Characterisation of the fused silica surface quality with a β-source

A method to characterise the quality of a fused silica surface using a β-source is presented. Two fused silica bars (5×10×400mm3) were fabricated for the Cherenkov detector for proton Flux Measurement installed at vacuum chamber of the Super Proton Synchrotron at CERN. The resolution of such device is defined by the collection efficiency of the Cherenkov light, which is produced by relativistic charged particles in the fused silica. Thus, the surface quality of the radiator should be as good as possible to avoid light losses. The method is based on the scanning of the radiator surface with a90Sr radioactive source and measurements of the Cherenkov light rate, detected by a PMT attached to the quartz bars. The data have been compared with a Monte-Carlo simulation, providing an estimation of the radiator's probability of the total internal reflection and inefficient area at the edges of the bars

Reform Effectiveness and Unresolved Issues of the Football in the Turkish Super League

Background. Following the successful outcomes of the national team, that finished third in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and the positive club performance in the UEFA competitions at the beginning of the new millennium, Turkish football was expected to reaffirm and further develop in the following years, exploiting also the favourable economic conditions. However, its growth and evolution did not meet the expectations, and in the latest years several managerial aspects of the Turkish Football Federation have begun to be questioned, which has led the federation itself to reform football in areas such as foreign players’ quota, financial requirements and stadiums. Objectives. The main aim of this article is to identify and discuss these issues and how effective the reforms implemented by the Turkish Football Federation have been in the short run. Methods. The research is done through the application of the historical method and the use of secondary data. Results. Our results show that these reforms do not seem to have had a significant impact so far. Conclusion. While some of the reforms likely need more time for their effects to be tangible, the general impression is that Turkish football would need a different approach and more incisive policy interventions

Production, efficiency and corruption in Italian Serie A : a DEA analysis

This paper uses data from Italian Serie A football to analyse the technical efficiency of Italian football clubs , utilising a panel dataset comprising season aggregated match statistics over ten seasons from 2000/01 to 2009/10 inclusive . While there has been considerable research on production and efficiency in most of the major European football leagues , corresponding evidence relating to Serie A is limited. T his paper addresses this imbalance , e stimating a production function for the league and the relative efficiency of 36 teams , taking into consideration the impact of the Calciopoli corruption scan dal in 2006 . To achieve this , Da ta Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models ha ve been used to calculate the frontiers of efficient production. The results highlight how playing style has changed in response to the corruption scandal , emphasizing the importance of attacking play in Serie A

TV demand for the Italian Serie A: star power or competitive intensity?

This article investigates the determinants of television audience for Italian Serie A football matches between 2012/13 - 2014/15 seasons (n=1079) using the AUDIBALL dataset. Specifically, we investigate the role of competitive intensity (CI) on TV demand by adapting a measure to incorporate both home and away teams competing for different prizes. Although we find significant positive impacts for all our CI indicators, our conclusion differs from previous work as the coefficients are small. Additionally, our results indicate a significant negative impact of uncertainty-of-outcome, supporting the “David vs Goliath” effect. Finally, our results show a significant positive impact from star quality suggesting Serie A should focus on star quality rather than competitive intensity

Experimental results of crystal-assisted slow extraction at the SPS

The possibility of extracting highly energetic particles from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) by means of silicon bent crystals has been explored since the 1990's. The channelling effect of a bent crystal can be used to strongly deflect primary protons and eject them from the synchrotron. Many studies and experiments have been carried out to investigate crystal channelling effects. The extraction of 120 and 270 GeV proton beams has already been demonstrated in the SPS with dedicated experiments located in the ring. Presently in the SPS, the UA9 experiment is performing studies to evaluate the possibility to use bent silicon crystals to steer particle beams in high energy accelerators. Recent studies on the feasibility of extraction from the SPS have been made using the UA9 infrastructure with a longer-term view of using crystals to help mitigate slow extraction induced activation of the SPS. In this paper, the possibility to eject particles into the extraction channel in LSS2 using the bent crystals already installed in the SPS is presented. Details of the concept, simulations and measurements carried out with beam are presented, before the outlook for the future is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures, submitted to to International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC) 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmar

Commissioning and operation of the Cherenkov detector for proton Flux Measurement of the UA9 Experiment

The UA9 Experiment at CERN-SPS investigates channeling processes in bent silicon crystals with the aim to manipulate hadron beams. Monitoring and characterization of channeled beams in the high energy accelerators environment ideally requires in-vacuum and radiation hard detectors. For this purpose the Cherenkov detector for proton Flux Measurement (CpFM) was designed and developed. It is based on thin fused silica bars in the beam pipe vacuum which intercept charged particles and generate Cherenkov light. The first version of the CpFM is installed since 2015 in the crystal-assisted collimation setup of the UA9 experiment. In this paper the procedures to make the detector operational and fully integrated in the UA9 setup are described. The most important standard operations of the detector are presented. They have been used to commission and characterize the detector, providing moreover the measurement of the integrated channeled beam profile and several functionality tests as the determination of the crystal bending angle. The calibration has been performed with Lead (Pb) and Xenon (Xe) beams and the results are applied to the flux measurement discussed here in detail.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figure

Stadium attendance demand in the men’s UEFA Champions League: Do fans value sporting contest or match quality?

This paper is the first to empirically analyse the determinants of stadium attendance demand in the men’s UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious competition in club football. The analysis covers 1,234 matches from 2009/10 to 2018/19 across 32 nations. The results show that outcome uncertainty and competitive intensity are not significantly associated with higher attendances, but the level of team quality is, for all fans, and the presence of star players is, for fans of clubs outside the top five European leagues. The empirical analysis—based on Tobit model regressions—enables an evidence-informed discussion of the competition structure of the UCL and the highly charged debate surrounding a potential European Super League. The article also offers insights for the wider body of academic knowledge on stadium attendance demand, by adding rare analysis of an international cup competition and an improved understanding of the connection between star players and fan interest in European football

Football clubs' efficiency and COVID-19 in the Big-5 European leagues

This study aims to contribute to the recent literature on the effects of COVID on football teams’ performance, focusing on the impact of playing behind closed doors – due to the health and safety measures following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak - on offensive and defensive technical efficiency. Using a long season-level dataset for the top 5 European leagues, a novelty for efficiency studies on football, the analysis compares the ten seasons (2009-10 to 2018-19) played before the pandemic outbreak with the only season (2020-21) entirely played behind closed doors. The methodology applied to calculate the efficiency scores is the conditional order-m, whose application represents a further novel contribution to the literature on football teams’ efficiency. Our findings are consistent with the recent literature on the impact of ghost games on teams’ performance and show an erosion of the home advantage, likely due to the reduced pressure on visiting teams deriving from the lack of home crowd support

Migrant diversity and team performance in a high‐skilled labour market

From a theoretical point of view, the link between workplace diversity and performance in a high-skilled context is ambiguous. Likewise, empirical research at the firm or plant level finds inconclusive and contextspecific results. Using a detailed database that covers all matches played by Italian Serie A teams (firms) over a 10-season period, our results reveal a substantial and robust negative effect of fractionalization on performance, whereas no effect is found for polarization. This article also highlights how the negative effect of fractionalization depends on the nature of the tasks to be completed, the wealth of the teams and the level of workers’ experience. This work reveals some myopia in hiring practices and suggests that firms should make better decisions in choosing the optimal mix of workers

The impact of COVID-19 on home advantage: a conditional order-m analysis of football clubs' efficiency in the top-5 European leagues

This study aims to contribute to the recent literature on the effects of COVID on football teams’ performance, focusing on the impact of ghost games on offensive and defensive technical efficiency. Using season-level data for the top 5 European leagues, a novelty for efficiency studies on football, the analysis compares the ten seasons played before the pandemic outbreak with the only season (2020-21) almost entirely played behind closed doors. A further novel contribution is the methodology – conditional order-m – applied to calculate efficiency scores. Our results show that in the post-COVID season both offensive and defensive efficiency significantly increased for away games, whereas for home games offensive efficiency shows a very slight increase, and defensive efficiency remains basically unchanged. These findings are valid for all the five leagues and provide evidence of a generalised reduction in the home advantage