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At least 775 records · Page 43Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Event-by-event analysis of proton-induced nuclear multifragmentation: determination of the phase transition universality class in a system with extreme finite-size constraints.

A percolation model of nuclear fragmentation is used to interpret 10.2 GeV/c p+197Au multifragmentation data. Emphasis is put on finding signatures of a continuous nuclear matter phase transition in finite nuclear systems. Based on model calculations, corrections accounting for physical constraints of the fragment detection and sequential decay processes are derived. Strong circumstantial evidence for a continuous phase transition is found, and the values of two critical exponents, sigma = 0.5+/-0.1 and tau = 2.35+/-0.05, are extracted from the data. A critical temperature of T(c) = 8.3+/-0.2 MeV is found.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Topological aspects of geometrical signatures of phase transitions.

Certain geometric properties of submanifolds of configuration space are numerically investigated for classical phi(4) models in one and two dimensions. Peculiar behaviors of the computed geometric quantities are found only in the two-dimensional case, when a phase transition is present. The observed phenomenology strongly supports, though in an indirect way, a recently proposed topological conjecture about a topology change of the configuration space submanifolds as counterpart to a phase transition.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Scaling behavior of the absorbing phase transition in a conserved lattice gas around the upper critical dimension.

We analyze numerically the critical behavior of a conserved lattice gas that was recently introduced as an example of the new universality class of absorbing phase transitions with a conserved field [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 1803 (2000)]. We determine the critical exponent of the order parameter as well as the critical exponent of the order parameter fluctuations in D=2,3,4,5 dimensions. A comparison of our results and those obtained from a mean-field approach and a field theory suggests that the upper critical dimension of the absorbing phase transition is four.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Investigation of the structure and phase transitions in the novel A-site substituted distorted perovskite compound Na(0.5)Bi(0.5)TiO(3).

Rietveld neutron powder profile analysis of the compound Na(0.5)Bi(0.5)TiO(3) (NBT) is reported over the temperature range 5-873 K. The sequence of phase transitions from the high-temperature prototypic cubic structure (above 813 K), to one of tetragonal (673-773 K) and then rhombohedral structures (5-528 K) has been established. Coexisting tetragonal/cubic (773-813 K) and rhombohedral/tetragonal (with an upper temperature limit of 145 K between 528 and 673 K) phases have also been observed. Refinements have revealed that the rhombohedral phase, space group R3c, with a(H) = 5.4887 (2), c(H) = 13.5048 (8) A, V = 352.33 (3) A(3), Z = 6 and D(x) = 5.99 Mg m(-3), exhibits an antiphase, a(-)a(-)a(-) oxygen tilt system, omega = 8.24 (4) degrees, with parallel cation displacements at room temperature. The tetragonal phase, space group P4bm, with a(T) = 5.5179 (2), c(T) = 3.9073 (2) A, V = 118.96 (1) A(3), Z = 2 and D(x) = 5.91 Mg m(-3), possesses an unusual combination of in-phase, a(0)a(0)c(+) oxygen octahedra tilts, omega = 3.06 (2) degrees, and antiparallel cation displacements along the polar axis. General trends of cation displacements and the various deviations of the octahedral network from the prototypic cubic perovskite structure have been established and their systematic behaviour with temperature is reported. An investigation of phase transition behaviour using second harmonic generation (SHG) to establish the centrosymmetric or non-centrosymmetric nature of the various phases is also reported.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Dependence of the bilayer phase transition temperatures on the structural parameters of phosphatidylcholines.

Most saturated diacyl phosphatidylcholines C(X):C(Y)PC (saturated 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine with X carbons in the sn-1 acyl chain and Y carbons in the sn-2 acyl chain), in excess water, can self-assemble into lamellae which, upon heating, may undergo multiple thermotropic phase transitions at well-defined, discrete temperatures. The transition temperature corresponding to the main or the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition (Tm) is known for many bilayers of fully hydrated phosphatidylcholines. In this study, we have analyzed the Tm values of 44 molecular species of phosphatidylcholines in terms of their structural and packing characteristics in the gel-state bilayer. Two general equations are thus derived: Tm = 162.26-3651.71 (1/N) - 88.42 (delta C/N) for C(X):C(Y)PC with X > or = Y, and Tm = 157.68-3525.44 (1/N) - 93.28 (delta C/N) for C(X):C(Y)PC with X < Y. Here, N is the minimal hydrophobic thickness of the dimeric C(X):C(Y)PC in the gel-state bilayer and delta C is the effective chain length difference between the sn-1 and sn-2 acyl chains for the monomeric C(X):C(Y)PC in the gel-state bilayer. The advantage of these two equations in predicting the Tm values for phosphatidylcholines with delta C/CL values in the range of 0.07 to 0.40 is their simplicity. A figure containing a total of 173 calculated Tm values is also presented.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1989

Membrane phase transitions are responsible for imbibitional damage in dry pollen.

We have found that the most probable cause of the leakage seen when dry cells or organisms such as seeds, pollen, or yeast cells are plunged into water is a gel to liquid crystalline phase transition in membrane phospholipids accompanying rehydration. By using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy we have recorded infrared spectra of CH(2) stretching vibrations in dry and partially hydrated intact pollen grains of Typha latifolia. The vibrational frequency changes abruptly as phospholipids pass through the gel to liquid crystalline phase transition. Below the apparent transition, viable pollen shows low germination and high leakage when placed in water, but above the transition germination increases and leakage decreases. The apparent transition temperature falls with increasing water content, much as in pure phospholipids. By using this phenomenon, it was possible to construct a hydration-dependent phase diagram for the intact pollen. This phase diagram has immediate applications since it has high predictive value for the viability of the pollen when it is placed in water.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Computer simulations of liquid silica: equation of state and liquid-liquid phase transition.

We conduct extensive molecular dynamics computer simulations of two models for liquid silica [the model of Woodcock, Angell and Cheeseman, J. Phys. Chem. 65, 1565 (1976); and that of van Beest, Kramer, and van Santen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 64, 1955 (1990)] to determine their thermodynamic properties at low temperature T across a wide density range. We find for both models a wide range of states in which isochores of the potential energy U are a linear function of T(3/5), as recently proposed for simple liquids [Rosenfeld and P. Tarazona, Mol. Phys. 95, 141 (1998)]. We exploit this behavior to fit an accurate equation of state to our thermodynamic data. Extrapolation of this equation of state to low T predicts the occurrence of a liquid-liquid phase transition for both models. We conduct simulations in the region of the predicted phase transition, and confirm its existence by direct observation of phase separating droplets of atoms with distinct local density and coordination environments.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Evidence for a phase transition in the early development of prehension.

A longitudinal study was conducted to examine the hypothesis that the development of prehension during the first 5 months of life is characterized by the presence of a discontinuous phase transition. Ten infants were observed weekly from 8 to 24 weeks of age. Video recordings were made of movements toward an attractive object which were classified according to two behavioral categories: reaching without grasping and reaching with grasping. The time evolution of the relative incidence of these behavioral categories was analyzed statistically. Evidence was found for a sudden jump from a (developmental) state in which reaching without grasping is predominant to a state in which reaching with grasping is predominant. Evidence was also found for bimodality, inaccessibility, and anomalous variance. In combination, these findings support the hypothesis that the investigated behavioral change constitutes a discontinuous phase transition. The behavioral change in question occurred at the moment in developmental time at which the attractor strength of reaching for objects as such relative to that of other behavioral activities appeared to be increased.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Phase transition of the one-dimensional coagulation-production process.

Recently an exact solution has been found by M. Henkel and H. Hinrichsen [J. Phys. A 34, 1561 (2001)] for the one-dimensional coagulation-production process: 2A-->A, AØA-->3A with equal diffusion and coagulation rates. This model evolves into the inactive phase independently of the production rate with t(-1/2) density decay law. This paper shows that cluster mean-field approximations and Monte Carlo simulations predict a continuous phase transition for higher diffusion/coagulation rates as considered by the exact solution. Numerical evidence is given that the phase transition universality agrees with that of the annihilation-fission model with low diffusions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Critical behavior of nonequilibrium continuous phase transition in A+BC catalytic reaction system.

We study two lattice gas models for the A+BC-->AC+ 1/2 B2 reaction system. Model I includes the influences of the adsorbate diffusion and model II includes the effect of the diffusion and position exchange of B and C atoms. Model I exhibits a continuous phase transition with infinitely many absorbing states from a reactive state to a poisoned state of B and C atoms and a discontinuous transition to a poisoned state of A and B atoms when the fraction of A in the gas phase varies. The critical exponents are estimated accurately. The simulation results indicate clearly that the critical behavior of the continuous phase transition in model I belongs to the directed percolation (DP) universality class. Model II, however, exhibits a continuous transition with two absorbing states, and its critical behavior is obviously distinct from the DP universality class.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Monitoring a mammalian nuclear membrane phase transition by intrinsic ultraweak light emission.

The first thermodynamic measurements of the intensity of light emission associated with native lipid peroxidation in a biological membrane are described. Kinetics of the radical chain reaction are shown to be sensitive to membrane structural phase and lipid dynamics. This is demonstrated by a novel measurement of a phase transition in the membrane of the intact mammalian nucleus. The apparent activation energies of lipid peroxidation in this system are also obtained for the first time. We suggest that this measurement may be more generally applicable as a method for monitoring membrane phase transitions.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The role of boundary lipids in phase transitions of biological membranes].

In terms of the Landau thermodynamic expansion the model of lipid-protein interaction is considered for the case of relatively low protein concentrations. It is established that the proteins inserted into the lipid membrane can change its phase transition temperature. The expression determining the region size of the "boundary" lipids is obtained and the connection between the ordering extent of the "boundary" lipids and the sign and the value of the temperature shift of the phase transition is calculated.

Lipid Bilayers↗
PubMed2003

Molecular dynamics simulation of compression-induced solid-to-solid phase transitions in colloidal monolayers.

The compression of two-dimensional colloidal monolayers, consisting of polystyrene particles trapped at an oil-water interface and interacting via dipole-dipole potentials, is investigated by the molecular dynamics technique. In particular, the pair correlation function and global orientational order parameter of the monolayers are calculated as a function of the particle coverage. The simulation results exhibit a sequence of hexagonal-to-rhombohedral-to-hexagonal phase transitions of the monolayers under anisotropic compression. The influence of defects in the monolayers on the solid-to-solid phase transitions is also examined. The simulations show that the stability of the rhombohedral phase is relatively sensitive to lattice defects, while, under the same conditions, the hexagonal phase is very stable. Finally, the simulation results are compared with recent experimental observations, and the implications of the present computer simulations for diffusion mechanisms and protein folding studies are discussed briefly.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Apparent phase transitions in finite one-dimensional sine-Gordon lattices.

We study the one-dimensional sine-Gordon model as a prototype of roughening phenomena. In spite of the fact that it has been recently proven that this model cannot have any phase transition [J. A. Cuesta and A. Sánchez, J. Phys. A 35, 2373 (2002)], Langevin as well as Monte Carlo simulations strongly suggest the existence of a finite temperature separating a flat from a rough phase. We explain this result by means of the transfer operator formalism and show as a consequence that sine-Gordon lattices of any practically achievable size will exhibit this apparent phase transition at unexpectedly large temperatures.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1976

Phase transitions in the membrane of a marine bacterium, Pseudomonas BAL-31.

An unsaturated fatty acid auxotroph, strain UFA, isolated from the marine pseudomonad Pseudomonas BAL-31, host cell of the lipid-containing bacteriophage PM2, was grown in media supplemented with different unsaturated fatty acids. Under these conditions the fatty acid composition of the cell could be altered drastically. The phase transition in the native membrane and in the extracted lipids was analyzed by electron spin resonance using a nitroxide spin probe. Membranes prepared from strain UFA grown in cis16:1 or trans16:1 showed one transition at 9.4 degrees C and 12.4 degrees C respectively. Extracted lipids in both cases had almost the same transition temperature as that of the intact membrane. Membranes prepared from Pseudomonas BAL-31 had one transition at approximately 12 degrees C, on the other hand there was no clear cut phase transition using extracted lipids. Replication of bacteriophage PM2 took place below the transition temperature of the membrane lipids in the case where strain UFA was grown in tran16:1. Other cases were not studied.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed2005

Edge phase transitions of the tricritical Potts model in two dimensions.

Using Monte Carlo techniques and finite-size analysis, we investigate several two-dimensional lattice models with open edges, including the Blume-Capel model and the q=1 and 3 Potts models with vacancies. At bulk tricriticality, we find that the open edges are dominated by the vacancies when the surface coupling K(s) and the chemical potential D(s) of the vacancies assume the bulk values. When K(s) and/or D(s) is sufficiently enhanced, an edge phase transition takes place, beyond which spontaneous one-dimensional order occurs on the edges. Edge phase transitions can also be induced by a surface magnetic field H(s) . We numerically determine a number of edge critical exponents and derive phase diagrams in terms of K(s) , D(s) , and H(s) . In the low-temperature region, we observe first-order transitions when K(s) and D(s) are varied; the associated hysteresis loops of surface quantities are remarkably asymmetric. Some further insight into these edge transitions is provided by the exact equivalence of the tricritical q=1 Potts model and the Ising model.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Phase transitions in DNA-linked nanoparticle assemblies: a decorated-lattice model.

We use decorated-lattice models to explore the phase behavior of two types of DNA-linked colloidal mixtures: systems with identical nanoparticles functionalized with two different DNA strands (mixture Aab) and mixtures involving two types of particles each one functionalized with a different DNA strand (mixture Aa-Ab). The model allows us to derive the properties of the mixtures from the well-known behavior of underlying spin-n Ising models with temperature and activity dependent effective interactions. The predicted evolution of the dissolution profiles for the colloidal assemblies as a function of temperature and number of single DNA strands on a nanoparticle M is in qualitative agreement with that observed in real systems. According to our model, the temperature at which the assemblies dissolve can be expected to increase with increasing M only for concentrations of colloids below a certain threshold. For more concentrated solutions, the dissolution temperature is a decreasing function of M. Linker-mediated interactions between Aa and Ab particles in the Aa-Ab mixture render the phase separation involving disordered aggregates metastable with respect to a phase transition between a solvent-rich and an ordered phase. The stability of the DNA-linked assembly is enhanced by the ordering of the colloidal network and the ordered aggregates dissolve at higher temperatures. Our results may explain the contrasting evolution of the dissolution temperatures with increasing probe size in Aab and Aa-Ab mixtures as observed experimentally.

Colloids↗