A time projection chamber for the three-dimensional reconstruction of two-proton radioactivity events

Two-proton radioactivity was observed in 2002 in the decay of 45Fe. However, the experiments performed at that time did not allow the observation of the two protons directly. We present here a new setup based on the principle of a time-projection chamber that enabled us for the first time to identify directly the two protons. The new setup permits the observation and reconstruction in three dimensions of the traces of the protons and to determine thus their individual energies and their relative angle. We will discuss the setup in all necessary details and describe its performances in the context of two-proton radioactivity and β-delayed two-proton emission studies

Asymmetry of risk and value of information

The von Neumann and Morgenstern theory postulates that rational choice under uncertainty is equivalent to maximization of expected utility (EU). This view is mathematically appealing and natural because of the affine structure of the space of probability measures. Behavioural economists and psychologists, on the other hand, have demonstrated that humans consistently violate the EU postulate by switching from risk-averse to risk-taking behaviour. This paradox has led to the development of descriptive theories of decisions, such as the celebrated prospect theory, which uses an $S$-shaped value function with concave and convex branches explaining the observed asymmetry. Although successful in modelling human behaviour, these theories appear to contradict the natural set of axioms behind the EU postulate. Here we show that the observed asymmetry in behaviour can be explained if, apart from utilities of the outcomes, rational agents also value information communicated by random events. We review the main ideas of the classical value of information theory and its generalizations. Then we prove that the value of information is an $S$-shaped function, and that its asymmetry does not depend on how the concept of information is defined, but follows only from linearity of the expected utility. Thus, unlike many descriptive and `non-expected' utility theories that abandon the linearity (i.e. the `independence' axiom), we formulate a rigorous argument that the von Neumann and Morgenstern rational agents should be both risk-averse and risk-taking if they are not indifferent to information

A time projection chamber to study two-proton radioactivity

Commune avec MECA, INSTRU et ELECInternational audienceTwo-proton radioactivity was observed in two experiments in 2002 in the decay of 45Fe. However, these experiments did not allow the observation of the two protons directly. In the present paper, we present a new setup based on the principle of a time projection chamber which enabled us for the first time to identify directly the two protons. The new setup permits the observation and reconstruction in three dimensions of the traces of the protons. We will discuss the setup and describe its performances