High temperature instability of hollow nanoparticles

The concept of the Gibbs energy balance is used to derive the evolution equation of both surfaces of a hollow nanosphere. The process is driven by reducing the surface energy and the elastic energy stored in the bulk. A semianalytical solution is provided for the time period during which a hollow nanosphere shrinks to a compact nanospherical particle. Comparison with recently reported results is performed.     

Correlated electron current and temperature dependence of the conductance of a quantum point contact

We investigate finite temperature corrections to the Landauer formula due to electron–electron interaction within the quantum point contact. When the Fermi level is close to the barrier height, the conducting wavefunctions become peaked on the barrier, enhancing the electron–electron interaction. At the same time, away from the contact the interaction is strongly suppressed by screening. To describe electron transport we formulate and solve a kinetic equation for the density matrix of electrons. The correction to the conductance G is negative and strongly enhanced in the region 0.5 × 2e²/h ≤ G ≤ 1.0 × 2e²/h. Our results for conductance agree with the so-called “0.7 structure” observed in experiments.     

Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium for some Stochastic Models of Hamiltonian Origin

We consider a class of 1-D stochastic models that are realizations of Hamiltonian models of heat conduction and prove that in the infinite volume limit local thermodynamic equilibrium is attained with linear energy profile.     

A novel super-FEC code based on concatenated code for high-speed long-haul optical communication systems

The structures of the novel super forward error correction (Super-FEC) code type based on the concatenated code for high-speed long-haul optical communication systems are studied in this paper. The Reed-Solomon (RS) (255, 239) + Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocguenghem (BCH) (1023, 963) concatenated code is presented after the characteristics of the concatenated code and the two Super-FEC code type presented in ITU-T G.975.1 have theoretically been analyzed, the simulation result shows that this novel code type, compared with the RS (255, 239) + convolutional-self-orthogonal-code (CSOC) (k₀/n₀ = 6/7, J = 8) code in ITU-T G.975.1, has a lower redundancy and better error-correction capabilities, and its net coding gain (NCG) at the third iteration is 0.57 dB more than that of RS (255, 239) + CSOC (k₀/n₀ = 6/7, J = 8) code in ITU-T G.975.1 at the third iteration for the bit error rate (BER) of 10⁻¹². Therefore, the novel code type can better be used in long-haul, larger capacity and higher bit-rate optical communication systems. Furthermore, the design and implementation of the novel concatenated code type are also discussed.     

The national ignition facility: path to ignition in the laboratory

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a 192-beam laser facility presently under construction at LLNL. When completed, NIF will be a 1.8-MJ, 500-TW ultraviolet laser system. Its missions are to obtain fusion ignition and to perform high energy density experiments in support of the US nuclear weapons stockpile. Four of the NIF beams have been commissioned to demonstrate laser performance and to commission the target area including target and beam alignment and laser timing. During this time, NIF demonstrated on a single-beam basis that it will meet its performance goals and demonstrated its precision and flexibility for pulse shaping, pointing, timing and beam conditioning. It also performed four important experiments for Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Energy Density Science. Presently, the project is installing production hardware to complete the project in 2009 with the goal to begin ignition experiments in 2010. An integrated plan has been developed including the NIF operations, user equipment such as diagnostics and cryogenic target capability, and experiments and calculations to meet this goal. This talk will provide NIF status, the plan to complete NIF, and the path to ignition.     

Deposition of Ni<Subscript> 13</Subscript> and Cu<Subscript> 13</Subscript> clusters on Ni(111) and Cu(111) surfaces

The soft deposition of Ni₁₃ and Cu₁₃ clusters on Ni(111) and Cu(111) surfaces is studied by means of constant-energy molecular-dynamics simulations. The atomic interactions are described by the Embedded Atom Method. It is shown that the shape of the nickel clusters deposited on Cu(111) surfaces remains rather intact, while the copper clusters impacting on Ni(111) surfaces collapse forming double and triple layered products. Furthermore, it is found that for an impact energy of 0.5 eV/atom the structures of all investigated clusters show the lowest similarity to the original structures, except for the case of nickel clusters deposited on a Cu(111) surface. Finally, it is demonstrated that when cluster and substrate are of different materials, it is possible to control whether the deposition results in largely intact clusters on the substrate or in a spreading of the clusters. This separation into hard and soft clusters can be related to the relative cohesive energy of the crystalline materials.     

A nonextensive approach to the dynamics of financial observables

We present results about financial market observables, specifically returns and traded volumes. They are obtained within the current nonextensive statistical mechanical framework based on the entropy . More precisely, we present stochastic dynamical mechanisms which mimic probability density functions empirically observed. These mechanisms provide possible interpretations for the emergence of the entropic indices q in the time evolution of the corresponding observables. In addition to this, through multi-fractal analysis of return time series, we verify that the dual relation q_stat+q_sens=2 is numerically satisfied, q_stat and q_sens being associated to the probability density function and to the sensitivity to initial conditions respectively. This type of simple relation, whose understanding remains ellusive, has been empirically verified in various other systems.     

The possibility to use ‘energy plus transmutation’ set-up for neutron production and transport benchmark studies

The set-up ‘energy plus transmutation’, consisting of a thick lead target and a natural uranium blanket, was irradiated by relativistic proton beams with the energy from 0.7 GeV up to 2 GeV. Neutron field was measured in different places of this set-up using different activation detectors. The possibilities of using the obtained data for benchmark studies are analyzed in this paper. Uncertainties of experimental data are shown and discussed. The experimental data are compared with results of simulation with MCNPX code.      

Atomic force microscopy-based repeated machining theory for nanochannels on silicon oxide surfaces

The atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based repeated nanomachining of nanochannels on silicon oxide surfaces is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The relationships of the initial nanochannel depth vs. final nanochannel depth at a normal force are systematically studied. Using the derived theory and simulation results, the final nanochannel depth can be predicted easily. Meanwhile, if a nanochannel with an expected depth needs to be machined, a right normal force can be selected simply and easily in order to decrease the wear of the AFM tip. The theoretical analysis and simulation results can be effectively used for AFM-based fabrication of nanochannels.     

Correlation functions from a unified variational principle: Trial Lie groups

Time-dependent expectation values and correlation functions for many-body quantum systems are evaluated by means of a unified variational principle. It optimizes a generating functional depending on sources associated with the observables of interest. It is built by imposing through Lagrange multipliers constraints that account for the initial state (at equilibrium or off equilibrium) and for the backward Heisenberg evolution of the observables. The trial objects are respectively akin to a density operator and to an operator involving the observables of interest and the sources. We work out here the case where trial spaces constitute Lie groups. This choice reduces the original degrees of freedom to those of the underlying Lie algebra, consisting of simple observables; the resulting objects are labeled by the indices of a basis of this algebra. Explicit results are obtained by expanding in powers of the sources. Zeroth and first orders provide thermodynamic quantities and expectation values in the form of mean-field approximations, with dynamical equations having a classical Lie–Poisson structure. At second order, the variational expression for two-time correlation functions separates–as does its exact counterpart–the approximate dynamics of the observables from the approximate correlations in the initial state. Two building blocks are involved: (i) a commutation matrix which stems from the structure constants of the Lie algebra; and (ii) the second-derivative matrix of a free-energy function. The diagonalization of both matrices, required for practical calculations, is worked out, in a way analogous to the standard RPA. The ensuing structure of the variational formulae is the same as for a system of non-interacting bosons (or of harmonic oscillators) plus, at non-zero temperature, classical Gaussian variables. This property is explained by mapping the original Lie algebra onto a simpler Lie algebra. The results, valid for any trial Lie group, fulfill consistency properties and encompass several special cases: linear responses, static and time-dependent fluctuations, zero- and high-temperature limits, static and dynamic stability of small deviations.