164 research outputs found
Absolute Calibration of the Auger Fluorescence Detectors
Absolute calibration of the Pierre Auger Observatory fluorescence detectors
uses a light source at the telescope aperture. The technique accounts for the
ombined effects of all detector components in a single measurement. The
calibrated 2.5 m diameter light source fills the aperture, providing uniform
illumination to each pixel. The known flux from the light source and the
response of the acquisition system give the required calibration for each
pixel. In the lab, light source uniformity is studied using CCD images and the
intensity is measured relative to NIST-calibrated photodiodes. Overall
uncertainties are presently 12%, and are dominated by systematics.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure. Submitted to the 29th ICRC, Pune, Indi
Multi-wavelength Calibration Procedure for the Pierre Auger Observatory Fluorescence Detectors
We present a method to measure the relative spectral response of the Pierre
Auger Observatory Fluorescence Detector. The calibration was done at
wavelengths of 320, 337, 355, 380 and 405 nm using an end-to-end technique in
which the response of all detector components are combined in a single
measurement. A xenon flasher and notch-filters were used as the light source
for the calibration device. The overall uncertainty is 5%.Comment: Submitted to Astroparticle Physics. V2: section 5.2 extended; author
list change
A Water Tank Cerenkov Detector for Very High Energy Astroparticles
Extensive airshower detection is an important issue in current astrophysics
endeavours. Surface arrays detectors are a common practice since they are easy
to handle and have a 100% duty cycle. In this work we present an experimental
study of the parameters relevant to the design of a water Cerenkov detector for
high energy airshowers. This detector is conceived as part of the surface array
of the Pierre Auger Project, which is expected to be sensitive to ultra high
energy cosmic rays. In this paper we focus our attention in the geometry of the
tank and its inner liner material, discussing pulse shapes and charge
collections.Comment: Accepted in Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A, LaTex 18 pages, 7 figure
Electricity consumption in commercial buildings during Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic had wide-ranging effects on how people lived, worked and learned. Consequently, electricity use was altered from pre-pandemic patterns. The deviation from expected electricity usage patterns in commercial properties due to the Covid-19 pandemic was analyzed in a medium-sized American city. The focus on a single community (1) allows usage to be linked specifically to the timing of public health and executive orders; and (2) provides a fine-grained, detailed understanding of usage in different property classifications (e.g. restaurants, hotels, schools, outpatient medical facilities, offices, and religious organizations). Electricity consumption data from 2019, adjusted for average daily temperature, were used to calculate expected use in 2020. Electricity usage was found to be lower than expected for most commercial property classes, but the timing and magnitude of these effects varied. For example, within the hospitality industry, hotels evidenced a larger and more sustained decrease in usage (â17%) as compared with restaurants (â11%). In addition, usage patterns for outpatient medical facilities can be linked to specific executive orders. Together, a heterogenous rate of electricity use is found to vary according to specific types of commercial properties. Practice relevance In much of the research regarding electricity usage, utility customers are placed into the broad categories of residential, commercial and industrial. These groups are viewed as homogeneous. This study examined different property classes within the commercial group during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although electricity usage was lower than expected for most commercial property classes, the timing and magnitude of these effects varied. For example, within the hospitality industry, hotels evidenced a larger and more sustained decrease in usage than did restaurants. In addition, usage patterns for outpatient medical facilities were linked to specific executive orders. Together, these data sources allowed for a detailed examination of Covid-19âs effect on electricity use for specific types of commercial properties and it revealed that their response to the pandemic varied widely. Thus, it is an oversimplification to view commercial properties as a single, homogeneous group
Measurement of the lateral distribution function of UHECR air showers with the Pierre Auger Observatory
We describe how the lateral distribution function (LDF) is measured using the large sample of events recorded with the surface detector (SD) array and with a small sample observed with the fluorescence detectors (FD). For hybrid events, in which SD and FD measurements of the same shower are available, the core position is much better constrained than for SD-onlyevents, thus providing an important cross-check on the LDF determined from SD measurements alone.
[Segmento extraĂdo de la ponencia]Facultad de Ciencias Exacta
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) incidence and prevalence in Italy
Background: Studies of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) epidemiology show regional variations of
incidence and prevalence; no epidemiological studies have been carried out in Italy. Objective: To determine incidence
and prevalence rates of IPF in the population of a large Italian region.Methods: in this cross-sectional study
study data were collected on all patients of 18 years of age and older admitted as primary or secondary idiopathic
fibrosing alveolitis (ICD9-CM 516.3) to Lazio hospitals, from 1/1/2005 to 31/12/2009, using regional hospital
discharge, population and cause of death databases. Reporting accuracy was assessed on a random sample of hospital
charts carrying the ICD9-CM 516.3, 516.8, 516.9 and 515 codes, by reviewing radiology and pathology
findings to define cases as IPF âconfidentâ, âpossibleâ or âinconsistentâ. Results: Annual prevalence and incidence
of IPF were estimated at 25.6 per 100,000 and 7.5 per 100,000 using the ICD9-CM code 516.3 without chart
audit while they were estimated at 31.6 per 100,000 and at 9,3 per 100,000 for the IPF âconfidentâ definition after
hospital chart audit. Conclusion: The data provide a first estimate of IPF incidence in Italy and indicate that incidence
and prevalence in southern European regions may be similar to those observed in northern Europe and
North America. (Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2014; 31: 191-197
- âŠ