Longitudinal acoustic compliance and tagged particle susceptibility in liquid and supercooled glycerol

Brillouin spectra of glycerol measured in the visible, ultraviolet and X-ray frequency regions allow us to reckon the imaginary part of acoustic compliance, J″(ω), over a broad frequency range from fraction of GHz to tens of THz. We observe that J″(ω) suitably mimic the shape of the tagged particle susceptibility, χ″_INS(ω), measured by incoherent neutron spectra for both the liquid and supercooled states. The proportionality between these two quantities suggests a strict relationship between acoustic dissipation and generalized density of states.     

Measurement of the high-energy electron and positron spectrum in the PAMELA experiment

The PAMELA magnetic spectrometer onboard the Resurs DK1 satellite no. 1 was put into (Earth) orbit on June 15, 2006; measurements continue at the present time. The scientific objective of the spectrometer is the study of antiproton, proton, positron, electron and light nucleus fluxes in cosmic rays. In this paper, we present the technique for measuring electron and positron spectra in the energy range from 20 to 800 GeV.     

Multiple‐element spectrometer for non‐resonant inelastic X‐ray spectroscopy of electronic excitations

A multiple‐analyser‐crystal spectrometer for non‐resonant inelastic X‐ray scattering spectroscopy installed at beamline ID16 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility is presented. Nine analyser crystals with bending radii R = 1 m measure spectra for five different momentum transfer values simultaneously. Using a two‐dimensional detector, the spectra given by all analysers can be treated individually. The spectrometer is based on a Rowland circle design with fixed Bragg angles of about 88°. The energy resolution can be chosen between 30–2000 meV with typical incident‐photon energies of 6–13 keV. The spectrometer is optimized for studies of valence and core electron excitations resolving both energy and momentum transfer.     

Effect of polymerization on the boson peak, from liquid to glass

Reactive epoxy-amine mixtures during isothermal polymerization have been characterized by Raman scattering measurements in order to follow the modification of the vibrational density of states. In the initially liquid solutions an increasing number of Van der Waals bonds are replaced by stiffer covalent bonds. During the chemical reaction, the molecular diffusion slows down and ultimately the systems are frozen in a glassy structure. The transformation from reactive liquids to chemical glasses is accompanied by microscopic structural changes driven by the bonding process. During the reaction the samples density and the sound velocity increase, both of them contribute to significantly change the Debye level. By combining Raman with Brillouin inelastic X-ray scattering measurements, we compare the relative variations of the boson peak with that of the Debye level. We find that the shift and intensity variation of the boson peak are fully explained by the modification of the elastic properties of the medium and a boson peak master curve is obtained.     

Symmetry and Localization in Periodic Crystals: Triviality of Bloch Bundles with a Fermionic Time-Reversal Symmetry

Acta Applicandae Mathematicae - We describe some applications of group- and bundle-theoretic methods in solid state physics, showing how symmetries lead to a proof of the localization of electrons...     

Identification of different electron screening behavior between the bulk and surface of (Ga,Mn)As

We report x-ray photoemission spectroscopy results on (Ga,Mn)As films as a function of both temperature and Mn doping. Analysis of Mn 2p core level spectra reveals the presence of a distinct electronic screening channel in the bulk, hitherto undetected in more surface sensitive analysis. Comparison with model calculations identifies the character of the Mn 3d electronic states and clarifies the role, and the difference between surface and bulk, of hybridization in mediating the ferromagnetic coupling in (Ga,Mn)As.     

Cosmic-ray electron flux measured by the PAMELA experiment between 1 and 625 GeV

Precision measurements of the electron component in the cosmic radiation provide important information about the origin and propagation of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. Here we present new results regarding negatively charged electrons between 1 and 625 GeV performed by the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA. This is the first time that cosmic-ray e? have been identified above 50 GeV. The electron spectrum can be described with a single power-law energy dependence with spectral index -3.18 ± 0.05 above the energy region influenced by the solar wind (> 30 GeV). No significant spectral features are observed and the data can be interpreted in terms of conventional diffusive propagation models. However, the data are also consistent with models including new cosmic-ray sources that could explain the rise in the positron fraction.     

Iridium/silicon multilayers for extreme ultraviolet applications in the 20-35 nm wavelength range

We have developed an Ir/Si multilayer for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) applications. Normal incidence reflectance measurements of a prototype film tuned to 30 nm wavelength show superior performance relative to a conventional Mo/Si multilayer structure; we also find good stability over time. Transmission electron microscopy and electron dispersive x-ray spectroscopy have been used to examine the microstructure and interface properties of this system: we find amorphous Si layers and polycrystalline Ir layers, with asymmetric interlayer regions of mixed composition. Potential applications of Ir/Si multilayers include instrumentation for solar physics and laboratory EUV beam manipulation.