On the sensitivity of the HAWC observatory to gamma-ray bursts

We present the sensitivity of HAWC to Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). HAWC is a very high-energy gamma-ray observatory currently under construction in Mexico at an altitude of 4100 m. It will observe atmospheric air showers via the water Cherenkov method. HAWC will consist of 300 large water tanks instrumented with 4 photomultipliers each. HAWC has two data acquisition (DAQ) systems. The main DAQ system reads out coincident signals in the tanks and reconstructs the direction and energy of individual atmospheric showers. The scaler DAQ counts the hits in each photomultiplier tube (PMT) in the detector and searches for a statistical excess over the noise of all PMTs. We show that HAWC has a realistic opportunity to observe the high-energy power law components of GRBs that extend at least up to 30 GeV, as it has been observed by Fermi LAT. The two DAQ systems have an energy threshold that is low enough to observe events similar to GRB 090510 and GRB 090902b with the characteristics observed by Fermi LAT. HAWC will provide information about the high-energy spectra of GRBs which in turn could help to understanding about e-pair attenuation in GRB jets, extragalactic background light absorption, as well as establishing the highest energy to which GRBs accelerate particles

Construction status and prospects of the Hyper-Kamiokande project

The Hyper-Kamiokande project is a 258-kton Water Cherenkov together with a 1.3-MW high-intensity neutrino beam from the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC). The inner detector with 186-kton fiducial volume is viewed by 20-inch photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and multi-PMT modules, and thereby provides state-of-the-art of Cherenkov ring reconstruction with thresholds in the range of few MeVs. The project is expected to lead to precision neutrino oscillation studies, especially neutrino CP violation, nucleon decay searches, and low energy neutrino astronomy. In 2020, the project was officially approved and construction of the far detector was started at Kamioka. In 2021, the excavation of the access tunnel and initial mass production of the newly developed 20-inch PMTs was also started. In this paper, we present a basic overview of the project and the latest updates on the construction status of the project, which is expected to commence operation in 2027

Prospects for neutrino astrophysics with Hyper-Kamiokande

Hyper-Kamiokande is a multi-purpose next generation neutrino experiment. The detector is a two-layered cylindrical shape ultra-pure water tank, with its height of 64 m and diameter of 71 m. The inner detector will be surrounded by tens of thousands of twenty-inch photosensors and multi-PMT modules to detect water Cherenkov radiation due to the charged particles and provide our fiducial volume of 188 kt. This detection technique is established by Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande. As the successor of these experiments, Hyper-K will be located deep underground, 600 m below Mt. Tochibora at Kamioka in Japan to reduce cosmic-ray backgrounds. Besides our physics program with accelerator neutrino, atmospheric neutrino and proton decay, neutrino astrophysics is an important research topic for Hyper-K. With its fruitful physics research programs, Hyper-K will play a critical role in the next neutrino physics frontier. It will also provide important information via astrophysical neutrino measurements, i.e., solar neutrino, supernova burst neutrinos and supernova relic neutrino. Here, we will discuss the physics potential of Hyper-K neutrino astrophysics

A Humanitarian Logistics Case Study for the Intermediary Phase Accommodation Center for Refugees and Other Humanitarian Disaster Victims

The growing and uncontrollable stream of refugees from Middle East and North Africa has created considerable pressure to governments and societies all over Europe. To establish the theoretical framework, the concept of humanitarian logistics is briefly examined in this paper. Historical data from the nineteenth century onwards illuminates the fact that this influx is not a novelty in the European continent and the interpretation of statistical data highlights the characteristics and particularities of the current refugee wave, as well as the possible repercussions these could inflict both to hosting societies and to displaced populations. Finally, a review of European and national legislation and policies shows that measures taken so far are disjointed and that no complete but at the same time fair and humanitarian management strategy exists. Within this context, the paper elaborates on the development of a compact accommodation center made of shipping containers, to function as one of the initial stages in adaptation before full social integration of the displaced populations. It aims at maximizing the respect for human rights and values while minimizing the impact on society and on the environment. Some of the humanitarian and ecological issues discussed are: integration of medical, educational, religious and social functions within the unit, optimal land utilization, renewable energy use, and waste management infrastructures. Creating added value for the “raw” material (shipping containers) and prolonging the unit’s life span by enabling transformation and change of use, transportation and reuse, and finally end-of-life dismantlement and recycling also lie within the scope of the project. The overall goal is not only to address the current needs stemming from the refugee crisis, but also to develop a project versatile enough to be adapted for implementation on further social groups in need of support. The paper’s results could serve as a useful tool for governments and organizations to better plan ahead and respond fast and efficiently not only in regard to the present humanitarian emergency, but also in any possible similar major disaster situation, including the potential consequences of climate change

Learning Korean language in China: motivations and strategies of non-Koreans

The ethnographic research reported in this article documents how a group of non-Korean families, whose children are participating in a Korean bilingual school in Northeast China, construct their motivations and strategies of learning Korean language. The main motivation of expectancy of further education opportunities and success in future career and strategies mainly in establishing Korean sociocultural context for Korean language acquisition are described. The positive attitude of non-Korean families toward Korean language studies highlights the functional importance of Korean language as a means of acquiring a larger benefit from China's economic marketization, especially increasing business contacts with South Korea. With the challenges of Korean language studies, this article argues that the increasing significance of trilingualism or even multilingualism in China's reform period implies the necessity of relevant policy initiations for the increasing needs of language acquisition.postprin