Susceptibility characterization of beam pipe radiated noise for the PXD detector in Belle II experiment

The new Pixel Vertex Detector (PXD) used in the upgrade of the high energy physics experiment Belle II is based on the DEPFET technology. Since the PXD is 2 mm far from the beam pipe, the effects of radiated interferences may be taken into account. Though the EM wave associated to the beam is very well confined (skin depth), the beam pipe is grounded to the accelerator and it may have noise currents on its external face due to pumps, auxiliary electronics, power converters, etc. which may produce radiated noise (H field). This analysis is part of the EMC approach that covers the analysis of the emissions and immunity characteristics, as well as the coupling phenomena and grounding issues to define the susceptibility levels required to ensure the successful integration of the detector and, specifically, to achieve the designed performance of the front-end electronics

Protocol for an observational study to identify potential predictors of an acute exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (the PACE Study).

INTRODUCTION: Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are the most critical events for patients with COPD that have a negative impact on patients' quality of life, accelerate disease progression, and can result in hospital admissions and death. Although there is no distinct definition or detailed knowledge about AECOPD, it is commonly used as primary outcome in clinical studies. Furthermore, it may be difficult in clinical practice to differentiate the worsening of symptoms due to an AECOPD or to the development of heart failure. Therefore, it is of major clinical importance to investigate the underlying pathophysiology, and if possible, predictors of an AECOPD and thus to identify patients who are at high risk for developing an acute exacerbation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In total, 355 patients with COPD will be included prospectively to this study during a 3-week inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation programme at the Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee (Germany). All patients will be closely monitored from admission to discharge. Lung function, exercise tests, clinical parameters, quality of life, physical activity and symptoms will be recorded, and blood samples and exhaled air will be collected. If a patient develops an AECOPD, there will be additional comprehensive diagnostic assessments to differentiate between cardiac, pulmonary or cardiopulmonary causes of worsening. Follow-up measures will be performed at 6, 12 and 24 months.Exploratory data analyses methods will be used for the primary research question (screening and identification of possible factors to predict an AECOPD). Regression analyses and a generalised linear model with a binomial outcome (AECOPD) will be applied to test if predictors are significant. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Ethical Committee of the Philipps University Marburg, Germany (No. 61/19). The results will be presented in conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04140097

Simulating the performance of the Southern Wide-view Gamma-ray Observatory

The Southern Wide-view Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) will be a next-generation gamma-ray observatory using a large array of particle detectors at a high elevation site in South America. This project is currently in a three years R&D phase in which the design will be optimised for cost and performance. Therefore it is crucial to efficiently evaluate the impact of different design options on the scientific objectives of the observatory. In this contribution, we will introduce the strategy and the simulation framework in which this evaluation takes place

Study of water Cherenkov detector designs for the SWGO experiment

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is a next-generation ground-based gamma-ray detector under development to reach a full sky coverage together with the current HAWC and LHAASO experiments in the northern hemisphere. It will complement the observation of transient and variable multi-wavelength and multi-messenger phenomena, offering moreover the possibility to access the Galactic Centre. One of the possible SWGO configurations consists of an array of water Cherenkov tanks, with a high fill-factor inner array and a low-density outer array, covering an overall area of one order of magnitude larger than HAWC. To reach a high detection efficiency and discrimination capability between gamma-ray and hadronic air showers, various tank designs were studied. Double-layer tanks with several sizes, shapes and number of photomultiplier tubes have been considered. Single-particle simulations have been performed to study the tank response, using muons, electrons, and gamma-rays with energies typical of extensive air showers particles, entering the tanks with zenith angles from 0 to 60 degrees. The tank response was evaluated considering the particle detection efficiency, the number of photoelectrons produced by the photomultiplier tubes, and the time resolution of the measurement of the first photon. The study allowed to compare the performance of tanks with circular and square base, to understand which design optimizes the performance of the array. The method used in the study and the results will be discussed in this paper

Benchmarking the Science for the Southern Wide-Field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO)

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is the project to build a new extensive air shower particle detector for the observation of very-high-energy gamma-rays in South America. SWGO is currently planned for installation in the Southern Hemisphere, which grants it a unique science potential among ground-based gamma-ray detectors. It will complement the capabilities of CTA, working as a wide-field instrument for the monitoring of transient and variable phenomena, and will expand the sky coverage of Northern Hemisphere facilities like HAWC and LHAASO, thus granting access to the entire Galactic Plane and the Galactic Center. SWGO aims to achieve excellent sensitivity over a very large target energy range from about 100 GeV to the PeV, and improve on the performance of current sampling array instruments in all observational parameters, including energy and angular resolution, background rejection, and single-muon detection capabilities. The directives for the final observatory design will be given by a number of key science goals which are being defined over the course of the Project’s R&D phase. In this contribution we will present the core science topics and target performance goals that serve as benchmarks to guide SWGO’s design configuration

Galactic Science with the Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is a proposed ground-based gamma-ray detector that will be located in the Southern Hemisphere and is currently in its design phase. In this contribution, we will outline the prospects for Galactic science with this Observatory. Particular focus will be given to the detectability of extended sources, such as gamma-ray halos around pulsars; optimisation of the angular resolution to mitigate source confusion between known TeV sources; and studies of the energy resolution and sensitivity required to study the spectral features of PeVatrons at the highest energies. Such a facility will ideally complement contemporaneous observatories in studies of high energy astrophysical processes in our Galaxy

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory reach for Primordial Black Hole evaporation

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) is a proposed ground-based gamma-ray detector that will be located in the Southern Hemisphere and is currently in its design phase. In this contribution, we will outline the prospects for Galactic science with this Observatory. Particular focus will be given to the detectability of extended sources, such as gamma-ray halos around pulsars; optimisation of the angular resolution to mitigate source confusion between known TeV sources; and studies of the energy resolution and sensitivity required to study the spectral features of PeVatrons at the highest energies. Such a facility will ideally complement contemporaneous observatories in studies of high energy astrophysical processes in our Galaxy

Double-layered Water Cherenkov Detector for SWGO

The Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO) will use the well-established and cost-effective technique of detecting Cherenkov light produced in water-filled detection units for TeV gamma-ray astronomy. Leveraging detector material reflectivity together with an optimised aspect ratio is an option to improve the performance of an array of such detector units. The double-layered Water Cherenkov Detector units comprise chambers with single photosensors in each. A reflective upper compartment enhances sensitivity to impinging secondary particles. A shallow lower compartment enables muon tagging and consequently improves the gamma hadron separation power of the observatory. Here we present detailed studies on the double-layered unit design

Searching for Dark Matter with the Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO)

Despite mounting evidence that dark matter (DM) exists in the Universe, its fundamental nature remains unknown. We present sensitivity estimates to detect DM particles with a future very-high-energy (& TeV) wide field-of-view gamma-ray observatory in the Southern Hemisphere, currently in its research and development phase under the name Southern Wide field-of-view Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO). This observatory would search for gamma rays from the annihilation or decay of DM particles in many key targets in the Southern sky, such as the Galactic halo, several dwarf galaxies, including the promising Reticulum II, and the Large Magellanic Cloud. With a wide field of view and long exposures, such observatory will have unprecedented sensitivity to DM in the mass range of ∼100 GeV to a few PeV from observations of a large fraction of the Galactic halo around the Galactic Center and from Galactic subhalos targets. These results, combined with those from other present and future gamma-ray observatories, will likely probe the thermal relic annihilation cross section of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles for all masses from ∼80 TeV down to the GeV range in most annihilation channels