58,113 research outputs found
Skyrme and Wigner crystals in graphene
At low-energy, the band structure of graphene can be approximated by two
degenerate valleys about which the electronic spectra of the
valence and conduction bands have linear dispersion relations. An electronic
state in this band spectrum is a linear superposition of states from the
and sublattices of the honeycomb lattice of graphene. In a quantizing
magnetic field, the band spectrum is split into Landau levels with level N=0
having zero weight on the sublattice for the valley.
Treating the valley index as a pseudospin and assuming the real spins to be
fully polarized, we compute the energy of Wigner and Skyrme crystals in the
Hartree-Fock approximation. We show that Skyrme crystals have lower energy than
Wigner crystals \textit{i.e.} crystals with no pseudospin texture in some range
of filling factor around integer fillings. The collective mode spectrum
of the valley-skyrmion crystal has three linearly-dispersing Goldstone modes in
addition to the usual phonon mode while a Wigner crystal has only one extra
Goldstone mode with a quadratic dispersion. We comment on how these modes
should be affected by disorder and how, in principle, a microwave absorption
experiment could distinguish between Wigner and Skyrme crystals.Comment: 14 pages with 11 figure
Micromachined Millimetre-Wave Passive Components at 38 and 77 GHz
A precision micro-fabrication technique has been developed for millimetre-wave components of air-filled three-dimensional structures, such as rectangular coaxial lines or waveguides. The devices are formed by bonding several layers of micromachining defined slices with a thickness of a few hundred micrometres. The slices are thickphotoresist SU8 defined by photolithography, or silicon with a pattern defined by deep reactive ion etching; both are coated with gold by evaporation. The process is simple, and low-cost, as compared with conventional precision metal machining, but yields mm-wave components with good performance. The components are light weight and truly airfilled with no dielectric support. This paper reviews several of these micromachined mm-wave components at 38 and 77 GHz for communications and radar applications
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Investigating the ozone cycle on Mars using GCM modelling and data assimilation
Uncovering CDM halo substructure with tidal streams
Models for the formation and growth of structure in a cold dark matter
dominated universe predict that galaxy halos should contain significant
substructure. Studies of the Milky Way, however, have yet to identify the
expected few hundred sub-halos with masses greater than about 10^6 Msun. Here
we propose a test for the presence of sub-halos in the halos of galaxies. We
show that the structure of the tidal tails of ancient globular clusters is very
sensitive to heating by repeated close encounters with the massive dark
sub-halos. We discuss the detection of such an effect in the context of the
next generation of astrometric missions, and conclude that it should be easily
detectable with the GAIA dataset. The finding of a single extended cold stellar
stream from a globular cluster would support alternative theories, such as
self-interacting dark matter, that give rise to smoother halos.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to MNRA
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Modeling of the general circulation with the LMD-AOPP-IAA GCM: Update on model design and comparison with observations
The LMD-AOPP GCM is developed conjointly by LMD in Paris and AOPP in Oxford, with the collaboration of
IAA in Granada for the physical processes specific to the upper atmosphere. The collaboration between the
two teams is based on the use of two different dynamical core (gridpoint at LMD, spectral at AOPP), which
allow us to estimate the likely uncertainty arising from certain types of modeling errors. Similarly, we use
different schemes to compute tracer transport, etc. The work has benefited from support from ESA (since 1995)
and CNES (since 2000). Within that context, the GCMs are used to produce a Martian climate 'database' which
is used by more than 30 teams around the world for mission design and scientific studies (see Bingham et al.,
this issue and Lewis et al., 1999). The baseline version of the GCM is described in detail in Forget et al. (1999). Here we describe the recent improvement and design changes since this publication. Compared to this previous version, the new GCM covers a wider range of altitude, from 0 to 120km in the vertical, it uses improved topography and thermal inertia surface
maps from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), and includes a new 'dust scenario' to describe the distribution of airborne dust in the atmosphere
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First ozone reanalysis on Mars using SPICAM data
To further our understanding of important photochemical processes in the Martian atmosphere, a synthesis can be used to investigate the temporal and spatial agreement between model and observations and determine any possible causes of identified differences. In this study [1], we have assimilated, for the first time, total ozone into a Mars Global Circulation model (GCM) to study the ozone cycle
Key results of the mini-dome Fresnel lens concentrator array development program under recently completed NASA and SDIO SBIR projects
Since 1986, ENTECH and the NASA Lewis Research Center have been developing a new photovoltaic concentrator system for space power applications. The unique refractive system uses small, dome shaped Fresnel lenses to focus sunlight onto high efficiency photovoltaic concentrator cells which use prismatic cell covers to further increase their performance. Highlights of the five-year development include near Air Mass Zero (AM0) Lear Jet flight testing of mini-dome lenses (90 pct. net optical efficiency achieved); tests verifying sun-pointing error tolerance with negligible power loss; simulator testing of prism-covered GaAs concentrator cells (24 pct. AM0 efficiency); testing of prism-covered Boeing GaAs/GaSb tandem cells (31 pct. AM0 efficiency); and fabrication and outdoor testing of a 36-lens/cell element panel. These test results have confirmed previous analytical predictions which indicate substantial performance improvements for this technology over current array systems. Based on program results to date, it appears than an array power density of 300 watts/sq m and a specific power of 100 watts/kg can be achieved in the near term. All components of the array appear to be readily manufacturable from space-durable materials at reasonable cost. A concise review is presented of the key results leading to the current array, and further development plans for the future are briefly discussed
7.2% efficient polycrystalline silicon photoelectrode
After etching, n-type cast polycrystalline silicon photoanodes immersed in a solution of methanol and a substituted ferrocene reagent exhibit photoelectrode efficiencies of 7.2%±0.7% under simulated AM2 illumination. Scanning laser spot data indicate that the grain boundaries are active; however, the semiconductor/liquid contact does not display the severe shunting effects which are observed at a polycrystalline Si/Pt Schottky barrier. Evidence for an interfacial oxide on the operating polycrystalline Si photoanode is presented. Some losses in short circuit current can be ascribed to bulk semiconductor properties; however, despite these losses, photoanodes fabricated from polycrystalline substrates exhibit efficiencies comparable to those of single crystal material. Two major conclusions of our studies are that improved photoelectrode behavior in the polycrystalline silicon/methanol system will primarily result from changes in bulk electrode properties and from grain boundary passivation, and that Fermi level pinning by surface states does not prevent the design of efficient silicon-based liquid junctions
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