441 research outputs found
CERN West Area neutrino facility beam line alignment
This papers describes the alignment of the West Area Neutrino Beam Line at CERN to the two neutrino experiments CHORUS and NOMAD. The T9 neutrino (n) target position and the position of the magnetic horn were optimised using the secondary muon intensity profiles from the muon pits in the shielding. In the experiments the improved geometry provides a better centred beam (< 5 cm) and a measured increase in the n flux of 8%
Quantifying measures to limit wind driven resuspension of sediments for improvement of the ecological quality in some shallow Dutch lakes
Although phosphorus loadings are considered the main pressure for most shallow lakes, wind-driven resuspension can cause additional problems for these aquatic ecosystems. We quantified the potential effectiveness of measures to reduce the contribution of resuspended sediments, resulting from wind action, to the overall light attenuation for three comparable shallow peat lakes with poor ecological status in the Netherlands: Loosdrecht, Nieuwkoop, and Reeuwijk (1.8–2.7 m depth, 1.6–2.5 km fetch). These measures are: 1. wave reducing barriers, 2. water level fluctuations, 3. capping of the sediment with sand, and 4. combinations of above. Critical shear stress of the sediments for resuspension (Vcrit), size distribution, and optical properties of the suspended material were quantified in the field (June 2009) and laboratory. Water quality monitoring data (2002–2009) showed that light attenuation by organic suspended matter in all lakes is high. Spatial modeling of the impact of these measures showed that in Lake Loosdrecht limiting wave action can have significant effects (reductions from 6% exceedance to 2% exceedance of Vcrit), whereas in Lake Nieuwkoop and Lake Reeuwijk this is less effective. The depth distribution and shape of Lake Nieuwkoop and Lake Reeuwijk limit the role of wind-driven resuspension in the total suspended matter concentration. Although the lakes are similar in general appearance (origin, size, and depth range) measures suitable to improve their ecological status differ. This calls for care when defining the programme of measures to improve the ecological status of a specific lake based on experience from other lakes.
Meridional density gradients do not control the Atlantic overturning circulation
A wide body of modeling and theoretical scaling studies support the concept that changes to the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), whether forced by winds or buoyancy fluxes, can be understood in terms of a simple causative relation between the AMOC and an appropriately defined meridional density gradient (MDG). The MDG is supposed to translate directly into a meridional pressure gradient. Here two sets of experiments are performed using a modular ocean model coupled to an energy–moisture balance model in which the positive AMOC–MDG relation breaks down. In the first suite of seven model integrations it is found that increasing winds in the Southern Ocean cause an increase in overturning while the surface density difference between the equator and North Atlantic drops. In the second suite of eight model integrations the equation of state is manipulated so that the density is calculated at the model temperature plus an artificial increment ΔT that ranges from −3° to 9°C. (An increase in ΔT results in increased sensitivity of density to temperature gradients.) The AMOC in these model integrations drops as the MDG increases regardless of whether the density difference is computed at the surface or averaged over the upper ocean. Traditional scaling analysis can only produce this weaker AMOC if the scale depth decreases enough to compensate for the stronger MDG. Five estimates of the depth scale are evaluated and it is found that the changes in the AMOC can be derived from scaling analysis when using the depth of the maximum overturning circulation or estimates thereof but not from the pycnocline depth. These two depth scales are commonly assumed to be the same in theoretical models of the AMOC. It is suggested that the correlation between the MDG and AMOC breaks down in these model integrations because the depth and strength of the AMOC is influenced strongly by remote forcing such as Southern Ocean winds and Antarctic Bottom Water formation
Effects of Picture Size Reduction and Blurring on Emotional Engagement
The activity of basic motivational systems is reflected in emotional responses to arousing stimuli, such as natural pictures. The manipulation of picture properties such as size or detail allows for investigation into the extent to which separate emotional reactions are similarly modulated by perceptual changes, or, rather, may subserve different functions. Pursuing this line of research, the present study examined the effects of two types of perceptual degradation, namely picture size reduction and blurring, on emotional responses. Both manipulations reduced picture relevance and dampened affective modulation of skin conductance, possibly because of a reduced action preparation in response to degraded or remote pictures. However, the affective modulation of the startle reflex did not vary with picture degradation, suggesting that the identification of these degraded affective cues activated the neural circuits mediating appetitive or defensive motivation
Final NOMAD results on nu_mu->nu_tau and nu_e->nu_tau oscillations including a new search for nu_tau appearance using hadronic tau decays
Results from the nu_tau appearance search in a neutrino beam using the full
NOMAD data sample are reported. A new analysis unifies all the hadronic tau
decays, significantly improving the overall sensitivity of the experiment to
oscillations. The "blind analysis" of all topologies yields no evidence for an
oscillation signal. In the two-family oscillation scenario, this sets a 90%
C.L. allowed region in the sin^2(2theta)-Delta m^2 plane which includes
sin^2(2theta)<3.3 x 10^{-4} at large Delta m^2 and Delta m^2 < 0.7 eV^2/c^4 at
sin^2(2theta)=1. The corresponding contour in the nu_e->nu_tau oscillation
hypothesis results in sin^2(2theta)<1.5 x 10^{-2} at large Delta m^2 and Delta
m^2 < 5.9 eV^2/c^4 at sin^2(2theta)=1. We also derive limits on effective
couplings of the tau lepton to nu_mu or nu_e.Comment: 46 pages, 16 figures, Latex, to appear on Nucl. Phys.
A Precise Measurement of the Muon Neutrino-Nucleon Inclusive Charged Current Cross-Section off an Isoscalar Target in the Energy Range 2.5 < E_\nu < 40 GeV by NOMAD
We present a measurement of the muon neutrino-nucleon inclusive charged
current cross-section, off an isoscalar target, in the neutrino energy range
GeV. The significance of this measurement is its
precision, % in GeV, and % in GeV regions, where significant uncertainties in previous
experiments still exist, and its importance to the current and proposed long
baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys.Lett.
Search for the exotic resonance in the NOMAD experiment
A search for exotic Theta baryon via Theta -> proton +Ks decay mode in the
NOMAD muon neutrino DIS data is reported. The special background generation
procedure was developed. The proton identification criteria are tuned to
maximize the sensitivity to the Theta signal as a function of xF which allows
to study the Theta production mechanism. We do not observe any evidence for the
Theta state in the NOMAD data. We provide an upper limit on Theta production
rate at 90% CL as 2.13 per 1000 of neutrino interactions.Comment: Accepted to European Physics Journal
Prediction of Neutrino Fluxes in the NOMAD Experiment
The method developed for the calculation of the flux and composition of the
West Area Neutrino Beam used by NOMAD in its search for neutrino oscillations
is described. The calculation is based on particle production rates computed
using a recent version of FLUKA and modified to take into account the cross
sections measured by the SPY and NA20 experiments. These particles are
propagated through the beam line taking into account the material and magnetic
fields they traverse. The neutrinos produced through their decays are tracked
to the NOMAD detector. The fluxes of the four neutrino flavours at NOMAD are
predicted with an uncertainty of about 8% for nu(mu) and nu(e), 10% for
antinu(mu), and 12% for antinu(e). The energy-dependent uncertainty achieved on
the R(e, mu) prediction needed for a nu(mu)->nu(e) oscillation search ranges
from 4% to 7%, whereas the overall normalization uncertainty on this ratio is
4.2%.Comment: 43 pages, 20 figures. Submitted to Nucl. Phys.
Inclusive production of and mesons in charged current interactions
The inclusive production of the meson resonances ,
and in neutrino-nucleus charged current interactions has been
studied with the NOMAD detector exposed to the wide band neutrino beam
generated by 450 GeV protons at the CERN SPS. For the first time the
meson is observed in neutrino interactions. The statistical
significance of its observation is 6 standard deviations. The presence of
in neutrino interactions is reliably established. The average
multiplicity of these three resonances is measured as a function of several
kinematic variables. The experimental results are compared to the
multiplicities obtained from a simulation based on the Lund model. In addition,
the average multiplicity of in antineutrino - nucleus
interactions is measured.Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures, 8 tables. To appear in Nucl. Phys.
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