In this paper, we present results of initial measurements and calculations of prompt gamma ray spectra (produced by proton-nucleus interactions) emitted from tissue equivalent phantoms during ...irradiations with proton beams. Measurements of prompt gamma ray spectra were made using a high-purity germanium detector shielded either with lead (passive shielding), or a Compton suppression system (active shielding). Calculations of the spectra were performed using a model of both the passive and active shielding experimental setups developed using the Geant4 Monte Carlo toolkit. From the measured spectra it was shown that it is possible to distinguish the characteristic emission lines from the major elemental constituent atoms (C, O, Ca) in the irradiated phantoms during delivery of proton doses similar to those delivered during patient treatment. Also, the Monte Carlo spectra were found to be in very good agreement with the measured spectra providing an initial validation of our model for use in further studies of prompt gamma ray emission during proton therapy.
We use an underground counting lab with an extremely low background to perform an activity measurement for the C12+13C system with energies down to Ec.m.=2.323 MeV, at which the 12C(13C,p)24Na cross ...section is found to be 0.22(7) nb. The C12+13C fusion cross section is derived with a statistical model calibrated using experimental data. Our new result of the C12+13C fusion cross section is the first decisive evidence in the carbon isotope systems which rules out the existence of the astrophysical S-factor maximum predicted by the phenomenological hindrance model, while confirming the rising trend of the S-factor towards lower energies predicted by other models, such as CC-M3Y+Rep, DC-TDHF, KNS, SPP and ESW. After normalizing the model predictions with our data, a more reliable upper limit is established for the C12+12C fusion cross sections at stellar energies.
The nuclear structure of 66 Se, nucleus beyond the N=Z line on the proton-rich side of the valley of stability, was investigated by the neutron knock-out reaction 67 Se( 12 C,X) 66 Se using a 12 C ...target. The analysis of the singles spectrum of the γ-rays emitted during the de-excitation of the populated low-lying excited states revealed two previously detected (927(4) keV, 1460(32) keV) and three new (744(6) keV, 1210(17) keV, 1661(23) keV) transitions. The 744-keV, the 1210-keV, and the 1460-keV transitions were found to be in coincidence with the one at 927 keV. The spectrum coincident with the 927-keV transition showed a further possible transition at 299(35) keV, which was obscured by significant atomic background in the singles spectrum. This transition might correspond to a peak previously reported at 273(5) keV that could not be assigned to 66 Se unambiguously. Based on a comparison of the experimental data to theoretical calculations, four new excited states are proposed which suggest that 66 Se exhibits shape coexistence.
The nuclear structure of 66Se, nucleus beyond the N=Z line on the proton-rich side of the valley of stability, was investigated by the neutron knock-out reaction 67Se(12C,X)66Se using a 12C target. ...The analysis of the singles spectrum of the γ-rays emitted during the de-excitation of the populated low-lying excited states revealed two previously detected (927(4) keV, 1460(32) keV) and three new (744(6) keV, 1210(17) keV, 1661(23) keV) transitions. The 744-keV, the 1210-keV, and the 1460-keV transitions were found to be in coincidence with the one at 927 keV. The spectrum coincident with the 927-keV transition showed a further possible transition at 299(35) keV, which was obscured by significant atomic background in the singles spectrum. This transition might correspond to a peak previously reported at 273(5) keV that could not be assigned to 66Se unambiguously. Based on a comparison of the experimental data to theoretical calculations, four new excited states are proposed which suggest that 66Se exhibits shape coexistence.
A MICROMEGAS detection amplifier has been incorporated into the design of the TAMU-MDM focal plane detector with the purpose of improving the energy resolution and thus, the particle identification. ...Beam tests showed a factor of 2 improvement over the original design, from 10%–12% to 4%–6%, for ions with A≤40 at E/A ∼ 10–20 MeV.
Carbon burning powers scenarios that influence the fate of stars, such as the late evolutionary stages of massive stars 1 (exceeding eight solar masses) and superbursts from accreting neutron ...stars2,3. It proceeds through the 12C + 12C fusion reactions that produce an alpha particle and neon-20 or a proton and sodium-23-that is, 12C(12C, α)20Ne and 12C(12C, p)23Na-at temperatures greater than 0.4 × 109 kelvin, corresponding to astrophysical energies exceeding a megaelectronvolt, at which such nuclear reactions are more likely to occur in stars. The cross-sections 4 for those carbon fusion reactions (probabilities that are required to calculate the rate of the reactions) have hitherto not been measured at the Gamow peaks 4 below 2 megaelectronvolts because of exponential suppression arising from the Coulomb barrier. The reference rate 5 at temperatures below 1.2 × 109 kelvin relies on extrapolations that ignore the effects of possible low-lying resonances. Here we report the measurement of the 12C(12C, α0,1)20Ne and 12C(12C, p0,1)23Na reaction rates (where the subscripts 0 and 1 stand for the ground and first excited states of 20Ne and 23Na, respectively) at centre-of-mass energies from 2.7 to 0.8 megaelectronvolts using the Trojan Horse method6,7 and the deuteron in 14N. The cross-sections deduced exhibit several resonances that are responsible for very large increases of the reaction rate at relevant temperatures. In particular, around 5 × 108 kelvin, the reaction rate is boosted to more than 25 times larger than the reference value 5 . This finding may have implications such as lowering the temperatures and densities 8 required for the ignition of carbon burning in massive stars and decreasing the superburst ignition depth in accreting neutron stars to reconcile observations with theoretical models 3 .
In equation (1) of this Letter, the closing bracket was missing; in Extended Data Fig. 1 and the accompanying legend, 'Φ(pd)' should have been 'Φ2(pd)', and in the Methods the text "Odd J assignments ...are uncertain by ±1." has been added. These errors have all been corrected online.
A precision measurement of the γ yields following the β decay of (32)Cl has determined its isobaric-analogue branch to be (22.47(-0.18)(+0.21))%. Since it is an almost pure-Fermi decay, we can also ...determine the amount of isospin-symmetry breaking in this superallowed transition. We find a very large value, δ(C) = 5.3(9)%, in agreement with a shell-model calculation. This result sets a benchmark for isospin-symmetry-breaking calculations and lends support for similarly calculated, yet smaller, corrections that are currently applied to 0+ → 0 + transitions for tests of the standard model.
To study very low-energy β-delayed proton decay, which are of interest for astrophysics, it is essential to achieve an efficient suppression of the β-background. ASTROBOX is such a device: energetic ...precursor nuclei are produced, identified and then stopped in the gas volume of the detector. The resulting β or β-proton decay traces are ionizing paths in the gas. The electrons produced through ionization are drifted in an electric field and are amplified with a Micro Pattern Gas Amplifier Detector (MPGAD). High gain and high signal to noise ratio are expected to be obtained. The two predecessors of this detection system which is under construction now in our group are AstroBox and AstroBox2, which were built and commissioned at Texas A&M University. The goal of this project is to build and use AstroBox2E at European facilities.
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