2,090 research outputs found
Design and commissioning of a timestamp-based data acquisition system for the DRAGON recoil mass separator
The DRAGON recoil mass separator at TRIUMF exists to study radiative proton
and alpha capture reactions, which are important in a variety of astrophysical
scenarios. DRAGON experiments require a data acquisition system that can be
triggered on either reaction product ( ray or heavy ion), with the
additional requirement of being able to promptly recognize coincidence events
in an online environment. To this end, we have designed and implemented a new
data acquisition system for DRAGON which consists of two independently
triggered readouts. Events from both systems are recorded with timestamps from
a MHz clock that are used to tag coincidences in the earliest possible
stage of the data analysis. Here we report on the design, implementation, and
commissioning of the new DRAGON data acquisition system, including the
hardware, trigger logic, coincidence reconstruction algorithm, and live time
considerations. We also discuss the results of an experiment commissioning the
new system, which measured the strength of the
keV resonance in the NeNa radiative proton
capture reaction.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in EPJ A "tools for
experiment and theory
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CDEV-NT: Porting the Control Device Interface to Windows NT
In recent years the rapid increase in processing power of the personal computer has made it a significant competitor to high-end workstations for accelerator control and experimental physics applications. When the decreasing price of the PC and the availability of inexpensive commercial software is also considered, NT becomes a very attractive alternative to traditional UNIX systems. In order to simplify the integration of Personal Computers into our operating environment, we have ported the Control Device (CDEV) Interface to Windows NT. By supporting CDEV on this platform, we can provide routine access to our existing control system. Additionally, CDEV allows us to create an interface from our UNIX workstations to Windows NT applications (such as databases) that are significantly less expensive on the PC. This paper details the pitfalls we encountered during the software migration and will provide a direct comparison between the performance of CDEV applications on UNIX and NT. P articular attention is paid to network performance, which represents most of the overhead of this transition
Physics development of web-based tools for use in hardware clusters doing lattice physics
Jefferson Lab and MIT are developing a set of web-based tools within the Lattice Hadron Physics Collaboration to allow lattice QCD theorists to treat the computational facilities located at the two sites as a single meta-facility. The prototype Lattice Portal provides researchers the ability to submit jobs to the cluster, browse data caches, and transfer files between cache and off-line storage. The user can view the configuration of the PBS servers and to monitor both the status of all batch queues as well as the jobs in each queue. Work is starting on expanding the present system to include job submissions at the meta-facility level (shared queue), as well as multi-site file transfers and enhanced policy-based data management capabilities
"A hard day’s night?" The effects of Compressed Working Week interventions on the health and work-life balance of shift workers: a systematic review
Objective: To systematically review studies of the effects of the Compressed Working Week on the health and work-life balance of shift workers, and to identify any differential impacts by socio-economic group. Methods: Systematic review. Following QUORUM guidelines, published or unpublished experimental and quasi-experimental studies were identified. Data were sourced from 27 electronic databases, websites, bibliographies, and expert contacts. Results: Forty observational studies were found. The majority of studies only measured self-reported outcomes and the methodological quality of the included studies was not very high. Interventions did not always improve the health of shift workers, but in the five prospective studies with a control group, there were no detrimental effects on self-reported health. However, work-life balance was generally improved. No studies reported differential impacts by socio-economic group; however, most of the studies were conducted on homogeneous populations. Conclusion: This review suggests that the Compressed Working Week can improve work-life balance, and that it may do so with a low risk of adverse health or organisational effects. However, better designed studies that measure objective health outcomes are needed
Home Energy Displays: Consumer Adoption and Response
The focus of this project was to investigate the factors influencing consumer adoption of Home Energy Displays (HEDs) and to evaluate electricity consumption in households with basic HEDs versus enhanced feedback methods - web portals or alerts. We hypothesized that providing flexible and relatable information to users, in addition to a basic HED, would make feedback more effective and achieve persistent energy savings. In Phase I, we conducted three user research studies and found preferences for aesthetically pleasing, easy to understand feedback that is accessible through multiple media and offered free of charge. The deployment of HEDs in 150 households planned for Phase II encountered major recruitment and HED field deployment problems. First, after extensive outreach campaigns to apartment complexes with 760 units, only 8% of building's tenants elected to receive a free HED in their homes as part of the field study. Second, the HED used, a leading market model, had a spectrum of problems, including gateway miscommunications, failure to post to a data-hosting third party, and display malfunctions. In light of these challenges, we are pursuing a modified study investigating the energy savings of a web portal versus alert-based energy feedback instead of a physical HED
European Service Module - Structural Test Article (E-STA) Building Block Test Approach and Model Correlation Observations
The Orion European Service Module - Structural Test Article (E-STA) underwent sine vibration testing in 2016 using the Mechanical Vibration Facility (MVF) multi-axis shaker system at NASA Glenn Research Centers (GRC) Plum Brook Station (PBS) Space Power Facility (SPF). The main objective was to verify the structural integrity of the European Service Module (ESM) under sine sweep dynamic qualification vibration testing. A secondary objective was to perform a fixed-base modal survey, while E-STA was still mounted to MVF, in order to achieve a test correlate the finite element model (FEM). To facilitate the E-STA system level correlation effort, a building block test approach was implemented. Modal tests were performed on two major subassemblies, the crew module/launch abort structure (CM/LAS) and the crew module adapter (CMA) mass simulators. These subassembly FEMs were individually correlated and then integrated into the E-STA FEM prior to the start of the E-STA sine vibration test. This paper summarizes the modal testing and model correlation efforts of both of these subassemblies and how the building block approach assisted in the overall correlation of the E-STA FEM. This paper will also cover modeling practices that should be avoided, recommended instrumentation positioning on complex structures, and the importance of the FEM geometrically matching CAD in sufficient detail in order to adequately replicate internal load paths. The goal of this paper is to inform the reader of the hard earned lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid when applying a building block test approach
A Phenomenological Analysis of Non-resonant Charm Meson Decays
We analyse the consequences of the usual assumption of a constant function to
fit non-resonant decays from experimental Dalitz plot describing charmed meson
decays. We first show, using the decay channel as
an example, how an inadequate extraction of the non-resonant contribution could
yield incorrect measurements for the resonant channels. We analyse how the
correct study of this decay will provide a test for the validity of
factorization in D meson decays. Finally, we show how form factors could be
extracted from non-resonant decays. We particularly discuss about the form
factor that can be measured from the decay. We
emphasize on its relevance for the study of the decay and the extraction of the meson width.Comment: 14 pages, Latex including 6 eps figure
Determination of the QCD color factor ratio CA/CF from the scale dependence of multiplicity in three jet events
I examine the determination of the QCD color factor ratio CA/CF from the
scale evolution of particle multiplicity in e+e- three jet events. I fit an
analytic expression for the multiplicity in three jet events to event samples
generated with QCD multihadronic event generators. I demonstrate that a one
parameter fit of CA/CF yields the expected result CA/CF=2.25 in the limit of
asymptotically large energies if energy conservation is included in the
calculation. In contrast, a two parameter fit of CA/CF and a constant offset to
the gluon jet multiplicity, proposed in a recent study, does not yield
CA/CF=2.25 in this limit. I apply the one parameter fit method to recently
published data of the DELPHI experiment at LEP and determine the effective
value of CA/CF from this technique, at the finite energy of the Z0 boson, to be
1.74+-0.03+-0.10, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is
systematic.Comment: 20 pages including 6 figures Version 2 corrects typographical error
in equation (2
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