317 research outputs found
CuPc Adsorption on Au(110)-(1 × 2): From a Monomer to a Periodic Chain
Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we study the adsorption of copper-phthalocyanine (CuPc) on the anisotropic Au(110)-(1 × 2) surface as a function of coverage. For the initial adsorption at room temperature, we observe CuPc monomers as well as a molecular chain that forms along the step edge. By STM manipulation, we reveal that the CuPc adsorption is accompanied by surface reconstruction from the initial adsorption stage; the periodicity beneath the monomer and the chain changes locally from (1 × 2) to (1 × 1) and (1 × 3), respectively. This finding highlights that the Au atom mobility of the surface plays an essential role in CuPc adsorption. At higher coverage, we observe the development of CuPc chains along the [110] direction on the terrace with periodicities of (7 × 5) and (5 × 5), and compare the obtained results with those from the previous studies by diffraction methods
Frustrated minority spins in GeNi2O4
Recently, two consecutive phase transitions were observed, upon cooling, in
an antiferromagnetic spinel GeNiO at K and
K, respectively \cite{matsuno, crawford}. Using unpolarized and polarized
elastic neutron scattering we show that the two transitions are due to the
existence of frustrated minority spins in this compound. Upon cooling, at
the spins on the \kagome planes order ferromagnetically in the
plane and antiferromagnetically between the planes (phase I), leaving the spins
on the triangular planes that separate the \kagome planes frustrated
and disordered. At the lower , the triangular spins also order in the
plane (phase II). We also present a scenario involving exchange
interactions that qualitatively explains the origin of the two purely magnetic
phase transitions
An Expanding Shell of Neutral Hydrogen Associated with SN 1006: Hints for the Single-Degenerate Origin and Faint Hadronic Gamma-Rays
We report new HI observations of the Type Ia supernova remnant SN 1006 using
the Australia Telescope Compact Array with an angular resolution of (2 pc at the assumed SNR distance of 2.2 kpc). We find an
expanding gas motion in position-velocity diagrams of HI with an expansion
velocity of 4 km s and a mass of 1000 . The spatial
extent of the expanding shell is roughly the same as that of SN 1006. We here
propose a hypothesis that SN 1006 exploded inside the wind-blown bubble formed
by accretion winds from the progenitor system consisting of a white dwarf and a
companion star, and then the forward shock has already reached the wind wall.
This scenario is consistent with the single-degenerate model. We also derived
the total energy of cosmic-ray protons to be only 1.2- erg by adopting the averaged interstellar proton density of
25 cm. The small value is compatible with the relation between the
age and of other gamma-ray supernova remnants with ages below
6 kyr. The value in SN 1006 will possibly increase up to
several 10 erg in the next 5 kyr via the cosmic-ray diffusion into
the HI wind-shell.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in The
Astrophysical Journal (ApJ
Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Febr2
Electronic and magnetic (e-m) properties of FeBr2 have been surprisingly well
described as originating from the Fe2+ ions and their fine electronic
structure. The fine electronic structure have been evaluated taking into
account the spin-orbit (s-o) coupling, crystal-field and inter-site
spin-dependent interactions. The required magnetic doublet ground state with an
excited singlet at D=2.8 meV results from the trigonal distortion. This effect
of the trigonal distortion and a large magnetic moment of iron, of 4.4 mB, can
be theoretically derived provided the s-o coupling is correctly taking into
account. The obtained good agreement with experimental data indicates on
extremaly strong correlations of the six 3d electrons in the Fe2+ ion yielding
their full localization and the insulating state. These calculations show that
for the meaningful analysis of e-m properties of FeBr2 the spin-orbit coupling
is essentially important and that the orbital moment (0.74 mB) is largely
unquenched (by the off-cubic trigonal distortion in the presence of the
spin-orbit coupling).Comment: 11 pages in RevTex, 5 figure
Role of BMP, FGF, Calcium Signaling, and Zic Proteins in Vertebrate Neuroectodermal Differentiation
More than a decade has passed since Zic family zinc finger proteins were discovered to be transcription factors controlling neuroectodermal differentiation (neural induction) in Xenopus laevis embryos. Although BMP-signal blocking has been shown to be a major upregulator of Zic genes in neuroectodermal differentiation, recent studies have revealed that FGF signaling and intracellular calcium elevation are also involved in regulating the expression of Zic genes. Different regulatory mechanisms have been found for the Zic1 and Zic3 genes, raising the possibility that functional synergism between them partly accounts for the integration of BMP-signal blocking and FGF signaling in neuroectodermal differentiation. Furthermore, mammalian Zic1 and Zic3 have been found to be neural-cell-fate-inducing and pluripotency-maintaining factors, respectively, leading us to the intriguing question of whether the mechanism underlying amphibian neuroectodermal differentiation is applicable to mammals. Comprehensive understanding of the Zic family genes is therefore essential for the study of the neuroectodermal differentiation and stem cell biology
Aging, rejuvenation and memory effects in Ising and Heisenberg spin glasses
We have compared aging phenomena in the Fe_{0.5}Mn_{0.5}TiO_3 Ising spin
glass and in the CdCr_{1.7}In_{0.3}S_4 Heisenberg-like spin glass by means of
low-frequency ac susceptibility measurements. At constant temperature, aging
obeys the same ` scaling' in both samples as in other systems.
Investigating the effect of temperature variations, we find that the Ising
sample exhibits rejuvenation and memory effects which are qualitatively similar
to those found in other spin glasses, indicating that the existence of these
phenomena does not depend on the dimensionality of the spins. However,
systematic temperature cycling experiments on both samples show important
quantitative differences. In the Ising sample, the contribution of aging at low
temperature to aging at a slightly higher temperature is much larger than
expected from thermal slowing down. This is at variance with the behaviour
observed until now in other spin glasses, which show the opposite trend of a
free-energy barrier growth as the temperature is decreased. We discuss these
results in terms of a strongly renormalized microscopic attempt time for
thermal activation, and estimate the corresponding values of the barrier
exponent introduced in the scaling theories.Comment: 8 pages, including 6 figure
The Nature of Ultra-Luminous Compact X-Ray Sources in Nearby Spiral Galaxies
Studies were made of ASCA spectra of seven ultra-luminous compact X-ray
sources (ULXs) in nearby spiral galaxies; M33 X-8 (Takano et al. 1994), M81 X-6
(Fabbiano 1988b; Kohmura et al. 1994; Uno 1997), IC 342 Source 1 (Okada et al.
1998), Dwingeloo 1 X-1 (Reynolds et al. 1997), NGC 1313 Source B (Fabbiano &
Trinchieri 1987; Petre et al. 1994), and two sources in NGC 4565 (Mizuno et al.
1999). With the 0.5--10 keV luminosities in the range 10^{39-40} ergs/s, they
are thought to represent a class of enigmatic X-ray sources often found in
spiral galaxies. For some of them, the ASCA data are newly processed, or the
published spectra are reanalyzed. For others, the published results are quoted.
The ASCA spectra of all these seven sources have been described successfully
with so called multi-color disk blackbody (MCD) emission arising from
optically-thick standard accretion disks around black holes. Except the case of
M33 X-8, the spectra do not exhibit hard tails. For the source luminosities not
to exceed the Eddington limits, the black holes are inferred to have rather
high masses, up to ~100 solar masses. However, the observed innermost disk
temperatures of these objects, Tin = 1.1--1.8 keV, are too high to be
compatible with the required high black-hole masses, as long as the standard
accretion disks around Schwarzschild black holes are assumed. Similarly high
disk temperatures are also observed from two Galactic transients with
superluminal motions, GRO 1655-40 and GRS 1915+105. The issue of unusually high
disk temperature may be explained by the black hole rotation, which makes the
disk get closer to the black hole, and hence hotter.Comment: submitted to ApJ, December 199
ENHANCED GROWTH OF THE RED ALGA PORPHYRA-YEZOENSIS UEDA IN HIGH CO2 CONCENTRATIONS
Leafy thalli of the red alga Porphyra yezoensis Ueda, initiated from conchospores released from free-living conchocelis, were cultured using aeration with high CO2. It was found that the higher the CO2 concentration, the faster the growth of the thalli. Aeration with elevated CO2 lowered pH in dark, but raised pH remarkably in light with the thalli, because the photosynthetic conversion of HCO3- to OH- and CO2 proceeded much faster than the dissociation of hydrated CO2 releasing H+. Photosynthesis of the alga was found to be enhanced in the seawater of elevated dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, CO2 + HC O3- + CO3-). It is concluded that the increased pH in the light resulted in the increase of DIC in the culture media, thus enhancing photosynthesis and growth. The relevance of the results to removal of atmospheric CO2 by marine algae is discussed
CALCIFICATION IN THE ARTICULATED CORALLINE ALGA CORALLINA-PILULIFERA, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE EFFECT OF ELEVATED CO2 CONCENTRATION
Calcification in Corallina pilulifera Postels et Ruprecht displayed diurnal variations in aerated (350 ppm CO2) culture media, with faster rates during the light than during the dark period. Addition of CO2 (air + 1250 ppm) inhibited calcification. This was attributable to the decreased pH resulting from CO2 addition. Both photosynthesis and calcification were enhanced in seawater, with elevated dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations at a constant pH of 8.2
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