A gamma ray monitor for the OSO-7 spacecraft

A 3 in. x 3 in. NaI(Tl) gamma ray (0.3 to 10 MeV) spectrometer with a CsI(Na) charged particle and anti-Compton shield has been developed for the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO-7) which was launched September 30, 1971. The instrument, designed for a rotating wheel compartment, utilizes a 377 channel quadratic PHA with accumulation times of 3, 1, or 0.5 minutes. Quick look and calibration data obtained via a direct data link to a minicomputer allows near real time monitoring and control of the experiment. Various commands changing the operating mode can be executed. The functions which can be commanded include: rotation of the quadrants in which data is collected by 90 deg; gain adjustment of the central detector over a 6:1 range; manual or automatic sequencing of calibrations; variations of accumulation times by telemetering selected channels; and selection of reference directions. A small X-ray detector covering the range 7.5 to 120 keV is also included

Documentation of the data analysis system for the gamma ray monitor aboard OSO-H

The programming system is presented which was developed to prepare the data from the gamma ray monitor on OSO-7 for scientific analysis. The detector, data, and objectives are described in detail. Programs presented include; FEEDER, PASS-1, CAL1, CAL2, PASS-3, Van Allen Belt Predict Program, Computation Center Plot Routine, and Response Function Programs

Mercury Orbiter: Report of the Science Working Team

The results are presented of the Mercury Orbiter Science Working Team which held three workshops in 1988 to 1989 under the auspices of the Space Physics and Planetary Exploration Divisions of NASA Headquarters. Spacecraft engineering and mission design studies at the Jet Propulsion Lab were conducted in parallel with this effort and are detailed elsewhere. The findings of the engineering study, summarized herein, indicate that spin stabilized spacecraft carrying comprehensive particles and fields experiments and key planetology instruments in high elliptical orbits can survive and function in Mercury orbit without costly sun shields and active cooling systems

Nonlinear quantum mechanics implies polynomial-time solution for NP-complete and #P problems

If quantum states exhibit small nonlinearities during time evolution, then quantum computers can be used to solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time. We provide algorithms that solve NP-complete and #P oracle problems by exploiting nonlinear quantum logic gates. It is argued that virtually any deterministic nonlinear quantum theory will include such gates, and the method is explicitly demonstrated using the Weinberg model of nonlinear quantum mechanics.Comment: 10 pages, no figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Testing the Equivalence Principle by Lamb shift Energies

The Einstein Equivalence Principle has as one of its implications that the non-gravitational laws of physics are those of special relativity in any local freely-falling frame. We consider possible tests of this hypothesis for systems whose energies are due to radiative corrections, i.e. which arise purely as a consequence of quantum field theoretic loop effects. Specifically, we evaluate the Lamb shift transition (as given by the energy splitting between the $2S_{1/2}$ and $2P_{1/2}$ atomic states) within the context of violations of local position invariance and local Lorentz invariance, as described by the $T H \epsilon\mu$ formalism. We compute the associated red shift and time dilation parameters, and discuss how (high-precision) measurements of these quantities could provide new information on the validity of the equivalence principle.Comment: 40 pages, latex, epsf, 1 figure, final version which appears in Physical Review

Neutron Beta Decay Studies with Nab

Precision measurements in neutron beta decay serve to determine the coupling constants of beta decay and allow for several stringent tests of the standard model. This paper discusses the design and the expected performance of the Nab spectrometer.Comment: Submitted to Proceedings of the Conference CIPANP12, St.Petersburg, Florida, May 201

Effects of e−e+νee^- e^+ \nu_e Decays of Tau Neutrinos Near A Supernova

We revisit the constraints implied by SN 1987 A observations on the decay rate of a multi-MeV $\nu_\tau$ decaying into the visible channel $\nu_\tau \rightarrow e^+ e^- \nu_e$, if its lifetime is more than 10 {\it sec.}. We discuss its implication for the minimal left-right symmetric model with see-saw mechanism for neutrino masses. We also speculate on the possible formation of a ``giant Capacitor" in intergalactic space due to the decay of "neutronization" $\nu_\tau$'s and spin allignment possibility in the supernova.Comment: 29 Pages, Tex file, UMDHEP 94-4

High-Efficiency Resonant RF Spin Rotator with Broad Phase Space Acceptance for Pulsed Polarized Cold Neutron Beams

We have developed a radio-frequency resonant spin rotator to reverse the neutron polarization in a 9.5 cm x 9.5 cm pulsed cold neutron beam with high efficiency over a broad cold neutron energy range. The effect of the spin reversal by the rotator on the neutron beam phase space is compared qualitatively to RF neutron spin flippers based on adiabatic fast passage. The spin rotator does not change the kinetic energy of the neutrons and leaves the neutron beam phase space unchanged to high precision. We discuss the design of the spin rotator and describe two types of transmission-based neutron spin-flip efficiency measurements where the neutron beam was both polarized and analyzed by optically-polarized 3He neutron spin filters. The efficiency of the spin rotator was measured to be 98.0+/-0.8% on resonance for neutron energies from 3.3 to 18.4 meV over the full phase space of the beam. As an example of the application of this device to an experiment we describe the integration of the RF spin rotator into an apparatus to search for the small parity-violating asymmetry A_gamma in polarized cold neutron capture on para-hydrogen by the NPDGamma collaboration at LANSCE