Phonon dispersion in two-dimensional solids from atomic probability distributions.

We propose a harmonic linear response (HLR) method to calculate the phonon dispersion relations of two-dimensional layers from equilibrium simulations at finite temperatures. This HLR approach is based on the linear response of the system, as derived from the analysis of its centroid density in equilibrium path integral simulations. In the classical limit, this approach is closely related to those methods that study vibrational properties by the diagonalization of the covariance matrix of atomic fluctuations. The validity of the method is tested in the calculation of the phonon dispersion relations of a graphene monolayer, a graphene bilayer, and graphane. Anharmonic effects in the phonon dispersion relations of graphene are demonstrated by the calculation of the temperature dependence of the following observables: the kinetic energy of the carbon atoms, the vibrational frequency of the optical E2g mode, and the elastic moduli of the layer.

Communication: Critical behavior in graphene: Spinodal instability at room temperature.

At a critical spinodal in-plane stress τC, a planar crystalline graphene layer becomes mechanically unstable. We present a model of the critical behavior of the membrane area near τC and show that it is in complete agreement with path-integral simulations and with recent experiments based on interferometric profilometry and Raman spectroscopy. Close to the critical stress, τC, the in-plane strain behaves as τC-τ1/2 for τ < τC.

A chain-of-states acceleration method for the efficient location of minimum energy paths.

We describe a robust and efficient chain-of-states method for computing Minimum Energy Paths (MEPs) associated to barrier-crossing events in poly-atomic systems, which we call the acceleration method. The path is parametrized in terms of a continuous variable t ∈ [0, 1] that plays the role of time. In contrast to previous chain-of-states algorithms such as the nudged elastic band or string methods, where the positions of the states in the chain are taken as variational parameters in the search for the MEP, our strategy is to formulate the problem in terms of the second derivatives of the coordinates with respect to t, i.e., the state accelerations. We show this to result in a very simple and efficient method for determining the MEP. We describe the application of the method to a series of test cases, including two low-dimensional problems and the Stone-Wales transformation in C60.

Path-integral simulation of solids.

The path-integral formulation of the statistical mechanics of quantum many-body systems is described, with the purpose of introducing practical techniques for the simulation of solids. Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics methods for distinguishable quantum particles are presented, with particular attention to the isothermal-isobaric ensemble. Applications of these computational techniques to different types of solids are reviewed, including noble-gas solids (helium and heavier elements), group-IV materials (diamond and elemental semiconductors), and molecular solids (with emphasis on hydrogen and ice). Structural, vibrational, and thermodynamic properties of these materials are discussed. Applications also include point defects in solids (structure and diffusion), as well as nuclear quantum effects in solid surfaces and adsorbates. Different phenomena are discussed, as solid-to-solid and orientational phase transitions, rates of quantum processes, classical-to-quantum crossover, and various finite-temperature anharmonic effects (thermal expansion, isotopic effects, electron-phonon interactions). Nuclear quantum effects are most remarkable in the presence of light atoms, so that especial emphasis is laid on solids containing hydrogen as a constituent element or as an impurity.

The phase diagram of ice: a quasi-harmonic study based on a flexible water model.

The phase diagram of ice is studied by a quasi-harmonic approximation. The free energy of all experimentally known ice phases has been calculated with the flexible q-TIP4P/F model of water. The only exception is the high pressure ice X, in which the presence of symmetric O-H-O bonds prevents its modeling with this empirical interatomic potential. The simplicity of our approach allows us to study ice phases at state points of the T-P plane that have been omitted in previous simulations using free energy methods based on thermodynamic integration. The effect in the phase diagram of averaging the proton disorder that appears in several ice phases has been studied. It is found particularly relevant for ice III, at least for cell sizes typically used in phase coexistence simulations. New insight into the capability of the employed water model to describe the coexistence of ice phases is presented. We find that the H-ordered ices IX and XIV, as well as the H-disordered ice XII, are particularly stable for this water model. This fact disagrees with experimental data. The unexpected large stability of ice IX is a property related to the TIP4P-character of the water model. Only after omission of these three stable ice phases, the calculated phase diagram becomes in reasonable qualitative agreement to the experimental one in the T-P region corresponding to ices Ih, II, III, V, and VI. The calculation of the phase diagram in the quantum and classical limits shows that the most important quantum effect is the stabilization of ice II due to its lower zero-point energy when compared to that one of ices Ih, III, and V.

The phase diagram of ice Ih, II, and III: a quasi-harmonic study.

The phase diagram of ice Ih, II, and III is studied by a quasi-harmonic approximation. The results of this approach are compared to phase diagrams previously derived by thermodynamic integration using path integral and classical simulations, as well as to experimental data. The studied models are based on both flexible (q-TIP4P/F) and rigid (TIP4P/2005, TIP4PQ/2005) descriptions of the water molecule. Many aspects of the simulated phase diagrams are reasonably reproduced by the quasi-harmonic approximation. Advantages of this simple approach are that it is free from the statistical errors inherent to computer simulations, both classical and quantum limits are easily accessible, and the error of the approximation is expected to decrease in the zero temperature limit. We find that the calculated phase diagram of ice Ih, II, and III depends strongly on the hydrogen disorder of ice III, at least for cell sizes typically used in phase coexistence simulations. Either ice II (in the classical limit) or ice III (in the quantum one) may become unstable depending upon the proton disorder in ice III. The comparison of quantum and classical limits shows that the stabilization of ice II is the most important quantum effect in the phase diagram. The lower vibrational zero-point energy of ice II, compared to either ice Ih or III, is the microscopic origin of this stabilization. The necessity of performing an average of the lattice energy over the proton disorder of ice III is discussed.

Anomalous nuclear quantum effects in ice.

One striking anomaly of water ice has been largely neglected and never explained. Replacing hydrogen (1H) by deuterium (2H) causes ice to expand, whereas the normal isotope effect is volume contraction with increased mass. Furthermore, the anomaly increases with temperature T, even though a normal isotope shift should decrease with T and vanish when T is high enough to use classical nuclear motions. In this study, we show that these effects are very well described by ab initio density-functional theory. Our theoretical modeling explains these anomalies, and allows us to predict and to experimentally confirm a counter effect, namely, that replacement of 16O by 18O causes a normal lattice contraction.

Quasi-harmonic approximation of thermodynamic properties of ice Ih, II, and III.

Several thermodynamic properties of ice Ih, II, and III are studied by a quasi-harmonic approximation and compared to results of quantum path integral and classical simulations. This approximation allows to obtain thermodynamic information at a fraction of the computational cost of standard simulation methods, and at the same time permits studying quantum effects related to zero-point vibrations of the atoms. Specifically, we have studied the crystal volume, bulk modulus, kinetic energy, enthalpy, and heat capacity of the three ice phases as a function of temperature and pressure. The flexible q-TIP4P/F model of water was employed for this study, although the results concerning the capability of the quasi-harmonic approximation are expected to be valid independently of the employed water model. The quasi-harmonic approximation reproduces with reasonable accuracy the results of quantum and classical simulations showing an improved agreement at low temperatures (T< 100 K). This agreement does not deteriorate as a function of pressure as long as it is not too close to the limit of mechanical stability of the ice phases.

Quantum path integral simulation of isotope effects in the melting temperature of ice Ih.

The isotope effect in the melting temperature of ice Ih has been studied by free energy calculations within the path integral formulation of statistical mechanics. Free energy differences between isotopes are related to the dependence of their kinetic energy on the isotope mass. The water simulations were performed by using the q-TIP4P/F model, a point charge empirical potential that includes molecular flexibility and anharmonicity in the OH stretch of the water molecule. The reported melting temperature at ambient pressure of this model (T=251 K) increases by 6.5±0.5 and 8.2±0.5 K upon isotopic substitution of hydrogen by deuterium and tritium, respectively. These temperature shifts are larger than the experimental ones (3.8 and 4.5 K, respectively). In the classical limit, the melting temperature is nearly the same as that for tritiated ice. This unexpected behavior is rationalized by the coupling between intermolecular interactions and molecular flexibility. This coupling makes the kinetic energy of the OH stretching modes larger in the liquid than in the solid phase. However, the opposite behavior is found for intramolecular modes, which display larger kinetic energy in ice than in liquid water.

Quantum path-integral study of the phase diagram and isotope effects of neon.

The phase diagram of natural neon has been calculated for temperatures in the range of 17-50 K and pressures between 10(-2) and 2 x 10(3) bar. The phase coexistence between solid, liquid, and gas phases has been determined by the calculation of the separate free energy of each phase as a function of temperature. Thus, for a given pressure, the coexistence temperature was obtained by the condition of equal free energy of coexisting phases. The free energy was calculated by using nonequilibrium techniques such as adiabatic switching and reversible scaling. The phase diagram obtained by classical Monte Carlo simulations has been compared to that obtained by quantum path-integral simulations. Quantum effects related to the finite mass of neon cause that coexistence lines are shifted toward lower temperatures when compared to the classical limit. The shift found in the triple point amounts to 1.5 K, i.e., about 6% of the triple-point temperature. The triple-point isotope effect has been determined for (20)Ne, (21)Ne, (22)Ne, and natural neon. The simulation data show satisfactory agreement to previous experimental results, which report a shift of about 0.15 K between triple-point temperatures of (20)Ne and (22)Ne. The vapor pressure isotope effect has been calculated for both solid and liquid phases at triple-point conditions. The quantum simulations predict that this isotope effect is larger in the solid than in the liquid phase, and the calculated values show nearly quantitative agreement to available experimental data.

Path integral calculation of free energies: quantum effects on the melting temperature of neon.

The path integral formulation has been combined with several methods to determine free energies of quantum many-body systems, such as adiabatic switching and reversible scaling. These techniques are alternatives to the standard thermodynamic integration method. A quantum Einstein crystal is used as a model to demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of these free energy methods in quantum simulations. Our main interest focuses on the calculation of the melting temperature of Ne at ambient pressure, taking into account quantum effects in the atomic dynamics. The free energy of the solid was calculated by considering a quantum Einstein crystal as reference state, while for the liquid, the reference state was defined by the classical limit of the fluid. Our findings indicate that, while quantum effects in the melting temperature of this system are small, they still amount to about 6% of the melting temperature, and are therefore not negligible. The particle density as well as the melting enthalpy and entropy of the solid and liquid phases at coexistence is compared to results obtained in the classical limit and also to available experimental data.

Arrangement and mobility of water in vermiculite hydrates followed by 1H NMR spectroscopy.

The arrangement of water molecules in one- and two-layer hydrates of high-charged vermiculites, saturated with alkaline (Li(+), Na(+)) and alkali-earth (Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Ba(2+)) cations, has been analyzed with (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Two different orientations for water molecules have been found, depending on the hydration state and the sites occupied by interlayer cations. As the amount of water increases, hydrogen bond interactions between water molecules increase at expenses of water-silicate interactions. This interaction favors water mobility in vermiculites. A comparison of the temperature dependence of relaxation times T(1) and T(2) for one and two-layer hydrates of Na-vermiculite shows that the rotations of water molecules around C(2)-axes and that of cation hydration shells around the c-axis is favored in the two-layer hydrate. In both hydrates, the anisotropic diffusion of water takes place at room temperature, preserving the orientation of water molecules relative to the silicate layers. Information obtained by NMR spectroscopy is compatible with that deduced by infrared spectroscopy and with structural studies carried out with X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques on single-crystals of vermiculite.

Influence of vacancy ordering on the percolative behavior of (Li(1)(-x)Na(x))(3y)La(2/3-y)TiO(3) perovskites.

Influence of the vacancy concentration on the Li conductivity of the (Li(1-x)Na(x))(0.2)La(0.6)TiO(3) and (Li(1-x)Na(x)(0.5)La(0.5)TiO(3) perovskite series, with 0 < or = x < 1, has been investigated by neutron diffraction (ND), impedance spectroscopy (IS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Monte Carlo simulations. In both series, Li(+) ions occupy unit cell faces, but Na(+) ions are located at A sites of the perovskite. From this fact, the amount of vacant A sites that participate in Li conductivity is given by the expression n(v) = [Li] + square, where square is the nominal vacancy concentration. Substitution of Li by Na decreases the amount of vacancies, reducing drastically the Li conductivity when n(v) approaches the percolation threshold of the perovskite conduction network. In disordered (Li(1-x)Na(x))(0.5)La(0.5)TiO(3) perovskites, the percolation threshold is 0.31; however, in ordered (Li(1-x)Na(x))(0.2)La(0.6)TiO(3) perovskites, this parameter changes to 0.26. Near the percolation threshold, the amount of mobile Li species deduced by (7)Li NMR spectroscopy is lower than that derived from structural formulas but higher than deduced from dc conductivity measurements. Conductivity values have been explained by Monte Carlo simulations, which assume a random walk for Li ions in the conduction network of the perovskite. In these simulations, distribution of vacancies conforms to structural models deduced from ND experiments.

[Tuberculosis and HIV infection: study of 50 cases]. / Tuberculosis e infección por HIV: estudio de 50 casos.

The clinical, microbiological, radiological and sonographical finding of 50 patients with tuberculosis and HIV infection are herewith described. 44 of the patients were men and 46 were intravenous drug addicts. Severe respiratory symptoms and peripheral pathological adenopathies were the most encountered manifestations. Those patients with tuberculosis and negative HIV titers (p less than 0.005) commonly showed lung miliary signs and mediastinal adenopathies when compared to others. Abdominal adenopathies evidenced by sonography were seen in 64.3% of the patients, of which only 2 out of the 27 HIV-positive-markers were of no tuberculous origin (p less than 0.0001). Sputum, urine and ganglia cultures were positive in more than 82%. 24 patients had pulmonary tuberculosis, 11 extra-pulmonary and 17 mixed. The response to treatment was good.