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NEXT Collaboration(Cebrian, S. et al), Perez, J., Alvarez, V., Benlloch-Rodriguez, J., Botas, A., Carcel, S., et al. (2017). Radiopurity assessment of the energy readout for the NEXT double beta decay experiment. J. Instrum., 12, T08003–20pp.
Abstract: The “Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon Time-Projection Chamber” (NEXT) experiment intends to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay of Xe-136, and therefore requires a severe suppression of potential backgrounds. An extensive material screening and selection process was undertaken to quantify the radioactivity of the materials used in the experiment. Separate energy and tracking readout planes using different sensors allow us to combine the measurement of the topological signature of the event for background discrimination with the energy resolution optimization. The design of radiopure readout planes, in direct contact with the gas detector medium, was especially challenging since the required components typically have activities too large for experiments demanding ultra-low background conditions. After studying the tracking plane, here the radiopurity control of the energy plane is presented, mainly based on gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low background germanium detectors at the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc (Spain). All the available units of the selected model of photomultiplier have been screened together with most of the components for the bases, enclosures and windows. According to these results for the activity of the relevant radioisotopes, the selected components of the energy plane would give a contribution to the overall background level in the region of interest of at most 2.4 x 10(-4) counts keV(-1) kg(-1) y(-1), satisfying the sensitivity requirements of the NEXT experiment.
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NEXT Collaboration(Cebrian, S. et al), Alvarez, V., Carcel, S., Cervera-Villanueva, A., Diaz, J., Ferrario, P., et al. (2015). Radiopurity assessment of the tracking readout for the NEXT double beta decay experiment. J. Instrum., 10, P05006–16pp.
Abstract: The “Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon Time-Projection Chamber” (NEXT) is intended to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay of Xe-136, which requires a severe suppression of potential backgrounds; therefore, an extensive screening and selection process is underway to control the radiopurity levels of the materials to be used in the experimental set-up of NEXT. The detector design combines the measurement of the topological signature of the event for background discrimination with the energy resolution optimization. Separate energy and tracking readout planes are based on different sensors: photomultiplier tubes for calorimetry and silicon multi-pixel photon counters for tracking. The design of a radiopure tracking plane, in direct contact with the gas detector medium, was specially challenging since the needed components like printed circuit boards, connectors, sensors or capacitors have typically, according to available information in databases and in the literature, activities too large for experiments requiring ultra-low background conditions. Here, the radiopurity assessment of tracking readout components based on gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low background germanium detectors at the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc (Spain) is described. According to the obtained results, radiopure enough printed circuit boards made of kapton and copper, silicon photomultipliers and other required components, fulfilling the requirement of an overall background level in the region of interest of at most 8 x 10(-4) counts keV(-1) kg(-1) y(-1), have been identified.
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BABAR Collaboration(del Amo Sanchez, P. et al), Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., Milanes, D. A., & Oyanguren, A. (2010). Measurement of the absolute branching fractions for D-s(-) -> l(-) (nu)over-bar(l) and extraction of the decay constant f(Ds). Phys. Rev. D, 82(9), 091103–8pp.
Abstract: The absolute branching fractions for the decays D-s(-) -> l(-) (nu) over bar (l) (l = e, mu, or tau) are measured using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 521 fb(-1) collected at center-of-mass energies near 10.58 GeV with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e(+)e(-) collider at SLAC. The number of D-s(-) mesons is determined by reconstructing the recoiling system DKX gamma in events of the type e(+)e(-) -> DKXDs*(-), where D-s*(-) -> D-s(-) gamma and X represents additional pions from fragmentation. The D-s(-) -> l(-) nu(l) events are detected by full or partial reconstruction of the recoiling system DKX gamma l. The branching fraction measurements are combined to determine the D-s(-) decay constant f(Ds) (258.6 +/- 6.4 +/- 7:5) MeV, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.
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BABAR Collaboration(Aubert, B. et al), Azzolini, V., Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., Milanes, D. A., & Oyanguren, A. (2013). The BABAR detector: Upgrades, operation and performance. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 729, 615–701.
Abstract: The BABAR detector operated successfully at the PEP-Il asymmetric e(+) e(-) collider at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory from 1999 to 2008. This report covers upgrades, operation, and performance of the collider and the detector systems, as well as the trigger, online and offline computing, and aspects of event reconstruction since the beginning of data taking.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2011). Measurement of the mass and width of the D_s1 (2536)+ meson. Phys. Rev. D, 83(7), 072003–14pp.
Abstract: The decay width and mass of the D-s1(2536)(+) meson are measured via the decay channel D-s1(+) -> (D*+KS0) using 385 fb(-1) of data recorded with the BABAR detector in the vicinity of the Gamma(4S) resonance at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy electron-positron collider. The result for the decay width is Gamma(D-s1(+)) = 92 +/- 0.03(stat.) +/- 0.04(syst.) MeV. For the mass, a value of m(D-s1(+)) = 2535.08 +/- 0.01(stat.) +/- 0.15(syst.) MeV/c(2) is obtained. The mass difference between the D-s1(+) and the D*+ is measured to be m(D-s1(+)) – m(D*+) = 524.83 +/- 0.01(stat.) +/- 0.04(syst.) MeV/c(2), representing a significant improvement compared to the current world average. The unnatural spin-parity assignment for the D-s1(+) meson is confirmed.
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