312 research outputs found
Metastable helium molecules as tracers in superfluid liquid He
Metastable helium molecules generated in a discharge near a sharp tungsten
tip operated in either pulsed mode or continuous field-emission mode in
superfluid liquid He are imaged using a laser-induced-fluorescence
technique. By pulsing the tip, a small cloud of He molecules is
produced. At 2.0 K, the molecules in the liquid follow the motion of the normal
fluid. We can determine the normal-fluid velocity in a heat-induced counterflow
by tracing the position of a single molecule cloud. As we run the tip in
continuous field-emission mode, a normal-fluid jet from the tip is generated
and molecules are entrained in the jet. A focused 910 nm pump laser pulse is
used to drive a small group of molecules to the vibrational state.
Subsequent imaging of the tagged molecules with an expanded 925 nm probe
laser pulse allows us to measure the velocity of the normal fluid. The
techniques we developed demonstrate for the first time the ability to trace the
normal-fluid component in superfluid helium using angstrom-sized particles.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Calibration of liquid argon and neon detectors with
We report results from tests of Kr, as a calibration
source in liquid argon and liquid neon. Kr atoms are
produced in the decay of Rb, and a clear Kr
scintillation peak at 41.5 keV appears in both liquids when filling our
detector through a piece of zeolite coated with Rb. Based on this
scintillation peak, we observe 6.0 photoelectrons/keV in liquid argon with a
resolution of 6% (/E) and 3.0 photoelectrons/keV in liquid neon with a
resolution of 19% (/E). The observed peak intensity subsequently decays
with the Kr half-life after stopping the fill, and we
find evidence that the spatial location of Kr atoms in
the chamber can be resolved. Kr will be a useful
calibration source for liquid argon and neon dark matter and solar neutrino
detectors.Comment: 7 pages, 12 figure
Pulse-shape discrimination and energy resolution of a liquid-argon scintillator with xenon doping
Liquid-argon scintillation detectors are used in fundamental physics
experiments and are being considered for security applications. Previous
studies have suggested that the addition of small amounts of xenon dopant
improves performance in light or signal yield, energy resolution, and particle
discrimination. In this study, we investigate the detector response for xenon
dopant concentrations from 9 +/- 5 ppm to 1100 +/- 500 ppm xenon (by weight) in
6 steps. The 3.14-liter detector uses tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB) wavelength
shifter with dual photomultiplier tubes and is operated in single-phase mode.
Gamma-ray-interaction signal yield of 4.0 +/- 0.1 photoelectrons/keV improved
to 5.0 +/- 0.1 photoelectrons/keV with dopant. Energy resolution at 662 keV
improved from (4.4 +/- 0.2)% ({\sigma}) to (3.5 +/- 0.2)% ({\sigma}) with
dopant. Pulse-shape discrimination performance degraded greatly at the first
addition of dopant, slightly improved with additional additions, then rapidly
improved near the end of our dopant range, with performance becoming slightly
better than pure argon at the highest tested dopant concentration. Some
evidence of reduced neutron scintillation efficiency with increasing dopant
concentration was observed. Finally, the waveform shape outside the TPB region
is discussed, suggesting that the contribution to the waveform from
xenon-produced light is primarily in the last portion of the slow component
Scintillation and charge extraction from the tracks of energetic electrons in superfluid helium-4
An energetic electron passing through liquid helium causes ionization along
its track. The ionized electrons quickly recombine with the resulting positive
ions, which leads to the production of prompt scintillation light. By applying
appropriate electric fields, some of the ionized electrons can be separated
from their parent ions. The fraction of the ionized electrons extracted in a
given applied field depends on the separation distance between the electrons
and the ions. We report the determination of the mean electron-ion separation
distance for charge pairs produced along the tracks of beta particles in
superfluid helium at 1.5 K by studying the quenching of the scintillation light
under applied electric fields. Knowledge of this mean separation parameter will
aid in the design of particle detectors that use superfluid helium as a target
material.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure
The defining DNA methylation signature of Floating-Harbor Syndrome
Floating-Harbor syndrome (FHS) is an autosomal dominant genetic condition characterized by short stature, delayed osseous maturation, expressive language impairment, and unique facial dysmorphology. We previously identified mutations in the chromatin remodeling protein SRCAP (SNF2-related CBP Activator Protein) as the cause of FHS. SRCAP has multiple roles in chromatin and transcriptional regulation; however, specific epigenetic consequences of SRCAP mutations remain to be described. Using high resolution genome-wide DNA methylation analysis, we identified a unique and highly specific DNA methylation epi-signature in the peripheral blood of individuals with FHS. Both hyper and hypomethylated loci are distributed across the genome, preferentially occurring in CpG islands. Clonal bisulfite sequencing of two hypermethylated (FIGN and STPG2) and two hypomethylated (MYO1F and RASIP1) genes confirmed these findings. The identification of a unique methylation signature in FHS provides further insight into the biological function of SRCAP and provides a unique biomarker for this disorder
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