Conformal Ricci Collineations of Static Spherically Symmetric Spacetimes

Conformal Ricei collineations of static spherically symmetric spacetimes are studied. The general form of the vector fields generating eonformal Rieei eollineations is found when the Rieei tensor is non-degenerate, in which ease the number of independent eonformal Rieei eollineations is 15, the maximum number for four-dimensional manifolds. In the degenerate ease it is found that the static spherically symmetric spaeetimes always have an infinite number of eonformal Rieei eollineations. Some examples are provided which admit non-trivial eonformal Rieei eollineations, and perfect fluid source of the matter.     

Friction tensor for a pair of Brownian particles: Spurious finite-size effects and molecular dynamics estimates

In this work, we show thatin any finite system, the binary friction tensor for two Brownian particlescannot be directly estimated from an evaluation of the microscopic Green-Kubo formula, involving the time integral of force-force autocorrelation functions. This pitfall is associated with a subtle inversion of the thermodynamic and long-time limits and leads to spurious results for the estimates of the friction matrix based on molecular dynamics simulations. Starting from a careful analysis of the coupled Langevin equations for two interacting Brownian particles, we derive a method to circumvent these effects and extract the binary friction tensor from the correlation function matrix of the instantaneous forces exerted by the bath particles on the fixed Brownian particles, and from the relaxation of the total momentum of the bath in afinite system. The general methodology is applied to the case of two hard or soft Brownian spheres in a bath of light particles. Numerical estimates of the relevant correlation functions and of the resulting self and mutual components of the matrix of friction tensors are obtained by molecular dynamics simulations for various spacings between the Brownian particles. This paper is dedicated to B. Jancovici on the occassion of his 65th birthday.     

Monte Carlo simulations of catalytic CO oxidation on fractal surfaces of dimension between two and three

We present a method for generating fractal surfaces of dimension between two and three. By using the method, five fractal surfaces with dimension 2.262, 2.402, 2.524, 2.631, and 2.771 are created. For each of these surfaces, the reaction of carbon monoxide and oxygen is simulated by using a Monte Carlo method based on the ZGB model [Phys. Rev. Lett. 24 (1986) 2553]. The results show that the catalytic CO oxidation proceeds more efficiently on a surface with higher fractal dimension. It is also found that as the fractal dimension of the surface becomes higher, the first-order kinetic phase transition point (y₂) is shifted to a higher partial pressure of CO. This implies that poisoning of the catalyst surface due to CO segregation sets in at a higher CO partial pressure for surfaces with more complexity.     

Unique edge structure and stability of fabricated dimer islands on Si(001)

The edge structure and stability of monolayer-high islands fabricated on Si(001) surfaces by scanning tunneling microscopy have been analyzed theoretically. In contrast to the edges of similar islands grown by depositing Si, the properties of edges of fabricated islands are determined by the length of the trench of dimers that are removed to create the island. We demonstrate the possibility of controlling the edge structure, and thus the stability, through a selective process of atom removal.     

静电场对强激光场非序列双电子电离的影响

利用半经典重碰模型计算并研究了He原子在强激光场与静电场的混合场下的非序列双电子电离过程. 由于静电场破坏了激光场电场的反演对称性，在平行于激光场偏振方向的He²⁺离子动量分布不再具有对称双峰结构. 由于超短脉冲具有相似的非对称性，研究静电场对原子在强场中非序列电离的影响，有助于分析超短脉冲非序列电离的过程，进一步了解非序列双电子电离的机理.     

Real-time monitoring of SiO2/Si(1 1 1) interlayer etching by Brewster-angle reflectometry

A transitory etching regime after SiO₂ dissolution and before bulk Si(1 1 1) etching in neutral NH₄F solutions was monitored by in situ Brewster-angle reflectometry (BAR). An observed intermediate increase of the BAR reflectance signal is attributed to a fast dissolution of a stressed/strained interlayer beneath the SiO₂/Si(1 1 1) interface. Similar effects were observed on thin thermal oxides (18.2 nm), grown on float zone silicon, as well as on ultra-thin native oxides (1.2 nm) on Czochralsky silicon. Native oxide covered samples showed an increased surface roughness in the course of interlayer dissolution while the surface is progressively covered with compounds of fluorinated silicon. The etch rate, determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and compared to the etch rate of bulk silicon, is increased by a factor of four. In the limit of extended etching, the known low etch rates for silicon in 40% NH₄F are observed. Structural and chemical properties of the interfacial layer were analyzed by synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy (SRPES) which confirmed the presence of Si^3+/4+ valence states throughout the interlayer and by near open-circuit potential (N-OCP) dark current measurements. As a result, oxide etch rates in NH₄F in the pH-range 7–8 as well as the silicon interlayer depth can be assessed by in situ BAR.     

Analysis of fluorescence quenching of pyronin B and pyronin Y by molecular oxygen in aqueous solution

The fluorescence quenching of pyronin B and pyronin Y molecules by molecular oxygen in aqueous solution was studied by using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy techniques. In order to understand the quenching mechanism, fluorescence decays, absorption and fluorescence spectra of the probes were recorded as a function of the oxygen concentration and temperature. The quenching was found to be appreciable and shows positive deviation in the Stern-Volmer representation obtained from the fluorescence intensity ratio. Fluorescence quenching constants (k_q) were calculated from the τ_o/τ vs. [Q] plots having linear correlation and compared with calculated diffusion-controlled rate constants (k_diff) values. Experimental results were in good agreement with the simultaneous dynamic and static quenching model.     

Interpretation of Light Scattering Spectra of Dispersions – A Hybrid Approach to Account for Interparticle Interactions

The problem of extracting quantitative information on individual particle properties from spectroscopic measurements conducted at concentrations where particle interactions become significant is of great industrial and theoretical importance. For dispersions of charged particles, this can happen at fairly low concentrations. The effect of the fluid (slurry) structure has to be taken into account to interpret the light scattering spectra of such dispersions. In this paper, a hybrid method that addresses the effect of the fluid structure is proposed. The hybrid approach describes the fluid structure by relating the “effective” Percus‐Yevick hard‐sphere parameters to the system parameters using empirical models. The feasibility of this approach is examined through a theoretical study with data generated by Monte Carlo simulations of a monodisperse dispersion of charged spherical particles using realistic interaction potentials under single scattering conditions.     

Theoretical and experimental time series analysis of an inductorless Chua’s circuit

In this paper we have analyzed the time series obtained from an experimental realization of an inductorless version of Chua’s circuit. We have also compared the experimental results with the results emerging by analysis of the time series obtained by numerical simulations of the respective model equations. Lyapunov exponent spectra, the Kaplan-Yorke dimension and phase-space diagrams were used to show the similarities between theoretical and experimental results. We were able to identify the effects of the operational amplifier simulated inductor internal resistance on the Chua’s circuit dynamics. Decreasing internal resistance for decreasing current through the circuit was responsible for the observed bifurcation route.