Nonlinear current-voltage characteristics of ion-implanted Si:As in the hopping transport regime

Current-voltage characteristics are reported for ion-implanted Si:As, with As concentrations about 10% below the concentration of the metal-insulator transition, in the temperature range 0-07-1K. The data are analysed with both an electric-field-assisted hopping model and a heating model. It follows that, at least at the lowest temperatures (non-equilibrium), heating is the dominant effect

Searching for subterranean-adapted microorganisms as part of the ESA CAVES and PANGAEA Astronaut training programs for planetary exploration.

Caves on Earth are catching the attention of the space agencies for testing new approaches to planetary science investigations. These subterranean environments could protect astronauts from the high levels of cosmic radiation and extremes of temperature during human missions to the Moon and Mars. As these celestial bodies are likely to contain caves and a record of secondary mineralization, studying secondary mineral deposits and associated microbial life in caves on Earth can help us to better understand where to look on Mars’s subsurface. In this sense, the development of procedures and of portable instruments able to perform non-invasive, in-situ analysis has provided an impressive impulse not only for the terrestrial geological field, but also for the next generation of planetary surface explorations. In the framework of the CAVES and PANGAEA astronaut training programme organized by the European Space Agency (ESA), microbiological samples have been collected inside volcanic and carbonate rocks caves with the aim of studying subterranean-adapted microorganisms and to compare them and their respective dwelling with the recently discovered exoplanet biosignatures. This study comprises the most comprehensive technological efforts to characterize microbial life and microbe-mineral interactions in caves. In this sense, improved sampling methodologies and a wide range of both laboratory and handheld analyses for microbial species detection and classification have been performed. Analytical instruments include high-throughput portable flow cytometer, handheld ATP luminescence and next generation sequencing, using the Illumina Mi Seq platform, of the 16S rRNA gene to identify microbial communities associated with the secondary mineral deposits. In addition, the suitability of these cave speleothems as biosignature repositories was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS). Our data indicated that the microbial mats and secondary mineral deposits found in the caves contain highly specialized mineral-utilizing microorganisms able to promote biomineralization processes. In addition, this study showed that deep caves offer a challenging subsurface environment for astrobiological research and planetary science explorations

Macroscopic quantum phenomena in high-Tc superconducting material

The observation of macroscopic quantum phenomena in a high-Tc superconducting material [YBa2Cu3O9-y (Y-Bu-Cu-O), Tc=93.4 K] is reported. Relationships between current, voltage, and magnetic fields of SnY-Ba-Cu-O and Y-Ba-Cu-OY-Ba-Cu-O point contracts were measured. In both cases the critical current is periodic in the magnetic field, which is typical for double point contacts (dc superconducting quantum interference devices). In the SnY-Ba-Cu-O contacts the oscillations were observed below the Tc of tin. In the Y-Ba-Cu-OY-Ba-Cu-O contacts the oscillations were observed at temperatures up to 66 K, clearly demonstrating macroscopic quantum phemonena in this high-Tc material