Phase diagram of a frustrated mixed-spin ladder with diagonal exchange bonds

Using exact numerical diagonalization and the conformal field theory approach, we study the effect of magnetic frustrations due to diagonal exchange bonds in a system of two coupled mixed-spin $(1,{1/2})$ Heisenberg chains. It is established that relatively moderate frustrations are able to destroy the ferrimagnetic state and to stabilize the critical spin-liquid phase typical for half-integer-spin antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chains. Both phases are separated by a narrow but finite region occupied by a critical partially-polarized ferromagnetic phase.Comment: 5 PRB pages, 7 eps figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

The N = 16 spherical shell closure in 24O

The unbound excited states of the neutron drip-line isotope 24O have been investigated via the 24O(p,p')23O+n reaction in inverse kinematics at a beam energy of 62 MeV/nucleon. The decay energy spectrum of 24O* was reconstructed from the momenta of 23O and the neutron. The spin-parity of the first excited state, observed at Ex = 4.65 +/- 0.14 MeV, was determined to be Jpi = 2+ from the angular distribution of the cross section. Higher lying states were also observed. The quadrupole transition parameter beta2 of the 2+ state was deduced, for the first time, to be 0.15 +/- 0.04. The relatively high excitation energy and small beta2 value are indicative of the N = 16 shell closure in 24O.Comment: to be submitted to Physical Review Letter

Characteristics of long-duration inhibitory postsynaptic potentials in rat neocortical neurons in vitro

1. The characteristics of long-duration inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (l-IPSPs) which are evoked in rat frontal neocortical neurons by local electrical stimulation were investigated with intracellular recordings from anin vitro slice preparation. 2. Stimulation with suprathreshold intensities evoked l-IPSPs with typical durations of 600–900 msec at resting membrane potential. Conductance increases of 15–60% were measured at the peak amplitude of l-IPSPs (150–250 msec poststimulus). 3. The duration of the conductance increases during l-IPSPs displayed a significant voltage dependence, decreasing as the membrance potential was depolarized and increasing with hyperpolarization. 4. The reversal potential of l-IPSPs is significantly altered by reductions in the extracellular potassium concentration. Therefore it is concluded that l-IPSPs in rat neocortical neurons are generated by the activation of a potassium conductance. 5. l-IPSPs exhibit stimulation fatigue. Stimulation with a frequency of 1 Hz produces a complete fatigue of the conductance increases during l-IPSPs after approximately 20 consecutive stimuli. Recovery from this fatigue requires minutes. 6. l-IPSPs are not blocked by bicuculline but are blocked by baclofen

Cantor Spectra for Double Exchange Model

We numerically study energy spectra and localization properties of the double exchange model at irrational filling factor. To obtain variational ground state, we use a mumerical technique in momentum space by ``embedded'' boundary condition which has no finite size effect a priori. Although the Hamiltonian has translation invariance, the ground state spontaneously exhibits a self-similarity. Scaling and multi-fractal analysis for the wave functions are performed and the scaling indices $\alpha$'s are obtained. The energy spectrum is found to be a singular continuous, so-called the Cantor set with zero Lebesque measure.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, revtex, corrected some typos, accepted for publication in PR

Spectroscopy of 32Ne and the Island of Inversion

We report on the first spectroscopic study of the N=22 nucleus 32Ne at the newly completed RIKEN Radioactive Ion Beam Factory. A single gamma-ray line with an energy of 722(9) keV was observed in both inelastic scattering of a 226 MeV/u 32Ne beam on a Carbon target and proton removal from 33Na at 245 MeV/u. This transition is assigned to the de-excitation of the first J^pi = 2+ state in 32Ne to the 0+ ground state. Interpreted through comparison with state-of-the-art shell model calculations, the low excitation energy demonstrates that the Island of Inversion extends to at least N=22 for the Ne isotopes.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. 11 pages, 3 figure

Search for low lying dipole strength in the neutron rich nucleus 26^{26}Ne

Coulomb excitation of the exotic neutron-rich nucleus $^{26}$Ne on a $^{nat}$Pb target was measured at 58 A.MeV in order to search for low-lying E1 strength above the neutron emission threshold. Data were also taken on an $^{nat}$Al target to estimate the nuclear contribution. The radioactive beam was produced by fragmentation of a 95 A.MeV $^{40}$Ar beam delivered by the RIKEN Research Facility. The set-up included a NaI gamma-ray array, a charged fragment hodoscope and a neutron wall. Using the invariant mass method in the $^{25}$Ne+n channel, we observe a sizable amount of E1 strength between 6 and 10 MeV. The reconstructed $^{26}$Ne angular distribution confirms its E1 nature. A reduced dipole transition probability of B(E1)=0.49$\pm$0.16 $e^2fm^2$ is deduced. For the first time, the decay pattern of low-lying strength in a neutron-rich nucleus is obtained. The results are discussed in terms of a pygmy resonance centered around 9 MeV

High-field MR imaging in pediatric congenital heart disease: Initial results

BackgroundComprehensive assessment of pediatric congenital heart disease (CHD) at any field strength mandates evaluation of both vascular and dynamic cardiac anatomy for which diagnostic quality contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEMRA) and cardiac cine are crucial.ObjectiveTo determine whether high-resolution (HR) CEMRA and steady-state free precession (SSFP) cine can be performed reliably at 3.0 T in children with CHD and to compare the image quality to similar techniques performed at 1.5 T.Materials and methodsTwenty-eight patients with a median age of 5 months and average weight 9.0 ± 7.8 kg with suspected or known CHD were evaluated at 3.0 T. SSFP cine (n = 86 series) and HR-CEMRA (n = 414 named vascular segments) were performed and images were scored for image quality and artifacts. The findings were compared to those of 28 patients with CHD of similar weight who were evaluated at 1.5 T.ResultsOverall image quality on HR-CEMRA was rated as excellent or good in 96% (397/414) of vascular segments at 3.0 T (k = 0.49) and in 94% (349/371) of vascular segments at 1.5 T (k = 0.36). Overall image quality of SSFP was rated excellent or good in 91% (78/86) of cine series at 3.0 T (k = 0.55) and in 81% (87/108) at 1.5 T (k = 0.47). Off-resonance artifact was common at both field strengths, varied over the cardiac cycle and was more prevalent at 3.0 T. At 3.0 T, off-resonance dark band artifact on SSFP cine was absent in 3% (3/86), mild in 69% (59/86), moderate in 27% (23/86) and severe in 1% (1/86) of images; at 1.5 T, dark band artifact was absent in 16% (17/108), mild in 69% (75/108), moderate in 12% (13/108) and severe in 3% (3/108) of cine images. The signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of both SSFP cine and HR-CEMRA images were significantly higher at 3.0 T than at 1.5 T (P < 0.001).ConclusionSignal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of high-resolution contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography and SSFP cine were higher at 3.0 T than at 1.5 T. Artifacts on SSFP cine were cardiac phase specific and more prevalent at 3.0 T such that frequency-tuning was required in one-third of exams. In neonates, high spatial resolution CEMRA was highly reliable in defining extracardiac vascular anatomy

Analyzing powers Ayy, Axx, Axz and Ay in the dd->3Hen reaction at 270 MeV

The data on the tensor Ayy, Axx, Axz and vector Ay analyzing powers in the dd->3Hen obtained at Td= 270 MeV in the angular range 0 - 110 degrees in the c.m. are presented. The observed negative sign of the tensor analyzing powers Ayy, Axx and Axz at small angles clearly demonstrate the sensitivity to the ratio of the D and S wave component of the 3He wave function. However, the one-nucleon exchange calculations by using the standard 3He wave functions have failed to reproduce the strong variation of the tensor analyzing powers as a function of the angle in the c.m.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Submitted to EPJ

Three-body dN interaction in the analysis of the 12C(pol_d,d') reaction at 270 MeV

We have measured the cross sections and analyzing powers Ay and Ayy for the elastic and inelastic scattering of deuterons from the 0+(g.s.), 2+(4.44 MeV), 3-(9.64 MeV), 1+(12.71 MeV), and 2-(18.3 MeV) states in 12C at an incident energy of 270 MeV. The data are compared with microscopic distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations where the projectile-nucleon effective interactionis taken from the three-nucleon t-matrix given by rigorous Faddeev calculations presently available at intermediate energies. The agreement between theory and data compares well with that for the (p,p') reactions at comparable incident energies/nucleon.Comment: 17 pages, 3 Postscript figure

Neurogenesis Drives Stimulus Decorrelation in a Model of the Olfactory Bulb

The reshaping and decorrelation of similar activity patterns by neuronal networks can enhance their discriminability, storage, and retrieval. How can such networks learn to decorrelate new complex patterns, as they arise in the olfactory system? Using a computational network model for the dominant neural populations of the olfactory bulb we show that fundamental aspects of the adult neurogenesis observed in the olfactory bulb -- the persistent addition of new inhibitory granule cells to the network, their activity-dependent survival, and the reciprocal character of their synapses with the principal mitral cells -- are sufficient to restructure the network and to alter its encoding of odor stimuli adaptively so as to reduce the correlations between the bulbar representations of similar stimuli. The decorrelation is quite robust with respect to various types of perturbations of the reciprocity. The model parsimoniously captures the experimentally observed role of neurogenesis in perceptual learning and the enhanced response of young granule cells to novel stimuli. Moreover, it makes specific predictions for the type of odor enrichment that should be effective in enhancing the ability of animals to discriminate similar odor mixtures