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The role of the nuclear spin-orbit coupling on the equilibrium composition and on the equation of state of the outer crust of a nonaccreting neutron star is studied by employing a series of three different nuclear mass models based on the self-consistent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov method.

The growth and magnetic properties of magnetic monolayers grown on a Pt(997) vicinal single crystal surface at room temperature is investigated. The magnetic easy axis of the atomic layers is perpendicular to the surface due to strong surface anisotropy.

The Brussels-Montreal equations of state of cold dense nuclear matter that have been recently developed are tested against various constraints coming from both nuclear physics and astrophysics. The nuclear physics constraints include the analysis of nuclear flow and kaon production in heavy-ion collision experiments, as well as recent microscopic many-body calculations of infinite homogeneous neutron matter. Astrophysical observations, especially recent neutron-star mass measurements, provide valuable constraints on the high-density part of the equation of state that is not accessible in laboratory experiments.

The impact of uniaxial deformation on the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect in cobalt-copper (Co-Cu) ribbons are examined in an experiment. Samples of free-standing ribbons created using the melt-spinning technique are used for the study. Test results show that the GMR effect is affected by the structural disorder and the resistivity of mechanical processing. In addition, it was observed that Co particles are not affected by postprecipitation deformation.

The magnetic behavior of Fe/Mo/Fe and Co/Cu/Co sandwiches epitaxially grown on Mo(100) and Cu(100) single crystals were investigated using electron diffraction and in situ magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements. The results showed that there was an oscillatory behavior between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic coupling. This behavior originated from the interface between the magnetic and the spacer layers.

A study was conducted to analyze the magnetic characteristics of ultrathin iron films prepared on stepped W(001) and Pd(001) substrates. The substrates were mechanically polished with diamond-paste finish. Experimental results indicated that improvements in the Curie temperature correlated with the step-induced Pd moments that is supported by the increased surface magneto-optic Kerr effect signal on the stepped surface.

Face-centered cubic Fe was grown onto a novel Cu(110) substrate with ordered Cu-O stripes. Results showed that the growth mode was layer-by-layer and was better than either clean or oxygen-saturated Cu(110). It was postulated that the Fe films grow conformationally onto the original striped substrate. Lateral long-range ordering of the stripe-like structure on Fe was retained up tp 6-7 ML. These films were ferromagnetic with in-plane magnetic anisotropy.

Several studies have examined the effects of stress on the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic materials. Pravdin considered the effects of low-magnitude cyclic stress, separating irreversible and reversible changes following several cycles. The work is extended to higher magnitude stresses, and it is shown how the peak position of DeltaMIRR alters with the magnitude and sign of the applied stress, in a sample of 99.99% pure iron.

Examination of the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases of the Fe wedges epitaxially grown on Cu(100) helps investigate the interaction between magnetic and structural instabilities. Fcc Fe films with 6-11 monolayer (ML) exhibit antiferromagnetic phase and a ferromagnetic surface. Antiferromagnetic phase is absent in films grown below 200 K, but they are ferromagnetic and undergo a spin-reorientation transition at about 6 ML. A new magnetic phase diagram based on thickness and growth temperature is developed for the growth of Fe/Cu(100).

The fabrication process, magnetic behavior, as well as the surface modification of ferromagnetic microdisks suspended in aqueous solution is described. The method has helped in fabricating suitable magnetic carriers with excellent size tolerance and the particles have a magnetic core covered with gold on each side to provide stability at ambient conditions as well as biocompatibility and selective adhesion functions.

Circuit representation of the equations in which the voltage differences correspond to the quasi-fermi level split between bands was presented. Analysis of the circuit reveals that the quasi-fermi levels of he conduction and intermediate bands are separated.

The control of the placement of the Co dots by the surface morphological features on Ru(0001) substrates is discussed. The dots are aligned along the edges of the surface features (~4-100 nm deep) and form dot chains, wires, arrays and dots around lithographic patterns on modification of the Ru surface morphology via scratches or e-beam lithography.

The magnetic properties of the self-assembled Co dots and dot pairs/chains are studied with magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and micromagnetic calculations. The inter-dot magnetostatic coupling, modeled with a dot pair, introduces a uniaxial anisotropy with easy axis along the pair/chain direction.

We present an electron-beam heating device for a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) that can be used for heating both the STM tip and the sample to 2200 K. Mounted on a linear bellows with electrical feedthroughs, the device can be readily installed into the transfer path of a vacuum load lock. We demonstrate the heating capability of the device by flash cleaning Ru(0001) and Fe(001) crystals, and W tips. The flash-cleaned W tips are coated with Fe and further used for spin-polarized imaging of the Mn/Fe(001) system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the latest efforts devoted to the global prediction of atomic masses. Special attention is paid to the new developments made within the Hartree-Fock-Bogolyubov framework. So far, 9 HFB mass tables based on different parametrizations of the effective interactions in the Hartree-Fock and pairing channels have been published. We analyze their ability to reproduce experimental masses as well as nuclear-matter and giant-resonance properties. The possibility to derive within the HFB framework a universal effective interaction that can describe all known properties of the nuclei (including their masses) and of asymmetric nuclear matter is critically discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open recoil loops are often interpreted as a consequence of a breakdown in exchange coupling and attributed to the decoupled soft phase in exchange-coupled permanent magnets. However, in element-specific recoil loop measurements on Sm–Co/Fe exchange spring magnets, the authors found that the open recoil loops were present not only in the soft (Fe) layer but also in the hard (Sm–Co) layer, and were not a consequence of exchange coupling breakdown between the soft and hard layers. Comparison between the experimental results and micromagnetic calculations reveals that the observed open recoil loops originate from the anisotropy variations in the Sm–Co layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlocal spin injection is demonstrated in Co/Cu/Co lateral spin valves. Measurement of a series of structures with varying Cu length between the Co electrodes permits a direct determination of both the Cu spin diffusion length λs and the spin injection polarization P at the Co/Cu interface. The value of λs is 200±20 nm at 10 K and >=110 nm at 300 K, which is shorter than previously reported, due to the possible presence of impurities in the Cu. However, the value of P is >7%, which is improved compared with previous reports of 2%, which is attributed to a higher interfacial quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The DRAGON (Detector of Recoils And Gammas Of Nuclear reactions) is used to measure radiative proton and alpha capture reaction rates involving both stable and radioactive, heavy-ion reactants at the TRIUMF-ISAC high intensity radioactive beam facility. Completed in 2001 it has been used for several challenging studies for nuclear astrophysics, e.g. 12C(α, γ)16O, 21Na(p, γ)22Mg, 26gAl(p, γ)27Si and 40Ca(α, γ)44Ti. Since initial operation, a number of improvements have been incorporated which are described here. These include a beam centering monitor based on a CCD camera, a mechanical iris to skim of beam halo, a solid state stripper acting as a charge state booster for beams with A ≳30, beta and gamma detectors to monitor beam intensity and to determine beam contamination in experiments with radioactive beam and the ionization chamber for both recoil identification and isobar separation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]