Eutectic colony formation: A phase field study

Eutectic two-phase cells, also known as eutectic colonies, are commonly observed during the solidification of ternary alloys when the composition is close to a binary eutectic valley. In analogy with the solidification cells formed in dilute binary alloys, colony formation is triggered by a morphological instability of a macroscopically planar eutectic solidification front due to the rejection by both solid phases of a ternary impurity that diffuses in the liquid. Here we develop a phase-field model of a binary eutectic with a dilute ternary impurity and we investigate by dynamical simulations both the initial linear regime of this instability, and the subsequent highly nonlinear evolution of the interface that leads to fully developed two-phase cells with a spacing much larger than the lamellar spacing. We find a good overall agreement with our recent linear stability analysis [M. Plapp and A. Karma, Phys. Rev. E 60, 6865 (1999)], which predicts a destabilization of the front by long-wavelength modes that may be stationary or oscillatory. A fine comparison, however, reveals that the assumption commonly attributed to Cahn that lamella grow perpendicular to the envelope of the solidification front is weakly violated in the phase-field simulations. We show that, even though weak, this violation has an important quantitative effect on the stability properties of the eutectic front. We also investigate the dynamics of fully developed colonies and find that the large-scale envelope of the composite eutectic front does not converge to a steady state, but exhibits cell elimination and tip-splitting events up to the largest times simulated.Comment: 18 pages, 18 EPS figures, RevTeX twocolumn, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Pattern formation in directional solidification under shear flow. I: Linear stability analysis and basic patterns

An asymptotic interface equation for directional solidification near the absolute stabiliy limit is extended by a nonlocal term describing a shear flow parallel to the interface. In the long-wave limit considered, the flow acts destabilizing on a planar interface. Moreover, linear stability analysis suggests that the morphology diagram is modified by the flow near the onset of the Mullins-Sekerka instability. Via numerical analysis, the bifurcation structure of the system is shown to change. Besides the known hexagonal cells, structures consisting of stripes arise. Due to its symmetry-breaking properties, the flow term induces a lateral drift of the whole pattern, once the instability has become active. The drift velocity is measured numerically and described analytically in the framework of a linear analysis. At large flow strength, the linear description breaks down, which is accompanied by a transition to flow-dominated morphologies, described in a companion paper. Small and intermediate flows lead to increased order in the lattice structure of the pattern, facilitating the elimination of defects. Locally oscillating structures appear closer to the instability threshold with flow than without.Comment: 20 pages, Latex, accepted for Physical Review

Search for lepton-flavor-violating τ→ℓV0\tau\to\ell V^0 decays at Belle

We have searched for neutrinoless $\tau$ lepton decays into $\ell$ and $V^0$, where $\ell$ stands for an electron or muon, and $V^0$ for a vector meson ($\phi$, $\omega$, $K^{*0}$, $\bar{K}^{*0}$ or $\rho^0$), using 543 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider. No excess of signal events over the expected background has been observed, and we set upper limits on the branching fractions in the range $(5.9-18) \times 10^{-8}$ at the 90% confidence level. These upper limits include the first results for the $\ell \omega$ mode as well as new limits that are significantly more restrictive than our previous results for the $\ell \phi$, $\ell K^{*0}$, $\ell \bar{K}^{*0}$ and $\ell \rho^0$ modes.Comment: 7 pages, 16 figure

Measurement of the ratio B(D0->pi+pi-pi0)/B(D0->K-pi+pi0) and the time-integrated CP asymmetry in D0->pi+pi-pi0

We report a high-statistics measurement of the relative branching fraction B(D0->pi+pi-pi0)/B(D0->K-pi+pi0) using a 532 fb^{-1} data sample collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. The measured value of the relative branching fraction is B(D0->pi+pi-pi0)/B(D0->K-pi+pi0) = (10.12 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.18(syst))x10^{-2} which has an accuracy comparable to the world average. We also present a measurement of the time-integrated CP asymmetry in D0->pi+pi-pi0 decay. The result, A_{CP} = (0.43 +/- 1.30)%, shows no significant CP violation.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Physics Letters

Albumin binding, antioxidant and antibacterial effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles

Herein, the interaction of CeO2 NPs with HSA was explored by fluorescence, CD, UVevis and molecular docking studies. Afterwards, the antioxidant activity of CeO2 NPs against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in BM-MSCs were explored by MTT, ROS and apoptosis assays. Antibacterial assay was also done on two Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Fluorescence study showed that the interaction of CeO2 NPs with HSA occurs through static quenching and hydrophilic interactions are involved in the spontaneous complex formation. The theoretical study also revealed that the distribution of hydrophilic residues of HSA is dominant in the binding site. CD and UVevis techniques also revealed that the ellipticity changes and Tm of HSA, respectively did not alter significantly in the presence of CeO2 NPs. Cellular assays depicted that CeO2 NPs did not induce cytotoxicity against BM-MSC up to 50 mg/ml for 24 h and pretreatment of cells with CeO2 NPs can reduce the cell mortality, ROS production and apoptosis in BM-MSC exposed to oxidative stress. The antibacterial assay revealed that CeO2 NPs have a significant antibacterial effect against all studied bacterial strains. This study may provide useful details about the biomedical applications of CeO2 NPs

Search for new charmonium states in the processes e+ e- --> J/psi D(*) D(*) at sqrt{s} ~ 10.6 GeV

We present a study of the X(3940) state in the process e+e- -> J/psi D* Dbar. The X(3940) mass and width are measured to be (3942 +7 -6 +- 6)MeV/c^2 and Gamma=(37 + 26 - 15 +- 8 MeV. In the process e+e- -> J/psi D* D*bar we have observed another charmonium-like state, which we denote as X(4160), in the spectrum of invariant masses of D*+ D*- combinations. The X(4160) parameters are M= 4156 + 25 - 20 +- 15 MeV/c^2 and Gamma = 139 + 111 -61 +- 21 MeV. The analysis is based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 693 /fb recorded near the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+ e- asymmetric-energy collider.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures Contribution paper for conferences EPS2007 and Lepton Photon 2007, Belle-Conference-070

Emissions Trends and Drivers (Chapter 2)

Global net anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the last decade (2010–2019) were higher than at any previous time in human history (high confidence). Since 2010, GHG emissions have continued to grow, reaching 59 ± 6.6 GtCO2-eq in 2019,1 but the average annual growth in the last decade (1.3%, 2010–2019) was lower than in the previous decade (2.1%, 2000–2009) (high confidence). Average annual GHG emissions were 56 ± 6.0 GtCO2-eq yr –1 for the decade 2010–2019 growing by about 9.1 GtCO2-eq yr –1 from the previous decade (2000–2009) – the highest decadal average on record (high confidence)

Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV. The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b, leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W' boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe

Measurement of the Lambda(b) cross section and the anti-Lambda(b) to Lambda(b) ratio with Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda decays in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The Lambda(b) differential production cross section and the cross section ratio anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) are measured as functions of transverse momentum pt(Lambda(b)) and rapidity abs(y(Lambda(b))) in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measurements are based on Lambda(b) decays reconstructed in the exclusive final state J/Psi Lambda, with the subsequent decays J/Psi to an opposite-sign muon pair and Lambda to proton pion, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.9 inverse femtobarns. The product of the cross section times the branching ratio for Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda versus pt(Lambda(b)) falls faster than that of b mesons. The measured value of the cross section times the branching ratio for pt(Lambda(b)) > 10 GeV and abs(y(Lambda(b))) < 2.0 is 1.06 +/- 0.06 +/- 0.12 nb, and the integrated cross section ratio for anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) is 1.02 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.09, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters