Spin-wave spectrum of copper metaborate in the commensurate phase 10K<T<21K

We have investigated the spin-wave spectrum of copper metaborate, CuB$_2$O$_4$, by means of inelastic neutron scattering in the commensurate magnetic phase. We have found two branches of spin-wave excitations associated with the two magnetic sublattices Cu(A) and Cu(B), respectively. In the temperature regime $10K \le T \le 21K$, where only the Cu(A) magnetic moments are ordered, the interaction between the two sublattices is found to be negligible. With this approximation we have determined the `easy plane' exchange parameters of the Cu(A) subsystem within standard spin-wave theory.Comment: 4 figure

Genomic donor cassette sharing during VLRA and VLRC assembly in jawless vertebrates

Lampreys possess two T-like lymphocyte lineages that express either variable lymphocyte receptor (VLR) A or VLRC antigen receptors. VLRA+ and VLRC+ lymphocytes share many similarities with the two principal T-cell lineages of jawed vertebrates expressing the αβ and γδ T-cell receptors (TCRs). During the assembly of VLR genes, several types of genomic cassettes are inserted, in step-wise fashion, into incomplete germ-line genes to generate the mature forms of antigen receptor genes. Unexpectedly, the structurally variable components of VLRA and VLRC receptors often possess partially identical sequences; this phenomenon of module sharing between these two VLR isotypes occurs in both lampreys and hagfishes. By contrast, VLRA and VLRC molecules typically do not share their building blocks with the structurally analogous VLRB receptors that are expressed by B-like lymphocytes. Our studies reveal that VLRA and VLRC germ-line genes are situated in close proximity to each other in the lamprey genome and indicate the interspersed arrangement of isotype-specific and shared genomic donor cassettes; these features may facilitate the shared cassette use. The genomic structure of the VLRA/VLRC locus in lampreys is reminiscent of the interspersed nature of the TCRA/TCRD locus in jawed vertebrates that also allows the sharing of some variable gene segments during the recombinatorial assembly of TCR genes

Light spin-1/2 or spin-0 Dark Matter particles

We recall and precise how light spin-0 particles could be acceptable Dark Matter candidates, and extend this analysis to spin-1/2 particles. We evaluate the (rather large) annihilation cross sections required, and show how they may be induced by a new light neutral spin-1 boson U. If this one is vectorially coupled to matter particles, the (spin-1/2 or spin-0) Dark Matter annihilation cross section into e+e- automatically includes a v_dm^2 suppression factor at threshold, as desirable to avoid an excessive production of gamma rays from residual Dark Matter annihilations. We also relate Dark Matter annihilations with production cross sections in e+e- scatterings. Annihilation cross sections of spin-1/2 and spin-0 Dark Matter particles are given by exactly the same expressions. Just as for spin-0, light spin-1/2 Dark Matter particles annihilating into e+e- could be responsible for the bright 511 keV gamma ray line observed by INTEGRAL from the galactic bulge.Comment: 10 page

Vibrations of the Interstitial Oxygen Pairs in Silicon

First-principles methods are used to calculate the structures and local vibrational modes of interstitial oxygen pairs in silicon. The staggered Oi−Si−Oi and skewed Oi−Si−Si−Oi structures are nearly degenerate in energy. The calculated local vibration frequencies and their pure and mixed 18O→16O isotopic shifts agree closely with experiments: the highest frequency is assigned to the skewed and the four lower ones to the staggered structure. This result may clear up the controversy of oxygen dimers in silicon, and also suggests a mechanism for fast oxygen diffusion.Peer reviewe

Kinematics of disk galaxies in (proto-)clusters at z=1.5

We observed star-forming galaxies at z~1.5 selected from the HyperSuprimeCam Subaru Strategic Program. The galaxies are part of two significant overdensities of [OII] emitters identified via narrow-band imaging and photometric redshifts from grizy photometry. We used VLT/KMOS to carry out Halpha integral field spectroscopy of 46 galaxies in total. Ionized gas maps, star formation rates and velocity fields were derived from the Halpha emission line. We quantified morphological and kinematical asymmetries to test for potential gravitational (e.g. galaxy-galaxy) or hydrodynamical (e.g. ram-pressure) interactions. Halpha emission was detected in 36 targets. 34 of the galaxies are members of two (proto-)clusters at z=1.47, confirming our selection strategy to be highly efficient. By fitting model velocity fields to the observed ones, we determined the intrinsic maximum rotation velocity Vmax of 14 galaxies. Utilizing the luminosity-velocity (Tully-Fisher) relation, we find that these galaxies are more luminous than their local counterparts of similar mass by up to ~4 mag in the rest-frame B-band. In contrast to field galaxies at z<1, the offsets of the z~1.5 (proto-)cluster galaxies from the local Tully-Fisher relation are not correlated with their star formation rates but with the ratio between Vmax and gas velocity dispersion sigma_g. This probably reflects that, as is observed in the field at similar redshifts, fewer disks have settled to purely rotational kinematics and high Vmax/sigma_g ratios. Due to relatively low galaxy velocity dispersions (sigma_v < 400 km/s) of the (proto-)clusters, gravitational interactions likely are more efficient, resulting in higher kinematical asymmetries, than in present-day clusters. (abbr.)Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 11 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl

Local vibrations of thermal double donors in silicon

The local vibrational modes (LVM’s) of the oxygen chains assigned to thermal double donors (TDD’s) and other related oxygen defects in silicon are studied using accurate total-energy calculations. We find that the calculated LVM frequencies as well as their isotopic shifts and charge-state dependences (temperature dependences) for the oxygen chains agree closely with the corresponding experimental quantities, which supports our assignments of the O2i−O2r chain to TDD1 and the Oi−Onr−Oi chains to TDDn (n>1) (Oi is an interstitial oxygen and Or a threefold coordinated oxygen belonging to a ring).Peer reviewe

Comparison of oxygen-chain models for late thermal double donors in silicon

The electronic and atomic structures of the oxygen chains assigned to late thermal double donors (TDDs) in silicon are studied using accurate total-energy calculations. We find that the ring-type O-chain model is best suited for TDDs and better than the di-Y-lid-type O-chain model. The ring-type O chains have slightly alternating C2v–C1h symmetry consistent with the recent high-field electron paramagnetic resonance experiments. The spin densities of the double-donor states are located outside the region of the O atoms, which makes the hyperfineinteraction of an unpaired donor electron with the 17Onuclear spins very weak.Peer reviewe

Spin dynamics in copper metaborate CuB2O4CuB_2 O_4 studied by muon spin relaxation

Copper metaborate CuB$_2$O$_{4}$ was studied by muon spin relaxation measurements in order to clarify its static and dynamic magnetic properties. The time spectra of muon spin depolarization suggest that the local fields at the muon site contain both static and fluctuating components in all ordered phases down to 0.3 K. In the weak ferromagnetic phase (20 K~$>T>$~9.3 K), the static component is dominant. On the other hand, upon cooling the fluctuating component becomes dominant in the incommensurate helix phase (9.3K > T > 1.4K). The dynamical fluctuations of the local fields persist down to 0.3K, where a new incommensurate phase (T < 1.4K) is expected to appear. This result suggests that spins fluctuate even at T \to 0. We propose two possible origins of the remnant dynamical spin fluctuations: frustration of the exchange interactions and the dynamic behavior of the soliton lattice

Decays of Ta182 and Ta183

The beta - decays of Ta182 and Ta183 into excited states of W182 and W183 have been studied using a curved crystal gamma-ray diffraction spectrometer and a homogeneous field, ring focusing beta-ray spectrometer. In each case de-excitation of the daughter nucleus gives rise to complex gamma-ray and conversion electron spectra. Energies and relative intensities of gamma rays and conversion lines arising from 27 transitions in W182 and 29 transitions in W183 are presented. Internal conversion coefficients and multipolarities have been deduced for most of the transitions and together with the gamma-ray energies form the basis of decay schemes proposed for both W182 and W183. The two decays are reported together because of the close experimental relationship which existed between them as a consequence of the method used for their production, namely, simultaneous production of Ta182 by single neutron capture and Ta183 by double neutron capture from stable Ta181. A corollary result is the value 1.3 x 10^4 barns for the thermal neutron cross section of Ta182. An interpretation of these results on W182 in terms of collective rotational motion has been given by A. Bohr and collaborators [Kgl. Danske Videnscab. Selskab, Mat.-fys. Medd. 29, No. 9 (1955)]