831 research outputs found
Evidence for spin liquid ground state in SrDyO frustrated magnet probed by muSR
Muon spin relaxation (SR) measurements were carried out on
SrDyO, a frustrated magnet featuring short range magnetic correlations
at low temperatures. Zero-field muon spin depolarization measurements
demonstrate that fast magnetic fluctuations are present from K down to
20 mK. The coexistence of short range magnetic correlations and fluctuations at
mK indicates that SrDyO features a spin liquid ground state.
Large longitudinal fields affect weakly the muon spin depolarization, also
suggesting the presence of fast fluctuations. For a longitudinal field of
T, a non-relaxing asymmetry contribution appears below K,
indicating considerable slowing down of the magnetic fluctuations as
field-induced magnetically-ordered phases are approached.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to be published as a proceeding of HFM2016 in
Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS
Absence of correlation between nitrate reductase and symbiotic nitrogen fixation efficiency in rhizobium meliloti
Les activités spécifiques des nitrates réductases assimilatoires et "régulatoires" ont été étudiées chez 41 souches de Rhizobium meliloti ayant des activités différentes de fixation symbiotique d’azote. Les deux nitrates réductases ont été retrouvées chez les souches très efficaces ainsi que chez les souches inefficaces et aucune corrélation significative n’a été trouvée entre les activités spécifiques et le rendement de la matière sèche de la luzerne obtenu avec les 41 souches à l’essai. La détermination des activités spécifiques de ces deux nitrates réductases chez les bactéries végétatives ne peut donc pas être utilisée comme un test physiologique rapide pour la sélection de souches très efficaces de R. meliloti.Specific activities of the assimilatory and "regulatory" types of nitrate reductase
were studied in 41 strains of Rhizobium m,eliloti naving ditierent symbiotic nitrogen
fixation activities. Both nitrate reductase enzymes were present in very effective ind
ineffective strains and no significant correlation was iound between the specific
activities of the two enzymes and the dry matter yields of alfalfa obtained with the 41
strains. Measurements of the specific activities of the two nitrate reductase enzymes in
the vegetative bacteria cannot be used as a rapid physiological test for the seiection of
very effective strains of R. meliloti
Evolution of shell structure in neutron-rich calcium isotopes
We employ interactions from chiral effective field theory and compute the
binding energies and low-lying excitations of calcium isotopes with the
coupled-cluster method. Effects of three-nucleon forces are included
phenomenologically as in-medium two-nucleon interactions, and the coupling to
the particle continuum is taken into account using a Berggren basis. The
computed ground-state energies and the low-lying 2+ states for the isotopes
42,48,50,52Ca are in good agreement with data, and we predict the excitation
energy of the first 2+ state in 54Ca at 1.9 MeV, displaying only a weak
sub-shell closure. In the odd-mass nuclei 53,55,61Ca we find that the positive
parity states deviate strongly from the naive shell model.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures; small correction of effective 3NF and slight
change of the corresponding parameters; updated figures and tables; main
results and conclusions unchange
Fermi-surface topology of the iron pnictide LaFeP
We report on a comprehensive de Haas--van Alphen (dHvA) study of the iron
pnictide LaFeP. Our extensive density-functional band-structure
calculations can well explain the measured angular-dependent dHvA frequencies.
As salient feature, we observe only one quasi-two-dimensional Fermi-surface
sheet, i.e., a hole-like Fermi-surface cylinder around , essential for
pairing, is missing. In spite of considerable mass enhancements due to
many-body effects, LaFeP shows no superconductivity. This is likely
caused by the absence of any nesting between electron and hole bands.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Fracture Propagation Driven by Fluid Outflow from a Low-permeability Aquifer
Deep saline aquifers are promising geological reservoirs for CO2
sequestration if they do not leak. The absence of leakage is provided by the
caprock integrity. However, CO2 injection operations may change the
geomechanical stresses and cause fracturing of the caprock. We present a model
for the propagation of a fracture in the caprock driven by the outflow of fluid
from a low-permeability aquifer. We show that to describe the fracture
propagation, it is necessary to solve the pressure diffusion problem in the
aquifer. We solve the problem numerically for the two-dimensional domain and
show that, after a relatively short time, the solution is close to that of
one-dimensional problem, which can be solved analytically. We use the relations
derived in the hydraulic fracture literature to relate the the width of the
fracture to its length and the flux into it, which allows us to obtain an
analytical expression for the fracture length as a function of time. Using
these results we predict the propagation of a hypothetical fracture at the In
Salah CO2 injection site to be as fast as a typical hydraulic fracture. We also
show that the hydrostatic and geostatic effects cause the increase of the
driving force for the fracture propagation and, therefore, our solution serves
as an estimate from below. Numerical estimates show that if a fracture appears,
it is likely that it will become a pathway for CO2 leakage.Comment: 21 page
Structures of a deAMPylation complex rationalise the switch between antagonistic catalytic activities of FICD.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Hsp70 chaperone BiP is regulated by AMPylation, a reversible inactivating post-translational modification. Both BiP AMPylation and deAMPylation are catalysed by a single ER-localised enzyme, FICD. Here we present crystallographic and solution structures of a deAMPylation Michaelis complex formed between mammalian AMPylated BiP and FICD. The latter, via its tetratricopeptide repeat domain, binds a surface that is specific to ATP-state Hsp70 chaperones, explaining the exquisite selectivity of FICD for BiP's ATP-bound conformation both when AMPylating and deAMPylating Thr518. The eukaryotic deAMPylation mechanism thus revealed, rationalises the role of the conserved Fic domain Glu234 as a gatekeeper residue that both inhibits AMPylation and facilitates hydrolytic deAMPylation catalysed by dimeric FICD. These findings point to a monomerisation-induced increase in Glu234 flexibility as the basis of an oligomeric state-dependent switch between FICD's antagonistic activities, despite a similar mode of engagement of its two substrates - unmodified and AMPylated BiP
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