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At least 379 records · Page 21

Harmonic oscillator representation in the theory of scattering and nuclear reactions

The following questions, concerning the application of the harmonic oscillator representation (HOR) in the theory of scattering and reactions, are discussed: the formulation of the scattering theory in HOR; exact solutions of the free motion Schroedinger equation in HOR; separable expansion of the short range potentials and the calculation of the phase shifts; 'isolated states' as generalization of the Wigner-von Neumann bound states embedded in continuum; a nuclear coupled channel problem in HOR; and the description of true three body scattering in HOR. As an illustration the soft dipole mode in the (11)Li nucleus is considered in a frame of the (9)Li+n+n cluster model taking into account of three body continuum effects.

Smirnov, Yuri F.↗

Mars mesosphere and thermosphere coupling - Semidiurnal tides

The Mars thermospheric general circulation model (MTGCM) is modified to examine the impact of a prescribed semidiurnal tidal wave upon Martian thermospheric fields corresponding to near solar minimum (Mariner 9) and solar maximum (Mariner 6-7) observational periods. The effects of upward propagating tides are introduced into the Mars Thermospheric General circulation Model (MTGCM) by appropriately specifying its lower boundary condition according to classical tidal theory. Estimates of the amplitude and phase of the likely dominant semidiurnal (2,2) mode at the mesopause (about 100 km) are specified for a range of possible lower atmosphere dust conditions. MTGCM simulations contrasting tidally driven fields with solar-only forced ones exhibit a dramatic change in the horizontal and vertical wind patterns, whereby the global temperature and oxygen distributions are also modified significantly.

Bougher, S. W.↗

Nonlinear wave interaction in a plasma column

Two particular cases of nonlinear wave interaction in a plasma column were investigated. The frequencies of the waves were on the order of magnitude of the electron plasma frequency, and ion motion was neglected. The nonlinear coupling of slow waves on a plasma column was studied by means of cold plasma theory, and the case of a plasma column surrounded by an infinite dielectric in the absence of a magnetic field was also examined. Nonlinear scattering from a plasma column in an electromagnetic field having it's magnetic field parallel to the axis of the column was investigated. Some experimental results on mode conversion in the presence of loss are presented along with some observations of nonlinear scattering, The effect of the earth's magnetic field and of discharge symmetry on the radiation pattern are discussed.

Larsen, J.↗

A model for active control of helicopter air resonance in hover and forward flight

A coupled rotor/fuselage helicopter analysis is presented. The accuracy of the model is verified by comparing it with the experimental data. The sensitivity of the open loop damping of the unstable air resonance mode to such modeling effects as blade torsional flexibility, unsteady aerodynamics, forward flight, periodic terms, and trim solution is illustrated by numerous examples. Subsequently, the model is used in conjunction with linear optimal control theory to stabilize the air resonance mode. The influence of the modeling effects mentioned before on active air resonance control is then investigated.

Takahashi, M. D.↗

Gas-Phase Reaction Pathways and Rate Coefficients for the Dichlorosilane-Hydrogen and Trichlorosilane-Hydrogen Systems

As part of NASA Ames Research Center's Integrated Process Team on Device/Process Modeling and Nanotechnology our goal is to create/contribute to a gas-phase chemical database for use in modeling microelectronics devices. In particular, we use ab initio methods to determine chemical reaction pathways and to evaluate reaction rate coefficients. Our initial studies concern reactions involved in the dichlorosilane-hydrogen (SiCl2H2--H2) and trichlorosilane-hydrogen (SiCl2H-H2) systems. Reactant, saddle point (transition state), and product geometries and their vibrational harmonic frequencies are determined using the complete-active-space self-consistent-field (CASSCF) electronic structure method with the correlation consistent polarized valence double-zeta basis set (cc-pVDZ). Reaction pathways are constructed by following the imaginary frequency mode of the saddle point to both the reactant and product. Accurate energetics are determined using the singles and doubles coupled-cluster method that includes a perturbational estimate of the effects of connected triple excitations (CCSD(T)) extrapolated to the complete basis set limit. Using the data from the electronic structure calculations, reaction rate coefficients are obtained using conventional and variational transition state and RRKM theories.

Dateo, Christopher E.↗

Optimization of aeroassisted orbital transfer - Current status

This paper presents the theory of optimal aeroassisted orbital transfer, with special consideration given to the transfer about a central body with an atmosphere, with propulsive maneuvers in space modeled as instantaneous changes in the velocity vector. It is shown that there are four potentially optimal transfer modes, two aeroassisted and two all-propulsive, for each point in the two-dimensional transfer space. Aeroassisted orbital transfer introduces a strong coupling between the trajectory design and the vehicle design; a trajectory that minimizes fuel mass without attention to heating may require the vehicle to have a heavy thermal protection system. It is emphasized that, if aeroassisted transfer is to be preferred to all-propulsive transfer, it must offer a reduction in fuel mass greater than the increase in thermal protection mass.

Mease, K. D.↗

Dirac-Harper Theory for One-Dimensional Moiré Superlattices

In this work, we study a Dirac-Harper model for moiré bilayer superlattices where layer antisymmetric strain periodically modulates the interlayer coupling between two honeycomb lattices in one spatial dimension. Discrete and continuum formulations of this model are analyzed. For a sufficiently long moiré period we find low-energy spectra that host a manifold of weakly dispersive bands arising from a hierarchy of momentum and position-dependent mass inversions. We analyze their charge distributions, mode count, and valley coherence using exact symmetries of the lattice model and approximate symmetries of a four-flavor version of the Jackiw-Rebbi one-dimensional solution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Degradation of Phonons in Disordered Moiré Superlattices

The elastic collective modes of a moiré superlattice arise not from vibrations of a rigid crystal but from the relative displacement between the constituent layers. Despite their similarity to acoustic phonons, these modes, called phasons, are not protected by any conservation law. Furthermore, we show that disorder in the relative orientation between the layers and thermal fluctuations associated with their sliding motion degrade the propagation of sound in the moiré superlattice. Specifically, the phason modes become overdamped at low energies and acquire a finite gap, which displays a universal dependence on the twist-angle variance. Thus, twist-angle inhomogeneity is manifested not only in the non-interacting electronic structure of moiré systems, but also in their phonon-like modes. More broadly, our results have important implications for the electronic properties of twisted moiré systems that are sensitive to the electron-phonon coupling.

2-dimensional systems↗

Strong magnetic exchange coupling in Ln 2 metallocenes attained by the trans -coordination of a tetrazinyl radical ligand

A combination of high-performing lanthanide metallocenes and tetrazine-based radical ligands leads to a new series of radical-bridged dinuclear lanthanide metallocenes; [(Cp* 2 Ln III ) 2 (bpytz˙ - )][BPh 4 ] (where Ln = Gd (1), Tb (2), Dy (3) and Y (4); Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; bpytz = 3,6-bis(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazolyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine). The formation of the radical species is achieved via a controlled, stepwise synthesis and verified in all complexes by X-ray crystallography and SQUID magnetometry, as well as EPR spectroscopy of 4. Through the judicious choice of the Cp* ancillary ligands and by taking advantage of the steric effects imposed by their bulkiness, we were able to promote the trans coordination mode of the bpytz˙ - radical anion that enables stronger magnetic exchange coupling compared to the cis fashion. This yields a J Gd–rad = -14.0 cm -1 in 1, which is the strongest exchange coupling observed in organic monoanionic radical-bridged lanthanide metallocene systems. The strong Ln-rad exchange coupling was further confirmed by high-frequency EPR (HF-EPR) spectroscopy and broken-symmetry (BS) density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Further, this combined with the highly anisotropic nature of Tb III and Dy III ions in 2 and 3, respectively, leads to strong SMM behavior and slow relaxation of the magnetization at zero fields.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Spin-orbital correlations from complex orbital order in MgV 2⁢ O 4

MgV 2 ⁢O 4 is a spinel based on magnetic V 3+ ions, which host both spin (𝑆 = 1) and orbital (𝑙 eff = 1) moments. Owing to the underlying pyrochlore coordination of the magnetic sites, the spins in MgV 2 ⁢O 4 only antiferromagnetically order once the frustrating interactions imposed by the 𝐹⁡𝑑⁢$\overline{3}$⁢𝑚 lattice are broken through an orbitally-driven structural distortion at T 𝑆 ≃ ⁢60 K. Consequently, a Néel transition occurs at T 𝑁 ≃ ⁢40 K. Low-temperature spatial ordering of the electronic orbitals is fundamental to both the structural and magnetic properties; however, considerable discussion on whether it can be described by complex or real orbital ordering is ambiguous. We apply neutron spectroscopy to resolve the nature of the orbital ground state and characterize hysteretic spin-orbital correlations using x-ray and neutron diffraction. Neutron spectroscopy finds multiple excitation bands and we parametrize these in terms of a multilevel (or excitonic) theory based on the orbitally degenerate ground state. Meaningful for the orbital ground state, we report an “optical-like” mode at high energies that we attribute to a crystal-field-like excitation from the spin-orbital 𝑗 eff = 2 ground-state manifold to an excited 𝑗 eff =1 energy level. We parametrize the magnetic excitations in terms of a Hamiltonian with spin-orbit coupling and local crystalline electric field distortions resulting from deviations from perfect octahedra surrounding the V 3+ ions. We suggest that this provides compelling evidence for complex orbital order in MgV 2⁢ O 4 . We then apply the consequences of this model to understand hysteretic effects in the magnetic diffuse scattering where we propose that MgV 2⁢ O 4 displays a high-temperature orbital memory of the low-temperature spin order.

Frustrated magnetism↗

Spin Polarization from Circularly Polarized Light Induced Charge Transfer

Here, we show how a spin polarization can be generated through the photoinduced electron transfer of an achiral donor–acceptor complex following chiral light excitation. In particular, we illustrate the basic energetic and symmetry requirements for chirality induced spin selectivity where the chirality emerges from the electronic degrees of freedom following excitation with circularly polarized light. We study this effect in a simple model of a metalloporphyrin complex with an axial acceptor ligand using quantum mechanical rate theories and numerical simulations. We find that the spin polarization emerges due to the selective excitation of a ring current within the porphryin, breaking the degeneracy of the two degenerate spin states. The resultant spin polarization increases with the spin orbit coupling between the metal in the porphyrin and the axial ligand, and is transient, with a lifetime dependent on the rate of dephasing from the Jahn–Teller distortion mode. This proposed effect should be observable in spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.

charge transfer↗

A kinetic approach to compressible turbulence

A kinetic theory of strong turbulence is developed by decomposing fluctuation of distribution function into scaled components, or ranks, to represent three transport processes: macroscopic evolution, transport property and relaxation. Closure is obtained by formulating a relaxation process for the approach of eddy diffusivity to equilibrium. The kinetic equation is solved and three transport functions of turbulence in adiabatic gas are derived: two transfer functions describe turbulent mode transfer, and a coupling function describes the build-up of kinetic energy at the expense of internal energy. The energy balance in the inertial subrange of homogeneous and isotropic turbulence in an adiabatic gas yields a k to the -3rd law, in agreement with numerical computations from one dimensional model of compressible turbulence.

Tchen, C. M.↗

Unraveling the origin of antiferromagnetic coupling at YIG/permalloy interface

We investigate the structural and electronic origin of antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling in the yttrium iron garnet (YIG) and permalloy (Ni 80 ⁢Fe 20 , Py) bilayer system at the atomic level. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra reveal unique hybrid modes in samples prepared with surface ion milling, indicative of antiferromagnetic exchange coupling at the YIG/Py interface. Using atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), we found that AFM coupling appears at the YIG/Py interface of the tetrahedral YIG surface formed with ion milling. Here, the STEM measurements suggest that the interfacial AFM coupling is predominantly driven by an oxygen-mediated superexchange coupling mechanism, which is confirmed by the density-functional theory (DFT) calculations to be energetically favorable. Thus, the combined experimental and theoretical results reveal the critical role of interfacial atomic structure in determining the type of magnetic coupling in a YIG/ferromagnet heterostructure, and prove that the interfacial structure can be experimentally tuned by surface ion milling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Open quantum systems and Schwinger-Keldysh holograms

We initiate the study of open quantum field theories using holographic methods. Specifically, we consider a quantum field theory (the system) coupled to a holographic field theory at finite temperature (the environment). We investigate the effects of integrating out the holographic environment with an aim of obtaining an effective dynamics for the resulting open quantum field theory. The influence functionals which enter this open effective action are determined by the real-time (Schwinger-Keldysh) correlation functions of the holographic thermal environment. To evaluate the latter, we exploit recent developments, wherein the semiclassical gravitational Schwinger-Keldysh saddle geometries were identified as complexified black hole spacetimes. We compute real-time correlation functions using holographic methods in these geometries, and argue that they lead to a sensible open effective quantum dynamics for the system in question, a question that hitherto had been left unanswered. In addition to shedding light on open quantum systems coupled to strongly correlated thermal environments, our results also provide a principled computation of Schwinger-Keldysh observables in gravity and holography. In particular, these influence functionals we compute capture both the dissipative physics of black hole quasi- normal modes, as well as that of the fluctuations encoded in outgoing Hawking quanta, and interactions between them. We obtain results for these observables at leading order in a low frequency and momentum expansion in general dimensions, in addition to determining explicit results for two dimensional holographic CFT environments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE)

Dendritic solidification is one of the simplest examples of pattern formation where a structureless melt evolves into a ramified crystalline microstructure; it is a common mode of solidification in many materials, but especially so in metals and alloys. There is considerable engineering interest in dendrites because of the role dendrites play in the determination of microstructure, and thereby in influencing the physical properties of cast metals and alloys. Dendritic solidification provides important examples of non-equilibrium physics, pattern formation dynamics, and models for computational condensed matter and material physics. Current theories of dendritic growth generally couple diffusion effects in the melt with the physics introduced by the interface. Unfortunately, in terrestrial based experiments, convective effects in the melt alter the growth process in such a manner as to prevent definitive analysis of convective, diffusive or interfacial effects. Thus, the effective elimination of convection in the melt by operating experiments on orbit were required to produce high-fidelity data needed for achieving further progress. This simple fact comprised the scientific justification for the IDGE.

Glicksman, M. E.↗

Local SU(2) × U(1) quark flavor symmetry in the RS bulk

We propose a model of quark flavor based on an additional SU(2) × U(1) local symmetry in a warped extra dimensional bulk. In contrast to other works, we break the additional gauge symmetry in the bulk via two complex scalars which acquire bulk vevs, rather than relying on brane-localized symmetry breaking. A gauge-covariant Kaluza-Klein decomposition of a theory with a bulk spontaneously broken gauge symmetry is performed, and exact expressions for the bulk profiles of all physical particles in such systems are given. The SM quark masses and mixings are then recreated using gauge-covariant bulk quark mass terms and Yukawa-like couplings to the new bulk scalars. A numerical sampling of points in the model parameter space that recreate the quark masses and mixings is performed at a KK scale of M KK = 5 TeV. We then compute the ΔF = 2 4-quark operators arising from our new flavor gauge bosons and scalars, and those arising from Kaluza-Klein modes of SM gauge bosons. By decoupling one of our bulk scalar fields to all quark fields except the right-handed up-like sector, we find that it is possible to greatly suppress tree-level contributions to the highly constrained Kaon mixing parameters. Instead, the dominant constraints on the model emerge from neutral Bd and D meson mixing. These constraints are explored with our numerical sampling of the model parameter space, and the specific contribution of the new flavor gauge bosons and scalars is discussed. We find that for a significant range of realistic flavor gauge couplings, the new gauge bosons compete with the normally dominant gluon flavor-changing currents, but flavor-changing operators emerging from the bulk scalar fields are highly suppressed. Finally, we briefly comment on flavor constraints that are independent of the flavor gauge sector arising from the Z$\overline{b}$ L b L coupling and rare top decays.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DFT-Based Calculation of Molecular Hyperpolarizability and SFG Intensity of Symmetric and Asymmetric Stretch Modes of Alkyl Groups

Vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy has been extensively used for obtaining structural information of molecular functional groups at two-dimensional (2D) interfaces buried in the gas or liquid medium. Although the SFG experiment can be done elegantly, interpreting the measured intensity in terms of molecular orientation with respect to the lab coordinate is quite complicated. One of the main reasons is the difficulty of determining the hyperpolarizability tensors of even simple molecules that govern their SFG responses. The single-bond polarizability derivative (SBPD) model has been proposed to estimate the relative magnitude of SFG-active hyperpolarizability by assuming that the perturbation associated to each vibration is negligible. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) was used to calculate the polarizability and dipole derivative tensors of the CH 3 stretch mode of CH 3 I, CH 3 CH 2 I, CH 3 OH, CH 3 CH 2 OH. Then, the hyperpolarizability tensors of symmetric and asymmetric vibration modes were calculated considering the Boltzmann distribution of representative conformers, which allowed theoretical calculation of their SFG intensities at all polarization combinations as a function of the tilt angle of the CH 3 group with respect to the surface normal direction. Then the ratios of the calculated SFG intensities for the CH 3 peaks used in experimental studies for the CH 3 tilt angle determination were compared. This comparison clearly showed the effect of vibrational coupling among neighboring functional groups. As a result, this study presents new parameters that can be used in determining the average tilt angle of the CH 3 group at the 2D interface with SFG measurements as well as limitations of the method.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗