Low Energy Threshold Research Articles

Plasma diagnostics and modeling of lithium-containing plasmas

Thin-film deposition from chemically reactive multi-component plasmas is complex, and the lack of electron collision cross-sections for even the most common metalorganic precursors and their fragments complicates their modeling based on fundamental plasma physics. This study focuses on understanding the plasma physics and chemistry in argon (Ar) plasmas containing lithium bis (trimethylsilyl) amide used to deposit Li x Si y thin films. These films are emerging as potential solid electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries, and the Li-to-Si ratio is a crucial parameter to enhance their ionic conductivity. We deposited Li x Si y films in an axial flow-through plasma reactor and studied the factors that determine the variation of the Li-to-Si ratio in films deposited at various points on a substrate spanning the entire reactor axis. While the Li-to-Si ratio is 1:2 in the precursor, the Li-to-Si ratio is as high as 3:1 in films deposited near the plasma entrance and decreases to 1:1 for films deposited downstream. Optical emission from the plasma is dominated by Li emission near the entrance, but Li emission disappears downstream, which we attribute to the complete consumption of the precursor. We hypothesized that the axially decreasing precursor concentration affects the electron energy distribution function in a way that causes different dissociation efficiencies for the production of Li and Si. We used Li line intensities to estimate the local precursor concentration and Ar line ratios to estimate the local reduced electric field to test this hypothesis. This analysis suggests that the mean electron energy increases along the reactor axis with decreasing precursor concentration. The decreasing Li-to-Si ratio with axially decreasing precursor concentration may be explained by Li release from the precursor having lower threshold energy than Si release.

Correlated and integrated directionality for sub-MeV solar neutrinos in Borexino

Liquid scintillator detectors play a central role in the detection of neutrinos from various sources. In particular, it is the only technique used so far for the precision spectroscopy of sub-MeV solar neutrinos, as demonstrated by the Borexino experiment at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. The benefit of a high light yield, and thus a low energy threshold and a good energy resolution, comes at the cost of the directional information featured by water Cherenkov detectors, measuring B8 solar neutrinos above a few MeV. In this paper we provide the first directionality measurement of sub-MeV solar neutrinos which exploits the correlation between the first few detected photons in each event and the known position of the Sun for each event. This is also the first signature of directionality in neutrinos elastically scattering off electrons in a liquid scintillator target. This measurement exploits the subdominant, fast Cherenkov light emission that precedes the dominant yet slower scintillation light signal. Through this measurement, we have also been able to extract the rate of Be7 solar neutrinos in Borexino. The demonstration of directional sensitivity in a traditional liquid scintillator target paves the way for the possible exploitation of the Cherenkov light signal in future kton-scale experiments using liquid scintillator targets. Directionality is important for background suppression as well as the disentanglement of signals from various sources.8 MoreReceived 10 September 2021Accepted 24 January 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.105.052002Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Physical SystemsNeutrinosTechniquesCherenkov detectorsNeutrino detectorsParticle data analysisScintillatorsParticles & Fields

Fabrication and amplified spontaneous emission behavior of FAPbBr3 perovskite quantum dots in solid polymer rods

Abstract Formamidinium lead tribromide (FAPbBr3) perovskite quantum dot (PQ-Dot) solution was incorporated in a polymer sol, which was used to fabricate solid nanocomposite rods and disks. The solid nanocomposite samples were studied by different characterization techniques. The absorption, emission, and excitation spectra of the PQ-Dot in the solid rods/disks were quite significant as compared to the spectra of the PQ-Dot solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to inspect the structural morphology of the PQ-Dot in the solid environment. The PQ-Dot particles were evidently present in the solid matrix and were confirmed by the SEM images and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectra. The size of the PQ-Dots was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The majority of the particles were about 3–8 nm in size. The spontaneous and stimulated emission profiles of the solid composite rods/disks were studied using pumping energy ranging from 2 μJ to 18 μJ from a high-power picosecond neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) tunable laser system. The observed emission signal was quite significant. The emission peak of the PQ-Dot solution had a slight change when it was included in the solid matrix. Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) behavior was obtained from the PQ-Dot composite rod. The ASE peaks were quite steady at different levels of excitation energy. ASE was achieved at low threshold energy. The composite rod with ASE behavior indicates that it is a promising composite material that can be used to achieve lasing in the future. The ASE obtained from the composite rods/disks may improve to achieve lasing if a high concentration of PQ-Dot solution is used in the matrix.

Anisotropy of material removal during laser-induced plasma assisted ablation of sapphire

Sapphire crystals have a special lattice structure, which causes anisotropy in their processing quality due to anisotropy of the physical and mechanical properties. Laser-induced plasma assisted ablation (LIPAA) is a new processing technology used to process transparent, hard, and brittle materials. LIPAA is regarded as a photoelectric composite processing method that makes the material removal and surface generation mechanisms more complicated. In this study, a surface generated by LIPAA processing showed much higher quality than a surface generated by direct laser ablation. Moreover, LIPAA has the advantage of a lower etching energy threshold than that of infrared laser direct ablation. Infrared laser-induced plasma assisted ablation was performed on different sapphire crystal orientations to explore the influence of anisotropy on LIPAA processing. The LIPAA material removal rates for different sapphire planes were presented and compared with results for direct laser ablation-focused ion beam (FIB) processing. The results showed that thermal removal was most dominant during LIPAA processing of sapphire. The material removal rate was highest in the [10 1‾ 0] direction and lowest in the [112‾ 0] direction.

An Analysis Scheme for 3D Visualization of Positron Emitting Radioisotopes Using Positron Emission Mammography System

Proton range monitoring and verification is important to enhance the effectiveness of treatment by ensuring that the correct dose is delivered to the correct location. Upon proton irradiation, different positron emitting radioisotopes are produced by the inelastic nuclear interactions of protons with the target elements. Recently, it was reported that the 16O(p,2p2n)13N reaction has a relatively low threshold energy, and it could be potentially used for proton range verification. In the present work, we have proposed an analysis scheme (i.e., algorithm) for the extraction and three-dimensional visualization of positron emitting radioisotopes. The proposed step-by-step analysis scheme was tested using our own experimentally obtained dynamic data from a positron emission mammography (PEM) system (our developed PEMGRAPH system). The experimental irradiation was performed using an azimuthally varying field (AVF) cyclotron with a 80 MeV monoenergetic pencil-like beam. The 3D visualization showed promising results for proton-induced radioisotope distribution. The proposed scheme and developed tools would be useful for the extraction and 3D visualization of positron emitting radioisotopes and in turn for proton range monitoring and verification.

Neutrino magnetic moments in low-energy neutrino scattering on condensed matter systems

The cross sections of elastic neutrino scattering on electrons and nuclei in the regime of low-energy transfer are known to be very sensitive to neutrino electromagnetic properties. In particular, the magnetic moment of the neutrino can be effectively searched using liquid or solid detectors with a very low energy threshold. We present the formalism that incorporates the neutrino magnetic moment contribution in the theoretical treatment of the low-energy elastic neutrino scattering on a condensed-matter target. The concept of the dynamic structure factor is employed to describe the collective effects in the target. The differential cross section for tritium antineutrino scattering on the superfluid 4He is calculated numerically. We find that the neutrino magnetic moment of the order of 10−11 μB strongly affects the cross section. Our results can be used in the search of neutrino magnetic moments in future low-energy neutrino scattering experiments with liquid or solid targets.

Acoustic response of nuclear recoils in bubble chambers

The bubble chambers of the PICO collaboration use the acoustic signal generated from nucleations to classify nuclear recoil events from alpha decays in the bulk fluid. The success of these detectors in probing the potential WIMP-proton cross section comes in part from the low energy threshold that can be achieved. This nucleation threshold, based on the Seitz model, is dependent on fluid type, pressure, and temperature. At higher thresholds bubble nucleation does occur but with a significant loss in the measurable acoustic signal. To investigate this, the acoustic response of bulk nuclear recoil events was measured as a function of pressure and temperature and found to depend exponentially on both parameters.

Low-energy reactor neutrino physics with the CONNIE experiment

The Coherent Neutrino-Nucleus Interaction Experiment (CONNIE) uses fully depleted high-resistivity CCDs (charge coupled devices) with the aim of detecting the coherent elastic scattering of reactor antineutrinos off silicon nuclei and probing physics beyond the Standard Model. The analysis of the 2016‖2018 data allowed us to set an upper limit at 95% confidence level on the coherent scattering rate, which was used to place stringent constraints on simplified extensions of the Standard Model with light scalar and vector mediators. In 2019, the experiment operated with an improved readout and a lower energy threshold of 50 eV. We present the performance of the CONNIE experiment, new results of the analysis of 2019 data, and the recent update of the detector with skipper CCDs.

Line-of-shower trigger method to lower energy threshold for GRB detection using LHAASO-WCDA

Line-of-shower trigger method to lower energy threshold for GRB detection using LHAASO-WCDA

Explore the correlation between intervalley scattering and phonon bottleneck effect on the hot carrier relaxation in bulk GaSb and InN for hot carrier solar cells

Slowed carrier intervalley scattering (IVS) may trap some photo-excited carriers within side valleys and reduce the overall thermalization rate. On the other hand, the thermalization rate could also be significantly retarded within the gamma valley by slowing the Klemens decay due to a large phononic bandgap via the phonon bottleneck effect (PBE). However, the correlation between IVS and PBE on slowing the carrier relaxation rate is still unclear. Herein, high-quality bulk InN and GaSb with similar electronic bandgap but remarkably different phononic structures are studied to clarify the above correlation through picosecond time-resolved photoluminescence. The occurrence of IVS is controlled by using different pump energies at high carrier density (∼1019 cm−3). The relaxations of carriers excited at the band edge just above and far above the side valley threshold are, therefore, studied in GaSb. It shows that the effective hot carrier lifetime (τ1) of GaSb gets significantly extended with higher pump energy mainly due to more carriers being trapped in side valleys through IVS. Nevertheless, the longest τ1 of GaSb is still shorter than the shortest τ1 of InN with a more polar nature and larger phononic bandgap. This implies that PBE plays a more decisive role in retarding Γ valley carrier relaxation than the slowed IVS. It indicates that the large phononic bandgap and Fröhlich coupling constant are keys to the slow thermalization rate if the Fröhlich interaction dominates. If the deformation potential interaction dominates this process, then low side valley threshold energy and the Fröhlich constant determine the reduction of the overall thermalization rate.

Understanding Hygroscopicity of Theophylline via a Novel Cocrystal Polymorph: A Charge Density Study.

The charge density distribution in a novel cocrystal (1) complex of 1,3-dimethylxanthine (theophylline) and propanedioic acid (malonic acid) has been determined. The molecules crystallize in the triclinic, centrosymmetric space group P1̅, with four independent molecules (Z = 4) in the asymmetric unit (two molecules each of theophylline and malonic acid). Theophylline has a notably high hygroscopic nature, and numerous cocrystals have shown a significant improvement in stability to humidity. A charge density study of the novel polymorph has identified interesting theoretical results correlating the stability enhancement of theophylline via cocrystallization. Topological analysis of the electron density highlighted key differences (up to 17.8) in Laplacian (∇2ρ) between the experimental (EXP) and single-point (SP) models, mainly around intermolecular-bonded carbonyls. Further investigation via molecular electrostatic potential maps reaffirmed that the charge redistribution enhanced intramolecular hydrogen bonding, predominantly for N(2') and N(2) (61.2 and 61.8 kJ mol-1, respectively). An overall weaker lattice energy of the triclinic form (-126.1 kJ mol-1) compared to that of the monoclinic form (-133.8 kJ mol-1) suggests a lower energy threshold to overcome to initiate dissociation. Future work via physical testing of the novel cocrystal in both dissolution and solubility will further solidify the correlation between theoretical and experimental results.

Reduction of the Low Energy Threshold through New Modular Data Acquisition Electronics for Cross-strip Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) based PET System.

New modular data acquisition electronics for cross-strip cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector readout were developed to lower the electronic noise and increase the applied voltage bias capabilities compared to previous designs. The modular data acquisition electronics will be utilized to develop a two-panel head and neck dedicated positron emission tomography (PET) system. Each panel will consist of 150 CZT crystals (4 × 4 × 0.5cm 3) covering an area of 20×15 cm2 in an edge-on configuration to achieve high detector efficiency at 511 keV. This paper presents the first characterization results of CZT detectors based on the new readout electronics system. Ge-68 and Cs-137 were used as the point source for measuring the energy spectra. Three individual CZT detectors (117 anode channels) were tested together with a full data acquisition chain. The mean FWHM energy resolution across all 117 anode channels is 8.36%±0.52% at 511 keV without any correction and the lower keV threshold of the energy spectra resides between 0 keV to 50 keV. For reference, the previous small animal system had a mean FWHM energy resolution of 10.78%±1.45% at 511 keV before correction and a lower keV threshold of 100 keV to 150 keV.

Low-Threshold and Wavelength-Tunable InGaN Tubular WGM Laser Embedded in a Flexible Substrate

We have fabricated a tubular whispering gallery mode laser based on InGaN/GaN quantum wells and transferred it onto a flexible substrate. Compared with those without the transferring processes, the threshold energy density was reduced by 60%, at about 25.55 µJ/cm2, while a high-quality factor of >15,000 was obtained. Finite-difference time-domain simulation demonstrated that such a low threshold energy density can be attributed to the decreased mode volume, from 1.32 × 10−3 μm3 to 6.92 × 10−4 μm3. The wavelength dependences on strain were found to be 5.83 nm, 1.38 nm, and 2.39 nm per stretching unit ε in the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively. Such strain sensitivity was attributed to the deformation of the GaN microtube and the change in the refractive index of the PDMS.

The effects of low-[formula omitted] shielding on uranium isotope discrimination using the time-emission profiles of long-lived delayed neutrons

Characteristic radiation signals can often be obscured or distorted by relatively small amounts of shielding, as is the case for highly-enriched uranium (HEU). Methods that can detect and identify special nuclear material (SNM) even in the presence of shielding are therefore of high value in many nuclear security and nonproliferation applications. It has been previously shown that the buildup and decay time profiles of long-lived delayed neutron emission from induced fission are unique and can be used to successfully discriminate between uranium isotopes and infer enrichment without the need for a calibration standard. Because the long-lived delayed neutron precursors exhibit decay times on the order of tens of seconds, their time profiles are not sensitive to the delays associated with scattering or diffusion in shielding materials, which occur on much shorter time scales. The use of capture-based neutron detectors can also mitigate the effects of shielding, because unlike recoil-based detectors, they do not have a low-energy detection threshold, so that neutrons that lose their energy in the shielding are still detectable. In this work, the effects of low-Z shielding on the discrimination of uranium isotopes using delayed neutron time profile measurements are investigated for the first time. The delayed neutron buildup and decay time profiles of polyethylene-shielded HEU and depleted uranium objects are measured using two different capture-gated detector designs. The recorded profiles show good agreement with the shapes predicted from six-group delayed neutron models even with the shielding in place, and the enrichment of the HEU and DU objects was estimated accurately to within 5%. While this method shows potential for discriminating and characterizing extreme cases of enrichment when a moderate amount of shielding is present, simulation results suggest that significant limitations exist for intermediate enrichment levels due to distortions to the delayed neutron time profile caused by neutron reflection in the shielding.

The SNO+ experiment

The SNO+ experiment is located 2 km underground at SNOLAB in Sudbury, Canada. A low background search for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay will be conducted using 780 tonnes of liquid scintillator loaded with 3.9 tonnes of natural tellurium, corresponding to 1.3 tonnes of 130Te. This paper provides a general overview of the SNO+ experiment, including detector design, construction of process plants, commissioning efforts, electronics upgrades, data acquisition systems, and calibration techniques. The SNO+ collaboration is reusing the acrylic vessel, PMT array, and electronics of the SNO detector, having made a number of experimental upgrades and essential adaptations for use with the liquid scintillator. With low backgrounds and a low energy threshold, the SNO+ collaboration will also pursue a rich physics program beyond the search for 0νββ decay, including studies of geo- and reactor antineutrinos, supernova and solar neutrinos, and exotic physics such as the search for invisible nucleon decay. The SNO+ approach to the search for 0νββ decay is scalable: a future phase with high 130Te-loading is envisioned to probe an effective Majorana mass in the inverted mass ordering region.

Coherent neutrino scattering and the Migdal effect on the quenching factor

Recent measurements of the germanium quenching factor deviate significantly from the predictions of the standard Lindhard model for nuclear recoil energies below a keV. This departure may be explained by the Migdal effect in neutron scattering on germanium. We show that the Migdal effect on the quenching factor can mimic the signal of a light Z' or light scalar mediator in coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering experiments with reactor antineutrinos. It is imperative that the quenching factor of nuclei with low recoil energy thresholds be precisely measured close to threshold to avoid such confusion. This will also help in experimental searches of light dark matter.

Multi-energy reconstructions, central electron temperature measurements, and early detection of the birth and growth of runaway electrons using a versatile soft x-ray pinhole camera at MST.

A multi-energy soft x-ray pinhole camera has been designed, built, and deployed at the Madison Symmetric Torus to aid the study of particle and thermal transport, as well as MHD stability physics. This novel imaging diagnostic technique employs a pixelated x-ray detector in which the lower energy threshold for photon detection can be adjusted independently on each pixel. The detector of choice is a PILATUS3 100K with a 450 μm thick silicon sensor and nearly 100 000 pixels sensitive to photon energies between 1.6 and 30 keV. An ensemble of cubic spline smoothing functions has been applied to the line-integrated data for each time-frame and energy-range, obtaining a reduced standard-deviation when compared to that dominated by photon-noise. The multi-energy local emissivity profiles are obtained from a 1D matrix-based Abel-inversion procedure. Central values of Te can be obtained by modeling the slope of the continuum radiation from ratios of the inverted radial emissivity profiles over multiple energy ranges with no a priori assumptions of plasma profiles, magnetic field reconstruction constraints, high-density limitations, or need of shot-to-shot reproducibility. In tokamak plasmas, a novel application has recently been tested for early detection, 1D imaging, and study of the birth, exponential growth, and saturation of runaway electrons at energies comparable to 100 × Te,0; thus, early results are also presented.

High-resolution for IAXO: MMC-based X-ray detectors

Axion helioscopes like the planned International Axion Observatory (IAXO) search for evidence of axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) from the Sun. A strong magnetic field is used to convert ALPs into photons via the generic ALP-photon coupling. To observe the resulting photons, X-ray detectors with low background and high efficiency are necessary. In addition, good energy resolution and low energy threshold would allow for investigating the ALP properties by studying the X-ray spectrum after its discovery. We propose to use low temperature metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs). Here we present the first detector system based on MMCs developed for IAXO and discuss the results of the characterization. The detector consists of a two-dimensional 64-pixel array covering an active area of 16mm2 with a fill factor of 93%. We achieve an average energy resolution of 6.1 eV FWHM allowing for energy thresholds below 100 eV. This detector is the first step towards a larger 1 cm2 array matching the IAXO X-ray optics. We determine the background rate for an unshielded detector system in the energy range between 1 keV and 10 keV to be 3.2(1) × 10-4 keV-1 cm-2 s-1 from events acquired over 30 days. In the future, active and passive shields will significantly reduce the background induced by cosmic muons and natural radioactivity. Our results demonstrate that MMCs are a promising technology for helioscopes to discover and study ALPs.

The role of negative hydroxyl ions in the electron generation and breakdown during plasma formation in liquid water

The role of negative hydroxyl ions in liquid-phase plasma discharge formation is investigated using an inhouse modeling framework. Two tunneling sources for electrons are considered—tunneling ionization of water molecules and tunneling detachment of negative hydroxyl ions together with additional reaction steps. The simulations are conducted for a needle-like powered electrode with two different nanosecond rise time voltage profiles—a linear and an exponential rise. Both the profiles have a maximum voltage of 15 kV. The predictions show that the electron detachment, which has a much lower threshold energy requirement, provides a stream of electrons at low applied voltage during the initial rise time. The electrical forces from the electron detachment process generate stronger compression but a weaker expansion regime in the liquid resulting in ∼40% increase in the density and only ∼1% decrease. The electron detachment tunneling process is found to be not limited by the electric field, but rather by the availability of negative hydroxyl ions in the system and ceases when these ions are depleted. The tunnel ionization of water molecules forms the electron wave at a higher applied voltage, but the resulting peak electron number density is typically six orders of magnitude larger than the detachment tunneling. The higher electron number density allows the recycling of depleted negative hydroxyl ions in the system and can reestablish tunneling detachment. In addition, the system experiences a larger variation in density; specifically, a decrease in density due to tunnel ionization. The prediction also shows that irrespective of the initial electron sources (i.e. tunnel ionization or tunnel detachment) the reduced electric field is not sufficient enough to allow electron impact ionization to be active and make a significant contribution. Path flux analysis is conducted to determine the kinetics responsible for the recycling of the negative hydroxyl ions.

Large mass single electron resolution detector for dark matter and neutrino elastic interaction searches

Large mass single electron resolution solid state detectors are desirable to search for low mass dark matter candidates and to measure coherent elastic neutrino nucleus scattering (CEνNS). Here, we present results from a novel 100 g phonon-mediated Si detector with a new interface architecture. This detector gives a baseline resolution of ∼1e−∕h+ pair and a leakage current on the order of 10−16 A. This was achieved by removing the direct electrical contact between the Si crystal and the metallic electrode, and by increasing the phonon absorption efficiency of the sensors. The phonon signal amplification in the detector shows a linear increase while the signal to noise ratio improves with bias voltage, up to 240 V. This feature enables the detector to operate at a low energy threshold which is beneficial for dark matter and CEνNS like searches.