Characterization of the current-induced resistive spots in superconducting \hbox {YBa}_{2} \hbox {Cu}_{3} \hbox {O}_{7} strips

For over a decade, ultrathin superconducting films have been developed for the detection of single photons at optical or near infrared frequencies, with competitive performances in terms of quantum efficiency, speed, and low dark count rate. In order to avoid the requirement of helium refrigeration, we consider here the use of high temperature materials, known to achieve very fast responsiveness to laser irradiation. We excite thin filaments of the cuprate \(\hbox {YBa}_{2} \hbox {Cu}_{3} \hbox {O}_{7}\) by rectangular pulses of supercritical current so as to produce either a phase-slip centre (PSC) or a normal hot spot (HS), according to the temperature and the current amplitude selected. That procedure provides information about the maximum bias current to be used in a particle detector, about the return current back to the quiescent state after excitation, and about the rate of growth and decay of a HS. We also measure the time of PSC nucleation. A unique feature of that approach is to provide the rate of heat transfer between the film and its substrate at whatever temperature, in the superconducting state, in the practical conditions of operation.     

High-speed planar laser-induced fluorescence of the CH radical using the C^{ 2} \varSigma ^{ + } {-}X^{ 2} \varPi \left( {0,0} \right) band

The potential for kHz-rate or high-speed planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of the Methylidyne (CH) radical using its \(C^{ 2} \varSigma ^{ + } {-}X^{ 2} \varPi\) (v′ = 0, v′′ = 0) band was investigated. We show that due to its strength and the excitation wavelength (~314 nm), which is conveniently generated by a dye laser operating with a red dye, the C–X(0,0) band is a good choice for CH LIF studies wherein suppression of background scattering is not required. While interference from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is small, that caused by hydroxyl (OH) can be significant. Nonetheless, the OH lines can be avoided, and we observe good CH image fidelity. Most importantly, we show that due to the favorable properties of the CH C–X band (i.e., good signal strength and convenient wavelength), it can be used for PLIF at kHz acquisition rates using a continuously pulsing laser system. This is demonstrated in laminar and turbulent CH₄-air flames with a laser system operating at 10 kHz and delivering ~0.2 mJ/pulse at 314 nm.     

Damage studies on the system^{111} \mathop {In}\limits^ \to \underline {Ni}

Lattice damage after implantation of¹¹¹In in Ni has been studied applying the DPAC technique to the 171–245 keV -ray cascade in the daughter nucleus¹¹¹Cd. Implantations were carried out at 10 K and at 300 K. The low temperature implantation yields a higher regular substitutional fraction (80%) than the room temperature implantation (40%). The annealing behaviour of both implants above RT is the same. In addition, two distinct defect-associated sites were observed in isochronal annealing sequences. A microscopic model for these defects is presented, which takes into account magnetic and electric hyperfine interaction strengths, binding energies and site populations as a functions of temperature.     

Elastic scattering of \sf{59.54}-keV \sf{\gamma}-rays in elements with \sf{22 \leq {Z} \leq {92}} at momentum transfer \sf{0.4 \leq {x} \leq 4.7~{\AA}^{\sf -1}}

Differential cross sections for elastic scattering of the 59.54 keV γ-rays in elements with 22 ≤Z ≤92 have been measured over the angular range 10^○–160^○corresponding to the momentum transfer 0.4 ≤x ≤4.7 Å^-1. The measurements at forward and backward angles were performed using the ²⁴¹Am radioactive point-source, target and the Ge detectors in the transmission and reflection arrangements, respectively. The measured differential scattering cross sections are compared with those based on the form-factor (FF) formalism and state-of-the-art S-matrix calculations to differentiate between their relative efficacies and to check angular-dependence of the anomalous scattering factors (ASF) incorporated as correction to the modified form-factor (MF). The S-matrix values exhibit agreement with the measured data at backward angles and differences ～10% at forward angles. The scattering cross sections based on the MF including ASF’s are in general lower at various angles by up to 20% for medium- and high-Z elements. The observed deviations being higher at the forward angles infer possibility of angular-dependence of ASF’s.     

Isospin mixing \bar{K}N\hbox{-}{\pi}{\Sigma} interaction and \bar{K}NN\hbox{-}{\pi} {\Sigma}N quasi-bound state

A phenomenological isospin-dependent $\bar{K}N\hbox{-}\pi\Sigma$ potential reproducing a medium KEK value of 1s kaonic hydrogen level shift instead of a K ^? p scattering length is constructed. The corresponding three-body $\bar{K}NN\hbox{-}\pi\Sigma N$ calculation using the obtained potential is performed.     

Characteristics of splat-cooled Sn- \hbox{Bi}_{5} - \hbox{Pb}_{\bi x} alloys

A Sn-5 \, wt.%Bi binary master alloy was prepared by melt spinning. Ternary alloys with different Pb contents ( x = 0 - 2.5\,\hbox{wt.}\% ) were prepared with the same technique. All the alloys were irradiated with 1.2\,\hbox{MGy} \gamma -radiation at room temperature. The internal friction, Q^{-1} , the thermal diffusivity D_{\rm th} and the Young's modulus Y obtained by applying the resonance technique were measured at room temperature before and after irradiation. DTA thermograms and X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained for the tested alloys. The results showed a remarkable dependence on both the amounts of the ternary addition and irradiation with \gamma -rays. The observed changes in the measured values were attributed to a composition inhomogeneity, caused by the distribution mode of the third element in the matrix and the defects induced by irradiation.     

Model-independent analysis of Higgs spin and CP properties in the process \boldsymbol{e}^{+} \boldsymbol{e}^{-} \to\boldsymbol{t}\bar{\boldsymbol{t}} \boldsymbol{\Phi}

In this paper we investigate methods to study the $t\bar{t}$ Higgs coupling. The spin and CP properties of a Higgs boson are analysed in a model-independent way in its associated production with a $t\bar{t}$ pair in high-energy e ⁺ e ^? collisions. We study the prospects of establishing the CP quantum numbers of the Higgs boson in the CP-conserving case as well as those of determining the CP-mixing if CP is violated. We explore in this analysis the combined use of the total cross section and its energy dependence, the polarisation asymmetry of the top quark and the up-down asymmetry of the antitop with respect to the top–electron plane. We find that combining all three observables remarkably reduces the error on the determination of the CP properties of the Higgs Yukawa coupling. Furthermore, the top polarisation asymmetry and the ratio of cross sections at different collider energies are shown to be sensitive to the spin of the particle produced in association with the top-quark pair.     

Ab-initio calculations of structural,phonon and thermal properties of $$\hbox {Al}_x \hbox {Ga}_{1-x} \hbox {As}$$ alloy

We provide the energy spectrum of an electron in a degenerately doped semiconductor of parabolic band. Knowing the energy spectrum, the density-of-states (DOS) functions are obtained, considering the Gaussian distribution of the potential energy of the impurity states, showing a band tail in them e.g., energy spectrum and density-of-states. Therefore, Fermi integrals (FIs) of DOS functions, having band tail, are developed by the exact theoretical calculations of the same. It is noticed that with heavy dopings in semiconductors, the total FI demonstrates complex functions, containing both real and imaginary terms of different FI functions. Their moduli possess an oscillatory function of \(\eta \) (reduced \(\hbox {Fermi energy} = E_{\mathrm{f}}/k_{\mathrm{B}}T\), \(k_{\mathrm{B}}\) is the Boltzmann constant and T is the absolute temperature) and \(\eta _{e}\) (impurity screening potential), having a series solutions of confluent hypergeometric functions, \(\Phi (a, b; z)\), superimposed with natural cosine functions of angle \(\theta \). The variation of \(\theta \) with respect to \(\eta \) indicated a resonance at \(\eta =1.5\). The oscillatory behaviour of FIs show the existence of ‘band-gaps’, both in the real as well as in the forbidden bands as new band gaps in the semiconductor.