4,715 research outputs found
Magnetic field enhanced structural instability in EuTiO_{3}
EuTiO_{3} undergoes a structural phase transition from cubic to tetragonal at
T_S = 282 K which is not accompanied by any long range magnetic order. However,
it is related to the oxygen ocathedra rotation driven by a zone boundary
acoustic mode softening. Here we show that this displacive second order
structural phase transition can be shifted to higher temperatures by the
application of an external magnetic field (increased by 4 K for mu_{0}H = 9 T).
This observed field dependence is in agreement with theoretical predictions
based on a coupled spin-anharmonic-phonon interaction model.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Screening in (d+s)-wave superconductors: Application to Raman scattering
We study the polarization-dependent electronic Raman response of untwinned
YBaCuO superconductors employing a tight-binding band
structure with anisotropic hopping matrix parameters and a superconducting gap
with a mixing of - and s-wave symmetry. Using general arguments we find
screening terms in the B^{\}_{1g} scattering channel which are required by
gauge invariance. As a result, we obtain a small but measurable softening of
the pair-breaking peak, whose position has been attributed for a long time to
twice the superconducting gap maximum. Furthermore, we predict
superconductivity-induced changes in the phonon line shapes that could provide
a way to detect the isotropic s-wave admixture to the superconducting gap.Comment: typos corrected, 6 pages, 3 figure
The Impact of Halo Properties, Energy Feedback and Projection Effects on the Mass-SZ Flux Relation
We present a detailed analysis of the intrinsic scatter in the integrated SZ
effect - cluster mass (Y-M) relation, using semi-analytic and simulated cluster
samples. Specifically, we investigate the impact on the Y-M relation of energy
feedback, variations in the host halo concentration and substructure
populations, and projection effects due to unresolved clusters along the line
of sight (the SZ background). Furthermore, we investigate at what radius (or
overdensity) one should measure the integrated SZE and define cluster mass so
as to achieve the tightest possible scaling. We find that the measure of Y with
the least scatter is always obtained within a smaller radius than that at which
the mass is defined; e.g. for M_{200} (M_{500}) the scatter is least for
Y_{500} (Y_{1100}). The inclusion of energy feedback in the gas model
significantly increases the intrinsic scatter in the Y-M relation due to larger
variations in the gas mass fraction compared to models without feedback. We
also find that variations in halo concentration for clusters of a given mass
may partly explain why the integrated SZE provides a better mass proxy than the
central decrement. Substructure is found to account for approximately 20% of
the observed scatter in the Y-M relation. Above M_{200} = 2x10^{14} h^{-1}
msun, the SZ background does not significantly effect cluster mass
measurements; below this mass, variations in the background signal reduce the
optimal angular radius within which one should measure Y to achieve the
tightest scaling with M_{200}.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, to be submitted to Ap
A retrospective study of the prevalence of the canine degenerative myelopathy associated superoxide dismutase 1 mutation (SOD1: c. 118G> A) in a referral population of German Shepherd dogs from the UK
BACKGROUND: Canine degenerative myelopathy (CDM) is an adult onset, progressive neurodegenerative disease of the spinal cord. The disease was originally described in the German Shepherd dog (GSD), but it is now known to occur in many other dog breeds. A previous study has identified a mutation in the superoxide dismutase 1 gene (SOD1:c.118G > A) that is associated with susceptibility to CDM. In the present study, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was used to genotype GSD for SOD1:c.118G > A in order to estimate the prevalence of the mutation in a referral population of GSD in the UK. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that the RFLP assay, based on use of PCR and subsequent digestion with the Eco571 enzyme, provided a simple genotyping test for the SOD1:c.118G > A mutation. In a young GSD population (i.e. dogs less than 6 years of age, before clinical signs of the disease usually become apparent), 8 of 50 dogs were found to be homozygous and a further 19 were heterozygous for the mutation. In dogs over 8 years of age, 21 of 50 dogs admitted to a tertiary referral hospital with pelvic limb ataxia as a major clinical sign were homozygous for the mutation, compared to none of 50 dogs of similar age, but where no neurological disease was reported on referral. CONCLUSIONS: This data suggests that genotyping for the SOD1:c.118G > A mutation is clinically applicable and that the mutation has a high degree of penetrance. Genotyping might also be useful for screening the GSD population to avoid mating of two carriers, but since the allele frequency is relatively high in the UK population of GSD, care should be taken to avoid reduction in genetic diversity within the breed
Oxygen-isotope effect on the superconducting gap in the cuprate superconductor Y_{1-x}Pr_xBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta}
The oxygen-isotope (^{16}O/^{18}O) effect (OIE) on the zero-temperature
superconducting energy gap \Delta_0 was studied for a series of
Y_{1-x}Pr_xBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} samples (0.0\leq x\leq0.45). The OIE on
\Delta_0 was found to scale with the one on the superconducting transition
temperature. These experimental results are in quantitative agreement with
predictions from a polaronic model for cuprate high-temperature superconductors
and rule out approaches based on purely electronic mechanisms.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Intrinsic and structural isotope effects in Fe-based superconductors
The currently available results of the isotope effect on the superconducting
transition temperature T_c in Fe-based high-temperature superconductors (HTS)
are highly controversial. The values of the Fe isotope effect (Fe-IE) exponent
\alpha_Fe for various families of Fe-based HTS were found to be as well
positive, as negative, or even be exceedingly larger than the BCS value
\alpha_BCS=0.5. Here we demonstrate that the Fe isotope substitution causes
small structural modifications which, in turn, affect T_c. Upon correcting the
isotope effect exponent for these structural effects, an almost unique value of
\alpha~0.35-0.4 is observed for at least three different families of Fe-based
HTS.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Hybrid paramagnon phonon modes at elevated temperatures in EuTiO3
EuTiO3 (ETO) has recently experienced an enormous revival of interest because
of its possible multiferroic properties which are currently in the focus of
research. Unfortunately ETO is an unlikely candidate for enlarged
multifunctionality since the mode softening - typical for ferroelectrics -
remains incomplete, and the antiferromagnetic properties appear at 5.5K only.
However, a strong coupling between lattice and Eu spins exists and leads to the
appearance of a magnon-phonon-hybrid mode at elevated temperatures as evidenced
by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), muon spin rotation ({\mu}SR)
experiments and model predictions based on a coupled spin-polarizability
Hamiltonian. This novel finding supports the notion of strong
magneto-dielectric (MD) effects being realized in ETO and opens new strategies
in material design and technological applications.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
Theory of Dynamic Stripe Induced Superconductivity
Since the recently reported giant isotope effect on T* [1] could be
consistently explained within an anharmonic spin-charge-phonon interaction
model, we consider here the role played by stripe formation on the
superconducting properties within the same model. This is a two-component
scenario and we recast its basic elements into a BCS effective Hamiltonian. We
find that the stripe formation is vital to high-Tc superconductivity since it
provides the glue between the two components to enhance Tc to the unexpectedly
large values observed experimentally.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
CMB Lensing Power Spectrum Biases from Galaxies and Clusters using High-angular Resolution Temperature Maps
The lensing power spectrum from cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature
maps will be measured with unprecedented precision with upcoming experiments,
including upgrades to ACT and SPT. Achieving significant improvements in
cosmological parameter constraints, such as percent level errors on sigma_8 and
an uncertainty on the total neutrino mass of approximately 50 meV, requires
percent level measurements of the CMB lensing power. This necessitates tight
control of systematic biases. We study several types of biases to the
temperature-based lensing reconstruction signal from foreground sources such as
radio and infrared galaxies and the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect from
galaxy clusters. These foregrounds bias the CMB lensing signal due to their
non-Gaussian nature. Using simulations as well as some analytical models we
find that these sources can substantially impact the measured signal if left
untreated. However, these biases can be brought to the percent level if one
masks galaxies with fluxes at 150 GHz above 1 mJy and galaxy clusters with
masses above M_vir = 10^14 M_sun. To achieve such percent level bias, we find
that only modes up to a maximum multipole of l_max ~ 2500 should be included in
the lensing reconstruction. We also discuss ways to minimize additional bias
induced by such aggressive foreground masking by, for example, exploring a
two-step masking and in-painting algorithm.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, to be submitted to Ap
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