An ab-initio study of the electron-phonon coupling within a Cr(001)-surface

It is experimentally well established that the Cr(001)-surface exhibits a sharp resonance around the Fermi level. However, there is no consensus about its physical origin. It is proposed to be either due to a single particle dz2 surface state renormalised by electron-phonon coupling or the orbital Kondo effect involving the degenerate dxz/dyz states. In this work we examine the electron-phonon coupling of the Cr(001)-surface by means of ab-initio calculations in the form of density functional perturbation theory. More precisely, the electron-phonon mass-enhancement factor of the surface layer is investigated for the 3d states. For the majority and minority spin dz2 surface states we find values of 0.19 and 0.16. We show that these calculated electron-phonon mass-enhancement factors are not in agreement with the experimental data even if we use realistic values for the temperature range and surface Debye frequency for the fit of the experimental data. More precisely, then experimentally an electron-phonon mass-enhancement factor of 0.70~0.10 is obtained, which is not in agreement with our calculated values of 0.19 and 0.16. Therefore, we conclude that the experimentally observed resonance at the Cr(001)-surface is not due to polaronic effects, but due to electron-electron correlation effects

Nonlinear acoustic waves in channels with variable cross sections

The point symmetry group is studied for the generalized Webster-type equation describing non-linear acoustic waves in lossy channels with variable cross sections. It is shown that, for certain types of cross section profiles, the admitted symmetry group is extended and the invariant solutions corresponding to these profiles are obtained. Approximate analytic solutions to the generalized Webster equation are derived for channels with smoothly varying cross sections and arbitrary initial conditions.Comment: Revtex4, 10 pages, 2 figure. This is an enlarged contribution to Acoustical Physics, 2012, v.58, No.3, p.269-276 with modest stylistic corrections introduced mainly in the Introduction and References. Several typos were also correcte

Development of the A/H6N1 influenza vaccine candidate based on A/Leningrad/134/17/57 (H2N2) master donor virus and the genome composition analysis using high resolution melting (HRM)

The avian influenza viruses of H6N1subtype present a potential danger for humans. The cold-adapted (ca) reassortant influenza virus А/17/herring gull/Sarma/2006/887 (H6N1) was obtained in chicken embryos by the genetic reassortment based on the coldadapted A/Leningrad/134/17/57 (H2N2) master strain. The genome composition of the obtained reassortant was analyzed by means of real-time PCR with the high resolution melting (HRM) analysis using the intercalating fluorescent dye EvaGreen. Analysis of the gene segments showed that the reassortant А/17/herring gull/Sarma/2006/887 (H6N1) contains the internal proteins coding genes (PB2, PB1, PA, NP, M, and NS) of the master donor virus and the surface antigens coding genes of the A/herring gull/Sarma/51c/2006 (H6N1) avian influenza virus. The study of the phenotypic properties showed that the virus А/17/herring gull/Sarma/2006/887 (H6N1) is temperature sensitive (ts), ca in chicken embryos, and attenuated in mice when administered intranasally. This reassortant can be recommended as a live influenza vaccine candidate for humans.The avian influenza viruses of H6N1subtype present a potential danger for humans. The cold-adapted (ca) reassortant influenza virus А/17/herring gull/Sarma/2006/887 (H6N1) was obtained in chicken embryos by the genetic reassortment based on the coldadapted A/Leningrad/134/17/57 (H2N2) master strain. The genome composition of the obtained reassortant was analyzed by means of real-time PCR with the high resolution melting (HRM) analysis using the intercalating fluorescent dye EvaGreen. Analysis of the gene segments showed that the reassortant А/17/herring gull/Sarma/2006/887 (H6N1) contains the internal proteins coding genes (PB2, PB1, PA, NP, M, and NS) of the master donor virus and the surface antigens coding genes of the A/herring gull/Sarma/51c/2006 (H6N1) avian influenza virus. The study of the phenotypic properties showed that the virus А/17/herring gull/Sarma/2006/887 (H6N1) is temperature sensitive (ts), ca in chicken embryos, and attenuated in mice when administered intranasally. This reassortant can be recommended as a live influenza vaccine candidate for humans

Strong-field approximation for Coulomb explosion of H_2^+ by short intense laser pulses

We present a simple quantum mechanical model to describe Coulomb explosion of H$_2^+$ by short, intense, infrared laser pulses. The model is based on the length gauge version of the molecular strong-field approximation and is valid for pulses shorter than 50 fs where the process of dissociation prior to ionization is negligible. The results are compared with recent experimental results for the proton energy spectrum [I. Ben-Itzhak et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 073002 (2005), B. D. Esry et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 013003 (2006)]. The predictions of the model reproduce the profile of the spectrum although the peak energy is slightly lower than the observations. For comparison, we also present results obtained by two different tunneling models for this process.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Atmospheric Gravity Perturbations Measured by Ground-Based Interferometer with Suspended Mirrors

A possibility of geophysical measurements using the large scale laser interferometrical gravitational wave antenna is discussed. An interferometer with suspended mirrors can be used as a gradiometer measuring variations of an angle between gravity force vectors acting on the spatially separated suspensions. We analyze restrictions imposed by the atmospheric noises on feasibility of such measurements. Two models of the atmosphere are invoked: a quiet atmosphere with a hydrostatic coupling of pressure and density and a dynamic model of moving region of the density anomaly (cyclone). Both models lead to similar conclusions up to numerical factors. Besides the hydrostatic approximation, we use a model of turbulent atmosphere with the pressure fluctuation spectrum f^{-7/3} to explore the Newtonian noise in a higher frequency domain (up to 10 Hz) predicting the gravitational noise background for modern gravitational wave detectors. Our estimates show that this could pose a serious problem for realization of such projects. Finally, angular fluctuations of spatially separated pendula are investigated via computer simulation for some realistic atmospheric data giving the level estimate 10^{-11} rad/sqrt(Hz) at frequency 10^{-4} Hz. This looks promising for the possibility of the measurement of weak gravity effects such as Earth inner core oscillations.Comment: 13 pages, 4 pigures, LaTeX. To be published in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Geophysical studies with laser-beam detectors of gravitational waves

The existing high technology laser-beam detectors of gravitational waves may find very useful applications in an unexpected area - geophysics. To make possible the detection of weak gravitational waves in the region of high frequencies of astrophysical interest, ~ 30 - 10^3 Hz, control systems of laser interferometers must permanently monitor, record and compensate much larger external interventions that take place in the region of low frequencies of geophysical interest, ~ 10^{-5} - 3 X 10^{-3} Hz. Such phenomena as tidal perturbations of land and gravity, normal mode oscillations of Earth, oscillations of the inner core of Earth, etc. will inevitably affect the performance of the interferometers and, therefore, the information about them will be stored in the data of control systems. We specifically identify the low-frequency information contained in distances between the interferometer mirrors (deformation of Earth) and angles between the mirrors' suspensions (deviations of local gravity vectors and plumb lines). We show that the access to the angular information may require some modest amendments to the optical scheme of the interferometers, and we suggest the ways of doing that. The detailed evaluation of environmental and instrumental noises indicates that they will not prevent, even if only marginally, the detection of interesting geophysical phenomena. Gravitational-wave instruments seem to be capable of reaching, as a by-product of their continuous operation, very ambitious geophysical goals, such as observation of the Earth's inner core oscillations.Comment: 29 pages including 8 figures, modifications and clarifications in response to referees' comments, to be published in Class. Quant. Gra