14,691 research outputs found
Microlensing of Sub-parsec Massive Binary Black Holes in Lensed QSOs: Light Curves and Size-Wavelength Relation
Sub-parsec binary massive black holes (BBHs) are long anticipated to exist in
many QSOs but remain observationally elusive. In this paper, we propose a novel
method to probe sub-parsec BBHs through microlensing of lensed QSOs. If a QSO
hosts a sub-parsec BBH in its center, it is expected that the BBH is surrounded
by a circum-binary disk, each component of the BBH is surrounded by a small
accretion disk, and a gap is opened by the secondary component in between the
circum-binary disk and the two small disks. Assuming such a BBH structure, we
generate mock microlensing light curves for some QSO systems that host BBHs
with typical physical parameters. We show that microlensing light curves of a
BBH QSO system at the infrared-optical-UV bands can be significantly different
from those of corresponding QSO system with a single massive black hole (MBH),
mainly because of the existence of the gap and the rotation of the BBH (and its
associated small disks) around the center of mass. We estimate the half-light
radii of the emission region at different wavelengths from mock light curves
and find that the obtained half-light radius vs. wavelength relations of BBH
QSO systems can be much flatter than those of single MBH QSO systems at a
wavelength range determined by the BBH parameters, such as the total mass, mass
ratio, separation, accretion rates, etc. The difference is primarily due to the
existence of the gap. Such unique features on the light curves and half-light
radius-wavelength relations of BBH QSO systems can be used to select and probe
sub-parsec BBHs in a large number of lensed QSOs to be discovered by current
and future surveys, including the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response
System (Pan-STARRS), the Large Synoptic Survey telescope (LSST) and Euclid.Comment: 18 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Calorimetric Evidence of Strong-Coupling Multiband Superconductivity in Fe(Te0.57Se0.43) Single Crystal
We have investigated the specific heat of optimally-doped iron chalcogenide
superconductor Fe(Te0.57Se0.43) with a high-quality single crystal sample. The
electronic specific heat Ce of this sample has been successfully separated from
the phonon contribution using the specific heat of a non-superconducting sample
(Fe0.90Cu0.10)(Te0.57Se0.43) as a reference. The normal state Sommerfeld
coefficient gamma_n of the superconducting sample is found to be ~ 26.6 mJ/mol
K^2, indicating intermediate electronic correlation. The temperature dependence
of Ce in the superconducting state can be best fitted using a double-gap model
with 2Delta_s(0)/kBTc = 3.92 and 2Delta_l(0)/kBTc = 5.84. The large gap
magnitudes derived from fitting, as well as the large specific heat jump of
Delta_Ce(Tc)/gamma_n*Tc ~ 2.11, indicate strong-coupling superconductivity.
Furthermore, the magnetic field dependence of specific heat shows strong
evidence for multiband superconductivity
Weak anisotropy of the superconducting upper critical field in Fe1.11Te0.6Se0.4 single crystals
We have determined the resistive upper critical field Hc2 for single crystals
of the superconductor Fe1.11Te0.6Se0.4 using pulsed magnetic fields of up to
60T. A rather high zero-temperature upper critical field of mu0Hc2(0) approx
47T is obtained, in spite of the relatively low superconducting transition
temperature (Tc approx 14K). Moreover, Hc2 follows an unusual temperature
dependence, becoming almost independent of the magnetic field orientation as
the temperature T=0. We suggest that the isotropic superconductivity in
Fe1.11Te0.6Se0.4 is a consequence of its three-dimensional Fermi-surface
topology. An analogous result was obtained for (Ba,K)Fe2As2, indicating that
all layered iron-based superconductors exhibit generic behavior that is
significantly different from that of the high-Tc cuprates.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submit to PR
Enhanced superconductivity at the interface of W/SrRuO point contact
Differential resistance measurements are conducted for point contacts (PCs)
between tungsten tip approaching along the axis direction and the
plane of SrRuO single crystal. Three key features are found.
Firstly, within 0.2 mV there is a dome like conductance enhancement due to
Andreev reflection at the normal-superconducting interface. By pushing the W
tip further, the conductance enhancement increases from 3\% to more than 20\%,
much larger than that was previously reported, probably due to the pressure
exerted by the tip. Secondly, there are also superconducting like features at
bias higher than 0.2 mV which persists up to 6.2 K, resembling the enhanced
superconductivity under uniaxial pressure for bulk SrRuO crystals
but more pronounced here. Third, the logarithmic background can be fitted with
the Altshuler-Aronov theory of tunneling into quasi two dimensional electron
system, consistent with the highly anisotropic electronic system in
SrRuO.Comment: prb style, 9 pages, 8 fig
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