Orientadores: Maria de Fatima Sonati, Munir Salomão Skaf / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T23:13:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jorge_SusanElisabethDominguesCosta_D.pdf: 8714965 bytes, checksum: 3191d67be1e9be2f9782ce3483bcfd3a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: O resumo poderá ser visualizado no texto completo da tese digital / Abstract: The complete abstract is available with the full electronic document / Doutorado / Ciencias Biomedicas / Doutora em Ciências Médicas

L'objectif de cette thèse porte sur l'étude des phénomènes de blocage dans un flux particules à faible densité dans un canal. Le blocage est induit par la géométrie du canal. L'essentiel de mes travaux concerne la description des situations où le blocage est contrôlé par les limites en capacité d'un canal. Le paramètre pertinent pour ce phénomène est donné par le nombre de particules minimum, N, conduisant à l'interruption du flux de particules. Un modèle stochastique simple introduit par Gabrielli et al. (PRL. 110, 170601, 2013) illustre ce comportement: des particules arrivent aléatoirement selon une distribution de Poisson à l'entrée d'un canal unidimensionnel et le traversent avec un temps constant, noté t. Le blocage survient lorsque N particules sont simultanément sur le pont. Le travail de cette thèse à été d'étudier les extensions de ce modèle. Les observables du système sont la probabilité de survie, le flux sortant ainsi que la statistique sur les particules sorties avant le blocage. Les différentes études ont permis pour le cas N>2, pour une distribution homogène quelconque et inhomogène d'entrée, pour un système de multi-canaux ainsi que pour une durée finie de blocage d'obtenir des résultats analytiques exactes ainsi que des approximations à l'aide d'outils statistique. Le dernier projet de cette thèse porte sur l'étude microscopique des phénomènes de blocage. Le modèle simple que nous avons étudié est un système bidimensionnel de particules browniennes soumis à une force de traînée et se déplaçant dans un canal avec rétrécissement. La présence d'un obstacle au milieu du canal peut causer un colmatage selon les valeurs des différents paramètres du système. / This manuscript presents a study of blocking phenomenon in particulate streams flowing through anarrow channel. In particular, it examines situations in which blocking is controlled by the limitedcarrying capacity of the channel. It builds on a simple stochastic model, introduced by Gabrielli etal. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 170601, 2013), in which particles arrive randomly according to a Poissondistribution at the entrance of a one-dimensional channel with an intensity λ and, unless interrupted,exit after a transit time, τ. Blocking occurs instantaneously when N=2 particles are simultaneouslypresent in the channel. The quantities of interest include the probability that the channel is still openat time t (survival probability) and the flux and total number of exiting particles. The thesisexamines a number of generalizations including when more than two particles must be present toinduce blockage, N>2, a time dependent intensity, a finite blocking time, and multi-channelsystems. We obtain exact and approximate analytical results using tools such as the masterequations describing the evolution of the n-particle partial probabilities, large deviation theory andqueuing theory. The theoretical results are validated by comparison with the results of numericalsimulations. The final chapter of the thesis uses a different approach, namely a brownian dynamics simulation of a two dimensional system of soft particles subjected to an external driving and dragforces. The presence of an obstacle in the middle of the channel can cause irreversible orintermittent clogging depending on the system geometry, temperature and particle stiffness.

Ce manuscrit présente une description théorique des propriétés de transport exceptionnelles des liquides dans les nanotubes de carbone (CNT). La perméabilité de ces canaux dépasse largement ce qui est prévu par les équations de l'hydrodynamique et la condition limite de non-glissement. Au cours des dernières années, plusieurs groupes ont effectué des expériences d'écoulement de liquides dans des membranes de CNT. Une perméabilité très supérieure à l'attente classique a été observée. Dans ce contexte, nous avons mené une étude exhaustive du frottement liquide/solide qui apparaît pendant l'écoulement d'un fluide dans un CNT, à l'aide de simulations de dynamique moléculaire. Le coefficient de frottement a été mesuré pour différents systèmes en utilisant plusieurs méthodes indépendantes. Les simulations ont montré que le coefficient de frottement était indépendant du confinement, mais qu'il dépendait considérablement de la courbure de la paroi. Pour l'eau dans un CNT, le coefficient de frottement diminue avec le rayon du tube. Nous avons ensuite établi une expression approchée du coefficient de frottement, qui le relie à des propriétés microscopiques de l'interface entre le liquide et la paroi. Cette expression reproduit la dépendance du coefficient de frottement avec la courbure, et permet de l'expliquer à partir des trois paramètres statiques suivants : la densité surfacique de l'eau, la rugosité de la paroi et la commensurabilité entre les structures de la paroi et de la première couche d'eau à l'interface. En résumé, notre étude a permis une compréhension détaillée du frottement de l'eau dans les CNT, qui explique l'origine de sa valeur extrêmement basse. / Within the scope of this thesis, a theoretical study of liquid flow in graphitic nanopores was performed. More precisely, a combination of numerical simulations and analytic approach was used to establish the special properties of carbon nanotubes for fluid transport: Molecular dynamics flow simulations of different liquids in carbon nanotubes exhibited flow velocities that are 1-3 orders of magnitude higher than predicted from the continuum hydrodynamics framework and the no-slip boundary condition. These results support previous experiments performed by several groups reporting exceptionally high flow rates for water in carbon nanotube membranes. The reason for this important flow enhancement with respect to the expectation was so far unclear. In this work, a careful investigation of the water/graphite friction coefficient which we identified as the crucial parameter for fast liquid transport in the considered systems was carried out. In simulations, the friction coefficient was found to be very sensitive to wall curvature: friction is independent of confinement for water between at graphene walls with zero curvature, while it increases with increasing negative curvature (water at the outside of the tube), and it decreases with increasing positive curvature (water inside the tube), eventually leading to quasi frictionless flow for water in a single file configuration in the smallest tubes. A similar behaviour was moreover found with several other liquids, such as alcohol, alcane and OMCTS. urthermore, a theoretical approximate expression for the friction coefficient is presented which predicts qualitatively and semi-quantitatively its curvature dependent behavior. Moreover, a deeper analysis of the simulations according to the proposed theoretical description shed light on the physical mechanisms at the origin of the ultra low liquid/solid friction in carbon nanotubes. In fine, it is due to their perfectly ordered molecular structure and their atomically smooth surface that carbon nanotubes are quasi-perfect liquid conductors compared to other membrane pores like, for example, nanochannels in amorphous silica. The newly gained understanding constitutes an important validation that carbon nanotubes operate as fast transporters of various liquids which makes them a promising option for different applications like energy conversion or filtration on the molecular level.

The binding of different proteins involved in processes such as transcription, replication and chromatin compaction to regions of the genome is regulated by the structure of DNA. Thus, DNA structure acts as the crucial link modulating evolutionary selection of the DNA sequence based on its own function, and the function of the proteins it encodes. The aim of this work is to examine the role of intrinsic, sequence-dependent structural variations vis-a -vis the protein-induced variations, in allowing DNA to assume geometries necessary for binding by proteins. For this purpose, we carried out analyses of datasets of X-ray crystal structures of free and protein-bound DNA, and molecular dynamics simulation studies of few free DNA structures and a protein-DNA complex. Each of the projects described below will appear as a separate chapter in the thesis. Analysis of X-ray crystal structure datasets Dataset of high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of free and protein-bound DNA This project was initiated with the aim of investigating the variation in A-and B-forms of DNA and the role they play in the binding of proteins. However, a survey of the existing literature indicated that the terms ‘A-DNA’ and ‘B-DNA’ were being used rather loosely and several different parameters at the local structural level were being used by various investigators to characterise these structures. Hence a systematic study was taken up to analyse all high-resolution free DNA structures comprising of sufficient number of contiguous Watson-Crick basepairs, irrespective of how they were classified by the existing databases. We also carried out a study of double-helical, Watson-Crick basepaired, free RNA structures for comparison. The structures in the RNA dataset were observed to rigidly assume the A-form and hence the average values of different parameters for that dataset were used to characterise the A-form. The analysis of free DNA and RNA structures was accompanied by an analysis of protein-bound DNA crystal structures. DNA structures bound to the helix-turn-helix motif in proteins were also analysed separately. The analysis of free DNA and RNA structures allowed us to pinpoint the parameters suitable for discriminating A-and B-forms of DNA at the local structural level. The results illustrated that the free DNA molecule, even in the crystalline state, samples a large amount of conformational space, encompassing both the A-and the B-forms. Most protein-bound DNA structures, including those with large, smooth curvature, were observed to assume the B-form. The A-form was observed to be limited to a small number of dinucleotide steps in DNA structures bound to the proteins belonging to a few specific families. Thus our study highlighted the structural versatility of B-form DNA, which allowed it to take up a range of global geometries to accommodate most DNA-binding protein motifs. Dataset of X-ray crystal structures of the nucleosome The study of high-resolution structures of free and protein-bound DNA was followed by an analysis of a dataset of X-ray crystal structures of the nucleosome, which is the fundamental repeating unit of the eukaryotic chromosome, and has been shown to play an important role in transcription regulation. Our results indicated that there is an ensemble of dinucleotide and trinucleotide level parameters that can give rise to similar global nucleosome structures. We therefore raise doubts about the use of the best resolved nucleosome structure as the template to calculate the energy required by putative nucleosome-forming sequences for adopting the nucleosome structure. Based on our results, we have proposed that the local and global level structural variability of DNA may act as a significant factor influencing the formation of nucleosomes in the vicinity of high-plasticity genes, and in determining the probability of binding by regulatory proteins. Molecular dynamics simulation studies of free and protein-bound DNA structures The analysis of crystal structure databases was complemented by molecular dynamics (MD) studies to investigate the dynamic evolution of the DNA structure in its free and protein-bound states. The following three simulation studies were carried out: Study to examine the biological relevance of the presence of 5-methyl group in thymine nucleotides An investigation of the biological relevance of the 5-methyl group in thymine nucleotides was carried out. For this purpose, comparison of molecular dynamics studies on structures with sequences d(CGCAAAUUUGCG)2and d(CGCAAATTTGCG)2was carried out. Our results showed that the presence of the thymine 5-methyl group was necessary for the A-tract to assume characteristic properties such as a narrow minor groove. It was also shown to modulate local level structural parameters and consequently, the curvature of the longer DNA fragment in which the A-tract was embedded. The analysis also provided possible explanation for the experimentally observed interaction of A-tracts with drugs and DNase-I in the presence and the absence of the thymine 5-methyl group. This project was the first of a series of MD studies, and hence several protocols were tested before finalising the correct protocol. Simulations were carried out using the Berendsen temperature equilibration scheme as well as the Langevin temperature equilibration scheme on both the structures. The Langevin temperature equilibration scheme was found to be unsuitable for nucleic acid simulations, as it caused long-term and possibly permanent disruption of the double-helical structure at the terminal and the neighbouring two positions in the sequence. The Berendsen temperature equilibration scheme was not observed to cause such disruptions. Simulations were also carried out on both structures, with or without initialising the initial ion positions. The position of minimum electrostatic potential, where AMBER8 placed the first counterion, was observed to act as a minimum energy trap from which the counterion could not escape even during the course of several nanoseconds of simulation. Hence, the actual simulations were carried out using the Berendsen temperature equilibration scheme, and after randomisation of initial ion positions. The results of protocol testing have been reported in an appendix. Study of DNA bending and curvature An analysis of DNA bending and curvature was carried out, by MD simulation on structures of three, ∼thirty basepair long sequences, namely, d(G-3(CA4T4G)-C)2, d(G-3(CT4A4G)-C)2and d(T-GACTA5T-GACTA6T-GACTA5T-G). For each molecule, snapshots belonging to a particular global geometry (linear, curved, bent in a particular direction etc.) were grouped together, and the average values of the dinucleotide step parameters for different groups were compared. It was observed that for all the three molecules, the average values for groups corresponding to different global geometries were within 1of each other, indicating that ensemble average values of dinucleotide level parameters are incapable of predicting the global geometry of a DNA molecule. Study of the TraR-Trabox complex The study on DNA bending and curvature was followed by simulations of a protein-DNA complex comprising of the bacterial quorum sensing transcription factor TraR with its promoter region known as Trabox. Simulations of a protein-free wild-type Trabox and a Trabox with two mutations in the spacer region were also carried out. Grouping of DNA snapshots in all the three simulations based on average values of dinucleotide parameters in the spacer region shows how selection of the ‘right’ DNA geometry by proteins works at several levels. The number of snapshots of free mutated Trabox assuming a geometry favourable for protein-binding in terms of average twist alone are less than one-fourth of the corresponding number for free wild-type Trabox. When one applies further selection criteria in terms of other parameters such as roll and slide, the number of mutated Trabox snapshots with a geometry favourable for protein-binding drops to less than 0.5%ofthe total number of MD snapshots. Thus our results highlight how sequence-dependent changes in the structrure of DNA regions, adjacent to those that directly hydrogen-bond to proteins, can also critically influence processes such as transcription. General Conclusion Overall, our results indicate that intrinsic, sequence-dependent structural variations in free B-DNA allow it to sample a large volume of the double-helical conformational space, and assume global geometries that can accomodate most DNA-binding proteins.

No description available.

This thesis consists of research work in the broad area of soft condensed matter theory with a focus on active matter. The study of long wavelength, low frequency collective behavior of active particles (bacterial suspensions, fish schools, motor-microtubule extracts, active gels) forms an interesting modification to liquid-crystal hydrodynamics, in which the constituent particles carry permanent stresses that stir the fluid. Activity introduces novel instabilities and many novel aspects emerge. Our works focus on the dynamics, order, fluctuations and instabilities in these systems. In particular, we investigated the dynamics, order and fluctuation properties emerging from effective hydrodynamic descriptions of translationally ordered active matter and also studied those in microwave-driven quantum Hall nematics. We also investigated the rheological properties of active suspensions subjected to an applied orienting field. A summary of the works carried out is as follows. Translationally ordered active phases – active smectics and active cholesterics: Active or self-propelled particles consume and dissipate energy generating permanent stresses that stir the fluid around them. The collective behavior of systems of active particles, in systems with translational order, pose interesting questions and possibilities of new physics that differ strikingly from those in systems at thermal equilibrium with the same spatial symmetry. We developed the hydrodynamic equations of motion for (a) an active system with spontaneously broken translational symmetry in one direction, i.e., smectic and (b) the simplest uniaxially ordered phase of active chiral objects, namely, an active cholesteric. We analyze the fluctuation properties as well as the nature of characteristic instabilities that these systems can display and make a number of predictions. For example, in the case of an active smectic, we show that active stresses generate an effective active layer tension which, if positive, sup-presses the Landau-Peierls effect, leading to long-range smectic order in dimension d =3 and quasi-long-range in d =2, in sharp contrast with thermal equilibrium systems. Negative active layer tension in bulk systems, however, lead to a spontaneous Helfrich-Hurault undulation instability of the layers, accompanied by spontaneous flow. Also, active smectics, unlike orientationally ordered active systems, normally have finite concentration fluctuations. Similarly, for the case of cholesterics we show that cholesteric elasticity intervenes to suppress some of the instabilities present in active nematics. xi Numerical simulation of active smectics: We present results from a Brownian Dynamics simulation, with no hydrodynamic interaction, of a system of apolar active particles form-ing translational liquid-crystalline order in a suspension. The particles interact through a prolate-ellipsoidal Gay-Berne potential. We model activity minimally through different noise temperatures for movement along and normal to the orientation axis of each particle. We present preliminary results on the disruptive effect of activity on smectic order for the parameter values investigated. Future work will test the predictions of our theory [1] on active smectics. Rheology of active suspensions near field-induced critical points : Shear induces orientation of active stresses in a suspension, through flow alignment. Depending on the sign, activity then either enhances or reduces the viscosity. The change in viscosity, in the zero frequency limit, is proportional to the product of the magnitude of active stress and the system relaxation time. A strong enough orienting field can make the system approach a critical point and the relaxation time diverges. We show that, this results in the divergence of viscosity at zero frequency making the system strongly viscoelastic. Depending on the sign, activity strengthens or reduces the effect of the field. We also investigate the rheological property of an active suspension with mixed polar and nematic oreder. Active quantum Hall systems: We construct the hydrodynamic theory for a 2d charged active nematic with 3d electrostatics. We have investigated the interplay of the Coulomb interaction and activity in these systems. We show that activity competes to enhance the charge density fluctuations normally suppressed by long-ranged Coulomb interactions. The charge structure factor Sq of the corresponding passive charged nematic goes to zero as q, whereas in charged active nematics, activity leads to a nonvanishing charge structure factor at small wavenumber. We also show how the effect of an applied magnetic field can be incorporated into the dynamics of the system and leave scope for further studies on these effects.

Smart hydrogels are useful elements in microfluidic systems because they respond to environmental stimuli and are capable of storing reagents. We present here a concept of using hydrogels (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) as an interface between continuous and discontinuous microfluidics. Their swelling and shrinking capabilities allow them to act as storage elements for reagents absorbed in the swelling process. When the swollen hydrogel collapses in an oil-filled channel, the incorporated water and molecules are expelled from the hydrogel and form a water reservoir. Water-in-oil droplets can be released from the reservoir generating different sized droplets depending on the flow regime at various oil flow rates (dispensing functionality). Different hydrogel sizes and microfluidic structures are discussed in terms of their storage and droplet formation capabilities. The time behaviour of the hydrogel element is investigated by dynamic swelling experiments and computational fluid dynamics simulations. By precise temperature control, the device acts as an active droplet generator and converts continuous to discontinuous flows.

Diblock-Copolymers (DBCs), created by covalently joining two chemically distinct polymer blocks, spontaneously form various nanoscale morphologies such as lamellae, cylinders, spheres, etc. due to the chemical incompatibility of its constituent blocks. This effect is called microphase separation in the literature. Because of this self-organizing property DBCs find applications in many areas e.g. in creating selective membranes, and in polymer based modern electronic devices like organic photovoltaics where the internal morphology plays an important role in determining the performance of the device. Many such modern devices are based on thin film technologies and uses copolymer nanocomposites as it exhibits advantageous electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. Also, DBC can direct the spatial distribution of nanoparticles (NPs) in the polymer matrix via microphase separation. Generally, two types of NPs are distinguished with respect to their monomer affinity: selective NPs which prefer one component of DBC, and non-selective NPs which interact equally with both components of DBC. In this work, using molecular dynamics simulations and analytical calculations, we explore the effect of adding both types of NP in the copolymer matrix considering a thin film (or confined) geometry. We consider a cylinder forming DBC melt confined by purely repulsive walls in slit geometry and study the behavior of the system upon adding non-selective NPs. Two models of non-selective interactions between the monomers and NPs are applied, i.e repulsive and weakly attractive interactions (athermal and thermal cases respectively). Spatial distribution of NPs in the copolymer matrix is sensitive to the NP-monomer interaction behavior. We focus on the thermal case and discuss, in particular, the following points: (1) role of diblock and polymer-wall interfaces, (2) spatial distribution of NPs, and (3) NP segregation and uptake behavior by the copolymer film. The uptake of NPs by the copolymer film in the thermal case displays a non-monotonic dependence on temperature which can be explained qualitatively using a mean-field model. In general, addition of non-selective NPs do not affect the copolymer morphology and the NPs are preferentially localized at the interface between microphase domains. Morphological transitions are observed when adding selective NPs to the copolymer matrix. By varying the amount of selective NPs and diblock composition we systematically explore the various structures formed by the nanocomposites under confinement and constructed the corresponding phase diagram in diblock composition and NP concentration. We also discuss the NP induced orientation transition of lamellar structure and study the stability of lamellar phases formed by the nanocomposites. To study the commensurability and wetting transition of horizontally oriented lamellar phase formed by the nanocomposites we have developed a mean field model based on the strong segregation theory. Our model predicts that it is possible to reduce the frustration in a film of fixed thickness by properly tuning the NP-monomer interaction strength. Furthermore, the model predicts a discontinuous transition between the non-wetted phase (where a dense NP layer is present in the polymer-substrate interface) and wetted phase (where the substrate is covered by polymers). Finally, we extend our study to non-equilibrium where we apply a shear flow field to copolymer thin films. Here, we study the flow behavior, lamellae deformation and change of pair-wise interaction energy, and macroscopic response like kinetic friction coefficient and viscosity of the copolymer thin film with and without NPs. / Lösungen von Diblock-Copolymeren (DBC), welche durch die kovalente Bindung zweier chemisch unterschiedlicher linearer Polymerblöcke entstehen, können spontan mikroskopische Strukturen ausbilden, welche je nach dem Grad der chemischen Kompatibiliät der Blöcke beispielsweise lamellen-, zylinder- oder kugelartige Formen zeigen. Dieses Phänomen wird meist als Mikrophasenseparation bezeichnet. Aufgrund dieser selbstorganisierenden Eigenschaft finden DBCs Anwendungen in vielen Bereichen der Forschung und der Industrie. Beispielsweise zur Erzeugung selektiver Membranen oder in moderner polymerbasierter Elektronik, wie organischen Solarzellen, wo die innere Struktur eine wichtige Rolle spielt um die Leistungsfähigkeit zu erhöhen. Viele moderne Geräte basieren auf der Technologie dünner Schichten und nutzen Copolymer-Nanokomposite um elektrische, optische oder mechanische Eigenschaften zu verbessern. In Folge der Mikrophasenseparation kann man mit Hilfe von DBC die räumliche Verteilung von Nanopartikeln (NP) in der Polymermatrix kontrollieren. Man unterscheidet im Allgemeinen zwischen zwei Arten von NP: selektive NP, welche eine der beiden Komponenten der DBC bevorzugen und nicht-selektive NP, welche mit beiden Komponenten gleichartig wechselwirken. In der vorliegenden Arbeit nutzen wir molekulardynamische Simulationen und analytische Rechnungen um den Eigenschaften zu studieren, welche eine Zugabe von selektiven und nicht-selektiven NP auf eine dünnschichtige Copolymermatrix hat. Wir betrachten eine zylinderformende Schmelze aus DBC, welche in einem dünnen Film, zwischen zwei harten Wänden eingeschränkt ist, und untersuchen das Verhalten des Systems unter Zugabe nicht-selektiver NP. Zwei Modelle nicht-selektiver Wechselwirkungen werden angenommen: ausschließlich repulsive (athermische) Wechselwirkungen und schwach anziehende (thermische) Wechselwirkungen. Die räumliche Verteilung der NP ist abhängig von dem jeweiligen Wechselwirkungsverhalten. Wir konzentrieren uns hierbei auf den thermischen Fall und diskutieren speziell folgende Schwerpunkte: (1.) die Rolle der sich ausbildenden Grenzschichten, (2.) die räumliche Verteilung der NP und (3.) die Abscheidung der NP, sowie die Aufnahmefähigkeit derselben durch die Polymermatrix. Im thermische Fall zeigt die Aufnahme der NP durch die Copolymerschicht eine nicht-monotone Abhängigkeit von der Temperatur, was mit Hilfe eines Mean-Field Modells erklärt werden kann. Die Zugabe nicht-selektiver NP hat keinen Einfluss auf die Struktur der Copolymermatrix und die NP werden vorzugsweise an der Grenzschicht der jeweiligen Mikrophasen gefunden. Im Gegensatz dazu kann man durch die Zugabe selektiver NP eine Strukturveränderung in der Copolymermatrix feststellen. Durch Veränderung der Menge der NP und der Zusammensetzung der DBC können wir systematisch unterschiedliche Strukturen des räumlich eingeschränkten Nanokomposits erzeugen und ein entsprechendes Phasendiagram bezüglich der NP Konzentration und der DBC Zusammensetzung erstellen. Wir untersuchen auch die durch NP induzierte Orientierung der Lamellenstruktur und analysieren ihre Stabilität. Um den sogenannten Kommensurabilitäts- und Benetzungsübergang in horizontal orientierten Lamellenstrukturen zu untersuchen haben wir ein Mean-Field Modell entwickelt, welches auf der Annahme der 'starken Segregation' basiert. Unser Modell macht die Vorhersage, dass es möglich ist die Frustration in einem Kompositfilm zu reduzieren, indem man die NP-Monomer-Wechselwirkung entsprechend anpasst. Zusätzlich sagt das Modell einen diskontinuierlichen Übergang zwischen der unbenetzten Phase (Ausbildung einer dichten NP Konzentration an der Polymer-Substrat Grenzschicht) und der benetzten Phase (das Substrat ist ausschließlich vom Polymerkomposit bedeckt) voraus. Abschließend weiten wir unsere Untersuchungen auf Nicht-Gleichgewichtszustände aus und induzieren durch Scherung der Substratwände einen Strömungprofil im Kompositfilm. Dabei analysieren wir das Strömungsverhalten, die Lamellendeformation und die Änderung der paarweisen Wechselwirkungsenergie. Wir untersuchen auch makroskopische Größen, wie den kinetischen Reibungskoeffizienten und die Viskosität, je in An- und Abwesenheit von Nanopartikeln.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第23188号 / 工博第4832号 / 新制||工||1755(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科建築学専攻 / (主査)教授 松島 信一, 教授 竹脇 出, 教授 林 康裕 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

The dissociation of fast hydrogen and nitrogen molecular ions with kinetic energies ranging from 200 to 2000 eV/atom is studied for grazing collisions with various fcc metal surfaces. Within this energy range, the dissociation is either caused by electron capture into antibonding molecular states or by vibrational and rotational excitation. In contrast to hydrogen, nitrogen is chemically inert and interacts mainly elastically with the surfaces; thus there is no dissociation via electron capture. The processes of vibrational and rotational excitation are simulated using a molecular dynamics simulation with interaction potentials based on density functional theory. The comparison with the data obtained from Time-Of-Flight experiments reveals that an additional electronic effect has to be taken into account: The intramolecular bond of the molecules is softened due to electronic screening during the interaction with the surface. Hence, the softened molecules are more likely to dissociate through elastic collisions with surface atoms. The dissociation of hydrogen at low energies on metallic surfaces is dominated by electronic processes. An analysis of the kinetic energy distributions of the scattered dissociation products reveals information about the energy which is released during the dissociation process. The model of electronically induced dissociation is clearly confirmed by this method. However, an increasing contribution of additional mechanical processes becomes apparent at higher energies.