Ferromagnetic HfO2/Si/GaAs interface for spin-polarimetry applications

In this letter, we present electrical and magnetic characteristics of HfO2-based metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs), along with the effect of pseudomorphic Si as a passivating interlayer on GaAs(001) grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Ultrathin HfO2 high-k gate dielectric films (3–15 nm) have been grown on Si/GaAs(001) structures through evaporation of a Hf/HfO2 target in NO2 gas. The lowest interface states density Dit at Au/HfO2/Si/GaAs(001) MOS-structures were obtained in the range of (6−13)×101

Influence of porosity on lipid preservation into the wall of archaeological pottery

International audiencePorosity of archaeological pottery is a key parameter used to assess its ability to trap lipids during the use of the pot and to preserve them over time. Mercury intrusion porosimetry and gas chromatography were used to study the distribution of porosity and the preservation of lipids in different chrono-cultural contexts. The data obtained show that the porosity pattern, related to the raw materials and the savoir-faire of the potters, influences the amount of lipids accumulated in the pottery. A significant overall porosity together with a high level of small pores is generally favourable for the preservation of lipids, but variations related to the environmental context are observed

Organic residue analysis shows sub-regional patterns in the use of pottery by Northern European hunter–gatherers

The introduction of pottery vessels to Europe has long been seen as closely linked with the spread of agriculture and pastoralism from the Near East. The adoption of pottery technology by hunter–gatherers in Northern and Eastern Europe does not fit this paradigm, and its role within these communities is so far unresolved. To investigate the motivations for hunter–gatherer pottery use, here, we present the systematic analysis of the contents of 528 early vessels from the Baltic Sea region, mostly dating to the late 6th–5th millennium cal BC, using molecular and isotopic characterization techniques. The results demonstrate clear sub-regional trends in the use of ceramics by hunter–gatherers; aquatic resources in the Eastern Baltic, non-ruminant animal fats in the Southeastern Baltic, and a more variable use, including ruminant animal products, in the Western Baltic, potentially including dairy. We found surprisingly little evidence for the use of ceramics for non-culinary activities, such as the production of resins. We attribute the emergence of these subregional cuisines to the diffusion of new culinary ideas afforded by the adoption of pottery, e.g. cooking and combining foods, but culturally contextualized and influenced by traditional practices

Chronology of Neolithic-Early Metal Age Sites at the Okhta River Mouth (Saint Petersburg, Russia)

The unique archaeological monument of Okhta 1 (Neolithic-Early Metal Age) was excavated in 2008 in central Saint Petersburg (Russia). Radiocarbon and wiggle-match dating of organic materials and artifacts (charcoal wood samples and ceramic food crusts) from lithological and cultural layers helped to determine the main stages of cultural-historical processes and paleogeographical events in the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea bay during the Holocene. Humans occupied the Okhta Cape from 4200–3600 cal BC, after the Littorina Sea regression. Prehistoric people of the Middle-Late Neolithic, identified by their characteristic Pit Combed Ware ceramics, used this territory for fishing and hunting. The wood pile constructions used for fishing in 3500 cal BC were built on the coast and in river channels. From 3200–3000 cal BC, settlements and burials appeared of the Late Neolithic-Early Metal Age. The strategic geographical position of this territory was favorable for trade activity, fishing, and hunting, and shaped important interactions for different cultural groups.The Radiocarbon archives are made available by Radiocarbon and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202