11,593 research outputs found
Magnetic phase diagram of the frustrated S=1/2 chain magnet LiCu_2O_2
We present the results of the magnetization and dielectric constant
measurements on untwinned single crystal samples of the frustrated S=1/2 chain
cuprate LiCu_2O_2. Novel magnetic phase transitions were observed. A spin flop
transition of the spiral spin plane was observed for the field orientations
H||a,b. The second magnetic transition was observed at H~15 T for all three
principal field directions. This high field magnetic phase is discussed as a
collinear spin-modulated phase which is expected for an S=1/2 nearest-neighbor
ferromagnetic and next-nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic chain system
Extensive infrared spectroscopic study of CuO: signatures of strong spin-phonon interaction and structural distortion
Optical properties of single-crystal monoclinic CuO in the range 70 - 6000
\cm were studied at temperatures from 7 to 300 K. Normal reflection spectra
were obtained from the (001) and (010) crystal faces thus giving for the first
time separate data for the and phonon modes excited in the
purely transverse way (TO modes). Mode parameters, including polarizations of
the modes not determined by the crystal symmetry, were extracted by the
dispersion analysis of reflectivity curves as a function of temperature.
Spectra of all the components of the optical conductivity tensor were obtained
using the Kramers-Kronig method recently extended to the case of the
low-symmetry crystals. The number of strong phonon modes is in agreement with
the factor-group analysis for the crystal structure, currently accepted for the
CuO. However, several "extra" modes of minor intensity are detected. Comparison
of frequencies of "extra" modes with the available phonon dispersion curves
points to possible "diagonal" doubling of the unit cell \{{\bf a}, {\bf b},
{\bf c}\} \{{\bf a}+{\bf c}, {\bf b}, {\bf a}-{\bf c}\} and formation of
the superlattice. The previously reported softening of the mode
( 400 \cm) with cooling at is found to be 10 % for the TO
mode. The mode is very broad at high temperatures and strongly narrows in the
AFM phase. We attribute this effect to strong resonance coupling of this mode
to optical or acoustic bi-magnons and reconstruction of the magnetic
excitations spectrum at the N\'eel point. A significant anisotropy of
is observed: it was found to be 5.9 along the {\bf b}-axis,
6.2 along the {[}101{]} chains and 7.8 the {[}10{]} chains. The
"transverse" effective charge is value is about 2 electrons.Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures, REVTeX, submitted to PR
NMR and LDA evidence for spiral magnetic order in the chain cuprate LiCu2O2
We report on {6,7}Li nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of the
spin-chain compound LiCu2O2 in the paramagnetic and magnetically ordered
states. Below T about 24 K the NMR lineshape presents a clear signature of
incommensurate (IC) static modulation of the local magnetic field consistent
with an IC spiral modulation of the magnetic moments. {7}Li NMR reveals strong
phason-like dynamical fluctuations extending well below 24 K. We hypothesize
that a series of phase transitions at 24.2, 22.5, and 9 K reflects a "Devil's
staircase" type behavior generic for IC systems. LDA based calculations of
exchange integrals reveal a large in-chain frustration leading to a magnetical
spiral.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Barriers to antigenic escape by pathogens: trade-off between reproductive rate and antigenic mutability
BackgroundA single measles vaccination provides lifelong protection. No antigenic variants that escape immunity have been observed. By contrast, influenza continually evolves new antigenic variants, and the vaccine has to be updated frequently with new strains. Both measles and influenza are RNA viruses with high mutation rates, so the mutation rate alone cannot explain the differences in antigenic variability.ResultsWe develop a new hypothesis to explain antigenic stasis versus change. We first note that the antigenically static viruses tend to have high reproductive rates and to concentrate infection in children, whereas antigenically variable viruses such as influenza tend to spread more widely across age classes. We argue that, for pathogens in a naive host population that spread more rapidly in younger individuals than in older individuals, natural selection weights more heavily a rise in reproductive rate. By contrast, pathogens that spread more readily among older individuals gain more by antigenic escape, so natural selection weights more heavily antigenic mutability.ConclusionThese divergent selective pressures on reproductive rate and antigenic mutability may explain some of the observed differences between pathogens in age-class bias, reproductive rate, and antigenic variation
Chaotic and pseudochaotic attractors of perturbed fractional oscillator
We consider a nonlinear oscillator with fractional derivative of the order
alpha. Perturbed by a periodic force, the system exhibits chaotic motion called
fractional chaotic attractor (FCA). The FCA is compared to the ``regular''
chaotic attractor. The properties of the FCA are discussed and the
``pseudochaotic'' case is demonstrated.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure
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