Study of ultrathin Pt/Co/Pt trilayers modified by nanosecond XUV pulses from laser-driven plasma source

We have studied the structural mechanisms responsible for the magnetic reorientation between in-plane and out-of-plane magnetization in the (25 nm Pt)/(3 and 10 nm Co)/(3 nm Pt) trilayer systems irradiated with nanosecond XUV pulses generated with laser-driven gas-puff target plasma source of a narrow continuous spectrum peaked at wavelength of 11 nm. The thickness of individual layers, their density, chemical composition and irradiation-induced lateral strain were deduced from symmetric and asymmetric X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, grazing-incidence X-ray reflectometry (GIXR), grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence (GIXRF), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. In the as grown samples we found, that the Pt buffer layers are relaxed and that the layer interfaces are sharp. As a result of a quasi-uniform irradiation of the samples, the XRD, EXAFS, GIXR and GIXRF data reveal the formation of two distinct layers composed of Pt1-xCox alloys with different Co concentrations, dependent on the thickness of the as grown magnetic Co film but with similar ∼1% lateral tensile residual strain. For smaller exposure dose (lower number of accumulated pulses) only partial interdiffusion at the interfaces takes place with the formation of a tri-layer composed of Co-Pt alloy sandwiched between thinned Pt layers, as revealed by TEM. The structural modifications are accompanied by magnetization changes, evidenced by means of magneto-optical microscopy. The difference in magnetic properties of the irradiated samples can be related to their modification in Pt1-xCox alloy composition, as the other parameters (lateral strain and alloy thickness) remain almost unchanged. The out-of-plane magnetization observed for the sample with initially 3 nm Co layer can be due to a significant reduction of demagnetization factor resulting from a lower Co concentration

Intrinsic Capability of Budding Yeast Cofilin to Promote Turnover of Tropomyosin-Bound Actin Filaments

The ability of actin filaments to function in cell morphogenesis and motility is closely coupled to their dynamic properties. Yeast cells contain two prominent actin structures, cables and patches, both of which are rapidly assembled and disassembled. Although genetic studies have shown that rapid actin turnover in patches and cables depends on cofilin, how cofilin might control cable disassembly remains unclear, because tropomyosin, a component of actin cables, is thought to protect actin filaments against the depolymerizing activity of ADF/cofilin. We have identified cofilin as a yeast tropomyosin (Tpm1) binding protein through Tpm1 affinity column and mass spectrometry. Using a variety of assays, we show that yeast cofilin can efficiently depolymerize and sever yeast actin filaments decorated with either Tpm1 or mouse tropomyosins TM1 and TM4. Our results suggest that yeast cofilin has the intrinsic ability to promote actin cable turnover, and that the severing activity may rely on its ability to bind Tpm1

Growth of nanostructures by cluster deposition : a review

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of simple models useful to analyze the growth of nanostructures obtained by cluster deposition. After detailing the potential interest of nanostructures, I extensively study the first stages of growth (the submonolayer regime) by kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations. These simulations are performed in a wide variety of experimental situations : complete condensation, growth with reevaporation, nucleation on defects, total or null cluster-cluster coalescence... The main scope of the paper is to help experimentalists analyzing their data to deduce which of those processes are important and to quantify them. A software including all these simulation programs is available at no cost on request to the author. I carefully discuss experiments of growth from cluster beams and show how the mobility of the clusters on the surface can be measured : surprisingly high values are found. An important issue for future technological applications of cluster deposition is the relation between the size of the incident clusters and the size of the islands obtained on the substrate. An approximate formula which gives the ratio of the two sizes as a function of the melting temperature of the material deposited is given. Finally, I study the atomic mechanisms which can explain the diffusion of the clusters on a substrate and the result of their mutual interaction (simple juxtaposition, partial or total coalescence...)Comment: To be published Rev Mod Phys, Oct 99, RevTeX, 37 figure

Estimation of the influence of wood debris barrier on the flow condition during floods of in the stream Wieprzowka

Intensywne wezbrania powodziowe w powiecie wadowickim w ciągu ostatnich lat spowodowały znaczne straty materialne. Do powstałych szkód należy zaliczyć zniszczenia obiektów mostowych, spowodowane w większości przypadków poprzez zatory z rumoszu drzewnego. W wyniku badań terenowych i analiz określono warunki przepływu wód wezbraniowych w potoku Wieprzówka. Badaniami objęto górną część zlewni o powierzchni 5,33 km2, zamkniętą przekrojem mostowym. Obliczono przepływy o określonym prawdopodobieństwie przewyższenia metodą Punzeta i tzw. formuły opadowej. Przepływ miarodajny Q1% posłużył obliczeniu przepustowości mostu w dwóch wariantach: przy braku zatoru i dla zatoru z rumoszu drzewnego. Powstające zatory powodują zmniejszenia czynnego pola przekroju, wpływając niekorzystnie na warunki przepływu wód wezbraniowych. Rozwiązanie konstrukcyjne mostu w km 27+500 potoku Wieprzówka, jak również jego sytuowanie umożliwia przepuszczenie całości przepływu miarodajnego, wynoszącego 32,31 m3·s-1, pomimo spiętrzenia równego 0,97 m. W przypadku utworzenia się zatoru zamykającego ponad 50% powierzchni przekroju poprzecznego mostu nastąpi szybki wzrost spiętrzenia, doprowadzając do zatopienia belki przęsła mostu, wystąpienia wody z koryta i ewentualnego rozmycia dna potoku. Przeprowadzona analiza wskazuje na konieczność prowadzenia systematycznych prac konserwacyjnych strefy przybrzeżnej koryt.Intensive flood freshets occurred in the district of Wadowice during the last couple of years causing serious material damages. These damages include destruction of bridges caused in majority of cases by barriers of wooden debris formed in the light of bridges. In consequence of investigations in situ and calculations conditions of flow of freshet waters in the stream Wieprzówka were assessed. The upper part of the basin closed witch a bridge section was subjected to investigations. Its area was 5.33 km2. Flows of determined probability of overtopping were assessed by Punzet’s and precipitation formula. The calculated flow Q1% served for calculation of the bridge flow capacity in two variants: no barrier and barrier of wood debris in the light of the bridge. The barriers cause diminishing of the active field of the section influencing negatively conditions of treshet water flow. The structured solution of the bridge at the 27+500 km of the stream Wieprzówka as well as its location permits the whole flow equaling 32.31 m3·s-1 to damming in its light in spite of water head being 0.97 m. In case a barriers is formed closing over 50% of the cross section surface of the bridge a quick increase in the flow damming up will occur leading to submergence of the beam of the bridge span, overtopping the river bed by water and possible washout of the ground beyond the abutments. The analysis carried out shows necessity of systematic conservation works of the area close to the river beds

Drastic changes of the domain size in an ultrathin magnetic film

A general framework for the domain size in any ultrathin film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is here discussed. The domain structure is analyzed by using the classical theory taking into consideration the demagnetization field contribution to the domain wall energy. A sinusoidal model is considered to describe the domain structure while approaching, in two different cases, the monodomain state with in-plane magnetization. The first case is realized applying a large enough in-plane magnetic field. The second one is obtained by decreasing the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, which is connected in many ultrathin systems with the increase of film thickness. A change in the domain size of several orders of magnitude is obtained while approaching the magnetization reorientation region. The minimal stripe domain period p=8πlex2/d is calculated from the sinusoidal model, where lex is the exchange length and d is the thickness of the film. The range of possible domain size changes in ultrathin films is predicted. The domain size has been experimentally studied in a 1 nm Co film characterized by a square hysteresis loop. The investigations have been performed by polar Kerr based microscopy and magnetic force microscopy. The domain structure of two remnant states generated by applying an in-plane and a perpendicular magnetic field has been compared. Drastically, the smallest domain size has been observed for the former.The authors are grateful to Professor J. Miltat for fruitful discussions concerning MFM imaging and Dr. M. Tekielak for magneto-optical imaging. J. M. Garcia wishes to thank the European Community for his Marie Curie Fellowship. This work was supported by the Polish State Committee for Scientific Research (Grant No. 4 T08A 025 23), ESF NANOMAG project and European Commission program ICA1-CT-2000-70018 (Center of Excellence CELDIS).Peer reviewe