The Double Chooz antineutrino detectors

This article describes the setup and performance of the near and far detectors in the Double Chooz experiment. The electron antineutrinos of the Chooz nuclear power plant were measured in two identically designed detectors with different average baselines of about 400 m and 1050 m from the two reactor cores. Over many years of data taking the neutrino signals were extracted from interactions in the detectors with the goal of measuring a fundamental parameter in the context of neutrino oscillation, the mixing angle θ13. The central part of the Double Chooz detectors was a main detector comprising four cylindrical volumes filled with organic liquids. From the inside towards the outside there were volumes containing gadolinium-loaded scintillator, gadolinium-free scintillator, a buffer oil and, optically separated, another liquid scintillator acting as veto system. Above this main detector an additional outer veto system using plastic scintillator strips was installed. The technologies developed in Double Chooz were inspiration for several other antineutrino detectors in the field. The detector design allowed implementation of efficient background rejection techniques including use of pulse shape information provided by the data acquisition system. The Double Chooz detectors featured remarkable stability, in particular for the detected photons, as well as high radiopurity of the detector components

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

Peer reviewe

Association of Candidate Gene Polymorphisms With Chronic Kidney Disease: Results of a Case-Control Analysis in the Nefrona Cohort

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major risk factor for end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease and premature death. Despite classical clinical risk factors for CKD and some genetic risk factors have been identified, the residual risk observed in prediction models is still high. Therefore, new risk factors need to be identified in order to better predict the risk of CKD in the population. Here, we analyzed the genetic association of 79 SNPs of proteins associated with mineral metabolism disturbances with CKD in a cohort that includes 2, 445 CKD cases and 559 controls. Genotyping was performed with matrix assisted laser desorption ionizationtime of flight mass spectrometry. We used logistic regression models considering different genetic inheritance models to assess the association of the SNPs with the prevalence of CKD, adjusting for known risk factors. Eight SNPs (rs1126616, rs35068180, rs2238135, rs1800247, rs385564, rs4236, rs2248359, and rs1564858) were associated with CKD even after adjusting by sex, age and race. A model containing five of these SNPs (rs1126616, rs35068180, rs1800247, rs4236, and rs2248359), diabetes and hypertension showed better performance than models considering only clinical risk factors, significantly increasing the area under the curve of the model without polymorphisms. Furthermore, one of the SNPs (the rs2248359) showed an interaction with hypertension, being the risk genotype affecting only hypertensive patients. We conclude that 5 SNPs related to proteins implicated in mineral metabolism disturbances (Osteopontin, osteocalcin, matrix gla protein, matrix metalloprotease 3 and 24 hydroxylase) are associated to an increased risk of suffering CKD

Plasmonic nanosensors for the label-free imaging of dynamic protein patterns

We introduce a new approach to monitor the dynamics and spatial patterns of biological molecular assemblies. Our molecular imaging method relies on plasmonic gold nanoparticles as point-like detectors and requires no labeling of the molecules. We show spatial resolution of up to 5 μm and 30 ms temporal resolution, which is comparable to wide-field fluorescence microscopy, while requiring only readily available gold nanoparticles and a dark-field optical microscope. We demonstrate the method on MinDE proteins attaching to and detaching from lipid membranes of different composition for 24 h. We foresee our new imaging method as an indispensable tool in advanced molecular biology and biophysics laboratories around the world.Depto. de Química FísicaFac. de Ciencias QuímicasTRUEpu

Cenozoic volcanism II: the Canary Islands

The authors thank C. Stillman, R. Tilling and A. Kerr for long hours dedicated to the careful revision of this chapter and for their very helpful comments.Book Description This book provides the first comprehensive account in English of the geology of mainland Spain and the Balearic and Canary Islands. It has been written by 159 research-active, mostly Spanish authors working together in teams from over 20 universities and other centres of research excellence. The 19 chapters begin with an overview of Spanish geology prepared by the editors, followed by a detailed examination of Iberian Precambrian and Palaeozoic rocks in Spain, Variscan magmatism and tectonics, and the Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary and fossil record. Subsequent chapters deal with the Alpine orogeny in the Pyrenees, Betics and other mountain ranges of Spain and the Balearic Islands, and with Cenozoic magmatism, including the classic hot spot-related volcanism of the Canary Islands. The final chapter focuses on economic and environmental geology, emphasising metallic deposits and industrial minerals, hydrocarbon energy resources, water supply, and modern seismic hazard. Finally a bibliography of around 4000 references provide a uniquely valuable information source. Encompassing subjects as diverse as the origin of Spanish granites, the palaeogeographic and tectonometamorphic history of the Iberian plate, human evolution in the SW Mediterranean, and modern volcanism and earthquake activity, The Geology of Spain is a key reference work suitable not only for libraries across the world, but of interest to all researchers, teachers and students of SW European geology.Peer reviewe

Dike-swarms, key to the reconstruction of major volcanic edifices: The basic dikes of La Gomera (Canary Islands)

The detailed study of the age and distribution of the basic dikes of La Gomera (Canary Islands) has allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of its main volcanic edifice. The dikes of the oldest unit (the Basal Complex) have a N70°–80° dominant direction at regional scale. On the other hand, the dikes of the post Basal Complex subaerial units are the result of local stress fields. The oldest swarm is composed of sills dated at 10.2–9.3 Ma. Four younger radial dike swarms have been identified (S1, S2, S3 and S4) with ages of 9.1–8.4 Ma; 8.2–6.7 Ma; 5.5–4.4 Ma and 5.3–4.0 Ma respectively. The reconstruction of the magmatic focus location using these swarms shows a migration southwards with an average speed of 1.6 mm/year. This temporal sequence of parallel swarms, sills and radial swarms is a pattern frequently repeated during the building of large insular volcanic edifices in the Canary Islands as well as in other archipelagos

The Double Chooz antineutrino detectors

Abstract This article describes the setup and performance of the near and far detectors in the Double Chooz experiment. The electron antineutrinos of the Chooz nuclear power plant were measured in two identically designed detectors with different average baselines of about 400 m and 1050 m from the two reactor cores. Over many years of data taking the neutrino signals were extracted from interactions in the detectors with the goal of measuring a fundamental parameter in the context of neutrino oscillation, the mixing angle $$\theta _{13}$$ θ 13 . The central part of the Double Chooz detectors was a main detector comprising four cylindrical volumes filled with organic liquids. From the inside towards the outside there were volumes containing gadolinium-loaded scintillator, gadolinium-free scintillator, a buffer oil and, optically separated, another liquid scintillator acting as veto system. Above this main detector an additional outer veto system using plastic scintillator strips was installed. The technologies developed in Double Chooz were inspiration for several other antineutrino detectors in the field. The detector design allowed implementation of efficient background rejection techniques including use of pulse shape information provided by the data acquisition system. The Double Chooz detectors featured remarkable stability, in particular for the detected photons, as well as high radiopurity of the detector components