Decoherence via the dynamical casimir effect

We derive a master equation for a mirror interacting with the vacuum field via radiation pressure. The dynamical Casimir effect leads to decoherence of a superposition state in a time scale that depends on the degree of "macroscopicity" of the state components, and which may be much shorter than the relaxation time scale. Coherent states are selected by the interaction as pointer states.     

EFFECT OF COMPOSITION AND PROCESSING CONDITION ON MICROSTRUCTURAL PROPERTIES AND DURABILITY OF FLUOROPOLYMER/ACRYLIC BLENDS

Fluoropolymer blends have been widely used as binders for exterior coatings because of their excellent resistance to ultra-violet (UV) radiation as well as to many corrosive chemical agents.It is known that the fluorinated component usually has a lower glass transition temperature and easily crystallizes in the final structure depending upon the blend composition and sample annealing condition.We investigated the effect of blend composition and annealing process (slow and fast cooling) on the surface mor...     

Polarized emission of individual self-assembled oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)-based nanofibers on a solid support

We have prepared 5 nm diameter, micrometer long tetra(p-phenylenevinylene) (OPV)-based nanofibers on a graphite surface. The fluorescence emission of an individual fiber shows a profound polarization over its entire length that directly corresponds to its orientation on the substrate. Quantitative analysis of the fluorescence polarization, including the depolarizing effect of the underlying graphite, evidences the high degree of organization within chiral fibers with the OPV molecules perpendicular to the fiber axis. The control of the internal order within self-assembled fibers, and the ability to measure it, is a crucial step to obtain uniform organic fibers that can be applied in nanosized electronics at room temperature.     

非平衡态/不可逆过程的热力学理论(Ⅱ)

<正> 7 解的唯一性 如果不考虑非平衡态和不可逆性,则等能密度理论中的基本命题与经典弹性理论中的在形式上完全相同。无论整个系统的动能是大还是小,图6中(sumform)_o上的面力T_i和在(sumform)_c和在的位移u_i将始终在空间坐标系x_i和时刻i下给出。与一般力学中相同,必须知道有关位移u_i及其时间导数的初始条件。它们的影响则可通过(38)和(39)向等能面转化,从而得到     

Dithienylethene-Based Single Molecular Photothermal Linear Actuator

By employing a mechanically controllable break junction technique, we have realized an ideal single molecular linear actuator based on dithienylethene (DTE) based molecular architecture, which undergoes reversible photothermal isomerization when subjected to UV irradiation under ambient conditions. As a result, open form (compressed, UV OFF) and closed form (elongated, UV ON) of dithienylethene-based molecular junctions are achieved. Interestingly, the mechanical actuation is achieved without changing the conductance of the molecular junction around the Fermi level over several cycles, which is an essential property required for an ideal single molecular actuator. Our study demonstrates a unique example of achieving a perfect balance between tunneling width and barrier height change upon photothermal isomerization, resulting in no change in conductance but a change in the molecular length, which results in mechanical actuation at the single molecular level.     

Spreading of oil from protein stabilised emulsions at air/water interfaces

Spreading of a drop of an emulsion made with milk proteins on air/water interfaces was studied. From an unheated emulsion, all oil molecules could spread onto the air/water interface, indicating that the protein layers around the oil globules in the emulsion droplet were not coherent enough to withstand the forces involved in spreading. Heat treatment (90 °C) of emulsions made with whey protein concentrate (WPC) or skim milk powder reduced the spreadability, probably because polymerisation of whey protein at the oil/water interface increased the coherence of the protein layer. Heat treatment of emulsions made with WPC and monoglycerides did not reduce spreadability, presumably because the presence of the monoglycerides at the oil/water interface prevented a substantial increase of coherence of the protein layer. Heat treatment of caseinate-stabilised emulsions had no effect on the spreadability. If proteins were already present at the air/water interface, oil did not spread if the surface tension (γ) was <60 mN/m. We introduced a new method to measure the rate at which oil molecules spread from the oil globules in the emulsion droplet by monitoring changes in γ at various positions in a ‘trough’. The spreading rates observed for the various systems agree very well with the values predicted by the theory. Spreading from oil globules in a drop of emulsion was faster than spreading from a single oil drop, possibly due to the greater surface tension gradient between the oil globule and the air/water interface or to the increased oil surface area. Heat treatment of an emulsion made with WPC did not affect the spreading rate. The method was not suitable for measuring the spreading rate at interfaces where surface active material is already present, because changes in γ then were caused by compression of the interfacial layer rather than by the spreading oil.     

Solvent Effects on a Diels-Alder Reaction Involving a Cationic Diene: Consequences of the Absence of Hydrogen-Bond Interactions for Accelerations in Aqueous Media

In order to study the influence of hydrogen-bond interactions on the accelerations of Diels-Alder reactions in water and highly aqueous mixed solvent systems, second-order rate constants for the Diels-Alder reaction of acridizinium bromide (1a) with cyclopentadiene (CP) have been measured in aqueous media and organic solvents. Only modest rate accelerations were found in water-rich media. This is attributed to the absence of hydrogen-bonding groups in the reactants. Comparison with cycloadditions of CP with 9-carbomethoxyacridizinium bromide (1b), acrylonitrile (3), and methyl vinyl ketone (4), which do contain hydrogen-bond acceptors, reveals substantially larger aqueous accelerations. These results demonstrate that hydrogen bonding is a major factor in aqueous accelerations. Also rate constants for the cycloaddition of CP to 1a in surfactant solutions were determined. Micellar catalysis is observed in SDS solutions, due to binding of both the diene and the dienophile to the anionic micellar surface.