Neutron background at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory and its contribution to the IGEX-DM dark matter experiment

A quantitative study of the neutron environment in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory has been performed. The analysis is based on a complete set of simulations and, particularly, it is focused on the IGEX-DM dark matter experiment. The simulations are compared to the IGEX-DM low energy data obtained with different shielding conditions. The results of the study allow us to conclude, with respect to the IGEX-DM background, that the main neutron population, coming from radioactivity from the surrounding rock, is practically eliminated after the implementation of a suitable neutron shielding. The remaining neutron background (muon-induced neutrons in the shielding and in the rock) is substantially below the present background level thanks to the muon veto system. In addition, the present analysis gives us a further insight on the effect of neutrons in other current and future experiments at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. The comparison of simulations with the body of data available has allowed to set the flux of neutrons from radioactivity of the Canfranc rock, (3.82 +- 0.44) x 10^{-6} cm^{-2} s^{-1}, as well as the flux of muon-induced neutrons in the rock, (1.73 +- 0.22(stat) \+- 0.69(syst)) x 10^{-9} cm^{-2} s^{-1}, or the rate of neutron production by muons in the lead shielding, (4.8 +- 0.6 (stat) +- 1.9 (syst)) x 10^{-9} cm^{-3} s^{-1}.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, elsart document class; final version to appear in Astroparticle Physic

Proceso tradicional de aderezo de aceitunas verdes de mesa. Racionalización del cocido

In order for olives of the Manzanilla variety to be produced as Spanish-style, they require a previous storage period before their alkaline treatment with NaOH. This holding time prevents the breakage and shedding of the fruit epidermis, but at the same time, causes an increase in the number of olives with surface blemishes and, consequently, loss in product quality. The objectives of this work were to investigate, at industrial scale, different alternatives to the holding period; specifically, the use of low-concentration alkaline solutions before the real alkaline treatment, and the use of alkaline solutions at low temperatures for this alkaline treatment. Basic parameters of the fermentative processes carried out in every treatment were monitored, and commercial quality of the final product was ascertained. The results indicate that both modifications are alternatives to the traditional treatment, and the products obtained applying these modifications have the same or higher quality than those obtained by the traditional process.Las aceitunas Manzanillas, para su elaboración estilo español, precisan de un periodo previo de reposo de los frutos antes del cocido o tratamiento alcalino con NaOH. Este periodo de reposo evita la rotura y desprendimiento de epidermis de los frutos pero, al mismo tiempo, provoca un aumento en el número de aceitunas con manchas superficiales y, consecuentemente, pérdida de calidad del producto. Los objetivos del presente trabajo fueron investigar, a escala industrial, alternativas al reposo previo; concretamente, la utilización de soluciones alcalinas de baja concentración antes del cocido y realizar este último con soluciones a temperatura reducida. Se analizaron los parámetros fundamentales de los procesos fermentativos obtenidos en cada caso y se determinó la calidad comercial de los productos finales. Los resultados obtenidos indican que ambas modificaciones constituyen alternativas al tratamiento tradicional con las que se obtienen productos de igual o superior calidad

Quantum site percolation on amenable graphs

We consider the quantum site percolation model on graphs with an amenable group action. It consists of a random family of Hamiltonians. Basic spectral properties of these operators are derived: non-randomness of the spectrum and its components, existence of an self-averaging integrated density of states and an associated trace-formula.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX 2e, to appear in "Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computing", Brijuni, June 23-27, 2003. by Kluwer publisher

Fixed twist dynamics of SO(3) gauge theory

We perform a throughout study of 3+1 dim. SO(3) LGT for any fixed-twist background. We concentrate in particular on the physically significant trivial and 1-twist sectors. Introducing a Z(2) monopole chemical potential the 1st order bulk transition is moved down in the strong coupling region and weakened to 2nd order in the 4-dim Ising model universality class. In this extended phase diagram we gain access to a confined phase in every fixed twist sector of the theory. The Pisa disorder operator is employed together with the Polyakov loop to study the confinement-deconfinement transition in each sector. Due to the specific properties of both operators, most results can be used to gain insight in the ergodic theory, where all twist sectors should be summed upon. An explicit mapping of each fixed twist theory to effective positive plaquette models with fixed twisted boundary conditions is applied to better establish their properties in the different phases.Comment: 20 pages, 11 Figures. Minor changes in text and figures, to appear in Eur.Phys.J.

Color confinement and dual superconductivity of the vacuum. III

It is demonstrated that monopole condensation in the confined phase of SU(2) and SU(3) gauge theories is independent of the specific Abelian projection used to define the monopoles. Hence the dual excitations which condense in the vacuum to produce confinement must have magnetic U(1) charge in all the Abelian projections. Some physical implications of this result are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 5 postscript figure

Status of IGEX dark matter search at Canfranc Underground Laboratory

One IGEX 76Ge double-beta decay detector is currently operating in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory in a search for dark matter WIMPs, through the Ge nuclear recoil produced by the WIMP elastic scattering. In this talk we report on the on-going efforts to understand and eventually reject the background at low energy. These efforts have led to the improvement of the neutron shielding and to partial reduction of the background, but still the remaining events are not totally identified. A tritium contamination or muon-induced neutrons are considered as possible sources, simulations and experimental test being still under progress. According to the success of this study we comment the prospects of the experiment as well as those of its future extension, the GEDEON dark matter experiment.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, talk given at 4th International Workshop on the Identification of Dark Matter, York, September 200

On the origin of [Ne II] emission in young stars: mid-infrared and optical observations with the Very Large Telescope

{Abridged version for ArXiv}. We provide direct constraints on the origin of the [Ne II] emission in 15 young stars using high-spatial and spectral resolution observations with VISIR at the VLT that allow us to study the kinematics of the emitting gas. In addition we compare the [Ne II] line with optical forbidden lines observed for three stars with UVES. The [Ne II] line was detected in 7 stars, among them the first confirmed detection of [Ne II] in a Herbig Be star, V892 Tau. In four cases, the large blueshifted lines indicate an origin in a jet. In two stars, the small shifts and asymmetric profiles indicate an origin in a photo-evaporative wind. CoKu Tau 1, seen close to edge-on, shows a spatially unresolved line centered at the stellar rest velocity, although cross-dispersion centroids move within 10 AU from one side of the star to the other as a function of wavelength. The line profile is symmetric with wings extending up to about +-80 km/s. The origin of the [Ne II] line could either be due to the bipolar jet or to the disk. For the stars with VLT-UVES observations, in several cases, the optical forbidden line profiles and shifts are very similar to the profile of the [Ne II] line, suggesting that the lines are emitted in the same region. A general trend observed with VISIR is a lower line flux when compared with the fluxes obtained with Spitzer. We found no correlation between the line full-width at half maximum and the line peak velocity. The [Ne II] line remains undetected in a large part of the sample, an indication that the emission detected with Spitzer in those stars is likely extended.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics; revised version: corrected minor typos, corrected center values (col 3) for CoKuTau1 in Table

Thermodynamics and Universality for Mean Field Quantum Spin Glasses

We study aspects of the thermodynamics of quantum versions of spin glasses. By means of the Lie-Trotter formula for exponential sums of operators, we adapt methods used to analyze classical spin glass models to answer analogous questions about quantum models.Comment: 17 page

Super-extended noncommutative Landau problem and conformal symmetry

A supersymmetric spin-1/2 particle in the noncommutative plane, subject to an arbitrary magnetic field, is considered, with particular attention paid to the homogeneous case. The system has three different phases, depending on the magnetic field. Due to supersymmetry, the boundary critical phase which separates the sub- and super-critical cases can be viewed as a reduction to the zero-energy eigensubspace. In the sub-critical phase the system is described by the superextension of exotic Newton-Hooke symmetry, combined with the conformal so(2,1) ~ su(1,1) symmetry; the latter is changed into so(3) ~ su(2) in the super-critical phase. In the critical phase the spin degrees of freedom are frozen and supersymmetry disappears.Comment: 12 pages, references added, published versio