Sharif Digital Repository

We study critical properties of the continuous Abelian sandpile model with anisotropies in toppling rules that produce ordered patterns on it. Also, we consider the continuous directed sandpile model perturbed by a weak quenched randomness, study critical behavior of the model using perturbative conformal field theory, and show that the model has a random fixed point. © 2009 The American Physical Society  

We investigate a new version of sandpile model which is very similar to Abelian Sandpile Model (ASM), but the height variables are continuous ones. With the toppling rule we define in our model, we show that the model can be mapped to ASM, so the general properties of the two models are identical. Yet the new model allows us to investigate some problems such as the effect of very small mass on the height probabilities, different boundary conditions  

We study numerically the statistics of curves which form the boundaries of toppling wave clusters in the deterministic Bak, Tang and Wiesenfeld sandpile model and stochastic Manna model on a square lattice. We consider the Abelian version of each model. Multiple tests show that the boundary of toppling wave clusters in both deterministic and stochastic models can be described by SLE curves with diffusivity = 2  

We insert some asymmetries into the continuous Abelian sandpile models, such as directedness and ellipticity. We analyze probability distribution of different heights and also find the corresponding field theories. Also we find the fields associated with some height variables. © 2008 IOP Publishing Ltd  

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to investigate the electronic structure and photocatalytic activity of a hybrid Ag3PO4(111)/g-C3N4 structure. Due to Ag(d) and O(p) states forming the upper part of the valence band and C(p), N(p), and Ag(s) the lower part of the conduction band, the band gap of the hybrid material is reduced from 2.75 eV for Ag3PO4(111) and 3.13 eV for monolayer of g-C3N4 to about 2.52 eV, enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the Ag3PO4(111) surface and g-C3N4 sheet in the visible region. We have also investigated possible reaction pathways for photocatalytic CO2 reduction on the Ag3PO4(111)/g-C3N4 nanocomposite to determine the most... 

We check the universality properties of the two-dimensional Abelian sandpile model by computing some of its properties on the honeycomb lattice. Exact expressions for unit-height correlation functions in the presence of boundaries and for different boundary conditions are derived. Also, we study the statistics of the boundaries of avalanche waves by using the theory of SLE and suggest that these curves are conformally invariant and described by SLE 2  

Alumina flakes were prepared by solution combustion method and milled to provide powder. XRD and SEM data exhibited microsized flakes with 100 nm thickness and nanosized grains. Then the powders were dispersed in polystyrene (PS) and poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) matrixes and thin sheets of composites were produced by solution method. Mechanical properties of the composites were characterized using tensile test and their fracture surfaces, elemental composition and hydrophobic property were tested by SEM, EDX and contact angle techniques, respectively. The results exhibited better mechanical properties compared to pure polymer samples i.e. the elastic modulus in PMMA and PS composites,... 

Fast transfer of photoinduced electrons and subsequent slow electron-hole recombination in semiconductor heterostructures give rise to long-lived charge separation which is highly desirable for photocatalysis and photovoltaic applications. As a type II heterostructure, CdS/TiO2 nanocomposites extend the absorption edge of the light spectrum to the visible range and demonstrate effective charge separation, resulting in more efficient conversion of solar energy to chemical energy. This improvement in performance is partly explained by the fact that CdS/TiO2 is a type II semiconductor heterostructure and CdS has a smaller energy band gap than UV-active TiO2. Ultrafast transient absorption... 

Learning a foreign language encompasses a process of trial and error that can lead to the progression of the learner's interlanguage, meaning that the learners make use of their language knowledge that receives feedback and brings about progress through diagnosis of the problems and being corrected by the teacher. Therefore, there exists a need to analyze the underlying reasons causing the students to remain taciturn with a low willingness to communicate (WTC) during a language class. There has been much work done investigating the role of the learner's stable personal characteristics (traits) along with their situational changes at a specific time (states) that influence the student's... 

Using 3-D scanned data to analyze and extract pore network plays a vital role in investigation of porous media's characteristics. In this paper, a new simple method is developed to detect pores and throats for analyzing the connectivity and permeability of the network. This automated method utilizes some of the common and well-known image processing functions which are widely accessible by researchers and this has led to an easy algorithm implementation. In this method, after polishing and quality control of images, using city-block distance function and watershed segmentation algorithm, pores and throats are detected and 3-D network is produced. This method can also be applied on 2-D images... 

In this paper, we try to recognize and distinguish different groups of arrhythmia using novel features which have been obtained from the heart rate's phase space in recent years. For this purpose, we used Triangular Phase Space Mapping (TPSM) and Parabolic Phase Space Mapping (PPSM). For recognition, we used three groups of 15 subjects using the Physionet database (Arrhythmia, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), and Atrial Fibrillation (AF)) with Normal Sinus Rhythm (NSR). The obtained features discriminate arrhythmia from NSR by p