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Air radon concentration measurement is useful for research on geophysical effects, but it is strongly sensitive to site geology and many geophysical and microclimatic processes such as wind, ventilation, air humidity and so on inducing very big fluctuations on the concentration of radon in air. On the contrary, monitoring the radon concentration in soil by measuring the thermal neutron flux reduces environmental effects. In this paper, we report some experimental results on the natural thermal neutron flux as well as on the concentration of air radon and its variations at 4300 m asl. These results were obtained with unshielded thermal neutron scintillation detectors (en-detectors) and radon monitors located inside the ARGO-YBJ experimental hall. The correlation of these variations with the lunar month and 1-year period is undoubtedly confirmed. A method for earthquake prediction provided by a global net of en-detectors is currently under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of the knee in primary cosmic ray at energy about 3-5 PeV is the most exciting problem in cosmic ray physics. Since 1958, physicists have been trying to solve this problem. In our opinion, the problem could be solved from the experimental point of view, whereas the primary spectrum would follow a pure power law. A key to the "knee" problem lies in the hadronic structure of EAS and its propagation in the Earth's atmosphere. Neither exotic processes nor new physics are used. An explanation of the approach and some results of Monte Carlo simulations are given below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the neutron bursts in Extensive Air Showers (EAS) is explained using results of the experiments and CORSIKA based Monte-Carlo simulations. It is shown that events with very high neutron multiplicity observed last years in neutron monitors as well as in surrounding detectors, are caused by the usual EAS core with primary energies > 1 PeV. No exotic processes were needed for the explanation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some new results were obtained by the array of EN-detectors (Electron and Neutron detectors) developed in the frame of the PRISMA (PRImary Spectrum Measurement Array) project for Extensive Air Showers detection. Our EN-detectors running both on the Earth surface and underground are continuously measuring the environmental thermal neutron flux. Neutrons are partially produced by radioactive gas radon and its daughter decays through (α ,n)-reactions in soil close to the detectors. Then neutrons thermalize in media and, being in equilibrium with it, they are sensitive to many geo-dynamic phenomena including earthquakes. In this work the EN-detectors were measuring the variations of an environmental neutron flux in Tibet (30.11 N, 90.53 E, 4300 m a.s.l) at a distance of ∼600 km from the collision zone of the Asian-Indian plates subduction zone (Nepal region). We have observed some anomalies in the dynamics of the neutron flux around the time of the catastrophic earthquakes of magnitude M = 7.8 happened in Gorkha (Nepal) on 25.04.2015 followed by a series of aftershocks of M > 6. The use of nuclear physics methods can provide novel results in geophysics and this work demonstrates the sensitivity of the environmental thermal neutron flux to changes in tense-deformed crust conditions caused by earthquakes with epicentral distances greater than 500 km. • The EN-detectors (Electron and Neutron detectors) were measuring the variations of an environmental neutron ux in Tibet (30.11 N, 90.53 E,4300 m a.s.l) at a distance of ~ 600 km from the collision zone of the Asian-Indian plates subduction zone (Nepal region). • We have observed some anomalies in the dynamics of the neutron flux around the time of the catastrophic earthquakes of magnitude M=7.8 happened in Gorkha (Nepal) on April 25 2015 followed by a series of aftershocks of M > 6. • The use of nuclear physics methods can provide novel results in geophysics and this work demonstrates the sensitivity of the environmental thermal neutron flux to changes in tense-deformed crust conditions caused by earthquakes with epicentral distances greater than 500 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new type of EAS array consisting of EN-detectors possesses the ability to discriminate the composition of cosmic rays. At the Yangbajing Cosmic Ray Observatory, the PRISMA-16-YBJ array has been running for three years. We installed 16 so-called "sand cubes" with one cubic meter size, and compared the data obtained by placing PRISMA-16-YBJ on and away from the sand cubes to study the influence of target material, which is a major environmental factor, on the performance of the array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of thermal neutrons generated by cosmic ray extensive air showers (EAS) on the Earth's surface provides a new method for studying the composition and energy of cosmic rays with energy in the so-called "knee" region. Given the success of the PRISMA-YBJ array, a new type of thermal neutron detector array was installed at the high-altitude cosmic ray observatory in Yangbajing, Tibet. The array consists of 16 EN-detectors and utilizes a new type scintillator based on a compound alloy of ZnS(Ag) and B2O3 with natural boron. This report describes the deployment of the detector array and its operational results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The structures on the basis of carbon nanotubes (CNT) produced by thermal decomposition of acetonitrile on the Si–SiO2 substrates and metal layers are investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman scattering. The CNT layers grown on the silicon oxide with volumetric catalyst (Fe) show predominantly perpendicular to substrate growth of the nanotubes. In the area of the metallic layers (Ni catalyst film and buried metal layer) the CNT bundles parallel to substrate form with graphite and amorphous carbon. The activation character of the temperature dependence of the conductivity of the CNT layer is observed and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]