Anisotropic magnetic properties of CeAg2_2Ge2_2 single crystal

In order to investigate the anisotropic magnetic properties of CeAg$_2$Ge$_2$, we have successfully grown the single crystals, for the first time, by high temperature solution growth (flux) method. We have performed a detailed study of the grown single crystals by measuring their electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, specific heat and magnetoresistance. A clear anisotropy and an antiferromagnetic transition at $T_{\rm N}$ = 4.6 K have been observed in the magnetic properties. The magnetic entropy reaches $R$ ln 4 at 20 K indicating that the ground state and the first excited state are very closely spaced (a quasi-quartet state). From the specific heat measurements and crystalline electric field (CEF) analysis of the magnetic susceptibility, we have found the level splitting energies as 5 K and 130 K. The magnetization measurements reveal that the a-axis is the easy axis of magnetization and the saturation moment is $\mu_{\rm s}$ = 1.6 $\mu_{\rm B}$/Ce, corroborating the previous neutron diffraction measurements on a polycrystalline sample.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Variabilities of the sea level anomalies in the upstream areas of the Kuroshio Current

The relationship between The Kuroshio velocities and Sea Level Anomalies (SLA) in the upstream areas (between Taiwan and Yonaguni Island) is investigated based on satellite altimetry observation. Mean of the SLA data from 2005-2008 show that in the northeast of Taiwan tends to form strong eddy activity. Furthermore, the type of eddy that forms in the upstream areas is difference every season, cold (warm) eddy more exists in summer (winter). The speed of the Kuroshio in the upstream areas is determined by combination of High- Frequency (HF) radar and Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) data. These two are exhibited that Kuroshio speed become faster (slower) in summer (winter). High positive correlation of the Kuroshio speed and SLA are found in between Yonaguni and Iriomote Island. When the Kuroshio speed in the middle of HF radar areas (123.375° N) became faster, it coincided with transition of warm eddy to cold eddy in the northeast of Taiwan and vice versa

V1647 Orionis (IRAS 05436-0007) : A New Look at McNeil's Nebula

We present a study of the newly discovered McNeil's nebula in Orion using the JHKs-band simultaneous observations with the near-infrared (NIR) camera SIRIUS on the IRSF 1.4m telescope. The cometary infrared nebula is clearly seen extending toward north and south from the NIR source (V1647 Orionis) that illuminates McNeil's nebula. The compact nebula has an apparent diameter of about 70 arcsec. The nebula is blue (bright in J) and has a cavity structure with two rims extending toward north-east and north-west. The north-east rim is brighter and sharp, while the north-west rim is diffuse. The north-east rim can be traced out to ~ 40 arcsec from the location of the NIR source. In contrast, no cavity structure is seen toward the south, although diffuse nebula is extended out to ~ 20 arcsec. New NIR photometric data show a significant variation in the magnitudes (> 0.15 mag) of the source of McNeil's nebula within a period of one week, that is possibly under the phase of eruptive variables like FUors or EXors.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures in JPEG format. Accepted for the publication in PASJ Letter

Strong-Coupling Superconductivity of CeIrSi3_3 with the Non-centrosymmetric Crystal Structure

We studied the pressure-induced superconductor CeIrSi$_3$ with the non-centrosymmetric tetragonal structure under high pressure. The electrical resistivity and ac heat capacity were measured in the same run for the same sample. The critical pressure was determined to be $P_{\rm c}$ = 2.25 GPa, where the antiferromagnetic state disappears. The heat capacity $C_{\rm ac}$ shows both antiferromagnetic and superconducting transitions at pressures close to $P_{\rm c}$. On the other hand, the superconducting region is extended to high pressures of up to about 3.5 GPa, with the maximum transition temperature $T_{\rm sc}$ = 1.6 K around $2.5-2.7$ GPa. At 2.58 GPa, a large heat capacity anomaly was observed at $T_{\rm sc}$ = 1.59 K. The jump of the heat capacity in the form of ${\Delta}{C_{\rm ac}}/C_{\rm ac}(T_{\rm sc})$ is 5.7 $\pm$ 0.1. This is the largest observed value among previously reported superconductors, indicating the strong-coupling superconductivity. The electronic specific heat coefficient at $T_{\rm sc}$ is, however, approximately unchanged as a function of pressure, even at $P_{\rm c}$.Comment: This paper will be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. on the August issue of 200

Microscopic Mechanism and Pairing Symmetry of Superconductivity in the Noncentrosymmetric Heavy Fermion Systems CeRhSI3_3 and CeIrSi3_3

We study the pairing symmetry of the noncentrosymmetric heavy fermion superconductors CeRhSi$_3$ and CeIrSi$_3$ under pressures, which are both antiferromagnets at ambient pressure. We solve the Eliashberg equation by means of the random phase approximation and find that the mixed state of extended s-wave and p-wave rather than the $d+f$ wave state could be realized by enhanced antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations. It is elucidated that the gap function has line nodes on the Fermi surface and the resulting density of state in the superconducting state shows a similar character to that of usual d-wave superconductors, resulting in the NMR relaxation rate $1/(T_1T)$ that exhibits no coherence peak and behaves like $1/(T_1T)\propto T^2$ at low temperatures

Emergent Nodal Excitations due to the Coexistence of Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetism: Cases with and without Inversion Symmetry

We argue the emergence of nodal excitations due to the coupling with static antiferromagnetic order in fully-gapped superconducting states in both cases with and without inversion symmetry. This line node structure is not accompanied with the sign change of the superconducting gap, in contrast to usual unconventional Cooper pairs with higher angular momenta. In the case without inversion symmetry, the stability of the nodal excitations crucially depends on the direction of the antiferromagnetic staggered magnetic moment. A possible realization of this phenomenon in CePt$_3$Si is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure

Young Brown Dwarfs in the Core of the W3 Main Star-Forming Region

We present the results of deep and high-resolution (FWHM ~ 0".35) JHK NIR observations with the Subaru telescope, to search for very low mass young stellar objects (YSOs) in the W3 Main star-forming region. The NIR survey covers an area of ~ 2.6 arcmin^2 with 10-sigma limiting magnitude exceeding 20 mag in the JHK bands. The survey is sensitive enough to provide unprecedented details in W3 IRS 5 region and reveals a census of the stellar population down to objects below the hydrogen-burning limit. We construct JHK color-color (CC) and J-H/J and H-K/K color-magnitude (CM) diagrams to identify very low luminosity YSOs and to estimate their masses. Based on these CC and CM diagrams, we identified a rich population of embedded YSO candidates with infrared excesses (Class I and Class II), associated with the W3 Main region. A large number of red sources (H-K > 2) have also been detected around W3 Main. We argue that these red stars are most probably pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars with intrinsic color excesses. Based on the comparison between theoretical evolutionary models of very low-mass PMS objects with the observed CM diagram, we find there exists a substantial substellar population in the observed region. The mass function (MF) does not show the presence of cutoff and sharp turnover around the substellar limit, at least at the hydrogen-burning limit. Furthermore, the MF slope indicates that the number ratio of young brown dwarfs and hydrogen-burning stars in the W3 Main is probably higher than those in Trapezium and IC 348. The presence of mass segregation, in the sense that relatively massive YSOs lie near the cluster center, is seen. The estimated dynamical evolution time indicates that the observed mass segregation in the W3 Main may be the imprint of the star formation process.Comment: 39 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Anomalous Spin Response in Non-centrosymmetric Compounds

We examine static spin susceptibilities $\chi_{\alpha\beta}({\bf q})$ of spin components $S_{\alpha}$ and $S_{\beta}$ in the non-centrosymmetric tetragonal system. These show anomalous momentum dependences like $\chi_{xx}({\bf q})-\chi_{yy}({\bf q})\sim q_x^2-q_y^2$ and $\chi_{xy}({\bf q})+\chi_{yx}({\bf q})\sim q_x q_y$, which vanish in centrosymmetric systems. The magnitudes of the anomalous spin susceptibilities are enhanced by the on-site Coulomb interaction, especially, around an ordering wave vector. The significant and anomalous momentum dependences of these susceptibilities are explained by a group theoretical analysis. As the direct probe of the anomalous spin susceptibility, we propose a polarized neutron scattering experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 1 table, 4 figure