Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculations of PEDOT:PSS in a dipolar field

The oxidation level of the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS is influenced by an electrostatic field of ionic liquid.

Dynamic Dipolar Field of Spin Waves in Low-Dimensional Magnetic Systems: The Effects of Translational Symmetry Breaking

Magnon scatterings affect the performance of magnonic devices directly, and dynamic dipolar field (DDF) is crucial in the scattering potential. In this paper, a theoretical model of the DDF in low-dimensional magnetic systems is present, and simulations give the summation area to achieve good accuracy in the DDF calculation, though the dipolar field is a long-range interaction. Calculation in a finite-size thin film indicates that due to the breaking of translational symmetry, the DDF increases evidently in the borders and the corners. The DDF near the vertex of the thin film is several orders magnitude higher than that in the inside area, making the corners prominent in the magnon scatterings.

Tailoring Local Hysteresis in Small Clusters of Dipolar Interacting Magnetic Nanoparticles

Using first-principle calculations and kinetic Monte Carlo simulation, we study the local and averaged hysteresis in tiny clusters of [Formula: see text] magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) or [Formula: see text]-mers. We also analyze the variation of local dipolar field acting on the constituent nanoparticles as a function of the external magnetic field. The dipolar interaction is found to promote chain-like arrangement in such a cluster. Irrespective of cluster size, the local hysteresis response depends strongly on the corresponding dipolar field acting on a nanoparticle. In a small [Formula: see text]-mer, there is a wide variation in local hysteresis as a function of nanoparticle position. On the other hand, the local hysteresis is more uniform for larger [Formula: see text]-mer, except for MNPs at the boundary. In the case of superparamagnetic nanoparticle and weak dipolar interaction, the local hysteresis loop area [Formula: see text] is minimal and depends weakly on the [Formula: see text]-mer size. While for ferromagnetic counterpart, [Formula: see text] is considerably large even for weakly interacting MNPs. The value of [Formula: see text] is found to be directly proportional to the dipolar field acting on the nanoparticle. The dipolar interaction and [Formula: see text]-mer size also enhance the coercivity and remanence. There is always an increase in [Formula: see text] with cluster size and dipolar interaction strength. Similarly, the averaged hysteresis loop area [Formula: see text] also depends strongly on the [Formula: see text]-mer size, particle size and dipolar interaction strength. [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] always increase with [Formula: see text]-mer size and dipolar interaction strength. Interestingly, the value of [Formula: see text] saturates for [Formula: see text] and considerable dipolar interaction irrespective of particle size. We believe that this work would help understand the intricate role of dipolar interaction on hysteresis and the organizational structure of MNPs and their usage in drug delivery and hyperthermia applications.

Plasmoid formation in global GRMHD simulations and AGN flares

ABSTRACT One of the main dissipation processes acting on all scales in relativistic jets is thought to be governed by magnetic reconnection. Such dissipation processes have been studied in idealized environments, such as reconnection layers, which evolve in merging islands and lead to the production of ‘plasmoids’, ultimately resulting in efficient particle acceleration. In accretion flows on to black holes, reconnection layers can be developed and destroyed rapidly during the turbulent evolution of the flow. We present a series of two-dimensional general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of tori accreting on to rotating black holes focusing our attention on the formation and evolution of current sheets. Initially, the tori are endowed with a poloidal magnetic field having a multiloop structure along the radial direction and with an alternating polarity. During reconnection processes, plasmoids and plasmoid chains are developed leading to a flaring activity and hence to a variable electromagnetic luminosity. We describe the methods developed to track automatically the plasmoids that are generated and ejected during the simulation, contrasting the behaviour of multiloop initial data with that encountered in typical simulations of accreting black holes having initial dipolar field composed of one loop only. Finally, we discuss the implications that our results have on the variability to be expected in accreting supermassive black holes.

A search for strong magnetic fields in massive and very massive stars in the Magellanic Clouds

Despite their rarity, massive stars dominate the ecology of galaxies via their strong, radiatively-driven winds throughout their lives and as supernovae in their deaths. However, their evolution and subsequent impact on their environment can be significantly affected by the presence of a magnetic field. While recent studies indicate that about 7% of OB stars in the Milky Way host strong, stable, organised (fossil) magnetic fields at their surfaces, little is known about the fields of very massive stars, nor the magnetic properties of stars outside our Galaxy. We aim to continue searching for strong magnetic fields in a diverse set of massive and very massive stars (VMS) in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC/SMC), and we evaluate the overall capability of FORS2 to usefully search for and detect stellar magnetic fields in extra-galactic environments. We have obtained FORS2 spectropolarimetry of a sample of 41 stars, which principally consist of spectral types B, O, Of/WN, WNh, and classical WR stars in the LMC and SMC. Four of our targets are Of?p stars; one of them was just recently discovered. Each spectrum was analysed to infer the longitudinal magnetic field. No magnetic fields were formally detected in our study, although Bayesian statistical considerations suggest that the Of?p star SMC 159-2 is magnetic with a dipolar field of the order of 2.4–4.4 kG. In addition, our first constraints of magnetic fields in VMS provide interesting insights into the formation of the most massive stars in the Universe.

Revisiting the pulsational characteristics of the exoplanet host star β Pictoris

Context. Exoplanet properties crucially depend on the parameters of their host stars: more accurate stellar parameters yield more accurate exoplanet characteristics. When the exoplanet host star shows pulsations, asteroseismology can be used for an improved description of the stellar parameters. Aims. We aim to revisit the pulsational properties of β Pic and identify its pulsation modes from normalized amplitudes in five different passbands. We also investigate the potential presence of a magnetic field. Methods. We conducted a frequency analysis using three seasons of BRITE-Constellation observations in the two BRITE filters, the about 620-day-long bRing light curve, and the nearly 8-year-long SMEI photometric time series. We calculated normalized amplitudes using all passbands and including previously published values obtained from ASTEP observations. We investigated the magnetic properties of β Pic using spectropolarimetric observations conducted with the HARPSpol instrument. Using 2D rotating models, we fit the normalized amplitudes and frequencies through Monte Carlo Markov chains. Results. We identify 15 pulsation frequencies in the range from 34 to 55 d−1, where two, F13 at 53.6917 d−1 and F11 at 50.4921 d−1, display clear amplitude variability. We use the normalized amplitudes in up to five passbands to identify the modes as three ℓ = 1, six ℓ = 2, and six ℓ = 3 modes. β Pic is shown to be non-magnetic with an upper limit of the possible undetected dipolar field of 300 Gauss. Conclusions. Multiple fits to the frequencies and normalized amplitudes are obtained, including one with a near equator-on inclination for β Pic, which corresponds to our expectations based on the orbital inclination of β Pic b and the orientation of the circumstellar disk. This solution leads to a rotation rate of 27% of the Keplerian breakup velocity, a radius of 1.497 ± 0.025 R⊙, and a mass of 1.797 ± 0.035 M⊙. The ∼2% errors in radius and mass do not account for uncertainties in the models and a potentially erroneous mode-identification.

Discovery of kilogauss magnetic fields on the nearby white dwarfs WD 1105–340 and WD 2150+591

Magnetic fields are present in roughly 10% of white dwarfs. These fields affect the structure and evolution of such stars, and may provide clues about their earlier evolution history. Particularly important for statistical studies is the collection of high-precision spectropolarimetric observations of (1) complete magnitude-limited samples and (2) complete volume-limited samples of white dwarfs. In the course of one of our surveys we have discovered previously unknown kG-level magnetic fields on two nearby white dwarfs, WD 1105–340 and WD 2150+591. Both stars are brighter than mV = 15. WD 2150+591 is within the 20 pc volume around the Sun, while WD 1105–340 is just beyond 25 pc in distance. These discoveries increase the small sample of such weak-field white dwarfs from 21 to 23 stars. Our data appear consistent with roughly dipolar field topology, but it also appears that the surface field structure may be more complex on the older star than on the younger one, a result similar to one found earlier in our study of the weak-field stars WD 2034+372 and WD 2359–434. This encourages further efforts to uncover a clear link between magnetic morphology and stellar evolution.