Nonequilibrium charge susceptibility and dynamical conductance: identification of scattering processes in quantum transport

We calculate the nonequilibrium charge transport properties of nanoscale junctions in the steady state and extend the concept of charge susceptibility to the nonequilibrium conditions. We show that the nonequilibrium charge susceptibility is related to the nonlinear dynamical conductance. In spectroscopic terms, both contain the same features versus applied bias when charge fluctuation occurs in the corresponding electronic resonances. However, we show that, while the conductance exhibits features at biases corresponding to inelastic scattering with no charge fluctuations, the nonequilibrium charge susceptibility does not. We suggest that measuring both the nonequilibrium conductance and charge susceptibility in the same experiment will permit us to differentiate between different scattering processes in quantum transport.     

Surface roughness and power spectral density study of SHI irradiated ultra-thin gold films

Quantitative roughness and microstructural analysis of as-deposited and swift heavy ion (SHI) (107 MeV Ag and 58 MeV Ni) irradiated 10 and 20 nm thick Au films were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Power spectral density (PSD) analysis was done from the AFM images. The energies chosen for the two different ions eliminated the velocity effect of SHI in materials modification. The rms roughness estimated from the AFM data did not show either monotonic increase or decrease with ion fluences. Instead, it increased at low fluences and decreased at high fluences for 20 nm thick film. In 10 nm film, the roughness first increased with ion fluence, then decreased and again increased at higher fluences. Though the 10 and 20 nm films exhibited very different patterns of rms roughness variation with ion fluence, the pattern of variation in both cases was identical for Ni and Ag beams. The PSD analysis for both 10 and 20 nm films (pristine and irradiated) showed similar variation of low frequency roughness with ion fluence as that of the rms roughness. In the high frequency regime, PSD analysis suggests that surface morphology of the irradiated samples is governed by the combined effect of evaporation-recondensation and diffusion dominated processes.     

Observation of b-->dgamma and determination of /Vtd/Vts/

We report the observation of the flavor-changing neutral current process b-->dgamma using a sample of 386 x 106 B meson pairs accumulated by the Belle detector at the KEKB e+e- collider. We measure branching fractions for the exclusive modes B--->rho-gamma, B0rho0gamma, and B0omegagamma. Assuming that these three modes are related by isospin, we find B(B-->(rho,gamma)gamma)=[Formula: See Text] with a significance of 5.1sigma. This result is used to determine the ratio of Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements /Vtd/Vts/ to be [Formula: See Text].     

Photophysics of 2-(4′-<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Dimethylaminophenyl)imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine in Micelles: Selective Dual Fluorescence in Sodium dodecylsulphate and Triton X-100

The photophysical behavior of 2-(4′-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (DMAPIP-b) has been studied in nonionic triton X-100 (TX-100), cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) micelles using steady state and time resolved fluorescence techniques. The molecule emits both normal and TICT fluorescence in SDS and TX-100 but emits only normal fluorescence in CTAB. This difference in behavior of the fluorophore is due to varying extent of hydrogen bonding experience by it in different micelles. Of the three possible monocations, only two kinds of monocations, MC1 (formed by protonation of pyridine ring nitrogen) and MC2 (formed by the protonation of imidazole nitrogen) are present in all the micelles (Scheme 1). DFT calculations performed on the monocations reveal that MC1 and MC2 are more stable than MC3, the monocation formed by the protonation of dimethylamino nitrogen.      

Oral intake of zirconia nanoparticle alters neuronal development and behaviour of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila melanogaster</Emphasis>

Zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO₂ NPs) have been extensively used in teeth and bone implants and thus get a chance to interact with the physiological system. The current study investigated the oral administration of various concentrations of ZrO₂ NPs synthesized by the hydrothermal method (0.25 to 5.0 mg L^?1) on Drosophila physiology and behaviour. The size of the currently studied nanoparticle varies from 10 to 12 nm. ZrO₂ NPs accumulated within the gut in a concentration-dependent manner and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) only at 2.5 and 5.0 mg L^?1 concentrations. ROS was detected by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) assay and 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (H2DCF) staining. The ROS toxicity alters the larval gut structure as revealed by DAPI staining. The NP stress of larvae affects the Drosophila development by distressing pupa count and varying the phenotypic changes in sensory organs (eye, thorax bristle, wings). Besides phenotypic changes, flawed climbing behaviour against gravity was seen in ZrO₂ NP-treated flies. All together, for the first time, we have reported that a ROS-mediated ZrO₂ NP toxicity alters neuronal development and functioning using Drosophila as a model organism.

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Observation of the psi(4415)-->DD2*(2460) decay using initial-state radiation

We report measurements of the exclusive cross section for e(+)e(-)-->D(0)D(-)pi(+) over the center-of-mass energy range 4.0 GeV to 5.0 GeV with initial-state radiation and the first observation of the decay psi(4415)-->D(0)D(-)pi(+). From a study of the resonant substructure in psi(4415) decay we conclude that the psi(4415)-->D(0)D(-)pi(+) decay is dominated by psi(4415)-->DD(2)(*)(2460). We obtain B(psi(4415)-->D(0)D(-)pi(nonresonant)(+))/B(psi(4415)-->DD(2)(*)(2460)-->D(0)D(-)pi(+))<0.22 at 90% C.L. The analysis is based on a data sample collected with the Belle detector with an integrated luminosity of 673 fb(-1).     

Observation of anomalous upsilon(1S)pi+pi(-) and upsilon(2S)pi+pi(-) production near the upsilon(5S) resonance

We report the first observation of e;{+}e;{-}-->Upsilon(1S)pi;{+}pi;{-}, Upsilon(2S)pi;{+}pi;{-}, and first evidence for e;{+}e;{-}-->Upsilon(3S)pi;{+}pi;{-}, Upsilon(1S)K+K-, near the peak of the Upsilon(5S) resonance at sqrt[s] approximately 10.87 GeV. The results are based on a data sample of 21.7 fb;{-1} collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB e;{+}e;{-} collider. Attributing the signals to the Upsilon(5S) resonance, the partial widths Gamma(Upsilon(5S)-->Upsilon(1S)pi;{+}pi;{-})=0.59+/-0.04(stat)+/-0.09(syst) MeV and Gamma(Upsilon(5S)-->Upsilon(2S)pi;{+}pi;{-})=0.85+/-0.07(stat)+/-0.16(syst) MeV are obtained from the observed cross sections. These values exceed by more than 2 orders of magnitude the previously measured partial widths for dipion transitions between lower Upsilon resonances.     

Observation of B{0}-->ppK*0 with a large K*0 polarization

Using a 492 fb{-1} data sample collected near the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e{+}e{-} collider, we observe the decay B{0}-->ppK*0 with a branching fraction of (1.18{-0.25}{+0.29}(stat)+/-0.11(syst))x10{-6}. We study the decay dynamics of B{0}-->ppK*0 and compare with B{+}-->ppK*+. The K*0 meson is found to be almost 100% polarized (with a fraction of (101+/-13+/-3)% in the helicity zero state), while the K*+ meson has a (32+/-17+/-9)% fraction in the helicity zero state. The direct CP asymmetries for B{0}-->ppK*0 and B{+}-->ppK*+ are measured to be -0.08+/-0.20+/-0.02 and -0.01+/-0.19+/-0.02, respectively. In addition, we report improved measurements of the branching fractions B(B{+}-->ppK*+)=(3.38{-0.60}{+0.73}+/-0.39)x10{-6} and B(B{0}-->ppK{0})=(2.51{-0.29}{+0.35}+/-0.21)x10{-6}, which supersede our previous measurements.     

Two‐phase pressure drop caused by sudden flow area contraction/expansion in small circular pipes

Theoretical studies have been made to determine the pressure drops caused by abrupt flow area expansion/contraction in small circular pipes for two‐phase flow of air and water mixtures at room temperature and near atmospheric pressure. Two‐phase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations, using Eulerian–Eulerian model (with the air phase being compressible for pipe contraction case) are employed to calculate the pressure drop across sudden expansion and contraction. The pressure drop is determined by extrapolating the computed pressure profiles upstream and downstream of the expansion/contraction. The larger and smaller tube diameters are 1.6 and 0.84 mm, respectively. Computations have been performed with single‐phase water and air, and two‐phase mixtures in a range of Reynolds number (considering all‐liquid flow) from 1000 to 12 000 and flow quality from 1.2 × 10^?3 to 1.6 × 10^?2. The numerical results are validated against experimental data from the literature and are found to be in good agreement. The expansion and contraction loss coefficients are found to be different for single‐phase flow of air and water, and they agreed reasonably well with the commonly used theoretical predictions. Based on the numerical results as well as experimental data, correlations are developed for two‐phase flow pressure drops caused by the flow area contraction as well as expansion. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lattice-free sets,multi-branch split disjunctions,and mixed-integer programming

In this paper we study the relationship between valid inequalities for mixed-integer sets, lattice-free sets associated with these inequalities and the multi-branch split cuts introduced by Li and Richard (Discret Optim 5:724–734, 2008). By analyzing $n$ -dimensional lattice-free sets, we prove that for every integer $n$ there exists a positive integer $t$ such that every facet-defining inequality of the convex hull of a mixed-integer polyhedral set with $n$ integer variables is a $t$ -branch split cut. We use this result to give a finite cutting-plane algorithm to solve mixed-integer programs. We also show that the minimum value $t$ , for which all facets of polyhedral mixed-integer sets with $n$ integer variables can be generated as $t$ -branch split cuts, grows exponentially with $n$ . In particular, when $n=3$ , we observe that not all facet-defining inequalities are 6-branch split cuts.