33,866 research outputs found
Optical scanning tests of complex CMOS microcircuits
The new test method was based on the use of a raster-scanned optical stimulus in combination with special electrical test procedures. The raster-scanned optical stimulus was provided by an optical spot scanner, an instrument that combines a scanning optical microscope with electronic instrumentation to process and display the electric photoresponse signal induced in a device that is being tested
The steady state in noncollinear magnetic multilayers
There are at least two different putative steady state solutions for current
across noncollinear magnetic multilayers; one has a discontinuity in the spin
current at the interface the other is continuous. We compare the resistance of
the two and find the solution with the continuous spin currents is lower. By
using the entropic principle we can state that this solution is a better
estimate of the resistance for a noncollinear magneticComment: 14 pages, 4 figures,Submitted to Physical Review
Different steady states for spin currents in noncollinear multilayers
We find there are at least two different steady states for transport across
noncollinear magnetic multilayers. In the conventional one there is a
discontinuity in the spin current across the interfaces which has been
identified as the source of current induced magnetic reversal; in the one
advocated herein the spin torque arises from the spin accumulation transverse
to the magnetization of a magnetic layer. These two states have quite different
attributes which should be discerned by current experiments.Comment: 8 pages, no figure. Accepted for publication in Journal of Physics:
Condensed Matte
Electrical manipulation of an electronic two-state system in Ge/Si quantum dots
We calculate that the electron states of strained self-assembled Ge/Si
quantum dots provide a convenient two-state system for electrical control. An
electronic state localized at the apex of the quantum dot is nearly degenerate
with a state localized at the base of the quantum dot. Small electric fields
shift the electronic ground state from apex-localized to base-localized, which
permits sensitive tuning of the electronic, optical and magnetic properties of
the dot. As one example, we describe how spin-spin coupling between two Ge/Si
dots can be controlled very sensitively by shifting the individual dot's
electronic ground state between apex and base
Possible acceleration of charged particles through the reconnection of magnetic field lines in interplanetary space
Prominent intensity spikes in the flux of protons and alphas with less than 0.5 MeV per charge were observed in the region several hours behind an interplanetary shock front. The small spatial scale of these events and the high anisotropy of the particle flux suggest local acceleration. The spectra of the particles, which are cut off at equal energy per charge, suggest acceleration through an electric field. The possibility is examined that these events have their origin in active magnetic neutral sheets in the shocked solar wind
Ceramic composition at Chalcolithic Shiqmim, northern Negev desert, Israel: investigating technology and provenance using thin section petrography, instrumental geochemistry and calcareous nannofossils
Technological innovations in ceramic production and other crafts are hallmarks of the Chalcolithic period (4500–3600 BCE) in the southern Levant, but details of manufacturing traditions have not been fully investigated using the range of analytical methods currently available. This paper presents results of a compositional study of 51 sherds of ceramic churns and other pottery types from the Chalcolithic site of Shiqmim in the northern Negev desert. By applying complementary thin section petrography, instrumental geochemistry and calcareous nannofossil analyses, connections between the raw materials, clay paste recipes and vessel forms of the selected ceramic samples are explored and documented. The study indicates that steps in ceramic manufacturing can be related to both technological choices and local geology. Detailed reporting of the resulting data facilitates future comparative ceramic compositional research that is needed as a basis for testable regional syntheses and to better resolve networks of trade/exchange and social group movement
Electromagnetic radiation screening of microcircuits for long life applications
The utility of X-rays as a stimulus for screening high reliability semiconductor microcircuits was studied. The theory of the interaction of X-rays with semiconductor materials and devices was considered. Experimental measurements of photovoltages, photocurrents, and effects on specified parameters were made on discrete devices and on microcircuits. The test specimens included discrete devices with certain types of identified flaws and symptoms of flaws, and microcircuits exhibiting deviant electrical behavior. With a necessarily limited sample of test specimens, no useful correlation could be found between the X-ray-induced electrical response and the known or suspected presence of flaws
Symmetron Cosmology
The symmetron is a scalar field associated with the dark sector whose
coupling to matter depends on the ambient matter density. The symmetron is
decoupled and screened in regions of high density, thereby satisfying local
constraints from tests of gravity, but couples with gravitational strength in
regions of low density, such as the cosmos. In this paper we derive the
cosmological expansion history in the presence of a symmetron field, tracking
the evolution through the inflationary, radiation- and matter-dominated epochs,
using a combination of analytical approximations and numerical integration. For
a broad range of initial conditions at the onset of inflation, the scalar field
reaches its symmetry-breaking vacuum by the present epoch, as assumed in the
local analysis of spherically-symmetric solutions and tests of gravity. For the
simplest form of the potential, the energy scale is too small for the symmetron
to act as dark energy, hence we must add a cosmological constant to drive
late-time cosmic acceleration. We briefly discuss a class of generalized,
non-renormalizable potentials that can have a greater impact on the late-time
cosmology, though cosmic acceleration requires a delicate tuning of parameters
in this case.Comment: 42 page
Oceanic CO2 increase in Baffin Bay
Measurements of the total inorganic carbon in the water of Baffin Bay are interpreted to reflect increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to fossil fuel combustion. The increases are indicated by differences at various depths in the alkalinity and total inorganic carbon values after correction for calcium carbonate dissolution and decay of organic matter. These differences are comparable to the changes reported for GEOSECS Atlantic and Pacific Stations
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