Search results for " Instrumentation."
showing 10 items of 712 documents
NEXT-100 Technical Design Report (TDR). Executive summary
2012
[EN] In this Technical Design Report (TDR) we describe the NEXT-100 detector that will search for neutrinoless double beta decay (ßß0v) in 136XE at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc (LSC), in Spain. The document formalizes the design presented in our Conceptual Design Report (CDR): an electroluminescence time projection chamber, with separate readout planes for calorimetry and tracking, located, respectively, behind cathode and anode. The detector is designed to hold a maximum of about 150 kg of xenon at 15 bar, or 100 kg at 10 bar. This option builds in the capability to increase the total isotope mass by 50% while keeping the operating pressure at a manageable level. The readout pla…
Initial results of NEXT-DEMO, a large-scale prototype of the NEXT-100 experiment
2013
NEXT-DEMO is a large-scale prototype of the NEXT-100 detector, an electroluminescent time projection chamber that will search for the neutrinoless double beta decay of Xe-136 using 100-150 kg of enriched xenon gas. NEXT-DEMO was built to prove the expected performance of NEXT-100, namely, energy resolution better than 1% FWHM at 2.5MeV and event topological reconstruction. In this paper we describe the prototype and its initial results. A resolution of 1.75% FWHM at 511 keV (which extrapolates to 0.8% FWHM at 2.5 MeV) was obtained at 10 bar pressure using a gamma-ray calibration source. Also, a basic study of the event topology along the longitudinal coordinate is presented, proving that it…
Radiopurity control in the NEXT-100 double beta decay experiment: procedures and initial measurements
2013
[EN] The "Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon Time-Projection Chamber" (NEXT) is intended to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay of Xe-136, which requires a severe suppression of potential backgrounds. An extensive screening and material selection process is underway for NEXT since the control of the radiopurity levels of the materials to be used in the experimental set-up is a must for rare event searches. First measurements based on Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry and gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low background germanium detectors at the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc (Spain) are described here. Activity results for natural radioactive chains and other common radionucl…
Conceptual design of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO)
2014
The International Axion Observatory (IAXO) will be a forth generation axion helioscope. As its primary physics goal, IAXO will look for axions or axion-like particles (ALPs) originating in the Sun via the Primakoff conversion of the solar plasma photons. In terms of signal-to-noise ratio, IAXO will be about 4-5 orders of magnitude more sensitive than CAST, currently the most powerful axion helioscope, reaching sensitivity to axion-photon couplings down to a few $\times 10^{-12}$ GeV$^{-1}$ and thus probing a large fraction of the currently unexplored axion and ALP parameter space. IAXO will also be sensitive to solar axions produced by mechanisms mediated by the axion-electron coupling $g_{…
Solution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy on a nanostructured diamond chip
2017
We demonstrate nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of picoliter-volume solutions with a nanostructured diamond chip. Using optical interferometric lithography, diamond surfaces were nanostructured with dense, high-aspect-ratio nanogratings, enhancing the surface area by more than a factor of 15 over mm^2 regions of the chip. The nanograting sidewalls were doped with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers so that more than 10 million NV centers in a (25 micrometer)^2 laser spot are located close enough to the diamond surface (5 nm) to detect the NMR spectrum of 1 pL of fluid lying within adjacent nanograting grooves. The platform was used to perform 1H and 19F NMR spectroscopy at room tempe…
Distributed analysis of simultaneous EEG-fMRI time-series: modeling and interpretation issues
2009
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) represent brain activity in terms of a reliable anatomical localization and a detailed temporal evolution of neural signals. Simultaneous EEG-fMRI recordings offer the possibility to greatly enrich the significance and the interpretation of the single modality results because the same neural processes are observed from the same brain at the same time. Nonetheless, the different physical nature of the measured signals by the two techniques renders the coupling not always straightforward, especially in cognitive experiments where spatially localized and distributed effects coexist and evolve temporally at different …
Interface transition checklists in spinal surgery
2016
Issue Recently, quality tools have been promoted to improve patient safety and process efficiency in healthcare. While surgeons primarily focused on surgical issues, like infection rates or implant design, we introduced pre-admission and preoperative checklists in the early 2000s. Initial assessment To assess the efficiency of these tools in a neurosurgical department, we performed a survey of all spinal instrumentation patients operated in 2011 ( n = 147). The results revealed several problems. Choice of solution We consequently redesigned the checklists accompanied by flanking measures, such as written and online accessible standards. Furthermore, the staff was trained to use the update…
Thermal kinetics for the energy valorisation of polylactide/sisal biocomposites
2018
[EN] The thermal stability and decomposition kinetics of PLA/sisal biocomposites was discussed to evaluate the suitability of their use in energy recovery processes such as pyrolysis and combustion. The influence of the addition of sisal up to 30%wt, the presence of coupling agent, and the atmosphere of operation, i.e. inert or oxidative was discussed by means of multi-rate linear non-isothermal thermogravimetric experiments. All biocomposites showed a mean high heating value of 15 MJ/kg indicating their suitability for energy recovery processes. The thermal requirements of PLA/sisal decomposition were assessed in terms of onset decomposition temperature and apparent activation energy. A mi…
High Voltage Insulation and Gas Absorption of Polymers in High Pressure Argon and Xenon Gases
2018
High pressure gas time projection chambers (HPGTPCs) are made with a variety of materials, many of which have not been well characterized in high pressure noble gas environments. As HPGTPCs are scaled up in size toward ton-scale detectors, assemblies become larger and more complex, creating a need for detailed understanding of how structural supports and high voltage insulators behave. This includes the identification of materials with predictable mechanical properties and without surface charge accumulation that may lead to field deformation or sparking. This paper explores the mechanical and electrical effects of high pressure gas environments on insulating polymers PTFE, HDPE, PEEK, POM …
Assessment of root canal enlargement using Mtwo and BioRace rotary files.
2014
Objective. To evaluate root canal enlargement following mechanical shaping using 2 nickel titanium rotary systems.Material and Methods. Forty single-rooted teeth were immersed in resin and sectioned perpendicular to the long axis at 4, 8, and 12 mm from the apex. Digital capture of sections was performed before and after canal instrumentation using Mtwo and BioRace instruments. The area increase of endodontic space was calculated by subtraction.Results. The use of both instruments has allowed the removal of great amounts of dentin from the canal walls, even when the endodontic morphology is characterized by awkwardness to reach recesses.Conclusions. Both procedures seem to be valid and no d…