Test results on heavily irradiated silicon detectors for the CMS experiment at LHC
We report selected results of laboratory measurements and beam tests of heavily irradiated microstrip silicon detectors. The detectors were single-sided devices, produced by different manufacturers and irradiated with different sources, for several total ionizing doses and fluences up to 4 /spl times/10/sup 14/ 1-MeV-equivalent neutrons per cm/sup 2/. Strip resistance and capacitance, detector leakage currents and breakdown performance were measured before and after irradiations. Signal-to-noise ratio and detector efficiency were studied in beam tests, for different values of the detector temperature and of the read-out pitch, as a function of the detector bias voltage. The goal of these test is to optimise the design of the final prototypes for the Silicon Strip Tracker of the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC collider.

title: Crystallization in the Thin and Ultrathin Films of Poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) and Linear Low-Density Polyethylene
abstract: The crystallization of poly(ethylene−vinyl acetate) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) films spun-cast from the polymer/toluene solutions with as-cast thickness from 460 to 10 nm was studied. The lamellar thickness was measured using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and found to increase from 14 to 21 nm for films thinner than 100 nm. The morphology of LLDPE measured by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) showed an edge-on lamellae for the films thicker than 30 nm and flat-on lamellae for the films thinner than 15 nm. A pseudo-“shish-kebab” tiny crystal structure was observed in between the larger lamellae. Crystallinity was confirmed using attenuated total reflectance−Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The shear modulation force microscopy technique (SMFM) was used to measure the melting point, Tm, which was found to decrease for films thinner than 100 nm. The rate of decrease was a function of the annealing pr...

title: Dipole and spin-dipole resonances in charge-exchange reactions on 12C.
abstract: The [sup 12]C([ital n],[ital p])[sup 12]B reaction was studied using the white neutron source at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility/Weapon Neutron Research Center with a continuous incident neutron energy from 60 to 260 MeV. Double differential cross sections were measured in the angular range 11[degree][le][theta][sub lab][le]37[degree]. Using the neutron time-of-flight facility at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility, we also studied the [sup 12]C([ital p],[ital n])[sup 12]N reaction at [ital E][sub [ital p]]=186 MeV and the [sup 12]C([ital [rvec p]],[ital [rvec n]])[sup 12]N reaction at [ital E][sub [ital [rvec p]]]=160 and 186 MeV. Double differential cross sections were measured between [theta][sub lab]=0[degree] and [theta][sub lab]=50[degree] in 5[degree] steps. Spin observables [ital D][sub [ital N][ital N]], [ital A][sub [ital Y]], and [ital P] were measured at [theta][sub lab]=5[degree],9[degree],13[degree] with [ital E][sub [ital [rvec p]]]=160 MeV and [theta][sub lab]=15[degree],20[degree] with [ital E][sub [ital [rvec p]]]=186 MeV. Angular distributions of differential cross section and spin observables for low-lying transitions in the residual nuclei are compared with disorted-wave impulse approximation (DWIA) calculations. A multipole decomposition analysis was performed to study the giant dipole and giant spin-dipole resonances. The contributions of the quasifree reaction in the giant resonance region was subtracted. The empirical results ofmore » energy distributions for dipole ([Delta][ital L]=1) transition are compared with DWIA calculations using nuclear structure information obtained with a conventional shell model and also with a random phase approximation.« less

title: Clarification of the three-body decay of 12C (12.71 MeV).
abstract: Using beta decays of a clean source of 12N produced at the IGISOL facility, we have measured the breakup of the 12C (12.71 MeV) state into three alpha particles with a segmented particle detector setup. The high quality of the data permits solving the question of the breakup mechanism of the 12.71 MeV state, a longstanding problem in few-body nuclear physics. Among existing models, a modified sequential model fits the data best, but systematic deviations indicate that a three-body description is needed.

title: Energetic electrons associated with magnetic reconnection in the magnetic cloud boundary layer.
abstract: Here is reported in situ observation of energetic electrons (∼100-500 keV) associated with magnetic reconnection in the solar wind by the ACE and Wind spacecraft. The properties of this magnetic cloud driving reconnection and the associated energetic electron acceleration problem are discussed. Further analyses indicate that the electric field acceleration and Fermi-type mechanism are two fundamental elements in the electron acceleration processes and the trapping effect of the specific magnetic field configuration maintains the acceleration status that increases the totally gained energy.

title: Experimental results of the betatron sum resonance
abstract: The experimental observations of motion near the betatron sum resonance, /spl nusub x/+2/spl nusub z/=13, are presented. A fast quadrupole (Panofsky-style ferrite picture-frame magnet with 8 pulsed power supplies) producing a betatron tune shift of the order of 0.03 at rise time of 1 /spl mu/s was used. This quadrupole was used to produce betatron tunes which jumped past and then crossed back through a betatron sum resonance line. The beam response as function of initial betatron amplitudes were recorded turn by turn. The correlated growth of the action variables, J/sub x/ and J/sub z/, was observed. The phase space plots in the resonance frame reveal the features of particle motion near the nonlinear sum resonance region.<<ETX>>

title: The muon system of the Daya Bay Reactor antineutrino experiment
abstract: The Daya Bay experiment consists of functionally identical antineutrino detectors immersed in pools of ultrapure water in three well-separated underground experimental halls near two nuclear reactor complexes. These pools serve both as shields against natural, low-energy radiation, and as water Cherenkov detectors that efficiently detect cosmic muons using arrays of photomultiplier tubes. Each pool is covered by a plane of resistive plate chambers as an additional means of detecting muons. Design, construction, operation, and performance of these muon detectors are described.

title: Experimental investigation of geologically produced antineutrinos with KamLAND
abstract: The detection of electron antineutrinos produced by natural radioactivity in the Earth could yield important geophysical information. The Kamioka liquid scintillator antineutrino detector (KamLAND) has the sensitivity to detect electron antineutrinos produced by the decay of 238U and 232Th within the Earth. Earth composition models suggest that the radiogenic power from these isotope decays is 16 TW, approximately half of the total measured heat dissipation rate from the Earth. Here we present results from a search for geoneutrinos with KamLAND. Assuming a Th/U mass concentration ratio of 3.9, the 90 per cent confidence interval for the total number of geoneutrinos detected is 4.5 to 54.2. This result is consistent with the central value of 19 predicted by geophysical models. Although our present data have limited statistical power, they nevertheless provide by direct means an upper limit (60 TW) for the radiogenic power of U and Th in the Earth, a quantity that is currently poorly constrained.

title: Performance of the ALICE Experiment at the CERN LHC
abstract: ALICE is the heavy-ion experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The experiment continuously took data during the first physics campaign of the machine from fall 2009 until early 2013, using proton and lead-ion beams. In this paper we describe the running environment and the data handling procedures, and discuss the performance of the ALICE detectors and analysis methods for various physics observables.

title: Front-end electronics of the ALICE photon spectrometer
abstract: The photon spectrometer (PHOS) in the ALICE experiment at LHC is dedicated to measuring photons, π 0 's and η 's in a broad p T range from about 100 MeV/ c to 100 GeV/ c , providing the best possible energy and position resolution in order to narrow the π 0 and η mass peaks and thus to increase the signal to background ratio. The front-end electronics (FEE) of the PHOS is thus required to cover a large dynamic range, to have a timing resolution better than ∼ 2 ns in order to discriminate against 1–2 GeV/ c (anti-)neutrons, and to provide high p T trigger to select rare high p T events. In addition, to equalize the gains of individual detector channels, it is desired that the PHOS FEE can regulate the bias voltage of APD. In this paper, we will present the performance and status of the 32-channel low noise front-end electronics for the PHOS with a dynamic range of 14 bits. Measurements with LED pulse at laboratory and results from beam test with the first PHOS module at T10 of the CERN PS show that its performance fulfills the PHOS requirements.

title: New determination of the 13C(a, n)16O reaction rate and its influence on the s-process nucleosynthesis in AGB stars
abstract: We present a new measurement of the $\alpha$-spectroscopic factor ($S_\alpha$) and the asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) for the 6.356 MeV 1/2$^+$ subthreshold state of $^{17}$O through the $^{13}$C($^{11}$B, $^{7}$Li)$^{17}$O transfer reaction and we determine the $\alpha$-width of this state. This is believed to have a strong effect on the rate of the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction, the main neutron source for {\it slow} neutron captures (the $s$-process) in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Based on the new width we derive the astrophysical S-factor and the stellar rate of the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction. At a temperature of 100 MK our rate is roughly two times larger than that by \citet{cau88} and two times smaller than that recommended by the NACRE compilation. We use the new rate and different rates available in the literature as input in simulations of AGB stars to study their influence on the abundances of selected $s$-process elements and isotopic ratios. There are no changes in the final results using the different rates for the $^{13}$C($\alpha$, $n$)$^{16}$O reaction when the $^{13}$C burns completely in radiative conditions. When the $^{13}$C burns in convective conditions, as in stars of initial mass lower than $\sim$2 $M_\sun$ and in post-AGB stars, some changes are to be expected, e.g., of up to 25% for Pb in our models. These variations will have to be carefully analyzed when more accurate stellar mixing models and more precise observational constraints are available.