Search

Imperfections in analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) cannot be ignored when signal digitization requirements demand both wide dynamic range and high resolution, as is the case for the Majorana Demonstrator 76Ge neutrinoless double-beta decay search. Enabling the experiment’s high-resolution spectral analysis and efficient pulse shape discrimination required careful measurement and correction of ADC nonlinearities. A simple measurement protocol was developed that did not require sophisticated equipment or lengthy data-taking campaigns. A slope-dependent hysteresis was observed and characterized. A correction applied to digitized waveforms prior to signal processing reduced the differential and integral nonlinearities by an order of magnitude, eliminating these as dominant contributions to the systematic energy uncertainty at the double-beta decay $Q$ value.

Background: Previous studies have reported that acupuncture combined Bobath approach (BA) can be used to treat limbs paralysis (LP) after hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) effectively. However, no systematic review has explored its effectiveness and safety for LP following HICH. In this systematic review, we aim to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture plus BA for the treatment of LP following HICH. Methods: The following 7 databases will be searched from their inception to the February 1, 2019: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PUBMED, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure without any language restrictions. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture plus BA that evaluate the effectiveness and safety for LP after HICH will be included. The methodological quality of all included studies will be assessed by using Cochrane risk of bias tool. Two authors will independently perform study selection, data extraction, and methodological quality evaluation. Any disagreements occurred between 2 authors will be resolved by a third author involved through discussion. Data will be pooled and analyzed by using RevMan 5.3 Software. Results: This review will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined BA for LP following HICH. The primary outcome is limbs function. The secondary outcomes are muscle strength, muscle tone, and quality of life, as well as the adverse events. Conclusion: The results of this study will summarize the latest evidence of acupuncture combined BA for LP following HICH.

Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) is an adapter protein involved in the interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB). In this study, a full length cDNA of MyD88 was cloned from turbot, Scophthalmus maximus. It is 1619 bp in length and contains an 858-bp open reading frame that encodes a peptide of 285 amino acid residues. The putative turbot (Sm)MyD88 protein possesses a N-terminal death domain and a C-terminal Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain known to be important for the functions of MyD88 in mammals. Phylogenetic analysis grouped SmMyD88 with other fish MyD88s. SmMyD88 mRNA was ubiquitously expressed in all examined tissues of healthy turbots, with higher levels observed in immune-relevant organs. To explore the role of SmMyD88, its gene expression profile in response to stimulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) or turbot reddish body iridovirus (TRBIV) was studied in the head kidney, spleen, gills and muscle over a 7-day time course. The results showed an up-regulation of SmMyD88 transcript levels by the three immunostimulants in all four examined tissues, with the induction by CpG-ODN strongest and initiated earliest and inducibility in the muscle very weak. Additionally, TRBIV challenge resulted in a quite high level of SmMyD88 expression in the spleen, whereas the two synthetic immunostimulants induced the higher levels in the head kidney. These data provide insights into the roles of SmMyD88 in the TLR/IL-1R signaling pathway of the innate immune system in turbot.

Author(s): Haufe, CR; Reine, AL; Abgrall, N; Alvis, SI; Arnquist, IJ; Avignone, FT; Barabash, AS; Barton, CJ; Bertrand, FE; Bode, T; Bradley, AW; Brudanin, V; Busch, M; Buuck, M; Caldwell, TS; Chan, YD; Christofferson, CD; Chu, PH; Cuesta, C; Detwiler, JA; Dunagan, C; Efremenko, Y; Ejiri, H; Elliott, SR; Gilliss, T; Giovanetti, GK; Green, MP; Gruszko, J; Guinn, IS; Guiseppe, VE; Hehn, L; Henning, R; Hoppe, EW; Howe, MA; Keeter, KJ; Kidd, MF; Konovalov, SI; Kouzes, RT; Lopez, AM; Martin, RD; Massarczyk, R; Meijer, SJ; Mertens, S; Myslik, J; O'Shaughnessy, C; Othman, G; Pettus, W; Poon, AWP; Radford, DC; Rager, J; Rielage, K; Robertson, RGH; Ruof, NW; Shanks, B; Shirchenko, M; Suriano, AM; Tedeschi, D; Trimble, JE; Varner, RL; Vasilyev, S; Vetter, K; Vorren, K; White, BR; Wilkerson, JF; Wiseman, C; Xu, W; Yakushev, E; Yu, CH; Yumatov, V; Zhitnikov, I; Zhu, BX | Abstract: The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an experiment constructed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decays in germanium-76 and to demonstrate the feasibility to deploy a ton-scale experiment in a phased and modular fashion. It consists of two modular arrays of natural and 76Ge-enriched germanium p-Type point contact detectors totaling 44.1 kg, located at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. The DEMONSTRATOR uses custom high voltage cables to bias the detectors, as well as custom signal cables and connectors to read out the charge deposited at each detectors point contact. These low-mass cables and connectors must meet stringent radiopurity requirements while being subjected to thermal and mechanical stress. A number of issues have been identified with the currently installed cables and connectors. An improved set of cables and connectors for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR are being developed with the aim of increasing their overall reliability and connectivity. We will discuss some of the issues encountered with the current cables and connectors as well as our improved designs and their initial performance.

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an experiment constructed to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in $^{76}$Ge and to demonstrate the feasibility to deploy a large-scale experiment in a phased and modular fashion. It consists of two modules of natural and $^{76}$Ge-enriched germanium detectors totalling 44.1 kg, operating at the 4850' level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. Commissioning of the experiment began in June 2015, followed by data production with the full detector array in August 2016. The ultra-low background and record energy resolution achieved by the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR enable a sensitive neutrinoless double-beta decay search, as well as additional searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. I will discuss the design elements that enable these searches, along with the latest results, focusing on the neutrinoless double-beta decay search. I will also discuss the current status and the future plans of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, as well as the plans for a future tonne-scale $^{76}$Ge experiment., 4 pages. Proceedings of The 39th International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP2018), 4-11 July, 2018, Seoul, Korea. Submitted to Proceedings of Science

The MAJORANA Collaboration is searching for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of the nucleus Ge-76. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an array of germanium detectors deployed with the aim of implementing background reduction techniques suitable for a tonne scale Ge-76-based search (the LEGEND collaboration). In the DEMONSTRATOR, germanium detectors operate in an ultra-pure vacuum cryostat at 80 K. One special challenge of an ultra-pure environment is to develop reliable cables, connectors, and electronics that do not significantly contribute to the radioactive background of the experiment. This paper highlights the experimental requirements and how these requirements were met for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, including plans to upgrade the wiring for higher reliability in the summer of 2018. Also described are requirements for LEGEND R&D efforts underway to meet these additional requirements., Proceedings of LRT 2017

Neutrinoless double-beta decay searches play a major role in determining the nature of neutrinos, the existence of a lepton violating process, and the effective Majorana neutrino mass. The MAJORANA Collaboration assembled an array of high purity Ge detectors to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in Ge-76. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is comprised of 44.1 kg (29.7 kg enriched in Ge-76) of Ge detectors divided between two modules contained in a low-background shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. The initial goals of the DEMONSTRATOR are to establish the required background and scalability of a Ge-based next-generation ton-scale experiment. Following a commissioning run that started in 2015, the first detector module started low-background data production in early 2016. The second detector module was added in August 2016 to begin operation of the entire array. We discuss results of the initial physics runs, as well as the status and physics reach of the full MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR experiment., Proceedings of the MEDEX'17 meeting (Prague, May 29 - June 2, 2017)

High purity germanium (HPGe) crystals will be used for the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, where they serve as both the source and the detector for neutrinoless double beta decay. It is crucial for the experiment to understand the performance of the HPGe crystals. A variety of crystal properties are being investigated, including basic properties such as energy resolution, efficiency, uniformity, capacitance, leakage current and crystal axis orientation, as well as more sophisticated properties, e.g. pulse shapes and dead layer and transition layer distributions. In this paper, we will present our measurements that characterize the HPGe crystals. We will also discuss our simulation package for the detector characterization setup, and show that additional information can be extracted from data-simulation comparisons., Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, TAUP 2013 (F. Avignone & W. Haxton, editors, Physics Procedia, Elsevier)

Electromagnetic properties of atomic nuclei such as $E2$ transition rates and $M1$ magnetic moments (or $g$ factors) are crucial characteristics of structure. For unstable nuclei produced as reaccelerated radioactive beams, measurements of $g$ factors present numerous challenges. This paper develops the important recoil-in-vacuum technique to obtain a $g$ factor for the ${2}^{+}$ state in ${}^{136}$Te. The result fits existing systematics but also highlights anomalous values in other $N=84$ isotones, thus presenting an important challenge to theory in the region just above doubly magic ${}^{132}$Sn.

A search for Pauli-exclusion-principle-violating K-alpha electron transitions was performed using 89.5 kg-d of data collected with a p-type point contact high-purity germanium detector operated at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility. A lower limit on the transition lifetime of 5.8x10^30 seconds at 90% C.L. was set by looking for a peak at 10.6 keV resulting from the x-ray and Auger electrons present following the transition. A similar analysis was done to look for the decay of atomic K-shell electrons into neutrinos, resulting in a lower limit of 6.8x10^30 seconds at 90 C.L. It is estimated that the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, a 44 kg array of p-type point contact detectors that will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76-Ge, could improve upon these exclusion limits by an order of magnitude after three years of operation. Abgrall, N; Arnquist, I J; Avignone, F T; Barabash, A S; Bertrand, F E; Bradley, A W; Brudanin, V; Busch, M; Buuck, M; Caldwell, A S; Chan, Y-D; Christofferson, C D; Chu, P -H; Cuesta, C; Detwiler, J A; Dunagan, C; Efremenko, Yu; Ejiri, H; Elliott, S R; Finnerty, P S; Galindo-Uribarri, A; Gilliss, T; Giovanetti, G K; Goett, J; Green, M P; Gruszko, J; Guinn, I S; Guiseppe, V E; Henning, R; Hoppe, E W; Howard, S; Howe, M A; Jasinski, B R; Keeter, K J; Kidd, M F; Konovalov, S I; Kouzes, R T; LaFerriere, B D; Leon, J; MacMullin, J; Martin, R D; Massarczyk, R; Meijer, S J; Mertens, S; Orrell, J L; O'Shaughnessy, C; Poon, A W P; Radford, D C; Rager, J; Rielage, K; Robertson, R G H; Romero-Romero, E; Shanks, B; Shirchenko, M; Suriano, A M; Tedeschi, D; Trimble, J E; Varner, R L; Vasilyev, S; Vetter, K; Vorren, K; White, B R; Wilkerson, J F; Wiseman, C; Xu, W; Yakushev, E; Yu, C -H; Yumatov, V; Zhitnikov, I

A complete set of electromagnetic moments, B(E2;0+1 2+1), Q(2+1), and g(2+1), have been measured from Coulomb excitation of semi-magic 112,114,116,118,120,122,124Sn (Z = 50) on natural carbon and titanium targets. The magnitude of the B(E2) values, measured to a precision of ~4%, disagree with a recent lifetime study [Phys. Lett. B 695, 110 (2011)] that employed the Doppler- shift attenuation method. The B(E2) values show an overall enhancement compared with recent theoretical calculations and a clear asymmetry about midshell, contrary to naive expectations. A new static electric quadrupole moment, Q(2+1), has been measured for 114Sn. The static quadrupole moments are generally consistent with zero but reveal an enhancement near midshell; this had not been previously observed. The magnetic dipole moments are consistent with previous measurements and show a near monotonic decrease in value with neutron number. The current theory calculations fail to reproduce the electromagnetic moments of the tin isotopes. The role of 2p-2h and 4p-4h intruders, which are lowest in energy at mid shell and outside of current model spaces, needs to be investigated in the future.

The MAJORANA Collaboration is building the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, a 60 kg array of high purity germanium detectors housed in an ultra-low background shield at the Sanford Underground Laboratory in Lead, SD. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge while demonstrating the feasibility of a tonne-scale experiment. It may also carry out a dark matter search in the 1-10 GeV/c^2 mass range. We have found that customized Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detectors produced by Canberra have several desirable features for a neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment, including low electronic noise, excellent pulse shape analysis capabilities, and simple fabrication. We have deployed a customized BEGe, the MAJORANA Low-Background BEGe at Kimballton (MALBEK), in a low-background cryostat and shield at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility in Virginia. This paper will focus on the detector characteristics and measurements that can be performed with such a radiation detector in a low-background environment., Comment: Submitted to NIMA Proceedings, SORMA XII. 9 pages, 4 figures

As the transistor sizes continue to shrink, quantum effects will significantly affect the circuit behavior. The inherent unreliability of nano-electronics will have significantly impact on the way of circuits design, so defects and faults of nano-scale circuit technologies have to be taken into account early in the design of digital systems. Fault-tolerant architectures may become a necessity to ensure that the underlying circuit could function properly. In CAD software, a same logic can be made out with different circuits but different design methodology can reach different soft error tolerance ability, so we must find a way to estimate the error rate of the circuit efficiently to make the design more fault tolerant. In this paper, a new way to fault tolerance design in nano-scale circuit by accurate soft error rate (SER) estimation is proposed. Transform matrix is used for SER computation and a design criteria is then proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed transform matrix model is effective for nano-scale circuits and the criteria delivered is suitable CAD tools development in nano-system design.

As the development of the electric technology, more and more embedded system are applied in all walks of life. This paper describes an embedded system for wireless ordering, which can be used in many fields, besides restaurants. The system is consisted of LCD display module, wireless communication net module which includes sending and decoding. This design has advantages of both low price and high performance.

With development of CMOS process, the minimum lithographic feature has now scaled down to regime of nano-scale. Integrated circuits (ICs) are becoming increasingly susceptible to uncertainty caused by soft errors, inherently probabilistic devices, and manufacturing variability. With all kinds of faults and errors, soft error is the most common and widespread. The different design methodology can reach different soft error tolerance ability, so we must find a way to estimate the soft error rate (SER) efficiently to make the design more fault tolerant. In this paper, we propose and investigate the ensemble transform matrix model. We show that the model can describe the actual nano-scale circuit performance. We also propose criteria to evaluate the circuits’ soft error tolerance capability. Simulation shows that the proposed ensemble transform matrix model is effective and suitable for CAD tools development in nano-scale circuit and system design.

A largely extended experimental knowledge of the Cu-61(29)32 nucleus has been obtained from three experiments. Excited states in Cu-61 were produced via the fusion-evaporation reaction Si-28(Ar-36, 3p)Cu-61. In addition to the Ge array GAMMASPHERE, neutron and charged-particle detectors placed around the target position were used for high-performance particle spectroscopy. The constructed level scheme includes more than 160 energy levels and 320 gamma-ray transitions belonging to both normally deformed as well as superdeformed rotational structures. The multipolarities have been determined for the gamma-ray transitions and as a result spin-parity assignments are given for nearly all energy levels. Experimental results in the normally deformed region are compared with predictions from large-scale shell model calculations. The collective structures are compared with results from cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations. The results reveal the need to modify the standard Nilsson parameters in the mass A similar to 60 region. (Less)

The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, an ultra-low background, modular, HPGe detector array with a mass of 44-kg (29 kg 76Ge and 15 kg natGe) to search for neutrinoless double beta decay in Ge-76. The next generation of tonne-scale Ge-based neutrinoless double beta decay searches will probe the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is envisioned to demonstrate a path forward to achieve a background rate at or below 1 count/tonne/year in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value of 2039 keV. The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR follows a modular implementation to be easily scalable to the next generation experiment. First, the prototype module was assembled; it has been continuously taking data from July 2014 to June 2015. Second, Module 1 with more than half of the total enriched detectors and some natural detectors has been assembled and it is being commissioned. Finally, the assembly of Module 2, which will complete MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, is already in progress., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

The MAJORANA Collaboration is constructing the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, an ultra-low background, 40-kg modular HPGe detector array to search for neutrinoless double beta decay in 76Ge. In view of the next generation of tonne-scale Ge-based 0nbb-decay searches that will probe the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region, a major goal of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 count/tonne/year in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. The background rejection techniques to be applied to the data include cuts based on data reduction, pulse shape analysis, event coincidences, and time correlations. The Point Contact design of the DEMONSTRATOR 0s germanium detectors allows for significant reduction of gamma background., 4 pages, 2 figures

Properties of nuclei beyond the proton drip line are studied via measurement of the spontaneous emission of protons from these exotic nuclei. Different components of the wave function of the proton emitter can be accessed by observation of fine structure in the proton spectrum. Fine structure has been observed in the proton radioactivity of 145Tm, 146Tm and 141Ho in measurements at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility. These nuclei range over an interesting transition region going from nearly spherical to rather deformed. Detailed analysis of the rich fine structure spectrum of 146Tm is presented in terms of the particle-core vibration coupling model. Other models are discussed briefly.

Neutron-rich radioactive ion beams available from the HRIBF allow a variety of measurements around the 132Sn region, including Coulomb excitation and single-nucleon transfer. The B(E2;0+ → 2+) values for first 2+ excited states of even-even neutron-rich 132-136Te and 126-130Sn have been measured by Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics. Neutron transfer onto a 134Te beam from 9Be and 13C targets, to populate single-particle states in 135Te, has also been studied. Gamma rays from the 13C(134Te, 12C) reaction were used to identify the νi13/2 state in 135Te, at an energy of 2109 keV. These and other results, and plans for future experiments with these neutron-rich beams, are presented.

Neutron-rich radioactive ion beams available from the HRIBF allow a variety of measurements around the 132Sn region, including Coulomb excitation, fusion-evaporation, and neutron transfer. The B ( E 2 ; 0 + → 2 + ) value for first 2+ excited states of even-even neutron-rich 132–136Te and 126–134Sn have been measured by Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics. The results are discussed in terms of the shell model and the quasiparticle random phase approximation. Neutron transfer onto a 134Te beam, from 9Be and 13C targets to populate single-particle states in 135Te, has also been studied. Gamma rays from the 13C(134Te, 12C) reaction were used to identify the ν i 13 / 2 state in 135Te, at an energy of 2109 keV. These and other results, and plans for future experiments with these neutron-rich beams, are presented.

We have measured the B(E;0+ → 2+) for the first excited 2+ states in the double-closed shell nucleus 132Sn and the two-neutron nucleus 134Sn. The results, based on a preliminary analysis are shown in Fig. 1 along with measurements on the stable Sn isotopes, and earlier results on 126,128,130Sn [1] . The experimental setup developed for the 132,134Sn measurements was also employed in a successful measurement of B(E;0+ → 2+) for the closed-neutron-shell nucleus 82Ge.

Neutron-rich radioactive ion beams available from the HRIBF allow a variety of exciting measurements around the 132 Sn region, including Coulomb excitation, fusion-evaporation, and neutron transfer. The B ( E 2 ; 0 + → 2 + ) value for first 2 + excited states of neutron-rich 132,134,136 Te and 126,128,130,132,134 Sn have been measured by Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics. The results are discussed in terms of the shell model and the quasiparticle random phase approximation. Neutron transfer onto a 134 Te beam, from 9 Be and 13 C targets to populate single-particle states in 135 Te, has also been studied. Results, and plans for future experiments with these neutron-rich beams, are presented.

High-precision reduced electric-quadrupole transition probabilities $B(E2;{0}_{1}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}_{1}^{+})$ have been measured from single-step Coulomb excitation of semi-magic $^{58,60,62,64}\mathrm{Ni}$ ($Z=28$) beams at 1.8 MeV per nucleon on a natural carbon target. The energy loss of the nickel beams through the carbon target were directly measured with a zero-degree Bragg detector and the absolute $B(E2)$ values were normalized by Rutherford scattering. The $B(E2)$ values disagree with recent lifetime studies that employed the Doppler-shift attenuation method. The present high-precision $B(E2)$ values reveal an asymmetry about $^{62}\mathrm{Ni}$, midshell between $N=28$ and 40, with larger values towards $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ ($Z=N=28$). The experimental $B(E2)$ values are compared with shell-model calculations in the full $pf$ model space and the results indicate a soft $^{56}\mathrm{Ni}$ core.

$\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray transitions in ${}^{134}\text{Te}$, ${}^{135}\text{Te}$, and ${}^{136}\text{Te}$ were measured from ${}^{9}\text{Be}$-induced reactions with a radioactive ${}^{132}\text{Sn}$ beam at a sub-Coulomb barrier energy of 3 MeV per nucleon using particle-$\ensuremath{\gamma}$ coincidence spectroscopy. The transitions were selected by gating on alpha-like particles in a CsI detector following a combination of $({}^{9}\text{Be},\ensuremath{\alpha}1n)$, $({}^{9}\text{Be},\ensuremath{\alpha}2n)$, and $({}^{9}\text{Be},\ensuremath{\alpha}3n)$ incomplete fusion-evaporation reactions. Distorted-wave Born approximation calculations suggest little to no contribution from the $({}^{9}\text{Be},{}^{7}\text{He})$, $({}^{9}\text{Be},{}^{6}\text{He})$, and $({}^{9}\text{Be},{}^{5}\text{He})$ direct reactions.$\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray transitions from previously known ${2}^{+}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}2{f}_{7/2}$ and ${4}^{+}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}2{f}_{7/2}$ multiplet members in ${}^{135}\text{Te}$ are observed. A new $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray is observed, assigned to the third-excited state in ${}^{135}\text{Te}$, and new ${2}^{+}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}2{f}_{7/2}$ multiplet members are suggested. In addition, spin assignments are made by using recent one-neutron transfer data. The updated experimental data for ${}^{135}\text{Te}$ are compared to shell-model calculations for a relatively complete set of states up to the yrast ${15/2}^{\ensuremath{-}},{4}^{+}\ensuremath{\bigotimes}\ensuremath{\nu}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}2{f}_{7/2}$ multiplet member at 1505 keV.

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is an array of natural and enriched high purity germanium detectors that will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76-Ge and perform a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with masses below 10 GeV. As part of the MAJORANA research and development efforts, we have deployed a modified, low-background broad energy germanium detector at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility. With its sub-keV energy threshold, this detector is sensitive to potential non-Standard Model physics, including interactions with WIMPs. We discuss the backgrounds present in the WIMP region of interest and explore the impact of slow surface event contamination when searching for a WIMP signal., Comment: To appear in the Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, TAUP 2013 (F. Avignone & W. Haxton, editors, Physics Procedia, Elsevier)

Two excited well-deformed bands have been observed in the semi-magic nucleus Ni-58. One of the bands was observed to partially decay by emission of a prompt discrete alpha particle that feeds the 2949 keV 6(+) spherical yrast state in the daughter nucleus Fe-54. This constitutes the first observation of prompt alpha emission from states lying in the deformed secondary minimum of the nuclear potential. gamma -ray linking transitions via several parallel paths establish the spin. parity, and excitation energy of this deformed band in Ni-58.

Excited states of nuclei near the doubly-magic nucleus Sn-100 were studied with the Ni-58+Cr-50 reaction. The experimental setup consisted of the GAMMASPHERE array augmented with light charged-particle and neutron detectors. Excited states were identified for the first time in the proton emitting nucleus Sb-105. Excitations across the N=Z=50 doubly closed shell were observed in Cd-99 and In-101. Some results of large-scale shell-model calculations are discussed.

The $g$ factor and $B(E2)$ of the first excited ${2}^{+}$ state have been measured following Coulomb excitation of the neutron-rich semimagic nuclide ${}^{134}$Te (two protons outside ${}^{132}$Sn) produced as a radioactive beam. The precision achieved matches related $g$-factor measurements on stable beams and distinguishes between alternative models. The $B(E2)$ measurement exposes quadrupole strength in the ${2}_{1}^{+}$ state beyond that predicted by current large-basis shell-model calculations. This additional quadrupole strength can be attributed to coupling between the two valence protons and excitations of the ${}^{132}$Sn core. However, the wave functions of the low-excitation positive-parity states in ${}^{134}$Te up to ${6}_{1}^{+}$ remain dominated by the $\ensuremath{\pi}{({g}_{7/2})}^{2}$ configuration.

The recently commissioned Recoil Mass Spectrometer (RMS) at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility (HRIBF) is described. Consisting of a momentum separator followed by an E-D-E Rochester-type mass spectrometer, the RMS is the centerpiece of the nuclear structure endstation at the HRIBF. Designed to transport ions with rigidities near K = 100, the RMS has acceptances of +/- 10% in energy and +/- 4.9% in mass-to-charge ratio. Recent experimental results are used to illustrate the detection capabilities of the RMS, which is compatible with many detectors and devices. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The doubly magic superdeformed band in the N = Z nucleus Zn-60 has been identified. Linking transitions connecting this band to the yrast line provide the first spin, parity, and excitation energy measurements for superdeformed states in the A similar to 60 region. The stretched-E2 character and relatively large B(E2) values of these transitions suggest a nonstatistical decay-out process.

High-spin states in Kr-78 were studied using the Ni-58(Na-23,3p) reaction at 70 MeV and the Ni-58(Si-23,alpha 4p) reaction at 130 MeV. Prompt gamma-gamma coincidences were measured using the Pitt-FSU detector array and the GAMMASPHERE-MICROBALL array. Results from these experiments have led to 26 new excitation levels, some of which have been grouped into 3 new bands. Spins were assigned based on directional correlations of oriented nuclei. Two of the new negative-parity bands appear to form a signature-partner pair based on a two-quasineutron structure, in contrast to the previously known two-quasiproton negative-parity bands. A forking has been observed at the 24(+) state in the yrast band, which calculations suggest may result from an unpaired crossing. The available evidence suggests oblate shapes in the yrast band coexist with prolate shapes in the negative-parity bands. [S0556-2813(99)04602-6]. (Less)

Gamma rays in the N=Z + 1 nucleus Y-79 were identified using the reaction Si-28(Fe-54, p2n)Y-79 at a 200 MeV beam energy and an experimental setup consisting of an array of Ge detectors and the Recoil Mass Spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. With the help of additional gamma-gamma coincidence data obtained with Gammasphere, these gamma rays were found to form a strongly coupled rotational band with rigid-rotor-like behavior. Results of conventional Nilsson-Strutinsky cranked shell model calculations, which predict a deformation of beta(2)similar to 0.4, are in excellent agreement with the properties of this band. Similar calculations for the neighboring N=Z and N=Z + 1 nuclei are also in good agreement with experimental data. This suggests that the presence of the putative T=0 neutron-proton pairing does not significantly affect such simple observables as the moments of inertia of these bands at low spins. [S0556-2813(98)50612-7].

The 12 C( 12 C, 2n) 22 Mg reaction was measured with the CLARION array and the RMS separator at the Holifield Facility of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This experiment was performed to gather more information on the excited states in 22 Mg, which might be of relevance to recent radioactive ion beam measurements of the astrophysically important 21 Na(p, γ) 22 Mg reaction. The results are compared to direct measurements, transfer experiments and a competing experiment performed with Gammasphere.

An excited well-deformed rotational band has been observed in the N = Z odd-odd nucleus Cu-58. The first excited state in this band decays via gamma emission to the spherical states associated with the first minimum in the potential, thus providing for its unambiguous assignment to Cu-58. I, contrast, its bandhead decays via emission of a prompt 2.4(1) MeV proton to an excited state in the daughter nucleus Ni-57. This is the first observation of proton decay from states associated with a deformed secondary minimum in the potential. Self-consistent Hartree-Fock calculations reproduce well both the large collectivity of this band and the general trend of its moment of inertia.

Proton emission from ${}^{145}\mathrm{Tm}$ was observed for the first time via the ${}^{92}\mathrm{Mo}{(}^{58}\mathrm{Ni},p4n)$ reaction, using the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility Recoil Mass Spectrometer in conjunction with a double-sided Si strip detector at the focal plane. The measured energy of the emitted proton is 1.728(10) MeV and its half-life is 3.5(10) \ensuremath{\mu}s, the shortest ever observed for ground-state proton radioactivity. When compared to the calculated WKB half-life for an $l=5$ transfer, the spectroscopic factor is 0.51(16), which is consistent with the value of 0.64 calculated via the BCS approximation for a spherical nucleus. Also, the half-life of ${}^{113}\mathrm{Cs}$ was determined with a greater precision than previously available to be 16.7(7) \ensuremath{\mu}sec.

High-spin states of a number of nuclei near Ni-56 have been studied by means of the Si-28(Ar-36,x alpha ypzn) reaction. The GAMMASPHERE array in conjunction with light charged particle and neutron detectors were used to identify and cleanly select the fusion-evaporation products. In addition to significantly extending the level schemes of many previously known N = Z nuclei from Fe-52 to Cu-58, excited states in the one-neutron-hole nucleus Ni-55 and high-spin rotational bands in the vicinity of the doubly-magic Ni-56 have been established for the first time. Spherical-fp shell model and cranked Hartree-Fock calculations employing several Skyrme-type effective interactions have been used to interpret these data. The calculated moments of inertia of the rotational bands show considerable sensitivity to the details of the effective interactions.

Four new superdeformed bands have been found in the nucleus {sup 86}Zr. The good agreement between experiment and configuration-dependent shell correction calculations suggests that three of the bands have triaxial superdeformed shapes. Such unique features in mass A{approximately}80 superdeformed bands have been predicted, but not observed experimentally until now. A fourth band in {sup 86}Zr is interesting due to a fairly constant and unusually high dynamic moment of inertia. Possible interpretations of this structure are discussed. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

Lifetimes of a superdeformed band in Sr-82 were measured with the centroid shift method. The measured average quadrupole moment of this band corresponds to a quadrupole deformation of beta(2) approximate to 0.49, which is slightly smaller than both the theoretical prediction, and the measured deformation of the SD band in the neighboring isotone Zr-84. Lifetimes of high spin states of three normally deformed rotational bands in Sr-82 were also measured with the Doppler shift attenuation method technique. The quadrupole moments of these normally deformed bands show a decrease at the highest spins, supporting the predicted band terminations.