High-sensitivity tool for studying phonon related mechanical losses in low loss materials

Fundamental mechanical loss mechanisms exist even in very pure materials, for instance, due to the interactions of excited acoustic waves with thermal phonons. A reduction of these losses in a certain frequency range is desired in high precision instruments like gravitational wave detectors. Systematic analyses of the mechanical losses in those low loss materials are essential for this aim, performed in a highly sensitive experimental set-up. Our novel method of mechanical spectroscopy, cryogenic resonant acoustic spectroscopy of bulk materials (CRA spectroscopy), is well suited to systematically determine losses at the resonant frequencies of the samples of less than 10^(-9) in the wide temperature range from 5 to 300 K. A high precision set-up in a specially built cryostat allows contactless excitation and readout of the oscillations of the sample. The experimental set-up and measuring procedure are described. Limitations to our experiment due to external loss mechanisms are analysed. The influence of the suspension system as well as the sample preparation is explained.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, proceedings of PHONONS07, submitted to Journal of Physics: Conference Serie

Pastagens de setária: formação e manejo.

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Capim setária: características e aspectos produtivos.

O capim setaria (Setaria anceps Stapf ex Massey ou Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) Moss var. sericea (Strapf Clayton), cujas cultivares mais utilizadas no formação de pastagens no Brasil são Kazungula e, em menor escala, Nandi e Norok, vem despertando um crescente interesse no meio pecuário, pelas suas boas características forrageiras, especialmente pela sua considerável capacidade de crescimento durante boa parte do período seco. Resultados experimentais e observações a nível de fazendas tem confirmado os bons níveis de produtividade e suporte da espécie verificados em outros paises, destacando-a ainda como uma gramínea resistente ao pisoteio e, aparentemente, as cigarrinhas das pastagens. Neste trabalho, são apresentados uma descrição sucinta das três cultivares acima citadas e resultados de pesquisas, especialmente os obtidos nas condições brasileiras, com relação as suas exigências de clima e de solo e quanto ao estabelecimento, valor nutritivo, respostas a fertilizantes, produtividade e manejo. As informações reunidas permitem concluir que, embora a setaria seja uma gramínea tropical e medianamente exigente em fertilidade, apresenta condições de adaptação e boa produtividade, em grande parte dos diferentes tipos de solo e de clima existentes no Brasil, destacando-se especialmente nas regiões de clima subtropical e tropical ameno, onde a época de frio não muito prolongada, e a ocorrência de geadas severas não e freqüente.bitstream/item/104675/1/Capim-setaria.pd

Jahn-Teller effect versus Hund's rule coupling in C60N-

We propose variational states for the ground state and the low-energy collective rotator excitations in negatively charged C60N- ions (N=1...5). The approach includes the linear electron-phonon coupling and the Coulomb interaction on the same level. The electron-phonon coupling is treated within the effective mode approximation (EMA) which yields the linear t_{1u} x H_g Jahn-Teller problem whereas the Coulomb interaction gives rise to Hund's rule coupling for N=2,3,4. The Hamiltonian has accidental SO(3) symmetry which allows an elegant formulation in terms of angular momenta. Trial states are constructed from coherent states and using projection operators onto angular momentum subspaces which results in good variational states for the complete parameter range. The evaluation of the corresponding energies is to a large extent analytical. We use the approach for a detailed analysis of the competition between Jahn-Teller effect and Hund's rule coupling, which determines the spin state for N=2,3,4. We calculate the low-spin/high-spin gap for N=2,3,4 as a function of the Hund's rule coupling constant J. We find that the experimentally measured gaps suggest a coupling constant in the range J=60-80meV. Using a finite value for J, we recalculate the ground state energies of the C60N- ions and find that the Jahn-Teller energy gain is partly counterbalanced by the Hund's rule coupling. In particular, the ground state energies for N=2,3,4 are almost equal

On the connection between turbulent motions and particle acceleration in galaxy clusters

Giant radio halos are Mpc-scale diffuse radio sources associated with the central regions of galaxy clusters. The most promising scenario to explain the origin of these sources is that of turbulent re-acceleration, in which MeV electrons injected throughout the formation history of galaxy clusters are accelerated to higher energies by turbulent motions mostly induced by cluster mergers. In this Letter, we use the amplitude of density fluctuations in the intracluster medium as a proxy for the turbulent velocity and apply this technique to a sample of 51 clusters with available radio data. Our results indicate a segregation in the turbulent velocity of radio halo and radio quiet clusters, with the turbulent velocity of the former being on average higher by about a factor of two. The velocity dispersion recovered with this technique correlates with the measured radio power through the relation $P_{\rm radio}\propto\sigma_v^{3.3\pm0.7}$, which implies that the radio power is nearly proportional to the turbulent energy rate. Our results provide an observational confirmation of a key prediction of the turbulent re-acceleration model and possibly shed light on the origin of radio halos.Comment: Submitted to ApJ Letter

Insensitivity of visual short-term memory to irrelevant visual information

Several authors have hypothesised that visuo-spatial working memory is functionally analogous to verbal working memory. Irrelevant background speech impairs verbal short-term memory. We investigated whether irrelevant visual information has an analogous effect on visual short-term memory, using a dynamic visual noise (DVN) technique known to disrupt visual imagery (Quinn & McConnell, 1996a). Experiment 1 replicated the effect of DVN on pegword imagery. Experiments 2 and 3 showed no effect of DVN on recall of static matrix patterns, despite a significant effect of a concurrent spatial tapping task. Experiment 4 showed no effect of DVN on encoding or maintenance of arrays of matrix patterns, despite testing memory by a recognition procedure to encourage visual rather than spatial processing. Serial position curves showed a one-item recency effect typical of visual short-term memory. Experiment 5 showed no effect of DVN on short-term recognition of Chinese characters, despite effects of visual similarity and a concurrent colour memory task that confirmed visual processing of the characters. We conclude that irrelevant visual noise does not impair visual short-term memory. Visual working memory may not be functionally analogous to verbal working memory, and different cognitive processes may underlie visual short-term memory and visual imagery

Controlling cooperation and recovery in nested transactions

Recovery is a hard problem in environments where transactions perform work in a cooperative style (e.g., design environments). We propose concepts to control cooperation and recovery within nested transaction hierarchies. By allowing different nodes to run different protocols, we can build so-called recovery spheres with well-defined properties. We characterize those properties and illustrate them by examples from design environments.<br/

Efeito da época de semeadura sobre o estabelecimento dos capins Jaraguá (Hyparrhenia rufa (Ness) Stapf e Green Panic (Panicum maximum Jacq. var. Trichoglume).

Com o objetivo de determinar o período mais favorável ao plantio dos capins jaraguá e green panic, visando gerar informações básicas para um eficiente estabelecimento de pastagens dessas forrageiras, em áreas de cerrado, esta sendo conduzido um estudo de sucessivas épocas de semeaduras no CNPGC, Campo Grande, MS. As semeaduras são feitas de 14 em 14 dias, de setembro a fins de fevereiro. O trabalho foi inicIado em 1978 e devera ser concluido em 1981. A area experimental, que apresenta um solo do tipo Latossolo Roxo Alico textura argilosa, de baixa fertilidade natural e bastante infestado por ervas daninhas, foi preparada em fins de agosto de 1978 com aração e gradagem. Naquela ocasião, foram aplicadas 4 t/ha de calcário dolomitico (com 63% de PRNT) e 1 t/ha de superfosfato simples. A cada época de plantio, e efetuado um novo preparo do solo para uniformização da área de eliminação de invasoras. As taxas de semeaduras utilizadas, em sementes viáveis, são de 6 kg/ha para o green panic e 15 kg/ha para o jaraguá.bitstream/item/137409/1/PESQ-EM-ANDAMENTO-11.pd