Muon-induced neutron production and detection with GEANT4 and FLUKA

We report on a comparison study of the Monte Carlo packages GEANT4 and FLUKA for simulating neutron production by muons penetrating deep underground. GEANT4 is found to generate fewer neutrons at muon energies above ~100 GeV, by at most a factor of 2 in some materials, which we attribute mainly to lower neutron production in hadronic cascades. As a practical case study, the muon-induced neutron background expected in a 250 kg liquid-xenon WIMP dark matter detector was calculated and good agreement was found for the recoil event rates. The detailed model of neutron elastic scattering in GEANT4 was also shown to influence the nuclear recoil spectrum observed in the target, which is presently a shortcoming of FLUKA. We conclude that both packages are suited for this type of simulation, although further improvements are desirable in both cases.Comment: (23 pages, 14 figures) To appear in Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A v2: Changes to format only; v3: Corrected typo in front matter; v4: Looked up additional experimental data for comparison with simulation

Measurements of Scintillation Efficiency and Pulse-Shape for Low Energy Recoils in Liquid Xenon

Results of observations of low energy nuclear and electron recoil events in liquid xenon scintillator detectors are given. The relative scintillation efficiency for nuclear recoils is 0.22 +/- 0.01 in the recoil energy range 40 keV - 70 keV. Under the assumption of a single dominant decay component to the scintillation pulse-shape the log-normal mean parameter T0 of the maximum likelihood estimator of the decay time constant for 6 keV < Eee < 30 keV nuclear recoil events is equal to 21.0 ns +/- 0.5 ns. It is observed that for electron recoils T0 rises slowly with energy, having a value ~ 30 ns at Eee ~ 15 keV. Electron and nuclear recoil pulse-shapes are found to be well fitted by single exponential functions although some evidence is found for a double exponential form for the nuclear recoil pulse-shape.Comment: 11 pages, including 5 encapsulated postscript figure

Neutron background in large-scale xenon detectors for dark matter searches

Simulations of the neutron background for future large-scale particle dark matter detectors are presented. Neutrons were generated in rock and detector elements via spontaneous fission and (alpha,n) reactions, and by cosmic-ray muons. The simulation techniques and results are discussed in the context of the expected sensitivity of a generic liquid xenon dark matter detector. Methods of neutron background suppression are investigated. A sensitivity of $10^{-9}-10^{-10}$ pb to WIMP-nucleon interactions can be achieved by a tonne-scale detector.Comment: 35 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

A two-phase argon avalanche detector operated in a single electron counting mode

The performance of a two-phase Ar avalanche detector in a single electron counting mode was studied, with regard to potential application in coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering and dark matter search experiments. The detector comprised of a 1 cm thick liquid Ar layer and a triple-GEM multiplier operated in the saturated vapour above the liquid phase. Successful operation of the detector in single electron counting mode, in the gain range from 6000 to 40000, has for the first time been demonstrated.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to JINS

Structural, mechanical, and electrochemical properties of Ceria doped Scandia stabilized Zirconia

The properties of Ceria doped Scandia Stabilized Zirconia (1Ce10ScSZ) nano-powder produced in Ukraine (Ukr, VMMP) are compared to the properties of commercial ones produced by Daiichi Kigenso Kagaku Kogyo (DKKK, Japan) and Praxair (USA). In comparison to DKKK and Praxair, the Ukr nano-powder demonstrated the smallest size of the particles ranging from 20 to 50 nm. The bending strength of the isostatically pressed samples made of Ukr powder was 100–120 MPa similar to that of Praxair. The bending strength of DKKK was lower (50–100 MPa) depending on the isostatic pressure. The biaxial strength of uniaxially pressed samples was the highest for DKKK (375 MPa) decreasing to 250 MPa for Ukr and 220 MPa for Praxair. Among three tested samples, the highest electric conductivity measured at 700 °C was found for Ukr electrolyte.Вивчено й порівняно властивості нанопорошків двоокису цирконію, стабілізованого двоокисами церію та скандію 1Ce10ScSZ, які виготовлено в Україні на Вільногірському державному гірничо-металургійному комбінаті (ВДГМК), в Японії компанією «Daiichi Kigenso Kagaku Kogyo» (DKKK) та в США компанією «Praxair». Порівняно з порошками виробництва DKKK та «Praxair» порошок виробництва ВДГМК (позначено як «Ukr») має найменший розмір частинок в інтервалі 20-50 нм. Міцність зразків, виготовлених із порошку «Ukr» із використанням ізостатичного пресування, становить 100-120 МПа при згині та є подібною до міцності порошку виробництва «Praxair». Міцність зразків виробництва DKKK менша (50-100 МПа) й залежить від ізостатичного тиску. Міцність одновісно пресованих зразків найвища в порошку DKKK (375 МПа), у зразках «Ukr» і «Praxair» вона становить відповідно 250 МПа та 220 МПа. Із-поміж трьох досліджених серій зразків найвищу електричну провідність при 700 °С мали електроліти, виготовлені з порошку «Ukr».Были изучены и сравнены свойства нанопорошков двуокиси циркония, стабилизированного окислами церия и скандия 1Ce10ScSZ, которые произведены в Украине на Вольногорском государственном горно-металлургическом комбинате (ВГГМК), в Японии компанией «Daiichi Kigenso Kagaku Kogyo» (DKKK) и в США компанией «Praxair». В сравнении с порошками производства DKKK и «Praxair» у порошка производства ВГГМК (обозначен как «Ukr») наименьший размер частиц в интервале 20–50 нм. Прочность образцов, изготовленных из порошка «Ukr» с использованием изостатического прессования, составляет 100–120 МПа при изгибе и подобна прочности образцов из порошка производства «Praxair». Прочность образцов из порошка DKKK меньше (50–100 МПа) и зависит от давления изостатического прессования. Прочность одноосно прессованных образцов наиболее высока (375 МПа) у порошка DKKK, в образцах «Ukr» и «Praxair» она составляет соответственно 250 МПа и 220 МПа. Из трех испытанных серий образцов самая высокая электропроводность при 700 °С была у электролитов, изготовленных из порошка «Ukr»

The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector: performance study using an end-to-end simulation tool

We present results from a GEANT4-based Monte Carlo tool for end-to-end simulations of the ZEPLIN-III dark matter experiment. ZEPLIN-III is a two-phase detector which measures both the scintillation light and the ionisation charge generated in liquid xenon by interacting particles and radiation. The software models the instrument response to radioactive backgrounds and calibration sources, including the generation, ray-tracing and detection of the primary and secondary scintillations in liquid and gaseous xenon, and subsequent processing by data acquisition electronics. A flexible user interface allows easy modification of detector parameters at run time. Realistic datasets can be produced to help with data analysis, an example of which is the position reconstruction algorithm developed from simulated data. We present a range of simulation results confirming the original design sensitivity of a few times $10^{-8}$ pb to the WIMP-nucleon cross-section.Comment: Submitted to Astroparticle Physic

Evidence of Color Coherence Effects in W+jets Events from ppbar Collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV

We report the results of a study of color coherence effects in ppbar collisions based on data collected by the D0 detector during the 1994-1995 run of the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, at a center of mass energy sqrt(s) = 1.8 TeV. Initial-to-final state color interference effects are studied by examining particle distribution patterns in events with a W boson and at least one jet. The data are compared to Monte Carlo simulations with different color coherence implementations and to an analytic modified-leading-logarithm perturbative calculation based on the local parton-hadron duality hypothesis.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to Physics Letters

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp. Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio