Real-time dynamics of the formation of hydrated electrons upon irradiation of water clusters with extreme ultraviolet light

Free electrons in a polar liquid can form a bound state via interaction with the molecular environment. This so-called hydrated electron state in water is of fundamental importance e.g.~in cellular biology or radiation chemistry. Hydrated electrons are highly reactive radicals that can either directly interact with DNA or enzymes, or form highly excited hydrogen (H∗) after being captured by protons. Here, we investigate the formation of the hydrated electron in real-time employing XUV femtosecond pulses from a free electron laser, in this way observing the initial steps of the hydration process. Using time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy we find formation timescales in the low picosecond range and resolve the prominent dynamics of forming excited hydrogen states

Time-resolved x-ray absorption spectroscopy with a water window high-harmonic source

Time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (TR-XAS) has so far practically been limited to large-scale facilities, to sub-picosecond temporal resolution and to the condensed phase. Here, we report the realization of TR-XAS with a temporal resolution in the low femtosecond range by developing a table-top high-harmonic source reaching up to 350 eV, thus partially covering the spectral region of 280 to 530 eV, where water is transmissive. We use this source to follow previously unexamined light-induced chemical reactions in the lowest electronic states of isolated CF4+ and SF6+ molecules in the gas phase. By probing element-specific core-to-valence transitions at the carbon K-edge or the sulfur L-edges, we characterize their reaction paths and observe the effect of symmetry breaking through the splitting of absorption bands and Rydberg-valence mixing induced by the geometry changes

Evolution and ion kinetics of a XUV-induced nanoplasma in ammonia clusters

High-intensity extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses from a free-electron laser can be used to create a nanoplasma in clusters. In Ref. [Michiels et al. PCCP, 2020; 22: 7828-7834] we investigated the formation of excited states in an XUV-induced nanoplasma in ammonia clusters. In the present article we expand our previous study with a detailed analysis of the nanoplasma evolution and ion kinetics. We use a time-delayed UV laser as probe to ionize excited states of H and H$_2^+$ in the XUV-induced plasma. Employing covariance mapping techniques, we show that the correlated emission of protons plays an important role in the plasma dynamics. The time-dependent kinetic energy of the ions created by the probe laser is measured, revealing the charge neutralization of the cluster happens on a sub-picosecond timescale. Furthermore, we observe ro-vibrationally excited molecular hydrogen ions H$_2^{+*}$ being ejected from the clusters. We rationalize our data through a qualitative model of a finite-size non-thermal plasma

Production properties of K*(892) vector mesons and their spin alignment as measured in the NOMAD experiment

First measurements of K*(892) mesons production properties and their spin alignment in nu_mu charged current (CC) and neutral current (NC) interactions are presented. The analysis of the full data sample of the NOMAD experiment is performed in different kinematic regions. For K*+ and K*- mesons produced in nu_mu CC interactions and decaying into K0 pi+/- we have found the following yields per event: (2.6 +/- 0.2 (stat.) +/- 0.2 (syst.))% and (1.6 +/- 0.1 (stat.) +/- 0.1 (syst.))% respectively, while for the K*+ and K*- mesons produced in nu NC interactions the corresponding yields per event are: (2.5 +/- 0.3 (stat.) +/- 0.3 (syst.))% and (1.0 +/- 0.3 (stat.) +/- 0.2 (syst.))%. The results obtained for the rho00 parameter, 0.40 +/- 0.06 (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) and 0.28 +/- 0.07 (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) for K*+ and K*- produced in nu_mu CC interactions, are compared to theoretical predictions tuned on LEP measurements in e+e- annihilation at the Z0 pole. For K*+ mesons produced in nu NC interactions the measured rho00 parameter is 0.66 +/- 0.10 (stat) +/- 0.05 (syst).Comment: 20 p

Prediction of Neutrino Fluxes in the NOMAD Experiment

The method developed for the calculation of the flux and composition of the West Area Neutrino Beam used by NOMAD in its search for neutrino oscillations is described. The calculation is based on particle production rates computed using a recent version of FLUKA and modified to take into account the cross sections measured by the SPY and NA20 experiments. These particles are propagated through the beam line taking into account the material and magnetic fields they traverse. The neutrinos produced through their decays are tracked to the NOMAD detector. The fluxes of the four neutrino flavours at NOMAD are predicted with an uncertainty of about 8% for nu(mu) and nu(e), 10% for antinu(mu), and 12% for antinu(e). The energy-dependent uncertainty achieved on the R(e, mu) prediction needed for a nu(mu)->nu(e) oscillation search ranges from 4% to 7%, whereas the overall normalization uncertainty on this ratio is 4.2%.Comment: 43 pages, 20 figures. Submitted to Nucl. Phys.

Final NOMAD results on nu_mu->nu_tau and nu_e->nu_tau oscillations including a new search for nu_tau appearance using hadronic tau decays

Results from the nu_tau appearance search in a neutrino beam using the full NOMAD data sample are reported. A new analysis unifies all the hadronic tau decays, significantly improving the overall sensitivity of the experiment to oscillations. The "blind analysis" of all topologies yields no evidence for an oscillation signal. In the two-family oscillation scenario, this sets a 90% C.L. allowed region in the sin^2(2theta)-Delta m^2 plane which includes sin^2(2theta)<3.3 x 10^{-4} at large Delta m^2 and Delta m^2 < 0.7 eV^2/c^4 at sin^2(2theta)=1. The corresponding contour in the nu_e->nu_tau oscillation hypothesis results in sin^2(2theta)<1.5 x 10^{-2} at large Delta m^2 and Delta m^2 < 5.9 eV^2/c^4 at sin^2(2theta)=1. We also derive limits on effective couplings of the tau lepton to nu_mu or nu_e.Comment: 46 pages, 16 figures, Latex, to appear on Nucl. Phys.

Search for the exotic Θ+\Theta^+ resonance in the NOMAD experiment

A search for exotic Theta baryon via Theta -> proton +Ks decay mode in the NOMAD muon neutrino DIS data is reported. The special background generation procedure was developed. The proton identification criteria are tuned to maximize the sensitivity to the Theta signal as a function of xF which allows to study the Theta production mechanism. We do not observe any evidence for the Theta state in the NOMAD data. We provide an upper limit on Theta production rate at 90% CL as 2.13 per 1000 of neutrino interactions.Comment: Accepted to European Physics Journal

A Precise Measurement of the Muon Neutrino-Nucleon Inclusive Charged Current Cross-Section off an Isoscalar Target in the Energy Range 2.5 < E_\nu < 40 GeV by NOMAD

We present a measurement of the muon neutrino-nucleon inclusive charged current cross-section, off an isoscalar target, in the neutrino energy range $2.5 \leq E_\nu \leq 40$ GeV. The significance of this measurement is its precision, $\pm 4$% in $2.5 \leq E_\nu \leq 10$ GeV, and $\pm 2.6$% in $10 \leq E_\nu \leq 40$ GeV regions, where significant uncertainties in previous experiments still exist, and its importance to the current and proposed long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys.Lett.

Inclusive production of ρ0(770),f0(980)\rho^{0}(770), f_0(980) and f2(1270)f_2(1270) mesons in νμ\nu_{\mu} charged current interactions

The inclusive production of the meson resonances $\rho^{0}(770)$, $f_0(980)$ and $f_2(1270)$ in neutrino-nucleus charged current interactions has been studied with the NOMAD detector exposed to the wide band neutrino beam generated by 450 GeV protons at the CERN SPS. For the first time the $f_{0}(980)$ meson is observed in neutrino interactions. The statistical significance of its observation is 6 standard deviations. The presence of $f_{2}(1270)$ in neutrino interactions is reliably established. The average multiplicity of these three resonances is measured as a function of several kinematic variables. The experimental results are compared to the multiplicities obtained from a simulation based on the Lund model. In addition, the average multiplicity of $\rho^{0}(770)$ in antineutrino - nucleus interactions is measured.Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures, 8 tables. To appear in Nucl. Phys.