Realization of Artificial Ice Systems for Magnetic Vortices in a Superconducting MoGe Thin-film with Patterned Nanostructures

We report an anomalous matching effect in MoGe thin films containing pairs of circular holes arranged in such a way that four of those pairs meet at each vertex point of a square lattice. A remarkably pronounced fractional matching was observed in the magnetic field dependences of both the resistance and the critical current. At the half matching field the critical current can be even higher than that at zero field. This has never been observed before for vortices in superconductors with pinning arrays. Numerical simulations within the nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau theory reveal a square vortex ice configuration in the ground state at the half matching field and demonstrate similar characteristic features in the field dependence of the critical current, confirming the experimental realization of an artificial ice system for vortices for the first time.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Measuring the mass of a sterile neutrino with a very short baseline reactor experiment

An analysis of the world's neutrino oscillation data, including sterile neutrinos, (M. Sorel, C. M. Conrad, and M. H. Shaevitz, Phys. Rev. D 70, 073004) found a peak in the allowed region at a mass-squared difference $\Delta m^2 \cong 0.9$ eV$^2$. We trace its origin to harmonic oscillations in the electron survival probability $P_{ee}$ as a function of L/E, the ratio of baseline to neutrino energy, as measured in the near detector of the Bugey experiment. We find a second occurrence for $\Delta m^2 \cong 1.9$ eV$^2$. We point out that the phenomenon of harmonic oscillations of $P_{ee}$ as a function of L/E, as seen in the Bugey experiment, can be used to measure the mass-squared difference associated with a sterile neutrino in the range from a fraction of an eV$^2$ to several eV$^2$ (compatible with that indicated by the LSND experiment), as well as measure the amount of electron-sterile neutrino mixing. We observe that the experiment is independent, to lowest order, of the size of the reactor and suggest the possibility of a small reactor with a detector sitting at a very short baseline.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Local demands on sterile neutrinos

In a model independent manner, we explore the local implications of a single neutrino oscillation measurement which cannot be reconciled within a three-neutrino theory. We examine this inconsistency for a single region of baseline to neutrino energy $L/E$. Assuming that sterile neutrinos account for the anomaly, we find that the {\it local} demands of this datum can require the addition to the theory of one to three sterile neutrinos. We examine the constraints which can be used to determine when more than one neutrino would be required. The results apply only to a given region of $L/E$. The question of the adequacy of the sterile neutrinos to satisfy a global analysis is not addressed here. Finally, using the results of a 3+2 analysis, we indicate values for unknown mixing matrix elements which would require two sterile neutrinos due to local demands only.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, discussion adde

Dissociative Autoionization in (1+2)-photon Above Threshold Excitation of H2 Molecules

We have theoretically studied the effect of dissociative autoionization on the photoelectron energy spectrum in (1+2)-photon above threshold ionization(ATI) of H2 molecules. We have considered excitation from the ground state X-singlet-Sigma-g+(v=0,j) to the doubly excited autoionizing states of singlet-Sigma-u+ and singlet-Pi-u+ symmetry, via the intermediate resonant B-singlet-Sigma-u+(v=5,j) states. We have shown that the photoelectron energy spectrum is oscillatory in nature and shows three distinct peaks above the photoelectron energy 0.7 eV. This feature has been observed in a recent experiment by Rottke et al, J. Phys. B, Vol. 30, p-4049 (1997).Comment: 11 pages and 4 figure

Enhancing the Critical Current of a Superconducting Film in a Wide Range of Magnetic Fields with a Conformal Array of Nanoscale Holes

The maximum current (critical current) a type-II superconductor can transmit without energy loss is limited by the motion of the quantized magnetic flux penetrating into a superconductor. Introducing nanoscale holes into a superconducting film has been long pursued as a promising way to increase the critical current. So far the critical current enhancement was found to be mostly limited to low magnetic fields. Here we experimentally investigate the critical currents of superconducting films with a conformal array of nanoscale holes that have non-uniform density while preserving the local ordering. We find that the conformal array of nanoscle holes provides a more significant critical current enhancement at high magnetic fields. The better performance can be attributed to its arching effect that not only gives rise to the gradient in hole-density for pinning vortices with a wide range of densities but also prevent vortex channeling occurring in samples with a regular lattice of holes.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Vacuum-UV negative photoion spectroscopy of CF3Cl, CF3Br and CF3I

Using synchrotron radiation negative ions have been detected by mass spectrometry following vacuum-UV photoexcitation of trifluorochloromethane (CF$_3$Cl), trifluorobromomethane (CF$_3$Br) and trifluoroiodomethane (CF$_3$I). The anions F$^-$, X$^-$, F$_2^-$, FX$^-$, CF$^-$, CF$_2^-$ and CF$_3^-$ were observed from all three molecules, where X = Cl, Br or I, and their ion yields recorded in the range 8-35 eV. With the exception of Br$^-$ and I$^-$, the anions observed show a linear dependence of signal with pressure, showing that they arise from unimolecular ion-pair dissociation. Dissociative electron attachment, following photoionization of CF$_3$Br and CF$_3$I as the source of low-energy electrons, is shown to dominate the observed Br$^-$ and I$^-$ signals, respectively. Cross sections for ion-pair formation are put on to an absolute scale by calibrating the signal strengths with those of F$^-$ from both SF$_6$ and CF$_4$. These anion cross sections are normalized to vacuum-UV absorption cross sections, where available, and the resulting quantum yields are reported. Anion appearance energies are used to calculate upper limits to 298 K bond dissociation energies for $D^0$(CF$_3$-X) which are consistent with literature values. We report new data for $D^0$(CF$_2$I$^-$-F) ≤ 2.7 ± 0.2 eV and $\Delta_fH^0_{298}$ (CF$_2$I$^+$) ≤ (598 ± 22) kJ mol$^{-1}$. No ion-pair formation is observed below the ionization energy of the parent molecule for CF$_3$Cl and CF$_3$Br, and only weak signals (in both I$^-$ and F$^-$) are detected for CF$_3$I. These observations suggest neutral photodissociation is the dominant exit channel to Rydberg state photoexcitation at these lower energies

Cm-Wavelength Total Flux and Linear Polarization Properties of Radio-Loud BL Lacertae Objects

Results from a long-term program to quantify the range of behavior of the cm-wavelength total flux and linear polarization variability properties of a sample of 41 radio-loud BL Lac objects using weekly to tri-monthly observations with the University of Michigan 26-m telescope operating at 14.5, 8.0, and 4.8 GHz are presented; these observations are used to identify class-dependent differences between these BL Lacs and QSOs in the Pearson-Readhead sample. The BL Lacs are found to be more highly variable in total flux density than the QSOs, exhibiting changes that are often nearly-simultaneous and of comparable amplitude at 14.5 and 4.8 GHz in contrast to the behavior in the QSOs and supporting the existence of class-dependent differences in opacity within the parsec-scale jet flows. Structure function analyses of the flux observations quantify that a characteristic timescale is identifiable in only 1/3 of the BL Lacs. The time-averaged fractional linear polarizations are only on the order of a few percent and are consistent with the presence of tangled magnetic fields within the emitting regions. In many sources a preferred long-term orientation of the EVPA is present; when compared with the VLBI structural axis, no preferred position angle difference is identified. The polarized flux typically exhibits variability with timescales of months to a few years and shows the signature of a propagating shock during several resolved outbursts. The observations indicate that the source emission is predominately due to evolving source components and support the occurrence of more frequent shock formation in BL Lac parsec-scale flows than in QSO jets. The differences in variability behavior and polarization between BL Lacs and QSOs can be explained by differences in jet stability.Comment: 1 LaTex (aastex) file, 21 postscript figure files, 2 external LaTex table files. To appear in the Astrophysical Journa

Bostonia. Volume 15

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

The driver landscape of sporadic chordoma.

Chordoma is a malignant, often incurable bone tumour showing notochordal differentiation. Here, we defined the somatic driver landscape of 104 cases of sporadic chordoma. We reveal somatic duplications of the notochordal transcription factor brachyury (T) in up to 27% of cases. These variants recapitulate the rearrangement architecture of the pathogenic germline duplications of T that underlie familial chordoma. In addition, we find potentially clinically actionable PI3K signalling mutations in 16% of cases. Intriguingly, one of the most frequently altered genes, mutated exclusively by inactivating mutation, was LYST (10%), which may represent a novel cancer gene in chordoma.Chordoma is a rare often incurable malignant bone tumour. Here, the authors investigate driver mutations of sporadic chordoma in 104 cases, revealing duplications in notochordal transcription factor brachyury (T), PI3K signalling mutations, and mutations in LYST, a potential novel cancer gene in chordoma