1,281 research outputs found
The 4 K outer cryostat for the CUORE experiment: construction and quality control
The external shell of the CUORE cryostat is a large cryogen-free system
designed to host the dilution refrigerator and the bolometers of the CUORE
experiment in a low radioactivity environment. The three vessels that form the
outer shell were produced and delivered to the Gran Sasso underground
Laboratories in July 2012. In this paper, we describe the production techniques
and the validation tests done at the production site in 2012.Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures; to appear in NIM
Proteasome stress sensitizes malignant pleural mesothelioma cells to bortezomib-induced apoptosis
Abstract Based on promising results in preclinical models, clinical trials have been performed to evaluate the efficacy of the first-in-class proteasome inhibitor bortezomib towards malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), an aggressive cancer arising from the mesothelium of the serous cavities following exposure to asbestos. Unexpectedly, only minimal therapeutic benefits were observed, thus implicating that MPM harbors inherent resistance mechanisms. Identifying the molecular bases of this primary resistance is crucial to develop novel pharmacologic strategies aimed at increasing the vulnerability of MPM to bortezomib. Therefore, we assessed a panel of four human MPM lines with different sensitivity to bortezomib, for functional proteasome activity and levels of free and polymerized ubiquitin. We found that highly sensitive MPM lines display lower proteasome activity than more bortezomib-resistant clones, suggesting that reduced proteasomal capacity might contribute to the intrinsic susceptibility of mesothelioma cells to proteasome inhibitors-induced apoptosis. Moreover, MPM equipped with fewer active proteasomes accumulated polyubiquitinated proteins, at the expense of free ubiquitin, a condition known as proteasome stress, which lowers the cellular apoptotic threshold and sensitizes mesothelioma cells to bortezomib-induced toxicity as shown herein. Taken together, our data suggest that an unfavorable load-versus-capacity balance represents a critical determinant of primary apoptotic sensitivity to bortezomib in MPM
The CUORE Cryostat: A 1-Ton Scale Setup for Bolometric Detectors
The cryogenic underground observatory for rare events (CUORE) is a 1-ton
scale bolometric experiment whose detector consists of an array of 988 TeO2
crystals arranged in a cylindrical compact structure of 19 towers. This will be
the largest bolometric mass ever operated. The experiment will work at a
temperature around or below 10 mK. CUORE cryostat consists of a cryogen-free
system based on pulse tubes and a custom high power dilution refrigerator,
designed to match these specifications. The cryostat has been commissioned in
2014 at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories and reached a record temperature
of 6 mK on a cubic meter scale. In this paper, we present results of CUORE
commissioning runs. Details on the thermal characteristics and cryogenic
performances of the system will be also given.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, LTD16 conference proceedin
Performance of a large TeO2 crystal as a cryogenic bolometer in searching for neutrinoless double beta decay
Bolometers are ideal devices in the search for neutrinoless Double Beta
Decay. Enlarging the mass of individual detectors would simplify the
construction of a large experiment, but would also decrease the background per
unit mass induced by alpha-emitters located close to the surfaces and
background arising from external and internal gamma's. We present the very
promising results obtained with a 2.13 kg TeO2 crystal. This bolometer, cooled
down to a temperature of 10.5 mK in a dilution refrigerator located deep
underground in the Gran Sasso National Laboratories, represents the largest
thermal detector ever operated. The detector exhibited an energy resolution
spanning a range from 3.9 keV (at 145 keV) to 7.8 keV (at the 2615 gamma-line
of 208Tl) FWHM. We discuss the decrease in the background per unit mass that
can be achieved increasing the mass of a bolometer.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
Mechanical behavior of the ATLAS B0 model coil
The ATLAS B0 model coil has been developed and constructed to verify the design parameters and the manufacture techniques of the Barrel Toroid coils (BT) that are under construction for the ATLAS Detector. Essential for successful operation is the mechanical behavior of the superconducting coil and its support structure. In the ATLAS magnet test facility, a magnetic mirror is used to reproduce in the model coil the electromagnetic forces of the BT coils when assembled in the final Barrel Toroid magnet system. The model coil is extensively equipped with mechanical instrumentation to monitor stresses and force levels as well as contraction during a cooling down and excitation up to nominal current. The installed set up of strain gauges, position sensors and capacitive force transducers is presented. Moreover the first mechanical results in terms of expected main stress, strain and deformation values are presented based on detailed mechanical analysis of the design. (7 refs)
The CUORE cryostat: an infrastructure for rare event searches at millikelvin temperatures
The CUORE experiment is the world's largest bolometric experiment. The
detector consists of an array of 988 TeO2 crystals, for a total mass of 742 kg.
CUORE is presently taking data at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso,
Italy, searching for the neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te. A large
custom cryogen-free cryostat allows reaching and maintaining a base temperature
of about 10 mK, required for the optimal operation of the detector. This
apparatus has been designed in order to achieve a low noise environment, with
minimal contribution to the radioactive background for the experiment. In this
paper, we present an overview of the CUORE cryostat, together with a
description of all its sub-systems, focusing on the solutions identified to
satisfy the stringent requirements. We briefly illustrate the various phases of
the cryostat commissioning and highlight the relevant steps and milestones
achieved each time. Finally, we describe the successful cooldown of CUORE
- …