Dynamics of molybdenum nano structure formation on the TiO2(1 1 0) surface: A kinetic Monte Carlo approach

The rutile TiO₂(1 1 0) surface is a highly anisotropic surface exhibiting “channels” delimited by oxygen rows. In previous experimental and theoretical DFT works we could identify the molybdenum adsorption sites. They are located inside the channels. Moreover, experimental studies have shown that during subsequent annealing after deposition, special molybdenum nano structures can be formed, especially two monolayer high pyramidal chains of atoms.In order to better understand the dynamics of nano structure formation, we present a kinetic Monte Carlo study on diffusion and adsorption of molybdenum atoms on a TiO₂(1 1 0) surface. A quasi one-dimensional lattice gas model has been used which describes the possible adsorption sites of a Mo atom in a single channel of the surface. The atomic positions of a 1.5 monolayer thick Mo film formed of pyramidal chains define the lattice sites of the model. Thereby the formation of three-dimensional clusters could be studied. Here we have studied the cluster formation as a function of parameters that can be controlled in a growth experiment by physical vapor deposition: deposition and annealing temperature, flux and total amount of deposited Mo. Good qualitative agreement with recent experiments is obtained.     

Dynamic response of permalloy/Cu/Co magnetoresistive sandwiches

The dynamic response of trilayer magnetoresistive permalloy/Cu/Co films was studied by high-frequency permeability spectra measurements. The resonance frequency is shown to depend on the interlayer copper thickness. This dependence is related to exchange coupling between permalloy and cobalt and the interaction field is estimated using the Landau–Lifschitz–Gilbert model.     

Visualization of industrial engineering data in Augmented Reality

This paper presents an innovative application of Augmented Reality (AR) techniques in the field of industrial engineering in which the user explores data from numerical simulations or the results of measurements and experiments, superimposed to the real object that they refer to. The user observes the object through a tablet PC, used as a video see-through handheld display. Data are visualized superimposed to the real object that represents a spatial reference relative to which the user can refer to, so the exploration is more natural compared to a traditional visualization software. Moreover, we have developed a new framework, called VTK4AR, that provides a set of useful software classes for the rapid development of AR applications for scientific visualization. VTK4AR is built on top of VTK (an open source API for scientific visualization), so it will be possible to employ a wide range of visualization techniques in many application fields, and moreover, it is possible to interactively manipulate data-sets in order to achieve a more effective way of visualization.     

Directed and elliptic flow in 197Au+197Au at intermediate energies

Directed and elliptic flow for the ¹⁹⁷Au+¹⁹⁷Au system at incident energies between 40 and 150 MeV per nucleon has been measured using the INDRA 4π multi-detector. For semi-central collisions, the excitation function of elliptic flow shows a transition from in-plane to out-of-plane emission at around 100 MeV per nucleon. The directed flow changes sign at a bombarding energy between 50 and 60 MeV per nucleon and remains negative at lower energies. Molecular dynamics calculations (CHIMERA) indicate sensitivity of the global squeeze-out transition on the σ _NN and demonstrate the importance of angular momentum conservation in transport codes at low energies.     

A $\Gamma$-convergence result for doubling metric measures and associated perimeters

Abstract. In this paper we study the notion of perimeter associated with doubling metric measures or strongly weights. We prove that the metric perimeter in the sense of L. Ambrosio and M. Miranda jr. coincides with the metric Minkowski content and can be obtained also as a -limit of Modica-Mortola type degenerate integral functionals. Received: 27 August 2001 / Accepted: 29 November 2001 / Published online: 10 June 2002 Investigation supported by University of Bologna, funds for selected research topics and by GNAMPA of INdAM, Italy. The authors are very grateful to Luigi Ambrosio and Francesco Serra Cassano for making their preprints available to them, for listening with patience and for many unvaluable suggestions.     

On the role of the interface charge in non-ideal metal–semiconductor contacts

The bias dependent interface charge is considered as the origin of the observed non-ideality in current–voltage and capacitance–voltage characteristics. Using the simplified model for the interface electronic structure based on defects interacting with the continuum of interface states, the microscopic origin of empirical parameters describing the bias dependent interface charge function is investigated. The results show that in non-ideal metal–semiconductor contacts the interface charge function depends on the interface disorder parameter, density of defects, barrier pinning parameter and the effective gap center. The theoretical predictions are tested against several sets of published experimental data on bias dependent ideality factor and excess capacitance in various metal–semicoductor systems.     

Magnetism in electron-doped copper oxides

We report muon spin relaxation/rotation measurements on sintered powder samples of Nd_2−x Ce _x CuO_4−y and a large single crystal of Nd₂CuO_4−y . We find an electronic phase diagram which is quite similar to that of hole-doped superconductors such as La_2−x Sr _x CuO_4−y , although the doping of electrons into the system is less efficient in destroying the static moments on the copper spins. Static magnetic order in Nd₂CuO_4−y appears below about 250 K, and two spin reorientations are seen atT=75 K andT=35 K. Measurements of the magnetic field penetration depth have been unsuccessful due to the rare-earth paramagnetism of these materials.     

Evolution of the Alfvénic correlation in the solar wind

Summary The radial evolution of Alfvénic correlation is such that its value decreases with increasing heliocentric distance. So far this behaviour has been interpreted as an increase in the local production of ?inward? modes interacting destructively with the ?outward? modes. This work, which deals with largescale turbulence, shows that local generation phenomena are not commonly found in the solar wind and that the Alfvénic character of the fluctuations mainly depend on the ?outward? modes alone. The interaction of these modes with density and/or magnetic-field structures convected by the wind causes their destruction and a consequent depletion of the Alfvénic correlation. The same effect would be obtained if ?inward? modes were really present. Our conclusions are that large-scale ?inward? modes are the spectral counterpart of non-propagating field and plasma structures convected by the solar wind and identified as both compression regions and pressure balance structures. Paper presented at the V Cosmic Physics National Conference, S. Miniato, November 27–30, 1990.     

μSR studies of heavy fermion systems

We have performed both zero field and high transverse field measurements at dilution refrigerator temperatures on a number of heavy electron systems, examining the superconducting and magnetic properties of these interesting materials. Among the materials studied to date are UBe₁₃, URu₂Si₂ and U₆Fe. The magnetic field penetration depth in the superconducting state of UBe₁₃ is greater than 10000 Å, as no increase in the transverse field relaxation rate is observed belowT _c . A sharp increase in the precession frequency is seen, starting atT _c . This frequency shift shows little temperature dependence at low temperature; we found no clear evidence for unconventional superconductivity in this material. Zero field measurements in URu₂Si₂ show the weak antiferromagnetic transition at 17.5 K. Finally, we we found no clear evidence for unconventional superconductivity in this material. Zero field measurements in URu₂Si₂ show the weak antiferromagnetic transition at 17.5 K. Finally, we have observed relaxation in high transverse field due to the formation of a flux lattice in U₆Fe, a material where the electron effective mass is rather lighter than in other heavy fermion systems. The relaxation exhibits a sharp onset atT _c=3.9 K, and is flat at low temperatures as expected for a conventional superconductor.