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Basu, S

Publications and source records attributed to Basu, S.

At least 19 records

Prompt and non-prompt J/ψ production cross sections at midrapidity in proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{\mathrm{s}} $ = 5.02 and 13 TeV

The production of J /ψ is measured at midrapidity ( |y| < 0 . 9) in proton-proton collisions at \( \sqrt{s} \) = 5 . 02 and 13 TeV, through the dielectron decay channel, using the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The data sets used for the analyses correspond to integrated luminosities of \( \mathcal{L} \) int = 19.4 ± 0.4 nb - 1 and \( \mathcal{L} \) int = 32.2 ± 0.5 nb - 1 at \( \sqrt{s} \) = 5 . 02 and 13 TeV, respectively. The fraction of non-prompt J /ψ mesons, i.e. those originating from the decay of beauty hadrons, is measured down to a transverse momentum p T = 2 GeV /c (1 GeV /c ) at \( \sqrt{s} \) = 5 . 02 TeV (13 TeV). The p T and rapidity ( y ) differential cross sections, as well as the corresponding values integrated over p T and y , are carried out separately for prompt and non-prompt J /ψ mesons. The results are compared with measurements from other experiments and theoretical calculations based on quantum chromodynamics (QCD). The shapes of the p T and y distributions of beauty quarks predicted by state-of-the-art perturbative QCD models are used to extrapolate an estimate of the \( \mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}} \) pair cross section at midrapidity and in the total phase space. The total \( \mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}} \) cross sections are found to be \( {\sigma}_{\mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}}} \) = 541 ± 45 (stat . ) ± 69 \( {\left(\mathrm{syst}.\right)}_{-12}^{+10} \) (extr . ) μ b and \( {\sigma}_{\mathrm{b}\overline{\mathrm{b}}} \) = 218 ± 37 (stat . ) ± 31 \( {\left(\mathrm{syst}.\right)}_{-9.1}^{+8.2} \) (extr . ) μ b at \( \sqrt{s} \) = 13 and 5.02 TeV, respectively. The value obtained from the combination of ALICE and LHCb measurements in pp collisions at \( \sqrt{s} \) = 13 TeV is also provided.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Production of pions, kaons, (anti-)protons and &straightphi; mesons in Xe–Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.44 TeV

The first measurement of the production of pions, kaons, (anti-)protons and &straightphi; mesons at midrapidity in Xe–Xe collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.44 TeV is presented. Transverse momentum (p T ) spectra and p T -integrated yields are extracted in several centrality intervals bridging from p–Pb to mid-central Pb–Pb collisions in terms of final-state multiplicity. The study of Xe–Xe and Pb–Pb collisions allows systems at similar charged-particle multiplicities but with different initial geometrical eccentricities to be investigated. A detailed comparison of the spectral shapes in the two systems reveals an opposite behaviour for radial and elliptic flow. In particular, this study shows that the radial flow does not depend on the colliding system when compared at similar charged-particle multiplicity. In terms of hadron chemistry, the previously observed smooth evolution of particle ratios with multiplicity from small to large collision systems is also found to hold in Xe–Xe. In addition, our results confirm that two remarkable features of particle production at LHC energies are also valid in the collision of medium-sized nuclei: the lower proton-to-pion ratio with respect to the thermal model expectations and the increase of the &straightphi;-to-pion ratio with increasing final-state multiplicity.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

First measurement of the |t|-dependence of coherent J/ψ photonuclear production

The first measurement of the cross section for coherent J/ψ photoproduction as a function of |t|, the square of the momentum transferred between the incoming and outgoing target nucleus, is presented. The data were measured with the ALICE detector in ultra-peripheral Pb–Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=5.02TeV with the J/ψ produced in the central rapidity region |y|<0.8, which corresponds to the small Bjorken-x range (0.3-1.4)×10 -3 . The measured |t|-dependence is not described by computations based only on the Pb nuclear form factor, while the photonuclear cross section is better reproduced by models including shadowing according to the leading-twist approximation, or gluon-saturation effects from the impact-parameter dependent Balitsky–Kovchegov equation. These new results are therefore a valid tool to constrain the relevant model parameters and to investigate the transverse gluonic structure at very low Bjorken-x.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Higher harmonic non-linear flow modes of charged hadrons in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 5.02 TeV

Anisotropic flow coefficients, v n , non-linear flow mode coefficients, χ n,mk , and correlations among different symmetry planes, ρ n,mk are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV. Results obtained with multi-particle correlations are reported for the transverse momentum interval 0.2 < p T < 5.0 GeV/c within the pseudorapidity interval 0.4 < |η| < 0.8 as a function of collision centrality. The v n coefficients and χ n,mk and ρ n,mk are presented up to the ninth and seventh harmonic order, respectively. Calculations suggest that the correlations measured in different symmetry planes and the non-linear flow mode coefficients are dependent on the shear and bulk viscosity to entropy ratios of the medium created in heavy-ion collisions. The comparison between these measurements and those at lower energies and calculations from hydrodynamic models places strong constraints on the initial conditions and transport properties of the system.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Real-time data processing in the ALICE High Level Trigger at the LHC

At the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, atomic nuclei are collided at ultra-relativistic energies. Many final-state particles are produced in each collision and their properties are measured by the ALICE detector. The detector signals induced by the produced particles are digitized leading to data rates that are in excess of 48 GB/s. The ALICE High Level Trigger (HLT) system pioneered the use of FPGA- and GPU-based algorithms to reconstruct charged-particle trajectories and reduce the data size in real time. The results of the reconstruction of the collision events, available online, are used for high level data quality and detector-performance monitoring and real-time time-dependent detector calibration. The online data compression techniques developed and used in the ALICE HLT have more than quadrupled the amount of data that can be stored for offline event processing.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The ALICE Transition Radiation Detector: Construction, operation, and performance

The Transition Radiation Detector (TRD) was designed and built to enhance the capabilities of the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). While aimed at providing electron identification and triggering, the TRD also contributes significantly to the track reconstruction and calibration in the central barrel of ALICE. In this article, the design, construction, operation, and performance of this detector are discussed. A pion rejection factor of up to 410 is achieved at a momentum of 1 GeV/c in p-Pb collisions and the resolution at high transverse momentum improves by about 40% when including the TRD information in track reconstruction. The triggering capability is demonstrated both for jet, light nuclei, and electron selection.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Key findings and remaining questions in the areas of core-concrete interaction and debris coolability

The reactor accidents at Fukushima-Dai-ichi have rekindled interest in late phase severe accident behavior involving reactor pressure vessel breach and discharge of molten core melt into the containment. Two technical issues of interest in this area include core-concrete interaction and the extent to which the core debris may be quenched and rendered coolable by top flooding. The OECD-sponsored Melt Coolability and Concrete Interaction (MCCI) programs at Argonne National Laboratory included the conduct of large scale reactor material experiments and associated analysis with the objectives of resolving the ex-vessel debris coolability issue, and to address remaining uncertainties related to long-term two-dimensional molten core-concrete interactions under both wet and dry cavity conditions. These tests provided a broad database to support accident management planning, as well as the development and validation of models and codes that can be used to extrapolate the experiment results to plant conditions. This paper provides a high level overview of the key experiment results obtained during the program. Finally, a discussion is also provided that describes technical gaps that remain in this area, several of which have arisen based on the sequence of events and operator actions during Fukushima.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

MAGNETIC ACTIVITY CYCLES IN THE EXOPLANET HOST STAR {epsilon} ERIDANI

The active K2 dwarf {epsilon} Eri has been extensively characterized both as a young solar analog and more recently as an exoplanet host star. As one of the nearest and brightest stars in the sky, it provides an unparalleled opportunity to constrain stellar dynamo theory beyond the Sun. We confirm and document the 3-year magnetic activity cycle in {epsilon} Eri originally reported by Hatzes and coworkers, and we examine the archival data from previous observations spanning 45 years. The data show coexisting 3-year and 13-year periods leading into a broad activity minimum that resembles a Maunder minimum-like state, followed by the resurgence of a coherent 3-year cycle. The nearly continuous activity record suggests the simultaneous operation of two stellar dynamos with cycle periods of 2.95 {+-} 0.03 years and 12.7 {+-} 0.3 years, which, by analogy with the solar case, suggests a revised identification of the dynamo mechanisms that are responsible for the so-called 'active' and 'inactive' sequences as proposed by Boehm-Vitense. Finally, based on the observed properties of {epsilon} Eri, we argue that the rotational history of the Sun is what makes it an outlier in the context of magnetic cycles observed in other stars (as also suggested by its Li depletion), and that a Jovian-mass companion cannot be the universal explanation for the solar peculiarities.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

COMPOSITION OF THE SOLAR CORONA, SOLAR WIND, AND SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLES

Along with temperature and density, the elemental abundance is a basic parameter required by astronomers to understand and model any physical system. The abundances of the solar corona are known to differ from those of the solar photosphere via a mechanism related to the first ionization potential of the element, but the normalization of these values with respect to hydrogen is challenging. Here, we show that the values used by solar physicists for over a decade and currently referred to as the 'coronal abundances' do not agree with the data themselves. As a result, recent analysis and interpretation of solar data involving coronal abundances may need to be revised. We use observations from coronal spectroscopy, the solar wind, and solar energetic particles as well as the latest abundances of the solar photosphere to establish a new set of abundances that reflect our current understanding of the coronal plasma.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

A UNIFORM ASTEROSEISMIC ANALYSIS OF 22 SOLAR-TYPE STARS OBSERVED BY KEPLER

Asteroseismology with the Kepler space telescope is providing not only an improved characterization of exoplanets and their host stars, but also a new window on stellar structure and evolution for the large sample of solar-type stars in the field. We perform a uniform analysis of 22 of the brightest asteroseismic targets with the highest signal-to-noise ratio observed for 1 month each during the first year of the mission, and we quantify the precision and relative accuracy of asteroseismic determinations of the stellar radius, mass, and age that are possible using various methods. We present the properties of each star in the sample derived from an automated analysis of the individual oscillation frequencies and other observational constraints using the Asteroseismic Modeling Portal (AMP), and we compare them to the results of model-grid-based methods that fit the global oscillation properties. We find that fitting the individual frequencies typically yields asteroseismic radii and masses to {approx}1% precision, and ages to {approx}2.5% precision (respectively, 2, 5, and 8 times better than fitting the global oscillation properties). The absolute level of agreement between the results from different approaches is also encouraging, with model-grid-based methods yielding slightly smaller estimates of the radius and mass and slightly older values for the stellar age relative to AMP, which computes a large number of dedicated models for each star. The sample of targets for which this type of analysis is possible will grow as longer data sets are obtained during the remainder of the mission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

ASTEROSEISMOLOGY OF THE SOLAR ANALOGS 16 Cyg A AND B FROM KEPLER OBSERVATIONS

The evolved solar-type stars 16 Cyg A and B have long been studied as solar analogs, yielding a glimpse into the future of our own Sun. The orbital period of the binary system is too long to provide meaningful dynamical constraints on the stellar properties, but asteroseismology can help because the stars are among the brightest in the Kepler field. We present an analysis of three months of nearly uninterrupted photometry of 16 Cyg A and B from the Kepler space telescope. We extract a total of 46 and 41 oscillation frequencies for the two components, respectively, including a clear detection of octupole (l = 3) modes in both stars. We derive the properties of each star independently using the Asteroseismic Modeling Portal, fitting the individual oscillation frequencies and other observational constraints simultaneously. We evaluate the systematic uncertainties from an ensemble of results generated by a variety of stellar evolution codes and fitting methods. The optimal models derived by fitting each component individually yield a common age (t = 6.8 {+-} 0.4 Gyr) and initial composition (Z{sub i} = 0.024 {+-} 0.002, Y{sub i} = 0.25 {+-} 0.01) within the uncertainties, as expected for the components of a binary system, bolstering our confidence in the reliability of asteroseismic techniques. The longer data sets that will ultimately become available will allow future studies of differential rotation, convection zone depths, and long-term changes due to stellar activity cycles.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Soft X-Ray Spectroscopic Study of Dense Strontium-Doped Lanthanum Manganite Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications

The evolution of the Mn charge state, chemical composition, and electronic structure of La{sub 0.8}Sr{sub 0.2}MnO{sub 3} (LSMO) cathodes during the catalytic activation of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has been studies using X-ray spectroscopy of as-processed, exposed, and activated dense thin LSMO films. Comparison of O K-edge and Mn L{sub 3,2}-edge X-ray absorption spectra from the different stages of LSMO cathodes revealed that the largest change after the activation occurred in the Mn charge state with little change in the oxygen environment. Core-level X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Mn L{sub 3} resonant photoemission spectroscopy studies of exposed and as-processed LSMO determined that the SOFC environment (800 C ambient pressure of O{sub 2}) alone results in La deficiency (severest near the surface with Sr doping >0.55) and a stronger Mn{sup 4+} contribution, leading to the increased insulating character of the cathode prior to activation. Meanwhile, O K-edge X-ray absorption measurements support Sr/La enrichment nearer the surface, along with the formation of mixed Sr{sub x}Mn{sub y}O{sub z} and/or passive MnO{sub x} and SrO species.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

CONSTRUCTING A ONE-SOLAR-MASS EVOLUTIONARY SEQUENCE USING ASTEROSEISMIC DATA FROM KEPLER

Asteroseismology of solar-type stars has entered a new era of large surveys with the success of the NASA Kepler mission, which is providing exquisite data on oscillations of stars across the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. From the time-series photometry, the two seismic parameters that can be most readily extracted are the large frequency separation ({Delta}{nu}) and the frequency of maximum oscillation power ({nu}{sub max}). After the survey phase, these quantities are available for hundreds of solar-type stars. By scaling from solar values, we use these two asteroseismic observables to identify for the first time an evolutionary sequence of 1 M{sub sun} field stars, without the need for further information from stellar models. Comparison of our determinations with the few available spectroscopic results shows an excellent level of agreement. We discuss the potential of the method for differential analysis throughout the main-sequence evolution and the possibility of detecting twins of very well-known stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

VERIFICATION OF THE KEPLER INPUT CATALOG FROM ASTEROSEISMOLOGY OF SOLAR-TYPE STARS

We calculate precise stellar radii and surface gravities from the asteroseismic analysis of over 500 solar-type pulsating stars observed by the Kepler space telescope. These physical stellar properties are compared with those given in the Kepler Input Catalog (KIC), determined from ground-based multi-color photometry. For the stars in our sample, we find general agreement but we detect an average overestimation bias of 0.23 dex in the KIC determination of log (g) for stars with log (g){sub KIC} > 4.0 dex, and a resultant underestimation bias of up to 50% in the KIC radii estimates for stars with R{sub KIC} < 2 R{sub sun}. Part of the difference may arise from selection bias in the asteroseismic sample; nevertheless, this result implies there may be fewer stars characterized in the KIC with R {approx} 1 R{sub sun} than is suggested by the physical properties in the KIC. Furthermore, if the radius estimates are taken from the KIC for these affected stars and then used to calculate the size of transiting planets, a similar underestimation bias may be applied to the planetary radii.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗