SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

S. Roychowdhury

Publications and source records attributed to S. Roychowdhury.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Symmetry-Selective Stabilization of Charge-Density Wave in ScV$_6$Sn$_6$

Charge-density-wave (CDW) order in kagome metals is highly sensitive to external tuning parameters such as chemical substitution and hydrostatic pressure, which generally suppress long-range order. Here, using high-resolution X-ray diffraction under controlled uniaxial strain, we show that anisotropic lattice deformation instead stabilizes and enhances the CDW state in ScV$_6$Sn$_6$. Compression along the [H00] and [HH0] directions lowers the crystal symmetry from hexagonal to orthorhombic, lifts the degeneracy between symmetry-equivalent in-plane CDW domains, and promotes long-range order while preserving the underlying trimer instability. Phonon calculations indicate only a moderate stabilization of the imaginary flat phonon mode, demonstrating that the increase in T$_\mathrm{CDW}$ is primarily driven by the in-plane ordering of the Sn$^\mathrm{T}$--Sc--Sn$^\mathrm{T}$ \textit{rattling} chains within the frustrated kagome lattice. A phenomenological model incorporating strain-dependent Ising couplings within a three-state Potts framework successfully reproduces the evolution of T$_\mathrm{CDW}$ under compression and captures the continuous nature of the transition. Our results establish uniaxial strain as a powerful symmetry-selective tuning parameter for order-disorder transformations in frustrated lattices.

cond-mat.str-el

Revealing magnetism in the distorted kagome $R$Ti$_3$Bi$_4$ ($R$ = Nd, Sm, Gd) via ARPES and XMCD

Kagome materials are known for hosting emergent quantum phenomena driven by the interaction between different lattice, charge and spin orders. Here, we present a detailed angle resolved photoemission (ARPES), density functional theory (DFT) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) study of the electronic and magnetic structure of $R$Ti$_3$Bi$_4$ ($R$ = Nd, Sm, Gd). ARPES and DFT demonstrate that the bulk electronic band structure is dominated by the hybridization of the Ti bands, and the weak electron-like pocket at $Γ$ is identified as a surface state. The isotropic XAS profile of the $M_{4,5}$-edge of the rare earth is consistent with the presence of $R^{3+}$ oxidation state. Using the XMCD sum rules, backed by the atomic multiplet theory calculations, we obtain the spin and orbital magnetic moments. The Ti $L_{2,3}$-edge XMCD reveals the presence of a small magnetic moment in GdTi$_3$Bi$_4$, presumably driven by the proximity of the {Ti} kagome layers to the $zigzag$ chains of Gd, while the total magnetic moment of Gd is shared by the $f$ and $d$ electrons. Our combined XMCD, ARPES and DFT study brings an important piece of information to understand the spin flip transitions and anomalous Hall effect observed in the $R$Ti$_3$Bi$_4$ kagome metals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Unravelling disorder in kagome Yb$_{0.5}$Co$_3$Ge$_3$

The presence of phonon instabilities that leads to the formation of charge modulated states in kagome metals has allowed their classification based on the atomic displacements. Here, we use diffuse and inelastic x-ray scattering, backed by Monte Carlo simulations to describe a type-I instability in the kagome metal Yb$_{0.5}$Co$_3$Ge$_3$. We find that the in-plane distortion of Co in the kagome plane drives a structural transition with the appearance of new Bragg peaks at odd $L$, which are surrounded by a hexagonal diffuse signal. The anisotropic diffuse scattering, characteristic of a highly frustrated triangular lattice was simulated following a combination of Ising hamiltonian and Lennard-Jones potential, and demonstrate that the structural phase transition in Yb$_{0.5}$Co$_3$Ge$_3$ is of an order-disorder transformation type. The inelastic spectra reveals no softening but an anomalous broadening of the $Γ-A$ low energy acoustic mode. Our results highlight the critical role of the geometric frustration in promoting ordering from disorder in kagome lattices and power of diffuse scattering to disentangle the internal atomic displacements and correlated disorder.

cond-mat.str-el

Cascade of pressure induced competing CDWs in the kagome metal FeGe

Electronic ordering is prevalent in correlated systems, which commonly exhibit competing interactions. Here, we use x-ray diffraction to demonstrate a cascade of pressure induced order-disorder transformations, with propagation vectors $\mathbf{q}_\mathrm{CDW}$= $\left(\frac{1}{2}\ 0\ \frac{1}{2}\right)$, $\mathbf{q}^*$=$\left(\frac{1}{3}\ \frac{1}{3}\ \frac{1}{2}\right)$ and $\mathbf{q}^\dagger$=$\left(\frac{1}{3}\ \frac{1}{3}\ \frac{1}{3}\right)$, in the kagome metal FeGe. In the pressure interval between 4$<p<$10 GPa, $\mathbf{q}_\mathrm{CDW}$ and $\mathbf{q}^*$ coexist and the spatial extent of the $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ order is nearly long-range at $\sim$15 GPa, $\sim$30 unit cells. Above $\sim$25 GPa, the periodic lattice distortion has a propagation wavevector of $\mathbf{q}^\dagger$=$\left(\frac{1}{3}\ \frac{1}{3}\ \frac{1}{3}\right)$ at room temperature. The cascade of phase transitions are captured by the Ising model of frustrated triangular lattices and modeled by Monte Carlo simulations based on the dimerization of trigonal Ge$_1$. The pressure dependence of the integrated intensities and correlation lengths of $\mathbf{q}_\mathrm{CDW}$, $\mathbf{q}^*$ and $\mathbf{q}^\dagger$ demonstrate a competition between the 2$\times$2 and $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ phases prove the tunability of order-disorder phase transitions under pressure and the rich landscape of metastable/fragile phases of FeGe.

cond-mat.str-el

Frustrated charge density wave and quasi-long-range bond-orientational order in the magnetic kagome FeGe

The intrinsic frustrated nature of a kagome lattice is amenable to the realization of exotic phases of matter, such as quantum spin liquids or spin ices, and more recently the multiple-$\mathrm{\textbf{q}}$ charge density waves (CDW) in the kagome metals. Despite intense efforts to understand the mechanism driving the electronic modulations, its origin is still unknown and hindered by competing interactions and intertwined orders. Here, we identify a dimerization-driven 2D hexagonal charge-diffuse precursor in the antiferromagnetic kagome metal FeGe and demonstrate that the fraction of dimerized/undimerized states is the relevant order parameter of the multiple-$\mathrm{\textbf{q}}$ CDW of a continuous phase transition. The pretransitional charge fluctuations with propagation vector $\mathrm{\textbf{q}=\textbf{q}_M}$ at T$_{\mathrm{CDW}}$$<$T$<$T$^*$(125 K) are anisotropic, hence holding a quasi-long-range bond-orientational order. The broken translational symmetry emerges from the anisotropic diffuse precursor, akin to the Ising scenario of antiferromagnetic triangular lattices. The temperature and momentum dependence of the critical scattering show parallels to the stacked hexatic $\mathrm{B}$-phases reported in liquid crystals and transient states of CDWs and highlight the key role of the topological defect-mediated melting of the CDW in FeGe.

cond-mat.str-el

Softening of a flat phonon mode in the kagome ScV$_6$Sn$_6$

The long range electronic modulations recently discovered in the geometrically frustrated kagome lattice have opened new avenues to explore the effect of correlations in materials with topological electron flat bands. The observation of the lattice response to the emergent new phases of matter, a soft phonon mode, has remained elusive and the microscopic origin of charge density waves (CDWs) is still unknown. Here, we show, for the first time, a complete melting of the ScV$_ 6$Sn$_ 6$ (166) kagome lattice. The low energy phonon with propagation vector $\frac{1}{3} \frac{1}{3} \frac{1}{2}$ collapses at 98 K, without the emergence of long-range charge order, which sets in with a propagation vector $\frac{1}{3} \frac{1}{3} \frac{1}{3}$. The CDW is driven (but locks at a different vector) by the softening of an overdamped phonon flat plane at k$_z$=$π$. We observe broad phonon anomalies in momentum space, pointing to (1) the existence of approximately flat phonon bands which gain some dispersion due to electron renormalization, and (2) the effects of the momentum dependent electron-phonon interaction in the CDW formation. Ab initio and analytical calculations corroborate the experimental findings to indicate that the weak leading order phonon instability is located at the wave vector $\frac{1}{3} \frac{1}{3} \frac{1}{2}$ of a rather flat collapsed mode. We analytically compute the phonon frequency renormalization from high temperatures to the soft mode, and relate it to a peak in the orbital-resolved susceptibility, obtaining an excellent match with both ab initio and experimental results, and explaining the origin of the approximately flat phonon dispersion. Our data report the first example of the collapse of a softening of a flat phonon plane and promote the 166 compounds of the kagome family as primary candidates to explore correlated flat phonon-topological flat electron physics.

cond-mat.str-el

Unusual gas structure in an otherwise normal spiral galaxy hosting GRB 171205A / SN 2017iuk

We study the structure of atomic hydrogen (HI) in the host galaxy of GRB 171205A / SN 2017iuk at z=0.037 through HI 21cm emission line observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. These observations reveal unusual morphology and kinematics of the HI in this otherwise apparently normal galaxy. High column density, cold HI is absent from an extended North-South region passing by the optical centre of the galaxy, but instead is extended towards the South, on both sides of the galaxy. Moreover, the HI kinematics do not show a continuous change along the major axis of the galaxy as expected in a classical rotating disk. We explore several scenarios to explain the HI structure and kinematics in the galaxy: feedback from a central starburst and/or an active galactic nucleus, ram pressure stripping, accretion, and tidal interaction from a companion galaxy. All of these options are ruled out. The most viable remaining explanation is the penetrating passage of a satellite through the disk only a few Myr ago, redistributing the HI in the GRB host without yet affecting its stellar distribution. It can also lead to the rapid formation of peculiar stars due to a violent induced shock. The location of GRB 171205A in the vicinity of the distorted area suggests that its progenitor star(s) originated in extreme conditions that share the same origin as the peculiarities in HI. This could explain the atypical location of GRB 171205A in its host galaxy.

astro-ph.GA

WALLABY pre-pilot survey: Two dark clouds in the vicinity of NGC 1395

We present the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) WALLABY pre-pilot observations of two `dark' HI sources (with HI masses of a few times 10^8 Msol and no known stellar counterpart) that reside within 363 kpc of NGC 1395, the most massive early-type galaxy in the Eridanus group of galaxies. We investigate whether these `dark' HI sources have resulted from past tidal interactions or whether they are an extreme class of low surface brightness galaxies. Our results suggest that both scenarios are possible, and not mutually exclusive. The two `dark' HI sources are compact, reside in relative isolation and are more than 159 kpc away from their nearest HI-rich galaxy neighbour. Regardless of origin, the HI sizes and masses of both `dark' HI sources are consistent with the HI size-mass relationship that is found in nearby low-mass galaxies, supporting the possibility that these HI sources are an extreme class of low surface brightness galaxies. We identified three analogues of candidate primordial `dark' HI galaxies within the TNG100 cosmological, hydrodynamic simulation. All three model analogues are dark matter-dominated, have assembled most of their mass 12-13 Gyr ago, and have not experienced much evolution until cluster infall 1-2 Gyr ago. Our WALLABY pre-pilot science results suggest that the upcoming large area HI surveys will have a significant impact on our understanding of low surface brightness galaxies and the physical processes that shape them.

astro-ph.GA

Local starburst conditions and formation of GRB 980425 / SN 1998bw within a collisional ring

We present the first spatially resolved study of molecular gas in the vicinity of a Gamma Ray Burst, using CO(2-1) emission line observations with the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) at ~50 pc scales. The host galaxy of GRB 980425 contains a ring of high column density HI gas which is likely to have formed due to a collision between the GRB host and its companion galaxy, within which the GRB is located. We detect eleven molecular gas clumps in the galaxy, seven of which are within the gas ring. The clump closest to the GRB position is at a projected separation of ~280 pc. Although it is plausible that the GRB progenitor was ejected from clusters formed in this clump, we argue that the in situ formation of the GRB progenitor is the most likely scenario. We measure the molecular gas masses of the clumps and find them to be sufficient for forming massive star clusters. The molecular gas depletion times of the clumps show a variation of ~2 dex, comparable with the large variation in depletion times found in starburst galaxies in the nearby Universe. This demonstrates the presence of starburst modes of star formation on local scales in the galaxy, even while the galaxy as a whole cannot be categorised as a starburst based on its global properties. Our findings suggest that the progenitor of GRB 9802425 was originated in a young massive star cluster formed in the starburst mode of star formation.

astro-ph.GA

A systematic metallicity study of DustPedia galaxies reveals evolution in the dust-to-metal ratios

Observations of evolution in the dust-to-metal ratio allow us to constrain the dominant dust processing mechanisms. In this work, we present a study of the dust-to-metal and dust-to-gas ratios in a sub-sample of ~500 DustPedia galaxies. Using literature and MUSE emission line fluxes, we derived gas-phase metallicities (oxygen abundances) for over 10000 individual regions and determine characteristic metallicities for each galaxy. We study how the relative dust, gas, and metal contents of galaxies evolve by using metallicity and gas fraction as proxies for evolutionary state. The global oxygen abundance and nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio are found to increase monotonically as galaxies evolve. Additionally, unevolved galaxies (gas fraction > 60%, metallicity 12 + log(O/H) < 8.2) have dust-to-metal ratios that are about a factor of 2.1 lower (a factor of six lower for galaxies with gas fraction > 80%) than the typical dust-to-metal ratio (Md/MZ ~ 0.214) for more evolved sources. However, for high gas fractions, the scatter is larger due to larger observational uncertainties as well as a potential dependence of the dust grain growth timescale and supernova dust yield on local conditions and star formation histories. We find chemical evolution models with a strong contribution from dust grain growth describe these observations reasonably well. The dust-to-metal ratio is also found to be lower for low stellar masses and high specific star formation rates (with the exception of some sources undergoing a starburst). Finally, the metallicity gradient correlates weakly with the HI-to-stellar mass ratio, the effective radius and the dust-to-stellar mass ratio, but not with stellar mass.

astro-ph.GA

A superluminous supernova in high surface density molecular gas within the bar of a metal-rich galaxy

We report the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the metal rich host galaxy of superluminous supernova (SLSN) PTF10tpz, a barred spiral galaxy at z=0.03994. We find the CO(1-0) emission to be confined within the bar of the galaxy. The distribution and kinematics of molecular gas in the host galaxy resemble gas flows along two lanes running from the tips of the bar towards the galaxy center. These gas lanes end in a gaseous structure in the inner region of the galaxy, likely associated with an inner Lindblad resonance. The interaction between the large-scale gas flows in the bar and the gas in the inner region plausibly leads to the formation of massive molecular clouds and consequently massive clusters. This in turn can result in formation of massive stars, and thus the likely progenitor of the SLSN in a young, massive cluster. This picture is consistent with SLSN PTF10tpz being located near the inner structure. We find the molecular gas in the vicinity of the SLSN to have high surface densities, comparable with those in interacting galaxies or starburst regions in nearby galaxies. This lends support to high densities being favorable conditions for formation of SLSNe progenitors.

astro-ph.GA

The host galaxy of GRB 980425 / SN1998bw: a collisional ring galaxy

We report Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) , Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Spitzer Space Telescope observations of ESO 184$-$G82, the host galaxy of GRB 980425/SN 1998bw, that yield evidence of a companion dwarf galaxy at a projected distance of 13 kpc. The companion, hereafter GALJ193510-524947, is a gas-rich, star-forming galaxy with a star formation rate of $\rm0.004\,M_{\odot}\, yr^{-1}$, a gas mass of $10^{7.1\pm0.1} M_{\odot}$, and a stellar mass of $10^{7.0\pm0.3} M_{\odot}$. The interaction between ESO 184$-$G82 and GALJ193510-524947 is evident from the extended gaseous structure between the two galaxies in the GMRT HI 21 cm map. We find a ring of high column density HI gas, passing through the actively star forming regions of ESO 184$-$G82 and the GRB location. This ring lends support to the picture in which ESO 184$-$G82 is interacting with GALJ193510-524947. The massive stars in GALJ193510-524947 have similar ages to those in star-forming regions in ESO 184$-$G82, also suggesting that the interaction may have triggered star formation in both galaxies. The gas and star formation properties of ESO 184$-$G82 favour a head-on collision with GALJ193510-524947 rather than a classical tidal interaction. We perform state-of-the art simulations of dwarf--dwarf mergers and confirm that the observed properties of ESO 184$-$G82 can be reproduced by collision with a small companion galaxy. This is a very clear case of interaction in a gamma ray burst host galaxy, and of interaction-driven star formation giving rise to a gamma ray burst in a dense environment.

astro-ph.GA

The Bluedisk Survey: molecular gas distribution and scaling relations in the context of galaxy evolution

One of the key goals of the Bluedisk survey is to characterize the impact of gas accretion in disc galaxies in the context of galaxy evolution. It contains 50 disc galaxies in the stellar mass range 10^10-10^11 Msun, of which half are bluer and more HI-rich galaxies than their HI-normal (control) counterparts. In this paper, we investigate how ongoing disc growth affects the molecular gas distribution and the star-formation efficiency in these galaxies. We present 12CO observations from the IRAM 30-m telescope in 26 galaxies of the Bluedisk survey. We compare the amount and spatial distribution of the molecular gas to key quantities such as atomic gas, stellar mass and surface density, star-formation rate and metallicity. We analyse the star-formation rate per unit gas (SFR/HI and SFR/H2) and relate all those parameters to general galaxy properties (HI-rich/control disc, morphology, etc.). We find that the HI-rich galaxies have similar H2 masses as the control galaxies. In their centres, HI-rich galaxies have lower H2/HI ratios and marginally shorter molecular gas depletion times. However, the main differences between the two samples occur in the outer parts of the discs, with the HI-rich galaxies having slightly smaller CO discs (relative to the optical radius R25) and steeper CO and metallicity gradients than the control galaxies. The ongoing accretion of HI at large radii has thus not led to an appreciable growth of the CO discs in our sample. Based on depletion times, we estimate that this gas will contribute to star formation on time-scales of at least 5 Gyr.

astro-ph.GA

Rendez-vous of dwarfs

We present observations of multiple system of dwarf galaxies at the Russian 6-m telescope and the GMRT (Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope). The optical observations are a part of the programme Study of Groups of Dwarf Galaxies in the Local Supercluster. The group of galaxies under consideration looks like filament of 5 dwarfs. Two faint galaxies show peculiar structure. Long slit spectrum reveals inner motions about 150 km/s in one of them. It suggests that the galaxy is on stage of ongoing interaction. Probably, we see the group in moment of its formation.

astro-ph.CO

AGN heating, thermal conduction and Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect in galaxy groups and clusters

(abridged) We investigate in detail the role of active galactic nuclei on the physical state of the gas in galaxy groups and clusters, and the implications for anisotropy in the CMB from Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. We include the effect of thermal conduction, and find that the resulting profiles of temperature and entropy are consistent with observations. Unlike previously proposed models, our model predicts that isentropic cores are not an inevitable consequence of preheating. The model also reproduces the observational trend for the density profiles to flatten in lower mass systems. We deduce the energy E_agn required to explain the entropy observations as a function of mass of groups and clusters M_cl and show that E_agn is proportional to M_cl^alpha with alpha~1.5. We demonstrate that the entropy measurements, in conjunction with our model, can be translated into constraints on the cluster--black hole mass relation. The inferred relation is nonlinear and has the form M_bh\propto M_cl^alpha. This scaling is an analog and extension of a similar relation between the black hole mass and the galactic halo mass that holds on smaller scales. We show that the central decrement of the CMB temperature is reduced due to the enhanced entropy of the ICM, and that the decrement predicted from the plausible range of energy input from the AGN is consistent with available data of SZ decrement. We show that AGN heating, combined with the observational constraints on entropy, leads to suppression of higher multipole moments in the angular power spectrum and we find that this effect is stronger than previously thought.

astro-ph

Entropy "floor" and effervescent heating of intracluster gas

Recent X-ray observations of clusters of galaxies have shown that the entropy of the intracluster medium (ICM), even at radii as large as half the virial radius, is higher than that expected from gravitational processes alone. This is thought to be the result of nongravitational processes influencing the physical state of the ICM. In this paper, we investigate whether heating by a central AGN can explain the distribution of excess entropy as a function of radius. The AGN is assumed to inject buoyant bubbles into the ICM, which heat the ambient medium by doing pdV work as they rise and expand. Several authors have suggested that this "effervescent heating" mechanism could allow the central regions of clusters to avoid the ``cooling catastrophe''. Here we study the effect of effervescent heating at large radii. Our calculations show that such a heating mechanism is able to solve the entropy problem. The only free parameters of the model are the time-averaged luminosity and the AGN lifetime. The results are mainly sensitive to the total energy injected into the cluster. Our model predicts that the total energy injected by AGN should be roughly proportional to the cluster mass. The expected correlation is consistent with a linear relation between the mass of the central black hole(s) and the mass of the cluster, which is reminiscent of the Magorrian relation between the black hole and bulge mass.

astro-ph