177 research outputs found
Description of sub-barrier heavy ion fusion in a semiclassical quantum tunneling model
In this paper we apply the semiclassical method based on the Feynman path integral formalism to sub-barrier fusion of heavy nuclei. Cross sections are calculated and compared to experimental data and to coupled-channel calculations for different mass systems: 32S124Mg, 58Ni164Ni, and 16O1208Pb. The semiclassical method and coupled-channel calculations give comparable results. It is found that the coupling produces a renormalization of the barrier that is responsible for the enhancement of sub-barrier fusion cross sections and a dissipative force along the classical tunneling path
Primary and secondary scintillation measurements in a Xenon Gas Proportional Scintillation Counter
16 páginas, 10 figuras, 1 tabla.-- El PDF es la versión post-print.-- et al.NEXT is a new experiment to search for neutrinoless double beta decay using a 100 kg radio-pure high-pressure gaseous xenon TPC. The detector requires excellent energy resolution, which can be achieved in a Xe TPC with electroluminescence readout. Hamamatsu R8520-06SEL photomultipliers are good candidates for the scintillation readout. The performance of this photomultiplier, used as VUV photosensor in a gas proportional scintillation counter, was investigated. Initial results for the detection of primary and secondary scintillation produced as a result of the interaction of 5.9 keV X-rays in gaseous xenon, at room temperature and at pressures up to 3 bar, are presented. An energy resolution of 8.0% was obtained for secondary scintillation produced by 5.9 keV X-rays. No significant variation of the primary scintillation was observed for different pressures (1, 2 and 3 bar) and for electric fields up to 0.8 V cm-1 torr-1 in the drift region, demonstrating negligible recombination luminescence. A primary scintillation yield of 81 ± 7 photons was obtained for 5.9 keV X-rays, corresponding to a mean energy of 72 ± 6 eV to produce a primary scintillation photon in xenon.This work was supported by FCT (Portugal) and FEDER through project PTDC/FIS/103860/2008. E.D.C. Freitas acknowledges grant SFRH/BD/46711/2008 from FCT. C.M.B. Monteiro acknowledges grant SFRH/BD/25569/2005 from FCT. M. Ball, J.J. Gómez-Cadenas and N. Yahlali acknowledge the Spanish MICINN for the Consolider-Ingenio grants CSD2008-00037 and CSD2007-00042 and the research grants FPA2009-13697-C04-04 and FPA2009-13697-C04-B23/12. D.R. Nygren acknowledges support by the Director, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics, of the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC02-05CH11231.Peer reviewe
Primary and secondary scintillation measurements in a xenon Gas Proportional Scintillation Counter
NEXT is a new experiment to search for neutrinoless double beta decay using a
100 kg radio-pure high-pressure gaseous xenon TPC. The detector requires
excellent energy resolution, which can be achieved in a Xe TPC with
electroluminescence readout. Hamamatsu R8520-06SEL photomultipliers are good
candidates for the scintillation readout. The performance of this
photomultiplier, used as VUV photosensor in a gas proportional scintillation
counter, was investigated. Initial results for the detection of primary and
secondary scintillation produced as a result of the interaction of 5.9 keV
X-rays in gaseous xenon, at room temperature and at pressures up to 3 bar, are
presented. An energy resolution of 8.0% was obtained for secondary
scintillation produced by 5.9 keV X-rays. No significant variation of the
primary scintillation was observed for different pressures (1, 2 and 3 bar) and
for electric fields up to 0.8 V cm-1 torr-1 in the drift region, demonstrating
negligible recombination luminescence. A primary scintillation yield of 81 \pm
7 photons was obtained for 5.9 keV X-rays, corresponding to a mean energy of 72
\pm 6 eV to produce a primary scintillation photon in xenon.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in JINS
Emission patterns of neutral pions in 40 A MeV Ta+Au reactions
Differential cross sections of neutral pions emitted in 181Ta + 197Au
collisions at a beam energy of 39.5A MeV have been measured with the photon
spectrometer TAPS. The kinetic energy and transverse momentum spectra of
neutral pions cannot be properly described in the framework of the thermal
model, nor when the reabsorption of pions is accounted for in a
phenomenological model. However, high energy and high momentum tails of the
pion spectra can be well fitted through thermal distributions with unexpectedly
soft temperature parameters below 10 MeV.Comment: 16 pages (double-spaced), 5 figures; corrections after referee's
comments and suggestion
Thermal bremsstrahlung probing the thermodynamical state of multifragmenting systems
Inclusive and exclusive hard-photon (E 30 MeV) production in five
different heavy-ion reactions (Ar+Au, Ag, Ni,
C at 60{\it A} MeV and Xe+Sn at 50{\it A} MeV) has been
studied coupling the TAPS photon spectrometer with several charged-particle
multidetectors covering more than 80% of 4. The measured spectra, slope
parameters and source velocities as well as their target-dependence, confirm
the existence of thermal bremsstrahlung emission from secondary nucleon-nucleon
collisions that accounts for roughly 20% of the total hard-photon yield. The
thermal slopes are a direct measure of the temperature of the excited nuclear
systems produced during the reaction.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings CRIS 2000, 3rd Catania Relativistic
Ion Studies, "Phase Transitions in Strong Interactions: Status and
Perspectives", Acicastello, Italy, May 22-26, 2000 (to be published in Nuc.
Phys. A
Studies of a three-stage dark matter and neutrino observatory based on multi-ton combinations of liquid xenon and liquid argon detectors
We study a three stage dark matter and neutrino observatory based on
multi-ton two-phase liquid Xe and Ar detectors with sufficiently low
backgrounds to be sensitive to WIMP dark matter interaction cross sections down
to 10E-47 cm^2, and to provide both identification and two independent
measurements of the WIMP mass through the use of the two target elements in a
5:1 mass ratio, giving an expected similarity of event numbers. The same
detection systems will also allow measurement of the pp solar neutrino
spectrum, the neutrino flux and temperature from a Galactic supernova, and
neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe to the lifetime level of 10E27 - 10E28
y corresponding to the Majorana mass predicted from current neutrino
oscillation data. The proposed scheme would be operated in three stages G2, G3,
G4, beginning with fiducial masses 1-ton Xe + 5-ton Ar (G2), progressing to
10-ton Xe + 50-ton Ar (G3) then, dependent on results and performance of the
latter, expandable to 100-ton Xe + 500-ton Ar (G4). This method of scale-up
offers the advantage of utilizing the Ar vessel and ancillary systems of one
stage for the Xe detector of the succeeding stage, requiring only one new
detector vessel at each stage. Simulations show the feasibility of reducing or
rejecting all external and internal background levels to a level <1 events per
year for each succeeding mass level, by utilizing an increasing outer thickness
of target material as self-shielding. The system would, with increasing mass
scale, become increasingly sensitive to annual signal modulation, the agreement
of Xe and Ar results confirming the Galactic origin of the signal. Dark matter
sensitivities for spin-dependent and inelastic interactions are also included,
and we conclude with a discussion of possible further gains from the use of
Xe/Ar mixtures
Evidence for Thermal Equilibration in Multifragmentation Reactions probed with Bremsstrahlung Photons
The production of nuclear bremsstrahlung photons (E 30 MeV) has
been studied in inclusive and exclusive measurements in four heavy-ion
reactions at 60{\it A} MeV. The measured photon spectra, angular distributions
and multiplicities indicate that a significant part of the hard-photons are
emitted in secondary nucleon-nucleon collisions from a thermally equilibrated
system. The observation of the thermal component in multi-fragment
Ar+Au reactions suggests that the breakup of the thermalized
source produced in this system occurs on a rather long time-scale.Comment: Revised version, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters.
4 pages, 4 fig
Evaluation of turbulent dissipation rate retrievals from Doppler Cloud Radar
Turbulent dissipation rate retrievals from cloud radar Doppler velocity measurements are evaluated using independent, in situ observations in Arctic stratocumulus clouds. In situ validation data sets of dissipation rate are derived using sonic anemometer measurements from a tethered balloon and high frequency pressure variation observations from a research aircraft, both flown in proximity to stationary, ground-based radars. Modest biases are found among the data sets in particularly low- or high-turbulence regimes, but in general the radar-retrieved values correspond well with the in situ measurements. Root mean square differences are typically a factor of 4-6 relative to any given magnitude of dissipation rate. These differences are no larger than those found when comparing dissipation rates computed from tetheredballoon and meteorological tower-mounted sonic anemometer measurements made at spatial distances of a few hundred meters. Temporal lag analyses suggest that approximately half of the observed differences are due to spatial sampling considerations, such that the anticipated radar-based retrieval uncertainty is on the order of a factor of 2-3. Moreover, radar retrievals are clearly able to capture the vertical dissipation rate structure observed by the in situ sensors, while offering substantially more information on the time variability of turbulence profiles. Together these evaluations indicate that radar-based retrievals can, at a minimum, be used to determine the vertical structure of turbulence in Arctic stratocumulus clouds
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