Non-uniform thermal magnetization noise in thin films: application to GMR heads

A general scheme is developed to analyze the effect of non-uniform thermal magnetization fluctuations in a thin film. The normal mode formalism is utilized to calculate random magnetization fluctuations. The magnetization noise is proportional to the temperature and inversely proportional to the film volume. The total noise power is the sum of normal mode spectral noises and mainly determined by spin-wave standing modes with an odd number of oscillations. The effect rapidly decreases with increasing mode number. An exact analytical calcutaion is presented for a two-cell model.Comment: Paper for MMM'01, CB-10, to be published in J. Appl. Phy

Local Relaxation and Collective Stochastic Dynamics

Damping and thermal fluctuations have been introduced to collective normal modes of a magnetic system in recent modeling of dynamic thermal magnetization processes. The connection between this collective stochastic dynamics and physical local relaxation processes is investigated here. A system of two coupled magnetic grains embedded in two separate oscillating thermal baths is analyzed with no \QTR{it}{a priori} assumptions except that of a Markovian process. It is shown explicitly that by eliminating the oscillating thermal bath variables, collective stochastic dynamics occurs in the normal modes of the magnetic system. The grain interactions cause local relaxation to be felt by the collective system and the dynamic damping to reflect the system symmetry. This form of stochastic dynamics is in contrast to a common phenomenological approach where a thermal field is added independently to the dynamic equations of each discretized cell or interacting grain. The dependence of this collective stochastic dynamics on the coupling strength of the magnetic grains and the relative local damping is discussed

Preparation of Mammalian Skeletons

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Deliquescence, efflorescence, and phase miscibility of mixed particles of ammonium sulfate and isoprene-derived secondary organic material

The hygroscopic phase transitions of ammonium sulfate mixed with isoprene-derived secondary organic material were investigated in aerosol experiments. The organic material was produced by isoprene photo-oxidation at 40% and 60% relative humidity. The low volatility fraction of the photo-oxidation products condensed onto ammonium sulfate particles. The particle-phase organic material had oxygen-to-carbon ratios of 0.67 to 0.74 (±0.2) for mass concentrations of 20 to 30 μg m<sup>−3</sup>. The deliquescence, efflorescence, and phase miscibility of the mixed particles were investigated using a dual arm tandem differential mobility analyzer. The isoprene photo-oxidation products induced deviations in behavior relative to pure ammonium sulfate. Compared to an efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) of 30 to 35% for pure ammonium sulfate, efflorescence was eliminated for aqueous particles having organic volume fractions <i>ϵ</i> of 0.6 and greater. Compared to a deliquescence relative humidity (DRH) of 80% for pure ammonium sulfate, the DRH steadily decreased with increasing <i>ϵ</i>, approaching a DRH of 40% for <i>ϵ</i> of 0.9. Parameterizations of the DRH(<i>ϵ</i>) and ERH(<i>ϵ</i>) curves were as follows: DRH(<i>ϵ</i>)= ∑<sub><i>i</i></sub> <i>c</i><sub><i>i,d</i></sub> <i>ϵ</i><sup><i>i</i></sup> valid for 0 ≤ <i>ϵ</i> ≤0.86 and ERH(<i>ϵ</i>)= ∑ <sub><i>i</i></sub> <i>c</i><sub><i>i,e</i></sub> <i>ϵ</i><sup><i>i</i></sup> valid for 0 ≤ <i>ϵ</i> ≤ 0.55 for the coefficients <i>c</i><sub>0,<i>d</i></sub>= 80.67, <i>c</i><sub>0,<i>e</i></sub> = 28.35, <i>c</i><sub>1,<i>d</i></sub> = −11.45, <i>c</i><sub>1,<i>e</i></sub> = −13.66, <i>c</i><sub>2,<i>d</i></sub> = 0, <i>c</i><sub>2,<i>e</i></sub> = 0, <i>c</i><sub>3,<i>d</i></sub> = 57.99, <i>c</i><sub>3,<i>e</i></sub> = -83.80, <i>c</i><sub>4,<i>d</i></sub> = −106.80, and <i>c</i><sub>4,<i>e</i></sub> = 0. The molecular description that is thermodynamically implied by these strongly sloped DRH(<i>ϵ</i>) and ERH(<i>ϵ</i>) curves is that the organic isoprene photo-oxidation products, the inorganic ammonium sulfate, and water form a miscible liquid phase even at low relative humidity. This phase miscibility is in contrast to the liquid-liquid separation that occurs for some other types of secondary organic material. These differences in liquid-liquid separation are consistent with a prediction recently presented in the literature that the bifurcation between liquid-liquid phase separation versus mixing depends on the oxygen-to-carbon ratio of the organic material. The conclusions are that the influence of secondary organic material on the hygroscopic properties of ammonium sulfate varies with organic composition and that the degree of oxygenation of the organic material, which is a measurable characteristic of complex organic materials, is an important variable influencing the hygroscopic properties of mixed organic-inorganic particles

Selfish or altruistic? An analysis of alarm call function in wild capuchin monkeys, Cebus apella nigritus

Alarm calls facilitate some antipredatory benefits of group living but may endanger the caller by attracting the predator's attention. A number of hypotheses invoking kin selection and individual selection have been proposed to explain how such behaviour could evolve. This study tests eight hypotheses for alarm call evolution by examining the responses of tufted capuchin monkeys to models of felids, perched raptors and vipers. Specifically, this study examines: (1) differences between individuals in their propensity to call in response to different threat types, (2) whether there is an audience effect for alarm calling and (3) the response of conspecifics to alarms. Results indicate that the benefits likely to be afforded to the caller vary with stimulus type. Alarm calling in response to felids is most likely selfish, with calls apparently directed towards both the predator and potential conspecific mobbers. Alarm calling in response to vipers attracts additional mobbers as well, but also appears to be driven by kin selection in the case of males and parental care benefits in the case of females. Alarm responses to perched raptors are rare, but seem to be selfish, with callers benefiting by recruiting additional mobbers

Ontogenetic scaling patterns and functional anatomy of the pelvic limb musculature in emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae) are exclusively terrestrial, bipedal and cursorial ratites with some similar biomechanical characteristics to humans. Their growth rates are impressive, as their body mass increases eighty-fold from hatching to adulthood whilst maintaining the same mode of locomotion throughout life. These ontogenetic characteristics stimulate biomechanical questions about the strategies that allow emus to cope with their rapid growth and locomotion, which can be partly addressed via scaling (allometric) analysis of morphology. In this study we have collected pelvic limb anatomical data (muscle architecture, tendon length, tendon mass and bone lengths) and calculated muscle physiological cross sectional area (PCSA) and average tendon cross sectional area from emus across three ontogenetic stages (n = 17, body masses from 3.6 to 42 kg). The data were analysed by reduced major axis regression to determine how these biomechanically relevant aspects of morphology scaled with body mass. Muscle mass and PCSA showed a marked trend towards positive allometry (26 and 27 out of 34 muscles respectively) and fascicle length showed a more mixed scaling pattern. The long tendons of the main digital flexors scaled with positive allometry for all characteristics whilst other tendons demonstrated a less clear scaling pattern. Finally, the two longer bones of the limb (tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus) also exhibited positive allometry for length, and two others (femur and first phalanx of digit III) had trends towards isometry. These results indicate that emus experience a relative increase in their muscle force-generating capacities, as well as potentially increasing the force-sustaining capacities of their tendons, as they grow. Furthermore, we have clarified anatomical descriptions and provided illustrations of the pelvic limb muscle–tendon units in emus

Statistical analysis of the mass-to-flux ratio in turbulent cores: effects of magnetic field reversals and dynamo amplification

We study the mass-to-flux ratio (M/\Phi) of clumps and cores in simulations of supersonic, magnetohydrodynamical turbulence for different initial magnetic field strengths. We investigate whether the (M/\Phi)-ratio of core and envelope, R = (M/\Phi)_{core}/(M/\Phi)_{envelope} can be used to distinguish between theories of ambipolar diffusion and turbulence-regulated star formation. We analyse R for different Lines-of-Sight (LoS) in various sub-cubes of our simulation box. We find that, 1) the average and median values of |R| for different times and initial magnetic field strengths are typically greater, but close to unity, 2) the average and median values of |R| saturate at average values of |R| ~ 1 for smaller magnetic fields, 3) values of |R| < 1 for small magnetic fields in the envelope are caused by field reversals when turbulence twists the field lines such that field components in different directions average out. Finally, we propose two mechanisms for generating values |R| ~< 1 for the weak and strong magnetic field limit in the context of a turbulent model. First, in the weak field limit, the small-scale turbulent dynamo leads to a significantly increased flux in the core and we find |R| ~< 1. Second, in the strong field limit, field reversals in the envelope also lead to values |R| ~< 1. These reversals are less likely to occur in the core region where the velocity field is more coherent and the internal velocity dispersion is typically subsonic.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA