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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Mechanical Properties Of Carbon Nanotubes Composites, David Hui, Mircea Chipara, Jagannathan Sankar, K. T. Lau Sep 2004

Mechanical Properties Of Carbon Nanotubes Composites, David Hui, Mircea Chipara, Jagannathan Sankar, K. T. Lau

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

A critical review of theoretical models aiming to explain the physical properties of composites based on polymeric matrices reinforced with carbon nanotubes is presented. Attention is paid to descriptions based on molecular dynamics, continuum mechanics, and finite element analysis. It is shown that both the continuum mechanics approximation and the finite size element analyses fail to describe composites with very thin interfaces, while the performances of molecular dynamics simulations are still restricted by computer's performances. The limitations of the continuum mechanics approximation are analyzed in detail.


Xafs Debye-Waller Factors For Zn Metalloproteins, N. Dimakis, Grant Bunker Jan 2004

Xafs Debye-Waller Factors For Zn Metalloproteins, N. Dimakis, Grant Bunker

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

An accurate and practical method for the calculation and use of thermal x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) Debye-Waller factors (DWFs) in active sites of metalloproteins is presented. These factors are calculated on model clusters within the local density functional approximation with nonlocal corrections. The DWFs are mapped out and parametrized as a function of the first shell distance and an angle (where applicable), for all significant single and multiple scattering paths, as well as the sample temperature. This approach is applied to the biologically essential but spectroscopically silent Zn+2 active sites composed of histidines, cysteines, and carboxylate ligands in homogeneous …


Setting Upper Limits On The Strength Of Periodic Gravitational Waves From Psr J1939+2134 Using The First Science Data From The Geo 600 And Ligo Detectors, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Mario C. Diaz, Wm. R. Johnston, Joseph D. Romano, Cristina V. Torres Jan 2004

Setting Upper Limits On The Strength Of Periodic Gravitational Waves From Psr J1939+2134 Using The First Science Data From The Geo 600 And Ligo Detectors, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Mario C. Diaz, Wm. R. Johnston, Joseph D. Romano, Cristina V. Torres

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Data collected by the GEO 600 and LIGO interferometric gravitational wave detectors during their first observational science run were searched for continuous gravitational waves from the pulsar J1939+2134 at twice its rotation frequency. Two independent analysis methods were used and are demonstrated in this paper: a frequency domain method and a time domain method. Both achieve consistent null results, placing new upper limits on the strength of the pulsar’s gravitational wave emission. A model emission mechanism is used to interpret the limits as a constraint on the pulsar’s equatorial ellipticity.


Probing Molecular Free Energy Landscapes By Periodic Loading, Oliver Braun, Andreas Hanke, Udo Seifert Jan 2004

Probing Molecular Free Energy Landscapes By Periodic Loading, Oliver Braun, Andreas Hanke, Udo Seifert

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Single molecule pulling experiments provide information about interactions in biomolecules that cannot be obtained by any other method. However, the reconstruction of the molecule’s free energy profile from the experimental data is still a challenge, in particular, for the unstable barrier regions. We propose a new method for obtaining the full profile by introducing a periodic ramp and using Jarzynski’s relation for obtaining equilibrium quantities from nonequilibrium data. Our simulated experiments show that this method delivers significant more accurate data than previous methods, under the constraint of equal experimental effort.


Coalescence Remnant Of Spinning Binary Black Holes, J Baker, M. Campanelli, C. O. Lousto, R. Takahashi Jan 2004

Coalescence Remnant Of Spinning Binary Black Holes, J Baker, M. Campanelli, C. O. Lousto, R. Takahashi

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

We compute the gravitational radiation generated in the evolution of a family of close binary black hole configurations, using a combination of numerical and perturbative approximation methods. We evolve the binaries with spins s aligned or counteraligned with the orbital angular momentum from near the innermost stable circular orbit down to the final single rotating black hole. For the moderately spinning holes studied here the remnant Kerr black holes formed at the end of an inspiral process have rotation parameters a/M≈0.72+0.32(s/mH), suggesting it is difficult (though not excluded) to end up with near maximally rotating holes from such scenarios.


First Upper Limits From Ligo On Gravitational Wave Bursts, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Mario C. Diaz, Wm. R. Johnston, Joseph D. Romano, Cristina V. Torres Jan 2004

First Upper Limits From Ligo On Gravitational Wave Bursts, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Mario C. Diaz, Wm. R. Johnston, Joseph D. Romano, Cristina V. Torres

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

We report on a search for gravitational wave bursts using data from the first science run of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors. Our search focuses on bursts with durations ranging from 4 to 100 ms, and with significant power in the LIGO sensitivity band of 150 to 3000 Hz. We bound the rate for such detected bursts at less than 1.6 events per day at a 90% confidence level. This result is interpreted in terms of the detection efficiency for ad hoc waveforms (Gaussians and sine Gaussians) as a function of their root-sum-square strain hrss; typical sensitivities …


Analysis Of Ligo Data For Gravitational Waves From Binary Neutron Stars, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Wm. R. Johnston, Joseph D. Romano, V. Schmidt Jan 2004

Analysis Of Ligo Data For Gravitational Waves From Binary Neutron Stars, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Wm. R. Johnston, Joseph D. Romano, V. Schmidt

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binary systems in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. The analysis uses data taken by two of the three LIGO interferometers during the first LIGO science run and illustrates a method of setting upper limits on inspiral event rates using interferometer data. The analysis pipeline is described with particular attention to data selection and coincidence between the two interferometers. We establish an observational upper limit of R


Generation Of The Transient Electrical And Spontaneous Magnetic Fields By Solid State Combustion, Karen S. Martirosyan, J. R. Claycomb, J. H. Miller Jr., D. Luss Jan 2004

Generation Of The Transient Electrical And Spontaneous Magnetic Fields By Solid State Combustion, Karen S. Martirosyan, J. R. Claycomb, J. H. Miller Jr., D. Luss

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Experiments revealed that transient electric field intensities up to 2.5 V/cm were generated during the initial period of combustion synthesis of the ferromagnetic products before the maximum temperature was reached. This occurred when the iron particles were partially oxidized and the reaction product was mainly magnetite sFe3O4d. The electromagnetic field caused spontaneous magnetization of the product in the postcombustion zone. Magnetic field values up to 4 µT formed after the sample temperature fell below the Curie temperature and the initial reactants were completely converted to the ferromagnetic phase PbFe12O19. Increasing the volume of the samples increases the absolute residual magnetic …


Analysis Of First Ligo Science Data For Stochastic Gravitational Waves, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Mario C. Diaz, Wm. R. Johnston, Joseph D. Romano Jan 2004

Analysis Of First Ligo Science Data For Stochastic Gravitational Waves, B. P. Abbott, R. Abbott, Mario C. Diaz, Wm. R. Johnston, Joseph D. Romano

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present the analysis of between 50 and 100 h of coincident interferometric strain data used to search for and establish an upper limit on a stochastic background of gravitational radiation. These data come from the first LIGO science run, during which all three LIGO interferometers were operated over a 2-week period spanning August and September of 2002. The method of cross correlating the outputs of two interferometers is used for analysis. We describe in detail practical signal processing issues that arise when working with real data, and we establish an observational upper limit on a f−3 power spectrum of …


New Methods For Exafs Analysis In Structural Genomics, Grant Bunker, N. Dimakis, Gocha Kelashvili Jan 2004

New Methods For Exafs Analysis In Structural Genomics, Grant Bunker, N. Dimakis, Gocha Kelashvili

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Data analysis is one of the remaining bottlenecks in high-throughput EXAFS for structural genomics. Here some recent developments in methodology are described that offer the potential for rapid and automated XAS analysis of metalloproteins.