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We show that the implementation of the 1/c2 transverse current–current interaction between electrons resulting from the non-relativistic QED into the standard self-consistent electron BCS model in bulk under thermal equilibrium in the stable superconductive phase ensures the full compensation of a constant external magnetic field by the internal magnetic field created by the electrons, i.e. one has an ideal diamagnet.
The production yields of the Σ(1385)± and Ξ(1530)0 resonances are measured in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV with ALICE. The measurements are performed as a function of the charged particle multiplicity ⟨dNch/dη⟩, which is related to the energy density produced in the collision. The results include transverse momentum (pT) distributions, pT-integrated yields, mean transverse momenta of Σ(1385)± and Ξ(1530)0, as well as ratios of the pT-integrated resonance yields relative to yields of other hadron species. The Σ(1385)±/π± and Ξ(1530)0/π± yield ratios are consistent with the trend of the enhancement of strangeness production from low to high multiplicity pp collisions, which was previously observed for strange and multi-strange baryons. The yield ratio between the measured resonances and the long-lived baryons with the same strangeness content exhibits a hint of a mild increasing trend at low multiplicity, despite too large uncertainties to exclude the flat behaviour. The results are compared to predictions from models such as EPOS-LHC and PYTHIA 8 with Rope shoving. The latter provides the best description of the multiplicity dependence of the Σ(1385)± and Ξ(1530)0 production in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV.
The procedure for the energy calibration of the high granularity electromagnetic calorimeter PHOS of the ALICE experiment is presented. The methods used to perform the relative gain calibration, to evaluate the geometrical alignment and the corresponding correction of the absolute energy scale, to obtain the nonlinearity correction coefficients and finally, to calculate the time-dependent calibration corrections, are discussed and illustrated by the PHOS performance in proton-proton (pp) collisions at √s=13 TeV. After applying all corrections, the achieved mass resolutions for π0 and η mesons for pT > 1.7 GeV/c are σmπ0 = 4.56 ± 0.03 MeV/c2 and σmη = 15.3 ± 1.0 MeV/c2, respectively.
The ALICE Collaboration reports the first fully-corrected measurements of the N-subjettiness observable for track-based jets in heavy-ion collisions. This study is performed using data recorded in pp and Pb−Pb collisions at centre-of-mass energies of √s=7 TeV and √sNN=2.76\,TeV, respectively. In particular the ratio of 2-subjettiness to 1-subjettiness, τ2/τ1, which is sensitive to the rate of two-pronged jet substructure, is presented. Energy loss of jets traversing the strongly interacting medium in heavy-ion collisions is expected to change the rate of two-pronged substructure relative to vacuum. The results are presented for jets with a resolution parameter of R=0.4 and charged jet transverse momentum of 40≤pT,jet≤60 GeV/c, which constitute a larger jet resolution and lower jet transverse momentum interval than previous measurements in heavy-ion collisions. This has been achieved by utilising a semi-inclusive hadron-jet coincidence technique to suppress the larger jet combinatorial background in this kinematic region. No significant modification of the τ2/τ1 observable for track-based jets in Pb--Pb collisions is observed relative to vacuum PYTHIA6 and PYTHIA8 references at the same collision energy. The measurements of τ2/τ1, together with the splitting aperture angle ΔR, are also performed in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV for inclusive jets. These results are compared with PYTHIA calculations at √s=7 TeV, in order to validate the model as a vacuum reference for the Pb−Pb centre-of-mass energy. The PYTHIA references for τ2/τ1 are shifted to larger values compared to the measurement in pp collisions. This hints at a reduction in the rate of two-pronged jets in Pb--Pb collisions compared to pp collisions.
Measurement of anti-3He nuclei absorption in matter and impact on their propagation in the Galaxy
(2022)
In our Galaxy, light antinuclei composed of antiprotons and antineutrons can be produced through high-energy cosmic-ray collisions with the interstellar medium or could also originate from the annihilation of dark-matter particles that have not yet been discovered. On Earth, the only way to produce and study antinuclei with high precision is to create them at high-energy particle accelerators. Although the properties of elementary antiparticles have been studied in detail, the knowledge of the interaction of light antinuclei with matter is limited. We determine the disappearance probability of 3He when it encounters matter particles and annihilates or disintegrates within the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. We extract the inelastic interaction cross section, which is then used as an input to the calculations of the transparency of our Galaxy to the propagation of 3He stemming from dark-matter annihilation and cosmic-ray interactions within the interstellar medium. For a specifc dark-matter profle, we estimate a transparency of about 50%, whereas it varies with increasing 3He momentum from 25% to 90% for cosmic-ray sources. The results indicate that 3He nuclei can travel long distances in the Galaxy, and can be used to study cosmic-ray interactions and dark-matter annihilation.
One of the key challenges for nuclear physics today is to understand from first principles the effective interaction between hadrons with different quark content. First successes have been achieved using techniques that solve the dynamics of quarks and gluons on discrete space-time lattices1,2. Experimentally, the dynamics of the strong interaction have been studied by scattering hadrons off each other. Such scattering experiments are difficult or impossible for unstable hadrons3,4,5,6 and so high-quality measurements exist only for hadrons containing up and down quarks7. Here we demonstrate that measuring correlations in the momentum space between hadron pairs8,9,10,11,12 produced in ultrarelativistic proton–proton collisions at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provides a precise method with which to obtain the missing information on the interaction dynamics between any pair of unstable hadrons. Specifically, we discuss the case of the interaction of baryons containing strange quarks (hyperons). We demonstrate how, using precision measurements of proton–omega baryon correlations, the effect of the strong interaction for this hadron–hadron pair can be studied with precision similar to, and compared with, predictions from lattice calculations13,14. The large number of hyperons identified in proton–proton collisions at the LHC, together with accurate modelling15 of the small (approximately one femtometre) inter-particle distance and exact predictions for the correlation functions, enables a detailed determination of the short-range part of the nucleon-hyperon interaction.
W±-boson production in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 8.16 TeV and Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV
(2023)
The production of the W± bosons measured in p−Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon−nucleon collision sNN−−−−√=8.16 TeV and Pb−Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV with ALICE at the LHC is presented. The W± bosons are measured via their muonic decay channel, with the muon reconstructed in the pseudorapidity region −4<ημlab<−2.5 with transverse momentum pμT>10 GeV/c. While in Pb−Pb collisions the measurements are performed in the forward (2.5<yμcms<4) rapidity region, in p−Pb collisions, where the centre-of-mass frame is boosted with respect to the laboratory frame, the measurements are performed in the backward (−4.46<yμcms<−2.96) and forward (2.03<yμcms<3.53) rapidity regions. The W− and W+ production cross sections, lepton-charge asymmetry, and nuclear modification factors are evaluated as a function of the muon rapidity. In order to study the production as a function of the p−Pb collision centrality, the production cross sections of the W− and W+ bosons are combined and normalised to the average number of binary nucleon−nucleon collision ⟨Ncoll⟩. In Pb−Pb collisions, the same measurements are presented as a function of the collision centrality. Study of the binary scaling of the W±-boson cross sections in p−Pb and Pb−Pb collisions is also reported. The results are compared with perturbative QCD (pQCD) calculations, with and without nuclear modifications of the Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs), as well as with available data at the LHC. Significant deviations from the theory expectations are found in the two collision systems, indicating that the measurements can provide additional constraints for the determination of nuclear PDF (nPDFs) and in particular of the light-quark distributions.
W±-boson production in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 8.16 TeV and Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV
(2023)
The production of the W± bosons measured in p–Pb collisions at a centreof-mass energy per nucleon–nucleon collision √sNN = 8.16 TeV and Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV with ALICE at the LHC is presented. The W± bosons are measured via their muonic decay channel, with the muon reconstructed in the pseudorapidity region −4 < ηµ lab < −2.5 with transverse momentum p µ T > 10 GeV/c. While in Pb–Pb collisions the measurements are performed in the forward (2.5 < yµ cms < 4) rapidity region, in p–Pb collisions, where the centre-of-mass frame is boosted with respect to the laboratory frame, the measurements are performed in the backward (−4.46 < yµ cms < −2.96) and forward (2.03 < yµ cms < 3.53) rapidity regions. The W− and W+ production cross sections, leptoncharge asymmetry, and nuclear modification factors are evaluated as a function of the muon rapidity. In order to study the production as a function of the p–Pb collision centrality, the production cross sections of the W− and W+ bosons are combined and normalised to the average number of binary nucleon–nucleon collision hNcolli. In Pb–Pb collisions, the same measurements are presented as a function of the collision centrality. Study of the binary scaling of the W±-boson cross sections in p–Pb and Pb–Pb collisions is also reported. The results are compared with perturbative QCD calculations, with and without nuclear modifications of the Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs), as well as with available data at the LHC. Significant deviations from the theory expectations are found in the two collision systems, indicating that the measurements can provide additional constraints for the determination of nuclear PDFs and in particular of the light-quark distributions.
The measurement of the production of charm jets, identified by the presence of a D0 meson in the jet constituents, is presented in proton–proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 5.02 and 13 TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC. The D0 mesons were reconstructed from their hadronic decay D0 → K−π+ and the respective charge conjugate. Jets were reconstructed from D0-meson candidates and charged particles using the anti-kT algorithm, in the jet transverse momentum range 5 < pT,chjet < 50 GeV/c, pseudorapidity |ηjet| < 0.9 − R, and with the jet resolution parameters R = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6. The distribution of the jet momentum fraction carried by a D0 meson along the jet axis (z ch) was measured in the range 0.4 < z ch < 1.0 in four ranges of the jet transverse momentum. Comparisons of results for different collision energies and jet resolution parameters are also presented. The measurements are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo event generators based on leading-order and next-to-leading-order perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations. A generally good description of the main features of the data is obtained in spite of a few discrepancies at low pT,chjet. Measurements were also done for R = 0.3 at √s = 5.02 and are shown along with their comparisons to theoretical predictions in an appendix to this paper.
Understanding the production mechanism of light (anti)nuclei is one of the key challenges of nuclear physics and has important consequences for astrophysics, since it provides an input for indirect dark-matter searches in space. In this paper, the latest results about the production of light (anti)nuclei in pp collisions at s√=13 TeV are presented, focusing on the comparison with the predictions of coalescence and thermal models. For the first time, the coalescence parameters B2 for deuterons and B3 for helions are compared with parameter-free theoretical predictions that are directly constrained by the femtoscopic measurement of the source radius in the same event class. A fair description of the data with a Gaussian wave function is observed for both deuteron and helion, supporting the coalescence mechanism for the production of light (anti)nuclei in pp collisions. This method paves the way for future investigations of the internal structure of more complex nuclear clusters, including the hypertriton.
The first evidence of spin alignment of vector mesons (K*0 and ϕ) in heavy-ion collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is reported. The spin density matrix element ρ00 is measured at midrapidity (|y|< 0.5) in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy (√sNN) of 2.76 TeV
with the ALICE detector. ρ00 values are found to be less than 1/3 (1/3 implies no spin alignment) at low transverse momentum (pT<2 GeV/c) for K*0 and ϕ at a level of 3σ and 2σ, respectively. No significant spin alignment is observed for the K0S meson (spin = 0) in Pb-Pb collisions and for the vector mesons in pp collisions. The measured spin alignment is unexpectedly large but qualitatively consistent with the expectation from models which attribute it to a polarization of quarks in the presence of angular momentum in heavy-ion collisions and a subsequent hadronization by the process of recombination.
We investigate the space-time dependence of electromagnetic fields produced by charged participants in an expanding fluid. To address this problem, we need to solve the Maxwell's equations coupled to the hydrodynamics conservation equation, specifically the relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) equations, since the charged participants move with the flow. To gain analytical insight, we approximate the problem by solving the equations in a fixed background Bjorken flow, onto which we solve Maxwell's equations. The dynamical electromagnetic fields interact with the fluid's kinematic quantities such as the shear tensor and the expansion scalar, leading to additional non-trivial coupling. We use mode decomposition of Green's function to solve the resulting non-linear coupled wave equations. We then use this function to calculate the electromagnetic field for two test cases: a point source and a transverse charge distribution. The results show that the resulting magnetic field vanishes at very early times, grows, and eventually falls at later times.
The knowledge of the material budget with a high precision is fundamental for measurements of direct photon production using the photon conversion method due to its direct impact on the total systematic uncertainty. Moreover, it influences many aspects of the charged-particle reconstruction performance. In this article, two procedures to determine data-driven corrections to the material-budget description in ALICE simulation software are developed. One is based on the precise knowledge of the gas composition in the Time Projection Chamber. The other is based on the robustness of the ratio between the produced number of photons and charged particles, to a large extent due to the approximate isospin symmetry in the number of produced neutral and charged pions. Both methods are applied to ALICE data allowing for a reduction of the overall material budget systematic uncertainty from 4.5% down to 2.5%. Using these methods, a locally correct material budget is also achieved. The two proposed methods are generic and can be applied to any experiment in a similar fashion.
The production of inclusive, prompt and non-prompt J/ψ was studied for the first time at midrapidity (−1.37<ycms<0.43) in p−Pb collisions at √sNN =8.16 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The inclusive J/ψ mesons were reconstructed in the dielectron decay channel in the transverse momentum (pT) interval 0<pT<14 GeV/c and the prompt and non-prompt contributions were separated on a statistical basis for pT>2 GeV/c. The study of the J/ψ mesons in the dielectron channel used for the first time in ALICE online single-electron triggers from the Transition Radiation Detector, providing a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 689±13μb−1. The proton−proton reference cross section for inclusive J/ψ was obtained based on interpolations of measured data at different centre-of-mass energies and a universal function describing the pT-differential J/ψ production cross sections. The pT-differential nuclear modification factors RpPb of inclusive, prompt, and non-prompt J/ψ are consistent with unity and described by theoretical models implementing only nuclear shadowing.
The production of inclusive, prompt and non-prompt J/ψ was studied for the first time at midrapidity (−1.37 < ycms < 0.43) in p-Pb collisions at √sNN = 8.16 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The inclusive J/ψ mesons were reconstructed in the dielectron decay channel in the transverse momentum (pT) interval 0 < pT < 14 GeV/c and the prompt and non-prompt contributions were separated on a statistical basis for pT > 2 GeV/c. The study of the J/ψ mesons in the dielectron channel used for the first time in ALICE online single-electron triggers from the Transition Radiation Detector, providing a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 689 ± 13 μb−1. The proton-proton reference cross section for inclusive J/ψ was obtained based on interpolations of measured data at different centre-of-mass energies and a universal function describing the pT-differential J/ψ production cross sections. The pT-differential nuclear modification factors RpPb of inclusive, prompt, and non-prompt J/ψ are consistent with unity and described by theoretical models implementing only nuclear shadowing.
The production of inclusive, prompt and non-prompt J/ψ was studied for the first time at midrapidity (−1.37<ycms<0.43) in p−Pb collisions at sNN−−−√=8.16 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The inclusive J/ψ mesons were reconstructed in the dielectron decay channel in the transverse momentum (pT) interval 0<pT<14 GeV/c and the prompt and non-prompt contributions were separated on a statistical basis for pT>2 GeV/c. The study of the J/ψ mesons in the dielectron channel used for the first time in ALICE online single-electron triggers from the Transition Radiation Detector, providing a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 689±13μb−1. The proton−proton reference cross section for inclusive J/ψ was obtained based on interpolations of measured data at different centre-of-mass energies and a universal function describing the pT-differential J/ψ production cross sections. The pT-differential nuclear modification factors RpPb of inclusive, prompt, and non-prompt J/ψ are consistent with unity and described by theoretical models implementing only nuclear shadowing.
The most precise measurements to date of the 3ΛH lifetime τ and Λ separation energy BΛ are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at √= 5.02 TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The 3ΛH is reconsNN structed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (3ΛH→ 3He + π− and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11 (stat.)±6 (syst.)] ps and BΛ=[102±63 (stat.)±67 (syst.)] keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and confirm that the 3ΛH structure is consistent with a weakly-bound system.
The most precise measurements to date of the 3ΛH lifetime τ and Λ separation energy BΛ are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The 3ΛH is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (3ΛH→ 3He + π− and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11 (stat.)±6 (syst.)] ps and BΛ=[72±63 (stat.)±36 (syst.)] keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and conclusively confirm that the 3ΛH is a weakly-bound system.
The most precise measurements to date of the 3ΛH lifetime τ and Λ separation energy BΛ are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The 3ΛH is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (3ΛH→ 3He + π− and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ=[253±11 (stat.)±6 (syst.)] ps and BΛ=[72±63 (stat.)±35 (syst.)] keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and conclusively confirm that the 3ΛH is a weakly-bound system.
The most precise measurements to date of the 3ΛH lifetime τ and Λ separation energy BΛ are obtained using the data sample of Pb-Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV collected by ALICE at the LHC. The 3ΛH is reconstructed via its charged two-body mesonic decay channel (3ΛH → 3He + π− and the charge-conjugate process). The measured values τ = [253 ± 11 (stat) ± 6 (syst)] ps and BΛ = [102 ± 63 (stat) ± 67 (syst)] keV are compatible with predictions from effective field theories and confirm that the 3ΛH structure is consistent with a weakly bound system.
To determine the neutron flux in activation experiments, a commonly used monitor is zirconium and in particular the stable isotopes 94,96Zr. 96Zr is very sensitive to epithermal neutrons. Despite its widespread application, most gamma intensities of the radioactive neutron capture product, 97Zr, yield large uncertainties. With the help of a new γ spectroscopy setup and GEANT simulations, we succeeded in determining a new set of γ-ray intensities with significantly reduced uncertainties.
The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) is one of the core experiments at the future Facility for Anti-proton and Ion Research (FAIR), Darmstadt, Germany. Its goal is to investigate nuclear matter characteristics at high net-baryon densities and moderate temperatures. The Silicon Tracking System (STS) is a central detector system of CBM.
It is placed inside a 1Tm magnet and operated at a temperature of about −10 °C to keep radiation-induced bulk current in the 300μm double-sided microstrip silicon sensors low. The design of the STS aims to minimize the material budget in the detector acceptance (2.5° < θ < 25°). In order to do so, the readout electronics is placed outside the active area, and the analog signals are transported via ultra-thin micro-cables. The STS comprises eight tracking stations with 876 modules. Each module is assembled on a carbon fiber ladder, which is subsequently mounted in the C-shaped aluminum frame.
The scope of the thesis focused on developing a modular control system framework that can be implemented for different sizes of experimental setups. The developed framework was used for setups that required a remote operation, like the irradiation of the powering modules for the front-end electronics (FEE), but also in laboratory-based setups where the automation and archiving were needed (thermal cycling of the STS electronics).
The low voltage powering modules will be placed in the vicinity of the experiment, therefore they will experience a total dose of up to 40mGy over the 10 years of STS lifetime.
To estimate the effects of the radiation on the low-voltage module performance, a dedicated irradiation campaign took place. It aimed at estimating the rate of radiation induced soft errors, that lead to the switch off of the FEE.
Regular power cycles of multiple front-end boards (FEBs) pose a risk to the experiment operation. Firstly, such behavior could negatively influence the physics performance but also have deteriorating effects on the hardware. It was further assessed what are the limitations of the FEBs with respect to the thermal cycling and the mechanical stress. The results served as an indication of possible failure modes of the FEB at the end of STS lifetime. Failure modes after repeated cycles and potential reasons were determined (e.g., Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) difference between the materials).
Due to the conditions inside the STS efficient temperature and humidity monitoring and control are required to avoid icing or water condensation on the electronics or silicon sensors. The most important properties of a suitable sensor candidate are resilience to the magnetic field, ionizing radiation tolerance, and fairly small size.
A general strategy for ambient parameters monitoring inside the STS was developed, and potential sensor candidates were chosen. To characterize the chosen relative humidity sensors the developed control framework was introduced. A sampling system with a ceramic sensor and Fiber Optic Sensors (FOS) were identified as reliable solutions for the distributed sensing system. Additionally, the industrial capacitive sensors will be used as a reference during the commissioning.
Two different designs of FOS were tested: a hygrometer and 5 sensors multiplexed in an array. The FOS hygrometer turned out to be a more reliable solution. One of the possible reasons for a worse performance is a relatively low distance between the subsequent sensors (15 cm) and a thicker coating. The results obtained from the time response study pointed out that the thinner coating of about 15μm should be a good compromise between the humidity sensitivity and the time response.
The implementation of the containerized-based control system framework for the mSTS is described in detail. The deployed EPICS-based framework proved to be a reliable solution and ensured the safety of the detector for almost 1.5 years. Moreover, the data related to the performance of the detector modules were analyzed and significant progress in the quality of modules was noted. Obtained data was also used to estimate the total fluence, which was based on the leakage current changes.
The developed framework provided a unique opportunity to automate and control different experimental setups which provided crucial data for the STS. Furthermore, the work underlines the importance of such a system and outlines the next steps toward the realization of a reliable Detector Control System for STS.
In the last twenty years, a variety of unexpected resonances had been observed within the charmonium mass region. Although the existence of unconventional states has been predicted by the quantum chromodynamics (QCD), a quantum field theory describing the strong force, a clear evidence was missing. The Y(4260) is such an unexpected and supernummerary state, first observed at BaBar in 2005, and aroused great interest, because it couples much stronger to hidden charm decays (charm-anticharm states like J/Psi or h_c) instead of open charm decays (D meson pairs). This is unusual for states with masses above the D anti-D threshold. Furthermore, it decays into a charged exotic state Y(4260)->Z_c(3900)^+- pi^-+. The charge of the Z_c(3900)^+- is an indication that it comprises of two more quarks than the charm-anticharm pair, and could therefore be assumed to be a four-quark state. Due to these still not understood properties of these QCD-allowed states, they are referred to as exotic XYZ states to emphasize their particularity.
In 2017, the collaboration of the Beijing Spectrometer III (BESIII) investigated the production reaction of the Y(4260) resonance based on a high-luminosity data set. This significantly improved precision of the measurement of the cross-section sigma(e+e- -> J/Psi pi^+ pi^-) permitted a resolution into two resonances, the Y(4230) and the Y(4360). The Z_c(3900)^+- had been discovered by the BESIII collaboration in 2013, thus this experiment at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider II (BEPCII) is a top-performing facililty to study exotic charmonium-like states.
In this work, an inclusive reconstruction of the strange hyperon Lambda in the charmonium mass region is performed to study possible decays of Y states in order to provide further insight into their nature. Finding more states or new decay channels may provide crucial hints to understand the strong interaction beyond nonperturbative approaches.
Three resonances are observed in the energy dependent cross-section: the first with a mass of (4222.01 +- 5.68) MeV and a width of (154.26 +- 28.16) MeV, the second with a mass of (4358.88 +- 4.97) MeV and a width of (49.58 +- 13.54) MeV and the third with a mass of (4416.41 +- 2.37) MeV and a width of (23.88 +- 7.18) MeV. These resonances, with a statistical significance Z > 5sigma, can be interpreted as the states Y(4230), Y(4360) and psi(4415).
Additionally, a proton momentum-dependent analysis strategy has been used in terms of the inclusiveness of the reconstruction and to address the momentum discrepancies between generic MC and measured data.
Production of inclusive charmonia in pp collisions at center-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV and p–Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of √sNN = 8.16 TeV is studied as a function of charged-particle pseudorapidity density with ALICE. Ground and excited charmonium states (J/ψ, ψ(2S)) are measured from their dimuon decays in the interval of rapidity in the center-of-mass frame 2.5 < ycms < 4.0 for pp collisions, and 2.03 < ycms < 3.53 and −4.46 < ycms < −2.96 for p–Pb collisions. The charged-particle pseudorapidity density is measured around midrapidity (|η| < 1.0). In pp collisions, the measured charged-particle multiplicity extends to about six times the average value, while in p-Pb collisions at forward (backward) rapidity a multiplicity corresponding to about three (four) times the average is reached. The ψ(2S) yield increases with the charged-particle pseudorapidity density. The ratio of ψ(2S) over J/ψ yield does not show a significant multiplicity dependence in either colliding system, suggesting a similar behavior of J/ψ and ψ(2S) yields with respect to charged-particle pseudorapidity density. Results for the ψ(2S) yield and its ratio with respect to J/ψ agree with available model calculations.
We discuss the potential of light-nuclei measurements in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies for the search of the hypothetical QCD critical end-point. A previous proposal based on neutron density fluctuations has brought appealing experimental evidences of a maximum in the ratio of the number of tritons times protons, divided over deuterons square, O tpd. However these results are difficult to reconcile with the state-of-the-art statistical thermal model predictions. Based on the idea that the QCD critical point can lead to a substantial attraction among nucleons, we propose new light-nuclei multiplicity ratios involving He in which the maximum would be more noticeable. We argue that the experimental extraction is feasible by presenting these ratios formed from actual measurements of total and differential yields at low and high collision energies from FOPI and ALICE experiments, respectively. We also illustrate the possible behavior of these ratios at intermediate energies applying a semiclassical method based on flucton paths using the preliminary NA49 and STAR data for O tpd as input.
The elliptic, v2, triangular, v3, and quadrangular, v4, azimuthal anisotropic flow coefficients are measured for unidentified charged particles, pions, and (anti-)protons in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Results obtained with the event plane and four-particle cumulant methods are reported for the pseudo-rapidity range |η|<0.8 at different collision centralities and as a function of transverse momentum, pT, out to pT=20 GeV/c. The observed non-zero elliptic and triangular flow depends only weakly on transverse momentum for pT>8 GeV/c. The small pT dependence of the difference between elliptic flow results obtained from the event plane and four-particle cumulant methods suggests a common origin of flow fluctuations up to pT=8 GeV/c. The magnitude of the (anti-)proton elliptic and triangular flow is larger than that of pions out to at least pT=8 GeV/c indicating that the particle type dependence persists out to high pT.
Charged jet production cross sections in p–Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV measured with the ALICE detector at the LHC are presented. Using the anti-kT algorithm, jets have been reconstructed in the central rapidity region from charged particles with resolution parameters R=0.2 and R=0.4. The reconstructed jets have been corrected for detector effects and the underlying event background. To calculate the nuclear modification factor, RpPb, of charged jets in p–Pb collisions, a pp reference was constructed by scaling previously measured charged jet spectra at s=7 TeV. In the transverse momentum range 20≤pT,chjet≤120 GeV/c, RpPb is found to be consistent with unity, indicating the absence of strong nuclear matter effects on jet production. Major modifications to the radial jet structure are probed via the ratio of jet production cross sections reconstructed with the two different resolution parameters. This ratio is found to be similar to the measurement in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV and to the expectations from PYTHIA pp simulations and NLO pQCD calculations at √sNN=5.02 TeV.
The elliptic flow, v2, of muons from heavy-flavour hadron decays at forward rapidity (2.5<y<4) is measured in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The scalar product, two- and four-particle Q cumulants and Lee–Yang zeros methods are used. The dependence of the v2 of muons from heavy-flavour hadron decays on the collision centrality, in the range 0–40%, and on transverse momentum, pT, is studied in the interval 3<pT<10 GeV/c. A positive v2 is observed with the scalar product and two-particle Q cumulants in semi-central collisions (10–20% and 20–40% centrality classes) for the pT interval from 3 to about 5 GeV/c with a significance larger than 3σ, based on the combination of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The v2 magnitude tends to decrease towards more central collisions and with increasing pT. It becomes compatible with zero in the interval 6<pT<10 GeV/c. The results are compared to models describing the interaction of heavy quarks and open heavy-flavour hadrons with the high-density medium formed in high-energy heavy-ion collisions.
We investigate the space-time dependence of electromagnetic fields produced by charged participants in an expanding fluid. To address this problem, we need to solve the Maxwell's equations coupled to the hydrodynamics conservation equation, specifically the relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) equations, since the charged participants move with the flow. To gain analytical insight, we approximate the problem by solving the equations in a fixed background Bjorken flow, onto which we solve Maxwell's equations. The dynamical electromagnetic fields interact with the fluid's kinematic quantities such as the shear tensor and the expansion scalar, leading to additional non-trivial coupling. We use mode decomposition of Green's function to solve the resulting non-linear coupled wave equations. We then use this function to calculate the electromagnetic field for two test cases: a point source and a transverse charge distribution. The results show that the resulting magnetic field vanishes at very early times, grows, and eventually falls at later times.
The process e+e−→ϕη is studied at 22 center-of-mass energy points (√s) between 2.00 and 3.08 GeV using 715 pb−1 of data collected with the BESIII detector. The measured Born cross section of e+e−→ϕη is found to be consistent with BABAR measurements, but with improved precision. A resonant structure around 2.175 GeV is observed with a significance of 6.9σ with mass (2163.5±6.2±3.0) MeV/c2 and width (31.1+21.1−11.6±1.1) MeV, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.
Relative fractions and phases of the intermediate decays are determined. With the detection efficiency estimated by the results of the amplitude analysis, the branching fraction of Dþ s → K−Kþπþπ0 decay is measured to be ð5.42 0.10stat 0.17systÞ%.
Vanadium and Manganese Carbonyls as Precursors in Electron-Induced and Thermal Deposition Processes
(2022)
The material composition and electrical properties of nanostructures obtained from focused electron beam-induced deposition (FEBID) using manganese and vanadium carbonyl precursors have been investigated. The composition of the FEBID deposits has been compared with thin films derived by the thermal decomposition of the same precursors in chemical vapor deposition (CVD). FEBID of V(CO)6 gives access to a material with a V/C ratio of 0.63–0.86, while in CVD a lower carbon content with V/C ratios of 1.1–1.3 is obtained. Microstructural characterization reveals for V-based materials derived from both deposition techniques crystallites of a cubic phase that can be associated with VC1−xOx. In addition, the electrical transport measurements of direct-write VC1−xOx show moderate resistivity values of 0.8–1.2 × 103 µΩ·cm, a negligible influence of contact resistances and signatures of a granular metal in the temperature-dependent conductivity. Mn-based deposits obtained from Mn2(CO)10 contain ~40 at% Mn for FEBID and a slightly higher metal percentage for CVD. Exclusively insulating material has been observed in FEBID deposits as deduced from electrical conductivity measurements. In addition, strong tendencies for postgrowth oxidation have to be considered.
This Ph. D. thesis with the title "Characterisation of laser-driven radiation beams: Gamma-ray dosimetry and Monte Carlo simulations of optimised target geometry for record-breaking efficiency of MeV gamma-sources" is dedicated to the study of the acceleration of electrons by intense sub-picosecond laser pulses propagating in a sub-millimeter plasma with near-critical electron density (NCD) and resulting generation of the gamma bremsstrahlung and positrons in the targets of different materials and thickness.
Laser-driven particle acceleration is an area of increasing scientific interest since the recent development of short pulse, high-intensity laser systems. The interaction of intense high-energy, short-pulse lasers with solid targets leads to the production of high-energy electrons in the relativistic laser intensity regime of more than 1018 W /cm2. These electrons play the leading role in the first stage of the interaction of laser with matter, which leads to the creation of laser sources of particles and radiation. Therefore, the optimisation of the electron beam parameters in the direction of increasing the effective temperature and beam charge, together with a slight divergence, plays a decisive role, especially for further detection and characterisation of laser-driven photon and positron beams.
In the context of this work, experiments were carried out at the PHELIX laser system (Petawatt High-Energy Laser for Heavy Ion eXperiments) at GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy-Ion Research GmbH in Darmstadt, Germany. This thesis presents a thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) based method for the measurement of bremsstrahlung spectra in the energy range from 30 keV to 100 MeV. The results of the TLD measurements reinforced the observed tendency towards the strong increase of the mean electron energy and number of super-ponderomotive electrons. In the case of laser interaction with long-scale NCD-plasmas, the dose caused by the gamma-radiation measured in the direction of the laser pulse propagation showed a 1000-fold increase compared to the high contrast shots onto plane foils and doses measured perpendicular to the laser propagation direction for all used combinations of targets and laser parameters.
In this thesis I present novel characterisation method using a combination of TLD measurements and Monte Carlo FLUKA simulations applicable to laser-driven beams. The thermoluminescence detector-based spectrometry method for simultaneous detection of electrons and photons from relativistic laser-induced plasmas initially developed by Behrens et al. (Behrens et al., 2003) and further applied in experiments at PHELIX laser (Horst et al., 2015) delivered good spectral information from keV energies up to some MeV, but as it was presented in (Horst et al., 2015) this method was not really suitable to resolve the content of photon spectra above 10 MeV because of the dominant presence of electrons. Therefore, I created new evaluation method of the incident electron spectra from the readings of TLDs. For this purpose, by means of MatLab programming language an unfolding algorithm was written. It was based on a sequential enumeration of matching data series of the dose values measured by the dosimeters and calculated with of FLUKA-simulations. The significant advantage of this method is the ability to obtain the spectrum of incident electrons in the low energy range from 1 keV, which is very difficult to measure reliably using traditional electron spectrometers.
The results of the evaluation of the effective temperature of super-ponderomotive electrons retrieved from the measured TLD-doses by means of the Monte-Carlo simulations demonstrated, that application of low density polymer foam layers irradiated by the relativistic sub-ps laser pulse provided a strong increase of the electron effective temperature from 1.5 - 2 MeV in the case of the relativistic laser interaction with a metallic foil up to 13 MeV for the laser shots onto the pre-ionized foam and more than 10 times higher charge carried by relativistic electrons.
The progressive simulation method of whole electron spectra described with two -temperatures Maxwellian distribution function has been developed and the results of dose simulations were compared with the acquired experimental data. The advanced feature of this method, which distinguishes it from the results of the simulation of the photon spectrum using the interaction with the target of mono-energetic electron beams (Nilgün Demir, 2013; Nilgün Demir, 2019) or the initial electron spectrum expressed as a function of one electron temperature (Fiorini, 2012), is the ability to simulate the initial electron spectrum described by the Maxwellian distribution function with two temperatures.
The important objective of this thesis was dedicated to the study and characterisation of laser-driven photon beams. In addition to this, the positron beams were evaluated. The investigation of bremsstrahlung photons and positrons spectra from high Z targets by varying the target thickness from 10 µm to 4 mm in simulated models of the interactions of electron spectra with Maxwellian distribution functions allowed to define an optimal thickness when the fluences of photons and positrons are maximal. Furthermore based on the results of FLUKA simulations the gold material was found to be the most suitable for the future experiments as e − γ target because of its highest bremsstrahlung yield.
Additionally Monte Carlo simulations were performed applying the obtained electron beam parameters from the electron acceleration process in laser-plasma interactions simulated with particle-in-cell (PIC) code for two laser energies of 20 J and 200 J. The corresponding electron spectra were imported into a Monte Carlo code FLUKA to simulate the production process of bremsstrahlung photons and positrons in Au converter. FLUKA simulations showed the record conversion of efficiency in MeV gammas can reach 10%, which reinforces the generation of positrons. The obtained results demonstrate the advantages of long-scale plasmas of near critical density (NCD) to increase the parameters of MeV particles and photon beams generated in relativistic laser-plasma interaction. The efficiency of the laser-driven generation of MeV electrons and photons by application of low-density polymer foams is essentially enhanced.
The development of epilepsy (epileptogenesis) involves a complex interplay of neuronal and immune processes. Here, we present a first-of-its-kind mathematical model to better understand the relationships among these processes. Our model describes the interaction between neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption, neuronal loss, circuit remodeling, and seizures. Formulated as a system of nonlinear differential equations, the model reproduces the available data from three animal models. The model successfully describes characteristic features of epileptogenesis such as its paradoxically long timescales (up to decades) despite short and transient injuries or the existence of qualitatively different outcomes for varying injury intensity. In line with the concept of degeneracy, our simulations reveal multiple routes toward epilepsy with neuronal loss as a sufficient but non-necessary component. Finally, we show that our model allows for in silico predictions of therapeutic strategies, revealing injury-specific therapeutic targets and optimal time windows for intervention.
Mixing and magnetic fields in asymptotic giant branch stars in the framework of FRUITY models
(2021)
In the last few years, the modeling of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars has been much investigated, both focusing on nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution aspects. Recent advances in the input physics required for stellar computations made it possible to construct more accurate evolutionary models, which are an essential tool to interpret the wealth of available observational and nucleosynthetic data. Motivated by such improvements, the FUNS stellar evolutionary code has been updated. Nonetheless, mixing processes occurring in AGB stars’ interiors are currently not well-understood. This is especially true for the physical mechanism leading to the formation of the 13C pocket, the major neutron source in low-mass AGB stars. In this regard, post-processing s-process models assuming that partial mixing of protons is induced by magneto-hydrodynamics processes were shown to reproduce many observations. Such mixing prescriptions have now been implemented in the FUNS code to compute stellar models with fully coupled nucleosynthesis. Here, we review the new generation of FRUITY models that include the effects of mixing triggered by magnetic fields by comparing theoretical findings with observational constraints available either from the isotopic analysis of trace-heavy elements in presolar grains or from carbon AGB stars and Galactic open clusters.
The proton-pumping NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) couples the transfer of electrons from NADH to ubiquinone with the translocation of protons across the membrane. Electron transfer is accomplished by FMN and a series of iron-sulfur clusters. Its coupling with proton translocation is not yet understood. Here, we report that the redox reaction of the FeS cluster N2 located on subunit NuoB of the Escherichia coli complex I induces a protonation/deprotonation of tyrosine side chains. Electrochemically induced FT-IR difference spectra revealed characteristic tyrosine signals at 1,515 and 1,498 cm−1 for the protonated and deprotonated form, respectively. Mutants of three conserved tyrosines on NuoB were generated by complementing a chromosomal in-frame deletion strain with nuoB on a plasmid. Though the single mutations did not alter the electron transport activity of complex I, the EPR signal of cluster N2 was slightly shifted. The tyrosine signals detected by FT-IR spectroscopy were roughly halved in the mutants Y114C and Y139C while only minor changes were detected in the Y154H mutant. The enzymatic activity of the Y114C/Y139F double mutant was 80% reduced, and FT-IR difference spectra of the double mutant revealed a complete loss the modes characteristic for protonation reactions of tyrosines. Therefore, we propose that tyrosines 114 and 139 on NuoB were protonated upon reduction of cluster N2 and were thus involved in the proton-transfer reaction coupled with its redox reaction.
Results on the production of 4He and Image 1 nuclei in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76TeV in the rapidity range |y|<1, using the ALICE detector, are presented in this paper. The rapidity densities corresponding to 0–10% central events are found to be dN/dyHe4=(0.8±0.4(stat)±0.3(syst))×10−6 and Image 2, respectively. This is in agreement with the statistical thermal model expectation assuming the same chemical freeze-out temperature (Tchem=156MeV) as for light hadrons. The measured ratio of Image 3 is 1.4±0.8(stat)±0.5(syst).
The study of the azimuthal anisotropy of inclusive muons produced in p–Pb collisions at √sNN=8.16 TeV, using the ALICE detector at the LHC is reported. The measurement of the second-order Fourier coefficient of the particle azimuthal distribution, v2, is performed as a function of transverse momentum pT in the 0–20% high-multiplicity interval at both forward (2.03<yCMS<3.53) and backward (−4.46<yCMS<−2.96) rapidities over a wide pT range, 0.5<pT<10 GeV/c, in which a dominant contribution of muons from heavy-flavour hadron decays is expected at pT>2 GeV/c. The v2 coefficient of inclusive muons is extracted using two different techniques, namely two-particle cumulants, used for the first time for heavy-flavour measurements, and forward–central two-particle correlations. Both techniques give compatible results. A positive v2 is measured at both forward and backward rapidities with a significance larger than 4.7σ and 7.6σ, respectively, in the interval 2<pT<6 GeV/c. Comparisons with previous measurements in p–Pb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV, and with AMPT and CGC-based theoretical calculations are discussed. The findings impose new constraints on the theoretical interpretations of the origin of the collective behaviour in small collision systems.
In quantum scattering processes between two particles, aspects characterizing the strong and Coulomb forces can be observed in kinematic distributions of the particle pairs. The sensitivity to the interaction potential reaches a maximum at low relative momentum and vanishing distance between the two particles. Ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions at the LHC provide an abundant source of many hadron species and can be employed as a measurement method of scattering parameters that is complementary to scattering experiments. This study confirms that momentum correlations of particles produced in Pb–Pb collisions at the LHC provide an accurate measurement of kaon–proton scattering parameters at low relative momentum, allowing precise access to the K−p→K−p process. This work also validates the femtoscopic measurement in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions as an alternative to scattering experiments and a complementary tool to the study of exotic atoms with comparable precision. In this work, the first femtoscopic measurement of momentum correlations of K−p(K+p‾) and K+p(K−p‾) pairs in Pb–Pb collisions at centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sNN=5.02 TeV registered by the ALICE experiment is reported. The components of the K−p complex scattering length are extracted and found to be ℜf0=−0.91±0.03(stat)−0.03+0.17(syst) and ℑf0=0.92±0.05(stat)−0.33+0.12(syst). The results are compared with chiral effective field theory predictions as well as with existing data from dedicated scattering and exotic kaonic atom experiments.
We present an angular thin-lens formula giving the angle of refraction β for arbitrary values of the angle of incidence α. With this formula, we find analytical results for the focal length f of a thin-lens system. The number of lenses n and their focal lengths f1,f2,…,fn are abitrary, as are the mutual distances D12,…,D(n−1)n between the lenses. All these results are exact, i.e. not restricted to small or even paraxial angles. In the literature, the 2-lens and 3-lens versions (the last one without proof or derivation) are known [1]. We present the general result for n lenses and for (the positions of) its principal planes.
Human feline leukaemia virus subgroup C receptor-related proteins 1 and 2 (FLVCR1 and 2) are major facilitator superfamily transporters from the solute carrier family 49. Dysregulation of these ubiquitous transporters has been linked to various haematological and neurological disorders. While both FLVCRs were initially proposed to hold a physiological function in heme transport, subsequent studies questioned this notion. Here, we used structural, computational and biochemical methods and conclude that these two FLVCRs function as human choline transporters. We present cryo-electron microscopy structures of FLVCRs in different inward- and outward-facing conformations, captured in the apo state or in complex with choline in their translocation pathways. Our findings provide insights into the molecular framework of choline coordination and transport, largely mediated by conserved cation-π interactions, and further illuminate the conformational dynamics of the transport cycle. Moreover, we identified a heme binding site on the protein surface of the FLVCR2 N-domain, and observed that heme actively drives the conformational transitions of the protein. This auxiliary binding site might indicate a potential regulatory role of heme in the FLVCR2 transport mechanisms. Our work resolves the contested substrate specificity of the FLVCRs, and sheds light on the process of maintaining cellular choline homeostasis at the molecular level.
This work is focused on the anomalous skin effect in copper and how it affects the efficiency of copper-cavities in the temperature range 40-50 K. The quality factor Q of three coaxial cavities was measured over the temperature range from 10 K to room temperature in the experiment. The three coaxial cavities have the same structure, but different lengths, which correspond to resonant frequencies: around 100 MHz, 220 MHz and 340 MHz. Furthermore, the effects of copper-plating and additional baking in the vacuum oven on the quality factor Q are studied in the experiment. The motivation is to check the feasibility of an efficient, pulsed, ion linac, operated at cryogenic temperatures.
In case of 4-Rod-type RFQ’s the quadrupole electrodes are excited by a series of coupled RF oscillators. As the contact planes between both electrode pairs differ, there remains an oscillating electric potential along the beam axis. This results in remarkably high longitudinal field components between the electrode ends and the RFQ tank end walls. In contrast, the electrodes of a 4-Vane RFQ are equally charged to ±|V0∕2| and only feature a quadrupole on-axis field. The entrance gap fields were investigated to serve as a longitudinal prebuncher instead of causing additional longitudinal emittance growth. The effects of the entrance gap field have been validated in beam dynamics simulations. The exit fields have to be taken into consideration for a calculation of the exact RFQ output energy.
Artificial intelligence in heavy-ion collisions : bridging the gap between theory and experiments
(2023)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods are employed to study heavy-ion collisions at intermediate collision energies, where high baryon density and moderate temperature QCD matter is produced. The experimental measurements of various conventional observables such as collective flow, particle number fluctuations, etc. are usually compared with expensive model calculations to infer the physics governing the evolution of the matter produced in the collisions. Various experimental effects and processing algorithms can greatly affect the sensitivity of these observables. AI methods are used to bridge this gap between theory and experiments of heavy-ion collisions. The problems with conventional methods of analyzing experimental data are illustrated in a comparative study of the Glauber MC model and the UrQMD transport model. It is found that the centrality determination and the estimated fluctuations of the number of participant nucleons suffer from strong model dependencies for Au-Au collisions at 1.23 AGeV. This can bias the results of the experimental analysis if the number of participant nucleons used is not consistent throughout the analysis and in the final model-to-data comparison. The measurable consequences of this model dependence of the number of participant nucleons are also discussed. In this context, PointNet-based AI models are developed to accurately reconstruct the impact parameter or the number of participant nucleons in a collision event from the hits and/or reconstructed track of particles in 10 AGeV Au-Au collisions at the CBM experiment. In the last part of the thesis, different AI methods to study the equation of state (EoS) at high baryon densities are discussed. First, a Bayesian inference is performed to constrain the density dependence of the EoS from the available experimental measurements of elliptical flow and mean transverse kinetic energy of mid rapidity protons in intermediate energy collisions. The UrQMD model was augmented to include arbitrary potentials (or equivalently the EoSs) in the QMD part to provide a consistent treatment of the EoS throughout the evolution of the system. The experimental data constrain the posterior constructed for the EoS for densities up to four times saturation density. However, beyond three times saturation density, the shape of the posterior depends on the choice of observables used. There is a tension in the measurements at a collision energy of about 4 GeV. This could indicate large uncertainties in the measurements, or alternatively the inability of the underlying model to describe the observables with a given input EoS. Tighter constraints and fully conclusive statements on the EoS require accurate, high statistics data in the whole beam energy range of 2-10 GeV, which will hopefully be provided by the beam energy scan programme of STAR-FXT at RHIC, the upcoming CBM experiment at FAIR, and future experiments at HIAF and NICA. Finally, it is shown that the PointNet-based models can also be used to identify the equation of state in the CBM experiment. Despite the uncertainties due to limited detector acceptance and biases in the reconstruction algorithms, the PointNet-based models are able to learn the features that can accurately identify the underlying physics of the collision. The PointNet-based models are an ideal AI tool to study heavy-ion collisions, not only to identify the geometric event features, such as the impact parameter or the number of participant nucleons, but also to extract abstract physical features, such as the EoS, directly from the detector outputs.
A synchrotron is a particular type of cyclic particle accelerator and the first accelerator concept to enable the construction of large-scale facilities [10], such as the largest particle accelerator in the world, the 27-kilometre-circumference Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by CERN near Geneva, Switzerland, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France for the synchrotron radiation, the superconducting, heavy ion synchrotron SIS100 under construction for the FAIR facility at GSI, Darmstadt, Germany and so on. Unlike a cyclotron, which can accelerate particles starting at low kinetic energy, a synchrotron needs a pre-acceleration facility to accelerate particles to an appropriate initial value before synchrotron injection. A pre-acceleration can be realized by a chain of other accelerator structures like a linac, a microtron in case of electrons, for example, Proton and ion injectors Linac 4 and Linac 3 for the LHC, UNLAC as the injector for the SIS18 in GSI and in future the SIS18 as injector for the SIS100. The linac is a commonly used injector for the ion synchrotron and consists of some key components. The three main parts of a linac are: An ion source creating the particles, a buncher system or an RFQ followed by the main drift tube accelerator DTL. In order to meet the energy and the beam current requirement of a synchrotron injector linac, its cost is a remarkable percentage of the total facility costs.
However, the normal conducting linac operation at cryogenic temperatures can be a promising solution in improving the efficiency and reducing the costs of a linac. Synchrotron injectors operate at very low duty factor with beam pulse lengths in 1 micros to 100 micros range, as most of the time is needed to perform the synchrotron cycle. Superconducting linacs are not convenient, as they cannot efficiently operate at low duty factor and high beam currents.
The cryogenic operation of ion linacs is discussed and investigated at IAP in Frankfurt since around 2012 [1, 37]. The motivation was to develop very compact synchrotron injectors at reduced overall linac costs per MV of acceleration voltage. As the needed beam currents for new facilities are increasing as well, the new technology will also allow an efficient realization of higher injector linac energies, which is needed in that case. Operating normal conducting structures at cryogenic temperature exploits the significantly higher conductivity of copper at temperatures of liquid nitrogen and below. On the other hand, the anomalous skin effect reduces the gain in shunt impedance quite a bit[25, 31, 9]. Some intense studies and experiments were performed recently, which are encouraging with respect to increased field levels at linac operation temperatures between 30 K and 70 K [17, 24, 4, 23, 5, 8]. While these studies are motivated by applications in electron acceleration at GHz-frequencies, the aim of this paper is to find applications in the 100 to 700 MHz range, typical for proton and ion acceleration. At these frequencies, a higher impact in saving RF power is expected due to the larger skin depth, which is proportional to the frequency to the power of negative half with respect to the normal skin effect. On the other hand, it is assumed that the improvement in maximum surface field levels will be similar to what was demonstrated already for electron accelerator cavities. This should allow to find a good compromise between reduced RF power needs for achieving a given accelerator voltage and a reduced total linac length to save building costs.
A very important point is the temperature stability of the cavity surface during the RF pulse. This is of increasing importance the lower the operating temperature is chosen: the temperature dependence of the electric conductivity in copper gets rather strong below 80 K, as long as the RRR - value of the copper is adequate. It is very clear, that this technology is suited for low duty cycle operated cavities only - with RF pulse lengths below one millisecond. At longer pulses the cavity surface will be heated within the pulse to temperatures, where the conductivity advantage is reduced substantially. These conditions fit very well to synchrotron injectors or to pulsed beam power applications.
H – Mode structures of the IH – and of the CH – type are well-known to have rather small cavity diameters at a given operating frequency. Moreover, they can achieve effective acceleration voltage gains above 10 MV/m even at low beam energies, and already at room temperature operation[29]. With the new techniques of 3d – printing of stainless steel and copper components one can reduce cavity sizes even further – making the realization of complex cooling channels much easier.
Another topic are copper components in superconducting cavities – like power couplers. It is of great importance to know exactly the thermal losses at these surfaces, which can’t be cooled efficiently in an easy way.
We study the influence and interplay of initial state and final state effects in the dynamics of small systems, focusing on azimuthal correlations at different multiplicities. To this end we introduce a new model, matching the classical Yang-Mills dynamics of pre-equilibrium gluon fields (IP-GLASMA) to a perturbative QCD based parton cascade for the final state evolution (BAMPS) on an event-by-event basis. Depending on multiplicity of the event, we see transverse momentum dependent signatures of the initial, but also the final state in azimuthal correlation observables, such as v2 {2PC}(pT). In low-multiplicity events, initial state correlations dominate for transverse momenta pT > 2 GeV, whereas in high-multiplicity events and at low momenta final state interactions dominate and initial state correlations strongly affect v2 {2PC}(pT) for pT > 2 GeV as well as the pT integrated v2 {2PC}. Nearly half of the final pT integrated v2 {2PC} is contributed by the initial state in low-multiplicity events, whereas in high-multiplicity the share is much less. Based on Ref. [M. Greif, C. Greiner, B. Schenke, S. Schlichting, Z. Xu, Phys. Rev. D96 (9) (2017) 091504], we are now able to carry out a systematic multiplicity scan, probing the dynamics on the border of initial state dominated to final state dominated – but not yet hydrodynamic regime.
We investigate the development of the directed, v1, and elliptic flow, v2, in heavy ion collisions in mid-central Au+Au reactions at Elab=1.23A GeV. We demonstrate that the elliptic flow of hot and dense matter is initially positive (v2>0) due to the early pressure gradient. This positive v2 transfers its momentum to the spectators, which leads to the creation of the directed flow v1. In turn, the spectator shadowing of the in-plane expansion leads to a preferred decoupling of hadrons in the out-of-plane direction and results in a negative v2 for the observable final state hadrons. We propose a measurement of v1−v2 flow correlations and of the elliptic flow of dileptons as methods to pin down this evolution pattern. The elliptic flow of the dileptons allows then to determine the early-state EoS more precisely, because it avoids the strong modifications of the momentum distribution due to shadowing seen in the protons. This opens the unique opportunity for the HADES and CBM collaborations to measure the Equation-of-State directly at 2-3 times nuclear saturation density.
We developed a Monte Carlo event generator for production of nucleon configurations in complex nuclei consistently including effects of nucleon–nucleon (NN) correlations. Our approach is based on the Metropolis search for configurations satisfying essential constraints imposed by short- and long-range NN correlations, guided by the findings of realistic calculations of one- and two-body densities for medium-heavy nuclei. The produced event generator can be used for Monte Carlo (MC) studies of pA and AA collisions. We perform several tests of consistency of the code and comparison with previous models, in the case of high energy proton–nucleus scattering on an event-by-event basis, using nucleus configurations produced by our code and Glauber multiple scattering theory both for the uncorrelated and the correlated configurations; fluctuations of the average number of collisions are shown to be affected considerably by the introduction of NN correlations in the target nucleus. We also use the generator to estimate maximal possible gluon nuclear shadowing in a simple geometric model.
Baryonic models of ultra-low-mass compact stars for the central compact object in HESS J1731-347
(2023)
The recent attempt on mass and radius inference of the central compact object within the supernova remnant HESS J1731-347 suggests for this object an unusually low mass of M=0.77−0.17+0.20M⊙ and a small radius of R=10.4−0.78+0.86km. We explore the ways such a result can be accommodated within models of dense matter with heavy baryonic degrees of freedom which are constrained by the multi-messenger observations. We find that to do so using only purely nucleonic models, one needs to assume a rather small value of the slope of symmetry energy Lsym. Once heavy baryons are included higher values of the slope Lsym become acceptable at the cost of a slightly reduced maximum mass of static configuration. These two scenarios are distinguished by the particle composition and will undergo different cooling scenarios. In addition, we show that the universalities of the I-Love-Q relations for static configurations can be extended to very low masses without loss in their accuracy.