2,268 research outputs found
Low-Prandtl-number B\'enard-Marangoni convection in a vertical magnetic field
The effect of a homogeneous magnetic field on surface-tension-driven
B\'{e}nard convection is studied by means of direct numerical simulations. The
flow is computed in a rectangular domain with periodic horizontal boundary
conditions and the free-slip condition on the bottom wall using a
pseudospectral Fourier-Chebyshev discretization. Deformations of the free
surface are neglected. Two- and three-dimensional flows are computed for either
vanishing or small Prandtl number, which are typical of liquid metals. The main
focus of the paper is on a qualitative comparison of the flow states with the
non-magnetic case, and on the effects associated with the possible
near-cancellation of the nonlinear and pressure terms in the momentum equations
for two-dimensional rolls. In the three-dimensional case, the transition from a
stationary hexagonal pattern at the onset of convection to three-dimensional
time-dependent convection is explored by a series of simulations at zero
Prandtl number.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figure
An Experimental Introductory Course for Prospective Secondary Science Teachers
Described is a first course in education at the University of Minnesota for prospective science teachers which combines educational psychology, science content and micro-leaching experiences. The methods used and logistical problems related to such a course also are described. Students in the course kept daily logs of their reactions lo curricular materials, teaching techniques, and the micro-teaching experience to provide positive feedback to the instructors. In an examination covering the psychology aspects, all students in the combined course scored above the median for students from other sections. This experimental course has been adopted as the pattern for all science education majors
Multi-Satellite Observations of Cygnus X-1 to Study the Focused Wind and Absorption Dips
High-mass X-ray binary systems are powered by the stellar wind of their donor
stars. The X-ray state of Cygnus X-1 is correlated with the properties of the
wind which defines the environment of mass accretion. Chandra-HETGS
observations close to orbital phase 0 allow for an analysis of the photoionzed
stellar wind at high resolution, but because of the strong variability due to
soft X-ray absorption dips, simultaneous multi-satellite observations are
required to track and understand the continuum, too. Besides an earlier joint
Chandra and RXTE observation, we present first results from a recent campaign
which represents the best broad-band spectrum of Cyg X-1 ever achieved: On 2008
April 18/19 we observed this source with XMM-Newton, Chandra, Suzaku, RXTE,
INTEGRAL, Swift, and AGILE in X- and gamma-rays, as well as with VLA in the
radio. After superior conjunction of the black hole, we detect soft X-ray
absorption dips likely due to clumps in the focused wind covering >95 % of the
X-ray source, with column densities likely to be of several 10^23 cm^-2, which
also affect photon energies above 20 keV via Compton scattering.Comment: 10 pages, contributed talk at the 7th Microquasar Workshop, Foca,
Turkey, Sept. 1-5, 200
Role of semicore states in the electronic structure of group-III nitrides: An exact exchange study
The bandstructure of the zinc-blende phase of AlN, GaN, InN is calculated
employing the exact-exchange (EXX) Kohn-Sham density-functional theory and a
pseudopotential plane-wave approach. The cation semicore d electrons are
treated both as valence and as core states. The EXX bandgaps of AlN and GaN
(obtained with the Ga 3d electrons included as core states) are in excellent
agreement with previous EXX results, GW calculations and experiment. Inclusion
of the semicore d electrons as valence states leads to a large reduction in the
EXX bandgaps of GaN and InN. Contrary to common belief, the removal of the
self-interaction, by the EXX approach, does not account for the large
disagreement for the position of the semicore d electrons between the LDA
results and experiment.Comment: 10 pages including 3 figures; related publications can be found at
http://www.fhi-berlin.mpg.de/th/th.htm
Non-Volatile Memory Characteristics of Submicrometre Hall Structures Fabricated in Epitaxial Ferromagnetic MnAl Films on GaAs
Hall-effect structures with submicrometre linewidths (<0.3pm) have been fabricated in ferromagnetic thin films of Mn[sub 0.60]Al[sub 0.40] which are epitaxially grown on a GaAs substrate. The MnAl thin films exhibit a perpendicular remanent magnetisation and an extraordinary Hall effect with square hysteretic behaviour. The presence of two distinct stable readout states demonstrates the potential of using ultrasmall ferromagnetic volumes for electrically addressable, nonvolatile storage of digital information
Andreev reflection at high magnetic fields: Evidence for electron and hole transport in edge states
We have studied magnetotransport in arrays of niobium filled grooves in an
InAs/AlGaSb heterostructure. The critical field of up to 2.6 T permits to enter
the quantum Hall regime. In the superconducting state, we observe strong
magnetoresistance oscillations, whose amplitude exceeds the Shubnikov-de Haas
oscillations by a factor of about two, when normalized to the background.
Additionally, we find that above a geometry-dependent magnetic field value the
sample in the superconducting state has a higher longitudinal resistance than
in the normal state. Both observations can be explained with edge channels
populated with electrons and Andreev reflected holes.Comment: accepted for Phys Rev Lett, some changes to tex
Commensurability effects in Andreev antidot billiards
An Andreev billiard was realized in an array of niobium filled antidots in a
high-mobility InAs/AlGaSb heterostructure. Below the critical temperature T_C
of the Nb dots we observe a strong reduction of the resistance around B=0 and a
suppression of the commensurability peaks, which are usually found in antidot
lattices. Both effects can be explained in a classical Kubo approach by
considering the trajectories of charge carriers in the semiconductor, when
Andreev reflection at the semiconductor-superconductor interface is included.
For perfect Andreev reflection, we expect a complete suppression of the
commensurability features, even though motion at finite B is chaotic.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
The extraordinary Hall effect in coherent epitaxial tau (Mn,Ni)Al thin films on GaAs
Ultrathin coherent epitaxial films of ferromagnetic tau(Mn,Ni)0.60Al0.40 have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates. X-ray scattering and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy measurements confirm that the c axis of the tetragonal tau unit cell is aligned normal to the (001) GaAs substrate. Measurements of the extraordinary Hall effect (EHE) show that the films are perpendicularly magnetized, exhibiting EHE resistivities saturating in the range of 3.3-7.1 muOMEGA-cm at room temperature. These values of EHE resistivity correspond to signals as large as +7 and -7 mV for the two magnetic states of the film with a measurement current of 1 mA. Switching between the two magnetic states is found to occur at distinct field values that depend on the previously applied maximum field. These observations suggest that the films are magnetically uniform. As such, tau(Mn,Ni)Al films may be an excellent medium for high-density storage of binary information
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