1,497 research outputs found
Particle identification with the AMS-02 RICH detector: search for dark matter with antideuterons
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), whose final version AMS-02 is to be
installed on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least 3 years, is a
detector designed to measure charged cosmic ray spectra with energies up to the
TeV region and with high energy photon detection capability up to a few hundred
GeV, using state-of-the art particle identification techniques. It is equipped
with several subsystems, one of which is a proximity focusing Ring Imaging
Cherenkov (RICH) detector equipped with a dual radiator (aerogel+NaF), a
lateral conical mirror and a detection plane made of 680 photomultipliers and
light guides, enabling precise measurements of particle electric charge and
velocity (Delta beta / beta ~ 10^-3 and 10^-4 for Z=1 and Z=10-20,
respectively) at kinetic energies of a few GeV/nucleon. Combining velocity
measurements with data on particle rigidity from the AMS-02 Tracker (Delta R /
R ~ 2% for R=1-10 GV) it is possible to obtain a reliable measurement for
particle mass. One of the main topics of the AMS-02 physics program is the
search for indirect signatures of dark matter. Experimental data indicate that
dark, non-baryonic matter of unknown composition is much more abundant than
baryonic matter, accounting for a large fraction of the energy content of the
Universe. Apart from antideuterons produced in cosmic-ray propagation, the
annihilation of dark matter will produce additional antideuteron fluxes.
Detailed Monte Carlo simulations of AMS-02 have been used to evaluate the
detector's performance for mass separation, a key issue for anti-D/anti-p
separation. Results of these studies are presented.Comment: 5 pages. Contribution to the 20th European Cosmic Ray Symposium
(Lisbon 2006). Presenter: Rui Pereir
Particle identification with the AMS-02 RICH detector: D/p and anti-D/anti-p separation
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), whose final version AMS-02 is to be
installed on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least 3 years, is a
detector designed to measure charged cosmic ray spectra with energies up to the
TeV region and with high energy photon detection capability up to a few hundred
GeV, using state-of-the art particle identification techniques. Among several
detector subsystems, AMS includes a proximity focusing RICH enabling precise
measurements of particle electric charge and velocity. The combination of both
these measurements together with the particle rigidity measured on the silicon
tracker endows a reliable measurement of the particle mass. The main topics of
the AMS-02 physics program include detailed measurements of the nuclear
component of the cosmic-ray spectrum and the search for indirect signatures of
dark matter. Mass separation of singly charged particles, and in particular the
separation of deuterons and antideuterons from massive backgrounds of protons
and antiprotons respectively, is essential in this context. Detailed Monte
Carlo simulations of AMS-02 have been used to evaluate the detector's
performance for mass separation at different energies. The obtained results and
physics prospects are presented.Comment: 5 pages. Contribution to the Sixth International Workshop on New
Worlds in Astroparticle Physics (Faro 2007). Presenter: Rui Pereir
Drinking patterns among Portuguese university students: gender differences and association with self-perception of mental health
Alcohol abuse is one of the most concerning risk behaviours in higher education.
Therefore, this study aims to: characterize alcohol consumption among Portuguese university students; investigate gender differences; analyse the association between alcohol use and the perception of mental health. 174 Portuguese students completed a questionnaire about risk behaviours and rated their self-perceptions of mental health. Results show that 17.3% of the
students havenât consumed any alcohol during the last month, while, on the opposite side, 11% of those who drank, reported having binge episodes at least twice a week. Men drank significantly more often; more drinks at a time and had more risk behaviours associated with alcohol, than women. A significant, yet very weak, positive correlation was found between the amount of alcohol consumed and the self-perception of mental health. Results are debated in light of relevant literature and suggestions for prevention are discussed.This investigation was supported by a FCT scholarship (SFRH/BD30085/2006
Portuguese media discourse on nuclear energy before and after Fukushima: prepared for the EFDA Workprogramme 2012 WP12-SER-ACIF-1
This report presents the results of the analysis of nuclear related content in Portuguese print media. The report is submitted to the first step of the research task untitled Public Discourse about Nuclear Fusion before and after the Fukushima accident, as part of the Socio-Economic Research on Fusion under the general coordination of EFDA Workprogramme 2012
Cosmic ray velocity and electric charge measurements with the AMS/RICH detector: prototype results
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to be installed on the International
Space Station (ISS) will measure charged cosmic ray spectra of elements up to
iron, in the rigidity range from 1 GV to 1 TV, for at least three years. AMS is
a large angular spectrometer composed of different subdetectors, including a
proximity focusing Ring Imaging CHerenkov (RICH) detector. This will be
equipped with a mixed radiator made of aerogel and sodium fluoride (NaF), a
lateral conical mirror and a detection plane made of 680 photomultipliers
coupled to light guides. The RICH detector allows measurements of particle's
electric charge up to iron, and particle's velocity. Two possible methods for
reconstructing the Cherenkov angle and the electric charge with the RICH will
be discussed.
A RICH prototype consisting of a detection matrix with 96 photomultipliers, a
segment of a conical mirror and samples of the radiator materials was built and
its performance was evaluated using ion beam data. Results from the last test
beam performed with ion fragments resulting from the collision of a 158
GeV/c/nucleon primary beam of indium ions (CERN SPS) on a lead target are
reported. The large amount of collected data allowed to test and characterize
different aerogel samples and the NaF radiator. In addition, the reflectivity
of the mirror was evaluated. The data analysis confirms the design goals.Comment: 5 pages. Contribution to the 20th European Cosmic Ray Symposium in
Lisbon, Portugal. September 5th-8th 2006. Presenter: Luisa Arrud
Comparative Analysis of the public discourse about fusion and nuclear energy before and after Fukushima: WP12-SER-ACIF-1 Final Report
This report presents a comparative analysis of media coverage of fusion and fission energy before and after the accident in the nuclear reactors of Fukushima, Japan. The analysis is based on research conducted under the EFDA Workprogramme 2012, addressing three national-based print media â Germany, Spain and Portugal as well as English-language print media addressing transnational elite
Do risco no alpinismo de alta montanha
This paper emerges after the lost of one Portuguese climber, who died in his descent from Shishapangma, one of the 14 mountains in Himalayas. Taking into account this climberâs death and all the others that are not reported, the issue of risk in sport and physical activities, like climbing, is noteworthy. This paper attempts to redress this imbalance through an approach to voluntary risk-taking in high-altitude climbing, where risk can be seen as part of the activity or even as an end. For this intent it is crucial to consider what does this activity signifies to its adherents, analysing the ways in which this activity is invested with and how these meanings may change. After a brief characterization of high-altitude climbing as a risky activity, our paper it is divided in the following sections: i) Control of risk vs. control of life; ii) Risk-taking as a form of transgression; iii) Adventure in high-altitude climbing; iv) Risk as an aestheticization of the experience; v) High-altitude climbing as a form of transcendence and self-overcoming and vi) Social recognition and distinction. This enumeration did not have the goal to isolate meanings; however our re?ection allowed perceiving that they are all linke
An LP-Based Approach for Goal Recognition as Planning
Goal recognition aims to recognize the set of candidate goals that are
compatible with the observed behavior of an agent. In this paper, we develop a
method based on the operator-counting framework that efficiently computes
solutions that satisfy the observations and uses the information generated to
solve goal recognition tasks. Our method reasons explicitly about both partial
and noisy observations: estimating uncertainty for the former, and satisfying
observations given the unreliability of the sensor for the latter. We evaluate
our approach empirically over a large data set, analyzing its components on how
each can impact the quality of the solutions. In general, our approach is
superior to previous methods in terms of agreement ratio, accuracy, and spread.
Finally, our approach paves the way for new research on combinatorial
optimization to solve goal recognition tasks.Comment: 8 pages, 4 tables, 3 figures. Published in AAAI 2021. Updated final
authorship and tex
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