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1. Field Test of the MiniRadMeter Gamma and Neutron Detector for the EU Project CLEANDEM

Author

Marco Ripani, Fabio Rossi, Luigi Cosentino, Fabio Longhitano, Paolo Musico, Mikhail Osipenko, Gaetano Elio Poma, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
gamma detector, neutron detector, nuclear decommissioning, nuclear accident remediation, robotic radiological inspection, Chemical technology, TP1-1185
Abstract

In the framework of the H2020 CLEANDEM project, a small robotic vehicle was equipped with a series of different sensors that were developed for the preliminary inspection of areas possibly contaminated by radiation. Such unmanned inspection allows to identify dangerous locations prior to the possible start of human operations. One of the developed devices, named the MiniRadMeter, is a compact low-cost sensor that performs gamma and neutron radiation field mapping in the environment. The MiniRadMeter was successfully tested in a simulated field mission with four “hidden” radioactive sources and a neutron generator. In this work, we describe the test procedure and the results, which were supported by the outcome of dedicated Monte Carlo simulations.

Published
2024
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2. PI3SO: A Spectroscopic γ-Ray Scanner Table for Sort and Segregate Radwaste Analysis

Author

Gaetano Elio Poma, Chiara Rita Failla, Simone Amaducci, Luigi Cosentino, Fabio Longhitano, Gianfranco Vecchio, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
gamma-ray scanner, hot-spot finding, gamma spectroscopy, radioactive waste management, sort and segregate, Engineering machinery, tools, and implements, TA213-215, Technological innovations. Automation, HD45-45.2
Abstract

The current scenario of radioactive waste management requires innovative and automated solutions to ensure its effectiveness and safety. In response to this need, the Proximity Imaging System for Sort and Segregate Operations (PI3SO) project was proposed. It is a gamma radiation proximity scanner system for radioactive waste with the primary goal of speeding up some aspects of the waste management cycle while reducing direct human operations. The system will provide proximity imaging for hot-spot finding and spectral analysis for radiological characterization, enabling semiautomatic recognition, sorting and separation of radioactive waste. The core of the proposed scanning system consists of an array of 128 CsI(Tl) scintillators, 1 cm3 size, coupled with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), installed on a motorized bridge sliding along a suitable table in order to scan the materials under investigation.

Published
2024
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3. A Wireless Gamma-Ray Monitoring System for Cemented Radwaste Drums

Author

Mauro Romoli, Michele Di Giovanni, Paolo Di Meo, Antonio Pandalone, Claudio Principe, Carlo Sabbarese, Antonio D’Onofrio, Karel Prchal, Jakub Záruba, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
wireless radiation sensor, gamma-ray counter, radwaste monitoring, cemented radwaste drum, Chemical technology, TP1-1185
Abstract

In the framework of the PREDIS EU project, a wireless battery-operated gamma-ray detection system was developed in order to provide a medium-to-long-term monitoring system for radioactive waste drums. It was initially proposed to monitor the gamma radioactivity outcoming from steel drums containing cemented radwaste, even though it could be usefully employed in a wider range of applications. Gamma rays are penetrating and convey information from the drum's internal structure, as the count rate measured on the surface depends on the thickness and density of the crossed materials. A number of sensors arranged around a drum, typically four units, provide indications of the emission anisotropy, and any sensitive change in the measured count rate would hint at some anomaly, thus triggering a suitable inspection by operators.

Published
2024
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4. Development of a High-Efficiency Device for Thermal Neutron Detection Using a Sandwich of Two High-Purity 10B Enriched Layers

Author

Chiara Provenzano, Marcella Marra, Anna Paola Caricato, Paolo Finocchiaro, Simone Amaducci, Fabio Longhitano, Maurizio Martino, Gaetano Elio Poma, and Gianluca Quarta

Subjects
neutron detectors, solid state detectors, boron-10, helium-3 shortage, high-efficiency detector, Chemical technology, TP1-1185
Abstract

The shortage of 3He, a crucial element widely used as a neutron converter in neutron detection applications, has sparked significant research efforts aimed at finding alternative materials, developing appropriate deposition methods, and exploring new detector architectures. This issue has required the exploration of novel approaches to address the challenges faced in neutron detection. Among the available conversion materials, 10B has emerged as one of the most promising choices due to its high neutron-capture cross-section and relatively high Q value. In our previous papers, we delved into the possibility of depositing neutron conversion layers based on 10B using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). We investigated and evaluated the performance of these layers based on various factors, including deposition conditions, substrate properties, and film thickness. Moreover, we successfully developed and tested a device that employed a single conversion layer coupled with a silicon particle detector. In this current study, we present the development of a new device that showcases improved performance in terms of efficiency, sensitivity, and discrimination against γ background signals. The background signals can arise from the environment or be associated with the neutron field. To achieve these advancements, we considered a new detection geometry that incorporates the simultaneous use of two 10B conversion layers, each with a thickness of 1.5 μm, along with two solid-state silicon detectors. The primary objective of this design was to enhance the overall detection efficiency when compared to the single-layer geometry. By employing this novel setup, our results demonstrate a significant enhancement in the device’s performance when exposed to a neutron flux from an Am-Be neutron source, emitting a flux of approximately 2.2 × 106 neutrons per second. Furthermore, we established a noteworthy agreement between the experimental data obtained and the simulation results.

Published
2023
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5. Response of G-NUMEN LaBr3(Ce) Detectors to High Counting Rates

Author

Elisa Maria Gandolfo, José Roberto Brandao Oliveira, Luigi Campajola, Dimitra Pierroutsakou, Alfonso Boiano, Clementina Agodi, Francesco Cappuzzello, Diana Carbone, Manuela Cavallaro, Irene Ciraldo, Daniela Calvo, Franck Delaunay, Canel Eke, Fabio Longhitano, Nilberto Medina, Mauricio Moralles, Diego Sartirana, Vijay Raj Sharma, Alessandro Spatafora, Dennis Toufen, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
LaBr3(Ce) scintillator, gamma-ray detection, high counting rate, double-charge exchange reactions, NUMEN, Physics, QC1-999, Nuclear and particle physics. Atomic energy. Radioactivity, QC770-798
Abstract

The G-NUMEN array is the future gamma spectrometer of the NUMEN experiment (nuclear matrix element for neutrinoless double beta decay), to be installed around the object point of the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer at the INFN-LNS laboratory. This project aims to explore double-charge exchange (DCE) reactions in order to obtain crucial information about neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ). The primary objective of the G-NUMEN array is to detect the gamma rays emitted from the de-excitation of the excited states that are populated via DCE reactions with a good energy resolution and detection efficiency, amidst a background composed of the transitions from competing reaction channels with far higher cross sections. To achieve this, G-NUMEN signals will be processed in coincidence with those generated by the detection of reaction ejectiles by the MAGNEX focal plane detector (FPD). Under the expected experimental conditions, G-NUMEN detectors will operate at high counting rates, of the order of hundreds of kHz per detector, while maintaining excellent energy and timing resolutions. The complete array will consist of over 100 LaBr3(Ce) scintillators. Initial tests were conducted on the first detectors of the array, allowing for the determination of their performance at high rates.

Published
2023
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6. The Gamma and Neutron Sensor System for Rapid Dose Rate Mapping in the CLEANDEM Project

Author

Fabio Rossi, Luigi Cosentino, Fabio Longhitano, Saverio Minutoli, Paolo Musico, Mikhail Osipenko, Gaetano Elio Poma, Marco Ripani, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
gamma detector, neutron detector, nuclear decommissioning, nuclear accident remediation, robotic radiological inspection, Chemical technology, TP1-1185
Abstract

The decommissioning of nuclear installations, as well as the possible necessary accident remediations, requires the physical presence of human operators in potentially radiologically hostile environments. The number of active nuclear reactors worldwide is greater than 400, and most of them are 40 to 50 years old, thus implying that soon they will have to be dismantled. In the framework of the H2020 CLEANDEM project, a small robotic vehicle is being developed that is equipped with a series of different sensors for areas that are significantly contaminated by radiation. In this work, we describe the MiniRadMeter system, a compact low-cost sensor capable of being used to perform quick gamma and neutron radiation field mapping of environments prior to the possible start of human operations. The miniature gamma sensor is a 1 cm3 scintillator counter with moderate spectroscopic features read out by means of a 6 × 6 mm2 SiPM, whereas neutrons are detected by means of a silicon diode coupled to a layer of 6LiF and placed inside a 6 × 6 × 6 cm3 polyethylene box. The front-end and data acquisition electronics were developed based on a Raspberry Pi4 microcomputer. In this paper, the system performance and the preliminary test results are described.

Published
2023
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7. 6LiF Converters for Neutron Detection: Production Procedures and Detector Tests

Author

Antonio Massara, Simone Amaducci, Luigi Cosentino, Fabio Longhitano, Carmelo Marchetta, Gaetano Elio Poma, Martina Ursino, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
neutron converter, lithium fluoride, neutron detection, Physics, QC1-999, Nuclear and particle physics. Atomic energy. Radioactivity, QC770-798
Abstract

Several methods to detect thermal neutrons make use of the naturally occurring 6Li isotope, as it has a rather high cross-section for neutron capture followed by a decay into an alpha particle and a triton. Due to the high chemical reactivity of lithium, the use of the stable isotopic salt 6LiF is generally preferred to the pure 6Li. The typical method for depositing thin layers of 6LiF on suitable substrates, therefore creating so-called neutron converters, is evaporation under vacuum. The evaporation technique, as well as a newly developed chemical deposition process, are described along with their benefits and drawbacks, and the results of neutron detection tests performed with the two types of converters coupled to silicon diodes show convenient performances.

Published
2022
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8. A Scintillator Array Table with Spectroscopic Features

Author

Fabio Longhitano, Gaetano Elio Poma, Luigi Cosentino, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
radioactive waste sorting, radiation detection, hot-spot localization, scintillator array, SiPM array, Chemical technology, TP1-1185
Abstract

In the framework of radioactive material handling, such as in radwaste sorting and segregation operations, the availability of a simple tool to quickly detect and locate gamma radiation spots can be quite convenient. Additional spectroscopic features, even with moderate energy resolutions, could provide a useful benefit. As a proof of principle for such a tool, we developed a gamma detector prototype featuring an array of 10 × 10 CsI(Tl) scintillators (1 × 1 × 1 cm3) providing readouts by means of a corresponding array of 6 × 6 mm2 silicon photo multipliers (SiPM). Such a detector table could be easily incorporated into a work desk for quick scanning of possibly radioactive objects. The proposed detector has a good counting efficiency and energy resolution, while the simulations and tests show interesting hot-spot localization capabilities.

Published
2022
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9. The NUMEN Project: An Update of the Facility Toward the Future Experimental Campaigns

Author

Francesco Cappuzzello, Luis Acosta, Clementina Agodi, Ismail Boztosun, Giuseppe A. Brischetto, Salvatore Calabrese, Luciano Calabretta, Daniela Calvo, Luigi Campajola, Vittoria Capirossi, Diana Carbone, Manuela Cavallaro, Efrain Chávez, Irene Ciraldo, Franck Delaunay, Haris Djapo, Carlo Ferraresi, Paolo Finocchiaro, Maria Fisichella, Elisa M. Gandolfo, Felice Iazzi, Mauricio Moralles, Lorenzo Neri, Josè R. B. Oliveira, Luciano Pandola, Horia Petrascu, Federico Pinna, Antonio D. Russo, Diego Sartirana, Onoufrios Sgouros, S. O. Solakci, Vasileios Soukeras, Alessandro Spatafora, Domenico Torresi, Salvatore Tudisco, and Aydin Yildirim

Subjects
double beta decay, nuclear matrix elements, double charge exchange, heavy ion multidetector, MAGNEX spectrometer, Astronomy, QB1-991, Geophysics. Cosmic physics, QC801-809
Abstract

The goal of NUMEN project is to access experimentally driven information on Nuclear Matrix Elements (NME) involved in the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) by accurate measurements of the cross sections of heavy-ion induced double charge-exchange reactions. In particular, the (18O, 18Ne) and (20Ne, 20O) reactions are adopted as tools for β+β+ and β−β− decays, respectively. The experiments are performed at INFN–Laboratory Nazionali del Sud (LNS) in Catania using the Superconducting Cyclotron to accelerate the beams and the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer to detect the reaction products. The measured cross sections are very low, limiting the present exploration to few selected isotopes of interest in the context of typically low-yield experimental runs. In order to make feasible a systematic study of all the candidate nuclei, a major upgrade of the LNS facility is foreseen to increase the experimental yield by more than two orders of magnitude. To this purpose, frontier technologies are being developed for both the accelerator and the detection systems. An update description of the NUMEN project is presented here, focusing on recent achievements from the R&D activity.

Published
2021
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10. First Results of the 140Ce(n,γ)141Ce Cross-Section Measurement at n_TOF

Author

Simone Amaducci, Nicola Colonna, Luigi Cosentino, Sergio Cristallo, Paolo Finocchiaro, Milan Krtička, Cristian Massimi, Mario Mastromarco, Annamaria Mazzone, Alberto Mengoni, Stanislav Valenta, Oliver Aberle, Victor Alcayne, Józef Andrzejewski, Laurent Audouin, Victor Babiano-Suarez, Michael Bacak, Massimo Barbagallo, Samuel Bennett, Eric Berthoumieux, Jon Billowes, Damir Bosnar, Adam Brown, Maurizio Busso, Manuel Caamaño, Luis Caballero-Ontanaya, Francisco Calviño, Marco Calviani, Daniel Cano-Ott, Adria Casanovas, Francesco Cerutti, Enrico Chiaveri, Guillem Cortés, Miguel Cortés-Giraldo, Lucia-Anna Damone, Paul-John Davies, Maria Diakaki, Mirco Dietz, Cesar Domingo-Pardo, Rugard Dressler, Quentin Ducasse, Emmeric Dupont, Ignacio Durán, Zinovia Eleme, Beatriz Fernández-Domínguez, Alfredo Ferrari, Valter Furman, Kathrin Göbel, Ruchi Garg, Aleksandra Gawlik, Simone Gilardoni, Isabel Gonçalves, Enrique González-Romero, Carlos Guerrero, Frank Gunsing, Hideo Harada, Stephan Heinitz, Jan Heyse, David Jenkins, Arnd Junghans, Franz Käppeler, Yacine Kadi, Atsushi Kimura, Ingrid Knapova, Michael Kokkoris, Yuri Kopatch, Deniz Kurtulgil, Ion Ladarescu, Claudia Lederer-Woods, Helmut Leeb, Jorge Lerendegui-Marco, Sarah-Jane Lonsdale, Daniela Macina, Alice Manna, Trinitario Martínez, Alessandro Masi, Pierfrancesco Mastinu, Emilio-Andrea Maugeri, Emilio Mendoza, Veatriki Michalopoulou, Paolo Milazzo, Federica Mingrone, Javier Moreno-Soto, Agatino Musumarra, Alexandru Negret, Francisco Ogállar, Andreea Oprea, Nikolas Patronis, Andreas Pavlik, Jarosław Perkowski, Luciano Piersanti, Cristina Petrone, Elisa Pirovano, Ignacio Porras, Javier Praena, José-Manuel Quesada, Diego Ramos-Doval, Thomas Rauscher, René Reifarth, Dimitri Rochman, Carlo Rubbia, Marta Sabaté-Gilarte, Alok Saxena, Peter Schillebeeckx, Dorothea Schumann, Adhitya Sekhar, Gavin Smith, Nikolay Sosnin, Peter Sprung, Athanasios Stamatopoulos, Giuseppe Tagliente, José Tain, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, Laurent Tassan-Got, Benedikt Thomas, Pablo Torres-Sánchez, Andrea Tsinganis, Jiri Ulrich, Sebastian Urlass, Gianni Vannini, Vincenzo Variale, Pedro Vaz, Alberto Ventura, Diego Vescovi, Vasilis Vlachoudis, Rosa Vlastou, Anton Wallner, PhilipJohn Woods, Tobias Wright, and Petar Žugec

Subjects
cerium, 140Ce, neutron, capture, cross-section, s-process, Elementary particle physics, QC793-793.5
Abstract

An accurate measurement of the 140Ce(n,γ) energy-dependent cross-section was performed at the n_TOF facility at CERN. This cross-section is of great importance because it represents a bottleneck for the s-process nucleosynthesis and determines to a large extent the cerium abundance in stars. The measurement was motivated by the significant difference between the cerium abundance measured in globular clusters and the value predicted by theoretical stellar models. This discrepancy can be ascribed to an overestimation of the 140Ce capture cross-section due to a lack of accurate nuclear data. For this measurement, we used a sample of cerium oxide enriched in 140Ce to 99.4%. The experimental apparatus consisted of four deuterated benzene liquid scintillator detectors, which allowed us to overcome the difficulties present in the previous measurements, thanks to their very low neutron sensitivity. The accurate analysis of the p-wave resonances and the calculation of their average parameters are fundamental to improve the evaluation of the 140Ce Maxwellian-averaged cross-section.

Published
2021
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11. Gamma—Ray Counters to Monitor Radioactive Waste Packages in the MICADO Project

Author

Luigi Cosentino, Martina Giuffrida, Sergio Lo Meo, Fabio Longhitano, Alfio Pappalardo, Giuseppe Passaro, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
gamma-ray counters, radwaste management, radwaste monitoring, Physics, QC1-999, Nuclear and particle physics. Atomic energy. Radioactivity, QC770-798
Abstract

One of the goals of the MICADO Euratom project is to monitor the gamma-rays emitted by radioactive waste drums in storage sites on a medium to long term basis. For this purpose, 36 low-cost gamma-ray counters were designed and built to act as a demonstrator. These counters, named SciFi, are based on a scintillating fiber readout at each end by a silicon photomultiplier, assembled in a robust arrangement in the form of 80 cm long pipes. Several counters will be placed around radwaste packages in order to monitor the gamma dose-rate by collecting a continuous data stream. The 36 sensors were thoroughly tested with a 22Na and a 137Cs gamma-ray sources, and with an AmBe neutron and gamma-ray source, the results are quite satisfactory, and the next step will be the test in a real environment.

Published
2021
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12. SiLiF Neutron Counters to Monitor Nuclear Materials in the MICADO Project

Author

Luigi Cosentino, Quentin Ducasse, Martina Giuffrida, Sergio Lo Meo, Fabio Longhitano, Carmelo Marchetta, Antonio Massara, Alfio Pappalardo, Giuseppe Passaro, Salvatore Russo, and Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
neutron detectors, radwaste management, radwaste monitoring, Chemical technology, TP1-1185
Abstract

In the framework of the MICADO (Measurement and Instrumentation for Cleaning And Decommissioning Operations) European Union (EU) project, aimed at the full digitization of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste management, a set of 32 solid state thermal neutron detectors named SiLiF has been built and characterized. MICADO encompasses a complete active and passive characterization of the radwaste drums with neutrons and gamma rays, followed by a longer-term monitoring phase. The SiLiF detectors are suitable for the monitoring of nuclear materials and can be used around radioactive waste drums possibly containing small quantities of actinides, as well as around spent fuel casks in interim storage or during transportation. Suitable polyethylene moderators can be exploited to better shape the detector response to the expected neutron spectrum, according to Monte Carlo simulations that were performed. These detectors were extensively tested with an AmBe neutron source, and the results show a quite uniform and reproducible behavior.

Published
2021
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13. The NUMEN Project: Toward New Experiments with High-Intensity Beams

Author

Clementina Agodi, Antonio D. Russo, Luciano Calabretta, Grazia D’Agostino, Francesco Cappuzzello, Manuela Cavallaro, Diana Carbone, Paolo Finocchiaro, Luciano Pandola, Domenico Torresi, Daniela Calvo, Diego Sartirana, Luigi Campajola, Vittoria Capirossi, Felice Iazzi, and Federico Pinna

Subjects
neutrinoless double beta decay, nuclear double-charge exchange reactions, superconducting cyclotron, magnetic spectrometer, high-intensity beams, Elementary particle physics, QC793-793.5
Abstract

The search for neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay is currently a key topic in physics, due to its possible wide implications for nuclear physics, particle physics, and cosmology. The NUMEN project aims to provide experimental information on the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) that are involved in the expression of 0νββ decay half-life by measuring the cross section of nuclear double-charge exchange (DCE) reactions. NUMEN has already demonstrated the feasibility of measuring these tiny cross sections for some nuclei of interest for the 0νββ using the superconducting cyclotron (CS) and the MAGNEX spectrometer at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS.) Catania, Italy. However, since the DCE cross sections are very small and need to be measured with high sensitivity, the systematic exploration of all nuclei of interest requires major upgrade of the facility. R&D for technological tools has been completed. The realization of new radiation-tolerant detectors capable of sustaining high rates while preserving the requested resolution and sensitivity is underway, as well as the upgrade of the CS to deliver beams of higher intensity. Strategies to carry out DCE cross-section measurements with high-intensity beams were developed in order to achieve the challenging sensitivity requested to provide experimental constraints to 0νββ NMEs.

Published
2021
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14. Initial State Interaction for the 20Ne + 130Te and 18O + 116Sn Systems at 15.3 AMeV from Elastic and Inelastic Scattering Measurements

Author

Diana Carbone, Roberto Linares, Paulina Amador-Valenzuela, Salvatore Calabrese, Francesco Cappuzzello, Manuela Cavallaro, Suna Firat, Maria Fisichella, Alessandro Spatafora, Luis Acosta, Clementina Agodi, Ismail Boztosun, Giuseppe A. Brischetto, Daniela Calvo, Efrain R. Chávez Lomelí, Irene Ciraldo, Mauro Cutuli, Franck Delaunay, Nikit Deshmukh, Paolo Finocchiaro, Antonino Foti, Aylin Hacisalihoglu, Felice Iazzi, Laura La Fauci, Gaetano Lanzalone, Nilberto H. Medina, Djalma Mendes, José R. B. Oliveira, Athina Pakou, Luciano Pandola, Horia Petrascu, Federico Pinna, Giuseppe Russo, Onoufrios Sgouros, Selçuk O. Solakci, Vasilis Soukeras, George Souliotis, Domenico Torresi, Salvatore Tudisco, Aydin Yildirim, and Vinicius A. B. Zagatto

Subjects
initial state interaction, elastic and inelastic scattering, MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer, coupled-channel calculations, optical potential, double charge exchange reactions, Elementary particle physics, QC793-793.5
Abstract

Double charge exchange (DCE) reactions could provide experimentally driven information about nuclear matrix elements of interest in the context of neutrinoless double-β decay. To achieve this goal, a detailed description of the reaction mechanism is mandatory. This requires the full characterization of the initial and final-state interactions, which are poorly known for many of the projectile-target systems involved in future DCE studies. Among these, we intend to study the 20Ne + 130Te and 18O + 116Sn systems at 15.3 AMeV, which are particularly relevant due to their connection with the 130Te→130Xe and 116Cd→116Sn double-β decays. We measure the elastic and inelastic scattering cross-section angular distributions and compare them with theoretical calculations performed in the optical model, one-step distorted wave Born approximation, and coupled-channel approaches using the São Paulo double-folding optical potential. A good description of the experimental data in the whole explored range of transferred momenta is obtained provided that couplings with the 21+ states of the projectile and target are explicitly included within the coupled-channel approach. These results are relevant also in the analysis of other quasi-elastic reaction channels in these systems, in which the same couplings should be included.

Published
2021
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15. The NUMEN Heavy Ion Multidetector for a Complementary Approach to the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

Author

Paolo Finocchiaro, Luis Acosta, Clementina Agodi, Carmen Altana, Paulina Amador-Valenzuela, Ismail Boztosun, Sandro Brasolin, Giuseppe A. Brischetto, Oscar Brunasso, Salvatore Calabrese, Luciano Calabretta, Daniela Calvo, Vittoria Capirossi, Francesco Cappuzzello, Diana Carbone, Manuela Cavallaro, Efrain R. Chávez Lomeli, Irene Ciraldo, Grazia D’Agostino, Franck Delaunay, Haris Djapo, Carlo Ferraresi, Maria Fisichella, David C. Flechas Garcia, Felice Iazzi, Laura La Fauci, Gaetano Lanzalone, Francesco La Via, Roberto Linares, Nilberto H. Medina, Paulo Mereu, Mauricio Moralles, Josè R. B. Oliveira, Luciano Pandola, Alfio Pappalardo, Horia Petrascu, Federico Pinna, Antonio D. Russo, Diego Sartirana, Onoufrios Sgouros, Selcuk Oktay Solakci, Vasilis Soukeras, Alessandro Spatafora, Domenico Torresi, Salvatore Tudisco, Aydin Yildirim, and Vinicius A. B. Zagatto

Subjects
neutrino, double beta decay, double charge exchange, heavy ion multidetector, MAGNEX spectrometer, Elementary particle physics, QC793-793.5
Abstract

Neutrinos are so far the most elusive known particles, and in the last decades many sophisticated experiments have been set up in order to clarify several questions about their intrinsic nature, in particular their masses, mass hierarchy, intrinsic nature of Majorana or Dirac particles. Evidence of the Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay (NDBD) would prove that neutrinos are Majorana particles, thus improving the understanding of the universe itself. Besides the search for several large underground experiments for the direct experimental detection of NDBD, the NUMEN experiment proposes the investigation of a nuclear mechanism strongly linked to this decay: the Double Charge Exchange reactions (DCE). As such reactions share with the NDBD the same initial and final nuclear states, they could shed light on the determination of the Nuclear Matrix Elements (NMEs), which play a relevant role in the decay. The physics of DCE is described elsewhere in this issue, while the focus of this paper will be on the challenging experimental apparatus currently under construction in order to fulfil the requirements of the NUMEN experiment. The overall structure of the technological improvement to the cyclotron, along with the newly developed detection systems required for tracking and identifying the reaction products and their final excitation level are described.

Published
2020
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16. Single Photon Avalanche Diodes: Towards the Large Bidimensional Arrays

Author

Emilio Sciacca, Salvo Lombardo, Massimo Mazzillo, Giovanni Condorelli, Paolo Finocchiaro, Luigi Cosentino, Angelo Campisi, Agata Scordino, Alessandro Pluchino, Francesco Musumeci, Luca Lanzanò, Salvatore Tudisco, and Simona Privitera

Subjects
Single photon, avalanche photodiode, silicon photomultiplier, photon detection efficiency, timing, afterpulsing, cross-talk, 2D array., Chemical technology, TP1-1185
Abstract

Single photon detection is one of the most challenging goals of photonics. In recent years, the study of ultra-fast and/or low-intensity phenomena has received renewed attention from the academic and industrial communities. Intense research activity has been focused on bio-imaging applications, bio-luminescence, bio-scattering methods, and, more in general, on several applications requiring high speed operation and high timing resolution. In this paper we present design and characterization of bi-dimensional arrays of a next generation of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). Single photon sensitivity, dark noise, afterpulsing and timing resolution of the single SPAD have been examined in several experimental conditions. Moreover, the effects arising from their integration and the readout mode have also been deeply investigated.

Published
2008

17. New Cleft-like Molecules and Macrocycles from Phosphonate Substituted Spirobisindanol

Author

Paolo Finocchiaro, Salvatore Failla, and Giuseppe A. Consiglio

Subjects
Stereochemistry, NMR, FAB, X-ray-structures, Hosts for biomolecules, Chiral HPLC resolutions, Hamburger Macrobicycles., Organic chemistry, QD241-441
Abstract

We have synthetized medium-sized cyclophanes and macrocycles containingphosphonic groups, directly linked to the aromatic rings of the phanes or as pendant arms,for use as specific receptors for the selective complexation of neutral guests or forcomplexing lanthanides, as luminescent sensors and for diagnostic bioassays in medicine.Furthermore, because it would be of great interest for biochemistry as well as forpharmacological studies to dispose of preorganized rigid chiral hosts for biorelevantmolecules we designed inter alia, some new chiral macrocycles capable of a triple bindingmode and we used them for constructing macrocycles that could also be of interest forchiral recognition and chiral separations. Thus, in this paper we shall review the salientaspects of some macrocycles synthetized in our laboratory, all possessing the phosphonatemoiety and a spirobisindanol scaffold and able to act as complexing agents for cations andorganic substrates. In particular, we shall describe their NMR characterization, theirstereochemistry in solution and in the solid state, and their use as chiral receptors forbiorelevant molecules. Chiral HPLC resolution of some of them is also reported.

Published
2008
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18. Factors Affecting the Efficiency of Excited-States Interactions of Complexes between Some Visible Light-Emitting Lanthanide Ions and Cyclophanes Containing Spirobiindanol Phosphonates

Author

M. S. Attia, M. M. H. Khalil, Ayman A. Abdel-Shafi, G. M. Attia, Salvatore Failla, Giuseppe Consiglio, Paolo Finocchiaro, and M. S. A. Abdel-Mottaleb

Subjects
Renewable energy sources, TJ807-830
Abstract

The efficiency of excited-states interactions between lanthanide ions Tb3+ and Eu3+ and some new cyclophanes (I, II, and III) has been studied in different media. High luminescence quantum yield values for terbium and europium complexes in DMSO and PMMA were obtained. The photophysical properties of the green and red emissive Tb3+ and Eu3+ complexes have been elucidated, respectively.

Published
2007
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21. Real-time monitoring to reduce the risks of nuclear radwaste repositories

Author

Paolo Finocchiaro

Abstract

Real-time monitoring to reduce the risks of nuclear radwaste repositories Paolo Finocchiaro, a Nuclear Physicist and Head Technologist at INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud argues the struggles of dangerous radioactive waste, or radwaste which comes with the immense potential benefits of nuclear power. Technologies have made it possible to develop low-cost systems capable of monitoring the penetrating radiation coming out of each single spent nuclear fuel cask or radwaste drum, by means of simple, compact, and effective counters for the detection of gamma rays and neutrons. However, these solutions don't come without complications: (i) the local ambient monitoring is limited to a few positions; (ii) it requires people moving around in a potentially dangerous environment. Fincchiaro suggests that human surveillance will be necessary along with cameras, adding to the main concerns when considering the risk of insider threats, especially in light of the increased risks of terrorism. Looking at two new detector technologies, named SciFi and SiLiF, Fincchiaro looks at their successful tests on radwaste from the very low to the highest activity level.

Published
2023

23. Thermal neutron conversion by high purity 10B-enriched layers: PLD-growth, thickness-dependence and neutron-detection performances

Author

Anna Paola Caricato, Maura Cesaria, Paolo Finocchiaro, Simone Amaducci, Fabio Longhitano, Chiara Provenzano, Marcella Marra, Maurizio Martino, Muhammad Rizwan Aziz, Antonio Serra, Daniela Manno, Lucio Calcagnile, Gianluca Quarta, Caricato, A. P., Cesaria, M., Finocchiaro, P., Amaducci, S., Longhitano, F., Provenzano, C., Marra, M., Martino, M., Aziz, M. R., Serra, A., Manno, D., Calcagnile, L., and Quarta, G.

Subjects
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes, General Physics and Astronomy
Abstract

Neutron applications and detection are of paramount importance in industry, medicine, scientific research, homeland security, production of extreme UV optics and so on. Neutron detection requires a converter element that, as a result of its interaction with neutrons, produces reaction products (mainly charged particles) whose detection can be correlated with the neutron flux. Reduced availability and increased cost of the most used converter element, 3He, have triggered research efforts for alternative materials, proper deposition methods and new detector architectures. 10B converter is a valid alternative to 3He thanks to its high thermal neutron cross section and relatively high Q value. In this paper we report on the room temperature Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) of high quality and uniform 10B films with the expected density, different thickness values (0.5, 1.0, 1.2, 1.5 and 2.0 μm) and uniform thickness over a circular area of about 30 mm in diameter. Additionally, they are adherent to the substrate with a negligible presence of contaminants. The conversion properties of such 10B coatings coupled to a Si solid state detector are studied upon exposure to a neutron flux from an Am-Be neutron source (2.2·106 n/s). The experimental results, compared with spectra simulated by using a GEANT4 code, present a good agreement and efficiencies of the order of a few percent.

Published
2022

24. Neumonía por COVID-19: el impacto de la coagulopatía

Author

Leonardo Aluigi, Luca Costanzo, Giorgio Ardita, Giacomo Failla, Pier Luigi-Antignani, Simona A. Grasso, Francesco Paolo Palumbo, Paolo Finocchiaro, Luigi Di Pino, and Francesco Mugno

Subjects
Pneumonia, medicine.medical_specialty, business.industry, Internal medicine, medicine, Coagulopathy, General Medicine, Disease, medicine.disease, business, medicine.disease_cause, Gastroenterology, Coronavirus
Published
2022

27. O18+Se76 elastic and inelastic scattering at 275 MeV

Author

H. Djapo, Salvatore Calabrese, D. Calvo, G. A. Brischetto, Canel Eke, C. Agodi, Luciano Pandola, A. Hacisalihoglu, Nilberto H. Medina, Felice Iazzi, J. R. B. Oliveira, Franck Delaunay, P. Amador-Valenzuela, I. Ciraldo, G. A. Souliotis, Mauricio Moralles, J. Lubian, A. Yildirin, V. Soukeras, Alessandro Spatafora, Francesco Cappuzzello, A. Pakou, E. R. Chávez Lomelí, J. S. Wang, V. Capirossi, A. Foti, G. V. Russo, L. La Fauci, S. Tudisco, H. Petrascu, Youhua Yang, Daniele Carbone, Federico Pinna, Jun-Bing Ma, S. O. Solakci, P. Ries, Thereza Borello-Lewin, Roberto Linares, Maria Fisichella, D. Torresi, M. Cutuli, S. Firat, V. A. B. Zagatto, Manuela Cavallaro, L. Acosta, M. A. Guazzelli, Paolo Finocchiaro, and O. Sgouros

Subjects
Nuclear physics, Physics, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, 0103 physical sciences, Inelastic scattering, 010306 general physics, 01 natural sciences
Published
2021

28. Measurement of the Ge76(n,γ) cross section at the n_TOF facility at CERN

Author

M. A. Cortés-Giraldo, V. Bécares, A. Pavlik, C. Domingo-Pardo, D. Cano-Ott, F. Cerutti, M. Diakaki, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, Y. Kadi, A. Gawlik-Ramięga, G. Vannini, F. Bečvář, M. Caamaño, N. Colonna, C. Weiss, A. Oprea, Rugard Dressler, C. Wolf, E. Mendoza, G. Cortes, I. Knapova, S. Valenta, P. Vaz, A. Tsinganis, Peter Schillebeeckx, E. Leal-Cidoncha, Marco Calviani, Y. H. Chen, A. G. Smith, M. Mirea, Javier Praena, S. Lo Meo, Vasilis Vlachoudis, D. Bosnar, Claudia Lederer-Woods, Philip Woods, V. Khryachkov, L. Cosentino, D. G. Jenkins, P. M. Milazzo, O. Aberle, A. Kimura, F. Calviño, H. Leeb, J. Perkowski, P. V. Sedyshev, M. Bacak, R. Cardella, K. Rajeev, A. Musumarra, J. I. Porras, T. Glodariu, Thomas Rauscher, B. Fernández-Domínguez, F. Käppeler, Roberto Losito, Francesca Matteucci, S. Montesano, D. M. Castelluccio, S. Warren, Tanja Heftrich, Kathrin Göbel, V. Furman, T. J. Wright, G. Tagliente, E. Chiaveri, C. Rubbia, A. Stamatopoulos, A. Tattersall, A. Riego-Perez, P. F. Mastinu, V. Variale, Tatsuya Katabuchi, A. Ventura, Pedro G. Ferreira, Mario Weigand, S. Heinitz, J. Andrzejewski, A. Casanovas, D. Macina, Jan Heyse, Carlos Guerrero, J. L. Tain, P. C. Rout, Petar Žugec, Niko Kivel, F. Gunsing, E. Jericha, Emilio Andrea Maugeri, S. Barros, F. Mingrone, Paolo Finocchiaro, M. Krtička, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, S. J. Lonsdale, Dorothea Schumann, Cristian Massimi, J. Lerendegui-Marco, P. Kavrigin, J. A. Ryan, T. Martinez, Rene Reifarth, L. Audouin, I. F. Gonçalves, M. Kokkoris, E. González-Romero, Stefan Schmidt, Ralf Nolte, A. Goverdovski, J. M. Quesada, L. Tassan-Got, A. Mengoni, E. Griesmayer, U. Battino, R. Vlastou, L. A. Damone, E. Berthoumieux, N. Patronis, A. K. Saxena, Arnaud Ferrari, V. Ketlerov, J. Billowes, I. Duran, A. R. García, M. Brugger, C. Beinrucker, E. Dupont, M. Dietz, M. Mastromarco, Massimo Barbagallo, Anton Wallner, J. Balibrea, and Hideo Harada

Subjects
Croatian, Physics, Czech, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, European research, 0103 physical sciences, language, Library science, 010306 general physics, 01 natural sciences, language.human_language
Abstract

This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF (J3503), the Adolf Messer Foundation (Germany), the UK Science and Facilities Council (ST/M006085/1), and the European Research Council ERC-2015-StG No. 677497. We also acknowledge support of Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN) under the grant (UMO-2016/22/M/ST2/00183) and University of Lodz under the grant (9/IDUB/MLOD/2021), MEYS of the Czech Republic, the Charles University project UNCE/SCI/013, and the Croatian Science Foundation under the project IP-2018-01-8570.

Published
2021

29. Destruction of the cosmic γ -ray emitter Al26 in massive stars: Study of the key Al26(n,α) reaction

Author

M. Caamaño, A. Gawlik, Thomas Rauscher, M. Bacak, T. Davinson, A. Pavlik, C. Domingo-Pardo, E. González-Romero, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, T. Glodariu, M. Mastromarco, D. Cano-Ott, G. Cortes, G. Tagliente, M. Diakaki, Alexandru Negret, C. Weiss, B. Fernández-Domínguez, F. Käppeler, Javier Praena, S. Lo Meo, A. R. García, S. Heinitz, Rugard Dressler, Massimo Barbagallo, A. Oprea, D. Bosnar, Emilio Andrea Maugeri, A. Kimura, A. Casanovas, N. Colonna, M. Kokkoris, J. Marganiec, N. V. Sosnin, M. A. Cortés-Giraldo, Anton Wallner, Rene Reifarth, J. Andrzejewski, A. Mengoni, I. Duran, L. Cosentino, A. Musumarra, Y. H. Chen, J. Balibrea, P. Vaz, A. Manna, Annamaria Mazzone, Petar Žugec, P. J. Woods, Vasilis Vlachoudis, N. Patronis, D. Macina, Carlos Guerrero, A. K. Saxena, A. Stamatopoulos, Arnaud Ferrari, F. Cerutti, J. Billowes, F. J. Ferrer, P. Kavrigin, Ralf Nolte, Hideo Harada, J. M. Quesada, Simone Gilardoni, E. Griesmayer, L. A. Damone, A. Masi, D. G. Jenkins, L. Tassan-Got, R. Cardella, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, S. J. Lonsdale, M. Krtička, S. Warren, J. Lerendegui-Marco, V. Variale, S. Amaducci, Sergio Cristallo, Claudia Lederer-Woods, T. Martinez, Y. Kadi, E. Dupont, I. F. Gonçalves, Kathrin Göbel, Deniz Kurtulgil, P. V. Sedyshev, A. Ventura, S. Valenta, Marco Calviani, R. Vlastou, D. Radeck, A. G. Smith, E. Chiaveri, Ignacio Porras, E. Berthoumieux, P. F. Mastinu, Jan Heyse, A. Kalamara, V. Furman, T. J. Wright, C. Paradela, J. L. Tain, L. Audouin, Niko Kivel, O. Aberle, F. Calviño, H. Leeb, J. Perkowski, Pedro G. Ferreira, F. Gunsing, Cristian Massimi, C. Rubbia, E. Jericha, Paolo Finocchiaro, Dorothea Schumann, J. A. Ryan, A. S. Brown, P. M. Milazzo, F. Bečvář, E. Mendoza, Peter Schillebeeckx, A. Estrade, F. Mingrone, D. Kahl, G. Vannini, and E. Leal-Cidoncha

Subjects
Physics, Stars, COSMIC cancer database, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, European research, 0103 physical sciences, Key (cryptography), Astronomy, Cost action, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, 01 natural sciences
Abstract

We thank P. Black (University of Edinburgh) for support in design and construction of the detection system and P. Morrall (Daresbury Laboratory) for production of the B and LiF reference samples. This Letter was supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Project No. J3503, by JRCIRMM through the EUFRAT Program, by the U.K. Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC), Projects No. ST/L005824/1 and No. ST/M006085/1, the European Research Council ERC-2015-STG Grant No. 677497, and the Cost Action "ChETEC" (Grant No. CA16117).

Published
2021

30. Measurement of the double charge exchange reaction for the 20Ne + 130Te system at 306 MeV

Author

Roberto Linares, A. Hacisalihoglu, Luis Acosta, Salvatore Calabrese, I. Ciraldo, A. Pakou, Ismail Boztosun, G. Lanzalone, A. Foti, D. Calvo, S. O. Solakci, J. R. B. Oliveira, C. Agodi, D. Torresi, Felice Iazzi, Salvatore Tudisco, Paolo Finocchiaro, V. A. B. Zagatto, Diana Carbone, H. Petrascu, Luciano Pandola, L. La Fauci, Manuela Cavallaro, M. Cutuli, G. A. Souliotis, Akın Yıldırım, Federico Pinna, Maria Fisichella, O. Sgouros, Alessandro Spatafora, Francesco Cappuzzello, E. R. Chávez Lomelí, V. Soukeras, G.V. Russo, Franck Delaunay, and G. A. Brischetto

Subjects
Physics, Spectrometer, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, QC1-999, Measure (physics), General Physics and Astronomy, Context (language use), 7. Clean energy, 01 natural sciences, Double beta decay, Nuclear physics, 0103 physical sciences, Double charge exchange reactions, 010306 general physics, Nuclear Experiment, Beam energy, Charge exchange
Abstract

The 130Te(20Ne,20O)130Xe double charge exchange reaction was measured for the first time at very forward angles with the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer at INFN-LNS. The study, performed at beam energy of 306 MeV, is part of a systematic exploration promoted by the NUMEN project. The last aims to measure specific reaction cross sections to provide experimentally driven information about nuclear matrix elements of interest in the context of neutrinoless double beta decay.

Published
2021

31. Destruction of the cosmic γ -ray emitter Al26 in massive stars: Study of the key Al26 ( n,p ) reaction

Author

David Kahl, Paolo Finocchiaro, Javier Balibrea, Emilio Mendoza Cembranos, Agatino Musumarra, Damir Bosnar, Nikolay Sosnin, Alexandru Negret, Manuel Caamano, Roberto Cardella, Justyna Marganiec-Gałązka, Miguel Antonio Cortes-Giraldo, Hideo Harada, Pedro Vaz, Ignacio Porras, Sergio Lo Meo, Marta Sabate Gilarte, Francisco Calvino, Michael Kokkoris, Cristian Massimi, Jorge Lerendegui-Marco, Anton Wallner, Enrique M. Gonzalez-Romero, and Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia

Subjects
010308 nuclear & particles physics, 0103 physical sciences, 010303 astronomy & astrophysics, 01 natural sciences
Published
2021

32. Behavioral Model of Silicon Photo-Multipliers Suitable for Transistor-Level Circuit Simulation

Author

Paolo Finocchiaro, Gianluca Giustolisi, Gaetano Palumbo, and Alfio Pappalardo

Subjects
Photomultiplier, TK7800-8360, Computer Networks and Communications, Computer science, Physics::Instrumentation and Detectors, SiPM, Verilog-a, 02 engineering and technology, Noise (electronics), law.invention, 020210 optoelectronics & photonics, Silicon photomultiplier, Silicon Photo-Multipliers, law, Verilog-A, electrical model, 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering, Electronic engineering, Electronics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 020208 electrical & electronic engineering, Transistor, statistical model, Statistical model, simulation, Behavioral modeling, equivalent circuit model, Hardware and Architecture, Control and Systems Engineering, Signal Processing
Abstract

Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) are photo-electronic devices able to detect single photons and permit the measurement of weak optical signals. Single-photon detection is accomplished through high-performance read-out front-end electronics whose design needs accurate modeling of the photomultiplier device. In the past, a useful model was developed, but it is limited to the device electrical characteristic and its parameter extraction procedure requires several measurement steps. A new silicon photomultiplier model is proposed in this paper. It exploits the Verilog-a behavioral language and is appropriate to transistor-level circuit simulations. The photon detection of a single cell is modeled using the traditional electrical model. A statistical model is included to describe the silicon photomultiplier noise caused by dark-count or after-pulsing effects. The paper also includes a procedure for the extraction of the model parameters through measurements. The Verilog-a model and the extraction procedure are validated by comparing simulations to experimental results.

Published
2021
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33. Gamma—Ray Counters to Monitor Radioactive Waste Packages in the MICADO Project

Author

Alfio Pappalardo, Paolo Finocchiaro, Sergio Lo Meo, Luigi Cosentino, Martina Giuffrida, Giuseppe Passaro, and Fabio Longhitano

Subjects
radwaste management, gamma-ray counters, Scintillating fiber, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Physics, QC1-999, Nuclear engineering, 010401 analytical chemistry, Gamma ray, Radioactive waste, QC770-798, 01 natural sciences, 0104 chemical sciences, Continuous data, Silicon photomultiplier, Nuclear and particle physics. Atomic energy. Radioactivity, 0103 physical sciences, Environmental science, Neutron, radwaste monitoring, Instrumentation
Abstract

One of the goals of the MICADO Euratom project is to monitor the gamma-rays emitted by radioactive waste drums in storage sites on a medium to long term basis. For this purpose, 36 low-cost gamma-ray counters were designed and built to act as a demonstrator. These counters, named SciFi, are based on a scintillating fiber readout at each end by a silicon photomultiplier, assembled in a robust arrangement in the form of 80 cm long pipes. Several counters will be placed around radwaste packages in order to monitor the gamma dose-rate by collecting a continuous data stream. The 36 sensors were thoroughly tested with a 22Na and a 137Cs gamma-ray sources, and with an AmBe neutron and gamma-ray source, the results are quite satisfactory, and the next step will be the test in a real environment.

Published
2021
Full Text
View/download PDF

34. Recent experimental activity on heavy-ion induced reactions within the NUMEN project

Author

C. Altana, Francesco Cappuzzello, S. Firat, A. Guazzelli da Silveira Marcilei, Laura La Fauci, R. Chávez Lomeli Efrain, G. Russo, H. Medina Nilberto, Diana Carbone, Canel Eke, A. Yildirin, O. Solakci Selçuk, P. Amador-Valenzuela, Vasileios Soukeras, A. Hacisalihoglu, Felice Iazzi, O. Sgouros, Daniela Calvo, C. Agodi, Salvatore Calabrese, M. Cutuli, R. B. Oliveira José, Luis Acosta, Alessandro Spatafora, H. Petrascu, A. Pakou, Luciano Pandola, A. Brischetto Giuseppe, G. A. Souliotis, Roberto Linares, Paolo Finocchiaro, D. Torresi, Mauricio Moralles, Manuela Cavallaro, G. Lanzalone, Ismail Boztosun, Salvatore Tudisco, Maria Fisichella, A. B. Zagatto Vinicius, H. Djapo, Franck Delaunay, V. Capirossi, B. B. Santos Roberto, Federico Pinna, I. Ciraldo, Laboratoire de physique corpusculaire de Caen (LPCC), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen (ENSICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3), and NUMEN

Subjects
Nuclear reaction, Physics, experimental methods, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, QC1-999, [PHYS.NEXP]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Experiment [nucl-ex], Special class, Nuclear matrix, charge exchange, 01 natural sciences, nuclear reaction, heavy ion, Nuclear physics, double-beta decay: (0neutrino), Double beta decay, 0103 physical sciences, Heavy ion, Experimental methods, 010306 general physics, activity report, Charge exchange
Abstract

International audience; The possibility to use a special class of heavy-ion induced direct reactions, such as double charge exchange reactions, is discussed in view of their application to extract information that may be helpful to determinate the nuclear matrix elements entering in the expression of neutrinoless double beta decay half-life. The strategies adopted in the experimental campaigns performed at INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud are briefly described, emphasizing the advantages of the multi-channel approach to nuclear reaction data analysis.

Published
2021

35. Measurement of the 72Ge(n,γ) cross section over a wide neutron energy range at the CERN n_TOF facility

Author

Javier Praena, S. Lo Meo, J. Lerendegui-Marco, S. Amaducci, F. Mingrone, A. Kalamara, I. F. Gonçalves, Simone Gilardoni, N. Colonna, R. Cardella, S. Heinitz, A. Stamatopoulos, F. Cerutti, R. Vlastou, D. Radeck, D. Cano-Ott, M. Diakaki, O. Aberle, E. Berthoumieux, U. Battino, A. Pavlik, G. Tagliente, S. Valenta, G. Vannini, C. Domingo-Pardo, Ignacio Porras, Y. H. Chen, Marco Calviani, S. Warren, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, M. Caamaño, A. Ventura, A. G. Smith, F. Bečvář, D. Macina, Carlos Guerrero, N. V. Sosnin, A. Oprea, V. Variale, A. S. Brown, E. Mendoza, Annamaria Mazzone, Petar Žugec, J. Marganiec, Philip Woods, N. Patronis, Rene Reifarth, A. K. Saxena, G. Cortes, L. Audouin, Peter Schillebeeckx, Arnaud Ferrari, M. Bacak, D. Bosnar, P. M. Milazzo, Alexandru Negret, J. Billowes, Cortés-Giraldo, J. M. Quesada, L. Tassan-Got, Pedro G. Ferreira, A. Casanovas, B. Fernández-Domínguez, M. Krtička, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, S. J. Lonsdale, F. Käppeler, T. Glodariu, V. Furman, T. J. Wright, D. Kahl, J. L. Tain, Hideo Harada, Emilio Andrea Maugeri, M. Mastromarco, T. Martinez, Niko Kivel, M. Kokkoris, Kathrin Göbel, Claudia Lederer-Woods, J. Andrzejewski, I. Duran, Rugard Dressler, Y. Kadi, Massimo Barbagallo, E. Jericha, L. Cosentino, Anton Wallner, Paolo Finocchiaro, E. Chiaveri, C. Rubbia, P. F. Mastinu, Dorothea Schumann, J. Balibrea, J. A. Ryan, Jan Heyse, Vasilis Vlachoudis, Deniz Kurtulgil, P. V. Sedyshev, F. Calviño, H. Leeb, J. Perkowski, F. Gunsing, Cristian Massimi, A. Masi, D. G. Jenkins, A. Manna, A. Tattersall, P. Kavrigin, Ralf Nolte, E. Griesmayer, L. A. Damone, C. Weiss, A. Musumarra, A. Mengoni, M. Dietz, A. R. García, A. Kimura, E. Leal-Cidoncha, E. Dupont, A. Gawlik, Thomas Rauscher, E. González-Romero, and P. Vaz

Subjects
Physics, Large Hadron Collider, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, Liquid scintillation counting, 7. Clean energy, 01 natural sciences, Resonance (particle physics), Neutron temperature, Nuclear physics, Cross section (physics), Beamline, 13. Climate action, 0103 physical sciences, Nuclear astrophysics, Neutron, Nuclear Experiment, 010306 general physics
Abstract

The Ge72(n,γ) cross section was measured for neutron energies up to 300keV at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF (CERN), Geneva, for the first time covering energies relevant to heavy-element synthesis in stars. The measurement was performed at the high-resolution beamline EAR-1, using an isotopically enriched GeO272 sample. The prompt capture γ rays were detected with four liquid scintillation detectors, optimized for low neutron sensitivity. We determined resonance capture kernels up to a neutron energy of 43keV, and averaged cross sections from 43 to 300keV. Maxwellian-averaged cross section values were calculated from kT=5 to 100keV, with uncertainties between 3.2% and 7.1%. The new results significantly reduce uncertainties of abundances produced in the slow neutron capture process in massive stars.

Published
2021

36. The NUMEN Project: Toward New Experiments with High-Intensity Beams

Author

D. Torresi, A. D. Russo, Felice Iazzi, Daniela Calvo, Luciano Calabretta, Federico Pinna, Paolo Finocchiaro, Diana Carbone, L. Campajola, Luciano Pandola, Diego Sartirana, Francesco Cappuzzello, V. Capirossi, Grazia D'Agostino, Manuela Cavallaro, and C. Agodi

Subjects
Physics, High rate, lcsh:QC793-793.5, Spectrometer, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, High intensity, Detector, high-intensity beams, lcsh:Elementary particle physics, General Physics and Astronomy, magnetic spectrometer, 7. Clean energy, 01 natural sciences, neutrinoless double beta decay, superconducting cyclotron, Nuclear physics, Superconducting cyclotron, Upgrade, Double beta decay, 0103 physical sciences, nuclear double-charge exchange reactions, Sensitivity (control systems), 010306 general physics, High-intensity beams, Magnetic spectrometer, Neutrinoless double beta decay, Nuclear double-charge exchange reactions
Abstract

The search for neutrinoless double-beta (0νββ) decay is currently a key topic in physics, due to its possible wide implications for nuclear physics, particle physics, and cosmology. The NUMEN project aims to provide experimental information on the nuclear matrix elements (NMEs) that are involved in the expression of 0νββ decay half-life by measuring the cross section of nuclear double-charge exchange (DCE) reactions. NUMEN has already demonstrated the feasibility of measuring these tiny cross sections for some nuclei of interest for the 0νββ using the superconducting cyclotron (CS) and the MAGNEX spectrometer at the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS.) Catania, Italy. However, since the DCE cross sections are very small and need to be measured with high sensitivity, the systematic exploration of all nuclei of interest requires major upgrade of the facility. R&amp, D for technological tools has been completed. The realization of new radiation-tolerant detectors capable of sustaining high rates while preserving the requested resolution and sensitivity is underway, as well as the upgrade of the CS to deliver beams of higher intensity. Strategies to carry out DCE cross-section measurements with high-intensity beams were developed in order to achieve the challenging sensitivity requested to provide experimental constraints to 0νββ NMEs.

Published
2021

37. Upgrade of the MAGNEX spectrometer toward the high-intensity phase of NUMEN

Author

Maria Fisichella, D. Torresi, Paolo Finocchiaro, Franck Delaunay, Federico Pinna, Salvatore Calabrese, Alessandro Spatafora, G. A. Brischetto, V. Capirossi, O. Sgouros, Salvatore Tudisco, Diana Carbone, C. Agodi, Manuela Cavallaro, Francesco Cappuzzello, Felice Iazzi, Diego Sartirana, V. Soukeras, I. Ciraldo, Daniela Calvo, Laboratoire de physique corpusculaire de Caen (LPCC), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen (ENSICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3), and NUMEN

Subjects
heavy ion: scattering, QC1-999, Phase (waves), Context (language use), [PHYS.NEXP]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Experiment [nucl-ex], 7. Clean energy, 01 natural sciences, Nuclear physics, Superconducting cyclotron, double-beta decay: (0neutrino), 0103 physical sciences, accelerator: technology, 010306 general physics, nucleus: semileptonic decay, Physics, Spectrometer, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, High intensity, charge exchange, experimental equipment, Upgrade, electronics: readout, magnetic spectrometer: upgrade, Order of magnitude, electronics: design, Charge exchange
Abstract

International audience; The NUMEN experimental activity with accelerated beams is performed at INFN–Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS) in Catania using the Superconducting Cyclotron and the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer. The scientific motivation of NUMEN is to extract experiment-driven information on the nuclear matrix elements entering in the expression of the 0νββ decay half-life. The reaction cross sections involved, especially for the double charge exchange process, are very low, thus limiting the present exploration to a few selected isotopes of interest in the context of typically low-yield experimental runs. In order to make feasible a systematic study of all the candidate nuclei, a major upgrade of the LNS facility is foreseen to increase the experimental yield by more than two orders of magnitude. To this purpose, frontier technologies are being developed for the accelerator and the detection systems. An updated description of the choices derived from the recent R&D activity on the target system and MAGNEX focal plane detector is given.

Published
2021

38. Imaging neutron capture cross sections: i-TED proof-of-concept and future prospects based on Machine-Learning techniques

Author

Ignacio Porras, D. Macina, F. Ogállar, G. Cortes, G. Tagliente, A. Oprea, N. Patronis, A. K. Saxena, Claudia Lederer-Woods, Deniz Kurtulgil, Arnaud Ferrari, L. Audouin, Carlos Guerrero, S. Heinitz, R. Garg, Alberto Mengoni, I. Ladarescu, Rugard Dressler, C. Petrone, P. Torres-Sánchez, Hideo Harada, T. Rodríguez-González, J. Lerendegui-Marco, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, L. Persanti, J. Balibrea-Correa, A. Casanovas, J. Billowes, A. Tsinganis, V. Babiano-Suarez, S. Amaducci, S. Bennett, N. V. Sosnin, O. Aberle, Nicola Colonna, Luis Caballero, M. A. Millán-Callado, Simone Gilardoni, I. F. Gonçalves, A. Stamatopoulos, V. Variale, A. Kimura, Dimitri Rochman, Arnd R. Junghans, Annamaria Mazzone, L. Cosentino, A. Masi, Petar Žugec, M. Mastromarco, D. Bosnar, D. G. Jenkins, Z. Eleme, E. Dupont, Emilio Andrea Maugeri, D. Cano-Ott, P. Sprung, E. Mendoza, Massimo Barbagallo, Y. Kadi, Anton Wallner, Kathrin Göbel, M. Kokkoris, A. Sekhar, M. Diakaki, Y. Kopatch, I. Duran, A. Manna, A. Gawlik, Thomas Rauscher, Jan Heyse, D. Ramos-Doval, Diego Vescovi, Maurizio Busso, J. Andrzejewski, J. Moreno-Soto, M. Bacak, M. A. Cortés-Giraldo, Rene Reifarth, F. Mingrone, G. Vannini, D. Calvo, Paolo Finocchiaro, V. Vlachoudis, M. Krtička, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, S. J. Lonsdale, Dorothea Schumann, I. Knapova, J. M. Quesada, L. Tassan-Got, Alexandru Negret, S. Valenta, T. Martinez, E. Pirovano, B. Fernández-Domínguez, A. S. Brown, P. Vaz, Sergio Cristallo, Marco Calviani, E. González-Romero, F. Käppeler, A. G. Smith, D. Real, L. A. Damone, M. Caamaño, Alberto Ventura, M. Dietz, V. Alcayne, F. Calviño, H. Leeb, A. Musumarra, Philip Woods, A. Pavlik, E. Chiaveri, J. Perkowski, P. F. Mastinu, P. M. Milazzo, C. Domingo-Pardo, F. Cerutti, J. L. Tain, F. Gunsing, Th. Thomas, Cristian Massimi, S. Urlass, P. J. Davies, R. Vlastou, V. Michalopoulou, J. Ulrich, Peter Schillebeeckx, E. Berthoumieux, C. Rubbia, Q. Ducasse, Javier Praena, V. Furman, T. J. Wright, ITA, GBR, FRA, DEU, ESP, AUS, AUT, BEL, HRV, GRC, IND, POL, CZE, European Commission, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España), Institut de Physique Nucléaire d'Orsay (IPNO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11), Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers (IRFU), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Babiano-Su??rez, V., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Balibrea-Correa, J., Caballero, L., Calvo, D., Ladarescu, I., Real, D., Domingo-Pardo, C., Calvi??o, F., Casanovas, A., Tarife??o-Saldivia, A., Alcayne, V., Guerrero, C., Mill??n-Callado, M. A., Rodr??guez-Gonz??lez, T., Barbagallo, M., Aberle, O., Amaducci, S., Andrzejewski, J., Audouin, L., Bacak, M., Bennett, S., Berthoumieux, E., Billowes, J., Bosnar, D., Brown, A., Busso, M., Caama??o, M., Calviani, M., Cano-Ott, D., Cerutti, F., Chiaveri, E., Colonna, N., Cort??s, G., Cort??s-Giraldo, M. A., Cosentino, L., Cristallo, S., Damone, L. A., Davies, P. J., Diakaki, M., Dietz, M., Dressler, R., Ducasse, Q., Dupont, E., Dur??n, I., Eleme, Z., Fern??ndez-Dom??nguez, B., Ferrari, A., Finocchiaro, P., Furman, V., G??bel, K., Garg, R., Gawlik, A., Gilardoni, S., Gon??alves, I. F., Gonz??lez-Romero, E., Gunsing, F., Harada, H., Heinitz, S., Heyse, J., Jenkins, D. G., Junghans, A., K??ppeler, F., Kadi, Y., Kimura, A., Knapova, I., Kokkoris, M., Kopatch, Y., Krti??ka, M., Kurtulgil, D., Lederer-Woods, C., Leeb, H., Lonsdale, S. J., Macina, D., Manna, A., Martinez, T., Masi, A., Massimi, C., Mastinu, P., Mastromarco, M., Maugeri, E. A., Mazzone, A., Mendoza, E., Mengoni, A., Michalopoulou, V., Milazzo, P. M., Mingrone, F., Moreno-Soto, J., Musumarra, A., Negret, A., Og??llar, F., Oprea, A., Patronis, N., Pavlik, A., Perkowski, J., Persanti, L., Petrone, C., Pirovano, E., Porras, I., Praena, J., Quesada, J. M., Ramos-Doval, D., Rauscher, T., Reifarth, R., Rochman, D., Rubbia, C., Sabat??-Gilarte, M., Saxena, A., Schillebeeckx, P., Schumann, D., Sekhar, A., Smith, A. G., Sosnin, N. V., Sprung, P., Stamatopoulos, A., Tagliente, G., Tain, J. L., Tassan-Got, L., Thomas, Th., Torres-S??nchez, P., Tsinganis, A., Ulrich, J., Urlass, S., Valenta, S., Vannini, G., Variale, V., Vaz, P., Ventura, A., Vescovi, D., Vlachoudis, V., Vlastou, R., Wallner, A., Woods, P. J., Wright, T., and ugec, P.

Subjects
Astrophysics and Astronomy, Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors, Physics: Instrumentation and Detectors, Astrophysics, Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Nuclear Experiment, FOS: Physical sciences, [PHYS.NEXP]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Experiment [nucl-ex], nucl-ex, Astrophysics, 01 natural sciences, 0103 physical sciences, Electronic engineering, Nuclear Physics - Experiment, Sensitivity (control systems), [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det], Detectors and Experimental Techniques, Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex), 010306 general physics, physics.ins-det, Nuclear Experiment, Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM), Physics::Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, Physics, Large Hadron Collider, i-TED, neutron capture, n_TOF, machine learning, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Compton imaging, Detector, Experimental validation, Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det), Neutron capture, Physics: Instrumentation and Detectors, Proof of concept, Benchmark (computing), Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, astro-ph.IM
Abstract

Babiano-Suárez, V., et al., i-TED is an innovative detection system which exploits Compton imaging techniques to achieve a superior signal-to-background ratio in (n, γ) cross-section measurements using time-of-flight technique. This work presents the first experimental validation of the i-TED apparatus for high-resolution time-of-flight experiments and demonstrates for the first time the concept proposed for background rejection. To this aim, the Au(n, γ) and Fe(n, γ) reactions were studied at CERN n_TOF using an i-TED demonstrator based on three position-sensitive detectors. Two CD detectors were also used to benchmark the performance of i-TED. The i-TED prototype built for this study shows a factor of ∼ 3 higher detection sensitivity than state-of-the-art CD detectors in the 10 keV neutron-energy region of astrophysical interest. This paper explores also the perspectives of further enhancement in performance attainable with the final i-TED array consisting of twenty position-sensitive detectors and new analysis methodologies based on Machine-Learning techniques., This work has been carried out in the framework of a project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (ERC Consolidator Grant project HYMNS, with grant agreement No. 681740). The authors acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación under grants PID2019-104714GB-C21, FPA2017-83946-C2-1-P, FIS2015-71688-ERC, CSIC for funding PIE-201750I26, and the funding agencies of the participating institutes. We would like to thank the crew at the Electronics Laboratory of IFIC, in particular Manuel Lopez Redondo and Jorge Nácher Arándiga for their excellent and efficient work.

Published
2021

39. A Constrained Analysis of the $^{40}$Ca($^{18}$O,$^{18}$F)$^{40}$K Direct Charge Exchange Reaction Mechanism at 275 MeV

Author

V. Soukeras, O. Sgouros, V. A. B. Zagatto, Horst Lenske, Luis Acosta, J. I. Bellone, Canel Eke, C. Agodi, Thereza Borello-Lewin, A. Foti, Maria Fisichella, Daniela Calvo, A. Hacisalihoglu, Federico Pinna, Alessandro Spatafora, G. A. Souliotis, P. Amador-Valenzuela, J. Lubian, I. Ciraldo, Maria Colonna, S. Firat, G. V. Russo, G. A. Brischetto, Luciano Pandola, D. Torresi, Salvatore Calabrese, Nilberto H. Medina, S. O. Solakci, Felice Iazzi, A. Pakou, Mauricio Moralles, M. A. Guazzelli, Paolo Finocchiaro, Roberto Linares, S. Burrello, H. Djapo, Manuela Cavallaro, Francesco Cappuzzello, M. Cutuli, Diana Carbone, Franck Delaunay, V. Capirossi, Salvatore Tudisco, H. Petrascu, E. Chávez, L. La Fauci, J. R. B. Oliveira, A. Yildirin, N. N. Deshmukh, Laboratoire de Physique des 2 Infinis Irène Joliot-Curie (IJCLab), Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université Paris-Saclay-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de physique corpusculaire de Caen (LPCC), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen (ENSICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3), and NUMEN

Subjects
Reaction mechanism, Astronomy, Geophysics. Cosmic physics, elastic scattering, QB1-991, Inelastic scattering, [PHYS.NEXP]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Experiment [nucl-ex], 01 natural sciences, 7. Clean energy, Molecular physics, Charge exchange reactions, Elastic scattering, Magnetic spectrometer, Neutrinoless double beta (0vββ) decay, Nuclear physics, 0103 physical sciences, Incident energy, 010306 general physics, Polarization (electrochemistry), Quantum, Nuclear Physics, Physics, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, QC801-809, Nuclear structure, neutrinoless double beta (0vββ) decay, Astronomy and Astrophysics, charge exchange reactions, Charge exchange
Abstract

The40Ca(18O,18F)40K single charge exchange (SCE) reaction is explored at an incident energy of 275 MeV and analyzed consistently by collecting the elastic scattering and inelastic scattering data under the same experimental conditions. Full quantum-mechanical SCE calculations of the direct mechanism are performed by including microscopic nuclear structure inputs and adopting either a bare optical potential or a coupled channel equivalent polarization potential (CCEP) constrained by the elastic and inelastic data. The direct SCE mechanism describes the magnitude and shape of the angular distributions rather well, thus suggesting the suppression of sequential multi-nucleon transfer processes.

Published
2021

40. The NUMEN Technical Design Report

Author

Luigi Campajola, Annamaria Muoio, Paolo Mereu, V. Soukeras, Franck Delaunay, Daniela Calvo, Diego Sartirana, O. Brunasso, Diana Carbone, José R. B. Oliveira, Maria Colonna, Aydin Yildirim, Luciano Pandola, Luis Acosta, Carlo Ferraresi, Elena Santopinto, D. Torresi, V. Capirossi, Elisa Gandolfo, Federico Pinna, M. A. Guazzelli, Nilberto H. Medina, Francesco La Via, Paolo Finocchiaro, J. I. Bellone, Ismail Boztosun, S. Brasolin, Luis Humberto Avanzi, I. Ciraldo, Salvatore Calabrese, O. Sgouros, S. O. Solakci, Felice Iazzi, G. A. Brischetto, Francesco Cappuzzello, P. Amador-Valenzuela, Vitor Ângelo Paulino de Aguiar, A. D. Russo, Horst Lenske, J. Lubian, Roberto Linares, Luciano Calabretta, Danilo Bonanno, Maria Fisichella, Mauricio Moralles, C. Altana, Manuela Cavallaro, H. Petrascu, Daniel J. Marin Lambarri, Efrain R. Chávez Lomelí, Salvatore Tudisco, Alessandro Spatafora, C. Agodi, Laboratoire de physique corpusculaire de Caen (LPCC), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen (ENSICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3), and NUMEN

Subjects
Nuclear reaction, heavy ions, high luminosity, Nuclear matrix elements for neutrinoless double beta decay, nuclear reactions, NUMEN project, Nuclear and High Energy Physics, wave function, experimental methods, 7. Clean energy, 01 natural sciences, Technical design, Nuclear physics, double-beta decay: (0neutrino), Double beta decay, 29.40.−n, 0103 physical sciences, [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det], cyclotron, 010306 general physics, detector: design, activity report, Physics, operator: transition, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, 29.85.−c, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nuclear matrix, charge exchange, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, heavy ion, 23.40.−s, 29.27.−a, many-body problem, spectrometer, 29.30.−h
Abstract

NUMEN proposes an innovative technique to access the nuclear matrix elements entering the expression of the lifetime of the double beta decay by cross-section measurements of heavy-ion induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reactions. Despite the fact that the two processes, namely neutrinoless double beta decay and DCE reactions, are triggered by the weak and strong interaction respectively, important analogies are suggested. The basic point is the coincidence of the initial and final state many-body wave functions in the two types of processes and the formal similarity of the transition operators. The main experimental tools for this project are the K800 Superconducting Cyclotron and MAGNEX spectrometer at the INFN-LNS laboratory. However, the tiny values of DCE cross-sections and the resolution requirements demand beam intensities much higher than those manageable with the present facility. The on-going upgrade of the INFN-LNS facilities promoted by the POTLNS a project in this perspective is intimately connected to the NUMEN project. This paper describes the solutions proposed as a result of the R&D activity performed during the recent years. The goal is to develop suitable technologies allowing for the measurements of DCE cross-section under extremely high beam intensities. a PIR01_00005 — potenziamento dell’infrastruttura di ricerca Laboratori Nazionali del Sud per la produzione di fasci di ioni ad alta intensitá.

Published
2021

41. Radiative Neutron Capture Cross-Section Measurement of Ge Isotopes at n_TOF CERN Facility and Its Importance for Stellar Nucleosynthesis

Author

M. Bacak, A. Musumarra, P. J. Woods, T. Glodariu, N. Patronis, A. Pavlik, Roberto Losito, Rene Reifarth, Stefan Schmidt, Cortés-Giraldo, J. M. Quesada, L. Tassan-Got, Tanja Heftrich, A. Riego-Perez, S.L. Meo, A. K. Saxena, Arnaud Ferrari, C. Domingo-Pardo, L. Audouin, G. Vannini, P. C. Rout, L. Cosentino, E. Dupont, J. Billowes, S. Montesano, Tatsuya Katabuchi, A. Stamatopoulos, S. Barros, A. Mengoni, K. Rajeev, M. Caamaño, Petar Žugec, A. Kimura, Rugard Dressler, Francesca Matteucci, D. G. Jenkins, Emilio Andrea Maugeri, A. Tsinganis, P. Kavrigin, Nicola Colonna, M. Kokkoris, Mario Barbagallo, A. Oprea, Vasilis Vlachoudis, I. Knapova, V. Ketlerov, G. Tagliente, G. Cortes, Ralf Nolte, P. Vaz, B. Fernández-Domínguez, F. Käppeler, E. Griesmayer, Kathrin Göbel, Alberto Ventura, A. Casanovas, A. Goverdovski, O. Aberle, L. A. Damone, D. Bosnar, Jan Heyse, J. I. Porras, A. R. García, U. Battino, M. Brugger, A. Tattersall, V. Furman, T. J. Wright, F. Cerutti, C. Beinrucker, R. Vlastou, I. Duran, E. Leal-Cidoncha, E. Berthoumieux, A. Gawlik, Thomas Rauscher, D. Cano-Ott, M. Diakaki, E. González-Romero, R. Cardella, Javier Praena, F. Bečvář, C. Wolf, E. Mendoza, Peter Schillebeeckx, V. Bécares, E. Jericha, Paolo Finocchiaro, F. Gunsing, Dorothea Schumann, J. A. Ryan, Cristian Massimi, Pedro G. Ferreira, Mario Weigand, M. Krtička, M. Mirea, F. Calviño, H. Leeb, J. Perkowski, T. Martinez, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, S. J. Lonsdale, J. Lerendegui-Marco, S. Heinitz, V. Khryachkov, E. Chiaveri, P. F. Mastinu, P. M. Milazzo, Y. H. Chen, I. F. Gonçalves, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, S. Warren, V. Variale, M. Mastromarco, Anton Wallner, J. Balibrea, D. M. Castelluccio, Hideo Harada, D. Macina, Carlos Guerrero, Claudia Lederer-Woods, P. V. Sedyshev, F. Mingrone, J. Andrzejewski, C. Rubbia, J. L. Tain, Niko Kivel, C. Weiss, Y. Kadi, S. Valenta, Marco Calviani, A. G. Smith, M. Dietz, Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers (IRFU), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay, Institut de Physique Nucléaire d'Orsay (IPNO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11), n_TOF, Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Física, and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. ANT - Advanced Nuclear Technologies Research Group

Subjects
Astrofísica, Astrophysics and Astronomy, Isotopes of germanium, Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, General Physics and Astronomy, chemistry.chemical_element, Germanium, [PHYS.NEXP]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Experiment [nucl-ex], Astrophysics, 7. Clean energy, Nuclear physics, Stellar nucleosynthesis, Isotopes, Nucleosynthesis, CERN, Neutron cross section, Neutron, Nuclear Physics - Experiment, n_TOF, Nuclear Experiment, Stellar activity, Physics, Física [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC], Neutron temperature, Neutron capture cross-section, Neutron capture, Activitat estelar, chemistry, Neutron time-of-flight, MACS, [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph], radiative neutron capture, Ge isotopes, n_TOF, stellar nucleosynthesis
Abstract

This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF (J3503), the Adolf Messer Foundation (Germany), the UK Science and Facilities Council (ST/M006085/1), and the European Research Council ERC-2015-StG No. 677497. We also acknowledge the support of the National Science Centre, Poland, under the grant UMO-2016/22/M/ST2/00183, the MSMT of the Czech Republic and the Croatian Science Foundation under the project IP-2018-01-8570., This manuscript summarizes the results of radiative neutron capture cross-section measurements on two stable germanium isotopes, Ge-70 and Ge-73. Experiments were performed at the n_TOF facility at CERN via the time-of-flight technique, over a wide neutron energy range, for all stable germanium isotopes (70,72,73,74, and 76). Results for Ge-70 [Phys. Rev. C 100, 045804 (2019)] and Ge-73 [Phys. Lett. B 790, 458 (2019)] are already published. In the field of nuclear structure, such measurements allow to study excited levels close to the neutron binding energy and to obtain information on nuclear properties. In stellar nucleosynthesis research, neutron induced reactions on germanium are of importance for nucleosynthesis in the weak component of the slow neutron capture processes., Austrian Science Fund (FWF) J3503, Adolf Messer Foundation (Germany), UK Science and Facilities Council ST/M006085/1, European Research Council (ERC), European Commission 677497, National Science Centre, Poland UMO-2016/22/M/ST2/00183, Ministry of Education, Youth & Sports - Czech Republic, Croatian Science Foundation IP-2018-01-8570

Published
2021
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42. Recent results for the one-proton transfer reaction in the 18O+48Ti collision at 275 MeV

Author

G. A. Souliotis, Mauricio Moralles, G. A. Brischetto, Franck Delaunay, J. R. B. Oliveira, J. Lubian, Felice Iazzi, S. Burrello, V. Soukeras, A. Hacisalihoglu, O. Sgouros, D. Calvo, Francesco Cappuzzello, E. R. Chávez Lomelí, A. Gargano, V. Capirossi, G.V. Russo, A. Pakou, Canel Eke, M. A. Guazzelli, C. Altana, Paolo Finocchiaro, Maria Fisichella, A. Foti, C. Agodi, V. A. B. Zagatto, D. Torresi, H. Djapo, Salvatore Calabrese, I. Ciraldo, G. De Gregorio, Alessandro Spatafora, Manuela Cavallaro, Luciano Pandola, Nilberto H. Medina, Daniele Carbone, Akın Yıldırım, Roberto Linares, M. Cutuli, Federico Pinna, and L. La Fauci

Subjects
Nuclear physics, Materials science, Angular distribution, Spectrometer, Proton, Double beta decay, Physics, QC1-999, Particle, Collision, Nuclear Experiment, Charge exchange
Abstract

The 18O+48Ti reaction was studied at the energy of 275 MeV for the first time under the NUMEN and NURE experimental campaigns with the aim to investigate the complete net of reaction channels potentially involved in the 48Ca→48Ti double charge exchange transition. Such a transition is of great interest because of its relevance to the extraction of 48Ca→48Ti double beta decay nuclear matrix element. The relevant experiment was carried out at the MAGNEX facility of INFN-LNS in Catania. Angular distribution measurements for the various reaction products were performed by using the MAGNEX large acceptance magnetic spectrometer. The present contribution is focused on the analysis of the one-proton transfer channel with emphasis on the particle identification technique and the estimation of background contaminations.

Published
2021

43. Initial State Interaction for the 20Ne + 130Te and 18O + 116Sn Systems at 15.3 AMeV from Elastic and Inelastic Scattering Measurements

Author

Efrain R. Chávez Lomelí, Salvatore Tudisco, Alessandro Spatafora, G. A. Brischetto, Daniela Calvo, Luis Acosta, José R. B. Oliveira, Aydin Yildirim, Francesco Cappuzzello, Athina Pakou, Roberto Linares, V. A. B. Zagatto, Paolo Finocchiaro, I. Ciraldo, Luciano Pandola, A. Hacisalihoglu, Federico Pinna, Nilberto H. Medina, Ismail Boztosun, H. Petrascu, N. N. Deshmukh, Russo G, O. Sgouros, P. Amador-Valenzuela, Franck Delaunay, Manuela Cavallaro, M. Cutuli, G. Lanzalone, G. A. Souliotis, Felice Iazzi, S. O. Solakci, Laura La Fauci, D. Torresi, C. Agodi, S. Firat, V. Soukeras, D. R. Mendes, Diana Carbone, Salvatore Calabrese, Maria Fisichella, A. Foti, Laboratoire de physique corpusculaire de Caen (LPCC), Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Caen (ENSICAEN), and Normandie Université (NU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)

Subjects
lcsh:QC793-793.5, elastic and inelastic scattering, MathematicsofComputing_GENERAL, General Physics and Astronomy, double beta decay, Context (language use), model: optical, potential: optical, initial state interaction, Inelastic scattering, [PHYS.NEXP]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Experiment [nucl-ex], initial-state interaction, 01 natural sciences, Measure (mathematics), Nuclear physics, double-beta decay: (0neutrino), MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer, Double beta decay, distorted wave Born approximation, 0103 physical sciences, double-beta decay: (2neutrino), cross section: inelastic scattering, angular distribution, neutrino: mass, Born approximation, 010306 general physics, Physics, nucleus: semileptonic decay, double charge exchange reactions, Range (particle radiation), 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Projectile, ESPECTROMETRIA, lcsh:Elementary particle physics, cross section: measured, charge exchange, final-state interaction, coupled channel, Characterization (materials science), TheoryofComputation_MATHEMATICALLOGICANDFORMALLANGUAGES, coupled-channel calculations, magnetic spectrometer: acceptance, optical potential
Abstract

Double charge exchange (DCE) reactions could provide experimentally driven information about nuclear matrix elements of interest in the context of neutrinoless double-β decay. To achieve this goal, a detailed description of the reaction mechanism is mandatory. This requires the full characterization of the initial and final-state interactions, which are poorly known for many of the projectile-target systems involved in future DCE studies. Among these, we intend to study the 20Ne + 130Te and 18O + 116Sn systems at 15.3 AMeV, which are particularly relevant due to their connection with the 130Te→130Xe and 116Cd→116Sn double-β decays. We measure the elastic and inelastic scattering cross-section angular distributions and compare them with theoretical calculations performed in the optical model, one-step distorted wave Born approximation, and coupled-channel approaches using the São Paulo double-folding optical potential. A good description of the experimental data in the whole explored range of transferred momenta is obtained provided that couplings with the 21+ states of the projectile and target are explicitly included within the coupled-channel approach. These results are relevant also in the analysis of other quasi-elastic reaction channels in these systems, in which the same couplings should be included.

Published
2021

44. From nuclear physics to applications: detectors for beam handling, medical diagnostics and radioactive waste monitoring

Author

Paolo Finocchiaro

Subjects
010302 applied physics, Medical diagnostic, Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors, Computer science, Detector, General Physics and Astronomy, Radioactive waste, FOS: Physical sciences, Instrumentation and Detectors (physics.ins-det), 01 natural sciences, 7. Clean energy, Physics - Medical Physics, 3. Good health, Nuclear physics, Nuclear detection, 0103 physical sciences, Electronics, Medical Physics (physics.med-ph), 010306 general physics, Particle beam, Beam (structure), Data transmission
Abstract

Nuclear physics experiments are always in need of more and more advanced detection systems. During the last years relevant technological developments have come out with many improvements in terms of performance and compactness of detector materials, transducers, electronics, computing and data transmission. In light of these achievements some applications previously prohibitive, mainly because of size and cost, have become feasible. A few applications of nuclear detection techniques are discussed, starting from the neighboring field of particle beam diagnostics, moving to the medical diagnostics and ending up into the radioactive waste handling. New radiation sensors are shown and explained, as exploited in the DMNR project for the radioactive waste online monitoring which merged into the MICADO Euratom project., Comment: 27 pages, 33 figures

Published
2021
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45. Analysis of two-nucleon transfer reactions in the Ne20+Cd116 system at 306 MeV

Author

Alessandro Spatafora, Elena Santopinto, H. Petrascu, G. V. Russo, Maria Colonna, J. Lubian, O. Sgouros, Francesco Cappuzzello, E. R. Chávez Lomelí, Manuela Cavallaro, Franck Delaunay, Luciano Pandola, V. Soukeras, A. Foti, R. Magana Vsevolodovna, Thereza Borello-Lewin, Nilberto H. Medina, Ismail Boztosun, H. Lenske, L. Acosta, D. Calvo, Roberto Linares, S. Burrello, Salvatore Calabrese, I. Ciraldo, Danilo Bonanno, V. A. B. Zagatto, Felice Iazzi, N. N. Deshmukh, J. L. Ferreira, Federico Pinna, G. A. Brischetto, Paolo Finocchiaro, A. Hacisalihoglu, S. Reito, G. Lanzalone, S. O. Solakci, L. La Fauci, A. Pakou, J. R. B. Oliveira, A. Yildirin, Giuseppe Gallo, Daniele Carbone, C. Agodi, G. A. Souliotis, Mauricio Moralles, S. Tudisco, Maria Fisichella, and D. Torresi

Subjects
Physics, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Nuclear structure, Coulomb barrier, 01 natural sciences, 7. Clean energy, Nuclear physics, Atomic orbital, 0103 physical sciences, Atomic nucleus, Quasiparticle, Born approximation, Nuclear Experiment, 010306 general physics, Nucleon, Random phase approximation
Abstract

Background: Heavy-ion induced two-nucleon transfer reactions are powerful tools to reveal peculiar aspects of the atomic nucleus, such as pairing correlations, single-particle and collective degrees of freedom, and more. Also, these processes are in competition with the direct meson exchange in the double charge exchange reactions, which have recently attracted great interest due to their possible connection to neutrinoless double-beta decay. In this framework, the exploration of two-nucleon transfer reactions in the 20Ne+116Cd collision at energies above the Coulomb barrier is particularly relevant since the 116Cd nucleus is a candidate for the double-beta decay. Methods: We measured the excitation energy spectra and absolute cross sections for the two reactions using the MAGNEX large acceptance magnetic spectrometer to detect the ejectiles. We performed direct coupled reaction channels and sequential distorted wave Born approximation calculations using the double folding S\~ao Paulo potential to model the initial and final state interactions. The spectroscopic amplitudes for two- and singleparticle transitions were derived by different nuclear structure approaches: microscopic large-scale shell model, interacting boson model-2 and quasiparticle random phase approximation. Results: The calculations are able to reproduce the experimental cross sections for both two-neutron and twoproton transfer reactions. The role of couplings with the inelastic channels are found to be important in the two-proton transfer case. A competition between the direct and the sequential process is found in the reaction mechanism. For the two-proton transfer case, the inclusion of the 1g7/2 and 2d5/2 orbitals in the model space is crucial.

Published
2020

46. Neutron Capture on the s -Process Branching Point Tm171 via Time-of-Flight and Activation

Author

Claudia Lederer-Woods, A Kriesel, L. Piersanti, P. V. Sedyshev, Javier Praena, S. Lo Meo, J. Heyse, G. Vannini, B. Fernández-Domínguez, D. M. Castelluccio, F. Käppeler, D. Macina, Carlos Guerrero, D. Bosnar, M A Millán-Callado, F. Mingrone, J. Andrzejewski, J. Lerendegui-Marco, S. Amaducci, O. Aberle, M. Caamaño, E. Leal-Cidoncha, I. Duran, I. F. Gonçalves, D Berkovits, F. Cerutti, A. Gawlik, A. Goverdovski, G. Tagliente, Thomas Rauscher, V. Bécares, T Rodríguez-González, A Damone, Emilio Andrea Maugeri, G. Cortes, Leonid Weissman, S. Montesano, Michael Paul, K. Rajeev, A. Stamatopoulos, M. Kokkoris, S. Warren, R. Vlastou, E. Jericha, Paolo Finocchiaro, E. Berthoumieux, Francesca Matteucci, T Palchan-Hazan, A. Casanovas, S. Halfon, D. Cano-Ott, M. Diakaki, Ulli Köster, E. González-Romero, P. Kavrigin, D Kijel, V. Variale, Dimitri Rochman, A. Musumarra, Dorothea Schumann, J. A. Ryan, M. Tessler, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, S. J. Lonsdale, A. Manna, P. Vaz, Ralf Nolte, E. Griesmayer, Ignacio Porras, P. J. Woods, L. Cosentino, A. Oprea, Tanja Heftrich, R. Cardella, C. Weiss, T Hirsh, A. R. García, mtext, M. Brugger, A Shor, Alberto Ventura, mrow, E. Dupont, P. C. Rout, Y. Kadi, N. Patronis, A. K. Saxena, V. Khryachkov, P. M. Milazzo, Arnaud Ferrari, C. Beinrucker, A. Pavlik, V. Furman, A. Mengoni, S. Valenta, C. Domingo-Pardo, T. J. Wright, B Kaizer, J. Billowes, Marco Calviani, F. Bečvář, V. Ketlerov, C. Wolf, A. G. Smith, Petar Žugec, E. Mendoza, M. Dietz, Peter Schillebeeckx, H Dafna, S. Heinitz, L. Audouin, Y Eisen, M. Bacak, C. Rubbia, Y Buzaglo, T. Glodariu, Roberto Losito, Rugard Dressler, mtext> Tof, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, A. Tsinganis, Nicola Colonna, M. A. Cortés-Giraldo, Vasilis Vlachoudis, Kathrin Göbel, A. Kimura, D. G. Jenkins, Mario Barbagallo, J. L. Tain, J. Marganiec, Niko Kivel, E. Chiaveri, P. F. Mastinu, M. Krtička, T. Martinez, Y. H. Chen, F. Gunsing, Cristian Massimi, M. Mirea, Rene Reifarth, Stefan Schmidt, F. Calviño, H. Leeb, J. M. Quesada, J. Perkowski, L. Tassan-Got, Sergio Cristallo, Pedro G. Ferreira, Mario Weigand, Tatsuya Katabuchi, A Barak, S. Barros, M. Mastromarco, Anton Wallner, J. Balibrea, and Hideo Harada

Subjects
Physics, General Physics and Astronomy, 7. Clean energy, 01 natural sciences, Neutron temperature, Nuclear physics, Neutron capture, Stellar nucleosynthesis, Nucleosynthesis, 0103 physical sciences, Neutron cross section, Neutron, Nuclide, 010306 general physics, s-process
Abstract

The neutron capture cross sections of several unstable nuclides acting as branching points in the s process are crucial for stellar nucleosynthesis studies. The unstable $^{171}$Tm(t$_{1/2}$=1.92 yr) is part of the branching around mass A∼170 but its neutron capture cross section as a function of the neutron energy is not known to date. In this work, following the production for the first time of more than 5 mg of $^{171}$Tm at the high-flux reactor Institut Laue-Langevin in France, a sample was produced at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. Two complementary experiments were carried out at the neutron time-of-flight facility (n_TOF) at CERN in Switzerland and at the SARAF liquid lithium target facility at Soreq Nuclear Research Center in Israel by time of flight and activation, respectively. The result of the time-of-flight experiment consists of the first ever set of resonance parameters and the corresponding average resonance parameters, allowing us to make an estimation of the Maxwellian-averaged cross sections (MACS) by extrapolation. The activation measurement provides a direct and more precise measurement of the MACS at 30 keV: 384(40) mb, with which the estimation from the n_TOF data agree at the limit of 1 standard deviation. This value is 2.6 times lower than the JEFF-3.3 and ENDF/B-VIII evaluations, 25% lower than that of the Bao et al. compilation, and 1.6 times larger than the value recommended in the KADoNiS (v1) database, based on the only previous experiment. Our result affects the nucleosynthesis at the A∼170 branching, namely, the $^{171}$Yb abundance increases in the material lost by asymptotic giant branch stars, providing a better match to the available pre-solar SiC grain measurements compared to the calculations based on the current JEFF-3.3 model-based evaluation.

Published
2020

47. Study of the neutron-induced fission cross section of Np-237 at CERN's n_TOF facility over a wide energy range

Author

E. Leal-Cidoncha, Simone Gilardoni, S. Valenta, E. Dupont, A. Gawlik, Marco Calviani, Thomas Rauscher, R. Cardella, A. Pavlik, Rene Reifarth, A. Musumarra, A. G. Smith, N. V. Sosnin, Annamaria Mazzone, Petar Žugec, G. Vannini, C. Domingo-Pardo, J. M. Quesada, A. Oprea, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, E. González-Romero, M. Caamaño, L. Tassan-Got, Y. H. Chen, J. Lerendegui-Marco, A. Kimura, Javier Praena, S. Lo Meo, Z. Eleme, Y. Kadi, R. Vlastou, D. Radeck, E. Berthoumieux, V. Furman, T. J. Wright, L. Cosentino, A. R. García, G. Cortes, I. F. Gonçalves, J. Andrzejewski, I. Knapova, M. A. Cortés-Giraldo, P. J. Woods, J. Marganiec, P. Vaz, Alberto Ventura, E. Chiaveri, Mario Barbagallo, P. F. Mastinu, A. Mengoni, Pedro G. Ferreira, F. Cerutti, C. Weiss, A. Kalamara, A. S. Brown, N. Patronis, A. K. Saxena, A. Manna, Hideo Harada, M. Mastromarco, D. Bosnar, Rugard Dressler, Arnaud Ferrari, D. Cano-Ott, Anton Wallner, M. Krtička, B. Femandez-Domínguez, M. Diakaki, J. Balibrea, F. Bečvář, Diego Vescovi, F. Gunsing, T. Martinez, A. Masi, P. M. Milazzo, Alexandru Negret, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, S. J. Lonsdale, E. Mendoza, F. Mingrone, A. Tsinganis, C. Lederer, D. G. Jenkins, J. Billowes, F. Käppeler, G. Tagliente, Cristian Massimi, Ignacio Porras, A. Stamatopoulos, Peter Schillebeeckx, Nicola Colonna, O. Aberle, E. Jericha, Vasilis Vlachoudis, Paolo Finocchiaro, A. Casanovas, Dorothea Schumann, J. A. Ryan, S. Warren, C. Rubbia, Emilio Andrea Maugeri, V. Variale, F. Calviño, H. Leeb, M. Kokkoris, J. Perkowski, M. Bacak, L. Audouin, S. Heinitz, P. Kavrigin, Ralf Nolte, E. Griesmayer, T. Glodariu, L. A. Damone, Kathrin Göbel, Jan Heyse, J. L. Tain, Niko Kivel, Durán, Deniz Kurtulgil, P. V. Sedyshev, D. Macina, Carlos Guerrero, Ge, Z., Shu, N., Chen, Y., Wang, W., Zhang, H., Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, CEA Cadarache, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Institut de Physique Nucléaire d'Orsay (IPNO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11), Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers (IRFU), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay, n_TOF, and Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Subjects
Physics, Nuclear fuel cycle, Large Hadron Collider, Isotope, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Fission, QC1-999, Nuclear Theory, MicroMegas detector, n_TOF, 237Np, fission, neutron time of flight, [PHYS.NEXP]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Experiment [nucl-ex], 01 natural sciences, 7. Clean energy, Neutron temperature, 030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging, Nuclear physics, 03 medical and health sciences, Cross section (physics), 0302 clinical medicine, 0103 physical sciences, Physics::Accelerator Physics, Neutron, Nuclear Physics - Experiment, Nuclear Experiment
Abstract

This research is implemented through IKY scholarships programme and co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund - ESF) and Greek national funds through the action entitled Reinforcement of Postdoctoral Researchers, in the framework of the Operational Programme Human Resources Development Program, Education and Lifelong Learning of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2014-2020., Neutron-induced fission cross sections of isotopes involved in the nuclear fuel cycle are vital for the design and safe operation of advanced nuclear systems. Such experimental data can also provide additional constraints for the adjustment of nuclear model parameters used in the evaluation process, resulting in the further development of fission models. In the present work, the Np-237(n,f) cross section was studied at the EAR2 vertical beam-line at CERN's n_TOF facility, over a wide range of neutron energies, from meV to MeV, using the time-of-flight technique and a set-up based on Micromegas detectors, in an attempt to provide accurate experimental data. Preliminary results in the 200 keV - 14 MeV neutron energy range as well as the experimental procedure, including a description of the facility and the data handling and analysis, will be presented., IKY scholarships programme, European Social Fund (ESF) European Commission, Greek national funds through the action entitled Reinforcement of Postdoctoral Researchers

Published
2020

48. Investigation of the Pu240(n,f) reaction at the n_TOF/EAR2 facility in the 9 meV–6 MeV range

Author

R. J. W. Frost, A. Goverdovski, A. Mengoni, M. Krtička, V. Furman, T. J. Wright, I. Duran, G. Tagliente, Petar Žugec, Javier Praena, S. Lo Meo, T. Martinez, L. Cosentino, K. Deo, G. Vannini, V. Ketlerov, D. Bosnar, E. Dupont, A. Musumarra, Tatsuya Katabuchi, A. Ventura, M. Mirea, M. Mastromarco, S. Warren, A. Kimura, S. Heinitz, V. Variale, S. Barros, A. Tsinganis, Massimo Barbagallo, F. R. Palomo-Pinto, M. Caamaño, Rene Reifarth, E. Chiaveri, D. G. Jenkins, Anton Wallner, Stefan Schmidt, C. Paradela, Rugard Dressler, F. Calviño, Tanja Heftrich, P. F. Mastinu, L. Audouin, M. Licata, H. Leeb, J. M. Quesada, L. Tassan-Got, J. Balibrea, S. V. Suryanarayana, F. Mingrone, C. Lederer, I. Knapova, A. Riego-Perez, J. Perkowski, R. Vlastou, J. Marganiec, S. Valenta, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. J. M. Plompen, F. Gunsing, P. Vaz, N. Colonna, Marco Calviani, E. Berthoumieux, P. Kavrigin, Ralf Nolte, A. G. Smith, M. A. Cortés-Giraldo, F. Cerutti, Cristian Massimi, A. Pavlik, E. Leal-Cidoncha, O. Aberle, E. Griesmayer, L. A. Damone, C. Domingo-Pardo, Hideo Harada, A. Hernández-Prieto, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, Kathrin Göbel, Vasilis Vlachoudis, V. Bécares, M. S. Robles, Thomas Rauscher, Jan Heyse, M. Kokkoris, C. Rubbia, Pedro G. Ferreira, Mario Weigand, C. Weiss, D. Cano-Ott, Y. Kadi, M. Diakaki, F. Bečvář, M. Bacak, E. Mendoza, Peter Schillebeeckx, J. Lerendegui-Marco, D. Macina, Carlos Guerrero, J. L. Tain, J. I. Porras, T. Glodariu, Roberto Losito, I. F. Gonçalves, Niko Kivel, B. Fernández-Domínguez, E. González-Romero, F. Käppeler, Fabio Belloni, A. R. García, Francesca Matteucci, M. Brugger, C. Beinrucker, V. Khryachkov, P. M. Milazzo, Ioana Gheorghe, N. Patronis, A. K. Saxena, Arnaud Ferrari, S. Montesano, J. Billowes, E. Jericha, A. Stamatopoulos, Paolo Finocchiaro, Dorothea Schumann, J. A. Ryan, P. V. Sedyshev, J. Andrzejewski, and G. Cortes

Subjects
Physics, Nuclear transmutation, 010308 nuclear & particles physics, Fission, Monte Carlo method, Radioactive waste, MicroMegas detector, 7. Clean energy, 01 natural sciences, Neutron temperature, Spent nuclear fuel, Nuclear physics, 0103 physical sciences, Neutron, Nuclear Experiment, 010306 general physics
Abstract

Background: Nuclear waste management is considered amongst the major challenges in the field of nuclear energy. A possible means of addressing this issue is waste transmutation in advanced nuclear systems, whose operation requires a fast neutron spectrum. In this regard, the accurate knowledge of neutron-induced reaction cross sections of several (minor) actinide isotopes is essential for design optimization and improvement of safety margins of such systems. One such case is Pu240, due to its accumulation in spent nuclear fuel of thermal reactors and its usage in fast reactor fuel. The measurement of the Pu240(n,f) cross section was previously attempted at the CERN n_TOF facility EAR1 measuring station using the time-of-flight technique. Due to the low amount of available material and the given flux at EAR1, the measurement had to last several months to achieve a sufficient statistical accuracy. This long duration led to detector deterioration due to the prolonged exposure to the high α activity of the fission foils, therefore the measurement could not be successfully completed. Purpose: It is aimed to determine whether it is feasible to study neutron-induced fission at n_TOF/EAR2 and provide data on the Pu240(n,f) reaction in energy regions requested for applications. Methods: The study of the Pu240(n,f) reaction was made at a new experimental area (EAR2) with a shorter flight path which delivered on average 30 times higher flux at fast neutron energies. This enabled the measurement to be performed much faster, thus limiting the exposure of the detectors to the intrinsic activity of the fission foils. The experimental setup was based on microbulk Micromegas detectors and the time-of-flight data were analyzed with an optimized pulse-shape analysis algorithm. Special attention was dedicated to the estimation of the non-negligible counting loss corrections with the development of a new methodology, and other corrections were estimated via Monte Carlo simulations of the experimental setup. Results: This new measurement of the Pu240(n,f) cross section yielded data from 9meV up to 6MeV incident neutron energy and fission resonance kernels were extracted up to 10keV. Conclusions: Neutron-induced fission of high activity samples can be successfully studied at the n_TOF/EAR2 facility at CERN covering a wide range of neutron energies, from thermal to a few MeV.

Published
2020

49. COVID-19 pneumonia: the impact of coagulopathy

Author

Luca Costanzo, Simona A. Grasso, Giacomo Failla, Francesco Mugno, Giorgio Ardita, Luigi Di Pino, Paolo Finocchiaro, Francesco Paolo Palumbo, Leonardo Aluigi, and Pier Luigi Antignani

Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty, biology, medicine.drug_class, business.industry, medicine.medical_treatment, Anticoagulant, Low molecular weight heparin, Heparin, medicine.disease, Gastroenterology, Fibrin, Pneumonia, Internal medicine, Fibrinolysis, medicine, biology.protein, Coagulopathy, Endothelial dysfunction, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, business, medicine.drug
Abstract

The development of coagulopathy is emerging as one of the most significant poor prognostic features in COVID-19 pneumopathy. D-dimer, a protein product of fibrin degradation, has been found elevated in the most severe cases and correlated to mortality. Potentially involved factors in the impairment of coagulation caused by viral infection include the dysregulated inflammatory response, platelet and endothelial dysfunction with impaired fibrinolysis. Autoptic analysis in deaths fore severe COVID-19 disease revealed fibrin exudation in alveoli, blood vessel wall edema and hyaline thrombi in small vessels in other organs and tissues. Heparin is an anticoagulant molecule that also showed anti-inflammatory properties and a potential antiviral effect. The use of low molecular weight heparin could prevent thromboembolic complications in COVID-19 pneumopathy. However, the correct timing of prophylaxis according to the stage of COVID-19 disease and the appropriate therapeutic dosage to use in severe cases need further research.

Published
2020

50. Measurement of the 154Gd(n,γ) cross section and its astrophysical implications

Author

Z. Talip, A. S. Brown, J. Lerendegui-Marco, S. Amaducci, Alexandru Negret, P. Vaz, F. Käppeler, A. Masi, R. Wynants, Alberto Ventura, D. G. Jenkins, M. Sabaté-Gilarte, E. Mendoza, A. Kimura, G. Vannini, O. Aberle, V. Babiano-Suarez, Stefan Kopecky, A. Manna, A. Pavlik, A. Stamatopoulos, M. Diakaki, M. Mastromarco, C. Domingo-Pardo, V. Variale, Dimitri Rochman, S. Heinitz, M. A. Cortés-Giraldo, Z. Eleme, Emilio Andrea Maugeri, M. Kokkoris, Anton Wallner, D. Macina, B. Fernández-Domíngez, E. Jericha, S. Urlass, Mario Barbagallo, Alfredo Ferrari, Paolo Finocchiaro, Maurizio Busso, G. Alaerts, A. Oprea, J. Heyse, D. M. Castelluccio, R. Mucciola, F. Calviño, D. Schumann, Ariel Tarifeño-Saldivia, S. J. Lonsdale, A. Musumarra, G. Cortes, E. Chiaveri, D. Cano-Ott, I. Ferro-Gonçalves, P. M. Milazzo, Ignacio Porras, Rene Reifarth, Giulia Clai, S. Valenta, A. Gawlik, N. Patronis, P. Schillebeeckx, Javier Praena, S. Lo Meo, Carlos Guerrero, J. Perkowski, P. Torres-Sánchez, F. Bečvář, A. Saxena, Marco Calviani, Alberto Mengoni, I. Ladarescu, A. G. Smith, R. Garg, J. Billowes, J. M. Quesada, E. González-Romero, L. Tassan-Got, F. Gunsing, Francesca Matteucci, I. Duran, M. Dietz, Diego Vescovi, Sergio Cristallo, F. Mingrone, J. Andrzejewski, Cristian Massimi, Philip Woods, V. Bécares, L. Caballero, Claudia Lederer-Woods, R. Dressler, V. Vlachoudis, R. Vlastou, Ralf Nolte, M. Caamaño, Deniz Kurtulgil, L. A. Damone, Damir Bosnar, Y. Kadi, K. Göbel, F. Cerutti, V. Alcayne, T. Wright, V. Furman, Y. Kopatch, N. V. Sosnin, Simone Gilardoni, Annamaria Mazzone, Petar Žugec, J. Ulrich, D. Radeck, E. Berthoumieux, J. L. Tain, Niko Kivel, G. Bellia, F. Ogállar, Y. H. Chen, C. Rubbia, G. Tagliente, D. Ramos Doval, A. Casanovas, L. Cosentino, P. F. Mastinu, M. Krtička, T. Martinez, A. Tsinganis, Luciano Piersanti, Nicola Colonna, E. Dupont, M. Bacak, T. Glodariu, L. Audouin, V. Michalopoulou, ITA, GBR, FRA, DEU, ESP, AUT, BEL, HRV, JPN, GRC, IND, POL, CZE, CHE, Institut de Physique Nucléaire d'Orsay (IPNO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11), Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers (IRFU), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay, n_TOF, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Física, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Doctorat en Enginyeria Nuclear i de les Radiacions Ionitzants, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Institut de Tècniques Energètiques, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. ANT - Advanced Nuclear Technologies Research Group, Université Paris-Sud - Paris 11 (UP11)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Universidad de Sevilla. Departamento de Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Mazzone, A., Cristallo, S., Aberle, O., Alaerts, G., Alcayne, V., Amaducci, S., Andrzejewski, J., Audouin, L., Babiano-Suarez, V., Bacak, M., Barbagallo, M., Becares, V., Becvar, F., Bellia, G., Berthoumieux, E., Billowes, J., Bosnar, D., Brown, A. S., Busso, M., Caamano, M., Caballero, L., Calviani, M., Calvino, F., Cano-Ott, D., Casanovas, A., Castelluccio, D. M., Cerutti, F., Chen, Y. H., Chiaveri, E., Clai, G., Colonna, N., Cortes, G. P., Cortes-Giraldo, M. A., Cosentino, L., Damone, L. A., Diakaki, M., Dietz, M., Domingo-Pardo, C., Dressler, R., Dupont, E., Duran, I., Eleme, Z., Fernandez-Domingez, B., Ferrari, A., Ferro-Goncalves, I., Finocchiaro, P., Furman, V., Garg, R., Gawlik, A., Gilardoni, S., Glodariu, T., Gobel, K., Gonzalez-Romero, E., Guerrero, C., Gunsing, F., Heinitz, S., Heyse, J., Jenkins, D. G., Jericha, E., Kadi, Y., Kappeler, F., Kimura, A., Kivel, N., Kokkoris, M., Kopatch, Y., Kopecky, S., Krticka, M., Kurtulgil, D., Ladarescu, I., Lederer-Woods, C., Lerendegui-Marco, J., Lo Meo, S., Lonsdale, S. -J., Macina, D., Manna, A., Martinez, T., Masi, A., Massimi, C., Mastinu, P. F., Mastromarco, M., Matteucci, F., Maugeri, E., Mendoza, E., Mengoni, A., Michalopoulou, V., Milazzo, P. M., Mingrone, F., Mucciola, R., Musumarra, A., Negret, A., Nolte, R., Ogallar, F., Oprea, A., Patronis, N., Pavlik, A., Perkowski, J., Piersanti, L., Porras, I., Praena, J., Quesada, J. M., Radeck, D., Ramos Doval, D., Reifarth, R., Rochman, D., Rubbia, C., Sabate-Gilarte, M., Saxena, A., Schillebeeckx, P., Schumann, D., Smith, A. G., Sosnin, N., Stamatopoulos, A., Tagliente, G., Tain, J. L., Talip, Z., Tarifeno-Saldivia, A. E., Tassan-Got, L., Torres-Sanchez, P., Tsinganis, A., Ulrich, J., Urlass, S., Valenta, S., Vannini, G., Variale, V., Vaz, P., Ventura, A., Vescovi, D., Vlachoudis, V., Vlastou, R., Wallner, A., Woods, P. J., Wynants, R., Wright, T. J., Zugec, P., Mazzone A., Cristallo S., Aberle O., Alaerts G., Alcayne V., Amaducci S., Andrzejewski J., Audouin L., Babiano-Suarez V., Bacak M., Barbagallo M., Becares V., Becvar F., Bellia G., Berthoumieux E., Billowes J., Bosnar D., Brown A.S., Busso M., Caamano M., Caballero L., Calviani M., Calvino F., Cano-Ott D., Casanovas A., Castelluccio D.M., Cerutti F., Chen Y.H., Chiaveri E., Clai G., Colonna N., Cortes G.P., Cortes-Giraldo M.A., Cosentino L., Damone L.A., Diakaki M., Dietz M., Domingo-Pardo C., Dressler R., Dupont E., Duran I., Eleme Z., Fernandez-Domingez B., Ferrari A., Ferro-Goncalves I., Finocchiaro P., Furman V., Garg R., Gawlik A., Gilardoni S., Glodariu T., Gobel K., Gonzalez-Romero E., Guerrero C., Gunsing F., Heinitz S., Heyse J., Jenkins D.G., Jericha E., Kadi Y., Kappeler F., Kimura A., Kivel N., Kokkoris M., Kopatch Y., Kopecky S., Krticka M., Kurtulgil D., Ladarescu I., Lederer-Woods C., Lerendegui-Marco J., Lo Meo S., Lonsdale S.-J., Macina D., Manna A., Martinez T., Masi A., Massimi C., Mastinu P.F., Mastromarco M., Matteucci F., Maugeri E., Mendoza E., Mengoni A., Michalopoulou V., Milazzo P.M., Mingrone F., Mucciola R., Musumarra A., Negret A., Nolte R., Ogallar F., Oprea A., Patronis N., Pavlik A., Perkowski J., Piersanti L., Porras I., Praena J., Quesada J.M., Radeck D., Ramos Doval D., Reifarth R., Rochman D., Rubbia C., Sabate-Gilarte M., Saxena A., Schillebeeckx P., Schumann D., Smith A.G., Sosnin N., Stamatopoulos A., Tagliente G., Tain J.L., Talip Z., Tarifeno-Saldivia A.E., Tassan-Got L., Torres-Sanchez P., Tsinganis A., Ulrich J., Urlass S., Valenta S., Vannini G., Variale V., Vaz P., Ventura A., Vescovi D., Vlachoudis V., Vlastou R., Wallner A., Woods P.J., Wynants R., Wright T.J., and Zugec P.

Subjects
Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Gd, Neutron time of flight, Física::Física de partícules [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC], Nuclear physics, Neutrons--Captura, [PHYS.NEXP]Physics [physics]/Nuclear Experiment [nucl-ex], nucl-ex, Neutron time of flightn, 01 natural sciences, 7. Clean energy, Neutrons--Capture, Cross section (physics), Nucleosynthesis, ComputingMethodologies_SYMBOLICANDALGEBRAICMANIPULATION, 0103 physical sciences, Neutron cross section, ddc:530, Nuclear Physics - Experiment, Spallation, Neutron, n_TOF, Nuclear Experiment, 010306 general physics, 154Gd, Physics, Scintillation, 154 Gd, Física [Àrees temàtiques de la UPC], 010308 nuclear & particles physics, s process, Atmospheric temperature range, lcsh:QC1-999, NATURAL SCIENCES. Physics, PRIRODNE ZNANOSTI. Fizika, Neutron time-of-flight, Física nuclear, s-process, lcsh:Physics
Abstract

The isotope used in this research was supplied by the United States Department of Energy Office of Science by the Isotope Program in the Office of Nuclear Physics., The neutron capture cross section of 154Gd was measured from 1 eV to 300 keV in the experimental area located 185 m from the CERN n_TOF neutron spallation source, using a metallic sample of gadolinium, enriched to 67% in 154Gd. The capture measurement, performed with four C6D6 scintillation detectors, has been complemented by a transmission measurement performed at the GELINA time-of-flight facility (JRC-Geel), thus minimising the uncertainty related to sample composition. An accurate Maxwellian averaged capture cross section (MACS) was deduced over the temperature range of interest for s process nucleosynthesis modelling. We report a value of 880(50) mb for the MACS at kT = 30 keV, significantly lower compared to values available in literature. The new adopted 154Gd(n,γ ) cross section reduces the discrepancy between observed and calculated solar s-only isotopic abundances predicted by s-process nucleosynthesis models., EUFRAT open access programme of the Joint Research Centre at Geel

Published
2020

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