High-energy Part Research Articles

The properties of the Galactic hard X-ray and soft γ-ray background based on 20 years of INTEGRAL/IBIS observations

We present results of a study of the Galactic hard X-ray and soft γ-ray background emission performed with the IBIS telescope aboard the INTEGRAL observatory using data obtained over more than 20 years of operations. The study of the Galactic background at energies between 10 keV and a few MeV is problematic due to the contribution of point sources, high instrumental background and large-scale extent of the emission, which leads to the need of utilizing complex model-dependent methods. Using the unique properties of the IBIS coded-mask telescope, we developed a model-independent approach to study diffuse continuum emission near the Galactic plane in the 25−60, 60−80, and 80−200 keV bands. The comparison of the 25−60 keV longitude profile with the near infrared intensity shows excellent agreement, confirming the stellar origin of the Galactic Ridge X-ray Emission (GRXE). The Galactic X-ray background is significantly detected from the direction of the Galactic bulge up to 200 keV. We built broad-band spectra of the Galactic background in three large regions, the Galactic bulge and two spiral arms at l≈±20∘. The spectral analysis reveals two distinct components with a minimum at about 80 keV. The low-energy (≲60 keV) component, associated with the GRXE, is consistent with a one-dimensional accretion flow model of intermediate polars with an average white dwarf mass of about 0.7 M⊙. The high-energy part of the spectrum, dominating above ∼60 keV and attributed to the γ-ray background, is consistent with a power-law model with photon index Γ=1.55. The total 30−80 keV flux budget of 1.5×10−9 erg s−1 cm−2 observed within the effective IBIS field of view (≈286 deg2) in the Galactic bulge region, consists of 2/3 of GRXE and 1/3 of γ-ray background. Finally, we provide the Python code of the IBIS/ISGRI background model, which can be used to measure the X-ray intensity of the Galactic background in different parts of the Milky Way.

Analysis of the accumulation of β-emitting radionuclides in the production of radiopharmaceuticals based on <sup>18</sup>F using the IBA CYCLONE 18/9 HC cyclotron

In order to clarify the scheme of radioactive waste management, the accumulation of undesirable beta-emitting radionuclides (PH) in the production of radiopharmaceuticals based on 18F using the IBA CYCLONE 18/9 HC cyclotron was investigated. It is shown that the dominant impurity PH is tritium, which is formed by the reaction of 18O(p, t) 16O when water is irradiated with [18O]H2O protons. The main proportion of 3H (about 95%) remains in the regenerated water. 1.6 % of the accumulated tritium activity is carried away from the synthesis zone with gases and water vapor. Tritium-containing waste (regenerated water in vials) can be considered as waste of a very low level of activity during disposal. With an increase in the operating time of the target over 2500 µA · h, the processes of corrosion /erosion of target materials increase, which leads to a sharp increase in the concentration of undesirable radionuclides in regenerated water, sorption purification cartridges and the finished dosage form. The concentration of tritium does not increase significantly. In the β-spectra of regenerated water [18O]H2O and the finished radiopharmaceutical [18F]NaF, in addition to the maximum due to tritium, a number of maxima appear in both the low- and high-energy parts of the spectrum. Other undesirable β-emitters accumulate in water as a result of leaching of the activated target wall. The possibility of using measurements of tritium activity in water [18O]H2O as an indicator of its re-enrichment has been demonstrated. The necessity of controlling the content of impurity beta-emitting PH in intermediate products, production waste and final radiopharmaceutical is shown.

Neutron emission from a source moving in a gravitational field

This work is devoted to the problem of neutron field formation near elliptical orbits of space objects equipped with nuclear power plants. The high-energy part of the fission spectrum is not affected by the gravitational field. Radiation safety is ensured by the triad fair for a point source: activity-distance-time. The connection between space object orbit parameters and neutron flux density occurs for the thermal (near-thermal) part of the spectrum. The possibility of formation of a stable neutron trace in the volume of a «torus» around the orbit of a space object is considered. The paper presents theoretical and numerical evidence of the validity of the hypothesis put forward. The introduction considers the separation effect of Galileo's relativity principle in the case of rectilinear uniform motion of a point isotropic neutron source on a plane. The occurrence of angular asymmetry of the neutron distribution in a stationary coordinate system when their relative velocity is close to the transport velocity of the source is illustrated. Under these conditions, a significant velocity dispersion of initially monochromatic neutrons is also recorded. This expected fundamental kinematic effect determines the characteristic distribution of neutrons in the gravitational field when the source moves along the Kepler orbit. The solution of the problem is carried out in the velocity space. It is argued that if the distribution of neutrons in the velocity space is such that their velocities are collinear to the orbital velocity of the source, this indicates the existence of a neutron flux near the orbit. The problem is analysed on the example of one revolution of a hypothetical space station by simulation modelling. For this purpose, thermal neutron packets with isotropic angular distribution were generated at eight points of an elliptical orbit. The neutron and source velocity fluxes at the selected points of the orbit were compared in a coordinate system related to the earth. The obtained data made it possible to calculate the densities of neutron velocity fluxes to the front and rear hemispheres relative to the source orbital motion as a function of the polar angle, while the value of the determinant of the correlation matrix – an indicator of collinearity of neutron velocity vectors in the flux - was fixed. The results of the studies confirm the hypothesis put forward about the possibility of formation of a «trace» in the orbit of a thermal neutron source, which determines the need to take it into account as a significant component of radiation risk.

Features of the Neutralization of Fast Protons in a Hydrocarbon Pellet Cloud

To measure the high-energy part of the energy distribution function of ions in a hot plasma using the pellet charge exchange (PCX) diagnostic, it is necessary to know the energy dependence of the fraction F0(E) of fast ions neutralized when intersecting a pellet cloud. Using experimental and calculated data on the ablation of polystyrene macroparticles (pellets) in the LHD stellarator, the function F0(E) for protons in the hydrocarbon cloud has been calculated in the energy range of 50–1000 keV at pitch angles \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\geqslant {\\kern 1pt} 70^\\circ $$\\end{document}. At energies of 50‒200 keV, it is necessary to take into account the decrease in the flux of neutralized protons multiply intersecting the cloud. Energy losses of protons along the trajectory provide a lower bound E > 100 keV for the possible PCX measurements. The necessity of the control of the charge state composition and structure of the cloud limits the view area of the detector of atoms within ±30 mm from the position of a pellet along the magnetic field. For this reason, the injection axis should be aligned with the observation axis of the neutral particle analyzer for the optimal geometry of PCX measurements with polystyrene pellets.

Beam Commissioning of the Heavy-ion Accelerator RAON

RAON (Rare-isotope Accelerator complex for ON-line experiments) is the superconducting linac (SCL3 and SCL2) facility in Korea. It consists of an injector, a superconducting linac, and user facilities. It is designed to accelerate various ion beams from proton (A/Q=1) to uranium (A/Q=7.2). The ECR ion source in the injector system generates ion beams with the energy of 10 keV/u. They are accelerated to the energy of 500 keV/u by the RFQ (Radio-Frequency Quadrupole) in the injector. The superconducting linac (SCL3) includes 22 QWR (Quater-Wave Resonator) cavities and 102 HWR (Half-Wave Resonator) cavities. The energy becomes 18.5 MeV/u for uranium beams after the linac. The beam commissioning of the injector started from August 2021. The first beam commissioning of the superconducting linac was performed from October 2022 to June 2, 2023. Research and development of the cavities for the high-energy part (SCL2) of the superconducting linac is in progress. This work explains some characteristic features of the beam dynamics for RAON linac and some beam commissioning results.

Insights into the physics of gamma-ray bursts from the high-energy extension of their prompt emission spectra

The study of the high-energy part (MeV-GeV) of the spectrum of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can play a crucial role in investigating the physics of prompt emission, but it is often hampered by low statistics and the paucity of GeV observations. In this work, we analyze the prompt emission spectra of the 22 brightest GRBs which have been simultaneously observed byFermi/GBM andFermi/LAT, spanning six orders of magnitude in energy. The high-energy photon spectra can be modeled with a power-lawN(E)∝E−βpossibly featuring an exponential cutoff. We find that, with the inclusion of the LAT data, the spectral indexβis softer than what is typically inferred from the analysis ofFermi/GBM data alone. Under the assumption that the emission is synchrotron, we derived a median value of the indexp ∼ 2.79 of the power-law energy distribution of accelerated particles (N(γ)∝γ−p). In nine out of 22 GRB spectra, we find a significant presence of an exponential cutoff at high energy, ranging between 14 and 298 MeV. By interpreting the observed cutoff as a sign of pair-production opacity, we estimate the jet bulk Lorentz factor Γ, finding values in the range 130–330. These values are consistent with those inferred from the afterglow light curve onset time. Finally, by combining the information from the high-energy prompt emission spectrum with the afterglow light curve, we exploited a promising method to derive the distanceRfrom the central engine where the prompt emission occurs. The distances (R > 1013 − 15cm) inferred for the only two GRBs in our sample that are suitable for the application of this method, which have only lower limits on their cutoff energies, suggest large emitting regions, although they are still compatible with the standard model. Larger samples of GRBs with measured cutoff energies and afterglow deceleration time will allow for more informative values to be derived. These results highlight the importance of including high-energy data, when available, in the study of prompt spectra and their role in addressing the current challenges of the GRB standard model.

Origin of the broadband emission from the transition blazar B2 1308+326

Context. Transition blazars exhibit a shift from one subclass to the next during different flux states. It is therefore crucial to study them to understand the underlying physics of blazars. Aims. We probe the origin of the multi-wavelength emission from the transition blazar B2 1308+326 using the ∼14-year long γ-ray light curve from Fermi and the quasi-simultaneous data from Swift. Methods. We used the Bayesian block algorithm to identify epochs of flaring and quiescent flux states and modelled the broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for these epochs. We employed the one-zone leptonic model in which the synchrotron emission causes the low-energy part of the SED and the high-energy part is produced by the inverse-Compton (IC) emission of external seed photons. We also investigated its multi-band variability properties and γ-ray flux distribution, and the correlation between optical and γ-ray emissions. Results. We observed a historically bright flare from B2 1308+326 across the optical to γ-ray bands in June and July 2022. The highest daily averaged γ-ray flux was (14.24 ± 2.36) × 10−7 ph cm−2 s−1 and was detected on 1 July 2022. For the entire period, the observed variability amplitude was higher at low (optical/UV) energies than at high (X-ray/γ-ray) energies. The γ-ray flux distribution was found to be log-normal. The optical and γ-ray emissions are well correlated with zero time lag. The synchrotron peak frequency changes from ∼8 × 1012 Hz (in the quiescent state) to ∼6 × 1014 Hz (in the flaring state), together with a decrease in the Compton dominance (the ratio of IC to the synchrotron peak luminosities), providing a hint that the source transitions from a low-synchrotron peaked blazar (LSP) to an intermediate-synchrotron peaked blazar (ISP). The SEDs for these two states are well fitted by one-zone leptonic models. The parameters in the model fits are essentially consistent between both SEDs, except for the Doppler-beaming factor, which changes from ∼15.6 to ∼27 during the transition. Conclusions. An increase in the Doppler factor might cause both the flare and the transition of B2 1308+326 from an LSP to an ISP blazar.

High-order above-threshold ionisation of diatomic molecules by few-cycle bicircular and orthogonally polarised two-colour pulses.

Improved molecular strong-field approximation theory is used to calculate the ionisation probability for the high-order above-threshold ionisation process induced by a few-cycle pulse with two carrier frequencies and one envelope. The asymmetry in the photoelectron momentum distribution is due to the ultrashort nature of the driving pulse and due to the relative orientation of the molecule with respect to the laser field. We introduce the generalised asymmetry parameter, which can be used to quantitatively measure the asymmetry between the photoelectron spectra along arbitrarily many selected directions. We investigate the difference between the asymmetry parameters calculated for atomic and molecular targets and show that the contributions to the asymmetry strongly depend on the type of the employed driving pulse. For the driving pulse with components that are linearly polarised with mutually orthogonal polarisations, we find that the main source of the asymmetry, especially in the high-energy part of the spectrum, is the ultrashort nature of the pulse. The relative orientation of the molecule with respect to the laser pulse only affects the low- and medium-energy parts of the spectrum. On the other hand, for the driving pulse with circularly polarised counterrotating components, the asymmetry introduced by molecular orientation is more pronounced. We also analyse the influence of the characteristics of molecular orbitals on the asymmetries using the examples of N2 and O2 molecules.

Neutrino production in blazar radio cores

Models of the origin of astrophysical neutrinos with energies from TeVs to PeVs are strongly constrained by multimessenger observations and population studies. Recent results point to statistically significant associations between these neutrinos and active galactic nuclei (AGN) selected by their radio flux observed with very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI). This suggests that the neutrinos are produced in central parsecs of blazars, AGN with relativistic jets pointing to the observer. However, conventional AGN models tend to explain only the highest-energy part of the neutrino flux observationally associated with blazars. Here we discuss in detail how the neutrinos can be produced in the part of an AGN giving the dominant contribution to the VLBI radio flux, the radio core located close to the jet base. Physical conditions there differ both from the immediate environment of the central black hole and from the plasma blobs moving along the jet. Required neutrino fluxes, considerably smaller than those of photons, can be produced in interactions of relativistic protons, accelerated closer to the black hole, with radiation in the core.

Magnons in the fan phase of anisotropic frustrated antiferromagnets

Elementary excitations spectrum of the fan phase of anisotropic frustrated antiferromagnets is discussed analytically. In the linear spin-wave approximation, the spectrum is determined by the Hamiltonian, including normal, anomalous, and umklapp terms. The latter mix states with momenta which differ by two modulation vectors of the fan structure. This mixing leads to essential rearrangement of the low-energy part of the spectrum, which is shown to consist of a gapless phason branch with linear dispersion and a gapped “optical” branch, which corresponds to the fan structure amplitude oscillations. In the high-energy part of the spectrum, the effect of the umklapps is negligible, and the excitations are similar to the magnons of the fully polarized phase.

Combined Spectroscopy System Utilizing Gas Electron Multiplier and Timepix3 Technology for Laser Plasma Experiments

We present an innovative X-ray spectroscopy system to address the complex study of the X-ray emissions arising from laser–target interactions, where the emissions occur within extremely brief intervals from femtoseconds to nanoseconds. Our system combines a Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector with a silicon-based Timepix3 (TPX3) detector. These detectors work in tandem, allowing for a spectroscopic radiation analysis along the same line of sight. With an active area of 10 × 10 cm2, the GEM detector allows for 1D measurements for X-ray energies (2–50 keV) by utilizing the full 10 cm gas depth. The high-energy part of the radiation beam exits through a downstream side window of the GEM without being absorbed in the gas volume. Positioned side-on at the GEM detector’s exit, the TPX3 detector, equipped with a pixelated sensor (55 µm × 55 µm; active area 14 mm × 14 mm), uses its full 14 mm silicon sensor to detect hard X-rays (50–500 keV) and gamma rays (0.5–10 MeV). We demonstrate the correct operation of the entire detection system and provide a detailed description of the Timepix3 detector’s calibration procedure, highlighting the suitability of the combined system to work in laser plasma facilities.

Luminescence Properties of LaAlO3:Pr under Hydrostatic Pressure

The article presents the results of measuring the luminescence spectra, luminescence excitation spectra and luminescence spectra under high pressures for LaAlO3:Pr with concentration of 1%. The materials were synthesized by solid phase synthesis. Diffraction pattern is fully relates to LaAlO3 phase. The photoluminescence spectra show the main energy transitions. The change in the position of the main bands under the hydrostatic pressure of 23, 55, 160 and 191 kBar was demonstrated. The main band at 491 nm is slightly red-shifted, while the line at 605 nm is shifted to the high-energy part of the spectrum. The intensity of all bands increases with increasing hydrostatic pressure. The dynamics of changes in the intensities of maxima and emissions from different transitions are analyzed. Studies of luminescence under high hydrostatic compression are important in observing changes in the internal structure and electronic states of materials under the influence of high pressure, studying internal processes such as recombination of electrons and holes, transitions between energy levels and the release of photons. Understanding the changes that occur under compression can help researchers develop new materials with unique properties.

Optical scatterings in layered systems

This paper presents a theoretical framework for exploring the optical properties of layered materials. The derived analytical formulas for reflectance and transmittance spectra incorporate vertical valence-state transitions and appropriate boundary conditions for finite-width bulk materials, integrated with the generalized tight-binding model to account for intrinsic interactions and external fields. The study reveals distinct structures in the spectra of multilayer graphene for different stacking layers at low energies (∼0.2–0.8[Formula: see text]eV), attributed to interband transitions at the K point. Furthermore, the high-energy part (≳5[Formula: see text]eV) highlights thickness-dependent plasmon effects characterized by unique resonance frequencies in the optical spectra. These features depend on the dimensionality, interlayer coupling, and electronic structure of the material. This work provides a deeper understanding of the optical properties of layered structures, facilitating their exploration and characterization for diverse applications.

Lithofacies variability and facies analysis of a Givetian reef in the southwestern Lahn Syncline (Rhenish Massif, Germany)

A 200 m thick drill core penetrating the Givetian Hahnstätten Reef in the southwestern Lahn Syncline (Rhenish Massif) was investigated. A range of different depositional environments is described based on lithofacies and microfacies analysis. All in all, nine lithofacies types (FTs) are distinguished, which can include subfacies types. The majority of lithofacies of these ultrapure carbonates is represented by lime mudstone and fenestral microbialites, all pointing to shallow subtidal, intertidal to even supratidal low-energy palaeoenvironments. In contrast, more high-energy parts of the reef were dominated by bioclastic rubble deposits (e.g. rudstone). Autochthonous, reef-building carbonates are represented by bafflestone and framestone. Diversity of reef building organisms (stromatoporoids and corals) is low and is dominated by Stachyodes, Actinostroma, Stromatopora, and Thamnopora and alveolitids, respectively. Other bioclasts are brachiopods, gastropods, ostracods, foraminifera, echinoderms, trilobites, and conodonts in descending order. Development of the Hahnstätten Reef is interpreted as having been controlled mainly by synsedimentary tectonics and volcanism with contributions from eustasy. The occurrence of Stringocephalus burtini in the entire section and conodont findings, which provide more precise biostratigraphic data confirm an early to middle Givetian age (Polygnathus rhenanus/varcus Zone to Polygnathus ansatus Zone) of the succession. The average quality of the ultrapure carbonates lies at 97.68% CaO (excl. loss of ignition), with 70% of the core ranging between 98% and 99% CaO. This extremely high purity makes it difficult to identify correlations between lithofacies and geochemical data.

On the Properties of Inverse Compton Spectra Generated by Upscattering a Power-law Distribution of Target Photons

Relativistic electrons are an essential component in many astrophysical sources, and their radiation may dominate the high-energy bands. Inverse Compton (IC) emission is the radiation mechanism that plays the most important role in these bands. The basic properties of IC, such as the total and differential cross sections, have long been studied; the properties of the IC emission depend strongly not only on the emitting electron distribution but also on the properties of the target photons. This complicates the phenomenological studies of sources, where target photons are supplied from a broad radiation component. We study the spectral properties of IC emission generated by a power-law distribution of electrons on a power-law distribution of target photons. We approximate the resulting spectrum by a broken-power-law distribution and show that there can be up to three physically motivated spectral breaks. If the target photon spectrum extends to sufficiently low energies, (m e and c are electron mass and speed of light, respectively; and are the minimum/maximum energies of target photons and electrons, respectively), then the high-energy part of the IC component has a spectral slope typical for the Thomson regime with an abrupt cutoff close to . The spectra typical for the Klein–Nishina regime are formed above . If the spectrum of target photons features a cooling break, i.e., a change of the photon index by 0.5 at ε br, then the transition to the Klein–Nishina regime proceeds through an intermediate change of the photon index by 0.5 at .

High-Energy Part of the Accelerator for the DARIA Compact Neutron Source: Drift Tube Linac

High-Energy Part of the Accelerator for the DARIA Compact Neutron Source: Drift Tube Linac

The Analytical Expression of Lightning Channel Base Current by Lorentzian Pulse Fitting

Aiming for the robustness improvement in a noisy environment, we propose a new representation method based on Lorentzian pulse fitting for the analytical expression process of the measured lightning channel base current (LCBC) in this article. The Lorentzian pulse train is determined only by a finite number of free parameters, which can be estimated from the high-energy part of the LCBC signal spectrum. To obtain Fourier coefficients from the LCBC measurements, we design a sum-of-sinc digital filter. In addition, we propose a denoising algorithm based on nuclear norm minimization to improve the accuracy of the parameter estimation process. By using only the high-energy spectrum region, our method is more resistant to noise during the fitting process. Furthermore, although the Lorentzian pulse fitting method cannot strictly achieve the value of LCBC as 0 at the time of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$t=0_+$</tex-math></inline-formula> , it provides a simple and integrable expression form in the time domain, which has great application value in the analysis of lightning magnetic field characteristics. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed method achieves higher analytical expression accuracy for LCBC signal in noisy environments than the classical versions, both in terms of the signal itself and its first derivative.

Exchange effects in strong-field ionization of the excited lithium ion induced by one- and two-component laser fields

Spin-dependent effects in strong-laser-field-induced above-threshold ionization of excited Li+ ions, caused by the requirement that the electron wave function is antisymmetric, are analyzed using the strong-field approximation and saddle-point method. For an excited Li+ ion exposed to a linearly polarized laser field, the minima in the photoelectron momentum distribution in the polarization plane appear if the excited Li+ ion state is the spin singlet state, while for the spin triplet state these minima are absent. The difference between the spectra obtained with these spin states is quantified by the corresponding normalized difference of the differential ionization probabilities. Employing the saddle-point method, we show that, for the spin singlet state, all relevant contributions to the differential ionization probability exhibit minima for approximately the same values of the photoelectron energy and emission angle, thus leading to the minima in the total spectra. Similar conclusions hold for a bicircular driving field. In this case, the range of values of the photoelectron energy and emission angle for which different saddle-point contributions exhibit minima is almost the same for all saddle-point solutions. This is particularly true for the high-energy part of the spectrum, and the minima are more pronounced than for the linearly polarized driving field case. In order to check whether these minima can be detected in an experiment, we perform focal averaging, which takes into account the intensity distribution in the laser focus. For both linearly polarized and bicircular driving fields, the minima survive the focal-averaging procedure. They are slightly blurred in the former case, while in the latter case the focal averaging almost does not affect the minima at all. Finally, we confirm that similar conclusions hold for the photoelectron velocity maps in the plane that contains the laser-field propagation direction.

Kinetics of the fast ionization waves with runaway electrons

In nanosecond gas breakdown, runaway electrons are responsible for the interelectrode space pre-ionization, which supports the propagation of fast ionization waves or streamers. However, a detailed understanding of mechanisms of how this happens is still elusive because of the wide range of energies of runaway electrons, from the hundreds of eV to the hundreds of keV. While the low-energy part of the runaway electron population can only ionize the background gas, the high-energy part can produce x-rays that can also ionize the gas. The objective of this paper is to understand the influence of different electron groups on the fast ionization wave dynamics for the conditions typical for runaway electrons generation. We find that there are two main groups, one having energies below 100 eV and another having energies above 1 keV. The first group defines the establishment of the fast ionization waves and their plasma parameters, while the second group defines the speed of the ionization front propagation.

High-Energy Part of the Accelerator for the Compact Neutron Source DARIA: Drift Tube Linac

High-Energy Part of the Accelerator for the Compact Neutron Source DARIA: Drift Tube Linac