Magnetic structure of superconducting Eu(Fe0.82Co0.18)2As2 as revealed by single-crystal neutron diffraction

The magnetic structure of superconducting Eu(Fe0.82Co0.18)2As2 is unambiguously determined by single-crystal neutron diffraction. A long-range ferromagnetic order of the Eu2+ moments along the c-direction is revealed below the magnetic phase transition temperature Tc = 17 K. In addition, the antiferromagnetism of the Fe2+ moments still survives and the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural phase transition is also observed, although the transition temperatures of the Fe-spin density wave (SDW) order and the structural phase transition are significantly suppressed to Tn = 70 K and Ts = 90 K, respectively, compared to the parent compound EuFe2As2.We present the microscopic evidences for the coexistence of the Eu-ferromagnetism (FM) and the Fe-SDW in the superconducting crystal. The superconductivity (SC) competes with the Fe-SDW in Eu(Fe0.82Co0.18)2As2.Moreover, the comparison between Eu(Fe1-xCox)2As2 and Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 indicates a considerable influence of the rare-earth element Eu on the magnetism of the Fe sublattice.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review

A quantum solution to the arrow-of-time dilemma

The arrow of time dilemma: the laws of physics are invariant for time inversion, whereas the familiar phenomena we see everyday are not (i.e. entropy increases). I show that, within a quantum mechanical framework, all phenomena which leave a trail of information behind (and hence can be studied by physics) are those where entropy necessarily increases or remains constant. All phenomena where the entropy decreases must not leave any information of their having happened. This situation is completely indistinguishable from their not having happened at all. In the light of this observation, the second law of thermodynamics is reduced to a mere tautology: physics cannot study those processes where entropy has decreased, even if they were commonplace.Comment: Contains slightly more material than the published version (the additional material is clearly labeled in the latex source). Because of PRL's title policy, the leading "A" was left out of the title in the published pape

Direct Observation of Sub-Poissonian Number Statistics in a Degenerate Bose Gas

We report the direct observation of sub-Poissonian number fluctuation for a degenerate Bose gas confined in an optical trap. Reduction of number fluctuations below the Poissonian limit is observed for average numbers that range from 300 to 60 atoms.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Multi-epoch VLBA observations of 3C 66A

We present the results of six-epoch Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of 3C~66A. The high-resolution Very Long Baseline Interferometer (VLBI) maps obtained at multi-frequency (2.3, 8.4, and 22.2 GHz) simultaneously enabled us to identify the brightest compact component with the core. We find that the spectrum of the core can be reasonably fitted by the synchrotron self-absorption model. Our VLBA maps show that the jet of 3C~66A has two bendings at about 1.2 and 4 mas from the core. We also give possible identifications of our jet components with the components in previous VLBA observations by analysing their proper motions. We find consistent differences of the position from the core in one component between different frequencies at six epochs.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, received 30 January 2007, accepted 22 March 200

Kinematic Analysis and Dimensional Synthesis of Exechon Parallel Kinematic Machine for Large Volume Machining

A parallel kinematic machine (PKM) topology can only give its best performance when its geometrical parameters are optimized. In this paper, dimensional synthesis of a newly developed PKM is presented for the first time. An optimization method is developed with the objective to maximize both workspace volume and global dexterity of the PKM. Results show that the method can effectively identify design parameter changes under different weighted objectives. The PKM with optimized dimensions has a large workspace to footprint ratio and a large well-conditioned workspace, hence justifies its suitability for large volume machining.</jats:p

Neutrino-induced deuteron disintegration experiment

Cross sections for the disintegration of the deuteron via neutral-current (NCD) and charged-current (CCD) interactions with reactor antineutrinos are measured to be 6.08 +/- 0.77 x 10^(-45) cm-sq and 9.83 +/- 2.04 x 10^(-45) cm-sq per neutrino, respectively, in excellent agreement with current calculations. Since the experimental NCD value depends upon the CCD value, if we use the theoretical value for the CCD reaction, we obtain the improved value of 5.98 +/- 0.54 x 10^(-45) for the NCD cross section. The neutral-current reaction allows a unique measurement of the isovector-axial vector coupling constant in the hadronic weak interaction (beta). In the standard model, this constant is predicted to be exactly 1, independent of the Weinberg angle. We measure a value of beta^2 = 1.01 +/- 0.16. Using the above improved value for the NCD cross section, beta^2 becomes 0.99 +/- 0.10.Comment: 22pages, 9 figure

Cerebrospinal fluid and plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in HIV-1 infection and associations with inflammation, blood-brain barrier permeability and neuronal injury

HIV infection is associated with increased systemic microbial translocation, neuro-inflammation and occasionally neuronal injury. Whether systemic LPS penetrates into the brain and contributes to neuro-inflammation remain unknown in HIV. Here, we measured plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) LPS levels along with biomarkers of neuro-inflammation (white blood cell counts and 40 soluble markers) and neurofilament light chain (NfL). Notably, CSF LPS was undetectable in all samples, including three HIV-infected individuals with dementia. Increased plasma LPS, neuro-inflammation, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction were found in untreated HIV-infected individuals, but not in healthy or treated HIV-infected individuals. Plasma LPS levels were directly correlated with various markers of inflammation in both plasma and CSF, as well as with degree of BBB permeability but not with CSF NfL in HIV-infected subjects. These results suggest that the magnitude of microbial translocation associates with neuro-inflammation and BBB permeability in HIV without direct penetration into the central nervous system (CNS)

A roadmap for China to peak carbon dioxide emissions and achieve a 20% share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy by 2030

As part of its Paris Agreement commitment, China pledged to peak carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions around 2030, striving to peak earlier, and to increase the non-fossil share of primary energy to 20% by 2030. Yet by the end of 2017, China emitted 28% of the world's energy-related CO2 emissions, 76% of which were from coal use. How China can reinvent its energy economy cost-effectively while still achieving its commitments was the focus of a three-year joint research project completed in September 2016. Overall, this analysis found that if China follows a pathway in which it aggressively adopts all cost-effective energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction technologies while also aggressively moving away from fossil fuels to renewable and other non-fossil resources, it is possible to not only meet its Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments, but also to reduce its 2050 CO2 emissions to a level that is 42% below the country's 2010 CO2 emissions. While numerous barriers exist that will need to be addressed through effective policies and programs in order to realize these potential energy use and emissions reductions, there are also significant local environmental (e.g., air quality), national and global environmental (e.g., mitigation of climate change), human health, and other unquantified benefits that will be realized if this pathway is pursued in China

Lorenz function of Bi2_{2}Te3_{3}/Sb2_{2}Te3_{3} superlattices

Combining first principles density functional theory and semi-classical Boltzmann transport, the anisotropic Lorenz function was studied for thermoelectric Bi$_{2}$Te$_{3}$/Sb$_{2}$Te$_{3}$ superlattices and their bulk constituents. It was found that already for the bulk materials Bi$_{2}$Te$_{3}$ and Sb$_{2}$Te$_{3}$, the Lorenz function is not a pellucid function on charge carrier concentration and temperature. For electron-doped Bi$_{2}$Te$_{3}$/Sb$_{2}$Te$_{3}$ superlattices large oscillatory deviations for the Lorenz function from the metallic limit were found even at high charge carrier concentrations. The latter can be referred to quantum well effects, which occur at distinct superlattice periods