Orrigo, S. E. A., Tain, J. L., Mont-Geli, N., Tarifeño-Saldivia, A., Fraile, L. M., Grieger, M., et al. (2022). Long-term evolution of the neutron rate at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory. Eur. Phys. J. C, 82(9), 814–11pp.
Abstract: We report results on the long-term variation of the neutron counting rate at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, of importance for several low-background experiments installed there, including rare-event searches. The measurement campaign was performed employing the High Efficiency Neutron Spectrometry Array (HENSA) mounted in Hall A and lasted 412 live days. The present study is the first long-term measurement of the neutron rate with sensitivity over a wide range of neutron energies (from thermal up to 0.1 GeV and beyond) performed in any underground laboratory so far. Data on the environmental variables inside the experimental hall (radon concentration, air temperature, air pressure and humidity) were also acquired during all the measurement campaign. We have investigated for the first time the evolution of the neutron rate for different energies of the neutrons and its correlation with the ambient variables.
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Olmo, G. J., Rubiera-Garcia, D., & Saez-Chillon Gomez, D. (2022). New light rings from multiple critical curves as observational signatures of black hole mimickers. Phys. Lett. B, 829, 137045–5pp.
Abstract: We argue that the appearance of additional light rings in a shadow observation – beyond the infinite sequence of exponentially demagnified self-similar rings foreseen in the Kerr solution – would make a compelling case for the existence of black hole mimickers having multiple critical curves. We support this claim by discussing three different scenarios of spherically symmetric wormhole geometries having two such critical curves, and explicitly work out the optical appearance of one such object when surrounded by an optically and geometrically thin accretion disk.
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Olmo, G. J., & Rubiera-Garcia, D. (2022). Some recent results on Ricci-based gravity theories. Int. J. Mod. Phys. D, 31, 2240012–15pp.
Abstract: In this paper, metric-afline theories in which the gravity Lagrangian is built using (projectively invariant) contractions of the Ricci tensor with itself and with the metric (Ricci-based gravity theories, or RBGs for short) are reviewed. The goal is to provide a contextualized and coherent presentation of some recent results. In particular, we focus on the correspondence that exists between the field equations of these theories and those of general relativity, and comment on how this can be used to build new solutions of physical interest. We also discuss the formalism of junction conditions in the f (R) case, and provide a brief summary on current experimental and observational bounds on model parameters.
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Olmo, G. J., Orazi, E., & Pradisi, G. (2022). Conformal metric-affine gravities. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 10(10), 057–21pp.
Abstract: We revisit the gauge symmetry related to integrable projective transformations in metric-affine formalism, identifying the gauge field of the Weyl (conformal) symmetry as a dynamical component of the affine connection. In particular, we show how to include the local scaling symmetry as a gauge symmetry of a large class of geometric gravity theories, introducing a compensator dilaton field that naturally gives rise to a Stuckelberg sector where a spontaneous breaking mechanism of the conformal symmetry is at work to generate a mass scale for the gauge field. For Ricci-based gravities that include, among others, General Relativity, f(R) and f(R, R μnu R μnu) theories and the EiBI model, we prove that the on-shell gauge vector associated to the scaling symmetry can be identified with the torsion vector, thus recovering and generalizing conformal invariant theories in the Riemann-Cartan formalism, already present in the literature.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Tagliente, G. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Giubrone, G., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2022). Zr-92(n, gamma) and (n,tot) measurements at the GELINA and n_TOF facilities. Phys. Rev. C, 105(2), 025805–14pp.
Abstract: Background: Stellar nucleosynthesis of elements heavier than iron is driven by neutron capture processes. Zr-92 is positioned at a strategic point along the slow nucleosynthesis path, given its proximity to the neutron magic number N = 50 and its position at the matching region between the weak and main slow processes. Purpose: In parallel with recent improved astronomical data, the extraction of accurate Maxwellian averaged cross sections (MACSs) derived from a more complete and accurate set of resonance parameters should allow for a better understanding of the stellar conditions at which nucleosynthesis takes place. Methods: Transmission and capture cross section measurements using enriched Zr-92 metallic samples were performed at the time-of flight facilities GELINA of JRC-Geel (BE) and nTOF of CERN (CH). The neutron beam passing through the samples was investigated in transmission measurements at GELINA using a Li-glass scintillator. The gamma rays emitted during the neutron capture reactions were detected by C6D6 detectors at both GELINA and nTOF. Results: Resonance parameters of individual resonances up to 81 keV were extracted from a combined resonance shape analysis of experimental transmissions and capture yields. For the majority of the resonances the parity was determined from an analysis of the transmission data obtained with different sample thicknesses. Average resonance parameters were calculated. Conclusions: Maxwellian averaged cross sections were extracted from resonances observed up to 81 keV. The MACS for kT = 30 keV is fully consistent with experimental data reported in the literature. The MACSs for kT less than or similar to 15 keV are in good agreement with those derived from the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library and recommended in the KADoNTS database. For kT higher than 30 keV differences are observed. A comparison with MACSs obtained with the cross sections recommended in the JEFF-3.3 and JENDL-4.0 libraries shows discrepancies even for kT less than or similar to 15 keV.
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