33 research outputs found
Rate and Gain Limitations of MSGC's and MGC's Combined with GEM and other Preamplification Structures
We have studied the rate and gain limits of diamond-coated Microstrip Gas Counters (MSGC's) and Micro-Gap Counters (MGC's) when combined with various preamplification structures: Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM), Parallel-Plate Avalanche Chamber (PPAC) or a MICROMEGAS-type structure. Measurements were done both with X rays and alpha particles with various detector geometries and in different gas mixtures at pressures from 0.05 to 10 atm. The results obtained varied significantly with detector design, gas mixture and pressure, but some general features can be identified. We found that in all cases, bare MSGC'S, MGC'S, PPAC's and MICROMEGAS, the maximum achievable gain drops with rate. The addition of preamplification structures significantly increases the gain of MSGC's and MGC'S, but this gain is still rate dependent. There would seem to be a general rate-dependent effect governing the usable gain of all these detectors. We speculate on possible mechanisms for this effect, and identify a safe, spark-free, operation zone for each system (detector + preamplification structure) in the rate-gain coordinate plane
Relativistic mean-field study of neutron-rich nuclei
A relativistic mean-field model is used to study the ground-state properties
of neutron-rich nuclei. Nonlinear isoscalar-isovector terms, unconstrained by
present day phenomenology, are added to the model Lagrangian in order to modify
the poorly known density dependence of the symmetry energy. These new terms
soften the symmetry energy and reshape the theoretical neutron drip line
without compromising the agreement with existing ground-state information. A
strong correlation between the neutron radius of 208Pb and the binding energy
of valence orbitals is found: the smaller the neutron radius of 208Pb, the
weaker the binding energy of the last occupied neutron orbital. Thus, models
with the softest symmetry energy are the first ones to drip neutrons. Further,
in anticipation of the upcoming one-percent measurement of the neutron radius
of 208Pb at the Thomas Jefferson Laboratory, a close relationship between the
neutron radius of 208Pb and neutron radii of elements of relevance to atomic
parity-violating experiments is established.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure
Conceptual design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)
The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) will be a forth generation axion
helioscope. As its primary physics goal, IAXO will look for axions or
axion-like particles (ALPs) originating in the Sun via the Primakoff conversion
of the solar plasma photons. In terms of signal-to-noise ratio, IAXO will be
about 4-5 orders of magnitude more sensitive than CAST, currently the most
powerful axion helioscope, reaching sensitivity to axion-photon couplings down
to a few GeV and thus probing a large fraction of the
currently unexplored axion and ALP parameter space. IAXO will also be sensitive
to solar axions produced by mechanisms mediated by the axion-electron coupling
with sensitivity for the first time to values of not
previously excluded by astrophysics. With several other possible physics cases,
IAXO has the potential to serve as a multi-purpose facility for generic axion
and ALP research in the next decade. In this paper we present the conceptual
design of IAXO, which follows the layout of an enhanced axion helioscope, based
on a purpose-built 20m-long 8-coils toroidal superconducting magnet. All the
eight 60cm-diameter magnet bores are equipped with focusing x-ray optics, able
to focus the signal photons into cm spots that are imaged by
ultra-low-background Micromegas x-ray detectors. The magnet is built into a
structure with elevation and azimuth drives that will allow for solar tracking
for 12 h each day.Comment: 47 pages, submitted to JINS
Breakdown limit studies in high-rate gaseous detectors
We report results from a systematic study of breakdown limits for novel high-rate gaseous detectors: MICROMEGAS, CAT and GEM, together with more conventional devices such as thin-gap parallel-mesh chambers and high-rate wire chambers. It was found that for all these detectors, the maximum achievable gain, before breakdown appears, drops dramatically with incident flux, and is sometimes inversely proportional to it. Further, in the presence of alpha particles, typical of the breakgrounds in high-energy experiments, additional gain drops of 1-2 orders of magnitude were observed for many detectors. It was found that breakdowns at high rates occur through what we have termed an "accumulative" mechanism, which does not seem to have been previously reported in the literature. Results of these studies may help in choosing the optimum detector for given experimental conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TJM-3VR1CVW-25/1/9bfb8c65132c9b4b8673fa6d100f916
Chronic SSRI treatment exacerbates serotonin deficiency in humanized Tph2 mutant mice
10.1021/cn300127hACS Chemical Neuroscience4184-8
From x-ray telescopes to neutron scattering: Using axisymmetric mirrors to focus a neutron beam
We demonstrate neutron beam focusing by axisymmetric mirror systems based on a pair of mirrors
consisting of a confocal ellipsoid and hyperboloid. Such a system, known as a Wolter mirror
configuration, is commonly used in x-ray telescopes. The axisymmetric Wolter geometry allows
nesting of several mirror pairs to increase collection efficiency. We have implemented a system
containing four nested Ni mirror pairs, which was tested by focusing a polychromatic neutron beam at
the MIT Reactor. In addition, we have carried out extensive ray-tracing simulations of the mirrors and
their performance in different situations. The major advantages of the Wolter mirrors are nesting for
large angular collection, and aberration-free performance. We discuss how these advantages can be
utilized to benefit various neutron scattering methods, such as imaging, SANS, and time-of-flight
spectroscopy.United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (award DE-FG02-09ER46556)United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (award DE-FG02-09ER46557