Strong interface-induced spin-orbit coupling in graphene on WS2

Interfacial interactions allow the electronic properties of graphene to be modified, as recently demonstrated by the appearance of satellite Dirac cones in the band structure of graphene on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) substrates. Ongoing research strives to explore interfacial interactions in a broader class of materials in order to engineer targeted electronic properties. Here we show that at an interface with a tungsten disulfide (WS2) substrate, the strength of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in graphene is very strongly enhanced. The induced SOI leads to a pronounced low-temperature weak anti-localization (WAL) effect, from which we determine the spin-relaxation time. We find that spin-relaxation time in graphene is two-to-three orders of magnitude smaller on WS2 than on SiO2 or hBN, and that it is comparable to the intervalley scattering time. To interpret our findings we have performed first-principle electronic structure calculations, which both confirm that carriers in graphene-on-WS2 experience a strong SOI and allow us to extract a spin-dependent low-energy effective Hamiltonian. Our analysis further shows that the use of WS2 substrates opens a possible new route to access topological states of matter in graphene-based systems.Comment: Originally submitted version in compliance with editorial guidelines. Final version with expanded discussion of the relation between theory and experiments to be published in Nature Communication

Circumstellar disks and planets. Science cases for next-generation optical/infrared long-baseline interferometers

We present a review of the interplay between the evolution of circumstellar disks and the formation of planets, both from the perspective of theoretical models and dedicated observations. Based on this, we identify and discuss fundamental questions concerning the formation and evolution of circumstellar disks and planets which can be addressed in the near future with optical and infrared long-baseline interferometers. Furthermore, the importance of complementary observations with long-baseline (sub)millimeter interferometers and high-sensitivity infrared observatories is outlined.Comment: 83 pages; Accepted for publication in "Astronomy and Astrophysics Review"; The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.co

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Archaeal Communities of Frozen Quaternary Sediments of Marine Origin on the Coast of Western Spitsbergen

The archaeal composition of permafrost samples taken during the drilling of frozen marine sediments in the area of the Barentsburg coal mine on the east coast of Grønfjord Bay of Western Spitsbergen has been studied. This study is based on an analysis of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, carried out using next-generation sequencing. The general phyla of the Archaea domain are Euryarchaeota, Bathyarchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, and Asgardarchaea. As a result of a phylogenetic analysis of the dominant operational taxonomic units, representatives of methanogenic and methane- and ammonium-oxidizing archaea, as well as heterotrophic archaea, are found. The methanogenic archaea of Euryarchaeota phylum, Methanobacteria class, are found in permafrost with controversial genesis, while the methane-oxidizing archaea of Methanomicrobia class Methanosarcinales order are found in the marine permafrost at Cape Finneset: the ANME-2a, -2b group in layers of 8.6 and 11.7 m and the ANME-2d group (Candidatus Methanoperedens) in a layer of 6.5 m. Ammonium-oxidizing archaea of phylum Thaumarchaeota is present in all types of permafrost, while the order of Nitrososphaerales is found in permafrost with controversial genesis and the order Nitrosopumilales is in permafrost with marine and controversial genesis. Representatives of phylum Bathyarchaeota are found stratigraphically in the most ancient samples under study. Asgardarchaeota superfylum is excluded in the layers of permafrost with marine genesis and is represented by the phyla Lokiarchaeota, Thorarchaeota, and an unclassified group belonging to this superphylum. The presence of methane, ethylene, and ethane in the permafrost of the first sea terrace of Cape Finneset at a depth of 11.7 m, as well as the composition of the archaeal community, give us reason to assume that, before freezing, microbiological processes of anaerobic methane oxidation took place in it, probably received from Tertiary rocks. The results of both this and previous works present the Spitsbergen permafrost as a rich archive of genetic information of little-studied prokaryotic groups

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations at large transverse momenta in p+pp+p and Au+Au collisions at sNN\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}= 200 GeV

Results on high transverse momentum charged particle emission with respect to the reaction plane are presented for Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$= 200 GeV. Two- and four-particle correlations results are presented as well as a comparison of azimuthal correlations in Au+Au collisions to those in $p+p$ at the same energy. Elliptic anisotropy, $v_2$, is found to reach its maximum at $p_t \sim 3$ GeV/c, then decrease slowly and remain significant up to $p_t\approx 7$ -- 10 GeV/c. Stronger suppression is found in the back-to-back high-$p_t$ particle correlations for particles emitted out-of-plane compared to those emitted in-plane. The centrality dependence of $v_2$ at intermediate $p_t$ is compared to simple models based on jet quenching.Comment: 4 figures. Published version as PRL 93, 252301 (2004

Bacterial Communities of Frozen Quaternary Sediments of Marine Origin on the Coast of Western Spitsbergen

The bacterial composition of permafrost samples taken during drilling of frozen marine sediments in the area of Barentsburg coal mine on the east coast of Grønfjord Bay of Western Spitsbergen has been studied. The study was based on the analysis of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, carried out using next generation sequencing, as well as using classical microbiological methods (direct luminescence microscopy and aerobic cultivation).The total cell number in permafrost samples ranges from 6.73 ± 0.73 × 106 to 3.37 ± 0.19 107 cells per g. The number of cultivable aerobic bacteria in frozen samples on 1/5 TSA and R2A media ranges from 0 to 6.20 ± 0.45 × 104 CFU/g. Isolates of aerobic bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA gene analysis as representatives of the genera Arthrobacter, Pseudarthrobacter, Psychrobacter, and Rhodoferax. The dominant phyla of the domain Bacteria were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae and Firmicutes. As a result of phylogenetic analysis of the dominant operational taxonomic units, representatives of methane oxidizing, sulfate reducing bacteria, as well as heterotrophic bacteria involved in the transformation of organic matter were found

Azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV

The results from the STAR Collaboration on directed flow (v_1), elliptic flow (v_2), and the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the anisotropic azimuthal distribution of particles from Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV are summarized and compared with results from other experiments and theoretical models. Results for identified particles are presented and fit with a Blast Wave model. Different anisotropic flow analysis methods are compared and nonflow effects are extracted from the data. For v_2, scaling with the number of constituent quarks and parton coalescence is discussed. For v_4, scaling with v_2^2 and quark coalescence is discussed.Comment: 26 pages. As accepted by Phys. Rev. C. Text rearranged, figures modified, but data the same. However, in Fig. 35 the hydro calculations are corrected in this version. The data tables are available at http://www.star.bnl.gov/central/publications/ by searching for "flow" and then this pape

The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems

We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves (GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given to AM CVn-stars -- compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.Comment: 105 pages, 18 figure

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations in the hard scattering regime at RHIC

Azimuthal anisotropy (v(2)) and two-particle angular correlations of high p(T) charged hadrons have been measured in Au+Au collisions at roots(NN) = 130 GeV for transverse momenta up to 6 GeV/c, where hard processes are expected to contribute significantly. The two-particle angular correlations exhibit elliptic flow and a structure suggestive of fragmentation of high p(T) partons. The monotonic rise of v(2)(p(T)) for p(T) 3 GeV/c, a saturation of v(2) is observed which persists up to p(T) = 6 GeV/c