Engineering magnetic domain-wall structure in permalloy nanowires

Using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy we investigate the behavior of domain walls pinned at non-topographic defects in Cr(3 nm)/Permalloy(10 nm)/Cr(5 nm) nanowires of width 500 nm. The pinning sites consist of linear defects where magnetic properties are modified by a Ga ion probe with diameter ~ 10 nm using a focused ion beam microscope. We study the detailed change of the modified region (which is on the scale of the focused ion spot) using electron energy loss spectroscopy and differential phase contrast imaging on an aberration (Cs) corrected scanning transmission electron microscope. The signal variation observed indicates that the region modified by the irradiation corresponds to ~ 40-50 nm despite the ion probe size of only 10 nm. Employing the Fresnel mode of Lorentz transmission electron microscopy, we show that it is possible to control the domain wall structure and its depinning strength not only via the irradiation dose but also the line orientation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Applie

CAFE: Calar Alto Fiber-fed Echelle spectrograph

We present here CAFE, the Calar Alto Fiber-fed Echelle spectrograph, a new instrument built at the Centro Astronomico Hispano Alem\'an (CAHA). CAFE is a single fiber, high-resolution ($R\sim$70000) spectrograph, covering the wavelength range between 3650-9800\AA. It was built on the basis of the common design for Echelle spectrographs. Its main aim is to measure radial velocities of stellar objects up to $V\sim$13-14 mag with a precision as good as a few tens of $m s^{-1}$. To achieve this goal the design was simplified at maximum, removing all possible movable components, the central wavelength is fixed, so the wavelentgth coverage; no filter wheel, one slit and so on, with a particular care taken in the thermal and mechanical stability. The instrument is fully operational and publically accessible at the 2.2m telescope of the Calar Alto Observatory. In this article we describe (i) the design, summarizing its manufacturing phase; (ii) characterize the main properties of the instrument; (iii) describe the reduction pipeline; and (iv) show the results from the first light and commissioning runs. The preliminar results indicate that the instrument fulfill the specifications and it can achieve the foreseen goals. In particular, they show that the instrument is more efficient than anticipated, reaching a $S/N\sim$20 for a stellar object as faint as $V\sim$14.5 mag in $\sim$2700s integration time. The instrument is a wonderful machine for exoplanetary research (by studying large samples of possible systems cotaining massive planets), galactic dynamics (high precise radial velocities in moving groups or stellar associations) or astrochemistry.Comment: 12 pages, 23 figures; Acepted for publishing in A&A, 201

Inhomogenized sudden future singularities

We find that sudden future singularities may also appear in spatially inhomogeneous Stephani models of the universe. They are temporal pressure singularities and may appear independently of the spatial finite density singularities already known to exist in these models. It is shown that the main advantage of the homogeneous sudden future singularities which is the fulfillment of the strong and weak energy conditions may not be the case for inhomogeneous models.Comment: REVTEX 4, 5 pages, no figures, a discussion of the most general case include

On the 2-point function of the O(N) model

The self-energy of the critical 3-dimensional O(N) model is calculated. The analysis is performed in the context of the Non-Perturbative Renormalization Group, by exploiting an approximation which takes into account contributions of an infinite number of vertices. A very simple calculation yields the 2-point function in the whole range of momenta, from the UV Gaussian regime to the scaling one. Results are in good agreement with best estimates in the literature for any value of N in all momenta regimes. This encourages the use of this simple approximation procedure to calculate correlation functions at finite momenta in other physical situations

Performance analysis of energy detection over hyper-Rayleigh fading channels

This study investigates the performance of energy detection (ED)-based spectrum sensing over two-wave with diffused power (TWDP) fading channels, which have been found to provide accurate characterisation for a variety of fading conditions. A closed-form expression for the average detection probability of ED-based spectrum sensing over TWDP fading channels is derived. This expression is then used to describe the behaviour of ED-based spectrum sensing for a variety of channels that include Rayleigh, Rician and hyper-Rayleigh fading models. Such fading scenarios present a reliable behavioural model of machine-to-machine wireless nodes operating in confined structures such as in-vehicular environments