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In this work, the authors present a 7.5% efficient hybrid tandem solar cell with the bottom cell made of amorphous silicon and a Si-PCPDTBT:PC70BM bulk heterojunction top cell. Loss-free recombination contacts were realized by combing Al-doped ZnO with either the conducting polymer composite PEDOT:PSS or with a bilayer of ultrathin Al and MoO3. Optimization of these contacts results in tandem cells with high fill factors of 70% and an open circuit voltage close to the sum of those of the sub-cells. This is the best efficiency reported for this type of hybrid tandem cell so far. Optical and electrical device modeling suggests that the efficiency can be increased to similar to 12% on combining a donor polymer with suitable absorption onset with PCBM. We also describe proof-of-principle studies employing light trapping in hybrid tandem solar cells, suggesting that this device architecture has the potential to achieve efficiencies well above 12%. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
High conductivity and a tunability of the band gap make quasi-one-dimensional graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) highly interesting materials for the use in field effect transistors. Especially bottom-up fabricated GNRs possess well-defined edges which is important for the electronic structure and accordingly the band gap. In this study we investigate the formation of a sub-nanometer wide armchair GNR generated on a Au(111) surface. The on-surface synthesis is thermally activated and involves an intermediate non-aromatic polymer in which the molecular precursor forms polyanthrylene chains. Employing angle-resolved two-photon photoemission in combination with density functional theory calculations we find that the polymer exhibits two dispersing states which we attribute to the valence and the conduction band, respectively. While the band gap of the non-aromatic polymer obtained in this way is relatively large, namely 5.25 +/- 0.06 eV, the gap of the corresponding aromatic GNR is strongly reduced which we attribute to the different degree of electron delocalization in the two systems.
Within a simple biophysical model we describe the effect of electrostatic binding of H1 histone proteins on the nucleosome repeat length in chromatin. The length of wrapped DNA optimizes its binding energy to the histone core and the elastic energy penalty of DNA wrapping. The magnitude of the effect predicted from our model is in agreement with the systematic experimental data on the linear variation of nucleosome repeat lengths with H1/nucleosome ratio (Woodcock C L et al 2006 Chromos. Res. 14 17-25). We compare our model to the data for different cell types and organisms, with a widely varying ratio of bound H1 histones per nucleosome. We underline the importance of this non-specific histone-DNA charge-balance mechanism in regulating the positioning of nucleosomes and the degree of compaction of chromatin fibers in eukaryotic cells.
We examine the implications of electrostatic interactions on formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers, in application to field-effect based biosensors for label-free detection of charged macromolecules. We present a quantitative model to describe the experimental potentiometric observations and discuss its possibilities and limitations for detection of polyelectrolyte adsorption. We examine the influence of the ionic strength and pH on the sensor response upon polyelectrolyte layer-by-layer formation. The magnitude of potential oscillations on the sensor-electrolyte interface predicted upon repetitive adsorption charge-alternating polymers agrees satisfactorily with experimental results. The model accounts for different screening by mobile ions in electrolyte and inside tightly interdigitated multilayered structure. In particular, we show that sensors' potential oscillations are larger and more persistent at lower salt conditions, while they decay faster with the number of layers at higher salt conditions, in agreement with experiments. The effects of polyelectrolyte layer thickness, substrate potential, and charge regulation on the sensor surface triggered by layer-by-layer deposition are also analyzed.
Donor-acceptor (D-A) copolymers have revolutionized the field of organic electronics over the last decade. Comprised of a electron rich and an electron deficient molecular unit, these copolymers facilitate the systematic modification of the material's optoelectronic properties. The ability to tune the optical band gap and to optimize the molecular frontier orbitals as well as the manifold of structural sites that enable chemical modifications has created a tremendous variety of copolymer structures. Today, these materials reach or even exceed the performance of amorphous inorganic semiconductors. Most impressively, the charge carrier mobility of D-A copolymers has been pushed to the technologically important value of 10 cm^{2}V^{-1}s^{-1}. Furthermore, owed to their enormous variability they are the material of choice for the donor component in organic solar cells, which have recently surpassed the efficiency threshold of 10%. Because of the great number of available D-A copolymers and due to their fast chemical evolution, there is a significant lack of understanding of the fundamental physical properties of these materials. Furthermore, the complex chemical and electronic structure of D-A copolymers in combination with their semi-crystalline morphology impede a straightforward identification of the microscopic origin of their superior performance. In this thesis, two aspects of prototype D-A copolymers were analysed. These are the investigation of electron transport in several copolymers and the application of low band gap copolymers as acceptor component in organic solar cells. In the first part, the investigation of a series of chemically modified fluorene-based copolymers is presented. The charge carrier mobility varies strongly between the different derivatives, although only moderate structural changes on the copolymers structure were made. Furthermore, rather unusual photocurrent transients were observed for one of the copolymers. Numerical simulations of the experimental results reveal that this behavior arises from a severe trapping of electrons in an exponential distribution of trap states. Based on the comparison of simulation and experiment, the general impact of charge carrier trapping on the shape of photo-CELIV and time-of-flight transients is discussed. In addition, the high performance naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based copolymer P(NDI2OD-T2) was characterized. It is shown that the copolymer posses one of the highest electron mobilities reported so far, which makes it attractive to be used as the electron accepting component in organic photovoltaic cells.\par Solar cells were prepared from two NDI-containing copolymers, blended with the hole transporting polymer P3HT. I demonstrate that the use of appropriate, high boiling point solvents can significantly increase the power conversion efficiency of these devices. Spectroscopic studies reveal that the pre-aggregation of the copolymers is suppressed in these solvents, which has a strong impact on the blend morphology. Finally, a systematic study of P3HT:P(NDI2OD-T2) blends is presented, which quantifies the processes that limit the efficiency of devices. The major loss channel for excited states was determined by transient and steady state spectroscopic investigations: the majority of initially generated electron-hole pairs is annihilated by an ultrafast geminate recombination process. Furthermore, exciton self-trapping in P(NDI2OD-T2) domains account for an additional reduction of the efficiency. The correlation of the photocurrent to microscopic morphology parameters was used to disclose the factors that limit the charge generation efficiency. Our results suggest that the orientation of the donor and acceptor crystallites relative to each other represents the main factor that determines the free charge carrier yield in this material system. This provides an explanation for the overall low efficiencies that are generally observed in all-polymer solar cells.
We analyze the expansion of hydrogen-poor knots and filaments in the born-again planetary nebulae A30 and A78 based on Hubble Space Telescope ( HST) images obtained almost 20 yr apart. The proper motion of these features generally increases with distance to the central star, but the fractional expansion decreases, i.e., the expansion is not homologous. As a result, there is not a unique expansion age, which is estimated to be 610-950 yr for A30 and 600-1140 yr for A78. The knots and filaments have experienced complex dynamical processes: the current fast stellar wind is mass loaded by the material ablated from the inner knots; the ablated material is then swept up until it shocks the inner edges of the outer, hydrogen-rich nebula. The angular expansion of the outer filaments shows a clear dependence on position angle, indicating that the interaction of the stellar wind with the innermost knots channels the wind along preferred directions. The apparent angular expansion of the innermost knots seems to be dominated by the rocket effect of evaporating gas and by the propagation of the ionization front inside them. Radiation-hydrodynamical simulations show that a single ejection of material followed by a rapid onset of the stellar wind and ionizing flux can reproduce the variety of clumps and filaments at different distances from the central star found in A30 and A78.
A light source that emits single photons at well-defined times and into a well-defined mode would be a decisive asset for quantum information processing, quantum metrology, and sub-shot-noise detection of absorption. One of the central challenges in the realization of such a deterministic device based on a single quantum emitter concerns the collection of the photons, which are radiated into a 4 pi solid angle. Here, we present the fabrication and characterization of an optical antenna designed to convert the dipolar radiation of an arbitrarily oriented quantum emitter to a directional beam with more than 99% efficiency. Our approach is extremely versatile and can be used for more efficient detection of nanoscopic emitters ranging from semiconductor quantum dots to dye molecules, color centers, or rare-earth ions in various environments. Having addressed the issue of collection efficiency, we also discuss the photophysical limitations of the existing quantum emitters for the realization of a deterministic single-photon source. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America
Fabrication of Au@Pt multibranched nanoparticles and their application to in situ SERS monitoring
(2014)
Here, we present an Au@Pt core-shell multibranched nanoparticle as a new substrate capable of in situ surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), thereby enabling monitoring of the catalytic reaction on the active surface. By careful control of the amount of Pt deposited bimetallic Au@Pt, nanoparticles with moderate performance both for SERS and catalytic activity were obtained. The Pt-catalyzed reduction of 4-nitrothiophenol by borohydride was chosen as the model reaction. The intermediate during the reaction was captured and clearly identified via SERS spectroscopy. We established in situ SERS spectroscopy as a promising and powerful technique to investigate in situ reactions taking place in heterogeneous catalysis.
Herein, a facile method is presented to integrate large gold nanoflowers (similar to 80 nm) and small gold nanoparticles (2-4 nm) into a single entity, exhibiting both surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and catalytic activity. The as-prepared gold nanoflowers were coated by a gelatin layer, in which the gold precursor was adsorbed and in situ reduced into small gold nanoparticles. The thickness of the gelatin shell is controlled to less than 10 nm, ensuring that the small gold nanoparticles are still in a SERS-active range of the inner Au core. Therefore, the reaction catalyzed by these nanocomposites can be monitored in situ using label-free SERS spectroscopy. In addition, these bifunctional nanocomposites are also attractive candidates for application in SERS monitoring of bioreactions because of their excellent biocompatibility.
Aging, the dependence of the dynamics of a physical process on the time t(a) since its original preparation, is observed in systems ranging from the motion of charge carriers in amorphous semiconductors over the blinking dynamics of quantum dots to the tracer dispersion in living biological cells. Here we study the effects of aging on one of the most fundamental properties of a stochastic process, the first-passage dynamics. We find that for an aging continuous time random walk process, the scaling exponent of the density of first-passage times changes twice as the aging progresses and reveals an intermediate scaling regime. The first-passage dynamics depends on t(a) differently for intermediate and strong aging. Similar crossovers are obtained for the first-passage dynamics for a confined and driven particle. Comparison to the motion of an aged particle in the quenched trap model with a bias shows excellent agreement with our analytical findings. Our results demonstrate how first-passage measurements can be used to unravel the age t(a) of a physical system.
Context. About 40% of the observation time of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is dedicated to studying active galactic nuclei (AGN), with the aim of increasing the sample of known extragalactic very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) sources and constraining the physical processes at play in potential emitters.
Aims. H.E.S.S. observations of AGN, spanning a period from April 2004 to December 2011, are investigated to constrain their gamma-ray fluxes. Only the 47 sources without significant excess detected at the position of the targets are presented.
Methods. Upper limits on VHE fluxes of the targets were computed and a search for variability was performed on the nightly time scale.
Results. For 41 objects, the flux upper limits we derived are the most constraining reported to date. These constraints at VHE are compared with the flux level expected from extrapolations of Fermi-LAT measurements in the two-year catalog of AGN. The H.E.S.S. upper limits are at least a factor of two lower than the extrapolated Fermi-LAT fluxes for 11 objects Taking into account the attenuation by the extragalactic background light reduces the tension for all but two of them, suggesting intrinsic curvature in the high-energy spectra of these two AGN.
Conclusions. Compilation efforts led by current VHE instruments are of critical importance for target-selection strategies before the advent of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA).
In this paper, we address the formation of a magnetic flux rope (MFR) that erupted on 2012 July 12 and caused a strong geomagnetic storm event on July 15. Through analyzing the long-term evolution of the associated active region observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, it is found that the twisted field of an MFR, indicated by a continuous S-shaped sigmoid, is built up from two groups of sheared arcades near the main polarity inversion line a half day before the eruption. The temperature within the twisted field and sheared arcades is higher than that of the ambient volume, suggesting that magnetic reconnection most likely works there. The driver behind the reconnection is attributed to shearing and converging motions at magnetic footpoints with velocities in the range of 0.1-0.6 km s(-1). The rotation of the preceding sunspot also contributes to the MFR buildup. Extrapolated three-dimensional non-linear force-free field structures further reveal the locations of the reconnection to be in a bald-patch region and in a hyperbolic flux tube. About 2 hr before the eruption, indications of a second MFR in the form of an S-shaped hot channel are seen. It lies above the original MFR that continuously exists and includes a filament. The whole structure thus makes up a stable double-decker MFR system for hours prior to the eruption. Eventually, after entering the domain of instability, the high-lying MFR impulsively erupts to generate a fast coronal mass ejection and X-class flare; while the low-lying MFR remains behind and continuously maintains the sigmoidicity of the active region.
Floating ice shelves can exert a retentive and hence stabilizing force onto the inland ice sheet of Antarctica. However, this effect has been observed to diminish by the dynamic effects of fracture processes within the protective ice shelves, leading to accelerated ice flow and hence to a sea-level contribution. In order to account for the macroscopic effect of fracture processes on large-scale viscous ice dynamics (i.e., ice-shelf scale) we apply a continuum representation of fractures and related fracture growth into the prognostic Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) and compare the results to observations. To this end we introduce a higher order accuracy advection scheme for the transport of the two-dimensional fracture density across the regular computational grid. Dynamic coupling of fractures and ice flow is attained by a reduction of effective ice viscosity proportional to the inferred fracture density. This formulation implies the possibility of non-linear threshold behavior due to self-amplified fracturing in shear regions triggered by small variations in the fracture-initiation threshold. As a result of prognostic flow simulations, sharp across-flow velocity gradients appear in fracture-weakened regions. These modeled gradients compare well in magnitude and location with those in observed flow patterns. This model framework is in principle expandable to grounded ice streams and provides simple means of investigating climate-induced effects on fracturing (e. g., hydro fracturing) and hence on the ice flow. It further constitutes a physically sound basis for an enhanced fracture-based calving parameterization.
During this work I built a four wave mixing setup for the time-resolved femtosecond spectroscopy of Raman-active lattice modes. This setup enables to study the selective excitation of phonon polaritons. These quasi-particles arise from the coupling of electro-magnetic waves and transverse optical lattice modes, the so-called phonons. The phonon polaritons were investigated in the optically non-linear, ferroelectric crystals LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃.
The direct observation of the frequency shift of the scattered narrow bandwidth probe pulses proofs the role of the Raman interaction during the probe and excitation process of phonon polaritons. I compare this experimental method with the measurement where ultra-short laser pulses are used. The frequency shift remains obscured by the relative broad bandwidth of these laser pulses. In an experiment with narrow bandwidth probe pulses, the Stokes and anti-Stokes intensities are spectrally separated. They are assigned to the corresponding counter-propagating wavepackets of phonon polaritons. Thus, the dynamics of these wavepackets was separately studied. Based on these findings, I develop the mathematical description of the so-called homodyne detection of light for the case of light scattering from counter propagating phonon polaritons.
Further, I modified the broad bandwidth of the ultra-short pump pulses using bandpass filters to generate two pump pulses with non-overlapping spectra. This enables the frequency-selective excitation of polariton modes in the sample, which allows me to observe even very weak polariton modes in LiNbO₃ or LiTaO₃ that belong to the higher branches of the dispersion relation of phonon polaritons. The experimentally determined dispersion relation of the phonon polaritons could therefore be extended and compared to theoretical models. In addition, I determined the frequency-dependent damping of phonon polaritons.
Galaxies are observational probes to study the Large Scale Structure. Their gravitational motions are tracers of the total matter density and therefore of the Large Scale Structure. Besides, studies of structure formation and galaxy evolution rely on numerical cosmological simulations. Still, only one universe observable from a given position, in time and space, is available for comparisons with simulations. The related cosmic variance affects our ability to interpret the results. Simulations constrained by observational data are a perfect remedy to this problem. Achieving such simulations requires the projects Cosmic flows and CLUES. Cosmic flows builds catalogs of accurate distance measurements to map deviations from the expansion. These measures are mainly obtained with the galaxy luminosity-rotation rate correlation. We present the calibration of that relation in the mid-infrared with observational data from Spitzer Space Telescope. Resulting accurate distance estimates will be included in the third catalog of the project. In the meantime, two catalogs up to 30 and 150 Mpc/h have been released. We report improvements and applications of the CLUES' method on these two catalogs. The technique is based on the constrained realization algorithm. The cosmic displacement field is computed with the Zel'dovich approximation. This latter is then reversed to relocate reconstructed three-dimensional constraints to their precursors' positions in the initial field. The size of the second catalog (8000 galaxies within 150 Mpc/h) highlighted the importance of minimizing the observational biases. By carrying out tests on mock catalogs, built from cosmological simulations, a method to minimize observational bias can be derived. Finally, for the first time, cosmological simulations are constrained solely by peculiar velocities. The process is successful as resulting simulations resemble the Local Universe. The major attractors and voids are simulated at positions approaching observational positions by a few megaparsecs, thus reaching the limit imposed by the linear theory.
Photogeneration, recombination, and transport of free charge carriers in all-polymer bulk heterojunction solar cells incorporating poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as donor and poly([N,N'-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthelene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl]-alt-5,5'-(2,2'-bithiophene)) (P(NDI2OD-T2)) as acceptor polymer have been investigated by the use of time delayed collection field (TDCF) and time-of-flight (TOF) measurements. Depending on the preparation procedure used to dry the active layers, these solar cells comprise high fill factors (FFs) of up to 67%. A strongly reduced bimolecular recombination (BMR), as well as a field-independent free charge carrier generation are observed, features that are common to high performance fullerene-based solar cells. Resonant soft X-ray measurements (R-SoXS) and photoluminescence quenching experiments (PQE) reveal that the BMR is related to domain purity. Our results elucidate the similarities of this polymeric acceptor with the superior recombination properties of fullerene acceptors.
While N-body simulations testify to a cuspy profile of the central region of dark matter halos, observations favor a shallow, cored density profile of the central region of at least some spiral galaxies and dwarf spheroidals. We show that a central profile, very close to the observed one, inevitably forms in the center of dark matter halos if we make a supposition about a moderate energy relaxation of the system during the halo formation. If we assume the energy exchange between dark matter particles during the halo collapse is not too intensive, the profile is universal: it depends almost not at all on the properties of the initial perturbation and is very akin, but not identical, to the Einasto profile with a small Einasto index n similar to 0.5. We estimate the size of the "central core" of the distribution, i.e., the extent of the very central region with a respectively gentle profile, and show that the cusp formation is unlikely, even if the dark matter is cold. The obtained profile is in good agreement with observational data for at least some types of galaxies but clearly disagrees with N-body simulations.
One of the most significant current discussions in Astrophysics relates to the origin of high-energy cosmic rays. According to our current knowledge, the abundance distribution of the elements in cosmic rays at their point of origin indicates, within plausible error limits, that they were initially formed by nuclear processes in the interiors of stars. It is also believed that their energy distribution up to 1018 eV has Galactic origins. But even though the knowledge about potential sources of cosmic rays is quite poor above „ 1015 eV, that is the “knee” of the cosmic-ray spectrum, up to the knee there seems to be a wide consensus that supernova remnants are the most likely candidates. Evidence of this comes from observations of non-thermal X-ray radiation, requiring synchrotron electrons with energies up to 1014 eV, exactly in the remnant of supernovae. To date, however, there is not conclusive evidence that they produce nuclei, the dominant component of cosmic rays, in addition to electrons. In light of this dearth of evidence, γ-ray observations from supernova remnants can offer the most promising direct way to confirm whether or not these astrophysical objects are indeed the main source of cosmic-ray nuclei below the knee. Recent observations with space- and ground-based observatories have established shell-type supernova remnants as GeV-to- TeV γ-ray sources. The interpretation of these observations is however complicated by the different radiation processes, leptonic and hadronic, that can produce similar fluxes in this energy band rendering ambiguous the nature of the emission itself. The aim of this work is to develop a deeper understanding of these radiation processes from a particular shell-type supernova remnant, namely RX J1713.7–3946, using observations of the LAT instrument onboard the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Furthermore, to obtain accurate spectra and morphology maps of the emission associated with this supernova remnant, an improved model of the diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission background is developed. The analyses of RX J1713.7–3946 carried out with this improved background show that the hard Fermi-LAT spectrum cannot be ascribed to the hadronic emission, leading thus to the conclusion that the leptonic scenario is instead the most natural picture for the high-energy γ-ray emission of RX J1713.7–3946. The leptonic scenario however does not rule out the possibility that cosmic-ray nuclei are accelerated in this supernova remnant, but it suggests that the ambient density may not be high enough to produce a significant hadronic γ-ray emission. Further investigations involving other supernova remnants using the improved back- ground developed in this work could allow compelling population studies, and hence prove or disprove the origin of Galactic cosmic-ray nuclei in these astrophysical objects. A break- through regarding the identification of the radiation mechanisms could be lastly achieved with a new generation of instruments such as CTA.
Motile eukaryotic cells, such as leukocytes, cancer cells, and amoeba, typically move inside the narrow interstitial spacings of tissue or soil. While most of our knowledge of actin-driven eukaryotic motility was obtained from cells that move on planar open surfaces, recent work has demonstrated that confinement can lead to strongly altered motile behavior. Here, we report experimental evidence that motile amoeboid cells undergo a spontaneous symmetry breaking in confined interstitial spaces. Inside narrow channels, the cells switch to a highly persistent, unidirectional mode of motion, moving at a constant speed along the channel. They remain in contact with the two opposing channel side walls and alternate protrusions of their leading edge near each wall. Their actin cytoskeleton exhibits a characteristic arrangement that is dominated by dense, stationary actin foci at the side walls, in conjunction with less dense dynamic regions at the leading edge. Our experimental findings can be explained based on an excitable network model that accounts for the confinement-induced symmetry breaking and correctly recovers the spatio-temporal pattern of protrusions at the leading edge. Since motile cells typically live in the narrow interstitial spacings of tissue or soil, we expect that the geometry-driven polarity we report here plays an important role for movement of cells in their natural environment.
In this paper, we show how graphene can be utilized as a nanoscopic probe in order to characterize local opto-mechanical forces generated within photosensitive azobenzene containing polymer films. Upon irradiation with light interference patterns, photosensitive films deform according to the spatial intensity variation, leading to the formation of periodic topographies such as surface relief gratings (SRG). The mechanical driving forces inscribing a pattern into the films are supposedly fairly large, because the deformation takes place without photofluidization; the polymer is in a glassy state throughout. However, until now there has been no attempt to characterize these forces by any means. The challenge here is that the forces vary locally on a nanometer scale. Here, we propose to use Raman analysis of the stretching of the graphene layer adsorbed on top of polymer film under deformation in order to probe the strength of the material transport spatially resolved. With the well-known mechanical properties of graphene, we can obtain lower bounds on the forces acting within the film. Upon the basis of our experimental results, we can deduce that the internal pressure in the film due to grating formation can exceed 1 GPa. The graphene-based nanoscopic gauge opens new possibilities to characterize opto-mechanical forces generated within photosensitive polymer films.
The characterization of exoplanets is a young and rapidly expanding field in astronomy.
It includes a method called transmission spectroscopy that searches for planetary spectral
fingerprints in the light received from the host star during the event of a transit. This
techniques allows for conclusions on the atmospheric composition at the terminator region,
the boundary between the day and night side of the planet. Observationally a big
challenge, first attempts in the community have been successful in the detection of several
absorption features in the optical wavelength range. These are for example a Rayleighscattering
slope and absorption by sodium and potassium. However, other objects show
a featureless spectrum indicative for a cloud or haze layer of condensates masking the
probable atmospheric layers.
In this work, we performed transmission spectroscopy by spectrophotometry of three
Hot Jupiter exoplanets. When we began the work on this thesis, optical transmission
spectra have been available for two exoplanets. Our main goal was to advance the current
sample of probed objects to learn by comparative exoplanetology whether certain
absorption features are common. We selected the targets HAT-P-12b, HAT-P-19b and
HAT-P-32b, for which the detection of atmospheric signatures is feasible with current
ground-based instrumentation. In addition, we monitored the host stars of all three objects
photometrically to correct for influences of stellar activity if necessary.
The obtained measurements of the three objects all favor featureless spectra. A variety
of atmospheric compositions can explain the lack of a wavelength dependent absorption.
But the broad trend of featureless spectra in planets of a wide range of temperatures,
found in this work and in similar studies recently published in the literature, favors an
explanation based on the presence of condensates even at very low concentrations in the
atmospheres of these close-in gas giants. This result points towards the general conclusion
that the capability of transmission spectroscopy to determine the atmospheric composition
is limited, at least for measurements at low spectral resolution.
In addition, we refined the transit parameters and ephemerides of HAT-P-12b and HATP-
19b. Our monitoring campaigns allowed for the detection of the stellar rotation period
of HAT-P-19 and a refined age estimate. For HAT-P-12 and HAT-P-32, we derived upper
limits on their potential variability. The calculated upper limits of systematic effects of
starspots on the derived transmission spectra were found to be negligible for all three
targets.
Finally, we discussed the observational challenges in the characterization of exoplanet
atmospheres, the importance of correlated noise in the measurements and formulated
suggestions on how to improve on the robustness of results in future work.
HESS J1640-465 - an exceptionally luminous TeV gamma-ray supernova remnant (vol 439, pg 2828, 2014)
(2014)
The results of follow-up observations of the TeV gamma-ray source HESS J1640-465 from 2004 to 2011 with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS) are reported in this work. The spectrum is well described by an exponential cut-off power law with photon index Gamma = 2.11 +/- 0.09(stat) +/- 0.10(sys), and a cut-off energy of E-2 = 6.0(-1.2)(+2.0) TeV. The TeV emission is significantly extended and overlaps with the northwestern part of the shell of the SNR G338.3-0.0. The new HESS results, a re-analysis of archival XMM-Newton data and multiwavelength observations suggest that a significant part of the gamma-ray emission from HESS J1640-465 originates in the supernova remnant shell. In a hadronic scenario, as suggested by the smooth connection of the GeV and TeV spectra, the product of total proton energy and mean target density could be as high as W(p)n(H) similar to 4 x 10(52)(d/10kpc)(2) erg cm(-3).
Composite supernova remnants (SNRs) constitute a small subclass of the remnants of massive stellar explosions where non-thermal radiation is observed from both the expanding shell-like shock front and from a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) located inside of the SNR. These systems represent a unique evolutionary phase of SNRs where observations in the radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray regimes allow the study of the co-evolution of both these energetic phenomena. In this article, we report results from observations of the shell-type SNR G15.4+0.1 performed with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H. E. S. S.) and XMM-Newton. A compact TeV gamma-ray source, HESS J1818-154, located in the center and contained within the shell of G15.4+0.1 is detected by H. E. S. S. and featurs a spectrum best represented by a power-law model with a spectral index of -2.3 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.2(sys) and an integral flux of F(>0.42 TeV) = (0.9 +/- 0.3(stat) +/- 0.2(sys)) x 10(-12) cm(-2) s(-1). Furthermore, a recent observation with XMM-Newton reveals extended X-ray emission strongly peaked in the center of G15.4+0.1. The X-ray source shows indications of an energy-dependent morphology featuring a compact core at energies above 4 keV and more extended emission that fills the entire region within the SNR at lower energies. Together, the X-ray and VHE gamma-ray emission provide strong evidence of a PWN located inside the shell of G15.4+0.1 and this SNR can therefore be classified as a composite based on these observations. The radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray emission from the PWN is compatible with a one-zone leptonic model that requires a low average magnetic field inside the emission region. An unambiguous counterpart to the putative pulsar, which is thought to power the PWN, has been detected neither in radio nor in X-ray observations of G15.4+0.1.
Context. On March 4, 2013 the Fermi-EAT and AGILE reported a flare from the direction of the Crab nebula in which the high-energy (HE; E > 100 MeV) flux was six times above its quiescent level. Simultaneous observations in other energy bands give us hints about the emission processes during the flare episode and the physics of pulsar wind nebulae in general.
Aims. We search for variability in the emission of the Crab nebula at very-high energies (VHF,; E > 100 GeV), using contemporaneous data taken with the H.E.S.S. array of Cherenkov telescopes.
Methods. Observational data taken with the H.E.S.S. instrument on five consecutive days during the flare were analysed for the flux and spectral shape of the emission from the Crab nebula. Night-wise light curves are presented with energy thresholds of 1 TeV and 5 TeV.
Results. The observations conducted with H.E.S.S. on March 6 to March 10, 2013 show no significant changes in the flux. They limit the variation in the integral flux above 1 TeV to less than 63% and the integral flux above 5 TeV to less than 78% at a 95% confidence level.
Recent experiments reveal both passive subdiffusion of various nanoparticles and anomalous active transport of such particles by molecular motors in the molecularly crowded environment of living biological cells. Passive and active microrheology reveals that the origin of this anomalous dynamics is due to the viscoelasticity of the intracellular fluid. How do molecular motors perform in such a highly viscous, dissipative environment? Can we explain the observed co-existence of the anomalous transport of relatively large particles of 100 to 500 nm in size by kinesin motors with the normal transport of smaller particles by the same molecular motors? What is the efficiency of molecular motors in the anomalous transport regime? Here we answer these seemingly conflicting questions and consistently explain experimental findings in a generalization of the well-known continuous diffusion model for molecular motors with two conformational states in which viscoelastic effects are included.
Internal signals like one's heartbeats are centrally processed via specific pathways and both their neural representations as well as their conscious perception (interoception) provide key information for many cognitive processes. Recent empirical findings propose that neural processes in the insular cortex, which are related to bodily signals, might constitute a neurophysiological mechanism for the encoding of duration. Nevertheless, the exact nature of such a proposed relationship remains unclear. We aimed to address this question by searching for the effects of cardiac rhythm on time perception by the use of a duration reproduction paradigm. Time intervals used were of 0.5, 2, 3, 7, 10, 14, 25, and 40s length. In a framework of synchronization hypothesis, measures of phase locking between the cardiac cycle and start/stop signals of the reproduction task were calculated to quantify this relationship. The main result is that marginally significant synchronization indices (Sls) between the heart cycle and the time reproduction responses for the time intervals of 2, 3, 10, 14, and 25s length were obtained, while results were not significant for durations of 0.5, 7, and 40s length. On the single participant level, several subjects exhibited some synchrony between the heart cycle and the time reproduction responses, most pronounced for the time interval of 25s (8 out of 23 participants for 20% quantile). Better time reproduction accuracy was not related with larger degree of phase locking, but with greater vagal control of the heart. A higher interoceptive sensitivity (IS) was associated with a higher synchronization index (SI) for the 2s time interval only. We conclude that information obtained from the cardiac cycle is relevant for the encoding and reproduction of time in the time span of 2-25s. Sympathovagal tone as well as interoceptive processes mediate the accuracy of time estimation.
Changes in ice discharge from Antarctica constitute the largest uncertainty in future sea-level projections, mainly because of the unknown response of its marine basins(1). Most of West Antarctica's marine ice sheet lies on an inland-sloping bed(2) and is thereby prone to a marine ice sheet instability(3-5). A similar topographic configuration is found in large parts of East Antarctica, which holds marine ice equivalent to 19 m of global sea-level rise(6), that is, more than five times that of West Antarctica. Within East Antarctica, the Wilkes Basin holds the largest volume of marine ice that is fully connected by subglacial troughs. This ice body was significantly reduced during the Pliocene epoch(7). Strong melting underneath adjacent ice shelves with similar bathymetry(8) indicates the ice sheet's sensitivity to climatic perturbations. The stability of the Wilkes marine ice sheet has not been the subject of any comprehensive assessment of future sea level. Using recently improved topographic data(6) in combination with ice-dynamic simulations, we show here that the removal of a specific coastal ice volume equivalent to less than 80 mm of global sea-level rise at the margin of the Wilkes Basin destabilizes the regional ice flow and leads to a self-sustained discharge of the entire basin and a global sea-level rise of 3-4 m. Our results are robust with respect to variation in ice parameters, forcing details and model resolution as well as increased surface mass balance, indicating that East Antarctica may become a large contributor to future sea-level rise on timescales beyond a century.
Herein, we report the facile synthesis of an efficient roll-like carbon nitride (C3N4) photocatalyst for hydrogen production using a supramolecular complex composed of cyanuric acid, melamine, and barbituric acid as the starting monomers. Optical and photocatalytic investigations show, along with the known red shift of absorption into the visible region, that the insertion of barbituric acid results in the in situ formation of in-plane heterojuctions, which enhance the charge separation process under illumination. Moreover, platinum as the standard cocatalyst in photocatalysis could be successfully replaced with first row transition metal salts and complexes under retention of 50% of the catalytic activity. Their mode of deposition and interaction with the semiconductor was studied in detail. Utilization of the supramolecular approach opens new opportunities to manipulate the charge transfer process within carbon nitride with respect to the design of a more efficient carbon nitride photocatalyst with controlled morphology and optical properties.
Interfacial treatment effects on behavior of soft nano-composites for highly stretchable dielectrics
(2014)
We investigate the influence of interfacial treatment on the matrix filler interaction using a melt mixing process to fabricate robust and highly stretchable dielectrics. Silicone oil and silane coupling agent are studied as possible solutions to enhance the compatibility between the inorganic fillers and polymer matrix. Morphology, thermomechanical and dielectric behavior of the prepared specimens are studied. Results show that specimens filled with silicone oil coated particles have promising dielectric and thermal properties. The mechanical properties reveal a stiffness enhancement by 67% with a high strain at break of 900%. The relative permittivity of the specimens prepared with silicone oil increased by 45% as observed from the dielectric analysis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Inverted organic solar cells are fabricated using low-temperature-annealed ZnO film as an electron transport layer. Uniform ZnO films were prepared by spin coating a diethylzinc (DEZ) precursor solution in air, followed by annealing at 100 A degrees C. Organic solar cells prepared on these ZnO films with a 1:1 P3HT:PCBM blend as the active layer show a high power conversion efficiency of 4.03 %, which is more than 10 % higher than the PCE of solar cells comprising ZnO prepared via a high-temperature sol-gel route.
We summarize broadband observations of the TeV-emitting blazar 1ES 1959+650, including optical R-band observations by the robotic telescopes Super-LOTIS and iTelescope, UV observations by Swift Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope, X-ray observations by the Swift X-ray Telescope, high-energy gamma-ray observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope, and very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations by VERITAS above 315 GeV, all taken between 2012 April 17 and 2012 June 1 (MJD 56034 and 56079). The contemporaneous variability of the broadband spectral energy distribution is explored in the context of a simple synchrotron self Compton (SSC) model. In the SSC emission scenario, we find that the parameters required to represent the high state are significantly different than those in the low state. Motivated by possible evidence of gas in the vicinity of the blazar, we also investigate a reflected emission model to describe the observed variability pattern. This model assumes that the non-thermal emission from the jet is reflected by a nearby cloud of gas, allowing the reflected emission to re-enter the blob and produce an elevated gamma-ray state with no simultaneous elevated synchrotron flux. The model applied here, although not required to explain the observed variability pattern, represents one possible scenario which can describe the observations. As applied to an elevated VHE state of 66% of the Crab Nebula flux, observed on a single night during the observation period, the reflected emission scenario does not support a purely leptonic non-thermal emission mechanism. The reflected emission model does, however, predict a reflected photon field with sufficient energy to enable elevated gamma-ray emission via pion production with protons of energies between 10 and 100 TeV.
We report on deep observations of the extended TeV gamma-ray source MGRO J1908+06 made with the VERITAS very high energy gamma-ray observatory. Previously, the TeV emission has been attributed to the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) of the Fermi-LAT pulsar PSR J1907+0602. We detect MGRO J1908+06 at a significance level of 14 standard deviations (14 sigma) and measure a photon index of 2.20 +/- 0.10(stat) +/- 0.20(sys). The TeV emission is extended, covering the region near PSR J1907+0602 and also extending toward SNR G40.5-0.5. When fitted with a two-dimensional Gaussian, the intrinsic extension has a standard deviation of sigma(src) = 0 degrees.44 +/- 0 degrees.02. In contrast to other TeV PWNe of similar age in which the TeV spectrum softens with distance from the pulsar, the TeV spectrum measured near the pulsar location is consistent with that measured at a position near the rim of G40.5-0.5, 0 degrees.33 away.
Organische Halbleiter besitzen neue, bemerkenswerte Materialeigenschaften, die sie für die grundlegende Forschung wie auch aktuelle technologische Entwicklung (bsw. org. Leuchtdioden, org. Solarzellen) interessant werden lassen. Aufgrund der starken konformative Freiheit der konjugierten Polymerketten führt die Vielzahl der möglichen Anordnungen und die schwache intermolekulare Wechselwirkung für gewöhnlich zu geringer struktureller Ordnung im Festkörper. Die Morphologie hat gleichzeitig direkten Einfluss auf die elektronische Struktur der organischen Halbleiter, welches sich meistens in einer deutlichen Reduktion der Ladungsträgerbeweglichkeit gegenüber den anorganischen Verwandten zeigt. So stellt die Beweglichkeit der Ladungen im Halbleiter einen der limitierenden Faktoren für die Leistungsfähigkeit bzw. den Wirkungsgrad von funktionellen organischen Bauteilen dar. Im Jahr 2009 wurde ein neues auf Naphthalindiimid und Bithiophen basierendes Dornor/Akzeptor Copolymer vorgestellt [P(NDI2OD‑T2)], welches sich durch seine außergewöhnlich hohe Ladungsträgermobilität auszeichnet. In dieser Arbeit wird die Ladungsträgermobilität in P(NDI2OD‑T2) bestimmt, und der Transport durch eine geringe energetischer Unordnung charakterisiert. Obwohl dieses Material zunächst als amorph beschrieben wurde zeigt eine detaillierte Analyse der optischen Eigenschaften von P(NDI2OD‑T2), dass bereits in Lösung geordnete Vorstufen supramolekularer Strukturen (Aggregate) existieren. Quantenchemische Berechnungen belegen die beobachteten spektralen Änderungen. Mithilfe der NMR-Spektroskopie kann die Bildung der Aggregate unabhängig von optischer Spektroskopie bestätigt werden. Die Analytische Ultrazentrifugation an P(NDI2OD‑T2) Lösungen legt nahe, dass sich die Aggregation innerhalb der einzelnen Ketten unter Reduktion des hydrodynamischen Radius vollzieht. Die Ausbildung supramolekularen Strukturen nimmt auch eine signifikante Rolle bei der Filmbildung ein und verhindert gleichzeitig die Herstellung amorpher P(NDI2OD‑T2) Filme. Durch chemische Modifikation der P(NDI2OD‑T2)-Kette und verschiedener Prozessierungs-Methoden wurde eine Änderung des Kristallinitätsgrades und gleichzeitig der Orientierung der kristallinen Domänen erreicht und mittels Röntgenbeugung quantifiziert. In hochauflösenden Elektronenmikroskopie-Messungen werden die Netzebenen und deren Einbettung in die semikristallinen Strukturen direkt abgebildet. Aus der Kombination der verschiedenen Methoden erschließt sich ein Gesamtbild der Nah- und Fernordnung in P(NDI2OD‑T2). Über die Messung der Elektronenmobilität dieser Schichten wird die Anisotropie des Ladungstransports in den kristallographischen Raumrichtungen von P(NDI2OD‑T2) charakterisiert und die Bedeutung der intramolekularen Wechselwirkung für effizienten Ladungstransport herausgearbeitet. Gleichzeitig wird deutlich, wie die Verwendung von größeren und planaren funktionellen Gruppen zu höheren Ladungsträgermobilitäten führt, welche im Vergleich zu klassischen semikristallinen Polymeren weniger sensitiv auf die strukturelle Unordnung im Film sind.
It is generally believed that random search processes based on scale-free, Levy stable jump length distributions (Levy flights) optimize the search for sparse targets. Here we show that this popular search advantage is less universal than commonly assumed. We study the efficiency of a minimalist search model based on Levy flights in the absence and presence of an external drift (underwater current, atmospheric wind, a preference of the walker owing to prior experience, or a general bias in an abstract search space) based on two different optimization criteria with respect to minimal search time and search reliability (cumulative arrival probability). Although Levy flights turn out to be efficient search processes when the target is far from the starting point, or when relative to the starting point the target is upstream, we show that for close targets and for downstream target positioning regular Brownian motion turns out to be the advantageous search strategy. Contrary to claims that Levy flights with a critical exponent alpha = 1 are optimal for the search of sparse targets in different settings, based on our optimization parameters the optimal a may range in the entire interval (1, 2) and especially include Brownian motion as the overall most efficient search strategy.
Life and death of stationary linear response in anomalous continuous time random walk dynamics
(2014)
Linear theory of stationary response in systems at thermal equilibrium requires to find equilibrium correlation function of unperturbed responding system. Studies of the response of the systems exhibiting anomalously slow dynamics are often based on the continuous time random walk description (CTRW) with divergent mean waiting times. The bulk of the literature on anomalous response contains linear response functions like one by Cole-Cole calculated from such a CTRW theory and applied to systems at thermal equilibrium. Here we show within a fairly simple and general model that for the systems with divergent mean waiting times the stationary response at thermal equilibrium is absent, in accordance with some recent studies. The absence of such stationary response (or dying to zero non-stationary response in aging experiments) would confirm CTRW with divergent mean waiting times as underlying physical relaxation mechanism, but reject it otherwise. We show that the absence of stationary response is closely related to the breaking of ergodicity of the corresponding dynamical variable. As an important new result, we derive a generalized Cole-Cole response within ergodic CTRW dynamics with finite waiting time. Moreover, we provide a physically reasonable explanation of the origin and wide presence of 1/f noise in condensed matter for ergodic dynamics close to normal, rather than strongly deviating.
Herein we report a general liquid-mediated pathway for the growth of continuous polymeric carbon nitride (C3N4) thin films. The deposition method consists of the use of supramolecular complexes that transform to the liquid state before direct thermal condensation into C3N4 solid films. The resulting films exhibit continuous porous C3N4 networks on various substrates. Moreover, the optical absorption can be easily tuned to cover the solar spectrum by the insertion of an additional molecule into the starting complex. The strength of the deposition method is demonstrated by the use of the C3N4 layer as the electron acceptor in a polymer solar cell that exhibits a remarkable open-circuit voltage exceeding 1 V. The easy, safe, and direct synthesis of carbon nitride in a continuous layered architecture on different functional substrates opens new possibilities for the fabrication of many energy-related devices.
We study ultraslow diffusion processes with logarithmic mean squared displacement (MSD) < x(2)(t)> similar or equal to log(gamma)t. Comparison of annealed (renewal) continuous time random walks (CTRWs) with logarithmic waiting time distribution psi(tau) similar or equal to 1/(tau log(1+gamma)tau) and Sinai diffusion in quenched random landscapes reveals striking similarities, despite the great differences in their physical nature. In particular, they exhibit a weakly non-ergodic disparity of the time-averaged and ensemble-averaged MSDs. Remarkably, for the CTRW we observe that the fluctuations of time averages become universal, with an exponential suppression of mobile trajectories. We discuss the fundamental connection between the Golosov localization effect and non-ergodicity in the sense of the disparity between ensemble-averaged MSD and time-averaged MSD.
Localized excited charge carriers generate ultrafast inhomogeneous strain in the multiferroic BiFeO3
(2014)
We apply ultrafast x-ray diffraction with femtosecond temporal resolution to monitor the lattice dynamics in a thin film of multiferroic BiFeO3 after above-band-gap photoexcitation. The sound-velocity limited evolution of the observed lattice strains indicates a quasi-instantaneous photoinduced stress which decays on a nanosecond time scale. This stress exhibits an inhomogeneous spatial profile evidenced by the broadening of the Bragg peak. These new data require substantial modification of existing models of photogenerated stresses in BiFeO3: the relevant excited charge carriers must remain localized to be consistent with the data.
In this paper we report on the analysis of all the available optical and very high-energy gamma-ray (> 200 GeV) data for the BL Lac object PKS 2155-304, collected simultaneously with the ATOM and H.E.S.S. telescopes from 2007 until 2009. This study also includes X-ray (RXTE, Swift) and high-energy gamma-ray (Fermi-LAT) data. During the period analysed, the source was transitioning from its flaring to quiescent optical states, and was characterized by only moderate flux changes at different wavelengths on the timescales of days and months. A flattening of the optical continuum with an increasing optical flux can be noted in the collected dataset, but only occasionally and only at higher flux levels. We did not find any universal relation between the very high-energy gamma-ray and optical flux changes on the timescales from days and weeks up to several years. On the other hand, we noted that at higher flux levels the source can follow two distinct tracks in the optical flux-colour diagrams, which seem to be related to distinct gamma-ray states of the blazar. The obtained results therefore indicate a complex scaling between the optical and gamma-ray emission of PKS 2155 304, with different correlation patterns holding at different epochs, and a gamma-ray flux depending on the combination of an optical flux and colour rather than a flux alone.
Low cost, large area, lightweight, stretchable piezoelectric films, based on space-charge electret with a foam structure (i.e., ferroelectrets or piezoelectrets), have been fabricated by using commercially available irradiation cross-linked poly(propylene) (IXPP) foam sheets. Piezoelectric d(33) coefficients are as high as 100pCN(-1). The piezoelectric performance in such IXPP films is well preserved for repeated strains of less than 10%. Piezoelectric d(33) coefficients are frequency independent in the range from 2 to 100Hz. Such new class materials may be applied in sensory skins, smart clothing, bio-inspired systems, microenergy harvesters, and so on.
Magnetic agnetic field generation in core-sheath jets via the kinetic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability
(2014)
We have investigated magnetic field generation in velocity shears via the kinetic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (kKHI) using a relativistic plasma jet core and stationary plasma sheath. Our three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations consider plasma jet cores with Lorentz factors of 1.5, 5, and 15 for both electron-proton and electron-positron plasmas. For electron-proton plasmas, we find generation of strong large-scale DC currents and magnetic fields that extend over the entire shear surface and reach thicknesses of a few tens of electron skin depths. For electron-positron plasmas, we find generation of alternating currents and magnetic fields. Jet and sheath plasmas are accelerated across the shear surface in the strong magnetic fields generated by the kKHI. The mixing of jet and sheath plasmas generates a transverse structure similar to that produced by the Weibel instability.
We perform time-dependent, spatially resolved simulations of blazar emission to evaluate several flaring scenarios related to magnetic-field amplification and enhanced particle acceleration. The code explicitly accounts for light-travel-time effects and is applied to flares observed in the flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) PKS 0208-512, which show optical/gamma-ray correlation at some times, but orphan optical flares at other times. Changes in both the magnetic field and the particle acceleration efficiency are explored as causes of flares. Generally, external Compton (EC) emission appears to describe the available data better than a synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) scenario, and in particular orphan optical flares are difficult to produce in the SSC framework. X-ray soft-excesses, gamma-ray spectral hardening, and the detections at very high energies of certain FSRQs during flares find natural explanations in the EC scenario with particle acceleration change. Likewise, optical flares with/without gamma-ray counterparts can be explained by different allocations of energy between the magnetization and particle acceleration, which may be related to the orientation of the magnetic field relative to the jet flow. We also calculate the degree of linear polarization and polarization angle as a function of time for a jet with helical magnetic field. Tightening of the magnetic helix immediately downstream of the jet perturbations, where flares occur, can be sufficient to explain the increases in the degree of polarization and a rotation by a parts per thousand yen180A degrees of the observed polarization angle, if light-travel-time effects are properly considered.
We have investigated via 2D relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations the long-term evolution of turbulence created by a relativistic shock propagating through an inhomogeneous medium. In the post-shock region, magnetic field is strongly amplified by turbulent motions triggered by pre-shock density inhomogeneities. Using a long-simulation box we have followed the magnetic field amplification until it is fully developed and saturated. The turbulent velocity is subrelativistic even for a strong shock. Magnetic field amplification is controlled by the turbulent motion and saturation occurs when the magnetic energy is comparable to the turbulent kinetic energy. Magnetic field amplification and saturation depend on the initial strength and direction of the magnetic field in the pre-shock medium, and on the shock strength. If the initial magnetic field is perpendicular to the shock normal, the magnetic field is first compressed at the shock and then can be amplified by turbulent motion in the post-shock region. Saturation occurs when the magnetic energy becomes comparable to the turbulent kinetic energy in the post-shock region. If the initial magnetic field in the pre-shock medium is strong, the post-shock region becomes turbulent but significant field amplification does not occur. If the magnetic energy after shock compression is larger than the turbulent kinetic energy in the post-shock region, significant field amplification does not occur. We discuss possible applications of our results to gamma-ray bursts and active galactic nuclei.