Ga NMR study of the local susceptibility in SrCr8Ga4O19: pseudogap and paramagnetic defects

We present the first Ga(4f) NMR study of the Cr susceptibility in the archetype of Kagome based frustrated antiferromagnets, SrCr$_{8}$Ga$_{4}$O$_{19}$. Our major finding is that the susceptibility of the frustrated lattice goes through a maximum around 50 K. Our data also supports the existence of paramagnetic ``clusters'' of spins, responsible for the Curie behavior observed in the macroscopic susceptibility at low T. These results set novel features for the constantly debated physics of geometrically frustrated magnets.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Evolution from a nodeless gap to d(x2-y2) form in underdoped La(2-x)SrxCuO4

Using angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES), it is revealed that the low-energy electronic excitation spectra of highly underdoped superconducting and non-superconducting La(2-x)SrxCuO4 cuprates are gapped along the entire underlying Fermi surface at low temperatures. We show how the gap function evolves to a d(x2-y2) form as increasing temperature or doping, consistent with the vast majority of ARPES studies of cuprates. Our results provide essential information for uncovering the symmetry of the order parameter(s) in strongly underdoped cuprates, which is a prerequisite for understanding the pairing mechanism and how superconductivity emerges from a Mott insulator.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Spin Echo Decay in a Stochastic Field Environment

We derive a general formalism with which it is possible to obtain the time dependence of the echo size for a spin in a stochastic field environment. Our model is based on ``strong collisions''. We examine in detail three cases where: (I) the local field is Ising-like, (II) the field distribution is continuous and has a finite second moment, and (III) the distribution is Lorentzian. The first two cases show a T2 minimum effect and are exponential in time cubed for short times. The last case can be approximated by a phenomenological stretched exponential.Comment: 11 pages + 3 postscript figure

Evidence of magnetic mechanism for cuprate superconductivity

A proper understanding of the mechanism for cuprate superconductivity can emerge only by comparing materials in which physical parameters vary one at a time. Here we present a variety of bulk, resonance, and scattering measurements on the (Ca_xLa_{1-x})(Ba_{1.75-x}La_{0.25+x})Cu_3O_y high temperature superconductors, in which this can be done. We determine the superconducting, Neel, glass, and pseudopage critical temperatures. In addition, we clarify which physical parameter varies, and, equally important, which does not, with each chemical modification. This allows us to demonstrate that a single energy scale, set by the superexchange interaction J, controls all the critical temperatures of the system. J, in-turn, is determined by the in plane Cu-O-Cu buckling angle.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figure

Discovery of Multiply Imaged Galaxies behind the Cluster and Lensed Quasar SDSS J1004+4112

We have identified three multiply imaged galaxies in Hubble Space Telescope images of the redshift z=0.68 cluster responsible for the large-separation quadruply lensed quasar, SDSS J1004+4112. Spectroscopic redshifts have been secured for two of these systems using the Keck I 10m telescope. The most distant lensed galaxy, at z=3.332, forms at least four images, and an Einstein ring encompassing 3.1 times more area than the Einstein ring of the lensed QSO images at z=1.74, due to the greater source distance. For a second multiply imaged galaxy, we identify Ly_alpha emission at a redshift of z=2.74. The cluster mass profile can be constrained from near the center of the brightest cluster galaxy, where we observe both a radial arc and the fifth image of the lensed quasar, to the Einstein radius of the highest redshift galaxy, ~110 kpc. Our preliminary modeling indicates that the mass approximates an elliptical body, with an average projected logarithmic gradient of ~-0.5. The system is potentially useful for a direct measurement of world models in a previously untested redshift range.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Accepted by ApJL. High resolution version of the paper can be found at: http://wise-obs.tau.ac.il/~kerens/papers.htm

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) as a treatment for recurrent Neurogenic Heterotopic Ossification (NHO)

“This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Brain Injury on 5 Feb 2013, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.3109/02699052.2012.729293." © 2013 Informa UK Ltd.Primary objective: To describe the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO). Research design: A single case study was considered the most appropriate methodology in this situation. Methods and procedures: The subject was a 43 year old female 10 years post-traumatic brain injury with recurring NHO around the hip joint. Baseline assessments of pain using a 10-point VAS, range of motion of the hip using a goniometer and walking ability (number of steps over a standard distance) were conducted. Four applications of ESWT using a Minispec™ Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy machine (Medispec Int. USA) administered over 6 weeks to the anterolateral aspect of the right hip. Follow-up assessments were conducted weekly over the period of intervention and then monthly for 5 months. Main outcomes and results: Immediately following treatment, pain was reduced to 0 on the VAS scale; hip range of motion increased and the number of steps over a standard distance reduced, indicating increased step length. At 5-month follow-up, without further ESWT intervention, these results were maintained. Conclusion: This case study suggests that ESWT may be a non-invasive, low risk intervention for the management of NHO

The Imprinted Retrotransposon-Like Gene PEG11 (RTL1) Is Expressed as a Full-Length Protein in Skeletal Muscle from Callipyge Sheep

peer-reviewedMembers of the Ty3-Gypsy retrotransposon family are rare in mammalian genomes despite their abundance in invertebrates and some vertebrates. These elements contain a gag-pol-like structure characteristic of retroviruses but have lost their ability to retrotranspose into the mammalian genome and are thought to be inactive relics of ancient retrotransposition events. One of these retrotransposon-like elements, PEG11 (also called RTL1) is located at the distal end of ovine chromosome 18 within an imprinted gene cluster that is highly conserved in placental mammals. The region contains several conserved imprinted genes including BEGAIN, DLK1, DAT, GTL2 (MEG3), PEG11 (RTL1), PEG11as, MEG8, MIRG and DIO3. An intergenic point mutation between DLK1 and GTL2 causes muscle hypertrophy in callipyge sheep and is associated with large changes in expression of the genes linked in cis between DLK1 and MEG8. It has been suggested that over-expression of DLK1 is the effector of the callipyge phenotype; however, PEG11 gene expression is also strongly correlated with the emergence of the muscling phenotype as a function of genotype, muscle type and developmental stage. To date, there has been no direct evidence that PEG11 encodes a protein, especially as its anti-sense transcript (PEG11as) contains six miRNA that cause cleavage of the PEG11 transcript. Using immunological and mass spectrometry approaches we have directly identified the full-length PEG11 protein from postnatal nuclear preparations of callipyge skeletal muscle and conclude that its over-expression may be involved in inducing muscle hypertrophy. The developmental expression pattern of the PEG11 gene is consistent with the callipyge mutation causing recapitulation of the normal fetal-like gene expression program during postnatal development. Analysis of the PEG11 sequence indicates strong conservation of the regions encoding the antisense microRNA and in at least two cases these correspond with structural or functional domains of the protein suggesting co-evolution of the sense and antisense genes

Ultrafast optical nonlinearity in quasi-one-dimensional Mott-insulator Sr2CuO3{\rm Sr_2CuO_3}

We report strong instantaneous photoinduced absorption (PA) in the quasi-one-dimensional Mott insulator ${\rm Sr_2CuO_3}$ in the IR spectral region. The observed PA is to an even-parity two-photon state that occurs immediately above the absorption edge. Theoretical calculations based on a two-band extended Hubbard model explains the experimental features and indicates that the strong two-photon absorption is due to a very large dipole-coupling between nearly degenerate one- and two-photon states. Room temperature picosecond recovery of the optical transparency suggests the strong potential of ${\rm Sr_2CuO_3}$ for all-optical switching.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Properties of a classical spin liquid: the Heisenberg pyrochlore antiferromagnet

We study the low-temperature behaviour of the classical Heisenberg antiferromagnet with nearest neighbour interactions on the pyrochlore lattice. Because of geometrical frustration, the ground state of this model has an extensive number of degrees of freedom. We show, by analysing the effects of small fluctuations around the ground-state manifold, and from the results of Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations, that the system is disordered at all temperatures, T, and has a finite relaxation time, which varies as 1/T for small T.Comment: 4 pages revtex; 3 figures automatically include