Zero-field Quantum Critical Point in CeCoIn5_5

Quantum criticality in the normal and superconducting state of the heavy-fermion metal CeCoIn$_5$ is studied by measurements of the magnetic Gr\"{u}neisen ratio, $\Gamma_H$, and specific heat in different field orientations and temperatures down to 50 mK. Universal temperature over magnetic field scaling of $\Gamma_H$ in the normal state indicates a hidden quantum critical point at zero field. Within the superconducting state the quasiparticle entropy at constant temperature increases upon reducing the field towards zero, providing additional evidence for zero-field quantum criticality.Comment: submitted to PR

Shape analysis on homogeneous spaces: a generalised SRVT framework

Shape analysis is ubiquitous in problems of pattern and object recognition and has developed considerably in the last decade. The use of shapes is natural in applications where one wants to compare curves independently of their parametrisation. One computationally efficient approach to shape analysis is based on the Square Root Velocity Transform (SRVT). In this paper we propose a generalised SRVT framework for shapes on homogeneous manifolds. The method opens up for a variety of possibilities based on different choices of Lie group action and giving rise to different Riemannian metrics.Comment: 28 pages; 4 figures, 30 subfigures; notes for proceedings of the Abel Symposium 2016: "Computation and Combinatorics in Dynamics, Stochastics and Control". v3: amended the text to improve readability and clarify some points; updated and added some references; added pseudocode for the dynamic programming algorithm used. The main results remain unchange

Spectral estimates of solar radiation intercepted by corn canopies

Reflectance factor data were acquired with a Landsat band radiometer throughout two growing seasons for corn (Zea mays L.) canopies differing in planting dates, populations, and soil types. Agronomic data collected included leaf area index (LAI), biomass, development stage, and final grain yields. The spectral variable, greenness, was associated with 78 percent of the variation in LAI over all treatments. Single observations of LAI or greenness have limited value in predicting corn yields. The proportions of solar radiation intercepted (SRI) by these canopies were estimated using either measured LAI or greenness. Both SRI estimates, when accumulated over the growing season, accounted for approximately 65 percent of the variation in yields. Models which simulated the daily effects of weather and intercepted solar radiation on growth had the highest correlations to grain yields. This concept of estimating intercepted solar radiation using spectral data represents a viable approach for merging spectral and meteorological data for crop yield models

First-principles study of magnetization relaxation enhancement and spin-transfer in thin magnetic films

The interface-induced magnetization damping of thin ferromagnetic films in contact with normal-metal layers is calculated from first principles for clean and disordered Fe/Au and Co/Cu interfaces. Interference effects arising from coherent scattering turn out to be very small, consistent with a very small magnetic coherence length. Because the mixing conductances which govern the spin transfer are to a good approximation real valued, the spin pumping can be described by an increased Gilbert damping factor but an unmodified gyromagnetic ratio. The results also confirm that the spin-current induced magnetization torque is an interface effect.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, RevTeX; modified according to Referees' request

Spin-injection through an Fe/InAs Interface

The spin-dependence of the interface resistance between ferromagnetic Fe and InAs is calculated from first-principles for specular and disordered (001) interfaces. Because of the symmetry mismatch in the minority-spin channel, the specular interface acts as an efficient spin filter with a transmitted current polarisation between 98 an 89%. The resistance of a specular interface in the diffusive regime is comparable to the resistance of a few microns of bulk InAs. Symmetry-breaking arising from interface disorder reduces the spin asymmetry substantially and we conclude that efficient spin injection from Fe into InAs can only be realized using high quality epitaxial interfaces.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Repeated Evolution of Digital Adhesion in Geckos: A Reply to Harrington and Reeder

We published a phylogenetic comparative analysis that found geckos had gained and lost adhesive toepads multiple times over their long evolutionary history (Gamble et al., PLoS One, 7, 2012, e39429). This was consistent with decades of morphological studies showing geckos had evolved adhesive toepads on multiple occasions and that the morphology of geckos with ancestrally padless digits can be distinguished from secondarily padless forms. Recently, Harrington & Reeder (J. Evol. Biol., 30, 2017, 313) reanalysed data from Gamble et al. (PLoS One, 7, 2012, e39429) and found little support for the multiple origins hypothesis. Here, we argue that Harrington and Reeder failed to take morphological evidence into account when devising ancestral state reconstruction models and that these biologically unrealistic models led to erroneous conclusions about the evolution of adhesive toepads in geckos