QUIRKE , Nick

We use a fast Fourier transform block Lanczos diagonalization algorithm to study the electronic states of excess electrons in fluid alkanes (methane, ethane, and propane) and in a molecular model of amorphous polyethylene (PE) relevant to studies of space charge in insulating polymers. We obtain a new pseudopotential for electron–PE...

We use a pseudopotential model to calculate the electronic states available to an excess electron in crystalline and amorphous regions of model polyethlyene as well as the molecular crystal of the linear alkane C27H56. It is shown that alkane crystals of whatever chain length are not representative of crystalline polyethylene (PE) although they...

We use a simple mean field scheme to compute the polarization energy of an excess electron in amorphous polyethylene that allows us to study dynamical properties. Nonadiabatic simulations of an excess electron in amorphous polyethylene at room temperature show the spontaneous formation of localized small polaron states in which the electron is...

Polyethylene is commonly used as an insulator for AC power cables. However it is known to undergo chemical and physical change which can lead to dielectric breakdown. Despite almost eighty years of experimental characterization of its electrical properties, very little is known about the details of the electrical behaviour of this material at...

We report computer simulations of an excess electron in various structural motifs of polyethylene at room temperature, including lamellar and interfacial regions between amorphous and lamellae, as well as nanometre-sized voids. Electronic properties such as density of states, mobility edges, and mobilities are computed on the different phases...