Gamma-ray Absorption Research Articles

Ce Katkilanmiş TiO2 İnce Filmlerin Radyasyon Soğurma Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi

TiO2 thin film applications recently used rather than a semiconductor material. This is due to the similar properties of TiO2 solar cells, photocatalysis has the area of applications in various fields, and many more. TiO2 of metal may be added in order to enhance the photoactivity. Ce doped TiO2 thin films obtained in this study were investigated the absorption of gamma rays. To do this, 137Cs and 60Co radioactive sources, published in 662, 1173 and 1332 keV gamma rays of energy used. The measurements are performed in the Gama Spectroscopy Laboratory with Gama Spectrometer 3x3 NaI (Tl) detector at Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Suleyman Demirel University.

Response of doped alkali iodides measured with gamma-ray absorption and Compton electrons

Relative light yield and intrinsic energy resolution of NaI:Tl, CsI:Na and CsI:Tl crystals were investigated by means of the wide angle Compton coincidence technique in wide energy range from several keV up to 1MeV. The experimental setup consisted of a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector and the tested scintillators were put at a close separation from the HPGe detector. The tested samples were cylinders of 25mm diameter and height coupled to a photomultiplier. Compton electron responses were compared to the results obtained with γ-ray absorption peaks. A correlation between intrinsic resolution of the tested scintillation materials and their nonproportionality was observed. Substantial differences in intrinsic resolution measured for γ-ray absorption peaks and Compton electrons were registered in the energy range between 50keV and 200keV. The results were discussed in terms of electron scattering, pointing to δ-ray production as an important contribution for determination of scintillator intrinsic resolution.

Photon energy absorption buildup factors of gaseous mixtures used in radiation detectors

Gamma-ray energy absorption buildup factors of gaseous mixtures; neon (95%) + argon (5%), argon (95%) + acetylene (5%), argon (95%) + methane (5%), argon (95%) + carbon dioxide (5%), methane (70%) + pentane (30%) and argon (90%) + methane (10%) were studied by Geometrical Progression (G-P) fitting for the photon energy range 0.015-15 MeV. It was found that the equivalent atomic number, Z eq of the gaseous mixtures sharply reduces after 1 MeV photon energy. The Z eq for the mixture of methane (70%) + pentane (30%) is the minimum, whereas the maximum is for argon (95%) + carbon dioxide (5%) for the photon energies under investigation. The Energy Absorption Buildup Factor (EABF) for methane (70%) + pentane (30%) was found to be the highest among all the selected gaseous mixtures. The chemical composition of the gaseous mixtures has an impact on the EABF values for photon energy and penetration depth. The investigation of the EABF is useful for selection of gaseous mixtures in design consideration of gaseous radiation detectors for gamma radiation.

Periodic morphological changes in the radio structure of the gamma-ray binary LS 5039

Gamma-ray binaries allow us to study physical processes such as particle acceleration up to TeV energies and VHE gamma-ray emission and absorption with changing geometrical configurations on a periodic basis. These sources produce outflows of radio-emitting particles whose structure can be imaged with VLBI. LS 5039 is a gamma-ray binary that has shown variable VLBI structures in the past. We aim to characterise the radio morphological changes of LS 5039 and discriminate if they are either repeatable or erratic. We observed LS 5039 with the VLBA at 5 GHz during five consecutive days to cover the 3.9-day orbit and an extra day to disentangle between orbital or secular variability. We also compiled the available high-resolution radio observations of the source to study its morphological variability at different orbital phases. We used a simple model to interpret the obtained images. The new observations show that the morphology of LS 5039 up to projected distances of 10 milliarcseconds changes in 24 h. The observed radio morphological changes display a periodic orbital modulation. Multifrequency and multiepoch VLBI observations confirm that the morphological periodicity is stable on timescales of years. Using a simple model we show that the observed behaviour is compatible with the presence of a young non-accreting pulsar with an outflow behind it. The morphology is reproduced for inclinations of the orbit of 60-75 deg. For masses of the companion star in the range 20-50 Msun, this range of inclinations implies a mass of the compact object of 1.3-2.7 Msun. The periodic orbital modulation of the radio morphology of LS 5039 suggests that all gamma-ray binaries are expected to show a similar behaviour. The changes in the radio structure of LS 5039 are compatible with the presence of a young non-accreting neutron star, which suggests that the known gamma-ray binaries contain young pulsars.

IDENTIFYING BREAKS AND CURVATURE IN THEFERMISPECTRA OF BRIGHT FLAT SPECTRUM RADIO QUASARS

Knowing the site of gamma-ray emission in AGN jets will do much for our understanding of the physics of the source. In particular, if the emission region is close to the black hole then absorption of gamma-rays with photons from the broad-line region could become significant. Such absorption is predicted to produce two specific spectral breaks in the gamma-ray spectra of Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQs). We test this hypothesis using 3 years of Fermi observations of nine bright FSRQs. A simple power law fit to the spectrum of each source can be significantly improved by introducing a break, but the break energies are inconsistent with those predicted by the double-absorber model. In some cases the fit can be further improved by a log-parabola. In addition, by dividing the data from each source into two equal epochs we find that the best description of an object's spectrum often varies between a log-parabola and a broken power law.

VERITAS OBSERVATIONS OF SIX BRIGHT, HARD-SPECTRUMFERMI-LAT BLAZARS

We report on VERITAS very-high-energy (VHE; E>100 GeV) observations of six blazars selected from the Fermi Large Area Telescope First Source Catalog (1FGL). The gamma-ray emission from 1FGL sources was extrapolated up to the VHE band, taking gamma-ray absorption by the extragalactic background light into account. This allowed the selection of six bright, hard-spectrum blazars that were good candidate TeV emitters. Spectroscopic redshift measurements were attempted with the Keck Telescope for the targets without Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopic data. No VHE emission is detected during the observations of the six sources described here. Corresponding TeV upper limits are presented, along with contemporaneous Fermi observations and non-concurrent Swift UVOT and XRT data. The blazar broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs) are assembled and modeled with a single-zone synchrotron self-Compton model. The SED built for each of the six blazars show a synchrotron peak bordering between the intermediate- and high-spectrum-peak classifications, with four of the six resulting in particle-dominated emission regions.

Potential of EBL and cosmology studies with the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Very high energy (VHE, E >100GeV) γ-rays are absorbed via interaction with low-energy photons from the extragalactic background light (EBL) if the involved photon energies are above the threshold for electron–positron pair creation. The VHE gamma-ray absorption, which is energy dependent and increases strongly with redshift, distorts the VHE spectra observed from distant objects. The observed energy spectra of the AGNs carry, therefore, an imprint of the EBL. The detection of VHE gamma-ray spectra of distant sources (z=0.11−0.54) by current generation Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) enabled to set strong upper limits on the EBL density, using certain basic assumptions about blazar physics. In this paper it is studied how the improved sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and its extended energy coverage will enlarge our knowledge about the EBL and its sources. CTA will deliver a large sample of AGN at different redshifts with detailed measured spectra. In addition, CTA will provide the exciting opportunity to use gamma ray bursts (GRBs) as probes for the EBL density at high redshifts.

Determination of zinc in geological samples using Compton suppression with thermal and epithermal instrumental neutron activation analysis

The determination of Zn in geological samples using instrumental neutron activation analysis is usually done using the 64Zn(n,γ)65Zn reaction and its 244 day half-life. However this analysis has proven to be potentially difficult. This is due to its relatively low neutron absorption cross section and gamma ray intensity, and the relatively high neutron absorption cross section and gamma intensity of 46Sc, which has an energy peak that is only 5 keV greater than 65Zn. The use of a high resolution detector makes it possible to differentiate between the 65Zn and 46Sc photopeaks peaks. However, the dominating 46Sc gamma ray can even make peak fitting routines unsuccessful in the proper determination of 65Zn. The use of a Compton suppression system suppresses the 46Sc peak, which has two coincident gamma-rays, and this greatly improves the ratio of the height of the 46Sc 1120.5 keV photopeak to the 65Zn 1115.4 keV photopeak. Irradiating the sample with epithermal neutrons also improves the measurement since 65Zn has a higher cross section for epithermal neutrons rather than thermal neutrons, whereas 46Sc has a higher thermal cross section. Another technique to determine zinc is the use of 68Zn(n,γ)69mZn reaction with its 13 h half-life using epithermal neutrons and Compton suppression INAA. However, the 438 keV gamma ray of 69mZn has no interference with any adjoining photopeak. A critical comparison of these two methods is given.

Gamma-ray flare and absorption in the Crab nebula: lovely TeV-PeV astrophysics

We spectrally fit the GeV gamma-ray flares recently-observed in the Crab Nebula by considering a small blob Lorentz-boosted towards us. We point out that the corresponding inverse-Compton flare at TeV--PeV region is more enhanced than synchrotron by a Lorentz factor square \sim \Gamma^2, which is already excluding \Gamma \gtrsim 200 and will be detected by future TeV - PeV observatories, CTA, Tibet AS + MD and LHAASO for \Gamma \gtrsim 30. We also show that PeV photons emitted from the Crab Nebula are absorbed by Cosmic Microwave Background radiation through electron-positron pair creation.

Semi-analytic modelling of the extragalactic background light and consequences for extragalactic gamma-ray spectra

Attenuation of high-energy gamma rays by pair-production with UV, optical and IR extragalactic background light (EBL) photons provides a link between the history of galaxy formation and high-energy astrophysics. We present results from our latest semi-analytic models (SAMs), which employ the main ingredients thought to be important to galaxy formation and evolution, as well as an improved model for reprocessing of starlight by dust to mid- and far-IR wavelengths. These SAMs are based upon a Lambda-CDM hierarchical structural formation scenario, and are successful in reproducing a large variety of observational constraints such as number counts, luminosity and mass functions, and color bimodality. Our fiducial model is based upon a WMAP5 cosmology, and treats dust emission using empirical templates. This model predicts a background flux considerably lower than optical and near-IR measurements that rely on subtraction of zodiacal and galactic foregrounds, and near the lower bounds set by number counts of resolvable sources at a large number of wavelengths. We also show the results of varying cosmological parameters and dust attenuation model used in our SAM. For each EBL prediction, we show how the optical depth due to electron-positron pair-production is affected by redshift and gamma-ray energy, and the effect of gamma-ray absorption on the spectra of a variety of extragalactic sources. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our work, comparisons to other models and key measurements of the EBL and a discussion of how the burgeoning science of gamma-ray astronomy will continue to help constrain cosmology. The low EBL flux predicted by our fiducial model suggests an optimistic future for further studies of distant gamma-ray sources.

Limits on large extra dimensions based on observations of neutron stars with the Fermi-LAT

We present limits for the compactification scale in the theory of Large Extra Dimensions (LED) proposed by Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos, and Dvali. We use 11 months of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) to set gamma ray flux limits for 6 gamma-ray faint neutron stars (NS). To set limits on LED we use the model of Hannestad and Raffelt (HR) that calculates the Kaluza-Klein (KK) graviton production in supernova cores and the large fraction subsequently gravitationally bound around the resulting NS. The predicted decay of the bound KK gravitons to γγ should contribute to the flux from NSs. Considering 2 to 7 extra dimensions of the same size in the context of the HR model, we use Monte Carlo techniques to calculate the expected differential flux of gamma-rays arising from these KK gravitons, including the effects of the age of the NS, graviton orbit, and absorption of gamma-rays in the magnetosphere of the NS. We compare our Monte Carlo-based differential flux to the experimental differential flux using maximum likelihood techniques to obtain our limits on LED. Our limits are more restrictive than past EGRET-based optimistic limits that do not include these important corrections. Additionally, our limits are more stringent than LHC based limits for 3 or fewer LED, and comparable for 4 LED. We conclude that if the effective Planck scale is around a TeV, then for 2 or 3 LED the compactification topology must be more complicated than a torus.

An inhomogeneous lepto-hadronic model for the radiation of relativistic jets

Conceptually reconstructing the physical conditions in relativistic jets, given the observed electromagnetic spectrum, poses a complex inverse problem. We aim to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms operating in relativistic jets through the modeling of their broadband electromagnetic spectrum. We develop an inhomogeneous jet model where the injection of relativistic primary and secondary particles takes place in a spatially extended region. We calculate the contribution of all particles species to the jet emissivity due to several processes, and assess the effect of gamma-ray absorption in internal and external photon fields. A number of specific models with different parameters are computed to explore the possibilities of this scenario. We obtain a variety of spectral shapes depending on the model parameters, some of them predicting significant gamma-ray emission. The observed broadband spectrum of the low-mass microquasar XTE J1118+480 can be satisfactorily reproduced by the model. Our results indicate that outbursts similar to those displayed in the past by XTE J1118+480 might be detected with present-day gamma-ray instruments.

Thermal Depinning of Abrikosov Vortices in a Nb Polycrystalline Bulk Absorber for Gamma-Ray Superconducting Detector

The threshold temperature at which the thermal depinning of Abrikosov vortices starts to be pronounced, defines the upper temperature limit for secure operation of a gamma-ray superconducting detector based on Abrikosov vortices. Indeed, because of the flux creep phenomenon, unwanted spontaneous vortex jumps can take place concurrently with those resulting from the gamma-ray photon absorption, resulting in the appearance of dark counts. Low temperature magnetic force microscopy (MFM) was applied for the evaluation of the threshold temperature for a 0.3 mm thick Nb polycrystalline bulk absorber with dimensions of 5×5 mm2, which was chosen for the fabrication of Josephson tunnel junctions serving as vortex sensor element of the gamma-ray detector. Vortices were generated by cooling the sample to 4.3 K in a small magnetic field. A field of 0.1 mT was chosen in order to produce more than two vortices within the 7×7 μm2 scan area, but with sufficiently large inter-vortex spacing such that vortex-vortex interactions would be negligible. The threshold temperature associated with the thermal depinning of a single vortex was found to be 6.3 ± 0.2 K, whereas the threshold temperature associated with the thermal depinning of half of vortices was found to be 7.2 ± 0.2 K.

Gamma-ray absorption using rubber—lead mixtures as radiation protection shields

In the present study five samples of special rubber–lead were fabricated each of them consists of lead and rubber with different weight ratios. The fabrication was carried out through the process of mixing under compression pressure. Gamma-ray transmission method was employed to determine the linear attenuation coefficient for narrow collimated mono-energetic beams of gamma-rays emitted from 241Am 0.059, 152Eu 0.13 and 137Cs 0.662 MeV. The linear attenuation coefficient of standard rubber–lead shield was also experimentally determined. The percentage of lead in standard rubber–lead shield was determined through the calibration curve or by a simple computer program written in MATLAB. All prepared samples are characterized as flexible and gives a good homogeneity. samples no. 4 & 5 offers the best performance as a radiation protection shields. The results showed an inverse proportionality between the linear attenuation coefficient μl and E, and μl has a direct proportionality with mixing ratios (sample density). The results showed an inverse proportional between the half value layers and the average linear attenuation coefficients of the various samples.

Fine structure of strength functions for beta decays of atomic nuclei

The β transition strength function S β(E) is the nuclear excitation energy distribution of moduli squared of the β-decay-type matrix elements. The function S β(E) determines the characteristics of β decay, the spectra of accompanying radiation, and the probabilities of delayed processes following the β decay. Until recently, tools widely used for experimental investigation of the S β(E) structure have been total absorption gamma spectrometers and total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy (TAGS) which could not provide high energy resolution. Development of experimental techniques allows nuclear spectroscopy methods with high energy resolution to be used for studying the fine structure of S β(E). A thorough investigation of this kind has been carried out for a number of nuclei produced at the YASNAPP-2 facility in Dubna. In this review, studies involving works on measuring the fine structure of S β(E) in spherical and deformed nuclei are analyzed. Modern nuclear spectroscopy methods made it possible to identify the splitting of peaks from nuclear deformation in S β(E) for Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions. The resonance nature of S β(E) for first-forbidden (FF) transitions in both spherical and deformed nuclei is experimentally proven. It is shown that for some nuclear excitation energies, FF transitions can be comparable in intensity with GT transitions. Criteria for verifying the completeness of nuclear decay schemes are considered. The S β(E) functions obtained by TAGS and by the high-resolution spectroscopy are compared.

Monte Carlo Simulations of Radio Emitting Secondaries in-Ray Binaries

Several binary systems that contain a massive star have been detected in both the radio band and at very high energies. In the dense stellar photon field of these sources, gamma-ray absorption and pair creation are expected to occur, and the radiation from these pairs may contribute significantly to the observed radio emission. We aim at going deeper in studying the properties, and in particular the morphology, of the pair radio emission in gamma-ray binaries. We applied a Monte Carlo code that computes the creation location, the spatial trajectory and the energy evolution of the pairs produced in the binary system and its surroundings. The radio emission produced by these pairs, with its spectral, variability and spatial characteristics, was calculated as it would be seen from a certain direction. A generic case was studied first, and then the specific case of LS 5039 was also considered. We found that, confirming previous results, the secondary radio emission should appear as an extended radio structure of a few milliarcseconds size. This radiation would be relatively hard, with fluxes of up to $\sim$ 10 mJy. Modulation is expected, depending on the gamma-ray production luminosity, system eccentricity, and wind ionization fraction, and to a lesser extent on the magnetic-field structure. In gamma-ray binaries in general, the pairs created due to photon-photon interactions can contribute significantly to the core, and generate an extended structure. In the case of LS 5039, the secondary radio emission is likely to be a significant fraction of the detected core flux, with a marginal extension.

On the origin of theγ-ray emission from the flaring blazar PKS 1222+216

The flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 1222+216 was detected in the very high energy gamma-ray band by MAGIC during a highly active gamma-ray phase following an alert by the LAT onboard Fermi. Its relatively hard spectrum without a cut off, together with the observed variability on timescale of ~10 min challenges standard emission models. If the emission originates in a portion of the relativistic jet located inside the BLR, severe absorption of gamma rays above few tens of GeV is expected due to the pair production process. These observations imply the existence of a very compact (R_b ~5 x 10^{14} cm) and very fast blob located far beyond the BLR radius, responsible for the rapidly varying high energy flux. However the long term (days-weeks) coherent evolution of the GeV flux recorded by LAT indicates that there could be also the substantial contribution from another larger emission region. We model the spectral energy distribution of PKS 1222+216 during the epoch of the MAGIC detection assuming three different scenarios,: (1) a one-zone model considering only the emission from a compact blob outside the BLR; (2) a two-zone model considering the compact blob plus an emitting region filling the whole jet cross-section located outside the BLR and (3) a two zone model with the jet emitting region inside the BLR. We find that in all cases the high-energy emission from the compact blob is dominated by the inverse Compton scattering of the IR thermal radiation of the dusty torus. Both regions are matter dominated, with a negligible Poynting flux. These results disfavor models in which the compact blob is the result of reconnection events inside the jet or "needles" of high-energy electrons. Instead, the observational framework and our radiative models could be compatible with scenarios in which the jet is re-collimated and focussed at large distances from the central BH.

MODELING THE HARD TeV SPECTRA OF BLAZARS 1ES 0229+200 AND 3C 66A WITH AN INTERNAL ABSORPTION SCENARIO

We study the applicability of the idea of internal absorption of gamma-rays produced through synchrotron radiation of ultrarelativistic protons in highly magnetized blobs to 1ES 0229+200 and 3C 66A, the two TeV blazars which show unusually hard intrinsic gamma-ray spectra after being corrected for the intergalactic absorption. We show that for certain combinations of reasonable model parameters, even with quite modest energy requirements, the scenario allows a self-consistent explanation of the non-thermal emission of these objects in the keV, GeV, and TeV energy bands.

Beta Decay Studies of Neutron Rich Nuclei Using Total Absorption Gamma-ray Spectroscopy and Delayed Neutron Measurements

A complete characterisation of the β-decay of neutron-rich nuclei can be obtained from the measurement of β -delayed gamma rays and, whenever the process is energetically possible, β -delayed neutrons. The accurate determination of the β-intensity distribution and the β -delayed neutron emission probability is of great relevance in the elds of reactor technology and nuclear astrophysics. A programme for combined measurements using the total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy technique and both neutron counters and neutron time-of-flight spectrometers is presented.

Mercuric Iodide Crystal Growth and Frisch Collar Detector Fabrication

Being a high-Z material, mercuric iodide (HgI2) has a relatively high gamma-ray absorption coefficient. Its low charge carrier mobilities, however, have somewhat hampered the interest in using this material as a room-temperature gamma-ray spectrometer. By using the Frisch collar technology, the influence of the low charge carrier can be significantly reduced. The growth of HgI2 by the Faile method in a horizontal furnace fortuitously produces tetragonal prismatic crystals. These crystals with appropriate dimensions can be fabricated into Frisch collar spectrometers. With the Frisch collar technology, 1.8% energy resolution for 662-keV gamma rays has been achieved.