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Kong, X.

Publications and source records attributed to Kong, X..

17 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Superconducting gap symmetry from Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference analysis on Sr 2 RuO 4

Here, the nature of the superconducting order parameter in Sr 2 RuO 4 has generated intense interest in recent years. Since the superconducting gap is very small, high-resolution methods such as scanning tunneling spectroscopy might be the best chance to directly resolve the gap symmetry. Recently, a Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference imaging (BQPI) experiment has suggested that the d x 2 –y 2 gap symmetry is appropriate for Sr 2 RuO 4 . In this work, we use a material-specific theoretical approach based onWannier functions of the surface of Sr 2 RuO 4 to calculate the continuum density of states as detected in scanning tunneling microscopy experiments. We examine several different proposed gap order parameters and calculate the expected BQPI pattern for each case. Comparing to the available experimental data, our results suggest that a s' + id xy gap order parameter is the most probable state, but the measured BQPI patterns still display features unaccounted for by the theory for any of the states currently under discussion.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quasi-particle interference of the van Hove singularity in Sr2RuO4

Abstract The single-layered ruthenate Sr 2 RuO 4 is one of the most enigmatic unconventional superconductors. While for many years it was thought to be the best candidate for a chiral p -wave superconducting ground state, desirable for topological quantum computations, recent experiments suggest a singlet state, ruling out the original p -wave scenario. The superconductivity as well as the properties of the multi-layered compounds of the ruthenate perovskites are strongly influenced by a van Hove singularity in proximity of the Fermi energy. Tiny structural distortions move the van Hove singularity across the Fermi energy with dramatic consequences for the physical properties. Here, we determine the electronic structure of the van Hove singularity in the surface layer of Sr 2 RuO 4 by quasi-particle interference imaging. We trace its dispersion and demonstrate from a model calculation accounting for the full vacuum overlap of the wave functions that its detection is facilitated through the octahedral rotations in the surface layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) Quasar Survey: Quasar Properties from Data Release Two and Three

This is the second installment for the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) Quasar Survey, which includes quasars observed from 2013 September to 2015 June. There are 9024 confirmed quasars in DR2 and 10911 in DR3. After cross-match with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar catalogs and NED, 12126 quasars are discovered independently. Among them, 2225 quasars were released by SDSS DR12 QSO catalog in 2014 after we finalized the survey candidates. 1801 sources were identified by SDSS DR14 as QSOs. The remaining 8100 quasars are considered as newly founded, and among them, 6887 quasars can be given reliable emission line measurements and the estimated black hole masses. Quasars found in LAMOST are mostly located at low-to-moderate redshifts, with a mean value of 1.5. The highest redshift observed in DR2 and DR3 is 5. We applied emission line measurements to Hα, Hβ, Mg ii, and C iv. We deduced the monochromatic continuum luminosities using photometry data, and estimated the virial black hole masses for the newly discovered quasars. Results are compiled into a quasar catalog, which will be available online.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Ridge InGaAs/InP multi-quantum-well selective growth in nanoscale trenches on Si (001) substrate

Metal organic chemical vapor deposition of InGaAs/InP multi-quantum-well in nanoscale V-grooved trenches on Si (001) substrate was studied using the aspect ratio trapping method. A high quality GaAs/InP buffer layer with two convex (111) B facets was selectively grown to promote the highly uniform, single-crystal ridge InP/InGaAs multi-quantum-well structure growth. Material quality was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and room temperature micro-photoluminescence measurements. This approach shows great promise for the fabrication of photonics devices and nanolasers on Si substrate.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of the merging cluster of galaxies PLCK G036.7+14.9

We present Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of PLCK G036.7+14.9 from the Chandra–Planck Legacy Program. The high resolution X-ray observations reveal two close (∼72″ = 193 kpc in projection) subclusters, G036N and G036S, which were not resolved by previous ROSAT, optical, or recent Planck observations. We perform detailed imaging and spectral analyses and use a simplified model to study the kinematics of this system. The basic picture is that PLCK G036.7+14.9 is undergoing a major merger (mass ratio close to unity) between the two massive subclusters, with the merger largely along the line of sight (∼80° between the merger axis and the plane of the sky from the simplified model) and probably at an early stage (less than ∼0.4–0.7 Gyr since the merger began). G036N hosts a small (∼27 kpc), moderate cool core (cooling time t{sub cool}∼2.6–4.7 Gyr), while G036S has at most a very weak cool core (t{sub cool}∼5.7–10.3 Gyr) in the central ∼40 kpc region. The difference in core cooling times is unlikely to be caused by the ongoing merger disrupting a pre-existing cool core in G036S. G036N also hosts an unresolved radio source in the center, which may be heating the gas if the radio source is extended. The total mass of the whole cluster determined from XMM-Newton is ∼(5.9−8.0)×10{sup 14} M{sub ⊙}, and is ∼(6.7−9.9)×10{sup 14} M{sub ⊙} from Chandra. The Planck derived mass, ∼(5.1−6.0)×10{sup 14} M{sub ⊙}, is higher than the X-ray measured mass of either subcluster, but is lower than the X-ray measured mass of the whole cluster, due to the fact that Planck does not resolve PLCK G036.7+14.9 into subclusters and interprets it as a single cluster. This mass discrepancy could induce significant bias to the mass function if such previously unresolved systems are common in the Planck cluster sample. High resolution X-ray observations are necessary to identify the fraction of such systems and correct such a bias for the purpose of precision cosmological studies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

PHOTOMETRIC REDSHIFTS IN THE HAWAII-HUBBLE DEEP FIELD-NORTH (H-HDF-N)

We derive photometric redshifts (z {sub phot}) for sources in the entire (∼0.4 deg{sup 2}) Hawaii-Hubble Deep Field-North (H-HDF-N) field with the EAzY code, based on point-spread-function-matched photometry of 15 broad bands from the ultraviolet (U band) to mid-infrared (IRAC 4.5 μm). Our catalog consists of a total of 131,678 sources. We evaluate the z {sub phot} quality by comparing z {sub phot} with spectroscopic redshifts (z {sub spec}) when available, and find a value of normalized median absolute deviation σ{sub NMAD} = 0.029 and an outlier fraction of 5.5% (outliers are defined as sources having |z{sub phot} – z{sub spec} |/(1 + z{sub spec} ) > 0.15) for non-X-ray sources. More specifically, we obtain σ{sub NMAD} = 0.024 with 2.7% outliers for sources brighter than R = 23 mag, σ{sub NMAD} = 0.035 with 7.4% outliers for sources fainter than R = 23 mag, σ{sub NMAD} = 0.026 with 3.9% outliers for sources having z < 1, and σ{sub NMAD} = 0.034 with 9.0% outliers for sources having z > 1. Our z {sub phot} quality shows an overall improvement over an earlier z {sub phot} work that focused only on the central H-HDF-N area. We also classify each object as a star or galaxy through template spectral energy distribution fitting and complementary morphological parameterization, resulting in 4959 stars and 126,719 galaxies. Furthermore, we match our catalog with the 2 Ms Chandra Deep Field-North main X-ray catalog. For the 462 matched non-stellar X-ray sources (281 having z {sub spec}), we improve their z {sub phot} quality by adding three additional active galactic nucleus templates, achieving σ{sub NMAD} = 0.035 and an outlier fraction of 12.5%. We make our catalog publicly available presenting both photometry and z {sub phot}, and provide guidance on how to make use of our catalog.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE NARROW X-RAY TAIL AND DOUBLE Hα TAILS OF ESO 137-002 IN A3627

We present the analysis of a deep Chandra observation of a ∼2 L{sub *} late-type galaxy, ESO 137-002, in the closest rich cluster A3627. The Chandra data reveal a long (∼>40 kpc) and narrow tail with a nearly constant width (∼3 kpc) to the southeast of the galaxy, and a leading edge ∼1.5 kpc from the galaxy center on the upstream side of the tail. The tail is most likely caused by the nearly edge-on stripping of ESO 137-002's interstellar medium (ISM) by ram pressure, compared to the nearly face-on stripping of ESO 137-001 discussed in our previous work. Spectral analysis of individual regions along the tail shows that the gas throughout it has a rather constant temperature, ∼1 keV, very close to the temperature of the tails of ESO 137-001, if the same atomic database is used. The derived gas abundance is low (∼0.2 solar with the single-kT model), an indication of the multiphase nature of the gas in the tail. The mass of the X-ray tail is only a small fraction (<5%) of the initial ISM mass of the galaxy, suggesting that the stripping is most likely at an early stage. However, with any of the single-kT, double-kT, and multi-kT models we tried, the tail is always 'over-pressured' relative to the surrounding intracluster medium (ICM), which could be due to the uncertainties in the abundance, thermal versus non-thermal X-ray emission, or magnetic support in the ICM. The Hα data from the Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research show a ∼21 kpc tail spatially coincident with the X-ray tail, as well as a secondary tail (∼12 kpc long) to the east of the main tail diverging at an angle of ∼23° and starting at a distance of ∼7.5 kpc from the nucleus. At the position of the secondary Hα tail, the X-ray emission is also enhanced at the ∼2σ level. We compare the tails of ESO 137-001 and ESO 137-002, and also compare the tails to simulations. Both the similarities and differences of the tails pose challenges to the simulations. Several implications are briefly discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A STATISTICAL STUDY OF THE SPECTRAL HARDENING OF CONTINUUM EMISSION IN SOLAR FLARES

The observed hard X-ray and {gamma}-ray continuum in solar flares is interpreted as Bremsstrahlung emission of accelerated non-thermal electrons. It has been noted for a long time that in many flares the energy spectra show hardening at energies around or above 300 keV. In this paper, we first conduct a survey of spectral hardening events that were previously studied in the literature. We then perform a systematic examination of 185 flares from the Solar Maximum Mission. We identify 23 electron-dominated events whose energy spectra show clear double power laws. A statistical study of these events shows that the spectral index below the break ({gamma}{sub 1}) anti-correlates with the break energy ({epsilon}{sub b}). Furthermore, {gamma}{sub 1} also anti-correlates with Fr, the fraction of photons above the break compared to the total photons. A hardening spectrum, as well as the correlations between ({gamma}{sub 1}, {epsilon}{sub b}) and ({gamma}{sub 1}, Fr), provide stringent constraints on the underlying electron acceleration mechanism. Our results support a recent proposal that electrons are being accelerated diffusively at a flare termination shock with a width of the order of an ion inertial length scale.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

ON THE SPECTRAL HARDENING AT {approx}>300 keV IN SOLAR FLARES

It has long been noted that the spectra of observed continuum emissions in many solar flares are consistent with double power laws with a hardening at energies {approx}>300 keV. It is now widely believed that at least in electron-dominated events, the hardening in the photon spectrum reflects an intrinsic hardening in the source electron spectrum. In this paper, we point out that a power-law spectrum of electrons with a hardening at high energies can be explained by the diffusive shock acceleration of electrons at a termination shock with a finite width. Our suggestion is based on an early analytical work by Drury et al., where the steady-state transport equation at a shock with a tanh profile was solved for a p-independent diffusion coefficient. Numerical simulations with a p-dependent diffusion coefficient show hardenings in the accelerated electron spectrum that are comparable with observations. One necessary condition for our proposed scenario to work is that high-energy electrons resonate with the inertial range of the MHD turbulence and low-energy electrons resonate with the dissipation range of the MHD turbulence at the acceleration site, and the spectrum of the dissipation range {approx}k {sup -2.7}. A {approx}k {sup -2.7} dissipation range spectrum is consistent with recent solar wind observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Monolithic integration of InGaN segments emitting in the blue, green, and red spectral range in single ordered nanocolumns

This work reports on the selective area growth by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy and characterization of InGaN/GaN nanocolumnar heterostructures. The optimization of the In/Ga and total III/V ratios, as well as the growth temperature, provides control on the emission wavelength, either in the blue, green, or red spectral range. An adequate structure tailoring and monolithic integration in a single nanocolumnar heterostructure of three InGaN portions emitting in the red-green-blue colors lead to white light emission.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

COMPOUND TWIN CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS IN THE 2012 MAY 17 GLE EVENT

We report a multiple spacecraft observation of the 2012 May 17 GLE event. Using the coronagraph observations by SOHO/LASCO, STEREO-A/COR1, and STEREO-B/COR1, we identify two eruptions resulting in two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that occurred in the same active region and close in time ({approx}2 minutes) in the 2012 May 17 GLE event. Both CMEs were fast. Complicated radio emissions, with multiple type II episodes, were observed from ground-based stations: Learmonth and BIRS, as well as the WAVES instrument on board the Wind spacecraft. High time-resolution SDO/AIA imaging data and SDO/HMI vector magnetic field data were also examined. A complicated pre-eruption magnetic field configuration, consisting of twisted flux-tube structure, is reconstructed. Solar energetic particles (SEPs) up to several hundred MeV nucleon{sup -1} were detected in this event. Although the eruption source region was near the west limb, the event led to ground-level enhancement. The existence of two fast CMEs and the observation of high-energy particles with ground-level enhancement agrees well with a recently proposed 'twin CME' scenario.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗