Stability and metastability in a chemotaxis model

This work studies the stability and metastability of stationary patterns in a diffusionchemotaxis model without cell proliferation.We first establish the interval of unstable wave modes of the homogeneous steady state,and show that the chemotactic flux is the key mechanism for pattern formation.Then,we treat the chemotaxis coefficient as a bifurcation parameter to obtain the asymptotic expressions of steady states.Based on this,we derive the sufficient conditions for the stability of one-step pattern,and prove the metastability of two or more step patterns.All the analytical results are demonstrated by numerical simulations.

Metastability of exponentially perturbed Markov chains

A family of irreducible Markov chains on a finite state space is considered as an exponential perturbation of a reducible Markov chain. This is a generalization of the Freidlin-Wentzell theory, motivated by studies of stochastic Ising models, neural network and simulated annealing. It is shown that the metastability is a universal feature for this wide class of Markov chains. The metastable states are simply those recurrent states of the reducible Markov chain. Higher level attractors, related attractive basins and their pyramidal structure are analysed. The logarithmic asymptotics of the hitting time of various sets are estimated. The hitting time over its mean converges in law to the unit exponential distribution.

Control of embryonic stem cell metastability by L-proline catabolism

The molecular mechanisms controlling mouse embryonic stem cell(ESC)metastability,i.e.their capacity to fluctuate between different states of pluripotency,are not fully resolved.We developed and used a novel automation platform,the Cellmaker,to screen a library of metabolites on two ESC-based phenotypic assays(i.e.proliferation and colony phenotype)and identified two metabolically related amino acids,namely L-proline(L-Pro)and L-ornithine(L-Orn),as key regulators of ESC metastability.Both compounds,but mainly L-Pro,force ESCs toward a novel epiblast stem cell(EpiSC)-like state,in a dose-and time-dependent manner.Unlike EpiSCs,L-Pro-induced cells(PiCs)contribute to chimeric embryos and rely on leukemia inhibitor factor(LIF)to self-renew.Furthermore,PiCs revert to ESCs or differentiate randomly upon removal of either L-Pro or LIF,respectively.Remarkably,PiC generation depends on both L-Pro metabolism(uptake and oxidation)and Fgf5 induction,and is strongly counteracted by antioxidants,mainly L-ascorbic acid(vitamin C,Vc).ESCs↔PiCs phenotypic transition thus represents a previously undefined dynamic equilibrium between pluripotent states,which can be unbalanced either toward an EpiSC-like or an ESC phenotype by L-Pro/L-Orn or Vc treatments,respectively.All together,our data provide evidence that ESC metastability can be regulated at a metabolic level.

Theoretical investigations of population trapping phenomena in atomic four-color,three-step photoionization scheme

The four-color three-step selective photoionization process of atom is very important in laser isotope separation technology.The population trapping phenomena and their influences are studied theoretically in monochromatic and non-monochromatic laser fields based on the density matrix theory in this work.Time evolutions of the photoionization properties of the four-color,three-step process are given.The population trapping effects occur intensely in monochromatic excitation,while it gradually turns weak as the laser bandwidth increases.The effects of bandwidth,Rabi frequency,time delay,and frequency detuning on the population trapping effect are investigated in monochromatic and non-monochromatic laser fields.The effects of laser process parameters and atomic parameters on the effective selective photoionization are also discussed.The ionization probability and selectivity factors,as evaluation indexes,are difficult to improve synchronously by adjusting systematic parameters.Besides,the existence of metastable state may play a negative role when its population is low enough.

In situ observation of the phase transformation kinetics of bismuth during shock release

A time-resolved x-ray diffraction technique is employed to monitor the structural transformation of laser-shocked bismuth.Results reveal a retarded transformation from the shock-induced Bi-Ⅴphase to a metastable Bi-Ⅳphase during the shock release,instead of the thermodynamically stable Bi-Ⅲphase.The emergence of the metastable Bi-Ⅳphase is understood by the competitive interplay between two transformation pathways towards the Bi-Ⅳand Bi-Ⅲ,respectively.The former is more rapid than the latter because the Bi-Ⅴto B-Ⅳtransformation is driven by interaction between the closest atoms while the Bi-Ⅴto B-Ⅲtransformation requires interaction between the second-closest atoms.The nucleation time for the Bi-Ⅴto Bi-Ⅳtransformation is determined to be 5.1±0.9 ns according to a classical nucleation model.This observation demonstrates the importance of the formation of the transient metastable phases,which can change the phase transformation pathway in a dynamic process.

Metastable face-centered cubic ruthenium-based binary alloy for efficient alkaline hydrogen oxidation electrocatalysis

Metastable nanostructured electrocatalyst with a completely different surface environment compared to conventional phase-based electrocatalyst often shows distinctive catalytic property.Although Ru-based electrocatalysts have been widely investigated toward hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)under alkaline electrolytes,these studies are mostly limited to conventional hexagonal-close-packed(hcp)phase,mainly arising from the lack of sufficient synthesis strategies.In this study,we report the precise synthesis of metastable binary RuW alloy with face-centered-cubic(fcc)phase.We find that the introduction of W can serve as fcc phase seeds and reduce the formation energy of metastable fcc-RuW alloy.Impressively,fcc-RuW exhibits remarkable alkaline HOR performance and stability with the activity of 0.67 mA cm_(Ru)^(-2)which is almost five and three times higher than that of hcp-Ru and commercial Pt/C,respectively,which is attributed to the optimized binding strength of adsorbed hydroxide intermediate derived from tailored electronic structure through W doping and phase engineering.Moreover,this strategy can also be applied to synthesize other metastable fcc-RuCr and fcc-RuMo alloys with enhanced HOR performances.

Metastability effects in strained and stressed SrTiO_(3) films

The sequence of ground states for SrTiO_(3) film subjected to epitaxial strain as well as to mechanical stress along the[001]and[110]axes is calculated from first principles within the density functional theory.Under the fixed-strain boundary conditions,an increase in the lattice parameter of a substrate results in the I4cm→I4/mcm→Ima2→Cm→Fmm2→Ima2(II)sequence of ground states.Under the fixed-stress boundary conditions,the phase sequence is different and depends on how the stress is applied.It is revealed that the simultaneous presence of competing ferroelectric and antiferrodistortive instabilities in SrTiO_(3) gives rise to the appearance of metastable phases,whose number increases dramatically under the fixed-stress conditions.In the metastable phases,the octahedral rotation patterns are shown to differ substantially from those in the ground state.It is suggested that in systems with competing instabilities,each polar phase has its optimal octahedral rotation pattern which stabilizes this phase and creates a potential barrier preventing this phase to be transformed into other structures.

The second fusion of laser and aerospace-an inspiration for high energy lasers

Since the first laser was invented,the pursuit of high-energy lasers(HELs)has always been enthusiastic.The first revolution of HELs was pushed by the fusion of laser and aerospace in the 1960s,with the chemical rocket engines giving fresh impetus to the birth of gas flow and chemical lasers,which finally turned megawatt lasers from dream into reality.Nowadays,the development of HELs has entered the age of electricity as well as the rocket engines.The properties of current electric rocket engines are highly consistent with HELs’goals,including electrical driving,effective heat dissipation,little medium consumption and extremely light weight and size,which inspired a second fusion of laser and aerospace and motivated the exploration for potential HELs.As an exploratory attempt,a new configuration of diode pumped metastable rare gas laser was demonstrated,with the gain generator resembling an electric rocket-engine for improved power scaling ability.

Electron-impact ionization of W^(9+)and W^(10+)

Electron-impact single-ionization(EISI)cross sections for W^(q+)(q=9,10)ions have been calculated by using the level-to-level distorted-wave(LLDW)method with emphasis on the contribution of metastable states to the total ionization cross sections.Contributions from direct-ionization(DI)and excitation-autoionization(EA)processes are taken into account.The calculated cross sections include the contributions from both the ground configuration and the long-lived metastable states with lifetimes exceeding 10^(-6)s.Calculated cross sections are in good agreement with experimental measurements when the influence of metastable states on the total ionization cross section are well considered.

Fluid simulation of the effect of a dielectric window with high temperature on plasma parameters in inductively coupled plasma

To maintain the high-density plasma source in inductively coupled plasma(ICP),very high radiofrequency power is often delivered to the antenna,which can heat the dielectric windows near the antenna to high temperature.This high temperature can modulate the plasma characteristics to a large degree.We thus study the effect of dielectric window temperature on plasma parameters in two different ICP structures based on COMSOL software.The distributions of various plasma species are examined at different dielectric window temperatures.The concentration of neutral gas is found to be largely modulated at high dielectric window temperature,which further affects the electron collision probability with neutrals and the electron temperature.However,the electron density profiles are barely affected by the dielectric window temperature,which is mainly concentrated at the center of the reactor due to the fixed power input and pressure.

Lifetime measurement of the 3d^(9) ^(2)D_(3/2) metastable level in Mo^(15+)at an electron beam ion trap

An experimental measurement of the lifetime of 3d^(9) ^(2)D_(3/2) metastable level in Mo^(15+)is reported in this work.The Mo^(15+)ions are produced and trapped in an electron beam ion trap with a magnetic field of 0.65 T.The decay photons emitted from 3d^(9) ^(2)D_(3/2) level are subsequently recorded via a cooled photomultiplier tube.Through meticulous scrutiny of potential systematic uncertainties affecting the measurement outcomes,we have determined the lifetime of Mo^(15+)3d^(9)2D_(3/2)metastable level to be 2.83(22)ms.The experimental result provides a clear distinguishment from existing calculations based on various theoretical approaches.

Oneε-Ga_(2)O_(3)-based solar-blind Schottky photodetector emphasizing high photocurrent gain and photocurrent-intensity linearity

Theε-Ga_(2)O_(3) thin film was grown on sapphire substrate by using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD)method,and then was used to fabricate a deep-ultraviolet(DUV)photodetector(PD).Theε-Ga_(2)O_(3) thin film shown good crystal quality and decent surface morphology.Irradiated by a 254-nm DUV light,the photodetector displayed good optoelectronic performance and high wavelength selectivity,such as photoresponsivity(R)of 175.69 A/W,detectivity(D*)of 2.46×10^(15) Jones,external quantum efficiency(EQE)of 8.6×10^(4)%and good photocurrent-intensity linearity,suggesting decent DUV photosensing performance.At 5 V and under illumination with light intensity of 800μW/cm2,the photocurrent gain is as high as 859 owing to the recycling gain mechanism and delayed carrier recombination;and the photocurrent gain decreases as the incident light intensity increases because of the recombination of photogenerated carriers by the large photon flux.

Positive effects of PVP in MIC:Preparation and characterization of Al-Core heterojunction fibers

The core-shell metastable intermolecular composites(MIC)have attracted much attention in the past few years due to their unique properties.Here,the preparation of Al-Core heterojunction fibers using PVP as a template is proposed.The nano-Al was directly added to the precursor solution of cupric acetate monohydrate(CAM)/Polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP),and the initial Al@CAM/PVP fibers were obtained via electrospinning.The core-shell MIC fibers are then obtained by calcining the initial fibers.The morphology,structure,and composition of Al-core MIC fibers were characterized,that the energetic fibers calcined at 300℃,350℃,and 400℃have a core-shell structure with shell compositions CuxO and PVP,CuxO and Cu O,respectively.The energy release characteristics of Al-core MIC were investigated,and preliminary ignition tests were performed using an ignition temperature measuring instrument and a pulsed laser.The energetic fibers calcined at 300℃exhibited unique properties.The decomposition of PVP in the shell layer promoted exotherm,and a low-temperature exothermic peak was shown at 372-458℃.Lower ignition temperatures and higher flame heights were observed in the combustion tests than calcination at 350℃and 400℃.An unexpected result was that PVP can play a positive role in Al/CuO nanothermites.Simultaneously,this preparation method provided an idea for the integrated preparation of core-shell Al-Core MIC fibers and tuning the properties of MIC.

Double Differential Cross-Section for the Ionization of Hydrogenic 2S Metastable State

Double differential cross-sections of first Born estimation for ionization of hydrogenic 2S state by electrons are assessed for various kinematics situations in the asymmetric coplanar geometry. A final state wave function of multiple scattering theory is followed in this study. The present outcomes are compared with those of hydrogenic ground state, 2P state and ground state experimental results. Obtained findings show a good qualitative agreement with existing results.

NON-LOCAL MODELING ON MACROSCOPIC DOMAIN PATTERNS IN PHASE TRANSFORMATION OF NiTi TUBES

Recent experiments revealed many new phenomena of the macroscopic domain patterns in the stress-induced phase transformation of a superelastic polycrystalline NiTi tube during tensile loading. The new phenomena include deformation instability with the formation of a helical domain, domain topology transition from helix to cylinder, domain-front branching and loading-path dependence of domain patterns. In this paper, we model the polycrystal as an elastic continuum with nonconvex strain energy and adopt the non-local strain gradient energy to account for the energy of the diffusive domain front. We simulate the equilibrium domain patterns and their evolution in the tubes under tensile loading by a non-local Finite Element Method （FEM）. It is revealed that the observed loading-path dependence and topology transition of do- main patterns are due to the thermodynamic metastability of the tube system. The computation also shows that the tube-wall thickness has a significant effect on the domain patterns： with fixed material properties and interfacial energy density, a large tube-wall thickness leads to a long and slim helical domain and a severe branching of the cylindrical-domain front.

STRESS HYSTERESIS AND DOMAIN EVOLUTION IN THERMOELASTIC TENSION STRIPS

Martensite domain formation, evolution and annihilation are widely observed in stress-induced phase transformation of superelastic NiTi polycrystalline shape memory alloys. By the calculation of the thermodynamic driving force and the incorporation of friction kinetics of the interface, the domain morphology and its evolution were successfully simulated by the interface-tracking technique. The computational results agree well with the experimental observation of tensile strips. Based on theoretical and computational results, we discussed the effects of critical driving force and the existence of metastability on the transition between different domain patterns.

Metastable state of gas hydrate during decomposition: A novel phenomenon

Natural gas hydrates are solid compounds with cage-like structures formed by gas and water.An intriguing phenomenon that gas hydrates can dissociate at a low rate below the ice freezing point has been viewed as the metastability of hydrate.The mechanisms of hydrate metastability have been widely studied,and many mechanisms were proposed involving the self-preservation effect,supercooled water-gas-hydrate metastable equilibrium,and supersaturated liquid-gas-hydrate system etc.The metastable state of hydrate could be of crucial significance in the kinetics of hydrate formation and decomposition,heat and mass transfer during gas production processes,and the application of hydrate-based technique involving desalination,energy storage and transportation,and gas separation and sequestration.Few researches have systematically considered this phenomenon,and its mechanism remains unclear.In this work,various mechanisms and hypothesis explaining the metastable state of gas hydrates were introduced and discussed.Further studies are still required to reveal the intrinsic nature of this metastable state of gas hydrate,and this work could give some implications on the existing theory and current status of relevant efforts.

PHASE STRUCTURES AND TRANSITION BEHAVIORS OF A TRIPHENYLENE DISCOTIC LIQUID CRYSTAL

The phase behaviors and structures of a triphenylene-derived discotic liquid crystal （LC） hexa-n-octoxyl- triphenylene （C8HET） were studied using the combined techniques of differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）, wide angle X-ray diffraction （WAXD）, selected area electron diffraction （SAED） and polarized light microscopy （PLM）. Onedimensional （1D） powder WAXD results at different temperatures coupled with DSC and PLM observations revealed that the C8HET compound possessed an LC phase and three different crystalline （K3, K2 and K1） phases below the isotropic （I） melt. The I←→ LC phase transition was thermodynamically reversible and independent of the heating and cooling rates. The development and experimental observation of the three crystalline phases relied on different thermal histories. Among the three crystalline phases in CSHET, the K3 phase is the most stable phase, while the K2 and K1 phases are metastable. Note that the K1 phase only formed via a quenching process. Oh the basis of structure sensitive diffraction experiments such as 2D WAXD of oriented samples and SAED of single crystals, detailed structures and molecular packings of these four ordered phases were identified. The LC phase exhibited a hexagonal columnar phase with 2D lattice dimensions ofa = b = 2.38 nm and γ= 120°. All the three crystalline phases possess monoclinic unit cells, yet the y angle is not 90° in the cases of the K2 and the K3 phases, while in the case of the K1 phase the a angle is not 90°.

El Nino Southern Oscillation as Sporadic Oscillations between Metastable States

The main objective of this article is to establish a new mechanism of ENSO,as a self-organizing and self-excitation system,with two highly coupled processes.The first is the oscillation between the two metastable warm(El Ni(?)o phase) and cold events(La Ni(?)a phase),and the second is the spatiotemporal oscillation of the sea surface temperature(SST) field.The symbiotic interplay between these two processes gives rises the climate variability associated with the ENSO,leads to both the random and deterministic features of the ENSO,and defines a new natural feedback mechanism,which drives the sporadic oscillation of the ENSO.The new mechanism is rigorously derived using a dynamic transition theory developed recently by the authors,which has also been successfully applied to a wide range of problems in nonlinear sciences.

ONE-DIMENSIONAL CELLULAR AUTOMATON MODEL OFTRAFFIC FLOW BASED ON CAR-FOLLOWING IDEA

An improved one-dimensional CA ( Cellular Automaton) traffic model was proposed to describe the highway traffic under the periodic boundary conditions. This model was based on the idea of the car-following model, which claims that the motion of a vehicle at one time step depends on both its headway and the synchronous motion of the front vehicle, thus including indirectly the influence of its sub-neighboring vehicle. It? addition, the so-called safety distance was introduced to consider the deceleration behavior of vehicles and the stochastic factor was taken into account by introducing the deceleration probability. Meanwhile, the conditional deceleration in the model gives a better description of the phenomena observed on highways. It is found that there exists the metastability and hysteresis effect of traffic flow in the neighborhood of critical density under different initial conditions. Since this model gives a reasonable depiction of the motion of a single vehicle, it is easy to be extended to the case of traffic flow tinder the control of traffic lights in cities.