1,620 research outputs found
Dark matter as a dynamic effect due to a non-minimal gravitational coupling with matter
In this work the phenomenology of models possessing a non-minimal coupling
between matter and geometry is discussed, with a particular focus on the
possibility of describing the flattening of the galactic rotation curves as a
dynamically generated effect derived from this modification to General
Relativity. Two possibilities are discussed: firstly, that the observed
discrepancy between the measured rotation velocity and the classical prediction
is due to a deviation from geodesic motion, due to a non-(covariant)
conservation of the energy-momentum tensor; secondly, that even if the
principle of energy conservation holds, the dynamical effects arising due to
the non-trivial terms in the Einstein equations of motion can give rise to an
extra density contribution that may be interpreted as dark matter. The
mechanism of the latter alternative is detailed, and a numerical session
ascertaining the order of magnitude of the relevant parameters is undertaken,
with possible cosmological implications discussed.Comment: Talk given at First Mediterranean Conference on Classical and Quantum
Gravity, Kolymbari, Greece, 14-18 September 2009
Microdroplet-tin plasma sources of EUV radiation driven by solid-state-lasers (Topical Review)
Plasma produced from molten-tin microdroplets generates extreme ultraviolet light for state-of-the-art nanolithography. Currently, CO2 lasers are used to drive the plasma. In the future, solid-state mid-infrared lasers may instead be used to efficiently pump the plasma. Such laser systems have promise to be more compact, better scalable, and have higher wall-plug efficiency. In this Topical Review, we present recent findings made at the Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography (ARCNL) on using 1 and 2 μm wavelength solid-state lasers for tin target preparation and for driving hot and dense plasma. The ARCNL research ranges from advanced laser development, studies of fluid dynamic response of droplets to impact, radiation-hydrodynamics calculations of, e.g. ion 'debris', (EUV) spectroscopic studies of tin laser-produced-plasma as well as high-conversion efficiency operation of 2 μm wavelength driven plasma
Ion distribution and ablation depth measurements of a fs-ps laser-irradiated solid tin target
The ablation of solid tin surfaces by an 800-nanometer-wavelength laser is
studied for a pulse length range from 500 fs to 4.5 ps and a fluence range
spanning 0.9 to 22 J/cm^2. The ablation depth and volume are obtained employing
a high-numerical-aperture optical microscope, while the ion yield and energy
distributions are obtained from a set of Faraday cups set up under various
angles. We found a slight increase of the ion yield for an increasing pulse
length, while the ablation depth is slightly decreasing. The ablation volume
remained constant as a function of pulse length. The ablation depth follows a
two-region logarithmic dependence on the fluence, in agreement with the
available literature and theory. In the examined fluence range, the ion yield
angular distribution is sharply peaked along the target normal at low fluences
but rapidly broadens with increasing fluence. The total ionization fraction
increases monotonically with fluence to a 5-6% maximum, which is substantially
lower than the typical ionization fractions obtained with nanosecond-pulse
ablation. The angular distribution of the ions does not depend on the laser
pulse length within the measurement uncertainty. These results are of
particular interest for the possible utilization of fs-ps laser systems in
plasma sources of extreme ultraviolet light for nanolithography.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure
Optical spectroscopy of complex open 4-shell ions Sn-Sn
We analyze the complex level structure of ions with many-valence-electron
open [Kr] 4 sub-shells (=7-4) with ab initio
calculations based on configuration-interaction many-body perturbation theory
(CI+MBPT). Charge-state-resolved optical and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectra
of Sn-Sn ions were obtained using an electron beam ion trap.
Semi-empirical spectral fits carried out with the orthogonal parameters
technique and Cowan code calculations lead to 90 identifications of
magnetic-dipole transitions and the determination of 79 energy
ground-configuration levels, questioning some earlier EUV-line assignments. Our
results, the most complete data set available to date for these ground
configurations, confirm the ab initio predictive power of CI+MBPT calculations
for the these complex electronic systems.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure
Single-collision scattering of keV-energy Kr ions off a polycrystalline Cu surface
In the keV-energy regime, the scattering of krypton ions off a copper sample has been studied. In addition to the broad energy spectrum arising from multiple-collision scattering, the energy distributions of the backscattered ions exhibit prominent peaks at energies where single-collision (SC) scattering peaks are expected. Such SC peaks were shown to be absent in Sn – Mo/Ru scattering, systems of similar mass ratio and thus similar kinetics. The present Kr on Cu results allow for a comparison to a simulation package as SRIM. An important difference found between the present experiment and the predictions of SRIM is that the SC contribution is observed to decrease with scattering angle, whereas SRIM predicts this contribution to be constant. The intensity of the experimental SC peaks, though much weaker than in the SRIM simulations, may be used as markers to improve SRIM in its description of low-energy heavy particle scattering off surfaces
Evidence for Non-Hydrostatic Gas from the Cluster X-ray to Lensing Mass Ratio
Using a uniform analysis procedure, we measure spatially resolved weak
gravitational lensing and hydrostatic X-ray masses for a sample of 18 clusters
of galaxies. We find a radial trend in the X-ray to lensing mass ratio: at
r2500 we obtain a ratio MX/ML=1.03+/-0.07 which decreases to MX/ML=0.78+/-0.09
at r500. This difference is significant at 3 sigma once we account for
correlations between the measurements. We show that correcting the lensing mass
for excess correlated structure outside the virial radius slightly reduces, but
does not eliminate this trend. An X-ray mass underestimate, perhaps due to
nonthermal pressure support, can explain the residual trend. The trend is not
correlated with the presence or absence of a cool core. We also examine the
cluster gas fraction and find no correlation with ML, an important result for
techniques that aim to determine cosmological parameters using the gas
fraction.Comment: 8 pages, minor modifications, accepted for publication in MNRA
Charge exchange in collisions of 1-100-keV Sn3+ ions with H2 and D2
Absolute cross sections for single electron capture by Sn3+ colliding with H2 and D2 have been measured and calculated in the energy range of 1-100 keV. The cross sections are determined by measuring the change in ion beam current with varying target density and by measuring the yields of charged target fragments by means of a time-of-flight spectrometer. The results for D2 show good agreement with our seven-state semiclassical calculations, while for H2 the experimental results increase more strongly than the calculations toward lower energies. This discrepancy is attributed to vibrational effects, not included in the calculations, that lead to the breakdown of the Franck-Condon approximation
First Test of Lorentz Invariance in the Weak Decay of Polarized Nuclei
A new test of Lorentz invariance in the weak interactions has been made by
searching for variations in the decay rate of spin-polarized 20Na nuclei. This
test is unique to Gamow-Teller transitions, as was shown in the framework of a
recently developed theory that assumes a Lorentz symmetry breaking background
field of tensor nature. The nuclear spins were polarized in the up and down
direction, putting a limit on the amplitude of sidereal variations of the form
|(\Gamma_{up} - \Gamma_{down})| / (\Gamma_{up} + \Gamma_{down}) < 3 * 10^{-3}.
This measurement shows a possible route toward a more detailed testing of
Lorentz symmetry in weak interactions.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
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