Neutrons from 9Be/alpha,n/ reaction for E alpha between 6 and 10 MeV

Neutron energy spectra measured as function of neutron emission angle and ion bombardment energ

MIMAC : a micro-TPC detector for non-baryonic dark matter search

The MIMAC project is multi-chamber detector for Dark Matter search, aiming at measuring both track and ionization with a matrix of micromegas micro-TPC filled with He3 and CF4. Recent experimental results on the first measurements of the Helium quenching factor at low energy (1 keV recoil) are presented.Comment: 7 pages, Proc of Dark Energy and Dark Matter conference, Lyon : France (2008

First measurement of low intensity fast neutron background from rock at the Boulby Underground Laboratory

A technique to measure low intensity fast neutron flux has been developed. The design, calibrations, procedure for data analysis and interpretation of the results are discussed in detail. The technique has been applied to measure the neutron background from rock at the Boulby Underground Laboratory, a site used for dark matter and other experiments, requiring shielding from cosmic ray muons. The experiment was performed using a liquid scintillation detector. A 6.1 litre volume stainless steel cell was filled with an in-house made liquid scintillator loaded with Gd to enhance neutron capture. A two-pulse signature (proton recoils followed by gammas from neutron capture) was used to identify the neutron events from much larger gamma background from PMTs. Suppression of gammas from the rock was achieved by surrounding the detector with high-purity lead and copper. Calibrations of the detector were performed with various gamma and neutron sources. Special care was taken to eliminate PMT afterpulses and correlated background events from the delayed coincidences of two pulses in the Bi-Po decay chain. A four month run revealed a neutron-induced event rate of 1.84 +- 0.65 (stat.) events/day. Monte Carlo simulations based on the GEANT4 toolkit were carried out to estimate the efficiency of the detector and the energy spectra of the expected proton recoils. From comparison of the measured rate with Monte Carlo simulations the flux of fast neutrons from rock was estimated as (1.72 +- 0.61 (stat.) +- 0.38 (syst.))*10^(-6) cm^(-2) s^(-1) above 0.5 MeV.Comment: 37 pages, 24 figures, to be published in Astroparticle Physic

Characterization of a Li-6 loaded liquid organic scintillator for fast neutron spectrometry and thermal neutron detection

The characterization of a liquid scintillator incorporating an aqueous solution of enriched lithium chloride to produce a scintillator with 0.40% Li-6 is presented, including the performance of the scintillator in terms of its optical properties and neutron response. The scintillator was incorporated into a fast neutron spectrometer, and the light output spectra from 2.5 MeV, 14.1 MeV, and Cf-252 neutrons were measured using capture-gated coincidence techniques. The spectrometer was operated without coincidence to perform thermal neutron measurements. Possible improvements in spectrometer performance are discussed.Comment: Submitted to Applied Radiation and Isotopes. 11 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. Revision addresses reviewers' comment

PoGOLite - A High Sensitivity Balloon-Borne Soft Gamma-ray Polarimeter

We describe a new balloon-borne instrument (PoGOLite) capable of detecting 10% polarisation from 200mCrab point-like sources between 25 and 80keV in one 6 hour flight. Polarisation measurements in the soft gamma-ray band are expected to provide a powerful probe into high-energy emission mechanisms as well as the distribution of magnetic fields, radiation fields and interstellar matter. At present, only exploratory polarisation measurements have been carried out in the soft gamma-ray band. Reduction of the large background produced by cosmic-ray particles has been the biggest challenge. PoGOLite uses Compton scattering and photo-absorption in an array of 217 well-type phoswich detector cells made of plastic and BGO scintillators surrounded by a BGO anticoincidence shield and a thick polyethylene neutron shield. The narrow FOV (1.25msr) obtained with well-type phoswich detector technology and the use of thick background shields enhance the detected S/N ratio. Event selections based on recorded phototube waveforms and Compton kinematics reduce the background to that expected for a 40-100mCrab source between 25 and 50keV. A 6 hour observation on the Crab will differentiate between the Polar Cap/Slot Gap, Outer Gap, and Caustic models with greater than 5 sigma; and also cleanly identify the Compton reflection component in the Cygnus X-1 hard state. The first flight is planned for 2010 and long-duration flights from Sweden to Northern Canada are foreseen thereafter.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, 2 table

Protection of ischemic myocardium in dogs using intracoronary 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM)

Abstract Background. -Actomyosin ATPase is one of the major ATP consuming enzymes in the myocardium. We tested whether 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM), a reversible inhibitor of actomyosin ATPase, given before coronary occlusion, limits infarct size in anesthetized open-chest dogs. Methods and results. -After circumflex artery catheterization using fluoroscopic guidance, BDM (125 mM) or buffer vehicle was infused (12.0 ml/min) for 20 min (BDM-20, n = 5 and Buffer-20, n = 6) or for 5 min (BDM-5, n = 6 and Buffer-5, n = 6) prior to 60 min of ischemia and 3 h of reperfusion. BDM administration increased subendocardial blood flow 271% above baseline flow (radioactive microspheres), and systolic wall thickening was converted to wall bulging (wall thickening by sonomicrometry was -27 ± 29% and -22 ± 13% of baseline in BDM-20 and BDM-5, respectively). Adjusted mean infarct size (% area-at-risk) was 11.0 ± 2.8% and 11.9 ± 2.6% in BDM-20 and BDM-5 vs. 20.2 ± 2.5% and 20.5 ± 2.5% in Buffer-20 and Buffer-5 (ancova, P < 0.05 for each BDM vs. Buffer group). Measurement of glycolytic metabolites and the adenine nucleotide pool of myocardium paced electronically at 150 beats per minute during total ischemia at 37°C following BDM showed a metabolic response similar to that seen in ischemic preconditioning. ATP depletion, nucleoside production, and lactate accumulation were slowed in ischemic tissue treated with BDM. Conclusion. -BDM given before the onset of ischemia markedly limited infarct size and reduced energy demand after the onset of ischemia. The explanation for the reduced infarct size induced by BDM treatment is hypothesized to be the persistent reduction in energy demand found in ischemic BDM treated myocardium

Study of neutron response and n-gamma discrimination by charge comparison method for small liquid scintillation detector

The study of the neutron response and n-gamma discrimination for small (18x26x8) mm3 liquid scintillator BC501A (Bicron) detector was carried out by digital charge comparison method. Three ranges of neutron energies were used: uniform distribution from 0.95 MeV to 1.23 MeV, continuous spectra of AmBe source and monoenergetic 16.2 MeV neutrons. The obtained results are compared with those for cylindrical liquid scintillation detector (40 mm diameter, 60 mm length) at the same energies of neutrons. A dramatic fall of the neutron response function at 400 keVee for small detector at 16.2 MeV neutron energy was measured. For (0.95 - 1.23) MeV neutron energy range such fall takes place at 260 keVee. The greater slope of neutron locus at (0.95 - 1.23) MeV neutron energy comparing to 16.2 MeV for both detectors is explained by longer tail of pulse from proton recoils within (0.1-1.23) MeV energy range.Comment: submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Phys. Res. Sect.

First experimental prompt γ

The knowledge of prompt fission γ-ray emission has been of major interest in reactor physics since few years, but it is also important in the understanding of the fission process. We present here measurements of prompt γ-ray spectra emitted in the fission of 238U. A simple experimental method was used to measure the prompt fission gamma-ray spectrum up to 10 MeV. In this approach, the gamma-rays are measured with a bismuth germanate (BGO) detector which offers two significant advantages with respect to other gamma-ray detectors: a high peak-to-total ratio and a high efficiency. The prompt fission neutrons are rejected by the time-of-flight technique between the BGO detector and a fission trigger given by a fission chamber. Prompt fission gamma-ray spectra were measured for 1.7, 5.2 and 15.6 MeV incoming neutron energies at the CEA, DAM, DIF Van de Graaff accelerator

Double differential neutron yields from thick targets used in space applications

In March 2016, secondary neutron production from thick-target shielding experiments were conducted at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Ion beams of proton, helium, and iron projectiles were aimed at aluminum targets with areal densities of 20, 40, and 60 g/cm2. The ion beams were extracted at energies of 400 and 800 AMeV and neutron yields were measured with liquid scintillators at 10°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 80°, and 135° off the beam axis. A second 60 g/cm2 aluminum target was placed 3.5 m downstream from the middle of front target to study backscattered neutrons. Double differential thick-target neutron yields for various combinations of projectile, projectile energy, target material, target thickness, and detector location were produced using the time-of-flight technique. These measurements will help NASA perform uncertainty analyses on their transport codes and contribute to shielding design studies for future space applications