14054232
An evaluation of the exposure in nadir observation of the JEM-EUSO mission
We evaluate the exposure during nadir observations with JEM-EUSO, the Extreme Universe Space Observatory, on-board the Japanese Experiment Module of the International Space Station. Designed as a mission to explore the extreme energy Universe from space, JEM-EUSO will monitor the Earth's nighttime atmosphere to record the ultraviolet light from tracks generated by extensive air showers initiated by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. In the present work, we discuss the particularities of space-based observation and we compute the annual exposure in nadir observation. The results are based on studies of the expected trigger aperture and observational duty cycle, as well as, on the investigations of the effects of clouds and different types of background light. We show that the annual exposure is about one order of magnitude higher than those of the presently operating ground-based observatories.
117398144
Oscillation and Mixing Among the Three Neutrino Flavors
With the educated, interested non-specialist as the target audience, we overview what is known and not known about contemporary neutrino physics. Theory tells us that neutrinos are the second-most common particle in the Universe, behind only the quanta of radiation called photons. Almost a trillion neutrinos per second enter each human eyeball, and yet we do not see them; these neutrinos, in roughly equal numbers, are emanations from our Sun and relics of the hot "big bang" era of the early Universe. Much of what we know about neutrinos, and hope to learn in the future, is derived from a unique feature of neutrinos -- "oscillation" among neutrino "flavor" types. An initial neutrino flavor will in general oscillate into another flavor as the neutrino propagates in space and time. Oscillations are a quantum mechanical phenomenon. One of the wonders of neutrinos is that their quantum mechanics may be observed over large distances, even astronomically large. We begin this article with neutrino phenomenology in terms of masses and mixing angles, including the matter-antimatter asymmetric "phase" that appears with three neutrino types. Next we venture into neutrino oscillations. We conclude with a discussion of model-building for the neutrino masses and mixings. Throughout this article, attention is devoted to the 2012 result that the "small" neutrino mixing angle is not so small, after all.
119254616
Neutrino Oscillations from Cosmic Sources: A Nu Window to Cosmology
Neutrino astrophysics promises a wealth of information about neutrinos and the history of the universe through which they have traveled. In this letter, we extend the standard neutrino qoscillation discussion to neutrinos propagating through expanding curved space. This extension introduces a new cosmological parameter in the oscillation phase. The new parameter ℐ records cosmic history in much the same manner as the redshift variable z or the apparent luminosity distance DL. Measuring ℐ through neutrino oscillations may help to determine cosmological parameters and distinguish between different cosmologies.
121147596
Dimuon production by neutrinos: Test of weak-current models
We compare predictions of weak-current models for ..mu../sup +/..mu../sup -/ production initiated by ..nu.. and anti ..nu.. with experimental x, y, p, and v distributions of the muon associated with the incident neutrino. These distributions indicate that ..nu..N dimuon production occurs dominantly off valence quarks, with a y dependence that is somewhat suggestive of (1 - y)/sup 2/, while anti ..nu..N production occurs from sea quarks. Nevertheless, the original charm model provides a viable explanation within the uncertainties of present data. An improved description of the ..nu..N dimuon distributions is obtained with a V + A charm-changing current. The dimuon data do not exhibit the characteristics expected from the production of the b-type quark of vectorlike theories. A vector-meson-dominance interpretation does not predict satisfactory x dependences. (AIP)
119170988
Flavor Sensitivity to $\theta_{13}$ and the Mass Hierarchy for neutrinos from Solar WIMP Annihilation
The effect of the higher-energy 2nd resonance and the associated adiabatic-to-nonadiabatic transition on neutrino propagation in solar matter is presented. For WIMP-annihilation neutrinos injected with energies in the "sweet region" between 300 MeV and 10 GeV at the Sun's center, a significant and revealing dependence on the neutrino mass hierarchy and the mixing angle theta_13 down to 0.5 degrees is found in the flavor ratios arriving at Earth. In addition, the amplification of flavor ratios in the sweet region allows a better discrimination among possible annihilation modes of the solar dark matter. Under mild assumptions on WIMP properties, it is estimated that 200 neutrino events in the sweet region would be required for inferences of theta_13, the mass hierarchy, and the dominant WIMP annihilation mode. Future large-volume, low-energy neutrino detectors are likely needed if the measurement is to be made.
2745888
Bounds on relic neutrino masses in the Z-burst model
Neutrinos from far-away sources annihilating at the Z resonance on relic neutrinos may give origin to the extreme-energy cosmic rays (EECR). If “Z-bursts” are responsible for the EECR events, then we show that the non-observation of cosmic ray events at energies above 2 ×10 20 eV by the AGASA Collaboration implies a lower bound ∼ 0.3 eV on the relic neutrino mass. Since this mass exceeds the mass-squared differences inferred from oscillation physics, the bound in fact applies to all three neutrino masses. Together with the upper bound provided by comparisons of the CMB anisotropy with largescale structure, this bound leaves only a small interval for neutrino masses around 0.3 eV, if Z-bursts are to explain the existing EECR events.
53997166
Robustness test of a system of MSGC+GEM detectors at the cyclotron facility of the Paul Scherrer Institute
Abstract A system of detector modules consisting of a large size Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM), coupled to Micro Strip Gas Counters (MSGC), has been exposed to a pion beam at the Paul Scherrer Institute Cyclotron facility. As part of a CMS tracker milestone, the aim of this test was to investigate the robustness of such detectors when exposed to experimental conditions close to what is expected at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) of CERN. Eighteen detector modules have been operated at voltage settings corresponding to 98% detection efficiency for Minimum Ionizing Particles during a period of 5 weeks. Sparking rates and strip losses have been monitored throughout the exposure. An operation margin of at least a factor of three with respect to the required gas gain has been demonstrated.
17929707
Evaluation of Beam Losses And Energy Deposition for a Possible Phase II Design for LHC Collimation
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) beams are designed to have high stability and to be stored for many hours. The nominal beam intensity lifetime is expected to be of the order of 20h. The Phase II collimation system has to be able to handle particle losses in stable physics conditions at 7 TeV in order to avoid beam aborts and to allow correction of parameters and restoration to nominal conditions. Monte Carlo simulations are needed in order to evaluate the behavior of metallic high-Z collimators during operation scenarios using a realistic distribution of losses, which is a mix of the three limiting halo cases. Moreover, the consequences in the IR7 insertion of the worst (case) abnormal beam loss are evaluated. The case refers to a spontaneous trigger of the horizontal extraction kicker at top energy, when Phase II collimators are used. These studies are an important input for engineering design of the collimation Phase II system and for the evaluation of their effect on adjacent components. The goal is to build collimators that can survive the expected conditions during LHC stable physics runs, in order to avoid quenches of the SC magnets and to protect other LHC equipments.
119117884
Proceedings of the 2nd Workshop on Flavor Symmetries and Consequences in Accelerators and Cosmology (FLASY12)
Although existing theoretical models generally prefer extremely heavy right-handed neutrinos to generate light neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism, there are several observed phenomena that point to the existence of both keVand eV-scale sterile neutrinos. We present two A4 flavor symmetry models that can accommodate light sterile neutrinos and remain compatible with neutrino data. Higher order seesaw terms and higher-dimensional operators are studied, and the phenomenological implications of light sterile neutrinos on neutrinoless double beta decay are discussed. 1.
32656642
Beam loss response measurements with a LHC prototype collimator in the SPS
Beam tests with a large hadron collider (LHC) prototype collimator were performed at the super proton synchrotron (SPS) in autumn 2006. Applying a new collimator control system many new beam measurements were performed. This contribution presents results on collimator- induced beam loss measurements and their applications to beam-based alignment of collimators and measurements of the beam size and position. Interesting features of the recorded beam loss signals are illustrated and possible impacts for LHC operation are discussed.
73532792
BEAM HALO ON THE LHC TCDQ DILUTER SYSTEM AND THERMAL LOAD ON THE DOWNSTREAM SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS
The moveable single-jawed graphite TCDQ diluter must be positioned very close to the circulating LHC beam in order to prevent damage to downstream components in the event of an unsynchronised beam abort. A two-jawed graphite TCS.IR6 collimator forms part of the TCDQ system. The requirement to place the jaws close to the beam means that the system can intercept a substantial beam halo load. Initial investigations indicated a worryingly high heat load on the Q4 coils. This paper presents the updated load cases, shielding and simulation geometry, and the results of simulations of the energy deposition in the TCDQ system and in the downstream superconducting Q4 magnet. The implications for the operation of the LHC are discussed.