Neutral strange particle production inK + p interactions at 32 GeV/c

The production properties ofK _s ⁰ , \(\bar \Lambda\) andK ⁺ p interactions at 32 GeV/c are investigated using the final statistics of the experiment. We present total and semi-inclusive cross sections and aver-age multiplicities. Estimates are given of the diffractive dissociation contributions to total and differential cross sections. Thex-,p _T ^?, and transverse mass dependence of inclusive and semi-inclusive distributions is discussed as well as properties of “prompt”K _s ⁰ 's. The ratio of “prompt”K ₈₉₀ ⁺ (K ₈₉₀ ⁰ ) to “prompt”K ⁰ cross sections is measured to be 1.03±0.12 (0.98±0.17). From a comparison of \(\bar \Lambda\) production inK ^± p interactions at 32 GeV/c, we estimate a strange sea-quark suppression of 0.26 ±0.02. The double differential cross sections ofK _s ⁰ 's is studied as a function of Feynman-x andp _T ² , and a Triple-Regge fit performed. The data are compared in detail to versions of the Lund-model for low-p _T hadronic collisions.     

Electron transport in modulation-doped GaAs v-groove quantum wires

We report the growth of modulation-doped GaAs/Al_xGa_1−xAs v-groove quantum wires and structural, electrical and optical investigations of their electronic states and transport properties. By using alternative group III precursors on partially SiO₂ masked pre-patterned GaAs substrates, samples have been fabricated which permit electrical measurements of single isolated wire structures without the need for additional electron-beam lithography. Magneto-transport was measured as a function of tilt angle of the incident magnetic field to identify the formation of low-dimensional electron gases in different parts of the structure. Photoluminescence investigations reveal 1D and 2D confined states which show different carrier heating when electric fields are applied along the wire structure.     

Solid-like friction of a polymer chain

We propose a simple friction model for isolated polymer chains on a solid substrate. The chains are pulled at constant velocity by one end, the other end can be trapped on the solid substrate on localised sites. We focus on the energy dissipation due to the traps. This simple model leads to nontrivial friction laws, depending on the velocity and the distance between traps. Some refinements of the model such as the effect of thermal fluctuations are also reported. Received 20 March 2000     

Electronic properties of CuO 2 -planes: A DMFT study

We study one-particle spectra and the electronic band-structure of a CuO ₂ -plane within the three-band Hubbard model. The Dynamical Mean-Field Theory (DMFT) is used to solve the many particle problem. The calculations show that the optical gap is given by excitations from the lower Hubbard band into the so called Zhang-Rice singlet band. The optical gap turns out to be considerably smaller than the bare charge transfer energy () for a typical set of parameters, which is in agreement with experiment. We also investigate the dependence of the shape of the Fermi surface on the different hopping parameters t CuO and t OO. A value t OO / t CuO >0 leads to a Fermi surface surrounding the M point. Received 21 September 1998 and Received in final form 8 June 1999     

Proximity effect in superconductor/ferromagnet layered system: Influence of superconductivity on magnetic properties of Nb/Fe epitaxial bilayers

Magnetic and superconducting properties of Fe/Nb epitaxial bilayers have been studied. Single crystal Fe/Nb (110) bilayers with a Nb thicknessd _Nb in the range from 250 to 650 Å and with a Fe thicknessd _Fe in the range from 7 to 27 Å were prepared using molecular beam epitaxy techniques. Magnetization measurements showed the existence of a magnetically “dead” Fe-interface layer with a thicknessd _NM varying strongly with minor modifications of the growth conditions. For bilayers with a small magnetic layer thicknessd _M and a smalld _NM the FMR measurements revealed an anomalous decrease of the effective magnetization 4πM _eff of the ferromagnetic Fe layer below the superconducting transition temperatureT _c. The absolute change of 4πM _eff belowT _c depends strongly on the actual values ofd _M andd _NM: upon decreasing bothd _M andd _NM the effect increases considerably. As a possible mechanism for the anomalous temperature dependence of 4πM _eff belowT _c we discuss a spatial modulation of ferromagnetic order due to a modification of the RKKY inter-action in the superconducting state.     

Incommensurability in the magnetic excitations of the bilinear-biquadratic spin-1 chain

We study the magnetic excitation spectrum of the spin-1 chain with Hamiltonian .We focus on the range where the spin chain is in the gapped Haldane phase. The excitation spectrum and static structure factor is studied using direct Lanczos diagonalization of small systems and density-matrix renormalization group techniques combined with the single-mode approximation. The magnon dispersion has a minimum at until a critical value is reached at which the curvature (velocity) vanishes. Beyond this point, which is distinct from the VBS point and the Lifshitz point, the minimum lies at an incommensurate value that goes smoothly to when approaches , the Lai-Sutherland point. The mode remains isolated from the other states: there is no evidence of spinon deconfinement before the point .These findings explain recent observation of the behavior of the magnetization curve for . Received 16 December 1998     

Two-photon decay in strong central fields observed for the case of He-like gold

The photon energy differential shape of the second order matrix element for the two-photon (2E1) decay of the 1s2s¹S₀ level in He-like gold has been measured. The results are in agreement with a recent fully relativistic calculation. The corresponding 2E1 matrix element deviates from those in lighter He-like systems due to the strong central field in a heavy two-electron ion.     

Adjusting chemical bonding of hard amorphous CSixNy thin films by N*-plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition

Hard amorphous carbon silicon nitride thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of various carbon silicon nitride targets by using an additional nitrogen RF plasma source on [100] oriented silicon substrates at room temperature. The influence of the number of laser shots per target site on the growth rate and film surface morphology was studied. Up to about 30 at. % nitrogen and up to 20 at. % silicon were found in the films by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS of the films showed a clear correlation of binding energy to the variation of PLD parameters. The films show a universal hardness value up to 23 GPa (reference value for silicon substrate 14 GPa) in dependence on target composition and PLD parameters. The results emphasise the possibility of variation of chemical bonding and corresponding properties, such as nanohardness, of amorphous CSi_xN_y thin films by the plasma-assisted PLD process.     

Atomistic Simulations of Integranular Fracture in Symmetric-Tilt Grain Boundaries

Fracture experiments on symmetric-tilt grain boundaries in Cu are interpreted using the Peierls-Nabarro continuum model of dislocation nucleation as a starting point. Good agreement is found only when the continuum model is modified according to the results of atomistic simulations. The same experiments are also reproduced by direct Molecular Dynamics simulations of fracture propagation and dislocation emission from a microcrack placed in the interface plane of the symmetric-tilt (221)(221) grain boundary in fcc Cu. Direction-dependent fracture response is observed, namely the microcrack advancing by brittle fracture along the [11 ] direction and being blunted by dislocation emission along the opposite [ 4] direction. Moreover, the simulations allow us to establish important differences with respect to the continuum-model predictions due to the shielding of the stress field at the crack-tip and to the presence of the residual stress at the interface.     

Spin wave spectrum and exchange interactions in the antiferromagnetic garnet Ca3Cr2Ge3O12 by inelastic neutron scattering

We have measured the spin wave spectrum for the garnet Ca₃Cr₂Ge₃O₁₂ by means of inelastic neutron scattering. The data can be well described in the framework of linear spin wave theory if we assume a Heisenberg model with two exchange parameters up to the next nearest neighbours (J ₁ andJ ₂) and a staggered anisotropy field (A). A least squares fit to the observed dispersion relations yield the following values for these parameters: J ₁=–0.582(8)K,J ₂=0.416(4)K,A=0.25(8)K. Although symmetry requires that two nearest neighbour exchange constantsJ ₁ andJ ₁ ^' must be distinguished, only the average J ₁=(J ₁+3J ₁ ^' )/4 and the condition –0.35 K <J ₁=J ₁-J ₁ ^' <0.50 K could be deduced from the experiment. The most striking result is the positive value ofJ ₂. We discuss the implications for an understanding of superexchange mediated by more than one oxygen atom. In an extension of the conventional analysis we have calculated the integrated intensities in order to check the eigenvectors directly. Good agreement between observed and calculated intensities was obtained.