Results of R&D on a new construction technique for W/ScFi Calorimeters
We report on results of an R&D program to develop new, simple and cost effective techniques to build compact sampling calorimeters utilizing tungsten powder and scintillating fibers. Such calorimeter detectors are under consideration for experiments at the planned Electron Ion Collider and the future upgrade of the STAR experiment at RHIC (BNL). In the first year of this R&D project we built two prototypes of very compact electromagnetic calorimeters and tested them at FNAL test beam T1018 in January 2012. Details of the construction technique, results of the test run and future plan will be presented.

title: Higher moments of net proton multiplicity distributions at RHIC.
abstract: We report the first measurements of the kurtosis (κ), skewness (S), and variance (σ2) of net-proton multiplicity (Np-Np) distributions at midrapidity for Au+Au collisions at square root of s(NN)=19.6, 62.4, and 200 GeV corresponding to baryon chemical potentials (μB) between 200 and 20 MeV. Our measurements of the products κσ2 and Sσ, which can be related to theoretical calculations sensitive to baryon number susceptibilities and long-range correlations, are constant as functions of collision centrality. We compare these products with results from lattice QCD and various models without a critical point and study the square root of s(NN) dependence of κσ2. From the measurements at the three beam energies, we find no evidence for a critical point in the QCD phase diagram for μB below 200 MeV.

title: Energy and system-size dependence of two- and four-particle $v_2$ measurements in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and their implications on flow fluctuations and nonflow
abstract: We present STAR measurements of azimuthal anisotropy by means of the two- and four-particle cumulants $v_2$ ($v_2\{2\}$ and $v_2\{4\}$) for Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at center of mass energies $\sqrt{s_{_{\mathrm{NN}}}} = 62.4$ and 200 GeV. The difference between $v_2\{2\}^2$ and $v_2\{4\}^2$ is related to $v_{2}$ fluctuations ($\sigma_{v_2}$) and nonflow $(\delta_{2})$. We present an upper limit to $\sigma_{v_2}/v_{2}$. Following the assumption that eccentricity fluctuations $\sigma_{\epsilon}$ dominate $v_2$ fluctuations $\frac{\sigma_{v_2}}{v_2} \approx \frac{\sigma_{\epsilon}}{\epsilon}$ we deduce the nonflow implied for several models of eccentricity fluctuations that would be required for consistency with $v_2\{2\}$ and $v_2\{4\}$. We also present results on the ratio of $v_2$ to eccentricity.

title: Measurements of $D^{0}$ and $D^{*}$ Production in $p$ + $p$ Collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV
abstract: We report measurements of charmed-hadron ($D^{0}$, $D^{*}$) production cross sections at mid-rapidity in $p$ + $p$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV by the STAR experiment. Charmed hadrons were reconstructed via the hadronic decays $D^{0}\rightarrow K^{-}\pi^{+}$, $D^{*+}\rightarrow D^{0}\pi^{+}\rightarrow K^{-}\pi^{+}\pi^{+}$ and their charge conjugates, covering the $p_T$ range of 0.6$-$2.0 GeV/$c$ and 2.0$-$6.0 GeV/$c$ for $D^{0}$ and $D^{*+}$, respectively. From this analysis, the charm-pair production cross section at mid-rapidity is $d\sigma/dy|_{y=0}^{c\bar{c}}$ = 170 $\pm$ 45 (stat.) $^{+38}_{-59}$ (sys.) $\mu$b. The extracted charm-pair cross section is compared to perturbative QCD calculations. The transverse momentum differential cross section is found to be consistent with the upper bound of a Fixed-Order Next-to-Leading Logarithm calculation.

title: An Experimental Exploration of the QCD Phase Diagram: The Search for the Critical Point and the Onset of De-confinement
abstract: The QCD phase diagram lies at the heart of what the RHIC Physics Program is
all about. While RHIC has been operating very successfully at or close to its
maximum energy for almost a decade, it has become clear that this collider can
also be operated at lower energies down to 5 GeV without extensive upgrades. An
exploration of the full region of beam energies available at the RHIC facility
is imperative. The STAR detector, due to its large uniform acceptance and
excellent particle identification capabilities, is uniquely positioned to carry
out this program in depth and detail. The first exploratory beam energy scan
(BES) run at RHIC took place in 2010 (Run 10), since several STAR upgrades,
most importantly a full barrel Time of Flight detector, are now completed which
add new capabilities important for the interesting physics at BES energies. In
this document we discuss current proposed measurements, with estimations of the
accuracy of the measurements given an assumed event count at each beam energy.

title: T-1018 UCLA Spacordion Tungsten Powder Calorimeter
abstract: The present experiments at the BNL-RHIC facility are evolving towards physics goals which require the detection of medium energy electromagnetic particles (photons, electrons, neutral pions, eta mesons, etc.), especially at forward angles. New detectors will place increasing demands on energy resolution, hadron rejection and two-photon resolution and will require large area, high performance electromagnetic calorimeters in a variety of geometries. In the immediate future, either RHIC or JLAB will propose a facility upgrade (Electron-Ion Collider, or EIC) with physics goals such as electron-heavy ion collisions (or p-A collisions) with a wide range of calorimeter requirements. An R and D program based at Brookhaven National Laboratory has awarded the group funding of approximately $110,000 to develop new types of calorimeters for EIC experiments. The UCLA group is developing a method to manufacture very flexible and cost-effective, yet high quality calorimeters based on scintillating fibers and tungsten powder. The design and features of the calorimeter can be briefly stated as follows: an arbitrarily large number of small diameter fibers (< 0.5 mm) are assembled as a matrix and held rigidly in place by a set of precision screens inside an empty container. The container is then back-filled with tungsten powder, compacted onmore » a vibrating table and infused with epoxy under vacuum. The container is then removed. The resulting sub-modules are extremely uniform and achieve roughly the density of pure Lead. The sub-modules are stacked together to achieve a final detector of the desired shape. There is no dead space between sub-modules and the fibers can be in an accordion geometry bent to prevent 'channeling' of the particles due to accidental alignment of their track with the module axis. This technology has the advantage of being modular and inexpensive to the point where the construction work may be divided among groups the size of typical university physics departments. This test run if a proof-of-principle and allows the experiment to improve the design and performance of the final detectors. The experimenters have constructed prototypes of three different designs in order to investigate the characteristics of practical devices such as uniformity, linearity, longitudinal and transverse shower shapes. The first design is an array of 4 x 4 modules intended as a prototype for a practical device to be installed within two years in the STAR experimental hall. The modules are a combination of a spaghetti calorimeter and an accordion (hence 'spacordion'). Each sub-module is 1.44 cm x 1.44 cm x 15 cm and constructed individually. The second design is a prototype of 4 sub-modules constructed in one step, using a different construction technique. The third design is a set of single sub-modules each intended to test variations of the tungsten powder/embedded fiber concept by enhancing the light output/density using liquid scintillator or heavy liquids.« less

title: Beam break-up estimates for the ERL at BNL
abstract: A prototype Ampere-class superconducting energy recovery linac (ERL) is under advanced construction at BNL. The ERL facility is comprised of a five-cell SC Linac plus a half-cell SC photo-injector RF electron gun, both operating at 703.75 MHz. The facility is designed for either a high-current mode of operation up to 0.5 A at 703.75 MHz or a high-bunch-charge mode of 5 nC at 10 MHz bunch frequency. The R&D facility serves a test bed for an envisioned electron-hadron collider, eRHIC. The high-current, high-charge operating parameters make effective higher-order-mode (HOM) damping mandatory, and requires the determination of HOM tolerances for a cavity upgrade. The niobium cavity has been tested at superconducting temperatures and has provided measured quality factors (Q) for a large number of modes. These numbers were used for the estimate of the beam breakup instability (BBU). The facility will be assembled with a highly flexible lattice covering a vast operational parameter space for verification of the estimates and to serve as a test bed for the concepts directed at future projects.

title: Test of the prototype of electron detector for LHAASO project using cosmic rays
abstract: LHAASO project is to be built in south-west China, which use an array of 5137 election detectors for the measurement of the incident electrons arriving at the detector plane. For the quality control of the big quantity of electron detectors, a cosmic ray hodoscope with two-dimensional spacial sensitivity and good time resolution has been developed. The ?rst prototype of electron detector is tested with the hodoscope and the performance of the detector is validated to be consistent with the design.

title: The “universal property” of horizon entropy sum of black holes in four dimensional asymptotical (anti-)de-Sitter spacetime background
abstract: A bstractWe present a new “universal property” of entropy, that is the “entropy sum” relation of black holes in four dimensional (anti-)de-Sitter asymptotical background. They depend only on the cosmological constant with the necessary effect of the un-physical “virtual” horizon included in the spacetime where only the cosmological constant, mass of black hole, rotation parameter and Maxwell field exist. When there is more extra matter field in the spacetime, one will find the “entropy sum” is also dependent of the strength of these extra matter field. For both cases, we conclude that the “entropy sum” does not depend on the conserved charges M , Q and J , while it does depend on the property of background spacetime. We will mainly test the “entropy sum” relation in static, stationary black hole and some black hole with extra matter source (scalar hair and higher curvature) in the asymptotical (anti-)de-sitter spacetime background. Besides, we point out a newly found counter example of the mass independence of the ”entropy product” relation in the spacetime with extra scalar hair case, while the “entropy sum” relation still holds. These result are indeed suggestive to some underlying microscopic mechanism. Moreover, the cosmological constant and extra matter field dependence of the “entropy sum” of all horizon seems to reveal that “entropy sum” is more general as it is only related to the background field. For the case of asymptotical flat spacetime without any matter source, we give a note for the Kerr black hole case in appendix. One will find only mass dependence of “entropy sum” appears. It makes us believe that, considering the dependence of “entropy sum”, the mass background field may be regarded as the next order of cosmological constant background field and extra matter field. However, fully explaining the relationship between the “entropy sum” relation and background properties still requires further exploration.

title: Applying Bayesian Neural Network to determine neutrino incoming direction in reactor neutrino experiments and supernova explosion location by scintillator detectors
abstract: In the paper, it is discussed by using Monte-Carlo simulation that the Bayesian Neural Network (BNN) is applied to determine neutrino incoming direction in reactor neutrino experiments and supernova explosion location by scintillator detectors. As a result, compared to the method in ref. , the uncertainty on the measurement of the neutrino direction using BNN is significantly improved. The uncertainty on the measurement of the reactor neutrino direction is about 1.0° at the 68.3% C.L., and the one in the case of supernova neutrino is about 0.6° at the 68.3% C.L. . Compared to the method in ref. , the uncertainty attainable by using BNN reduces by a factor of about 20. And compared to the Super-Kamiokande experiment (SK), it reduces by a factor of about 8.

title: New class of rotating perfect fluid black holes in three dimensional gravity
abstract: We obtain a new class of rotating black holes for Einstein theory with perfect fluid source in $$(2+1)$$(2+1) dimensions. We conclude that these black hole solutions only depend on the variable of the angular velocity $$m(r)$$m(r). Some examples of these black holes are given explicitly. In particular, an unknown static black hole in this special background is obtained. In addition, the general properties including the horizon structure, energy conditions and equation of state, mass, and angular momentum are explained in detail.