Improving HTc Josephson Junctions (HTc JJ) by annealing: the role of vacancy-interstitial annihilation

We have studied the annealing effect in transport properties of High temperature Josephson Junctions (HTc JJ) made by ion irradiation. Low temperature annealing (80 degrees Celsius) increases the JJ transition temperature (TJ) and the Ic.Rn product, where Ic is the critical current and Rn the normal resistance. We found that the spread in JJ characteristics can be lowered by sufficient long annealing times. Using random walk numerical simulations, we showed that the characteristic annealing time and the evolution of the spread in JJ characteristics can be explained by a vacancy-interstitial annihilation process rather than by an oxygen diffusion one.Comment: 7 pages and 3 figures submitted to Applied Physics Letter

Fe-Mg Partitioning between Olivine and High-magnesian Melts and the Nature of Hawaiian Parental Liquids

We conducted 1 atm experiments on a synthetic Hawaiian picrite at fO_2 values ranging from the quartz–fayalite–magnetite (QFM) buffer to air and temperatures ranging from 1302 to 1600°C. Along the QFM buffer, olivine is the liquidus phase at ~1540°C and small amounts of spinel (< 0·2 wt %) are present in experiments conducted at and below 1350°C. The olivine becomes progressively more ferrous with decreasing temperature [Fo_(92·3) to Fo_(87·3), where Fo = 100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe), atomic]; compositions of coexisting liquids reflect the mode and composition of the olivine with concentrations of SiO_2, TiO_2, Al_(2)O_3, and CaO increasing monotonically with decreasing temperature, those of NiO and MgO decreasing, and FeO^* (all Fe as FeO) remaining roughly constant. An empirical relationship based on our data, T(°C) = 19·2 × (MgO in liquid, wt %) + 1048, provides a semi-quantitative geothermometer applicable to a range of Hawaiian magma compositions. The olivine–liquid exchange coefficient, K_(D,Fe^(2+)-Mg) = (FeO/MgO)^(ol)/(FeO/MgO)^(liq), is 0·345 ± 0·009 (1σ ) for our 11 experiments. A literature database of 446 1 atm experiments conducted within 0·25 log units of the QFM buffer (QFM ± 0·25) yields a median K_(D,Fe^(2+)-Mg) of 0·34; K_(D,Fe^(2+)-Mg) values from single experiments range from 0·41 to 0·13 and are correlated with SiO_2 and alkalis in the liquid, as well as the forsterite (Fo) content of the olivine. For 78 experiments with broadly tholeiitic liquid compositions (46–52 wt % SiO_2 and ≤ 3 wt % Na_(2)O + K_(2)O) coexisting with Fo_(92–80) olivines, and run near QFM (QFM ± 0·25), K_(D,Fe^(2+)-Mg) is approximately independent of composition with a median value of 0·340 ± 0·012 (error is the mean absolute deviation of the 78 olivine–glass pairs from the database that meet these compositional criteria), a value close to the mean value of 0·343 ± 0·008 from our QFM experiments. Thus, over the composition range encompassed by Hawaiian tholeiitic lavas and their parental melts, K_(D,Fe^(2+)-Mg) ~ 0·34 and, given the redox conditions and a Fo content for the most magnesian olivine phenocrysts, a parental melt composition can be reconstructed. The calculated compositions of the parental melts are sensitive to the input parameters, decreasing by ~1 wt % MgO for every log unit increase in the selected fO_2, every 0·5 decrease in the Fo-number of the target olivine, and every 0·015 decrease in K_(D,Fe^(2+)-Mg). For plausible ranges in redox conditions and Fo-number of the most MgO-rich olivine phenocrysts, the parental liquids for Hawaiian tholeiites are highly magnesian, in the range of 19–21 wt % MgO for Kilauea, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea

The Temperature and Pressure Dependence of Nickel Partitioning between Olivine and Silicate Melt

We measured Ni partitioning between olivine and melt, D^(ol/liq)_(Ni), in experiments on mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) encapsulated in olivine at pressures from 1 atm to 3·0 GPa and temperatures from 1400 to 1550°C. We present a series of experiments where the temperature (T) at each pressure (P) was selected so that the liquid composition remained approximately constant over the entire P–T range. This approach allowed us to investigate the effects of T and P on D^(ol/liq)_(Ni), independent of substantial changes in liquid composition. Our experiments show that for a liquid with ∼18 wt% MgO, D^(ol/liq)_(Ni) decreases from 5·0 to 3·8 as the temperature increases from 1400 to 1550°C. Fitting our experimental results and literature data to thermodynamic expressions for D^(ol/liq)_(Ni) as a function of both temperature and liquid composition shows that the small variations in liquid composition in our experiments account for little of the observed variation of D^(ol/liq)_(Ni). Because the changes in volume and heat capacity of the exchange reaction MgSi_(0-5)O^(ol)_2 + D^(ol/liq)_(Ni) ↔ NiSi_(0-5)O^(ol)_2 + MgO^(liq) are small, D^(molar)_(Ni), the Ni partition coefficient on a molar basis, is well described by In(D^(molar)_(Ni))=-^(Δ_rHo_(T_(ref)),P_(ref)/_(RT) + ^Δ_rSo_(T_(ref),P_(ref))/_R - In (X^(liq)_(MgO)/X^(ol)_(MgSi)_(0-5)O_2) with Δ_rH^o_T_(ref),_P_(ref)/_R = 4375 K and Δ_rSo_T_(ref),_P_(ref)/_R = –2·023 for our data (Δ_rH^o_T_(ref),_P_(ref)/_R = 4338 K and Δ_rSo_T_(ref),_P_(ref)/_R = –1·956 for our experiments combined with a compilation of literature data). This expression is easy to use and applicable to a wide range of pressures, temperatures, and phase compositions. Based on our results and data from the literature, the temperature dependence of D^(ol/liq)_(Ni) leads to the prediction that when a deep partial melt from a peridotitic mantle source is brought to low pressure and cooled, the first Mg-rich olivines to crystallize can have significantly higher NiO contents than those in the residual source from which the melt was extracted. This enrichment in Ni is driven by the difference between the temperature of low-pressure crystallization and the temperature of melt extraction from the residue. The average observed enrichment of Ni in forsteritic olivine phenocrysts from Hawaii—relative to the typical olivines from mantle peridotites—is consistent with a simple scenario of high-temperature partial melting of an olivine-bearing source at the base of the lithosphere followed by low-temperature crystallization of olivine. The most extreme enrichments of Ni in Hawaiian olivine phenocrysts and the lower Ni contents of some olivines can also be explained by the known variability of Ni contents of olivines from mantle peridotites via the same simple scenario. Although we cannot rule out alternative hypotheses for producing the high-Ni olivines observed in Hawaii and elsewhere, these processes or materials are unnecessary to account for NiO enrichments in olivine. The absolute temperature, in addition to the difference between the temperature of melt segregation from the residue and the temperature of low-pressure crystallization, is a significant factor in determining the degree of Ni enrichment in olivine phenocrysts relative to the olivines in the mantle source. The moderate Ni enrichment observed in most komatiitic olivines compared with those of Hawaii may result from the higher absolute temperatures required to generate MgO-rich komatiitic melts. Observed NiO enrichments in early crystallizing komatiitic olivine are consistent with their high temperatures of crystallization and with a deep origin for the komatiite parental melts

Cerebrospinal fluid Aβ42/40 corresponds better than Aβ42 to amyloid PET in Alzheimer’s disease

Background: Decreased concentrations of amyloid-β 1-42 (Aβ(42)) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and increased retention of Aβ tracers in the brain on positron emission tomography (PET) are considered the earliest biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, a proportion of cases show discrepancies between the results of the two biomarker modalities which may reflect inter-individual differences in Aβ metabolism. The CSF Aβ(42/40) ratio seems to be a more accurate biomarker of clinical AD than CSF Aβ(42) alone. Objective: We tested whether CSF Aβ(42) alone or the Aβ(42/40) ratio corresponds better with amyloid PET status and analyzed the distribution of cases with discordant CSF-PET results. Methods: CSF obtained from a mixed cohort (n = 200) of cognitively normal and abnormal research participants who had undergone amyloid PET within 12 months (n = 150 PET-negative, n = 50 PET-positive according to a previously published cut-off) was assayed for Aβ(42) and Aβ(40) using two recently developed immunoassays. Optimal CSF cut-offs for amyloid positivity were calculated, and concordance was tested by comparison of the areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC) and McNemar’s test for paired proportions. Results: CSF Aβ(42/40) corresponded better than Aβ(42) with PET results, with a larger proportion of concordant cases (89.4% versus 74.9%, respectively, p < 0.0001) and a larger AUC (0.936 versus 0.814, respectively, p < 0.0001) associated with the ratio. For both CSF biomarkers, the percentage of CSF-abnormal/PET-normal cases was larger than that of CSF-normal/PET-abnormal cases. Conclusion: The CSF Aβ(42/40) ratio is superior to Aβ(42) alone as a marker of amyloid-positivity by PET. We hypothesize that this increase in performance reflects the ratio compensating for general between-individual variations in CSF total Aβ

Optimization of Adaptation - A Multi-objective Approach for Optimizing Changes to Design Parameters

Dynamic optimization problems require constant tracking of the optimum. A solution for such a problem has to be adjustable in order to remain optimal as the optimum changes. The manner of changing design parameters to predefined values is dealt with in the field of control. Common control approaches do not consider the optimality of the design, in terms of the objective function, while adjusting to the new solution. This study highlights the issue of the optimality of adaptation, and defines a new optimization problem – ”Optimization of Adaptation”. It is a multiobjective problem that considers the cost of the adaptation and the optimality while the adaptation takes place. An evolutionary algorithm is proposed in order to solve this problem, and it is demonstrated, first, with an academic example, and then with a real life application of a robotic arm control

The Effect of Neutral Atoms on Capillary Discharge Z-pinch

We study the effect of neutral atoms on the dynamics of a capillary discharge Z-pinch, in a regime for which a large soft-x-ray amplification has been demonstrated. We extended the commonly used one-fluid magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) model by separating out the neutral atoms as a second fluid. Numerical calculations using this extended model yield new predictions for the dynamics of the pinch collapse, and better agreement with known measured data.Comment: 4 pages, 4 postscript figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Nanopillar spin filter tunnel junctions with manganite barriers.

The potential of a manganite ferromagnetic insulator in the field of spin-filtering has been demonstrated. For this, an ultrathin film of Sm0.75Sr0.25MnO3 is integrated as a barrier in an epitaxial oxide nanopillar tunnel junction and a high spin polarization of up to 75% at 5 K has been achieved. A large zero-bias anomaly observed in the dynamic conductance at low temperatures is explained in terms of the Kondo scattering model. In addition, a decrease in spin polarization at low bias and hysteretic magneto-resistance at low temperatures are reported. The results open up new possibilities for spin-electronics and suggest exploration of other manganites-based materials for the room temperature spin-filter applications.This work was partially supported by the ERC Advanced Integrators Grant “SUPERSPIN”. B.P. was funded by the Nehru Trust for Cambridge University and St John’s College. The TEM work at Texas A&M was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF-DMR 0846504). The authors wish to thank Prof. J. Kumar (IIT Kanpur, India) for help in improving the manuscript.This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Nano Letters, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nl500798

Exploring the parameter space of MagLIF implosions using similarity scaling. III. Rise-time scaling

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) is a z-pinch magneto-inertial-fusion (MIF) concept studied on the Z Machine at Sandia National Laboratories. Two important metrics characterizing current delivery to a z-pinch load are the peak current and the current-rise time, which is roughly the time interval to reach peak current. It is known that, when driving a z-pinch load with a longer current-rise time, the performance of the z-pinch decreases. However, a theory to understand and quantify this effect is still lacking. In this paper, we utilize a framework based on similarity scaling to analytically investigate the variations in performance of MagLIF loads when varying the current-rise time, or equivalently, the implosion timescale. To maintain similarity between the implosions, we provide the scaling prescriptions of the experimental input parameters defining a MagLIF load and derive the scaling laws for the stagnation conditions and for various performance metrics. We compare predictions of the theory to 2D numerical simulations using the radiation, magneto-hydrodynamic code HYDRA. For several metrics, we find acceptable agreement between the theory and simulations. Our results show that the voltage near the MagLIF load follows a weak scaling law $\smash{\varphi_{\rm load} \propto t_\varphi^{-0.12}}$ with respect to the characteristic timescale $t_\varphi$ of the voltage source, instead of the ideal $\smash{\varphi_{\rm load} \propto t_\varphi^{-1}}$ scaling. This occurs because the imploding height of the MagLIF load must increase to preserve end losses. As a consequence of the longer imploding liners, the required total laser preheat energy and delivered electric energy increase. Overall, this study may help understand the trade-offs of the MagLIF design space when considering future pulsed-power generators with shorter and longer current-rise times.Comment: 15 pages, 20 figures, submitted to Phys. Plasmas. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2209.1491

Diffraction techniques and vibrational spectroscopy opportunities to characterise bones

From a histological point of view, bones that allow body mobility and protection of internal organs consist not only of different organic and inorganic tissues but include vascular and nervous elements as well. Moreover, due to its ability to host different ions and cations, its mineral part represents an important reservoir, playing a key role in the metabolic activity of the organism. From a structural point of view, bones can be considered as a composite material displaying a hierarchical structure at different scales. At the nanometre scale, an organic part, i.e. collagen fibrils and an inorganic part, i.e. calcium phosphate nanocrystals are intimately mixed to assure particular mechanical properties

Measuring Intelligence with the Sandia Matrices: Psychometric Review and Recommendations for Free Raven-Like Item Sets

The Sandia Matrices are a free alternative to the Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPMs). This study offers a psychometric review of Sandia Matrices items focused on two of the most commonly investigated issues regarding the RPMs: (a) dimensionality and (b) sex differences. Model-data fit of three alternative factor structures are compared using confirmatory multidimensional item response theory (IRT) analyses, and measurement equivalence analyses are conducted to evaluate potential sex bias. Although results are somewhat inconclusive regarding factor structure, results do not show evidence of bias or mean differences by sex. Finally, although the Sandia Matrices software can generate infinite items, editing and validating items may be infeasible for many researchers. To aide implementation of the Sandia Matrices, we provide scoring materials for two brief static tests and a computer adaptive test. Implications and suggestions for future research using the Sandia Matrices are discussed