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Hydrogen energy is a green and efficient energy source with unique characteristics like vast availability, high combustion heat, and pollution-free emissions. Fuel cells, particularly the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), are at the forefront of harnessing hydrogen energy. Nanocomposite proton membranes have advantages and application prospects in fuel cell technology. This paper studies the discussion regarding the characteristics of nano-composite proton membranes and their use in fuel cells. The conclusion is that the nano-composite proton membrane has better electrical conductivity, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and relative selectivity than the ordinary proton membrane. To meet the application requirements of various fuel cells on various occasions, the performance of the nano-composite proton exchange membrane has been enhanced, improving the proton exchange membrane's effectiveness, reducing the application threshold of fuel cells, and maintaining stability to improve its efficiency. Conclusively, nanocomposite proton membranes, with their enhanced properties, hold promising potential in fuel cell applications, offering a sustainable and efficient energy solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton Computed Tomography is a new imaging technique which reconstructs the relative stopping power more accurately than X-ray Computer Tomography. This gives us a better proton range and it becomes easy to treat small tumors. In this paper, we have discussed the details of the design, construction and high-performance p-MCz Si material tracker detector in the proton computed tomography. It also describes the generations of proton beams of ∼200 MeV energy and how it is delivered to the patient. By using the p-MCz Si microstrip detectors, Si tracker will be able to track the path of protons entering the patient. In addition to proton doses, the Si tracker will also be used to monitor the proton beam profile and total dose delivered during the high fluences used for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we focus on hybrid simulations, which were performed in order to support data analysis and interpretation of Voyager data and most recent IBEX observations. Two-dimensional multi-species hybrid simulations for the termination shock have been performed in which we used almost realistic plasma parameters. In these simulations we included self-consistently solar wind protons and pickup protons. We investigated the change of the turbulence around and at the shock front as well as spatial and temporal evolution of the solar wind proton distribution under the impact of pickup protons. The results of this study show that pickup ions have a significant impact. Pickup ions mediate the shock turbulence, ion reflection, thermalization, and also slow down incoming solar wind. Furthermore, these simulations also show that gyrating solar wind and pickup ions may be a significant source for Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the past, present and future status of recoil-isomer tagging at the University of Jyväskylä. The main focus of this research has been to access isomeric states at and beyond the mass ≈140 proton drip line. Recoil-isomer tagging was first used at the University of Jyväskylä in 1998 to establish the prompt rotational band built upon a Kπ = 8- isomeric state in 138Gd. Since that time a series of experiments have been performed which have studied isomeric states in the N = 77 isotones 63140Eu77, 65142Tb77 and 67144Ho77, and in the N = 74 K-isomer chain, 64138Gd74 and 66140Dy74. These experiments have revealed valuable first information about deformations, single-particle excitation energies and hindrance factors in nuclei at and beyond the proton drip line where little or no information previously existed. The results of the most-recent experiments were discussed. These experiments established new isomeric states in 66143Dy77, 61136Pm75, and 64137Gd73 and a further two isomers which are currently unplaced. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future prospects for this research including the increased efficiency of the recoil-isomer tagging technique with a new Multi-Wire Proportional Counter (MWPC) detector which was designed and built at the University of Manchester. The first results from this new setup were shown. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on measurements of fusion reaction protons, which were emitted from high-current Plasma Focus discharges. The experiments were carried out on two Plasma Focus facilities (PF-360 and PF-1000) and the obtained results are compared in the paper. The paper presents some detailed maps of the fusion proton fluxes, which were recorded with the pinhole cameras. These maps show distributions and shapes of fast proton sources within the pinch plasma column. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antiproton celebrates its 50th birthday this year. Although its existence had been suspected since the discovery of the positron in 1932, there was still doubt in some quarters that such a companion particle to the proton could exist. I will try to trace the scientific history of the antiproton from that time to the publication of the definitive paper by Chamberlain, Segrè, Wiegand and Ypsilantis in November 1955, with a brief look at what happened next. The narrative will be supplemented with thoughts and opinions of some of the main actors, both at the time and in retrospect. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper briefly presents the engine characteristics of 1.6L SI engine of Proton Gen 2. The engine was coupled to a chassis dynamometer, gasoline fueled and few related apparatus were employed in determine the engine behavior that focused on the engine performance and emissions. All data collected were illustrated in graph for further analysis. Mapping for each throttle position with respect to the engine speed was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we have theoretically calculated the nuclear neutron and proton densities, initial exciton numbers and binding energies of the Strontium isotopes (84-96Sr). The Skyrme Hartree Fock (SHF) parameterizations S2, S3, SG2, SKa, SKM, SKM*, and T3 are used in the neutron and proton density calculations. The initial neutron and proton exciton numbers of the 84-96Sr isotopes have been calculated using the SKM* Skyrme parameter. The obtained results from Skyrme force parameters are discussed and compared with each other's and are shown to be in agreement with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proton elastic form factor ratio can be measured either via Rosenbluth separation in an unpolarized beam and target experiment, or via the use of polarization degrees of freedom. However, data produced by these two approaches show a discrepancy, increasing with Q². The proposed explanation of this discrepancy--two-photon exchange--has been tested recently by three experiments. The results support the existence of a small two-photon exchange effect but cannot establish that theoretical treatment at the measured momentum transfers are valid. At larger momentum transfers, theory remains untested. This paper investigates the possibilities of measurements at DESY and Jefferson Lab to measure the effect at larger momentum transfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

160 MeV H− beam will be delivered from the new CERN linear accelerator (Linac4) to the Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB), using a H− charge-exchange injection system. A 200 µg/cm2 carbon stripping foil will convert H− into protons by stripping off the electrons. The H− charge-exchange injection principle will be used for the first time in the CERN accelerator complex and involves many challenges. In order to gain experience with the foil changing mechanism and the very fragile foils, in 2016, prior to the installation in the PSB, a stripping foil test stand has been installed in the Linac4 transfer line. In addition, parts of the future PSB injection equipment are also temporarily installed in the Linac4 transfer line for tests with a 160 MeV H− commissioning proton beam. This paper describes the foil changing mechanism and control system, summarizes the practical experience of gluing and handling these foils and reports on the first results with beam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy loss (EL) of charged particles in target medium needs special attention, when measurements are required to be done repeatedly over periods of couple of days. It is imperative to ensure that the measurements are not affected by the long term drifts of the accelerator beam energy and the associated electronic modules. For one such situation in measurement of EL of proton beam in thick target, we optimised and standardized the technique of measuring most probable energy loss of 24.774 MeV proton in aluminium target of thickness 330 mg/cm2. The paper described the method that we developed to ensure that our EL measurements were free from effects of drifts due to any associated electronic modules. The details of the energy spectrometer, basic principle and technique for energy loss measurements in target medium are described in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The women physicists whose work will be featured are Marietta Blau, Madelaine Forro Barnothy, Phyllis Freier, and Connie Dilworth. The "gluons" that connected their lives to each other (and to the author) included Georges Lemaitre, Manuel Sandoval Vallarta, Cecil Powell, Guiseppi Occhialini, Ken Greisen, Beatrice Tinsley, Hannelore Sexl, and perhaps Elizabeth Rona. Most of the stories are not entirely happy ones. For instance it was Sandoval Vallarta who offered Blau (and her mother) refuge in Mexico when they had to leave Vienna. Vallarta was also Lemaitre's collaborator in calculations of how cosmic rays got to us through the earth's magnetic field. The sad part there is that somehow Lemaitre was never disabused of the view that cosmic rays were direct remnants of his primordial atom and not primarily protons. The result was his gradual exile from main-stream scientific communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a phenomenological solar wind heating model based on a turbulent energy cascade prescribed by the Kolmogorov theory has produced reasonably good agreement with observations on proton temperatures out to distances around 70 AU, provided the effect of turbulence generation due to pickup ions is included in the model. In a recent study [Ng et al., J. Geophys. Res., 115, A02101 (2010)], we have incorporated in the heating model the energy cascade rate based on Iroshnikov-Kraichnan (IK) scaling, derivable from incompressible magnetohydrodynamics. We showed that the IK cascade rate can also produce good agreement with observations, with or without the inclusion of pickup ions. This effect was confirmed both by integrating the model using average boundary conditions at 1 AU, and by applying a method [Smith et al., Astrophys. J., 638, 508 (2006)] that uses directly observed values as boundary conditions. The reduction of effects due to pickup ions is because less turbulence is generated by pickup ions for the IK spectrum, which has a shallower spectral index than the Kolmogorov spectrum. In this paper, we will discuss more on this part of the theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonant interactions between ions and Alfvén/ion-cyclotron (A/IC) waves may play an important role in the heating and acceleration of the fast solar wind. Although such interactions have been studied extensively for “parallel” waves, whose wave vectors k are aligned with the background magnetic field B0, much less is known about interactions between ions and oblique A/IC waves, for which the angle θ between k and B0 is nonzero. In this paper, we present new numerical results on resonant cyclotron interactions between protons and oblique A/IC waves in collisionless low-beta plasmas such as the solar corona. We find that if some mechanism generates oblique high-frequency A/IC waves, then these waves initially modify the proton distribution function in such a way that it becomes unstable to parallel waves. Parallel waves are then amplified to the point that they dominate the wave energy at the large parallel wave numbers at which the waves resonate with the particles. Pitch-angle scattering by these waves then causes the plasma to evolve towards a state in which the proton distribution is constant along a particular set of nested “scattering surfaces” in velocity space, whose shapes have been calculated previously. As the distribution function approaches this state, the imaginary part of the frequency of parallel A/IC waves drops continuously towards zero, but oblique waves continue to undergo cyclotron damping while simultaneously causing protons to diffuse across these kinetic shells to higher energies. We conclude that oblique A/IC waves can be more effective at heating protons than parallel A/IC waves, because for oblique waves the plasma does not relax towards a state in which proton damping of oblique A/IC waves ceases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents measurements of leading-proton production in ep collisions at HERA, ep→eXp. The results are compared with previous measurements and with production models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are possible sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHE-CRs). To test the GRB origin of UHECRs, it is essential to search for characteristic, proton-induced signatures of secondary radiation. In this paper we present our recent results of Monte Carlo simulations that model the broadband prompt emission of GRBs including various processes associated with electrons and protons accelerated to high energies. The most notable effect of accelerated protons on the high-energy spectra is the synchrotron emission from secondary electron-positron pairs injected by photomeson interactions. Secondary photons tend to make the spectra flat, so a spectral flattening in the GeV-TeV bands may serve as a signature of UHECR acceleration. In some cases, the proton-induced photons overwhelm the photon field, resulting in a spectral peak due to inverse Compton emission from secondary pairs located around 107 eV. We can expect to detect synchrotron photons from protons or muons. Observations with GLAST or with atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes can provide useful estimates of the bulk Lorents factor and can constrain the proton acceleration efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some of the most fascinating questions about the limits of nuclear stability are confronted in the heaviest nuclei. How many more new elements can be synthesized? What are the nuclear and chemical properties of these exotic nuclei? Does the “Island of Stability” exist and can we ever explore the isotopes inhabiting that nuclear region? This paper will focus on the current experimental research on the synthesis and characterization of superheavy nuclei with Z>112 from the Dubna/Livermore collaboration. Reactions using 48Ca projectiles from the U400 cyclotron and actinide targets (233,238U, 237Np, 242,244Pu, 243Am, 245,248Cm, 249Cf) have been investigated using the Dubna Gas Filled Recoil Separator in Dubna over the last 8 years. In addition, several experiments have been performed to investigate the chemical properties of some of the observed longer-lived isotopes produced in these reactions. Some comments will be made on nuclear reactions used for the production of the heaviest elements. A summary of the current status of the upper end of the chart of nuclides will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast ignition (FI) is a novel approach to inertial confinement fusion, which has the potential for higher energy gain at lower overall driver energy and cost. This paper is a brief review of basic FI concepts and issues, with a particular emphasis on FI with laser-generated proton beams. General requirements for the DT fuel and the ignitor (particle beam) as well as for the laser drivers are discussed. Key issues related to proton FI are considered and selected results of experimental and numerical studies are described. A progress in development of laser facilities for FI research and prospects for FI experiments are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on measurements of the space distribution of fusion protons of energy equal to about 3-MeV, originating from the D(d, p)T reactions. The measurements were carried out on the TEXTOR facility by means of a small ion pinhole camera, which was equipped with a solid-state nuclear track detector of the PM-355 type. The results obtained in two series of successive discharges are compared. The first series was performed with an additional heating of TEXTOR plasmas with NBI of fast deuterons, whereas in the second series plasma was heated by ICRF and NBI of hydrogen neutrals. Computer simulations of different trajectories of charged particles have been performed with the Gourdon code and the detection efficiency has been calculated for various orientations of the measuring assembly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper an introduction to the physics of deep-inelastic scattering is given together with an account of some of the most recent results on the proton structure obtained in electron– and positron–proton collisions at the HERA collider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first results from the Stopped Beam RISING experimental campaign performed at the GSI laboratory in Darmstadt, Germany, are presented. RISING (Rare ISotope INvestigations at GSI) constitutes a major new experimental program in European nuclear structure physics research aimed at using relativistic-energy, projectile-fragmentation reactions to study nuclei with exotic proton-to-neutron ratios. This paper introduces the physics aims of the Stopped RISING collaboration and presents some technical details and initial results from experiments using the RISING array to study decays from metastable nuclear states in both proton and neutron-rich nuclei. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy neutrino emission from GRBs is discussed. In this paper, by using the simulation kit GEANT4, we calculate proton cooling efficiency including pion-multiplicity and proton-inelasticity in photomeson production. First, we estimate the maximum energy of accelerated protons in GRBs. Using the obtained results, neutrino flux from one burst and a diffuse neutrino background are evaluated quantitatively. We also take account of cooling processes of pion and muon, which are crucial for resulting neutrino spectra. We confirm the validity of analytic approximate treatments on GRB fiducial parameter sets, but also find that the effects of multiplicity and high-inelasticity can be important on both proton cooling and resulting spectra in some cases. Finally, assuming that the GRB rate traces the star formation rate, we obtain a diffuse neutrino background spectrum from GRBs for specific parameter sets. We introduce the nonthermal baryon-loading factor, rather than assume that GRBs are main sources of UHECRs. We find that the obtained neutrino background can be comparable with the prediction of Waxman & Bahcall, although our ground in estimation is different from theirs. In this paper, we study on various parameters since there are many parameters in the model. The detection of high energy neutrinos from GRBs will be one of the strong evidences that protons are accelerated to very high energy in GRBs. Furthermore, the observations of a neutrino background has a possibility not only to test the internal shock model of GRBs but also to give us information about parameters in the model and whether GRBs are sources of UHECRs or not. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First measurements with the aSPECT spectrometer have been performed in a beam time at the beam line MEPHISTO of the neutron research reactor FRM-II. In this paper we give a short description of the spectrometer. The data analysis is still underway. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benchmarking of the simulation codes used for the design of the next generation of high beam power accelerators is of paramount importance due to the very demanding requirements on the level of beam losses. This is usually accomplished by comparing simulation results against available theories, and more importantly, against experimental observations. To this aim, a number of well-defined test cases, obtained by accurate measurements made in existing machines, are of great interest. Such measurements have been made in the CERN Proton Synchrotron to probe three space-charge effects: (i) transverse emittance blow-up due to space-charge induced crossing of the integer or half-integer stop-band, (ii) space-charge and octupole driven resonance trapping, and (iii) intensity-dependent emittance transfer between the two transverse planes. The last mechanism is discussed in detail in this paper and compared to simulation predictions. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we show how effective parameters such as effective binding energies can be defined for a proton in the combined nuclear-Coulomb potential, including also the target potential, in the case in which the proton is bound in a nucleus which is partner of a nuclear reaction. Using such effective parameters the proton behaves similarly to a neutron. In this way some unexpected results obtained from dynamical calculations for reactions initiated by very weakly bound proton halo nuclei can be interpreted. Namely the fact that stripping dominates the nuclear breakup cross section which in turn dominates over the Coulomb breakup even when the target is heavy at medium to high incident energies. Our interpretation helps also clarifying why the existence and characteristics of a proton halo extracted from different types of data have sometimes appeared contradictory. © 2004 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on experimental developments for studies of decays of proton radioactive nuclei on the Argonne Fragment Mass Analyzer. The results illustrate that there is a clear proton decay rate sensitivity to the unpaired neutron orbital in highly deformed odd-odd nuclei consistent with the Influential Spectator Model of Ferreira and Maglione. No such sensitivity is observed for the proton decay rates of spherical odd-odd nuclei studied here. The first ever study of proton decay from a nucleus, 135Tb, produced via 1p6n fusion evaporation is also reported. © 2004 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent polarized deep-inelastic scattering experiments have demonstrated that all of the components of the nucleon may perhaps contribute to its spin. This conclusion has been obtained through detailed measurements of polarized structure functions and direct measurements of polarized parton distributions. Both of these topics will be presented in this paper. However, there remains some open questions on nucleon spin structure such as the role of gluons and the third twist-2 structure function, the so-called transversity which is still an unknown quantity. The future of these topics in view of upcoming experiments will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations over the last decade have shown that suprathermal ions with energies above that of the core or bulk solar wind protons (i.e., ~1-2 keV/nucleon) are an important constituent of the overall seed population that is accelerated in solar and interplanetary events. Despite the recent recognition of their importance, the origin of these populations and the method of their acceleration remains poorly understood. This is partly due to the fact that these particles exist in the so-called tail regions of the corresponding solar wind distributions where high temporal and sensitivity measurements are sparse. Moreover, observations comprising long-term averages (between hours to more than a day) show conflicting results. For instance, below ~40 keV/nucleon the ion differential intensities in the solar wind frame appear to exhibit a near-constant power-law spectral slope of 1.5, perhaps indicating a universal acceleration mechanism. In contrast, at energies greater than ~40 keV/nucleon, the ion composition changes with solar activity, and the energy spectra are significantly steeper, perhaps indicating that the suprathermal pool of material also comprises lower-energy particle populations accelerated in corotating interaction regions, interplanetary shocks, and solar energetic particle events. This paper discusses key observations of suprathermal ions and electrons in terms of state-of-the-art theories and models that have been put forward to account for their origin and acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discrepancy between the proton charge radius extracted from the muonic hydrogen Lamb shift measurement and the best present value obtained from the elastic scattering experiments, remains unexplained and represents a burning problem of today's nuclear physics: after more than 50 years of research the radius of a basic constituent of matter is still not understood. This paper presents a summary of the best existing proton radius measurements, followed by an overview of the possible explanations for the observed inconsistency between the hydrogen and the muonic-hydrogen data. In the last part the upcoming experiments, dedicated to remeasuring the proton radius, are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details the impact of protonic doping via humidity exposure on the response mechanism of electrospun polyaniline based NO2 sensors. Sensing test results reveal that water vapor absorbed into the electrospun mat and adsorbed on LEB-PANI can perform as a primary charge carrier for polyaniline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent high precision measurements of the proton charge radius performed at PSI from muonic hydrogen Lamb shift puzzled the hadronic physics community. A value of 0.8418 ± 0.0007 fm was extracted which is 7σ smaller than the previous determinations obtained from electron-proton scattering experiments and based on precision spectroscopy of electronic hydrogen. An additional extraction of the proton charge radius from electron scattering at Mainz is also in good agreement with these "electronic" determinations. An independent measurement of the proton charge radius from unpolarized elastic ep scattering using a magnetic spectrometer free method was proposed and fully approved at Jefferson Laboratory in June 2012. This novel technique uses the high precision calorimeter HyCal and a windowless hydrogen gas target which makes possible the extraction of the charge radius at very forward angles and thus very low momentum transfer Q2 up to 10-4 (GeV/c)2 with an unprecedented sub-percent precision for this type of experiment. In this paper, after a review of the recent progress on the proton charge radius extraction and the new high precision experiment PRad will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qweak experiment has recently completed data-taking at Jefferson Lab. The primary focus of the experiment is to perform a precision measurement of the proton's neutral weak charge. The Standard Model gives a definite prediction for the weak charge. Any deviation from that can be interpreted as evidence for new physics beyond the Standard Model. This precision, low energy measurement is sensitive to new physics signatures at energy scales up to 2 TeV. The experiment measures the parity-violating asymmetry in the scattering of 1.165 GeV longitudinally polarized electrons on the proton at low momentum transfer (Q2 ∼ 0.025 (GeV/c)2). This paper provides a brief status report on the experiment with a focus on instrumentation and techniques that are applicable to lower beam energy realizations of parity-violating electron scattering measurements. Estimates of anticipated errors on the proton's weak charge expected if the Qweak apparatus were used at a lower beam energy are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-scaling Fixed Field Alternating Gradient accelerators (ns-FFAGs) show great potential for the acceleration of protons and light ions for the treatment of certain cancers. They have unique features as they combine techniques from the existing types of accelerators, cyclotrons and synchrotrons, and hence look to have advantages over both for this application. However, these unique features meant that it was necessary to build one of these accelerators to show that it works and to undertake a detailed conceptual design of a medical machine. Both of these have now been done. This paper will describe the concepts of this type of accelerator, show results from the proof-of-principle machine (EMMA) and described the medical machine (PAMELA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the design and operation of the 1st proton CT scanner for 3D imaging. Reduction of proton range uncertainties and improved dose accuracy in the patient for treatment planning are central goals. A central CT slice acquired by reconstruction of 134 million proton tracks through a 14 cm spherical polystyrene phantom with high and low density inserts is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixation is a key element for many clinical researches requiring long exposure time and resting of the tissue to avoid experimental artifacts; condition which is not easy achieved during in-vivo experiments. Several ex-vivo, e.g. post-mortem, fixation processes are commonly used, from chemical fixation to cryo-preserving methods, both having advantages and drawbacks and eventually affecting structural and dynamical properties of water within the tissue. In this paper we make use of neutron scattering technique to compare the dynamical properties of ex-vivo sections of cerebral bovine hemisphere preserved using formalin fixation and cryo-protection. Neutron scattering is a unique technique able to monitor water diffusion at atomic scale. Results suggest reduction of global water dynamics induced by the formalin fixation protocol at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A positron emitter 86Y and the radiotherapeutic beta emitter, 67Cu are two radionuclides, that require the use of enriched isotopes for their cost effective production. Proton irradiation of monoisotopic 86Sr is conducive to the production of 86Y with less than 2% 87/87mY impurities, while the use of enriched 68Zn results in a 4-5 fold increase in the 67Cu yield compared to natural Zn. Both 86Sr and 68Zn are expensive and therefore their full recovery and re-utilization is critical to reduce production costs. In this paper we describe our experience with recovery and consequent irradiation of the 86Sr and 68Zn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study the possibility to discriminate the mass of the primary cosmic ray by observing the muon arrival times in ground detectors. We analyzed extensive air showers (EAS) induced by proton and iron nuclei with the same energy 8×1017 eV simulated with CORSIKA, and analyzed the muon arrival times at ground measured by the infill array detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO). From the arrival times of the core and of the muons the atmospheric depth of muon generation locus is evaluated. The results suggest a potential mass discrimination on the basis of muon arrival times and of the reconstructed atmospheric depth of muon production. An analysis of a larger set of CORSIKA simulations carried out for primary energies above 1018 eV is in progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of non-strange partner of pentaquark, the Jp = 1/2+ narrow resonance, has been investigated by utilizing kaon photoproduction off a proton. It is found that the corresponding mass is 1650 MeV and the appropriate observables for investigating the existence of this resonance are the recoiled hyperon polarization, the beam-recoil double polarization Cx, and differential cross section at backward angles. Future kaon photoproduction experiments should focus on these observables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HTS superconductors are being investigated for potential applications in particle accelerators in high field magnets operating at 4 K. When such magnets are also in a highradiation environment, the effects of radiation on the superconductor need to be evaluated. In this paper we report on the performance of Bi-2212 superconductor irradiated with highenergy protons. 7 cm long samples of 0.8 mm diameter wire were irradiated at room temperatures in the BLIP facility at BNL to five fluence levels, covering the range from 1016 to 4×1017 protons/cm2. The beam parameters for the irradiations were 42 μA and 142 MeV. After irradiation the critical current at 4.2 K was measured in fields of 0 to 8 T to quantify the effects of high-dose proton-induced radiation damage on the performance of the conductor. Wires typically had a pre-irradiation current of about 480-500 A at 0 T and 210-220 A at 5 T. The critical current is observed to be relatively unchanged for proton fluence up to 1017 protons/cm2, and decreases linearly past that threshold. The zero field critical temperature measured resistively, decreases linearly with proton fluence. Details of these measurements are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nuclear Data Section, International Atomic Energy Agency, supports Member States development of nuclear techniques through a number of targeted actions and projects. The Section fulfills this role by organizing Coordinated Research Projects, or through less formal Data Development Projects and/or Technical Meetings. Training workshops are also regularly organized in conjunction with the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy. A number of projects relating to materials analysis techniques have been recently undertaken, e.g. neutron activation analysis, ion beam analysis, and proton induced X- or γ-ray emission. In particular, details of the Coordinated Research Project focusing on the nuclear data requirements for the k0 method of neutron activation analysis are given. The paper illustrates how the IAEA strives to bring together relevant partners and provides a unique and structured basis for international collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OLYMPUS experiment at DESY, Hamburg, Germany will definitively determine the effect of two-photon exchange in elastic lepton-proton scattering by precisely measuring the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton elastic unpolarized cross sections. In this paper, the physics motivation is summarized, aspects of the experimental setup are discussed and the current status and timeline of the project are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E906/SeaQuest at FNAL is a fixed-target experiment to measure the Drell-Yan process with a 120-GeV proton beam and liquid-hydrogen/deuterium targets. The main purpose of this experiment is to precisely measure the asymmetry of ū and d distributions in the proton at an xBj range from 0.25 to 0.45. E906/SeaQuest is about to start a beam experiment. The physics capabilities and the current status of the experiment is reported in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NA48/2 experiment at CERN [1] collected ∼18·109 charged kaon decays during the years 2003/4. Along with the primary goals of the collaboration, i.e. the measurement of the CP-violating asymmetry in the K±→π±π+π- and K±→π±π0π0 decays thanks to the simultaneous collection of K+ and K- events, the collected data allowed to perform many other interesting analyses. In this paper two independent measurements of ππ scattering lengths will be reviewed, using NA48/2 data from the K±→e±νπ+π- decay and from the cusp effect in K±→π±π+π- respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of proton and heavy ion beams for radiotherapy is a well established cancer treatment modality in the first world, which is becoming increasingly widespread, due to its clear advantages over conventional photon-based treatments. This strategy is suitable when the tumor is spatially well localized. Also the use of neutrons has tradition. Here Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) stands out, though on a much smaller scale, being a promising alternative for tumors which are diffuse and infiltrating. On this sector, so far only nuclear reactors have been used as neutron sources. In this paper we briefly describe the situation in Latin America and in particular we discuss the present status of an ongoing project to develop a folded Tandem-ElectroStatic-Quadrupole (TESQ) accelerator for Accelerator-Based (AB)-Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) at the Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina. The project goal is a machine capable of delivering 30 mA of 2.4 MeV protons to be used in conjunction with a neutron production target based on the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction. These are the specifications needed to produce sufficiently intense and clean epithermal neutron beams to perform BNCT for deep-seated tumors in less than an hour. The machine being currently designed and constructed is a folded TESQ with a terminal at 0.6 MV as a smaller scale prototype. Since the concept is modular the same structure will be used for the 1.2 MV final accelerator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent measurements of cosmic ray leptons by PAMELA, ATIC, HESS and Fermi revealed interesting excesses. Many authors suggested particle Dark Matter (DM) annihilations could be at the origin of these effects. In this paper, we critically assess this interpretation by reviewing some results questioning the naturalness and robustness of such an interpretation. Natural values for the DM particle parameters lead to a poor leptons production so that models often require signal enhancement effects that we constrain here. Considering DM annihilations are likely to produce antiprotons as well, we use the PAMELA antiproton to proton ratio measurements to constrain possible exotic contribution. We also consider the possibility of an enhancement due to a nearby clump of DM. This scenario appears unlikely when compared to the state-of-the-art cosmological N-body simulations. We conclude that the bulk of the observed signals most likely has no link with DM and is rather a new, yet unconsidered source of background for searches in these channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of proton and ion beams has been proposed more than 60 years ago in 1946 by Robert Wilson. In 1955 the first patients were treated with proton beams in Berkeley. Since then radiotherapy with proton and ion beams has constantly been developed at research centers. Within the last decade, however, a considerable number of hospital based facilities came into operation. In this paper an overview over the basic physical and biological properties of proton and ion beams is given. The basic accelerator concepts are outlined and the design of treatment facilities is described. Then the medical physics aspects of the beam delivery, dosimetry and treatment planning are discussed before the clinical concepts are briefly reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Large Hadron Collider, designed to collide protons and ions at unprecedented center-of-mass energies, will offer new opportunities for the study of the properties of strongly interacting matter at high energy density and temperature. Such complex investigation will be carried out by three experiments, ALICE, explicitly dedicated to this purpose, ATLAS and CMS, through the analysis of several observables. Among them, an important role is expected to be played by heavy-flavor and heavy quarkonium state measurements. The motivations for measuring open and hidden charm and beauty will be provided in this paper, together with a discussion on the expected performances of the experiments, based on the results of Monte Carlo simulations for a selection of physics channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic form factors are fundamental properties of the nucleon that describe the effect of its internal quark structure on the cross section and spin observables in elastic lepton-nucleon scattering. Double-polarization experiments have become the preferred technique to measure the proton and neutron electric form factors at high momentum transfers. The recently completed GEp-III experiment at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility used the recoil polarization method to extend the knowledge of the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio GpE/GpM to Q2 = 8.5 GeV2. In this paper we present the preliminary results of the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge-exchange reactions of (n, p) and (p, n) type at intermediate energies are a powerful tool for the study of nuclear matrix element in ββ decay. The present paper reviews some of the most recent experiments in this context. Here, the (n, p) type reactions are realized through (d, 2He), where 2He refers to two protons in a singlet 1S0 state and where both of these are momentum analyzed and detected by the same spectrometer and detector. These reactions have been developed and performed exclusively at KVI, Groningen (NL), using an incident deuteron energy of 183 MeV. Final state resolutions of about 100 keV have routinely been available. On the other hand, the (3He, t) reaction is of (p, n) type and was developed at the RCNP facility in Osaka (JP). Measurements with an unprecedented high resolution of 30 keV at incident energies of 420 MeV are now readily possible. Using both reaction types one can extract the Gamow-Teller transition strengths B(GT+) and B(GT-), which define the two “legs” of the ββ decay matrix elements for the 2vββ decay The high resolution available in both reactions allows a detailed insight into the excitations of the intermediate odd-odd nuclei and, as will be shown, some unexpected features are being unveiled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of HERMES data for charged-kaon production in deep inelastic scattering from a polarized deuteron target was performed to access the momentum and helicity distributions of strange quarks in the nucleon. This measurement involves the determination of the inclusive double-spin asymmetry and of the semi inclusive double-spin asymmetry for kaons. The shape of the momentum distribution for strange quarks is found to be softer than that of the average of the light sea anti-quarks. The strange helicity distribution is consistent with zero in the region 0.022>1 GeV2. Details of the analysis will be presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]