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At least 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Improving Chirped Fiber Bragg Grating Resolution for Position-Sensitive Sensors in Shock- and Detonation-Driven Experiments

Chirped fiber Bragg gratings (CFBGs) are robust diagnostic sensors that are widely used to track detonation-driven and shock wave propagation. CFBGs are inscribed with a linearly chirped periodic index of refraction changes that alter the Bragg wavelength along the length of the probe. The light return of each individual Bragg element is captured by a detector at a unique time to map the full reflected spectrum. The CFBG spectrum is measured with a dispersive Fourier transform of the reflected light that temporally stretches the spectrum to increase spatial resolution and make a one-to-one map of the wavelength on a time axis. Here, we propose an improvement of CFBG temporal resolution by incorporating two co-linear laser pulses with orthogonal polarization states and a 5 ns time offset. The two separate signals were split and tracked by two separate detectors. An oscilloscope captured good separation in the signals, and two separate spectrograms were generated and interleaved in the post-processing of the data. This novel technique doubled the CFBG temporal resolution and led to a doubled location resolution. As a proof-of-concept of this technique, the resolution improvement was compared between standard CFBG measurements and the two polarization states method on a position-sensitive CFBG sensor. CFBG resolution doubling will advance sensor capabilities and will have a direct impact on improving capture and analysis in dynamic, high-explosive experiments.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Time projection chamber for GADGET II

The established Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging (GADGET) detection system is used to measure weak, low-energy 𝛽-delayed proton decays. It consists of the Gaseous Proton Detector equipped with a MICROMEGAS (MM) readout to detect protons and other charged particles calorimetrically, surrounded by the Segmented Germanium Array (SeGA) for high-resolution detection of prompt 𝛾 rays. To upgrade GADGET's Proton Detector to operate as a compact time projection chamber (TPC) for the detection, three-dimensional imaging and identification of low-energy 𝛽-delayed single- and multiparticle emissions mainly of interest to astrophysical studies. A new high granularity MM board with 1024 pads has been designed, fabricated, installed, and tested. A high-density data acquisition system based on generic electronics for TPCs (GET) has been installed and optimized to record and process the gas avalanche signals collected on the readout pads. The TPC's performance has been tested using a 220 Rn 𝛼-particle source and cosmic-ray muons. In addition, decay events in the TPC have been simulated by adapting the attpcroot data analysis framework. Furthermore, a novel application of two-dimensional convolutional neural networks for GADGET II event classification is introduced. The optimization of data throughput is also addressed. The GADGET II TPC is capable of detecting and identifying 𝛼 particles as well as measuring their track direction, range, and energy. The extracted energy resolution of the GADGET II TPC using P10 gas is about 5.4% at 6.288 MeV ( 220 Rn 𝛼 events), computed using charge integration. Based on a systematic simulation study, we estimated the detection efficiency of the GADGET II TPC for protons and 𝛼 particles, respectively. It has also been demonstrated that the GADGET II TPC is capable of tracking minimum-ionizing particles (i.e., cosmic-ray muons). From these measurements, the electron drift velocity was measured under typical operating conditions. In addition to being one of the first generation of micropattern gaseous detectors (MPGDs) to utilize a resistive anode applied to low-energy nuclear physics, the GADGET II TPC will also be the first TPC surrounded by a high-efficiency array of high-purity germanium 𝛾-ray detectors. As a result, the TPC of GADGET II has been designed, fabricated, and tested and is ready for operation at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams for radioactive-beam-line experiments.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Absolute mass calibration of fission product distributions measured with the E-$v$ method

The mass calibration of fission product distributions measured with the energy–velocity (E-v) method constitutes a technical challenge. The energy loss of the fission fragments in the various dead layers of the spectrometer and other sources of pulse-height defects of the energy detectors are a significant source of systematic uncertainty in the mass calculations used to determine the measured fission product yields. Here, in this study, the absolute calibration of the fission mass distributions is accomplished by measuring prompt γ-rays in coincidence with the fission fragments. This allows for the direct calibration of the mass spectra and eliminates any dependence on potentially complicated energy corrections. The first test measurement was performed at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center employing the SPectrometer for Ion DEtermination in fission Research (SPIDER). SPIDER is a 2E-2v spectrometer designed for measuring independent fission product yields from neutron-induced fission. In this test, the single-arm SPIDER (E-v) system and an array of 252 Cf sources were used. The single-arm system consisted of two time pick-off detectors for measuring the time-of-flight of the fission fragments and a double-sided silicon strip detector (DSSD) for measuring the kinetic energy. Characteristic γ-rays from fission fragments were detected using three high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. For the mass calibration, γ–mass coincidence events from twelve product isotopes were used. The measured FPYs from 252 Cf spontaneous fission were found to be in excellent agreement with the evaluated data after applying the absolute mass calibration. From the γ–mass coincidence events, the mass resolution of the system was also extracted. An average mass resolution of ~1.4 AMU (FWHM) for the light fragments and ~2.4 AMU (FWHM) for the heavy fragments were found. This was the first in-situ calibration and characterization of the SPIDER spectrometer, which paves the way for high-quality FPY measurements with this instrument.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2024

SBND In 10 Minutes

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of three Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, as part of the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector is currently being commissioned and is expected to take neutrino data this year. SBND is characterized by superb imaging capabilities and will record over a million neutrino interactions per year. Thanks to its unique combination of measurement resolution and statistics, SBND will carry out a rich program of neutrino interaction measurements and novel searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). It will enable the potential of the overall SBN sterile neutrino program by performing a precise characterization of the unoscillated event rate, and constraining BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In this talk, the physics reach, current status, and future prospects of SBND are discussed.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Status of the Short-Baseline Near Detector at Fermilab

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, and is the near detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector completed commissioning and began taking neutrino data in the summer of 2024. SBND is characterized by superb imaging capabilities and will record around 2 million neutrino interactions per year. Thanks to its unique combination of measurement resolution and statistics, SBND will soon carry out a rich program of neutrino interaction measurements and novel searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). As the near detector, it will enable the full potential of the SBN sterile neutrino program by performing a precise characterization of the unoscillated event rate and constraining BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In this talk, the physics reach, current status, and future prospects of SBND are discussed.

Paton, Josephine [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Toward SBND's First Cross Section Measurements

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, and is the near detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector completed commissioning and began taking neutrino data in the summer of 2024. SBND is characterized by superb imaging capabilities and recorded over two million neutrino interactions during its first physics run, which concluded in July 2025. Thanks to its unique combination of measurement resolution and statistics, SBND is carrying out a rich program of neutrino interaction measurements and novel searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). As the near detector, it will enable the full potential of the SBN sterile neutrino program by performing a precise characterization of the unoscillated event rate and constraining BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In addition, SBND will provide valuable model constraints for DUNE by leveraging the significant overlap in phase space between neutrino interactions in the two experiments. In this talk, I will present the current efforts within the SBND cross section program, discuss their status, and outline the plans for the first physics publications.

Oh, Sungbin [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Status of the Short-Baseline Near Detector at Fermilab

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, and is the near detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector has completed Run 1, successfully recording approximately 3 million neutrino interactions, and started Run 2 in the autumn of 2025. SBND is characterized by superb imaging capabilities and will record around 3 million neutrino interactions per year. Thanks to its unique combination of measurement resolution and statistics, SBND will soon carry out a rich program of neutrino interaction measurements and novel searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). As the near detector, it will enable the full potential of the SBN sterile neutrino program by performing a precise characterization of the unoscillated event rate and constraining the BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In this talk, the physics reach, current status, and future prospects of SBND are discussed.

Del Tutto, Marco [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Status of the Short-Baseline Near Detector at Fermilab

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of the Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, and is the near detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector has completed Run 1, successfully recording approximately 3 million neutrino interactions, and started Run 2 in the autumn of 2025. SBND is characterized by superb imaging capabilities and will record around 3 million neutrino interactions per year. Thanks to its unique combination of measurement resolution and statistics, SBND will soon carry out a rich program of neutrino interaction measurements and novel searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). As the near detector, it will enable the full potential of the SBN sterile neutrino program by performing a precise characterization of the unoscillated event rate and constraining the BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In this talk, the physics reach, current status, and future prospects of SBND are discussed.

Del Tutto, Marco [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2026

SBND Detector Status and First Results

The Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) is one of three liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) neutrino detectors positioned along the axis of the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab, and serves as the near detector in the Short-Baseline Neutrino (SBN) Program. The detector just completed its second year of running, collecting over 6.5e20 POT, equivalent to an unprecedented sample of over 5 million neutrino interactions. Initial data has demonstrated superb performance of the detector’s subsystems, enabling precise tracking and calorimetric reconstruction of events. With this large statistical data set, SBND is performing multi-dimensional cross section measurements of inclusive and exclusive topologies and precise searches for beyond the Standard Model (BSM) processes. As the near detector in the SBN Program, it will enable the full potential of the joint sterile neutrino measurements program by precisely characterizing the unoscillated neutrino beam, constraining BNB flux and neutrino-argon cross-section systematic uncertainties. In this talk, the current status of the experiment, first results from SBND’s neutrino interaction program, as well as status and prospects for BSM and oscillation searches are discussed.

Paton, Josephine [Fermilab] (ORCID:000000032651489↗
NASA NTRS1992

Microcontrollers Generate Timing Signals For CCD Arrays

Microcontrollers generate timing signals for charge-coupled-device array detectors in electronic system developed to test such detectors. With microcontroller, one changes timing signals via software, without changes in wiring. Approach more flexible, timing signals changed easier and quicker.

Hostetter, Marilyn K.↗
DOE OSTI2026

First light from beam neutrinos on an LAPPD in ANNIE

The Accelerator Neutrino Neutron Interaction Experiment (ANNIE) is both a physics experiment and a technology testbed for next-generation light-based neutrino detection. In this paper, we report the first demonstration of a fully integrated Large Area Picosecond Photodetector (LAPPD) operating in a running neutrino beam experiment. Particular focus is given to the design, commissioning, and successful deployment of the Packaged ANNIE LAPPD (PAL), a waterproof, self-triggering module incorporating fast waveform digitization and precision timing synchronized to the ANNIE detector subsystems. We identify beam-correlated LAPPD data frames consistent with charged-current neutrino interactions observed in multiple detector subsystems, establishing the first detection of neutrino-induced Cherenkov light with an LAPPD. These results validate the system-level performance of LAPPDs under realistic experimental conditions — including long-term stability, timing synchronization, and event matching with conventional PMT and muon detector systems — marking a critical step toward their deployment in future large-scale neutrino and particle detectors.

Cherenkov detectors↗
DOE OSTI2022

Constraining time dependent dark matter signals from the Sun

Dark matter (DM) particles captured by the Sun can produce high-energy electrons outside the Sun through annihilating into meta-stable mediators. The corresponding cosmic-ray electron signals observed by the space-based experiments will be time dependent due to the orbital motion of the space-based detectors. The shape of this time dependence is predictable given the orbital information of the detectors. Since the high-energy CR electron (with energy E > 100 GeV) fluxes are expected to be constant in time, non-observation of such time variation can be used to place upper limits on the DM annihilation cross section. Here we analyze the time dependence of dark matter cosmic-ray signals in three space-based experiments: AMS-02, DAMPE and CALET. Under the assumption that no time dependent signal is observed, we derive the 95% C.L. exclusion limits on the signal strength from the current data. We map our limits onto the parameter space of the dark photon model and find that the constraints are comparable with that derived from the supernova SN1987A.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1994

Development of an accurate transmission line fault locator using the global positioning system satellites

A highly accurate transmission line fault locator based on the traveling-wave principle was developed and successfully operated within B.C. Hydro. A transmission line fault produces a fast-risetime traveling wave at the fault point which propagates along the transmission line. This fault locator system consists of traveling wave detectors located at key substations which detect and time tag the leading edge of the fault-generated traveling wave as if passes through. A master station gathers the time-tagged information from the remote detectors and determines the location of the fault. Precise time is a key element to the success of this system. This fault locator system derives its timing from the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. System tests confirmed the accuracy of locating faults to within the design objective of +/-300 meters.

Lee, Harry↗
DOE OSTI2022

Feynman-α analysis using BGO gamma-ray detector in UTR-KINKI reactor

In conventional reactor noise measurement based on neutron detection, a neutron detector must be placed as close to a core as possible, to observe a largest possible correlation amplitude. For most of reactors other than critical assemblies, however, the placement is hardly possible. We focused on an alternative reactor noise measurement using prompt gamma-rays having a long flight range, to overcome the above constraint. A Feynman-α analysis using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector was previously performed in UTR-KINKI, however, white noise originating from radioactivation of the scintillator significantly degraded the correlation amplitude. In this study, another Feynman-α analysis using a BGO gamma-ray detector, which never suffers from any radioactivation, is performed. A series of Feynman-α analyses for a critical state and several subcritical states of UTR-KINKI reactor has been carried out using two BGO detectors and a BF{sub 3} neutron detector to determine prompt-neutron decay constant. In the present analysis, the dead-time effect of these detectors and the delayed-neutron effect are considered. The prompt-neutron decay constant determined from Feynman-α analysis based on gamma-ray detection agrees with that from the analysis based on neutron detection. The Feynman-α analysis based on detecting gamma rays appears to be able to determine prompt-neutron decay constant at least as efficiently as the conventional analysis detecting neutrons.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1982

Infrared array detectors

Arrays of detectors sensitive to infrared radiation will enable astronomical observations to be made with shorter observing times than with discrete detectors and with good relative spatial accuracy. Systems using such arrays are being developed for astronomy in several regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. An example of an infrared system is given here consisting of a 32x32 element bismuth doped silicon charge injection device array that has been used in an astronomical camera.

Arens, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Analog Radio-Frequency Interferences (RFI) Detectors for Microwave Radiometers

Microwave radiometers use radio spectrum dedicated to sensing the environment. As wireless communications and other active services proliferate, this allocated spectrum is nearly being crowded out. The potential result is corrupted satellite measurements of the weather, the climate, and the environment. We present an analog RFI detector for microwave radiometers intended to mitigate the above risks. The double detector (DD) for RFI detection includes a square-law diode detector with short integration time for measuring the total power out of the radiometer, followed by a second diode detector which acts as a higher-order statistical fourth-moment detector. See Figure 1 for block diagram of the system. This novel design which uses purely analog components at radio andlor intermediate frequencies allows the system to easily augment conventional radiometer architectures used in both airborne and space borne instruments. An equivalent high-speed digital design would add an impractical level of cost and complexity to radiometer designs using today's technology.

Knuble, Joseph J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Timing-Based Search for Magnetic Monopoles with the NOvA Detector on the Surface

We report a search for a magnetic monopole component of the cosmic-ray flux in a 2743-live-day exposure of the NOvA experiment's Far Detector, a 14 kt segmented liquid scintillator detector designed primarily to observe GeV-scale electron neutrinos. No events consistent with monopoles were observed, setting an upper limit on the flux of $8\times 10^{-16}~\mathrm{cm^{-2}s^{-1}sr^{-1}}$ at 90% C.L. for monopole speed $6\times 10^{-4} < β< 5\times 10^{-3}$ and mass greater than $10^{9}$ GeV. Because of NOvA's small overburden of 3 meters-water equivalent, this constraint covers a previously unexplored low-mass region.

Abubakar, S. [Erciyes U.]↗