Final results of the EDELWEISS-II WIMP search using a 4-kg array of cryogenic germanium detectors with interleaved electrodes

The EDELWEISS-II Collaboration has completed a direct search for WIMP dark matter with an array of ten 400-g cryogenic germanium detectors in operation at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane. The combined use of thermal phonon sensors and charge collection electrodes with an interleaved geometry enables the efficient rejection of γ-induced radioactivity as well as near-surface interactions. A total effective exposure of 384 kg d has been achieved, mostly coming from fourteen months of continuous operation. Five nuclear recoil candidates are observed above 20 keV, while the estimated background is 3.0 events. The result is interpreted in terms of limits on the cross-section of spin-independent interactions of WIMPs and nucleons. A cross-section of 4.4×¹⁰−8 pb is excluded at 90%CL for a WIMP mass of 85 GeV. New constraints are also set on models where the WIMP-nucleon scattering is inelastic.     

Minimal Dirac fermionic dark matter with nonzero magnetic dipole moment

A neutral Dirac fermion ψ   with a nonzero magnetic dipole moment is supplied as a singlet within the context of the standard model and is considered as a dark matter candidate near the electroweak scale (10–1000 GeV$10\text{–}1000\text{GeV}$). We discuss its dynamics with the ordinary matters through the magnetic dipole moment. The magnetic dipole moment constrained by the relic abundance may be as large as ¹⁰⁻¹⁸–¹⁰⁻¹⁷e⋅cm${10}^{-18}\text{–}{10}^{-17}e\cdot \text{cm}$. We show that the elastic scattering is due to a spin–spin interaction for the direct detections and the predictions are under experimental exclusion limits of the current direct detectors, XENON10 and CDMS II, and consider the possibility of dark matter detection in the future.     

磁场及磁矩的测量实验

对地磁水平分量测量实验加以改进,将其扩充为能够测量亥姆霍兹线圈磁场分布和磁针的转动惯量以及磁针磁矩的实验.使其成为一个综合性较强,适用于开展研究性实验的项目.     

A simple method to estimate the magnetic moment of magnetic micro-particles

Micro-particles in suspension in a fluid are an example of a very low Reynolds number problem. In this case, no inertial effects are observed. Magnetic micro-particles with magnetic moment m, suspended in a fluid orient to applied external magnetic fields B due to the interaction between the field and the magnetic moment. In this work, we present a simple method to estimate the total magnetic moment of magnetic micro-organisms. The method is based on the application of an external oscillating magnetic field in the sites where the micro-organisms are. In this case, it is possible to obtain theoretically the solution of the equation of motion (rotation of the organism and its trajectory). The solution is a transcendental equation relating the orientation angle and m and can be solved by numerical methods. Changing the frequency and/or the field intensity, it is possible to obtain a situation in which the crystal rotates uninterruptedly (a resonance regime). This condition is related to the applied field intensity, to the frequency, to the medium viscosity, to the crystal dimension, and to the micro-crystal magnetic moment m. The method can be used to estimate the total cellular magnetic moment of magnetic micro-particles.     

Constraining dark matter properties with gamma-rays from the Galactic Center with Fermi-LAT

We study the capabilities of the Fermi-LAT instrument on board of the Fermi mission to constrain particle dark matter properties, as annihilation cross section, mass and branching ratio into dominant annihilation channels, with gamma-ray observations from the Galactic Center. Besides the prompt gamma-ray flux, we also take into account the contribution from the electrons/positrons produced in dark matter annihilations to the gamma-ray signal via inverse Compton scattering off the interstellar photon background, which turns out to be crucial in the case of dark matter annihilations into μ⁺μ⁻ and e⁺e⁻ pairs. We study the signal dependence on different parameters like the region of observation, the density profile, the assumptions for the dark matter model and the uncertainties in the propagation model. We also show the effect of the inclusion of a 20% systematic uncertainty in the gamma-ray background. If Fermi-LAT is able to distinguish a possible dark matter signal from the large gamma-ray background, we show that for dark matter masses below ∼200 GeV, Fermi-LAT will likely be able to determine dark matter properties with good accuracy.     

Contributions to the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment from a hidden sector

The measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon provides a stringent test of the standard model and of any physics that lies beyond it. There is currently a deviation of 3.1σ between the standard model prediction for the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment and its experimental value. We calculate the contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment in theories where the muon couples to a particle in a hidden sector (that is, uncharged under the standard model) and a connector (which has nontrivial standard model gauge and hidden sector quantum numbers).     

Magnetic moment of phonons in graphene induced by a magnetic field

A magnetic field not only changes the electronic structure in graphene but also affects the phonon excitations via the electron-phonon interaction and even enables the phonons to generate magnetism. In this paper, we evaluate the magnetic moment of phonons in graphene using a generating-functional technique. The calculation results indicate that the phonon magnetic moment exists only in a weak magnetic field. The step-like change of the magnetic moment with the magnetic field reflects a macroscopic quantum effect.     

缪轻子反常磁矩和北京谱仪实验

最新的缪子反常磁矩实验测量结果与标准模型理论预言偏离4.2σ,提供了新物理存在的重要证据。然而要确认新物理的存在,实验和理论还需要进一步提高精度。运行在量子色动力学微扰与非微扰过渡能区的北京谱仪实验能够约束缪子反常磁矩理论计算中最重要的误差来源——强相互作用的修正。文章介绍了缪子反常磁矩的实验与理论现状,特别是北京谱仪实验上相关的研究成果,并展望了未来缪子反常磁矩的实验测量与理论计算。     

Magnetic moment oscillation in ammonium perchlorate in a DC SQUID-based magnetic resonance experiment

In this work we describe experimental results in which a DC SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) is used as free induction decay detector. Measurements of a solid ammonium perchlorate (NH₄ClO₄) sample were performed, in zero field, at 4.2 K. Unexpected magnetic moment oscillations were detected at 1.5 kHz. The computation of the magnetic fields suggests that the proton nuclear magnetic resonance may explain the measured resonance, considering reorientation of the ammonium group by quantum tunneling of protons and a magnetic proton dipole–dipole intermolecular interaction model.     

Effective Ru moment in RuSr2Eu2−xCexCu2O10 from high-temperature magnetic susceptibility

We have made high-temperature (250 K<T<800 K) DC susceptibility measurements in the compounds RuSr₂Eu_2−xCe_xCu₂O₁₀ for x=0.6,0.8, and 1.0 in order to determine the Ru effective magnetic moment. After carefully subtracting all contributions to the magnetic susceptibility except that of the Ru ions, we have been able to fit the Ru susceptibility with a law χ_Ru=χ₀+C_Ru/(T−Θ_Ru). We have found that the Ru effective moment falls between the values expected for Ru⁵⁺ in spin states and . We have also found a dependence of μ_eff(Ru) and Θ_Ru with the Ce content x.     

Two-loop Majorana neutrino mass and magnetic moment in a gauge model

Two-loop contributions to Majorana mass and transition magnetic moment in a gauge model not in conflict with decaying neutrino dark matter (DDM) hypothesis have been studied. Another variant of an earlier model [J Dhar and S Dev,Pramana — J. Phys. 39 541 (1992)] consistent with the DDM hypothesis is proposed and is shown to lead to large enough neutrino magnetic moment and consistent with the phenomenological constraints on neutrino mass.     

Search for GUT magnetic monopoles and nuclearites with the MACRO experiment

We present the final results obtained by the MACRO experiment in the search for GUT magnetic monopoles and nuclearites. Several searches were performed with different subdetectors, i.e. scintillation counters, limited streamer tubes and nuclear track detectors. No magnetic monopole or nuclearite candidates were found. The MACRO upper limit to the local flux of GUT magnetic monopoles is at the level of 1.4×10⁻¹⁶ cm⁻² s⁻¹ sr⁻¹.     

First-principles study of single intrinsic vacancy formation and its effect on the electronic density states and magnetic moment of V-doped ZnO

We calculated the formation energy of single vacancy in V-doped ZnO in different conditions (oxygen or zinc rich) by first principles. Effect of an intrinsic vacancy on the electronic density of states and magnetic moment of V-doped ZnO (Zn₁₅VO₁₆) with and without single vacancy was also calculated. Our calculation was performed by the CASTEP program within spin-polarized GGA approximation implemented in materials studio software. The formation energy showed that oxygen vacancy inclined to stay far from vanadium (V) and zinc vacancy preferred to stay at a position near V. The calculated formation energy also showed that a zinc vacancy may automatically occur but an oxygen vacancy may not appear automatically. Vanadium doping introduced spin-polarization around Fermi level. For an energy favorable vacancy, an oxygen vacancy had little effect on the electronic density of states. A zinc vacancy made the spin-polarization peaks around Fermi level broaden and decreased their magnitude. For the magnetic moment in energy favorable configurations, an oxygen vacancy had little effect on the magnetic moment; a zinc vacancy significantly decreased the magnetic moment (as high as 63.7%). Changes in magnetic moments were consistent with electronic density of states. Our calculation may interpret various experimental magnetic moment values. Our work also provided a reference for preparing V-doped ZnO-based dilute magnetic semiconductors.     

Detection of 3He spins with ultra-low field nuclear magnetic resonance employing SQUIDs for application to a neutron electric dipole moment experiment

The precession of ³He spins is detected with ultra-low field NMR. The absolute strength of the NMR signal is accurately measured and agrees closely with theoretical calculations. The sensitivity is analyzed for applications to a neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) fundamental symmetry experiment under development.     

Search for intermediate mass magnetic monopoles and nuclearites with the SLIM experiment

SLIM is a large area experiment (440 m²) installed at the Chacaltaya cosmic ray laboratory since 2001, and about 100 m² at Koksil, Himalaya, since 2003. It is devoted to the search for intermediate mass magnetic monopoles (10⁷–10¹³ GeV/c²) and nuclearites in the cosmic radiation using stacks of CR-39 and Makrofol nuclear track detectors. In four years of operation it will reach a sensitivity to a flux of about 10^-15 cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1. We present the results of the calibration of CR-39 and Makrofol and the analysis of a first sample of the exposed detector.     

Effect of electron and hole doping on magnetic properties of zinc-blende SrC and BaC from first principles

First-principles density functional calculations are employed to investigate the effect of electron and hole doping on the equilibrium geometric, magnetic and electronic structure of hypothetical SrC and BaC compounds with the zinc-blende (ZB) crystal structure. Magnetic moments, lattice constants and orbital populations are calculated as a function of doping level. The calculations predict that the geometric, magnetic properties and electronic structure of these compounds are changed drastically upon electron and hole doping.     

First-principle electronic structure calculations for magnetic moment in iron-based superconductors: An LSDA + negative U study

In order to resolve a discrepancy of the magnetic moment on Fe between the experimental and calculation results, we perform first-principle electronic structure calculations for iron-based superconductors LaFeAsO_1-xF_x in which x=0.0 and x=0.125 by using the LSDA + U framework. Consequently, we confirm in both the mother and doped compounds that negative U correction is crucial in matching the calculated magnetic moment with the observed one. A reason of the negative correction is that the Coulomb interaction on Fe orbitals is unexpectedly screened than LSDA’s expectation. We discuss which type of situation emerges when the negative U is a good correction in these compounds.