12 research outputs found
Experimental conditions for observation of electron-hole superfluidity in GaAs heterostructures
The experimental parameter ranges needed to generate superfluidity in optical
and drag experiments in GaAs double quantum wells are determined, using a
formalism that includes self-consistent screening of the Coulomb pairing
interaction in the presence of the superfluid. The very different electron and
hole masses in GaAs make this a particularly interesting system for
superfluidity, with exotic superfluid phases predicted in the BCS-BEC crossover
regime. We find that the density and temperature ranges for superfluidity cover
the range for which optical experiments have observed indications of
superfluidity, but that existing drag experiments lie outside the superfluid
range. However we also show that for samples with low mobility with no
macroscopically connected superfluidity, if the superfluidity survived in
randomly distributed localized pockets, standard quantum capacitance
measurements could detect these pockets.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Observational Constraints on Red and Blue Helium Burning Sequences
We derive the optical luminosity, colors, and ratios of the blue and red
helium burning (HeB) stellar populations from archival Hubble Space Telescope
observations of nineteen starburst dwarf galaxies and compare them with
theoretical isochrones from Padova stellar evolution models across
metallicities from Z=0.001 to 0.009. We find that the observational data and
the theoretical isochrones for both blue and red HeB populations overlap in
optical luminosities and colors and the observed and predicted blue to red HeB
ratios agree for stars older than 50 Myr over the time bins studied. These
findings confirm the usefulness of applying isochrones to interpret
observations of HeB populations. However, there are significant differences,
especially for the red HeB population. Specifically we find: (1) offsets in
color between the observations and theoretical isochrones of order 0.15 mag
(0.5 mag) for the blue (red) HeB populations brighter than M_V ~ -4 mag, which
cannot be solely due to differential extinction; (2) blue HeB stars fainter
than M_V ~ -3 mag are bluer than predicted; (3) the slope of the red HeB
sequence is shallower than predicted by a factor of ~3; and (4) the models
overpredict the ratio of the most luminous blue to red HeB stars corresponding
to ages <50 Myr. Additionally, we find that for the more metal-rich galaxies in
our sample (Z> 0.5 Zsolar) the red HeB stars overlap with the red giant branch
stars in the color magnitude diagrams, thus reducing their usefulness as
indicators of star formation for ages >100 Myr.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, 3 table
A complete laboratory for transport studies of electron-hole interactions in GaAs/AlGaAs ambipolar bilayers
We present GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum well devices that can operate as both electron-hole (e-h) and hole-hole (h-h) bilayers, with separating barriers as narrow as 5 nm or 7.5 nm. With such narrow barriers, in the h-h configuration, we observe signs of magnetic-field-induced exciton condensation in the quantum Hall bilayer regime. In the same devices, we can study the zero-magnetic-field e-h and h-h bilayer states using Coulomb drag. Very strong e-h Coulomb drag resistivity (up to 10% of the single layer resistivity) is observed at liquid helium temperatures, but no definite signs of exciton condensation are seen in this case. Self-consistent calculations of the electron and hole wavefunctions show this might be because the average interlayer separation is larger in the e-h case than the h-h case
Observational Constraints on the Molecular Gas Content in Nearby Starburst Dwarf Galaxies
Using star formation histories derived from optically resolved stellar
populations in nineteen nearby starburst dwarf galaxies observed with the
Hubble Space Telescope, we measure the stellar mass surface densities of stars
newly formed in the bursts. By assuming a star formation efficiency (SFE), we
then calculate the inferred gas surface densities present at the onset of the
starbursts. Assuming a SFE of 1%, as is often assumed in normal star-forming
galaxies, and assuming that the gas was purely atomic, translates to very high
HI surface densities (~10^2-10^3 Msun pc^-2), which are much higher than have
been observed in dwarf galaxies. This implies either higher values of SFE in
these dwarf starburst galaxies or the presence of significant amounts of H_2 in
dwarfs (or both). Raising the assumed SFEs to 10% or greater (in line with
observations of more massive starbursts associated with merging galaxies),
still results in HI surface densities higher than observed in 10 galaxies.
Thus, these observations appear to require that a significant fraction of the
gas in these dwarf starbursts galaxies was in the molecular form at the onset
of the bursts. Our results imply molecular gas column densities in the range
10^19-10^21 cm^-2 for the sample. In those galaxies where CO observations have
been made, these densities correspond to values of the CO-H_2 conversion factor
(X_CO) in the range >3-80x10^20 cm^-2 (K km s^-1)^-1, or up to 40x greater than
Galactic X_CO values.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 2 table
Experimental conditions for the observation of electron-hole superfluidity in GaAs heterostructures
Framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna to inform Marine Spatial Planning: the Falkland Islands case study
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is becoming a key management approach throughout the world. The process includes the mapping of how humans and wildlife use the marine environment to inform the development of management measures. An integrated multi-species approach to identifying key areas is important for MSP because it allows managers a global representation of an area, enabling them to see where management can have the most impact for biodiversity protection. However, multi-species analysis remains challenging. This paper presents a methodological framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna (seabirds, pinnipeds, cetaceans) by incorporating different data types across multiple species. The framework includes analyses of tracking data and observation survey data, applying analytical steps according to the type of data available during each year quarter for each species. It produces core-use area layers at the species level, then combines these layers to create megafauna core-use area layers. The framework was applied in the Falkland Islands. The study gathered over 750,000 tracking and at-sea observation locations covering an equivalent of 5495 data days between 1998 and 2015 for 36 species. The framework provides a step-by-step implementation protocol, replicable across geographic scales and transferable to multiple taxa. R scripts are provided. Common repositories, such as the Birdlife International Tracking Database, are invaluable tools, providing a secure platform for storing and accessing spatial data to apply the methodological framework. This provides managers with data necessary to enhance MSP efforts and marine conservation worldwide
Framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna to inform Marine Spatial Planning:the Falkland Islands case study
Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is becoming a key management approach throughout the world. The process includes the mapping of how humans and wildlife use the marine environment to inform the development of management measures. An integrated multi-species approach to identifying key areas is important for MSP because it allows managers a global representation of an area, enabling them to see where management can have the most impact for biodiversity protection. However, multi-species analysis remains challenging. This paper presents a methodological framework for mapping key areas for marine megafauna (seabirds, pinnipeds, cetaceans) by incorporating different data types across multiple species. The framework includes analyses of tracking data and observation survey data, applying analytical steps according to the type of data available during each year quarter for each species. It produces core-use area layers at the species level, then combines these layers to create megafauna core-use area layers. The framework was applied in the Falkland Islands. The study gathered over 750,000 tracking and at-sea observation locations covering an equivalent of 5495 data days between 1998 and 2015 for 36 species. The framework provides a step-by-step implementation protocol, replicable across geographic scales and transferable to multiple taxa. R scripts are provided. Common repositories, such as the Birdlife International Tracking Database, are invaluable tools, providing a secure platform for storing and accessing spatial data to apply the methodological framework. This provides managers with data necessary to enhance MSP efforts and marine conservation worldwide
Foraging strategies of male Adélie penguins during their first incubation trip in relation to environmental conditions
Knowledge of habitat use by top marine predators in response to environmental conditions is crucial in the current context of global changes occurring in the Southern Ocean. We examined the at-sea locations of male Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) breeding at Dumont d’Urville during their first, long incubation trip. Compared with the chick-rearing period, penguins performed longer trips, going to oceanic waters as far as 320 km from the colony. We observed 3 strategies: (1) five individuals covered large distances to the north, targeting open-ocean areas and following the currents of two persistent eddies; (2) five individuals foraged to the north-west, close to the Antarctic shelf slope at the limit of the pack ice; and (3) three individuals covered much shorter distances (northwards or eastwards). The foraging range also seemed to be limited by the body condition of the penguins before their departure to sea