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At least 19 records

Electronic transport in VO 2 —Experimentally calibrated Boltzmann transport modeling

Materials that undergo metal-insulator transitions (MITs) are under intense study because the transition is scientifically fascinating and technologically promising for various applications. Among these materials, VO 2 has served as a prototype due to its favorable transition temperature. While the physical underpinnings of the transition have been heavily investigated experimentally and computationally, quantitative modeling of electronic transport in the two phases has yet to be undertaken. In this work, we establish a density-functional-theory (DFT)-based approach to model electronic transport properties in VO 2 in the semiconducting and metallic regimes, focusing on band transport using the Boltzmann transport equations. To do so, we synthesized high quality VO 2 films and measured the transport quantities across the transition, in order to calibrate the free parameters in the model. We find that the experimental calibration of the Hubbard correction term can efficiently and adequately model the metallic and semiconducting phases, allowing for further computational design of MIT materials for desirable transport properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Coherent quantum transport in disordered systems: A unified polaron treatment of hopping and band-like transport

Quantum transport in disordered systems is studied using a polaron-based master equation. The polaron approach is capable of bridging the results from the coherent band-like transport regime governed by the Redfield equation to incoherent hopping transport in the classical regime. A non-monotonic dependence of the diffusion coefficient is observed both as a function of temperature and system-phonon coupling strength. In the band-like transport regime, the diffusion coefficient is shown to be linearly proportional to the system-phonon coupling strength and vanishes at zero coupling due to Anderson localization. In the opposite classical hopping regime, we correctly recover the dynamics described by the Fermi’s Golden Rule and establish that the scaling of the diffusion coefficient depends on the phonon bath relaxation time. In both the hopping and band-like transport regimes, it is demonstrated that at low temperature, the zero-point fluctuations of the bath lead to non-zero transport rates and hence a finite diffusion constant. Application to rubrene and other organic semiconductor materials shows a good agreement with experimental mobility data.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Lattice Boltzmann-Based Approaches for Pore-Scale Reactive Transport

Here an important geoscience and environmental applications such as geologic carbon storage, environmental remediation, and unconventional oil and gas recovery are best understood in the context of reactive flow and multicomponent transport in the subsurface environment. The coupling of chemical and microbiological reactions with hydrological and mechanical processes can lead to complex behaviors across an enormous range of spatial and temporal scales. These coupled responses are also strongly influenced by the heterogeneity and anisotropy of the geologic formations. Reactive transport processes can change the pore morphology at the pore scale, thereby leading to nonlinear interactions with advective and diffusive transport, which can strongly influence larger-scale properties such as permeability and dispersion.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Pore-scale and Continuum Simulations of Solute Transport Micromodel Benchmark Experiments

Four sets of micromodel nonreactive solute transport experiments were conducted with flow velocity, grain diameter, pore-aspect ratio, and flow focusing heterogeneity as the variables. The data sets were offered to pore-scale modeling groups to test their simulators. Each set consisted of two learning experiments, for which all results was made available, and a challenge experiment, for which only the experimental description and base input parameters were provided. The experimental results showed a nonlinear dependence of the dispersion coefficient on the Peclet number, a negligible effect of the pore-aspect ratio on transverse mixing, and considerably enhanced mixing due to flow focusing. Five pore-scale models and one continuum-scale model were used to simulate the experiments. Of the pore-scale models, two used a pore-network (PN) method, two others are based on a lattice-Boltzmann (LB) approach, and one employed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. The learning experiments were used by the PN models to modify the standard perfect mixing approach in pore bodies into approaches to simulate the observed incomplete mixing. The LB and CFD models used these experiments to appropriately discretize the grid representations. The continuum model use published non-linear relations between transverse dispersion coefficients and Peclet numbers to compute the required dispersivity input values. Comparisons between experimental and numerical results for the four challenge experiments show that all pore-scale models were all able to satisfactorily simulate the experiments. The continuum model underestimated the required dispersivity values and, resulting in less dispersion. The PN models were able to complete the simulations in a few minutes, whereas the direct models needed up to several days on supercomputers to resolve the more complex problems.

benchmark↗

Analysis of the origins of black carbon and carbon monoxide transported to Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei in China

A novel back-trajectory approach was adopted to determine the origins of black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO) transported to Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Results showed that the transport efficiency was controlled mainly by mid-latitude westerlies in winter, the South Asian monsoon in summer and prevailing westerly and northwesterly winds in spring and autumn. Hebei was identified as the most important source region of both BC (respectively accounting for 55% and 49%) and CO (39% and 38%) transported to Beijing and Tianjin. Inner Mongolia contributed more to the effective emission intensity (EEI) in winter than in summer for both BC and CO transported to Beijing and Tianjin. Shandong was responsible for higher EEI in summer than in winter. The six provinces making the greatest contributions to BC transported to Hebei were Shandong (19%), Shanxi (19%), Inner Mongolia (17%), Beijing (11%), Henan (11%), and Tianjin (10%), whereas thosemaking the greatest contributions to CO transported to Hebei were Shandong (20%), Inner Mongolia (10%), Tianjin (9%), Henan (9%), Shanxi (9%), and Beijing (8%). In summary, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, Tianjin and Shanxi were determined as the dominant source regions of not only BC but also CO transported to Beijing. Hebei, Shandong, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Henan, Liaoning and Shanxi were relatively important source regions for Tianjin. Shandong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Henan, Tianjin, Liaoning, Jiangsu and Anhui were the main source regions for Hebei. Residential and industrial sectors were the dominant sectors for BC and CO transported to the receptors, respectively. These results are consistent with the results of previous studies. Finally, comparing the observed.BC/.CO ratiowith the enhancement ratio of the EEI of BCwith that of CO (Delta EEIBC/Delta EEICO) atMiyun site, we further confirmed that the EEI can be used to represent the amounts of BC and CO reaching receptors. (c) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V.

black carbon↗

Transport in Halobacterium Halobium: Light-Induced Cation-Gradients, Amino Acid Transport Kinetics, and Properties of Transport Carriers

Cell envelope vesicles prepared from H. halobium contain bacteriorhodopsin and upon illumination protons are ejected. Coupled to the proton motive force is the efflux of Na(+). Measurements of Na-22 flux, exterior pH change, and membrane potential, Delta(psi) (with the dye 3,3'-dipentyloxadicarbocyanine) indicate that the means of Na(+) transport is sodium/proton exchange. The kinetics of the pH changes and other evidence suggests that the antiport is electrogenic (H(+)/Na(++ greater than 1). The resulting large chemical gradient for Na(+) (outside much greater than inside), as well as the membrane potential, will drive the transport of 18 amino acids. The I9th, glutamate, is unique in that its accumulation is indifferent to Delta(psi): this amino acid is transported only when a chemical gradient for Na(+) is present. Thus, when more and more NaCl is included in the vesicles glutamate transport proceeds with longer and longer lags. After illumination the gradient of H+() collapses within 1 min, while the large Na(+) gradient and glutamate transporting activity persists for 10- 15 min, indicating that proton motive force is not necessary for transport. A chemical gradient of Na(+), arranged by suspending vesicles loaded with KCl in NaCl, drives glutamate transport in the dark without other sources of energy, with V(sub max) and K(sub m) comparable to light-induced transport. These and other lines of evidence suggest that the transport of glutamate is facilitated by symport with Na(+), in an electrically neutral fashion, so that only the chemical component of the Na(+) gradient is a driving force.

Lanyi, Janos K.↗

Uncertain Representations of Sub-Grid Pollutant Transport in Chemistry-Transport Models and Impacts on Long-Range Transport and Global Composition

Sub-grid transport, by convection and turbulence, is known to play an important role in lofting pollutants from their source regions. Consequently, the long-range transport and climatology of simulated atmospheric composition are impacted. This study uses the Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5 (GEOS-5) atmospheric model to study pollutant transport. The baseline model uses a Relaxed Arakawa-Schubert (RAS) scheme that represents convection through a sequence of linearly entraining cloud plumes characterized by unique detrainment levels. Thermodynamics, moisture and trace gases are transported in the same manner. Various approximate forms of trace-gas transport are implemented, in which the box-averaged cloud mass fluxes from RAS are used with different numerical approaches. Substantial impacts on forward-model simulations of CO (using a linearized chemistry) are evident. In particular, some aspects of simulations using a diffusive form of sub-grid transport bear more resemblance to space-biased CO observations than do the baseline simulations with RAS transport. Implications for transport in the real atmosphere will be discussed. Another issue of importance is that many adjoint/inversion computations use simplified representations of sub-grid transport that may be inconsistent with the forward models: implications will be discussed. Finally, simulations using a complex chemistry model in GEOS-5 (in place of the linearized CO model) are underway: noteworthy results from this simulation will be mentioned.

Pawson, Steven↗

River stage influences on uranium transport in a hydrologically dynamic groundwater-surface water transition zone

In this study, a well-field within a uranium (U) plume in the groundwater-surface water transition zone was monitored for a 3 year period for water table elevation and dissolved solutes. The plume discharges to the Columbia River, which displays a dramatic spring stage surge resulting from snowmelt. Groundwater exhibits a low hydrologic gradient and chemical differences with river water. River water intrudes the site in spring. Specific aims were to assess the impacts of river intrusion on dissolved uranium (U aq ), specific conductance (SpC), and other solutes, and to discriminate between transport, geochemical, and source term heterogeneity effects. Time series trends for U aq and SpC were complex and displayed large temporal and well-to-well variability as a result of water table elevation fluctuations, river water intrusion, and changes in groundwater flow directions. The wells were clustered into subsets exhibiting common behaviors resulting from the intrusion dynamics of river water and the location of source terms. Hot-spots in U aq varied in location with increasing water table elevation through the combined effects of advection and source term location. Heuristic reactive transport modeling with PFLOTRAN demonstrated that mobilized U aq was transported between wells and source terms in complex trajectories, and was diluted as river water entered and exited the groundwater system. While U aq time-series concentration trends varied significantly from year-to-year as a result of climate-caused differences in the spring hydrograph, common and partly predictable response patterns were observed that were driven by water table elevation, and the extent and duration of river water intrusion.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Electronic and magnetic properties of manganite thin films with different compositions and its correlation with transport properties: An X-ray resonant magnetic scattering study

Here, we present x-ray resonant magnetic dichroism and x-ray resonant magnetic scattering measurements of the temperature dependence of magnetism in Pr-doped La-Ca-Mn-O films grown on (110) NdGaO{sub 3} substrates. We observed thermal hysteresis of the ferromagnetism in one film that also showed large thermal hysteresis of ∼18 K in transport measurements. While in a second film of a different nominal chemistry, which showed very small thermal hysteresis ∼3 K in transport measurements, no thermal hysteresis of the ferromagnetism was observed. These macroscopic properties are correlated with evolution of surface magnetization across metal insulator transition for these films as observed by soft x-ray resonant magnetic scattering measurements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗