46 research outputs found
Nonparametric Information Geometry
The differential-geometric structure of the set of positive densities on a
given measure space has raised the interest of many mathematicians after the
discovery by C.R. Rao of the geometric meaning of the Fisher information. Most
of the research is focused on parametric statistical models. In series of
papers by author and coworkers a particular version of the nonparametric case
has been discussed. It consists of a minimalistic structure modeled according
the theory of exponential families: given a reference density other densities
are represented by the centered log likelihood which is an element of an Orlicz
space. This mappings give a system of charts of a Banach manifold. It has been
observed that, while the construction is natural, the practical applicability
is limited by the technical difficulty to deal with such a class of Banach
spaces. It has been suggested recently to replace the exponential function with
other functions with similar behavior but polynomial growth at infinity in
order to obtain more tractable Banach spaces, e.g. Hilbert spaces. We give
first a review of our theory with special emphasis on the specific issues of
the infinite dimensional setting. In a second part we discuss two specific
topics, differential equations and the metric connection. The position of this
line of research with respect to other approaches is briefly discussed.Comment: Submitted for publication in the Proceedings od GSI2013 Aug 28-30
2013 Pari
Primary proton spectrum between 200 TeV and 1000 TeV observed with the Tibet burst detector and air shower array
Since 1996, a hybrid experiment consisting of the emulsion chamber and burst
detector array and the Tibet-II air-shower array has been operated at
Yangbajing (4300 m above sea level, 606 g/cm^2) in Tibet. This experiment can
detect air-shower cores, called as burst events, accompanied by air showers in
excess of about 100 TeV. We observed about 4300 burst events accompanied by air
showers during 690 days of operation and selected 820 proton-induced events
with its primary energy above 200 TeV using a neural network method. Using this
data set, we obtained the energy spectrum of primary protons in the energy
range from 200 to 1000 TeV. The differential energy spectrum obtained in this
energy region can be fitted by a power law with the index of -2.97 0.06,
which is steeper than that obtained by direct measurements at lower energies.
We also obtained the energy spectrum of helium nuclei at particle energies
around 1000 TeV.Comment: 25 pages, 22 figures, Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Astroparticle Physics with a Customized Low-Background Broad Energy Germanium Detector
The MAJORANA Collaboration is building the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, a 60 kg
array of high purity germanium detectors housed in an ultra-low background
shield at the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, SD. The MAJORANA
DEMONSTRATOR will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge while
demonstrating the feasibility of a tonne-scale experiment. It may also carry
out a dark matter search in the 1-10 GeV/c^2 mass range. We have found that
customized Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detectors produced by Canberra have
several desirable features for a neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment,
including low electronic noise, excellent pulse shape analysis capabilities,
and simple fabrication. We have deployed a customized BEGe, the MAJORANA
Low-Background BEGe at Kimballton (MALBEK), in a low-background cryostat and
shield at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility in Virginia. This paper
will focus on the detector characteristics and measurements that can be
performed with such a radiation detector in a low-background environment.Comment: Submitted to NIMA Proceedings, SORMA XII. 9 pages, 4 figure
The Majorana Demonstrator: Progress towards showing the feasibility of a tonne-scale 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment
The Majorana Demonstrator will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay (0vββ) of the 76Ge isotope with a mixed array of enriched and natural germanium detectors. The observation of this rare decay would indicate the neutrino is its own anti-particle, demonstrate that lepton number is not conserved, and provide information on the absolute mass-scale of the neutrino. The Demonstrator is being assembled at the 4850 foot level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. The array will be contained in a low-background environment and surrounded by passive and active shielding. The goals for the Demonstrator are: demonstrating a background rate less than 3 t-1 y-1 in the 4 keV region of interest (ROI) surrounding the 2039 keV 76Ge endpoint energy; establishing the technology required to build a tonne-scale germanium based double-beta decay experiment; testing the recent claim of observation of 0vββ [1]; and performing a direct search for light WIMPs (3-10 GeV/c2)
Characteristics of signals originating near the lithium-diffused N+ contact of high purity germanium p-type point contact detectors
A study of signals originating near the lithium-diffused n+ contact of p-type point contact (PPC) high purity germanium detectors (HPGe) is presented. The transition region between the active germanium and the fully dead layer of the n+ contact is examined. Energy depositions in this transition region are shown to result in partial charge collection. This provides a mechanism for events with a well defined energy to contribute to the continuum of the energy spectrum at lower energies. A novel technique to quantify the contribution from this source of background is introduced. Experiments that operate germanium detectors with a very low energy threshold may benefit from the methods presented herein
The MAJORANA experiment: An ultra-low background search for neutrinoless double-beta decay
The observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would resolve the Majorana nature of the neutrino and could provide information on the absolute scale of the neutrino mass. The initial phase of the MAJORANA experiment, known as the DEMONSTRATOR, will house 40 kg of Ge in an ultra-low background shielded environment at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, SD. The objective of the DEMONSTRATOR is to determine whether a future 1-tonne experiment can achieve a background goal of one count per tonne-year in a narrow region of interest around the 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay peak
The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR for 0νββ: Current Status and Future Plans
The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR will search for neutrinoless-double-beta decay (0νββ) in 76Ge, while establishing the feasibility of a future tonne-scale germanium-based 0νββ experiment, and performing searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model. The experiment, currently under construction at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD, will consist of a pair of modular high-purity germanium detector arrays housed inside of a compact copper, lead, and polyethylene shield. Through a combination of strict materials qualifications and assay, low-background design, and powerful background rejection techniques, the Demonstrator aims to achieve a background rate in the 0νββ region of interest (ROI) of no more than 3 counts in the 0νββ-decay ROI per tonne of target isotope per year (cnts/(ROI-t-y)). The current status of the Demonstrator is discussed, as are plans for its completion
A Dark Matter Search with MALBEK
The Majorana Demonstrator is an array of natural and enriched high purity germanium detectors that will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge and perform a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with masses below 10 GeV. As part of the Majorana research and development efforts, we have deployed a modified, low-background broad energy germanium detector at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility. With its sub-keV energy threshold, this detector is sensitive to potential non-Standard Model physics, including interactions with WIMPs. We discuss the backgrounds present in the WIMP region of interest and explore the impact of slow surface event contamination when searching for a WIMP signal
The Majorana project
Building a 0νβ β experiment with the ability to probe neutrino mass in the inverted hierarchy region requires the combination of a large detector mass sensitive to 0νβ β, on the order of 1-tonne, and unprecedented background levels, on the order of or less than 1 count per year in the 0νβ β signal region. The Majorana Collaboration proposes a design based on using high-purity enriched 76Ge crystals deployed in ultra- low background electroformed Cu cryostats and using modern analysis techniques that should be capable of reaching the required sensitivity while also being scalable to a 1- tonne size. To demonstrate feasibility, the collaboration plans to construct a prototype system, the Majorana Demonstrator, consisting of 30 kg of 86% enriched 76Ge detectors and 30 kg of natural or isotope-76-depleted Ge detectors. We plan to deploy and evaluate two different Ge detector technologies, one based on a p-type configuration and the other on n-type
Measurements of L-shell x-ray production cross sections of W, Pt, and Au by 10-30-keV electrons
We present results from measurements of Lα x-ray production cross sections of the elements W, Pt, and Au by impact of electrons with energies in the range 10–30 keV. The cross sections were obtained by measuring Lα x-ray intensities emitted from very thin films of the studied elements deposited on thick carbon substrates. The directional and energy spreading of the electron beam within the active film and the x-ray enhancement due to electron backscattering from the substrate were accounted for by means of Monte Carlo simulation. Recorded x-ray intensities were converted to absolute x-ray production cross sections by using two different methods; the first employs measured values of the sample thickness and the number of incident electrons and estimated detector efficiencies; the second is based on a comparison between measured and calculated bremsstrahlung intensities. Experimental data are compared with the results of simple analytical formulas of common use in practical electron probe microanalysis, with calculated cross sections obtained from the distorted-wave Born approximation and with other experimental data available in the literature