Abstract: The White Rabbit protocol allows synchronization and communication via an optical link in an integrated, modular, and scalable manner. It provides a solution to those applications that have very demanding requirements in terms of synchronization. Field-programmable gate arrays are used to implement the protocol; additionally, special hardware is needed to provide the necessary clock signals used by the dual-mixer time difference for precise phase measurement. In the present work, an expansion board that allows for White Rabbit functionality is presented. The expansion board contains the oscillators required by the White Rabbit protocol, one running at 125 MHz and another at 124.922 MHZ. The architecture of this board includes two oscillator systems for tests and comparison. One is based on VCOs and another on crystal oscillators running at the desired frequencies. In addition, it incorporates a temperature sensor, from where the medium access control address is extracted, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a pulse-per-second output, and a USB UART to access the White Rabbit IP core at the field-programmable gate array. Finally, to ensure the quality of the layout design and guarantee the level of synchronization desired, the results of the power and signal integrity simulations are also presented.

Abstract: We summarise the discussions at a virtual Community Workshop on Cold Atoms in Space concerning the status of cold atom technologies, the prospective scientific and societal opportunities offered by their deployment in space, and the developments needed before cold atoms could be operated in space. The cold atom technologies discussed include atomic clocks, quantum gravimeters and accelerometers, and atom interferometers. Prospective applications include metrology, geodesy and measurement of terrestrial mass change due to, e.g., climate change, and fundamental science experiments such as tests of the equivalence principle, searches for dark matter, measurements of gravitational waves and tests of quantum mechanics. We review the current status of cold atom technologies and outline the requirements for their space qualification, including the development paths and the corresponding technical milestones, and identifying possible pathfinder missions to pave the way for missions to exploit the full potential of cold atoms in space. Finally, we present a first draft of a possible road-map for achieving these goals, that we propose for discussion by the interested cold atom, Earth Observation, fundamental physics and other prospective scientific user communities, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space and research funding agencies.

Abstract: This work presents GN-Vision, a novel dual gamma-ray and neutron imaging system, which aims at simultaneously obtaining information about the spatial origin of gamma-ray and neutron sources. The proposed device is based on two position sensitive detection planes and exploits the Compton imaging technique for the imaging of gamma-rays. In addition, spatial distributions of slow- and thermal-neutron sources (<100 eV) are reconstructed by using a passive neutron pin-hole collimator attached to the first detection plane. The proposed gamma-neutron imaging device could be of prime interest for nuclear safety and security applications. The two main advantages of this imaging system are its high efficiency and portability, making it well suited for nuclear applications were compactness and real-time imaging is important. This work presents the working principle and conceptual design of the GN-Vision system and explores, on the basis of Monte Carlo simulations, its simultaneous gamma-ray and neutron detection and imaging capabilities for a realistic scenario where a Cf-252 source is hidden in a neutron moderating container.

Abstract: Lifetimes of high-spin states have been measured in the semi-magic (N = 50) nucleus Ru-94. Excited states in Ru-94 were populated in the Ni-58(Ca-40, 4p)Ru-94* fusion-evaporation reaction at the Grand Accelerateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL) accelerator complex. DSAM lifetime analysis was performed on the Doppler broadened line shapes in energy spectra obtained from gamma-rays emitted while the residual nuclei were slowing down in a thick 6 mg/cm(2) metallic Ni-58 target. In total eight excited-state lifetimes in the angular momentum range I = (13-20)h have been measured, five of which were determined for the first time. The corresponding B(M1) and B(E2) reduced transition strengths are discussed within the framework of large-scale shell model calculations to study the contribution of different particle-hole configurations, in particular for analyzing contributions from core-excited configurations.

Abstract: We study the amplitudes of the -VP decay for the different polarizations of the vector meson V, using a formalism where the mapping from the quark degrees of freedom to the meson ones is done with the P-3(0) model. We extend the formalism to a case, with the operator -5, that can account for different models beyond the Standard Model and study in detail the -K*0K- reaction for the different polarizations of the K*0. The results are shown in terms of the parameter that differs for each model. We find that is very different for each of the third components of the vector spin, M=+/- 1,0, and in particular the magnitude |M=-1 is very sensitive to the parameter, which makes the investigation of this magnitude very useful to test different models beyond the Standard Model.