The structure of 32S I. Spectroscopy of highly-excited states

Assignments of I, π, T are made to 30 levels in ³²S between 7.35 and 11.76 MeV excitation energy, making the spectroscopy of the T= 0 states rather complete up to 10 MeV and that of the T = 1 states up to 12 MeV. A reassessment of existing data in the light of the new results clarifies the spectrum of I ^π = 1⁺, T = 1 states up to 15 MeV excitation energy. High-spin states (I = 52 - 7) below 10 MeV excitation energy have been investigated by n t γ angular-correlation measurements with the ²⁹Si(α, nγ) reaction at E _α 14.4 MeV. Five g-wave resonances of the ³¹P(p, γ) reaction, leading to the formation of I _π + 4⁺, 5⁺ states in ³²S, have been identified between 10 and 12 MeV excitation energy. The spectrum of T = 1 states between 10.7 and 12 MeV, has been investigated by measurements of γ-ray angular distributions on resonances of the ³¹P(p, γ) reaction and by measurements of resonance strengths. Several ³²S levels between 7.35 and 8.75 MeV excitation energy were studied as final states in resonance decays. Finally a search was performed for I ^π = 0⁺ resonances of the ²⁸Si(α, γ) reaction.     

A new mechanism for gravitational-wave emission in core-collapse supernovae

We present a new theory for the gravitational-wave signatures of core-collapse supernovae. Previous studies identified axisymmetric rotating core collapse, core bounce, postbounce convection, and anisotropic neutrino emission as the primary processes and phases for the radiation of gravitational waves. Our results, which are based on axisymmetric Newtonian supernova simulations, indicate that the dominant emission process of gravitational waves in core-collapse supernovae may be the oscillations of the protoneutron star core. The oscillations are predominantly of mode character, are excited hundreds of milliseconds after bounce, and typically last for several hundred milliseconds. Our results suggest that even nonrotating core-collapse supernovae should be visible to current LIGO-class detectors throughout the Galaxy, and depending on progenitor structure, possibly out to megaparsec distances.     

Magnetic layered structure for the production of polarized neutron microbeams

A neutron waveguide is a three-layer structure in which a guiding layer with low optical potential is placed between two cladding layers with high optical potential. Under proper operation conditions, the neutron density is resonantly enhanced inside the guiding layer. In our experimental scheme, the neutron beam enters through the surface of the top layer at glancing angle and goes out from the edge of the guiding layer, with an angular distribution corresponding to Fraunhofer diffraction from a narrow slit. The incident neutron beam is relatively wide (0.1 mm) and highly collimated (0.01°). The outgoing sub-micron beam is extremely narrow at the outlet (0.1 μm) and more divergent (0.1°). So far only the production of unpolarized sub-micron neutron beams has been reported. Here we present first experiments on polarized sub-micron neutron beams. For these studies a polarized incident beam was used and two types of magnetic waveguides were investigated: a polarizing magnetic waveguide Fe(20 nm)/Cu(140 nm)/Fe(50 nm)//glass and a non-polarizing magnetic waveguide Py(10 nm)/Al(140 nm)/Py(50 nm)//glass (Py is permalloy). The waveguide samples were characterized by polarized neutron reflectometry.     

Evidence for complex magnetic order in U2Zn17: A μ+ SR studySR study

μ⁺ SR-measurements in transversally applied magnetic fields of 2000 G and 4000 G on heavy-electron single crystal U₂Zn₁₇ are presented. They reveal that at least two types of interstitial sites are occupied by the positive muons. One of these sites (1/3, 2/3, 5/6) could be identified via induced local dipolar fields which aboveT _N=9.7 K can exactly be derived from the magnetic susceptibility. The corresponding component of the μ⁺-signal exhibits a steplike decrease by about 40% atT _N which is caused by the onset of a very broad distribution of static internal magnetic fields (ΔB≈1000 G) with zero average. Such a field distribution is in distinct contrast to dipolar-field calculations performed for the simple antiferromagnetic structure deduced from neutron diffraction. The remaining 60% of the muons contributing to this component belowT _N are subject to a narrow static field distribution (ΔB≈1 G). The induced dipolar fields at the site (1/3, 2/3, 5/6) are temperature-independent belowT _N. A weak dipolar coupling to the U-moments renders similar observations for muons occupying the second type of interstitial impossible.     

Antiferromagnetism of type II in nonstoichiometric YbP

A polycrystalline smaple of nonstoichiometric ytterbium phosphide, YbP_0.84, was investigated by neutron scattering, Mössbauer spectroscopy and bulk magnetic measurements. Neutron diffraction experiments prove the existence of antiferromagnetic type II ordering belowT _N =0.64 K, in contrast to the observed antiferromagnetic type III ordering in the stoichiometric Kondo-like compounds YbN and YbAs. The temperature dependence of the average ordered magnetic moment per Yb³⁺ ion with saturation value _Yb = 1.03(7) _B is similar to that of YbN. Mössbauer experiments prove the magnetic phase transition to be first order with different regions in the sample having slightly different transition temperatures. By means of inelastic neutron scattering the crystal-field level scheme was established to be ₆ – ₈(19meV) – ₇(43meV).     

Methods for Probing Magnetic Films with Neutrons

We review various methods in the investigation of magnetic films with neutrons, including those based on the effects of Larmor precession, Zeeman spatial splitting of the beam, neutron spin resonance, and polarized neutron channeling. The underlying principles, examples of the investigated systems, specific features, applications, and perspectives of these methods are discussed.