In Situ Aerosol Detector

An affordable technology designed to facilitate extensive global atmospheric aerosol measurements has been developed. This lightweight instrument is compatible with newly developed platforms such as tethered balloons, blimps, kites, and even disposable instruments such as dropsondes. This technology is based on detection of light scattered by aerosol particles where an optical layout is used to enhance the performance of the laboratory prototype instrument, which allows detection of smaller aerosol particles and improves the accuracy of aerosol particle size measurement. It has been determined that using focused illumination geometry without any apertures is advantageous over using the originally proposed collimated beam/slit geometry (that is supposed to produce uniform illumination over the beam cross-section). The illumination source is used more efficiently, which allows detection of smaller aerosol particles. Second, the obtained integral scattered light intensity measured for the particle can be corrected for the beam intensity profile inhomogeneity based on the measured beam intensity profile and measured particle location. The particle location (coordinates) in the illuminated sample volume is determined based on the information contained in the image frame. The procedure considerably improves the accuracy of determination of the aerosol particle size

Analysis of natural neutron flux in a seismically active zone

International audienceIn a seismically active zone in the near Almaty area (Kazakhstan) since 1996 observations of variations of a natural neutron flux have been conducted. Sometimes the neutron flux rises sharply within the one-hour interval in comparison with the background. It occurs on the eve of activation of seismic processes. Increase of the neutron flux level had taken place from 1 h to 10 days prior to earthquakes. It is also indicated a tendency of growth of the anomaly level in accordance with the growth of energetic class of the subsequent earthquake. A character of connection between the neutron flux and earthquakes is still not clear. It is proposed that the neutron flux anomalies caused by variations of cosmic radiation intensity under action of fluxes of solar material, which is burst into interplanetary space (solar wind) during solar flares. Energy of the solar wind transferred to Earth puts into action a trigger mechanism of the process of initiation of earthquakes at those places where conditions have already been prepared for them. The neutron flux anomalies can be used as substantial additional information for classical geophysical methods of short-term earthquake prediction

TPC track distortions: correction maps for magnetic and static electric inhomogeneities

Inhomogeneities of the magnetic and electric fields in the active TPC volume lead to displacements of cluster coordinates, and therefore to track distortions. In case of good data taking conditions, the largest effects are expected from the inhomogeneity of the solenoidal magnetic field, and from a distortion of the electric field arising from a high voltage misalignment between the outer and inner field cages. Both effects are stable over the entire HARP data taking. The displacements are large compared to the azimuthal coordinate resolution but can be corrected with sufficient precision, except at small TPC radius. The high voltage misalignment between the outer and inner field cages is identified as the likely primary cause of sagitta distortions of TPC tracks. The position and the length of the target plays an important role. Based on a detailed modelling of the magnetic and static electric field inhomogeneities, precise correction maps for both effects have been calculated. Predictions from the correction maps are compared with laser data

Training of the Ni-Mn-Fe-Ga ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys by cycling in a high magnetic field

The temperature and magnetic field dependencies of Ni-Mn-Ga polycrystals deformation are investigated. Ingots were prepared by arc-melting in argon atmosphere and further annealing. A training procedure (cycling across the martensitic transition point) for the two-way shape-memory effect was performed with Ni$_{2.16}$Fe$_{0.04}$Mn$_{0.80}$Ga samples. Changes in sample deformations were noticed with changing the magnetic field at a constant temperature. The first cycle deformation increment as compared with the initial value (in the austenitic state at zero field) in the course of the martensitic transition was 0.29%, and 0.41% and 0.48% for the second and third cycles, respectively.Comment: Presented at the Second Moscow International Symposium on Magnetism (Moscow-2002

TPC cross-talk correction: CERN-Dubna-Milano algorithm and results

The CDM (CERN-Dubna-Milano) algorithm for TPC Xtalk correction is presented and discussed in detail. It is a data-driven, model-independent approach to the problem of Xtalk correction. It accounts for arbitrary amplitudes and pulse shapes of signals, and corrects (almost) all generations of Xtalk, with a view to handling (almost) correctly even complex multi-track events. Results on preamp amplification and preamp linearity from the analysis of test-charge injection data of all six TPC sectors are presented. The minimal expected error on the measurement of signal charges in the TPC is discussed. Results are given on the application of the CDM Xtalk correction to test-charge events and krypton events

Performance of TPC crosstalk correction

The performance of the CERN-Dubna-Milano (CDM) algorithm for TPC crosstalk correction is presented. The algorithm is designed to correct for uni-directional and bi-directional crosstalk, but not for self-crosstalk. It reduces at the 10% level the number of clusters, and the number of pads with a signal above threshold. Despite of dramatic effects in selected channels with complicated crosstalk patterns, the average longitudinal signal shape of a hit, and the average transverse signal shape of a cluster, are little affected by uni-directional and bi-directional crosstalk. The longitudinal signal shape of hits is understood in terms of preamplifier response, longitudinal diffusion, track inclination, and self-crosstalk. The transverse signal shape of clusters is understood in terms of the TPC's pad response function. The CDM crosstalk correction leads to an average charge decrease at the level of 15%, though with significant differences between TPC sectors. On the whole, crosstalk constitutes a relatively benign malfunction of the TPC readout which, after correction by the CDM algorithm and with proper attention to self-crosstalk, is not an obstacle to progress with physics analysis

Magnetically Stabilized Luminescent Excitations in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Magnetically stabilized luminescence is observed in hexagonal boron nitride. The luminescence is induced by absorption of cold neutrons and is in the visible region. In the absence of a magnetic field, the photon emission level is observed to decay over several hundred seconds. A fraction of this luminescence can be suppressed if the temperature is T <~ 0.6 K and the magnetic field is B >~ 1.0 T. Subsequent to irradiation and suppression, luminescence can be induced by an increase in T or lowering of B. Possible explanations include stabilization of triplet states or the localization and stabilization of excitons.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, to appear in the Journal of Luminescenc