593 research outputs found
Interplay of superconductivity and magnetism in strong coupling
A model is introduced describing the interplay between superconductivity and
spin-ordering. It is characterized by on-site repulsive electron-electron
interactions, causing antiferromagnetism, and nearest-neighbor attractive
interactions, giving rise to d-wave superconductivity. Due to a special choice
for the lattice, this model has a strong-coupling limit where the
superconductivity can be described by a bosonic theory, similar to the strongly
coupled negative U Hubbard model. This limit is analyzed in the present paper.
A rich mean-field phase diagram is found and the leading quantum corrections to
the mean-field results are calculated. The first-order line between the
antiferromagnetic- and the superconducting phase is found to terminate at a
tricritical point, where two second-order lines originate. At these lines, the
system undergoes a transition to- and from a phase exhibiting both
antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity. At finite temperatures above the
spin-disordering line, quantum-critical behavior is found. For specific values
of the model parameters, it is possible to obtain SO(5) symmetry involving the
spin- and the phase-sector at the tricritical point. Although this symmetry is
explicitly broken by the projection to the lower Hubbard band, it survives on
the mean-field level, and modes related to a spontaneously broken SO(5)
symmetry are present on the level of the random phase approximation in the
superconducting phase.Comment: 16 pages Revtex, 5 figure
Melting of Partially Fluorinated Graphene: From Detachment of Fluorine Atoms to Large Defects and Random Coils
The melting of fluorographene is very unusual and depends strongly on the
degree of fluorination. For temperatures below 1000 K, fully fluorinated
graphene (FFG) is thermo-mechanically more stable than graphene but at
T2800 K FFG transits to random coils which is almost twice lower
than the melting temperature of graphene, i.e. 5300 K. For fluorinated graphene
(PFG) up to 30 % ripples causes detachment of individual F-atoms around 2000 K
while for 40-60 % fluorination, large defects are formed beyond 1500 K and
beyond 60% of fluorination F-atoms remain bonded to graphene until melting. The
results agree with recent experiments on the dependence of the reversibility of
the fluorination process on the percentage of fluorination.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure
A prospective study on rapid exome sequencing as a diagnostic test for multiple congenital anomalies on fetal ultrasound
Objective: Conventional genetic tests (quantitative fluorescent-PCR [QF-PCR] and single nucleotide polymorphism-array) only diagnose ~40% of fetuses showing ultrasound abnormalities. Rapid exome sequencing (rES) may improve this diagnostic yield, but includes challenges such as uncertainties in fetal phenotyping, variant interpretation, incidental unsolicited findings, and rapid turnaround times. In this study, we implemented rES in prenatal care to increase diagnostic yield. Methods: We prospectively studied 55 fetuses. Inclusion criteria were: (a) two or more independent major fetal anomalies, (b) hydrops fetalis or bilateral renal cysts alone, or (c) one major fetal anomaly and a first-degree relative with the same anomaly. In addition to conventional genetic tests, we performed trio rES analysis using a custom virtual gene panel of ~3850 Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) genes. Results: We established a genetic rES-based diagnosis in 8 out of 23 fetuses (35%) without QF-PCR or array abnormalities. Diagnoses included MIRAGE (SAMD9), Zellweger (PEX1), Walker-Warburg (POMGNT1), Noonan (PTNP11), Kabuki (KMT2D), and CHARGE (CHD7) syndrome and two cases of Osteogenesis Imperfecta type 2 (COL1A1). In six cases, rES diagnosis aided perinatal management. The median turnaround time was 14 (range 8-20) days. Conclusion: Implementing rES as a routine test in the prenatal setting is challenging but technically feasible, with a promising diagnostic yield and significant clinical relevance
Nonthermal Emission from a Supernova Remnant in a Molecular Cloud
In evolved supernova remnants (SNRs) interacting with molecular clouds, such
as IC 443, W44, and 3C391, a highly inhomogeneous structure consisting of a
forward shock of moderate Mach number, a cooling layer, a dense radiative shell
and an interior region filled with hot tenuous plasma is expected. We present a
kinetic model of nonthermal electron injection, acceleration and propagation in
that environment and find that these SNRs are efficient electron accelerators
and sources of hard X- and gamma-ray emission. The energy spectrum of the
nonthermal electrons is shaped by the joint action of first and second order
Fermi acceleration in a turbulent plasma with substantial Coulomb losses.
Bremsstrahlung, synchrotron, and inverse Compton radiation of the nonthermal
electrons produce multiwavelength photon spectra in quantitative agreement with
the radio and the hard emission observed by ASCA and EGRET from IC 443. We
distinguish interclump shock wave emission from molecular clump shock wave
emission accounting for a complex structure of molecular cloud. Spatially
resolved X- and gamma- ray spectra from the supernova remnants IC 443, W44, and
3C391 as might be observed with BeppoSAX, Chandra XRO, XMM, INTEGRAL and GLAST
would distinguish the contribution of the energetic lepton component to the
gamma-rays observed by EGRET.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure, Astrophysical Journal, v.538, 2000 (in press
Optimized Trigger for Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic-Ray and Neutrino Observations with the Low Frequency Radio Array
When an ultra-high energy neutrino or cosmic ray strikes the Lunar surface a
radio-frequency pulse is emitted. We plan to use the LOFAR radio telescope to
detect these pulses. In this work we propose an efficient trigger
implementation for LOFAR optimized for the observation of short radio pulses.Comment: Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research
Section
Quantum magnetism in the stripe phase: bond- versus site order
It is argued that the spin dynamics in the charge-ordered stripe phase might
be revealing with regards to the nature of the anomalous spin dynamics in
cuprate superconductors. Specifically, if the stripes are bond ordered much of
the spin fluctuation will originate in the spin sector itself, while site
ordered stripes require the charge sector as the driving force for the strong
quantum spin fluctuations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, LaTe
Spin dynamics and ordering of a cuprate stripe-antiferromagnet
In La1.48Nd0.4Sr0.12CuO4 the 139La and 63Cu NQR relaxation rates and signal
wipe-out upon lowering temperature are shown to be due to purely magnetic
fluctuations. They follow the same renormalized classical behavior as seen in
neutron data, when the electronic spins order in stripes, with a small spread
in spin stiffness (15% spread in activation energy). The La signal, which
reappears at low temperatures, is magnetically broadened and experiences
additional wipe-out due to slowing down of the Nd fluctuations.Comment: 4 pages including 3 figures - ref. 16 adde
Insights into hydroxyl measurements and atmospheric oxidation in a California forest
The understanding of oxidation in forest atmospheres is being challenged by measurements of unexpectedly large amounts of hydroxyl (OH). A significant number of these OH measurements were made by laser-induced fluorescence in low-pressure detection chambers (called Fluorescence Assay with Gas Expansion (FAGE)) using the Penn State Ground-based Tropospheric Hydrogen Oxides Sensor (GTHOS). We deployed a new chemical removal method to measure OH in parallel with the traditional FAGE method in a California forest. The new method gives on average only 40â60% of the OH from the traditional method and this discrepancy is temperature dependent. Evidence indicates that the new method measures atmospheric OH while the traditional method is affected by internally generated OH, possibly from oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds. The improved agreement between OH measured by this new technique and modeled OH suggests that oxidation chemistry in at least one forest atmosphere is better understood than previously thought
- âŠ