Computer supported argument maps as a policy memory

This paper investigates to what extent Computer Supported Argument Visualisation can be designed to encourage debate and deliberation by citizens on public issues. Such argument maps use icons and arrows to represent the structure of a series of related viewpoints, reducing the amount of text necessary to convey the ideas, thereby clarifying the issue under consideration. Argument maps have the potential to provide a readily accessible medium by which citizens can follow and join in public debates on policy issues. In this paper we describe our approach, type of maps we have chosen to use and then demonstrate the potential of a collection of maps to form a ‘policy memory’ to support policy development. Our case study is the development of the ‘Smoking in Public Places’ policy in the Scottish Parliament. Our overall aim is to engage citizens in democratic decision-making leading to better policy-making and a more engaged citizenry

Study of the background in the measuring station at the n_TOF facility at CERN: sources and solutions

A background roughly two orders of magnitude higher than tolerable was found in the n_TOF facility at CERN during the first measurements [1]. This note describes a series of additional measurements performed in the n_TOF experimental area to study the origin and the characteristics of the background. The program of these measurements was determined taking into account the results from the simulations carried out by the EET group [2]. A first phase of measurements confirmed what was expected from the simulations, namely that the dominant source of background was due to neutrons generated by negative muon capture. Actions to reduce the background were taken according to the results from both measurements and simulations. An iron shielding wall 3.2 m thick was then placed in between the sweeping magnet and the second collimator, with the purpose of stopping most of the muons. In a second phase of measurements, results showed that the additional shielding reduced the main component of the background by about a factor of 30

Measurement of La-139(n, gamma) cross section

We measured the neutron capture cross section of La-139 relative to Au-197 in the energy range of 0.6 cV to 9 keV at n_TOF, the neutron time-of-flight facility at CERN. After a description of the experimental apparatus, we discuss data analysis procedures. The data were fitted using R-matrix formalism to extract resonance parameters which, in turn, were used to calculate average level spacings D-0 = 268 +/- 22 eV and D-1 <250 cV, and neutron strength functions S-0 = (0.79 +/- 0.03)x 10(-4) and S-1 = (0.73 +/- 0.05)x 10(4) for s- and p-wave resonances. The data also were used to determine Maxwellian-averaged neutron capture cross sections which, in turn, were used to calculate the La-139 abundance synthesized in a stellar model of the main component of the s process