Influence of demagnetization in remanence curves of magnetic thin films

Remanent magnetization curves of perpendicular magnetic thin films are simulated and measured. The simulations are used to investigate the theoretical influence of the strong demagnetizing field present in these films. Conclusions are drawn from this on how remanence curves should be measured and how they should be corrected for the demagnetizing influence. The experimental part consists of measurements on Fe‐Alumite, Co‐Pt–based multilayers, and Co‐Cr. In addition the latter material is also artificially patterned into microstrips in order to investigate the influence of demagnetization on remanence curves experimentally

Magnetic stray fields of Co-Cr microstrips measured by Lorentz microscopy

Magnetic stray fields of Co‐Cr microstrips are investigated for bit stabilization in a vertical Bloch line memory (VBLM). The stray fields were revealed using Lorentz force based Foucault and differential phase contrast (DPC) techniques in a transmission electron microscope. The assumed shape of the stray fields for VBLM use has been experimentally verified. Agreement between experiment and simulation is obtained

Mouse Hepatitis Coronavirus RNA Replication Depends on GBF1-Mediated ARF1 Activation

Coronaviruses induce in infected cells the formation of double membrane vesicles, which are the sites of RNA replication. Not much is known about the formation of these vesicles, although recent observations indicate an important role for the endoplasmic reticulum in the formation of the mouse hepatitis coronavirus (MHV) replication complexes (RCs). We now show that MHV replication is sensitive to brefeldin A (BFA). Consistently, expression of a dominant-negative mutant of ARF1, known to mimic the action of the drug, inhibited MHV infection profoundly. Immunofluorescence analysis and quantitative electron microscopy demonstrated that BFA did not block the formation of RCs per se, but rather reduced their number. MHV RNA replication was not sensitive to BFA in MDCK cells, which are known to express the BFA-resistant guanine nucleotide exchange factor GBF1. Accordingly, individual knockdown of the Golgi-resident targets of BFA by transfection of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) showed that GBF1, but not BIG1 or BIG2, was critically involved in MHV RNA replication. ARF1, the cellular effector of GBF1, also appeared to be involved in MHV replication, as siRNAs targeting this small GTPase inhibited MHV infection significantly. Collectively, our results demonstrate that GBF1-mediated ARF1 activation is required for efficient MHV RNA replication and reveal that the early secretory pathway and MHV replication complex formation are closely connected