253 research outputs found
Digging supplementary buried channels: investigating the notch architecture within the CCD pixels on ESA's Gaia satellite
The European Space Agency (ESA) Gaia satellite has 106 CCD image sensors
which will suffer from increased charge transfer inefficiency (CTI) as a result
of radiation damage. To aid the mitigation at low signal levels, the CCD design
includes Supplementary Buried Channels (SBCs, otherwise known as `notches')
within each CCD column. We present the largest published sample of Gaia CCD SBC
Full Well Capacity (FWC) laboratory measurements and simulations based on 13
devices. We find that Gaia CCDs manufactured post-2004 have SBCs with FWCs in
the upper half of each CCD that are systematically smaller by two orders of
magnitude (<50 electrons) compared to those manufactured pre-2004 (thousands of
electrons). Gaia's faint star (13 < G < 20 mag) astrometric performance
predictions by Prod'homme et al. and Holl et al. use pre-2004 SBC FWCs as
inputs to their simulations. However, all the CCDs already integrated onto the
satellite for the 2013 launch are post-2004. SBC FWC measurements are not
available for one of our five post-2004 CCDs but the fact it meets Gaia's image
location requirements suggests it has SBC FWCs similar to pre-2004. It is too
late to measure the SBC FWCs onboard the satellite and it is not possible to
theoretically predict them. Gaia's faint star astrometric performance
predictions depend on knowledge of the onboard SBC FWCs but as these are
currently unavailable, it is not known how representative of the whole focal
plane the current predictions are. Therefore, we suggest Gaia's initial
in-orbit calibrations should include measurement of the onboard SBC FWCs. We
present a potential method to do this. Faint star astrometric performance
predictions based on onboard SBC FWCs at the start of the mission would allow
satellite operating conditions or CTI software mitigation to be further
optimised to improve the scientific return of Gaia.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 16 pages, 19 figure
Reduced quasifission competition in fusion reactions forming neutron-rich heavy elements
Measurements of mass-angle distributions (MADs) for Cr + W reactions,
providing a wide range in the neutron-to-proton ratio of the compound system,
(N/Z)CN, have allowed for the dependence of quasifission on the (N/Z)CN to be
determined in a model-independent way. Previous experimental and theoretical
studies had produced conflicting conclusions. The experimental MADs reveal an
increase in contact time and mass evolution of the quasifission fragments with
increasing (N/Z)CN, which is indicative of an increase in the fusion
probability. The experimental results are in agreement with microscopic
time-dependent Hartree-Fock calculations of the quasifission process. The
experimental and theoretical results favor the use of the most neutron-rich
projectiles and targets for the production of heavy and superheavy nuclei.Comment: Accepted to PRC as a Rapid Communicatio
Nuclear expansion and symmetry energy of hot nuclei
The decrease in the symmetry energy of hot nuclei populated in Ni +
Ni, Fe + Ni and Fe + Fe reactions at beam
energies of 30, 40, and 47 MeV/nucleon, as a function of excitation energy is
studied. It is observed that this decrease is mainly a consequence of
increasing expansion or decreasing density rather than the increasing
temperature. The results are in good agreement with the recently reported
microscopic calculation based on the Thomas-Fermi approach. An empirical
relation to study the symmetry energy of finite nuclei in various mass region
is proposed.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
Analysis of fragment yield ratios in the nuclear phase transition
The critical phenomena of the liquid-gas phase transition has been
investigated in the reactions 78,86Kr+58,64Ni at beam energy of 35 MeV/nucleon
using the Landau free energy approach with isospin asymmetry as an order
parameter. Fits to the free energy of fragments showed three minima suggesting
the system to be in the regime of a first order phase transition. The relation
m =-{\partial}F/{\partial}H, which defines the order parameter and its
conjugate field H, has been experimentally verified from the linear dependence
of the mirror nuclei yield ratio data, on the isospin asymmetry of the source.
The slope parameter, which is a measure of the distance from a critical
temperature, showed a systematic decrease with increasing excitation energy of
the source. Within the framework of the Landau free energy approach, isoscaling
provided similar results as obtained from the analysis of mirror nuclei yield
ratio data. We show that the external field is primarily related to the minimum
of the free energy, which implies a modification of the source concentration
\Delta used in isospin studies
The Nihoku Ecosystem Restoration Project: A case study in predator exclusion fencing, ecosystem restoration, and seabird translocation
Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in.Newellâs Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli; NESH) and Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis; HAPE) are both listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and are declining due to collisions with power lines and structures, light attraction, predation by feral cats, pigs, rats, and introduced Barn Owls, habitat degradation by feral ungulates (pigs, goats) and invasive exotic plants. Protection of NESH and HAPE on their nesting grounds and reduction of collision and lighting hazards are high priority recovery actions for these species. Given the challenges in protecting nesting birds in their rugged montane habitats, it has long been desirable to also create breeding colonies of both species in more accessible locations that offer a higher level of protection. Translocation of birds to breeding sites within predator exclusion fences was ranked as priority 1 in the interagency 5-year Action Plan for Newellâs Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel. In 2012, funding became available through several programs to undertake this action at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (KPNWR), which is home to one of the largest seabird colonies in the main Hawaiian Islands. The project was named the âNihoku Ecosystem Restoration Projectâ after the area on the Refuge where the placement of the future colony was planned. The Nihoku Ecosystem Restoration Project is a result of a large partnership between multiple government agencies and non-profit groups who have come together to help preserve the native species of Hawaii. There were four stages to this multi-faceted project: permitting and biological monitoring, fence construction, restoration and predator eradication, followed by translocation of the birds to the newly secured habitat. The translocation component is expected to last five years and involve up to 90 individuals each of NESH and HAPE. Prior to fence construction, baseline monitoring data were collected in order to provide a record of initial site conditions and species diversity. Surveys were conducted quarterly from 2012-2014, investigating diversity and richness of plant, invertebrate, mammalian, and avian species. A 650 m (2130 ft) long predator proof fence was completed at Nihoku in September 2014, enclosing 2.5 ha (6.2 ac), and all mammalian predators were eradicated by March 2015. From 2015-2017, approximately 40% of the fenced area (~1 ha) was cleared of non-native vegetation using heavy machinery and herbicide application. A water catchment and irrigation system was installed, and over 18,000 native plants representing 37 native species were outplanted in the restoration area. The plant species selected are low-in-stature, making burrow excavation easier for seabirds while simultaneously providing forage for Nene (Branta sandvicensis). Habitat restoration was done in phases (10-15% of the project per year) and will be continued until the majority of the area has been restored. In addition to habitat restoration, 50 artificial burrows were installed in the restoration to facilitate translocation activities. From 2012-2017 potential source colonies of NESH and HAPE were located by the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP) with visual, auditory, and ground searching methods at locations around Kauai. The sites that were selected as source colonies for both species were Upper Limahuli Preserve (owned by the National Tropical Botanical Garden; NTBG) and several sites within the Hono o Na Pali Natural Area Reserve system. These sites had high call rates, high burrow densities to provide an adequate source of chicks for the translocation, and had active predator control operations in place to offset any potential impacts of the monitoring. Translocation protocols were developed based on previous methods developed in New Zealand; on the ground training was done by the translocation team by visiting active projects in New Zealand. In year one, 10 HAPE and eight NESH were translocated, and the goal is to translocate up to 20 in subsequent years for a cohort size of 90 birds of each species over a five year period. Post-translocation monitoring has been initiated to gauge the level of success, and social attraction has been implemented in an attempt to attract adults to the area. It is anticipated that the chicks raised during this project will return to breed at Nihoku when they are 65-6 years old; for the first cohort released in 2015 this would be starting in 2020. Once this occurs, Nihoku will be the first predator-free breeding area of both species in Hawaii.This project and manuscript are part of a large collaboration that spans beyond the agencies mentioned. Many individuals were consulted for advice and input along the way. For botanical and invertebrate advice, we thank: David Burney, Lida Burney, Natalia Tangalin, Emory GriffinâNoyes, Kawika Winter, Kim Starr, Forest Starr, Sheldon Plentovich and Keren Gunderson. For assistance with translocation training and predator exclusion fence technical advice we thank Helen Gummer, John McLennan, Lindsay Wilson, and Darren Peters. For reviewing documents related to this project, and for feedback on techniques we thank the seabird hui, particularly Fern Duvall, Jay Penniman, Megan Laut, Darcy Hu and Cathleen Bailey. For their on the ground assistance at KPNWR, we thank: Shannon Smith, Chadd Smith, Warren Madeira, Rob Petersen,
Jennifer Waipa, Padraic Gallagher, Carolyn Rushforth, Kristina Macaulay, Jimmy Macaulay, and Jillian Cosgrove. We would also like to thank Chris Mottley, Kyle Pias and the entire predator control team in Hono o Na Pali NAR and Kawika Winter, Chiemi Nagle, Merlin Edmonds and the entire predator control team in Upper Limahuli Preserve. We would also like to thank the
Kauaâi Island Utility Coâoperative (KIUC) for the funding that they provide â through a Habitat Conservation Plan â to provide predator control and seabird monitoring at several of the sites used for translocation. Lastly, we would like to thank all of the endangered seabird technicians within the KauaÊ»i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project for all of their hard work in montane colonies. Mahalo
First observation of Li ground state
The ground state of neutron-rich unbound Li was observed for the first
time in a one-proton removal reaction from Be at a beam energy of 53.6
MeV/u. The Li ground state was reconstructed from Li and two
neutrons giving a resonance energy of 120 keV. All events
involving single and double neutron interactions in the Modular Neutron Array
(MoNA) were analyzed, simulated, and fitted self-consistently. The three-body
(Li+) correlations within Jacobi coordinates showed strong
dineutron characteristics. The decay energy spectrum of the intermediate
Li system (Li+) was described with an s-wave scattering length
of greater than -4 fm, which is a smaller absolute value than reported in a
previous measurement.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C as a Rapid Communicatio
Population of 13Be in a Nucleon Exchange Reaction
The neutron-unbound nucleus 13Be was populated with a nucleon-exchange
reaction from a 71 MeV/u secondary 13B beam. The decay energy spectrum was
reconstructed using invariant mass spectroscopy based on 12Be fragments in
coincidence with neutrons. The data could be described with an s-wave resonance
at E = 0.73(9) MeV with a width of Gamma = 1.98(34) MeV and a d-wave resonance
at E = 2.56(13) MeV with a width of Gamma = 2.29(73) MeV. The observed spectral
shape is consistent with previous one-proton removal reaction measurements from
14B.Comment: Published in Phys. Rev.
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