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At least 109 records · Page 6

Optimization and characterization of a silicon photomultiplier-based ZnS(Ag) proton recoil fast neutron detector for nuclear fuel performance monitoring at TREAT

The restart of the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) at Idaho National Laboratory and consequent refurbishment of the Fuel Motion Monitoring System (FMMS), or Hodoscope, offers the opportunity to upgrade the detector system used for neutron imaging. Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are a viable option for updating the Hodoscope to yield improved fuel monitoring capability. The Hodoscope uses ZnS(Ag) proton recoil scintillators (PRS) that provide good gamma-ray suppression and discrimination. Previous work showed that the Hamamatsu S13360-6075CS SiPM offers the best neutron detection and gamma-ray discrimination capability with the ZnS PRS. This work optimizes a SiPM-based detector and develops a PRS prototype for testing. Specifically, possible overvoltages for use are determined by confirming steady operation over extended measurement times. In addition, various SiPM-circuit implementations are tested to optimize the detector according to desired properties, and ultimately a PRS prototype is developed with modifiable components for versatile testing. Measurements of the neutron detection efficiency and gamma-ray rejection efficiency of SiPM-based PRS detectors and a reference PMT-based detector are also carried out. Neutron detection efficiency ranges between 1-2%, and detected gamma-ray rejection efficiency is on the order of 10 -7 . In conclusion, use of a low-pass filter only or a low-pass filter and 50-ω shunt resistor is recommended for the SiPM-based detector, and both configurations demonstrate improved performance over the PMT-based detector.

46 - INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AN↗

Use of Neutrino Scattering Events with Low Hadronic Recoil to Inform Neutrino Flux and Detector Energy Scale

Charged-current neutrino interactions with low hadronic recoil ("low-nu") have a cross-section that is approximately constant versus neutrino energy. These interactions have been used to measure the shape of neutrino fluxes as a function of neutrino energy at accelerator-based neutrino experiments such as CCFR, NuTeV, MINOS and MINERvA. In this paper, we demonstrate that low-nu events can be used to measure parameters of neutrino flux and detector models and that utilization of event distributions over the upstream detector face can discriminate among parameters that affect the neutrino flux model. From fitting a large sample of low-nu events obtained by exposing MINERvA to the NuMI medium-energy beam, we find that the best-fit flux parameters are within their a priori uncertainties, but the energy scale of muons reconstructed in the MINOS detector is shifted by 3.6% (or 1.8 times the a priori uncertainty on that parameter). These fit results are now used in all MINERvA cross-section measurements, and this technique can be applied by other experiments operating at MINERvA energies, such as DUNE.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measurement of scintillation response of CsI[Na] to low-energy nuclear recoils by COHERENT

Here, we present results of several measurements of CsI[Na] scintillation response to 3–60 keV energy nuclear recoils performed by the COHERENT collaboration using tagged neutron elastic scattering experiments and an endpoint technique. Earlier results, used to estimate the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) event rate for the first observation of this process achieved by COHERENT at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), have been reassessed. We discuss corrections for the identified systematic effects and update the respective uncertainty values. The impact of updated results on future precision tests of CEvNS is estimated. We scrutinize potential systematic effects that could affect each measurement. In particular we confirm the response of the H11934-200 Hamamatsu photomultiplier tube (PMT) used for the measurements presented in this study to be linear in the relevant signal scale region.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Multiple giant eruptions and X-ray emission in the recoiling AGN/LBV candidate SDSS1133

We present a comprehensive analysis of 20 yr worth of multicolour photometric light curves, multiepoch optical spectra, and X-ray data of an off-nuclear variable object SDSS1133 in Mrk 177 at z = 0.0079. The UV-optical light curves reveal that SDSS1133 experienced four outbursts in 2001, 2014, 2019, and 2021. The persistent UV-optical luminosity in the non-outbursting state is ~1041 erg s -1 with small-scale flux variations, and peak luminosities during the outbursts reach ~10 42 erg s -1 . The optical spectra exhibit enduring broad hydrogen Balmer P-Cygni profiles with the absorption minimum at ~-2000 km s -1 , indicating the presence of fast-moving ejecta. Chandra detected weak X-ray emission at a 0.3-10-keV luminosity of L X = 4 × 10 38 erg s -1 after the 2019 outburst. These lines of evidence suggests that SDSS1133 is an extreme luminous blue variable (LBV) star experiencing multiple giant eruptions with interactions of the ejected shell with different shells and/or circumstellar medium (CSM), and disfavours the recoiling active galactic nuclei scenario suggested in the literature. We suggest that pulsational pair-instability may provide a viable explanation for the multiple energetic eruptions in SDSS1133. If the current activity of SDSS1133 is a precursor of a supernova explosion, we may be able to observe a few additional giant eruptions and then the terminal supernova explosion or collapse to a massive black hole in future observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Measurement of beam-recoil observables 𝐶 𝑥 and 𝐶 𝑧 for 𝐾 + ⁢Λ photoproduction

Exclusive photoproduction of 𝐾 + ⁢Λ final states off a proton target has been an important component in the search for missing nucleon resonances and our understanding of the production of final states containing strange quarks. Polarization observables have been instrumental in this effort. The current work is an extension of previously published CLAS results on the beam-recoil transferred polarization observables 𝐶 𝑥 and 𝐶 𝑧 . Here, we extend the kinematic range up to invariant mass 𝑊 = 3.33 GeV from the previous limit of 𝑊 = 2.5 GeV with significantly improved statistical precision in the region of overlap. These data will provide for tighter constraints on the reaction models used to unravel the spectrum of nucleon resonances and their properties by not only improving the statistical precision of the data within the resonance region, but also constraining 𝑡-channel processes that dominate at higher 𝑊 but extend into the resonance region.

Electrons↗

Effect of recoils on soft-drop-groomed observables in 𝛾-tagged jets in a multistage approach

We investigate medium-induced modifications to jet substructure observables that characterize hard components in central Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{𝑠_{𝑁⁢𝑁}}$ = 5.02 TeV. Using a multistage Monte Carlo simulation of in-medium jet shower evolution, we explore flavor-dependent medium effects through simulations of inclusive and 𝛾-tagged jets. The results show that quark jets undergo a nonmonotonic modification compared with gluon jets in observables such as the Pb-Pb to 𝑝−𝑝 ratio of the soft drop prong angle 𝑟 𝑔 , the relative prong transverse momentum 𝑘 𝑇,𝑔 , and the groomed mass 𝑚 𝑔 distributions. Due to this nonmonotonic modification, 𝛾-tagged jets, enriched in quark jets, provide surprisingly clear signals of medium-induced structural modifications, distinct from effects dominated by selection bias. Further systematic studies demonstrate that these effects are dominated by recoil medium response. This work highlights the potential of hard substructures in 𝛾-tagged jets as powerful tools for probing the jet-medium interactions in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, in particular by enabling detailed investigations of jet-medium parton scatterings via their associated medium response. All simulations for 𝛾-tagged jet analyses carried out in this paper used triggered events containing at least one hard photon, which highlights the utility of these observables for future Bayesian analysis.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Recoil polarization in 𝐾 + ⁢𝑌 electroproduction in the nucleon resonance region with CLAS12

Hyperon recoil polarization measurements for the exclusive electroproduction of 𝐾 + ⁢Λ and 𝐾 + ⁢Σ 0 final states from an unpolarized proton target have been carried out using the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Laboratory. The measurements at beam energies of 6.535 and 7.546 GeV span the range of four-momentum transfer 𝑄 2 from 0.3 to 4.5GeV 2 and invariant mass 𝑊 from 1.6 to 2.4 GeV, while covering the full center-of-mass angular range of the 𝐾 + . These new Λ polarization observables extend the existing data in a similar kinematic range but from a significantly larger dataset. However, they represent the first electroproduction measurements of this observable for the Σ 0 . These data will allow for better exploration of the reaction mechanism in strangeness production, for further understanding of the spectrum and structure of excited nucleon states that couple to 𝐾⁢𝑌, and for improved insight into the strong interaction in the nonperturbative domain.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Beam-recoil transferred polarization in $K^+Y$ electroproduction in the nucleon resonance region with CLAS12

We report beam-recoil transferred polarizations for the exclusive electroproduction of K + Λ and K + Σ 0 final states from an unpolarized proton target have been measured using the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Laboratory. The measurements at beam energies of 6.535 and 7.546 GeV span the range of four-momentum transfer Q 2 from 0.3 to 4.5 GeV 2 and invariant energy W from 1.6 to 2.4 GeV, while covering the full center-of-mass angular range of the K + . These new data extend the existing hyperon polarization data from CLAS in a similar kinematic range but from a significantly larger dataset. They represent an important addition to the world data, allowing for better exploration of the reaction mechanism in strangeness production processes, for further understanding of the spectrum and structure of excited nucleon states, and for improved insight into the strong interaction in the regime of nonperturbative dynamics.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Most general neutron decay correlations: Standard model recoil and radiative corrections

To continue from our previous work, we derive the full Standard Model prediction of the most general free neutron differential decay rate with all massive particles (neutron, proton, and electron) polarized, including the $\mathcal{O}$⁢(1/$\mathcal{m}$ N ) recoil corrections and $\mathcal{O}$⁢(α/π) radiative corrections. For the latter we adopt the newly developed pseudoneutrino formalism which is compatible to realistic experimental setups, in which neutrinos and photons are not detected. We also provide readily executable Mathematica notebooks to evaluate these corrections.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Implications of first neutrino-induced nuclear recoil measurements in direct detection experiments: Probing nonstandard interaction via CE ν NS

PandaX-4T and XENONnT have recently reported the first measurement of nuclear recoils induced by the B 8 solar neutrino flux, through the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering ( CE ν NS ) channel. As long anticipated, this is an important milestone for dark matter searches as well as for neutrino physics. This measurement means that these detectors have reached exposures such that searches for low mass, ≲ 10 GeV dark matter cannot be analyzed using the background-free paradigm going forward. It also opens a new era for these detectors to be used as neutrino observatories. In this paper we assess the sensitivity of these new measurements to new physics in the neutrino sector. We focus on neutrino nonstandard interactions (NSI) and show that—despite the still moderately low statistical significance of the signals—these data already provide valuable information. We find that limits on NSI from PandaX-4T and XENONnT measurements are comparable to those derived using combined COHERENT CsI and LAr data. Furthermore, they provide sensitivity to pure τ flavor parameters that are not accessible using stopped-pion or reactor sources. With larger exposures and consequently improvements of statistical uncertainties, forthcoming data from these experiments will provide important, novel results for CE ν NS -related physics. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Sierra, D. Aristizabal↗

First Measurement of the Nuclear-Recoil Ionization Yield in Silicon at 100 eV

We measured the nuclear-recoil ionization yield in silicon with a cryogenic phonon-sensitive gram-scale detector. Neutrons from a mono-energetic beam scatter off of the silicon nuclei at angles corresponding to energy depositions from 4 keV down to 100 eV, the lowest energy probed so far. The results show no sign of an ionization production threshold above 100 eV. In conclusion, these results call for further investigation of the ionization yield theory and a comprehensive determination of the detector response function at energies below the keV scale.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Machine learning enabled measurements of astrophysical (p,n) reactions with the SECAR recoil separator

he synthesis of heavy elements in supernovae is affected by low-energy (n,p) and (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei, yet experimental data on such reaction rates are scarce. The SECAR (SEparator for CApture Reactions) recoil separator at FRIB (Facility for Rare Isotope Beams) was originally designed to measure astrophysical reactions that change the mass of a nucleus significantly. We used a novel approach that integrates machine learning with ion-optical simulations to find an ion-optical solution for the separator that enables the measurement of (p,n) reactions, despite the reaction leaving the mass of the nucleus nearly unchanged. A new measurement of the 58 Fe (p,n)⁢ 58 Co reaction in inverse kinematics with a 3.66 ± 0.12 MeV/nucleon 58 Fe beam (corresponding to 3.69 ± 0.12 MeV proton energy in normal kinematics) yielded a cross-section of 20.3 ± 6.3 mb and served as a proof of principle experiment for the new technique demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving the required performance criteria. This novel approach paves the way for studying astrophysically important (p,n) reactions on unstable nuclei produced at FRIB.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Identifying neutron sources using recoil and time-of-flight spectroscopy

Identification of neutron sources is central to nuclear physics and its applications, from planetary science to nuclear security, yet direct source discrimination from measured neutron spectra remains fundamentally elusive. Here, we introduce a Bayesian protocol that directly infers source ensembles from measured neutron spectra by combining full-spectrum template matching with probabilistic evidence evaluation. Applying this protocol to recoil and time-of-flight spectroscopy, we recover single- and two-source configurations with strong statistical significance (beyond 4⁢𝜎) at event counts as low as ∼10 3 . These results demonstrate that neutron spectral signatures can be leveraged for robust source identification, opening a new observational window for both fundamental research and operationally driven applications.

neutron physics↗

Search for New Physics via Low-Energy Electron Recoils with a 4.2 Tonne-Year Exposure from the LZ Experiment

We report results from searches for new physics models through electron recoils using data collected by the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment during its first two science runs, with a total exposure of 4.2 tonne−years. The observed data are consistent with a background-only hypothesis. Constraints are derived for electromagnetic interactions of solar neutrinos, solar axionlike particles (ALPs), mirror dark matter, and the absorption of bosonic dark matter candidates. The inverse Primakoff process for 57 Fe deexcitation solar ALPs is considered for the first time. These results represent the most stringent constraints to date on keV-scale Primakoff and 57 Fe solar ALPs, bosonic dark matter, mirror dark matter, and neutrino millicharge, while remaining competitive for the other signal models investigated.

Axion-like particles↗

Semileptonic form factors for $$B\rightarrow D^*\ell \nu $$ at nonzero recoil from $$2+1$$-flavor lattice QCD: Fermilab Lattice and MILC Collaborations

Abstract We present the first unquenched lattice-QCD calculation of the form factors for the decay $$B\rightarrow D^*\ell \nu $$ B → D ∗ ℓ ν at nonzero recoil. Our analysis includes 15 MILC ensembles with $$N_f=2+1$$ N f = 2 + 1 flavors of asqtad sea quarks, with a strange quark mass close to its physical mass. The lattice spacings range from $$a\approx 0.15$$ a ≈ 0.15 fm down to 0.045 fm, while the ratio between the light- and the strange-quark masses ranges from 0.05 to 0.4. The valence b and c quarks are treated using the Wilson-clover action with the Fermilab interpretation, whereas the light sector employs asqtad staggered fermions. We extrapolate our results to the physical point in the continuum limit using rooted staggered heavy-light meson chiral perturbation theory. Then we apply a model-independent parametrization to extend the form factors to the full kinematic range. With this parametrization we perform a joint lattice-QCD/experiment fit using several experimental datasets to determine the CKM matrix element $$|V_{cb}|$$ | V cb | . We obtain $$\left| V_{cb}\right| = (38.40 \pm 0.68_{\text {th}} \pm 0.34_{\text {exp}} \pm 0.18_{\text {EM}})\times 10^{-3}$$ V cb = ( 38.40 ± 0 . 68 th ± 0 . 34 exp ± 0 . 18 EM ) × 10 - 3 . The first error is theoretical, the second comes from experiment and the last one includes electromagnetic and electroweak uncertainties, with an overall $$\chi ^2\text {/dof} = 126/84$$ χ 2 /dof = 126 / 84 , which illustrates the tensions between the experimental data sets, and between theory and experiment. This result is in agreement with previous exclusive determinations, but the tension with the inclusive determination remains. Finally, we integrate the differential decay rate obtained solely from lattice data to predict $$R(D^*) = 0.265 \pm 0.013$$ R ( D ∗ ) = 0.265 ± 0.013 , which confirms the current tension between theory and experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Gluon radiation from a classical point particle: recoil effects

Abstract The gluon radiation spectrum of a classical particle struck by a sheet of colored glass, is a key ingredient in understanding the distribution of energy and baryon density in the fragmentation region, particularly in the initial stages of heavy ion collisions. However, the currently known classical spectrum has a troublesome high-momentum tail (Kajantie et al. in Phys. Rev. D 100(5):054011, 2019; Phys Rev D 101(5):054012, 2020). By comparing tree-level bremsstrahlung of a spin-less quark to the above-mentioned known result, we propose an interpolating formula that takes into account the recoil of the struck particle, and therefore produces the correct perturbative behaviour at high momentum of the radiated gluon.

Physics↗

COHERENT Collaboration data release from the measurements of CsI[Na] response to nuclear recoils

The data release from the measurements of the CsI[Na] response to low energy nuclear recoils by the COHERENT collaboration. The release corresponds to the results published in 'D. Akimov et al 2022 JINST 17 P10034.' We share the data in the form of raw ADC waveforms, provide benchmark subselections and event reconstruction scripts to enhance the transparency and reproducibility of our results.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗