The Observation of Up-going Charged Particles Produced by High Energy Muons in Underground Detectors

An experimental study of the production of up-going charged particles in inelastic interactions of down-going underground muons is reported, using data obtained from the MACRO detector at the Gran Sasso Laboratory. In a sample of 12.2 10^6 single muons, corresponding to a detector livetime of 1.55 y, 243 events are observed having an up-going particle associated with a down-going muon. These events are analysed to determine the range and emission angle distributions of the up-going particle, corrected for detection and reconstruction efficiency. Measurements of the muon neutrino flux by underground detectors are often based on the observation of through-going and stopping muons produced in $\nu_\mu$ interactions in the rock below the detector. Up-going particles produced by an undetected down-going muon are a potential background source in these measurements. The implications of this background for neutrino studies using MACRO are discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures. Accepted by Astrop. Physic

First 10 kg of Naked Germanium Detectors in Liquid Nitrogen installed in the GENIUS-Test-Facility

The first four naked high purity Germanium detectors were installed successfully in liquid nitrogen in the GENIUS-Test-Facility (GENIUS-TF) in the GRAN SASSO Underground Laboratory on May 5, 2003. This is the first time ever that this novel technique aiming at extreme background reduction in search for rare decays is going to be tested underground. First operational parameters are presented.Comment: 10 pages, latex2e, 8 figures, Was presented (first presentation) at 4th International Conference on Particle Physics Beyond the Standard Model BEYOND'2003, Castle Ringberg, Germany, 9-14 June, 2003, Springer, Heidelberg, Germany, 2003, edited by H.V. Klapdor-Kleingrothau

Low-Background gamma counting at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility

The next generation of low-background physics experiments will require the use of materials with unprecedented radio-purity. A gamma-counting facility at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility (KURF) has been commissioned to perform initial screening of materials for radioactivity primarily from nuclides in the 238U and 232Th decay chains, 40K and cosmic-ray induced isotopes. The facility consists of two commercial low-background high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. A continuum background reduction better than a factor of 10 was achieved by going underground. This paper describes the facility, detector systems, analysis techniques and selected assay results.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to NIM

Ultra-stable performance of an underground-based laser interferometer observatory for gravitational waves

In order to detect the rare astrophysical events that generate gravitational wave (GW) radiation, sufficient stability is required for GW antennas to allow long-term observation. In practice, seismic excitation is one of the most common disturbances effecting stable operation of suspended-mirror laser interferometers. A straightforward means to allow more stable operation is therefore to locate the antenna, the ``observatory'', at a ``quiet'' site. A laser interferometer gravitational wave antenna with a baseline length of 20m (LISM) was developed at a site 1000m underground, near Kamioka, Japan. This project was a unique demonstration of a prototype laser interferometer for gravitational wave observation located underground. The extremely stable environment is the prime motivation for going underground. In this paper, the demonstrated ultra-stable operation of the interferometer and a well-maintained antenna sensitivity are reported.Comment: 8 pages, to appear on PR

Multiple Muons From Neutrino-Initiated Multi-W(Z) Production

Current underground detectors can search for multiple muons from multi-W(Z) production initiated by ultrahigh energy neutrinos from active galactic nuclei. O($\mu$b) cross sections give rise to downward going muon bundles whose features differ from those of atmospheric muon bundles.Comment: (presented at 23rd Int. Cosmic Ray Conf., July 21-30 1993, Calgary, Canada), 5 pages (LaTeX) + 2 uuencoded PostScript figures, UCLA/93/TEP/3

Signatures of cosmic tau-neutrinos

The importance and signatures of cosmic tau--(anti)neutrinos have been studied for upward-- and downward--going $\mu^-+\mu^+$ and hadronic shower event rates relevant for present and future underground water or ice detectors, utilizing the unique and reliable ultrasmall--$x$ predictions of the dynamical (radiative) parton model. The upward--going $\mu^- +\mu^+$ event rates calculated just from cosmic $\nu_{\mu}+\bar{\nu}_{\mu}$ fluxes are sizeably enhanced by taking into account cosmic $\nu_{\tau}+ \bar{\nu}_{\tau}$ fluxes and their associated $\tau^- +\tau^+$ fluxes as well. The coupled transport equations for the upward--going $\stackrel{(-)}{\nu}_{\tau}$ flux traversing the Earth imply an enhancement of the attenuated and regenerated $\stackrel{(-)}{\nu}_{\tau}$ flux typically around $10^4-10^5$ GeV with respect to the initial cosmic flux. This enhancement turns out to be smaller than obtained so far, in particular for flatter initial cosmic fluxes behaving like $E_{\nu}^{-1}$. Downward--going $\mu^- +\mu^+$ events and in particular the background--free and unique hadronic `double bang' and `lollipop' events allow to test downward--going cosmic $\nu_{\tau} +\bar{\nu}_{\tau}$ fluxes up to about $10^9$ GeV.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures; Added reference

Exploring Justice

Head up the underground. Are you all familiar with that? The night of persecutions simulations, things they do that\u27s underground. That\u27s the young adult division of Open Doors ministry. Open Doors has been serving the persecuted church for 50 years with Brother Andrew and they just recently, I think, in 2000, started up the underground to kind of get people in our age brackets a little more aware of what\u27s going on and more involved. That\u27s my focus. What I\u27m going to talk about today is indirectly related to the persecuted church

Matter Effects in Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillations

The Kamiokande II and IMB data on contained events induced by atmospheric neutrinos exhibit too low a ratio of muons to electrons, which has been interpreted as a possible indication of neutrino oscillations. At the same time, the recent data on upward--going muons in underground detectors have shown no evidence for neutrino oscillations, strongly limiting the allowed region of oscillation parameter space. In this paper we confront different types of neutrino oscillation hypotheses with the experimental results. The matter effects in $\nu_\mu \leftrightarrow \nu_e$ and in $\nu_\mu \leftrightarrow \nu_{sterile}$ oscillations are discussed and shown to affect significantly the upward--going muons.Comment: LaTeX, 13 pages, 4 figures (appended as postscript file in the end of the paper, one should cut them and process separately), Roma n. 91

Going Underground: Merging Collaboration with Micro-Resistance

This article connects insights about the dynamics of resistance from sociology of critique with critical management research. This connection will highlight that silent and hardly visible forms of protest need more attention from social research. Taking an interview sequence as a source, aspects of analyzing micro-resistance are developed. Explanations and justifications of how to deal with management practices show a coexistence of both, resistance and collaboration. The ensuing kind of identity regulation obviously makes management systems work together with individuals who try to stay capable of action. These insights challenge established concepts of critique in social research