Barenboim, G., Calatayud-Cadenillas, A. M., Gago, A. M., & Ternes, C. A. (2024). Quantum decoherence effects on precision measurements at DUNE and T2HK. Phys. Lett. B, 852, 138626–11pp.
Abstract: We investigate the potential impact of neutrino quantum decoherence on the precision measurements of standard neutrino oscillation parameters in the DUNE and T2HK experiments. We show that the measurement of delta(CP), sin(2) theta(13) and sin(2) theta(23) is stronger effected in DUNE than in T2HK. On the other hand, DUNE would have a better sensitivity than T2HK to observe decoherence effects. By performing a combined analysis of DUNE and T2HK we show that a robust measurement of standard parameters would be possible, which is not guaranteed with DUNE data alone.
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Montesinos, V., Albaladejo, M., Nieves, J., & Tolos, L. (2024). Charge-conjugation asymmetry and molecular content: The Ds0*(2317)± in matter. Phys. Lett. B, 853, 138656–10pp.
Abstract: We analyze the modifications that a dense nuclear medium induces in the D-s0*(2317)(+/-) and D-s1(2460)(+/-). In the vacuum, we consider them as isoscalar D-(*K-) and (D) over bar (()*())(K) over bar S-wave bound states, which are dynamically generated from effective interactions that lead to different Weinberg compositeness scenarios. Matter effects are incorporated through the two-meson loop functions, taking into account the self energies that the D-(*()), (D) over bar (()*()), K, and (K) over bar develop when embedded in a nuclear medium. Although particle-antiparticle [D-s0,s1(()*())(2317,2460)(+) versus D-s0,s1(()*())(2317,2460)(-)] lineshapes are the same in vacuum, we find extremely different density patterns in matter. This charge-conjugation asymmetry mainly stems from the very different kaon and antikaon interaction with the nucleons of the dense medium. We show that the in-medium lineshapes found for these resonances strongly depend on their D-(*()), K/(D) over bar (()*()), K molecular content, and discuss how this novel feature can be used to better determine/constrain the inner structure of these exotic states.
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Hajjar, R., Palomares-Ruiz, S., & Mena, O. (2024). Shedding light on the Δm21^2 tension with supernova neutrinos. Phys. Lett. B, 854, 138719–8pp.
Abstract: One long-standing tension in the determination of neutrino parameters is the mismatched value of the solar mass square difference, Delta m(21)(2), measured by different experiments: the reactor antineutrino experiment KamLAND finds a best fit larger than the one obtained with solar neutrino data. Even if the current tension is mild (similar to 1.5 sigma.), it is timely to explore if independent measurements could help in either closing or reassessing this issue. In this regard, we explore how a future supernova burst in our galaxy could be used to determine Delta m(21)(2) at the future Hyper-Kamiokande detector, and how this could contribute to the current situation. We study Earth matter effects for different models of supernova neutrino spectra and supernova orientations. We find that, if supernova neutrino data prefers the KamLAND best fit for Delta m(21)(2), an uncertainty similar to the current KamLAND one could be achieved. On the contrary, if it prefers the solar neutrino data best fit, the current tension with KamLAND results could grow to a significance larger than 5 sigma. Furthermore, supernova neutrinos could significantly contribute to reducing the uncertainty on sin (2)theta(12).
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Amarilo, K. M., Ferreira Filho, M. B., Araujo Filho, A. A., & Reis, J. A. A. S. (2024). Gravitational waves effects in a Lorentz-violating scenario. Phys. Lett. B, 855, 138785–7pp.
Abstract: This paper focuses on how the production and polarization of gravitational waves are affected by spontaneous Lorentz symmetry breaking, which is driven by a self-interacting vector field. Specifically, we examine the impact of a smooth quadratic potential and a non-minimal coupling, discussing the constraints and causality features of the linearized Einstein equation. To analyze the polarization states of a plane wave, we consider a fixed vacuum expectation value (VEV) of the vector field. Remarkably, we verify that a space-like background vector field modifies the polarization plane and introduces a longitudinal degree of freedom. In order to investigate the Lorentz violation effect on the quadrupole formula, we use the modified Green function. Finally, we show that the space-like component of the background field leads to a third-order time derivative of the quadrupole moment, and the bounds for the Lorentz-breaking coefficients are estimated as well.
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Belchior, F. M., & Maluf, R. (2024). Duality between the Maxwell-Chern-Simons and self-dual models in very special relativity. Phys. Lett. B, 855, 138794–7pp.
Abstract: This work investigates the classical and quantum duality between the SIM (1)-Maxwell-Chern-Simons (MCS) model and its self -dual counterpart. Initially, we focus on free -field cases to establish equivalence through two distinct approaches: comparing the equations of motion and utilizing the master Lagrangian method. In both instances, the classical correspondence between the self -dual and MCS dual fields undergoes modifications due to very special relativity (VSR). Specifically, the duality is established when the associated VSR-mass parameters are identical, and the dual field is introduced through a non -local VSR correction. Furthermore, we analyze the duality when the self -dual model is minimally coupled to fermions. As a result, we demonstrate that Thirring-like interactions, corrected for non -local VSR contributions, are included in the MCS model. Additionally, we establish the quantum equivalence of the models by performing a functional integration of the fields and comparing the resulting effective Lagrangians.
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Etxebeste, A., Barrio, J., Muñoz, E., Oliver, J. F., Solaz, C., & Llosa, G. (2016). 3D position determination in monolithic crystals coupled to SiPMs for PET. Phys. Med. Biol., 61(10), 3914–3934.
Abstract: The interest in using continuous monolithic crystals in positron emission tomography (PET) has grown in the last years. Coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), the detector can combine high sensitivity and high resolution, the two main factors to be maximized in a positron emission tomograph. In this work, the position determination capability of a detector comprised of a 12 x 12 x 10 mm(3) LYSO crystal coupled to an 8 x 8-pixel array of SiPMs is evaluated. The 3D interaction position of.-rays is estimated using an analytical model of the light distribution including reflections on the facets of the crystal. Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to evaluate different crystal reflectors and geometries. The method has been characterized and applied to different cases. Intrinsic resolution obtained with the position estimation method used in this work, applied to experimental data, achieves sub-millimetre resolution values. Average resolution over the detector surface for 5 mm thick crystal is similar to 0.9 mm FWHM and similar to 1.2 mm FWHM for 10 mm thick crystal. Depth of interaction resolution is close to 2 mm FWHM in both cases, while the FWTM is similar to 5.3 mm for 5 mm thick crystal and similar to 9.6 mm for 10 mm thick crystal.
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Solevi, P., Muñoz, E., Solaz, C., Trovato, M., Dendooven, P., Gillam, J. E., et al. (2016). Performance of MACACO Compton telescope for ion-beam therapy monitoring: first test with proton beams. Phys. Med. Biol., 61(14), 5149–5165.
Abstract: In order to exploit the advantages of ion-beam therapy in a clinical setting, delivery verification techniques are necessary to detect deviations from the planned treatment. Efforts are currently oriented towards the development of devices for real-time range monitoring. Among the different detector concepts proposed, Compton cameras are employed to detect prompt gammas and represent a valid candidate for real-time range verification. We present the first on-beam test of MACACO, a Compton telescope (multi-layer Compton camera) based on lanthanum bromide crystals and silicon photo-multipliers. The Compton telescope was first characterized through measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. The detector linearity was measured employing Na-22 and Am-Be sources, obtaining about 10% deviation from linearity at 3.44 MeV. A spectral image reconstruction algorithm was tested on synthetic data. Point-like sources emitting gamma rays with energy between 2 and 7 MeV were reconstructed with 3-5 mm resolution. The two-layer Compton telescope was employed to measure radiation emitted from a beam of 150 MeV protons impinging on a cylindrical PMMA target. Bragg-peak shifts were achieved via adjustment of the PMMA target location and the resulting measurements used during image reconstruction. Reconstructed Bragg peak profiles proved sufficient to observe peak-location differences within 10 mm demonstrating the potential of the MACACO Compton Telescope as a monitoring device for ion-beam therapy.
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Muñoz, E., Barrio, J., Etxebeste, A., Ortega, P. G., Lacasta, C., Oliver, J. F., et al. (2017). Performance evaluation of MACACO: a multilayer Compton camera. Phys. Med. Biol., 62(18), 7321–7341.
Abstract: Compton imaging devices have been proposed and studied for a wide range of applications. We have developed a Compton camera prototype which can be operated with two or three detector layers based on monolithic lanthanum bromide (LaBr3) crystals coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), to be used for proton range verification in hadron therapy. In this work, we present the results obtained with our prototype in laboratory tests with radioactive sources and in simulation studies. Images of a Na-22 and an Y-88 radioactive sources have been successfully reconstructed. The full width half maximum of the reconstructed images is below 4 mm for a Na-22 source at a distance of 5 cm.
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Gimenez-Alventosa, V., Gimenez, V., Ballester, F., Vijande, J., & Andreo, P. (2018). Correction factors for ionization chamber measurements with the 'Valencia' and 'large field Valencia' brachytherapy applicators. Phys. Med. Biol., 63(12), 125004–10pp.
Abstract: Treatment of small skin lesions using HDR brachytherapy applicators is a widely used technique. The shielded applicators currently available in clinical practice are based on a tungsten-alloy cup that collimates the source-emitted radiation into a small region, hence protecting nearby tissues. The goal of this manuscript is to evaluate the correction factors required for dose measurements with a plane-parallel ionization chamber typically used in clinical brachytherapy for the 'Valencia' and 'large field Valencia' shielded applicators. Monte Carlo simulations have been performed using the PENELOPE-2014 system to determine the absorbed dose deposited in a water phantom and in the chamber active volume with a Type A uncertainty of the order of 0.1%. The average energies of the photon spectra arriving at the surface of the water phantom differ by approximately 10%, being 384 keV for the 'Valencia' and 343 keV for the 'large field Valencia'. The ionization chamber correction factors have been obtained for both applicators using three methods, their values depending on the applicator being considered. Using a depth-independent global chamber perturbation correction factor and no shift of the effective point of measurement yields depth-dose differences of up to 1% for the 'Valencia' applicator. Calculations using a depth-dependent global perturbation factor, or a shift of the effective point of measurement combined with a constant partial perturbation factor, result in differences of about 0.1% for both applicators. The results emphasize the relevance of carrying out detailed Monte Carlo studies for each shielded brachytherapy applicator and ionization chamber.
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Muñoz, E., Barrio, J., Bernabeu, J., Etxebeste, A., Lacasta, C., Llosa, G., et al. (2018). Study and comparison of different sensitivity models for a two-plane Compton camera. Phys. Med. Biol., 63(13), 135004–19pp.
Abstract: Given the strong variations in the sensitivity of Compton cameras for the detection of events originating from different points in the field of view (FoV), sensitivity correction is often necessary in Compton image reconstruction. Several approaches for the calculation of the sensitivity matrix have been proposed in the literature. While most of these models are easily implemented and can be useful in many cases, they usually assume high angular coverage over the scattered photon, which is not the case for our prototype. In this work, we have derived an analytical model that allows us to calculate a detailed sensitivity matrix, which has been compared to other sensitivity models in the literature. Specifically, the proposed model describes the probability of measuring a useful event in a two-plane Compton camera, including the most relevant physical processes involved. The model has been used to obtain an expression for the system and sensitivity matrices for iterative image reconstruction. These matrices have been validated taking Monte Carlo simulations as a reference. In order to study the impact of the sensitivity, images reconstructed with our sensitivity model and with other models have been compared. Images have been reconstructed from several simulated sources, including point-like sources and extended distributions of activity, and also from experimental data measured with Na-22 sources. Results show that our sensitivity model is the best suited for our prototype. Although other models in the literature perform successfully in many scenarios, they are not applicable in all the geometrical configurations of interest for our system. In general, our model allows to effectively recover the intensity of point-like sources at different positions in the FoV and to reconstruct regions of homogeneous activity with minimal variance. Moreover, it can be employed for all Compton camera configurations, including those with low angular coverage over the scatterer.
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