137 research outputs found
Exploration of a 100 TeV gamma-ray northern sky using the Tibet air-shower array combined with an underground water-Cherenkov muon-detector array
Aiming to observe cosmic gamma rays in the 10 - 1000 TeV energy region, we
propose a 10000 m^2 underground water-Cherenkov muon-detector (MD) array that
operates in conjunction with the Tibet air-shower (AS) array. Significant
improvement is expected in the sensitivity of the Tibet AS array towards
celestial gamma-ray signals above 10 TeV by utilizing the fact that
gamma-ray-induced air showers contain far fewer muons compared with
cosmic-ray-induced ones. We carried out detailed Monte Carlo simulations to
assess the attainable sensitivity of the Tibet AS+MD array towards celestial
TeV gamma-ray signals. Based on the simulation results, the Tibet AS+MD array
will be able to reject 99.99% of background events at 100 TeV, with 83% of
gamma-ray events remaining. The sensitivity of the Tibet AS+MD array will be
~20 times better than that of the present Tibet AS array around 20 - 100 TeV.
The Tibet AS+MD array will measure the directions of the celestial TeV
gamma-ray sources and the cutoffs of their energy spectra. Furthermore, the
Tibet AS+MD array, along with imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes as well
as the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and X-ray satellites such as Suzaku and
MAXI, will make multiwavelength observations and conduct morphological studies
on sources in the quest for evidence of the hadronic nature of the cosmic-ray
acceleration mechanism.Comment: Accepted by Astroparticle Physic
The energy spectrum of all-particle cosmic rays around the knee region observed with the Tibet-III air-shower array
We have already reported the first result on the all-particle spectrum around
the knee region based on data from 2000 November to 2001 October observed by
the Tibet-III air-shower array. In this paper, we present an updated result
using data set collected in the period from 2000 November through 2004 October
in a wide range over 3 decades between eV and eV, in which
the position of the knee is clearly seen at around 4 PeV. The spectral index is
-2.68 0.02(stat.) below 1PeV, while it is -3.12 0.01(stat.) above 4
PeV in the case of QGSJET+HD model, and various systematic errors are under
study now.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Advances in space researc
Moon Shadow by Cosmic Rays under the Influence of Geomagnetic Field and Search for Antiprotons at Multi-TeV Energies
We have observed the shadowing of galactic cosmic ray flux in the direction
of the moon, the so-called moon shadow, using the Tibet-III air shower array
operating at Yangbajing (4300 m a.s.l.) in Tibet since 1999. Almost all cosmic
rays are positively charged; for that reason, they are bent by the geomagnetic
field, thereby shifting the moon shadow westward. The cosmic rays will also
produce an additional shadow in the eastward direction of the moon if cosmic
rays contain negatively charged particles, such as antiprotons, with some
fraction. We selected 1.5 x10^{10} air shower events with energy beyond about 3
TeV from the dataset observed by the Tibet-III air shower array and detected
the moon shadow at level. The center of the moon was detected
in the direction away from the apparent center of the moon by 0.23 to
the west. Based on these data and a full Monte Carlo simulation, we searched
for the existence of the shadow produced by antiprotons at the multi-TeV energy
region. No evidence of the existence of antiprotons was found in this energy
region. We obtained the 90% confidence level upper limit of the flux ratio of
antiprotons to protons as 7% at multi-TeV energies.Comment: 13pages,4figures; Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic
Central Pb+Pb Collisions at 158 A GeV/c Studied by Pion-Pion Interferometry
Two-particle correlations have been measured for identified negative pions
from central 158 AGeV Pb+Pb collisions and fitted radii of about 7 fm in all
dimensions have been obtained. A multi-dimensional study of the radii as a
function of kT is presented, including a full correction for the resolution
effects of the apparatus. The cross term Rout-long of the standard fit in the
Longitudinally CoMoving System (LCMS) and the vl parameter of the generalised
Yano-Koonin fit are compatible with 0, suggesting that the source undergoes a
boost invariant expansion. The shapes of the correlation functions in Qinv and
Qspace have been analyzed in detail. They are not Gaussian but better
represented by exponentials. As a consequence, fitting Gaussians to these
correlation functions may produce different radii depending on the acceptance
of the experimental setup used for the measurement.Comment: 13 pages including 10 figure
Search for Disoriented Chiral Condensates in 158 AGeV Pb+Pb Collisions
The restoration of chiral symmetry and its subsequent breaking through a
phase transition has been predicted to create regions of Disoriented Chiral
Condensates (DCC). This phenomenon has been predicted to cause anomalous
fluctuations in the relative production of charged and neutral pions in
high-energy hadronic and nuclear collisions. The WA98 experiment has been used
to measure charged and photon multiplicities in the central region of 158 AGeV
Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN SPS. In a sample of 212646 events, no clear DCC
signal can be distinguished. Using a simple DCC model, we have set a 90% C.L.
upper limit on the maximum DCC production allowed by the data.Comment: 20 Pages, LaTeX, uses elsart.cls, 8 eps figures included, submitted
to Physics Letters
Centrality Dependence of the High p_T Charged Hadron Suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 130 GeV
PHENIX has measured the centrality dependence of charged hadron p_T spectra
from central Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)=130 GeV. The truncated mean p_T
decreases with centrality for p_T > 2 GeV/c, indicating an apparent reduction
of the contribution from hard scattering to high p_T hadron production. For
central collisions the yield at high p_T is shown to be suppressed compared to
binary nucleon-nucleon collision scaling of p+p data. This suppression is
monotonically increasing with centrality, but most of the change occurs below
30% centrality, i.e. for collisions with less than about 140 participating
nucleons. The observed p_T and centrality dependence is consistent with the
particle production predicted by models including hard scattering and
subsequent energy loss of the scattered partons in the dense matter created in
the collisions.Comment: 7 pages text, LaTeX, 6 figures, 2 tables, 307 authors, resubmitted to
Phys. Lett. B. Revised to address referee concerns. Plain text data tables
for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications
are publicly available at
http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/phenix/WWW/run/phenix/papers.htm
Proximity effect at superconducting Sn-Bi2Se3 interface
We have investigated the conductance spectra of Sn-Bi2Se3 interface junctions
down to 250 mK and in different magnetic fields. A number of conductance
anomalies were observed below the superconducting transition temperature of Sn,
including a small gap different from that of Sn, and a zero-bias conductance
peak growing up at lower temperatures. We discussed the possible origins of the
smaller gap and the zero-bias conductance peak. These phenomena support that a
proximity-effect-induced chiral superconducting phase is formed at the
interface between the superconducting Sn and the strong spin-orbit coupling
material Bi2Se3.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure
Formation of dense partonic matter in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions at RHIC: Experimental evaluation by the PHENIX collaboration
Extensive experimental data from high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions were
recorded using the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
(RHIC). The comprehensive set of measurements from the first three years of
RHIC operation includes charged particle multiplicities, transverse energy,
yield ratios and spectra of identified hadrons in a wide range of transverse
momenta (p_T), elliptic flow, two-particle correlations, non-statistical
fluctuations, and suppression of particle production at high p_T. The results
are examined with an emphasis on implications for the formation of a new state
of dense matter. We find that the state of matter created at RHIC cannot be
described in terms of ordinary color neutral hadrons.Comment: 510 authors, 127 pages text, 56 figures, 1 tables, LaTeX. Submitted
to Nuclear Physics A as a regular article; v3 has minor changes in response
to referee comments. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures
for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available
at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm
The PHENIX Experiment at RHIC
The physics emphases of the PHENIX collaboration and the design and current
status of the PHENIX detector are discussed. The plan of the collaboration for
making the most effective use of the available luminosity in the first years of
RHIC operation is also presented.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Further details of the PHENIX physics program
available at http://www.rhic.bnl.gov/phenix
Directed Flow in 158 A GeV + Collisions
The directed flow of protons and positive pions have been studied in 158 A GeV Pb + Pb collisions. A directed flow analysis of the rapidity dependence of the average transverse momentum projected onto the reaction plane is presented for semi-central collisions with impact parameters of approximately 8 fm, where the flow effect is largest. The magnitude of the directed flow is found to be significantly smaller than observed at AGS energies and than RQMD model predictions.The directed flow of protons and positive pions have been studied in 158 A GeV Pb + Pb collisions. A directed flow analysis of the rapidity dependence of the average transverse momentum projected onto the reaction plane is presented for semi-central collisions with impact parameters of approximately 8 fm, where the flow effect is largest. The magnitude of the directed flow is found to be significantly smaller than observed at AGS energies and than RQMD model predictions
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