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S. Nakamura

Publications and source records attributed to S. Nakamura.

89 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Detection of high-energy gamma rays from winter thunderclouds

A report is made on a comprehensive observation of a burst-like $γ$-ray emission from thunderclouds on the Sea of Japan, during strong thunderstorms on 2007 January 6. The detected emission, lasting for $\sim$40 seconds, preceded cloud-to-ground lightning discharges. The burst spectrum, extending to 10 MeV, can be interpreted as consisting of bremsstrahlung photons originating from relativistic electrons. This ground-based observation provides first clear evidence that strong electric fields in thunderclouds can continuously accelerate electrons beyond 10 MeV prior to lightning discharges.

astro-ph↗

A Mean-Field Description of Protein Folding: Evolutional Conservation of Hydrophobicity Profile and Folding Nuclei

Evolutionally conserved quantity that specifies folding nuclei is pursued by a case study for a small protein (PDB code: 1ten). First it is demonstrated that the sequences of amino acids at folding nuclei are not conserved. Then 3D (3-dimensional) information of the structure is considered and it is found that a 3D hydrophobicity profile is essential to specify the folding nuclei and evolutionally conserved. This profile is maintained by the interaction, including entropic effect, among amino acids realized in the native state structure. Experimentally observed phi-value is correlated to this 3D hydrophobicity profile after taking into account the effect of the contact distance in amino-acid sequence.

physics.bio-ph↗

Elastic and magnetic properties on field-induced Metal-Insulator transition of bilayer manganese oxide $(La_{1-z} Pr_z)_{1.2} Sr_{1.8} Mn_2 O_7$ ($z$=0.6)

The elastic and magnetic properties of a single crystal of 327 bilayer manganese oxide $(La_{1-z} Pr_z)_{1.2} Sr_{1.8} Mn_2 O_7$ with $z$=0.6 have been investigated by ultrasonic and high-field magnetization measurements. A distinct elastic anomaly was observed at low temperatures and in high magnetic fields when crossing the phase boundary. A pronounced elastic softening as a function of magnetic field ($H$) appears across the boundary of the low-temperature magnetic phase below around 40 K, accompanied by a distinct hysteresis. In the high field region, however, these elastic constants exhibit an increase with increasing a magnetic field in the high-field region. The high-field magnetization measurement characterizing the magnetic state clarified a strong connection between elastic strains and magnetic moments. The new metamagnetic transition was found in the high-field region above 40 K, accompanied with no hysteresis. The present results of elastic constants are discussed in terms of a coupling effect between elastic strains associated with sound waves and relevant magnetic moments, and relevant conduction bands. They are explained reasonably in terms of a strong coupling between elastic strains and magnetic susceptibility $chi$$_{m}$=$partial$$M$/$partial$$H$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Stoner gap in the superconducting ferromagnet UGe2

We report the temperature ($T$) dependence of ferromagnetic Bragg peak intensities and dc magnetization of the superconducting ferromagnet UGe2 under pressure ($P$). We have found that the low-$T$ behavior of the uniform magnetization can be explained by a conventional Stoner model. A functional analysis of the data produces the following results: The ferromagnetic state below a critical pressure can be understood as the perfectly polarized state, in which heavy quasiparticles occupy only majority spin bands. A Stoner gap $Δ(P)$ decreases monotonically with increasing pressure and increases linearly with magnetic field. We show that the present analysis based on the Stoner model is justified by a consistency check, i.e., comparison of density of states at the Fermi energy deduced from the analysis with observed electronic specific heat coeffieients. We also argue the influence of the ferromagnetism on the superconductivity.

cond-mat.str-el↗

The scattering of muons in low Z materials

This paper presents the measurement of the scattering of 172 MeV/c muons in assorted materials, including liquid hydrogen, motivated by the need to understand ionisation cooling for muon acceleration. Data are compared with predictions from the Geant 4 simulation code and this simulation is used to deconvolute detector effects. The scattering distributions obtained are compared with the Moliere theory of multiple scattering and, in the case of liquid hydrogen, with ELMS. With the exception of ELMS, none of the models are found to provide a good description of the data. The results suggest that ionisation cooling will work better than would be predicted by Geant 4.7.0p01.

hep-ex↗

Control of ferroelectric phase by chemical pressure in (Gd,Tb)MnO$_{3}$ crystals

We have investigated the dielectric properties of Gd$_{1-x}$Tb$_{x}$MnO$_{3}$ crystals in magnetic fields to clarify the crossover between two distinct ferroelectric phases, GdMnO$_{3}$-type (first-order displacive) and TbMnO$_{3}$-type (second-order order-disorder). We have found that the compositional phase boundary between the phases exists around 0.3$<$$x$$<$0.4. For the $x$=0.1 sample exposed to magnetic fields above 3T, we have discovered successive ferroelectric phase transitions that occur at two different temperatures. We have determined the electric and magnetic phase diagram for $x$$=$0, 0.1, and 0.3 in the plane of temperature and field in order to demonstrate the change in the ferroelectric phases.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Magnetic-Field and External-Pressure Control of Ferroelectricity in Multiferroic Manganites

We have investigated dielectric properties in a series of crystals of $R$MnO$_{3}$ ($R$ is a rare earth ion) under magnetic fields and quasihydrostatic pressure. We have found that ferroelectric phase appeared in GdMnO$_3$ crystal below 13K. We have confirmed that a small spontaneous polarization exists along a axis ($P_a$) in the orthorhombic $Pbnm$ setting and that $P_a$ can be reversed by the dc electric field. The dielectric anomaly due to the ferroelectric transition accompanied thermal hysteresis and lattice striction. The ferroelectric transition temperature decreased with quasihydrostatic pressure. These results indicate that the ferroelectric transition is improper and is of the first-order displacement-type one. $P_a$ was easily collapsed by application of magnetic field of 0.4T parallel to the spin-canting direction ($H \| c$) while it was enhanced parallel to the easy axis ($H \| b$).

cond-mat.str-el↗

Magnetic-Field and External-Pressure Effect on Ferroelectricity in Manganites: Comparison between GdMnO$_{3}$ and TbMnO$_{3}$

We have investigated dielectric properties in Mott insulators GdMnO$_{3}$ and TbMnO$_{3}$ under magnetic fields and external quasihydrostatic pressures. In the case of GdMnO$_{3}$, thermal hysteresis for dielectric constant $ε$ and discontinuous lattice distortion were observed at ferroelectric transition temperature ($T_{C}$), and ferroelectric spontaneous polarization was suppressed by application of external pressure. These results indicate that the ferroelectric transition in GdMnO$_{3}$ is a first-order displacive-type one. On the other hand, the thermal hysteresis and discontinuous lattice striction were not observed at $T_{C}$ in TbMnO$_{3}$. The peak of $ε$ corresponding to ferroelectric transition was shifted toward higher temperatures by application of external pressure in TbMnO$_{3}$. The ferroelectric transition of TbMnO$_{3}$ was thought to be a second-order order-disorder-type one.

cond-mat.str-el↗

Neutron beta decay in effective field theory

Radiative corrections to the lifetime and angular correlation coefficients of neutron beta-decay are evaluated in effecitive field theory. We also evaluate the lowest order nucleon recoil corrections, including weak-magnetism. Our results agree with those of the long-range and model-independent part of previous calculations. In an effective theory the model-dependent radiative corrections are replaced by well-defined low-energy constants. The effective field theory allows a systematic evaluation of higher order corrections to our results to the extent that the relevant low-energy constants are known.

nucl-th↗

Neutrino-deuteron reactions at solar neutrino energies

In interpreting the SNO experiments, accurate estimates of the νd reaction cross sections are of great importance. In our recent work, we have improved our previous calculation by updating some of its inputs and by incorporating the results of a recent effective-field-theoretical calculation. The new cross sections are slightly (\sim 1%) larger than the previously reported values. It is reasonable to assign 1% uncertainty to the νd cross sections reported here; this error estimate does not include radiative corrections.

nucl-th↗

Neutrino-deuteron reactions at solar neutrino energies

In interpreting the SNO experiments, very accurate estimates of the νd reaction cross sections are of great importance. We improve the previous estimates of our group by updating some of its inputs and by taking into account the results of a recent effective-field-theoretical calculation. The new cross sections are slightly (\sim 1%) larger than the previously reported values. We present arguments that lead to the conclusion that it is reasonable to assign 1% uncertainty to the νd cross sections reported here.

nucl-th↗

Progress in QCD next-to-leading order calculations

I review progress related to the calculation of QCD jet cross sections at the NLO accuracy. After a short introduction into the theory of NLO calculations, I discuss two recent developments: the calculation of two- and three-jet leptoproduction at the NLO accuracy and the extension of the dipole subtraction method for computing NLO corrections for processes involving massive partons.

hep-ph↗

Neutrino Reactions on Deuteron

The cross sections for the ν-d and \barν-d reactions are calculated for the incident energy up to E_ν= 170 MeV, with the use of a phenomenological Lagrangian approach. We assess and improve the reliability of the employed calculational method by examining the dependence of the results on various input and approximations that go into the calculation. The main points of improvements over the existing work are: (1) use of the "modern" NN potentials; (2) use of the more accurate nucleon weak-interaction form factors; (3) monitoring the strength of a vertex that governs the exchange-current contribution, with the use of data on the related process, n+p\to d+γ. In addition to the total cross sections, we present various differential cross sections that are expected to be useful for the SNO and other experiments. In the low energy regime relevant to the solar neutrinos, the newly calculated total cross sections agree with the existing literature values. The origins of slight differences found for higher energies are discussed. The ratio between the neutral-current and charged-current reaction cross sections is found to be extremely stable against any variations in the input of our calculation.

nucl-th↗

Experimental Bounds on Masses and Fluxes of Nontopological Solitons

We have re-analyzed the results of various experiments which were not originally interested as searches for the Q-ball or the Fermi-ball. Based on these analyses, in addition to the available data on Q-balls, we obtained rather stringent bounds on flux, mass and typical energy scale of Q-balls as well as Fermi-balls. In case these nontopological solitons are the main component of the dark matter of the Galaxy, we found that only such solitons with very large quantum numbers are allowed. We also estimate how sensitive future experiments will be in the search for Q-balls and Fermi-balls.

hep-ph↗

Up-Down Quark Mass Difference Effect in Nuclear Many-Body Systems

A charge-symmetry-breaking nucleon-nucleon force due to the up-down quark mass difference is evaluated in the quark cluster model. It is applied to the shell-model calculation for the isovector mass shifts of isospin multiplets and the isospin-mixing matrix elements in 1s0d-shell nuclei. We find that the contribution of the quark mass difference effect is large and agrees with experiment. This contribution may explain the Okamoto-Nolen-Schiffer anomaly, alternatively to the meson-mixing contribution, which is recently predicted to be reduced by the large off-shell correction.

nucl-th↗