Well-localized edge states in two-dimensional topological insulators: ultrathin Bi films

We theoretically study the generic behavior of the penetration depth of the edge states in two-dimensional quantum spin Hall systems. We found that the momentum-space width of the edge-state dispersion scales with the inverse of the penetration depth. As an example of well-localized edge states, we take the Bi(111) ultrathin film. Its edge states are found to extend almost over the whole Brillouin zone. Correspondingly, the bismuth (111) 1-bilayer system is proposed to have well-localized edge states in contrast to the HgTe quantum well.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Burst size distributions in the digitized data of the ion chambers t Mt. Norikura and sea level stations

A practical and simple method for burst rejection is applied to the digitized data of cosmic ray ion chambers at Mt. Norikura, Tokyo and Kochi. As a result of burst rejection, the burst size frequency distributions in the digitized data at mountain altitude and sea level ion chambers is obtained. Results show that there are no significant differences between the digital and analog data processing in burst rejection

Temperature determined by isobaric yield ratio in heavy-ion collisions

This work focuses on the study of temperature associated with the final heavy fragments in reactions induced by both the neutron-proton symmetric and the neutron-rich projectiles, and with incident energy ranges from 60$A$ MeV to 1$A$ GeV. Isobaric yield ratio (IYR) is used to determine the temperature of heavy fragments. Cross sections of measured fragment in reactions are analyzed, and a modified statistical abrasion-ablation (SAA) model is used to calculate the yield of fragment in 140$A$ MeV $^{64}$Ni + $^{9}$Be and 1$A$ GeV $^{136}$Xe + $^{208}$Pb reactions. Relatively low $T$ of heavy fragments are obtained in different reactions ($T$ ranges from 1 to 3MeV). $T$ is also found to depend on the neutron-richness of the projectile. The incident energy affects $T$ very little. $\Delta\mu/T$ (the ratio of the difference between the chemical potential of neutron and proton to temperature) is found to increase linearly as $N/Z$ of projectile increases. It is found that $T$ of the $^{48}$Ca reaction, for which IYRs are of $A<50$ isobars, is affected greatly by the temperature-corrected $\Delta B(T)$. But $T$ of reactions using IYRs of heavier fragments are only slightly affected by the temperature-corrected $\Delta B(T)$. The SAA model analysis gives a consistent overview of the results extracted in this work. $T$ from IYR, which is for secondary fragment, is different from that of the hot emitting source. $T$ and $\Delta\mu$ are essentially governed by the sequential decay process.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Transient cosmic ray increase associated with a geomagnetic storm

On the basis of worldwide network data of cosmic ray nucleonic components, the transient cosmic ray increase due to the depression of cosmic ray cutoff rigidity during a severe geomagnetic storm was investigated in terms of the longitudinal dependence. Multiple correlation analysis among isotropic and diurnal terms of cosmic ray intensity variations and Dst term of the geomagnetic field is applied to each of various station's data. It is shown that the amplitude of the transient cosmic ray increase associated with Dst depends on the local time of the station, and that its maximum phase is found in the evening sector. This fact is consistent with the theoretical estimation based on the azimuthally asymmetric ring current model for the magnetic DS field

Discrete elastic model for stretching-induced flagellar polymorphs

Force-induced reversible transformations between coiled and normal polymorphs of bacterial flagella have been observed in recent optical-tweezer experiment. We introduce a discrete elastic rod model with two competing helical states governed by a fluctuating spin-like variable that represents the underlying conformational states of flagellin monomers. Using hybrid Brownian dynamics Monte-Carlo simulations, we show that a helix undergoes shape transitions dominated by domain wall nucleation and motion in response to externally applied uniaxial tension. A scaling argument for the critical force is presented in good agreement with experimental and simulation results. Stretching rate-dependent elasticity including a buckling instability are found, also consistent with the experiment

Nuclear Bar, Star Formation and Gas Fueling in the Active Galaxy NGC 4303

A combination of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFPC2 and NICMOS images are used to investigate the gas/dust and stellar structure inside the central 300 pc of the nearby active galaxy NGC 4303. The NICMOS H-band (F160W) image reveals a bright core and a nuclear elongated bar-like structure of 250 pc in diameter. The bar is centered on the bright core, and its major axis is oriented in proyection along the spin axis of the nuclear gaseous rotating disk recently detected (Colina & Arribas 1999). The V-H (F606W - F160W) image reveals a complex gas/dust distribution with a two-arm spiral structure of about 225 pc in radius. The southwestern arm is traced by young star-forming knots while the northeastern arm is detected by the presence of dust lanes. These spirals do not have a smooth structure but rather they are made of smaller flocculent spirals or filament-like structures. The magnitudes and colors of the star-forming knots are typical of clusters of young stars with masses of 0.5 to 1 x $10^5 M_{solar}, and ages of 5 to 25 million years. The overall structure of the nuclear spirals as well as the size, number and masses of the star-forming knots are explained in the context of a massive gaseous nuclear disk subject to self-gravitational instabilities and to the gravitational field created by the nuclear bar. According to the model, the gaseous disk has a mass of about 5 x 10^7 M_{solar} inside a radius of 400 pc, the bar has a radius of 150 pc and a pattern speed of about 0.5 Myr^{-1}, and the average mass accretion rate into the core (R < 8 pc) is about 0.01 M_{solar}$ yr^{-1} for about 80 Myr.Comment: ApJ, in press (February 1, 2000