330 research outputs found
Experimental evidence of planar channeling in a periodically bent crystal
The usage of a Crystalline Undulator (CU) has been identified as a promising
solution for generating powerful and monochromatic -rays. A CU was
fabricated at SSL through the grooving method, i.e., by the manufacturing of a
series of periodical grooves on the major surfaces of a crystal. The CU was
extensively characterized both morphologically via optical interferometry at
SSL and structurally via X-ray diffraction at ESRF. Then, it was finally tested
for channeling with a 400 GeV/c proton beam at CERN. The experimental results
were compared to Monte Carlo simulations. Evidence of planar channeling in the
CU was firmly observed. Finally, the emission spectrum of the positron beam
interacting with the CU was simulated for possible usage in currently existing
facilities
A deep 1.4 GHz survey of the J1030 equatorial field: a new window on radio source populations across cosmic time
We present deep L-Band observations of the equatorial field centered on the
z=6.3 SDSS QSO, reaching a 1 sigma sensitivity of ~2.5 uJy at the center of the
field. We extracted a catalog of 1489 radio sources down to a flux density of
~12.5 uJy (5 sigma) over a field of view of ~ 30' diameter. We derived the
source counts accounting for catalog reliability and completeness, and compared
them with others available in the literature. Our source counts are among the
deepest available so far, and, overall, are consistent with recent counts'
determinations and models. We detected for the first time in the radio band the
SDSS J1030+0524 QSO (26 +/- 5 uJy). We derived its optical radio loudness R_O =
0.62 +/- 0.12, which makes it the most radio quiet AGN at z >~ 6 discovered so
far and detected at radio wavelengths. We unveiled extended diffuse radio
emission associated with the lobes of a bright FRII radio galaxy located close
to the center of the J1030 field, which is likely to become the future BCG of a
protocluster at z=1.7. The lobes' complex morphology, coupled with the presence
of X-ray diffuse emission detected around the FRII galaxy lobes, may point
toward an interaction between the radio jets and the external medium. We also
investigated the relation between radio and X-ray luminosity for a sample of
243 X-ray-selected objects obtained from 500 ks Chandra observations of the
same field, and spanning a wide redshift range (0 ~< z ~< 3). Focused on
sources with a spectroscopic redshift and classification, we found that sources
hosted by ETG and AGN follow Log(L_R)/Log(L_X) linear correlations with slopes
of ~0.6 and ~0.8, respectively. This is interpreted as a likely signature of
different efficiency in the accretion process. Finally, we found that most of
these sources (>~87%) show a radio-to-X-ray radio loudness R_X < -3.5,
classifying these objects as radio quiet.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, 5 table. Accepted for publication in A&
A deep 1.4 GHz survey of the J1030 equatorial field: A new window on radio source populations across cosmic time
We present deep L-Band observations of the equatorial field centered on the z = 6.3 Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar (QSO). This field is rich of multiwavelength photometry and spectroscopy data, making it an ideal laboratory for galaxy evolution studies. Our observations reach a 1σ sensitivity of ~2.5 μJy at the center of the field. We extracted a catalog of 1489 radio sources down to a flux density of ~12.5 μJy (5σ) over a field of view of ~ 30′ diameter. We derived the source counts accounting for catalog reliability and completeness, and compared them with others available in the literature. Our source counts are among the deepest available so far, and, overall, are consistent with recent counts'determinations and models. They show a slight excess at flux densities ~50 μJy, possibly associated with the presence of known overdensities in the field. We detected for the first time in the radio band the SDSS J1030+0524 QSO (26 ± 5 μJy, 8σ significance level). For this object, we derived an optical radio loudness RO = 0.62±0.12, which makes it the most radio quiet among active galactic nuclei (AGN) discovered so far at z ≳ 6 and detected at radio wavelengths. We unveiled extended diffuse radio emission associated with the lobes of a bright Fanaroff-Riley type II (FRII) radio galaxy located close to the center of the J1030 field, which is likely to become the future brightest cluster galaxy of a protocluster at z = 1.7. The lobes'complex morphology, coupled with the presence of X-ray diffuse emission detected around the FRII galaxy lobes, may point toward an interaction between the radio jets and the external medium. We also investigated the relation between radio and X-ray luminosity for a sample of 243 X-ray-selected objects obtained from 500 ks Chandra observations of the same field, and spanning a wide redshift range (0 ≲ z ≲ 3). Focused on sources with a spectroscopic redshift and classification, we found that sources hosted by early-type galaxies and AGN follow log(LR)/log(LX) linear correlations with slopes of ~0.6 and ~0.8, respectively. This is interpreted as a likely signature of different efficiency in the accretion process. Finally, we found that most of these sources (≳87%) show a radio-to-X-ray radio loudness RX ≲ -3.5, classifying these objects as radio quiet
Hard X-ray stereographic microscopy for single-shot differential phase imaging
The characterisation of fast phenomena at the microscopic scale is required for the understanding of catastrophic responses of materials to loads and shocks, the processing of materials by optical or mechanical means, the processes involved in many key technologies such as additive manufacturing and microfluidics, and the mixing of fuels in combustion. Such processes are usually stochastic in nature and occur within the opaque interior volumes of materials or samples, with complex dynamics that evolve in all three dimensions at speeds exceeding many meters per second. There is therefore a need for the ability to record three-dimensional X-ray movies of irreversible processes with resolutions of micrometers and frame rates of microseconds. Here we demonstrate a method to achieve this by recording a stereo phase-contrast image pair in a single exposure. The two images are combined computationally to reconstruct a 3D model of the object. The method is extendable to more than two simultaneous views. When combined with megahertz pulse trains of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) it will be possible to create movies able to resolve 3D trajectories with velocities of kilometers per second
Strong Reduction of the Effective Radiation Length in an Axially Oriented Scintillator Crystal
We measured a considerable increase of the emitted radiation by 120 GeV/c electrons in an axially oriented lead tungstate scintillator crystal, if compared to the case in which the sample was not aligned with the beam direction. This enhancement resulted from the interaction of particles with the strong crystalline electromagnetic field. The data collected at the external lines of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron were critically compared to Monte Carlo simulations based on the Baier-Katkov quasiclassical method, highlighting a reduction of the scintillator radiation length by a factor of 5 in the case of beam alignment with the [001] crystal axes. The observed effect opens the way to the realization of compact electromagnetic calorimeters or detectors based on oriented scintillator crystals in which the amount of material can be strongly reduced with respect to the state of the art. These devices could have relevant applications in fixed-target experiments, as well as in satellite-borne γ telescopes
A high-performance custom photodetection system to probe the light yield enhancement in oriented crystals
Scintillating homogeneous detectors represent the state of the art in
electromagnetic calorimetry. Moreover, the currently neglected crystalline
nature of the most common inorganic scintillators can be exploited to achieve
an outstanding performance boost in terms of compactness and energy resolution.
In fact, it was recently demonstrated by the AXIAL/ELIOT experiments that a
strong reduction in the radiation length inside PWO, and a subsequent
enhancement in the scintillation light emitted per unit thickness, are attained
when the incident particle trajectory is aligned with a crystal axis within
. A SiPM-based system has been developed to directly probe this
remarkable effect by measuring the scintillation light emitted by a PWO sample.
The same concept could be applied to full-scale detectors that would feature a
design significantly more compact than currently achievable and unparalleled
resolution in the range of interest for present and future experiments
The UA9 experimental layout
The UA9 experimental equipment was installed in the CERN-SPS in March '09
with the aim of investigating crystal assisted collimation in coasting mode.
Its basic layout comprises silicon bent crystals acting as primary
collimators mounted inside two vacuum vessels. A movable 60 cm long block of
tungsten located downstream at about 90 degrees phase advance intercepts the
deflected beam.
Scintillators, Gas Electron Multiplier chambers and other beam loss monitors
measure nuclear loss rates induced by the interaction of the beam halo in the
crystal. Roman pots are installed in the path of the deflected particles and
are equipped with a Medipix detector to reconstruct the transverse distribution
of the impinging beam. Finally UA9 takes advantage of an LHC-collimator
prototype installed close to the Roman pot to help in setting the beam
conditions and to analyze the efficiency to deflect the beam. This paper
describes in details the hardware installed to study the crystal collimation
during 2010.Comment: 15pages, 11 figure, submitted to JINS
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