118577347
First Large Scale Production of Low Radioactivity Argon From Underground Sources
We report on the rst large-scale production of low radioactivity argon from underground gas wells. Low radioactivity argon is of general interest, in particular for the construction of large scale WIMP dark matter searches and detectors of reactor neutrinos for non-proliferation eorts. Atmospheric argon has an activity of about 1 Bq/kg from the decays of 39 Ar; the concentration of 39 Ar in the underground argon we are collecting is at least a factor of 100 lower than this value. The argon is collected from a stream of gas from a CO2 well in southwestern Colorado with a Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption (VPSA) plant. The gas from the well contains argon at a concentration of 400-600 ppm, and the VPSA plant produces an output stream with an argon concentration at the level of 30,000-50,000 ppm (3-5%) in a single pass. This gas is sent for further processing to Fermilab where it is puried by cryogenic distillation. The argon production rate is presently 0.5 kg/day.
122075081
Solar neutrino results from borexino
Abstract Borexino is a large-volume liquid scintillator experiment for low energy neutrino detection, operating since May 2007, and installed at the National Laboratory of Gran Sasso. Borexino is the first experiment able to observe in real-time Solar neutrino interactions also in the sub-MeV range. We report with this work the main results achieved in the Solar neutrino sector by Borexino. In particular, we report the results on the measured interaction rates of 7 Be, 8 B, and pep neutrinos, and their impacts on the physics of neutrino oscillations.
137334067
First scientific application of the membrane cryostat technology
We report on the design, fabrication, performance and commissioning of the first membrane cryostat to be used for scientific application. The Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) has designed and fabricated a membrane cryostat prototype in collaboration with IHI Corporation (IHI). Original goals of the prototype are: to demonstrate the membrane cryostat technology in terms of thermal performance, feasibility for liquid argon, and leak tightness; to demonstrate that we can remove all the impurities from the vessel and achieve the purity requirements in a membrane cryostat without evacuation and using only a controlled gaseous argon purge; to demonstrate that we can achieve and maintain the purity requirements of the liquid argon during filling, purification, and maintenance mode using mole sieve and copper filters from the Liquid Argon Purity Demonstrator (LAPD) R&D project. The purity requirements of a large liquid argon detector such as LBNE are contaminants below 200 parts per trillion oxygen equiva...
117791829
Study of Solar and Geo-Neutrinos with the BOREXINO Detector
121396997
Measurement of CNGS muon neutrino speed with Borexino
Abstract We have measured the speed of muon neutrinos with the Borexino detector using short-bunch CNGS beams. The final result for the difference in time-of-flight between an 〈 E 〉 = 17 GeV muon neutrino and a particle moving at the speed of light in vacuum is δ t = 0.8 ± 0.7 stat ± 2.9 sys ns , well consistent with zero.
121900736
THE BOREXINO DETECTOR
56152487
Rotation and shape changes in 151Tb and 196Pb: Probes of nuclear structure and tunneling process in warm nuclei. I. Experimental analysis
The {gamma} decay associated with the warm rotation of the superdeformed nuclei {sup 151}Tb and {sup 196}Pb has been measured with the Euroball IV array. Several experimental quantities are presented, putting strong constraints on the decay dynamics in the superdeformed well. The data are successfully reproduced using a Monte Carlo simulation of the {gamma} decay based on microscopically calculated energy levels, E2 decay probabilities, collective mass parameters, and potential energy barriers between the wells associated with normal and super deformation. This allows one to test the basic ingredients of the physical process, such as the strength of the two-body residual interaction and the potential barriers as a function of spin and excitation energy. We also show that the data probe the E1 strength function, indicating an enhancement around 1-2 MeV {gamma} rays, which might be related to octupole vibrations.