arXiv subjects

H. Zheng

Publications and source records attributed to H. Zheng.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Description of Charged Particle Pseudorapidity Distributions in Pb+Pb Collisions with Tsallis Thermodynamics

The centrality dependence of pseudorapidity distributions for charged particles produced in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=130$ GeV and 200 GeV at RHIC, and in Pb+Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76$ TeV at LHC are investigated in the fireball model, assuming that the rapidity axis is populated with fireballs following one distribution function. We assume that the particles in the fireball fulfill the Tsallis distribution. The theoretical results are compared with the experimental measurements and a good agreement is found. Using these results, the pseudorapidity distributions of charged particles produced in Pb+Pb central collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.02$ TeV and 10 TeV are predicted.

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arXiv2017

Alpha Conjugate Neck Structures in the Collisions of 35 MeV/nucleon 40Ca with 40Ca

The de-excitation of alpha-conjugate nuclei produced in reactions of 35 MeV/nucleon 40Ca with 40Ca has been investigated. Particular emphasis is placed on examining the dynamics of collisions leading to projectile-like fragment exit channels. A general exploration of the reaction systematics reveals the binary dissipative character of the collisions and a hierarchy effect similar to that seen for heavier systems. Investigation of the subset of events characterized by a total alpha-conjugate mass (alpha particles plus alpha-conjugate fragments) equal to 40 and atomic number equal to 20 reveals a dominance of alpha-conjugate exit channels. The hierarchy effect for these channels leads to the production of alpha-clustered neck structures with potentially exotic geometries and properties.

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arXiv2017

New Evidence for a Low-Temperature Magnetic Ground State in Double-Perovskite Iridates with Ir5+(5d4) Ions

We report an unusual magnetic ground state in single-crystal, double-perovskite Ba2YIrO6 and Sr doped Ba2YIrO6 with Ir5+(5d4) ions. Long-range magnetic order below 1.7 K is confirmed by DC magnetization, AC magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements. The observed magnetic order is extraordinarily delicate and cannot be explained in terms of either a low-spin S=1 state, or a singlet Jeff=0 state imposed by the spin-orbit interactions (SOI). Alternatively, the magnetic ground state appears consistent with a SOI that competes with comparable Hund's rule coupling and inherently large electron hopping, which cannot stabilize the singlet Jeff=0 ground state. However, this picture is controversial, and conflicting magnetic behavior for these materials is reported in both experimental and theoretical studies, which highlights the intricate interplay of interactions that determine the ground state of materials with strong SOI.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Pre-equilibrium effects in charge-asymmetric low-energy reactions

We study the pre-equilibrium dipole response in the charge-asymmetric reaction $^{132}$Sn+$^{58}$Ni at $E_{lab}=10$ MeV/A, within a semi-classical transport model employing effective interactions for the nuclear mean-field. In particular, we adopt the recently introduced SAMi-J Skyrme interactions, whose parameters are specifically tuned to improve the description of spin-isospin properties of nuclei. Within the same framework, we also discuss pre-equilibrium nucleon emission. Our results show that both mechanisms, i.e., pre-equilibrium dipole oscillations and nucleon emission, are sensitive to the symmetry energy below the saturation density $ρ_0$ (in the range $0.6ρ_0-ρ_0$), to the effective mass and to the nucleon-nucleon cross section. Finally, a covariant analysis is applied to study the correlations between the model parameters and observables of experimental interest.

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arXiv2016

Brute-Force Mapmaking with Compact Interferometers: A MITEoR Northern Sky Map from 128 MHz to 175 MHz

We present a new method for interferometric imaging that is ideal for the large fields of view and compact arrays common in 21 cm cosmology. We first demonstrate the method with simulations for two very different low frequency interferometers, the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) and the MIT Epoch of Reionization (MITEoR) Experiment. We then apply the method to the MITEoR data set collected in July 2013 to obtain the first northern sky map from 128 MHz to 175 MHz at about 2 degree resolution, and find an overall spectral index of -2.73+/-0.11. The success of this imaging method bodes well for upcoming compact redundant low-frequency arrays such as HERA. Both the MITEoR interferometric data and the 150 MHz sky map are publicly available at http://space.mit.edu/home/tegmark/omniscope.html.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

Competition between fermions and bosons in nuclear matter at low densities and finite temperatures

We derive the free energy for fermions and bosons from fragmentation data. Inspired by the symmetry and pairing energy of the Weizsacker mass formula we obtain the free energy of fermions (nucleons) and bosons (alphas and deuterons) using Landau's free energy approach. We confirm previously obtained results for fermions and show that the free energy for alpha particles is negative and very close to the free energy for ideal Bose gases. Deuterons behave more similarly to fermions (positive free energy) rather than bosons. This is due to their low binding energy, which makes them very 'fragile', i.e., easily formed and destroyed. We show that the α-particle fraction is dominant at all temperatures and densities explored in this work. This is consistent with their negative free energy, which favors clusterization of nuclear matter into α-particles at subsaturation densities and finite temperatures. The role of finite open systems and Coulomb repulsion is addressed.

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arXiv2016

Magnetotransport of single crystalline YSb

We report magnetic field dependent transport measurements on a single crystal of cubic YSb together with first principles calculations of its electronic structure. The transverse magnetoresistance does not saturate up to 9 T and attains a value of 75,000 % at 1.8 K. The Hall coefficient is electron-like at high temperature, changes sign to hole-like between 110 and 50 K, and again becomes electron-like below 50 K. First principles calculations show that YSb is a compensated semimetal with a qualitatively similar electronic structure to that of isostructural LaSb and LaBi, but with larger Fermi surface volume. The measured electron carrier density and Hall mobility calculated at 1.8 K, based on a single band approximation, are 6.5$\times10^{20}/$cm$^{3}$ and 6.2$\times10^{4}$cm$^{2}$/Vs, respectively. These values are comparable with those reported for LaBi and LaSb. Like LaBi and LaSb, YSb undergoes a magnetic field-induced metal-insulator-like transition below a characteristic temperature T$_{m}$, with resistivity saturation below 13 K. Thickness dependent electrical resistance measurements show a deviation of the resistance behavior from that expected for a normal metal; however, they do not unambiguously establish surface conduction as the mechanism for the resistivity plateau.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Simultaneous Metal-Insulator and Antiferromagnetic Transitions in Orthorhombic Perovskite Iridate Sr0.94Ir0.78O2.68 Single Crystals

The orthorhombic perovskite SrIrO3 is a semimetal, an intriguing exception in iridates where the strong spin-orbit interaction coupled with electron correlations tends to impose a novel insulating state. We report results of our investigation of bulk single-crystal Sr0.94Ir0.78O2.68 or Ir-deficient, orthorhombic perovskite SrIrO3. It retains the same crystal structure as stoichiometric SrIrO3 but exhibits a sharp, simultaneous antiferromagnetic (AFM) and metal-insulator (MI) transition at 185 K. Above it, the basal-plane resistivity features an extended regime of almost linear-temperature dependence up to 800 K but the strong electronic anisotropy renders an insulating behavior in the out-of-plane resistivity. The Hall resistivity undergoes an abrupt sign change and grows below 40 K, which along with the Sommerfeld constant of 20 mJ/mole K2 suggests a multiband effect. All results including our first-principles calculations underscore a delicacy of the metallic state in SrIrO3 that is in close proximity to an AFM insulating state. The contrasting ground states in isostructural Sr0.94Ir0.78O2.68 and SrIrO3 illustrate a critical role of even slight lattice distortions in rebalancing the ground state in the iridates. Finally, the observed simultaneous AFM and MI transitions reveal a direct correlation between the magnetic transition and formation of a charge gap in the iridate, which is conspicuously absent in Sr2IrO4.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2016

Dipole response in neutron-rich nuclei with new Skyrme interactions

We investigate the isoscalar and isovector E1 response of neutron-rich nuclei, within a semi-classical transport model employing effective interactions for the nuclear mean-field. In particular, we adopt the recently introduced SAMi-J Skyrme interactions, whose parameters are specifically tuned to improve the description of spin-isospin properties of nuclei. Our analysis evidences a relevant degree of isoscalar/isovector mixing of the collective excitations developing in neutron-rich systems. Focusing on the low-lying strength emerging in the isovector response, we show that this energy region essentially corresponds to the excitation of isoscalar-like modes, which also contribute to the isovector response owing to their mixed character. Considering effective interactions which mostly differ in the isovector channels, we observe that these mixing effects increase with the slope L of the symmetry energy at saturation density, leading to a larger strength in the low-energy region of the isovector response. This result appears connected to the increase, with L, of the neutron/proton asymmetry at the surface of the considered nuclei, i.e., to the extension of the neutron skin.

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arXiv2015

Comparing the Tsallis distribution with and without thermodynamical description in p+p collisions

We compare two types of Tsallis distribution, i.e., with and without thermodynamical description, using the experimental data from the STAR, PHENIX, ALICE and CMS Collaborations on the rapidity and energy dependence of the transverse momentum spectra in p+p collisions. Both of them can give us the similar fitting power to the particle spectra. We show that the Tsallis distribution with thermodynamical description gives lower temperatures than the ones without it. The extra factor $m_T$ (transverse mass) in the Tsallis distribution with thermodynamical description plays an important role in the discrepancies between the two types of Tsallis distribution. But for the heavy particles, the choice to use the $m_T$ or $E_T$ (transverse energy) in the Tsallis distribution becomes more crucial.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2015

Decoupling of the Antiferromagnetic and Insulating States in Tb doped Sr2IrO4

Sr2IrO4 is a spin-orbit coupled insulator with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at TN=240 K. We report results of a comprehensive study of single-crystal Sr2Ir1-xTbxO4. This study found that mere 3% (x=0.03) tetravalent Tb4+(4f7) substituting for Ir4+ (rather than Sr2+) completely suppresses the long-range collinear AFM transition but retains the insulating state, leading to a phase diagram featuring a decoupling of magnetic interactions and charge gap. The insulating state at x=0.03 is characterized by an unusually large specific heat at low temperatures and an incommensurate magnetic state having magnetic peaks at (0.95, 0, 0) and (0, 0.95, 0) in the neutron diffraction, suggesting a spiral or spin density wave order. It is apparent that Tb doping effectively changes the relative strength of the SOI and the tetragonal CEF and enhances the Hund's rule coupling that competes with the SOI, and destabilizes the AFM state. However, the disappearance of the AFM accompanies no metallic state chiefly because an energy level mismatch for the Ir and Tb sites weakens charge carrier hopping and renders a persistent insulating state. This work highlights an unconventional correlation between the AFM and insulating states in which the magnetic transition plays no critical role in the formation of the charge gap in the iridate.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Structure and magnetism in $\rm LaCoO_3$

The temperature dependence of the hexagonal lattice parameter $c$ of single crystal $\rm LaCoO_3$ (LCO) with $H=0$ and $800$Oe, as well as LCO bulk powders with $H=0$, was measured using high-resolution x-ray scattering near the transition temperature $T_o\approx 35$K. The change of $c(T)$ is well characterized by a power law in $T-T_o$ for $T>T_o$ and by a temperature independent constant for $T<T_o$ when convoluted with a Gaussian function of width $8.5$K. This behavior is discussed in the context of the unusual magnetic behavior observed in LCO as well as recent generalized gradient approximation calculations.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Ground state tuning of the metal-insulator transition by compositional variations in BaIr1-xRuxO3(0<x<1)

BaIrO3 is a magnetic insulator driven by the spin-orbit interaction (SOI), whereas BaRuO3 is a paramagnet and exhibits a crossover from a metallic to an insulating regime. Our investigation of structural, magnetic, transport and thermal properties reveals that substitution of Ru4+ (4d4) ions for Ir5+ (5d5) ions in BaIrO3 reduces the magnitudes of the SOI and a monoclinic structural distortion, and rebalances the competition between the SOC and the lattice degrees freedom to generate a rich phase diagram for BaIr1-xRuxO3 (0< x <1). There are two major effects of Ru additions: (1) Light Ru doping (0 < x < 0.15) prompts simultaneous, precipitous drops in both the magnetic ordering temperature TN and the electrical resistivity, which exhibits a crossover behavior from a metallic to an insulating state near TN. (2) Heavier Ru doping (0.41< x < 0.9) induces a robust metallic state with a strong spin frustration generated by competing antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Effects of symmetry energy and momentum dependent interaction on low-energy reaction mechanisms

We study the dipole response associated with the Pygmy Dipole Resonance (PDR) and the Isovector Giant Dipole Resonance (IVGDR), in connection with specific properties of the nuclear effective interaction (symmetry energy and momentum dependence), in the neutron-rich systems $^{68}$Ni, $^{132}$Sn and $^{208}$Pb. We perform our investigation within a microscopic transport model based on the Landau-Vlasov kinetic equation. We observe that the peak energies of PDR and IVGDR are shifted to higher values when employing momentum dependent interactions, with respect to the results obtained neglecting momentum dependence. The calculated energies are close to the experimental values and similar to the results obtained in Hartree-Fock (HF) with Random Phase Approximation (RPA) calculations.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2015

Systematic analysis of hadron spectra in p+p collisions using Tsallis distribution

Using the experimental data from the STAR, PHENIX, ALICE and CMS programs on the rapidity and energy dependence of the $p_T$ spectra in p+p collisions, we show that a universal distribution exists. The energy dependence of temperature $T$ and parameter $n$ of the Tsallis distribution are also discussed in detail. A cascade particle production mechanism in p+p collisions is proposed.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2015

From Jeff=1/2 insulator to p-wave superconductor in single-crystal Sr2Ir1-xRuxO4 (0 < x< 1)

Sr2IrO4 is a magnetic insulator assisted by strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) whereas the Sr2RuO4 is a p-wave superconductor. The contrasting ground states have been shown to result from the critical role of the strong SOC in the iridate. Our investigation of structural, transport, and magnetic properties reveals that substituting 4d Ru4+ (4d4) ions for 5d Ir4+(5d5) ions in Sr2IrO4 directly adds holes to the t2g bands, reduces the SOC and thus rebalances the competing energies in single-crystal Sr2Ir1-xRuxO4. A profound effect of Ru doping driving a rich phase diagram is a structural phase transition from a distorted I41/acd to a more ideal I4/mmm tetragonal structure near x=0.50 that accompanies a phase transition from an antiferromagnetic-insulating state to a paramagnetic-metal state. We also make a comparison drawn with Rh doped Sr2IrO4, highlighting important similarities and differences.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Investigation of ferromagnetic domain behavior and phase transition at nanoscale in bilayer manganites

Understanding the underlying mechanism and phenomenology of colossal magnetoresistance in manganites has largely focused on atomic and nanoscale physics such as double exchange, phase separation, and charge order. Here we consider a more macroscopic view of manganite materials physics, reporting on the ferromagnetic domain behavior in a bilayer manganite sample with a nominal composition of La$_{2-2x}$Sr$_{1+2x}$Mn$_2$O$_7$ with $x=0.38$, studied using in-situ Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. The role of magnetocrystalline anisotropy on the structure of domain walls was elucidated. On cooling, magnetic domain contrast was seen to appear first at the Curie temperature within the $a-b$ plane. With further reduction in temperature, the change in area fraction of magnetic domains was used to estimate the critical exponent describing the ferromagntic phase transition. The ferromagnetic phase transition was accompanied by a distinctive nanoscale granular contrast close to the Curie temperature, which we infer to be related to the presence of ferromagnetic nanoclusters in a paramagnetic matrix, which has not yet been reported in bilayer manganites.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2015

Can Tsallis distribution fit all the particle spectra produced at RHIC and LHC?

The Tsallis distribution has been tested to fit the all particle spectra at mid-rapidity from central events produced in d+Au, Cu+Cu, Au+Au collisions at RHIC and p+Pb, Pb+Pb collisions at LHC. Even though there are strong medium effects in Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions, the results show that the Tsallis distribution can be used to fit most of particle spectra in the collisions studied except in Au+Au collisions where some deviations are seen for proton and $Λ$ at low $p_T$. In addition, as the Tsallis distribution can only fit part of the particle spectra produced in Pb+Pb collisions where $p_T$ is up to 20 GeV/c, a new formula with one more fitting degree of freedom is proposed in order to reproduce the entire $p_T$ region.

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