The PROSPECT physics program Ashenfelter, J; Balantekin, A B; Band, H R ...
Journal of physics. G, Nuclear and particle physics,
10/2016, Volume:
43, Issue:
11
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The precision reactor oscillation and spectrum experiment, PROSPECT, is designed to make a precise measurement of the antineutrino spectrum from a highly-enriched uranium reactor and probe eV-scale ...sterile neutrinos by searching for neutrino oscillations over a distance of several meters. PROSPECT is conceived as a 2-phase experiment utilizing segmented 6Li-doped liquid scintillator detectors for both efficient detection of reactor antineutrinos through the inverse beta decay reaction and excellent background discrimination. PROSPECT Phase I consists of a movable 3 ton antineutrino detector at distances of 7-12 m from the reactor core. It will probe the best-fit point of the e disappearance experiments at 4 in 1 year and the favored region of the sterile neutrino parameter space at > 3 in 3 years. With a second antineutrino detector at 15-19 m from the reactor, Phase II of PROSPECT can probe the entire allowed parameter space below 10 eV2 at 5 in 3 additional years. The measurement of the reactor antineutrino spectrum and the search for short-baseline oscillations with PROSPECT will test the origin of the spectral deviations observed in recent θ 13 experiments, search for sterile neutrinos, and conclusively address the hypothesis of sterile neutrinos as an explanation of the reactor anomaly.
The modeling of background sources in large volume detection systems requires accurate nuclear cross sections for a variety of reactions. Among the most important are (α,n) on light nuclei, where α ...particles, up to ≈9 MeV, are produced from the decay of actinides present in trace amounts in detection and structural material. In order to model the neutron energy spectra and production of other secondary particles, the partial cross sections are needed. Yet very little experimental data exists for these partial cross sections because past measurements, hampered by the experimental challenges of neutron detection, have focused mostly on total reaction cross section measurements. Here, in this paper, the partial cross section of the 13C(α,n1)16O reaction is reported for the first time. The measurements were made near the reaction threshold using a high energy resolution helium spectrometer. The measurements show a rapidly increasing cross section, which quickly becomes a significant fraction of the total reaction cross section. Measurements are compared with previous theory estimates and differences of more than an order of magnitude are found. A comparison is made with new total cross section measurements and the current level of consistency is demonstrated.
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Compton γ-ray sources have been in operation for over 30 years with new facilities being under construction or proposed. The gamma beam system under implementation at the Extreme Light Infrastructure ...- Nuclear Physics facility in Romania will deliver brilliant γ-ray beams with energies up to 19.5 MeV. Several instruments for measuring the parameters of the γ-ray beam are under development at ELI-NP. One of these instruments based on a High Purity Germanium detector is routinely used for beam energy measurements at other facilities. Here we investigate the use of a High Purity Germanium detector to continuously monitor the intensity of the ELI-NP gamma beam by measuring the inelastic scattering of photons. This method relies on both experimental and simulated data and it has been successfully tested during a recent experiment at the High Intensity γ-ray Source facility.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The rate of the final step in the astrophysical αp process, the 34Ar(α,p)37K reaction, suffers from large uncertainties due to a lack of experimental data, despite having a considerable impact on the ...observable light curves of x-ray bursts and the composition of the ashes of hydrogen and helium burning on accreting neutron stars. Here, we present the first direct measurement constraining the 34Ar(α,p)37K reaction cross section, using the Jet Experiments in Nuclear Structure and Astrophysics gas jet target. The combined cross section for the 34Ar,Cl(α,p)37K,Ar reaction is found to agree well with Hauser-Feshbach predictions. The 34Ar(α,2p)36Ar cross section, which can be exclusively attributed to the 34Ar beam component, also agrees to within the typical uncertainties quoted for statistical models. This indicates the applicability of the statistical model for predicting astrophysical (α,p) reaction rates in this part of the αp process, in contrast to earlier findings from indirect reaction studies indicating orders-of-magnitude discrepancies. This removes a significant uncertainty in models of hydrogen and helium burning on accreting neutron stars.
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The collective structure of 106Cd is elucidated by multi-step Coulomb excitation of a 3.849 MeV/A beam of 106Cd on a 1.1 mg/cm2 208Pb target using GRETINA-CHICO2 at ATLAS. Fourteen E2 matrix elements ...were obtained. The nucleus 106Cd is a prime example of emergent collectivity that possesses a simple structure: it is free of complexity caused by shape coexistence and has a small, but collectively active number of valence nucleons. This work follows in a long and currently active quest to answer the fundamental question of the origin of nuclear collectivity and deformation, notably in the cadmium isotopes. The results are discussed in terms of phenomenological models, the shell model, and Kumar-Cline sums of E2 matrix elements. The < 0$^{+}_{2}$ ||E2||2$^{+}_{1}$ > matrix element is determined for the first time, providing a total, converged measure of the electric quadrupole strength, < Q2 >, of the first-excited 2$^{+}_{1}$ level relative to the 0$^{+}_{1}$ ground state, which does not show an increase as expected of harmonic and anharmonic vibrations. Strong evidence for triaxial shapes in weakly collective nuclei is indicated; collective vibrations are excluded. This is contrary to the only other cadmium result of this kind in 114Cd by C. Fahlander et al., Nucl. Phys. A485, 327 (1988), which is complicated by low-lying shape coexistence near midshell.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The collective structure of 106Cd is elucidated by multi-step Coulomb excitation of a 3.849 MeV/A beam of 106Cd on a 1.1 mg/cm2 208Pb target using GRETINA-CHICO2 at ATLAS. Fourteen E2 matrix elements ...were obtained. The nucleus 106Cd is a prime example of emergent collectivity that possesses a simple structure: it is free of complexity caused by shape coexistence and has a small, but collectively active number of valence nucleons. This work follows in a long and currently active quest to answer the fundamental question of the origin of nuclear collectivity and deformation, notably in the cadmium isotopes. The results are discussed in terms of phenomenological models, the shell model, and Kumar-Cline sums of E2 matrix elements. The < 0$^{+}_{2}$ ||E2||2$^{+}_{1}$ > matrix element is determined for the first time, providing a total, converged measure of the electric quadrupole strength, < Q2 >, of the first-excited 2$^{+}_{1}$ level relative to the 0$^{+}_{1}$ ground state, which does not show an increase as expected of harmonic and anharmonic vibrations. Strong evidence for triaxial shapes in weakly collective nuclei is indicated; collective vibrations are excluded. This is contrary to the only other cadmium result of this kind in 114Cd by C. Fahlander et al., Nucl. Phys. A485, 327 (1988), which is complicated by low-lying shape coexistence near midshell.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Here, the Li7(γ,t)He4 ground state cross section was measured for the first time using monoenergetic γ rays with energies between 4.4 and 10 MeV at the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source. The reaction ...is important for the primordial Li problem and for testing our understanding of the mirror α -capture reactions H 3(α,γ)Li7 and He3(α,γ)Be7 . Although over the last 30 years most measurements of the H 3(α,γ)Li7 reaction have concentrated in an energy range below Eγ=3.65 MeV, measurements at higher energies could potentially restrict the extrapolation to astrophysically important energies. The experimental arrangement for measuring the Li7(γ,t)He4 reaction included a large-area silicon detector array and several beam characterization instruments. The experimental astrophysical S factor of H 3(α,γ) calculated from the present data was fitted using the R -matrix formalism. The results are in disagreement with previous experimental measurements in the same energy range but the extrapolated S factor agrees with the potential model calculation and lower energy experimental data.
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