543 research outputs found
Low power, compact charge coupled device signal processing system
A variety of charged coupled devices (CCDs) for performing programmable correlation for preprocessing environmental sensor data preparatory to its transmission to the ground were developed. A total of two separate ICs were developed and a third was evaluated. The first IC was a CCD chirp z transform IC capable of performing a 32 point DFT at frequencies to 1 MHz. All on chip circuitry operated as designed with the exception of the limited dynamic range caused by a fixed pattern noise due to interactions between the digital and analog circuits. The second IC developed was a 64 stage CCD analog/analog correlator for performing time domain correlation. Multiplier errors were found to be less than 1 percent at designed signal levels and less than 0.3 percent at the measured smaller levels. A prototype IC for performing time domain correlation was also evaluated
The promotion of local wellbeing: A primer for policymakers
There is growing interest among policymakers in the promotion of wellbeing as an
objective of public policy. In particular, local authorities have been given powers to
undertake action to promote wellbeing in their area. Recent advances in the academic
literature on wellbeing are giving rise to an increasingly detailed picture of the factors
that determine people’s subjective wellbeing (how they think and feel about their lives).
However, the concept of subjective wellbeing is poorly understood within local
government and much of the evidence base is extremely recent. I therefore review the
literature on the definition, measurement, and determinants of wellbeing, and discuss
some of its implications for local public policy
Experiment Simulation Configurations Used in DUNE CDR
The LBNF/DUNE CDR describes the proposed physics program and experimental
design at the conceptual design phase. Volume 2, entitled The Physics Program
for DUNE at LBNF, outlines the scientific objectives and describes the physics
studies that the DUNE collaboration will perform to address these objectives.
The long-baseline physics sensitivity calculations presented in the DUNE CDR
rely upon simulation of the neutrino beam line, simulation of neutrino
interactions in the far detector, and a parameterized analysis of detector
performance and systematic uncertainty. The purpose of this posting is to
provide the results of these simulations to the community to facilitate
phenomenological studies of long-baseline oscillation at LBNF/DUNE.
Additionally, this posting includes GDML of the DUNE single-phase far detector
for use in simulations. DUNE welcomes those interested in performing this work
as members of the collaboration, but also recognizes the benefit of making
these configurations readily available to the wider community.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, configurations in ancillary file
The Impact of Immersive Outdoor Activities in Local Woodlands on Young Carers Emotional Literacy and Well-Being
Children’s well-being is linked to a complex web of factors including the child’s personality, inherent protective mechanisms, family relationships, social capital, and economic status. Young carers are particularly at risk from poor mental health outcomes and low well-being. In this study the impact of immersive activities in nature on the well-being of 8 young carers (3 girls and 5 boys; aged 9–13 years) was explored. The immersive woodland activities included practical skills such as fire making, cooking, and using tools as well as team building and activities to help build trust. A mixed method, pre-test/post-test approach was undertaken using Emotional Literacy Checklists and interviews, poems and discussion. There were measurable improvements—specifically in motivation and self-awareness—in the young carers’ emotional literacy as reported by the parents and teachers. The well-being indicators that were referenced most frequently by parents and teachers related to the children’s social relationships and their development as individuals. The children reported changes related to social, physical, and “natural connection” well-being
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The Pandora multi-algorithm approach to automated pattern recognition of cosmic-ray muon and neutrino events in the MicroBooNE detector.
The development and operation of liquid-argon time-projection chambers for neutrino physics has created a need for new approaches to pattern recognition in order to fully exploit the imaging capabilities offered by this technology. Whereas the human brain can excel at identifying features in the recorded events, it is a significant challenge to develop an automated, algorithmic solution. The Pandora Software Development Kit provides functionality to aid the design and implementation of pattern-recognition algorithms. It promotes the use of a multi-algorithm approach to pattern recognition, in which individual algorithms each address a specific task in a particular topology. Many tens of algorithms then carefully build up a picture of the event and, together, provide a robust automated pattern-recognition solution. This paper describes details of the chain of over one hundred Pandora algorithms and tools used to reconstruct cosmic-ray muon and neutrino events in the MicroBooNE detector. Metrics that assess the current pattern-recognition performance are presented for simulated MicroBooNE events, using a selection of final-state event topologies
Convolutional Neural Networks Applied to Neutrino Events in a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber
We present several studies of convolutional neural networks applied to data
coming from the MicroBooNE detector, a liquid argon time projection chamber
(LArTPC). The algorithms studied include the classification of single particle
images, the localization of single particle and neutrino interactions in an
image, and the detection of a simulated neutrino event overlaid with cosmic ray
backgrounds taken from real detector data. These studies demonstrate the
potential of convolutional neural networks for particle identification or event
detection on simulated neutrino interactions. We also address technical issues
that arise when applying this technique to data from a large LArTPC at or near
ground level
The Pandora multi-algorithm approach to automated pattern recognition of cosmic-ray muon and neutrino events in the MicroBooNE detector
The development and operation of Liquid-Argon Time-Projection Chambers for
neutrino physics has created a need for new approaches to pattern recognition
in order to fully exploit the imaging capabilities offered by this technology.
Whereas the human brain can excel at identifying features in the recorded
events, it is a significant challenge to develop an automated, algorithmic
solution. The Pandora Software Development Kit provides functionality to aid
the design and implementation of pattern-recognition algorithms. It promotes
the use of a multi-algorithm approach to pattern recognition, in which
individual algorithms each address a specific task in a particular topology.
Many tens of algorithms then carefully build up a picture of the event and,
together, provide a robust automated pattern-recognition solution. This paper
describes details of the chain of over one hundred Pandora algorithms and tools
used to reconstruct cosmic-ray muon and neutrino events in the MicroBooNE
detector. Metrics that assess the current pattern-recognition performance are
presented for simulated MicroBooNE events, using a selection of final-state
event topologies.Comment: Preprint to be submitted to The European Physical Journal
Determination of muon momentum in the MicroBooNE LArTPC using an improved model of multiple Coulomb scattering
We discuss a technique for measuring a charged particle's momentum by means
of multiple Coulomb scattering (MCS) in the MicroBooNE liquid argon time
projection chamber (LArTPC). This method does not require the full particle
ionization track to be contained inside of the detector volume as other track
momentum reconstruction methods do (range-based momentum reconstruction and
calorimetric momentum reconstruction). We motivate use of this technique,
describe a tuning of the underlying phenomenological formula, quantify its
performance on fully contained beam-neutrino-induced muon tracks both in
simulation and in data, and quantify its performance on exiting muon tracks in
simulation. Using simulation, we have shown that the standard Highland formula
should be re-tuned specifically for scattering in liquid argon, which
significantly improves the bias and resolution of the momentum measurement.
With the tuned formula, we find agreement between data and simulation for
contained tracks, with a small bias in the momentum reconstruction and with
resolutions that vary as a function of track length, improving from about 10%
for the shortest (one meter long) tracks to 5% for longer (several meter)
tracks. For simulated exiting muons with at least one meter of track contained,
we find a similarly small bias, and a resolution which is less than 15% for
muons with momentum below 2 GeV/c. Above 2 GeV/c, results are given as a first
estimate of the MCS momentum measurement capabilities of MicroBooNE for high
momentum exiting tracks
Nucleon Decay, Atmospheric Neutrinos, and Cosmic Rays at DUNE: September 2016 Progress Report
We report on the progress made within the Nucleon Decay, Atmospheric Neutrinos, and Cosmogenics Physics Working Groups since the DUNE CDR, and in particular in the period September 2015 { September 2016. This note is also intended to provide input for the September 2016 Preliminary Report of the Far Detector Task Force. We report jointly for the three WGs since they are tightly coupled. They make use of the same DUNE Far Detector for their physics studies, they share the same energy regime, and they are all characterized by random, non-beam triggers. Finally, cosmogenic events are a background for atmospheric neutrino physics, and both cosmogenic events and atmospheric neutrinos are a background for nucleon decay physics. Recent progress within the Nucleon Decay, Atmospheric Neutrinos and Cosmogenics Physics Working Groups is reported in Secs. II, III and IV, respectively
Noise Characterization and Filtering in the MicroBooNE Liquid Argon TPC
The low-noise operation of readout electronics in a liquid argon time
projection chamber (LArTPC) is critical to properly extract the distribution of
ionization charge deposited on the wire planes of the TPC, especially for the
induction planes. This paper describes the characteristics and mitigation of
the observed noise in the MicroBooNE detector. The MicroBooNE's single-phase
LArTPC comprises two induction planes and one collection sense wire plane with
a total of 8256 wires. Current induced on each TPC wire is amplified and shaped
by custom low-power, low-noise ASICs immersed in the liquid argon. The
digitization of the signal waveform occurs outside the cryostat. Using data
from the first year of MicroBooNE operations, several excess noise sources in
the TPC were identified and mitigated. The residual equivalent noise charge
(ENC) after noise filtering varies with wire length and is found to be below
400 electrons for the longest wires (4.7 m). The response is consistent with
the cold electronics design expectations and is found to be stable with time
and uniform over the functioning channels. This noise level is significantly
lower than previous experiments utilizing warm front-end electronics.Comment: 36 pages, 20 figure
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