116 research outputs found
Operation of a high purity germanium crystal in liquid argon as a Compton suppressed radiation spectrometer
A high purity germanium crystal was operated in liquid argon as a Compton
suppressed radiation spectrometer. Spectroscopic quality resolution of less
than 1% of the full-width half maximum of full energy deposition peaks was
demonstrated. The construction of the small apparatus used to obtain these
results is reported. The design concept is to use the liquid argon bath to both
cool the germanium crystal to operating temperatures and act as a scintillating
veto. The scintillation light from the liquid argon can veto cosmic-rays,
external primordial radiation, and gamma radiation that does not fully deposit
within the germanium crystal. This technique was investigated for its potential
impact on ultra-low background gamma-ray spectroscopy. This work is based on a
concept initially developed for future germanium-based neutrinoless double-beta
decay experiments.Comment: Paper presented at the SORMA XI Conference, Ann Arbor, MI, May 200
Providing an Adaptive Research Data Infrastructure for Clinical and Translational Investigators
Data in its many forms is a critical component of effective and productive research. As technology continues to evolve, and the volume and variety of sources of data continue to grow, accessing and leveraging all of this information is an ever increasing challenge. Concurrently, technology and information science is also driving novel ways to analyze, visualize, process and store this increasing amount of data. The ability to take advantage of these growth areas in order to aid the research efforts of the university is a critical need. The challenge to bring all of these various components into a unified resource for the university is a prodigious and multidimensional one. A subsection of the target data streams and sources include primary source clinical data, secondary source research data, clinical trials research data, financial data, genomic data to name a few. These sources reside in multiple SQL databases, HL7 message streams, hospital tracking systems, billing systems, surveys and others. To aid in overcoming this challenge, there is an ambitious effort underway to create a platform that will facilitate the aforementioned goals. The IT department, through the efforts of its Research Computing Services division will be embarking on this leading-edge, collaborative, and much needed data repository. The proposed design of the repository will take the form of a data aggregation layer capable of handling many disparate data feeds and sources, storing data in ways that support multiple access and analysis methods, all while providing researchers with increased tools and visibility.If our ability to manage and learn from this rapid increase of information and technologies grows, then so will our research opportunities. The effect will bring new innovations to the research community here at the university and by extension the community at large
Focal-plane detector system for the KATRIN experiment
The focal-plane detector system for the KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment consists of a multi-pixel silicon p-i-n-diode array, custom readout electronics, two superconducting solenoid magnets, an ultra high-vacuum system, a high-vacuum system, calibration and monitoring devices, a scintillating veto, and a custom data-acquisition system. It is designed to detect the low-energy electrons selected by the KATRIN main spectrometer. We describe the system and summarize its performance after its final installation
The calibration of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory using uniformly distributed radioactive sources
The production and analysis of distributed sources of 24Na and 222Rn in the
Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) are described. These unique sources provided
accurate calibrations of the response to neutrons, produced through
photodisintegration of the deuterons in the heavy water target, and to low
energy betas and gammas. The application of these sources in determining the
neutron detection efficiency and response of the 3He proportional counter
array, and the characteristics of background Cherenkov light from trace amounts
of natural radioactivity is described.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figure
The Majorana Project
Building a \BBz experiment with the ability to probe neutrino mass in the
inverted hierarchy region requires the combination of a large detector mass
sensitive to \BBz, on the order of 1-tonne, and unprecedented background
levels, on the order of or less than 1 count per year in the \BBz signal
region. The MAJORANA Collaboration proposes a design based on using high-purity
enriched Ge-76 crystals deployed in ultra-low background electroformed Cu
cryostats and using modern analysis techniques that should be capable of
reaching the required sensitivity while also being scalable to a 1-tonne size.
To demonstrate feasibility, the collaboration plans to construct a prototype
system, the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, consisting of 30 kg of 86% enriched \Ge-76
detectors and 30 kg of natural or isotope-76-depleted Ge detectors. We plan to
deploy and evaluate two different Ge detector technologies, one based on a
p-type configuration and the other on n-type.Comment: paper submitted for the 2008 Carolina International Symposium on
Neutrino Physic
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