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A 32–year–old man healthy man presented to the emergency department because of remittent fever. His past medical history, physical examination and chest X–ray were unremarkable except for a body temperature of 39 Celsius degrees. Laboratory exams showed a marked elevation of transaminases, cholestasis markers and C–reactive protein, while an abdomen ultrasound revealed hepatomegaly and diffuse hyperechogenicity of the liver. He was diagnosed with acute hepatitis and admitted to the Gastroenterology Unit. Due to the persistent hyperpyrexia despite antipyretics and antibiotics, he was successfully treated with intravenous diclofenac, resulting in temporary remission of fever. First electrocardiogram during apyrexia showed sinus rhythm, first–degree atrioventricular block (PR interval 240 milliseconds), and non–specific intraventricular conduction delay. In the following days, liver and cholestasis markers improved, but he underwent two syncopal episodes without prodromes, the former while he was walking and the latter during meal. A new electrocardiogram revealed a type 1 Brugada pattern. At the time of its recording, however, his body temperature was 38.6 Celsius degrees. He was then admitted to the Cardiology Unit for monitoring and further investigations. 2D–echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were unremarkable. Telemetry monitoring showed nocturnal episodes of marked sinus bradycardia (up to 35 beats per minute), but no ventricular arrhythmias were documented. He also underwent an invasive electrophysiological study with programmed ventricular stimulation, but again no ventricular arrhythmias were induced. Recording of His bundle electrogram, however, revealed the prolongation of both AH and HV interval (190 and 76 milliseconds respectively). Given the syncopal episodes, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation was proposed, but the patient refused, so he underwent an implantable loop recorder implantation. After three months, at remote monitoring, a nocturnal episode of complete atrioventricular block with a pause of 15 seconds was recorded, thus he was again admitted to the Cardiology Unit. This time he was apyretic, but his electrocardiogram showed a spontaneous type 1 Brugada pattern with “high arrhythmic risk” features as first–degree atrioventricular block and a prominent S wave in lead I. He then underwent a successful implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation with still an uneventful follow up.

Selective Production of Exotic Species is an innovative plant for advanced nuclear physic studies. A radioactive beam, generated by using an UCx target-ion source system, is ionized, selected and accelerated for experimental objects. Very high vacuum conditions and appropriate safety systems to storage exhaust gases are required to avoid radiological risk for operators and people. In this paper, Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis of a preliminary design of high activity gas recovery system is performed by using a modified Fuzzy Risk Priority Number to rank the most critical components in terms of failures and human errors. Comparisons between fuzzy approach and classic application allow to show that Fuzzy Risk Priority Number is able to enhance the focus of risk assessments and to improve the safety of complex and innovative systems such as those under consideration.

It is now known that the Covid19 infection can cause myocardial inflammatory damage. Several studies have shown that the echocardiographic parameter of the global longitudinal strain (GLS) was reduced compared to the general population even in paucisymptomatic patients. A young competitive athlete came to our observation for the diagnostic investigations before returning to competitive practice (return to play protocol) after Sars–Cov2 infection. The electrocardiogram did not show significant abnormalities as well as spirometry examination. Negative inflammation indexes and markers of myocardial damage were observed. The cycloergometer test showed no signs of myocardial distress, rapid chronotropic increase and dyspnea at 100W work load. HolterECG was performed showing 830 isolated ventricular ectopic beats. Echocardiographic examination showed preserved left ventricular systolic function (FEVS 59% – Simpson method) with a moderate reduction of GLS parameter –16,9%. The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) showed an early anaerobic threshold and a normal pVO2max but not in line with the presumed range for a top–level athlete. Putting together the symptoms described, the CPET data and GLS parameter, despite the negative first–level investigations he underwent MRI that documented a myocardial edema in the mid–basal region of inferior and inferolateral walls of the left ventricle. Suitability for competitive practice was blocked, a gradual physical readaptation path was started and therapy with low–dose bisoprolol was set. An important clinical improvement is reported at the 6–month follow–up with evidence of normalization of the GLS parameter –23%. The CPET howed a realignment of the HR/VCO2 curve with a late threshold and increment of pVO2max. The 6–month control MRI examination showed almost no signs of myocardial inflammation and so the patient was made suitable for returning to competitive sport. In our case first–level investigations did not support any hypothesis of myocardial inflammation. The presence of stress symptoms confirmed by CPET data but especially the reduction of GLS parameter led to a deepening investigation with MRI that confirmed the presence of myocardial inflammatory lesion. Our case suggests that within a “return to play” protocol for athletes with recent SarsCov2 infection, the analysis of left ventricular systolic function by GLS may represent an additional useful element to be considered in support of standard investigations.

In this contribution we describe NEPIR, the fast-neutron irradiation facility under construction at the 70 MeV cyclotron SPES facility of the INFN laboratory of Legnaro (LNL). NEPIR will be constructed in stages, according to the available funds. The initial configuration, based on a thick Be neutron production target, will be operational in 2022; it will be used for shielding studies against fast neutrons for space applications and to investigate neutron-induced Single Event Effects (SEE) in microelectronic devices and systems. In its final configuration NEPIR will have two target systems: one will deliver a Quasi Mono-energetic Neutron (QMN) beam, of general interest, with an adjustable energy peak in the 20–70 MeV range; the second target will deliver a specialized continuous energy neutron beam for studying the effects of fast neutrons produced in cosmic ray air-showers in electronic devices and systems. We review the use of NEPIR to characterize the sensitivity of electronics, describe the neutron production targets and the facility layout. In closing we describe ways, presently under investigation, to use the 15 MV XTU Tandem of LNL to produce nearly monochromatic fast neutrons that would complement the QMN system by allowing one to probe for SEE below 20 MeV.

This work discusses a didactic path aimed at revisiting the first experiments on the transmission and detection of electromagnetic waves, performed by Guglielmo Marconi at the end of the 19th century. With very simple materials it is possible to set-up apparatus that allow to illustrate practically the simple physical picture of wireless telegraphy, and in particular the role of monopole antennas and ground connections, first introduced by Guglielmo Marconi to increase the distance between the transmitter and the receiver. Retracing in the classroom the first steps of the beginning and the advent of radio communications is important for both science education and the students’ understanding of the connected world we live in.

The elastic scattering in the reaction $$^{7}$$ 7 Li+$$^{208}$$ 208 Pb was investigated in the bombarding energy range from 25 to 39 MeV. The real and imaginary parts of the optical potential were analyzed by using a phenomenological potential. A dispersion relation analysis is presented in order to investigate the threshold anomaly effect. It is concluded that $$^{7}$$ 7 Li has an intermediate behavior between the tightly bound nuclei such as $$^{16}$$ 16 O and the loosely bound nuclei such as $$^{6}$$ 6 Li where the lack of the threshold anomaly is unambiguously observed. Reaction cross sections are also extracted from the elastic scattering data and its comparison with the ones of other systems has been performed to draw hints on the effect of the breakup channel.

Light charged particles emitted by the compound nucleus $^{158}\mathrm{Er}$ produced in the reaction $^{32}\mathrm{S}$ $(180 \mathrm{MeV})+^{126}\mathrm{Te}$, at the excitation energy ${E}_{x}=92$ MeV, have been measured at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro in coincidence with fission fragments and evaporation residues. The $4\ensuremath{\pi}$ detector array $8\ensuremath{\pi}\mathrm{LP}$ coupled to a system of parallel-plate avalanche counters to detect evaporation residues has been used. Data have been analyzed in the framework of the statistical model of evaporation with the code pace2_n11. This enlarged version of the code pace2 has been used to reproduce the large set of observables measured in the fusion-evaporation and fusion-fission channels along with experimental prescission neutron multiplicity and fission cross section taken from literature. It is found that the simultaneous reproduction of the prescission neutron, proton, and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle multiplicities can be obtained with zero fission delay without dynamical effects. However, the same set of model input parameters does not allow us to reproduce proton and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle multiplicities in the evaporation channel. Extensive calculations, with different sets of parameters, show the limits of the statistical model in reproducing the whole set of data. This work evidences the importance of measuring a large set of observables in order to obtain a reliable description of the decay of the compound nucleus, and in particular of the fission process.

The dynamics of the fission process is expected to affect the evaporation residue cross section because of the fission hindrance due to the nuclear viscosity. Systems of intermediate fissility constitute a suitable environment for testing such hypothesis, since they are characterized by evaporation residue cross sections comparable or larger than the fission ones. Observables related to emitted charged particle, due to their relatively high emission probability, can be used to put stringent constraints on models describing the excited nucleus decay and to recognize the effects of fission dynamics. In this work model simulations are compared with the experimental data collected via the ^{32}S + ^{100}Mo reaction at E_{lab}= 200 MeV. By comparing an extended set of evaporation channel observables the limits of the statistical model and the large improvement coming by using a dynamical model are evidenced. The importance of using a large angular covering apparatus to extract the observable is stressed. The opportunity to measure more sensitive observables by a new detection device in operation at LNL are also discussed., v1: 7 pages, 6 figures

At Legnaro National Laboratories of INFN is under construction a Rare Isotope Facility called "Selective Production of Exotic Species" (SPES) based on a 35-70 MeV proton cyclotron, able to deliver two beams with a total current up to 0.75 mA, an ISOL fission target station and an existing ALPI superconducting accelerator as a post accelerator (up to 10 MeV/u for A/q=7). The paper will cover notably: the high-resolution mass separator, the CW RFQ (80 MHz, 727 keV/u, with internal bunching), the 1+ low energy transfer line and the injection line from Charge Breeder to ALPI under installation., Proceedings of the 14th Int. Conf. on Heavy Ion Accelerator Technology, HIAT2018, Lanzhou, China

INFN-LNL is constructing an ISOL (Isotope Separation On Line) facility delivering neutron rich ion beams at 10 A MeV or beyond, making use of the linear accelerator ALPI as the secondary accelerator. The facility includes a direct ISOL target based on UC x and able to reach 10 13 fissions/s. In parallel, an applied physics facility will be developed, with applications in medicine and neutron production. The SPES project is a national facility, approved and funded. Commissioning with the first exotic species is expected in 2019. The primary accelerator is a commercial cyclotron, which will send a 40 MeV, 200 μA proton beam onto an UC x target, connected to SIS, PIS and LIS ion sources. The extracted beam is purified through a Low Resolution Mass Separator (LMRS, i.e. a Wien filter and a dispersive dipole), a beam cooler and a High Resolution Mass Separator (HRMS) and sent to an ECR charge breeder to boost the exotic beam charge state. The highly charged exotic beam is further separated in a MRMS (Medium Resolution Mass Separator) and injected into a 100% duty cycle RFQ and into the existing superconducting linac ALPI, which will be refurbished and upgraded to be an efficient exotic beam accelerator. The upgrade of ALPI will give ∼10 A MeV energy to 132 Sn 19+ , taken as the reference ion beam. The paper presents the status of the design and construction of the SPES facility.

The SPES project at INFN-LNL aims at the production of neutron-rich Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs) using the ISOL (Isotope Separation On Line) technique. A 40 MeV 200 μA proton beam will directly impinge a uranium carbide target, generating approximately 10 13 fissions per second. The target system is installed under vacuum inside a water-cooled chamber, and have to maintain high working temperatures, close to 2000 °C. During operation the proton beam provides the heating power required to keep the target at the desired temperature level. As a consequence, its characteristics have to be strictly controlled in order to avoid undesired overheating. According to the original design of the control system, the proton beam can be suddenly interrupted in case of out of range vacuum or cooling water flow levels. With the aim to improve the reliability of the control system a set of temperature sensors has been installed close to the target. Their types and installation positions were defined taking into consideration the detailed information coming from a dedicated thermal–electric model that allowed to investigate the most critical and inaccessible target hot-spots. This work is focused on the definition and experimental validation of the aforementioned numerical model. Its results were used to appropriately install two type C thermocouples, a PT100 thermo-resistance and a residual primary beam current detector. In addition the numerical model will be used for the definition of appropriate thresholds for each installed temperature sensor, since it allows to define a relationship between the locally measured values with the overall calculated temperature field. In case of over temperatures the monitoring system will send warning signals or in case interrupt the proton beam.

Worldwide efforts to tackle the nature of exotic nuclei comprise the construction of new-generation Radioactive Ion Beam facilities. The Italian community is deeply involved in the process and the construction of SPES at Legnaro National Laboratories (INFN) is progressing. This contribution describes the layout of SPES in all its flavours, from Nuclear Physics to Applications in Nuclear Medicine and Neutron Physics. In particular, the status of the SPES-β ISOL facility, together with some of the relevant physics cases and the associated equipment are described.

In this contribution, we present the CoolGAL fast neutron production target system, to be used in the initial phase of the NEPIR irradiation beamline at the SPES facility, that will be operational in 2022. Initially, NEPIR will be used for shielding studies against fast neutrons for space applications and to investigate neutron-induced single event effects in microelectronic devices and systems. In CoolGAL, the neutron production component, a thick Be cylinder, is immersed in a static bath of Galinstan, a liquid alloy of Ga, In and Sn, contained by an outer water cooled copper cladding. MCNPX calculations indicate that, by using a 1 μA current of 70 MeV protons, it can produce a fast neutron energy spectrum that is somewhat flat the 30-65 MeV energy range and with a sharp cut-off at the beam energy. At the standard test point, located 2.6 m downstream from the source, the beam spot diameter, defined by the peculiar collimation scheme of the initial phase of NEPIR, is 10 cm and the integral fast neutron flux is Φn(1< En6 n cm-2s-1. Using proton beams with two different energies, one can calculate, by subtraction, the effects due to the neutrons in the energy interval defined by the two cut-off values. Preliminary results of ANSYS calculations, for a 1 μA proton current of 70 MeV protons (70 W), show a limited regime temperature (28 °C) of the Be component, capable of ensuring the exceptional safety level required for the operation at SPES. The thermal reliability of CoolGAL is very promising for future developments that require higher proton currents.

Nuclear viscosity is an irreplaceable ingredient of nuclear fission collective dynamical models. It drives the exchange of energy between the collective variables and the thermal bath of single particle degrees of freedom. Its dependence on the shape and temperature is a matter of controversy. By using systems of intermediate fissility we have demonstrated in a recent study that the viscosity parameters is larger for compact shapes, and decreases for larger deformations of the fissioning system, at variance with the conclusions of the statistical model modified to include empirically viscosity and time scales. In this contribution we propose an experimental scenario to highlight the possible dependence of the viscosity from the temperature.

The Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) method for the production of Radioactive Ion Beams (RIB) is attracting significant interest in the worldwide nuclear physics community. Within this context the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) RIB facility is now under construction at INFN LNL (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro). This technique is established as one of the main techniques for high intensity and high quality beams production. The SPES facility will produce n-rich isotopes by means of a 40 MeV proton beam, emitted by a cyclotron, impinging on a uranium carbide multi-foil fission target. The aim of this work is to describe the most important results obtained by the study of the on-line behavior of the SPES production target assembly. This target system will produce RIBs at a rate of about 1013 fissions per second, it will be able to dissipate a total power of up to 10 kW, and it is planned to work continuously for 2 week-runs of irradiation. ISOL beams of 24 different elements will be produced, therefore a target and ion source development is ongoing to ensure a great variety of produced isotopes and to improve the beam intensity and purity.

Since 2003 the presence of a new syndrome characterized by symptoms of stunting, chlorotic mottling, leaf deformation, reduced yields and quality has been reported in some white berry varieties of Vitis vinifera in Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia vineyards. The identification of a new virus, provisionally called Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV), in a cv. Pinot gris vine suggested an association between this new syndrome and the virus presence (Giampetruzzi et al., 2012), however the contemporary presence of GPGV in both symptomatic and asymptomatic plants has still to be explained. In this work, a large-scale monitoring over a 3-year period (2012–14) of Friuli Venezia Giulia vineyards and nurseries has shown a widespread presence of GPGV in symptomatic plants and also in asymptomatic vines, even if at a slightly lower percentage. Quantitative analyses of the virus titer revealed a great variability in the viral content of both symptomatic and asymptomatic plants but the mean GPGV quantity in symptomatic vines was significantly higher than in asymptomatic plants. Presence du Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) en Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italie). Suivi en plein champ et quantification du virus par la RT-PCR en temps reel Depuis 2003 la presence d'un nouveau syndrome caracterise par des symptomes de rabougrissement, des marbrures chlorotiques, des deformations foliaires, et une reduction du rendement et de la qualite a ete signalee sur des varietes a baies blanches de Vitis vinifera dans des vignobles en Trentino-Alto Adige et Friuli Venezia Giulia. L'identification d'un nouveau virus, provisoirement appele Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV), dans une vigne de cepage Pinot gris a suggere une association entre ce nouveau syndrome et la presence du virus (Giampetruzzi et al., 2012), bien que la presence simultanee du GPGV dans des plantes symptomatiques et asymptomatiques doivent encore etre expliquee. Dans cette etude, un suivi a grande echelle des vignobles et pepinieres de Friuli -Venezia Giulia sur une periode de trois ans (2012-2014) a permis de constater que le GPGV est largement repandu dans les plantes symptomatiques, mais egalement dans les plantes asymptomatiques, bien qu'a des pourcentages legerement inferieurs. Les analyses quantitatives du titre du virus ont mis en evidence une grande variabilite de la charge virale des plantes tant symptomatiques qu'asymptomatiques, mais la quantite moyenne de GPGV dans les vignes symptomatiques etait significativement plus elevee que dans les plantes asymptomatiques. Bcтpeчaeмocть Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus (GPGV) в Фpиyли-Beнeция-Джyлия (Итaлия). Пoлeвoй мoнитopинг и виpycнaя квaнтификaция c пoмoщью ПЦP в peaльнoм вpeмeни Haчинaя c 2003 гoдa o пoявлeнии нoвoгo cиндpoмa c cимптoмaми кapликoвocти, xлopoтичecкoй кpaпчaтocти, дeфopмaции лиcтьeв, cнижeния ypoжaйнocти и кaчecтвa cooбщaлocь пpимeнитeльнo к нeкoтopым copтaм бeлoгo винoгpaдa Vitis vinifera нa винoгpaдникax в Tpeнтинo-Aльтo-Aдиджe и Фpиyли-Beнeция-Джyлия. Идeнтификaция нoвoгo виpyca, вpeмeннo нaзвaннoгo Grapevine Pinot Gris Virus (GPGV) нa винoгpaдe copтa Пинo Гpи, вызвaлa пpeдпoлoжeниe o cвязи этoгo нoвoгo cиндpoмa c нaличиeм виpyca (Giampetruzzi et al., 2012), oднaкo нaблюдaeмoe в нacтoящee вpeмя нaличиe GPGV oднoвpeмeннo нa cимптoмныx и бeccимптoмныx pacтeнияx вce eщe нyждaeтcя в oбъяcнeнии. B xoдe этoй paбoты нa пpoтяжeнии тpex лeт (2012-14) пpoвoдилcя кpyпнoмacштaбный мoнитopинг нa винoгpaдникax и питoмникax Фpиyли-Beнeция-Джyлия, кoтopый пpoдeмoнcтpиpoвaл шиpoкoe pacпpocтpaнeниe GPGV нa cимптoмныx pacтeнияx, нo тaкжe и нa бeccимптoмныx лoзax, xoтя и в нecкoлькo мeньшeй cтeпeни. Кoличecтвeнныe aнaлизы виpycнoгo титpa пoкaзaли бoльшyю вapиaбeльнocть виpycнoгo кoнтeнтa кaк cимптoмныx, тaк и бeccимптoмныx pacтeний, oднaкo cpeднee кoличecтвo GPGV нa cимптoмныx лoзax былo знaчитeльнo бoльшим, чeм нa бeccимптoмныx pacтeнияx.

The de-excitation of alpha-conjugate nuclei produced in reactions of 35 MeV/nucleon 40Ca with 40Ca has been investigated. Particular emphasis is placed on examining the dynamics of collisions leading to projectile-like fragment exit channels. A general exploration of the reaction systematics reveals the binary dissipative character of the collisions and a hierarchy effect similar to that seen for heavier systems. Investigation of the subset of events characterized by a total alpha-conjugate mass (alpha particles plus alpha-conjugate fragments) equal to 40 and atomic number equal to 20 reveals a dominance of alpha-conjugate exit channels. The hierarchy effect for these channels leads to the production of alpha-clustered neck structures with potentially exotic geometries and properties.

The Selective Production of Exotic Species (SPES) project is presently under development at INFN-LNL: aim of this project is the production, ionization and post-acceleration of radioactive ions to perform forefront research in nuclear physics. An ECR-based charge breeder (SPES-CB) will allow post-acceleration of radioactive ions: in particular, the SPES-CB has been designed and developed by LPSC of Grenoble, based on the Phoenix booster. It will be equipped with a complete test bench totally integrated with the SPES beam line: this part of the post-accelerator, together with the newly designed RFQ, composes the so-called ADIGE injector for the superconducting linac ALPI. The injector will employ a unique Medium Resolution Mass Spectrometer (MRMS, R=1/1000), mounted downstream the SPES-CB, in order to avoid the typical drawback of the ECR-based charge breeding technique, that is the beam contamination. This contribution describes the ADIGE injector, with particular attention to the analysis of possible contaminations and the performances expected for the MRMS, showing the beam dynamics calculations for a reference radioactive beam., Proceedings of the 8th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2017, Copenhagen, Denmark

Pre-equilibrium emissions affect the production of excited systems in nuclear reactions, thus modifying their properties which enter as input parameters in the comparison with statistical models. In this contribution, we discuss this subject referring to recent results from experiments performed at Legnaro National Laboratories (Italy) with the GARFIELD apparatus complemented with other detectors. ispartof: Acta Physica Polonica B vol:48 issue:3 pages:635-639 ispartof: location:Zakopane: POLAND status: published

The SPES project, based on a variable energy high current proton cyclotron (35-70 MeV; 750 μA ), soon to be operational at LNL, foresees a neutron irradiation facility for Single Event Effects (SEE) studies on microelectronic c omponents and systems. The proposed facility will comprise both a beam line with continuous energy atmosphericlike neutron production targets, and a Quasi Mono-energetic Neutron (QMN) beam line. A direct proton beam line is also foreseen. Here we describe the general features of the proposed QMN beam line. The quasi mono-energetic ne utrons will be produced in various thin Be and Li targets and the spent proton beam will be magnetically deflected towards a beam dump. The layout of the facility with a multi-angle collimator scheme for tail corrections is presented an d the proton currents necessary to deliver high neutron fluxes using thin Be targets are estimated. © 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of UCANS

The dynamics of the excited superheavy system with Z = 118 in the reaction Kr-86 + Pb-208 at E-Kr = 460, 500, and 600 MeV has been investigated. The mass and kinetic energy of binary fragments were measured by the time-of-flight method. Double-differential distributions of protons and a particles were measured in coincidence with fragments. The proton spectra can be described considering only evaporation from fragments. Evidence of the neck fragmentation was obtained from analysis of double-differential a spectra. Properties of the alpha-particle neck fragmentation component are close to those known from the tertiary fission of actinide nuclei, but the multiplicity is much larger than can be expected from extrapolation of the ternary fission data.

A 4pi light charged particle spectrometer, named 8pLP, is in operation at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (Italy) for the study of the reaction mechanisms produced in low-energy heavy-ion reactions. The spectrometer has recently been used in a study of fission dynamics that involves the detection of light charged particles in the fission and evaporation residue channel in a system of intermediate fissility, as well as in a study of multinucleon transfer to heavy target. Data on the system 240 MeV S-32 + Mo-100 are presented. Dynamical effects extracted as a consequence of the comparison of the data to the statistical model calculations are discussed.

Light particles in coincidence with evaporation residues and heavy fragments have been measured by a 4pi charged-particle detector at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (Padua) for the 240 MeV S-32+Mo-100 reaction leading to the Ce-132 composite system at 152 MeV of excitation energy. Energy spectra of the alpha-particles in coincidence with fission fragments were extracted for many correlation angles both in plane and out of plane. A prominent out-of-plane emission was observed, consistent with the pattern for the near-scission emission. From the fit to the spectra, the pre-scission alpha-particle multiplicity of 0.040 +/- 0.006 was obtained. This value is reproduced by the code PACE2 without the inclusion of a delay time for fission. The presence of fast fission, which could be responsible for this result, is discussed.

The correlations between mass distributions of the binary fragments, total kinetic energy (TKE), and neutron multiplicity have been investigated for the reaction $^{50}\text{Ti}+\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}^{208}\text{Pb}$ at 294 MeV bombarding energy. Although this reaction has been used to synthesize the Rf ($Z=104$) superheavy element, a complete study of its fragmentation dynamics is still not available in the literature. In this work, average neutron multiplicities were extracted as a function of different fragment mass splits and TKE windows. A weak increase of the prescission neutron multiplicity is observed going from asymmetric to symmetric mass splits. A fission delay time of $4.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}20}$ s has been extracted for the symmetric fission. The neutron multiplicity extracted for the symmetric mass split was used to derive the average number of neutrons emitted in the spontaneous fission of $^{258}\text{Rf}$. The extrapolated value of $4.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.4$ is found to be consistent with systematics of spontaneous and neutron-induced fission in heavy nuclei and with the results of previous works for superheavy nuclei with $Z=116$ and $Z=124$.

The forward-emitted low energy tail of the neutron spectrum generated by the $^{7}\mathrm{Li}(p,n)^{7}\mathrm{Be}$ reaction on a thick target at a proton energy of 1893.6 keV was measured by time-of-flight spectroscopy. The measurement was performed at BELINA (Beam Line for Nuclear Astrophysics) of the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. Using the reaction kinematics and the proton on lithium stopping power the shape of the excitation function is calculated from the measured neutron spectrum. Good agreement with two reported measurements was found. Our data, along with the previous measurements, are well reproduced by the Breit-Wigner single-resonance formula for $s$-wave particles. The differential yield of the reaction is calculated and the widely used neutron spectrum at a proton energy of 1912 keV was reproduced. Possible causes regarding part of the 6.5% discrepancy between the $^{197}\mathrm{Au}(n,\ensuremath{\gamma})$ cross section measured at this energy by Ratynski and Kappeler [Phys. Rev. C 37, 595 (1988)] and the one obtained using the Evaluated Nuclear Data File version B-VII.1 are given.

The nuclear properties of $^{48}\mathrm{Cr}$ composite $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-like nuclei produced at 60 MeV of excitation energy via the $^{24}\mathrm{Mg}+^{24}\mathrm{Mg}$ reaction were investigated. This excitation energy corresponds to a resonance with a narrow width (170 keV) observed in the elastic and inelastic channels, which was interpreted as a highly deformed state. To gain insight on the deformation of this state exclusive measurements of light charged particles were carried out with $8\ensuremath{\pi}\mathrm{LP}$ apparatus at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro and compared to statistical model predictions. The measured of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-particle energy spectra, $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-evaporation residues, $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\alpha}$, and $\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\alpha}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ correlations indicate the limitation of the rotating liquid drop model in describing the nuclear shape of the compound nucleus along the decay cascade. To reproduce the full set of experimental data very elongated nuclear shapes had to be considered, with an axis ratio $3:1$ at the resonance angular momentum. This large deformation is consistent with previous findings for $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-like nuclei and with the predictions of the cranked cluster model.

A study of fusion-evaporation and (partly) fusion-fission channels for the $^{88}$Mo compound nucleus, produced at different excitation energies in the reaction $^{48}$Ti + $^{40}$Ca at 300, 450 and 600 MeV beam energies, is presented. Fusion-evaporation and fusion-fission cross sections have been extracted and compared with the existing systematics. Experimental data concerning light charged particles have been compared with the prediction of the statistical model in its implementation in the Gemini++ code, well suited even for high spin systems, in order to tune the main model parameters in a mass region not abundantly covered by exclusive experimental data. Multiplicities for light charged particles emitted in fusion evaporation events are also presented. Some discrepancies with respect to the prediction of the statistical model have been found for forward emitted $\alpha$-particles; they may be due both to pre-equilibrium emission and to reaction channels (such as Deep Inelastic Collisions, QuasiFission/QuasiFusion) different from the compound nucleus formation.

SPES, a new accelerator facility for both the production of exotic ion beams and radio-pharmaceuticals, is presently being installed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro in Italy (LNL). The new cyclotron, which will provide high intensity proton beams for the production of the rare isotopes, has been installed and is now in the commissioning phase. We present here the status of the part of the project devoted to the production and acceleration of fission fragments created in the interaction of an intense proton beam on a production target of UCx. The expected SPES radioactive beams intensities, their quality and their maximum energies (up to 11 MeV/A for A=130) will permit to perform forefront research in nuclear structure and nuclear dynamics far from the stability valley. Another low energy section of the facility is foreseen for new and challenging research, both in the nuclear physics and in the material science frameworks.

The SPES Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) facility, now in the construction phase at INFN-LNL, has the aim to provide high-intensity and high-quality beams of neutron-rich nuclei for nuclear physics research as well as to develop an interdisciplinary research center based on the cyclotron proton beam. The SPES system is based on a dual-exit high-current cyclotron, with tunable proton beam energy 35-70MeV and 0.20-0.75mA. The first exit is used as proton driver to supply an ISOL system with an UCx Direct Target able to sustain a power of 10kW. The expected fission rate in the target is of the order of \( 10^{13}\) fissions per second. The exotic isotopes will be re-accelerated by the ALPI superconducting LINAC at energies of 10 A MeV and higher, for masses around \( A=130\) amu, with an expected beam intensity of \( 10^7\) - \( 10^9\) pps. The second exit will be used for applied physics: radioisotope production for medicine and neutrons for material studies. Fast neutron spectra will be produced by the proton beam interaction with a conversion target. A production rate in excess of \( 10^{14}\) n/s can be achieved: this opens up the prospect of a high-flux neutron irradiation facility (NEPIR) to produce both discrete and continuous energy neutrons. A direct proton beam line is also envisaged. NEPIR and the direct proton line would dramatically increase the wide range of irradiation facilities presently available at LNL. We also present LENOS, a proposed project dedicated to accurate neutron cross-sections measurements using intense, well-characterized, broad energy neutron beams. Other activities already in operation at LNL are briefly reviewed: the SIRAD facility for proton and heavy-ion irradiation at the TANDEM-ALPI accelerator and the BELINA test facility at CN van de Graaff accelerator.

LENOS is a new facility under development at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL). It is based on a new technic for neutron beam shaping in accelerator based neutron sources. The main advantage of this method is to be able to shape the primary charged-particle beam to a defined energy distribution that, impinging on a neutron producing target, generates the desired neutron spectra at the sample position. Together with the proton energy distribution, other degrees of freedom are used to obtain the desired neutron energy spectra, e.g. the angular distribution of produced neutrons, the nuclear reactions used for the neutron spectra production, and the convolution of neutron spectra coming from different target materials. The main advantage of this new approach is the good control over the energy and spatial distribution of the produced neutron spectrum avoiding most of the problems due to neutron moderation, since it is easier to work with charged particles than with neutrons. The goal of the LENOS facility is to obtain a Maxwell-Boltzmann neutron energy spectrum with tunable temperature and a high neutron flux at sample position by using the 7Li(p,n) reaction. To maximize the neutron flux a very narrow primary proton beam has to be used, so the target has to remove a very high specific power. Currently available lithium targets are inadequate to sustain the high specific power that needs to be dissipated in the LENOS facility. A dedicated target based on micro-channel geometry and liquid metal cooling has been developed and tested. This contribution describes the status of the LENOS facility.

A high-current (500 μA) variable energy (35-70 MeV) proton cyclotron is under construction at the INFN LNL for the SPES project and will be commissioned in 2014. This opens up the prospect of a high flux neutron irradiation facility in Italy that could perform various research activities, in particular studies of Single Event Effects (SEE) induced in microelectronic devices and systems by atmospheric neutrons at sea level. In this paper we first review neutron-induced SEE, describe neutron testing facilities and briefly illustrate the project at LNL. We then describe two types of high power production targets under design to produce neutrons with a continuous atmospheric-like differential energy spectra in the energy range accessible to the accelerator. One target is a high power W-based thick target that will completely stop the 70 MeV protons. Another target, under preliminary study, is based on a multi-material target made, in this case, of two different materials, light (Be) and a heavy material such as Ta or Pb.

In the framework of the SPES Radioactive Beam Facility of INFN, a dedicated Ion Source R&D program has recently been started at the Legnaro Laboratory. The main goal is to study and improve its quality. The measurements of transverse phase space distributions of the ions produced in the target complex are of great importance for every ISOL based facility like for example SPES. In particular the phase space distribution becomes essential for the determination of simulation parameters and hence for the mass separation, the injection into traps and breeders, calculation of transport losses, etc. For these reasons a new beam emittance analyzer device, developed at the Legnaro laboratories, has recently been coupled with an off-line target front-end. The experimental measurements on the SPES surface ion source, using three different stable ion beams (Rb, Cs, Al), and their analysis, are presented here.

A 4π detection system sensitive to light charged particles is being developed at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL) for the study of the reaction mechanisms produced in heavy-ion collisions at energies up to 20 AMeV. The 8πLP apparatus is a telescope assembly characterized by large solid angle (90% of 4π) and high granularity (262 modules). Particle identification at low energy is enhanced by combining Δ E – E , TOF and PSD techniques. Thresholds for particle identification range from 1 MeV for protons and 3 MeV for alpha particles to about 2–3 AMeV for C ions. The system is fully operational for experiments.

Uranium carbide dispersed in graphite was produced under vacuum by means of carbothermic reduction of different uranium oxides (UO2, U3O8 and UO3), using graphite as the source of carbon. The thermal process was monitored by mass spectrometry and the gas evolution confirmed the reduction of the U3O8 and UO3 oxides to UO2 before the carbothermic reaction, that started to occur at T > 1000 °C. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of α-UC2 and of a minor amount of UC. The morphology of the produced uranium carbide was not affected by the oxides employed as the source of uranium.

LINUS is a project at the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories (LNL, Italy) to create a suite of different neutron sources (LSNS, NEPIR, SLOWNE) driven by existing accelerators. LSNS, driven by a 40 mA, 5 MeV proton RFQ, will use Li and Be targets to deliver cold, thermal, epithermal and fast neutrons. The SPES high current (0.75 mA), 70 MeV proton cyclotron will drive the NEPIR and SLOWNE facilities. NEPIR will alternatively deliver quasi mono-energetic neutrons with energy peak down to 20 MeV, and a neutron beam with a continuous energy distribution similar to that of neutrons present in the Earth atmosphere in the accessible energy range. SLOWNE is an intense neutron source for applications outside the LSNS range.

One-dimensional and three-dimensional dynamical fission calculations based on Langevin equations are performed for the compound nuclei 194 Pb, 200 Pb, 206 Pb, 182 Hg, and 204 Hg to investigate the influence of the compound nucleus isospin on the prescission particle multiplicities and on the fission fragment mass–energy distribution. It is found that the prescission neutron, proton, and alpha particle multiplicities have approximately the same sensitivity to the dissipation strength for a given nucleus. This is at variance with conclusions of recent papers. The sensitivity of the calculated prescission particle multiplicities to the dissipation strength becomes higher with decreasing isospin of fissioning compound nucleus, and the increase of prescission particle multiplicities could reach 200%, when the reduction coefficient of one-body viscosity k s increases from 0.1 to 1, for the most neutron deficient nuclei considered. The variances of fission fragment mass and kinetic energy distributions are less sensitive to the change of dissipation strength than the prescission light particle multiplicities. A comparison to experimental data concerning 200 Pb nucleus is also presented.

A very brief summary Of Our Current research on clustering in low density matter formed in near Fermi energy heavy ion collisions is presented. At the lowest densities and temperatures large alpha mass fractions are observed. Temperature and density dependent symmetry free energies have been derived from isoscaling analyzes of the yields of nuclei with A = 4. The symmetry free energies are far above those obtained in common effective interaction calculations, reflecting cluster formation, primarily of alpha particles, not included in such calculations.

The SPES Project at INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro SPES Technichal Design Report – www.lnl.infn.it/~spes/TDR2008/ is now in its early construction phase. SPES is an ISOL type Radioactive Ion Beam (RIB) J.Khalili, E. Roeckl, The Euroschool Lect. on Phys. with Exotic Beams, Vol. II, Springer (2006) facility for the production of neutron-rich radioactive nuclei by uranium fission. RIBs will be produced by proton induced fission on a UCx multi foil direct target at a rate of 10 13 fps, more than one order of magnitude larger than the currently available beam intensities. The recent developments on the production, ionization and acceleration of RIBs at SPES are hereafter presented.

The ISOLPHARM project explores the feasibility of exploiting an innovative technology to produce extremely high specific activity beta-emitting radionuclides as radiopharmaceutical precursors. This technique is expected to produce radiopharmaceuticals that are virtually mainly impossible to obtain in standard production facilities, at lower cost and with less environmental impact than traditional techniques. The groundbreaking ISOLPHARM method investigated in this project has been granted an international patent (INFN). As a component of the SPES (Selective Production of Exotic Species) project at the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare–Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (INFN–LNL), a new facility will produce radioactive ion beams of neutron-rich nuclei with high purity and a mass range of 80–160 amu. The radioactive isotopes will result from nuclear reactions induced by accelerating 40 MeV protons in a cyclotron to collide on a target of UC[Formula: see text]. The uranium in the target material will be [Formula: see text]U, yielding radioactive isotopes that belong to elements with an atomic number between 28 and 57. Isotope separation on line (ISOL) is adopted in the ISOLPHARM project to obtain pure isobaric beams for radiopharmaceutical applications, with no isotopic contaminations in the beam or subsequent trapping substrate. Isobaric contaminations may potentially affect radiochemical and radionuclide purity, but proper methods to separate chemically different elements can be developed.

The N2P research program funded by the INFN committee for Experimental Nuclear Physics (CSNIII) has among his goals the construction of a Proton Recoil Telescope (PRT), a detector to measure neutron energy spectra. The interest in such a detector is primarily related to the SPES project for rare beams production at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro. For the SPES project it is, in fact, of fundamental importance to have reliable information about energy spectra and yield for neutrons produced by d or p projectiles on thick light targets to model the ''conversion target'' in which the p or d are converted in neutrons. These neutrons, in a second stage, will induce the Uranium fission in the ''production target''. The fission products are subsequently extracted, selected and re-accelerated to produce the exotic beam. The neutron spectra and angular distribution are important parameters to define the final production of fission fragments. In addition, this detector can be used to measure neutron spectra in the field of cancer therapy (this topic is nowadays of particular interest to INFN, for the National Centre for Hadron therapy (CNAO) in Pavia) and space applications.

The BigSol Superconducting Solenoid Beam Line at the Texas A&M Superconducting Cyclotron has been used to measure energy losses of 40Ar, 84Kr, 197Au and 238U ions in mylar, aluminum and isobutane at energies ranging from the Bragg peak up to several MeV/nucleon. The experimental data are compared with predictions from the SRIM code. In general experimental data for 40Ar and 84Kr are in agreement with model predictions whereas differences on the order of 10% are evidenced in some cases for 197Au and 238U ions especially at and around the Bragg peak energies.

Passive nuclear track detectors in the study of multi fragmentation and compound nucleus fission in the fusion reaction 54 Cr + 208 Pb, leading to composite systems with Z = 106 is given. Results indicate that mostly nuclear tracks are related to fragments with low atomic number and less than 11% to beam like particles in opposition to the expected distribution.

The upgraded NIMROD–ISiS 4 π detector array is described. The array is composed of 228 detector modules annularly arranged into 14 rings. Telescopes of Si–CsI and Si–Si–CsI provide excellent isotopic resolution throughout the detector array. To enhance event characterization, the entire charged particle array is housed inside the TAMU Neutron Ball.