The uniformly driven kink in the damped φ4-chain

The motion and the linear modes of a uniformly driven kink (domain wall) in the damped ⁴-chain are examined in classical continuum approximation. The model-specific component of the Büttiker-Thomas formula (yielding the velocity-field characteristic of a kink driven between two different domains of a multistable system) is calculated explicitly. Similarly to the free ⁴-kink, the driven ⁴-kink is linearly stable. We find, however, that the (single) bound state of the free kink can only survive in the driven and damped system below a critical strengthF _c of the driving field, where (i.e. forF<F _c<F _max) it is splitted off in two localized relaxation modes. The only localized modes present in the whole existence domainF<F _max of the driven kink are (1) the zero frequency translation mode and (2) the inertia mode, which is a universal smooth relaxation mode of the driven kinks in all the linearly damped multistable systems. Further key words: Landauer formula (mobility), nerve impulses, Schlögl model, Rosen-Morse potential.Work supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation     

The photochemical reaction cycle of retinal reconstituted bacteriorhodopsin

The function of three types of bacteriorhodopsins was compared: the wild-type, the bleached and retinal reconstituted and retinal deficient bacteriorhodopsin after retinal addition. The apparent pK(a) of the proton acceptor group for the bleached BR and retinal deficient BR shifted toward higher pH values compared to the wild-type BR. Fitting the photocycle model to the absorption kinetic signals for all three proteins showed the existence of the same intermediates, but the time-dependent concentration of the intermediates was different. Although measurements were made at pH 7, the absorption kinetics and photoelectric signals in both retinal reconstituted samples acted as wild-type bacteriorhodopsin at significantly higher pH. Below pH 3 the retinal deficient and reconstituted sample bleached. These results suggested that the added retinal was not able to rebind in the same position in the protein as in native bacteriorhodopsin. This points out that care should be taken, when bleached bacteriorhodopsin is reconstituted with different retinal analogs.     

Synthesis,characterization, thermal properties and biological activity of diazine-ring containing hydrazones and their metal complexes

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - New coordination compounds have been synthesized by reacting Zn(II) and Co(II) nitrate or acetate in the presence of triethylamine with Schiff-base...     

Comments on ‘Analytical Solution for the Effect of Viscous Dissipation on Mixed Convection in Saturated Porous Media’, Transport in Porous Media 41, 197–209, 2000

Transport in Porous Media -     

Buoyancy Sustained by Viscous Dissipation

The quasi-parallel regime of a Darcy–Boussinesq boundary-layer flow over a permeable vertical flat plate adjacent to a fluid saturated porous medium is considered. Quasi-parallel means here a plane flow with a constant transversal velocity v=–v ₀ directed perpendicularly towards the vertical surface, where a lateral suction with the same velocity –v ₀ is applied. The plate is held at a constant temperature T _w which coincides with the ambient temperature T of the fluid. The heat released by viscous dissipation induces a density gradient in the fluid. Thus, although T _w=T , a thermal convection occurs. The steady regime of this self-sustaining buoyant flow has been examined in detail. Wall jet-like profiles with a continuous but finite spectrum of the momentum flow have been found. These self-sustaining buoyant jets show a universal behavior, that is, there exist certain length, velocity and temperature scales such that the flow characteristics become independent of the (constant) material properties of the fluid and the porous medium as well.     

The Opposing Effect of Viscous Dissipation Allows for a Parallel Free Convection Boundary-Layer Flow Along a Cold Vertical Flat Plate

External free convection boundary-layer flows are usually treated by neglecting the effect of viscous dissipation. This assumption always results in a non-parallel flow, besides a strong parallel component also a weak transversal component of the (steady) velocity field occurs. The present paper shows, however, that the weak opposing effect of the buoyancy forces due to heat release by viscous dissipation, can give rise along a cold vertical plate adjacent to a fluid saturated porous medium to a strictly parallel steady free convection flow. This boundary-layer flow is described by an algebraically decaying exact analytical solution of the basic balance equations.     

The Development of the Asymptotic Viscous Dissipation Profile in a Vertical Free Convective Boundary Layer Flow in a Porous Medium

The effect of viscous dissipation on the development of the boundary layer flow from a cold vertical surface embedded in a Darcian porous medium is investigated. It is found that the flow evolves gradually from the classical Cheng–Minkowycz form to the recently discovered asymptotic dissipation profile which is a parallel flow.     

Effect of a Uniform Horizontal Throughflow on the Darcy Free Convection over a Permeable Vertical Plate with Volumetric Heat Generation

This article deals with the steady Darcy free convection adjacent to a heated or cooled permeable vertical flat plate of constant temperature, which is embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium of uniform ambient temperature T _∞. There is a uniform horizontal throughflow of the fluid and a volumetric heat generation q′′′ takes place, which is considered to be a power-law function of the local temperature difference T ? T _∞, i.e., q′′′ ~ (T ? T _∞) ⁿ . To be specific, two cases of this type of volumetric heat generation are considered in the analysis in some detail, namely, the linear and the quadratic cases, n = 1 and n = 2, respectively.     

Double-Diffusive Natural Convection Flows with Thermosolutal Symmetry in Porous Media in the Presence of the Soret–Dufour Effects

The double-diffusive natural convection past a vertical plate embedded in a fluid-saturated porous medium is considered in the boundary-layer and Boussinesq approximations. It is assumed that the Soret–Dufour cross-diffusion effects are significant. The heat and mass fluxes on the plate are prescribed as functions of the surface coordinate x. The general similarity reduction of the problem for power-law and exponential variation of the wall fluxes is given. In the case of thermosolutal symmetry, when the similar temperature and concentration fields become coincident, exact analytical as well as numerical solutions are reported and discussed in some detail. For the flows without thermosolutal symmetry, the final similarity equations have been solved numerically, by paying attention to the influence of the Soret and Dufour numbers on the departure from thermosolutal symmetry. The reported results focus on the wall temperatures and concentrations, whose reciprocals are Nusselt and Sherwood numbers, respectively.