Lyman-alpha radiative transfer during the Epoch of Reionization: contribution to 21-cm signal fluctuations

During the epoch of reionization, Ly-alpha photons emitted by the first stars can couple the neutral hydrogen spin temperature to the kinetic gas temperature, providing the opportunity to observe the gas in emission or absorption in the 21-cm line. Given the bright foregrounds, it is of prime importance to determine precisely the fluctuations signature of the signal, to be able to extract it by its correlation power. LICORICE is a Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code, coupled to the dynamics via an adaptative Tree-SPH code. We present here the Ly-alpha part of the implementation, and validate it through three classical tests. Contrary to previous works, we do not assume that P_alpha, the number of scatterings of Ly-alpha photons per atom per second, is proportional to the Ly-alpha background flux, but take into account the scatterings in the Ly-alpha line wings. The latter have the effect to steepen the radial profile of P_alpha around each source, and re-inforce the contrast of the fluctuations. In the particular geometry of cosmic filaments of baryonic matter, Ly-alpha photons are scattered out of the filament, and the large scale structure of P_alpha is significantly anisotropic. This could have strong implications for the possible detection of the 21-cm signal.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures. To be published in A&

Low-energy spin dynamics and critical hole concentrations in La2−x_{2-x}Srx_xCuO4_4 (0.07≤x≤0.20.07\leq x \leq 0.2) revealed by 139^{139}La and 63^{63}Cu nuclear magnetic resonance

We report a comprehensive $^{139}$La and $^{63}$Cu nuclear magnetic resonance study on La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ ($0.07\leq x \leq 0.2$) single crystals. The $^{139}$La spin-lattice relaxation rate $^{139}T_1^{-1}$ is drastically influenced by Sr doping $x$ at low temperatures. A detailed field dependence of $^{139}T_1^{-1}$ at $x=1/8$ suggests that charge ordering induces the critical slowing down of spin fluctuations toward glassy spin order and competes with superconductivity. On the other hand, the $^{63}$Cu relaxation rate $^{63}T_1^{-1}$ is well described by a Curie-Weiss law at high temperatures, yielding the Curie-Weiss temperature $\Theta$ as a function of doping. $\Theta$ changes sharply through a critical hole concentration $x_c\sim 0.09$. $x_c$ appears to correspond to the delocalization limit of doped holes, above which the bulk nature of superconductivity is established.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure, published in PR

Persistence of singlet fluctuations in the coupled spin tetrahedra system Cu2Te2O5Br2 revealed by high-field magnetization and 79Br NQR - 125Te NMR

We present high-field magnetization and $^{79}$Br nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) and $^{125}$Te nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies in the weakly coupled Cu$^{2+}$ ($S=1/2$) tetrahedral system Cu$_2$Te$_2$O$_5$Br$_2$. The field-induced level crossing effects were observed by the magnetization measurements in a long-ranged magnetically ordered state which was confirmed by a strong divergence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T1 at T0=13.5 K. In the paramagnetic state, 1/T1 reveals an effective singlet-triplet spin gap much larger than that observed by static bulk measurements. Our results imply that the inter- and the intra-tetrahedral interactions compete, but at the same time they cooperate strengthening effectively the local intratetrahedral exchange couplings. We discuss that the unusual feature originates from the frustrated intertetrahedral interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev. B as a Rapid Communication

Pseudogap-like phase in Ca(Fe1−x_{1-x}Cox_x)2_2As2_2 revealed by 75^{75}As NQR

We report $^{75}$As NQR measurements on single crystalline Ca(Fe$_{1-x}$Co$_x$)$_2$As$_2$ ($0\leq x \leq 0.09$). The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate $T_1^{-1}$ as a function of temperature $T$ and Co dopant concentration $x$ reveals a normal-state pseudogap-like phase below a crossover temperature $T^*$ in the under- and optimally-doped region. The resulting $x$-$T$ phase diagram shows that, after suppression of the spin-density-wave order, $T^*$ intersects $T_c$ falling to zero rapidly near the optimal doping regime. Possible origins of the pseudogap behavior are discussed.Comment: published in Physical Review B (regular article

Hysteresis Switching Loops in Ag-manganite memristive interfaces

Multilevel resistance states in silver-manganite interfaces are studied both experimentally and through a realistic model that includes as a main ingredient the oxygen vacancies diffusion under applied electric fields. The switching threshold and amplitude studied through Hysteresis Switching Loops are found to depend critically on the initial state. The associated vacancy profiles further unveil the prominent role of the effective electric field acting at the interfaces. While experimental results validate main assumptions of the model, the simulations allow to disentangle the microscopic mechanisms behind the resistive switching in metal-transition metal oxide interfaces.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Jour. of Appl. Phy

Distinctive rings in the 21 cm signal of the epoch of reionization

It is predicted that sources emitting UV radiation in the Lyman band during the epoch of reionization (EoR) showed a series of discontinuities in their Ly-alpha flux radial profile as a consequence of the thickness of the Lyman line series in the primeval intergalactic medium. Through unsaturated Wouthuysen-Field coupling, these spherical discontinuities are also present in the 21 cm emission of the neutral IGM. In this article, we study the effects these discontinuities have on the differential brightness temperature of the 21 cm signal of neutral hydrogen in a realistic setting including all other sources of fluctuations. We focus on the early phases of the EoR, and we address the question of the detectability by the planned Square Kilometre Array. Such a detection would be of great interest, because these structures could provide an unambiguous diagnostic for the cosmological origin of the signal remaining after the foreground cleaning procedure. Also, they could be used as a new type of standard rulers. We determine the differential brightness temperature of the 21 cm signal in the presence of inhomogeneous Wouthuysen-Field effect using simulations which include (hydro)dynamics and both ionizing and Lyman lines 3D radiative transfer with the code LICORICE. We find that the Lyman horizons are clearly visible on the maps and radial profiles around the first sources of our simulations, but for a limited time interval, typically \Delta z \approx 2 at z \sim 13. Stacking the profiles of the different sources of the simulation at a given redshift results in extending this interval to \Delta z \approx 4. When we take into account the implementation and design planned for the SKA (collecting area, sensitivity, resolution), we find that detection will be challenging. It may be possible with a 10 km diameter for the core, but will be difficult with the currently favored design of a 5 km core.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures; v2: Section 5.5 rewritten; some new references added; accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Search for excited charmonium states in e+e−e^+e^- Annihilation at s=10.6\sqrt{s}=10.6 GeV

We suggest searching for excited charmonium states in $e^+e^-$ annihilation via double charmonium production at $\sqrt{s}=10.6$ GeV with $B$ factories, based on a more complete leading order calculation including both QCD and QED contributions for various processes. In particular, for the C=+ states, the $\chi_{c0}(nP)$ (n=2,3) and $\eta_c(mS)$ (m=3,4) may have appreciable potentials to be observed; while for the C=- states, the $\eta_ch_c$ production and especially the $\chi_{c1}h_c$ production might provide opportunities for observing the $h_c$ with higher statistics in the future. A brief discussion for the X(3940) observed in the double charmonium production is included.Comment: 13 pages and 8 figures in PRD version; QED contribution added; experimental and theoretical developments since 2004 summarized; references adde