Pulsed laser deposition growth of Fe3O4 on III–V semiconductors for spin injection

We report on the growth of thin layers of Fe3O4 on GaAs and InAs by pulsed laser deposition. It is found that Fe3O4 grows epitaxially on InAs at a temperature of 350 °C. X-ray photoelecton spectroscopy (XPS) studies of the interface show little if any interface reaction resulting in a clean epitaxial interface. In contrast, Fe3O4 grows in columnar fashion on GaAs, oriented with respect to the growth direction but with random orientation in the plane of the substrate. In this case XPS analysis showed much more evidence of interface reactions, which may contribute to the random-in-plane growth

Noise-free high-efficiency photon-number-resolving detectors

High-efficiency optical detectors that can determine the number of photons in a pulse of monochromatic light have applications in a variety of physics studies, including post-selection-based entanglement protocols for linear optics quantum computing and experiments that simultaneously close the detection and communication loopholes of Bell's inequalities. Here we report on our demonstration of fiber-coupled, noise-free, photon-number-resolving transition-edge sensors with 88% efficiency at 1550 nm. The efficiency of these sensors could be made even higher at any wavelength in the visible and near-infrared spectrum without resulting in a higher dark-count rate or degraded photon-number resolution.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures Published in Physical Review A, Rapid Communications, 17 June 200

Homeless drug users' awareness and risk perception of peer "Take Home Naloxone" use – a qualitative study

BACKGROUND Peer use of take home naloxone has the potential to reduce drug related deaths. There appears to be a paucity of research amongst homeless drug users on the topic. This study explores the acceptability and potential risk of peer use of naloxone amongst homeless drug users. From the findings the most feasible model for future treatment provision is suggested. METHODS In depth face-to-face interviews conducted in one primary care centre and two voluntary organisation centres providing services to homeless drug users in a large UK cosmopolitan city. Interviews recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically by framework techniques. RESULTS Homeless people recognise signs of a heroin overdose and many are prepared to take responsibility to give naloxone, providing prior training and support is provided. Previous reports of the theoretical potential for abuse and malicious use may have been overplayed. CONCLUSION There is insufficient evidence to recommend providing "over the counter" take home naloxone" to UK homeless injecting drug users. However a programme of peer use of take home naloxone amongst homeless drug users could be feasible providing prior training is provided. Peer education within a health promotion framework will optimise success as current professionally led health promotion initiatives are failing to have a positive impact amongst homeless drug users

On the possibility of layered mantle convection numerical simulations in a spherical geometry

We investigate the possibility of a deep, dense layer in Earth's mantle. For this purpose we have developed a tool to simulate stratified layered convection in three-dimensional spherical geometry. This was achieved by making alterations to a well-established parallel convection code. The chemical boundary is represented by markers distributed as a surface in the computational grid. These markers are advected by the velocity field, allowing the chemical boundary to deform, and the correct buoyancy forces to be calculated. This method was tested and verified. This method was used to simulate a number of layered cases with an Earth-like geometry. We investigated the effects of varying the depth of the boundary, the density contrast across the boundary, the heating mode used to power convection and the Rayleigh number (Ra) of the system. We found that the stability of the layer is strongly dependent on the buoyancy ratio B (B=Ap-i-paAT where Ap is the chemical density increase across the boundary, p is the density in the upper layer, a is the thermal expansivity and AT is the radial temperature difference across the whole system) with a dense layer becoming unstable when B becomes less than some critical value, Bc. Bc is weakly dependent on Ra, the depth of the interface, and the heating mode used. We find Bc 0.5, which is consistent with other work. As the Rayleigh number increases the system moves from viscous to thermal coupling. We present a relationship between the surface area of the interface and the buoyancy ratio, which is useful in defining the critical buoyancy ratio. We investigate the constraints provided by seismic reflection studies on layered convection. Seismic free oscillations suggest a density increase of less than 0.4% in the lower mantle. Assuming a thermal steady-state, we estimate the temperature increase across a thermo chemical boundary layer needed to produce Earth-like surface heat flux. We find that a deep layer with an intrinsic density contrast of 2% may be both dynamically stable and consistent with seismic observations. The presence of layering is expected from our work, to produce large lateral variations of temperature, density and seismic velocity at the depth of the interface between the layers. Current seismic tomography studies do not show such a feature in the lower mantle away from the core mantle boundary, suggesting that layering is unlikely

Fractional derivatives of random walks: Time series with long-time memory

We review statistical properties of models generated by the application of a (positive and negative order) fractional derivative operator to a standard random walk and show that the resulting stochastic walks display slowly-decaying autocorrelation functions. The relation between these correlated walks and the well-known fractionally integrated autoregressive (FIGARCH) models, commonly used in econometric studies, is discussed. The application of correlated random walks to simulate empirical financial times series is considered and compared with the predictions from FIGARCH and the simpler FIARCH processes. A comparison with empirical data is performed.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figure

Transport Equations from Liouville Equations for Fractional Systems

We consider dynamical systems that are described by fractional power of coordinates and momenta. The fractional powers can be considered as a convenient way to describe systems in the fractional dimension space. For the usual space the fractional systems are non-Hamiltonian. Generalized transport equation is derived from Liouville and Bogoliubov equations for fractional systems. Fractional generalization of average values and reduced distribution functions are defined. Hydrodynamic equations for fractional systems are derived from the generalized transport equation.Comment: 11 pages, LaTe

Levi-Civita cylinders with fractional angular deficit

The angular deficit factor in the Levi-Civita vacuum metric has been parametrized using a Riemann-Liouville fractional integral. This introduces a new parameter into the general relativistic cylinder description, the fractional index {\alpha}. When the fractional index is continued into the negative {\alpha} region, new behavior is found in the Gott-Hiscock cylinder and in an Israel shell.Comment: 5 figure

Measuring subdiffusion parameters

We propose a method to extract from experimental data the subdiffusion parameter $\alpha$ and subdiffusion coefficient $D_\alpha$ which are defined by means of the relation $=2D_\alpha/\Gamma(1+\alpha) t^\alpha$ where $$ denotes a mean square displacement of a random walker starting from $x=0$ at the initial time $t=0$. The method exploits a membrane system where a substance of interest is transported in a solvent from one vessel to another across a thin membrane which plays here only an auxiliary role. Using such a system, we experimentally study a diffusion of glucose and sucrose in a gel solvent. We find a fully analytic solution of the fractional subdiffusion equation with the initial and boundary conditions representing the system under study. Confronting the experimental data with the derived formulas, we show a subdiffusive character of the sugar transport in gel solvent. We precisely determine the parameter $\alpha$, which is smaller than 1, and the subdiffusion coefficient $D_\alpha$.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, revised, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Zerreißprobe für die Hauptschlagader : "Center for Biomedical Engineering" (CBME) arbeitet an verbessertem Vorhersagemodell für Aneurysmenrupturen

Krankhafte Erweiterungen der Bauchschlagader (Aorten-Aneurysmen), sind wie tickende Zeitbomben: Wenn sie platzen, stirbt der Betroffene oft noch bevor er ein Krankenhaus erreicht an inneren Blutungen. Niemand kann mit Bestimmtheit vorhersagen, wann dies eintritt, aber gemeinsam mit Ingenieuren finden Gefäßchirurgen jetzt neue Anhaltspunkte dafür, wann eine Operation ratsam ist