1,421 research outputs found
Development of HPD Clusters for MAGIC-II
MAGIC-II is the second imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope of the MAGIC
observatory, which has recently been inaugurated on Canary island of La Palma.
We are currently developing a new camera based on clusters of hybrid photon
detectors (HPD) for the upgrade of MAGIC-II. The photon detectors feature a
GaAsP photocathode and an avalanche diode as electron bombarded anodes with
internal gain, and were supplied by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. (R9792U-40). The
HPD camera with high quantum efficiency will increase the MAGIC-II sensitivity
and lower the energy threshold. The basic performance of the HPDs has been
measured and a prototype of an HPD cluster has been developed to be mounted on
MAGIC-II. Here we report on the status of the HPD cluster and the project of
eventually using HPD clusters in the central area of the MAGIC-II camera.Comment: Contribution to the 31st ICRC, Lodz, Poland, July 200
Constraints on Resonant Particle Production during Inflation from the Matter and CMB Power Spectra
We analyze the limits on resonant particle production during inflation based
upon the power spectrum of fluctuations in matter and the cosmic microwave
background. We show that such a model is consistent with features observed in
the matter power spectrum deduced from galaxy surveys and damped Lyman-alpha
systems at high redshift. It also provides an alternative explanation for the
excess power observed in the power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background
fluctuations in the range of 1000 < l < 3500. For our best-fit models, epochs
of resonant particle creation reenter the horizon at wave numbers ~ 0.4 and/or
0.2 (h/Mpc). The amplitude and location of these features correspond to the
creation of fermion species of mass ~ 1-2 Mpl during inflation with a coupling
constant between the inflaton field and the created fermion species of near
unity. Although the evidence is marginal, if this interpretation is correct,
this could be one of the first observational hints of new physics at the Planck
scale.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, Phys. Rev. D15, in Press, Septermber 15 (2004)
Issu
Nuclear Track Detectors. Searches for Exotic Particles
We used Nuclear Track Detectors (NTD) CR39 and Makrofol for many purposes: i)
Exposures at the SPS and at lower energy accelerator heavy ion beams for
calibration purposes and for fragmentation studies. ii) Searches for GUT and
Intermediate Mass Magnetic Monopoles (IMM), nuclearites, Q-balls and
strangelets in the cosmic radiation. The MACRO experiment in the Gran Sasso
underground lab, with ~1000 m^2 of CR39 detectors (plus scintillators and
streamer tubes), established an upper limit for superheavy GUT poles at the
level of 1.4x10^-16 cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 for 4x10^-5 <beta<1. The SLIM experiment
at the high altitude Chacaltaya lab (5230 m a.s.l.), using 427 m^2 of CR39
detectors exposed for 4.22 y, gave an upper limit for IMMs of ~1.3x10^-15 cm^-2
s^-1 sr^-1. The experiments yielded interesting upper limits also on the fluxes
of the other mentioned exotic particles. iii) Environmental studies, radiation
monitoring, neutron dosimetry.Comment: Talk given at "New Trends In High-Energy Physics" (experiment,
phenomenology, theory) Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine, September 27-October 4, 200
Search for nuclearites with the SLIM detector
We discuss the properties of cosmic ray nuclearites, from the point of view
of their search with large nuclear track detector arrays exposed at different
altitudes, in particular with the SLIM experiment at the Chacaltaya high
altitude lab (5290 m a.s.l.). We present calculations concerning their
propagation in the Earth atmosphere and discuss their possible detection with
CR39 and Makrofol nuclear track detectors.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Antimatter research in Space
Two of the most compelling issues facing astrophysics and cosmology today are
to understand the nature of the dark matter that pervades the universe and to
understand the apparent absence of cosmological antimatter. For both issues,
sensitive measurements of cosmic-ray antiprotons and positrons, in a wide
energy range, are crucial. Many different mechanisms can contribute to
antiprotons and positrons production, ranging from conventional reactions up to
exotic processes like neutralino annihilation. The open problems are so
fundamental (i.e.: is the universe symmetric in matter and antimatter ?) that
experiments in this field will probably be of the greatest interest in the next
years. Here we will summarize the present situation, showing the different
hypothesis and models and the experimental measurements needed to lead to a
more established scenario.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, Invited talk at the 18th European Cosmic Ray
Symposium, Moscow, July 2002, submitted to Journal of Physics
Charge Asymmetry in the Brane World and Formation of Charged Black Holes
In theories with an infinite extra dimension, free particles localized on the
brane can leak out to the extra space. We argue that if there were color
confinement in the bulk, electrons would be more able to escape than quarks and
than protons (which are composed states). Thus, this process generates an
electric charge asymmetry on brane matter densities. A primordial charge
asymmetry during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis era is predicted. We use current
bounds on this and on electron disappearance to constrain the parameter space
of these models. Although the generated asymmetry is generically small, it
could be particularly enhanced on large densities as in astrophysical objects,
like massive stars. We suggest the possibility that such accumulation of charge
may be linked, upon supernova collapse, to the formation of a charged Black
Hole and the generation of Gamma-Ray Bursts.Comment: Four pages, one figure. Minor changes, conclusions remai
Search for Cosmic-Ray Antideuterons
We performed a search for cosmic-ray antideuterons using data collected
during four BESS balloon flights from 1997 to 2000. No candidate was found. We
derived, for the first time, an upper limit of 1.9E-4 (m^2 s sr
GeV/nucleon)^(-1) for the differential flux of cosmic-ray antideuterons, at the
95% confidence level, between 0.17 and 1.15 GeV/nucleon at the top of the
atmosphere.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Measurement of the cosmic-ray antiproton spectrum at solar minimum with a long-duration balloon flight over Antarctica
The energy spectrum of cosmic-ray antiprotons from 0.17 to 3.5 GeV has been
measured using 7886 antiprotons detected by BESS-Polar II during a
long-duration flight over Antarctica near solar minimum in December 2007 and
January 2008. This shows good consistency with secondary antiproton
calculations. Cosmologically primary antiprotons have been investigated by
comparing measured and calculated antiproton spectra. BESS-Polar II data show
no evidence of primary antiprotons from evaporation of primordial black holes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter
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