237 research outputs found
Room temperature spin filtering in epitaxial cobalt-ferrite tunnel barriers
We report direct experimental evidence of room temperature spin filtering in
magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) containing CoFe2O4 tunnel barriers via
tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) measurements.
Pt(111)/CoFe2O4(111)/gamma-Al2O3(111)/Co(0001) fully epitaxial MTJs were grown
in order to obtain a high quality system, capable of functioning at room
temperature. Spin polarized transport measurements reveal significant TMR
values of -18% at 2 K and -3% at 290 K. In addition, the TMR ratio follows a
unique bias voltage dependence that has been theoretically predicted to be the
signature of spin filtering in MTJs containing magnetic barriers. CoFe2O4
tunnel barriers therefore provide a model system to investigate spin filtering
in a wide range of temperatures.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Reprodução assexuada de carobinha em função do tipo de estaca e uso de fito-hormônio.
O objetivo desta pesquisa foi verificar o surgimento de folhas e/ou raÃzes em função do tipo de estaca e solução de fito-hormônio na planta medicinal carobinha (Jacaranda decurrens). O experimento teve 4 tratamentos e 8 repetições totalizando 32 parcelas
Overexpression of Osmyb4 enhances compatible solute accumulation and increases stress tolerance of arabidopsis thaliana
In this paper, we report the metabolic and molecular changes in response to cold and drought induced in Osmyb4 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana compared with the wildtype (WT). The rice Osmyb4 gene codes for a transcription factor (Myb4) induced by cold treatment and, in Arabidopsis transgenic plants, improves cold and freezing tolerance [Vannini C, Locatelli F, Bracale M, Magnani E, Marsoni M, Osnato M, Mattana M, Baldoni E, Coraggio I (2004) Plant J 37: 115-127]. Here, we report the ability of Myb4 to induce also drought tolerance in Arabidopsis transgenic plants. By the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and enzymatic assays, we showed that several compatible solutes (glucose, fructose, sucrose, proline, glycine betaine and sinapoyl malate) accumulate in higher amount in Osmyb4-overexpressing plants with respect to the WT, both under normal and stress conditions. Considering proline, we also found that in transgenic plants the levels of the mRNAs coding for \u3941- pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase (EC not assigned) and for \u3941- pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (EC 1.5.1.12) were higher and lower, respectively. The constitutive activation of several stress-inducible pathways and different kinetics in the accumulation of several metabolites, in Myb4 transgenic plants, may represent an advantage to prepare plants to face the stress condition. Moreover, these results taken together suggest that Myb4 integrates the activation of multiple components of stress response
Exchange bias in GeMn nanocolumns: the role of surface oxidation
We report on the exchange biasing of self-assembled ferromagnetic GeMn
nanocolumns by GeMn-oxide caps. The x-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of
this surface oxide shows a multiplet fine structure that is typical of the Mn2+
valence state in MnO. A magnetization hysteresis shift |HE|~100 Oe and a
coercivity enhancement of about 70 Oe have been obtained upon cooling (300-5 K)
in a magnetic field as low as 0.25 T. This exchange bias is attributed to the
interface coupling between the ferromagnetic nanocolumns and the
antiferromagnetic MnO-like caps. The effect enhancement is achieved by
depositing a MnO layer on the GeMn nanocolumns.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
The COSPIX mission: focusing on the energetic and obscured Universe
Tracing the formation and evolution of all supermassive black holes,
including the obscured ones, understanding how black holes influence their
surroundings and how matter behaves under extreme conditions, are recognized as
key science objectives to be addressed by the next generation of instruments.
These are the main goals of the COSPIX proposal, made to ESA in December 2010
in the context of its call for selection of the M3 mission. In addition,
COSPIX, will also provide key measurements on the non thermal Universe,
particularly in relation to the question of the acceleration of particles, as
well as on many other fundamental questions as for example the energetic
particle content of clusters of galaxies. COSPIX is proposed as an observatory
operating from 0.3 to more than 100 keV. The payload features a single long
focal length focusing telescope offering an effective area close to ten times
larger than any scheduled focusing mission at 30 keV, an angular resolution
better than 20 arcseconds in hard X-rays, and polarimetric capabilities within
the same focal plane instrumentation. In this paper, we describe the science
objectives of the mission, its baseline design, and its performances, as
proposed to ESA.Comment: 7 pages, accepted for publication in Proceedings of Science, for the
25th Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics (eds. F. Rieger & C.
van Eldik), PoS(Texas 2010)25
The Northern Cross Fast Radio Burst project: III. The FRB-magnetar connection in a sample of nearby galaxies
Context. Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond radio transients observed at cosmological distances. The nature of their progenitors is still a matter of debate, although magnetars are invoked by most models. The proposed FRB-magnetar connection was strengthened by the discovery of an FRB-like event from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154.
Aims: In this work we aim to investigate how prevalent magnetars such as SGR J1935+2154 are within FRB progenitors.
Methods: To this end, we carried out an FRB search in a sample of seven nearby (< 12 Mpc) galaxies with the Northern Cross Radio Telescope for a total of 692 h.
Results: We detected one 1.8 ms burst in the direction of M 101 with a fluence of 58 ± 5 Jy ms. Its dispersion measure of 303 pc cm−3 places it most likely beyond M 101. Considering that no significant detection comes indisputably from the selected galaxies, we place a 38 yr−1 upper limit on the total burst rate (i.e. including the whole sample) at the 95% confidence level. This upper limit constrains the event rate per magnetar to λmag < 0.42 magnetar−1 yr−1 or, if combined with literature observations of a similar sample of nearby galaxies, it yields a joint constraint of λmag < 0.25 magnetar−1 yr−1. We also provide the first constraints on the expected rate of FRBs hypothetically originating from ultra-luminous X-ray (ULX) sources, since some of the galaxies observed during our observational campaign host confirmed ULXs. We obtain < 13 yr−1 per ULX for the total sample of galaxies observed.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that bursts with energies E > 1034 erg from magnetars such as SGR J1935+2154 appear more rarely compared to previous observations and further disfavour them as unique progenitors for the cosmological FRB population. This provides support to the idea that there is a greater contribution from a population of more exotic magnetars not born via core-collapsed supernovae
Long-term spectral and timing properties of the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1833-0832 and detection of extended X-ray emission around the radio pulsar PSR B1830-08
SGR 1833-0832 was discovered on 2010 March 19 thanks to the Swift detection
of a short hard X-ray burst and follow-up X-ray observations. Since then, it
was repeatedly observed with Swift, Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, and
XMM-Newton. Using these data, which span about 225 days, we studied the
long-term spectral and timing characteristics of SGR 1833-0832. We found
evidence for diffuse emission surrounding SGR 1833-0832, which is most likely a
halo produced by the scattering of the point source X-ray radiation by dust
along the line of sight, and we show that the source X-ray spectrum is well
described by an absorbed blackbody, with temperature kT=1.2 keV and absorbing
column nH=(10.4+/-0.2)E22 cm^-2, while different or more complex models are
disfavoured. The source persistent X-ray emission remained fairly constant at
about 3.7E-12 erg/cm^2/s for the first 20 days after the onset of the bursting
episode, then it faded by a factor 40 in the subsequent 140 days, following a
power-law trend with index alpha=-0.5. We obtained a phase-coherent timing
solution with the longest baseline (225 days) to date for this source which,
besides period P=7.5654084(4) s and period derivative dP/dt=3.5(3)E-12 s/s,
includes higher order period derivatives. We also report on our search of the
counterpart to the SGR at radio frequencies using the Australia Telescope
Compact Array and the Parkes radio telescope. No evidence for radio emission
was found, down to flux densities of 0.9 mJy (at 1.5 GHz) and 0.09 mJy (at 1.4
GHz) for the continuum and pulsed emissions, respectively, consistently with
other observations at different epochs.Comment: 12 pages, 7 colour figures and 3 tables, accepted for publication in
MNRAS. Figure 6 in reduced quality and abstract abridged for astro-ph
submissio
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