995 research outputs found
Spin currents in superconductors
It is argued that experiments on rotating superconductors provide evidence
for the existence of macroscopic spin currents in superconductors in the
absence of applied external fields. Furthermore it is shown that the model of
hole superconductivity predicts the existence of such currents in all
superconductors. In addition it is pointed out that spin currents are required
within a related macroscopic (London-like) electrodynamic description of
superconductors recently proposed. The spin current arises through an intrinsic
spin Hall effect when negative charge is expelled from the interior of the
metal upon the transition to the superconducting state
The Multi-Wavelength Tully-Fisher relation with spatially resolved HI kinematics
In this paper we investigate the statistical properties of the Tully-Fisher
relation for a sample of 32 galaxies with measured distances from the Cepheid
period-luminosity relation and/or TRGB stars.
We take advantage of panchromatic photometry in 12 bands (from FUV to 4.5
m) and of spatially resolved HI kinematics. We use these data together
with three kinematic measures (, and )
extracted from the global HI profiles or HI rotation curves, so as to construct
36 correlations allowing us to select the one with the least scatter. We
introduce a tightness parameter of the TFr, in order to obtain
a slope-independent measure of the goodness of fit. We find that the tightest
correlation occurs when we select the 3.6 m photometric band together with
the parameter extracted from the HI rotation curve.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS, minor
changes due to proof correction
Crystallization study by transmission electron microscopy of SrTiO3 thin films prepared by plasma-assisted ALD
The crystallization behavior of thin strontium titanate (SrTiO3, STO) films with ~15 nm thickness was studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Amorphous STO films with [Sr]/([Sr]+[Ti]) ratio ranging from 0.50 to 0.63 were deposited at 350°C by plasma-assisted ALD and subsequently treated by rapid thermal annealing in flowing N2 for crystallization. Different temperatures and annealing durations were employed to fully characterize the crystallization process. TEM analysis showed that transrotational crystals were formed and evidenced the influence of the STO composition and of the thermal budget applied on the grain size, crack and void formation. In particular, Sr-rich layers ([Sr]/([Sr]+[Ti] = 0.59) showed a finer crystalline structure which was imputed to a higher nucleation probability at the onset of the crystallization process. Crystallization into the perovskite structure was confirmed for all the film compositions studied. By tuning the STO composition and the thermal budget of the annealing step it was demonstrated that it is possible to control the microstructure of the crystallized film as a further step in optimizing the STO film properties
Electrodynamics of superconductors
An alternate set of equations to describe the electrodynamics of
superconductors at a macroscopic level is proposed. These equations resemble
equations originally proposed by the London brothers but later discarded by
them. Unlike the conventional London equations the alternate equations are
relativistically covariant, and they can be understood as arising from the
'rigidity' of the superfluid wave function in a relativistically covariant
microscopic theory. They predict that an internal 'spontaneous' electric field
exists in superconductors, and that externally applied electric fields, both
longitudinal and transverse, are screened over a London penetration length, as
magnetic fields are. The associated longitudinal dielectric function predicts a
much steeper plasmon dispersion relation than the conventional theory, and a
blue shift of the minimum plasmon frequency for small samples. It is argued
that the conventional London equations lead to difficulties that are removed in
the present theory, and that the proposed equations do not contradict any known
experimental facts. Experimental tests are discussed.Comment: Small changes following referee's and editor's comments; to be
published in Phys.Rev.
Effects of large-scale wetland loss on network connectivity of the Rainwater Basin, Nebraska
Context The Rainwater Basin region in south-central Nebraska supports a complex network of spatiallyisolated wetlands that harbor diverse floral and faunal communities. Since European settlement, many wetlands have been lost from the network, which has increased distances among remaining wetlands. As a result, populations of wildlife species with limited dispersal capabilities may have become isolated and face greater local extinction risks.
Objectives We compared the pre-European settlement and current extent of the Rainwater Basin network to assess the effects of wetland losses on network connectivity for a range of maximum dispersal distances.
Methods We constructed network models for a range of maximum dispersal distances and calculated network metrics to assess changes in network connectivity and the relative importance of individual wetlands in regulating flow.
Results Since European settlement, the number of wetlands in the Rainwater Basin has decreased by[90%. The average distance to the nearest neighboring wetland has increased by 150% to * 1.2 km, and the dispersal distance necessary to travel throughout the whole network has increased from 3.5 to 10.0 km. Last, relative importance of individual wetlands depended on the maximum dispersal distance. Which wetlands to preserve to maintain connectivity might therefore depend on the dispersal capabilities of the species or taxa of interest.
Conclusions To preserve a broad range of biodiversity, conservation efforts should focus on preserving dense clusters of wetlands at fine spatial scales to maintain current levels of network connectivity, and restoring connections between clusters to facilitate long-range dispersal of species with limited dispersal capabilities
Morphologies and stellar populations of galaxies in the core of Abell 2218
SUMMARIZED ABSTRACT:
We present a study of the stellar populations and morphologies of galaxies in
the core of the galaxy cluster Abell 2218. Integral field spectroscopy was
obtained using PMAS/[email protected] CAHA to obtain a complete flux limited sample of
cluster members within its field-of-view (~74"X64"). In addition of 31 galaxies
with known redshifts in the outer regions, we built up a final sample of 59
spectroscopically confirmed cluster members. Multiban photometry and detailed
morphologies were obtained using deep images taken with the HST/ACS camera in
the BVRI and z-bands. The CM diagram shows that the E-type galaxies cover the
range of brighter and redder colors. A large fraction of spiral galaxies
(50%) is found. They cover a wide range in colors. This result, together
with the distributions of ages, metallicities and masses, indicates that E-type
galaxies are more massive and have older stellar populations, while L-type
galaxies are less massive and have a wider range of stellar Our results agree
with a proposed two-step scenario for the evolution of galaxies in clusters. In
addition, an extremely blue merging galaxy system is found at the core, with
the nominal redshift of the cluster.Comment: 29 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publishing in MNRAS. (HST/ACS
composite image: http://www.caha.es/sanchez/abell2218/BRI_big.jpg
The line-of-sight warp of the spiral galaxy ESO 123-G23
We present 3-D modelling of the distribution and kinematics of the neutral
hydrogen in the spiral galaxy ESO 123-G23. The optical appearance of this
galaxy is an almost perfectly edge-on disk, while the neutral hydrogen is found
to extend vertically out to about 15 kpc on either side of the galactic plane.
The HI layer and the major features of the HI data cube can be successfully
explained by a model dominated by a strong (about 30 degrees) line-of-sight
warp. Other models were tried, including a flare model and a two-component
model, but they clearly do not reproduce the data. This is the first
unambiguous detection of a galactic warp that has the maximum deviation from
the central plane almost along the line-of-sight. No evidence for the presence
of any companion galaxy is found in the HI data cube. Line-of-sight warps in
edge-on galaxies are probably frequent, but escape detection as they are too
weak. Moreover they may easily be mistaken as flares or 'thick disks'. A 3-D
modelling of the HI layer as the one presented here is needed in order to
distinguish between these possibilities.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted by A&
PMAS: The Potsdam Multi Aperture Spectrophotometer. II. The Wide Integral Field Unit PPak
PPak is a new fiber-based Integral Field Unit (IFU), developed at the
Astrophysical Institute Potsdam, implemented as a module into the existing PMAS
spectrograph. The purpose of PPak is to provide both an extended field-of-view
with a large light collecting power for each spatial element, as well as an
adequate spectral resolution. The PPak system consists of a fiber bundle with
331 object, 36 sky and 15 calibration fibers. The object and sky fibers collect
the light from the focal plane behind a focal reducer lens. The object fibers
of PPak, each 2.7 arcseconds in diameter, provide a contiguous hexagonal
field-of-view of 74 times 64 arcseconds on the sky, with a filling factor of
60%. The operational wavelength range is from 400 to 900nm. The PPak-IFU,
together with the PMAS spectrograph, are intended for the study of extended,
low surface brightness objects, offering an optimization of total
light-collecting power and spectral resolution. This paper describes the
instrument design, the assembly, integration and tests, the commissioning and
operational procedures, and presents the measured performance at the telescope.Comment: 14 pages, 21 figures, accepted at PAS
Applying infrared thermography to soil surface temperature monitoring: Case study of a high-resolution 48 h survey in a vineyard (Anadia, Portugal)
The soil surface albedo decreases with an increasing biochar application rate as a power decay function, but the net impact of biochar application on soil temperature dynamics remains to be clarified. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of infrared thermography (IRT) sensing by monitoring soil surface temperature (SST) with a high spatiotemporal and thermal resolution in a scalable agricultural application. We monitored soil surface temperature (SST) variations over a 48 h period for three treatments in a vineyard: bare soil (plot S), 100% biochar cover (plot B), and biochar-amended topsoil (plot SB). The SST of all plots was monitored at 30 min intervals with a tripod-mounted IR thermal camera. The soil temperature at 10 cm depth in the S and SB plots was monitored continuously with a 5 min resolution probe. Plot B had greater daily SST variations, reached a higher daily temperature peak relative to the other plots, and showed a faster rate of T increase during the day. However, on both days, the SST of plot B dipped below that of the control treatment (plot S) and biochar-amended soil (plot SB) from about 18:00 onward and throughout the night. The diurnal patterns/variations in the IRT-measured SSTs were closely related to those in the soil temperature at a 10 cm depth, confirming that biochar-amended soils showed lower thermal inertia than the unamended soil. The experiment provided interesting insights into SST variations at a local scale. The case study may be further developed using fully automated SST monitoring protocols at a larger scale for a range of environmental and agricultural applications
- …