A 43-Gbps Lithium Niobate Modulator Driver Module

This paper describes the realization of a 43-Gbps Lithium Niobate modulator driver module. The NRZ driver module utilizes four stages of GaAs p-HEMT MMIC amplifiers integrated with an output level detector and feedback loop to provide thermal stability and external control of the output swing. The bias and loop control circuitry are contained in the housing on a PC board external to the sealed MIC section. The integrated module (50.8 x 73.4 x 9.5 mm 3) provides 6.0 Vp-p controllable single-ended output voltage while dissipating only 4 watt

Discovery of a New Nearby Star

We report the discovery of a nearby star with a very large proper motion of 5.06 +/- 0.03 arcsec/yr. The star is called SO025300.5+165258 and referred to herein as HPMS (high proper motion star). The discovery came as a result of a search of the SkyMorph database, a sensitive and persistent survey that is well suited for finding stars with high proper motions. There are currently only 7 known stars with proper motions > 5 arcsec/yr. We have determined a preliminary value for the parallax of 0.43 +/- 0.13 arcsec. If this value holds our new star ranks behind only the Alpha Centauri system (including Proxima Centauri) and Barnard's star in the list of our nearest stellar neighbors. The spectrum and measured tangential velocity indicate that HPMS is a main-sequence star with spectral type M6.5. However, if our distance measurement is correct, the HPMS is underluminous by 1.2 +/- 0.7 mag.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to ApJ Letter

Parametrically constrained geometry relaxations for high-throughput materials science

Reducing parameter spaces via exploiting symmetries has greatly accelerated and increased the quality of electronic-structure calculations. Unfortunately, many of the traditional methods fail when the global crystal symmetry is broken, even when the distortion is only a slight perturbation (e.g., Jahn-Teller like distortions). Here we introduce a flexible and generalizable parametric relaxation scheme and implement it in the all-electron code FHI-aims. This approach utilizes parametric constraints to maintain symmetry at any level. After demonstrating the method’s ability to relax metastable structures, we highlight its adaptability and performance over a test set of 359 materials, across 13 lattice prototypes. Finally we show how these constraints can reduce the number of steps needed to relax local lattice distortions by an order of magnitude. The flexibility of these constraints enables a significant acceleration of high-throughput searches for novel materials for numerous applications

Diffusion and Transport Coefficients in Synthetic Opals

Opals are structures composed of the closed packing of spheres in the size range of nano-to-micro meter. They are sintered to create small necks at the points of contact. We have solved the diffusion problem in such structures. The relation between the diffusion coefficient and the termal and electrical conductivity makes possible to estimate the transport coefficients of opal structures. We estimate this changes as function of the neck size and the mean-free path of the carriers. The theory presented is also applicable to the diffusion problem in other periodic structures.Comment: Submitted to PR

Present status of the nonstrange and other flavor partners of the exotic Theta+ baryon

Given the existing empirical information about the exotic Theta+ baryon, we analyze possible properties of its SU(3)F-partners, paying special attention to the nonstrange member of the antidecuplet N*. The modified piN partial-wave analysis presents two candidate masses, 1680 MeV and 1730 MeV. In both cases, the N* should be rather narrow and highly inelastic. Our results suggest several directions for experimental studies that may clarify properties of the antidecuplet baryons, and structure of their mixing with other baryons. Recent experimental evidence from the GRAAL and STAR Collaborations could be interpreted as observations of a candidate for the Theta+ nonstrange partner.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, talk given at the Topical Group on Hadron Physics (Fermilab, Oct. 24-26, 2004

Photoproduction of Lambda(1405) and Sigma^{0}(1385) on the proton at E_\gamma = 1.5-2.4 GeV

Differential cross sections for $\gamma p \to K^+\Lambda(1405)$ and $\gamma p \to K^+\Sigma^0(1385)$ reactions have been measured in the photon energy range from 1.5 to 2.4 GeV and the angular range of $0.8<\cos(\Theta)<1.0$ for the $K^+$ scattering angle in the center-of-mass system. This data is the first measurement of the $\Lambda(1405)$ photoproduction cross section. The lineshapes of \LamS measured in $\Sigma^+\pi^-$ and $\Sigma^-\pi^+$ decay modes were different with each other, indicating a strong interference of the isospin 0 and 1 terms of the $\Sigma\pi$ scattering amplitudes. The ratios of \LamS production to \SigS production were measured in two photon energy ranges: near the production threshold ($1.5<E_\gamma<2.0$ GeV) and far from it ($2.0 <E_\gamma<2.4$ GeV). The observed ratio decreased in the higher photon energy region, which may suggest different production mechanisms and internal structures for these hyperon resonances

New Measurements of the Motion of the Zodiacal Dust

Using the Wisconsin H-Alpha Mapper (WHAM), we have measured at high spectral resolution and high signal-to-noise the profile of the scattered solar Mg I 5184 absorption line in the zodiacal light. The observations were carried out toward 49 directions that sampled the ecliptic equator from solar elongations of 48\dg (evening sky) to 334\dg (morning sky) plus observations near +47\dg and +90\dg ecliptic latitude. The spectra show a clear prograde kinematic signature that is inconsistent with dust confined to the ecliptic plane and in circular orbits influenced only by the sun's gravity. In particular, the broadened widths of the profiles, together with large amplitude variations in the centroid velocity with elongation angle, indicate that a significant population of dust is on eccentric orbits. In addition, the wide, flat-bottomed line profile toward the ecliptic pole indicates a broad distribution of orbital inclinations extending up to about 30\dg - 40\dg with respect to the ecliptic plane. The absence of pronounced asymmetries in the shape of the profiles limits the retrograde population to less than 10% of the prograde population and also places constraints on the scattering phase function of the particles. These results do not show the radial outflow or evening--morning velocity amplitude asymmetry reported in some earlier investigations. The reduction of the spectra included the discovery and removal of extremely faint, unidentified terrestrial emission lines that contaminate and distort the underlying Mg I profile. This atmospheric emission is too weak to have been seen in earlier, lower signal-to-noise observations, but it probably affected the line centroid measurements of previous investigations.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures, 1 table, to appear in ApJ v612; figures appear low-res only on scree

The LWA1 Radio Telescope

LWA1 is a new radio telescope operating in the frequency range 10-88 MHz, located in central New Mexico. The telescope consists of 258 pairs of dipole-type antennas whose outputs are individually digitized and formed into beams. Simultaneously, signals from all dipoles can be recorded using one of the instrument's "all dipoles" modes, facilitating all-sky imaging. Notable features of the instrument include high intrinsic sensitivity (about 6 kJy zenith system equivalent flux density), large instantaneous bandwidth (up to 78 MHz), and 4 independently-steerable beams utilizing digital "true time delay" beamforming. This paper summarizes the design of LWA1 and its performance as determined in commissioning experiments. We describe the method currently in use for array calibration, and report on measurements of sensitivity and beamwidth.Comment: 9 pages, 14 figures, accepted by IEEE Trans. Antennas & Propagation. Various minor changes from previous versio