348 research outputs found
Field dependence of the thermopower of CeNiSn
Previously measured thermopower data of CeNiSn exhibit a significant sample
dependence and non-monotonous behavior in magnetic fields. In this paper we
demonstrate that the measured thermopower S(T) may contain a contribution from
the huge Nernst coefficient of the compound, even in moderate fields of 2 T. A
correction for this effect allows to determine the intrinsic field dependence
of S(T). The observed thermopower behavior can be understood from Zeeman
splitting of a V-shaped pseudogap in magnetic fields.Comment: 4 pages, accepted for Journal of Physics: Conference Series,
proceedings of LT 2
Modelling the incomplete Paschen-Back effect in the spectra of magnetic Ap stars
We present first results of a systematic investigation of the incomplete
Paschen-Back effect in magnetic Ap stars. A short overview of the theory is
followed by a demonstration of how level splittings and component strengths
change with magnetic field strength for some lines of special astrophysical
interest. Requirements are set out for a code which allows the calculation of
full Stokes spectra in the Paschen-Back regime and the behaviour of Stokes I
and V profiles of transitions in the multiplet 74 of FeII is discussed in some
detail. It is shown that the incomplete Paschen-Back effect can lead to
noticeable line shifts which strongly depend on total multiplet strength,
magnetic field strength and field direction. Ghost components (which violate
the normal selection rule on J) show up in strong magnetic fields but are
probably unobservable. Finally it is shown that measurements of the integrated
magnetic field modulus are not adversely affected by the Paschen-Back
effect, and that there is a potential problem in (magnetic) Doppler mapping if
lines in the Paschen-Back regime are treated in the Zeeman approximation.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, to appear in MNRA
Tactile Sensors Based on Conductive Polymers
This paper presents results from a selection of tactile sensors that have been designed and fabricated. These sensors are based on a common approach that consists in placing a sheet of piezoresistive material on the top of a set of electrodes. We use a thin film of conductive polymer as the piezoresistive mate¬rial. Specifically, a conductive water-based ink of this polymer is deposited by spin coating on a flexible plastic sheet, giving it a smooth, homogeneous and conducting thin film. The main interest in this procedure is that it is cheap and it allows the fabrication of flexible and low cost tactile sensors. In this work we present results from sensors made using two technologies. Firstly, we have used a flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB) technology to fabricate the set of electrodes and addressing tracks. The result is a simple, flexible tactile sensor. In addition to these sensors on PCB, we have proposed, designed and fabricated sensors with screen printing technology. In this case, the set of electrodes and addressing tracks are made by printing an ink based on silver nanoparticles. The intense characterization provides us insights into the design of these tactile sensors.This work has been partially funded by the spanish government under contract TEC2006-12376-C02
Characterization of anomalous Zeeman patterns in complex atomic spectra
The modeling of complex atomic spectra is a difficult task, due to the huge
number of levels and lines involved. In the presence of a magnetic field, the
computation becomes even more difficult. The anomalous Zeeman pattern is a
superposition of many absorption or emission profiles with different Zeeman
relative strengths, shifts, widths, asymmetries and sharpnesses. We propose a
statistical approach to study the effect of a magnetic field on the broadening
of spectral lines and transition arrays in atomic spectra. In this model, the
sigma and pi profiles are described using the moments of the Zeeman components,
which depend on quantum numbers and Land\'{e} factors. A graphical calculation
of these moments, together with a statistical modeling of Zeeman profiles as
expansions in terms of Hermite polynomials are presented. It is shown that the
procedure is more efficient, in terms of convergence and validity range, than
the Taylor-series expansion in powers of the magnetic field which was suggested
in the past. Finally, a simple approximate method to estimate the contribution
of a magnetic field to the width of transition arrays is proposed. It relies on
our recently published recursive technique for the numbering of LS-terms of an
arbitrary configuration.Comment: submitted to Physical Review
Differential influence of vemurafenib and dabrafenib on patients' lymphocytes despite similar clinical efficacy in melanoma
In this study, we demonstrate that vemurafenib but not dabrafenib reduces peripheral lymphocyte counts in melanoma patients while both agents show similar clinical efficacy. Within the lymphocyte compartment, vemurafenib selectively decreases circulating CD4+ T cells and changes their phenotype and function. This indicates that selective BRAFi need to be assessed individually for immunomodulatory effects, especially, when planning combinations with immunotherapie
Break up of heavy fermions at an antiferromagnetic instability
We present results of high-resolution, low-temperature measurements of the
Hall coefficient, thermopower, and specific heat on stoichiometric YbRh2Si2.
They support earlier conclusions of an electronic (Kondo-breakdown) quantum
critical point concurring with a field induced antiferromagnetic one. We also
discuss the detachment of the two instabilities under chemical pressure. Volume
compression/expansion (via substituting Rh by Co/Ir) results in a
stabilization/weakening of magnetic order. Moderate Ir substitution leads to a
non-Fermi-liquid phase, in which the magnetic moments are neither ordered nor
screened by the Kondo effect. The so-derived zero-temperature global phase
diagram promises future studies to explore the nature of the Kondo breakdown
quantum critical point without any interfering magnetism.Comment: minor changes, accepted for publication in JPS
Anomalous Shubnikov-de Haas effect and observation of the Bloch-Gr\"uneisen temperature in the Dirac semimetal ZrTe5
Appearance of quantum oscillations (QO) in both thermodynamic and transport
properties of metals at low temperatures is the most striking experimental
consequence of the existence of a Fermi surface (FS). The frequency of these
oscillations and the temperature dependence of their amplitude provides
essential information about the FS topology and fermionic quasiparticle
properties. Here, we report the observation of an anomalous suppression of the
QO amplitude seen in resistivity (Shubnikov de-Haas effect) at sub-kelvin
temperatures in ZrTe5 samples with a single small FS sheet comprising less than
5% of the first Brillouin zone. By comparing these results with measurements of
the magneto-acoustic QO and the recovery of the usual Lifshitz-Kosevich
behavior of the Shubnikov de-Haas (SdH) effect in ZrTe samples with a
multi-sheet FS, we show that the suppression of the SdH effect originates from
a decoupling of the electron liquid from the lattice. On crossing the so-called
Bloch-Gr\"uneisen temperature, T, electron-phonon scattering becomes
strongly suppressed and in the absence of Umklapp scattering the electronic
liquid regains Galilean invariance. In addition, we show, using a combination
of zero-field electrical conductivity and ultrasonic-absorption measurements,
that entering this regime leads to an abrupt increase of electronic viscosity
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