Search

A precision measurement by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays in the energy range from 0.5 to 350 GeV based on $6.8\times {10}^6$ positron and electron events is presented. The very accurate data show that the positron fraction is steadily increasing from 10 to $\sim 250\mathrm{GeV}$, but, from 20 to 250 GeV, the slope decreases by an order of magnitude. The positron fraction spectrum shows no fine structure, and the positron to electron ratio shows no observable anisotropy. Together, these features show the existence of new physical phenomena.

We present the results of a search for long-duration gravitational wave transients in two sets of data collected by the LIGO Hanford and LIGO Livingston detectors between November 5, 2005 and September 30, 2007, and July 7, 2009 and October 20, 2010, with a total observational time of 283.0 days and 132.9 days, respectively. The search targets gravitational wave transients of duration 10–500 s in a frequency band of 40–1000 Hz, with minimal assumptions about the signal waveform, polarization, source direction, or time of occurrence. All candidate triggers were consistent with the expected background; as a result we set 90% confidence upper limits on the rate of long-duration gravitational wave transients for different types of gravitational wave signals. For signals from black hole accretion disk instabilities, we set upper limits on the source rate density between $3.4\times 10^{-5}$ and $9.4\times 10^{-4}{\mathrm{Mpc}}^{-3}{\mathrm{yr}}^{-1}$ at 90% confidence. These are the first results from an all-sky search for unmodeled long-duration transient gravitational waves.

In Advanced LIGO, detection and astrophysical source parameter estimation of the binary black hole merger GW150914 requires a calibrated estimate of the gravitational-wave strain sensed by the detectors. Producing an estimate from each detector’s differential arm length control loop readout signals requires applying time domain filters, which are designed from a frequency domain model of the detector’s gravitational-wave response. The gravitational-wave response model is determined by the detector’s opto-mechanical response and the properties of its feedback control system. The measurements used to validate the model and characterize its uncertainty are derived primarily from a dedicated photon radiation pressure actuator, with cross-checks provided by optical and radio frequency references. We describe how the gravitational-wave readout signal is calibrated into equivalent gravitational-wave-induced strain and how the statistical uncertainties and systematic errors are assessed. Detector data collected over 38 calendar days, from September 12 to October 20, 2015, contain the event GW150914 and approximately 16 days of coincident data used to estimate the event false alarm probability. The calibration uncertainty is less than 10% in magnitude and 10° in phase across the relevant frequency band, 20 Hz to 1 kHz.

Precision measurements by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer on the International Space Station of the primary cosmic-ray electron flux in the range 0.5 to 700 GeV and the positron flux in the range 0.5 to 500 GeV are presented. The electron flux and the positron flux each require a description beyond a single power-law spectrum. Both the electron flux and the positron flux change their behavior at $\sim 30\mathrm{GeV}$ but the fluxes are significantly different in their magnitude and energy dependence. Between 20 and 200 GeV the positron spectral index is significantly harder than the electron spectral index. The determination of the differing behavior of the spectral indices versus energy is a new observation and provides important information on the origins of cosmic-ray electrons and positrons.

A precision measurement by AMS of the antiproton flux and the antiproton-to-proton flux ratio in primary cosmic rays in the absolute rigidity range from 1 to 450 GV is presented based on $3.49\times 10^5$ antiproton events and $2.42\times 10^9$ proton events. The fluxes and flux ratios of charged elementary particles in cosmic rays are also presented. In the absolute rigidity range $\sim 60$ to $\sim 500\mathrm{GV}$, the antiproton $\overline{p}$, proton $p$, and positron $e^{+}$ fluxes are found to have nearly identical rigidity dependence and the electron $e^{-}$ flux exhibits a different rigidity dependence. Below 60 GV, the ($\overline{p}/p$), ($\overline{p}/e^{+}$), and ($p/e^{+}$) flux ratios each reaches a maximum. From $\sim 60$ to $\sim 500\mathrm{GV}$, the ($\overline{p}/p$), ($\overline{p}/e^{+}$), and ($p/e^{+}$) flux ratios show no rigidity dependence. These are new observations of the properties of elementary particles in the cosmos.

Knowledge of the precise rigidity dependence of the helium flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. A precise measurement of the helium flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1.9 GV to 3 TV based on 50 million events is presented and compared to the proton flux. The detailed variation with rigidity of the helium flux spectral index is presented for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at rigidities larger than 100 GV. The rigidity dependence of the helium flux spectral index is similar to that of the proton spectral index though the magnitudes are different. Remarkably, the spectral index of the proton to helium flux ratio increases with rigidity up to 45 GV and then becomes constant; the flux ratio above 45 GV is well described by a single power law.

We present an archival search for transient gravitational-wave bursts in coincidence with 27 single-pulse triggers from Green Bank Telescope pulsar surveys, using the LIGO, Virgo, and GEO interferometer network. We also discuss a check for gravitational-wave signals in coincidence with Parkes fast radio bursts using similar methods. Data analyzed in these searches were collected between 2007 and 2013. Possible sources of emission of both short-duration radio signals and transient gravitational-wave emission include starquakes on neutron stars, binary coalescence of neutron stars, and cosmic string cusps. While no evidence for gravitational-wave emission in coincidence with these radio transients was found, the current analysis serves as a prototype for similar future searches using more sensitive second-generation interferometers.

A precision measurement by AMS of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays in the energy range from 0.5 to 500 GeV based on 10.9 million positron and electron events is presented. This measurement extends the energy range of our previous observation and increases its precision. The new results show, for the first time, that above $\sim 200\mathrm{GeV}$ the positron fraction no longer exhibits an increase with energy.

A global heat flux model based on a fractional derivative of plasma pressure is proposed for the heat transport in fusion plasmas. The degree of the fractional derivative of the heat flux, $\alpha$, is defined through the power balance analysis of the steady state. The model was used to obtain the experimental values of $\alpha$ for a large database of the Joint European Torus (JET) carbon-wall as well as ITER like-wall plasmas. The fractional degrees of the electron heat flux are found to be $\alpha <2$, for all the selected pulses in the database, suggesting a deviation from the diffusive paradigm. Moreover, the results show that as the volume integrated input power is increased, the fractional degree of the electron heat flux converges to $\alpha \sim 0.8$, indicating a global scaling between the net heating and the pressure profile in the high-power JET plasmas. The model is expected to provide insight into the proper kinetic description for the fusion plasmas and improve the accuracy of the heat transport predictions.

Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the boron to carbon flux ratio (B/C) is important in understanding the propagation of cosmic rays. The precise measurement of the $\mathrm{B}/\mathrm{C}$ ratio from 1.9 GV to 2.6 TV, based on 2.3 million boron and 8.3 million carbon nuclei collected by AMS during the first 5 years of operation, is presented. The detailed variation with rigidity of the $\mathrm{B}/\mathrm{C}$ spectral index is reported for the first time. The $\mathrm{B}/\mathrm{C}$ ratio does not show any significant structures in contrast to many cosmic ray models that require such structures at high rigidities. Remarkably, above 65 GV, the $\mathrm{B}/\mathrm{C}$ ratio is well described by a single power law $R^{\mathrm{\Delta }}$ with index $\mathrm{\Delta }=-0.333\pm 0.014(\text{fit})\pm 0.005(\text{syst})$, in good agreement with the Kolmogorov theory of turbulence which predicts $\mathrm{\Delta }=-1/3$ asymptotically.

We present a measurement of the cosmic ray $(e^{+}+e^{-})$ flux in the range 0.5 GeV to 1 TeV based on the analysis of 10.6 million $(e^{+}+e^{-})$ events collected by AMS. The statistics and the resolution of AMS provide a precision measurement of the flux. The flux is smooth and reveals new and distinct information. Above 30.2 GeV, the flux can be described by a single power law with a spectral index $\gamma =-3.170\pm 0.008(\text{stat}+\text{syst})\pm 0.008(\text{energy}\text{scale})$.

We present results from a search for gravitational-wave bursts coincident with two core-collapse supernovae observed optically in 2007 and 2011. We employ data from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), the Virgo gravitational-wave observatory, and the GEO 600 gravitational-wave observatory. The targeted core-collapse supernovae were selected on the basis of (1) proximity (within approximately 15 Mpc), (2) tightness of observational constraints on the time of core collapse that defines the gravitational-wave search window, and (3) coincident operation of at least two interferometers at the time of core collapse. We find no plausible gravitational-wave candidates. We present the probability of detecting signals from both astrophysically well-motivated and more speculative gravitational-wave emission mechanisms as a function of distance from Earth, and discuss the implications for the detection of gravitational waves from core-collapse supernovae by the upgraded Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors.

A precise measurement of the proton flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1 GV to 1.8 TV is presented based on 300 million events. Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the proton flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. We present the detailed variation with rigidity of the flux spectral index for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at high rigidities.

We present magneto-optical studies on a high-density two-dimensional electron gas system. Low-temperature magnetoluminescence spectra of a GaAs/${\mathrm{In}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{-}\mathit{x}}$As/${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathit{y}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{-}\mathit{y}}$As modulation-doped single-quantum-well structure reveal several features related to Landau-level transitions and corresponding LO-phonon satellite emissions. The coupling between these two families of transitions results in clearly identifiable resonant magnetopolaron effects. The observed anticrossing splitting energy value agrees quantitatively with theoretical models that take into account the presence of the electron gas. Additionally, the peak intensity of transitions at the Fermi energy exhibits a pronounced oscillatory behavior with magnetic fields. These oscillations are attributed to even filling factors. © 1996 The American Physical Society.

We study the transport in a Luttinger liquid coupled to a magnetic chain containing a Bloch domain wall. We compute the leading correction to the adiabatic limit of a long domain wall, which causes no scattering. We show that the problem is reminiscent of an impurity in a Luttinger liquid, but with a different dependence on the interaction parameters due to spin-flip scattering. For repulsive interactions, we find that the domain-wall resistance diverges with decreasing temperature. This may be relevant for the design of one-dimensional systems with large magnetoresistance at low temperatures.

Doping semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) is a promising way to tailor the optical and electronic behavior of these materials to enable their use in (opto)electronic applications. Yet the practical exploitation of doping requires an understanding of its efficiency, and dependence on external environment, and of the electronic localization of dopant states due to confinement effects. Here, we experimentally probe the efficiency of doping of Si NCs grown in amorphous ${\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ by means of phase segregation method. We estimate a P doping efficiency of these Si NCs of about 30% and from this we infer that most P dopants are incorporated at substitutional sites of the NCs lattice and thus act as donors. We further show that the doping efficiency in Si NCs varies by several orders of magnitude depending on their external environment. Charge traps associated with air molecules adsorbed to the NCs surface give rise to a strong compensation of donors. We observe that this process can be reverted by desorbing the molecules from the NCs surface under vacuum. Moreover, we experimentally assess the confinement energy of isolated donors in Si NCs from the temperature dependence of their magnetic resonance. From this, we provide experimental evidence for the confinement-induced increase of ionization energy of dopants with decreasing NC size previously predicted with ab initio calculations of doped Si NCs.

We study a spin-orbital model for $4d^1$ or $5d^1$ Mott insulators in ordered double perovskites with strong spin-orbit coupling. This model is conveniently written in terms of pseudospin and pseudo-orbital operators representing multipoles of the effective $j=\frac{3}{2}$ angular momentum. Similarities between this model and the effective theories of Kitaev materials motivate the proposal of a chiral spin-orbital liquid with Majorana fermion excitations. The thermodynamic and spectroscopic properties of this quantum spin liquid are characterized using parton mean-field theory. The heat capacity, spin-lattice relaxation rate, and dynamic structure factor for inelastic neutron scattering are calculated and compared with the experimental data for the spin liquid candidate ${\mathrm{Ba}}_2{\mathrm{YMoO}}_6$. Moreover, based on a symmetry analysis, we discuss the operators involved in resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) amplitudes for double-perovskite compounds. In general, the RIXS cross sections allow one to selectively probe pseudospin and pseudo-orbital degrees of freedom. For the chiral spin-orbital liquid in particular, these cross sections provide information about the spectrum for different flavors of Majorana fermions.

In this paper we study how deterministic features presented by a system can be used to perform direct transport in a quasisymmetric potential and weak dissipative system. We show that the presence of nonhyperbolic regions around acceleration areas of the phase space plays an important role in the acceleration of particles giving rise to direct transport in the system. Such an effect can be observed for a large interval of the weak asymmetric potential parameter allowing the possibility to obtain useful work from unbiased nonequilibrium fluctuation in real systems even in a presence of a quasisymmetric potential.

Local vibrational modes of bond-centered hydrogen have been identified in Ge-doped Si (Si:Ge) and Si-doped Ge (Ge:Si) with in-situ-type infrared absorption spectroscopy. The infrared absorbance spectra recorded at $8\mathrm{K}$ immediately after implantation of the very dilute Si:Ge and Ge:Si alloys with protons reveal in each case four lines located at $\sim 2000$ and $\sim 1800{\mathrm{cm}}^{-1}$, respectively. The dominating band in all spectra arises from quasi-isolated positively charged bond-centered hydrogen $\left({\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{BC}}^{+}\right)$ centers, whereas the remaining features originate from different ${\mathrm{H}}_{\mathrm{BC}}^{+}$ defects perturbed locally by a nearby Ge in Si:Ge or Si in Ge:Si located in the first-, second- and third-nearest neighbor sites. These assignments are based on the analysis of the local mode frequencies and their absorption intensities, together with the isotopic shifts observed when hydrogen is replaced by deuterium, and the thermal stability of the modes. Our results are compared with previous experimental and ab-initio theory investigations.

Strongly correlated materials with strong spin-orbit coupling hold promise for realizing topological phases with fractionalized excitations. Here, we propose a chiral spin-orbital liquid as a stable phase of a realistic model for heavy-element double perovskites. This spin liquid state has Majorana fermion excitations with a gapless spectrum characterized by nodal lines along the edges of the Brillouin zone. We show that the nodal lines are topological defects of a non-Abelian Berry connection and that the system exhibits dispersing surface states. We discuss some experimental signatures of this state and compare them with properties of the spin liquid candidate ${\mathrm{Ba}}_2{\mathrm{YMoO}}_6$.