arXiv subjects

Tomohiro Usui

Publications and source records attributed to Tomohiro Usui.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Interactive Evolution of Multiple Water-Ice Reservoirs on Mars: Insights from Hydrogen Isotope Compositions

Remote sensing data from orbiter missions have proposed that ground ice may currently exist on Mars, although the volume is still uncertain. Recent analyses of Martian meteorites have suggested that the water reservoirs have at least three distinct hydrogen isotope compositions (D/H ratios): primordial and high D/H ratios, which are approximately the same and six times that of ocean water on Earth, respectively, and a newly identified intermediate D/H ratio, which is approximately two to three times higher than that in ocean water on Earth. We calculate the evolution of the D/H ratios and the volumes of the water reservoirs on Mars by modeling the exchange of hydrogen isotopes between multiple water reservoirs and the atmospheric escape. The D/H ratio is slightly higher in the topmost thin surface-ice layer than that in the atmosphere because of isotopic fractionation by sublimation, whereas the water-ice reservoir just below the exchangeable topmost surface layer retains the intermediate D/H signature found in Martian meteorites. We propose two possible models for constraining the volume of the ground ice considering the observed D/H ratios and geomorphological estimates of Paleo-oceans. The first assumes that the atmospheric loss is dominated by the Jeans escape. In this case, the volume of ground ice should be larger than the total volume of the observable surface ice that mainly occurs as polar layered ice deposits. The other model assumes diffusion-limited atmospheric loss in which the interactive evolution of the multiple water reservoirs naturally accounts for the observed D/H ratios. In this scenario, a large volume of ground ice does not necessarily exist currently on Mars as opposed to the perspective view proposed on the basis of recent orbiter missions.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2015

Density-of-states fluctuation-induced negative out-of-plane magnetoresistance in overdoped Bi-2212

We analyzed the in-plane and out-of-plane magnetoresistance (MR) for overdoped Bi$_{1.6}$Pb$_{0.4}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$ (Bi-2212) single crystals using superconductive fluctuation theory, which considers the density-of-states (DOS) contribution in layered superconductors with the conventional s-wave pairing state. The out-of-plane results are well reproduced by the theory, implying that the large, negative out-of-plane MR as well as the sharp increase in the zero-field out-of-plane resistivity $ρ_{c}$ near the superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ originate from the superconductive DOS fluctuation effect. On the other hand, the in-plane results are better reproduced without the DOS contribution (i.e., using only the Aslamazov-Larkin (AL) contribution), which may be explained in terms of the d-wave superconductivity of the layered superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Unscaling Superconducting Parameters with $T_c$ for Bi-2212 and Bi-2223: A Magnetotransport Study in the Superconductive Fluctuation Regime

To investigate the origin of the enhanced $T_c$ ($\approx$ 110 K) of the trilayer cuprate superconductor Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$Ca$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{10+δ}$ (Bi-2223), we have performed systematic magnetoresistance (MR) measurements on this superconductor, as well as on the bilayer superconductor, Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$ (Bi-2212). The in-plane coherence length, $ξ_{ab}$, and the specific-heat jump, $ΔC$, have been estimated using the theory of renormalized superconductive fluctuations, and the doping dependence of these parameters has been qualitatively explained using the Fermi arc approach. A detailed comparison of the superconducting parameters with $T_c$ for these compounds suggests that an additional superconducting condensation energy exists, due to an increase in the number of stacking CuO$_{2}$ planes in a unit cell.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Doping Dependencies of Onset Temperatures for the Pseudogap and Superconductive Fluctuation in Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$, Studied from both In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Magnetoresistance Measurements

To investigate the relationship between the pseudogap and superconductivity, we measured both the in-plane ($ρ_{ab}$) and out-of-plane ($ρ_c$) resistivity for oxygen-controlled Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+δ}$ single crystals subject to magnetic fields (parallel to the $c$ axis) of up to 17.5 T. The onset temperature for the superconductive fluctuation, $T_{scf}$, is determined by the large positive in-plane magnetoresistance (MR) and negative out-of-plane MR observed near $T_c$, whereas the pseudogap opening temperature $T^*$ is determined by the semiconductive upturn of the zero-field $ρ_c$. $T_{scf}$ was found to scale roughly as $T_c$, with a decreasing temperature interval between them upon doping. On the other hand, $T^*$ starts out much higher than $T_{scf}$ but decreases monotonically upon doping; finally, at a heavily overdoped state, it is not observed above $T_{scf}$. These results imply that the pseudogap is not a simple precursor of superconductivity, but that further study is needed to determine whether or not $T^*$ exists below $T_{scf}$ in the heavily overdoped state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2014

Evolution of Water Reservoirs on Mars: Constraints from Hydrogen Isotopes in Martian Meteorites

Martian surface morphology implies that Mars was once warm enough to maintain persistent liquid water on its surface. While the high D/H ratios (~6 times the Earth's ocean water) of the current martian atmosphere suggest that significant water has been lost from the surface during martian history, the timing, processes, and the amount of the water loss have been poorly constrained. Recent technical developments of ion-microprobe analysis of martian meteorites have provided accurate estimation of hydrogen isotope compositions (D/H) of martian water reservoirs at the time when the meteorites formed. Based on the D/H data from the meteorites, this study demonstrates that the water loss during the pre-Noachian (>41-99 m global equivalent layers, GEL) was more significant than in the rest of martian history (>10-53 m GEL). Combining our results with geological and geomorphological evidence for ancient oceans, we propose that undetected subsurface water/ice (~100-1000 m GEL) should have existed, and it exceeds the observable present water inventory (~20-30 m GEL) on Mars.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2012

Effects of Annealing under Tellurium Vapor for Fe$_{1.03}$Te$_{0.8}$Se$_{0.2}$ Single Crystals

In this study, the effects of annealing under tellurium vapor have been investigated for Fe$_{1.03}$Te$_{0.8}$Se$_{0.2}$ single crystals. The as-grown crystal is not superconducting. After annealing it at 400 $^\circ$C for 250 h in tellurium (Te) vapor, it shows metallic resistivity temperature dependence below 150 K and a sharp superconducting transition at 13 K. The sample also shows a full magnetic shielding effect at low temperatures. The improvement in superconductivity has been attributed to the removal of excess Fe, which is inevitably incorporated in the as-grown crystals, by the annealing.

cond-mat.supr-con↗