2,275 research outputs found
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of non-stoichiometric superconducting NbB2+x
Polycrystalline samples of NbB2+x with nominal composition (B/Nb) = 2.0, 2.1,
2.2, 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
The spectra revealed Nb and B oxides on the surface of the samples, mainly B2O3
and Nb2O5. After Ar ion etching the intensity of Nb and B oxides decreased. The
Nb 3d5/2 and B 1s core levels associated with the chemical states (B/Nb) were
identified and they do not change with etching time. The Binding Energy of the
Nb 3d5/2 and B 1s core levels increase as boron content increases, suggesting a
positive chemical shift in the core levels. On the other hand, analysis of
Valence Band spectra showed that the contribution of the Nb 4d states slightly
decreased while the contribution of the B 2p(pi) states increased as the boron
content increased. As a consequence, the electronic and superconducting
properties were substantially modified, in good agreement with band-structure
calculations.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl
Correlation between the transition temperature and the superfluid density in BCS superconductor NbB_2+x
The results of the muon-spin rotation experiments on BCS superconductors
NbB_2+x (x = 0.2, 0.34) are reported. Both samples, studied in the present
work, exhibit rather broad transitions to the superconducting state, suggesting
a distribution of the volume fractions with different transition temperatures
(T_c)'s. By taking these distributions into account, the dependence of the
inverse squared zero-temperature magnetic penetration depth (\lambda_0^{-2}) on
T_c was reconstructed for temperatures in the range 1.5K<T_c<8.0K.
\lambda_0^{-2} was found to obey the power law dependence \lambda_0^{-2}\propto
T_c^{3.1(1)} which appears to be common for some families of BCS
superconductors as, {\it e.g.}, Al doped MgB_2 and high-temperature cuprate
superconductors as underdoped YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta}.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
A tensor instability in the Eddington inspired Born-Infeld Theory of Gravity
In this paper we consider an extension to Eddington's proposal for the
gravitational action. We study tensor perturbations of a homogeneous and
isotropic space-time in the Eddington regime, where modifications to Einstein
gravity are strong. We find that the tensor mode is linearly unstable deep in
the Eddington regime and discuss its cosmological implications.Comment: 5 pages, approved by Phys. Rev. D, additional references and minor
modification
Calculating error bars for neutrino mixing parameters
One goal of contemporary particle physics is to determine the mixing angles
and mass-squared differences that constitute the phenomenological constants
that describe neutrino oscillations. Of great interest are not only the best
fit values of these constants but also their errors. Some of the neutrino
oscillation data is statistically poor and cannot be treated by normal
(Gaussian) statistics. To extract confidence intervals when the statistics are
not normal, one should not utilize the value for chisquare versus confidence
level taken from normal statistics. Instead, we propose that one should use the
normalized likelihood function as a probability distribution; the relationship
between the correct chisquare and a given confidence level can be computed by
integrating over the likelihood function. This allows for a definition of
confidence level independent of the functional form of the !2 function; it is
particularly useful for cases in which the minimum of the !2 function is near a
boundary. We present two pedagogic examples and find that the proposed method
yields confidence intervals that can differ significantly from those obtained
by using the value of chisquare from normal statistics. For example, we find
that for the first data release of the T2K experiment the probability that
chisquare is not zero, as defined by the maximum confidence level at which the
value of zero is not allowed, is 92%. Using the value of chisquare at zero and
assigning a confidence level from normal statistics, a common practice, gives
the over estimation of 99.5%.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure
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