Muon Measurements Research Articles

Direct observation of muonium reacting with uncapped gold nanoparticles in porous silica and nature of the final state.

We report the reaction of muonium (Mu = [μ+e-]), a light isotopic analog of hydrogen, with uncapped gold nanoparticles embedded in mesoporous silica. Using the radio-frequency muon spin rotation (RF-μSR) technique, we directly observe and characterize the resulting final state on the nanoparticle surface, showing conclusively its diamagnetic nature. The magnetic environment experienced by the reacted muons is only weakly perturbed compared to that of muons in a silica reference, consistent with the surface of the gold nanoparticles being metallic and non-magnetic. We demonstrate the potential of RF-μSR for the investigation of the surface properties of nanoparticles and show the feasibility of Knight shift measurements of muons on metal surfaces.

Muon deficit in air shower simulations estimated from AGASA muon measurements

In this work, direct measurements of the muon density at $1000\,\textrm{m}$ from the shower axis obtained by the Akeno Giant Air Shower Array (AGASA) are analysed. The selected events have zenith angles $\theta \leq 36^{\textrm{o}}$ and reconstructed energies in the range $18.83\,\leq\,\log_{10}(E_{R}/\textrm{eV})\,\leq\,19.46$. These are compared to the predictions corresponding to proton, iron, and mixed composition scenarios obtained by using the high-energy hadronic interaction models EPOS-LHC, QGSJetII-04, and Sibyll2.3c. The mass fractions of the mixed composition scenarios are taken from the fits to the depth of the shower maximum distributions performed by the Pierre Auger Collaboration. The cross-calibrated energy scale from the Spectrum Working Group [D. Ivanov, for the Pierre Auger Collaboration and the Telescope Array Collaboration, PoS(ICRC2017) 498 (2017)] is used to combine results from different experiments. The analysis shows that the AGASA data are compatible with a heavier composition with respect to the one predicted by the mixed composition scenarios. Interpreting this as a muon deficit in air shower simulations, the incompatibility is quantified. The muon density obtained from AGASA data is greater than that of the mixed composition scenarios by a factor of $1.49\pm0.11\,\textrm{(stat)}\pm0.18\,\textrm{(syst)}$, $1.54\pm0.12\,\textrm{(stat)}\pm0.18\,\textrm{(syst)}$, and $1.66\pm0.13\,\textrm{(stat)}\pm0.20\,\textrm{(syst)}$ for EPOS-LHC, Sibyll2.3c, and QGSJetII-04, respectively.

Simultaneous muon and reference hadron measurements in the compressed baryonic matter experiment at FAIR

The mission of the Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at the future Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Darmstadt is to explore the QCD phase diagram at high net baryon densities likely to exist in the core of neutron stars. The CBM detector system is designed to perform multi-differential measurements of hadrons and leptons in central gold-gold collisions at beam energies between 2 and 11 A GeV with unprecedented precision and statistics. In order to reduce the systematic errors of the lepton measurements, which generally suffer from a large combinatorial background, both electrons and muons will be measured with the same acceptance. Up to now, no di-muon measurements have been performed in heavy-ion collisions at beam energies below 158 A GeV. The main device for electron identification, a Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detector, can be replaced by a setup comprising hadron absorbers and tracking detectors for muon measurements. In order to obtain a complete picture of the reaction, it is important to measure simultaneously leptons and hadrons. This requirement is fulfilled for the RICH, which has a low material budget, and only little affects the trajectories of hadrons on their way to the Time-of-Flight (TOF) detector. In contrast, the simultaneous measurement of muons and hadrons within the same experimental acceptance poses a substantial challenge. This article reviews the simulated performance of the CBM experiment for muon identification, together with the possibility of simultaneous hadron measurements.

Kubo spins in nanoscale aluminum grains: A muon spin relaxation study

We report muon spin relaxation rate measurements on films composed of aluminum grains having a size of a few nm, with a large energy level splitting of the order of 100 K. The films range from weakly metallic to insulating. In the insulating case the low temperature relaxation rate is consistent with the presence of single electron spins in grains having an odd number of electrons. The relaxation rate temperature dependence follows an activation law having an energy scale in agreement with the average level splitting. In weakly metallic films the relaxation rate is smaller and decreases faster with temperature. Overall our observations are in line with the presence of a Kubo spin in Al nano-size grains due to quantum size effects.

NUCLEUS: Exploring Coherent Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering with Cryogenic Detectors

The NUCLEUS experiment aims for the detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering at a nuclear power reactor with gram-scale, ultra-low-threshold cryogenic detectors. This technology leads to a miniaturization of neutrino detectors and allows to probe physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. A 0.5 g NUCLEUS prototype detector, operated above ground in 2017, reached an energy threshold for nuclear recoils of below 20 eV. This sensitivity is achieved with tungsten transition edge sensors which are operating at temperatures of 15 mK and are mainly sensitive to non-thermal phonons. These small recoil energies become accessible for the first time with this technology, which allows collecting large-statistics neutrino event samples with a moderate detector mass. A first-phase cryogenic detector array with a total mass of 10 g enables a 5-sigma observation of coherent scattering within several weeks. We identified a suitable experimental site at the Chooz Nuclear Power Plant and performed muon and neutron background measurements there. The operation of a NUCLEUS cryogenic detector array at such a site requires highly efficient background suppression. NUCLEUS plans to use an innovative technique consisting of separate cryogenic anticoincidence detectors against surface backgrounds and penetrating (gamma, neutron) radiation. We present first results from prototypes of these veto detectors and their operation in coincidence with a NUCLEUS target detector.

Nodeless s-wave superconductivity in the -Mn structure type noncentrosymmetric superconductor TaOs: a SR study

Noncentrosymmetric superconductors can lead to a variety of exotic properties in the superconducting state such as line nodes, multigap behavior, and time-reversal symmetry breaking. In this paper, we report the properties of a new noncentrosymmetric superconductor TaOs, using muon spin relaxation and rotation measurements. It is shown using the zero-field muon experiment that TaOs preserve the time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. From the transverse field muon measurements, we extract the temperature dependence of , which is proportional to the superfluid density. This data can be fit with a fully gapped s-wave model for = 2.01 0.02. Furthermore, the value of magnetic penetration depth is found to be 5919 45 , which is consistent with the value obtained from the bulk measurements.

Superconductivity and the upper critical field in the chiral noncentrosymmetric superconductor NbRh2B2

NbRh2B2 crystallises in a chiral noncentrosymmetric structure and exhibits bulk type-II superconductivity below K. Here we show that the temperature dependence of the upper critical field deviates from the behaviour expected for both Werthamer–Helfand–Hohenberg and the Ginzburg–Landau models and that T exceeds the Pauli paramagnetic limit, T. We explore the reasons for this enhancement. Transverse-field muon spectroscopy measurements suggest that the superconducting gap is either s-wave or -wave, and the pressure dependence of reveals the superconducting gap is primarily s-wave in character. The magnetic penetration depth nm. Heat capacity measurements reveal the presence of a multigap -wave superconducting order parameter and moderate electron–phonon coupling.

Atmospheric effects on secondary cosmic ray muons observed by multi-wire muon detector at a high cutoff rigidity station

In October 2017, a multi-layer small multi-wire (MW) detector for cosmic ray (CR) muon measurements was installed at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Rc = 14.4 GV). This detector is considered to be the first of its kind used for long term CR measurements. In this study, CR data collected from KACST-MW detection system and radiosonde measurements were used to investigate the effect of atmospheric pressure, ground temperature, height of the muon production layer, temperature at that layer, and temperature weighted by atmospheric mass, on CR muons. Regression analyses between the observed muon count rate and these variables were carried out and the corresponding coefficients were obtained and used to correct the observed muon count rate for the temporal variation of these variables. The effect of the atmospheric pressure was conducted first and used to correct the data for this effect. The pressure corrected count rate is anti-correlated with the height of muon production, ground temperature, and atmospheric mass-weighted temperature. On the other hand, the temperature at the muon production layer is positively correlated with the muon count rate. The obtained results from this study are in good agreement with those reported by several researchers. Taking advantages of the relationship between the detected CR muons and the temperature at the muon production layer (stratospheric temperature), this relationship is inverted to calculate this temperature from muon observations. The proposed technique provides excellent predictability of the stratospheric temperatures.

Joint inversion of gravity with cosmic ray muon data at a well-characterized site for shallow subsurface density prediction

SUMMARYEstimating subsurface density is important for imaging various geologic structures such as volcanic edifices, reservoirs and aquifers. Muon tomography has recently been used to complement traditional gravity measurements as a powerful method for probing shallow subsurface density structure beneath volcanoes. Gravity and muon data have markedly different spatial sensitivities and, as a result, the combination is useful for imaging structures on spatial scales that are larger than the area encompassed by crossing muon trajectories. Here we explore and test a joint inversion of gravity and muon data in a study area where there is an independently characterized target anomaly: a regionally extensive, high-density layer beneath Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA. We resolve the nearly flat-lying structure using a unique experimental set-up wherein surface and subsurface gravity and muon measurements are obtained above and below the target volume. Our results show that with minimal geologic (prior) constraints, the joint inversion correctly recovers salient features of the expected density structure. The results of our study illustrate the potential of combining surface and subsurface (e.g. borehole) gravity and muon measurements to invert for shallow geologic structures.

Investigation of Simple Portable Telescope Validity for Muon Detection Inside Metals

Muons produced in the atmosphere by cosmic rays are preferred over gamma rays, X-rays and fast protons for the detection of metals in the study of radiography. An alternative method for metals detection involving portable and relatively cheap Geiger-Muller counters are proposed. The objective of this study was to investigate the validity of using a handmade muon telescope with a small solid angle for the detection of muons inside the metals. This experiment was carried out at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi (101.78o E, 2.92o N and elevation 30 m). Measurement of muons was conducted in the vertical direction using 1 set of muon telescopes (MT) consisting of coaxial Geiger-Muller (GM) counters. Different metals - lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and aluminium (Al) - were used as absorbers with different thickness to observe its influence on the count rate of muons. The efficiency of the experimental setup was evaluated using statistical methods and by obtaining sufficient number of muon detection events to describe the physics of the muon interaction with the metals. Based on the Rossi curve obtained for each metal, the transition point was estimated as follows: 1.5 cm for Pb, 4.0 cm for Zn, and 9.0 cm for Al. The results showed that the proposed alternative setup was adequate for detecting muons and therefore have the potential to be further developed.

Superconducting and normal state properties of the noncentrosymmetric superconductor NbOs2 investigated by muon spin relaxation and rotation

Noncentrosymmetric superconductors with $\alpha$-manganese structure has attracted much attention recently, after the discovery of time-reversal symmetry breaking in all the members of Re$_{6}$X (X = Ti, Hf, Zr) family. Similar to Re$_{6}$X, NbOs$_{2}$ also adopts $\alpha$-$Mn$ structure and found to be superconducting with critical temperature $T_{c}$ $\approx$ 2.7 K. The results of the resistivity, magnetization, specific heat and muon-spin relaxation/rotation measurements show that NbOs$_{2}$ is a weakly coupled type-II superconductor. Interestingly, the zero-field muon experiments indicate that the time-reversal symmetry is preserved in the superconducting state. The low-temperature transverse-field muon measurements and the specific heat data evidence a conventional isotropic fully gapped superconductivity. However, the calculated electronic properties in this material show that the NbOs$_{2}$ is positioned close to the band of unconventionality of the Uemura plot, indicating that NbOs$_{2}$ potentially borders an unconventional superconducting ground state.

Muon Measurements with IceTop

We present the measurement of the density of GeV muons in near-vertical air showers by the IceTop array at the South Pole. The muon density is measured at 600 m and 800 m lateral distance from the shower axis in air showers between 1 PeV and 100 PeV. This result can be used to constrain hadronic interaction models by comparing it with the outcome of Monte Carlo simulations. We show that some models do not produce muon densities in agreement with this result unless an unphysical composition of the primary cosmic ray flux is assumed.

Present status and prospects of the Tunka Radio Extension

The Tunka Radio Extension (Tunka-Rex) is a digital radio array operating in the frequency band of 30-80 MHz and detecting radio emission from air-showers produced by cosmic rays with energies above 100 PeV. The experimentis installed at the site of the TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic rays and Gamma Astronomy) observatory and performs joint measurements with the co-located particle and air-Cherenkov detectors in passive mode receiving a trigger from the latter. Tunka-Rex collects data since 2012, and during the last five years went throughseveral upgrades. As a result the density of the antenna field was increased by three times since its commission. In this contribution we present the latest results of Tunka-Rex experiment, particularly an updated analysis and efficiency study, which have been applied to the measurement of the mean shower maximum as a function of energy for cosmic rays of energies up to EeV. The future plans are also discussed: investigations towards an energy spectrum of cosmic rays with Tunka-Rex and their mass composition using a combination of Tunka-Rex data with muon measurements by the particle detector Tunka-Grande.

Estimating the mass of cosmic rays by combining radio and muon measurements

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is a radio detector at the Pierre Auger Observatory and it is dedicated to measure the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. AERA is co-located with the underground muon detectors of the Auger Muons and Infill for the Ground Array (AMIGA). This provides a perfect setup to experimentally test the benefits of combining muons and radio emission for estimating the primary mass. We have investigated this combination using air-shower simulations. We compared the performance for mass separation of this new method to alternative methods in which the electrons and muons are measured with particle detectors at the surface. Forshowers with zenith angles below 50° the new method is of comparable performance, and for showers more inclinedthan 50° it is clearly superior. Therefore, measuring the radio signal in addition to the muons significantly improves the mass sensitivity compared to techniques using solely particle measurements.

Atmospheric Muons Measured with IceCube

IceCube is a cubic-kilometer Cherenkov detector in the deep ice at the geographic South Pole. The dominant event yield is produced by penetrating atmospheric muons with energies above several 100 GeV. Due to its large detector volume, IceCube provides unique opportunities to study atmospheric muons with large statistics in detail. Measurements of the energy spectrum and the lateral separation distribution of muons offer insights into hadronic interactions during the air shower development and can be used to test hadronic models. We will present an overview of various measurements of atmospheric muons in IceCube, including the energy spectrum of muons between 10 TeV and 1 PeV. This is used to derive an estimate of the prompt contribution of muons, originating from the decay of heavy (mainly charmed) hadrons and unflavored mesons. We will also present measurements of the lateral separation distributions of TeV muons between 150m and 450m for several initial cosmic ray energies between 1 PeV and 16 PeV. Finally, the angular distribution of atmospheric muons in IceCube will be discussed.

Local reconstruction algorithms in the cathode strip chambers of CMS

The design of the CMS detector is optimized for muon measurements. The muon system consists of gas ionization detector technologies. Cathode Strip Chambers (CSC) with both tracking and triggering capabilities are installed in the forward region. The first stage of muon reconstruction uses information from individual muon chambers and is thus called local reconstruction, in contrast to a subsequent global reconstruction where the information from all detectors is combined. First, 2-dimensional spatial points (rechits) describing where a muon crosses the CSC layers are built from the electrical signals induced by the charged particle traversing the chamber. Next, from the reconstructed hits, straight-line track segments are built within each chamber. Local reconstruction becomes particularly challenging at high instantaneous luminosities, which are expected at the HL-LHC. The high rate of particles traversing the detectors leads to increased rate of spurious rechits and segments thus increasing the combinatorial backgrounds. In this respect, work on improving the current and developing new algorithms is essential and is in progress. This document presents the existing local reconstruction algorithms used in the CMS cathode strip chambers. Their performance as well as ongoing efforts towards HL-LHC improvements are discussed.

Direct Measurement of the Muon Density in Air Showers with the Pierre Auger Observatory

As part of the upgrade of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the Auger Muons and Infill for the Ground Array (AMIGA) underground muon detector extension will allow for direct muon measurements for showers falling into the SD-750 array. We optimized the AMIGA muon reconstruction procedure by introducing a geometrical correction for muons leaving a signal in multiple detector strips due to their inclined angle of incidence and deriving a new unbiased parametrization of the muon lateral distribution function. Furthermore, we defined a zenith-independent estimator ρ35 of the muon density by parametrizing the attenuation of the muonic signal due to the atmosphere and soil layer above the buried detectors and quantified the relevant systematic uncertainties for AMIGA. The analysis of one year of calibrated data recorded with the prototype array of AMIGA confirms the results of previous studies indicating a disagreement between the muon content in simulations and data.

Upgrades of the ATLAS muon spectrometer with new small-diameter drift tube chambers

Abstract Small diameter muon drift-tube (sMDT) chambers with 15 mm tube diameter provide excellent spatial resolution like the MDT chambers with 30 mm tube diameter used in the ATLAS muon spectrometer so far, but can be operated at ten times higher background rates and allow for the instrumentation of regions where MDT chambers do not fit in. In April 2014 two such chambers (called BME) have been installed at the bottom of the barrel middle layer of the muon spectrometer, followed in January 2016 by another 12 sMDT chambers (called BMG) inserted in the detector feet in the barrel middle layer. They are since then operational in ATLAS, increasing the acceptance for precision muon momentum measurement in all three chamber layers. An unprecedently high sense wire positioning accuracy of 5 μ m (rms) has been achieved. In the next long LHC shutdown 2019–2020, 16 new sMDT chambers (called BIS 78) will be installed in the barrel inner layer in the transition region to the endcaps in order to make room for the installation of new RPC muon trigger chambers which will reduce the accidental trigger rate in this region as required for operation at the high-luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL-LHC). This is a pilot project for the complete replacement of the MDT chambers in the small azimuthal sectors of the barrel inner layer (called BIS 1-6) by integrated sMDT-RPC detectors in the long shutdown 2024–2026 for the upgrade to HL-LHC.

The algorithm of the CMS Level-1 Overlap Muon Track Finder trigger

The CMS Level-1 trigger, based on custom electronics built around FPGA devices, was upgraded in 2016 to achieve the required performance with almost two times higher LHC luminosity than originally designed. The upgraded Level-1 muon trigger merges data from the three muon detectors in the CMS (DT, CSC, and RPC) in the track reconstruction stage — contrary to the legacy trigger which comprised three separate systems each based on one muon detector. This approach allows better use of the detector redundancy and improved measurement of the muon transverse momentum . However, it is particularly challenging in the barrel-endcap transition region, where up to 18 muon chamber layers are present, the detector geometry is complex, and the magnetic field bending the muon tracks is heterogeneous. For this region the Overlap Muon Track Finder (OMTF) uses a novel algorithm based on a naive Bayes classifier. The algorithm identifies the muon tracks and measures their momentum by calculating the probabilities of matching the detector hits to defined transverse momentum hypotheses. The algorithm was tailored to the needs of muon measurements based on the detector data (e.g. to cope with missing hits or multi-muon events) and implementation in FPGA technology. The algorithm details, performance, and optimization methods are discussed in this report. • A novel algorithm was developed for the upgrade of the CMS L1 muon trigger. • It is based on a naive Bayes classifier - a classic machine learning algorithm. • The algorithm performance is significantly better than the legacy muon trigger.

Updated analysis of Fukushima unit 3 with MELCOR 2.1. Part 1: Thermal-hydraulic analysis

The accident sequence of Fukushima Unit 3 was analysed with MELCOR 2.1. Hundreds of calculations have been performed and three plausible scenarios which predicted remarkably well the main signatures (i.e. pressure in RPV and containment and containment water level) have been selected and studied in the present analysis.The main signatures, namely pressure in the RPV and drywell and water levels were satisfactorily reproduced by the three proposed plausible scenarios. Major uncertainties concerning the time of RPV failure, possibility of MCCI as well as the transport of hydrogen responsible for the explosion of unit 3 and unit 4 were addressed in this study. The study was complemented with plant observations such as containment inspections, muon measurements and photographs taken during the accident. The results point out that the plausible sequence lie between case 1 and case 2 presented in this study.The state of the core after 350 h seems to be in agreement with our case 2, where ca. 64 tons of debris and stainless steel structures remained in the lower head and ca. 70 tons of debris were ejected to the pedestal. Taking into account the limitation in the modelling of the failure modes of a BWR, this estimation is very uncertain. Further discussion will be provided in the second part of the paper where the fission product release and transport will be studied and compared against available source term calculations.