The Texas Two-Step: The Criminalization of Truancy under the Texas Failure to Attend Statute (Comment)

The aim of this Comment is to create a legislative paradigm shift by viewing status offenders, particularly habitual truants, as "children who committed no crime but who need a helping hand in getting back on track."" We must ensure the Texas juvenile justice system is fair, humane, and effective. This comment offers two distinct approaches to the problem-decriminalization and intervention

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports: Effects of Check In-Check Out

This case study focuses on how a Tier II positive behavior intervention support impacts middle school students that require an additional behavior management intervention to support success accessing Tier I instruction in the general education classroom. The support studied for this case was the Check In/Check Out (CICO) intervention as implemented to a group of five boys

Search for Neutron Flux Generation in a Plasma Discharge Electrolytic Cell

Following some recent unexpected hints of neutron production in setups like high-voltage atmospheric discharges and plasma discharges in electrolytic cells, we present a measurement of the neutron flux in a configuration similar to the latter. We use two different types of neutron detectors, poly-allyl-diglicol-carbonate (PADC, aka CR-39) tracers and Indium disks. At 95% C.L. we provide an upper limit of 1.5 neutrons cm^-2 s^-1 for the thermal neutron flux at ~5 cm from the center of the cell. Allowing for a higher energy neutron component the largest allowed flux is 64 neutrons cm^-2 s^-1. This upper limit is two orders of magnitude smaller than what previously claimed in an electrolytic cell plasma discharge experiment. Furthermore the behavior of the CR-39 is discussed to point our possible sources of spurious signals.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Intrinsic Dimension of Path Integrals: Data-Mining Quantum Criticality and Emergent Simplicity

Quantum many-body systems are characterized by patterns of correlations defining highly nontrivial manifolds when interpreted as data structures. Physical properties of phases and phase transitions are typically retrieved via correlation functions, that are related to observable response functions. Recent experiments have demonstrated capabilities to fully characterize quantum many-body systems via wave-function snapshots, opening new possibilities to analyze quantum phenomena. Here, we introduce a method to data mine the correlation structure of quantum partition functions via their path integral (or equivalently, stochastic series expansion) manifold. We characterize path-integral manifolds generated via state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo methods utilizing the intrinsic dimension (ID) and the variance of distances between nearest-neighbor (NN) configurations: the former is related to data-set complexity, while the latter is able to diagnose connectivity features of points in configuration space. We show how these properties feature universal patterns in the vicinity of quantum criticality, that reveal how data structures simplify systematically at quantum phase transitions. This is further reflected by the fact that both ID and variance of NN distances exhibit universal scaling behavior in the vicinity of second-order and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless critical points. Finally, we show how non-Abelian symmetries dramatically influence quantum data sets, due to the nature of (noncommuting) conserved charges in the quantum case. Complementary to neural-network representations, our approach represents a first elementary step towards a systematic characterization of path-integral manifolds before any dimensional reduction is taken, that is informative about universal behavior and complexity, and can find immediate application to both experiments and Monte Carlo simulations

Comparing active and passive Bonner Sphere Spectrometers in the 2.5 MeV quasi mono-energetic neutron field of the ENEA Frascati Neutron Generator (FNG)

Bonner Sphere Spectrometer (BSS) equipped with passive detectors are used to replace active BSS in radiation environment characterized by high fluence rate, large photon background and pulsed time structure as those encountered near particle accelerators. In this work a newly developed passive Bonner Sphere Spectrometer, using Dysprosium activation foils as central detectors (Dy-BSS), was tested through comparison with a well-established active BSS. As a suitable neutron field, where both systems can correctly operate, the 2.5 MeV quasi mono-energetic beam of the ENEA Frascati Neutron Generator (FNG) was chosen. The two spectrometers are based on substantially different operation principles, therefore their response matrix are very different. In addition, the BSS are independently calibrated in different reference neutron fields. The exercise took place at 90 � and at a fixed distance from the neutron emitting deuterated target. As reference data, the results obtained by unfolding the active BSS data were used. The FRUIT unfolding code, ver. 5 was used. The results of the Dy-BSS are fully comparable with those of the active BSS, in terms of both total fluence and shape of the neutron spectra. For the energy range studied in this exercise, the expected level of accuracy of the Dy-BSS and its suitability for operational neutron monitoring are fully confirmed

Trapping and detrapping effects in high-quality chemical-vapor-deposition diamond films: Pulse shape analysis of diamond particle detectors

An analysis of the time evolution of the response of diamond particle detectors is carried out, using as a probe 5.5 MeV α particles impinging on high-quality diamond films grown by microwave chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Both the amplitude and the time evolution of the pulses are shown to change drastically when the detector is preirradiated with β particles (pumping), a slow component developing after pumping, indicating carriers trapping and releasing (detrapping). Pulse shapes obtained for positive and negative detector polarities are compared in both the as-grown and pumped states. The presence of at least two trapping centers for holes is necessary to explain the results, the shallower having an activation energy of about 0.3 eV. The effects of pumping are clarified, and the different role played by electrons and holes is evidenced. We modify a previous model for trapping-detrapping behavior originally applied to Si(Li) detectors to describe the more complex behavior of CVD diamond detectors, and develop a computer simulation based on it. The simulated pulse shapes agree very well with experiment with reasonable values of the physical parameters involved, making this technique helpful for studying and identifying defects which are responsible for limitation of the efficiency of CVD diamond particle detectors. Field-assisted detrapping seems to take place for fields of about 104 V/cm

Systematic study of the normal and pumped state of high efficiency diamond particle detectors grown by chemical vapor deposition

The efficiency and charge collection distance (CCD) of nuclear particle detectors based on high quality diamond films grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) have been systematically studied as a function of the methane content in the growth gas mixture and for varying film thickness. The effects of preirradiation with β particles (pumping) have been thoroughly studied. The results fully support a recently proposed model [Marinelli et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 3216 (1999)] discussing the role of in-grain defects and grain boundaries in determining the charge collection spectra of CVD diamond films both in the normal and in the pumped state. The model allows us to quantitatively explain the dependence of CCD and efficiency on film thickness, giving a microscopic picture of the effects of preirradiation with ionizing radiation in CVD diamond films. The highest average CCD obtained is 145 μm in a 160 μm thick detector (corresponding to about 50% average efficiency), while the maximum value (about 70% efficiency) is close to 370 μm. In addition, CCD is shown to be higher than film thickness and to monotonically increase with thickness, indicating margins for further improvements. © 2001 American Institute of Physics

Silicon Photo-Multiplier radiation hardness tests with a beam controlled neutron source

We report radiation hardness tests performed at the Frascati Neutron Generator on silicon Photo-Multipliers, semiconductor photon detectors built from a square matrix of avalanche photo-diodes on a silicon substrate. Several samples from different manufacturers have been irradiated integrating up to 7x10^10 1-MeV-equivalent neutrons per cm^2. Detector performances have been recorded during the neutron irradiation and a gradual deterioration of their properties was found to happen already after an integrated fluence of the order of 10^8 1-MeV-equivalent neutrons per cm^2.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, Submitted to Nucl. Inst. Meth.