Penetration Depth Measurements in MgB_2: Evidence for Unconventional Superconductivity

We have measured the magnetic penetration depth of the recently discovered binary superconductor MgB_2 using muon spin rotation and low field $ac$-susceptibility. From the damping of the muon precession signal we find the penetration depth at zero temperature is about 85nm. The low temperature penetration depth shows a quadratic temperature dependence, indicating the presence of nodes in the superconducting energy gap.Comment: 4 pages 3 figure

Surface effects in multiband superconductors. Application to MgB2_2

Metals with many bands at the Fermi level can have different band dependent gaps in the superconducting state. The absence of translational symmetry at an interface can induce interband scattering and modify the superconducting properties. We dicuss the relevance of these effects to recent experiments in MgB$_2$

Experiencia en el tratamiento quirúrgico del angiofibroma nasal juvenil en Hospital de Especialidades No 2 Lic. Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social de Ciudad Obregón, Sonora

Objective: To present our experience and assess the recurrence of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma after a surgical treatment (open versus endoscopic approach) in the country’s northwestern Department of Otorhinolaryngology. Materials and methods: An observational, retrospective, analytical study. The medical records of patients diagnosed with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma, who were treated at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery of this institution from 2014 to 2017, were reviewed. Results: A total of 19 patients diagnosed with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma underwent a surgical procedure, out of which 14 had an open surgery and 5 an endoscopic one. Recurrence accounted for 50 % and 40 %, respectively, which was not statistically significant (p = 0.88). However, other variables were compared, such as the need for admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which was represented by 71 % in the case of the open approach and 20 % for the endoscopic approach, where a significant difference was found (p = 0.04). Conclusions: The study shows no statistically significant advantage of the endoscopic approach versus the open approach, but demonstrates less need for ICU admissions, which would reduce healthcare costs

Electronic structure of MgB2_2: X-ray emission and absorption studies

Measurements of x-ray emission and absorption spectra of the constituents of MgB$_2$ are presented. The results obtained are in good agreement with calculated x-ray spectra, with dipole matrix elements taken into account. The comparison of x-ray emission spectra of graphite, AlB$_2$, and MgB$_2$ in the binding energy scale supports the idea of charge transfer from $\sigma$ to $\pi$ bands, which creates holes at the top of the bonding $\sigma$ bands and drives the high-T$_c$Comment: final version as published in PR

Upper critical field for underdoped high-T_c superconductors. Pseudogap and stripe--phase

We investigate the upper critical field in a stripe--phase and in the presence of a phenomenological pseudogap. Our results indicate that the formation of stripes affects the Landau orbits and results in an enhancement of $H_{c2}$. On the other hand, phenomenologically introduced pseudogap leads to a reduction of the upper critical field. This effect is of particular importance when the magnitude of the gap is of the order of the superconducting transition temperature. We have found that a suppression of the upper critical field takes place also for the gap that originates from the charge--density waves.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Spectral Line Selection for HMI: A Comparison of Fe I 6173 and Ni I 6768

We present a study of two spectral lines, Fe I 6173 Angstroms and Ni I 6768 Angstroms, that were candidates to be used in the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) for observing Doppler velocity and the vector magnetic field. The line profiles were studied using the Mt. Wilson Observatory, the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter and the Kitt Peak McMath telescope and one meter Fourier transform spectrometer atlas. Both Fe I and Ni I profiles have clean continua and no blends that threaten instrument performance. The Fe I line is 2% deeper, 15% narrower and has a 6% smaller equivalent width than the Ni I line. The potential of each spectral line to recover pre-assigned solar conditions is tested using a least-squares minimization technique to fit Milne-Eddington models to tens of thousands of line profiles that have been sampled at five spectral positions across the line. Overall, the Fe I line has a better performance than the Ni I line for vector magnetic field retrieval. We selected the Fe I spectral line for use in HMI due to its better performance for magnetic diagnostics while not sacrificing velocity information

Non-linear numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in small-scale flux tubes

We present results of non-linear, 2D, numerical simulations of magneto-acoustic wave propagation in the photosphere and chromosphere of small-scale flux tubes with internal structure. Waves with realistic periods of three to five minutes are studied, after applying horizontal and vertical oscillatory perturbations to the equilibrium model. Spurious reflections of shock waves from the upper boundary are minimized thanks to a special boundary condition. This has allowed us to increase the duration of the simulations and to make it long enough to perform a statistical analysis of oscillations. The simulations show that deep horizontal motions of the flux tube generate a slow (magnetic) mode and a surface mode. These modes are efficiently transformed into a slow (acoustic) mode in the vA < cS atmosphere. The slow (acoustic) mode propagates vertically along the field lines, forms shocks and remains always within the flux tube. It might deposit effectively the energy of the driver into the chromosphere. When the driver oscillates with a high frequency, above the cut-off, non-linear wave propagation occurs with the same dominant driver period at all heights. At low frequencies, below the cut-off, the dominant period of oscillations changes with height from that of the driver in the photosphere to its first harmonic (half period) in the chromosphere. Depending on the period and on the type of the driver, different shock patterns are observed.Comment: 22 pages 6 color figures, submitted to Solar Physics, proceeding of SOHO 19/ GONG 2007 meeting, Melbourne, Australi

Modeling the Subsurface Structure of Sunspots

While sunspots are easily observed at the solar surface, determining their subsurface structure is not trivial. There are two main hypotheses for the subsurface structure of sunspots: the monolithic model and the cluster model. Local helioseismology is the only means by which we can investigate subphotospheric structure. However, as current linear inversion techniques do not yet allow helioseismology to probe the internal structure with sufficient confidence to distinguish between the monolith and cluster models, the development of physically realistic sunspot models are a priority for helioseismologists. This is because they are not only important indicators of the variety of physical effects that may influence helioseismic inferences in active regions, but they also enable detailed assessments of the validity of helioseismic interpretations through numerical forward modeling. In this paper, we provide a critical review of the existing sunspot models and an overview of numerical methods employed to model wave propagation through model sunspots. We then carry out an helioseismic analysis of the sunspot in Active Region 9787 and address the serious inconsistencies uncovered by \citeauthor{gizonetal2009}~(\citeyear{gizonetal2009,gizonetal2009a}). We find that this sunspot is most probably associated with a shallow, positive wave-speed perturbation (unlike the traditional two-layer model) and that travel-time measurements are consistent with a horizontal outflow in the surrounding moat.Comment: 73 pages, 19 figures, accepted by Solar Physic

Extreme Ultra-Violet Spectroscopy of the Lower Solar Atmosphere During Solar Flares

The extreme ultraviolet portion of the solar spectrum contains a wealth of diagnostic tools for probing the lower solar atmosphere in response to an injection of energy, particularly during the impulsive phase of solar flares. These include temperature and density sensitive line ratios, Doppler shifted emission lines and nonthermal broadening, abundance measurements, differential emission measure profiles, and continuum temperatures and energetics, among others. In this paper I shall review some of the advances made in recent years using these techniques, focusing primarily on studies that have utilized data from Hinode/EIS and SDO/EVE, while also providing some historical background and a summary of future spectroscopic instrumentation.Comment: 34 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to Solar Physics as part of the Topical Issue on Solar and Stellar Flare

Bioquímica y proteómica vegetal y agrícola

En la presente comunicación se resume lo que ha sido la actividad investigadora del grupo “Bioquímica y Proteómica Vegetal y Agrícola” (PAI AGR-164) en los últimos tres años (2005-2007). Nuestro interés y objetivo científico se ha centrando en el estudio de los cambios adaptativos y reacciones de defensa y de resistencia/tolerancia de las plantas a estreses de tipo biótico (hongos fitopatógenos y plantas parásitas) y abiótico (metales pesados, sequía). Dichos estudios se han llevado a cabo tanto con sistemas modelo (Arabidopsis thaliana y Medicago truncatula), como con especies de interés agronómico (garbanzo, girasol, guisante, maíz) o forestal (encina, alcornoque y pino). En los proyectos de investigación abordados se ha utilizado, en gran medida, una aproximación de proteómica, y también técnicas de bioquímica clásica y transcriptómica. La proteómica constituye, hoy en día, una línea prioritaria en cualquier investigación biológica, suministrando, en el área de la biología vegetal, y en combinación con las técnicas clásicas de bioquímica y las de transcriptómica, información relevante sobre diferentes aspectos básicos y aplicados relacionados con especies de interés agronómico y forestal, como es el de la respuesta a estreses, y la caracterización de genotipos (poblaciones, mutantes, líneas transgénicas). Además, hay aspectos, como el de las modificaciones postraduccionales, que sólo pueden ser abordados experimentalmente mediante una estrategia de proteómica. Nuestro grupo ha iniciado recientemente una nueva línea, dirigida a estudiar el proteoma redox en Arabidopsis y su implicación en la respuesta a patógeno