and neighboring areas are presented.     

Infrared asymptotic freedom of a hierarchical φ 3 6 lattice theory

For the weakly coupled lattice ₃ ⁶ theory in a hierarchical model approximation a nonperturbative renormalization group analysis in the spirit of Gawedzki and Kupiainen is performed to study the flow of the effective actions. We deduce a domain of attraction to the tricritical (Gaussian) fixed point. The two relevant coupling constants of the problem are controlled by analytic continuation to complex domains, tracing their images under the renormalization group iterations.     

高分子凝胶体积相变中的氢键作用

我们把关联模型(association models)推广应用到高分子凝胶体系,研究高分子与溶剂分子间的氢键和溶剂分子与溶剂分子间的氢键在高分子凝胶体积相变中的作用.首先通过分析凝胶体积分数与温度的关系发现,由于两种氢键作用,随着温度变化高分子凝胶出现连续、不连续体积相变,结果表明在体积相变过程中两种氢键都起着重要作用.其次,对不同氢键分数条件下的旋节线的研究发现,对于高分子凝胶体积相变中出现的UCST和LCST(上临界共溶温度和下临界共溶温度)现象也是由于高分子与溶剂分子间氢键和溶剂分子与溶剂分子间氢键共同作用的结果.     

Cluster mode-coupling approach to weak gelation in attractive colloids

Mode-coupling theory (MCT) predicts the arrest of colloids in terms of their volume fraction, and the range and depth of the interparticle attraction. We discuss how the effective values of these parameters evolve under cluster aggregation. We argue that weak gelation in colloids can be idealized as a two-stage ergodicity breaking: first at short scales (approximated by the bare MCT) and then at larger scales (governed by MCT applied to clusters). The competition between the arrest and phase separation is considered in relation to recent experiments. We predict a long-lived "semiergodic" phase of mobile clusters, showing logarithmic relaxation close to the gel line.     

A theory of localized electronic breakdown in insulating films

A review of measured breakdown properties in insulating films and of electronic theories of breakdown shows both theoretical and experimental inconsistencies. A theory is proposed in which electronic breakdown is caused by local chance events, such as a succession of avalanches at one spot. Successive avalanches sustain the growth of space charges, the local cathode field, and the avalanche rate. When the cathode field becomes large enough to make continuation of avalanching a certainty, instability with current runaway arises, causing breakdown. According to theory, breakdowns occur over a range of fields, their chance increasing very strongly with field; the breakdowns occur randomly in space and in time; the time to instability on a breakdown event decreases as some exponential function of increasing field; the breakdown field can both increase and decrease with temperature; it may be electrode dependent, and it decreases first rapidly and then more slowly with increasing film thickness. Observations made in a number of insulating films support the proposed theory.     

高压多脉冲真空间隙击穿实验研究

 在真空间隙击穿机理的理论基础上,设计了高压多脉冲下真空间隙的击穿实验方案,对相同材料的多对电极间隙在高压单脉冲和三脉冲下的真空击穿特性进行了实验研究。实验结果与脉冲下真空间隙的击穿机理相符,对脉冲数量增加对真空间隙宏观击穿场强的影响进行了验证,推断出了决定真空间隙宏观击穿场强的关键因素,并对多脉冲加速间隙最大宏观场强的设计提出了建议。     

Theoretical Analysis of Dielectric Recovery in SF6 Gas-Blast Arcs

The dielectric recovery experiments of Schade and Ragaller [1] in SF6 gas-blast arcs are re-examined in light of the recent temperature calculations of Mitchell et al. [2]. The streamer criterion is used to compute theoretical characteristics for both the reference and enlarged geometries of [1]. It is shown that the theoretical recovery characteristic is relatively insensitive to the computed steady-state arc temperature. The streamer theory predictions agree well with experiment for the first two stages ("fast-slow") of dielectric recovery. However, they do not indicate the final "fast" stage, nor do they account for the large experimental scatter in the smaller geometry. It is suggested that both of these phenomena may be understood in terms of a postulated critical volume of about 1 mm3. If the volume of residual hot gas in which breakdown can originate becomes smaller than this critical volume, the hot-gas volume may not contain the free electron(s) required to initiate the breakdown process. Consequently, breakdown may be delayed until later during the voltage pulse, leading to scatter in the experimental results, or it may be suppressed altogether, leading to the final fast stage of recovery.     

Rotational viscosity in ferrofluids

We have measured the rotational viscosity _r of a concentrated ferrofluid by observing the increase of critical angular velocity in a Taylor cell with two different magnetic field configurations. The results are compared to theoretical calculations for diluted ferrofluids at different relative orientations of the field and the vorticity of the fluid. The observed deviations are attributed to breakdown of the theory for concentrated ferrofluids.     

Counterion condensation theory of attraction between like charges in the absence of multivalent counterions

There is abundant experimental evidence suggesting the existence of attractive interactions among identically charged polyelectrolytes in ordinary salt solutions. The presence of multivalent counterions is not required. We review the relevant literature in detail and conclude that it merits more attention than it has received. We discuss also some recent observations of a low ionic strength attraction of negatively charged DNA to the region of a negatively charged glass nanoslit where the floor of the nanoslit meets the walls, again in the absence of multivalent ions. On the theoretical side, it has become clear that purely electrostatic interactions require the presence of multivalent counterions if they are to generate like-charge attraction. Any theory of like-charge attraction in the absence of multivalent counterions must therefore contain a non-electrostatic component. We point out that counterion condensation theory, which has predicted like-charge polyelectrolyte attraction in an intermediate range of distances in ordinary 1:1 salt conditions, contains both electrostatic and non-electrostatic elements. The non-electrostatic component of the theory is the modeling constraint that the counterions fall into two explicit populations, condensed and uncondensed. As reviewed in the paper, this physically motivated constraint is supported by strong experimental evidence. We proceed to offer an explanation of the nanoslit observations by showing in an idealized model that the line of intersection of two intersecting planes is a virtual polyelectrolyte. Since we have previously developed a counterion condensation theory of attraction of two like-charged polyelectrolytes, our suggestion is that the DNA is attracted to the virtual polyelectrolytes that may be located in the nanoslit where floor meets walls. We present the detailed calculations needed to document this suggestion: an extension of previous theory to the case of polyelectrolytes with like but not identical charges; the demonstration of counterion condensation on a plane with bare charge density greater than an explicitly exhibited critical value; a calculation of the free energy of the plane; a calculation of the interaction of a line charge polyelectrolyte with a like-charged plane; and the detailed demonstration that the line of intersection of two planes is a virtual polyelectrolyte.     

Counting of particles in aqueous solutions by laser-induced photoacoustic breakdown detection

Laser-induced photoacoustic breakdown detection is applied for the determination of particles in aqueous dispersion. Polystyrene (latex), alumina and thoriasol particles of different sizes are investigated for demonstration. Laser pulses at 500 nm with 28 ns pulse width (FWHM), generated by an excimer ( = 308 nm) pumped dye laser, are focused into aqueous particle dispersions to produce breakdown. The dye laser pulse energy is fixed at a value lower than the breakdown threshold of pure water to initiate a dielectric breakdown only when particles are present in a given focus volume. Focus volume parameters and particle size dependent breakdown thresholds are calculated and the results are compared with data from literature. Dependence of breakdown threshold values on the chemical composition of the particles is determined for polystyrene, alumina and thoriasol particles.     

Boundary conditions,symmetry breakdown and Feynman path integral

The analysis of boundary conditions in variational formulation of classical field theory is performed. It is used in the Feynman path integral formulation of quantum theory including non-trivial cases of dynamical symmetry breakdown.Presented at the International Symposium Selected Topics in Quantum Field Theory and Mathematical Physics, Bechyn, Czechoslovakia, June 14–19, 1981.     

Determination of Domain of Attraction by Short-Time Overlap Dynamics in Neural Networks

Since the overlap dynamics of spin-glass-like neural network is solely governed by such two parameters, the symmetry of the net's connections and the stabilities of the embedded patterns, we propose that the domain of attraction of a network could be determined by a short-time (at least the first two-step) dynamics, in which both parameters begin to be visible.The first step overlap dynamics Q calculated by probability theory and the second step overlap dynamics for pseudo-inverse-model is obtained by extended Krauth's theory. The calculated domain of attraction for this model is in good agreement with the results obtained by computer simulation.     

Supersymmetry and its spontaneous breaking in the random field Ising model

We provide a resolution of one of the long-standing puzzles in the theory of disordered systems. By reformulating the functional renormalization group for the critical behavior of the random field Ising model in a superfield formalism, we are able to follow the associated supersymmetry and its spontaneous breaking along the functional renormalization group flow. Breaking is shown to occur below a critical dimension d(DR) ? 5.1 and leads to a breakdown of the "dimensional reduction" property. We compute the critical exponents as a function of dimension and give evidence that scaling is described by three independent exponents.