A 2nd generation cosmic axion experiment

An experiment is described to detect dark matter axions trapped in the halo of our galaxy. Galactic axions are converted into microwave photons via the Primakoff effect in a static background field provided by a superconducting magnet. The photons are collected in a high Q microwave cavity and detected by a low noise receiver. The axion mass range accessible by this experiment is 1.3-13 micro-eV. The expected sensitivity will be roughly 50 times greater than achieved by previous experiments in this mass range. The assembly of the detector is well under way at LLNL and data taking will start in mid-1995.Comment: Postscript, 6 pages, 4 figures; submitted to proceedings of: XXXth Recontres de Moriond, 'Dark Matter in Cosmology", Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, Jan 21-28, 199

Study of low-lying resonant states in 16F using an 15O radioactiveion beam

A 120 MeV {sup 15}O radioactive ion beam with an intensity on target of 4.5 x 10{sup 4} pps has been developed at the 88-inch cyclotron at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This beam has been used to study the level structure of {sup 16}F at low energies via the p({sup 15}O,p) reaction using the thick target inverse kinematics method on a polyethylene target. The experimental excitation function was analyzed using R-matrix calculations. Significantly improved values for the level widths of the four low-lying states in 16F are reported. Good agreement with the theoretical spectroscopic factors is also obtained

Status of the large-scale dark-matter axion search

If axions constitute the dark matter of our galactic halo they can be detected by their conversion into monochromatic microwave photons in a high-Q microwave cavity permeated by a strong magnetic field. A large-scale experiment is under construction at LLNL to search for halo axions in the mass range 1.3 - 13 {mu}eV, where axions may constitute closure density of the universe. The search builds upon two pilot efforts at BNL and the University of Florida in the late 1980`s, and represents a large improvement in power sensitivity ({approximately}50) both due to the increase in magnetic volume (B{sup 2}V = 14 T{sup 2}m{sup 3}), and anticipated total noise temperature (T{sub n} {approximately}3K). This search will also mark the first use of multiple power-combined cavities to extend the mass range accessible by this technique. Data will be analyzed in two parallel streams. In the first, the resolution of the power spectrum will be sufficient to resolve the expected width of the overall axion line, {approximately}{bigcirc} (1kHz). In the second, the resolution will be {bigcirc}(O.01-1 Hz) to look for extremely narrow substructure reflecting the primordial phase-space of the axions during infall. This experiment will be the first to have the required sensitivity to detect axions, for plausible axion models

First results from a second generation galactic axion experiment

We report first results from a large scale search for dark matter axions. The experiment probes axion masses of 1.3-13 micro-eV at a sensitivity which is about 50 times higher than previous pilot experiments. We have already scanned part of this mass range at a sensitivity better than required to see at least one generic axion model, the KSVZ axion. Data taking at full sensitivity commenced in February 1996 and scanning the proposed mass range will require three years

Detection of fragments arising from >10 GeV electron-nucleus collisions

Much is understood about the interaction of both high energy electrons with nucleons and lower energy electrons with nucleons and nuclei. Although a number of experiments involving high energy inelastic scattering of electrons from quarks bound in nuclei have been performed, many interpretations of the data are still discussed. A project called PEGASYS was conceived at PEP to further investigate this physics. Unfortunately, the termination of PEP operations curtailed this experiment and much of the physics remains unexplored. In this paper we present some details of one proposed part of this project (tagged nuclear structure functions) and some considerations made in designing a detector suitable for observing very low momentum nuclear fragements around a cold-cluster gas target

Multiplicity distribution and spectra of negatively charged hadrons in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_nn) = 130 GeV

The minimum bias multiplicity distribution and the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity distributions for central collisions have been measured for negative hadrons (h-) in Au+Au interactions at sqrt(s_nn) = 130 GeV. The multiplicity density at midrapidity for the 5% most central interactions is dNh-/deta|_{eta = 0} = 280 +- 1(stat)+- 20(syst), an increase per participant of 38% relative to ppbar collisions at the same energy. The mean transverse momentum is 0.508 +- 0.012 GeV/c and is larger than in central Pb+Pb collisions at lower energies. The scaling of the h- yield per participant is a strong function of pt. The pseudorapidity distribution is almost constant within |eta|<1.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure