723 research outputs found
Chest CT scoring for evaluation of lung sequelae in congenital diaphragmatic hernia survivors
Objectives Data on long-term structural lung abnormalities in survivors of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is scarce. The purpose of this study was to develop a chest computed tomography (CT) score to assess the structural lung sequelae in CDH survivors and to study the correlation between the CT scoring and clinical parameters in the neonatal period and at 1 year of follow-up. Methods A prospective, clinical follow-up program is organised for CDH survivors at the University Hospital of Leuven including a chest CT at the age of 1 year. The CT scoring used and evaluated, named CDH-CT score, was adapted from the revised Aukland score for chronic lung disease of prematurity. Results Thirty-five patients were included. All CT scans showed some pulmonary abnormalities, ranging from very mild to severe. The mean total CT score was 16 (IQR: 9-23), with the greatest contribution from the subscores for decreased attenuation (5; IQR: 2-8), subpleural linear and triangular opacities (4; IQR: 3-5), and atelectasis/consolidation (2; IQR: 1-3). Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was very good for the total score (ICC coefficient > 0.9). Total CT score correlated with number of neonatal days ventilated/on oxygen as well as with respiratory symptoms and feeding problems at 1 year of age. Conclusion The CDH-CT scoring tool has a good intraobserver and interobserver repeatability and correlates with relevant clinical parameters. This holds promise for its use in clinical follow-up and as outcome parameter in clinical interventional studies
Non-equilibrium structural phase transitions of the vortex lattice in MgB2
We have studied non-equilibrium phase transitions in the vortex lattice in
superconducting MgB2, where metastable states are observed in connection with
an intrinsically continuous rotation transition. Using small-angle neutron
scattering and a stop-motion technique, we investigated the manner in which the
metastable vortex lattice returns to the equilibrium state under the influence
of an ac magnetic field. This shows a qualitative difference between the
supercooled case which undergoes a discontinuous transition, and the
superheated case where the transition to the equilibrium state is continuous.
In both cases the transition may be described by an an activated process, with
an activation barrier that increases as the metastable state is suppressed, as
previously reported for the supercooled vortex lattice [E. R. Louden et al.,
Phys. Rev. B 99, 060502(R) (2019)]. Separate preparations of superheated
metastable vortex lattices with different domain populations showed an
identical transition towards the equilibrium state. This provides further
evidence that the vortex lattice metastability, and the kinetics associated
with the transition to the equilibrium state, is governed by nucleation and
growth of domains and the associated domain boundaries.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with
arXiv:1812.0597
High-energy magnetic excitations in overdoped LaSrCuO studied by neutron and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering
We have performed neutron inelastic scattering and resonant inelastic X-ray
scattering (RIXS) at the Cu- edge to study high-energy magnetic
excitations at energy transfers of more than 100 meV for overdoped
LaSrCuO with ( K) and
(non-superconducting) using identical single crystal samples for the two
techniques. From constant-energy slices of neutron scattering cross-sections,
we have identified magnetic excitations up to ~250 meV for . Although
the width in the momentum direction is large, the peak positions along the (pi,
pi) direction agree with the dispersion relation of the spin-wave in the
non-doped LaCuO (LCO), which is consistent with the previous RIXS
results of cuprate superconductors. Using RIXS at the Cu- edge, we have
measured the dispersion relations of the so-called paramagnon mode along both
(pi, pi) and (pi, 0) directions. Although in both directions the neutron and
RIXS data connect with each other and the paramagnon along (pi, 0) agrees well
with the LCO spin-wave dispersion, the paramagnon in the (pi, pi) direction
probed by RIXS appears to be less dispersive and the excitation energy is lower
than the spin-wave of LCO near (pi/2, pi/2). Thus, our results indicate
consistency between neutron inelastic scattering and RIXS, and elucidate the
entire magnetic excitation in the (pi, pi) direction by the complementary use
of two probes. The polarization dependence of the RIXS profiles indicates that
appreciable charge excitations exist in the same energy range of magnetic
excitations, reflecting the itinerant character of the overdoped sample. A
possible anisotropy in the charge excitation intensity might explain the
apparent differences in the paramagnon dispersion in the (pi, pi) direction as
detected by the X-ray scattering.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
Pauli Paramagnetic Effects on Vortices in Superconducting TmNi2B2C
The magnetic field distribution around the vortices in TmNi2B2C in the
paramagnetic phase was studied experimentally as well as theoretically. The
vortex form factor, measured by small-angle neutron scattering, is found to be
field independent up to 0.6 Hc2 followed by a sharp decrease at higher fields.
The data are fitted well by solutions to the Eilenberger equations when
paramagnetic effects due to the exchange interaction with the localized 4f Tm
moments are included. The induced paramagnetic moments around the vortex cores
act to maintain the field contrast probed by the form factor.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Topological energy barrier for skyrmion lattice formation in MnSi
We report the direct measurement of the topological skyrmion energy barrier
through a hysteresis of the skyrmion lattice in the chiral magnet MnSi.
Measurements were made using small-angle neutron scattering with a custom-built
resistive coil to allow for high-precision minor hysteresis loops. The
experimental data was analyzed using an adapted Preisach model to quantify the
energy barrier for skyrmion formation and corroborated by the minimum-energy
path analysis based on atomistic spin simulations. We reveal that the skyrmion
lattice in MnSi forms from the conical phase progressively in small domains,
each of which consisting of hundreds of skyrmions, and with an activation
barrier of several eV.Comment: Final accepted versio
Structural Transition Kinetics and Activated Behavior in the Superconducting Vortex Lattice
Using small-angle neutron scattering, we investigated the behavior of a
metastable vortex lattice state in MgB2 as it is driven towards equilibrium by
an AC magnetic field. This shows an activated behavior, where the AC field
amplitude and cycle count are equivalent to, respectively, an effective
"temperature" and "time". The activation barrier increases as the metastable
state is suppressed, corresponding to an aging of the vortex lattice.
Furthermore, we find a cross-over from a partial to a complete suppression of
metastable domains depending on the AC field amplitude, which may empirically
be described by a single free parameter. This represents a novel kind of
collective vortex behavior, most likely governed by the nucleation and growth
of equilibrium vortex lattice domains.Comment: 5 pages plus 3 pages of supplemental materia
A Hybrid Lagrangian Variation Method for Bose-Einstein Condensates in Optical Lattices
Solving the Gross--Pitaevskii (GP) equation describing a Bose--Einstein
condensate (BEC) immersed in an optical lattice potential can be a numerically
demanding task. We present a variational technique for providing fast, accurate
solutions of the GP equation for systems where the external potential exhibits
rapid varation along one spatial direction. Examples of such systems include a
BEC subjected to a one--dimensional optical lattice or a Bragg pulse. This
variational method is a hybrid form of the Lagrangian Variational Method for
the GP equation in which a hybrid trial wavefunction assumes a gaussian form in
two coordinates while being totally unspecified in the third coordinate. The
resulting equations of motion consist of a quasi--one--dimensional GP equation
coupled to ordinary differential equations for the widths of the transverse
gaussians. We use this method to investigate how an optical lattice can be used
to move a condensate non--adiabatically.Comment: 16 pages and 1 figur
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