10 research outputs found
Search for EC and ECEC processes in Sn and decay of Sn to the excited states of Te
Limits on EC and ECEC processes in Sn and on
decay of Sn to the excited states of Te have
been obtained using a 380 cm HPGe detector and an external source
consisting of natural tin. A limit with 90% C.L. on the Sn half-life of
y for the ECEC(0) transition to the excited
state in Cd (1871.0 keV) has been established. This transition is
discussed in the context of a possible enhancement of the decay rate by several
orders of magnitude given that the ECEC process is nearly degenerate
with an excited state in the daughter nuclide. Prospects for investigating such
a process in future experiments are discussed. The decay
limits for Sn to the excited states of Te were obtained on the
level of y at the 90% C.L.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure
Spectral modeling of scintillator for the NEMO-3 and SuperNEMO detectors
We have constructed a GEANT4-based detailed software model of photon
transport in plastic scintillator blocks and have used it to study the NEMO-3
and SuperNEMO calorimeters employed in experiments designed to search for
neutrinoless double beta decay. We compare our simulations to measurements
using conversion electrons from a calibration source of and show
that the agreement is improved if wavelength-dependent properties of the
calorimeter are taken into account. In this article, we briefly describe our
modeling approach and results of our studies.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figure
Results of the BiPo-1 prototype for radiopurity measurements for the SuperNEMO double beta decay source foils
The development of BiPo detectors is dedicated to the measurement of
extremely high radiopurity in Tl and Bi for the SuperNEMO
double beta decay source foils. A modular prototype, called BiPo-1, with 0.8
of sensitive surface area, has been running in the Modane Underground
Laboratory since February, 2008. The goal of BiPo-1 is to measure the different
components of the background and in particular the surface radiopurity of the
plastic scintillators that make up the detector. The first phase of data
collection has been dedicated to the measurement of the radiopurity in
Tl. After more than one year of background measurement, a surface
activity of the scintillators of (Tl) 1.5
Bq/m is reported here. Given this level of background, a larger BiPo
detector having 12 m of active surface area, is able to qualify the
radiopurity of the SuperNEMO selenium double beta decay foils with the required
sensitivity of (Tl) 2 Bq/kg (90% C.L.) with a six
month measurement.Comment: 24 pages, submitted to N.I.M.
Measurement of the background in the NEMO 3 double beta decay experiment
In the double beta decay experiment NEMO~3 a precise knowledge of the background in the signal region is of outstanding importance. This article presents the methods used in NEMO~3 to evaluate the backgrounds resulting from most if not all possible origins. It also illustrates the power of the combined tracking-calorimetry technique used in the experiment
Risk, health and welfare. Policies, strategies and practice.
This text sets the practice of health and welfare professionals within a broad context. It examines the alternative ways in which risk can be defined, the influence of risk on the development of social policy, its impact on welfare agency activities and on professional decision making. The book provides a perspective on the definition, assessment and management of risk. It explores how students learn about risk, how education providers equip future professionals to deal with risk issues in practice and whether employing agencies provide supportive or blaming structure