Nanoscale spinning magnetic droplets created

Mar. 14, 2013 ? Researchers have successfully created a magnetic soliton -- a nano-sized, spinning droplet that was first theorized 35 years ago. These solitons have implications for the creation of magnetic, spin-based computers.

Solitons are waves, localized in space, that preserve their size and momentum. They were first observed in water. Solitons composed of light have proved useful for long distance, high speed information transmission. But droplet solitons had never been observed in a magnetic environment, although scientists believed they could exist there.

North Carolina State University mathematician Mark Hoefer had created a mathematical model of what such a soliton might look like. When physicist Johan ?kerman and graduate student Majid Mohseni from Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and the University of Gothenburg got experimental data that seemed to correspond with Hoefer's model, they decided to try and confirm the existence of a magnetic droplet soliton.

The physicists used a nanoscale wire to deliver a small amount of DC current to a magnet. All electrons possess angular momentum in the form of spin. Picture a spinning top. Angular momentum is what keeps that top upright, or pointed in a particular direction. Each electron within the magnet is like a spinning top, and in magnets, all of the electrons' spins are aligned in roughly the same way. Putting DC current into that group of electrons injects energy into the magnetic system, changing the spin of the local electrons in that immediate area. The spins of the electrons then precess, or "lean" like a top does when it is no longer upright, which causes a tiny spinning magnetic droplet, or soliton, to form.

The scientists were able to detect the soliton's presence by measuring the frequency of the precession. They observed the soliton's unique signature -- a pronounced drop in frequency coupled with a large jump in power output -- and knew they had been successful.

"These solitons are called 'dissipative,' because magnets want to dissipate energy from precession," Hoefer says. "They maintain their stability by balancing the amount of energy coming into the system via the DC current with the amount going out, and by balancing the nonlinearity, or amplitude, with dispersion, or a tendency to spread out."

In addition to demonstrating the existence of these solitons, the researchers also noted some other interesting properties of the solitons, including oscillatory motion and a periodic deformation they referred to as "breathing."

The researchers' findings appear in Science.

"Solitons are excellent transmitters of information, so finding them in a magnetic system could have all sorts of implications for spin-based computing, from new ways to process information to higher density hard drives," Hoefer says.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by North Carolina State University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. S. M. Mohseni, S. R. Sani, J. Persson, T. N. A. Nguyen, S. Chung, Y. Pogoryelov, P. K. Muduli, E. Iacocca, A. Eklund, R. K. Dumas, S. Bonetti, A. Deac, M. A. Hoefer, J. Akerman. Spin Torque-Generated Magnetic Droplet Solitons. Science, 2013; 339 (6125): 1295 DOI: 10.1126/science.1230155

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/2nI-7Buoa88/130314144350.htm

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Miller Musings: Welcome to Toddler Town

Since Henry's birthday it seems like we've all the sudden made the full switch from baby to toddler. ?It's not just the walking thing, though that's a big part of it! ?He looks different, and acts different, and we're having to adjust to toddler mode.

Some signs you may be living in toddler town as well:

-All your canned goods have dents in them because the pantry cabinet will keep a toddler occupied much longer than any toy.

-You carry raisins in your purse at all times, and you don't even eat raisins.

-Your cabinets are suddenly full?of brightly colored, plastic sippy cups and bowls with suction cups on the bottom,?when they were formerly just full of clear, (highly breakable), glass.

-Diaper changes have become a battle of wills and you come away from every one thinking you really need to reinstate your gym membership. ?How can someone so small be so freakishly strong anyway?!

-It's no longer safe to keep toilet paper on the actual roll in your house.

-You have more than 20 board books completely memorized and can recite them on demand.

-You realize that song that's been stuck in your head all day, and you've been humming all over town, is the counting song the rocking horse sings when you press the red triangle button.

-You find the tv remote, the phone, a graphing calculator, and a whisk inside a toy drum. ?Or a tractor push toy... ?Or anywhere else you least suspect them, the location also changes twice a week.

-Mega Blocks are EVERYWHERE even though you swear they were all picked up and put away the night before.

-You can't say the name of an animal without also saying what sound it makes. ?Ex. ?"Look a cow! MOOO! ?Do you see the cow? MOOOO!"

Yes, this picture is blurry. ?They're all blurry these days. ?

-You let your child play with all kinds of non-toy objects, anything that will get them to sit still for longer than 25 seconds. ?Henry's favorite this week is an old phone book.

-You forget there are child locks on the cabinets until someone comes over and can't get them open. ?Undoing the child lock is now second nature to you.

-Nothing breakable or important is within four inches of the edge of your counter tops or furniture. ?You know that things that live close to the edge tend to disappear.

-You come to the realization that you spent years completely taking for granted the opportunity to use the bathroom alone. ?It all the sudden seems serene to be able to pee without a toddler busting in the room.

-You're completely exhausted at the end of the day and cannot imagine why... ?the house is trashed, you had take out for dinner, (again), but you managed to keep another person alive and fed another day! ?SUCESS!

That's just life in our house lately! ?Fellow toddler mommas, is there anything else we need to add to the list? ;)

To be quite honest, I'm pretty excited to be transitioning out of the baby stage and in to the toddler stage. ?I know there are lots?of challenges in raising a toddler, but I've worked with toddlers in Mother's Day Out, and childcare, and VBS, and preschools for over 10 years. ?I love toddlers! ?I'm excited that Henry's moving in to the age where he can run around outside and do art projects! ?We're not quite there yet, we're still working on walking outside, (outside is tricky with all it's uneven surfaces and textures!), and H still prefers to eat crayons, but we'll get there soon!

Jennifer

P.S. ?Do you remember the hippo cupcake toppers I ordered for Henry's birthday party, that somehow got sent to our old address by mistake? ?They finally arrived yesterday, and they're so adorable!

I really wish we would have gotten them in time for the party, and now I'm not sure what to do with them! ?Looks like we'll be having some friends over for dinner and hippo cupcakes one random weeknight soon. ha!

Source: http://www.millermusingsblog.com/2013/03/welcome-to-toddler-town.html

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Democrats wary of Japan entering trade talks

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Concerned that Japan's possible participation in ongoing trade talks among Pacific nations threatens the U.S. auto industry, Congressional Democrats raised their worries in a letter to President Barack Obama on Thursday.

At least four dozen House and Senate Democrats said Japan has a long history of erecting barriers against U.S. auto imports and resisting U.S. efforts to create a more level playing field, and that is unlikely to change if Japan joins the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, negotiations aimed at establishing free trade principles.

Instead, they wrote, Japanese auto exports to the United States could increase if the United States eliminates its current 2.5 percent car tariffs and 25 percent truck tariffs.

"These longstanding economically harmful practices are not susceptible to cursory negotiations at this stage, three years into the U.S. involvement in the TPP negotiations and close to the administration's target date" for concluding the TPP talks, they wrote.

The administration has said it hopes to wrap up the negotiations by the end of this year. Last month, during a visit to Washington, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a joint statement with Obama saying they would continue talks on Japan's "possible interest" in joining the TPP talks.

Among those signing the letter was Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, champion of the auto industry and top Democrat on the Ways and Means Committee, which oversees trade issues.

In the letter, the Democrats wrote that Japan now exports 120 automobiles to the United States for every U.S. auto exported to Japan. They also wrote that the two countries will remain close and important allies but "a flawed, one-way trade agreement that benefits Japan at the expense of the United States businesses and workers will not help strengthen this vital relationship."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/democrats-wary-japan-entering-trade-talks-194655284--politics.html

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Survey Mama: Trying to Survive: How To Avoid Online Paid Surveys ...

Don?t be fooled by hype that ?offers? big rewards for investments or
money. With impressive Testimonials, Documented Proof that paid survey
scams can counterfeit just any document and make it look authentic. Do
not believe that Paid survey sites possibly guarantee you anything, and
even refund your fees if you?re not satisfied. Good luck, I say, to
collecting your refund from online paid survey scams.

Don?t let the hype alone sell you but read the ?fine print? and ask questions if you don?t understand. Paid survey sites not only contradict but try to cover themselves legally. Check before submitting personal information to this paid surveys site that you are unclear. Some survey sites only list email or PO Box addresses, is careful as they maybe fly-by-night, paid survey scams.

Don?t do business if paid survey sites were registered by proxy and ?whois? lookup will reveal that. Some sites hide their contact information behind proxy services, because they?re running paid survey scams. Same owners have multiple sites to make their ?industry? appear to be more legit, dupe you into buying the same list of paid surveys more than once.

Just because there are no complaints, it doesn?t mean that paid survey site conducting business are 100% satisfied. It means that no one has yet complained to the BBB about those specific sites. More browse scam forums, like http://Scam.com and http://RipOffReport.com, if think you?ve been duped by online paid survey scams.

Don?t be fool by some ropers and shills pretending to ?rescue? those who?ve been duped by paid survey scams. Some don?t tell if they profit from recommending the ?wonderful opportunities?. Scam-forum moderators remove such messages, but, natch, remains posted until the moderators screen them.

Some claim to have screen out paid survey scams, or link to fee-based middleman sites or display ads for same, as they?re probably trying to earn commissions and referral fees by duping you. Natch, the sites that pay them the most, receive the highest ratings. While others, go as far as to display phony award logos and hokey rating stars.

To avoid scams, seek the consumer advice from the FTC and BBB. Be careful, you are specifically warned about the quick and easy-money schemes like work-at-home and Internet business-opportunity scams, by online paid surveys.

Once there are enough complaints, by consumers, it won?t be long before the FTC or BBB or USA government?s Internet Fraud Complaint Center issue specific warnings. Already the Web, local BBB offices have been flooded by complaints against paid surveys.

Aid Surveys offers only general information and opinion. It is not legal advice. Please see an attorney for legal advice and you do so at your sole risk.

Source: http://surveymama.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-to-avoid-online-paid-surveys-scams.html

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Police say missing Hollywood executive was likely murdered

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Detectives have uncovered evidence that a Hollywood studio executive who mysteriously vanished 10 months ago was murdered, even though they have yet to find his body, law enforcement officials said on Thursday.

Gavin Smith, a 57-year-old film distribution executive for 20th Century Fox, was last seen on the night of May 1, 2012, driving in his black Mercedes Benz away from a friend's house in Oak Park, northwest of Los Angeles.

Authorities issued a missing person bulletin for Smith, also known for playing on UCLA's 1975 national championship basketball team under legendary coach John Wooden, and asked for the public's help in finding him.

But the discovery of Smith's car in a storage facility in February led to a break in the case, Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

"This is a significant change in this case," Whitmore said. "The fact that they found the car, the condition of the car. Preliminarily, they believe Gavin Smith was murdered. The evidence is pretty sound."

Whitmore said detectives had also established what they believe was the motive for Smith's slaying, but he declined to discuss it further.

"They pretty much know what's going on," he said.

Police following a tip recovered the car in Simi Valley, about 20 miles by freeway from the unidentified friend's home in Oak Park. Smith's body has not been recovered.

The facility where the car was found was linked to a man currently being held at a Los Angeles County jail on an unrelated narcotics conviction, the sheriff's department said.

Whitmore said that man, John Creech, was considered a "person of interest" in the case, but has not been arrested or charged in Smith's disappearance.

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE

It was not immediately clear if Smith and Creech were acquainted, but the missing man had met Creech's wife, Chandrika Creech, in rehab in 2009, Whitmore said.

"They had a relationship, but I'm not going to characterize what kind of relationship," he said.

Whitmore said detectives had spoken to Chandrika Creech and had served 25 to 30 search warrants in the sensational case. He said detectives had searched Creech's home and car, but declined to say if anything was taken as evidence.

An attorney for the Creeches could not be reached for comment on Thursday afternoon.

The sheriff's department said investigators were seeking public assistance in identifying anyone who may have helped move the Mercedes from an upscale Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles to the storage facility about a week after Smith went missing.

The sheriff's department did not say how they believe the Mercedes came to be in Porter Ranch - about 40 minutes by car from Oak Park, where Smith was last seen, and 20 minutes from Simi Valley, where it was ultimately found.

"We believe other people were involved in the aftermath of moving the car and moving the body," Lieutenant Dave Dolson told reporters.

When Smith drove away from his friend's home, wearing purple athletic pants belonging to one of his sons, he left behind his cellphone charger, shaving kit and other personal items, authorities say.

His disappearance made national headlines and prompted the film studio to issue a statement expressing concern.

Smith's family posted a $20,000 reward for information and pleaded with the public to help, saying the 6-foot, 6-inch former athlete with "movie star" looks should be easy to spot.

His son Evan Smith, a forward for the University of Southern California basketball team, took to Twitter to get the word out, tweeting messages such as "I will not stop until I find my father."

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and David Brunnstrom)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-missing-hollywood-executive-likely-murdered-011629179--nba.html

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Target buys two e-commerce chains to boost culinary business

(Reuters) - Discount chain Target Corp has agreed to buy Chefs Catalog and Cooking.com to boost its ability to sell cooking products and kitchenware online.

The company did not disclose the financial terms of the two separate deals, which are expected to close within 30 days.

Target does not expect the deals to affect its results this year in any meaningful way.

Chefs Catalog, backed by San Francisco-based private equity firm JH Partners, sells everything from utensils to kitchen tools directly to customers. The Colorado Springs-based company runs the www.chefscatalog.com website.

Cooking.com sells more than 30,000 kitchen products as well as recipes, cookbooks and member-submitted cooking content. The e-commerce company is based in Marina del Rey, California.

(Reporting By Dhanya Skariachan; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/target-buys-two-e-commerce-chains-boost-culinary-164423847--sector.html

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Five Things You Didn't Know About Magicians

By Tara Fowler The "Incredible Burt Wonderstone" conjures itself into theaters this Friday. Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi star as two Vegas magicians who must team up to take on a new breed of illusionist: a street performer played by Jim Carrey. In honor of this new feature (which will find itself dueling a wizard [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/03/14/five-things-you-didnt-know-about-magicians/

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