The cylindrical drift chamber is the most innovative part of the MEG II detector, the upgraded version of the MEG experiment. The MEG II chamber differs from the MEG one because it is a single volume ...cylindrical structure, instead of a segmented one, chosen to improve its resolutions and efficiency in detecting low energy positrons from muon decays at rest. In this paper, we show the characteristics and performances of this fundamental part of the MEG II apparatus and we discuss the impact of its higher resolution and efficiency on the sensitivity of the MEG II experiment. Because of its innovative structure and high quality resolution and efficiency the MEG II cylindrical drift chamber will be a cornerstone in the development of an ideal tracking detector for future positron-electron collider machines.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We describe and show results of a photographic technique for continuously monitoring the position, orientation, and shape of a thin-film muon stopping target for the MEG II experiment Baldini et al. ...(2018). The measurement is complicated by the target being located in a region with 1.3 T magnetic field, significant positron flux, and limited access. The technique achieves a measurement precision of 10 μm normal to and 30 μm parallel to the film surface, significantly better than required for the MEG II experiment.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We present the first direct search for lepton flavour violating muon decay mediated by a new light particle X,
μ
+
→
e
+
X
,
X
→
γ
γ
. This search uses a dataset resulting from
7.5
×
10
14
stopped ...muons collected by the MEG experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institut in the period 2009–2013. No significant excess is found in the mass region 20–45 MeV/c
2
for lifetimes below 40 ps, and we set the most stringent branching ratio upper limits in the mass region of 20–40 MeV/c
2
, down to
O
(
10
-
11
)
at 90% confidence level.
Full text
Available for:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The Cylindrical Drift Chamber of the MEG II experiment Chiappini, M.; Baldini, A.M.; Benmansour, H. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
02/2023, Volume:
1047
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The MEG experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) represents the state of the art in the search for the charged Lepton Flavor Violating μ+→e+γ decay, setting the most stringent upper limit on ...the BR (μ+→e+γ)≤4.2×10−13 (90% C.L.). An upgrade of MEG, MEG II, was designed, commissioned and recently started the physics data taking. Its goal is to reach a sensitivity level of 6×10−14. In order to reconstruct the positron momentum vector a Cylindrical Drift CHamber (CDCH) with unprecedented peculiarities was built, featuring angular and momentum resolutions at the 6.5 mrad and 100 keV/c level. The CDCH is a 2-meter long, 60 cm in diameter, low-mass, single volume detector with high granularity: 9 layers of 192 drift cells, few mm wide, defined by ∼12000 wires in a stereo configuration for longitudinal hit localization. The filling gas mixture is Helium:Isobutane 90:10. The total radiation length is 1.5×10−3 X0, thus minimizing the Multiple Coulomb Scattering and allowing for a single-hit resolution <120μm. After the assembly at INFN Pisa, the CDCH was transported to PSI and integrated into the MEG II experimental apparatus since 2018. The commissioning phase lasted for the past three years until the operational stability was reached in 2020. The analysis software is continuously developing and the tuning of the reconstruction algorithms is one of the main activities. The latest updates on the positron momentum vector resolutions and tracking efficiency are presented.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This paper describes applications of two neural networks to improve drift chamber position measurements. One network calculates a data-driven estimate of the drift cell time-to-distance relationship ...that is conventionally estimated by a numerical calculation based on the anode and cathode wire geometry, wire potentials, and gas properties. The second network additionally uses the full digital waveform of the signal in the drift chamber, hence accessing information on the full ensemble of ionization clusters. This network uses more information than the conventional position estimate that relies exclusively on the arrival time of the first drift electron. In principle, this technique improves resolution even when multiple ionization clusters cannot be separated, in contrast with a cluster-counting technique. The performance of both networks when applied to MEG II drift chamber data is reported and compared to that of a conventional approach.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
PdZn catalysts have been studied for WGS reaction. Although PdZn alloys are active WGS catalysts, WGS is not involved in methanol steam reforming. RWGS reaction could be one of the sources for small ...amount of CO formation in methanol steam reforming.
▪
Pd/ZnO/Al
2O
3 catalysts were studied for water-gas-shift (WGS), methanol steam reforming, and reverse-water-gas-shift (RWGS) reactions. WGS activity was found to be dependent on the Pd:Zn ratio with a maximum activity obtained at approximately 0.50, which was comparable to that of a commercial Pt-based catalyst. The catalyst stability was demonstrated for 100
h time-on-stream at a temperature of 360
°C without evidence of metal sintering. WGS reaction rates were approximately 1st order with respect to CO concentration, and kinetic parameters were determined to be
E
a
=
58.3
kJ
mol
−1 and
k
0
=
6.1
×
10
7
mol
−1. During methanol steam reforming, the CO selectivities were observed to be lower than the calculated equilibrium values over a range of temperatures and steam/carbon ratios studied while the reaction rate constants were approximately of the same magnitude for both WGS and methanol steam reforming. These results indicate that although Pd/ZnO/Al
2O
3 are active WGS catalysts, WGS is not involved in methanol steam reforming. RWGS rate constants are on the order of about 20 times lower than that of methanol steam reforming, suggesting that RWGS reaction could be one of the sources for small amount of CO formation in methanol steam reforming.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Commissioning and preliminary performance of the MEG II drift chamber Chiappini, M.; Chiarello, G.; Baldini, A.M. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
10/2022, Volume:
1041
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
In the quest for Lepton Flavor Violation (LFV) the MEG experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) represents the state of the art in the search for the charged LFV decay μ+→e+γ, setting the most ...stringent upper limit on the BR(μ+→e+γ)≤4.2×10−13 (90% C.L.). An upgrade of MEG, MEG II, was designed and it recently started the physics data taking, with the aim to reach a sensitivity level of 6×10−14. The Cylindrical Drift CHamber (CDCH) is a key detector in order to improve the e+ angular and momentum resolutions at the 6.5 mrad and 100 keV/c level. The CDCH is a low-mass single volume detector with high granularity: 9 layers of 192 drift cells each, few mm wide, defined by 12000 wires in a stereo configuration for longitudinal hit localization. After the assembly, the CDCH was transported to PSI for the commissioning phase and it has been integrated into the MEG II experimental apparatus since 2018. The operational stability was reached in 2020 and the complete readout electronics was tested for the first time in 2021. A preliminary analysis of 2020–2021 data is presented.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study assessed whether perceptions of others' reactions to disclosure are related to psychological and physical outcomes among individuals with a history of child sexual abuse. Eighty-six female ...undergraduates completed a series of questionnaires assessing child sexual abuse, nonsexual trauma, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, somatic symptoms, disclosure, and social reactions to disclosure. Those who reported child sexual abuse endorsed higher levels of psychological and physical symptoms than those who reported a nonsexual traumatic event. Child sexual abuse survivors who reported more hurtful responses to disclosure had higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and physical symptoms than nonsexual trauma survivors. These findings suggest that many survivors of CSA may need psychological services, and an important focus of treatment may be assessing and strengthening social support.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, NUK, PILJ, PRFLJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
This study aimed to shed light on the use of mealworm (
) frass (TMF) in rabbit diets and its effects on growth performance, blood profiles, rabbit meat quality, and fatty acid profiles. A total of ...48 Gabali rabbits were divided equally and randomly into four groups to be fed one of four dietary treatments: a control (T0) group and three TMF groups, which included TMF meal at 1 (T1), 2 (T2), and 3 (T3) %, respectively. The rabbits were fed on isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets for 11 weeks, and the growth performance data were recorded. Six rabbits per group were slaughtered at the end of the 11th week, then the pharmacochemical parameters and carcass traits were measured, and meat quality and fatty acid profiles were analyzed. The results indicated that the growth performance of different groups was similar (
> 0.05). The levels of globulin, glucose, and alanine transaminase (ALT) were lower in the mealworm frass groups compared with the control group. Carcass traits were not affected by experimental regimes. Fat was higher in the TMF treatment groups, while moisture was lower compared with the control group. The shear force had a lower value in the treatment groups T3 and T2 compared with the control group. The highest values of redness and chroma (color parameter) of rabbit meat were observed in the treatment groups vs. the control group. Moreover, the proportion of total saturated fatty acids in the meat of rabbits that were fed on the T2 and T3 diets was higher compared to those fed on the control (i.e., T0) and T1 diets. Furthermore, the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acid was higher in the T2, T3, and T1 groups vs. T0 rabbits, whereas the PUFA proportions were lower. It could be concluded that frass has great potential to be used as a partial substitute for rabbit diets.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects 1–2% of children and is associated with functional impairment and diminished quality of life. Several treatments are efficacious: cognitive behavioral ...therapy (CBT) with exposure and response prevention, serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) monotherapy, and combined treatment (SRI + CBT). Expert clinician-informed practice parameters suggest that youth with mild to moderate OCD should be treated initially with CBT yet SRIs are frequently employed as the first-line intervention or in combination with psychotherapy in applied practice. Empirical data to guide SRI discontinuation in pediatric OCD are very limited. This study, Promoting OCD Wellness and Resiliency (POWER), aims to address this gap through a two phase, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled non-inferiority trial with the purpose of evaluating whether youth with OCD on an SRI can discontinue their medication after successful CBT augmentation and maintain wellness for a period of 24 weeks during which they receive maintenance CBT that models standard-of-care. In this paper we describe the rationale and methodological design of the POWER study.
•Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children is common and associated with functional impairment.•Effective treatments for pediatric OCD include exposure and response prevention and serotonin reuptake inhibitors.•There are no empirical data to guide SRI discontinuation in pediatric OCD.•This paper describes the rationale and method of the Promoting OCD Wellness and Resiliency (POWER) study.•POWER is a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled non-inferiority trial.•The study evaluates whether youth with OCD on an SRI can discontinue their medication after successful CBT augmentation.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
PDF
