Research at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Kentucky operates a 7-MV CN Van de Graaff accelerator that produces primary beams of protons, deuterons, and helium ions. An in-terminal pulsing and bunching system operates at 1.875 MHz and is capable of providing 1 ns beam bunches at an average current of several microamperes. Nearly all ongoing research programs involve secondary pulsed neutrons produced with gas cells containing deuterium or tritium, as well as with a variety of solid targets. Most experiments are performed at a target station positioned over a deep pit, so as to reduce the background created by backscattered neutrons. Recent experiments will be described; these include: measurements of n-p scattering total cross sections from En= 90 to 1800 keV to determine the n-p effective range parameter; the response of the plastic scintillator BC-418 below 1 MeV to low-energy recoil protons; n-p radiative capture cross sections important for our understanding of nucleosynthesis approximately 2 minutes after the occurrence of the Big Bang; γ-ray spectroscopy following inelastic neutron scattering to study nuclear structure relevant to double-β decay and to understand the role of phonon-coupled excitations in weakly deformed nuclei; and measurements of neutron elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections for nuclei that are important for energy production and for our global understanding of the interaction of neutrons with matter

Professionals Do Not Play Minimax: Evidence from Major League Baseball and the National Football League

Game theory makes strong predictions about how individuals should behave in two player, zero sum games. When players follow a mixed strategy, equilibrium payoffs should be equalized across actions, and choices should be serially uncorrelated. Laboratory experiments have generated large and systematic deviations from the minimax predictions. Data gleaned from real-world settings have been more consistent with minimax, but these latter studies have often been based on small samples with low power to reject. In this paper, we explore minimax play in two high stakes, real world settings that are data rich: choice of pitch type in Major League Baseball and whether to run or pass in the National Football League. We observe more than three million pitches in baseball and 125,000 play choices for football. We find systematic deviations from minimax play in both data sets. Pitchers appear to throw too many fastballs; football teams pass less than they should. In both sports, there is negative serial correlation in play calling. Back of the envelope calculations suggest that correcting these decision making errors could be worth as many as two additional victories a year to a Major League Baseball franchise, and more than a half win per season for a professional football team.

Search for d^* Dibaryon by Double-radiative Capture on Pionic Deuterium

We report a search for d^* dibaryon production by double-radiative capture on pionic deuterium. The experiment was conducted at the TRIUMF cyclotron using the RMC cylindrical pair spectrometer, and detected gamma-ray coincidences following pion stops in liquid deuterium. We found no evidence for narrow dibaryons, and obtained a branching ratio upper limit, BR < 6.7 times 10^{-6} (90% C.L.), for narrow d^* production in the mass range from 1920 to 1980 MeV. Replaced with Physics Letter B accepted version and corrected normalization.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Does player specialization predict player actions? Evidence from penalty kicks at FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro Cup

Penalty-kicks are analysed in the literature as `real life experiments' for assessing the use of rational mixed strategies by professional players. However, each penalty kick cannot be considered a repetition of the same event because of the varying background conditions, in particular the heterogeneous ability of different players. Consequently, aggregate statistics over datasets composed of a large number of penalty kicks mediate the behaviour of the players in \emph{different} games, and the properties of optimal mixed strategies cannot be tested directly because of \emph{aggregation bias}. In this paper we model the heterogeneous ability of players. We then test the hypothesis that differently talented players randomise over different actions. To this aim, we study a dataset that collects penalties kicked during shootout series in the last editions of FIFA World-Cup and UEFA Euro-Cup (1994-2012) where kickers are categorized as specialists and non-specialists. The results support our theoretical prediction

L-Subshell Ionization with High Velocity Positive Ions

This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grants PHY 76-84033A01, PHY 78-22774, and Indiana Universit

Cross Sections for Neutron–Deuteron Elastic Scattering in the Energy Range 135–250 MeV

We report new measurements of the neutron–deuteron elastic scattering cross section at energies from 135 to 250 MeV and center-of-mass angles from 80° to 130°. Cross sections for neutron-proton elastic scattering were also measured with the same experimental setup for normalization purposes. Our nd cross section results are compared with predictions based on Faddeev calculations including three-nucleon forces, and with cross sections measured with charged particle and neutron beams at comparable energies

Test of isospin symmetry via low energy 1^1H(π−\pi^-,πo\pi^o)nn charge exchange

We report measurements of the $\pi^- p \to \pi^o n$ differential cross sections at six momenta (104-143 MeV/c) and four angles (0-40 deg) by detection of $\gamma$-ray pairs from $\pi^o \to \gamma \gamma$ decays using the TRIUMF RMC spectrometer. This region exhibits a vanishing zero-degree cross section from destructive interference between s-- and p--waves, thus yielding special sensitivity to pion-nucleon dynamics and isospin symmetry breaking. Our data and previous data do not agree, with important implications for earlier claims of large isospin violating effects in low energy pion-nucleon interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Radiative Proton Capture Studies at Intermediate Energies

This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grants PHY 76-84033A01, PHY 78-22774, and Indiana Universit

Pion photoproduction on nucleons in a covariant hadron-exchange model

We present a relativistic dynamical model of pion photoproduction on the nucleon in the resonance region. It offers several advances over the existing approaches. The model is obtained by extending our $\pi N$-scattering description to the electromagnetic channels. The resulting photopion amplitude is thus unitary in the $\pi N$, \ga N channel space, Watson's theorem is exactly satisfied. At this stage we have included the pion, nucleon, \De(1232)-resonance degrees of freedom. The $\rho$ and $\omega$ meson exchanges are also included, but play a minor role in the considered energy domain (up to $\sqrt{s}=1.5$ GeV). In this energy range the model provides a good description of all the important multipoles. We have allowed for only two free parameters -- the photocouplings of the $\Delta$-resonance. These couplings are adjusted to reproduce the strength of corresponding resonant-multipoles $M_{1+}$ and $E_{1+}$ at the resonance position.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figs, version to appear in Phys. Rev. C 70 (2004