1,681 research outputs found
Patterned Irradiation of YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-x) Thin Films
We present a new experiment on YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x} (YBCO) thin films using
spatially resolved heavy ion irradiation. Structures consisting of a periodic
array of strong and weak pinning channels were created with the help of metal
masks. The channels formed an angle of +/-45 Deg with respect to the symmetry
axis of the photolithographically patterned structures. Investigations of the
anisotropic transport properties of these structures were performed. We found
striking resemblance to guided vortex motion as it was observed in YBCO single
crystals containing an array of unidirected twin boundaries. The use of two
additional test bridges allowed to determine in parallel the resistivities of
the irradiated and unirradiated parts as well as the respective current-voltage
characteristics. These measurements provided the input parameters for a
numerical simulation of the potential distribution of the Hall patterning. In
contrast to the unidirected twin boundaries in our experiment both strong and
weak pinning regions are spatially extended. The interfaces between
unirradiated and irradiated regions therefore form a Bose-glass contact. The
experimentally observed magnetic field dependence of the transverse voltage
vanishes faster than expected from the numerical simulation and we interpret
this as a hydrodynamical interaction between a Bose-glass phase and a vortex
liquid.Comment: 7 pages, 8 Eps figures included. Submitted to PR
Spatial and seasonal variability of fractionated phytoplankton biomass and primary production in the frontal region of the Northern Adriatic Sea
Spatial and seasonal patterns of variation of fractionated phytoplankton biomass and primary production and their relationships with nutrient concentrations were analyzed along an inshore - offshore gradient and in relation to the presence of a frontal system in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Sampling was carried out in winter and summer during four oceanographic cruises (June 1996 and 1997, February 1997 and 1998) as part of the PRISMA II project. Water samples for determining nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton biomass (as Chla) and primary production (as 14 C assimilation) were collected at five optical depths. Sampling stations were located along 2 or 4 parallel transects arranged perpendicularly to the shoreline and the frontal system. The transects were located at such a distance from the coast that the frontal system crossed them at their halfway point. Total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and total dissolved phosphorus concentrations (TDP) were 12.41 ± 3 .95 mM and 0.146 ± 0 .070 mM, respectively. The values in the two seasonal periods were similar, decreasing along the inshore-offshore gradient. Values for phytoplankton biomass and primary productionwere higher in the winter than the summer cruises, and decreased, in both seasonal periods, along the inshore / offshore gradient. Moreover, in both seasonal periods, picophytoplankton dominated both biomass and productivity, (56% and 44%, respectively) at stations beyond the frontal system, while microphytoplankton was more important at stations inside it (44% and 44%, respectively). Total phytoplankton biomass and primary production were directly related to nutrient concentrations. Regarding size classes, significant patterns of variation with nutrients were observed particularly for biomass. The results indicate that the size structure and function of phytoplankton guilds seem to be mediated by nutrient inflow, as well as by competitive interaction among size fractions
Quantum Noise Measurement of a Carbon Nanotube Quantum Dot in the Kondo Regime
The current emission noise of a carbon nanotube quantum dot in the Kondo
regime is measured at frequencies of the order or higher than the
frequency associated with the Kondo effect , with the Kondo
temperature. The carbon nanotube is coupled via an on-chip resonant circuit to
a quantum noise detector, a superconductor-insulator-superconductor junction.
We find for a Kondo effect related singularity at a
voltage bias , and a strong reduction of this singularity
for , in good agreement with theory. Our experiment
constitutes a new original tool for the investigation of the non-equilibrium
dynamics of many-body phenomena in nanoscale devices.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
High Frequency Quantum Admittance and Noise Measurement with an On-chip Resonant Circuit
By coupling a quantum detector, a superconductor-insulator-superconductor
junction, to a Josephson junction \textit{via} a resonant circuit we probe the
high frequency properties, namely the ac complex admittance and the current
fluctuations of the Josephson junction at the resonant frequencies. The
admittance components show frequency dependent singularities related to the
superconducting density of state while the noise exhibits a strong frequency
dependence, consistent with theoretical predictions. The circuit also allows to
probe separately the emission and absorption noise in the quantum regime of the
superconducting resonant circuit at equilibrium. At low temperature the
resonant circuit exhibits only absorption noise related to zero point
fluctuations, whereas at higher temperature emission noise is also present.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figure
Shift of the surface-barrier part of the irreversibility line due to columnar defects in Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8 thin films
We report the results of studying the influence of the uranium-ion
irradiation of the Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8 thin films on the high-temperature part
(close to critical temperature) of their irreversibility line. We studied
irreversible properties of the films by measuring the hysteresis of nonresonant
microwave absorption. The results have revealed the shift of irreversibility
line towards low temperatures and magnetic fields. The effect is most
significant for the films irradiated with large doses, more than 1T. This fact
is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction by Koshelev and Vinokur of
suppression of surface barrier by columnar defects.Comment: LaTeX2e, 9 pages with 3 figures, to be published in Physica
Probabilistic Timed Automata with Clock-Dependent Probabilities
Probabilistic timed automata are classical timed automata extended with
discrete probability distributions over edges. We introduce clock-dependent
probabilistic timed automata, a variant of probabilistic timed automata in
which transition probabilities can depend linearly on clock values.
Clock-dependent probabilistic timed automata allow the modelling of a
continuous relationship between time passage and the likelihood of system
events. We show that the problem of deciding whether the maximum probability of
reaching a certain location is above a threshold is undecidable for
clock-dependent probabilistic timed automata. On the other hand, we show that
the maximum and minimum probability of reaching a certain location in
clock-dependent probabilistic timed automata can be approximated using a
region-graph-based approach.Comment: Full version of a paper published at RP 201
Effects of random alloy disorder, shape deformation, and substrate misorientation on the exciton lifetime and fine structure splitting of GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs(111) quantum dots
Using atomistic, million-atom screened pseudopotential theory together with configuration interaction, as well as atomically resolved structures based on experimental characterization, we perform numerical calculations on self-assembled GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs(111) quantum dots that we compare with our experimental data. We show that random alloy disorder in the barrier can cause a symmetry breaking at the single-particle level (distortions of wave functions and lifting of degeneracies) which translates into the appearance of a nonzero exciton fine structure splitting (FSS) at the many-body level. Nevertheless, our results indicate that varying the concentration of aluminum in the random alloyed barrier allows simultaneous tuning of the exciton fine structure splitting and emission wavelength without altering its radiative lifetime tau approximate to 200 ps. Additionally, the optical properties of these quantum dots are predicted to be very robust against both symmetric and asymmetric shape elongation (with FSS 2.2 mu eV), rendering postselection less essential under well-controlled growth conditions. On the other hand, the growth on miscut substrates introduces a structural anisotropy along the quantization axis to which the system is very sensitive: the FSS ranges between 5 and 50 mu eV while the radiative lifetime of the transition is increased up to tau = 400 ps. The numerical results for the FSS are in perfect agreement with our experimental measurements which give FSS = 10 +/- 9 mu eV for 2 degrees miscut angle at x = 0.15
Connecting Clump Sizes in Turbulent Disk Galaxies to Instability Theory
In this letter we study the mean sizes of Halpha clumps in turbulent disk
galaxies relative to kinematics, gas fractions, and Toomre Q. We use 100~pc
resolution HST images, IFU kinematics, and gas fractions of a sample of rare,
nearby turbulent disks with properties closely matched to z~1.5-2 main-sequence
galaxies (the DYNAMO sample). We find linear correlations of normalized mean
clump sizes with both the gas fraction and the velocity dispersion-to-rotation
velocity ratio of the host galaxy. We show that these correlations are
consistent with predictions derived from a model of instabilities in a
self-gravitating disk (the so-called "violent disk instability model"). We also
observe, using a two-fluid model for Q, a correlation between the size of
clumps and self-gravity driven unstable regions. These results are most
consistent with the hypothesis that massive star forming clumps in turbulent
disks are the result of instabilities in self-gravitating gas-rich disks, and
therefore provide a direct connection between resolved clump sizes and this in
situ mechanism.Comment: Accepted to Apj Letter
Salivary gland proteins alterations in the diabetic milieu
Salivary glands are considered the chief exocrine glands of the mouth and physiologically contribute to the maintenance of the homeostasis of the oral cavity. They consist of the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands, which come in pairs and are collectively called the major glands, and the minor glands, which are much smaller and are dispersed throughout the buccal cavity. Salivary glands are distinguished by their size, amount of saliva secretion and their location in the oral cavity. Salivary glands pathophysiology has been a subject of interest in various worldwide metabolic disorders, including diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus (DM), a global health concern, with a pathological imprint involved in vasculature, promotes microvascular and macrovascular complications among which periodontitis ranks sixth. Indeed, DM has also been directly associated with oral health lesions. Specifically, salivary glands in the context of diabetes have been a focal point of study and emphasis in the research field. There is evidence that relates salivary secretion content and diabetes progression. In this review, we present all the reported evidence of the deregulation of specific salivary proteins associated with the progression of diabetes in parallel with changes in salivary gland morphology, cellular architecture, and salivary secretion and composition more generally
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