180 research outputs found
Field-Induced Magnetic Ordering in the Quantum Spin System KCuCl
KCuCl is a three-dimensional coupled spin-dimer system and has a singlet
ground state with an excitation gap K. High-field
magnetization measurements for KCuCl have been performed in static magnetic
fields of up to 30 T and in pulsed magnetic fields of up to 60 T. The entire
magnetization curve including the saturation region was obtained at K.
From the analysis of the magnetization curve, it was found that the exchange
parameters determined from the dispersion relations of the magnetic excitations
should be reduced, which suggests the importance of the renormalization effect
in the magnetic excitations. The field-induced magnetic ordering accompanied by
the cusplike minimum of the magnetization was observed as in the isomorphous
compound TlCuCl. The phase boundary was almost independent of the field
direction, and is represented by the power law. These results are consistent
with the magnon Bose-Einstein condensation picture for field-induced magnetic
ordering.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 9 eps files, revtex styl
Ehrenfest relations and magnetoelastic effects in field-induced ordered phases
Magnetoelastic properties in field-induced magnetic ordered phases are
studied theoretically based on a Ginzburg-Landau theory. A critical field for
the field-induced ordered phase is obtained as a function of temperature and
pressure, which determine the phase diagram. It is found that magnetic field
dependence of elastic constant decreases discontinuously at the critical field,
Hc, and that it decreases linearly with field in the ordered phase (H>Hc). We
found an Ehrenfest relation between the field dependence of the elastic
constant and the pressure dependence of critical field. Our theory provides the
theoretical form for magnetoelastic properties in field- and pressure-induced
ordered phases.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Point-contact investigations of challenging superconductors: two-band MgB2, antiferromagnetic HoNi2B2C, heavy fermion UPd2Al3, paramagnetic MgCNi3
An overview on recent efforts in point-contact (PC) spectroscopy of title
superconductors is given. Distinct phonon features and
crystalline-electric-field effects are observed in PC spectra of HoNi2B2C.
Results of study of superconducting (SC) gap and excess current versus
temperature and magnetic field reflecting specific multi-band electronic
structure in MgB2 are presented. The nature of the extremely nonlinear I(V)
curves in the antiferromagnetic (AF) and SC state are elucidated for UPd2Al3
break-junctions and MgCNi3 point contacts.Comment: 2 pages, 4 figs., presented on SCES`04 (26-30 July, Karlsruhe,
Germany), accepted for publicatio
Dispersive magnetic excitations in the S=1 antiferromagnet BaMnO
We present powder inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the S=1
dimerized antiferromagnet BaMnO. The K magnetic spectrum
exhibits a spin-gap of meV and a dispersive spectrum with
a bandwidth of approximately 1.5 meV. Comparison to coupled dimer models
describe the dispersion and scattering intensity accurately and determine the
exchange constants in BaMnO. The wave vector dependent scattering
intensity confirms the proposed S=1 dimer bond. Temperature dependent
measurements of the magnetic excitations indicate the presence of both
singlet-triplet and thermally activated triplet-quintet excitations.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, Submitted to Physical Review B, Resubmited
versio
Pressure-Induced Magnetic Quantum Phase Transition in Gapped Spin System KCuCl3
Magnetization and neutron elastic scattering measurements under a hydrostatic
pressure were performed on KCuCl3, which is a three-dimensionally coupled spin
dimer system with a gapped ground state. It was found that an intradimer
interaction decreases with increasing pressure, while the sum of interdimer
interactions increases. This leads to the shrinkage of spin gap. A quantum
phase transition from a gapped state to an antiferromagnetic state occurs at Pc
? 8.2 kbar. For P > P c, magnetic Bragg reflections were observed at reciprocal
lattice points equivalent to those for the lowest magnetic excitation at zero
pressure. This confirms that the spin gap decreases and closes under applied
pressure.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp
Field- and pressure-induced magnetic quantum phase transitions in TlCuCl_3
Thallium copper chloride is a quantum spin liquid of S = 1/2 Cu^2+ dimers.
Interdimer superexchange interactions give a three-dimensional magnon
dispersion and a spin gap significantly smaller than the dimer coupling. This
gap is closed by an applied hydrostatic pressure of approximately 2kbar or by a
magnetic field of 5.6T, offering a unique opportunity to explore the both types
of quantum phase transition and their associated critical phenomena. We use a
bond-operator formulation to obtain a continuous description of all disordered
and ordered phases, and thus of the transitions separating these. Both
pressure- and field-induced transitions may be considered as the Bose-Einstein
condensation of triplet magnon excitations, and the respective phases of
staggered magnetic order as linear combinations of dimer singlet and triplet
modes. We focus on the evolution with applied pressure and field of the
magnetic excitations in each phase, and in particular on the gapless
(Goldstone) modes in the ordered regimes which correspond to phase fluctuations
of the ordered moment. The bond-operator description yields a good account of
the magnetization curves and of magnon dispersion relations observed by
inelastic neutron scattering under applied fields, and a variety of
experimental predictions for pressure-dependent measurements.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figure
Neutron Scattering Study of Magnetic Ordering and Excitations in the Doped Spin Gap System Tl(CuMg)Cl
Neutron elastic and inelastic scattering measurements have been performed in
order to investigate the spin structure and the magnetic excitations in the
impurity-induced antiferromagnetic ordered phase of the doped spin gap system
Tl(CuMg)Cl with . The magnetic Bragg reflections
indicative of the ordering were observed at with integer
and odd below K. It was found that the spin structure
of the impurity-induced antiferromagnetic ordered phase on average in
Tl(CuMg)Cl with is the same as that of the
field-induced magnetic ordered phase for in the parent
compound TlCuCl. The triplet magnetic excitation was clearly observed in
the - plane and the dispersion relations of the triplet excitation
were determined along four different directions. The lowest triplet excitation
corresponding to the spin gap was observed at with integer
and odd , as observed in TlCuCl. It was also found that the spin gap
increases steeply below upon decreasing temperature. This strongly
indicates that the impurity-induced antiferromagnetic ordering coexists with
the spin gap state in Tl(CuMg)Cl with .Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, 11 eps files, revtex style, will appear in Phys.
Rev.
Plasma Retinol and Prognosis of Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients
Abstract
Background: The role of retinol (vitamin A) in breast cancer prognosis has never been investigated in postmenopausal women. We prospectively assessed the long-term prognostic role of retinol plasma levels in a cohort of postmenopausal breast cancer patients.
Patients and Methods: We investigated 208 women self-reported as postmenopausal operated on for T1-2N0M0 breast cancer who participated in a chemoprevention trial as controls and never received chemotherapy or hormone therapy. Plasma samples were collected 3 months (median) after surgery and assayed within 3 weeks for retinol. Minimum and median potential follow-up were 12 and 15 years, respectively. The main analyses were on all women and on a subgroup ages ≥55 years, assumed too old to be in perimenopause. The main end point was breast cancer death. Breast cancer survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The hazard ratios of breast cancer death by retinol level were estimated by Cox models stratified for age, where relevant, and recruitment period, and adjusted for tumor size and histology.
Results: At 12 years, patients with low retinol (<2.08 μmol/L, median of distribution) had lower breast cancer survival than those with high retinol (log-rank P = 0.052); the difference was significant for women ≥55 years (log-rank P = 0.006). The adjusted hazard ratios for low versus high retinol were 2.11 (95% confidence interval, 1.08-4.14) for all women and 3.58 (95% confidence interval, 1.50-8.57) for those ≥55 years.
Conclusions: Low plasma retinol strongly predicts poorer prognosis in postmenopausal breast cancer patients. Retinol levels should be determined as part of the prognostic workup. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(1):42–8
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