Probing the phase diagram of CeRu_2Ge_2 by thermopower at high pressure

The temperature dependence of the thermoelectric power, S(T), and the electrical resistivity of the magnetically ordered CeRu_2Ge_2 (T_N=8.55 K and T_C=7.40 K) were measured for pressures p < 16 GPa in the temperature range 1.2 K < T < 300 K. Long-range magnetic order is suppressed at a p_c of approximately 6.4 GPa. Pressure drives S(T) through a sequence of temperature dependences, ranging from a behaviour characteristic for magnetically ordered heavy fermion compounds to a typical behaviour of intermediate-valent systems. At intermediate pressures a large positive maximum develops above 10 K in S(T). Its origin is attributed to the Kondo effect and its position is assumed to reflect the Kondo temperature T_K. The pressure dependence of T_K is discussed in a revised and extended (T,p) phase diagram of CeRu_2Ge_2.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

The Anti-Coincidence Detector for the GLAST Large Area Telescope

This paper describes the design, fabrication and testing of the Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD) for the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Large Area Telescope (LAT). The ACD is LAT first-level defense against the charged cosmic ray background that outnumbers the gamma rays by 3-5 orders of magnitude. The ACD covers the top and 4 sides of the LAT tracking detector, requiring a total active area of ~8.3 square meters. The ACD detector utilizes plastic scintillator tiles with wave-length shifting fiber readout. In order to suppress self-veto by shower particles at high gamma-ray energies, the ACD is segmented into 89 tiles of different sizes. The overall ACD efficiency for detection of singly charged relativistic particles entering the tracking detector from the top or sides of the LAT exceeds the required 0.9997.Comment: 33 pages, 19 figure

Muon Spin Relaxation Studies of Superconductivity in a Crystalline Array of Weakly Coupled Metal Nanoparticles

We report Muon Spin Relaxation studies in weak transverse fields of the superconductivity in the metal cluster compound, Ga$\_{84}$[N(SiMe$\_{3}$)$\_{2}$]$\_{20}$-Li$\_{6}$Br$\_{2}$(thf)$\_{20}\cdot$2toluene. The temperature and field dependence of the muon spin relaxation rate and Knight shift clearly evidence type II bulk superconductivity below $T\_{\text{c}}\approx7.8$ K, with $B\_{\text{c1}}\approx 0.06$ T, $B\_{\text{c2}}\approx 0.26$ T, $\kappa\sim 2$ and weak flux pinning. The data are well described by the s-wave BCS model with weak electron-phonon coupling in the clean limit. A qualitative explanation for the conduction mechanism in this novel type of narrow band superconductor is presented.Comment: 4 figures, 5 page

Static magnetic order in metallic K0.49_{0.49}CoO2_{2}

By means of muon spin spectroscopy, we have found that K$_{0.49}$CoO$_2$ crystals undergo successive magnetic transitions from a high-T paramagnetic state to a magnetic ordered state below 60 K and then to a second ordered state below 16 K, even though K_{0.49}CoO_2 is metallic at least down to 4 K. An isotropic magnetic behavior and wide internal-field distributions suggest the formation of a commensurate helical spin density wave (SDW) state below 16 K, while a linear SDW state is likely to exist above 16 K. It was also found that K_{0.49}CoO_2 exhibits a further transition at 150 K presumably due to a change in the spin state of the Co ions. Since the T dependence of the internal-field below 60 K was similar to that for Na_{0.5}CoO_2, this suggests that magnetic order is more strongly affected by the Co valence than by the interlayer distance/interaction and/or the charge-ordering.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Magnetic quantum critical point and superconductivity in UPt3 doped with Pd

Transverse-field muon spin relaxation measurements have been carried out on the heavy-fermion superconductor UPt3 doped with small amounts of Pd. We find that the critical Pd concentration for the emergence of the large-moment antiferromagnetic phase is ~0.6 at.%Pd. At the same Pd content, superconductivity is completely suppressed. The existence of a magnetic quantum critical point in the phase diagram, which coincides with the critical point for superconductivity, provides evidence for ferromagnetic spin-fluctuation mediated odd-parity superconductivity, which competes with antiferromagnetic order.Comment: 4 pages (includes 3 figures); postscript fil

Magnetic quantum critical point and superconductivity in UPt3 doped with Pd

Transverse-field muon spin relaxation measurements have been carried out on the heavy-fermion superconductor UPt3 doped with small amounts of Pd. We find that the critical Pd concentration for the emergence of the large-moment antiferromagnetic phase is ~0.6 at.%Pd. At the same Pd content, superconductivity is completely suppressed. The existence of a magnetic quantum critical point in the phase diagram, which coincides with the critical point for superconductivity, provides evidence for ferromagnetic spin-fluctuation mediated odd-parity superconductivity, which competes with antiferromagnetic order.Comment: 4 pages (includes 3 figures); postscript fil

Low-speed impact craters in loose granular media

We report on craters formed by balls dropped into dry, non-cohesive, granular media. By explicit variation of ball density $\rho_{b}$, diameter $D_{b}$, and drop height $H$, the crater diameter is confirmed to scale as the 1/4 power of the energy of the ball at impact: $D_{c}\sim(\rho_{b}{D_{b}}^{3}H)^{1/4}$. Against expectation, a different scaling law is discovered for the crater depth: $d\sim({\rho_{b}}^{3/2}{D_{b}}^{2}H)^{1/3}$. The scaling with properties of the medium is also established. The crater depth has significance for granular mechanics in that it relates to the stopping force on the ball.Comment: experiment; 4 pages, 3 figure