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Hajenius M, Yang ZQ, Gao JR, Baselmans JJA, Klapwijk TM, Voronov B, et al. Optimized sensitivity of NbN hot electron bolometer mixers by annealing. IEEE Trans Appl Supercond. 2007;17(2):399–402.
Abstract: We report that the heterodyne sensitivity of superconducting hot-electron bolometers (HEBs) increases by 25-30% after annealing at 85degC in high vacuum. The devices studied are twin-slot antenna coupled mixers with a small area NbN bridge of 1 mum times 0.15 mum, above which there is a SiO 2 passivation layer. The mixer noise temperature, gain, and resistance versus temperature curve of a HEB before and after annealing are compared and analysed. We show that the annealing reduces the intrinsic noise of the mixer by 37% and makes the superconducting transition of the bridge and the contacts sharper. We argue that the reduction ofthe noise is mainly due to the improvement of the transparency of the contact/film interface. The lowest receiver noise temperature of 700 K is measured at a local oscillator frequency of 1.63 THz and at a bath temperature of 4.2 K.
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Hans Ekstrom, Karasik BS, Kollberg EL, Sigfrid Yngvesson. Conversion gain and noise of niobium superconducting hot–electron–mixers. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.. 1995;43(4):938–47.
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Hartogh P, Crovisier J, de Val-Borro M, Bockelée-Morvan D, Biver N, Lis DC, et al. HIFI observations of water in the atmosphere of comet C/2008 Q3 (Garradd). Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;518:L150 (1 to 5).
Abstract: High-resolution far-infrared and sub-millimetre spectroscopy of water lines is an important tool to understand the physical and chemical properties of cometary atmospheres. We present observations of several rotational ortho- and para-water transitions in comet C/2008 Q3 (Garradd) performed with HIFI on Herschel. These observations have provided the first detection of the 212–101 (1669 GHz) ortho and 111–000 (1113 GHz) para transitions of water in a cometary spectrum. In addition, the ground-state transition 110–101 at 557 GHz is detected and mapped. By detecting several water lines quasi-simultaneously and mapping their emission we can constrain the excitation parameters in the coma. Synthetic line profiles are computed using excitation models which include excitation by collisions, solar infrared radiation, and radiation trapping. We obtain the gas kinetic temperature, constrain the electron density profile, and estimate the coma expansion velocity by analyzing the map and line shapes. We derive water production rates of 1.7–2.8 × 1028 s-1 over the range rh = 1.83–1.85 AU.
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Hartogh P, Jarchow C, Lellouch E, de Val-Borro M, Rengel M, Moreno R, et al. Herschel/HIFI observations of Mars: First detection of O2 at submillimetre wavelengths and upper limits on HCl and H2O2. Astron. Astrophys.. 2010;521:L49.
Abstract: We report on an initial analysis of Herschel/HIFI observations of hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and molecular oxygen (O2) in the Martian atmosphere performed on 13 and 16 April 2010 (Ls ~ 77°). We derived a constant volume mixing ratio of 1400 ± 120 ppm for O2 and determined upper limits of 200 ppt for HCl and 2 ppb for H2O2. Radiative transfer model calculations indicate that the vertical profile of O2 may not be constant. Photochemical models determine the lowest values of H2O2 to be around Ls ~ 75° but overestimate the volume mixing ratio compared to our measurements.
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Huard B, Pothier H, Esteve D, Nagaev KE. Electron heating in metallic resistors at sub-Kelvin temperature. Phys Rev B. 2007;76:165426(1–9).
Abstract: In the presence of Joule heating, the electronic temperature in a metallic resistor placed at sub-Kelvin temperatures can significantly exceed the phonon temperature. Electron cooling proceeds mainly through two processes: electronic diffusion to and from the connecting wires and electron-phonon coupling. The goal of this paper is to present a general solution of the problem in a form that can easily be used in practical situations. As an application, we compute two quantities that depend on the electronic temperature profile: the second and the third cumulant of the current noise at zero frequency, as a function of the voltage across the resistor. We also consider time-dependent heating, an issue relevant for experiments in which current pulses are used, for instance, in time-resolved calorimetry experiments.
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