DNA ejection from bacteriophage: Towards a general behavior for osmotic-suppression experiments

We present in this work in vitro measurements of the force ejecting DNA from two distinct bacteriophages (T5 and λ using the osmotic-suppression technique. Our data are analyzed by revisiting the current theories of DNA packaging in spherical capsids. In particular we show that a simplified analytical model based on bending considerations only is able to account quantitatively for the experimental findings. Physical and biological consequences are discussed.     

Slim Discs with Varying Accretion Rates

It was revealed in our previous studies that there exists a maximal possible accretion rate for slim discs with constant accretion rates because the correctly calculated vertical gravitational force can only gather some limited amount of accreted matter. Here we show that when the accretion rate is not constant and instead decreases with decreasing radius because of outflows, such that the amount of accreted matter is adjusted to be within the allowed limit, global slim disc solutions can be constructed even for the case that accretion rates at large radii apparently exceed the maximal possible value. This result further demonstrates that outflows seem to be unavoidable for accretion flows with large accretion rates at large radii.     

Regular black hole in three dimensions

We find a new black hole in three-dimensional anti-de Sitter space by introducing an anisotropic perfect fluid inspired by the noncommutative black hole. This is a regular black hole with two horizons. We compare the thermodynamics of this black hole with that of a non-rotating BTZ black hole. The first-law of thermodynamics is not compatible with the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy.     

Complex permittivity and microwave absorption properties of carbon nanotubes/polymer composite: A numerical study

Based on an equivalent resistance-capacitance (RC) network, we investigate theoretically the complex permittivity and microwave absorption properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/polymer composite in the frequency range of 50 MHz-3 GHz using the logarithmic mixing rule. Both the real and imaginary parts of the permittivities of CNTs and polymer are considered in detail. The simulated results show that the real and imaginary permittivities of the composite increase explicitly with increasing volume fraction of CNTs, and the latter is more sensitive. The calculated complex permittivity spectra of the composite are in good agreement with the available experimental data. In addition, a good linear relationship between microwave absorbance and frequency is found.     

Structural and Electrical Properties of PZT/PVDF Piezoelectric Nanocomposites Prepared by Cold-Press and Hot-Press Routes

The 0-3 PZT/PVDF piezoelectric composites are prepared separately by hot-press and cold-press processes. The effects of the PZT content and the shaping-process on the composites are studied. The experimental results indicate that composites with 70% PZT nanopowders prepared by the hot-press method exhibit excellent piezoelectric and dielectric properties. The maxima of d₃₃ and ε of the composites prepared by hot-press method are about 30% and 65% higher than those prepared by the cold-press method, respectively. This is mainly attributed to the favourable coupling of the two materials in the process of the hot press and the formation of the β-type PVDF, which possesses better electric properties.     

Electrostatic resonance of clusters of dielectric cylinders: A finite element simulation

Based on the finite-element method, it is demonstrated that the electrostatic resonance features of a range of heterostructures made of clusters of dielectric cylinders depend sensitively on the shape and arrangement of the inclusions in the background matrix, and on the polarization of the applied electric field.     

Float-reaction between liquid bronze and magnesium aluminosilicate and ZnO-doped magnesium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic-forming glassmelts

Wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS) was used to characterize the morphology of the reactions between a liquid bronze alloy (Cu-36 at.%Sn) and two magnesium aluminosilicate, glass-ceramic-forming glassmelts, one of which was doped significantly with ZnO. Two suites of experiments were pursued for each glassmelt, an isochronal series (30-min reactions with temperatures ranging from ∼1300 to 1400 °C) and an isothermal series (1350 °C reactions with durations ranging from 5 to 60 min). The reactions are decidedly complex. Transient behavior sees initially rapid incorporation of Cu^+,2+ into the glassmelts, effected primarily by a redox couple involving the SiO₂ component of the aluminosilicate. This behavior gives way to a more dominant kinetic response in which Sn^2+,4+ is incorporated into the glassmelt in a reaction and chemical diffusion process that, in part, pulls the early-incorporated ionic copper back out of the aluminosilicate. In the case of the ZnO-doped glassmelt, coupled redox and interdiffusion of ionic Sn and ionic Zn is important in the longer-time response, giving rise to a Liesegang-band morphology. The extent of metal-silicate reaction diminishes as the temperature is increased, a thermodynamic effect related to the solution thermodynamics of the liquid bronze alloy. The reaction kinetics are interpreted following the Wagner-Schmalzried formalism for diffusion-effected redox reactions.     

Electromagnetic Parameters Model and Microwave Absorption for Composite Coatings Containing Magnetic Particles

Considering the eddy current effect of the magnetic metal particles in a high frequency electromagnetic field, we extend the Maxwell-Garnett law by introducing the eddy-effect parameter A which is as functions of the radius, permeability and electric conductivity of the metal particle medium. It is obvious that the computational result agrees with the experiment, which indicates that the extended Maxwell-Garnett law can be used to predict the effective electromagnetic parameters of a dilute metal-insulator composite medium in a high-frequency electromagnetic field.     

Two Kinds of Magnetic Connection in Black-Hole Accretion Disc

We discuss two kinds of magnetic connection （MC） in the black hole （BH） accretion disc： the magnetic connection between the BH and the disc （MCHD） and that between the plunging region and the disc （MCPD）. The magnetic field configuration is produced by an electric current flowing at the inner edge of the disc. It turns out that the transfer direction of energy and angular momentum depends on the BH spin and a parameter λ for adjusting the angular velocities of the plunging matter, which corresponds to at most five regions in the disc. The effect of MCPD results in a much steeper emissivity than a standard accretion disc in the inner disc, however it fails to reach the observation range 4.3-5.5 in several objects, such as Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG-6-30-15, microquasars XTE J1650-500 and GX 399-4.     

Charged Particle Tunnels from the Slowly Varying Reissner-Nordstroem Black Hole

Extending Parikh and Wilczek＇s work to the non-stationary black hole, we discuss the Hawking radiation of the slowly varying Reissner-NordstrSm black hole by considering the unfixed background spacetime and the selfgravitation interaction. The result shows that the tunnelling rate is related to both the variation of BekensteinHawking entropy and the radiation spectrum deviating from the purely thermal one. This is in agreement with Parikh and Wilczek＇s result. Then a new method to study Hawking radiation of the non-stationary black holes is presented.