Jaworski, G., Palacz, M., Nyberg, J., de Angelis, G., de France, G., Di Nitto, A., et al. (2012). Monte Carlo simulation of a single detector unit for the neutron detector array NEDA. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 673, 64–72.
Abstract: A study of the dimensions and performance of a single detector of the future neutron detector array NEDA was performed by means of Monte Carlo simulations, using GEANT4. Two different liquid scintillators were evaluated: the hydrogen based BC501A and the deuterated BC537. The efficiency and the probability that one neutron will trigger a signal in more than one detector were investigated as a function of the detector size. The simulations were validated comparing the results to experimental measurements performed with two existing neutron detectors, with different geometries, based on the liquid scintillator BC501.
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Guerrero, C., Cano-Ott, D., Mendoza, E., Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Berthoumieux, E., et al. (2012). Monte Carlo simulation of the n_TOF Total Absorption Calorimeter. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 671, 108–117.
Abstract: The n_TOF Total Absorption Calorimeter (TAC) is a 4 pi BaF2 segmented detector used at CERN for measuring neutron capture cross-sections of importance for the design of advanced nuclear reactors. This work presents the simulation code that has been developed in GEANT4 for the accurate determination of the detection efficiency of the TAC for neutron capture events. The code allows to calculate the efficiency of the TAC for every neutron capture state, as a function of energy, crystal multiplicity, and counting rate. The code includes all instrumental effects such as the single crystal detection threshold and energy resolution, finite size of the coincidence time window, and signal pile-up. The results from the simulation have been validated with experimental data for a large set of electromagnetic de-excitation patterns: beta-decay of well known calibration sources, neutron capture reactions in light nuclei with well known level schemes like Ti-nat, reference samples used in (n,gamma) measurements like Au-197 and experimental data from an actinide sample like Pu-240. The systematic uncertainty in the determination of the detection efficiency has been estimated for all the cases. As a representative example, the accuracy reached for the case of Au-197(n,gamma) ranges between 0.5% and 2%, depending on the experimental and analysis conditions. Such a value matches the high accuracy required for the nuclear cross-section data needed in advanced reactor design.
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Al-Dahan, N. et al, Algora, A., Molina, F., & Rubio, B. (2012). Multiple beta(-) decaying states in Re-194: Shape evolution in neutron-rich osmium isotopes. Phys. Rev. C, 85(3), 034301–9pp.
Abstract: beta decays from heavy, neutron-rich nuclei with A similar to 190 have been investigated following their production via the relativistic projectile fragmentation of an E/A = 1 GeV Pb-208 primary beam on a similar to 2.5 g/cm(2) Be-9 target. The reaction products were separated and identified using the GSI FRagment Separator (FRS) and stopped in the RISING active stopper. gamma decays were observed and correlated with these secondary ions on an event-by-event basis such that gamma-ray transitions following from both internal (isomeric) and beta decays were recorded. A number of discrete, beta-delayed gamma-ray transitions associated with beta decays from Re-194 to excited states in Os-194 have been observed, including previously reported decays from the yrast I-pi = (6(+)) state. Three previously unreported gamma-ray transitions with energies 194, 349, and 554 keV are also identified; these transitions are associated with decays from higher spin states in Os-194. The results of these investigations are compared with theoretical predictions from Nilsson multi-quasiparticle (MQP) calculations. Based on lifetime measurements and the observed feeding pattern to states in Os-194, it is concluded that there are three beta(-)-decaying states in Re-194.
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Nieves, J., Sanchez, F., Ruiz Simo, I., & Vicente Vacas, M. J. (2012). Neutrino energy reconstruction and the shape of the charged current quasielastic-like total cross section. Phys. Rev. D, 85(11), 113008–9pp.
Abstract: We show that because of the multinucleon mechanism effects, the algorithm used to reconstruct the neutrino energy is not adequate when dealing with quasielastic-like events, and a distortion of the total flux-unfolded cross-section shape is produced. This amounts to a redistribution of strength from high to low energies, which gives rise to a sizable excess (deficit) of low (high) energy neutrinos. This distortion of the shape leads to a good description of the MiniBooNE unfolded charged current quasielastic-like cross sections published by A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo et al. [(MiniBooNE Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 81, 092005 (2010)]. However, these changes in the shape are artifacts of the unfolding process that ignores multinucleon mechanisms.
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Lesgourgues, J., & Pastor, S. (2012). Neutrino Mass from Cosmology. Adv. High. Energy Phys., 2012, 608515–34pp.
Abstract: Neutrinos can play an important role in the evolution of the universe, modifying some of the cosmological observables. In this contribution we summarize the main aspects of cosmological relic neutrinos, and we describe how the precision of present cosmological data can be used to learn about neutrino properties, in particular their mass, providing complementary information to beta decay and neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments. We show how the analysis of current cosmological observations, such as the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background or the distribution of large-scale structure, provides an upper bound on the sum of neutrino masses of order 1 eV or less, with very good perspectives from future cosmological measurements which are expected to be sensitive to neutrino masses well into the sub-eV range.
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