Valence band photoemission from the GaN(0001) surface

A detailed investigation by one-step photoemission calculations of the GaN(0001)-(1x1) surface in comparison with recent experiments is presented in order to clarify its structural properties and electronic structure. The discussion of normal and off-normal spectra reveals through the identified surface states clear fingerprints for the applicability of a surface model proposed by Smith et al. Especially the predicted metallic bonds are confirmed. In the context of direct transitions the calculated spectra allow to determine the valence band width and to argue in favor of one of two theoretical bulk band structures. Furthermore a commonly used experimental method to fix the valence band maximum is critically tested.Comment: 8 pages, 11 eps files, submitted to PR

Bound-to-bound and bound-to-continuum optical transitions in combined quantum dot - superlattice systems

By combining band gap engineering with the self-organized growth of quantum dots, we present a scheme of adjusting the mid-infrared absorption properties to desired energy transitions in quantum dot based photodetectors. Embedding the self organized InAs quantum dots into an AlAs/GaAs superlattice enables us to tune the optical transition energy by changing the superlattice period as well as by changing the growth conditions of the dots. Using a one band envelope function framework we are able, in a fully three dimensional calculation, to predict the photocurrent spectra of these devices as well as their polarization properties. The calculations further predict a strong impact of the dots on the superlattices minibands. The impact of vertical dot alignment or misalignment on the absorption properties of this dot/superlattice structure is investigated. The observed photocurrent spectra of vertically coupled quantum dot stacks show very good agreement with the calculations.In these experiments, vertically coupled quantum dot stacks show the best performance in the desired photodetector application.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, submitted to PR

Identification of Ag-acceptors in 111 ⁣^{111}\!Ag 111 ⁣^{111}\!Cd doped ZnTe and CdTe

Nominally undoped ZnTe and CdTe crystals were implanted with radioactive $^{111}\!$Ag, which decays to $^{111}\!$Cd, and investigated by photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). In ZnTe, the PL lines caused by an acceptor level at 121 meV are observed: the principal bound exciton (PBE) line, the donor-acceptor pair (DAP) band, and the two-hole transition lines. In CdTe, the PBE line and the DAP band that correspond to an acceptor level at 108 meV appear. Since the intensities of all these PL lines decrease in good agreement with the half-life of $^{111}\!$Ag of 178.8 h, both acceptor levels are concluded to be associated with defects containing a single Ag atom. Therefore, the earlier assignments to substitutional Ag on Zn- and Cd-lattice sites in the respective II-VI semiconductors are confirmed. The assignments in the literature of the S$_1$, S$_2$, and S$_3$ lines in ZnTe and the X$\scriptstyle^\textrm{Ag}_{1}\,\,,$ X$\scriptstyle^\textrm{Ag}_{2}$/ C$\scriptstyle^\textrm{Ag}_{1}\,$ and C$\scriptstyle^\textrm{Ag}_{2}\,$ lines in CdTe to Ag-related defect complexes are not confirmed

A 5 km resolution regional climate simulation for Central Europe: Performance in high mountain areas and seasonal, regional and elevation-dependent variations

Mountain regions with complex orography are a particular challenge for regional climate simulations. High spatial resolution is required to account for the high spatial variability in meteorological conditions. This study presents a very high-resolution regional climate simulation (5 km) using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) for the central part of Europe including the Alps. Global boundaries are dynamically downscaled for the historical period 1980–2009 (ERA-Interim and MPI-ESM), and for the near future period 2020–2049 (MPI-ESM, scenario RCP4.5). Model results are compared to gridded observation datasets and to data from a dense meteorological station network in the Berchtesgaden Alps (Germany). Averaged for the Alps, the mean bias in temperature is about −0.3 °C, whereas precipitation is overestimated by +14% to +19%. R$^{2}$ values for hourly, daily and monthly temperature range between 0.71 and 0.99. Temporal precipitation dynamics are well reproduced at daily and monthly scales (R$^{2}$ between 0.36 and 0.85), but are not well captured at hourly scale. The spatial patterns, seasonal distributions, and elevation-dependencies of the climate change signals are investigated. Mean warming in Central Europe exhibits a temperature increase between 0.44 °C and 1.59 °C and is strongest in winter and spring. An elevation-dependent warming is found for different specific regions and seasons, but is absent in others. Annual precipitation changes between −4% and +25% in Central Europe. The change signals for humidity, wind speed, and incoming short-wave radiation are small, but they show distinct spatial and elevation-dependent patterns. On large-scale spatial and temporal averages, the presented 5 km RCM setup has in general similar biases as EURO-CORDEX simulations, but it shows very good model performance at the regional and local scale for daily meteorology, and, apart from wind-speed and precipitation, even for hourly values

Overexpression of Mcl-1 exacerbates lymphocyte accumulation and autoimmune kidney disease in lpr mice

Cell death by apoptosis has a critical role during embryonic development and in maintaining tissue homeostasis. In mammals, there are two converging apoptosis pathways: the ‘extrinsic’ pathway, which is triggered by engagement of cell surface ‘death receptors’ such as Fas/APO-1; and the ‘intrinsic’ pathway, which is triggered by diverse cellular stresses, and is regulated by prosurvival and pro-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Pro-survival Mcl-1, which can block activation of the proapoptotic proteins, Bax and Bak, appears critical for the survival and maintenance of multiple haemopoietic cell types. To investigate the impact on haemopoiesis of simultaneously inhibiting both apoptosis pathways, we introduced the vavP-Mcl-1 transgene, which causes overexpression of Mcl-1 protein in all haemopoietic lineages, into Faslpr/lpr mice, which lack functional Fas and are prone to autoimmunity. The combined mutations had a modest impact on myelopoiesis, primarily an increase in the macrophage/monocyte population in Mcl-1tg/lpr mice compared with lpr or Mcl-1tg mice. The impact on lymphopoiesis was striking, with a marked elevation in all major lymphoid subsets, including the non-conventional double-negative (DN) T cells (TCRβ+ CD4– CD8– B220+ ) characteristic of Faslpr/lpr mice. Of note, the onset of autoimmunity was markedly accelerated in Mcl-1tg/lpr mice compared with lpr mice, and this was preceded by an increase in immunoglobulin (Ig)-producing cells and circulating autoantibodies. This degree of impact was surprising, given the relatively mild phenotype conferred by the vavP-Mcl-1 transgene by itself: a two- to threefold elevation of peripheral B and T cells, no significant increase in the non-conventional DN T-cell population and no autoimmune disease. Comparison of the phenotype with that of other susceptible mice suggests that the development of autoimmune disease in Mcl-1tg/lpr mice may be influenced not only by Ig-producing cells but also other haemopoietic cell types

Differential cross sections for muonic atom scattering in solid hydrogenic targets

The differential cross sections for low-energy muonic hydrogen atom scattering in solid molecular H$_2$, D$_2$ and T$_2$ targets under low pressure have been calculated for various temperatures. The polycrystalline fcc and hcp structure of the solid hydrogenic targets are considered. The Bragg and phonon scattering processes are described using the Debye model of a solid. The calculated cross sections are used for Monte Carlo simulations of the muonic atom slowing down in these targets. They have been successfully applied for a description of the production of the muonic atom beams in the multilayer hydrogenic crystals.Comment: 23 pages, 19 figures, 2 table

A search for deeply bound kaonic nuclear states

We have measured proton and neutron energy spectra by stopping negative kaons on liquid helium4. Two distinct peak structures were found on both spectra, which were assigned to the formation of new kinds of strange stribaryons. In this paper, we summarize both results.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, HYP2003 conference proceeding

An interdisciplinary investigation of a recent submarine mass transport deposit at the continental margin off Uruguay

Assessing frequency and extent of mass movement at continental margins is crucial to evaluate risks for offshore constructions and coastal areas. A multidisciplinary approach including geophysical, sedimentological, geotechnical, and geochemical methods was applied to investigate multistage mass transport deposits (MTDs) off Uruguay, on top of which no surficial hemipelagic drape was detected based on echosounder data. Nonsteady state pore water conditions are evidenced by a distinct gradient change in the sulfate (SO42−) profile at 2.8 m depth. A sharp sedimentological contact at 2.43 m coincides with an abrupt downward increase in shear strength from ∼10 to >20 kPa. This boundary is interpreted as a paleosurface (and top of an older MTD) that has recently been covered by a sediment package during a younger landslide event. This youngest MTD supposedly originated from an upslope position and carried its initial pore water signature downward. The kink in the SO42− profile ∼35 cm below the sedimentological and geotechnical contact indicates that bioirrigation affected the paleosurface before deposition of the youngest MTD. Based on modeling of the diffusive re‐equilibration of SO42− the age of the most recent MTD is estimated to be <30 years. The mass movement was possibly related to an earthquake in 1988 (∼70 km southwest of the core location). Probabilistic slope stability back analysis of general landslide structures in the study area reveals that slope failure initiation requires additional ground accelerations. Therefore, we consider the earthquake as a reasonable trigger if additional weakening processes (e.g., erosion by previous retrogressive failure events or excess pore pressures) preconditioned the slope for failure. Our study reveals the necessity of multidisciplinary approaches to accurately recognize and date recent slope failures in complex settings such as the investigated area

A co-simulation approach using powerfactory and matlab/simulink to enable validation of distributed control concepts within future power systems

In power network analysis it is increasingly desirable to implement controller and power systems models within different software environments. This stems from, among other things, an increasing influence of new and distrib-uted control functions within smart grids and a growing influence of market operations. The computation time re-sulting from use of multiple simulation environments can cause significant delays and constrain the number of scenarios considered. This paper introduces and com-pares several techniques for integrating external control system models into power systems models for time do-main simulations. In particular, a new technique is reported in this paper for PowerFactory-MATLAB/Simulink co-simulation interfaces, which offers a significant advantage over alternative methods in terms of the reduction in simulation runtimes and flexi-bility for the end user