Vortex Softening: Origin of the second peak effect in Bi2_2Sr2_2CaCu2_2O8+δ_{8+\delta}

Transverse ac permeability measurements in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta }$ single crystals at low fields and temperatures in a vortex configuration free of external forces show that the decrease of the critical current as measured by magnetization loops at the second peak effect is an artifact due to creep. On the other hand, the increase of critical current at the second peak is due to a genuine softening of the tilting elastic properties of vortices in the individual pinning regime that precedes the transition to a disorder state.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, RevTex, two column versio

Negative-energy perturbations in cylindrical equilibria with a radial electric field

The impact of an equilibrium radial electric field $E$ on negative-energy perturbations (NEPs) (which are potentially dangerous because they can lead to either linear or nonlinear explosive instabilities) in cylindrical equilibria of magnetically confined plasmas is investigated within the framework of Maxwell-drift kinetic theory. It turns out that for wave vectors with a non-vanishing component parallel to the magnetic field the conditions for the existence of NEPs in equilibria with E=0 [G. N. Throumoulopoulos and D. Pfirsch, Phys. Rev. E 53, 2767 (1996)] remain valid, while the condition for the existence of perpendicular NEPs, which are found to be the most important perturbations, is modified. For $|e_i\phi|\approx T_i$ ($\phi$ is the electrostatic potential) and $T_i/T_e > \beta_c\approx P/(B^2/8\pi)$ ($P$ is the total plasma pressure), a case which is of operational interest in magnetic confinement systems, the existence of perpendicular NEPs depends on $e_\nu E$, where $e_\nu$ is the charge of the particle species $\nu$. In this case the electric field can reduce the NEPs activity in the edge region of tokamaklike and stellaratorlike equilibria with identical parabolic pressure profiles, the reduction of electron NEPs being more pronounced than that of ion NEPs.Comment: 30 pages, late

Analytical Multi-kinks in smooth potentials

In this work we present an approach which can be systematically used to construct nonlinear systems possessing analytical multi-kink profile configurations. In contrast with previous approaches to the problem, we are able to do it by using field potentials which are considerably smoother than the ones of Doubly Quadratic family of potentials. This is done without losing the capacity of writing exact analytical solutions. The resulting field configurations can be applied to the study of problems from condensed matter to brane world scenarios

Negative-Energy Perturbations in Circularly Cylindrical Equilibria within the Framework of Maxwell-Drift Kinetic Theory

The conditions for the existence of negative-energy perturbations (which could be nonlinearly unstable and cause anomalous transport) are investigated in the framework of linearized collisionless Maxwell-drift kinetic theory for the case of equilibria of magnetically confined, circularly cylindrical plasmas and vanishing initial field perturbations. For wave vectors with a non-vanishing component parallel to the magnetic field, the plane equilibrium conditions (derived by Throumoulopoulos and Pfirsch [Phys Rev. E {\bf 49}, 3290 (1994)]) are shown to remain valid, while the condition for perpendicular perturbations (which are found to be the most important modes) is modified. Consequently, besides the tokamak equilibrium regime in which the existence of negative-energy perturbations is related to the threshold value of 2/3 of the quantity $\eta_\nu = \frac {\partial \ln T_\nu} {\partial \ln N_\nu}$, a new regime appears, not present in plane equilibria, in which negative-energy perturbations exist for {\em any} value of $\eta_\nu$. For various analytic cold-ion tokamak equilibria a substantial fraction of thermal electrons are associated with negative-energy perturbations (active particles). In particular, for linearly stable equilibria of a paramagnetic plasma with flat electron temperature profile ($\eta_e=0$), the entire velocity space is occupied by active electrons. The part of the velocity space occupied by active particles increases from the center to the plasma edge and is larger in a paramagnetic plasma than in a diamagnetic plasma with the same pressure profile. It is also shown that, unlike in plane equilibria, negative-energy perturbations exist in force-free reversed-field pinch equilibria with a substantial fraction of active particles.Comment: 31 pages, late

Remarkable magnetostructural coupling around the magnetic transition in CeCo0.85_{0.85}Fe0.15_{0.15}Si

We report a detailed study of the magnetic properties of CeCo$_{0.85}$Fe$_{0.15}$Si under high magnetic fields (up to 16 Tesla) measuring different physical properties such as specific heat, magnetization, electrical resistivity, thermal expansion and magnetostriction. CeCo$_{0.85}$Fe$_{0.15}$Si becomes antiferromagnetic at $T_N \approx$ 6.7 K. However, a broad tail (onset at $T_X \approx$ 13 K) in the specific heat precedes that second order transition. This tail is also observed in the temperature derivative of the resistivity. However, it is particularly noticeable in the thermal expansion coefficient where it takes the form of a large bump centered at $T_X$. A high magnetic field practically washes out that tail in the resistivity. But surprisingly, the bump in the thermal expansion becomes a well pronounced peak fully split from the magnetic transition at $T_N$. Concurrently, the magnetoresistance also switches from negative to positive just below $T_X$. The magnetostriction is considerable and irreversible at low temperature ($\frac {\Delta L}{L} \left(16 T\right) \sim$ 4$\times$10$^{-4}$ at 2 K) when the magnetic interactions dominate. A broad jump in the field dependence of the magnetostriction observed at low $T$ may be the signature of a weak ongoing metamagnetic transition. Taking altogether, the results indicate the importance of the lattice effects in the development of the magnetic order in these alloys.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure