Simulation Studies of Delta-ray Backgrounds in a Compton-Scatter Transition Radiation Detector

In order to evaluate the response to cosmic-ray nuclei of a Compton-Scatter Transition Radiation Detector in the proposed ACCESS space-based mission, a hybrid Monte Carlo simulation using GEANT3 and an external transition radiation (TR) generator routine was constructed. This simulation was employed to study the effects of delta-ray production induced by high-energy nuclei and to maximize the ratio of TR to delta-ray background. The results demonstrate the ability of a Compton-Scatter Transition Radiation Detector to measure nuclei from boron to iron up to Lorentz factors ~ 10^5 taking into account the steeply falling power-law cosmic ray spectra.Comment: Presented at TRDs for the 3rd millennium: Third Workshop on advanced Transition Radiation Detectors for accelerator and space applications, Ostuni, Italy, September 2005, 4 pages, 2 figure

Simulations of MATROSHKA experiments at ISS using PHITS

Concerns about the biological effects of space radiation are increasing rapidly due to the perspective of long-duration manned missions, both in relation to the International Space Station (ISS) and to manned interplanetary missions to Moon and Mars in the future. As a preparation for these long duration space missions it is important to ensure an excellent capability to evaluate the impact of space radiation on human health in order to secure the safety of the astronauts/cosmonauts and minimize their risks. It is therefore necessary to measure the radiation load on the personnel both inside and outside the space vehicles and certify that organ and tissue equivalent doses can be simulated as accurate as possible. In this paper we will present simulations using the three-dimensional Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) of long term dose measurements performed with the ESA supported experiment MATROSHKA (MTR), which is an anthropomorphic phantom containing over 6000 radiation detectors, mimicking a human head and torso. The MTR experiment, led by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), was launched in January 2004 and has measured the absorbed dose from space radiation both inside and outside the ISS. In this paper preliminary comparisons of measurements outside the ISS will be presented. The results confirm previous calculations and measurements which indicate that PHITS is a suitable tool for estimations of dose received from cosmic radiation and when performing shielding design studies of spacecraft

Analysis of proton-induced fragment production cross sections by the Quantum Molecular Dynamics plus Statistical Decay Model

The production cross sections of various fragments from proton-induced reactions on $^{56}$Fe and $^{27}$Al have been analyzed by the Quantum Molecular Dynamics (QMD) plus Statistical Decay Model (SDM). It was found that the mass and charge distributions calculated with and without the statistical decay have very different shapes. These results also depend strongly on the impact parameter, showing an importance of the dynamical treatment as realized by the QMD approach. The calculated results were compared with experimental data in the energy region from 50 MeV to 5 GeV. The QMD+SDM calculation could reproduce the production cross sections of the light clusters and intermediate-mass to heavy fragments in a good accuracy. The production cross section of $^{7}$Be was, however, underpredicted by approximately 2 orders of magnitude, showing the necessity of another reaction mechanism not taken into account in the present model.Comment: 12 pages, Latex is used, 6 Postscript figures are available by request from [email protected]

Universality of the Diffusion Wake from Stopped and Punch-Through Jets in Heavy-Ion Collisions

We solve (3+1)-dimensional ideal hydrodynamical equations with source terms that describe punch-through and fully stopped jets in order to compare their final away-side angular correlations in a static medium. For fully stopped jets, the backreaction of the medium is described by a simple Bethe-Bloch-like model which leads to an explosive burst of energy and momentum (Bragg peak) close to the end of the jet's evolution through the medium. Surprisingly enough, we find that the medium's response and the corresponding away-side angular correlations are largely insensitive to whether the jet punches through or stops inside the medium. This result is also independent of whether momentum deposition is longitudinal (as generally occurs in pQCD energy loss models) or transverse (as the Bethe-Bloch formula implies). The existence of the diffusion wake is therefore shown to be universal to all scenarios where momentum as well as energy is deposited into the medium, which can readily be understood in ideal hydrodynamics through vorticity conservation. The particle yield coming from the strong forward moving diffusion wake that is formed in the wake of both punch-through and stopped jets largely overwhelms their weak Mach cone signal after freeze-out.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, revised version, main results unchange

Formula for proton-nucleus reaction cross section at intermediate energies and its application

We construct a formula for proton-nucleus total reaction cross section as a function of the mass and neutron excess of the target nucleus and the proton incident energy. We deduce the dependence of the cross section on the mass number and the proton incident energy from a simple argument involving the proton optical depth within the framework of a black sphere approximation of nuclei, while we describe the neutron excess dependence by introducing the density derivative of the symmetry energy, L, on the basis of a radius formula constructed from macroscopic nuclear models. We find that the cross section formula can reproduce the energy dependence of the cross section measured for stable nuclei without introducing any adjustable energy dependent parameter. We finally discuss whether or not the reaction cross section is affected by an extremely low density tail of the neutron distribution for halo nuclei.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, added reference

Fragmentation Cross Sections of Medium-Energy 35Cl, 40Ar, and 48TiBeams on Elemental Targets

Charge-changing and fragment production cross sections at 0degrees have been obtained for interactions of 290, 400, and 650MeV/nucleon 40Ar beams, 650 and 1000 MeV/nucleon 35Cl beams, and a 1000MeV/nucleon 48Ti beam. Targets of C, CH2, Al, Cu, Sn, and Pb were used.Using standard analysis methods, we obtain fragment cross sections forcharges as low as 8 for Cl and Ar beams, and as low as 10 for the Tibeam. Using data obtained with small-acceptance detectors, we reportfragment production cross sections for charges as low as 5, corrected foracceptance using a simple model of fragment angular distributions. Withthe lower-charged fragment cross sections, we cancompare the data topredictions from several models (including NUCFRG2, EPAX2, and PHITS) ina region largely unexplored in earlier work. As found in earlier workwith other beams, NUCFRG2 and PHITS predictions agree reasonably wellwith the data for charge-changing cross sections, but do not accuratelypredict the fragment production cross sections. The cross sections forthe lightest fragments demonstrate the inadequacy of several models inwhich the cross sections fall monotonically with the charge of thefragment. PHITS, despite not agreeing particularly well with the fragmentproduction cross sections on average, nonetheless qualitativelyreproduces somesignificant features of the data that are missing from theother models

The ALTCRISS project on board the International Space Station

The Altcriss project aims to perform a long term survey of the radiation environment on board the International Space Station. Measurements are being performed with active and passive devices in different locations and orientations of the Russian segment of the station. The goal is to perform a detailed evaluation of the differences in particle fluence and nuclear composition due to different shielding material and attitude of the station. The Sileye-3/Alteino detector is used to identify nuclei up to Iron in the energy range above 60 MeV/n. Several passive dosimeters (TLDs, CR39) are also placed in the same location of Sileye-3 detector. Polyethylene shielding is periodically interposed in front of the detectors to evaluate the effectiveness of shielding on the nuclear component of the cosmic radiation. The project was submitted to ESA in reply to the AO in the Life and Physical Science of 2004 and data taking began in December 2005. Dosimeters and data cards are rotated every six months: up to now three launches of dosimeters and data cards have been performed and have been returned with the end of expedition 12 and 13.Comment: Accepted for publication on Advances in Space Research http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2007.04.03

Projectile fragmentation of 129Xe at Elab=790 AMeV

We have measured production yields and longitudinal momentum distributions of projectile-like fragments in the reaction 129Xe + 27Al at an energy of Elab=790 AMeV. Production cross sections higher than expected from systematics were observed for nuclei in the neutron-deficient tails of the isotopic distributions. A comparison with previously measured data from the fragmentation of 136Xe ions shows that the production yields strongly depend on the neutron excess of the projectile with respect to the line of beta-stability. The momentum distributions exhibit a dependence on the fragment neutron-to-proton ratio in isobaric chains, which was not expected from systematics so far. This can be interpreted by a higher excitation of the projectile during the formation of neutron-deficient fragments.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, 1 tabl