2,473 research outputs found
A model describing the microwave emission from a multi-layer snowpack at 37 GHz
A multilayer emission model is described and applied to emission measurements obtained at 37 GHz and H polarization using a microwave radiometer attached to a truck-mounted boom in Steamboat Springs, Colorado in 1977. Estimated absorption and scattering coefficients and their dependence on wetness were obtained using calculated values of the dielectric constant at 37 GHz along with the model. It was found that the scattering coefficient is comparable in value to the absorption coefficient for dry snow however, the absorption coefficient increases linearly with increasing snow wetness while the scattering coefficient decreases linearly with increasing wetness. The emission from each layer of the snowpack was also calculated using the estimated coefficients. It is shown that for dry snow, the ground underneath the snowpack contributes about 45% of all measured emission while the rest is due to emission from all the layers within the snowpack. When the wetness of the top 5 cm layer of snowpack increases to about 2% by volume, this top 5 cm snowlayer contributes more than 90% of all the measured emission
Non-Adiabatic Spin Transfer Torque in Real Materials
The motion of simple domain walls and of more complex magnetic textures in
the presence of a transport current is described by the
Landau-Lifshitz-Slonczewski (LLS) equations. Predictions of the LLS equations
depend sensitively on the ratio between the dimensionless material parameter
which characterizes non-adiabatic spin-transfer torques and the Gilbert
damping parameter . This ratio has been variously estimated to be close
to 0, close to 1, and large compared to 1. By identifying as the
influence of a transport current on , we derive a concise, explicit and
relatively simple expression which relates to the band structure and
Bloch state lifetimes of a magnetic metal. Using this expression we demonstrate
that intrinsic spin-orbit interactions lead to intra-band contributions to
which are often dominant and can be (i) estimated with some confidence
and (ii) interpreted using the "breathing Fermi surface" model.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.
AMPHIBIAN RESPONSE TO A LARGE-SCALE HABITAT RESTORATION IN THE PRAIRIE POTHOLE REGION
Over the next half-century, scientists anticipate that nearly one third of the currently recognized 7,450 amphibian species will become extinct. Many organizations have responded to the challenge of conserving amphibian biodiversity, some indirectly. Under the auspices of the Iowa Great Lakes Management Plan, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Natural Resources, and their partners have been implementing habitat restoration efforts designed to protect water quality, provide recreational opportunities, and benefit wildlife at the regional level. With this program, over 130 wetlands have been created in the past 30 years on recently purchased public lands—one of the largest wetland restoration projects conducted in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Great Plains. While amphibians were not the main target of these restorations, we show that in response, 121 new breeding populations of native Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens; n = 80) and Eastern Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum; n = 41) have been established; in addition, we found 19 populations of non-native American Bullfrogs (L. catesbeianus). Using the program PRESENCE, we show that leopard frog occupancy was greatest in newer (<18 years old), intermediate-sized wetlands, and that tiger salamander occupancy was greatest in small wetlands without fish and larval bullfrogs. These data imply that because native amphibians responded positively to these newly established wetlands, habitat availability has likely been a factor in limiting population numbers. Further, these data suggest the presence of fishes and introduced bullfrogs interferes with the ability of tiger salamanders to colonize restored wetlands
Adiabatic Domain Wall Motion and Landau-Lifshitz Damping
Recent theory and measurements of the velocity of current-driven domain walls
in magnetic nanowires have re-opened the unresolved question of whether
Landau-Lifshitz damping or Gilbert damping provides the more natural
description of dissipative magnetization dynamics. In this paper, we argue that
(as in the past) experiment cannot distinguish the two, but that
Landau-Lifshitz damping nevertheless provides the most physically sensible
interpretation of the equation of motion. From this perspective, (i) adiabatic
spin-transfer torque dominates the dynamics with small corrections from
non-adiabatic effects; (ii) the damping always decreases the magnetic free
energy, and (iii) microscopic calculations of damping become consistent with
general statistical and thermodynamic considerations
Prospective study of biomechanical risk factors for second and third metatarsal stress fractures in military recruits
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordObjectives
This prospective study investigated anatomical and biomechanical risk factors for second and third metatarsal stress fractures in military recruits during training.
Design
Prospective cohort study.
Methods
Anatomical and biomechanical measures were taken for 1065 Royal Marines recruits at the start of training when injury-free. Data included passive range of ankle dorsi-flexion, dynamic peak ankle dorsi-flexion and plantar pressures during barefoot running. Separate univariate regression models were developed to identify differences between recruits who developed second (n = 7) or third (n = 14) metatarsal stress fracture and a cohort of recruits completing training with no injury (n = 150) (p < 0.05). A multinomial logistic regression model was developed to predict the risk of injury for the two sites compared with the no-injury group. Multinomial logistic regression results were back transformed from log scale and presented in Relative Risk Ratios (RRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Results
Lower dynamic arch index (high arch) (RRR: 0.75, CI: 0.63–0.89, p < 0.01) and lower foot abduction (RRR: 0.87, CI: 0.80–0.96, p < 0.01) were identified as increasing risk for second metatarsal stress fracture, while younger age (RRR: 0.78, CI: 0.61–0.99, p < 0.05) and later peak pressure at the second metatarsal head area (RRR: 1.19, CI: 1.04–1.35, p < 0.01) were identified as risk factors for third metatarsal stress fracture.
Conclusions
For second metatarsal stress fracture, aspects of foot type have been identified as influencing injury risk. For third metatarsal stress fracture, a delayed forefoot loading increases injury risk. Identification of these different injury mechanisms can inform development of interventions for treatment and prevention.Funding to support this project was provided by University of Exeter and Institute of Naval Medicine
Synchronization of spin-torque driven nanooscillators for point contacts on a quasi-1D nanowire: Micromagnetic simulations
In this paper we present detailed numerical simulation studies on the
synchronization of two spin-torque nanooscillators (STNO) in the quasi-1D
geometry: magnetization oscillations are induced in a thin NiFe nanostripe by a
spin polarized current injected via square-shaped CoFe nanomagnets on the top
of this stripe. In a sufficiently large out-of-plane field, a propagating
oscillation mode appears in such a system. Due to the absence of the
geometrically caused wave decay in 1D systems, this mode is expected to enable
a long-distance synchronization between STNOs. Indeed, our simulations predict
that synchronization of two STNOs on a nanowire is possible up to the
intercontact distance 3 mkm (for the nanowire width 50 nm). However, we have
also found several qualitatively new features of the synchronization behaviour
for this system, which make the achievement of a stable synchronization in this
geometry to a highly non-trivial task. In particular, there exist a minimal
distance between the nanocontacts, below which a synchronization of STNOs can
not be achieved. Further, when the current value in the first contact is kept
constant, the amplitude of synchronized oscillations depends non-monotonously
on the current value in the second contact. Finally, for one and the same
currents values through the contacts there might exist several synchronized
states (with different frequencies), depending on the initial conditions.Comment: 13 pages with 4 figurews, recently submitted to PR
Effects of rf Current on Spin Transfer Torque Induced Dynamics
The impact of radiofrequency (rf) currents on the direct current (dc) driven
switching dynamics in current-perpendicular-to-plane nanoscale spin valves is
demonstrated. The rf currents dramatically alter the dc driven free layer
magnetization reversal dynamics as well as the dc switching level. This occurs
when the frequency of the rf current is tuned to a frequency range around the
dc driven magnetization precession frequencies. For these frequencies,
interactions between the dc driven precession and the injected rf induce
frequency locking and frequency pulling effects that lead to a measurable
dependence of the critical switching current on the frequency of the injected
rf. Based on macrospin simulations, including dc as well as rf spin torque
currents, we explain the origin of the observed effects.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Ideal Spin Filters: Theoretical Study of Electron Transmission Through Ordered and Disordered Interfaces Between Ferromagnetic Metals and Semiconductors
It is predicted that certain atomically ordered interfaces between some
ferromagnetic metals (F) and semiconductors (S) should act as ideal spin
filters that transmit electrons only from the majority spin bands or only from
the minority spin bands of the F to the S at the Fermi energy, even for F with
both majority and minority bands at the Fermi level. Criteria for determining
which combinations of F, S and interface should be ideal spin filters are
formulated. The criteria depend only on the bulk band structures of the S and F
and on the translational symmetries of the S, F and interface. Several examples
of systems that meet these criteria to a high degree of precision are
identified. Disordered interfaces between F and S are also studied and it is
found that intermixing between the S and F can result in interfaces with spin
anti-filtering properties, the transmitted electrons being much less spin
polarized than those in the ferromagnetic metal at the Fermi energy. A patent
application based on this work has been commenced by Simon Fraser University.Comment: RevTeX, 12 pages, 5 figure
Origin of the spectral linewidth in non linear oscillators based on MgO tunnel junctions
We demonstrate the strong impact of the oscillator agility on the line
broadening by studying spin transfer induced microwave emission in MgO-based
tunnel junctions with current. The linewidth is almost not affected by
decreasing the temperature. At very low currents, a strong enhancement of the
linewidth at low temperature is attributed to an increase of the non linearity,
probably due to the field-like torque. Finally we evidence that the noise is
not dominated by thermal fluctuations but rather by the chaotization of the
magnetization system induced by the spin transfer torque.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, published in Phys. Rev. B 80, 060404 (2009
Magnetization reversal driven by spin-injection : a mesoscopic spin-transfer effect
A mesoscopic description of spin-transfer effect is proposed, based on the
spin-injection mechanism occurring at the junction with a ferromagnet. The
effect of spin-injection is to modify locally, in the ferromagnetic
configuration space, the density of magnetic moments. The corresponding
gradient leads to a current-dependent diffusion process of the magnetization.
In order to describe this effect, the dynamics of the magnetization of a
ferromagnetic single domain is reconsidered in the framework of the
thermokinetic theory of mesoscopic systems. Assuming an Onsager
cross-coefficient that couples the currents, it is shown that spin-dependent
electric transport leads to a correction of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert
equation of the ferromagnetic order parameter with supplementary diffusion
terms. The consequence of spin-injection in terms of activation process of the
ferromagnet is deduced, and the expressions of the effective energy barrier and
of the critical current are derived. Magnetic fluctuations are calculated: the
correction to the fluctuations is similar to that predicted for the activation.
These predictions are consistent with the measurements of spin-transfer
obtained in the activation regime and for ferromagnetic resonance under
spin-injection.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figure
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