Microscopic theory of the coupling of intrinsic Josephson oscillations and phonons

A microscopic theory for the coupling of intrinsic Josephson oscillations and dispersive phonon branches in layered superconductors is developed. Thereby the effect of phonons on the electronic c-axis transport enters through an effective longitudinal dielectric function. This coupling provides an explanation of recently observed subgap resonances in the $I_{dc}$-$V_{dc}$- curve of anisotropic cuprate superconductors forming a stack of short Josephson junctions. Due to the finite dispersion these resonances can appear at van-Hove-singularities of both optical and acoustical phonon branches, explaining low-voltage structures in the I-V-characteristic, which are not understood in phonon models without dispersion. In long junctions the dispersion of collective electron-phonon modes parallel to the layers is investigated.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, espcrc2.sty, invited contribution to "Materials and Mechanisms of Superconductivity and High Temperature Superconductors VI - M2S-HTSC-VI", Houston, Texas, 20-25 Feb 2000, to appear in Physica

Theory for the coupling between longitudinal phonons and intrinsic Josephson oscillations in layered superconductors

In this publication a microscopic theory for the coupling of intrinsic Josephson oscillations in layered superconductors with longitudinal c-axis-phonons is developed. It is shown that the influence of lattice vibrations on the c-axis transport can be fully described by introducing an effective longitudinal dielectric function. Resonances in the I-V-characteristic appear at van Hove singularities of both acoustical and optical longitudinal phonon branches. This provides a natural explanation of the recently discovered subgap structures in the I-V-characteristic of highly anisotropic cuprate superconductors. The effect of the phonon dispersion on the damping of these resonances and the coupling of Josephson oscillations in different resistive junctions due to phonons are discussed in detail.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. B, corrections following referee repor

P53 and Beta-Catenin Activity during Estrogen treatment of Osteoblasts

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between the tumor suppressor gene p53 and the nuclear signaling protein beta-catenin during bone differentiation. Cross talk between p53 and beta-catenin pathways has been demonstrated and is important during tumorigenesis and DNA damage, where deregulation of beta catenin activates p53. In this study, we used estrogen treatment of osteoblasts as a paradigm to study the relationship between the two proteins during osteoblast differentiation. RESULTS: We exposed osteoblast-like ROS17/2.8 cells to 17-beta estradiol (E2), in a short term assay, and studied the cellular distribution and expression of beta-catenin. We found beta-catenin to be up regulated several fold following E2 treatment. Levels of p53 and its functional activity mirrored the quantitative changes seen in beta-catenin. Alkaline phosphatase, an early marker of osteoblast differentiation, was increased in a manner similar to beta-catenin and p53. In order to determine if there was a direct relationship between alkaline phosphatase expression and beta-catenin, we used two different approaches. In the first approach, treatment with LiCl, which is known to activate beta-catenin, caused a several fold increase in alkaline phosphatase activity. In the second approach, transient transfection of wild type beta-catenin into osteoblasts increased alkaline phosphatase activity two fold over basal levels, showing that beta catenin expression can directly affect alkaline phosphatase expression. However increase in beta catenin activity was not associated with an increase in its signaling activity through TCF/LEF mediated transcription. Immunofluorescence analyses of p53 and beta-catenin localization showed that E2 first caused an increase in cytosolic beta-catenin followed by the accumulation of beta-catenin in the nucleus. Nuclear p53 localization was detected in several cells. Expression of p53 was accompanied by distribution of beta-catenin to the cytoplasm and cell borders. A sub population of cells staining strongly for both proteins appeared to be apoptotic. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that interactions between p53 and beta-catenin signaling pathways may play a key role in osteoblast differentiation and maintenance of tissue homeostasis

Orbital motion in T Tauri binary systems

Using speckle-interferometry we have carried out repeated measurements of relative positions for the components of 34 T Tauri binary systems. The projected separation of these components is low enough that orbital motion is expected to be observable within a few years. In most cases orbital motion has indeed been detected. The observational data is discussed in a manner similar to Ghez et al. (1995). However, we extend their study to a larger number of objects and a much longer timespan. The database presented in this paper is valuable for future visible orbit determinations. It will yield empirical masses for T Tauri stars that now are only poorly known. The available data is however not sufficient to do this at the present time. Instead, we use short series of orbital data and statistical distributions of orbital parameters to derive an average system mass that is independent of theoretical assumptions about the physics of PMS stars. For our sample this mass is 2.0 solar masses and thus in the order of magnitude one expects for the mass sum of two T Tauri stars. It is also comparable to mass estimates obtained for the same systems using theoretical PMS evolutionary models.Comment: Accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysic

Nonequilibrium dynamics of fully frustrated Ising models at T=0

We consider two fully frustrated Ising models: the antiferromagnetic triangular model in a field of strength, $h=H T k_B$, as well as the Villain model on the square lattice. After a quench from a disordered initial state to T=0 we study the nonequilibrium dynamics of both models by Monte Carlo simulations. In a finite system of linear size, $L$, we define and measure sample dependent "first passage time", $t_r$, which is the number of Monte Carlo steps until the energy is relaxed to the ground-state value. The distribution of $t_r$, in particular its mean value, $$, is shown to obey the scaling relation, $\sim L^2 \ln(L/L_0)$, for both models. Scaling of the autocorrelation function of the antiferromagnetic triangular model is shown to involve logarithmic corrections, both at H=0 and at the field-induced Kosterlitz-Thouless transition, however the autocorrelation exponent is found to be $H$ dependent.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Future of superheavy element research: Which nuclei could be synthesized within the next few years?

Low values of the fusion cross sections and very short half-lives of nuclei with Z$>$120 put obstacles in synthesis of new elements. Different nuclear reactions (fusion of stable and radioactive nuclei, multi-nucleon transfers and neutron capture), which could be used for the production of new isotopes of superheavy (SH) elements, are discussed in the paper. The gap of unknown SH nuclei, located between the isotopes which were produced earlier in the cold and hot fusion reactions, can be filled in fusion reactions of $^{48}$Ca with available lighter isotopes of Pu, Am, and Cm. Cross sections for the production of these nuclei are predicted to be rather large, and the corresponding experiments can be easily performed at existing facilities. For the first time, a narrow pathway is found to the middle of the island of stability owing to possible $\beta^+$-decay of SH isotopes which can be formed in ordinary fusion reactions of stable nuclei. Multi-nucleon transfer processes at near barrier collisions of heavy (and very heavy, U-like) ions are shown to be quite realistic reaction mechanism allowing us to produce new neutron enriched heavy nuclei located in the unexplored upper part of the nuclear map. Neutron capture reactions can be also used for the production of the long-living neutron rich SH nuclei. Strong neutron fluxes might be provided by pulsed nuclear reactors and by nuclear explosions in laboratory conditions and by supernova explosions in nature. All these possibilities are discussed in the paper.Comment: An Invited Plenary Talk given by Valeriy I. Zagrebaev at the 11th International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (NN2012), San Antonio, Texas, USA, May 27-June 1, 2012. To appear in the NN2012 Proceedings in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS

Zweckmäßigkeit und menschliches Glück : Bamberger Hegelwochen 1993

Zweckmäßigkeit und menschliches Glück : Bamberger Hegelwochen 199

Mensch, Welt, Widerspruch : Bamberger Hegelwochen 96

Mensch, Welt, Widerspruch : Bamberger Hegelwochen 199