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This study investigated both the disturbance electric fields processes including the Interplanetary Electric Field (IEFy) to low-latitude, known as prompt penetration electric field (PPEF) and the disturbance dynamo electric field (DDEF), and their effects on ionospheric TEC and scintillations over south China during four storms of 17 March 2015, 15 July 2012, 7 October 2015 and 20 December 2015. GPS ionospheric and magnetometer data were derived from receiver stations at Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and at Guangdong Zhaoqin (GZH) and equatorial station Dalat, respectively. Results presented that cases of the eastward PPEF on dayside with durations of 3 and 8 h were identified during storm main phases of 17 March 2015 and of 20 December 2015 respectively. DDEFs were found to dominate on nightside during the three main storm phases other than storm of 15 July 2012, and on dayside during the recovery storm phase of 21 December 2015. The responses of positive TEC deviation to the eastward PPEF on dayside were identified during the storm main phase of 20 December 2015 rather than during the storm of 17 March 2015, which showed longitudinal, latitudinal and seasonal dependences as compared to the previous studies. During the storm of 15 July 2012, positive TEC deviations with no response to the eastward PPEF on dayside were identified. Negative TEC deviation responses to the DDEF on dayside were seen during all four storm recovery phases. GPS ionospheric scintillations (S 4 ≥ 0.4) dominated in the equinox months before the occurrences of four storms, but were inhibited during the storm of 17 March 2015 over south China, which was attributed to the inhibitions of irregularities caused scintillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma irregularity in the equatorial and low-latitude ionosphere, which leads to ionospheric scintillation, can threaten the operation of radio-based communication and navigation systems. A method for forecasting scintillation activity is still pending. In this study, we examined the performance of ionospheric parameters, including the critical frequency (foF2), peak height of the F2-layer (hmF2), scale height (Hm) and virtual height (h'F), around local sunset from ground-based ionosonde observations, and also the characteristics of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) derived from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) observations in equinoctial months (March–April and September–October) during high solar activities (2012–2013) at a low-latitude station at Sanya (18.3° N, 109.6° E; dip lat.: 12.8° N), China. Furthermore, the simplified linear growth rate of Rayleigh–Taylor (R–T) instability inferred from ionosonde measurements and EIA strength derived from GRACE observations were used to estimate the day-to-day occurrence of post-sunset scintillation. The results indicate that it is not adequate to determine whether scintillation in a low-latitude region would occur or not based on one ionospheric parameter around sunset. The simplified growth rate of R–T instability can be a good indicator for the day-to-day occurrence of scintillation, especially in combination with variations in EIA strength. An index including the growth rate and EIA variations for the prediction of the post-sunset occurrence of irregularity and scintillation is proposed; the overall prediction accuracy could be about 90%. Our results may provide useful information for the development of a forecasting model of the day-to-day variability of irregularities and scintillation in equatorial and low-latitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nuclear astrophysics, the nuclides 151 Eu and 153 Eu are both in the path of the s-process, and their (n, γ ) cross sections are important input parameters for the calculation of the nuclear astrophysics network. According to the EXFOR database, the neutron capture cross section of natural europium in the resonance region has not been fully measured. The (n, γ ) cross section of nat Eu was measured using the time-of-flight (TOF) technique at the Back-n white neutron source facility of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) in the 1 eV–to 500 keV range. Four C 6 D 6 liquid scintillator detectors and pulse height weighting techniques were used to measure prompt γ rays and analyze the data. The results of the analysis were compared with the evaluated data of ENDF/B-VIII.0 and JENDL-5.0. It shows that there are some differences between the measurement results and different evaluated data libraries. The resonance parameters of 151 Eu and 153 Eu were extracted in the 1 eV–150 eV region using the R-Matrix code SAMMY. The accurate Maxwellian-averaged capture cross section (MACS) is derived over the temperature range of the s-process nucleosynthesis model. The result shows that at kT=30 keV, the MACS value of 151 Eu is 3417 ± 297 mb and the value of 153 Eu is 2718 ± 237 mb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Serappis (SEarch for RAre PP-neutrinos In Scintillator) project aims at a precision measurement of the flux of solar pp neutrinos on the few-percent level. Such a measurement will be a relevant contribution to the study of solar neutrino oscillation parameters and a sensitive test of the equilibrium between solar energy output in neutrinos and electromagnetic radiation (solar luminosity constraint). The concept of Serappis relies on a small organic liquid scintillator detector (∼ 20 m 3 ) with excellent energy resolution (∼ 2.5% at 1 MeV), low internal background and sufficient shielding from surrounding radioactivity. This can be achieved by a minor upgrade of the OSIRIS facility at the site of the JUNO neutrino experiment in southern China. To go substantially beyond current accuracy levels for the pp flux, an organic scintillator with ultra-low 14 C levels (below 10 - 18 ) is required. The existing OSIRIS detector and JUNO infrastructure will be instrumental in identifying suitable scintillator materials, offering a unique chance for a low-budget high-precision measurement of a fundamental property of our Sun that will be otherwise hard to access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise measurement under high counting rates has been a major challenge for γ -ray spectroscopy, where signals generally pile up with each other and their characteristic values are deeply coupled. An off-line pile-up pulse recovery algorithm based on template matching is developed for LaBr 3 scintillation detectors and has been applied to data from China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Back-n white neutron beamline. As an improvement to the traditional Template Matching methods, the predetermined template shape is associated with pulse amplitudes, which is found crucial to achieve the best fitting results. Moreover, a universal strategy of setting the initial values of fitting allows to resolve signals that are separated in time by less than the characteristic rise time. Processing of simulated pulses demonstrates that the lower limit of interval to distinguish successive events is 10 ns, which is a significant improvement to the previous works. The algorithm performs well under a counting rate of 6 × 1 0 7 s−1, and is still effective up to 1 0 8 s−1. Analysis of experimental data indicates that this algorithm recovers over 98% count yield under a counting rates of no more than 4 × 1 0 6 s−1 in this work, providing a more reliable approach to deduce neutron-induced reaction cross sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a state-of-the-art liquid scintillator-based neutrino physics experiment under construction in South China. To reduce the background from external radioactivities, a water Cherenkov detector composed of 35 kton ultra-pure water and 2,400 20-inch photomultiplier tubes is developed. Even after specialized treatment, ultra-pure water still contains trace levels of radioactive elements that can contribute to the detector background. Among which 222Rn is particularly significant. To address this, an online radon removal system based on the JUNO prototype has been developed. By integrating micro-bubble generators to enhance degasser's radon removal efficiency, the radon concentration in water can be reduced to 1 mBq/m3 level, meeting the stringent requirements of JUNO. Additionally, a highly sensitive online radon concentration measurement system capable of detecting concentrations ∼ 1 mBq/m 3 has been developed to monitor the radon concentration in water. In this paper, the details regarding both systems will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To monitor the natural radiation level in a River region in Southern China, an investigation was conducted into the terrestrial γ dose rate and soil Rn concentration. The in-situ survey took place at 541 points, using portable γ dose rate scintillators and radon detectors. The mean γ dose rate and the soil Rn concentration have been determined to be 100 ± 40 nGy h−1 and 4000 ± 3000 Bq m−3, respectively. The high radiation spots were observed at the eastern edge and the southwest corner of the study region, which could be attributed to the granite rocks that dominated the areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the shortage of the 3He gas and its rapidly increasing price, scintillator detectors, the advantages of which are high spatial resolution and capability of detection in real time, become widely used in many neutron instruments. In this work, a position-sensitive neutron detector consisting of a 6LiF/ZnS scintillation screen and a silicon photomultiplier array linked to a capacitive network to detect the positions of incident neutrons, is constructed and tested. To evaluate the detector performance, a series of neutron beam experiments with the detector prototype were performed in the BL20 at the China Spallation Neutron Source. The spatial resolution was measured, and the energy-selective neutron imaging and Bragg edge measurements of a 316L stainless steel sample were performed. A sub-millimeter spatial resolution could be obtained for the detector prototype under study. The detector with such a high spatial resolution is promising for applications in neutron scattering experimental installations, especially for neutron single-crystal diffractometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 128-channel positron detection system will be constructed at Experimental Muon Source (EMuS) of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) to conduct muon spin rotation/relaxation/resonance ($\mu $ SR) measurements. Each detector channel consists of a scintillator, a light guide, and a photomultiplier tube (PMT). The long light guide is bent to an “L” shape to propagate optical photons from the scintillator to the PMT. A series of Geant4 simulations and experiments has been performed to optimize the light collection performance of the L-bent detector. Geometry deformation induced by the bending process has been well modeled. Simulation results agree with the experimental tests. Accordingly, a novel hybrid wrapping method (scintillator with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and light guide with aluminum tape) has been developed to improve the amplitude of detector signals greatly. Compared to wrapping the detector with merely PTFE tapes or aluminum tapes, this method leads to an enhancement in light collection efficiency of 73% or 14%, respectively. Two optimally manufactured prototype detectors using the novel wrapping method have been tested at the ISIS Muon Facility. The beam tests demonstrated that the L-bent detectors can precisely measure the behavior of muon spins inside samples. Therefore, the L-bent detector design is competent for $\mu $ SR applications at CSNS/EMuS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace/minor element variation in pyrite is a feature that has proved invaluable for reconstructing a wide range of geological processes. Routine reflectance observations commonly fail to constrain this variation due to the typically subtle and barely perceptible change in reflectance brought about by deviation from ideal stoichiometry. Such differences may be difficult or impossible to observe in conventional polished sections using standard optical microscopes, at least without oil immersion. Chemical etching and staining, although widely used, are destructive, hazardous, or both, and the etching process is not completely reproducible. Here we use the γ correction method to enhance optical digital signal differences obtained in reflected light to constrain compositional heterogeneity in pyrite from a representative hydrothermal ore deposit in eastern China. The γ-enhanced images show significant reflectance variation caused by compositional heterogeneity, confirmed by quantitative electron microprobe analysis and qualitative imaging. Higher reflectance domains in γ-enhanced images correspond to increases in the effective number of free electrons, whereas darker domains are attributed to the decrease of these free electrons by trace/minor element substitution in pyrite (e.g., As). Gamma correction provides a rapid, effective, non-destructive method to constrain compositional heterogeneity of pyrite through enhancement of reflectance variation. Used alone, this method is unable to determine the chemical composition due to simultaneous substitutions, causing a disparate increase or decrease of reflectance, in most ore minerals. Nevertheless, γ correction may be sufficient to predict the substitution of trace/minor elements under the optical microscope prior to scanning electron microscope imaging and quantitative investigation of mineral composition and may help constrain links between textures and compositions of pyrite in evolving ore systems, which could also be applied to other ore minerals with negligible bireflectance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 256-channel time-of-flight electronics system has been developed for a facility called “Back-n white neutron source (WNS)” in China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). This paper presents the structure and performance of the electronics system and test results at CSNS-WNS. A piece of lithium glass scintillator, coupled with a 256-channel multi-anode photomultiplier tube, is placed at the center of the neutron beam line as the detector. A 256-channel readout electronics system, including one front-end board (FEB), four time-to-digital converter (TDC) cards and one clock distribution module (CDM), measures the arrival time of each signal from the detector. Signals are sent to FEB from the detector through 15-cm cables and discriminated on FEB. FEB drives differential signals over 2-m cables to the TDC cards. Each TDC card has 64 channels, using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to measure the arrival time of each signal. The CDM supplies clock signals to the TDC cards to make them work synchronously. The TDC cards and CDM are housed in one peripheral component interconnect (PCI) eXtensions for Instrumentation chassis. The TDC cards achieve a timing precision of 3.5 ns. The electronics system meets the requirement of the experiment and is currently being used in CSNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) is a proposing electron–positron collider in China, which aims for generating high center-of-mass energy colliding above 250 GeV. The high-granularity electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) is included in a calorimeter system, which is mainly responsible for the measurement of photon. A particle flow algorithm (PFA)-based ECAL solution will utilize about 400k channels/m3. Here, we present the design and development status of readout electronics based on SPIROC2b for the CEPC ECAL with high-granularity scintillants and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). The readout electronics consists of front-end electronics (FEE), data interface (DIF) board, and data acquisition (DAQ) board. The front-end board (FEB) carries SiPMs (S12571-010P), scintillants (PSD), and FEB application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (SPIROC2b). Two electronics were designed in this paper, one is for ASIC functionality and performance only, and the other is used as a single layer of a further prototype of ECAL. Electronic test and cosmic ray test have been done to electronics. The results indicate that a charge dynamic from 62 fC to 300 pC at S/N = 2 is successfully achieved, and the minimum ionizing particles (MIPs) are separated from the pedestal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a multi-purpose, large size, liquid scintillator experiment under construction in China. JUNO will perform leading measurements detecting neutrinos from different sources (reactor, terrestrial and astrophysical neutrinos) covering a wide energy range (from 200 keV to several GeV). This paper focuses on the design and development of a test protocol for the 20-inch PMT underwater readout electronics. The protocol has been employed for 10 months during the mass production and validation of all the electronics that will be installed in JUNO. A total number of 6950 electronic boards were tested with an acceptance yield of 99.1 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two inorganic scintillator detectors consisting of Yb:YAG scintillators and photomultiplier tubes, and an oscilloscope were used to studied the neutron sensitivities of Yb:YAG scintillators at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Back-n white neutron source. The relative neutron sensitivity curves of two Yb:YAG scintillators in the energy region between 0.5 and 20 MeV were obtained for the first time. As the measured relative neutron sensitivity curves of Yb:YAG scintillators cannot be verified by the Monte Carlo method and there was no referable data, the neutron sensitivity curve of a ST401 scintillator was also studied in the same method and a Geant4 simulation of ST401 scintillator was conducted to verify the experiment method in this paper. The result showed that the experimental and simulation results were approximately consistent between 17–20 MeV, and agreed well between 1–17 MeV. A comparison between the experimental result and references of ST401 scintillator was also applied and the result showed that the curve tendency of the experimental result and references was matched. The above results imply that the measured relative neutron sensitivity curves and the experimental method used herein were reliable. It also demonstrated the feasibility of studying the neutron sensitivity of inorganic scintillator based on the white neutron source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global Positioning System (GPS) L-band ionospheric scintillation produced by electron density irregularities in the ionospheric E- and F-regions, is mainly a low- and high-latitude phenomenon. In this study, the statistical behavior of GPS ionospheric scintillation over a Chinese low-latitude station Sanya (18.3°N, 109.6°E; dip lat: 12.8°N) has been investigated. A detailed study on the seasonal and solar activity dependence of scintillation occurrence during July 2004–December 2012 show that the amplitude scintillation pattern, with a maximum occurrence during equinox of solar maximum, agrees with plasma bubble observations by in situ satellites in this longitude. A few daytime periodic scintillation events are found during June solstice months of solar minimum. Interestingly, a significant equinoctial asymmetry of scintillation onset time is found in 2011–2012. The initiation of scintillation during September–October is on average earlier than that of March–April about 25 min. Meanwhile, the zonal drifts of irregularities estimated using two spatially separated GPS receivers over Sanya show a similar behavior during the two equinoxes, slowly decreasing from 150 m/s at post-sunset to 50 m/s near midnight. The possible mechanisms responsible for the occurrence characteristics of GPS scintillation over Sanya, and relevant aspects of the zonal drifts of the irregularities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FIssion Neutron spectrum Detector Array (FINDA) has been designed for measurement of prompt fission neutron spectrum on the Back-n beam line at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). In order to test the neutron- γ discrimination performance of the EJ301 scintillator that will be used as a detector unit in the FINDA, a comparative study using three conventional digital pulse shape discrimination (PSD) methods has been carried out. An Am–Be source has been used to generate the mixed neutron- γ radiation and the waveform data has been obtained with a fast digitizer. Pulse interpolation, baseline restoration and pulses pile-up rejection have been applied for digital pulse processing. Charge comparison (CC) method and simplified charge comparison(SCC) method show a better capability of neutron- γ discrimination than rise time comparison(RTC) method over the entire energy range. Rise time comparison method needs a very fast digitizer or pulse interpolation to improve the PSD ability. The analysis of neutron- γ discrimination performance of the EJ301 scintillator provides a strong technical support for fast neutron measurement using the FINDA at CSNS. • The neutron- γ discrimination performance of an EJ301 scintillator that will used as a detector unit in the FINDA spectrometer at CSNS has been characterized. • A comparative study using three conventional digital pulse shape discrimination (PSD) methods has been carried out. • Charge comparison (CC) method and simplified charge comparison (SCC) method show a better capability of neutron- γ discrimination than rise time comparison (RTC) method over the entire energy range. • With the current test we discussed the results in view of applications on the Back-n beam line at CSNS and the analysis provides a strong technical support for fast neutron measurement using the FINDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pebble-bed high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), the fresh fuel pebbles and the graphite pebbles are loaded before reaching the stable stage. After several circulations, the spent fuel needs to be dispensed into the corresponding containers. During the circulations, we need to count the passing of pebbles, distinguish and count the discharged spent pebbles to meet the requirements by nuclear safeguarding. Therefore, along the pipelines, detectors with these certain functions are required. In this paper, by using the characteristics of pebbles' different γ radiation intensities, we design the schemes to use scintillator detectors to carry out the detection. Based on the above principle, the detection process is simulated and evaluated. Through the MCNP simulation, we estimate the relevant signals of four different pebbles -- fresh graphite pebbles and fresh fuel pebbles, irradiated graphite pebbles and spent fuel pebbles -- when they pass through the detector, to demonstrate the feasibility of the detection scheme to identify and count these pebbles. • Provide a less expensive scheme to detect pebble in pipe for HTGR by γ detection. • Identification of different pebble under different conditions are analyzed in detail. • A prototype design to implement the scheme with a point source is determined. • Isotopic activities in pebbles from HTR-10 in China are used in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A portable Single Sphere Neutron Spectrometer (SSNS) is designed to measure the neutron energy spectrum in the mixed radiation field. The spectrometer consists of a 30 cm diameter single polyethylene moderating sphere with 19 pieces 6Li and 1-piece 7Li glass scintillator detectors located at the orthogonal X/Y/Z axis. The output signals from each detector are processed and readout by the Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) and the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) electronic system. The neutron energy responses of portable SSNS are calibrated in the mono-energetic neutron reference fields (144 keV, 1.2 MeV, 5 MeV, 14.8 MeV) based on the 5SDH-2 tandem accelerator in China Institute of Atomic Energy, which are also simulated from 0.0253 eV to 20 MeV by Monte Carlo simulation. The performance of portable SSNS is tested at different distances in 241Am–Be neutron reference radiation field in National Institute of Metrology, China. The fluence response of SSNS is about 0.28 cm2 for 241Am–Be neutron source. • A portable Single Sphere Neutron Spectrometer (SSNS) is designed to measure the neutron energy spectrum. • The output signals from each detector are processed and readout by the SiPMs and the ASIC electronic system. • The SSNS is calibrated in monoenergetic neutron reference radiation fields. • The neutron energy responses are simulated by Monte Carlo simulation. • The performance of portable SSNS is tested in 241Am–Be neutron reference radiation field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a next generation liquid scintillator neutrino experiment under construction phase in South China. Thanks to the anti-neutrinos produced by the nearby nuclear power plants, JUNO will be able to study the neutrino mass hierarchy, one of the open key questions in neutrino physics. One key ingredient for a successful measurement is to use high speed, high resolution sampling electronics located very close to the detector signal. Linearity in the response of the electronics is another important ingredient for the success of the experiment. During the initial design phase of the electronics, a custom design with the Front-End and Read-Out electronics located very close to the detector analog signal has been developed and successfully tested. The present paper describes the electronics structure and the first tests performed on the prototypes. The electronics prototypes have been tested and they show good linearity response, with a maximum deviation of 1.3% over the full dynamic range (1-1000 p.e.), fulfilling the JUNO experiment requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terbium doped gadolinium oxysulfide (GOS:Tb) ceramics were successfully fabricated by pre-sintering in vacuum and HIP post-treatment in Ar atmosphere. Ceramic densification in vacuum and HIP was discussed in the detail mainly by relative density and FESEM characterizations. The fabricated GOS:Tb ceramics were translucent with 0.5 mm thickness after HIP post-treatment. Optical and scintillation properties of GOS:Tb ceramics were also investigated. Temperature-dependent X-ray excited spectra were recorded using a homemade XEL spectrometer. Neutron scintillation light output was also measured in China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). The light output was measured to be about 284 photons per neutron with different thicknesses of GOS:Tb ceramics. • Highly dense GOS:Tb ceramics were prepared by vacuum sintering combined with HIP post-treatment. • The light output of GOS:Tb ceramic scintillator screen is increased by 23% compared with powder form. • The fabricated GOS:Tb ceramic is very promising for using as scintillator in neutron imaging technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined photon and neutron radiography can integrate merits of X/gamma-ray radiography and energy-selective neutron radiography and has the potential of simultaneously visualizing objects composed of high-Z materials, low-Z materials and particular isotopes that resonantly absorb neutrons at certain energies. Intense pulsed gamma bursts and wide energy spectrum neutrons at spallation sources provide a unique opportunity to perform such combined radiography research. We present the results of the combined radiography experiments performed at the back-streaming white neutron (back-n) beamline at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). Gamma-ray and energy-selective neutron radiographic images of multi-element samples were taken by an ICCD camera coupled with scintillators using the time of flight (TOF) technique. High-Z (Pb, Au, W, Ta, et al.) components were visualized with the intense gamma-ray bursts. The low-Z (10B) component was confirmed with varied image contrast when neutrons with varied energies were selected. The specific elements ( nat In, 197Au and nat W) were identified with neutrons at corresponding resonant energies. The experimental results prove the potential for simultaneously visualizing and identifying high-Z materials, low-Z materials and particular nuclides via combined X-ray radiography and energy-selective neutron radiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being the first astronomical scientific satellite of China, Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) has been launched on D e c. 17 , 2015. One of scientific objects of DAMPE is studying the acceleration and propagation mechanisms of cosmic rays by measuring the flux of nuclei cosmic rays up to several hundred T e V s. As one of the key detectors of DAMPE, the Plastics Scintillator Detector (PSD) is used for the nuclei identification as well for the photons/electrons separation. After assembly of DAMPE engineering qualified model (EQM), several beam tests were conducted at CERN to study the performance and the reliability of DAMPE. In this paper, design verification and performance of PSD with heavy ion beam tests will be reported in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of the 12th International Conference on Inorganic Scintillators and their Applications (SCINT 2013) on April 15-19, 2013 in Shanghai, China. The conference was co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (IEEE). Selected works based on the SCINT 2013 presentations are presented in the special issue of the "IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science."