3,867 research outputs found
Magnetic and structural quantum phase transitions in CeCu6-xAux are independent
The heavy-fermion compound CeCuAu has become a model system for
unconventional magnetic quantum criticality. For small Au concentrations , the compound undergoes a structural transition from
orthorhombic to monoclinic crystal symmetry at a temperature with
for . Antiferromagnetic order sets in
close to . To shed light on the interplay between quantum
critical magnetic and structural fluctuations we performed neutron-scattering
and thermodynamic measurements on samples with . The
resulting phase diagram shows that the antiferromagnetic and monoclinic phase
coexist in a tiny Au concentration range between and . The
application of hydrostatic and chemical pressure allows to clearly separate the
transitions from each other and to explore a possible effect of the structural
transition on the magnetic quantum critical behavior. Our measurements
demonstrate that at low temperatures the unconventional quantum criticality
exclusively arises from magnetic fluctuations and is not affected by the
monoclinic distortion.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Regional Trajectories of Entrepreneurship and Growth
The development of regions is considerably shaped by their history. We review research that finds significant persistence of regional levels of entrepreneurship over longer periods of time. It is argued that the long term persistence of regional entrepreneurship indicates the presence and effect of a culture of entrepreneurship that is conducive to new business formation and regional growth. Hence, regional development is characterized by long term trajectories of entrepreneurship. We derive a number of policy implications and propose avenues for further research.</p
Airborne measurements of trace gas and aerosol particle emissions from biomass burning in Amazonia
International audienceAs part of the LBA-SMOCC (Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia ? Smoke, Aerosols, Clouds, Rainfall, and Climate) 2002 campaign, we studied the emission of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and aerosol particles from Amazonian deforestation fires using an instrumented aircraft. Emission ratios for aerosol number (CN) relative to CO (ERCN/CO) fell in the range 14?32 cm-3 ppb-1 for most of the time, in agreement with values usually found from tropical savanna fires. The number of particles emitted per amount biomass burned was found to be dependant on the fire condition (combustion efficiency). Variability in the ERCN/CO between fires was similar to the variability caused by variations in combustion behavior within each individual fire. This was confirmed by observations of CO-to-CO2 emission ratios (ERCO/CO2), which stretched across the same wide range of values for individual fires as for all the fires observed during the sampling campaign, indicating that flaming and smoldering phases are present simultaneously in deforestation fires. Emission factors (EF) for CO and aerosol particles were computed and a correction was applied for the residual smoldering combustion (RSC) fraction of emissions that are not sampled by the aircraft. The correction, previously unpublished for tropical deforestation fires, suggested an EF about one and a half to twice as large for these species. Vertical transport of biomass-burning plumes from the boundary layer (BL) to the cloud detrainment layer (CDL) and the free troposphere (FT) was found to be a very common phenomenon. We observed a 20% loss in particle number as a result of this vertical transport and subsequent cloud processing, attributable to in-cloud coagulation. This small loss fraction suggests that this mode of transport is very efficient in terms of particle numbers and occurs mostly via non-precipitating clouds. The detrained aerosol particles released in the CDL and FT were larger due to coagulation and secondary growth, and therefore more efficient at scattering radiation and nucleating cloud droplets than the fresh particles. This process may have significant atmospheric implications on a regional and larger scale
MADOR: A NEW TOOL TO CALCULATE DECREASE OF EFFECTIVE DOSES IN HUMAN AFTER DTPA THERAPY
Abstract models have been developed to describe dissolution of Pu/Am/Cm after internal contamination by inhalation or wound, chelation of actinides by diethylene triamine penta acetic acid (DTPA) in different retention compartments and excretion of actinide-DTPA complexes. After coupling these models with those currently used for dose calculation, the modelling approach was assessed by fitting human data available in IDEAS database. Good fits were obtained for most studied cases, but further experimental studies are needed to validate some modelling hypotheses as well as the range of parameter values. From these first results, radioprotection tools are being developed: MAnagement of DOse Reduction after DTPA therapy
Crystal-field effects in the mixed-valence compounds Yb2M3Ga9 (M= Rh, Ir)
Magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity
measurements have been carried out on single crystals of the intermediate
valence compounds Yb2Rh3Ga9 and Yb2Ir3Ga9. These measurements reveal a large
anisotropy due apparently to an interplay between crystalline electric field
(CEF) and Kondo effects. The temperature dependence of magnetic susceptibility
can be modelled using the Anderson impurity model including CEF within an
approach based on the Non-Crossing Approximation.Comment: Accepted to Phys. Rev.
Nuclear energy density functional from chiral pion-nucleon dynamics: Isovector terms
We extend a recent calculation of the nuclear energy density functional in
the framework of chiral perturbation theory by computing the isovector surface
and spin-orbit terms: (\vec \nabla \rho_p- \vec \nabla \rho_n)^2 G_d(\rho)+
(\vec \nabla \rho_p- \vec \nabla \rho_n)\cdot(\vec J_p-\vec J_n)
G_{so(\rho)+(\vec J_p-\vec J_n)^2 G_J(\rho) pertaining to different proton and
neutron densities. Our calculation treats systematically the effects from
-exchange, iterated -exchange, and irreducible -exchange with
intermediate -isobar excitations, including Pauli-blocking corrections
up to three-loop order. Using an improved density-matrix expansion, we obtain
results for the strength functions , and
which are considerably larger than those of phenomenological Skyrme forces.
These (parameter-free) predictions for the strength of the isovector surface
and spin-orbit terms as provided by the long-range pion-exchange dynamics in
the nuclear medium should be examined in nuclear structure calculations at
large neutron excess.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Theory of band gap bowing of disordered substitutional II-VI and III-V semiconductor alloys
For a wide class of technologically relevant compound III-V and II-VI
semiconductor materials AC and BC mixed crystals (alloys) of the type
A(x)B(1-x)C can be realized. As the electronic properties like the bulk band
gap vary continuously with x, any band gap in between that of the pure AC and
BC systems can be obtained by choosing the appropriate concentration x, granted
that the respective ratio is miscible and thermodynamically stable. In most
cases the band gap does not vary linearly with x, but a pronounced bowing
behavior as a function of the concentration is observed. In this paper we show
that the electronic properties of such A(x)B(1-x)C semiconductors and, in
particular, the band gap bowing can well be described and understood starting
from empirical tight binding models for the pure AC and BC systems. The
electronic properties of the A(x)B(1-x)C system can be described by choosing
the tight-binding parameters of the AC or BC system with probabilities x and
1-x, respectively. We demonstrate this by exact diagonalization of finite but
large supercells and by means of calculations within the established coherent
potential approximation (CPA). We apply this treatment to the II-VI system
Cd(x)Zn(1-x)Se, to the III-V system In(x)Ga(1-x)As and to the III-nitride
system Ga(x)Al(1-x)N.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure
An airborne regional carbon balance for central amazonia
We obtained regional estimates of surface CO2 exchange rates using atmospheric boundary layer budgeting techniques above tropical forest near Manaus, Brazil. Comparisons were made with simultaneous measurements from two eddy covariance towers below. Although there was good agreement for daytime measurements, large differences emerged for integrating periods dominated by the night-time fluxes. These results suggest that a systematic underestimation of night time respiratory effluxes may be responsible for the high Amazonian carbon sink suggested by several previous eddy covariance studies. Large CO2 fluxes from riverine sources or high respiratory losses from recently disturbed forests do not need to be invoked in order to balance the carbon budget of the Amazon. Our results do not, however, discount some contribution of these processes to the overall Amazon carbon budget
Phonons and related properties of extended systems from density-functional perturbation theory
This article reviews the current status of lattice-dynamical calculations in
crystals, using density-functional perturbation theory, with emphasis on the
plane-wave pseudo-potential method. Several specialized topics are treated,
including the implementation for metals, the calculation of the response to
macroscopic electric fields and their relevance to long wave-length vibrations
in polar materials, the response to strain deformations, and higher-order
responses. The success of this methodology is demonstrated with a number of
applications existing in the literature.Comment: 52 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Review of Modern Physic
Sampling and contaminant monitoring protocol for raptors
In May 2013 representatives from six countries gathered in Murcia, Spain, to attend the Workshop on “Setting best practices on raptor contaminant monitoring activities in Europe” funded by EURAPMON. The workshop developed a rough draft of the current protocol. The protocol was subsequently completed with the involvement of investigators from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. All contributors are experts in monitoring contaminants in raptors.
The aim of this sampling protocol is to provide guidance on types of best practice that will facilitate harmonisation of procedures between existing and emerging schemes and so maximise the reliability, comparability and interoperability of data.The methods here do not require use of anaesthesia on birds. This protocol covers the sampling of blood and feathers from live birds, addled and deserted eggs, internal organs and tissues from dead specimens, and other samples such as faeces, preen oil and pellets.</p
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