Forward Neutron Research Articles

Photon-photon fusion and tau g-2 measurement in ATLAS

Relativistic heavy-ion beams at the LHC are accompanied by a large flux of equivalent photons. New measurements of exclusive dilepton production (electron, muon, and tau pairs) performed by the ATLAS experiment are discussed. We present the photon-induced production of tau pairs and constraints on the tau lepton’s anomalous magnetic dipole moment. In addition, measurements of photon-induced electron and muon pair production are presented, which provide strong constraints on the nuclear photon flux and its dependence on the impact parameter and photon energy. Forward neutrons are utilised to provide an experimental handle on the impact parameter range sampled in the events.

First global study of super dense gluonic matter with UPCs by ALICE

ALICE was the first experimental collaboration observing a moderate nuclear suppression down to low Bjorken-x in lead nuclei using coherent J/ψ photoproduction. In this contribution, we present new results extending the studies of the photonuclear cross section by covering the Bjorken-x interval of 1.1 · 10−5 < x < 3.3 · 10−2, corresponding to the photon-nuclear energies 17 < WγPb,n < 920 GeV. This is achieved by using multiple methods to extract the energy dependence, including new results on the forward neutron emission accompanying the coherent photoproduction process. These new results, combined with ALICE measurements of J/ψ off a proton target, probe the gluonic structure of the lead nuclei at the lowest Bjorken-x possible with any current experiment, challenging both gluon saturation and shadowing models to describe the data.

Observation of the γγ→ττ Process in Pb+Pb Collisions and Constraints on the τ-Lepton Anomalous Magnetic Moment with the ATLAS Detector.

This Letter reports the observation of τ-lepton-pair production in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions Pb+Pb→Pb(γγ→ττ)Pb and constraints on the τ-lepton anomalous magnetic moment a_{τ}. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.44 nb^{-1} of LHC Pb+Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment in 2018. Selected events contain one muon from a τ-lepton decay, an electron or charged-particle track(s) from the other τ-lepton decay, little additional central-detector activity, and no forward neutrons. The γγ→ττ process is observed in Pb+Pb collisions with a significance exceeding 5 standard deviations and a signal strength of μ_{ττ}=1.03_{-0.05}^{+0.06} assuming the standard model value for a_{τ}. To measure a_{τ}, a template fit to the muon transverse-momentum distribution from τ-lepton candidates is performed, using a dimuon (γγ→μμ) control sample to constrain systematic uncertainties. The observed 95% confidence-level interval for a_{τ} is -0.057<a_{τ}<0.024.

Strong Constraints on Jet Quenching in Centrality-Dependent p+Pb Collisions at 5.02TeV from ATLAS.

Jet quenching is the process of color-charged partons losing energy via interactions with quark-gluon plasma droplets created in heavy-ion collisions. The collective expansion of such droplets is well described by viscous hydrodynamics. Similar evidence of collectivity is consistently observed in smaller collision systems, including pp and p+Pb collisions. In contrast, while jet quenching is observed in Pb+Pb collisions, no evidence has been found in these small systems to date, raising fundamental questions about the nature of the system created in these collisions. The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider has measured the yield of charged hadrons correlated with reconstructed jets in 0.36 nb^{-1} of p+Pb and 3.6 pb^{-1} of pp collisions at 5.02TeV. The yields of charged hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>0.5 GeV near and opposite in azimuth to jets with p_{T}^{jet}>30 or 60GeV, and the ratios of these yields between p+Pb and pp collisions, I_{pPb}, are reported. The collision centrality of p+Pb events is categorized by the energy deposited by forward neutrons from the struck nucleus. The I_{pPb} values are consistent with unity within a few percent for hadrons with p_{T}^{ch}>4 GeV at all centralities. These data provide new, strong constraints that preclude almost any parton energy loss in central p+Pb collisions.

High-Flux Neutron Generator Based on Laser-Driven Collisionless Shock Acceleration.

A novel compact high-flux neutron generator with a pitcher-catcher configuration based on laser-driven collisionless shock acceleration (CSA) is proposed and experimentally verified. Different from those that previously relied on target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), CSA in nature favors not only acceleration of deuterons (instead of hydrogen contaminants) but also increasing of the number of deuterons in the high-energy range, therefore having great advantages for production of high-flux neutron source. The proof-of-principle experiment has observed a typical CSA plateau feature from 2 to 6MeV in deuteron energy spectrum and measured a forward neutron flux with yield 6.6×10^{7} n/sr from the LiF catcher target, an order of magnitude higher than the compared TNSA case, where the laser intensity is 10^{19} W/cm^{2}. Self-consistent simulations have reproduced the experimental results and predicted that a high-flux forward neutron source with yield up to 5×10^{10} n/sr can be obtained when laser intensity increases to 10^{21} W/cm^{2} under the same laser energy.

Neutron emission in ultraperipheral Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV

In ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs) of relativistic nuclei without overlap of nuclear densities, the two nuclei are excited by the Lorentz-contracted Coulomb fields of their collision partners. In these UPCs, the typical nuclear excitation energy is below a few tens of MeV, and a small number of nucleons are emitted in electromagnetic dissociation (EMD) of primary nuclei, in contrast to complete nuclear fragmentation in hadronic interactions. The cross sections of emission of given numbers of neutrons in UPCs of $^{208}$Pb nuclei at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02$ TeV were measured with the neutron zero degree calorimeters (ZDCs) of the ALICE detector at the LHC, exploiting a similar technique to that used in previous studies performed at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV. In addition, the cross sections for the exclusive emission of one, two, three, four, and five forward neutrons in the EMD, not accompanied by the emission of forward protons, and thus mostly corresponding to the production of $^{207,206,205,204,203}$Pb, respectively, were measured for the first time. The predictions from the available models describe the measured cross sections well. These cross sections can be used for evaluating the impact of secondary nuclei on the LHC components, in particular, on superconducting magnets, and also provide useful input for the design of the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh).

Status of LAMPS at RAON

A new radioactive ion-beam accelerator facility, RAON, is under construction in Korea. Among the seven experimental systems being built, the Large Acceptance Multi-Purpose Spectrometer (LAMPS) in the high-energy experimental hall is the versatile detector system for nuclear physics. Its primary goal is to study the nuclear equation of state (EoS) and the symmetry energy of the compressed nuclear matter, which should be essential to understand the effective nuclear interactions and structure of the astrophysical objects like neutron stars. The basic LAMPS system consists of the beam diagnostic elements such as the starting counters and beam drift chambers, the time-projection chamber, the barrel and forward time-of-flight systems, the forward neutron detector array, and the superconducting solenoid magnet. In this paper the overview of the present status of each detector component for LAMPS will be given with some prospects.

Observation of the γγ → ττ process in Pb+Pb collisions and constraints on the τ-lepton anomalous magnetic moment with the ATLAS detector at LHC

This paper reports the observation of τ-lepton pair production in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions, Pb(γ)Pb(γ) → ττ and constraints on the τ-lepton anomalous magnetic moment, aτ, measured by the ATLAS experiment. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.44 nb−1 of LHC Pb+Pb collisions at $ \sqrt{S_{NN}}=5.02 {\rm TeV} $. Selected events contain one muon from a τ-lepton decay, an electron or charged-particle track(s) from the other τ-lepton decay, little additional central-detector activity, and no forward neutrons. The γγ → ττ process is observed in Pb+Pb collisions with a signal strength of µττ= 1.03$ _{-0.05}^{+0.06} $. To measure aτ, a template fit to the muon transverse-momentum distribution from τ-lepton candidates is performed, using a dimuon (γγ → µµ) control sample to constrain systematic uncertainties. The observed 95% confidence-level interval for aτ is (−0.057, 0.024).

Joint ATLAS/CMS ZDC upgrade project for the High Luminosity LHC

The High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) provides the opportunity to study heavy ion, proton-nucleus, photon-nucleus and photon-photon collisions with unprecedented luminosities at the TeV scale. The LHC heavy ion community has mapped out an extensive range of physics measurements at the HLLHC that will push forward our understanding of both QCD, QED and even electroweak physics. The measurement of forward neutrons and photons in Zero Degree Calorimeters (ZDCs) is essential for event classification and triggering. In order to reach the required luminosities, the LHC interaction regions will be redesigned, necessitating the need to build new ZDCs that will be both narrower and much more radiation tolerant. This challenge motivated the formation of a joint project between ATLAS and CMS to build new ZDCs for Run 4, JZCaP. The ZDCs are based on radiation-hard fused silica rods that produce Cherenkov light. These rods have been developed by Heraeus Quartzglas in collaboration with JZCaP and the LHC BRAN and FLUKA groups. The Run 4 ZDCs (HL-ZDCs) are the first joint detector project between CMS and ATLAS. This talk will present the capabilities of the new ZDCs and recent R&amp;D highlights.

Performance evaluation of LHCf-ATLAS ZDC joint measurement using proton beam

Measurements of forward neutrons in pp collisions will allow us to investigate π-p cross-section via one-pion exchange process, which are important for air shower development. However, the precision of these measurements is limited by the energy resolution of the LHCf detectors. To improve it, a joint measurement with the ATLAS ZDC was planned. In 2021, a beam test was conducted to evaluate the performance of the joint measurement of the LHCf-Arm1 and ZDC detectors using proton beams of 350 GeV at SPS. Combining the LHCf data with the ZDC data, we confirmed that the energy resolution improved from about 40% to 21.4%.

Investigating saturation effects and the virtual pion in leading neutron events at HERA with the dipole model

We investigate events with very forward neutrons in $ep$ collisions at HERA using impact parameter dependent color dipole models with and without saturation. This is the first study of the leading neutron process deploying these models. The model predictions are compared with the available HERA measurements for $6&lt;{Q}^{2}&lt;100\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GeV}}^{2}$, $70&lt;W&lt;245\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$. Our analysis shows that the models exhibit Feynman scaling, independent of ${Q}^{2}$. Our results demonstrate that the $W$ and ${Q}^{2}$ dependence of the cross section is independent of the presence of a forward neutron as predicted by limiting fragmentation hypothesis, which is a consequence of Feynman scaling itself. We infer that the HERA leading neutron production inclusive data is insensitive to saturation physics and these cross sections may not be able to distinguish gluon saturation effects in future $ep$ colliders. We provide a good description of the leading neutron structure function ${F}_{2}^{LN}$ at small $x$ using an assumption that the small-$x$ structure of protons and pions is universal up to a normalization. We also show that the observables in the exclusive diffractive measurements with a vector meson in the final state are more sensitive to saturation physics at small $x$ than inclusive measurements. At last we provide a prediction for the $\stackrel{^}{t}$ spectrum in exclusive vector meson production in the dipole model using Yukawa theory to model the virtual pion's spatial wave function.

Transverse single spin asymmetries of forward neutrons in p+p , p+Al , and p+Au collisions at sNN=200 GeV as a function of transverse and longitudinal momenta

In 2015 the PHENIX collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider recorded $p$$+$$p$, $p$$+$Al, and $p$$+$Au collision data at center of mass energies of $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV with the proton beam(s) transversely polarized. At very forward rapidities $\eta>6.8$ relative to the polarized proton beam, neutrons were detected either inclusively or in (anti)correlation with detector activity related to hard collisions. The resulting single spin asymmetries, that were previously reported, have now been extracted as a function of the transverse momentum of the neutron as well as its longitudinal momentum fraction $x_F$. The explicit kinematic dependence, combined with the correlation information allows for a closer look at the interplay of different mechanisms suggested to describe these asymmetries, such as hadronic interactions or electromagnetic interactions in ultra-peripheral collisions, UPC. Events that are correlated with a hard collision indeed display a mostly negative asymmetry that increases in magnitude as a function of transverse momentum with only little dependence on $x_F$. In contrast, events that are not likely to have emerged from a hard collision display positive asymmetries for the nuclear collisions with a kinematic dependence that resembles that of a UPC based model. Because the UPC interaction depends strongly on the charge of the nucleus, those effects are very small for $p$$+$$p$ collisions, moderate for $p$$+$Al collisions, and large for $p$$+$Au collisions.

A new method for measurement of moisture transport in porous media based on forward and backward scattering of epithermal neutrons

We present a new method for determining the spatial distribution and transport of water in porous media. It is based on the detection of both forward and backward scattered neutrons from the wet regions of the samples under investigation. The experimental set-up is based on a Pu-Be neutron source and He-3 neutron detector assemblies. The results obtained showed that back scattered neutrons are more sensitive than the forward scattered neutrons to determine water content. Moreover, both forward and back scattered neutrons are more sensitive than either back or forward neutrons for determining water content. The method was used to measure moisture transport in sand columns and brick samples. Forward and backward scattered neutrons from different wet regions along the water flow path (x) are recorded as the sample absorbs water. Water saturates the regions of the samples tested near the inlet of water faster than the others. The water front positions were found to follow the square root behavior of the absorption time, and capillary penetration coefficients were determined for the samples investigated. The developed method can be used to investigate water absorption at various flow rates in porous samples of various sizes.

Transverse momentum dependent forward neutron single spin asymmetries in transversely polarized p+p collisions at s=200 GeV

In 2015, the PHENIX collaboration has measured very forward ($\eta>6.8$) single-spin asymmetries of inclusive neutrons in transversely polarized proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions at a center of mass energy of 200 GeV. A previous publication from this data set concentrated on the nuclear dependence of such asymmetries. In this measurement the explicit transverse-momentum dependence of inclusive neutron single spin asymmetries for proton-proton collisions is extracted using a bootstrapping-unfolding technique on the transverse momenta. This explicit transverse-momentum dependence will help improve the understanding of the mechanisms that create these asymmetries.

Nuclear resonance fluorescence of $$^{208}$$Pb in heavy-ion colliders

In ultraperipheral collisions (UPC) of nuclei the impact of Lorentz-contracted electromagnetic fields of collision partners leads to their excitations. In case of heavy nuclei the emission of neutrons is a main deexcitation channel and forward neutrons emitted in UPC were detected at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) and at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by means of Zero Degree Calorimeters. However, the excitation of low-lying discrete nuclear states is also possible in UPC below the neutron separation energy. In this work by means of the Weizsacker-Williams method the data on nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) induced by real photons in 208 Pb are used to model the excitations of discrete levels in colliding nuclei. Due to Lorentz boosts one can expect that deexcitation photons with energies up to 40 GeV and 300 GeV are emitted in very forward direction, respectively, at the LHC and at the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh). Energy, rapidity and angular distributions of such photons are calculated in the laboratory system, which can be used for monitoring of collider luminosity or triggering particle production in UPC.

A new approach to search for free neutron-antineutron oscillations using coherent neutron propagation in gas

Coherent forward neutron propagation in gas is discussed as a new approach to search for neutron-antineutron oscillations (n−n¯), which violate both B and B−L conservation. We show that one can increase the probability of neutron - antineutron transitions in the presence of a nonzero external magnetic field to essentially free neutron oscillation probability by tuning the density of an appropriate mixture of gases so that the neutron optical potential of the gas cancels that from the magnetic field.

Measurement of energy flow, cross section and average inelasticity of forward neutrons produced in sqrt{s} = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions with the LHCf Arm2 detector

In this paper, we report the measurement of the energy flow, the cross section and the average inelasticity of forward neutrons (+ antineutrons) produced in sqrt{s} = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions. These quantities are obtained from the inclusive differential production cross section, measured using the LHCf Arm2 detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are performed in six pseudorapidity regions: three of them (η > 10.75, 8.99 < η < 9.21 and 8.80 < η < 8.99), albeit with smaller acceptance and larger uncertainties, were already published in a previous work, whereas the remaining three (10.06 < η < 10.75, 9.65 < η < 10.06 and 8.65 < η < 8.80) are presented here for the first time. The analysis was carried out using a data set acquired in June 2015 with a corresponding integrated luminosity of 0.194 nb−1. Comparing the experimental measurements with the expectations of several hadronic interaction models used to simulate cosmic ray air showers, none of these generators resulted to have a satisfactory agreement in all the phase space selected for the analysis. The inclusive differential production cross section for η > 10.75 is not reproduced by any model, whereas the results still indicate a significant but less serious deviation at lower pseudorapidities. Depending on the pseudorapidity region, the generators showing the best overall agreement with data are either SIBYLL 2.3 or EPOS-LHC. Furthermore, apart from the most forward region, the derived energy flow and cross section distributions are best reproduced by EPOS-LHC. Finally, even if none of the models describe the elasticity distribution in a satisfactory way, the extracted average inelasticity is consistent with the QGSJET II-04 value, while most of the other generators give values that lie just outside the experimental uncertainties.

Forward neutron energy spectra at s = 7TeV

Different event generators are used to simulate proton–proton collisions at the center-of-mass energy [Formula: see text] TeV to predict the forward neutron energy spectra. The predictions from different models — DPMJETIII, Sibyll2.3c, QGSJETII-04 and EPOS-LHC — are compared with experimental data from the LHCf detector in three different regions of pseudorapidity — [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Although, the models follow tracks of the experimental data, there is a clear mismatch between the models and experimental data, and among the models as well.

Assimilation of Cosmic‐Ray Neutron Counts for the Estimation of Soil Ice Content on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau

AbstractAccurate observations and simulations of soil moisture phasal forms are crucial in cold region hydrological studies. In the seasonally frozen ground of eastern Tibetan Plateau, water vapor, liquid, and ice coexist in the frost‐susceptible silty‐loam soil during winter. Quantification of soil ice content is thus vital in the investigation and understanding of the region's freezing‐thawing processes. This study focuses on the retrieval of soil ice content utilizing the in situ soil moisture (i.e., liquid phase) and cosmic ray neutron measurements (i.e., total water including liquid and ice), with Observing System Simulation Experiments. To derive the total soil water from neutron counts, different weighting methods (revised, conventional, and uniform) for calibrating the cosmic‐ray neutron probe (CRNP) were intercompared. The comparison showed that the conventional nonlinear method performed the best. Furthermore, to assimilate fast neutrons using the particle filter, the STEMMUS‐FT (Simultaneous Transfer of Energy, Mass and Momentum in Unsaturated Soil) model was used as the physically based process model, and the COSMIC model (Cosmic‐ray Soil Moisture Interaction Code) used as the observation operator (i.e., forward neutron simulator). Other than background inputs from disturbed initializations in the STEMMUS‐FT, model uncertainties were predefined to assimilate fast neutrons. We observed that with enough spread of uncertainties, the updated states could mimic the CRNP observation. In all setups, assimilating CRNP measurements could enhance total soil water analyses, which consequently led to the improved detection of soil ice content and therefore the freezing thawing‐process at the field scale.

Study of Very Forward Neutrons with the CMS Zero Degree Calorimeter

Forward neutrons are studied in proton-lead collisions at the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC. They provide information on the centrality and event plane of collisions and provide an opportunity to study nuclear breakup. At the CMS experiment they are detected by the Zero Degree Calorimeters (ZDCs) in the | η | &gt; 8.5 pseudorapidity range. The ZDCs are quartz fiber Cherenkov calorimeters using tungsten as absorber. Test beam data and events with a single spectator neutron are used for the calibration of these detectors. A Fourier-based method is used correct for the effect of multiple pPb collisions. The corrected ZDC energy distribution is used to calculate centrality percentiles and unfold the neutron multiplicity distribution.