The ACE-FTS atlas of the infrared solar spectrum

The ACE-FTS is a space-borne Fourier transform spectrometer onboard SCISAT-1. The satellite was launched in August 2003 and since February 2004 the ACE-FTS has been performing solar occultation measurements in order to infer the chemical composition of the terrestrial atmosphere. The individual spectra recorded at the highest limb tangent altitudes (above 160 km) are by definition “high sun” spectra and contain no atmospheric contribution. In this work, an empirical solar spectrum covering the 700 to 4430 cm⁻¹ spectral range has been constructed from an average of 224,782 individual ACE-FTS solar spectra. Line assignments have been made for about 12,000 lines. The spectrum and two line lists are provided in the supplemental material attached to this work. Due to the excellent noise level achieved in the ACE-FTS solar atlas presented here, numerous weak absorption features are assigned which were not detectable in the ATMOS solar observations.     

Local near field assisted ablation of fused silica

In this contribution we present recent experimental and theoretical results on local near-field assisted laser ablation. Along these lines, we have generated sub-diffraction sized nanostructures on fused silica substrates, exploiting the local near fields of highly ordered triangular gold nanoparticle arrays generated by nanosphere lithography. After preparation, the nanoparticle arrays were irradiated with a single 35 fs long laser pulse with a central wavelength of λ=790 nm. The pulse energy was set to E=3.9 μJ, resulting in a fluence well below the ablation threshold of the fused silica substrates. In addition, 3D electromagnetic simulations using a finite integration technique in time domain have been performed. The simulations demonstrate that indeed the local field in the vicinity of the tips of the triangular nanoparticles overcome the ablation threshold and easily explain the generated nanostructures. Most importantly, the simulations show, that higher order modes contribute to the ablation process. These modes cause ablation along the side edges of the nanoparticles. Finally, we demonstrate, that the optical properties of the triangular nanoparticles, which can be tuned by their morphology, are crucial parameters for the generation of the ablation structures.     

Ion beam sputter deposition of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> films using oxygen ions

TiO₂ thin films were grown by ion beam sputter deposition (IBSD) using oxygen ions, with the ion energy and geometrical parameters (ion incidence angle, polar emission angle, and scattering angle) being varied systematically. Metallic Ti and ceramic TiO₂ served as target materials. The thin films were characterized concerning thickness, growth rate, surface topography, structural properties, mass density, and optical properties. It was found that the scattering geometry has the main impact on the film properties. Target material, ion energy, and ion incidence angle have only a marginal influence. Former studies on reactive IBSD of TiO₂ using Ar and Xe ions reported equivalent patterns. Nevertheless, the respective ion species distinctively affects the film properties. For instance, mass density and the refractive index of the TiO₂ thin films are remarkably lower for sputtering with oxygen ions than for sputtering with Ar or Xe ions. The variations in the thin film properties are tentatively attributed to the angular and the energy distribution of the film-forming particles, especially, to those of the backscattered primary particles.     

\mu-e conversion in nuclei in the left-right supersymmetric model

We investigate the contributions to conversion in nuclei in a supersymmetric model with left-right symmetry, motivated by the new data on neutrino oscillations. We study the dependence of the conversion rate on the various parameters of the model, and show that light-mass or large scenarios are severely restricted. We analyse the effect of several popular mecahnisms of neutrino mixing on the conversion rate as well as the influence of the right-handed scale on the conversion rate. We compare the conversion rate to the branching ratio for and discuss their relative accessibility at future experiments, their sensitivity to various parameters of the model, as well as their relative importance in providing signals for new Physics. Received: 31 May 2000 / Published online: 31 August 2000     

The CRESST dark matter search

We discuss the short-and long-term perspectives of the CRESST (Cryogenic Rare Event Search using Superconducting Thermometers) project and present the current status of the experiment and new results concerning detector development. In the search for elementary particle dark matter, CRESST is presently the most advanced deep underground, low-background, cryogenic facility. The basic technique involved is to search for WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) by the measurement of nonthermal phonons, as created by WIMP-induced nuclear recoils. Combined with our newly developed method for the simultaneous measurement of scintillation light, strong background discrimination is possible, resulting in a substantial increase in WIMP detection sensitivity. This will allow a test of the reported positive evidence for a WIMP signal by the DAMA Collaboration in the near future. In the long term, the present CRESST setup permits the installation of a detector mass up to 100 kg. In contrast to other projects, CRESST technology allows the employment of a large variety of detection materials. This offers a powerful tool in establishing a WIMP signal and in investigating WIMP properties in the event of a positive signal.     

A critique of the unsaturable trap model of radiation damage in metals

The unsaturable trap model, which attributes the increase of the electrical resistivity of fcc metals during electron irradiation in the temperature regime of Stage-II recovery to the trapping of Stage-I_E interstitials at impurity atoms, is shown to be in serious disagreement with the experiments, contrary to opposite statements in the literature. As shown recently, the predictions of the unsaturable trap model are independent of the dimensionality of the diffusion of the Stage-I_E interstitials. Previous attempts to rule out a one-dimensional migration of the Stage-I_E interstitials (and hence the two-interstitial model) on the basis of the alleged agreement of the unsaturable trap model with Stage-II damage curves are thus meaningless. On the contrary, it is demonstrated that the two-interstitial model accounts for minute details of the measured Stage-II damage curves in a natural way.     

JRQ and JPA irradiated and annealed reactor pressure vessel steels studied by positron annihilation

The paper is focused on a comprehensive study of JRQ and JPA reactor pressure vessel steels from the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) point of view. Based on our more than 20 years’ experience with characterization of irradiated reactor steels, we confirmed that defects after irradiation start to grow and/or merge into bigger clusters. Experimental results shown that JPA steel is more sensitive to the creation of irradiation-induced defects than JRQ steel. It is most probably due to high copper content (0.29?wt.% in JPA) and copper precipitation has a major impact on neutron-induced defect creation at the beginning of the irradiation. Based on current PALS results, no large vacancy clusters were formed during irradiation, which could cause dangerous embrittlement concerning operation safety of nuclear power plant. The combined PALS, small angle neutron scattering and atomic probe tomography studies support the model for JRQ and JPA steels describing the structure of irradiation-induced clusters as agglomerations of vacancy clusters (consisting of 2–6 vacancies each) and are separated from each other by a distribution of atoms.     

A data-analysis method for identifying differential effects of time-delayed feedback forces and periodic driving forces in stochastic systems

In this work a method is developed for analyzing time series of periodically driven stochastic systems involving time-delayed feedback. The proposed data-analysis method yields dynamical models in terms of stochastic delay differential equations. On the basis of these dynamical models differential effects of driving forces and time-delayed feedback forces can be identified.     

Time-resolved probing of the ground state coherence in rubidium

We demonstrate the preparation and probing of the coherence between the hyperfine ground states |S(1/2),F=1> and |5S(1/2),F=2> of the Rb87 isotope. The effects of various coherence control techniques, i.e., fractional stimulated Raman adiabatic passage and coherent population return, on the coherence are investigated. These techniques are implemented using nearly degenerate pump and Stokes lasers at 795 nm (Rb D1 transition), which couple the two hyperfine ground states via the excited state |5P(1/2),F=1> through a resonant two-photon process in which a coherent superposition of the two hyperfine ground states is established. The medium is probed by an additional weak laser, which generates a four-wave mixing signal proportional to the ground state coherence and allows us to monitor its evolution in time. The experimental data are compared with numerical simulations.     

Hydrodynamic Limit of the Symmetric Exclusion Process on a Compact Riemannian Manifold

Journal of Statistical Physics - We consider the symmetric exclusion process on suitable random grids that approximate a compact Riemannian manifold. We prove that a class of random walks on these...