Interaction Cross Sections Research Articles

Radiation Interaction Characteristics of Solutions of La(NO3)3.6H2O and Sm(NO3)3.6H2O in Acetone Using Compton Scattering Technique

This work deals with the evaluation of interaction cross sections, effective atomic number, and effective electron density at gamma photon energies, not available from standard radioisotopes. The Compton scattering technique is used to obtain the required gamma energies within a specific range of energies from 241.8 to 401.8 keV to perform the radiation measurements. Radiation interaction parameters of some inorganic compounds (high-Z rare-earth nitrate hexahydrate), namely, Lanthanum(III) nitrate hexahydrate [La(NO3)3.6H2O] and Samarium(III) nitrate hexahydrate [Sm(NO3)3.6H2O], soluble in low-Z organic solvent (acetone) are evaluated. Six scattering angles are chosen to obtain six (not available from standard radioisotopes) Compton scattered energies to perform narrow-beam transmission experiments. An NaI(Tl) scintillation detector is used to detect the transmitted flux from the different solutions in various proportions. Photon interaction parameters useful in vast basic and applied fields are evaluated. The present measured results, obtained from the Compton scattered technique, are found to be in good agreement with the computed values of radiation interaction parameters obtained from the WinXCom program. The present data on rare-earth solutions have definite scientific importance in nuclear and radiation physics and fill in the gap of nonavailability of such data for radiation workers at these specific energies.

Application of the neutron radiography method to study the migration of lithium ions in electric batteries during discharge

Li-ion batteries are widely used in modern technology as a reliable and stable power source. They are a pair of electrodes separated by a special material impregnated with electrolyte. The charge carriers in such devices are lithium ions. One of the factors affecting the performance of such batteries is the migration of lithium ions. Studies have shown that anisotropic migration of lithium ions on the electrode leads to local lattice dislocations. As a result, the structure of the anode ceases to be heterogeneous, which leads to inefficient movement of charges in it and, accordingly, to a decrease in battery efficiency [1]. Therefore, new types of lithium-ion batteries with increased efficiency are being developed and existing ones are being improved. To this end, research is being carried out, in particular to investigate the migration processes and behavior of lithium in batteries. One of the effective non-destructive methods for such studies is neutron radiography, as the total microscopic cross section of 6Li interaction with neutrons is about 940 barns [2]. In addition, modern neutron radiography facilities allow us to in situ study the internal processes in lithium-ion batteries. This article presents the results of a real-time study of the distribution of lithium in two commercial types of lithium-ion batteries during their discharge. The research was carried out by a non-destructive method at the TITAN neutron radiography facility. As a result of the research, experimental data were obtained on the migration and distribution of lithium in batteries in different states. It is shown that when the battery is discharged, lithium ions migrate to the cathode at a rate of 0.83 ×10-5 and 0.36×10-4 cm/s.

Semi-empirical Formula for X-rays Interaction Cross Sections and Energies with Atoms

Semi-empirical Formula for X-rays Interaction Cross Sections and Energies with Atoms

EstrellaNueva: An Open-source Software to Study the Interactions and Detection of Neutrinos Emitted by Supernovae

Supernovae emit large fluxes of neutrinos, which can be detected by detectors on Earth. Future multi-kiloton scale detectors will be sensitive to several neutrino interaction channels, with thousands of events expected if a supernova emerges in the galaxy neighborhood. There are a limited number of tools to study the interaction rates of supernova neutrinos, although a plethora of available supernova models exist. EstrellaNueva is an open-source software to calculate expected rates of supernova neutrinos in detectors using target materials with typical compositions, and additional compositions can be easily added. This software considers the flavor transformation of neutrinos in the supernova through the adiabatic Mikheyev–Smirnov–Wolfenstein effect, and their interaction in detectors through several channels. Most of the interaction cross sections, such as neutrino–electron and neutrino–proton elastic scattering, inverse beta decay, and coherent elastic neutrino–nucleus scattering, have been analytically implemented. This software provides a link between supernova simulations and the expected events in detectors by calculating fluences and event rates in order to ease any comparison between theory and observation. It provides a simple and standalone tool to explore many physics scenarios, offering an option to add analytical cross sections and define any target material.

Recycling potential of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) waste glasses based on Bi2O3 addition strategies

Cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) from computer monitors and television sets are considered as one of the main sources of waste materials worldwide. Therefore, a new application for such out of use materials is required to solve the relatively huge amount of this waste. In this paper, the popular melt-quench technique was used to synthesis glass samples with the structure: xBi2O3–(100-x) waste CRTs (where x = 0, 10 & 20 wt%) and designated as CRT-Bi0, CRT-Bi10, and CRT-Bi20 accordingly. The physical, structural, optical and radiation absorption competence of the glasses were investigated. The XRD analysis of the glasses reveals an amorphous structure while the mass density increased linearly with the Bi2O3 content of the glasses from 2.86 to 3.08 g/cm3. The optical absorbance of the glasses initially increased and later declined in the visible region as the weight fraction of Bi2O3 increased. The direct optical bandgap Eg values were found to be 3.26, 2.72, and 2.64 eV whereas the indirect Eg values were equal to 3.15, 2.30, and 2.26 eV for CRT-Bi0, CRT-Bi10, and CRT-Bi20, respectively. The gamma-ray interaction parameters of the glasses obtained through FLUKA simulations and XCOM computation showed that mass attenuation falls within the range 0.6991–0.0256, 1.1426–0.0276, 1.5860–0.0301 cm2/g for photon energy range 0.1–10 MeV. Generally, the computed gamma ray interaction quantities show that the gamma ray shielding ability of the CRT-Bi glasses follows the order: CRT-Bi0 < CRT-Bi10 < CRT-Bi20. This order is conserved in the computed interaction cross sections for thermal (25 meV) neutrons. On the other hand the fast neutron removal cross section follows a reverse order with values of 0.0891 cm−1, 0.0867 cm−1, and 0.0850 cm−1 for weight fraction of Bi2O3 from 0 to 20 wt%. The comparison of the gamma–ray attenuation capacity of the CRT-Bi20 with common shielding materials reveals good potential for shielding application. Out of use CRT glasses may thus be recycled for use as radiation shielding glasses as described in this study for gamma radiation protection applications.

Monte Carlo Simulation of particle production in target material linac 15, 18, and 20 MV photon beam

Target is one of the important components in a linear accelerator (linac). Target materials depend on the energy of linac so that they have different spectrums produced. This study investigates the spectrum characteristic of target material for some linacs using Monte Carlo codes. The target geometry and material simulated was collected from Varian Medical System. The simulation was carried out on two different Monte Carlo codes, namely PHITS and EGSnrc. In the simulation process, the cut-off energy of electron and photon are set in the same value at 0.521 MeV and 0.01 MeV, respectively. The SLAB geometry is implemented to model the target. The spectrum of photon and electron was collected at the end of the target. The deviation of electron and photon spectrum collected from PHITS and EGSnrc was calculated. The results show that the spectrum of photon and electron from PHITS and EGSnrc have the same trend with a deviation of more than 25%. The maximum differences between the codes were obtained at energy 0.04 MeV<E<0.3 MeV for 15 MeV sources. Differences between PHITS and EGSnrc are more than 17% in electron energy 18 and 20 MeV. The big deviation is caused by the cross-section data applied in PHITS and EGSnrc being different in some photon and electron interaction cross-sections.

Non-resonant luminescence enhancement in sol-gel coatings for broadband UV-light conversion on side-emitting optical fibers

Photoluminescence (PL) is a key mechanism for many light conversion applications but often provides only low yield and poor efficiency due to a small interaction cross-section and a relatively narrow range of spectral activity. Here, we present a simple technique to enhance the PL of europium(III) (Eu3+) from sol-gel coatings on the surface of a side-emitting optical fiber. We use small clusters of Ag to boost the emission of Eu3+ by an energy transfer mechanism. The coating's performance is studied as a function of Ag concentration and annealing time. We report a substantial enhancement in Eu3+ emission under resonant and non-resonant excitation with UV light. However, this enhancement vanishes when the Ag clusters grow into larger nanoparticles with plasmon activity: we demonstrate that silver clusters produce stronger amplification with a broader excitation range than metallic nanoparticles. Moreover, these clusters are easily generated and stabilized in a coating using standard sol-gel techniques, suitable for deposition on the surface of side-emitting fibers. Such fibers can then be employed as line-shaped emitters, for example, for structured illumination purposes.

Monte Carlo simulation of COVID-19 pandemic using Planck’s probability distribution

We present a Monte Carlo simulation model of an epidemic spread inspired on physics variables such as temperature, cross section and interaction range, which considers the Plank distribution of photons in the black body radiation to describe the mobility of individuals. The model consists of a lattice of cells that can be in four different states: susceptible, infected, recovered or death. An infected cell can transmit the disease to any other susceptible cell within some random range R. The transmission mechanism follows the physics laws for the interaction between a particle and a target. Each infected particle affects the interaction region a number n of times, according to its energy. The number of interactions is proportional to the interaction cross section σ and to the target surface density ρ. The discrete energy follows a Planck distribution law, which depends on the temperature T of the system. For any interaction, infection, recovery and death probabilities are applied. We investigate the results of viral transmission for different sets of parameters and compare them with available COVID-19 data. The parameters of the model can be made time dependent in order to consider, for instance, the effects of lockdown in the middle of the pandemic.

Scintillation yield from electronic and nuclear recoils in superfluid He4

Superfluid $^4$He is a promising target material for direct detection of light ($<$ 1 GeV) dark matter. Possible signal channels available for readout in this medium include prompt photons, triplet excimers, and roton and phonon quasiparticles. The relative yield of these signals has implications for the sensitivity and discrimination power of a superfluid $^4$He dark matter detector. Using a 16~cm$^3$ volume of 1.75~K superfluid $^4$He read out by six immersed photomultiplier tubes, we measured the scintillation from electronic recoils ranging between 36.3 and 185 keV$_\mathrm{ee}$, yielding a mean signal size of $1.25^{+0.03}_{-0.03}$~phe/keV$_\mathrm{ee}$, and nuclear recoils from 53.2 to 1090 keV$_\mathrm{nr}$. We compare the results of our relative scintillation yield measurements to an existing semiempirical model based on helium-helium and electron-helium interaction cross sections. We also study the behavior of delayed scintillation components as a function of recoil type and energy, a further avenue for signal discrimination in superfluid $^4$He.

Reevaluation of the cosmic antideuteron flux from cosmic-ray interactions and from exotic sources

Cosmic-ray antideuterons could be a key for the discovery of exotic phenomena in our Galaxy, such as dark-matter annihilations or primordial black hole evaporation. Unfortunately the theoretical predictions of the antideuteron flux at Earth are plagued with uncertainties from the mechanism of antideuteron production and propagation in the Galaxy. We present the most up-to-date calculation of the antideuteron fluxes from cosmic-ray collisions with the interstellar medium and from exotic processes. We include for the first time the antideuteron inelastic interaction cross section recently measured by the ALICE collaboration to account for the loss of antideuterons during propagation. In order to bracket the uncertainty in the expected fluxes, we consider several state-of-the-art models of antideuteron production and of cosmic-ray propagation.

The ϕ meson production from small to large systems of ion collisions at and 193 GeV

The measurement of ϕ meson production is a unique tool to explore the characteristics of the quark-gluon plasma. The ϕ meson has a small interaction cross section therefore its yields and elliptic flow are good probes of the quark-gluon plasma properties. The ϕ meson production can be sensitive to the strangeness enhancement effect and can provide information about the flavor dependence of energy loss and elliptic flow. Measurements in different nucleus-nucleus collisions allow us to perform a systematic investigation of the nuclear matter effects, system size and geometry influence on ϕ meson production. The PHENIX experiment has measured transverse momentum spectra, nuclear modification factors R AB , and elliptic anisotropy parameter v 2 for ϕ mesons in p+Al, p/d/3 He/Cu+Au collisions at and in U + U collisions at at midrapidity (∣η∣ < 0.35). The obtained results exhibit scaling of v 2 for ϕ mesons with eccentricity of participant nucleons (collision geometry), whereas the ϕ R AB values depend on the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions (system size). The comparison of experimental data on the ϕ meson to various model calculations (AMPT, iEBE-VISHNU and PYTHIA/Angantyr) suggests the importance of viscous hydrodynamics and the coalescence mechanism in describing the properties and hadronization of the QGP.

The linear and nonlinear inverse Compton scattering between microwaves and electrons in a resonant cavity

The new scheme of the energy measurement of the extremely high energy electron beam with the inverse Compton scattering between electrons and microwave photons requires the precise calculation of the interaction cross section of electrons and microwave photons in a resonant cavity. In the local space of the cavity, the electromagnetic field is expressed by Bessel functions. Although Bessel functions can form a complete set of orthogonal basis, it is difficult to quantify them directly as fundamental wave functions. Fortunately, with the Fourier expansion of Bessel functions, the local electromagnetic field can be considered as the superposition of a series of plane waves. Therefore, with corresponding corrections of the cross section formula of the classical Compton scattering, the cross section of the linear or nonlinear microwave Compton scattering in the local space can be described accurately. As an important application of our results in astrophysics, corresponding ground verification devices can be designed to perform experimental verifications on the prediction of the Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) effect of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Our results could also provide a new way to generate wave sources with strong practical value, such as the terahertz waves, the ultra-violet (EUV) waves, or the mid-infrared beams.

Integral nucleus-nucleus cross-sections

Abstract Expressions approximating the experimental integral cross-sections for elastic and inelastic interactions of light and heavy nuclei at energies up to several GeV/nucleon are presented. The calculated cross-sections are inside the corridor of experimental errors or very close to it.

Transforming Nuclear Medicine with Nanoradiopharmaceuticals.

Nuclear medicine is expected to make major advances in cancer diagnosis and therapy; tumor-targeted radiopharmaceuticals preferentially eradicate tumors while causing minimal damage to healthy tissues. The current scope of nuclear medicine can be significantly expanded by integration with nanomedicine, which utilizes nanoparticles for cancer diagnosis and therapy by capitalizing on the increased surface area-to-volume ratio, the passive/active targeting ability and high loading capacity, the greater interaction cross section with biological tissues, the rich surface properties of nanomaterials, the facile decoration of nanomaterials with a plethora of functionalities, and the potential for multiplexing several functionalities within one construct. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of nuclear nanomedicine using tumor-targeted nanoparticles for cancer radiation therapy with either pre-embedded radionuclides or nonradioactive materials which can be extrinsically triggered using various external nuclear particle sources to produce in situ radioactivity. In addition, it describes the prospect of combining nuclear nanomedicine with other modalities to enable synergistically enhanced combination therapies. The review also discusses advances in the fabrication of radionuclides as well as describes laser ablation technologies for producing nanoradiopharmaceuticals, which combine the ease of production with exceptional purity and rapid biodegradability, along with additional imaging or therapeutic functionalities. From a practical standpoint, these attributes of nanoradiopharmaceuticals may provide distinct advantages in diagnostic/therapeutic sensitivity and specificity, imaging resolution, and scalability of turnkey platforms. Coupling image-guided targeted radiation therapy with the possibility of in situ activation of nanomaterials as well as combining with other therapeutic modalities using a multifunctional nanoplatform could herald an era of exciting technological and therapeutic advances to radically transform the landscape of nuclear medicine. The review concludes with a discussion of current challenges and presents the authors' views on future opportunities to stimulate further research in this rewarding field of high societal impact.

Search for magnetic monopoles with ten years of the ANTARES neutrino telescope

This work presents a new search for magnetic monopoles using data taken with the ANTARES neutrino telescope over a period of 10 years (January 2008 to December 2017). Compared to previous ANTARES searches, this analysis uses a run-by-run simulation strategy, with a larger exposure as well as a new simulation of magnetic monopoles taking into account the Kasama, Yang and Goldhaber model for their interaction cross-section with matter. No signal compatible with the passage of relativistic magnetic monopoles is observed, and upper limits on the flux of magnetic monopoles with β=v/c≥0.55, are presented. For ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles the flux limit is ∼7×10−18 cm−2s−1sr−1.

Demonstration of non-destructive and isotope-sensitive material analysis using a short-pulsed laser-driven epi-thermal neutron source

Neutrons are a valuable tool for non-destructive material investigation as their interaction cross sections with matter are isotope sensitive and can be used complementary to x-rays. So far, most neutron applications have been limited to large-scale facilities such as nuclear research reactors, spallation sources, and accelerator-driven neutron sources. Here we show the design and optimization of a laser-driven neutron source in the epi-thermal and thermal energy range, which is used for non-invasive material analysis. Neutron resonance spectroscopy, neutron radiography, and neutron resonance imaging with moderated neutrons are demonstrated for investigating samples in terms of isotope composition and thickness. The experimental results encourage applications in non-destructive and isotope-sensitive material analysis and pave the way for compact laser-driven neutron sources with high application potential.

Neutron transmission imaging with a portable D-T neutron generator

A portable fast-neutron imaging system is being developed to provide complementary information to field X-ray imaging. Applications include inspection of vehicles and infrastructure for corrosion, measurement of material levels in containers, and inspection of munitions and suspicious packages. While fast-neuron imaging generally provides lower imaging resolution compared to X-rays, fast-neutron interaction cross-sections have a weak dependence on material Z. This enables imaging of low-Z materials inside high-Z materials. Here, we discuss the limitations and current improvements in fast-neuron imaging. Limitations in portable fast-neutron imaging systems include low D-T neutron generator output, low light production in ZnS(Cu) imaging scintillators, low resolution due to scintillator thickness and D-T spot size, and digital-panel darknoise that varies in time and position and that can be 100× larger than the neutron signal. We have made improvements in these areas through development of a segmented high light yield scintillator, panel noise mitigation techniques, and testing of new high-output, small spot size D-T neutron generators. The segmented high light yield fast-neutron scintillator demonstrated 5× increase in light compared to ZnS(Cu). An additional 2× improvement in signal-to-noise was demonstrated with panel-noise mitigation techniques. Our MCNP calculations also show good agreement with neutron imaging results We have demonstrated improvements in fast-neutron imaging through development of a segmented high light yield neutron scintillator, mitigation of digital panel noise, and preliminary testing with new high-output, small spot size D-T neutron generators. We have also demonstrated good results modeling fast-neutron images and scatter effects using MCNP.

Gamma-Ray Cosmology and Tests of Fundamental Physics

The propagation of gamma-rays over cosmological distances is the subject of extensive theoretical and observational research at GeV and TeV energies. The mean free path of gamma-rays in the cosmic web is limited above 100 GeV due to the production of electrons and positrons on the cosmic optical and infrared backgrounds. Electrons and positrons cool in the intergalactic medium while gyrating in its magnetic fields, which could cause either its global heating or the production of lower-energy secondary gamma-rays. The energy distribution of gamma-rays surviving the cosmological journey carries observed absorption features that gauge the emissivity of baryonic matter over cosmic time, constrain the distance scale of ΛCDM cosmology, and limit the alterations of the interaction cross section. Competitive constraints are, in particular, placed on the cosmic star-formation history as well as on phenomena expected from quantum gravity and string theory, such as the coupling to hypothetical axion-like particles or the violation of Lorentz invariance. Recent theoretical and observational advances offer a glimpse of the multi-wavelength and multi-messenger path that the new generation of gamma-ray observatories is about to open.

Matter radii and skins of [formula omitted]He from reaction cross section of proton+[formula omitted]He scattering based on the Love–Franey [formula omitted]-matrix model

Background:For 4,6,8He, Tanihata et al. determined matter radii rm(σI)=1.57(4),2.48(3),2.52(3) fm from interaction cross sections σI for 4,6,8He scattering on Be, C Al targets at 790 MeV/nucleon. Lu et al. measured the atomic isotope shifts (AIS) for 4,6,8He and determined proton radii rp(AIS) for 4,6,8He. As for p+4,6,8He scattering, reaction cross sections σR(exp) are available at 700 MeV with high accuracy. Aim:Our aim is to determine matter radii rm and skins rskin for 6,8He from the σR(exp) and the rp(AIS). Method:Our model is the Love–Franey t-matrix folding model, since the model is better than the optical limit of Glauber model. Results:Our results for 6,8He are rm(exp)=2.48(3),2.53(2) fm and rskin=0.78(3), 0.82(2) fm. Conclusion:For 6,8He, our results rm(σR) agree with those of Tanihata et al.. For 8He, the distance between 4He and the center of mass of valence four neutrons is 2.367 fm.

Enhancement of Fast Neutron Detection in Liquid Scintillator Detectors

Organic liquid scintillators, such as EJ-309, are capable of detecting fast neutrons and discriminating gamma rays through pulse shape. Higher detection efficiency is a common objective for detector designs and research. This paper describes two methods to enhance fast neutron detection by increasing neutron collection and reducing gamma-ray interference. Neutron collection can be increased by using strong scattering material to reflect neutrons toward scintillators. Gamma-ray interference can be reduced by using heavy material to shield gamma rays; such a material could have a minimal impact on neutron detection because neutrons and gamma rays have different interaction cross sections. In this work, both effects were investigated, experimentally and by simulation. Using a graphite reflector with simple geometry, the fast neutron detection was measured to have an increase of 9%, and simulations predicted an approximately 50% increase for optimized geometry. Using a lead shielding of 8-mm thickness, the neutron detection with a Pu source was measured to have a factor of 2 increase. These methods could be useful when cost-effective and highly efficient fast neutron detection is desired.