212 research outputs found
Natural Nuclear Reactor Oklo and Variation of Fundamental Constants Part 1: Computation of Neutronics of Fresh Core
Using modern methods of reactor physics we have performed full-scale
calculations of the natural reactor Oklo. For reliability we have used recent
version of two Monte Carlo codes: Russian code MCU REA and world wide known
code MCNP (USA). Both codes produce similar results. We have constructed a
computer model of the reactor Oklo zone RZ2 which takes into account all
details of design and composition. The calculations were performed for three
fresh cores with different uranium contents. Multiplication factors,
reactivities and neutron fluxes were calculated. We have estimated also the
temperature and void effects for the fresh core. As would be expected, we have
found for the fresh core a significant difference between reactor and Maxwell
spectra, which was used before for averaging cross sections in the Oklo
reactor. The averaged cross section of Sm-149 and its dependence on the shift
of resonance position (due to variation of fundamental constants) are
significantly different from previous results.
Contrary to results of some previous papers we find no evidence for the
change of the fine structure constant in the past and obtain new, most accurate
limits on its variation with time:
-4 10^{-17}year^{-1} < d alpha/dt/alpha < 3 10^{-17} year^{-1}
A further improvement in the accuracy of the limits can be achieved by taking
account of the core burnup. These calculations are in progress.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figures, 12 tables, minor corrections, typos correcte
Dielectron Cross Section Measurements in Nucleus-Nucleus Reactions at 1.0 A GeV
We present measured dielectron production cross sections for Ca+Ca, C+C,
He+Ca, and d+Ca reactions at 1.0 A GeV. Statistical uncertainties and
systematic effects are smaller than in previous DLS nucleus-nucleus data. For
pair mass < 0.35 GeV/c2 : 1) the Ca+Ca cross section is larger than the
previous DLS measurement and current model results, 2) the mass spectra suggest
large contributions from pi0 and eta Dalitz decays, and 3) dsigma/dM is
proportional to ApAt. For M > 0.5 GeV/c2 the Ca+Ca to C+C cross section ratio
is significantly larger than the ratio of ApAt values.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letters. Further analysis information
will be posted on our web pages -- http://macdls.lbl.gov Figure 1 has been
redrawn to make more legible. Text modified to support redrawn figur
Experimental Limit on the Cosmic Diffuse Ultra-high Energy Neutrino Flux
We report results from 120 hours of livetime with the Goldstone Lunar
Ultra-high energy neutrino Experiment (GLUE). The experiment searches for <10
ns microwave pulses from the lunar regolith, appearing in coincidence at two
large radio telescopes separated by 22 km and linked by optical fiber. Such
pulses would arise from subsurface electromagnetic cascades induced by
interactions of >= 100 EeV neutrinos in the lunar regolith. No candidates are
yet seen, and the implied limits constrain several current models for
ultra-high energy neutrino fluxes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, revtex4 style. New intro section, Fig. 2, Fig 4;
in final PRL revie
Accelerator measurements of magnetically-induced radio emission from particle cascades with applications to cosmic-ray air showers
For fifty years, cosmic-ray air showers have been detected by their radio
emission. We present the first laboratory measurements that validate
electrodynamics simulations used in air shower modeling. An experiment at SLAC
provides a beam test of radio-frequency (RF) radiation from charged particle
cascades in the presence of a magnetic field, a model system of a cosmic-ray
air shower. This experiment provides a suite of controlled laboratory
measurements to compare to particle-level simulations of RF emission, which are
relied upon in ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray air shower detection. We compare
simulations to data for intensity, linearity with magnetic field, angular
distribution, polarization, and spectral content. In particular, we confirm
modern predictions that the magnetically induced emission in a dielectric forms
a cone that peaks at the Cherenkov angle and show that the simulations
reproduce the data within systematic uncertainties.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure
Enhancement of low-mass dileptons in heavy-ion collisions
Using a relativistic transport model for the expansion stage of S+Au
collisions at 200 GeV/nucleon, we show that the recently observed enhancement
of low-mass dileptons by the CERES collaboration can be explained by the
decrease of vector meson masses in hot and dense hadronic matter.Comment: 12 pages, RevTeX, 3 figures available from [email protected]
Status of ANITA and ANITA-lite
We describe a new experiment to search for neutrinos with energies above 3 x
10^18 eV based on the observation of short duration radio pulses that are
emitted from neutrino-initiated cascades. The primary objective of the
ANtarctic Impulse Transient Antenna (ANITA) mission is to measure the flux of
Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) neutrinos and search for neutrinos from Active
Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We present first results obtained from the successful
launch of a 2-antenna prototype instrument (called ANITA-lite) that circled
Antarctica for 18 days during the 03/04 Antarctic campaign and show preliminary
results from attenuation length studies of electromagnetic waves at radio
frequencies in Antarctic ice. The ANITA detector is funded by NASA, and the
first flight is scheduled for December 2006.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, to be published in Proceedings of International
School of Cosmic Ray Astrophysics, 14th Course: "Neutrinos and Explosive
Events in the Universe", Erice, Italy, 2-13 July 200
Inclusive Dielectron Cross Sections in p+p and p+d Interactions at Beam Energies from 1.04 to 4.88 GeV
Measurements of dielectron production in p+p and p+d collisions with beam
kinetic energies from 1.04 to 4.88 GeV are presented. The differential cross
section is presented as a function of invariant pair mass, transverse momentum,
and rapidity. The shapes of the mass spectra and their evolution with beam
energy provide information about the relative importance of the various
dielectron production mechanisms in this energy regime. The p+d to p+p ratio of
the dielectron yield is also presented as a function of invariant pair mass,
transverse momentum, and rapidity. The shapes of the transverse momentum and
rapidity spectra from the p+d and p+p systems are found to be similar to one
another for each of the beam energies studied. The beam energy dependence of
the integrated cross sections is also presented.Comment: 15 pages and 16 figure
Probing the Rho Spectral Function in Hot and Dense Nuclear Matter by Dileptons
We present a dynamical study of and production in
proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at CERN-SPS energies on the basis
of the covariant transport approach HSD employing a momentum-dependent
-meson spectral function that includes the pion modifications in the
nuclear medium as well as the polarization of the -meson due to resonant
scattering. We find that the experimental data from the CERES and
HELIOS-3 Collaborations can be described equally well as within the dropping
-mass scenario. Whereas corresponding dilepton -spectra are found to
be very similar, the inclusive dilepton yield in the invariant mass range GeV should allow to disentangle the two scenarios
experimentally.Comment: 13 pages RevTeX slightly revised, 6 eps-figure
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