Understanding the magnetocatalytic effect: magnetism as a driving force for surface segregation

The magnetocatalytic (or Hedvall) effect refers to a change in the rate of a chemical reaction on a magnetic surface at the Curie point T(C). For Ni catalysts, experiments suggest the effect is related to a sudden increase in segregated surface C, a strong catalytic poison, at temperatures below T(C). However, the connection between magnetism and surface segregation is not understood. Using density functional theory and spin-dynamics simulations, we show that the solubility of C in Ni is significantly reduced in the ferromagnetic state, because C suppresses Ni magnetism and thereby increases the heat of solution. This explains the observed increase in C segregation and the reduced catalytic activity below T(C).     

Self-organization as the driving force for the evolution of the biosphere

In this paper we present a space-time model of urban ecosystems as conjugate active media. This approach is based on the representation of urban ecosystems as self-organizing systems; it aims at identifying the threshold values of control parameters and is considered promising in assessing system stability to internal and external fluctuations.     

Self-organization as the driving force for the evolution of the biosphere

Synergic parallels between the mechanisms of the spatio-temporal evolution of physic-chemical and biological systems are considered. The evolution of the biosphere is treated as self-organization in the hierarchy of the active media, which is its driving force. The superposition of selection, vertical and horizontal gene transfer, as well as the processes of divergence and convergence of species, constitutes the synergetic out-line of biological evolution.     

Stress relief as the driving force for self-assembled bi nanolines

Bi nanolines self-assemble on Si(001) and are remarkable for their straightness and length-they are often more than 400 nm long, and a kink in a nanoline has never been observed. Through electronic structure calculations, we have found an energetically favorable structure for these nanolines that agrees with our scanning tunneling microscopy and photoemission experiments; the structure has an extremely unusual subsurface structure, comprising a double core of seven-membered rings of silicon. Our proposed structure explains all the observed features of the nanolines, and shows that surface stress resulting from the mismatch between the Bi and the Si substrates is responsible for their self-assembly. This has wider implications for the controlled growth of nanostructures on semiconductor surfaces.     

Equal sensation curves for whole-body vibration expressed as a function of driving force

Previous studies have shown that the seated human is most sensitive to whole-body vertical vibration at about 5 Hz. Similarly, the body shows an apparent mass resonance at about 5 Hz. Considering these similarities between the biomechanical and subjective responses, it was hypothesized that, at low frequencies, subjective ratings of whole-body vibration might be directly proportional to the driving force. Twelve male subjects participated in a laboratory experiment where subjects sat on a rigid seat mounted on a shaker. The magnitude of a test stimulus was adjusted such that the subjective intensity could be matched to a reference stimulus, using a modified Bruceton test protocol. The sinusoidal reference stimulus was 8-Hz vibration with a magnitude of 0.5 m/s2 rms (or 0.25 m/s2 rms for the 1-Hz test); the sinusoidal test stimuli had frequencies of 1, 2, 4, 16, and 32 Hz. Equal sensation contours in terms of seat acceleration showed data similar to those in the literature. Equal sensation contours in terms of force showed a nominally linear response at 1, 2, and 4 Hz, but an increasing sensitivity at higher frequencies. This is in agreement with a model derived from published subjective and objective fitted data.     

Spatial variation of au coverage as the driving force for nanoscopic pattern formation

Au induced faceting of a 4 degrees vicinal Si(001) surface was studied with chemical resolution using soft x-ray photoemission electron microscopy. For the first time a direct and quantitative determination of the local Au coverage in situ and during deposition was possible. Au atoms, necessary for the expansion of (001) terraces, are accummulated from a lattice gas, resulting in a phase separation between Au enriched terraces and Au depleted step bunches. During a second stage Au also adsorbs on the step bunches and transforms them into (119) facets. A simple Monte Carlo simulation shows that the initial coverage difference between terraces and bunches determines the regularity of the formed mesoscopic grating.     

Genetic code evolution as an initial driving force for molecular evolution

There is an intrinsic relationship between the molecular evolution in primordial period and genomic or proteomic properties of contemporary species. The genomic data may help us understand the driving force of evolution of life at a molecular level. In the absence of evidence, numerous problems in molecular evolution had to fall into a twilight zone of speculation and controversy in the past. Here we show that delicate variation patterns of genomic base compositions and amino acid frequencies resulted from the genetic code evolution, which underlies the molecular evolution. The theoretical results agree with the experimental observations very well, not only in the evolutionary trends of amino acid frequencies and genomic base compositions but also in many detailed characters. Inversely, the genomic data of contemporary species can help us unravel the genetic code chronology and amino acid chronology. Our results may shed light on the intrinsic mechanism of molecular evolution and the genetic code evolution.     

The driving force for electromigration: bootstrap arguments2

We present several approximate arguments for calculating the wind force of electromigration. By considering simple models and making many intercomparisons we try to clarify the physics in these arguments. It is concluded that the arguments allow considerable qualitative insight and calculational ability in certain situations, but that they lack a general validity and quantitative rigor.     

Magnetic lines of force in a Tornado trap

Numerical methods are used to analyze the structure of the magnetic field of an ideal Tornado trap; i.e., a trap consisting of linear currents whose magnitude and location in space are such as to produce a spherical separatrix with a radius η _c between the helices of the trap and partition the magnetic field into two regions so that the lines of force from the working volume η<η _c do not pass beyond its boundary. It is found that the magnetic lines of force of the working volume form a series of regions, each with its own properties, and do not penetrate from one region to another. In particular, one of the regions is a layer of magnetic toroidal surfaces adjacent to the inner surface of the separatrix. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 30–34 (January 1997)     

Effect of structural distortions on the magnetism of doped spin-Peierls CuGeO3

The chemical selectivity and great sensitivity of the Extended X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy technique allowed the determination, in the paramagnetic phase, of the structural distortions induced by doping in the spin-Peierls CuGeO₃ compound. The distorted environments were analyzed as a function of concentration, magnetic nature of impurity and the substitution site (Ni, Mn and Zn impurities on the Cu site, Si impurity on the Ge site). This has led to estimate the variation of the angles and pair distances, and hence to evaluate the magnetic coupling along the Cu chains in the vicinity of the impurities. The antiferromagnetic interaction between Cu first neighbors in the pure sample is found to be weakened around Ni, almost cancelled in the case of Mn doping, and even to change sign, producing a ferromagnetic coupling for Si doping. More generally, the structural distortions on a local scale are shown to be key parameters for the understanding of the magnetic properties of doped spin-Peierls compounds.     

Giant alkali-metal-induced lattice relaxation as the driving force of the insulating phase of alkali-metal/Si(111):B

Ab initio density-functional theory calculations, photoemission spectroscopy (PES), scanning tunneling microscopy, and spectroscopy (STM, STS) have been used to solve the 2sqrt[3]×2sqrt[3]R30 surface reconstruction observed previously by LEED on 0.5 ML K/Si:B. A large K-induced vertical lattice relaxation occurring only for 3/4 of Si adatoms is shown to quantitatively explain both the chemical shift of 1.14 eV and the ratio 1/3 measured on the two distinct B 1s core levels. A gap is observed between valence and conduction surface bands by ARPES and STS which is shown to have mainly a Si-B character. Finally, the calculated STM images agree with our experimental results. This work solves the controversy about the origin of the insulating ground state of alkali-metal/Si(111):B semiconducting interfaces which were believed previously to be related to many-body effects.     

Numerical calculations of the driving force on an Abrikosov vortex

The driving force on an Abrikosov vortex is calculated numerically from the London equation and involved energies for a vortex perpendicular to the screening current near the surface of a superconductor. Compared with previous analytical derivation of the total force, the partial magnetic, kinematic, and external forces are also obtained so that the nature of the driving force may be deeply discussed. It is shown that the force is neither a Lorentz force nor a Magnus force as often believed and that in order to get a correct result, the image effects and the work done by the applied field must be taken into account. A name of London force is suggested for the driving force. A deep understanding of the nature of the driving force on Abrikosov vortices may also be important in the study of vortex pinning and dynamics in type-II superconductors.     

Magnetic force microscopy of GaAs:Mn ferromagnetic semiconductors

The dependence of magnetic properties of GaAs:Mn and MnAs epitaxial films grown on GaAs (001) by laser ablation of Mn and undoped GaAs in a hydrogen atmosphere under the growth conditions has been studied by magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Magnetic probe calibration for quantitative MFM measurements was performed by scanning across the slit of the magnetic-head of a tape recorder through which controlled direct current was passed. The dipole approximation was used to describe the magnetic properties of the MFM probe. Nonuniformity of the magnetization of GaAs:Mn films related to the formation of MnAs nanoinclusions, which are ferromagnetic at 300 K, has been observed. The typical scales of the spatial nonuniformity of the magnetization of GaAs:Mn films were varied from 270 to 550 nm depending on the film-growth conditions. The MnAs phase was identified by MFM measurements at an elevated temperature (up to 80°N).     

Unusual evolution of the magnetic interactions versus structural distortions in RMnO3 perovskites

We report the refinement of x-ray powder diffraction together with magnetic and thermal conductivity measurements made on the entire family of RMnO3 perovskites prepared by melt growth or under high pressure. Analysis of the data has identified the origin of the transition from type-A to type-E magnetic order as a competition between t-orbital and e-orbital spin-spin interactions within each Mn-O-Mn bond in the (001) planes, the e-orbital interactions decreasing with decreasing R3+-ion size.