The high-acceptance dielectron spectrometer HADES
HADES is a versatile magnetic spectrometer aimed at studying dielectron production in pion, proton and heavy-ion-induced collisions. Its main features include a ring imaging gas Cherenkov detector for electron-hadron discrimination, a tracking system consisting of a set of 6 superconducting coils producing a toroidal field and drift chambers and a multiplicity and electron trigger array for additional electron-hadron discrimination and event characterization. A two-stage trigger system enhances events containing electrons. The physics program is focused on the investigation of hadron properties in nuclei and in the hot and dense hadronic matter. The detector system is characterized by an 85% azimuthal coverage over a polar angle interval from 18° to 85° , a single electron efficiency of 50% and a vector meson mass resolution of 2.5%. Identification of pions, kaons and protons is achieved combining time-of-flight and energy loss measurements over a large momentum range ( 0.1 < p < 1.0 GeV/c . This paper describes the main features and the performance of the detector system.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: A transition radiation detector which features accurate tracking and dE/dx particle identification
abstract: The authors describe the results of a test run involving a transition radiation detector (TRD) that can both distinguish electrons from pions with momenta greater than 0.7 GeV/c and simultaneously track particles passing through the detector. The particle identification is accomplished through a combination of the detection of transition radiation from the electron and the differences in electron and pion energy loss (dE/dx) in the detector. The dE/dx particle separation is most efficient below 2 GeV/c while particle ID utilizing transition radiation is effective above 1.5 GeV/c. Combined, the electron-pion separation is better than 5*10/sup 2/. The single-wire, track position resolution for the TRD is approximately 230 mu m.<<ETX>>

title: The design and mass production on resistive plate chambers for the BESIII experiment
abstract: A new type of the phenolic paper laminate is used as the resistive electrodes of BESIII RPC. The surface smoothness of these laminates is comparable to that of the bakelite plates with linseed oil treating. A technique to adjust the bulk resistivity of the laminates within the range of 10 9 –10 13 O cm is developed. Nowadays, about 1000 bare chambers (1200 m 2 ) have been produced and used for BESIII MUON, and the rejection rate is only 1.5%. In this paper, we will discuss the mass production and quality control procedures of these RPCs. r 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.  29.40.n; 29.30.Cs

title: A Robust Determination of the Time Delay in 0957+561A, B and a Measurement of the Global Value of Hubble's Constant
abstract: Continued photometric monitoring of the gravitational lens system 0957+561A, B in the g and r bands with the Apache Point Observatory (APO) 3.5 m telescope during 1996 shows a sharp g-band event in the trailing (B) image light curve at the precise time predicted in an earlier paper. The prediction was based on the observation of the event during 1995 in the leading (A) image and on a differential time delay of 415 days. This success confirms the so-called short delay, and the absence of any such feature at a delay near 540 days rejects the long delay for this system, thus resolving a long-standing controversy. A series of statistical analyses of our light-curve data yield a best-fit delay of 417 ? 3 days (95% confidence interval) and demonstrate that this result is quite robust against variations in the analysis technique, data subsamples, and assumed parametric relationship of the two light curves. Recent improvements in the modeling of the lens system (consisting of a galaxy plus a galaxy cluster) allow us to derive a value of the global value (at z = 0.36) of Hubble's constant H0 using Refsdal's method, a simple and direct (single-step) distance determination based on experimentally verified and securely understood physics and geometry. The result is H0 = 64 ? 13 km s-1 Mpc-1 (for ? = 1), where this 95% confidence interval is dominantly due to remaining lens model uncertainties. However, it is reassuring that available observations of the lensing mass distribution overconstrain the model and thus provide an internal consistency check on its validity. We argue that this determination of the extragalactic distance scale (10% accurate at 1 ?) is now of comparable quality, in terms of both statistical and systematic uncertainties, to those based on more conventional techniques. Finally, we briefly discuss the prospects for improved H0 determinations using gravitational lenses, and some other possible implications and uses of the 0957+561A, B light curves.

title: The BESIII muon identification system
abstract: The muon identification system of BESIII experiment at the IHEP is described. The muon counter (MUC) is composed of resistive plate chambers (RPCs) working in self-quenching streamer mode with the gas mixture Ar/C(2)F(4)H(2)/C(4)H(10)=50/42/8. The design, the construction, the mass production and the quality control result of the detectors are described in detail. The paper also presents the performance of the bare RPCs and the superlayer modules with cosmic rays. Finally, the subsystems of MUC, including the RPC superlayer modules, the gas systems, the HV and LV system and the readout electronic system, are also presented.

title: Inhomogeneous and Interacting Vacuum Energy
abstract: Vacuum energy is a simple model for dark energy driving an accelerated expansion of the universe. If the vacuum energy is inhomogeneous in spacetime then it must be interacting. We present the general equations for a spacetime-dependent vacuum energy in cosmology, including inhomogeneous perturbations. We show how any dark energy cosmology can be described by an interacting vacuum+matter. Different models for the interaction can lead to different behaviour (e.g., sound speed for dark energy perturbations) and hence could be distinguished by cosmological observations. As an example we present the cosmic microwave microwave background anisotropies and the matter power spectrum for two different versions of a generalised Chaplygin gas cosmology.