1,180 research outputs found
Direct observation of lattice symmetry breaking at the hidden-order transition in URu2Si2
Since the 1985 discovery of the phase transition at K in
the heavy-fermion metal URuSi, neither symmetry change in the crystal
structure nor magnetic ordering have been observed, which makes this "hidden
order" enigmatic. Some high-field experiments have suggested electronic
nematicity which breaks fourfold rotational symmetry, but direct evidence has
been lacking for its ground state at zero magnetic field. Here we report on the
observation of lattice symmetry breaking from the fourfold tetragonal to
twofold orthorhombic structure by high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction
measurements at zero field, which pins down the space symmetry of the order.
Small orthorhombic symmetry-breaking distortion sets in at with a
jump, uncovering the weakly first-order nature of the hidden-order transition.
This distortion is observed only in ultrapure sample, implying a highly unusual
coupling nature between the electronic nematicity and underlying lattice.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures. Submitted version. Revisions have been made
through the review process. See the published version in Nature
Communication
Interstellar Gas and X-rays toward the Young Supernova Remnant RCW 86; Pursuit of the Origin of the Thermal and Non-Thermal X-ray
We have analyzed the atomic and molecular gas using the 21 cm HI and 2.6/1.3
mm CO emissions toward the young supernova remnant (SNR) RCW 86 in order to
identify the interstellar medium with which the shock waves of the SNR
interact. We have found an HI intensity depression in the velocity range
between and km s toward the SNR, suggesting a cavity in the
interstellar medium. The HI cavity coincides with the thermal and non-thermal
emitting X-ray shell. The thermal X-rays are coincident with the edge of the HI
distribution, which indicates a strong density gradient, while the non-thermal
X-rays are found toward the less dense, inner part of the HI cavity. The most
significant non-thermal X-rays are seen toward the southwestern part of the
shell where the HI gas traces the dense and cold component. We also identified
CO clouds which are likely interacting with the SNR shock waves in the same
velocity range as the HI, although the CO clouds are distributed only in a
limited part of the SNR shell. The most massive cloud is located in the
southeastern part of the shell, showing detailed correspondence with the
thermal X-rays. These CO clouds show an enhanced CO = 2-1/1-0 intensity
ratio, suggesting heating/compression by the shock front. We interpret that the
shock-cloud interaction enhances non-thermal X-rays in the southwest and the
thermal X-rays are emitted by the shock-heated gas of density 10-100 cm.
Moreover, we can clearly see an HI envelope around the CO cloud, suggesting
that the progenitor had a weaker wind than the massive progenitor of the
core-collapse SNR RX J1713.73949. It seems likely that the progenitor of RCW
86 was a system consisting of a white dwarf and a low-mass star with
low-velocity accretion winds.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in Journal
of High Energy Astrophysics (JHEAp
Measurements of Primary and Atmospheric Cosmic-Ray Spectra with the BESS-TeV Spectrometer
Primary and atmospheric cosmic-ray spectra were precisely measured with the
BESS-TeV spectrometer. The spectrometer was upgraded from BESS-98 to achieve
seven times higher resolution in momentum measurement. We report absolute
fluxes of primary protons and helium nuclei in the energy ranges, 1-540 GeV and
1-250 GeV/n, respectively, and absolute flux of atmospheric muons in the
momentum range 0.6-400 GeV/c.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Exchange Currents for Hypernuclear Magnetic Moments
The meson(K and ) exchange currents for the hypernuclear magnetic
moments are calculated using the effective Lagrangian method. The seagull
diagram, the mesonic diagram and the -excitation diagram are
considered. The -N exchange magnetic moments for the
, and are calculated
employing the harmonic oscillator shell model. It is found that the two-body
correction is about -9% of the single particle value for .
The exchange current, induced only in the -excitation diagram,
is found to give dominant contribution for the isovector magnetic moments of
hypernuclei with A=6.Comment: 11pp, LaTeX, 7 EPS figures, uses epsf.st
Design and performance of the muon monitor for the T2K neutrino oscillation experiment
This article describes the design and performance of the muon monitor for the
T2K (Tokaito-Kamioka) long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. The muon
monitor consists of two types of detector arrays: ionization chambers and
silicon PIN photodiodes. It measures the intensity and profile of muons
produced, along with neutrinos, in the decay of pions. The measurement is
sensitive to the intensity and direction of the neutrino beam. The linearity
and stability of the detectors were measured in beam tests to be within 2.4%
and 1.5%, respectively. Based on the test results, the precision of the beam
direction measured by the muon monitor is expected to be 0.25 mrad.Comment: 22 page
The Itinerary of Autophagosomes: From Peripheral Formation to Kiss-and-Run Fusion with Lysosomes
Macroautophagy, a constitutive process in higher eukaryotic cells, mediates degradation of many long-lived proteins and organelles. The actual events occurring during the process in the dynamic system of a living cell have never been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to develop a live-cell assay in which to follow the complete itinerary of an autophagosome. Our experiments show that autophagosomes are formed randomly in peripheral regions of the cell. They then move bidirectionally along microtubules, accumulating at the microtubule-organizing centre, in a similar way to lysosomes. Their centripetal movement is dependent on the motor protein dynein and is important for their fusion with lysosomes. Initially, autophagosomes dock on to lysosomes, independent of lysosomal acidification. Two kinds of fusion then occur: complete fusions, creating a hybrid organelle, or more often kiss-and-run fusions, i.e. transfer of some content while still maintaining two separate vesicles. Surprisingly, the autophagolysosomal compartment seems to be more long lived than expected. Our study documents many aspects of autophagosome behaviour, adding to our understanding of the mechanism and control of autophagy. Indeed, although the formation of autophagosomes is completely different from any other vesicular structures, their later itinerary appears to be very similar to those of other trafficking pathways
Precise Measurements of Atmospheric Muon Fluxes with the BESS Spectrometer
The vertical absolute fluxes of atmospheric muons and muon charge ratio have
been measured precisely at different geomagnetic locations by using the BESS
spectrometer. The observations had been performed at sea level (30 m above sea
level) in Tsukuba, Japan, and at 360 m above sea level in Lynn Lake, Canada.
The vertical cutoff rigidities in Tsukuba (36.2 N, 140.1 E) and in Lynn Lake
(56.5 N, 101.0 W) are 11.4 GV and 0.4 GV, respectively. We have obtained
vertical fluxes of positive and negative muons in a momentum range from 0.6 to
20 GeV/c with systematic errors less than 3 % in both measurements. By
comparing the data collected at two different geomagnetic latitudes, we have
seen an effect of cutoff rigidity. The dependence on the atmospheric pressure
and temperature, and the solar modulation effect have been also clearly
observed. We also clearly observed the decrease of charge ratio of muons at low
momentum side with at higher cutoff rigidity region.Comment: 35 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to Astroparticle Physic
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