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Kim, Y. H. et al, & Perez-Vidal, R. M. (2017). Prompt-delayed gamma-ray spectroscopy with AGATA, EXOGAM and VAMOS plus. Eur. Phys. J. A, 53(8), 162–8pp.
Abstract: A new experimental setup to measure prompt-delayed gamma-ray coincidences from isotopically identified fission fragments, over a wide time range of 100 ns-200 μs, is presented. The fission fragments were isotopically identified, on an event-by-event basis, using the VAMOS++ large acceptance spectrometer. The prompt gamma rays emitted at the target position and corresponding delayed gamma rays emitted at the focal plane of the spectrometer were detected using, respectively, thirty two crystals of the AGATA gamma-ray tracking array and seven EXOGAM HPGe Clover detectors. Fission fragments produced in fusion and transfer-induced fission reactions, using a U-238 beam at an energy of 6.2MeV/u impinging on a Be-9 target, were used to characterize and qualify the performance of the detection system.
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Kucuk, L. et al, Orrigo, S. E. A., Montaner-Piza, A., Rubio, B., Gelletly, W., Algora, A., et al. (2017). Half-life determination of T-z =-1 and T-z =-1/2 proton-rich nuclei and the beta decay of Zn-58. Eur. Phys. J. A, 53(6), 134–10pp.
Abstract: We have measured the beta-decay half-lives of 16 neutron-deficient nuclei with T-z = -1/2 and -1, ranging from chromium to germanium. They were produced in an experiment carried out at GANIL and optimized for the production of Zn-58, for which in addition we present the decay scheme and absolute Fermi and Gamow-Teller transition strengths. Since all of these nuclei lie on the rp-process pathway, the T-1/2 values are important ingredients for the rp-process reaction flow calculations and for models of X-ray bursters.
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Guerrero, C., Domingo-Pardo, C., Kappeler, F., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Palomo, F. R., Quesada, J. M., et al. (2017). Prospects for direct neutron capture measurements on s-process branching point isotopes. Eur. Phys. J. A, 53(5), 87–5pp.
Abstract: The neutron capture cross sections of several unstable key isotopes acting as branching points in the s-process are crucial for stellar nucleosynthesis studies, but they are very challenging to measure directly due to the difficult production of sufficient sample material, the high activity of the resulting samples, and the actual (n, gamma) measurement, where high neutron fluxes and effective background rejection capabilities are required. At present there are about 21 relevant s-process branching point isotopes whose cross section could not be measured yet over the neutron energy range of interest for astrophysics. However, the situation is changing with some very recent developments and upcoming technologies. This work introduces three techniques that will change the current paradigm in the field: the use of gamma-ray imaging techniques in (n,gamma) experiments, the production of moderated neutron beams using high-power lasers, and double capture experiments in Maxwellian neutron beams.
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Vento, V. (2018). Skyrmions at high density. Phys. Part. Nuclei Lett., 15(4), 367–370.
Abstract: The phase diagram of quantum chromodynamics is conjectured to have a rich structure containing at least three forms of matter: hadronic nuclear matter, quarkyonic matter and quark gluon plasma. We describe its formulation in terms of Skyrme crystals and justify the origin of the quarkyonic phase transition in a chiral-quark model.
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Cases, R., Ros, E., & Zuñiga, J. (2011). Measuring radon concentration in air using a diffusion cloud chamber. Am. J. Phys., 79(9), 903–908.
Abstract: Radon concentration in air is a major concern in lung cancer studies. A traditional technique used to measure radon abundance is the charcoal canister method. We propose a novel technique using a diffusion cloud chamber. This technique is simpler and can easily be used for physics demonstrations for high school and university students.
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Aguiar, P., Rafecas, M., Ortuño, J. E., Kontaxakis, G., Santos, A., Pavia, J., et al. (2010). Geometrical and Monte Carlo projectors in 3D PET reconstruction. Med. Phys., 37(11), 5691–5702.
Abstract: Purpose: In the present work, the authors compare geometrical and Monte Carlo projectors in detail. The geometrical projectors considered were the conventional geometrical Siddon ray-tracer (S-RT) and the orthogonal distance-based ray-tracer (OD-RT), based on computing the orthogonal distance from the center of image voxel to the line-of-response. A comparison of these geometrical projectors was performed using different point spread function (PSF) models. The Monte Carlo-based method under consideration involves an extensive model of the system response matrix based on Monte Carlo simulations and is computed off-line and stored on disk. Methods: Comparisons were performed using simulated and experimental data of the commercial small animal PET scanner rPET. Results: The results demonstrate that the orthogonal distance-based ray-tracer and Siddon ray-tracer using PSF image-space convolutions yield better images in terms of contrast and spatial resolution than those obtained after using the conventional method and the multiray-based S-RT. Furthermore, the Monte Carlo-based method yields slight improvements in terms of contrast and spatial resolution with respect to these geometrical projectors. Conclusions: The orthogonal distance-based ray-tracer and Siddon ray-tracer using PSF image-space convolutions represent satisfactory alternatives to factorizing the system matrix or to the conventional on-the-fly ray-tracing methods for list-mode reconstruction, where an extensive modeling based on Monte Carlo simulations is unfeasible.
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KM3NeT Collaboration(Aiello, S. et al), Alves Garre, S., Calvo, D., Carretero, V., Colomer, M., Corredoira, I., et al. (2021). Architecture and performance of the KM3NeT front-end firmware. J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst., 7(1), 016001–24pp.
Abstract: The KM3NeT infrastructure consists of two deep-sea neutrino telescopes being deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. The telescopes will detect extraterrestrial and atmospheric neutrinos by means of the incident photons induced by the passage of relativistic charged particles through the seawater as a consequence of a neutrino interaction. The telescopes are configured in a three-dimensional grid of digital optical modules, each hosting 31 photomultipliers. The photomultiplier signals produced by the incident Cherenkov photons are converted into digital information consisting of the integrated pulse duration and the time at which it surpasses a chosen threshold. The digitization is done by means of time to digital converters (TDCs) embedded in the field programmable gate array of the central logic board. Subsequently, a state machine formats the acquired data for its transmission to shore. We present the architecture and performance of the front-end firmware consisting of the TDCs and the state machine.
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Clausse, A., Soto, L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2015). Influence of the Anode Length on the Neutron Emission of a 50 J Plasma Focus: Modeling and Experiment. IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci., 43(2), 629–636.
Abstract: A comprehensive set of electric data measured in a small plasma focus (PF) device of 50 J correlated with the corresponding neutron emissions is taken as the base for developing a semiempirical model of the current sheet dynamics and the neutron yield. The model is able to explain the dependence of the neutron yield with the pressure and anode length with good accuracy, and suggests a physical interpretation of the drive parameter commonly used in PF design.
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Real, D., Calvo, D., Diaz, A., Alves Garre, S., Carretero, V., Sanchez Losa, A., et al. (2023). An Ultra-Narrow Time Optical Pulse Emitter Based on a Laser: UNTOPEL. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., 70(10), 2364–2372.
Abstract: Light sources that emit repetitive subnanosecond pulses are used in neutrino telescopes for time calibration. Optical pulses with an ultra-narrow (subnanosecond) width can replicate the light produced by neutrino interactions, and are an important calibration and test element. By measuring the time-of-flight of the light, it is possible to provide a relative time calibration for all the detector photomultipliers. This work presents the ultra-narrow time optical pulse emitter based on a laser (UNTOPEL), an instrument emitting ultra-short laser optical pulses with a duration of 500 ps, energies per pulse of four microjoules at a wavelength of 532 nm, and a timing precision of 400 ps. The UNTOPEL pulse intensity can be fine-tuned, which is a novelty and a significant advantage in those applications that need to illuminate light detectors located at different distances with the same light intensity. The UNTOPEL pulse intensity can be controlled remotely, allowing for its use in operating conditions where physical access is impossible or difficult. Moreover, it is easy to operate and can be easily controlled through an inter-integrated circuit bus. The UNTOPEL is a sound instrument used when subnanosecond pulses and variable energy emissions are needed.
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Millar, W. L. et al, & Bañon Caballero, D. (2023). High-Power Test of Two Prototype X-Band Accelerating Structures Based on SwissFEL Fabrication Technology. IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci., 70(1), 1–19.
Abstract: This article presents the design, construction, and high-power test of two $X$ -band radio frequency (RF) accelerating structures built as part of a collaboration between CERN and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) for the compact linear collider (CLIC) study. The structures are a modified “tuning-free ” variant of an existing CERN design and were assembled using Swiss free electron laser (SwissFEL) production methods. The purpose of the study is two-fold. The first objective is to validate the RF properties and high-power performance of the tuning-free, vacuum brazed PSI technology. The second objective is to study the structures' high-gradient behavior to provide insight into the breakdown and conditioning phenomena as they apply to high-field devices in general. Low-power RF measurements showed that the structure field profiles were close to the design values, and both structures were conditioned to accelerating gradients in excess of 100 MV/m in CERN's high-gradient test facility. Measurements performed during the second structure test suggest that the breakdown rate (BDR) scales strongly with the accelerating gradient, with the best fit being a power law relation with an exponent of 31.14. In both cases, the test results indicate that stable, high-gradient operation is possible with tuning-free, vacuum brazed structures of this kind.
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