A new method of alpha ray measurement using a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer

We propose a new method of alpha($\alpha$)-ray measurement that detects helium atoms with a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer(QMS). A demonstration is undertaken with a plastic-covered $^{241}$Am $\alpha$-emitting source to detect $\alpha$-rays stopped in the capsule. We successfully detect helium atoms that diffuse out of the capsule by accumulating them for one to 20 hours in a closed chamber. The detected amount is found to be proportional to the accumulation time. Our method is applicable to probe $\alpha$-emitting radioactivity in bulk material.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Ingredients of nuclear matrix element for two-neutrino double-beta decay of 48Ca

Large-scale shell model calculations including two major shells are carried out, and the ingredients of nuclear matrix element for two-neutrino double beta decay are investigated. Based on the comparison between the shell model calculations accounting only for one major shell ($pf$-shell) and those for two major shells ($sdpf$-shell), the effect due to the excitation across the two major shells is quantitatively evaluated.Comment: To appear in J. Phys. Soc. Conf. Proc. (ARIS2014); for ver.2, Fig.1 is revise

A Gravitational Lens Model for the Lya Emitter, LAE 221724+001716 at z=3.1 in the SSA 22 Field

During the course of our Lyman continuum imaging survey, we found that the spectroscopically confirmed Lya emitter LAE 221724+001716 at z = 3.10 in the SSA 22 field shows strong Lyman continuum emission (lambda_rest ~ 900 A) that escapes from this galaxy. However, another recent spectroscopic survey revealed that the supposed Lyman continuum emission could arise from a foreground galaxy at z = 1.76 if the emission line newly detected from the galaxy at lambda_obs ~ 3360 A is Lya. If this is the case, as the angular separation between these two galaxies is very small (~ 0.6"), LAE 221724+001716 at z = 3.10 could be amplified by the gravitational lensing caused by this intervening galaxy. Here we present a possible gravitational lens model for the system of LAE 221724+001716. First, we estimate the stellar mass of the intervening galaxy as Mstar ~ 3.5x10^9 Msun from its UV luminosity and ~ 3.0x10^7--2.4x10^9 Msun through the SED fitting. Then, we find that the gravitational magnification factor ranges from 1.01 to 1.16 using the so-called singular isothermal sphere model for strong lensing. While LAE 221724+001716 is the first system of an LAE-LAE lensing reported so far, the estimated magnification factor is not so significant because the stellar mass of the intervening galaxy is small.Comment: 5 pages including 3 figures and 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ on 13 Feb. 201

Nonadiabatic generation of coherent phonons

The time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is the leading computationally feasible theory to treat excitations by strong electromagnetic fields. Here the theory is applied to coherent optical phonon generation produced by intense laser pulses. We examine the process in the crystalline semimetal antimony (Sb), where nonadiabatic coupling is very important. This material is of particular interest because it exhibits strong phonon coupling and optical phonons of different symmetries can be observed. The TDDFT is able to account for a number of qualitative features of the observed coherent phonons, despite its unsatisfactory performance on reproducing the observed dielectric functions of Sb. A simple dielectric model for nonadiabatic coherent phonon generation is also examined and compared with the TDDFT calculations.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures. This is prepared for a special issue of Journal of Chemical Physics on the topic of nonadiabatic processe

A universal form of slow dynamics in zero-temperature random-field Ising model

The zero-temperature Glauber dynamics of the random-field Ising model describes various ubiquitous phenomena such as avalanches, hysteresis, and related critical phenomena. Here, for a model on a random graph with a special initial condition, we derive exactly an evolution equation for an order parameter. Through a bifurcation analysis of the obtained equation, we reveal a new class of cooperative slow dynamics with the determination of critical exponents.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

A Start-Timing Detector for the Collider Experiment PHENIX at RHIC-BNL

We describe a start-timing detector for the PHENIX experiment at the relativistic heavy-ion collider RHIC. The role of the detector is to detect a nuclear collision, provide precise time information with an accuracy of 50ps, and determine the collision point along the beam direction with a resolution of a few cm. Technical challenges are that the detector must be operational in a wide particle-multiplicity range in a high radiation environment and a strong magnetic field. We present the performance of the prototype and discuss the final design of the detector.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX, 9 gif and 4 ps figures. Submitted to NIM