789 research outputs found
Effect of Ga irradiation on magnetic and magnetotransport properties in (Ga,Mn)As epilayers
We report on the magnetic and magnetotransport properties of ferromagnetic
semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As modified by Ga ion irradiation using focused ion
beam. A marked reduction in the conductivity and the Curie temperature is
induced after the irradiation. Furthermore, an enhanced negative
magnetoresistance (MR) and a change in the magnetization reversal process are
also demonstrated at 4 K. Raman scattering spectra indicate a decrease in the
concentration of hole carriers after the irradiation, and a possible origin of
the change in the magnetic properties is discussed
Ion Irradiation Control of Ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As
We report on a promising approach to the artificial modification of
ferromagnetic properties in (Ga,Mn)As using a Ga focused ion beam (FIB)
technique. The ferromagnetic properties of (Ga,Mn)As such as magnetic
anisotropy and Curie temperature can be controlled using Ga ion
irradiation, originating from a change in hole concentration and the
corresponding systematic variation in exchange interaction between Mn spins.
This change in hole concentration is also verified using micro-Raman
spectroscopy. We envisage that this approach offers a means of modifying the
ferromagnetic properties of magnetic semiconductors on the micro- or nano-meter
scale.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. (Part 2 Letters
An X-Ray Dip in the X-Ray Transient 4U 1630-47
An x-ray dip was observed during a 1996 Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer
observation of the recurrent x-ray transient 4U 1630-47. During the dip, the
2-60 keV x-ray flux drops by a factor of about three, and, at the lowest point
of the dip, the x-ray spectrum is considerably softer than at non-dip times. We
find that the 4U 1630-47 dip is best explained by absorption of the inner part
of an accretion disk, while the outer part of the disk is unaffected. The
spectral evolution during the dip is adequately described by the variation of a
single parameter, the column density obscuring the inner disk.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
Energy Spectra and Normalized Power Spectral Densities of X-Ray Nova GS 2000+25
The X-ray energy spectra and Normalized Power Spectral Densities (NPSDs) of
an X-ray nova, GS 2000+25, were investigated. The X-ray energy spectra of the
source consist of two components: a hard component, which can be represented by
a power-law, and an ultra-soft component, represented by radiation from an
optically-thick accretion disk (the disk component). In a model in which the
power-law component is the Compton-scattered radiation, it is found that the
temperature of the incident blackbody radiation to the Compton cloud decrease
from 0.8 keV to 0.2 keV according to the decay of the intensity, which
coincides with that of the inner accretion disk. When the source changed from
the high-state to the low-state, both the photon index of the power-law
component (or Compton y-parameter) and the NPSD of the hard component
dramatically changed as did GS 1124-683. That is, the photon index changed from
2.2--2.6 to 1.7--1.8 and the absolute values of the NPSDs at 0.3 Hz of the hard
component in the low-state became about 10-times larger than those of the hard
component in the high-state. These X-ray properties were similar to those of
other black-hole candidates, such as Cyg X-1, GX 339-4, and LMC X-3.Comment: 24 pages, text only, Full version is published in PASJ 54, 609-627
(2002
Area-Specific Regulation of Quiescent Neural Stem Cells by Notch3 in the Adult Mouse Subependymal Zone
In the adult mammalian brain, neural stem cells (NSCs) generate new neurons throughout the mammal's lifetime. The balance between quiescence and active cell division among NSCs is crucial in producing appropriate numbers of neurons while maintaining the stem cell pool for a long period. The Notch signaling pathway plays a central role in both maintaining quiescent NSCs (qNSCs) and promoting cell division of active NSCs (aNSCs), although no one knows how this pathway regulates these apparently opposite functions. Notch1 has been shown to promote proliferation of aNSCs without affecting qNSCs in the adult mouse subependymal zone (SEZ). In this study, we found that Notch3 is expressed to a higher extent in qNSCs than in aNSCs while Notch1 is preferentially expressed in aNSCs and transit-amplifying progenitors in the adult mouse SEZ. Furthermore, Notch3 is selectively expressed in the lateral and ventral walls of the SEZ. Knockdown of Notch3 in the lateral wall of the adult SEZ increased the division of NSCs. Moreover, deletion of the Notch3 gene resulted in significant reduction of qNSCs specifically in the lateral and ventral walls, compared with the medial and dorsal walls, of the lateral ventricles. Notch3 deletion also reduced the number of qNSCs activated after antimitotic cytosine β-D-arabinofuranoside (Ara-C) treatment. Importantly, Notch3 deletion preferentially reduced specific subtypes of newborn neurons in the olfactory bulb derived from the lateral walls of the SEZ. These results indicate that Notch isoforms differentially control the quiescent and proliferative steps of adult SEZ NSCs in a domain-specific manner.
SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the adult mammalian brain, the subependymal zone (SEZ) of the lateral ventricles is the largest neurogenic niche, where neural stem cells (NSCs) generate neurons. In this study, we found that Notch3 plays an important role in the maintenance of quiescent NSCs (qNSCs), while Notch1 has been reported to act as a regulator of actively cycling NSCs. Furthermore, we found that Notch3 is specifically expressed in qNSCs located in the lateral and ventral walls of the lateral ventricles and regulates neuronal production of NSCs in a region-specific manner. Our results indicate that Notch3, by maintaining the quiescence of a subpopulation of NSCs, confers a region-specific heterogeneity among NSCs in the adult SEZ
Broad band X-ray spectroscopy of A0535+262 with SUZAKU
The transient X-ray binary pulsar A0535+262 was observed with Suzaku on 2005
September 14 when the source was in the declining phase of the August-September
minor outburst. The ~103 s X-ray pulse profile was strongly energy dependent, a
double peaked profile at soft X-ray energy band (<3 keV) and a single peaked
smooth profile at hard X-rays. The width of the primary dip is found to be
increasing with energy. The broad-band energy spectrum of the pulsar is well
described with a Negative and Positive power-law with EXponential (NPEX)
continuum model along with a blackbody component for soft excess. A weak iron
K_alpha emission line with an equivalent width ~25 eV was detected in the
source spectrum. The blackbody component is found to be pulsating over the
pulse phase implying the accretion column and/or the inner edge of the
accretion disk may be the possible emission site of the soft excess in
A0535+262. The higher value of the column density is believed to be the cause
of the secondary dip at the soft X-ray energy band. The iron line equivalent
width is found to be constant (within errors) over the pulse phase. However, a
sinusoidal type of flux variation of iron emission line, in phase with the hard
X-ray flux suggests that the inner accretion disk is the possible emission
region of the iron fluorescence line.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal, 2008 January issu
High Resolution Spectroscopy of the X-ray Photoionized Wind in Cygnus X-3 with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer
We present a preliminary analysis of the 1--10 keV spectrum of the massive
X-ray binary Cyg X-3, obtained with the High Energy Transmission Grating
Spectrometer on the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The source reveals a richly
detailed discrete emission spectrum, with clear signatures of
photoionization-driven excitation.
Among the spectroscopic novelties in the data are the first astrophysical
detections of a number of He-like 'triplets' (Si, S, Ar) with emission line
ratios characteristic of photoionization equilibrium, fully resolved narrow
radiative recombination continua of Mg, Si, and S, the presence of the H-like
Fe Balmer series, and a clear detection of a ~ 800 km/s large scale velocity
field, as well as a ~1500 km/s FWHM Doppler broadening in the source. We
briefly touch on the implications of these findings for the structure of the
Wolf-Rayet wind.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures; Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Changes in the long term intensity variations in Cyg X-2 and LMC X-3
We report the detection of changes in the long-term intensity variations in
two X-ray binaries, Cyg X-2 and LMC X-3. In this work, we have used the
long-term light curves obtained with the All-Sky Monitors (ASMs) of the Rossi
X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), Ginga, Ariel 5, and Vela 5B and the scanning
modulation collimator of HEAO 1. It is found that in the light curves of both
the sources, obtained with these instruments at various times over the last 30
years, more than one periodic or quasi-periodic component is always present.
The multiple prominent peaks in the periodograms have frequencies unrelated to
each other. In Cyg X-2, RXTE-ASM data show strong peaks at 40.4 and 68.8 days,
and Ginga-ASM data show strong peaks at 53.7 and 61.3 days. Multiple peaks are
also observed in LMC X-3. The various strong peaks in the periodograms of LMC
X-3 appear at 104, 169, and 216 days (observed with RXTE-ASM) and 105, 214, and
328 days (observed with Ginga-ASM). The present results, when compared with the
earlier observations of periodicities in these two systems, demonstrate the
absence of any stable long period. The 78 day periodicity detected earlier in
Cyg X-2 was probably due to the short time base in the RXTE data that were
used, and the periodicity of 198 days in LMC X-3 was due to a relatively short
duration of observation with HEAO 1.Comment: 11 pages, 7 postscript figures include
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