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At least 127 records · Page 7

Mechanical Resonant Sensing of Spin Texture Dynamics in a 2D Antiferromagnet

Abstract The coupling between the spin degrees of freedom and macroscopic mechanical motions, including striction, shearing, and rotation, has attracted wide interest with applications in actuation, transduction, and information processing. Experiments so far have established the mechanical responses to the long‐range ordered or isolated single spin states. However, it remains elusive whether mechanical motions can couple to a different type of magnetic structure, the non‐collinear spin textures, which exhibit nanoscale spatial variations of spin (domain walls, skyrmions,etc.) and are promising candidates to realize high‐speed computing devices. Here, collective spin texture dynamics is detected with nanoelectromechanical resonators fabricated from 2D antiferromagnetic (AFM) MnPS 3 with 10 −9 strain sensitivity. By examining radio frequency mechanical oscillations under magnetic fields, new magnetic transitions are identified with sharp dips in resonant frequency. They are attributed to collective AFM domain wall motions as supported by the analytical modeling of magnetostriction and large‐scale spin‐dynamics simulations. Additionally, an abnormally large modulation in the mechanical nonlinearity at the transition field infers a fluid‐like response due to ultrafast domain motion. The work establishes a strong coupling between spin texture and mechanical dynamics, laying the foundation for electromechanical manipulation of spin texture and developing quantum hybrid devices.

Chemistry↗

Auroral energy deposition and neutral composition changes observed simultaneously by ESRO 4 and AE-C at different altitudes

Neutral composition data obtained simultaneously from ESRO 4 and AE-C during geomagnetically disturbed conditions at different altitudes (160 and 230 km) are used to investigate the atmospheric response to geomagnetic storms and to infer information regarding the excitation mechanism. The data are compared with a theoretical model that estimates the composition effects in terms of wind induced diffusion. A parametric study was conducted bearing on the influence of energy deposition at different altitudes and with varying latitudinal extent. In one of the observed events the composition effects at 160 km are substantially smaller than at 230 km for which we inferred by comparison with the theory that the energy mainly was deposited at 150 km altitude over a wide latitude range. Another event required energy deposition at somewhat lower altitudes near 120 km with a more localized energy source. Significant variations of the turbopause level were not necessary to explain the observed variations.

Trinks, H.↗

Classification and computation of extreme events in turbulent combustion

In the design of practical combustion systems, ensuring safety and reliability is an important requirement. For instance, reliably avoiding lean blowout, flame flashback or inlet unstart is critical for ensuring safe operation. Currently, the science of predicting such events is based on prior experience, limited modeling or diagnostic tools and purely statistical approaches. Even though computational and experimental tools for studying combustion devices have vastly advanced in the last three decades, the analysis of such failure events has not been pursued widely. While the use of data for model development and calibration is being widely accepted, the extension to failure events introduces numerous challenges. In particular, the focus here is on so-called data-poor problems, where the cost of generating data is extremely high and is not easily amenable to existing computational and experimental approaches. Data-poor problems are particularly relevant when related to extreme events (also called anomalous events) that can lead to catastrophic failure of the system. It is argued that transient events that describe such failure can have different causal mechanisms. To develop the scientific inference process, a classification of such problems is used to determine specific modeling paths as well as computational tools needed. Research opportunities in the emerging field of extreme event prediction are highlighted in order to identify critical and immediate needs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Lyman continuum leaker candidates among highly ionised, low-redshift dwarf galaxies selected from He II

Contemporary research suggests that the reionisation of the intergalactic medium (IGM) in the early Universe was predominantly realised by star-forming (proto-)galaxies (SFGs). Due to observational constraints, our knowledge on the origins of sufficient amounts of ionising Lyman continuum (LyC) photons and the mechanisms facilitating their transport into the IGM remains sparse. Recent efforts have thus focussed on the study of local analogues to these high-redshift objects. We aim to acquire a set of very low-redshift SFGs that exhibit signs of a hard radiation field being present. A subsequent analysis of their emission line properties is intended to shed light on how the conditions prevalent in these objects compare to those predicted to be present in early SFGs that are thought to be LyC emitters (LCEs). We used archival spectroscopic SDSS DR12 data to select a sample of low-redshift He II 4686 emitters and restricted it to a set of SFGs with an emission line diagnostic sensitive to the presence of an active galactic nucleus, which serves as our only selection criterion. We performed a population spectral synthesis with FADO to reconstruct these galaxies’ star-formation histories (SFHs). Utilising the spectroscopic information at hand, we constrained the predominant ionisation mechanisms in these galaxies and inferred information on interstellar medium (ISM) conditions relevant for the escape of LyC radiation. Our final sample consists of eighteen ionised, metal-poor galaxies (IMPs). These low-mass (6.2 ≤ log(M * /M ⊙ ) ≤ 8.8), low-metallicity (7.54 ≤log(O/H) + 12 ≤ 8.13) dwarf galaxies appear to be predominantly ionised by stellar sources. We find large [OIII] 5007/[OII] 3727 ratios and [SII] 6717,6731/Hα deficiencies, which provide strong indications for these galaxies to be LCEs. At least 40% of these objects are candidates for featuring cosmologically significant LyC escape fractions ≳10%. The IMPs’ SFHs exhibit strong similarities and almost all galaxies appear to contain an old (> 1 Gyr) stellar component, while also harbouring a young, two-stage (~10 Myr and < 1 Myr) starburst, which we speculate might be related to LyC escape. The properties of the compact emission line galaxies presented here align well with those observed in many local LCEs. In fact, our sample may prove as an extension to the rather small catalogue of local LCEs, as the extreme ISM conditions we find are assumed to facilitate LyC leakage. Notably, all of our eighteen candidates are significantly closer (z < 0.1) than most established LCEs. If the inferred LyC photon loss is genuine, this demonstrates that selecting SFGs from He II 4686 is a powerful selection criterion in the search for LCEs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

How state transitions balance photosynthetic electron transport in plants – a quantitative study

In plants, the process of state transition regulates the allocation of sunlight energy between Photosystem II (PSII) and PSI. However, the implications of state transitions for harmonizing electron transport rates between photosystems, and a full quantitative picture of this process, remain underexplored. We integrated quantitative biology (biochemical and biophysical approaches) with in vivo spectroscopy on wild-type Arabidopsis and protein phosphorylation mutants. This combination facilitated monitoring of Chl redistribution and its functional implications for light harvesting and electron transport. Our findings demonstrate the reallocation of 12% of highly phosphorylated ‘extra’ light-harvesting complex II under state 2 from stacked to unstacked thylakoids. This reduces the number of Chls per PSII from 216 to 182, while increasing the number in PSI from 187 to 223. Such Chl redistribution compensates for differences in photosystem stoichiometry and photochemical quantum efficiencies, thereby precisely synchronizing electron transport rates in both photosystems. Mutant analyses corroborate that this regulatory mechanism involves reversible phosphorylation. We inferred that state transitions optimize linear electron transport, leaving no additional capacity for cyclic electron transport. Furthermore, the results suggest that the controversies about long-range migration of LHCII from stacked to unstacked thylakoid domains arise from differences in phosphorylation levels.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Program Repository for Tools for Heliophysics Science (Theseus)

This software is being developed to support data analysis and simulation for the growing field of outer heliosphere physics. In particular, this software will allow data analysis, inference, and simulation of physical mechanisms describing how energetic neutral atoms behave that originate from the solar system's boundary with the interstellar medium.

Weaver, Brian↗

Software for Heliospheric Science

This software is being developed to support data analysis, modeling, and simulation for the growing field of heliosphere physics. In particular, this software will implement data analysis, modeling, inference, and simulation of physical mechanisms describing how energetic neutral atoms behave within the Earth’s heliosphere and in the interstellar medium beyond.

VanDervort, Lauren↗

Population mechanisms for the He(+) n = 3 levels determined from measurements of the solar 1640 A emission

The 1640 A line profile is analyzed using solar data obtained by the NRL slit spectrograph on Skylab. Data from coronal hole regions, quiet sun regions, active regions, prominence regions, and flare regions are presented. The relative densities of 3s, 3p, and 3d levels are determined from the data, and the dominant population mechanisms for these levels are inferred using a rate equation model for the He(+) ion. The relative importance of collisional excitation, radiative recombination, and photoexcitation is determined for each of the solar regions.

Seely, J. F.↗

Near-ultraviolet spectroscopy of Seyfert nuclei - Reddening and Bowen fluorescence

Spectra with high signal-to-noise ratios extending down to the atmospheric ultraviolet cut-off have been obtained for 11 Seyfert nuclei with narrow emission lines. In all objects the He II lines at 3204 A and 4686 A were measured simultaneously. Their ratio gives an estimate of reddening accurate to 0.14 mag in E(B-V). The redshifts of nine of the Seyfert galaxies are sufficient to allow detection of the O III 3133 line A, produced by Bowen fluorescence of He II Ly-alpha photons. The inferred efficiency of the Bowen mechanism ranges from 15 to 50 percent. The lower values, which are considerably less than the efficiencies found in planetary nebulae, are observed in Seyfert 2 nuclei with systematically weaker emission lines from high-excitation, high-density gas. In contrast, the Seyfert 1 and high-excitation Seyfert 2 nuclei have more 'normal' Bowen efficiencies. Several possible explanations are considered.

Malkan, Matthew A.↗

A Nucleosynthetic Origin for the Southwestern Fe-rich Structure in Kepler's Supernova Remnant

Chandra X-ray observations of Kepler's supernova remnant indicate the existence of a high-speed Fe-rich ejecta structure in the southwestern region. We report strong K-shell emission from Fe-peak elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni), as well as Ca, in this Fe-rich structure, implying that those elements could be produced in the inner area of the exploding white dwarf. We found Ca/Fe, Cr/Fe, Mn/Fe, and Ni/Fe mass ratios of 1.0%–4.1%, 1.0%–4.6%, 1%–11%, and 2%–30%, respectively. In order to constrain the burning regime that could produce this structure, we compared these observed mass ratios with those in 18 one-dimensional Type Ia nucleosynthesis models (including both near-M Ch and sub-M Ch explosion models). The observed mass ratios agree well with those around the middle layer of incomplete Si burning in Type Ia nucleosynthesis models with a peak temperature of ~(5.0–5.3) × 10(exp 9) K and a high metallicity, Z > 0.0225. Based on our results, we infer the necessity for some mechanism to produce protruding Fe-rich clumps dominated by incomplete Si-burning products during the explosion. We also discuss the future perspectives of X-ray observations of Fe-rich structures in other Type Ia supernova remnants.

Toshiki Sato↗

A crystal plasticity finite element model embedding strain-rate sensitivities inherent to deformation mechanisms: Application to alloy AZ31

We report the fundamental power-law relationship representing the flow rule in crystal visco-plasticity ensures uniqueness in the selection of slip systems accommodating imposed plastic strain-rates. The power-law relationship also introduces an artificially high strain-rate sensitivity in crystal plasticity simulations, unless a high value of the power-law exponent is used. However, the use of high values for the exponent is limited by numerical tractability. This paper presents a numerical method implemented in a crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) model for embedding any value of the power-law exponent reflecting the true material strain-rate sensitivity. Importantly, the method does not increase computation time involved in the simulations. The enhanced CPFE model is used to interpret and predict a complex strain-rate sensitive response and microstructural evolution of AZ31 Mg alloy. Measured values of strain-rate sensitivity for slip and twinning modes are used in the simulations. Calculations show that the model successfully captures the phenomena pertaining to the effect of changing applied strain-rate on the mechanical response including flow stress and evolution of texture and twinning for a broad range of strain-rates ranging from 10 -3 s -1 to 10 3 s -1 and loading orientations in tension and compression. It is shown that such predictions are a consequence of not only relative amounts of slip and twinning activities driven by a set of accurately characterized hardening law parameters but also values of the strain-rate sensitivities inherent to individual deformation mechanisms. Besides, the model validates the measured strain-rate dependency of deformation mechanisms while accurately reproducing the mechanical data. Hence, the model can be used to verify and further refine or infer measured strain-rate sensitivity per deformation mechanism by reproducing experimental data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

microTrait: A Toolset for a Trait-Based Representation of Microbial Genomes

Remote sensing approaches have revolutionized the study of macroorganisms, allowing theories of population and community ecology to be tested across increasingly larger scales without much compromise in resolution of biological complexity. In microbial ecology, our remote window into the ecology of microorganisms is through the lens of genome sequencing. For microbial organisms, recent evidence from genomes recovered from metagenomic samples corroborate a highly complex view of their metabolic diversity and other associated traits which map into high physiological complexity. Regardless, during the first decades of this omics era, microbial ecological research has primarily focused on taxa and functional genes as ecological units, favoring breadth of coverage over resolution of biological complexity manifested as physiological diversity. Recently, the rate at which provisional draft genomes are generated has increased substantially, giving new insights into ecological processes and interactions. From a genotype perspective, the wide availability of genome-centric data requires new data synthesis approaches that place organismal genomes center stage in the study of environmental roles and functional performance. Extraction of ecologically relevant traits from microbial genomes will be essential to the future of microbial ecological research. Here, we present microTrait , a computational pipeline that infers and distills ecologically relevant traits from microbial genome sequences. microTrait maps a genome sequence into a trait space, including discrete and continuous traits, as well as simple and composite. Traits are inferred from genes and pathways representing energetic, resource acquisition, and stress tolerance mechanisms, while genome-wide signatures are used to infer composite, or life history, traits of microorganisms. This approach is extensible to any microbial habitat, although we provide initial examples of this approach with reference to soil microbiomes.

Karaoz, Ulas↗

Mechanisms for the circular polarization of astrophysical OH masers in star-forming regions and the inferred magnetic fields

Results of further calculations to explore the cause for the circular polarization of astrophysical OH masers in regions of star formation are presented. Calculations are given for both the nonlinear, Zeeman overlap mechanishm, and the Cook mechanism. The previous result that magnetic field strengths of a few milligauss or greater are required, still survives.

Deguchi, Shuji↗

Very-broadband-structure and the linear rise in the extinction curve

Measurements of the very broadband structure in the visual part of the extinction curve are compared to IUE extinction curve parameters in the scheme of Fitzpatrick and Massa. The correlation of Very-broadband-structure (VBS) depth with FUV rise found by Reimann & Friedemann (1991) is shown to be a correlation with linear rise and not with far UV non-linear rise. The correlation with linear rise suggests that the VBS is due to an onset of extinction at about 1.8/micrometer, rather than what has previously been suggested: due to luminescence or the presence of two extinction components longward and shortward of the VBS. The optical properties inferred for the linear rise carrier are consistent with some amorphous solid with a large optical gap. Small carbonaceous grains may be the carrier of the linear rise in extinction, because the erosion of core-mantle particles is expected to produce many of such small grains and offers a natural mechanism for the existence of the inferred two populations of big (a approximately 0.13 micrometer) and small (a approximately 0.005 micrometer) grains.

Jenniskens, P.↗

On the question of quark confinement in the Abelian U(1) QED gauge interaction

If we approximate light quarks as massless and apply the Schwinger confinement mechanism to light quarks, we will reach the conclusion that a light quark q and its antiquark ${\bar q}$ will be confined as a $q\bar q$ boson in the Abelian U(1) QED gauge interaction in (1+1)D, as in an open string. From the work of Coleman, Jackiw, and Susskind, we can infer further that the Schwinger confinement mechanism persists even for massive quarks in (1+ 1)D. Could such a QED-confined $q\bar q$ one-dimensional open string in (1 + 1) D be the idealization of a flux tube in the physical world in (3+l)D, similar to the case of QCD-confined $q\bar q$ open string? If so, the QED-confined $q\bar q$ bosons may show up as neutral QED mesons in the mass region of many tens of MeV [Phys. Rev. C 81, 064903 (2010) & J. High Energy Phys. 2020(8), 165 (2020)]. Is it ever possible that a quark and an antiquark be produced and interact in QED alone to form a confined QED meson? Is there any experimental evidence for the existence of a QED meson (or QED mesons)? The observations of the anomalous soft photons, the XI7 particle, and the E38 particle suggest that they may bear the experimental evidence for the existence of such QED mesons. Further confirmation and investigations on the XI7 and E38 particles will shed definitive light on the question of quark confinement in QED in (3+1)D. Finally, implications of quark confinement in the QED interaction are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Bayesian inference in band excitation scanning probe microscopy for optimal dynamic model selection in imaging

The universal tendency in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) over the last two decades is to transition from simple 2D imaging to complex detection and spectroscopic imaging modes. The emergence of complex SPM engines brings forth the challenge of reliable data interpretation, i.e., conversion from detected signals to descriptors specific to tip–surface interactions and subsequently to material’s properties. In this work, we implemented a Bayesian inference approach for the analysis of the image formation mechanisms in band excitation SPM. Compared to the point estimates in classical functional fit approaches, Bayesian inference allows for the incorporation of extant knowledge of materials and probe behavior in the form of corresponding prior distribution and return the information on the material functionality in the form of readily interpretable posterior distributions. We explore the nonlinear mechanical behaviors spatially in a classical ferroelectric material, PbTiO 3 . We observe the non-trivial evolution of the Duffing stiffness term and the nonlinearity of the sample surface, determine spatial clustering of the nonlinear response, and perform a Landau analysis on predicting the nonlinear coefficient, which indicates that ferroelectric behavior can be a cause of the observed results. These observations suggest that the spectrum of anomalous behaviors at the ferroelectric domain walls may be broader than previously believed and can extend to non-conventional mechanical properties in addition to static and microwave conductance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Better practices for inferring ecosystem water use strategy from eddy covariance data

Eddy covariance data are critical for inferring ecosystem water use strategies. Yet, such inferences are sensitive to a range of assumptions applied across studies, hindering our understanding of water use strategies within and across eddy covariance sites. A recent analysis across 151 FLUXNET2015 and AmeriFlux-FLUXNET datasets found that poor model performance was the key driver of non-robust inferences of ecosystem water use strategies. Here, we leverage this previous analysis to (i) identify the specific assumptions that improve inference model performance across most sites, (ii) explain the mechanisms behind the performance improvements, and (iii) check whether better performance improves water use inference. We find that the common practice of fitting a model to canopy conductance (G c ) derived from the evapotranspiration (ET) observations, rather than to observed ET itself, artificially amplifies data errors and degrades the model performance. Next, accounting for vegetation dynamics by applying a growing season filter or incorporating satellite LAI data improves performance, but the former practice may remove soil water stress periods. Lastly, using the leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit (VPD l ) derived from ET observations as a model input may artificially inflate performance. Based on these results, we recommend selecting observed ET (rather than derived G c ) as the response variable, carefully accounting for vegetation dynamics, and avoiding derived VPD l as a model input; these best practices improve model performance by c. 20% and robustness by c. 80% across all eddy covariance sites. Nevertheless, the performance improvements do not always correspond to more robust inference of water use strategies, as model parameter selection and surface energy budget closure corrections still strongly influence the ecosystem water use parameter estimation in a site-specific manner.

AmeriFlux↗