Microquasars are accreting black holes or neutron stars in binary systems with associated relativistic jets. Despite their frequent outburst activity, they have never been unambiguously detected ...emitting high-energy gamma rays. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has detected a variable high-energy source coinciding with the position of the x-ray binary and microquasar Cygnus X-3. Its identification with Cygnus X-3 is secured by the detection of its orbital period in gamma rays, as well as the correlation of the LAT flux with radio emission from the relativistic jets of Cygnus X-3. The gamma-ray emission probably originates from within the binary system, opening new areas in which to study the formation of relativistic jets.
Triple-GEM detector technology was recently selected by CMS for a part of the upgrade of its forward muon detector system as GEM detectors provide a stable operation in the high radiation environment ...expected during the future High-Luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). In a first step, GEM chambers (detectors) will be installed in the innermost muon endcap station in the 1.6<η<2.2 pseudo-rapidity region, mainly to control level-1 muon trigger rates after the second LHC Long Shutdown. These new chambers will add redundancy to the muon system in the η-region where the background rates are high, and the bending of the muon trajectories due to the CMS magnetic field is small. A novel construction technique for such chambers has been developed in such a way where foils are mounted onto a single stack and then uniformly stretched mechanically, avoiding the use of spacers and glue inside the active gas volume. We describe the layout, the stretching mechanism and the overall assembly technique of such GEM chambers.
Gamma radiation from naturally occurring sources (including directly ionizing cosmic-rays) is a major component of background radiation. An understanding of the magnitude and variation of doses from ...these sources is important, and the ability to predict them is required for epidemiological studies. In the present paper, indoor measurements of naturally occurring gamma-rays at representative locations in Great Britain are summarized. It is shown that, although the individual measurement data appear unimodal, the distribution of gamma-ray dose-rates when averaged over relatively small areas, which probably better represents the underlying distribution with inter-house variation reduced, appears bimodal. The dose-rate distributions predicted by three empirical and geostatistical models are also bimodal and compatible with the distributions of the areally averaged dose-rates. The distribution of indoor gamma-ray dose-rates in the UK is compared with those in other countries, which also tend to appear bimodal (or possibly multimodal). The variation of indoor gamma-ray dose-rates with geology, socio-economic status of the area, building type, and period of construction are explored. The factors affecting indoor dose-rates from background gamma radiation are complex and frequently intertwined, but geology, period of construction, and socio-economic status are influential; the first is potentially most influential, perhaps, because it can be used as a general proxy for local building materials. Various statistical models are tested for predicting indoor gamma-ray dose-rates at unmeasured locations. Significant improvements over previous modelling are reported. The dose-rate estimates generated by these models reflect the imputed underlying distribution of dose-rates and provide acceptable predictions at geographical locations without measurements.
Gamma radiation from natural sources (including directly ionising cosmic rays) is an important component of background radiation. In the present paper, indoor measurements of naturally occurring ...gamma rays that were undertaken as part of the UK Childhood Cancer Study are summarised, and it is shown that these are broadly compatible with an earlier UK National Survey. The distribution of indoor gamma-ray dose rates in Great Britain is approximately normal with mean 96 nGy/h and standard deviation 23 nGy/h. Directly ionising cosmic rays contribute about one-third of the total. The expanded dataset allows a more detailed description than previously of indoor gamma-ray exposures and in particular their geographical variation. Various strategies for predicting indoor natural background gamma-ray dose rates were explored. In the first of these, a geostatistical model was fitted, which assumes an underlying geologically determined spatial variation, superimposed on which is a Gaussian stochastic process with Matérn correlation structure that models the observed tendency of dose rates in neighbouring houses to correlate. In the second approach, a number of dose-rate interpolation measures were first derived, based on averages over geologically or administratively defined areas or using distance-weighted averages of measurements at nearest-neighbour points. Linear regression was then used to derive an optimal linear combination of these interpolation measures. The predictive performances of the two models were compared via cross-validation, using a randomly selected 70 % of the data to fit the models and the remaining 30 % to test them. The mean square error (MSE) of the linear-regression model was lower than that of the Gaussian–Matérn model (MSE 378 and 411, respectively). The predictive performance of the two candidate models was also evaluated via simulation; the OLS model performs significantly better than the Gaussian–Matérn model.
It has been recognised for many years that the distributions of indoor radon concentrations in many countries conform more or less closely to a lognormal distribution. For homes situated over a ...single geological unit with a consistent source of radon in the ground, conformance with the lognormal distribution can be understood in terms of the multiplicative factors affecting the relationship between radium in the ground and radon in indoor air. The fact that national as well as local distributions of indoor radon also usually conform to the lognormal can be attributed to the fact that the mixture of a number of different lognormal distributions will often result in a lognormal distribution. In some cases, however, the national distributions of indoor radon deviate from a lognormal distribution: the reasons for this are examined using model normal distributions. A study of the deviation of the UK distribution from log-normality above 500 Bq m(-3) provides a better estimate of the number of homes with very high radon concentrations.
The high-luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) will result in ten times higher particle background than measured during the first phase of LHC operation. In order to fully exploit ...the highly-demanding operating conditions during HL-LHC, the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Collaboration will use Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector technology. The technology will be integrated into the innermost region of the forward muon spectrometer of CMS as an additional muon station called GE1∕1. The primary purpose of this auxiliary station is to help in muon reconstruction and to control level-1 muon trigger rates in the pseudo-rapidity region 1.6≤|η|≤2.2. The new station will contain trapezoidal-shaped GEM detectors called GE1∕1 chambers. The design of these chambers is finalized, and the installation is in progress during the Long Shutdown phase two (LS-2) that started in 2019. Several full-size prototypes were built and operated successfully in various test beams at CERN. We describe performance measurements such as gain, efficiency, and time resolution of these prototype chambers, developed after years of R&D, and summarize their behavior in different gas compositions as a function of the applied voltage.
Background: The validity and reliability of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) needed to be confirmed before its use in the UK. Methods: The IBDQ was administered to 28 subjects with ...ulcerative colitis (UC) on 3 separate occasions over a period of 4 weeks, twice by an interviewer and once by self-completion. Convergent and concurrent validity was assessed by using the Colitis Activity Index (CAI) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were also tested. Results: There were moderately high Pearson correlations between related IBDQ domains and SF-36 dimensions and also between the CAI score and the IBDQ Bowel domain and the SF-36 Pain dimension. Cronbach's alpha, corrected item-total correlations, and intra-class correlation coefficients were high. Conclusions: The IBDQ is a valid and reliable health-related quality of life scale for use in patients with UC and is suitable for use in the UK.
The CMS Collaboration has been developing large-area triple-gas electron multiplier (GEM) detectors to be installed in the muon Endcap regions of the CMS experiment in 2019 to maintain forward muon ...trigger and tracking performance at the High-Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC); 10 preproduction detectors were built at CERN to commission the first assembly line and the quality controls (QCs). These were installed in the CMS detector in early 2017 and participated in the 2017 LHC run. The collaboration has prepared several additional assembly and QC lines for distributed mass production of 160 GEM detectors at various sites worldwide. In 2017, these additional production sites have optimized construction techniques and QC procedures and validated them against common specifications by constructing additional preproduction detectors. Using the specific experience from one production site as an example, we discuss how the QCs make use of independent hardware and trained personnel to ensure fast and reliable production. Preliminary results on the construction status of CMS GEM detectors are presented with details of the assembly sites involvement.
A temperature monitoring system based on fibre Bragg grating (FBG) fibre optic sensors has been developed for the gas electron multiplier (GEM) chambers of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector. ...The monitoring system was tested in prototype chambers undergoing a general test of the various technological solutions adopted for their construction. The test lasted about two years and was conducted with the chambers being installed in the CMS detector and operated during regular experimental running. In this paper, we present test results that address the choice of materials and procedures for the production and installation of the FBG temperature monitoring system in the final GEM chambers.
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