Abstract: Sensitivity and spatial resolution are the main parameters to maximize in the performance of a PET scanner. For this purpose, detectors consisting of a combination of continuous crystals optically coupled to segmented photodetectors have been employed. With the use of continuous crystals the sensitivity is increased with respect to the pixelated crystals. In addition, spatial resolution is no longer limited to the crystal size. The main drawback is the difficulty in determining the interaction position. In this work, we present the characterization of the performance of a full ring based on cuboid continuous crystals coupled to SiPMs. To this end, we have employed the simulations developed in a previous work for our experimental detector head. Sensitivity could be further enhanced by using tapered crystals. This enhancement is obtained by increasing the solid angle coverage, reducing the wedge-shaped gaps between contiguous detectors. The performance of the scanners based on both crystal geometries was characterized following NEMA NU 4-2008 standardized protocol in order to compare them. An average sensitivity gain over the entire axial field of view of 13.63% has been obtained with tapered geometry while similar performance of the spatial resolution has been proven with both scanners. The activity at which NECR and true peak occur is smaller and the peak value is greater for tapered crystals than for cuboid crystals. Moreover, a higher degree of homogeneity was obtained in the sensitivity map due to the tighter packing of the crystals, which reduces the gaps and results in a better recovery of homogeneous regions than for the cuboid configuration. Some of the results obtained, such as spatial resolution, depend on the interaction position estimation and may vary if other method is employed.

Abstract: Neutron capture cross section measurements on Gd-155 and Gd-157 were performed using the time-of-flight technique at the nTOF facility at CERN on isotopically enriched samples. The measurements were carried out in the nTOF experimental area EAR1, at 185 m from the neutron source, with an array of 4 C6D6 liquid scintillation detectors. At a neutron kinetic energy of 0.0253 eV, capture cross sections of 62.2(2.2) and 239.8(8.4) kilobarn have been derived for Gd-155 and Gd-157, respectively, with up to 6% deviation relative to values presently reported in nuclear data libraries, but consistent with those values within 1.6 standard deviations. A resonance shape analysis has been performed in the resolved resonance region up to 181 eV and 307 eV, respectively for Gd-155 and Gd-157, where on average, resonance parameters have been found in good agreement with evaluations. Above these energies and up to 1 keV, the observed resonance-like structure of the cross section has been analysed and characterised. From a statistical analysis of the observed neutron resonances we deduced: neutron strength function of 2.01(28)x10-4 and 2.17(41)x10-4; average total radiative width of 106.8(14) meV and 101.1(20) meV and s-wave resonance spacing 1.6(2) eV and 4.8(5) eV for n + Gd-155 and n + Gd-157 systems, respectively.

Abstract: We study the B+J/K+ reaction, and show that it is driven by the presence of two resonances, the X(3940) and X(3930), that are of molecular nature and couple most strongly to D*D*, but also to J/. Because of that, in the J/ mass distribution we find a peak related to the excitation of the resonances and a cusp with large strength at the D*D* threshold.

Abstract: .In a fusion-evaporation reaction, nuclei are produced by evaporating light-charged particles and neutrons from the compound nucleus. Typically, a nucleus of interest is produced as a result of a part of the total cross-section and, in order to guarantee a good channel discrimination, a particle detector, like the EUCLIDES 4 Si-ball array, is necessary. EUCLIDES has been quoted in more than a hundred publications resulting from many experiments performed in combination with the EUROBALL and GASP -ray spectrometers. The present paper reports on the upgraded version of EUCLIDES, that is presently coupled to the new GALILEO -ray spectrometer, installed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, INFN. The design, characteristics and performance of the EUCLIDES array are presented and discussed.

Abstract: .The U-235(n, f ) cross section was measured at n_TOF relative to Li-6(n, t) and B-10(n,alpha) , with high resolution ( L=183.49(2) m) and in a wide energy range (25meV-170keV) with 1.5% systematic uncertainty, making use of a stack of six samples and six silicon detectors placed in the neutron beam. This allowed us to make a direct comparison of the yields of the U-235(n, f ) and of the two reference reactions under the same experimental conditions, and taking into account the forward/backward emission asymmetry. A hint of an anomaly in the 10-30keV neutron energy range had been previously observed in other experiments, indicating a cross section systematically lower by several percent relative to major evaluations. The present results indicate that the cross section in the 9-18keV neutron energy range is indeed overestimated by almost 5% in the recently released evaluated data files ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JEFF3.3, as a consequence of a 7% overestimate in a single GMA node in the IAEA reference file. Furthermore, these new high-resolution data confirm the existence of resonance-like structures in the keV neutron energy region. The results here reported may lead to a reduction of the uncertainty in the 1-100keV neutron energy region. Finally, from the present data, a value of 249.7 +/- 1.4( stat )+/- 0.94( syst ) b<bold>eV has been extracted for the cross section integral between </bold>7.8 and 11eV, confirming the value of 247.5 +/- 3 b<bold>eV recently established as a standard</bold>.