764 research outputs found
Spin-flip processes and ultrafast magnetization dynamics in Co - unifying the microscopic and macroscopic view of femtosecond magnetism
The femtosecond magnetization dynamics of a thin cobalt film excited with
ultrashort laser pulses has been studied using two complementary pump-probe
techniques, namely spin-, energy- and time-resolved photoemission and
time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. Combining the two methods it is
possible to identify the microscopic electron spin-flip mechanisms responsible
for the ultrafast macroscopic magnetization dynamics of the cobalt film. In
particular, we show that electron-magnon excitation does not affect the overall
magnetization even though it is an efficient spin-flip channel on the sub-200
fs timescale. Instead we find experimental evidence for the relevance of
Elliott-Yafet type spin-flip processes for the ultrafast demagnetization taking
place on a time scale of 300 fs.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures; accepted by Physical Review Letter
Abrupt changes in alpha decay systematics as a manifestation of collective nuclear modes
An abrupt change in decay systematics around the N=126 neutron shell
closure is discussed. It is explained as a sudden hindrance of the clustering
of the nucleons that eventually form the particle. This is because the
clustering induced by the pairing mode acting upon the four nucleons is
inhibited if the configuration space does not allow a proper manifestation of
the pairing collectivity.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. C, a few new references
adde
Intruder bands and configuration mixing in the lead isotopes
A three-configuration mixing calculation is performed in the context of the
interacting boson model with the aim to describe recently observed collective
bands built on low-lying states in neutron-deficient lead isotopes. The
configurations that are included correspond to the regular, spherical states as
well as two-particle two-hole and four-particle four-hole excitations across
the Z=82 shell gap.Comment: 20 pages, 4 figures, accepted by PRC, reference added for section 1
in this revised versio
Early onset of ground-state deformation in the neutron-deficient polonium isotopes
In-source resonant ionization laser spectroscopy of the even- polonium
isotopes Po has been performed using the
to ( nm) transition in the polonium atom
(Po-I) at the CERN ISOLDE facility. The comparison of the measured isotope
shifts in Po with a previous data set allows to test for the first
time recent large-scale atomic calculations that are essential to extract the
changes in the mean-square charge radius of the atomic nucleus. When going to
lighter masses, a surprisingly large and early departure from sphericity is
observed, which is only partly reproduced by Beyond Mean Field calculations.Comment: As submitted to PR
Lifetime of 19Ne*(4.03 MeV)
The Doppler-shift attenuation method was applied to measure the lifetime of
the 4.03 MeV state in 19Ne. Utilizing a 3He-implanted Au foil as a target, the
state was populated using the 20Ne(3He,alpha)19Ne reaction in inverse
kinematics at a 20Ne beam energy of 34 MeV. De-excitation gamma rays were
detected in coincidence with alpha particles. At the 1 sigma level, the
lifetime was determined to be 11 +4, -3 fs and at the 95.45% confidence level
the lifetime is 11 +8, -7 fs.Comment: 6 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Shapes of the Pb ground states from beta decay studies using the total absorption technique
The beta decay of Pb has been studied using the total absorption
technique at the ISOLDE(CERN) facility. The beta-decay strength deduced from
the measurements, combined with QRPA theoretical calculations, allow us to
infer that the ground states of the Pb isotopes are spherical.
These results represent the first application of the shape determination method
using the total absorption technique for heavy nuclei and in a region where
there is considerable interest in nuclear shapes and shape effects
Mitochondrial dysfunction in an Opa1Q285STOP mouse model of dominant optic atrophy results from Opa1 haploinsufficiency
Mutations in the opa1 (optic atrophy 1) gene lead to autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), a hereditary eye disease. This gene encodes the Opa1 protein, a mitochondrial dynamin-related GTPase required for mitochondrial fusion and the maintenance of normal crista structure. The majority of opa1 mutations encode truncated forms of the protein, lacking a complete GTPase domain. It is unclear whether the phenotype results from haploinsufficiency or rather a deleterious effect of truncated Opa1 protein. We studied a heterozygous Opa1 mutant mouse carrying a defective allele with a stop codon in the beginning of the GTPase domain at residue 285, a mutation that mimics human pathological mutations. Using an antibody raised against an N-terminal portion of Opa1, we found that the level of wild-type protein was decreased in the mutant mice, as predicted. However, no truncated Opa1 protein was expressed. In embryonic fibroblasts isolated from the mutant mice, this partial loss of Opa1 caused mitochondrial respiratory deficiency and a selective loss of respiratory Complex IV subunits. Furthermore, partial Opa1 deficiency resulted in a substantial resistance to endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced death. On the other hand, the enforced expression of truncated Opa1 protein in cells containing normal levels of wild-type protein did not cause mitochondrial defects. Moreover, cells expressing the truncated Opa1 protein showed reduced Bax activation in response to apoptotic stimuli. Taken together, our results exclude deleterious dominant-negative or gain-of-function mechanisms for this type of Opa1 mutation and affirm haploinsufficiency as the mechanism underlying mitochondrial dysfunction in ADOA
Beta-Delayed fission of 230Am
The exotic decay process of β-delayed fission (βDF) has been studied in the neutron-deficient isotope Am230. The Am230 nuclei were produced in the complete fusion reaction Pb207(Al27,4n)Am230 and separated by using the GARIS gas-filled recoil ion separator. A lower limit for the βDF probability PβDF(Am230)>0.30 was deduced, which so far is the highest value among all known βDF nuclei. The systematics of βDF in the region of Am230 will be discussed
Alpha decay of 176Au
International audienceThe isotope Au176 has been studied in the complete fusion reaction Ca40+Pr141 → 176Au+5n at the velocity filter SHIP (GSI, Darmstadt). The complex fine-structure α decay of two isomeric states in Au176 feeding several previously unknown excited states in the daughter nucleus Ir172 is presented. An α-decay branching ratio of bα=9.5(11)% was deduced for the high-spin isomer in Ir172
- …