Solid-state synthesis and characterization of ferromagnetic Mn5Ge3 nanoclusters in GeO/Mn thin films

Mn5Ge3 films are promising materials for spintronic applications due to their high spin polarization and a Curie temperature above room temperature. However, non-magnetic elements such as oxygen, carbon and nitrogen may unpredictably change the structural and magnetic properties of Mn5Ge3 films. Here, we use the solid-state reaction between Mn and GeO thin films to describe the synthesis and the structural and magnetic characterization of Mn5Ge3(Mn5Ge3Oy)-GeO2(GeOx) nanocomposite materials. Our results show that the synthesis of these nanocomposites starts at 180°С when the GeO decomposes into elemental germanium and oxygen and the resulting Ge atoms immediately migrate into the Mn layer to form ferromagnetic Mn5Ge3 nanoclusters. At the same time the oxygen atoms take part in the synthesis of GeOx and GeO2 oxides and also migrate into the Mn5Ge3 lattice to form Mn5Ge3Oy Nowotny nanoclusters. Magnetic analysis assumes the general nature of the Curie temperature increase in carbon-doped Mn5Ge3Cx and Mn5Ge3Oy films. Our findings prove that not only carbon, but oxygen may contribute to the increase of the saturation magnetization and Curie temperature of Mn5Ge3-based nanostructures

The Effect of Tile Light Collection Reduction along Radius on the ATLAS Tile Calorimeter Uniformity

We report on the light collection non uniformity of trapezoidal scintillating tiles along radius and its consequence on the miscalibration of the middle and back longitudinal calorimeter samplings. We discuss the need to apply extra corrections to the cells response after equalization and corrections obtained by the cesium calibration system, in order to bring all three longitudinal samplings to the right electromagnetic scale

Getting elections right? Measuring electoral integrity

Holding elections has become a global norm. Unfortunately, the integrity of elections varies strongly, ranging from “free and fair” elections with genuine contestation to “façade” elections marred by manipulation and fraud. Clearly, electoral integrity is a topic of increasing concern. Yet electoral integrity is notoriously difficult to measure, and hence taking stock of the available data is important. This article compares cross-national data sets measuring electoral integrity. The first part evaluates how the different data sets (a) conceptualize electoral integrity, (b) move from concepts to indicators, and (c) move from indicators to data. The second part analyses how different data sets code the same elections, seeking to explain the sources of disagreement about electoral integrity. The sample analysed comprises 746 elections in 95 third and fourth wave regimes from 1974 until 2009. I find that conceptual and measurement choices affect disagreement about election integrity, and also find that elections of lower integrity and post-conflict elections generate higher disagreement about election integrity. The article concludes with a discussion of results and suggestions for future research

МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКАЯ МОДЕЛЬ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ НАПРЯЖЕННО-ДЕФОРМИРОВАННОГО СОСТОЯНИЯ ЭПИПЛАТФОРМЕННЫХ ОРОГЕНОВ

The sources of the natural stress-strain state (SSS) of epiplatform orogens are investigated by tectonophysical methods based on seismological data. According to the available data, the horizontal axes of the main deviatoric extension are dominant in depressions, while in the ridges of the orogens, the axes of the main deviatorial compression are dominant.Our comparative analysis is focused on SSS of the orogenic crust. It is generally accepted that the sources of such SSS are geodynamic processes, including the pressure on the Eurasian Plate from the Indian Plate, and the small-scale thermogravitational asthenospheric convection. In the mathematical (analytical) simulation technique used in our study, the main criterion for the correctness of models in terms of tectonophysics is the correspondence between the orientation pattern of the principal stress tensor axes in the crust model to the natural data. According to Model I, the lithospheric SSS under lateral compression is less consistent with the sought-for SSS. Model II also gives the results that do not fully correspond to the stress data from tectonophysical reconstructions. However, additional analysis suggests that asthenospheric convection is a more promising (from the point of view of tectonophysics) geodynamic process for explaining epiplatform orogenesis. In our opinion, more complex and probably non-analytical mathematical models should consider this source of loading of the lithosphere as one of the most significant factors in the formation of the orogenic crust SSS in Central Asia.Рассматривается вопрос об источниках формирования природного напряженно-деформированного состояния (НДС) эпиплатформенных орогенов, исследуемого тектонофизическими методами на основе сейсмологических данных. Такого рода данные свидетельствуют о преобладании горизонтальной ориентации осей главного девиаторного растяжения во впадинах и осей главного девиаторного сжатия в хребтах орогенов. Проводится сравнительный анализ НДС коры орогена, источником которого выступают «общепринятые» геодинамические процессы: давление на Евразийскую плиту со стороны Индийской и действие мелкомасштабной термогравитационной астеносферной конвекции. Исследование проводилось методом математического (аналитического) моделирования, основным критерием тектонофизической корректности модели считалось соответствие распределения ориентаций главных осей тензора напряжений в коровой части моделей природным данным. Моделирование показало, что НДС литосферы, формирующееся в обстановке латерального сжатия, менее соответствует искомому. Вторая модель также показала результаты, не вполне соответствующие данным тектонофизической реконструкции напряжений. Однако дополнительный анализ позволил установить, что астеносферная конвекция является более перспективным, с точки зрения тектонофизики, геодинамическим процессом для объяснения эпиплатформенного орогенеза. Мы считаем, что в рамках более сложных и, вероятно, неаналитических математических моделей этот источник нагружения литосферы должен рассматриваться как один из наиболее существенных факторов формирования НДС коры орогенов Центральной Азии

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√ = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96+0.26−0.30 at Q 2 = 1.9 GeV2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio σ(W + +c¯¯)/σ(W − + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s−s¯¯¯ quark asymmetry

Measurement of χ c1 and χ c2 production with s√ = 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for the χ c1 and χ c2 charmonium states are measured in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using 4.5 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The χ c states are reconstructed through the radiative decay χ c → J/ψγ (with J/ψ → μ + μ −) where photons are reconstructed from γ → e + e − conversions. The production rate of the χ c2 state relative to the χ c1 state is measured for prompt and non-prompt χ c as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum. The prompt χ c cross-sections are combined with existing measurements of prompt J/ψ production to derive the fraction of prompt J/ψ produced in feed-down from χ c decays. The fractions of χ c1 and χ c2 produced in b-hadron decays are also measured

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30