Self-Similar Evolution of Cosmic-Ray-Modified Quasi-Parallel Plane Shocks

Using an improved version of the previously introduced CRASH (Cosmic Ray Acceleration SHock) code, we have calculated the time evolution of cosmic-ray (CR) modified quasi-parallel plane shocks for Bohm-like diffusion, including self-consistent models of Alfven wave drift and dissipation, along with thermal leakage injection of CRs. The new simulations follow evolution of the CR distribution to much higher energies than our previous study, providing a better examination of evolutionary and asymptotic behaviors. The postshock CR pressure becomes constant after quick initial adjustment, since the evolution of the CR partial pressure expressed in terms of a momentum similarity variable is self-similar. The shock precursor, which scales as the diffusion length of the highest energy CRs, subsequently broadens approximately linearly with time, independent of diffusion model, so long as CRs continue to be accelerated to ever-higher energies. This means the nonlinear shock structure can be described approximately in terms of the similarity variable, x/(u_s t), where u_s is the shock speed once the postshock pressure reaches an approximate time asymptotic state. As before, the shock Mach number is the key parameter determining the evolution and the CR acceleration efficiency, although finite Alfven wave drift and wave energy dissipation in the shock precursor reduce the effective velocity change experienced by CRs, so reduce acceleration efficiency noticeably, thus, providing a second important parameter at low and moderate Mach numbers.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figure

An Efficient Numerical Scheme for Simulating Particle Acceleration in Evolving Cosmic-Ray Modified Shocks

We have developed a new, very efficient numerical scheme to solve the CR diffusion convection equation that can be applied to the study of the nonlinear time evolution of CR modified shocks for arbitrary spatial diffusion properties. The efficiency of the scheme derives from its use of coarse-grained finite momentum volumes. This approach has enabled us, using $\sim 10 - 20$ momentum bins spanning nine orders of magnitude in momentum, to carry out simulations that agree well with results from simulations of modified shocks carried out with our conventional finite difference scheme requiring more than an order of magnitude more momentum points. The coarse-grained, CGMV scheme reduces execution times by a factor approximately half the ratio of momentum bins used in the two methods. Depending on the momentum dependence of the diffusion, additional economies in required spatial and time resolution can be utilized in the CGMV scheme, as well. These allow a computational speed-up of at least an order of magnitude in some cases.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics; 19 pages and 5 figure

Equations for filling factor estimation in opal matrix

We consider two equations for the filling factor estimation of infiltrated zinc oxide (ZnO) in silica (SiO_2) opal and gallium nitride in ZnO opal. The first equation is based on the effective medium approximation, while the second one - on Maxwell-Garnett approximation. The comparison between two filling factors shows that both equations can be equally used for the estimation of the quantity of infiltrated nanocrystals inside opal matrix.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. Addendum to the article: http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/050815

Bosonization Theory of Excitons in One-dimensional Narrow Gap Semiconductors

Excitons in one-dimensional narrow gap semiconductors of anti-crossing quantum Hall edge states are investigated using a bosonization method. The excitonic states are studied by mapping the problem into a non-integrable sine-Gordon type model. We also find that many-body interactions lead to a strong enhancement of the band gap. We have estimated when an exciton instability may occur.Comment: 4pages, 1 figure, to appear in Phys. Rev. B Brief Report

Characterization, identification, and cloning of the S-layer protein from Cytophaga sp

We characterized, identified, and cloned a major protein which comprised 16% of the total proteins from Cytophaga sp. cell lysate. After French pressing, the fraction of cell envelope was treated with 0.2% Triton X-100 to remove cell membranes. Subsequent SDS-PAGE analysis of the Triton X-100-insoluble cell wall revealed a protein of 120 kDa with a pI of 5.4, which was identified by gold immunostaining as the surface (S)-layer protein of this soil bacterium. The nucleotide sequence of the cloned S-layer protein gene (slp) encoding this protein consisted of 3144 nucleotides with an ORF for 1047 amino acids, which included a typical 32-amino acid leader peptide sequence. Amino acid sequence alignment revealed 29-48% similarity between this protein and the S-layer proteins from other prokaryotic organisms. The 120-kDa protein from the Cytophaga sp. cell lysate has been characterized as a member of the S-layer proteins, and the slp gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. E. coli harboring the plasmid containing the 600- or 800-bp DNA fragment upstream of the initiation codon of the slp gene, in the presence of the reporter gene rsda (raw starch digesting amylase), showed amylase activity in starch containing plate. The putative promoter region of slp located 600 bp upstream of the initiation codon might be used for foreign gene expression

Deep level emission of ZnO nanoparticles deposited inside UV opal

The temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals deposited inside the ultraviolet (UV) opal were studied. ZnO was grown in the voids between FCC packed silicon dioxide spheres using spray pyrolysis under ultrasonic vibration in the solution containing a zinc nitrate precursor. The ZnO nanoparticles inside opal matrix with UV photonic band-gap exhibit suppression of the excitonic emission and enhancement of the deep level emission. Suppression of the excitonic lines is due to the inhibition of spontaneous emission, while enhancement and broadening of the DL emission in the green spectral region is due to Purcell effect. The infiltration of ZnO inside the photonic crystal may be a useful technique to increase its emission efficiency in the selected spectral region.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure

The Physics of Cluster Mergers

Clusters of galaxies generally form by the gravitational merger of smaller clusters and groups. Major cluster mergers are the most energetic events in the Universe since the Big Bang. Some of the basic physical properties of mergers will be discussed, with an emphasis on simple analytic arguments rather than numerical simulations. Semi-analytic estimates of merger rates are reviewed, and a simple treatment of the kinematics of binary mergers is given. Mergers drive shocks into the intracluster medium, and these shocks heat the gas and should also accelerate nonthermal relativistic particles. X-ray observations of shocks can be used to determine the geometry and kinematics of the merger. Many clusters contain cooling flow cores; the hydrodynamical interactions of these cores with the hotter, less dense gas during mergers are discussed. As a result of particle acceleration in shocks, clusters of galaxies should contain very large populations of relativistic electrons and ions. Electrons with Lorentz factors gamma~300 (energies E = gamma m_e c^2 ~ 150 MeV) are expected to be particularly common. Observations and models for the radio, extreme ultraviolet, hard X-ray, and gamma-ray emission from nonthermal particles accelerated in these mergers are described.Comment: 38 pages with 9 embedded Postscript figures. To appear in Merging Processes in Clusters of Galaxies, edited by L. Feretti, I. M. Gioia, and G. Giovannini (Dordrecht: Kluwer), in press (2001

Quantum corrections to the conductivity of fermion - gauge field models: Application to half filled Landau level and high-TcT_c superconductors

We calculate the Altshuler-Aronov type quantum correction to the conductivity of $2d$ charge carriers in a random potential (or random magnetic field) coupled to a transverse gauge field. The gauge fields considered simulate the effect of the Coulomb interaction for the fractional quantum Hall state at half filling and for the $t-J$ model of high-$T_c$ superconducting compounds. We find an unusually large quantum correction varying linearly or quadratically with the logarithm of temperature, in different temperature regimes.Comment: 12 pages REVTEX, 1 figure. The figure is added and minor misprints are correcte

Flux pinning and vortex dynamics in MgB₂ doped with TiO₂ and SiC inclusions

The mixed-state superconducting properties of bulk MgB₂ + 2 at.% TiO₂ and + 8 at.% SiC, prepared by the in situ solid state reaction, have been investigated. The analysis on the mixed-state parameters, such as the upper critical field, the coherence length and the Ginzburg–Landau parameter, proves that the MgB₂ + 2 at.% TiO₂ is a high-к type-II superconductor in the dirty limit while the MgB₂ + 8 at.% SiC corresponds to that in the moderately clean limit. It was shown that the anisotropic grain-boundary pinning is realized in the fine-grained doped MgB₂ polycrystals rather than the electron scattering one. The field-cooled temperature dependences of magnetic moment exhibit a transition of the samples to the paramagnetic state at certain applied magnetic fields, which is treated as manifestation of the paramagnetic Meissner effect. The experimental results are discussed on the base of modern theoretical approaches

Measurement of the Charged Multiplicities in b, c and Light Quark Events from Z0 Decays

Average charged multiplicities have been measured separately in $b$, $c$ and light quark ($u,d,s$) events from $Z^0$ decays measured in the SLD experiment. Impact parameters of charged tracks were used to select enriched samples of $b$ and light quark events, and reconstructed charmed mesons were used to select $c$ quark events. We measured the charged multiplicities: $\bar{n}_{uds} = 20.21 \pm 0.10 (\rm{stat.})\pm 0.22(\rm{syst.})$, $\bar{n}_{c} = 21.28 \pm 0.46(\rm{stat.}) ^{+0.41}_{-0.36}(\rm{syst.})$ $\bar{n}_{b} = 23.14 \pm 0.10(\rm{stat.}) ^{+0.38}_{-0.37}(\rm{syst.})$, from which we derived the differences between the total average charged multiplicities of $c$ or $b$ quark events and light quark events: $\Delta \bar{n}_c = 1.07 \pm 0.47(\rm{stat.})^{+0.36}_{-0.30}(\rm{syst.})$ and $\Delta \bar{n}_b = 2.93 \pm 0.14(\rm{stat.})^{+0.30}_{-0.29}(\rm{syst.})$. We compared these measurements with those at lower center-of-mass energies and with perturbative QCD predictions. These combined results are in agreement with the QCD expectations and disfavor the hypothesis of flavor-independent fragmentation.Comment: 19 pages LaTex, 4 EPS figures, to appear in Physics Letters