arXiv subjects

D. Eckert

Publications and source records attributed to D. Eckert.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL analysis of the Ophiuchus cluster of galaxies

We investigated the non-thermal hard X-ray emission in the Ophiuchus cluster of galaxies. Our aim was to characterise the physical properties of the non-thermal component and its interaction with the cosmic microwave background. We performed spatially resolved spectroscopy and imaging using XMM-Newton data to model the thermal emission. Combining this with INTEGRAL ISGRI data, we modeled the 0.6-140 keV band total emission in the central 7 arcmin region. The models that best describe both PN and ISGRI data contain a power-law component with a photon index in a range 2.2-2.5. This component produces ~10% of the total flux in the 1-10 keV band. The pressure of the non-thermal electrons is ~1% of that of the thermal electrons. Our results support the scenario whereby a relativistic electron population, which produces the recently detected radio mini-halo in Ophiuchus, also produces the hard X-rays via inverse compton scattering of the CMB photons. The best-fit models imply a differential momentum spectrum of the relativistic electrons with a slope of 3.4-4.0 and a magnetic field strength B=0.05-0.15 microG. The lack of evidence for a recent major merger in the Ophiuchus center allows the possibility that the relativistic electrons are produced by turbulence or hadronic collisions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2008

INTEGRAL Observations of the Perseus cluster

We present the results of a 500 ksec observation of the Perseus cluster with INTEGRAL, with the aim of investigating the possible diffuse non-thermal component detected in a previous Chandra observation. In the 3-20 keV band with the JEM-X instrument, we detect the source with high significance and resolve it spatially. Above 20 keV with IBIS/ISGRI, we find that the source is point-like, and the cluster could be detected up to 120 keV. From the broad-band ISGRI/JEM-X spectrum, although we detect a non-thermal component, we find that the high-energy flux is variable and is consistent with the extrapolation of the 2-10 keV flux of the central AGN, NGC 1275. The extrapolation of the non-thermal component claimed from Chandra data exceeds the INTEGRAL spectrum by a factor of 3.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

INTEGRAL discovery of non-thermal hard X-ray emission from the Ophiuchus cluster

We present the results of deep observations of the Ophiuchus cluster of galaxies with INTEGRAL in the 3-80 keV band. We analyse 3 Ms of INTEGRAL data on the Ophiuchus cluster with the IBIS/ISGRI hard X-ray imager and the JEM-X X-ray monitor. In the X-ray band using JEM-X, we show that the source is extended, and that the morphology is compatible with the results found by previous missions. Above 20 keV, we show that the size of the source is slightly larger than the PSF of the instrument, and is consistent with the soft X-ray morphology found with JEM-X and ASCA. Thanks to the constraints on the temperature provided by JEM-X, we show that the spectrum of the cluster is not well fitted by a single-temperature thermal Bremsstrahlung model, and that another spectral component is needed to explain the high energy data. We detect the high energy tail with a higher detection significance (6.4 sigma) than the BeppoSAX claim (2 sigma). Because of the imaging capabilities of JEM-X and ISGRI, we are able to exclude the possibility that the excess emission comes from very hot regions or absorbed AGN, which proves that the excess emission is indeed of non-thermal origin. Using the available radio data together with the non-thermal hard X-ray flux, we estimate a magnetic field B ~ 0.1-0.2 mu G.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

A particle acceleration site in the Coma cluster?

We present the results of a deep (1.1 Ms) observation of the Coma cluster of galaxies in the 18-30 keV band with the IBIS/ISGRI imager on board the INTEGRAL satellite. We show that the source extension in the North-East to South-West (SW) direction ($\sim 17'$) significantly exceeds the size of the point spread function of ISGRI, and that the centroid of the image of the source in the 18-30 keV band is displaced in the SW direction compared to the centroid in the 1-10 keV band. To test the nature of the SW extension we fit the data assuming different models of source morphology. The best fit is achieved with a diffuse source of elliptical shape, although an acceptable fit can be achieved assuming an additional point source SW of the cluster core. In the case of an elliptical source, the direction of extension of the source coincides with the direction toward the subcluster falling onto the Coma cluster. If the SW excess is due to the presence of a point source with a hard spectrum, we show that there is no obvious X-ray counterpart for this additional source, and that the closest X-ray source is the quasar EXO 1256+281, which is located $6.1'$ from the centroid of the excess. Finally, we show that the hard X-ray emission coincides with the 1.4 GHz radio emission, which suggests that the hard X-ray emission comes from the same population of electrons that is responsible for radio haloes through synchrotron emission.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

South-West extension of the hard X-ray emission from the Coma cluster

We explore the morphology of hard (18-30 keV) X-ray emission from the Coma cluster of galaxies. We analyze a deep (1.1 Ms) observation of the Coma cluster with the ISGRI imager on board the \emph{INTEGRAL} satellite. We show that the source extension in the North-East to South-West (SW) direction ($\sim 17'$) significantly exceeds the size of the point spread function of ISGRI, and that the centroid of the image of the source in the 18-30 keV band is displaced in the SW direction compared to the centroid in the 1-10 keV band. To test the nature of the SW extension we fit the data assuming different models of source morphology. The best fit is achieved with a diffuse source of elliptical shape, although an acceptable fit can be achieved assuming an additional point source SW of the cluster core. In the case of an elliptical source, the direction of extension of the source coincides with the direction toward the subcluster falling onto the Coma cluster. If the SW excess is due to the presence of a point source with a hard spectrum, we show that there is no obvious X-ray counterpart for this additional source, and that the closest X-ray source is the quasar EXO 1256+281, which is located $6.1'$ from the centroid of the excess. The observed morphology of the hard X-ray emission clarifies the nature of the hard X-ray "excess" emission from the Coma cluster, which is due to the presence of an extended hard X-ray source SW of the cluster core.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Magnetic-field induced band-structure change in CeBiPt

We report on a field-induced change of the electronic band structure of CeBiPt as evidenced by electrical-transport measurements in pulsed magnetic fields. Above ~25 T, the charge-carrier concentration increases nearly 30% with a concomitant disappearance of the Shubnikov-de Haas signal. These features are intimately related to the Ce 4f electrons since for the non-4f compound LaBiPt the Fermi surface remains unaffected. Electronic band-structure calculations point to a 4f-polarization-induced change of the Fermi-surface topology.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2005

Discovery of the INTEGRAL X/Gamma-ray transient IGR J00291+5934: a Comptonised accreting ms pulsar ?

We report the discovery of a high-energy transient with the IBIS/ISGRI detector on board the INTEGRAL observatory. The source, namely IGR J00291+5934, was first detected on 2nd December 2004 in the routine monitoring of the IBIS/ISGRI 20--60 keV images. The observations were conducted during Galactic Plane Scans, which are a key part of the INTEGRAL Core Programme observations. After verifying the basic source behaviour, the discovery was announced on 3rd December. The transient shows a hard Comptonised spectrum, with peak energy release at about 20 keV and a total luminosity of ~ 0.9E36 erg/s in the 5--100 keV range, assuming a distance of 3 kpc. Following the INTEGRAL announcement of the discovery of IGR J00291+5934, a number of observations were made by other instruments. We summarise the results of those observations and, together with the INTEGRAL data, identifiy IGR J00291+5934 as the 6th member of a class of accreting X-ray millisecond pulsars.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Rounding of a first-order magnetic phase transition in Ga doped La0.67Ca0.33MnO3

The effect of disorder on the critical properties of the ferromagnetic phase transition in colossal magnetoresistive manganite La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 has been studied by substituting Ga for Mn. It is found that, upon 10% Ga substitution, the peak in the specific heat at the Curie point T_C changes drastically and appears as a small anomaly. Static magnetization data analyzed in the asymptotic critical region using modified Arrott plots and the Kouvel-Fisher method give values for the critical exponents beta=0.387(6), gamma=1.362(2), and delta=4.60(3). The results show that the first-order transition in La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 becomes continuous by Ga substitution. The critical properties of the rounded transition in La0.67Ca0.33Mn0.9Ga0.1O3 suggest that the magnetic subsystem in this mixed-valent perovskite is close to that of a conventional isotropic ferromagnet belonging to the Heisenberg universality class with short-range interactions. It is concluded that the first-order magnetic transition in pure La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 is induced by fluctuations from a competing mode, which couples to the magnetic subsystem.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2004

Intermediate valence behavior in CeCo9Si4

The novel ternary compound CeCo$_9$Si$_4$ has been studied by means of specific heat, magnetisation, and transport measurements. Single crystal X-ray Rietveld refinements reveal a fully ordered distribution of Ce, Co and Si atoms with the tetragonal space group I4/mcm isostructural with other RCo9Si4. The smaller lattice constants of CeCo9Si4 in comparison with the trend established by other RCo9Si4 is indicative for intermediate valence of cerium. While RCo9Si4 with R= Pr, .. Tb, and Y show ferromagnetism and LaCo9Si4 is nearly ferromagnetic, CeCo9Si4 remains paramagnetic even in external fields as large as 40 T, though its electronic specific heat coefficient (g~190 mJ/molK^2) is of similar magnitude as that of metamagnetic LaCo9Si4 and weakly ferromagnetic YCo9Si4.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Tuning Heavy Fermion Systems into Quantum Criticality by Magnetic Field

We discuss a series of thermodynamic, magnetic and electrical transport experiments on the two heavy fermion compounds CeNi2Ge2 and YbRh2Si2 in which magnetic fields, B, are used to tune the systems from a Non-Fermi liquid (NFL) into a field-induced FL state. Upon approaching the quantum-critical points from the FL side by reducing B we analyze the heavy quasiparticle (QP) mass and QP-QP scattering cross sections. For CeNi2Ge2 the observed behavior agrees well with the predictions of the spin-density wave (SDW) scenario for three-dimensional (3D) critical spin-fluctuations. By contrast, the observed singularity in YbRh2Si2 cannot be explained by the itinerant SDW theory for neither 3D nor 2D critical spinfluctuations. Furthermore, we investigate the magnetization M(B) at high magnetic fields. For CeNi2Ge2 a metamagnetic transition is observed at 43 T, whereas for YbRh2Si2 a kink-like anomaly occurs at 10 T in M vs B (applied along the easy basal plane) above which the heavy fermion state is completely suppressed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Critical properties of the double exchange ferromagnet Nd0.4Pb0.4MnO3

Results of a study of dc-magnetization M(T, H), performed on a Nd0.6Pb0.4MnO3 single crystal in the temperature range around T_C (Curie temperature) which embraces the critical region | epsilon | = |T -T_C |/T_C <= 0.05 are reported. The magnetic data analyzed in the critical region using the Kouvel-Fisher method give the values for the T_C =156.47 +/- 0.06 K and the critical exponents, beta = 0.374 +/- 0.006 (from the temperature dependence of magnetization), and gamma = 1.329 +/- 0.003 (from the temperature dependence of initial susceptibility). The critical isotherm M(T_C, H) gives delta = 4.547 +/- 0.1. Thus the scaling law gamma+beta=delta beta is fulfilled. The critical exponents obey the single scaling-equation of state M(H, epsilon) = epsilon^b f_+/- (H/epsilon^(beta + gamma)) where, f_+ for T > T_C and f_- for T< T_C. The exponent values are very close to those expected for the universality class of 3D Heisenberg ferromagnets with short-range interactions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

Anisotropic magnetic behavior of GdBa_2Cu_3O_{6+y} single crystals

Magnetic properties of high-quality Al-free nonsuperconducting GdBa_2Cu_3O_{6+y} single crystals grown by flux method have been studied. The magnetic anisotropy below the Néel temperature T_N~2.3K corresponds to the direction of Gd^{3+} magnetic moments along the tetragonal c-axis. At T < T_N clear indications of spin-flop transitions for H||c have been observed on magnetization curves at H_{sf}~10kOe. Magnetic phase diagrams have been obtained for H||c as well as for H||ab. A pronounced anisotropy in the magnetic susceptibility (unexpected for Gd-based compounds) has been found above T_N.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2001

Magnetic anomalies in the spin chain system, Sr$_3$Cu$_{1-x}$Zn$_x$IrO$_6$

We report the results of ac and dc magnetization (M) and heat-capacity (C) measurements on the solid solution, Sr$_3$Cu$_{1-x}$Zn$_x$IrO$_6$. While the Zn end member is known to form in a rhombohedral pseudo one-dimensional K$_4$CdCl$_6$ structure with an antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of (T$_N$ =) 19 K, the Cu end member has been reported to form in a monoclinically distorted form with a Curie temperature of (T$_C$ =) 19 K. The magnetism of the Zn compound is found to be robust to synthetic conditions and is broadly consistent with the behavior known in the literature. However, we find a lower magnetic ordering temperature (T$_o$) for our Cu compound (~ 13 K), thereby suggesting that T$_o$ is sensitive to synthetic conditions. The Cu sample appears to be in a spin-glass-like state at low temperatures, judged by a frequency dependence of ac magnetic susceptibility and a broadening of the C anomaly at the onset of magnetic ordering, in sharp contrast to earlier proposals. Small applications of magnetic field, however, drive this system to ferromagnetism as inferred from the M data. Small substitutions for Cu/Zn (x = 0.75 or 0.25) significantly depress magnetic ordering; in other words, T$_o$ varies non-monotonically with x (T$_o$ ~ 6, 3 and 4 K for x = 0.25, 0.5, and 0.67 respectively). The plot of inverse susceptibility versus temperature is non-linear in the paramagnetic state as if correlations within (or among) the magnetic chains continuously vary with temperature. The results establish

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Sr$_3$CuIrO$_6$, a spin-chain compound with random ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic interactions

Ac and dc magnetization and heat-capacity (C) measurements performed on the pseudo-one-dimensional compound Sr$_3$CuIrO$_6$ reveal a competition between antiferromagnetic (AF) and ferromagnetic (F) exchange couplings, as evidenced by frequency dependence of ac susceptibility and by the absence of a C anomaly at the magnetic transition. The value of the saturation moment (about 0.35 $μ_B$/formula unit) is much smaller than expected for ferromagnetism from the two S=1/2 ions (Cu and Ir). Thus, this compound is not a ferromagnet in zero magnetic field, in contrast to earlier beliefs. Of particular importance is the finding that the value of the magnetic ordering temperature is sample dependent, sensitive to synthetic conditions resulting from deviations in oxygen/Cu content. We propose that this compound serves as a unique model system to test theories on random AF-F interaction in a chain system, considering that this competition can be tuned without any chemical substitution.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2001

Estimation of matrix element effects and determination of the Fermi surface in BSCCO systems using angle-scanned photoemission spectroscopy

The strong dependence of the momentum distribution of the photoelectrons on experimental conditions raises the question as to whether angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is able to provide an accurate reflection of the Fermi surface in Bi-based cuprate superconductors. In this paper we experimentally prove that the main contribution to the intensity variation comes from matrix elements effects and develop an approach to overcome this problem. We introduce a concept of 'self-normalization' which makes the spectra essentially independent of both the matrix elements and particular experimental parameters. On the basis of this concept we suggest a simple and precise method of Fermi surface determination in quasi-2D systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Upper critical field and irreversibility line in superconducting MgB_2

The upper critical field Hc2(T) of sintered pellets of the recently discovered MgB_2 superconductor was investigated by transport, ac susceptibility and dc magnetization measurements in magnetic fields up to 16 T covering a temperature range between Tc ~ 39 K and T = 3 K ~ 0.1Tc. The temperature dependence of the upper critical field, Hc2(T), shows a positive curvature near Tc similar to that found for the borocarbides YNi_2B_2C and LuNi_2B_2C indicating that MgB_2 is in the clean limit. The irreversibility line was consistently determined from dc magnetization measurements and from the imaginary component of ac susceptibility. The irreversibility field was found to increase up to 8.5 T at 10 K.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

The upper critical field in superconducting MgB_2

The upper critical field Hc2(T) of sintered pellets of the recently discovered MgB_2 superconductor was investigated in magnetic fields up to 16 T. The upper critical field of the major fraction of the investigated sample was determined from ac susceptibility and resistance data and was found to increase up to Hc2(0) = 13 T at T = 0 corresponding to a coherence length of 5.0 nm. A small fraction of the sample exhibits higher upper critical fields which were measured both resistively and by dc magnetization measurements. The temperature dependence of the upper critical field, Hc2(T), shows a positive curvature near Tc and at intermediate temperatures. This positive curvature of Hc2(T) is similar to that found for the borocarbides YNi_2B_2C and LuNi_2B_2C indicating that MgB_2 is in the clean limit.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2000

Current-induced conductance switching in epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3 multilayers

We report on the non-linear in-plane electrical transport in coherently grown [La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3] multilayers with ultrathin (< 3 nm) single layers. Current-induced switching of the conductance, with low conductance at larger currents, is demonstrated. The conductance switching is modified under a magnetic field, resulting in an extremely large magnetoresistance of negative, or in a special case even positive, sign. Our results suggest a percolative nature of transport where a large local current density gives rise to a spin-polarizing and a thermal effect of current.

cond-mat.str-el↗