Defect formation in superconducting rings: external fields and finite-size effects

Consistent with the predictions of Kibble and Zurek, scaling behaviour has been seen in the production of fluxoids during temperature quenches of superconducting rings. However, deviations from the canonical behaviour arise because of finite-size effects and stray external fields. Technical developments, including laser heating and the use of long Josephson tunnel junctions, have improved the quality of data that can be obtained. With new experiments in mind we perform large-scale 3D simulations of quenches of small, thin rings of various geometries with fully dynamical electromagnetic fields, at nonzero externally applied magnetic flux. We find that the outcomes are, in practice, indistinguishable from those of much simpler Gaussian analytical approximations in which the rings are treated as one-dimensional systems and the magnetic field fluctuation-free.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, presentation at QFS2012, to appear in JLT

"Doubled" generalized Landau-Lifshiz hierarchies and special quasigraded Lie algebras

Using special quasigraded Lie algebras we obtain new hierarchies of integrable nonlinear vector equations admitting zero-curvature representations. Among them the most interesting is extension of the generalized Landau-Lifshitz hierarchy which we call "doubled" generalized Landau-Lifshiz hierarchy. This hierarchy can be also interpreted as an anisotropic vector generalization of "modified" Sine-Gordon hierarchy or as a very special vector generalization of so(3) anisotropic chiral field hierarchy.Comment: 16 pages, no figures, submitted to Journal of Physics

From AKNS to derivative NLS hierarchies via deformations of associative products

Using deformations of associative products, derivative nonlinear Schrodinger (DNLS) hierarchies are recovered as AKNS-type hierarchies. Since the latter can also be formulated as Gelfand-Dickey-type Lax hierarchies, a recently developed method to obtain 'functional representations' can be applied. We actually consider hierarchies with dependent variables in any (possibly noncommutative) associative algebra, e.g., an algebra of matrices of functions. This also covers the case of hierarchies of coupled DNLS equations.Comment: 22 pages, 2nd version: title changed and material organized in a different way, 3rd version: introduction and first part of section 2 rewritten, taking account of previously overlooked references. To appear in J. Physics A: Math. Ge

A Model Study of the Low-Energy Charge Dynamics of NaV_2O_5

An exact-diagonalization technique on small clusters is used to calculate the dynamical density correlation functions of the dimerized t-J chain and coupled anisotropic t-J ladders (trellis lattice) at quarter filling, i.e., the systems regarded as a network of pairs (dimers or rungs) of sites coupled weakly via the hopping and exchange interactions. We thereby demonstrate that the intersite Coulomb repulsions between the pairs induce a low-energy collective mode in the charge excitations of the systems where the internal charge degrees of freedom of the pairs play an essential role. Implications to the electronic states of NaV_2O_5, i.e., fluctuations of the valence state of V ions and phase transition as a charge ordering, are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 gif figures. Hardcopies of figures (or the entire manuscript) can be obtained by e-mail request to [email protected]

Magnetic bound states in the quarter-filled ladder system α′−NaV2O5\alpha'-NaV_{2}O_{5}}

Raman scattering in the quarter-filled spin ladder system alpha'-NaV_2O_5 shows in the dimerized singlet ground state ($T \leq T_{SP}=35K$) an unexpected sequence of three magnetic bound states. Our results suggest that the recently proposed mapping onto an effective spin chain for $T > T_{SP}$ has to be given up in favor of the full topology and exchange paths of a ladder in the dimerized phase for $T < T_{SP}$. As the new ground state we propose a dynamic superposition of energetically nearly degenerate dimer configurations on the ladder.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in PRB, brief reports, Dec. 199

Folded modes in the infrared spectra of the spin-Peierls phase of CuGeO_3

Polarized far-infrared transmittance spectra of CuGeO_3 single crystals were measured at different temperatures (6K < T < 300K). Two spectral lines, at 284.2 cm-1 in E||c polarization and at 311.7 cm-1 in E||b polarization, appear at the temperature of the spin-Peierls transition and grow in intensity with decreasing temperature. Both of them are, most probably, folded modes of the dimerized lattice. We discuss a possible role of the spin-phonon interaction in the formation of the 311.7 cm-1 feature.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, 1 table; Submitted to Phys.Rev.B Second revision. Figures and text were slightly change

Acid-modified clinoptilolite as a support for palladium–copper complexes catalyzing carbon monoxide oxidation with air oxygen

Samples of natural clinoptilolite were modified by an acid–thermal method at nitric acid concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 M and a contact time of 30 min. A series of catalysts, K2PdCl4–Cu(NO3)2–KBr/S (S = 0.25H-CLI, 0.5H-CLI, 1H-CLI, and 3H-CLI) was obtained. All samples were investigated by X-ray phase and thermogravimetric analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, water vapor ad/desorption and pH metric method. Besides, K2PdCl4–Cu(NO3)2–KBr/S samples were tested in the reaction of low-temperature carbon monoxide oxidation. It have been found that, owing to special physicochemical and structural-adsorption properties of 3H-CLI, it promotes formation of the palladium–copper catalyst providing carbon monoxide oxidation at the steady-state mode down to CO concentrations lower than its maximum permissible concentration at air relative humidity varied within a wide range

Temperature dependence of optical spectral weights in quarter-filled ladder systems

The temperature dependence of the integrated optical conductivity I(T) reflects the changes of the kinetic energy as spin and charge correlations develop. It provides a unique way to explore experimentally the kinetic properties of strongly correlated systems. We calculated I(T) in the frame of a t-J-V model at quarter-filling for ladder systems, like NaV_2O_5, and show that the measured strong T dependence of I(T) for NaV_2O_5 can be explained by the destruction of short range antiferromagnetic correlations. Thus I(T) provides detailed information about super-exchange and magnetic energy scales.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Using electronic structure changes to map the H-T phase diagram of alpha'-NaV2O5

We report polarized optical reflectance studies of \alpha'-NaV2O5 as a function of temperature (4-45 K) and magnetic field (0-60 T). Rung directed electronic structure changes, as measured by near-infrared reflectance ratios \Delta R(H)=R(H)/R(H=0 T), are especially sensitive to the phase boundaries. We employ these changes to map out an H-T phase diagram. Topological highlights include the observation of two phase boundaries slightly below T_{SG}, enhanced curvature of the 34 K phase boundary above 35 T, and, surprisingly, strong hysteresis effects of both transitions with applied field.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, PRB accepte

Postpandemic rebound of adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) infections temporally associated with an outbreak of unexplained severe acute hepatitis in children in the United Kingdom

Over 1000 cases of unexplained severe acute hepatitis in children have been reported to date worldwide. An association with adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) infection, a human parvovirus, prompted us to investigate the epidemiology of AAV in the United Kingdom. Three hundred pediatric respiratory samples collected before (April 03, 2009–April 03, 2013) and during (April 03, 2022) the COVID-19 pandemic were obtained. Wastewater samples were collected from 50 locations in London (August 2021–March 2022). Samples were tested for AAV using real-time polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing. Selected adenovirus (AdV)-positive samples were also sequenced. The detection frequency of AAV2 was a sevenfold higher in 2022 samples compared with 2009–2013 samples (10% vs. 1.4%) and highest in AdV-positive samples compared with negatives (10/37, 27% vs. 5/94, 5.3%, respectively). AAV2-positive samples displayed high genetic diversity. AAV2 sequences were either very low or absent in wastewater collected in 2021 but increased in January 2022 and peaked in March 2022. AAV2 was detected in children in association with AdV of species C, with a highest frequency in 2022. Our findings are consistent with the expansion of the population of children unexposed to AAV2, leading to greater spread of the virus once distancing restrictions were lifted