2,704 research outputs found
Alternating magnetic anisotropy of Li(Li)N with = Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni
Substantial amounts of the transition metals Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni can be
substituted for Li in single crystalline Li(Li)N. Isothermal and
temperature-dependent magnetization measurements reveal local magnetic moments
with magnitudes significantly exceeding the spin-only value. The additional
contributions stem from unquenched orbital moments that lead to rare-earth-like
behavior of the magnetic properties. Accordingly, extremely large magnetic
anisotropies have been found. Most notably, the magnetic anisotropy alternates
as easy-plane easy-axis easy-plane
easy-axis when progressing from = Mn Fe Co
Ni. This behavior can be understood based on a perturbation
approach in an analytical, single-ion model. The calculated magnetic
anisotropies show a surprisingly good agreement with the experiment and capture
the basic features observed for the different transition metals.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, published as PRB Rapid Communication, Fig. 3
update
Gamma-Ray Observations of GRO J1655-40
The bright transient X-ray source GRO J1655-40 = XN Sco 1994 was observed by the OSSE instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). Preliminary results are reported here. The initial outburst from GRO J1655-40 was detected by BATSE on 27 Jul 1994. OSSE observations were made in five separate viewing periods starting between 4 Aug 1994 and 4 Apr 1995. The first, third, and fifth observations are near the peak luminosity. In the second observation, the source flux had dropped by several orders of magnitude and we can only set an upper limit. The fourth observation is a weak detection after the period of maximum outburst. In contrast with other X-ray novae such as GRO J0422+32, the spectrum determined by OSSE is consistent with a simple power law over the full range of detection, about 50 - 600 keV. The photon spectral index is in the range of -2.5 to 2.8 in all of the observations. We set an upper limit on fractional rms variation \u3c5% in the frequency range 0.01 β 60 Hz. No significant narrow or broad line features are observed at any energy
The Orbital Light Curve of Aquila X-1
We obtained R- and I-band CCD photometry of the soft X-ray transient/neutron-
star binary Aql X-1 in 1998 June while it was at quiescence. We find that its
light curve is dominated by ellipsoidal variations, although the ellipsoidal
variations are severely distorted and have unequal maxima. After we correct for
the contaminating flux from a field star located only 0.46" away, the
peak-to-peak amplitude of the modulation is ~0.25 mag in the R band, which
requires the orbital inclination to be greater than 36 degrees. The orbital
period we measure is consistent with the 18.95 h period measured by Chevalier &
Ilovaisky (1998). During its outbursts the light curve of Aql X-1 becomes
single humped. The outburst light curve observed by Garcia et al. (1999) agrees
in phase with our quiescent light curve. We show that the single humped
variation is caused by a ``reflection effect,'' that is, by heating of the side
of the secondary star facing towards the neutron star.Comment: 18 manuscript pages, 7 figures; accepted by A
Parity Effects in Spin Decoherence
We demonstrate that decoherence of many-spin systems can drastically differ
from decoherence of single-spin systems. The difference originates at the most
basic level, being determined by parity of the central system, i.e. by whether
the system comprises even or odd number of spin-1/2 entities. Therefore, it is
very likely that similar distinction between the central spin systems of even
and odd parity is important in many other situations. Our consideration
clarifies the physical origin of the unusual two-step decoherence found
previously in the two-spin systems.Comment: RevTeX 4, 5 pages, 2 figures; acknowledgments added; replaced with
the published version; journal reference adde
Predictions of LDEF radioactivity and comparison with measurements
As part of the program to utilize LDEF data for evaluation and improvement of current ionizing radiation environmental models and related predictive methods for future LEO missions, calculations have been carried out to compare with the induced radioactivity measured in metal samples placed on LDEF. The predicted activation is about a factor of two lower than observed, which is attributed to deficiencies in the AP8 trapped proton model. It is shown that this finding based on activation sample data is consistent with comparisons made with other LDEF activation and dose data. Plans for confirming these results utilizing additional LDEF data sets, and plans for model modifications to improve the agreement with LDEF data, are discussed
The Burst and Transient Source Experiment Earth Occultation Technique
An Earth orbiting detector sensitive to gamma ray photons will see step-like
occultation features in its counting rate when a gamma ray point source crosses
the Earth's limb. This is due to the change in atmospheric attenuation of the
gamma rays along the line of sight. In an uncollimated detector, these
occultation features can be used to locate and monitor astrophysical sources
provided their signals can be individually separated from the detector
background. We show that the Earth occultation technique applied to the Burst
and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory
(CGRO) is a viable and flexible all-sky monitor in the low energy gamma ray and
hard X-ray energy range (20 keV - 1 MeV). The method is an alternative to more
sophisticated photon imaging devices for astronomy, and can serve well as a
cost-effective science capability for monitoring the high energy sky.
Here we describe the Earth occultation technique for locating new sources and
for measuring source intensity and spectra without the use of complex
background models. Examples of transform imaging, step searches, spectra, and
light curves are presented. Systematic uncertainties due to source confusion,
detector response, and contamination from rapid background fluctuations are
discussed and analyzed for their effect on intensity measurements. A sky
location-dependent average systematic error is derived as a function of
galactic coordinates. The sensitivity of the technique is derived as a function
of incident photon energy and also as a function of angle between the source
and the normal to the detector entrance window. Occultations of the Crab Nebula
by the Moon are used to calibrate Earth occultation flux measurements
independent of possible atmospheric scattering effects.Comment: 39 pages, 24 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal Supplement
Monte-Carlo simulations of thermal/nonthermal radiation from a neutron-star magnetospheric accretion shell
We discuss the space-and-time-dependent Monte Carlo code we have developed to
simulate the relativistic radiation output from compact astrophysical objects,
coupled to a Fokker-Planck code to determine the self-consistent lepton
populations. We have applied this code to model the emission from a magnetized
neutron star accretion shell near the Alfven radius, reprocessing the radiation
from the neutron sar surface. We explore the parameter space defined by the
accretion rate, stellar surface field and the level of wave turbulence in the
shell. Our results are relevant to the emission from atoll sources, soft-X-ray
transient X-ray binaries containing weakly magnetized neutron stars, and to
recently suggested models of accretion-powered emission from anomalous X-ray
pulsars.Comment: 24 pages, including 7 figures; uses epsf.sty. final version, accepted
for publication in ApJ. Extended introduction and discussio
Modulation of Functional Activities of Chicken Heterophils by Recombinant Chicken IFN-Ξ³
The objective of the present studies was to examine the in vitro effects of recombinant chicken interferon-Ξ³ (rChIFN-Ξ³) on shape change, phagocytosis, and the oxidative/nonoxidative killing activities of day-old chicken heterophils. Heterophils (4 Γ 106/ml) were incubated with various concentrations of recombinant ChIFN-Ξ³ from both Escherichia coli and transfected Cos cells for 2 h at 39Β°C. The incubation of the neonatal heterophils with rChIFN-Ξ³ resulted in significantly greater numbers of cells with membrane shape change when compared with the mock-treated heterophils. Both Cos cell-derived and E. coli-derived ChIFN-Ξ³ significantly increased (p < 0.01) the phagocytosis of opsonized or nonopsonized Salmonella enteritidis by the neonatal heterophils in a concentration-dependent manner. Incubation with ChIFN-Ξ³ induced no direct stimulation of the respiratory burst by the chicken heterophils but did prime the heterophils for a significantly strengthened respiratory burst to subsequent stimulation with opsonized zymosan (OZ). Lastly, incubation of the heterophils with ChIFN-Ξ³ primed the cells for a significant increase in the release of Ξ²-D-glucuronidase following stimulation with OZ. These results show that neonatal avian heterophils can respond to cytokine modulation with enhanced functional competence, suggesting that ChIFN-Ξ³ can enhance the immune competence of the innate defenses of chickens during the first week of life
Incommensurate spin-density wave order in electron-doped BaFe2As2 superconductors
Neutron diffraction studies of Ba(Fe[1-x]Co[x])2As2 reveal that commensurate
antiferromagnetic order gives way to incommensurate magnetic order for Co
compositions between 0.056 < x < 0.06. The incommensurability has the form of a
small transverse splitting (0, +-e, 0) from the nominal commensurate
antiferromagnetic propagation vector Q[AFM] = (1, 0, 1) (in orthorhombic
notation) where e = 0.02-0.03 and is composition dependent. The results are
consistent with the formation of a spin-density wave driven by Fermi surface
nesting of electron and hole pockets and confirm the itinerant nature of
magnetism in the iron arsenide superconductors.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure
Changing minds: Children's inferences about third party belief revision
By the age of 5, children explicitly represent that agents can have both true and false beliefs based on epistemic access to information (e.g., Wellman, Cross, & Watson, 2001). Children also begin to understand that agents can view identical evidence and draw different inferences from it (e.g., Carpendale & Chandler, 1996). However, much less is known about when, and under what conditions, children expect other agents to change their minds. Here, inspired by formal ideal observer models of learning, we investigate children's expectations of the dynamics that underlie third parties' belief revision. We introduce an agent who has prior beliefs about the location of a population of toys and then observes evidence that, from an ideal observer perspective, either does, or does not justify revising those beliefs. We show that children's inferences on behalf of third parties are consistent with the ideal observer perspective, but not with a number of alternative possibilities, including that children expect other agents to be influenced only by their prior beliefs, only by the sampling process, or only by the observed data. Rather, children integrate all three factors in determining how and when agents will update their beliefs from evidence.National Science Foundation (U.S.). Division of Computing and Communication Foundations (1231216)National Science Foundation (U.S.). Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (0744213)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (STC Center for Brains, Minds and Machines Award CCF-1231216)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (0744213
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