Development of a Telescope for Medium-Energy Gamma-ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Sunter, Stan

2012-01-01

Since the launch of AGILE and FERMI, the scientific progress in high-energy (Eg greater than approximately 200 MeV) gamma-ray science has been, and will continue to be dramatic. Both of these telescopes cover a broad energy range from approximately 20 MeV to greater than 10 GeV. However, neither instrument is optimized for observations below approximately 200 MeV where many astrophysical objects exhibit unique, transitory behavior, such as spectral breaks, bursts, and flares. Hence, while significant progress from current observations is expected, there will nonetheless remain a significant sensitivity gap in the medium-energy (approximately 0.1-200 MeV) regime; the lower end of this range remains largely unexplored whereas the upper end will allow comparison with FERMI data. Tapping into this unexplored regime requires significant improvements in sensitivity. A major emphasis of modern detector development, with the goal of providing significant improvements in sensitivity in the medium-energy regime, focuses on high-resolution electron tracking. The Three-Dimensional Track Imager (3-DTI) technology being developed at GSFC provides high resolution tracking of the electron-positron pair from gamma-ray interactions from 5 to 200 MeV. The 3-DTI consists of a time projection chamber (TPC) and 2-D cross-strip microwell detector (MWD). The low-density and homogeneous design of the 3-DTI, offers unprecedented sensitivity by providing angular resolution near the kinematic limit. Electron tracking also enables measurement of gamma-ray polarization, a new tool to study astrophysical phenomenon. We describe the design, fabrication, and performance of a 30x30x30 cm3 3-DTI detector prototype of a medium-energy gamma-ray telescope.

High-resolution imaging gamma-ray spectroscopy with externally segmented germanium detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Callas, J. L.; Mahoney, W. A.; Varnell, L. S.; Wheaton, W. A.

1993-01-01

Externally segmented germanium detectors promise a breakthrough in gamma-ray imaging capabilities while retaining the superb energy resolution of germanium spectrometers. An angular resolution of 0.2 deg becomes practical by combining position-sensitive germanium detectors having a segment thickness of a few millimeters with a one-dimensional coded aperture located about a meter from the detectors. Correspondingly higher angular resolutions are possible with larger separations between the detectors and the coded aperture. Two-dimensional images can be obtained by rotating the instrument. Although the basic concept is similar to optical or X-ray coded-aperture imaging techniques, several complicating effects arise because of the penetrating nature of gamma rays. The complications include partial transmission through the coded aperture elements, Compton scattering in the germanium detectors, and high background count rates. Extensive electron-photon Monte Carlo modeling of a realistic detector/coded-aperture/collimator system has been performed. Results show that these complicating effects can be characterized and accounted for with no significant loss in instrument sensitivity.

A Modular Pipelined Processor for High Resolution Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Veiga, Alejandro; Grunfeld, Christian

2016-02-01

The design of a digital signal processor for gamma-ray applications is presented in which a single ADC input can simultaneously provide temporal and energy characterization of gamma radiation for a wide range of applications. Applying pipelining techniques, the processor is able to manage and synchronize very large volumes of streamed real-time data. Its modular user interface provides a flexible environment for experimental design. The processor can fit in a medium-sized FPGA device operating at ADC sampling frequency, providing an efficient solution for multi-channel applications. Two experiments are presented in order to characterize its temporal and energy resolution.

Fission-product yields for thermal-neutron fission of 243Cm determined from measurements with a high-resolution low-energy germanium gamma-ray detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merriman, L.D.

1984-04-01

Cumulative fission-product yields have been determined for 13 gamma rays emitted during the decay of 12 fission products created by thermal-neutron fission of 243 Cm. A high-resolution low-energy germanium detector was used to measure the pulse-height spectra of gamma rays emitted from a 77-nanogram sample of 243 Cm after the sample had been irradiated by thermal neutrons. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification and matching of gamma-ray energies and half-lives to individual radioisotopes. From these results, 12 cumulative fission product yields were deduced for radionuclides with half-lives between 4.2 min and 84.2 min. 7 references

Energy resolution and throughput of a new real time digital pulse processing system for x-ray and gamma ray semiconductor detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abbene, L; Gerardi, G; Raso, G; Brai, M; Principato, F; Basile, S

2013-01-01

New generation spectroscopy systems have advanced towards digital pulse processing (DPP) approaches. DPP systems, based on direct digitizing and processing of detector signals, have recently been favoured over analog pulse processing electronics, ensuring higher flexibility, stability, lower dead time, higher throughput and better spectroscopic performance. In this work, we present the performance of a new real time DPP system for X-ray and gamma ray semiconductor detectors. The system is based on a commercial digitizer equipped with a custom DPP firmware, developed by our group, for on-line pulse shape and height analysis. X-ray and gamma ray spectra measurements with cadmium telluride (CdTe) and germanium (Ge) detectors, coupled to resistive-feedback preamplifiers, highlight the excellent performance of the system both at low and high rate environments (up to 800 kcps). A comparison with a conventional analog electronics showed the better high-rate capabilities of the digital approach, in terms of energy resolution and throughput. These results make the proposed DPP system a very attractive tool for both laboratory research and for the development of advanced detection systems for high-rate-resolution spectroscopic imaging, recently proposed in diagnostic medicine, industrial imaging and security screening

Lunar occultations for gamma-ray source measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, David G.; Hughes, E. B.; Nolan, Patrick L.

1990-01-01

The unambiguous association of discrete gamma-ray sources with objects radiating at other wavelengths, the separation of discrete sources from the extended emission within the Galaxy, the mapping of gamma-ray emission from nearby galaxies and the measurement of structure within a discrete source cannot presently be accomplished at gamma-ray energies. In the past, the detection processes used in high-energy gamma-ray astronomy have not allowed for good angular resolution. This problem can be overcome by placing gamma-ray detectors on the moon and using the horizon as an occulting edge to achieve arcsec resolution. For purposes of discussion, this concept is examined for gamma rays above 100 MeV for which pair production dominates the detection process and locally-generated nuclear gamma rays do not contribute to the background.

Observation of gamma-ray bursts with GINGA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Toshio; Fujii, Masami; Nishimura, Jun

1989-01-01

Gamma-ray Burst Detector System (GBD) on board the scientific satellite 'GINGA' which was launched on Feb. 5, 1987, was realized as an international cooperation between ISAS and LANL. It has recorded more than 40 Gamma-Ray Burst candidates during 20 months observation. Although many observational evidences were accumulated in past 20 years after the discovery of gamma-ray burst by LANL scientists, there are not enough evidence to determine the origin and the production mechanism of the gamma-ray burst. GBD consists of a proportional counter and a NaI scintillation counter so that it became possible to observe energy spectrum of the gamma-ray burst with high energy resolution over wide range of energy (1.5-380 keV) together with high time resolution. As the result of observation, the following facts are obtained: (1) A large fraction of observed gamma-ray bursts has a long X-ray tail after the harder part of gamma-ray emission has terminated. (2) Clear spectral absorption features with harmonic in energy was observed in some of the energy spectrum of gamma-ray bursts. These evidences support the hypothesis that the strongly magnetized neutron star is the origin of gamma-ray burst. (author)

Design and Performance of the GAMMA-400 Gamma-Ray Telescope for Dark Matter Searches

Science.gov (United States)

Galper, A. M.; Adriani, O.; Aptekar, R. L.; Arkhangelskaja, I. V.; Arkhangelskiy, A. I.; Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Boyarchuk, K. A.; Fradkin, M. I.; Gusakov, Yu V.;

BiI₃ Crystals for High Energy Resolution Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nino, Juan C. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Baciak, James [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Johns, Paul [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Sulekar, Soumitra [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Totten, James [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Nimmagadda, Jyothir [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2017-04-12

BiI₃ had been investigated for its unique properties as a layered compound semiconductor for many decades. However, despite the exceptional atomic, physical, and electronic properties of this material, good resolution gamma ray spectra had never been reported for BiI₃. The shortcomings that previously prevented BiI₃ from reaching success as a gamma ray sensor were, through this project, identified and suppressed to unlock the performance of this promising compound. Included in this work were studies on a number of methods which have, for the first time, enabled BiI₃ to exhibit spectral performance rivaling many other candidate semiconductors for room temperature gamma ray sensors. New approaches to crystal growth were explored that allow BiI₃ spectrometers to be fabricated with up to 2.2% spectral resolution at 662 keV. Fundamental studies on trap states, dopant incorporation, and polarization were performed to enhance performance of this compound. Additionally, advanced detection techniques were applied to display the capabilities of high quality BiI₃ spectrometers. Overall, through this work, BiI₃ has been revealed as a potentially transformative material for nuclear security and radiation detection sciences.

Benchmarking NaI(Tl) Electron Energy Resolution Measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mengesha, Wondwosen; Valentine, J D.

2002-01-01

A technique for validating electron energy resolution results measured using the modified Compton coincidence technique (MCCT) has been developed. This technique relies on comparing measured gamma-ray energy resolution with calculated values that were determined using the measured electron energy resolution results. These gamma-ray energy resolution calculations were based on Monte Carlo photon transport simulations, the measured NaI(Tl) electron response, a simplified cascade sequence, and the measured electron energy resolution results. To demonstrate this technique, MCCT-measured NaI(Tl) electron energy resolution results were used along with measured gamma-ray energy resolution results from the same NaI(Tl) crystal. Agreement to within 5% was observed for all energies considered between the calculated and measured gamma-ray energy resolution results for the NaI(Tl) crystal characterized. The calculated gamma-ray energy resolution results were also compared with previously published gamma-ray energy resolution measurements with good agreement (<10%). In addition to describing the validation technique that was developed in this study and the results, a brief review of the electron energy resolution measurements made using the MCCT is provided. Based on the results of this study, it is believed that the MCCT-measured electron energy resolution results are reliable. Thus, the MCCT and this validation technique can be used in the future to characterize the electron energy resolution of other scintillators and to determine NaI(Tl) intrinsic energy resolution

THE HIGH-ENERGY, ARCMINUTE-SCALE GALACTIC CENTER GAMMA-RAY SOURCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernyakova, M.; Malyshev, D.; Aharonian, F. A.; Crocker, R. M.; Jones, D. I.

2011-01-01

Employing data collected during the first 25 months of observations by the Fermi-LAT, we describe and subsequently seek to model the very high energy (>300 MeV) emission from the central few parsecs of our Galaxy. We analyze the morphological, spectral, and temporal characteristics of the central source, 1FGL J1745.6-2900. The data show a clear, statistically significant signal at energies above 10 GeV, where the Fermi-LAT has angular resolution comparable to that of HESS at TeV energies. This makes a meaningful joint analysis of the data possible. Our analysis of the Fermi data (alone) does not uncover any statistically significant variability of 1FGL J1745.6-2900 at GeV energies on the month timescale. Using the combination of Fermi data on 1FGL J1745.6-2900 and HESS data on the coincident, TeV source HESS J1745-290, we show that the spectrum of the central gamma-ray source is inflected with a relatively steep spectral region matching between the flatter spectrum found at both low and high energies. We model the gamma-ray production in the inner 10 pc of the Galaxy and examine cosmic ray (CR) proton propagation scenarios that reproduce the observed spectrum of the central source. We show that a model that instantiates a transition from diffusive propagation of the CR protons at low energy to almost rectilinear propagation at high energies can explain well the spectral phenomenology. We find considerable degeneracy between different parameter choices which will only be broken with the addition of morphological information that gamma-ray telescopes cannot deliver given current angular resolution limits. We argue that a future analysis performed in combination with higher-resolution radio continuum data holds out the promise of breaking this degeneracy.

Natural background gamma-ray spectrum. List of gamma-rays ordered in energy from natural radionuclides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ichimiya, Tsutomu [Japan Radioisotope Association, Tokyo (Japan); Narita, Tsutomu; Kitao, Kensuke

1998-03-01

A quick index to {gamma}-rays and X-rays from natural radionuclides is presented. In the list, {gamma}-rays are arranged in order of increasing energy. The list also contains {gamma}-rays from radioactive nuclides produced in a germanium detector and its surrounding materials by interaction with cosmic neutrons, as well as direct {gamma}-rays from interaction with the neutrons. Artificial radioactive nuclides emitting {gamma}-rays with same or near energy value as that of the natural {gamma}-rays and X-rays are also listed. In appendix, {gamma}-ray spectra from a rock, uranium ore, thorium, monazite and uraninite and also background spectra obtained with germanium detectors placed in iron or lead shield have been given. The list is designed for use in {gamma}-ray spectroscopy under the conditions of highly natural background, such as in-situ environmental radiation monitoring or low-level activity measurements, with a germanium detector. (author)

Gamma ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fichtel, C.E.

1975-01-01

The first certain detection of celestial high energy gamma rays came from a satellite experiment flown on the third Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO-111). A Gamma ray spark chamber telescope with substantively greater sensitivity and angular resolution (a few degrees) flown on the second Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS-II) has now provided a better picture of the gamma ray sky, and particularly the galactic plane and pulsars. This paper will summarize the present picture of gamma ray astronomy as it has developed at this conference from measurements made with experiments carried out on balloons, those remaining on the ground, and ones flown on satellites. (orig.) [de

Gamma-to-electron magnetic spectrometer (GEMS): An energy-resolved {gamma}-ray diagnostic for the National Ignition Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Y.; Herrmann, H. W.; Mack, J. M.; Young, C. S.; Barlow, D. B.; Schillig, J. B.; Sims, J. R. Jr.; Lopez, F. E.; Mares, D.; Oertel, J. A.; Hayes-Sterbenz, A. C. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Hilsabeck, T. J.; Wu, W. [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186 (United States); Moy, K. [National Security Technologies, Special Technologies Laboratory, Santa Barbara, California 93111 (United States); Stoeffl, W. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

2012-10-15

The gamma-to-electron magnetic spectrometer, having better than 5% energy resolution, is proposed to resolve {gamma}-rays in the range of E{sub o}{+-} 20% in single shot, where E{sub o} is the central energy and is tunable from 2 to 25 MeV. Gamma-rays from inertial confinement fusion implosions interact with a thin Compton converter (e.g., beryllium) located at approximately 300 cm from the target chamber center (TCC). Scattered electrons out of the Compton converter enter an electromagnet placed outside the NIF chamber (approximately 600 cm from TCC) where energy selection takes place. The electromagnet provides tunable E{sub o} over a broad range in a compact manner. Energy resolved electrons are measured by an array of quartz Cherenkov converters coupled to photomultipliers. Given 100 detectable electrons in the energy bins of interest, 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} minimum deuterium/tritium (DT) neutrons will be required to measure the 4.44 MeV {sup 12}C {gamma}-rays assuming 200 mg/cm{sup 2} plastic ablator areal density and 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} minimum DT neutrons to measure the 16.75 MeV DT {gamma}-ray line.

The goals of gamma-ray spectroscopy in high energy astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Lingenfelter, Richard E.; Higdon, James C.; Leventhal, Marvin; Ramaty, Reuven; Woosley, Stanford E.

1990-01-01

The use of high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy in astrophysics is discussed with specific attention given to the application of the Nuclear Astrophysics Explorer (NAE). The gamma-ray lines from nuclear transitions in radionucleic decay and positron annihilation permits the study of current sites, rates and models of nucleosynthesis, and galactic structure. Diffuse galactic emission is discussed, and the high-resolution observations of gamma-ray lines from discrete sites are also described. Interstellar mixing and elemental abundances can also be inferred from high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy of nucleosynthetic products. Compact objects can also be examined by means of gamma-ray emissions, allowing better understanding of neutron stars and the accreting black hole near the galactic center. Solar physics can also be investigated by examining such features as solar-flare particle acceleration and atmospheric abundances.

Performance characteristics of high resolution semiconductor gamma ray spectrometry system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naing, Ko Ko

1994-05-01

A high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector has been used in Nuclear Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Yangon University for over fourteen years. Now it is still being used and it is coupled to new peripheral devices, such as spectroscopy amplifier, analog to digital converter and computer fit-in S-100 multichannel analyser. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the important parameters: energy resolution, detecting efficiency and relative efficiency of the system. In the present work, these parameters were obtained by using mixed calibrated source. The results were compared to the data given by the manufacturer. Moreover, the parameters of another {gamma}-ray detecting system NaI(T1) were also determined. In conclusion the results obtained from the above two measurements were compared and discussed

The future of high energy gamma ray astronomy and its potential astrophysical implications

Science.gov (United States)

Fichtel, C. E.

1982-01-01

Future satellites should carry instruments having over an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than those flown thus far as well as improved energy and angular resolution. The information to be obtained from these experiments should greatly enhance knowledge of: the very energetic and nuclear processes associated with compact objects; the structure of our galaxy; the origin and dynamic pressure effects of the cosmic rays; the high energy particles and energetic processes in other galaxies; and the degree of matter-antimatter symmetry of the universe. The relevant aspects of extragalactic gamma ray phenomena are emphasized along with the instruments planned. The high energy gamma ray results of forthcoming programs such as GAMMA-1 and the Gamma Ray Observatory should justify even more sophisticated telescopes. These advanced instruments might be placed on the space station currently being considered by NASA.

Gamma-Ray Pulsar Studies With GLAST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, D.J.; /NASA, Goddard

2011-11-23

Some pulsars have their maximum observable energy output in the gamma-ray band, offering the possibility of using these high-energy photons as probes of the particle acceleration and interaction processes in pulsar magnetospheres. After an extended hiatus between satellite missions, the recently-launched AGILE mission and the upcoming Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) Large Area Telescope (LAT) will allow gamma-ray tests of the theoretical models developed based on past discoveries. With its greatly improved sensitivity, better angular resolution, and larger energy reach than older instruments, GLAST LAT should detect dozens to hundreds of new gamma-ray pulsars and measure luminosities, light curves, and phase-resolved spectra with unprecedented resolution. It will also have the potential to find radio-quiet pulsars like Geminga, using blind search techniques. Cooperation with radio and X-ray pulsar astronomers is an important aspect of the LAT team's planning for pulsar studies.

Numerical simulations on efficiency and measurement of capabilities of BGO detectors for high energy gamma ray

CERN Document Server

Wen Wan Xin

2002-01-01

The energy resolution and time resolution of two phi 75 x 100 BGO detectors for high energy gamma ray newly made were measured with sup 1 sup 3 sup 7 Cs and sup 6 sup 0 Co resources. The two characteristic gamma rays of high energy emitted from the thermal neutron capture of germanium in BGO crystal were used for the energy calibration of gamma spectra. The intrinsic photopeak efficiency, single escape probability and double escape probabilities of BGO detectors in photon energy range of 4-30 MeV are numerically calculated with GEANT code. The real count response and count ratio of the uniformly distributed incident photons in energy range of 0-30 MeV are also calculated. The distortion of gamma spectra caused by the photon energy loss extension to lower energy in detection medium is discussed

Near-intrinsic energy resolution for 30–662 keV gamma rays in a high pressure xenon electroluminescent TPC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Álvarez, V.; Borges, F.I.G.M.; Cárcel, S.; Castel, J.; Cebrián, S.; Cervera, A.; Conde, C.A.N.; Dafni, T.; Dias, T.H.V.T.; Díaz, J.

2013-01-01

We present the design, data and results from the NEXT prototype for Double Beta and Dark Matter (NEXT-DBDM) detector, a high-pressure gaseous natural xenon electroluminescent time projection chamber (TPC) that was built at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It is a prototype of the planned NEXT-100 136 Xe neutrino-less double beta decay (0νββ) experiment with the main objectives of demonstrating near-intrinsic energy resolution at energies up to 662 keV and of optimizing the NEXT-100 detector design and operating parameters. Energy resolutions of ∼1% FWHM for 662 keV gamma rays were obtained at 10 and 15 atm and ∼5% FWHM for 30 keV fluorescence xenon X-rays. These results demonstrate that 0.5% FWHM resolutions for the 2459 keV hypothetical neutrino-less double beta decay peak are realizable. This energy resolution is a factor 7–20 better than that of the current leading 0νββ experiments using liquid xenon and thus represents a significant advancement. We present also first results from a track imaging system consisting of 64 silicon photo-multipliers recently installed in NEXT–DBDM that, along with the excellent energy resolution, demonstrates the key functionalities required for the NEXT-100 0νββ search

Observational techniques of gamma rays astronomy in low energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, J.M. da.

1982-02-01

Due to the absorption of great part of the gamma-ray spectrum of cosmic origin, by the earth's atmosphere at heights above 20Km, gamma-ray astronomy achieved its full development only after the advent of the space age. Ballons and satellites are the space vehicles which have been used to transport gamma-ray telescopes to observational heights in the atmosphere, or out of it. The results of these experiments can determine the sources, the energy spectra and the intensities of the cosmic gamma-rays, and provide other important information of astrophysical interest. The detection of gamma-rays of cosmic origin is very difficult. The observational techniques used in gamma-ray astronomy are dependent on the energy range of the gamma-rays which one desires to detect. The most common telescopes of low energy gamma-ray astronomy (50KeV - 20MeV) use NaI(Tl) scintillators, or germanium diodes, as principal detectors, surrounded by an active shield (anticoincidence) of organic or inorganic scintillators. (Author) [pt

Monte Carlo Simulations of Ultra-High Energy Resolution Gamma Detectors for Nuclear Safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robles, A.; Drury, O.B.; Friedrich, S.

2009-01-01

Ultra-high energy resolution superconducting gamma-ray detectors can improve the accuracy of non-destructive analysis for unknown radioactive materials. These detectors offer an order of magnitude improvement in resolution over conventional high purity germanium detectors. The increase in resolution reduces errors from line overlap and allows for the identification of weaker gamma-rays by increasing the magnitude of the peaks above the background. In order to optimize the detector geometry and to understand the spectral response function Geant4, a Monte Carlo simulation package coded in C++, was used to model the detectors. Using a 1 mm 3 Sn absorber and a monochromatic gamma source, different absorber geometries were tested. The simulation was expanded to include the Cu block behind the absorber and four layers of shielding required for detector operation at 0.1 K. The energy spectrum was modeled for an Am-241 and a Cs-137 source, including scattering events in the shielding, and the results were compared to experimental data. For both sources the main spectral features such as the photopeak, the Compton continuum, the escape x-rays and the backscatter peak were identified. Finally, the low energy response of a Pu-239 source was modeled to assess the feasibility of Pu-239 detection in spent fuel. This modeling of superconducting detectors can serve as a guide to optimize the configuration in future spectrometer designs.

A BaF2-BGO detector for high-energy gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bargholtz, C.; Ritzen, B.; Tegner, P.E.

1989-01-01

A scintillation detector has been developed for gamma rays with energy between a few hundred keV and approximately 100 MeV. The detector comprises a BaF 2 and a BGO crystal giving it good timing properties and a reasonably good energy resolution in combination with compact size. (orig.)

Development of the Advanced Energetic Pair Telescope (AdEPT) for Medium-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Stanley D.; Bloser, Peter F.; Dion, Michael P.; McConnell, Mark L.; deNolfo, Georgia A.; Son, Seunghee; Ryan, James M.; Stecker, Floyd W.

2011-01-01

Progress in high-energy gamma-ray science has been dramatic since the launch of INTEGRAL, AGILE and FERMI. These instruments, however, are not optimized for observations in the medium-energy (approx.0.3< E(sub gamma)< approx.200 MeV) regime where many astrophysical objects exhibit unique, transitory behavior, such as spectral breaks, bursts, and flares. We outline some of the major science goals of a medium-energy mission. These science goals are best achieved with a combination of two telescopes, a Compton telescope and a pair telescope, optimized to provide significant improvements in angular resolution and sensitivity. In this paper we describe the design of the Advanced Energetic Pair Telescope (AdEPT) based on the Three-Dimensional Track Imager (3-DTI) detector. This technology achieves excellent, medium-energy sensitivity, angular resolution near the kinematic limit, and gamma-ray polarization sensitivity, by high resolution 3-D electron tracking. We describe the performance of a 30x30x30 cm3 prototype of the AdEPT instrument.

Gamma-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (GRIS): a new balloon-borne experiment for gamma-ray line astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teegarden, B.J.; Cline, T.L.; Gehrels, N.; Porreca, G.; Tueller, J.; Leventhal, M.; Huters, A.F.; Maccallum, C.J.; Stang, P.D.; Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM)

1985-01-01

High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy is a relatively new field that holds great promise for further understanding of high energy astrophysical processes. When the high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer (GRSE) was removed from the GRO payload, a balloon program was initiated to permit continued development and improvement of instrumentation in this field, as well as continued scientific observations. The Gamma-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (GRIS) is one of the experiments selected as part of this program. The instrument contains a number of new and innovative features that are expected to produce a significant improvement in source location accuracy and sensitivity over previous balloon and satellite experiments

Ultra-high energy cosmic rays and prompt TeV gamma rays from ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

physics pp. 789-792. Ultra-high energy cosmic rays and prompt. TeV gamma rays from gamma ray bursts ... The origin of the observed ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) events with ... are proton and electron rest mass, respectively.

Impact of detector efficiency and energy resolution on gamma-ray background rejection in mobile spectroscopy and imaging systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aucott, Timothy J., E-mail: Timothy.Aucott@SRS.gov [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Bandstra, Mark S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Negut, Victor; Curtis, Joseph C. [University of California, Berkeley, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Berkeley, CA (United States); Meyer, Ross E.; Chivers, Daniel H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States); Vetter, Kai [University of California, Berkeley, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Nuclear Science Division, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-07-21

The presence of gamma-ray background significantly reduces detection sensitivity when searching for radioactive sources in the field, and the systematic variability in the background will limit the size and energy resolution of systems that can be used effectively. An extensive survey of the background was performed using both sodium iodide and high-purity germanium. By using a bivariate negative binomial model for the measured counts, these measurements can be resampled to simulate the performance of a detector array of arbitrary size and resolution. The response of the system as it moved past a stationary source was modeled for spectroscopic and coded aperture imaging algorithms and used for source injection into the background. The performance of both techniques is shown for various sizes and resolutions, as well as the relative performance for sodium iodide and germanium. It was found that at smaller detector sizes or better energy resolution, spectroscopy has higher detection sensitivity than imaging, while imaging is better suited to larger or poorer resolution detectors.

Low-energy X-ray and gamma spectrometry using silicon photodiodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Iran Jose Oliveira da

2000-08-01

The use of semiconductor detectors for radiation detection has increased in recent years due to advantages they present in comparison to other types of detectors. As the working principle of commercially available photodiodes is similar to the semiconductor detector, this study was carried out to evaluate the use of Si photodiodes for low energy x-ray and gamma spectrometry. The photodiodes investigated were SFH-205, SFH-206, BPW-34 and XRA-50 which have the following characteristics: active area of 0,07 cm 2 and 0,25 cm 2 , thickness of the depletion ranging from 100 to 200 μm and junction capacitance of 72 pF. The photodiode was polarized with a reverse bias and connected to a charge sensitive pre-amplifier, followed by a amplifier and multichannel pulse analyzer. Standard radiation source used in this experiment were 241 Am, 109 Cd, 57 Co and 133 Ba. The X-ray fluorescence of lead and silver were also measured through K- and L-lines. All the measurements were made with the photodiodes at room temperature.The results show that the responses of the photodiodes very linear by the x-ray energy and that the energy resolution in FWHM varied between 1.9 keV and 4.4 keV for peaks corresponding to 11.9 keV to 59 keV. The BPW-34 showed the best energy resolution and the lower dark current. The full-energy peak efficiency was also determined and it was observed that the peak efficiency decreases rapidly above 50 keV. The resolution and efficiency are similar to the values obtained with other semiconductor detectors, evidencing that the photodiodes used in that study can be used as a good performance detector for low energy X-ray and gamma spectrometry. (author)

A high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer based on superconducting microcalorimeters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bennett, D. A.; Horansky, R. D. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States); University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80208 (United States); Schmidt, D. R.; Doriese, W. B.; Fowler, J. W.; Kotsubo, V.; Mates, J. A. B. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States); University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States); Hoover, A. S.; Winkler, R.; Rabin, M. W. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Alpert, B. K.; Beall, J. A.; Fitzgerald, C. P.; Hilton, G. C.; Irwin, K. D.; O' Neil, G. C.; Reintsema, C. D.; Schima, F. J.; Swetz, D. S.; Vale, L. R. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States); and others

2012-09-15

Improvements in superconductor device fabrication, detector hybridization techniques, and superconducting quantum interference device readout have made square-centimeter-sized arrays of gamma-ray microcalorimeters, based on transition-edge sensors (TESs), possible. At these collecting areas, gamma microcalorimeters can utilize their unprecedented energy resolution to perform spectroscopy in a number of applications that are limited by closely-spaced spectral peaks, for example, the nondestructive analysis of nuclear materials. We have built a 256 pixel spectrometer with an average full-width-at-half-maximum energy resolution of 53 eV at 97 keV, a useable dynamic range above 400 keV, and a collecting area of 5 cm{sup 2}. We have demonstrated multiplexed readout of the full 256 pixel array with 236 of the pixels (91%) giving spectroscopic data. This is the largest multiplexed array of TES microcalorimeters to date. This paper will review the spectrometer, highlighting the instrument design, detector fabrication, readout, operation of the instrument, and data processing. Further, we describe the characterization and performance of the newest 256 pixel array.

Low-resolution gamma-ray measurements of uranium enrichment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprinkle, J.K. Jr.; Christiansen, A.; Cole, R.; Collins, M.L.

1996-01-01

Facilities that process special nuclear material perform periodic inventories. In bulk facilities that process low-enriched uranium, these inventories and their audits are based primarily on weight and enrichment measurements. Enrichment measurements determine the 211 U weight fraction of the uranium compound from the passive gamma-ray emissions of the sample. Both international inspectors and facility operators rely on the capability to make in-field gamma-ray measurements of uranium enrichment. These users require rapid, portable measurement capability. Some in-field measurements have been biased, forcing the inspectors to resort to high-resolution measurements or mass spectrometry to accomplish their goals

The high intensity {gamma}-ray source (HI{gamma}S) and recent results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonchev, A.P. [Duke University and TUNL, Triangle University Nuclear Laboratory, P.O. Box 90308, Durham, NC 27708 0308 (United States)]. E-mail: tonchev@tunl.duke.edu; Boswell, M. [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and TUNL, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (United States); Howell, C.R. [Duke University and TUNL, Triangle University Nuclear Laboratory, P.O. Box 90308, Durham, NC 27708 0308 (United States); Karwowski, H.J. [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and TUNL, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (United States); Kelley, J.H. [North Carolina State University and TUNL, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Tornow, W. [Duke University and TUNL, Triangle University Nuclear Laboratory, P.O. Box 90308, Durham, NC 27708 0308 (United States); Wu, Y.K. [Duke University and Duke Free Electron Laser Laboratory, Durham, NC 27708-0319 (United States)

2005-12-15

The high intensity {gamma}-ray source (HI{gamma}S) utilizes intra-cavity backscattering of free electron laser photons from the Duke electron storage ring to produce a unique monoenergetic beam of high-flux {gamma}-rays with high polarization and selectable energy resolution. At present, {gamma}-ray beams with energies from 2 to 58 MeV are available with intensities as high as 10{sup 5}-5 x 10{sup 6} {gamma}/s, energy spreads of 3% or better, and nearly 100% linear polarization. The quality and intensity of the {gamma}-ray beams at HI{gamma}S are responsible for the unprecedented performance of this facility in a broad range of research programs in nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics and nuclear applications. Recent results from excitation of isomeric states in ({gamma}, n) reactions and parity assignments of dipole states determined via the ({gamma}, {gamma}') reaction are presented.

NEW FERMI-LAT EVENT RECONSTRUCTION REVEALS MORE HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA RAYS FROM GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atwood, W. B. [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, Department of Physics and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Baldini, L. [Universita di Pisa and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Bregeon, J.; Pesce-Rollins, M.; Sgro, C.; Tinivella, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Bruel, P. [Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, Palaiseau (France); Chekhtman, A. [Center for Earth Observing and Space Research, College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Cohen-Tanugi, J. [Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, Universite Montpellier 2, CNRS/IN2P3, F-34095 Montpellier (France); Drlica-Wagner, A.; Omodei, N.; Rochester, L. S.; Usher, T. L. [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Granot, J. [Department of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Israel, 1 University Road, P.O. Box 808, Ra' anana 43537 (Israel); Longo, F. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste, I-34127 Trieste (Italy); Razzaque, S. [Department of Physics, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006 (South Africa); Zimmer, S., E-mail: melissa.pesce.rollins@pi.infn.it, E-mail: nicola.omodei@stanford.edu, E-mail: granot@openu.ac.il [Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-09-01

Based on the experience gained during the four and a half years of the mission, the Fermi-LAT Collaboration has undertaken a comprehensive revision of the event-level analysis going under the name of Pass 8. Although it is not yet finalized, we can test the improvements in the new event reconstruction with the special case of the prompt phase of bright gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), where the signal-to-noise ratio is large enough that loose selection cuts are sufficient to identify gamma rays associated with the source. Using the new event reconstruction, we have re-analyzed 10 GRBs previously detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) for which an X-ray/optical follow-up was possible and found four new gamma rays with energies greater than 10 GeV in addition to the seven previously known. Among these four is a 27.4 GeV gamma ray from GRB 080916C, which has a redshift of 4.35, thus making it the gamma ray with the highest intrinsic energy ({approx}147 GeV) detected from a GRB. We present here the salient aspects of the new event reconstruction and discuss the scientific implications of these new high-energy gamma rays, such as constraining extragalactic background light models, Lorentz invariance violation tests, the prompt emission mechanism, and the bulk Lorentz factor of the emitting region.

Cosmic very high-energy {gamma}-rays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plaga, R. [Max-Planck-Institut fur Physik, Muenchen (Germany)

1998-12-31

The article gives a brief overview, aimed at nonspecialists, about the goals and selected recent results of the detection of very-high energy {gamma}-rays (energies above 100 GeV) with ground based detectors. The stress is on the physics questions, specially the origin of Galactic Cosmic Rays and the emission of TeV {gamma}-radiation from active galaxies. Moreover some particle-physics questions which are addressed in this area are discussed.

High energy gamma-ray production in nuclear reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinston, J.A.; Nifenecker, H.; Nifenecker, H.

1989-01-01

Experimental techniques used to study high energy gamma-ray production in nuclear reactions are reviewed. High energy photon production in nucleus-nucleus collisions is discussed. Semi-classical descriptions of the nucleus-nucleus gamma reactions are introduced. Nucleon-nucleon gamma cross sections are considered, including theoretical aspects and experimental data. High energy gamma ray production in proton-nucleus reactions is explained. Theoretical explanations of photon emission in nucleus-nucleus collisions are treated. The contribution of charged pion currents to photon production is mentioned

Front-illuminated versus back-illuminated photon-counting CCD-based gamma camera: important consequences for spatial resolution and energy resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heemskerk, Jan W T; Westra, Albert H; Linotte, Peter M; Ligtvoet, Kees M; Zbijewski, Wojciech; Beekman, Freek J

2007-01-01

Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) coupled to scintillation crystals can be used for high-resolution imaging with x-rays and gamma rays. When the CCD images can be read out fast enough, the energy and interaction position of individual gamma quanta can be estimated by a real-time image analysis of the scintillation light flashes ('photon-counting mode'). The electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) is well suited for fast read out, since even at high frame rates it has extremely low read-out noise. Back-illuminated (BI) EMCCDs have much higher quantum efficiency than front-illuminated (FI) EMCCDs. Here we compare the spatial and energy resolution of gamma cameras based on FI and BI EMCCDs. The CCDs are coupled to a 1000 μm thick columnar CsI(Tl) crystal for the purpose of Tc-99m and I-125 imaging. Intrinsic spatial resolutions of 44 μm for I-125 and 49 μm for Tc-99m were obtained when using a BI EMCCD, which is an improvement by a factor of about 1.2-2 over the FI EMCCD. Furthermore, in the energy spectrum of the BI EMCCD, the I-125 signal could be clearly separated from the background noise, which was not the case for the FI EMCCD. The energy resolution of a BI EMCCD for Tc-99m was estimated to be approximately 36 keV, full width at half maximum, at 141 keV. The excellent results for the BI EMCCD encouraged us to investigate the cooling requirements for our setup. We have found that for the BI EMCCD, the spatial and energy resolution, as well as image noise, remained stable over a range of temperatures from -50 deg. C to -15 deg. C. This is a significant advantage over the FI EMCCD, which suffered from loss of spatial and especially energy resolution at temperatures as low as -40 deg. C. We conclude that the use of BI EMCCDs may significantly improve the imaging capabilities and the cost efficiency of CCD-based high-resolution gamma cameras. (note)

High-energy gamma-ray emission in compact binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerutti, Benoit

2010-01-01

Four gamma-ray sources have been associated with binary systems in our Galaxy: the micro-quasar Cygnus X-3 and the gamma-ray binaries LS I +61 degrees 303, LS 5039 and PSR B1259-63. These systems are composed of a massive companion star and a compact object of unknown nature, except in PSR B1259-63 where there is a young pulsar. I propose a comprehensive theoretical model for the high-energy gamma-ray emission and variability in gamma-ray emitting binaries. In this model, the high-energy radiation is produced by inverse Compton scattering of stellar photons on ultra-relativistic electron-positron pairs injected by a young pulsar in gamma-ray binaries and in a relativistic jet in micro-quasars. Considering anisotropic inverse Compton scattering, pair production and pair cascade emission, the TeV gamma-ray emission is well explained in LS 5039. Nevertheless, this model cannot account for the gamma-ray emission in LS I +61 degrees 303 and PSR B1259-63. Other processes should dominate in these complex systems. In Cygnus X-3, the gamma-ray radiation is convincingly reproduced by Doppler-boosted Compton emission of pairs in a relativistic jet. Gamma-ray binaries and micro-quasars provide a novel environment for the study of pulsar winds and relativistic jets at very small spatial scales. (author)

Very high energy gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weekes, T.C.

1988-01-01

Current interest in gamma-ray astronomy at energies above 100 GeV comes from the identification of Cygnus X-3 and other X-ray binaries as sources. In addition there are reports of emission from radio pulsars and a variety of other objects. The statistical significance of many of the observations is not high and many reported effects await confirmation, but there are a sufficient number of independent reports that very high energy gamma-ray astronomy must now be considered to have an observational basis. The observations are summarized with particular emphasis on those reported since 1980. The techniques used - the detection of small air showers using the secondary photons and particles at ground level - are unusual and are described. Future prospects for the field are discussed in relation to new ground-based experiments, satellite gamma-ray studies and proposed neutrino astronomy experiments. (orig.) With 296 refs

Gamma-ray spectrometer utilizing xenon at high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.C.; Mahler, G.J.; Yu, B.; Kane, W.R.; Markey, J.K.

1994-01-01

A prototype gamma-ray spectrometer utilizing xenon gas near the critical point (166 degrees C, 58 atm) is under development. The spectrometer will function as a room-temperature ionization chamber detecting gamma rays in the energy range 100 keV2 MeV, with an energy resolution intermediate between semiconductor (Ge) and scintillation (NaI) spectrometers. The energy resolution is superior to that of a NaI scintillation spectrometer by a substantial margin (approximately a factor 5), and accordingly, much more information can be extracted from a given gamma-ray spectrum. Unlike germanium detectors, the spectrometer possesses the capability for sustained operation under ambient temperature conditions without a requirement for liquid nitrogen

An Analysis on Some Factors Which Affect the Energy Resolution of a Low-background Anti-compton HPGe Gamma-ray Spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Chunlin; Dai Junjie; Lei Junniu; Zhang Jiaoyu

2009-01-01

This paper describes the basic construction and performing theory of a set of low-background anti-compton high purity germanium gamma-ray spectrometer. On the basis of experiments, some factors which affect the energy resolution of the system are discussed. The optimum parameters configuration for the system is presented and it provides a decision-making ground for purchasing, installation and alignment of analogous system. (authors)

Future prospects for. gamma. -ray astronomy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fichtel, C [National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center

1981-06-30

As ..gamma..-ray astronomy moves from the discovery to the exploratory phase, the promise of ..gamma..-ray astrophysics noted by theorists in the late 1940s and 1950s is beginning to be realized. In the future, satellites should carry instruments that will have over an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than those flown thus far, and, for at least some portions of the ..gamma..-ray energy range, these detectors will also have substantially improved energy and angular resolution. The information to be obtained from these experiments should greatly enhance our knowledge of several astrophysical phenomena including the very energetic and nuclear processes associated with compact objects, astrophysical nucleosynthesis, solar particle acceleration, the chemical composition of the planets and other bodies of the Solar System, the structure of our Galaxy, the origin and dynamic pressure effects of the cosmic rays, high energy particles and energetic processes in other galaxies especially active ones, and the degree of matter-antimatter symmetry of the Universe. The ..gamma..-ray results of the forthcoming programs such as Gamma-I, the Gamma Ray Observatory, the ..gamma..-ray burst network, Solar Polar, and very high energy ..gamma..-ray telescopes on the ground will almost certainly provide justification for more sophisticated telescopes. These advanced instruments might be placed on the Space Platform currently under study by N.A.S.A.

Energy- and time-resolved detection of prompt gamma-rays for proton range verification.

Science.gov (United States)

Verburg, Joost M; Riley, Kent; Bortfeld, Thomas; Seco, Joao

2013-10-21

In this work, we present experimental results of a novel prompt gamma-ray detector for proton beam range verification. The detection system features an actively shielded cerium-doped lanthanum(III) bromide scintillator, coupled to a digital data acquisition system. The acquisition was synchronized to the cyclotron radio frequency to separate the prompt gamma-ray signals from the later-arriving neutron-induced background. We designed the detector to provide a high energy resolution and an effective reduction of background events, enabling discrete proton-induced prompt gamma lines to be resolved. Measuring discrete prompt gamma lines has several benefits for range verification. As the discrete energies correspond to specific nuclear transitions, the magnitudes of the different gamma lines have unique correlations with the proton energy and can be directly related to nuclear reaction cross sections. The quantification of discrete gamma lines also enables elemental analysis of tissue in the beam path, providing a better prediction of prompt gamma-ray yields. We present the results of experiments in which a water phantom was irradiated with proton pencil-beams in a clinical proton therapy gantry. A slit collimator was used to collimate the prompt gamma-rays, and measurements were performed at 27 positions along the path of proton beams with ranges of 9, 16 and 23 g cm(-2) in water. The magnitudes of discrete gamma lines at 4.44, 5.2 and 6.13 MeV were quantified. The prompt gamma lines were found to be clearly resolved in dimensions of energy and time, and had a reproducible correlation with the proton depth-dose curve. We conclude that the measurement of discrete prompt gamma-rays for in vivo range verification of clinical proton beams is feasible, and plan to further study methods and detector designs for clinical use.

Characterisation of a Compton suppressed Clover detector for high energy gamma rays (=<11MeV)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha Sarkar, M. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India)]. E-mail: maitrayee.sahasarkar@saha.ac.in; Kshetri, Ritesh [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Raut, Rajarshi [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Mukherjee, A. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Sinha, Mandira [Gurudas College, Narkeldanga, Kolkata-700054 (India); Ray, Maitreyi [Behala College, Parnashree, Kolkata-700060 (India); Goswami, A. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Roy, Subinit [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Basu, P. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Majumder, H. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Bhattacharya, S. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Dasmahapatra, B. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India)

2006-01-01

Gamma ray spectra of two (p,{gamma}) resonances have been utilised for the characterisation of the Clover detector at energies beyond 5MeV. Apart from the efficiency and the resolution of the detector, the shapes of the full energy peaks as well as the nature of the escape peaks which are also very crucial at higher energies have been analysed with special attention. Proper gain matching in software have checked deterioration in the energy resolution and distortion in the peak shape due to addback. The addback factors show sharp increasing trend even at energies around 11MeV.

Spectra of gamma-ray bursts at high energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matz, S.M.

1986-01-01

Between 1980 February and 1983 August the Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite (SMM) observed 71 gamma-ray bursts. These events form a representative subset of the class of classical gamma-ray bursts. Since their discovery more than 15 years ago, hundreds of gamma-ray bursts have been detected; however, most observations have been limited to an energy range of roughly 30 keV-1 MeV. The large sensitive area and spectral range of the GRS allow, for the first time, an investigation of the high energy (>1 MeV) behavior of a substantial number of gamma-ray bursts. It is found that high-energy emission is seen in a large fraction of all events and that the data are consistent with all bursts emitting to at least 5 MeV with no cut-offs. Further, no burst spectrum measured by GRS has a clear high-energy cut-off. The high-energy emission can be a significant part of the total burst energy on the average about 30% of the observed energy above 30 keV is contained in the >1 MeV photons. The fact that the observations are consistent with the presence of high-energy emission in all events implies a limit on the preferential beaming of high-energy photons, from any mechanism. Single-photon pair-production in a strong magnetic field produces such beaming; assuming that the low-energy emission is isotropic, the data imply an upper limit of 1 x 10 12 G on the typical magnetic field at burst radiation sites

Room temperature X- and gamma-ray detectors using thallium bromide crystals

CERN Document Server

Hitomi, K; Shoji, T; Suehiro, T; Hiratate, Y

1999-01-01

Thallium bromide (TlBr) is a compound semiconductor with wide band gap (2.68 eV) and high X- and gamma-ray stopping power. The TlBr crystals were grown by the horizontal travelling molten zone (TMZ) method using purified material. Two types of room temperature X- and gamma-ray detectors were fabricated from the TlBr crystals: TlBr detectors with high detection efficiency for positron annihilation gamma-ray (511 keV) detection and TlBr detectors with high-energy resolution for low-energy X-ray detection. The detector of the former type demonstrated energy resolution of 56 keV FWHM (11%) for 511 keV gamma-rays. Energy resolution of 1.81 keV FWHM for 5.9 keV was obtained from the detector of the latter type. In order to analyze noise characteristics of the detector-preamplifier assembly, the equivalent noise charge (ENC) was measured as a function of the amplifier shaping time for the high-resolution detector. This analysis shows that parallel white noise and 1/f noise were dominant noise sources in the detector...

Performance characteristics of high resolution semiconductor gamma ray spectrometry system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko Ko Naing

1994-05-01

A high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector has been used in Nuclear Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Yangon University for over fourteen years. Now it is still being used and it is coupled to new peripheral devices, such as spectroscopy amplifier, analog to digital converter and computer fit-in S-100 multichannel analyser. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the important parameters: energy resolution, detecting efficiency and relative efficiency of the system. In the present work, these parameters were obtained by using mixed calibrated source. The results were compared to the data given by the manufacturer. Moreover, the parameters of another γ-ray detecting system NaI(T1) were also determined. In conclusion the results obtained from the above two measurements were compared and discussed

The Gamma-Ray Imager GRI

Science.gov (United States)

Wunderer, Cornelia B.; GRI Collaboration

2008-03-01

Observations of the gamma-ray sky reveal the most powerful sources and the most violent events in the Universe. While at lower wavebands the observed emission is generally dominated by thermal processes, the gamma-ray sky provides us with a view on the non-thermal Universe. Here particles are accelerated to extreme relativistic energies by mechanisms which are still poorly understood, and nuclear reactions are synthesizing the basic constituents of our world. Cosmic accelerators and cosmic explosions are major science themes that are addressed in the gamma-ray regime. ESA's INTEGRAL observatory currently provides the astronomical community with a unique tool to investigate the sky up to MeV energies and hundreds of sources, new classes of objects, extraordinary views of antimatter annihilation in our Galaxy, and fingerprints of recent nucleosynthesis processes have been discovered. NASA's GLAST mission will similarly take the next step in surveying the high-energy ( GeV) sky, and NuSTAR will pioneer focusing observations at hard X-ray energies (to 80 keV). There will be clearly a growing need to perform deeper, more focused investigations of gamma-ray sources in the 100-keV to MeV regime. Recent technological advances in the domain of gamma-ray focusing using Laue diffraction and multilayer-coated mirror techniques have paved the way towards a gamma-ray mission, providing major improvements compared to past missions regarding sensitivity and angular resolution. Such a future Gamma-Ray Imager will allow the study of particle acceleration processes and explosion physics in unprecedented detail, providing essential clues on the innermost nature of the most violent and most energetic processes in the Universe.

High-energy gamma-ray beams from Compton-backscattered laser light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandorfi, A.M.; LeVine, M.J.; Thorn, C.E.; Giordano, G.; Matone, G.

1983-01-01

Collisions of light photons with relativistic electrons have previously been used to produce polarized #betta#-ray beams with modest (-10%) resolution but relatively low intensity. In contrast, the LEGS project (Laser + Electron Gamma Source) at Brookhaven will produce a very high flux (>2 x 10 7 s - 1 ) of background-free polarized #betta# rays whose energy will be determined to a high accuracy (δE = 2.3 MeV). Initially, 300(420)-MeV #betta# rays will be produced by backscattering uv light from the new 2.5(3.0)-GeV X-ray storage ring of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). The LEGS facility will operate as one of many passive users of the NSLS. In a later stage of the project, a Free Electron Laser is expectred to extend the #betta#-ray energy up to 700 MeV

Multi-dimensional analysis of high resolution {gamma}-ray data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flibotte, S.; Huettmeier, U.J.; France, G. de; Haas, B.; Romain, P.; Theisen, Ch.; Vivien, J.P.; Zen, J. [Strasbourg-1 Univ., 67 (France). Centre de Recherches Nucleaires

1992-12-31

A new generation of high resolution {gamma}-ray spectrometers capable of recording high-fold coincidence events with a large efficiency will soon be available. Algorithms are developed to analyze high-fold {gamma}-ray coincidences. As a contribution to the software development associated with the EUROGAM spectrometer, the performances of computer codes designed to select multi-dimensional gates from 3-, 4- and 5-fold coincidence databases were tested. The tests were performed on events generated with a Monte Carlo simulation and also on real experimental triple data recorded with the 8{pi} spectrometer and with a preliminary version of the EUROGAM array. (R.P.) 14 refs.; 3 figs.; 3 tabs.

The Animated Gamma-ray Sky Revealed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grenier, Isabelle

2009-01-01

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has been observing the sky in gamma-rays since August 2008. In addition to breakthrough capabilities in energy coverage (20 MeV-300 GeV) and angular resolution, the wide field of view of the Large Area Telescope enables observations of 20% of the sky at any instant, and of the whole sky every three hours. It has revealed a very animated sky with bright gamma-ray bursts flashing and vanishing in minutes, powerful active galactic nuclei flaring over hours and days, many pulsars twinkling in the Milky Way, and X-ray binaries shimmering along their orbit. Most of these variable sources had not been seen by the Fermi predecessor, EGRET, and the wealth of new data already brings important clues to the origin of the high-energy emission and particles powered by the compact objects. The telescope also brings crisp images of the bright gamma-ray emission produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the interstellar medium, thus allowing to measure the cosmic nuclei and electron spectra across the Galaxy, to weigh interstellar clouds, in particular in the dark-gas phase. The telescope sensitivity at high energy will soon provide useful constraints on dark-matter annihilations in a variety of environments. I will review the current results and future prospects of the Fermi mission.

NO CORRELATION BETWEEN HOST GALAXY METALLICITY AND GAMMA-RAY ENERGY RELEASE FOR LONG-DURATION GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levesque, Emily M.; Kewley, Lisa J.; Soderberg, Alicia M.; Berger, Edo

2010-01-01

We compare the redshifts, host galaxy metallicities, and isotropic (E γ,iso ) and beaming-corrected (E γ ) gamma-ray energy release of 16 long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) at z γ,iso , or E γ . These results are at odds with previous theoretical and observational predictions of an inverse correlation between gamma-ray energy release and host metallicity, as well as the standard predictions of metallicity-driven wind effects in stellar evolutionary models. We consider the implications that these results have for LGRB progenitor scenarios, and discuss our current understanding of the role that metallicity plays in the production of LGRBs.

A study of gamma-ray bursts and a new detector for gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, J.N.

1979-09-01

Three gamma-ray experiments flown on balloons between August 1975 and August 1976 are described in detail. The successful Transatlantic balloon flight enabled a rate of 3 bursts year -1 with energies > 7 x 10 -7 ergs cm -2 to be established. This result is discussed in the light of other work. The choice of γ-ray detector for optimum sensitivity is presented. In addition various techniques for determining the arrival direction of gamma-ray bursts are compared. A new balloon borne γ-ray burst telescope is proposed. The design, testing and results of the beam calibration of a new drift chamber detector system for high energy (> 50 MeV) γ-rays are presented. A projected angular resolution of 0.8 0 was obtained at 300 MeV. Techniques for the measurement of γ-ray energies are discussed in relation to this instrument. Finally the use of drift chambers in an integrated free flying satellite is illustrated, and the expected performance is presented. (author)

THE ORIGIN OF GAMMA RAYS FROM GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, K. S.; Chernyshov, D. O.; Dogiel, V. A.; Hui, C. Y.; Kong, A. K. H.

2010-01-01

Fermi has detected gamma-ray emission from eight globular clusters (GCs). It is commonly believed that the energy sources of these gamma rays are millisecond pulsars (MSPs) inside GCs. Also it has been standard to explain the spectra of most Fermi Large Area Telescope pulsars including MSPs resulting from the curvature radiation (CR) of relativistic electrons/positrons inside the pulsar magnetosphere. Therefore, gamma rays from GCs are expected to be the collection of CR from all MSPs inside the clusters. However, the angular resolution is not high enough to pinpoint the nature of the emission. In this paper, we calculate the gamma rays produced by the inverse Compton (IC) scattering between relativistic electrons/positrons in the pulsar wind of MSPs in the GCs and background soft photons including cosmic microwave/relic photons, background star lights in the clusters, the galactic infrared photons, and the galactic star lights. We show that the gamma-ray spectrum from 47 Tucanae can be explained equally well by upward scattering of either the relic photons, the galactic infrared photons, or the galactic star lights, whereas the gamma-ray spectra from the other seven GCs are best fitted by the upward scattering of either the galactic infrared photons or the galactic star lights. We also find that the observed gamma-ray luminosity is correlated better with the combined factor of the encounter rate and the background soft photon energy density. Therefore, the IC scattering may also contribute to the observed gamma-ray emission from GCs detected by Fermi in addition to the standard CR process. Furthermore, we find that the emission region of high-energy photons from GCs produced by the IC scattering is substantially larger than the cores of GCs with a radius >10 pc. The diffuse radio and X-rays emitted from GCs can also be produced by the synchrotron radiation and IC scattering, respectively. We suggest that future observations including radio, X-rays, and gamma rays

Technology Needs for Gamma Ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, Neil

2011-01-01

Gamma ray astronomy is currently in an exciting period of multiple missions and a wealth of data. Results from INTEGRAL, Fermi, AGILE, Suzaku and Swift are making large contributions to our knowledge of high energy processes in the universe. The advances are due to new detector and imaging technologies. The steps to date have been from scintillators to solid state detectors for sensors and from light buckets to coded aperture masks and pair telescopes for imagers. A key direction for the future is toward focusing telescopes pushing into the hard X-ray regime and Compton telescopes and pair telescopes with fine spatial resolution for medium and high energy gamma rays. These technologies will provide finer imaging of gamma-ray sources. Importantly, they will also enable large steps forward in sensitivity by reducing background.

Gamma-ray imaging spectrometer (GRIS): a new balloon-borne experiment for gamma-ray line astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teegarden, B.J.; Cline, T.L.; Gehrels, N.; Porreca, G.; Tueller, J.; Leventhal, M.; Huters, A.F.; MacCallum, C.J.; Stang, P.D.

1985-01-01

High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy is a relatively new field that holds great promise for further understanding of high energy astrophysical processes. Preliminary results such as the annihilation radiation from the galactic center, the 26 Al line from the galactic plane and cyclotron lines from neutron stars may well be just the initial discoveries of a rich and as yet undeveloped field. When the high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer (GRSE) was removed from the GRO payload NASA decided to initiate a balloon program to permit continued development and improvement of instrumentation in this field, as well as continued scientific observations. The Gamma-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (GRIS) is one of the experiments selected as part of this program. The instrument contains a number of new and innovative features that are expected to produce a significant improvement in source location accuracy and sensitivity over previous balloon and satellite experiments. 6 refs., 2 figs

Concentration dependence of the light yield and energy resolution of NaI:Tl and CsI:Tl crystals excited by gamma, soft X-rays and alpha particles

CERN Document Server

Trefilova, L N; Kovaleva, L V; Zaslavsky, B G; Zosim, D I; Bondarenko, S K

2002-01-01

Based on the analysis of light yield dependence on activator concentration for NaI:Tl and CsI:Tl excited by gamma-rays, soft X-rays and alpha-particles, an explanation of the effect of energy resolution enhancement with the rise of Tl content has been proposed. Based on the concept regarding the electron track structure, we proposed an alternative explanation of the intrinsic resolution value. The concept does not take into account the non-proportional response to electrons of different energies and is based on the statistic fluctuation of scintillation photon number formed outside and inside the regions of higher ionization density.

DAMPE: A gamma and cosmic ray observatory in space

Science.gov (United States)

D'Urso, D.; Dampe Collaboration

2017-05-01

DAMPE (DArk Matter Particle Explorer) is one of the five satellite missions in the framework of the Strategic Pioneer Research Program in Space Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Launched on December 17th 2015 at 08:12 Beijing time, it is taking data into a sun-synchronous orbit, at the altitude of 500km. The main scientific objective of DAMPE is to detect electrons and photons in the range 5GeV-10TeV with unprecedented energy resolution, in order to identify possible Dark Matter signatures. It will also measure the flux of nuclei up to 100TeV with excellent energy resolution. The satellite is equipped with a powerful space telescope for high energy gamma-ray, electron and cosmic rays detection. It consists of a plastic scintillator strips detector (PSD) that serves as anti-coincidence detector, a silicon-tungsten tracker (STK), a BGO imaging calorimeter of about 32 radiation lengths, and a neutron detector. With its excellent photon detection capability and its detector performances (at 100GeV energy resolution ˜1% , angular resolution ˜0.1° , the DAMPE mission is well placed to make strong contributions to high-energy gamma-ray observations: it covers the gap between space and ground observation; it will allow to detect a line signature in the gamma-ray spectrum, if present, in the sub-TeV to TeV region; it will allow a high precision gamma-ray astronomy. A report on the mission goals and status will be discussed, together with in-orbit first data coming from space.

Mercuric iodide room-temperature array detectors for gamma-ray imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patt, B. [Xsirius, Inc, Camarillo, CA (United States)

1994-11-15

Significant progress has been made recently in the development of mercuric iodide detector arrays for gamma-ray imaging, making real the possibility of constructing high-performance small, light-weight, portable gamma-ray imaging systems. New techniques have been applied in detector fabrication and then low noise electronics which have produced pixel arrays with high-energy resolution, high spatial resolution, high gamma stopping efficiency. Measurements of the energy resolution capability have been made on a 19-element protypical array. Pixel energy resolutions of 2.98% fwhm and 3.88% fwhm were obtained at 59 keV (241-Am) and 140-keV (99m-Tc), respectively. The pixel spectra for a 14-element section of the data is shown together with the composition of the overlapped individual pixel spectra. These techniques are now being applied to fabricate much larger arrays with thousands of pixels. Extension of these principles to imaging scenarios involving gamma-ray energies up to several hundred keV is also possible. This would enable imaging of the 208 keV and 375-414 keV 239-Pu and 240-Pu structures, as well as the 186 keV line of 235-U.

Improved yield of high resolution mercuric iodide gamma-ray spectrometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerrish, V.; van den Berg, L.

1990-01-01

Mercuric iodide (HgI 2 ) exhibits properties which make it attractive for use as a solid state nuclear radiation detector. The wide bandgap (E g = 2.1 eV) and low dark current allow room temperature operation, while the high atomic number provides a large gamma-ray cross section. However, poor hole transport has been a major limitation in the routine fabrication of high-resolution spectrometers using this material. This paper presents the results of gamma-ray response and charge transport parameter measurements conducted during the past year at EG ampersand G/EM on 96 HgI 2 spectrometers. The gamma-ray response measurements reveal that detector quality is correlated with the starting material used in the crystal growth. In particular, an increased yield of high-resolution spectrometers was obtained from HgI 2 which was synthesized by precipitation from an aqueous solution, as opposed to using material from commercial vendors. Data are also presented which suggest that better spectrometer performance is tied to improved hole transport. Finally, some initial results on a study of detector uniformity reveal spatial variations which may explain why the correlation between hole transport parameters and spectrometer performance is sometimes violated. 6 refs., 3 figs

Are gamma-ray bursts the sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baerwald, Philipp

2014-07-01

We reconsider the possibility that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the sources of the ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) within the internal shock model, assuming a pure proton composition of the UHECRs. For the first time, we combine the information from gamma-rays, cosmic rays, prompt neutrinos, and cosmogenic neutrinos quantitatively in a joint cosmic ray production and propagation model, and we show that the information on the cosmic energy budget can be obtained as a consequence. In addition to the neutron model, we consider alternative scenarios for the cosmic ray escape from the GRBs, i.e., that cosmic rays can leak from the sources. We find that the dip model, which describes the ankle in UHECR observations by the pair production dip, is strongly disfavored in combination with the internal shock model because (a) unrealistically high baryonic loadings (energy in protons versus energy in electrons/gamma-rays) are needed for the individual GRBs and (b) the prompt neutrino flux easily overshoots the corresponding neutrino bound. On the other hand, GRBs may account for the UHECRs in the ankle transition model if cosmic rays leak out from the source at the highest energies. In that case, we demonstrate that future neutrino observations can efficiently test most of the parameter space - unless the baryonic loading is much larger than previously anticipated.

Properties of a large NaI(Tl) spectrometer for the energy measurement of high-energy gamma rays on the Gamma Ray Observatory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, E.B.; Finman, L.C.; Hofstadter, R.; Lepetich, J.E.; Lin, Y.C.; Mattox, J.R.; Nolan, P.L.; Parks, R.; Walker, A.H.

1986-01-01

A large NaI(T1) spectrometer is expected to play a crucial role in the measurement of the energy spectra from an all-sky survey of high-energy celestial gamma rays on the Gamma Ray Observatory. The crystal size and requirements of space flight have resulted in a novel crystal-packaging and optics combination. The structure of this spectrometer and the operating characteristics determined in a test program using high energy positrons are described

Gamma ray imager on the DIII-D tokamak

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pace, D. C., E-mail: pacedc@fusion.gat.com; Taussig, D.; Eidietis, N. W.; Van Zeeland, M. A.; Watkins, M. [General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Cooper, C. M. [Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830 (United States); Hollmann, E. M. [University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0417 (United States); Riso, V. [State University of New York-Buffalo, 12 Capen Hall, Buffalo, New York 14260-1660 (United States)

2016-04-15

A gamma ray camera is built for the DIII-D tokamak [J. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] that provides spatial localization and energy resolution of gamma flux by combining a lead pinhole camera with custom-built detectors and optimized viewing geometry. This diagnostic system is installed on the outer midplane of the tokamak such that its 123 collimated sightlines extend across the tokamak radius while also covering most of the vertical extent of the plasma volume. A set of 30 bismuth germanate detectors can be secured in any of the available sightlines, allowing for customizable coverage in experiments with runaway electrons in the energy range of 1–60 MeV. Commissioning of the gamma ray imager includes the quantification of electromagnetic noise sources in the tokamak machine hall and a measurement of the energy spectrum of background gamma radiation. First measurements of gamma rays coming from the plasma provide a suitable testbed for implementing pulse height analysis that provides the energy of detected gamma photons.

Very high energy gamma ray astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, R.C.; Lewis, D.A.

1986-01-01

The Whipple Observatory's atmospheric Cerenkov camera has detected TeV radiation from four galactic sources: the Crab Nebula, Cygnus X-3, Hercules X-1, and 4U0115+63. Recent simulations encourage the view that unwanted cosmic-ray background showers may be suppressed by a large factor. Emphasis in the coming year will be on determining optimum selection criteria for enhancing gamma-ray signals and in developing a prototype camera with finer angular resolution as a first step towards implementation of the HERCULES concept

Full energy peak efficiency of composite detectors for high energy gamma-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kshetri, Ritesh

2015-01-01

Experiments involving radioactive beams demand high detection efficiencies. One of the ways to obtain high detection efficiency without deteriorating the energy resolution or timing characteristics is the use of composite detectors which are composed of standard HPGe crystals arranged in a compact way. Two simplest composite detectors are the clover and cluster detectors. The TRIUMF-ISAC Gamma-Ray Escape-Suppressed Spectrometer (TIGRESS) comprises of 16 large volume, 32-fold segmented HPGe clover detectors, where each detector is shielded by a 20-fold segmented escape suppression shield (ESS)

Development of ultrahigh energy resolution gamma spectrometers for nuclear safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drury, O.B.; Velazquez, M.; Dreyer, J.G.; Friedrich, S.

2009-01-01

We are developing superconducting ultrahigh resolution gamma-detectors for non-destructive analysis (NDA) of nuclear materials, and specifically for spent fuel characterization in nuclear safeguards. The detectors offer an energy resolution below 100 eV FWHM at 100 keV, and can therefore significantly increase the precision of NDA at low energies where line overlap affects the errors of the measurement when using germanium detectors. They also increase the peak-to-background ratio and thus improve the detection limits for weak gamma emissions from the fissile Pu and U isotopes at low energy in the presence of an intense Compton background from the fission products in spent fuel. Here we demonstrate high energy resolution and high peak-to-background ratio of our superconducting Gamma detectors, and discuss their relevance for measuring actinides in spent nuclear fuel. (author)

Silicon photomultipliers in scintillation detectors used for gamma ray energies up to 6.1 MeV

Science.gov (United States)

Grodzicka-Kobylka, M.; Szczesniak, T.; Moszyński, M.; Swiderski, L.; Szawłowski, M.

2017-12-01

Majority of papers concerning scintillation detectors with light readout by means of silicon photomultipliers refer to nuclear medicine or radiation monitoring devices where energy of detected gamma rays do not exceed 2 MeV. Detection of gamma radiation with higher energies is of interest to e.g. high energy physics and plasma diagnostics. The aim of this paper is to study applicability (usefulness) of SiPM light readout in detection of gamma rays up to 6.1 MeV in combination with various scintillators. The reported measurements were made with 3 samples of one type of Hamamatsu TSV (Through-Silicon Via technology) MPPC arrays. These 4x4 channel arrays have a 50 × 50 μm2 cell size and 12 × 12 mm2 effective active area. The following scintillators were used: CeBr3, NaI:Tl, CsI:Tl. During all the tests detectors were located in a climatic chamber. The studies are focused on optimization of the MPPC performance for practical use in detection of high energy gamma rays. The optimization includes selection of the optimum operating voltage in respect to the required energy resolution, dynamic range, linearity and pulse amplitude. The presented temperature tests show breakdown voltage dependence on the temperature change and define requirements for a power supply and gain stabilization method. The energy spectra for energies between 511 keV and 6.1 MeV are also presented and compared with data acquired with a classic photomultiplier XP5212B readout. Such a comparison allowed study of nonlinearity of the tested MPPCs, correction of the energy spectra and proper analysis of the energy resolution.

Resolution, efficiency and stability of HPGe detector operating in a magnetic field at various gamma-ray energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szymanska, K.; Achenbach, P.; Agnello, M.; Botta, E.; Bracco, A.; Bressani, T.; Camera, F.; Cederwall, B.; Feliciello, A.; Ferro, F.; Gerl, J.; Iazzi, F.; Kavatsyuk, M.; Kojouharov, I.; Pochodzalla, J.; Raciti, G.; Saito, T.R.; Sanchez Lorente, A.; Tegner, P.-E.; Wieland, O.

2008-01-01

The use of High Purity Germanium detectors (HPGe) has been planned in some future experiments of hadronic physics. The crystals will be located close to large spectrometers where the magnetic fringing field will not be negligible and their performances might change. Moreover high precision is required in these experiments. The contribution of magnetic field presence and long term measurements is unique. In this paper the results of systematic measurements of the resolution, stability and efficiency of a crystal operating inside a magnetic field of 0.8 T, using radioactive sources in the energy range from 0.08 to 1.33 MeV, are reported. The measurements have been repeated during several months in order to test if any permanent damage occurred. The resolution at 1.117 and 1.332 MeV gamma-rays from a 60 Co source has been measured at different magnetic fields in the range of 0-0.8 T and the results are compared with the previous data

High-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy with a microwave-multiplexed transition-edge sensor array

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noroozian, Omid [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States); Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States); Mates, John A. B.; Bennett, Douglas A.; Brevik, Justus A.; Fowler, Joseph W.; Gao, Jiansong; Hilton, Gene C.; Horansky, Robert D.; Irwin, Kent D.; Schmidt, Daniel R.; Vale, Leila R.; Ullom, Joel N. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colorado 80305 (United States); Kang, Zhao [Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States)

2013-11-11

We demonstrate very high resolution photon spectroscopy with a microwave-multiplexed two-pixel transition-edge sensor (TES) array. We measured a {sup 153}Gd photon source and achieved an energy resolution of 63 eV full-width-at-half-maximum at 97 keV and an equivalent readout system noise of 86 pA/√(Hz) at the TES. The readout circuit consists of superconducting microwave resonators coupled to radio-frequency superconducting-quantum-interference-devices and transduces changes in input current to changes in phase of a microwave signal. We use flux-ramp modulation to linearize the response and evade low-frequency noise. This demonstration establishes one path for the readout of cryogenic X-ray and gamma-ray sensor arrays with more than 10{sup 3} elements and spectral resolving powers R=λ/Δλ>10{sup 3}.

All-sky x-ray ampersand gamma-ray monitor (AXGAM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuemer, T.O.; O'Neill, T.J.; Hurley, K.

1996-01-01

A wide field-of-view, arcsecond imaging, high energy resolution x-ray and low energy gamma ray detector is proposed for a future space mission. It is specifically designed to detect and find counterparts at other wavelengths for Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). Detection of GRBs require wide field-of-view (π to 2 π field-of-view) and high sensitivity. This will be achieved by using high quantum efficiency CdZnTe pixel detectors, low energy threshold (few keV) to observe larger flux levels that may be possible at lower energies and large effective area (625 to 1,000 cd) per coded aperture imaging module. Counterpart searches can only be done with ultra high angular resolution (10 to 30 arcsecond FWHM) which gives 1 to 5 arcsecond position determination especially for strong GRBs. A few arcsecond resolution error box is expected to contain only one counterpart observed at another wavelength. This will be achieved by using ultra high spatial resolution pixel detectors (50 x 50 to 100 X 100 micron) and a similar resolution coded aperture to achieve the required angular resolution. AXGAM also has two other important advantages over similar detectors: (1) excellent low energy response (> 1 keV) and (2) high energy resolution (<6% at sign 5.9 keV, <3% at sign 14 keV, <4% at sign 122 keV). The low energy range may provide important new information on their cause and the high energy resolution is expected to help in the observation and identification of emission and absorption lines in the GRB spectrum. The effective energy range is planned to be 2 to 200 keV which is exceptionally wide for such a detector. AXGAM will be built in the form of a open-quotes Bucky Ballclose quotes using a coded aperture mask in a semi geodesic dome arrangement placed over a two-dimensional, high resolution CdZnTe pixel detector array using newly developed p-i-n detector technology. The p-i-n structure decreases the electron and hole trapping effect and increases energy resolution significantly

Energy spectrum of extragalactic gamma-ray sources

Science.gov (United States)

Protheroe, R. J.

1985-01-01

The result of Monte Carlo electron photon cascade calculations for propagation of gamma rays through regions of extragalactic space containing no magnetic field are given. These calculations then provide upper limits to the expected flux from extragalactic sources. Since gamma rays in the 10 to the 14th power eV to 10 to the 17th power eV energy range are of interest, interactions of electrons and photons with the 3 K microwave background radiation are considered. To obtain an upper limit to the expected gamma ray flux from sources, the intergalactic field is assumed to be so low that it can be ignored. Interactions with photons of the near-infrared background radiation are not considered here although these will have important implications for gamma rays below 10 to the 14th power eV if the near infrared background radiation is universal. Interaction lengths of electrons and photons in the microwave background radiation at a temperature of 2.96 K were calculated and are given.

High energy photons and neutrinos from gamma ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dar, A.

1998-01-01

The Hubble space telescope has recently discovered thousands of gigantic comet-like objects in a ring around the central star in the nearest planetary nebula. It is suggested that such circumstellar rings exist around most of stars. Collisions of the relativistic debris from gamma ray bursts in dense stellar regions with such gigantic comet-like objects, which have been stripped off from the circumstellar rings by gravitational perturbations, produce detectable fluxes of high energy gamma-rays and neutrinos from gamma ray bursts

High energy astrophysics with ground-based gamma ray detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aharonian, F; Buckley, J; Kifune, T; Sinnis, G

2008-01-01

Recent advances in ground-based gamma ray astronomy have led to the discovery of more than 70 sources of very high energy (E γ ≥ 100 GeV) gamma rays, falling into a number of source populations including pulsar wind nebulae, shell type supernova remnants, Wolf-Rayet stars, giant molecular clouds, binary systems, the Galactic Center, active galactic nuclei and 'dark' (yet unidentified) galactic objects. We summarize the history of TeV gamma ray astronomy up to the current status of the field including a description of experimental techniques and highlight recent astrophysical results. We also discuss the potential of ground-based gamma ray astronomy for future discoveries and describe possible directions for future instrumental developments

Standard guide for high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry of soil samples

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2004-01-01

1.1 This guide covers the identification and quantitative determination of gamma-ray emitting radionuclides in soil samples by means of gamma-ray spectrometry. It is applicable to nuclides emitting gamma rays with an approximate energy range of 20 to 2000 keV. For typical gamma-ray spectrometry systems and sample types, activity levels of about 5 Bq (135 pCi) are measured easily for most nuclides, and activity levels as low as 0.1 Bq (2.7 pCi) can be measured for many nuclides. It is not applicable to radionuclides that emit no gamma rays such as the pure beta-emitting radionuclides hydrogen-3, carbon-14, strontium-90, and becquerel quantities of most transuranics. This guide does not address the in situ measurement techniques, where soil is analyzed in place without sampling. Guidance for in situ techniques can be found in Ref (1) and (2). This guide also does not discuss methods for determining lower limits of detection. Such discussions can be found in Refs (3), (4), (5), and (6). 1.2 This guide can be us...

High energy particles from {gamma}-ray bursts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waxman, E [Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel)

2001-11-15

A review is presented of the fireball model of {gamma}-ray bursts (GRBs), and of the production in GRB fireballs of high energy protons and neutrinos. Constraints imposed on the model by recent afterglow observations, which support the association of GRB and ultra-high energy cosmic-ray (UHECR) sources, are discussed. Predictions of the GRB model for UHECR production, which can be tested with planned large area UHECR detectors and with planned high energy neutrino telescopes, are reviewed. (author)

High energy neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts with precursor supernovae.

Science.gov (United States)

Razzaque, Soebur; Mészáros, Peter; Waxman, Eli

2003-06-20

The high energy neutrino signature from proton-proton and photo-meson interactions in a supernova remnant shell ejected prior to a gamma-ray burst provides a test for the precursor supernova, or supranova, model of gamma-ray bursts. Protons in the supernova remnant shell and photons entrapped from a supernova explosion or a pulsar wind from a fast-rotating neutron star remnant provide ample targets for protons escaping the internal shocks of the gamma-ray burst to interact and produce high energy neutrinos. We calculate the expected neutrino fluxes, which can be detected by current and future experiments.

Very high energy gamma ray astronomy from Hanle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chitnis, Varsha R.

2015-01-01

Over a past decade very high energy (VHE) gamma ray astronomy has emerged as a major astronomical discipline. In India, we have a long tradition of experiments in this field. Few years ago, multi-institutional Himalayan Gamma Ray Observatory (HiGRO) collaboration was formed to set up VHE gamma rays experiments at Hanle, a high altitude location in Himalayas. HAGAR, the first phase of this collaboration is operational since 2008. HAGAR has successfully detected VHE gamma ray emission from some of the extragalactic objects like Mrk 421, Mrk 501 as well as galactic sources including Crab nebula/pulsar. Details of HAGAR telescope system and results obtained will be discussed. HiGRO is now gearing up for the next phase, i.e. 21 m diameter MACE telescope, which is being installed at Hanle at present. Details of MACE telescope system and future plans will be discussed. (author)

Characterisation of a Compton suppressed Clover detector for high energy gamma rays (=<11MeV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha Sarkar, M.; Kshetri, Ritesh; Raut, Rajarshi; Mukherjee, A.; Sinha, Mandira; Ray, Maitreyi; Goswami, A.; Roy, Subinit; Basu, P.; Majumder, H.; Bhattacharya, S.; Dasmahapatra, B.

2006-01-01

Gamma ray spectra of two (p,γ) resonances have been utilised for the characterisation of the Clover detector at energies beyond 5MeV. Apart from the efficiency and the resolution of the detector, the shapes of the full energy peaks as well as the nature of the escape peaks which are also very crucial at higher energies have been analysed with special attention. Proper gain matching in software have checked deterioration in the energy resolution and distortion in the peak shape due to addback. The addback factors show sharp increasing trend even at energies around 11MeV

High energy X-ray observations of COS-B gamma-ray sources from OSO-8

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, J. F.; Crannell, C. J.; Dennis, B. R.; Frost, K. J.; Orwig, L. E.; Caraveo, P. A.

1985-01-01

During the three years between satellite launch in June 1975 and turn-off in October 1978, the high energy X-ray spectrometer on board OSO-8 observed nearly all of the COS-B gamma-ray source positions given in the 2CG catalog (Swanenburg et al., 1981). An X-ray source was detected at energies above 20 keV at the 6-sigma level of significance in the gamma-ray error box containing 2CG342 - 02 and at the 3-sigma level of significance in the error boxes containing 2CG065 + 00, 2CG195 + 04, and 2CG311 - 01. No definite association between the X-ray and gamma-ray sources can be made from these data alone. Upper limits are given for the 2CG sources from which no X-ray flux was detected above 20 keV.

An efficiency study of a high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marti Climent, J.M.

1987-01-01

A review of the different curves for the efficiency fit of a high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer was made. These curves are used to fit the efficiency of our detector system. In order to study the goodness of the different fits various standards were used, and the ICRP GAM-83 exercise results were employed. (author)

Statistical analysis for discrimination of prompt gamma ray peak induced by high energy neutron: Monte Carlo simulation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do-Kun Yoon; Joo-Young Jung; Tae Suk Suh; Seong-Min Han

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research is a statistical analysis for discrimination of prompt gamma ray peak induced by the 14.1 MeV neutron particles from spectra using Monte Carlo simulation. For the simulation, the information of 18 detector materials was used to simulate spectra by the neutron capture reaction. The discrimination of nine prompt gamma ray peaks from the simulation of each detector material was performed. We presented the several comparison indexes of energy resolution performance depending on the detector material using the simulation and statistics for the prompt gamma activation analysis. (author)

COS-B observation of the milky way in high-energy gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer-Hasselwander, H.A.; Lebrun, F.; Masnou, J.L.

1978-01-01

The Caravane Collaboration's gamma-ray astronomy experiment aboard ESA's satellite COS-B has been recording celestial gamma rays in the energy range from about 50 MeV to several GeV since August 1975. These observations covers the whole range of galactic longitude, thus making it possible to present here the first complete detailed gamma-ray survey of the Milky Way with greatly improved statistical accuracy and significantly better energy measurement than in the previous survey. The present work concentrates on the spatial aspects of the gamma radiation, including localised sources

Gamma ray energy spectrum of a buried radioactive source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Massey, N B

1957-07-01

Because of current attempts to utilize airborne gamma-ray scintillation spectrometers as a means of detecting and identifying buried radioactive mineral deposits, it has become important to study the effects of multiple scattering on the gamma-ray energy spectrum of a source buried in a semi-infinite medium. A series of ten experiments was made. First a scintillation detector was located in air at a fixed distance above a 250 microcurie cobalt-60 source suspended in a large tank. The level of water was raised from 25 cm below the source to 50 cm above, and the gamma-ray energy spectrum was observed. It was found that the high energy portion of the cobalt-60 spectrum remained identifiable even when the source was submerged more than five half-lengths. Further, the ratio of the counting rate of the total incident gamma radiation to the counting rate of the primary 1.33 MeV radiation was found to be very nearly linearly proportional to the depth of water cover. This leads to an empirical method for determining the depth of burial of a cobalt-60 point source. (author)

Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes (TGFs) Observed with the Fermi-Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor: The First Hundred TGFs

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, G J.; Briggs, M. S.; Connaughton, V.; Bhat, P. N.

2010-01-01

The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Observatory (Fermi) is now detecting 2.1 TGFs per week. At this rate, nearly a hundred TGFs will have been detected by the time of this Meeting. This rate has increased by a factor of 8 since new flight software was uploaded to the spacecraft in November 2009 in order to increase the sensitivity of GBM to TGFs. The high time resolution (2 microseconds) allows temporal features to be resolved so that some insight may be gained on the origin and transport of the gamma-ray photons through the atmosphere. The absolute time of the TGFs, known to several microseconds, also allows accurate correlations of TGFs with lightning networks and other lightning-related phenomena. The thick bismuth germanate (BGO) scintillation detectors of the GBM system have observed photon energies from TGFs at energies above 40 MeV. New results on the some temporal aspects of TGFs will be presented.

Status of development of the Gamma Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, I.Y.; Schmid, G.J.; Vetter, K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)] [and others

1996-12-31

The current generation of large gamma-ray detector arrays, Gammasphere, Eurogam and GASP, are based on modules of Compton suppressed Ge detectors. Due to the solid angle occupied by the Compton shields and to gamma rays escaping the detector, the total peak efficiency of such a design is limited to about 20% for a 1.3 MeV gamma ray. A shell consisting of closely packed Ge detectors has been suggested as the solution to the efficiency limitation. In this case, the entire solid angle is covered by Ge detectors, and by adding the signal from neighboring detectors, the escaped energy is recovered and much higher efficiency can be achieved (e.g. 60% for a 1.3 MeV gamma ray). However, for high multiplicity cascades, the summing of two gamma rays hitting neighboring detectors reduces the efficiency and increases the background. In order to reduce this summing, a large number of detectors is required. For example, with a multiplicity of 25, one needs about 1500 detectors to keep the probability of false summing below 10% and the cost of such a detector array will be prohibitive. Rather than such an approach, the authors are developing a new concept for a gamma-ray array; a shell of closely-packed Ge detectors consisting of 100-200 highly-segmented elements. The high granularity of the segmented Ge detector enables the authors to resolve each of the scattering interactions and determine its position and energy. A tracking algorithm, using the position and energy information, will then identify the interactions belonging to a particular gamma ray and its energy is obtained by summing only these interactions. Such an array can reach a total efficiency about 60%, with a resolving power 1000 times higher than that of current arrays.

GRAP, Gamma-Ray Level-Scheme Assignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklyn, C.B.

2002-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: An interactive program for allocating gamma-rays to an energy level scheme. Procedure allows for searching for new candidate levels of the form: 1) L1 + G(A) + G(B) = L2; 2) G(A) + G(B) = G(C); 3) G(A) + G(B) = C (C is a user defined number); 4) L1 + G(A) + G(B) + G(C) = L2. Procedure indicates intensity balance of feed and decay of each energy level. Provides for optimization of a level energy (and associated error). Overall procedure allows for pre-defining of certain gamma-rays as belonging to particular regions of the level scheme, for example, high energy transition levels, or due to beta- decay. 2 - Method of solution: Search for cases in which the energy difference between two energy levels is equal to a gamma-ray energy within user-defined limits. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Maximum number of gamma-rays: 999; Maximum gamma ray energy: 32000 units; Minimum gamma ray energy: 10 units; Maximum gamma-ray intensity: 32000 units; Minimum gamma-ray intensity: 0.001 units; Maximum number of levels: 255; Maximum level energy: 32000 units; Minimum level energy: 10 units; Maximum error on energy, intensity: 32 units; Minimum error on energy, intensity: 0.001 units; Maximum number of combinations: 6400 (ca); Maximum number of gamma-ray types : 127

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS): Simulation Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Fegan, Stephen; Buckley, J. H.; Bugaev, S.; Funk, S.; Konopelko, A.; Maier, G.; Vassiliev, V. V.; Simulation Studies Working Group; AGIS Collaboration

2008-03-01

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS) is a concept for the next generation instrument in ground-based very high energy gamma-ray astronomy. It has the goal of achieving significant improvement in sensitivity over current experiments. We present the results of simulation studies of various possible designs for AGIS. The primary characteristics of the array performance, collecting area, angular resolution, background rejection, and sensitivity are discussed.

Janus probe, a detection system for high energy reactor gamma-ray spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gold, R.; Kaiser, B.J.

1980-03-01

In reactor environments, gamma-ray spectra are continuous and the absolute magnitude as well as the general shape of the gamma continuum are of paramount importance. Consequently, conventional methods of gamma-ray detection are not suitable for in-core gamma-ray spectrometry. To meet these specific needs, a method of continuous gamma-ray spectrometry, namely Compton Recoil Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, was developed for in-situ observations of reactor environments. A new gamma-ray detection system has been developed which extends the applicability of Compton Recoil Gamma-Ray Spectrometry up to roughly 7 MeV. This detection system is comprised of two separate Si(Li) detectors placed face-to-face. Hence this new detection system is called the Janus probe. Also shown is the block diagram of pulse processing instrumentation for the Janus probe. This new gamma probe not only extends the upper energy limit of in-core gamma-ray spectrometry, but in addition possesses other fundamental advantages

A novel gamma-ray detector with submillimeter resolutions using a monolithic MPPC array with pixelized Ce:LYSO and Ce:GGAG crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kato, T., E-mail: katou.frme.8180@asagi.waseda.jp [Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Ohkubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo (Japan); Kataoka, J.; Nakamori, T.; Miura, T.; Matsuda, H.; Kishimoto, A. [Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1, Ohkubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo (Japan); Sato, K.; Ishikawa, Y.; Yamamura, K.; Nakamura, S.; Kawabata, N. [Solid State Division, Hamamatsu Photonics K. K., 1126-1, Ichino-cho, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka (Japan); Ikeda, H. [ISAS/JAXA, 3-1-1, Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa (Japan); Yamamoto, S. [Kobe City College of Technology, 8-3, Gakuenhigashimati, Nishi-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyougo 651-2194 (Japan); Kamada, K. [Materials Research Laboratory, Furukawa Co., Ltd., 1-25-13, Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856 (Japan)

2013-01-21

We have developed a large-area monolithic Multi-Pixel Photon Counter (MPPC) array consisting of 4×4 channels with a three-side buttable package. Each channel has a photosensitive area of 3×3 mm{sup 2} and 3600 Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes (APDs). For typical operational gain of 7.5×10{sup 5} at +20 °C, gain fluctuation over the entire MPPC device is only ±5.6%, and dark count rates (as measured at the 1 p.e. level) amount to ≤400kcps per channel. We first fabricated a gamma-ray camera consisting of the MPPC array with one-to-one coupling to a Ce-doped (Lu,Y){sub 2}(SiO{sub 4})O (Ce:LYSO) crystal array (4×4 array of 3×3×10 mm{sup 3} crystals). Energy and time resolutions of 11.5±0.5% (FWHM at 662 keV) and 493±22ps were obtained, respectively. When using the charge division resistor network, which compiles signals into four position-encoded analog outputs, the ultimate positional resolution is estimated as 0.19 mm in both X and Y directions, while energy resolution of 10.2±0.4% (FWHM) was obtained. Finally, we fabricated submillimeter Ce:LYSO and Ce-doped Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 3}Al{sub 2}O{sub 12} (Ce:GGAG) scintillator matrices each consisting of 1.0×1.0, 0.7×0.7 and 0.5×0.5 mm{sup 2} pixels, to further improve the spatial resolution. In all types of Ce:LYSO and Ce:GGAG matrices, each crystal was clearly resolved in the position histograms when irradiated by a {sup 137}Cs source. The energy resolutions for 662 keV gamma-rays for each Ce:LYSO and Ce:GGAG scintillator matrix were ≤14.3%. These results suggest excellent potential for its use as a high spatial medical imaging device, particularly in positron emission tomography (PET). -- Highlights: ► We developed a newly designed large-area monolithic MPPC array. ► We obtained fine gain uniformity, and good energy and time resolutions when coupled to the LYSO scintillator. ► We fabricated gamma-ray camera consisting of the MPPC array and submillimeter pixelized LYSO and GGAG scintillators. ► In

Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: how transparent is the universe?

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, J; Aliu, E; Anderhub, H; Antonelli, L A; Antoranz, P; Backes, M; Baixeras, C; Barrio, J A; Bartko, H; Bastieri, D; Becker, J K; Bednarek, W; Berger, K; Bernardini, E; Bigongiari, C; Biland, A; Bock, R K; Bonnoli, G; Bordas, P; Bosch-Ramon, V; Bretz, T; Britvitch, I; Camara, M; Carmona, E; Chilingarian, A; Commichau, S; Contreras, J L; Cortina, J; Costado, M T; Covino, S; Curtef, V; Dazzi, F; De Angelis, A; De Cea Del Pozo, E; de Los Reyes, R; De Lotto, B; De Maria, M; De Sabata, F; Mendez, C Delgado; Dominguez, A; Dorner, D; Doro, M; Errando, M; Fagiolini, M; Ferenc, D; Fernández, E; Firpo, R; Fonseca, M V; Font, L; Galante, N; López, R J García; Garczarczyk, M; Gaug, M; Goebel, F; Hayashida, M; Herrero, A; Höhne, D; Hose, J; Hsu, C C; Huber, S; Jogler, T; Kneiske, T M; Kranich, D; La Barbera, A; Laille, A; Leonardo, E; Lindfors, E; Lombardi, S; Longo, F; López, M; Lorenz, E; Majumdar, P; Maneva, G; Mankuzhiyil, N; Mannheim, K; Maraschi, L; Mariotti, M; Martínez, M; Mazin, D; Meucci, M; Meyer, M; Miranda, J M; Mirzoyan, R; Mizobuchi, S; Moles, M; Moralejo, A; Nieto, D; Nilsson, K; Ninkovic, J; Otte, N; Oya, I; Panniello, M; Paoletti, R; Paredes, J M; Pasanen, M; Pascoli, D; Pauss, F; Pegna, R G; Perez-Torres, M A; Persic, M; Peruzzo, L; Piccioli, A; Prada, F; Prandini, E; Puchades, N; Raymers, A; Rhode, W; Ribó, M; Rico, J; Rissi, M; Robert, A; Rügamer, S; Saggion, A; Saito, T Y; Salvati, M; Sanchez-Conde, M; Sartori, P; Satalecka, K; Scalzotto, V; Scapin, V; Schmitt, R; Schweizer, T; Shayduk, M; Shinozaki, K; Shore, S N; Sidro, N; Sierpowska-Bartosik, A; Sillanpää, A; Sobczynska, D; Spanier, F; Stamerra, A; Stark, L S; Takalo, L; Tavecchio, F; Temnikov, P; Tescaro, D; Teshima, M; Tluczykont, M; Torres, D F; Turini, N; Vankov, H; Venturini, A; Vitale, V; Wagner, R M; Wittek, W; Zabalza, V; Zandanel, F; Zanin, R; Zapatero, J

2008-06-27

The atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope MAGIC, designed for a low-energy threshold, has detected very-high-energy gamma rays from a giant flare of the distant Quasi-Stellar Radio Source (in short: radio quasar) 3C 279, at a distance of more than 5 billion light-years (a redshift of 0.536). No quasar has been observed previously in very-high-energy gamma radiation, and this is also the most distant object detected emitting gamma rays above 50 gigaelectron volts. Because high-energy gamma rays may be stopped by interacting with the diffuse background light in the universe, the observations by MAGIC imply a low amount for such light, consistent with that known from galaxy counts.

Modeling high-energy gamma-rays from the Fermi Bubbles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Splettstoesser, Megan

2015-09-17

In 2010, the Fermi Bubbles were discovered at the galactic center of the Milky Way. These giant gamma-ray structures, extending 55° in galactic latitude and 20°-30° in galactic longitude, were not predicted. We wish to develop a model for the gamma-ray emission of the Fermi Bubbles. To do so, we assume that second order Fermi acceleration requires charged particles and irregular magnetic fields- both of which are present in the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. By solving the steady-state case of the transport equation, I compute the proton spectrum due to second order Fermi acceleration. I compare the analytical solutions of the proton spectrum to a numerical solution. I find that the numerical solution to the transport equation converges to the analytical solution in all cases. The gamma-ray spectrum due to proton-proton interaction is compared to Fermi Bubble data (from Ackermann et al. 2014), and I find that second order Fermi acceleration is a good fit for the gamma-ray spectrum of the Fermi Bubbles at low energies with an injection source term of S = 1.5 x 10⁻¹⁰ GeV⁻¹cm⁻³yr⁻¹. I find that a non-steady-state solution to the gamma-ray spectrum with an injection source term of S = 2 x 10⁻¹⁰ GeV⁻¹cm⁻³yr⁻¹ matches the bubble data at high energies.

Multiphase Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray combination performance in NUEX flow loop; Desempenho no flowloop do NUEX da medicao multifasica Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barreiros, Claudio; Taranto, Cleber; Costa, Alcemir [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Pinguet, Bruno; Heluey, Vitor; Bessa, Fabiano; Loicq, Olivier [Schlumberger Servicos de Petroleo Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The Multiphase Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray Combination, Vx* technology, arrived in Brazil in 2000. PETROBRAS, Brazilian Oil Company, has been putting big efforts in its production business and also has demonstrated a large interest in having a multiphase meter approved by ANP for back allocation purposes. The oil industry was looking for ways to improve the back allocation process using an approved on line multiphase flow measurement device, thus replacing punctual test done today by a permanent monitoring device. Considering this scenario, a partnership project between PETROBRAS and Schlumberger was created in Brazil. The main objective of this project, which was held in NUEX flow loop, was to demonstrate to INMETRO (Brazilian Metrology Institute) that the Multiphase Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray Combination meter is able to be used for back allocation purpose. PETROBRAS and Schlumberger elaborated a complete methodology in the NUEX flow loop to demonstrate the results and benefits of the Multiphase Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray Combination meter. The test was witnessed by INMETRO and had a very good performance at the end. The results were within what was expected by Schlumberger, PETROBRAS and INMETRO. These results has been very useful to PETROBRAS in order to start using the Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray technology for well allocation purposes. (author)

Gamma-ray measurements at the WNR white neutron source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, R.O.; Wender, S.A.; Mayo, D.R.

1994-01-01

Photon production data have been acquired in the incident neutron energy range, 1 n γ 56 Fe, and 207,208 Pb. These data are useful both for testing nuclear reaction models at intermediate energies and for numerous applied purposes. BGO detectors do not have the good energy resolution of Ge detectors, but have much greater detection efficiency for gamma rays with energies greater than a few MeV. We have used an array of 5 BGO detectors to measure cross sections and angular distributions for photon production from C and N. A large, well-shielded BGO detector has been used to measure fast neutron capture in the giant resonance region with a maximum gamma-ray energy of 52 MeV. We present results of our study of the isovector giant quadrupole resonance in 41 Ca via these capture measurements. Recent measurements of inclusive photon spectra from our neutron proton Bremsstrahlung experiment have been made using a gamma-ray telescope to detect gamma-rays in the energy range, 40 γ < 300 MeV. This detector is briefly described. The advantages and disadvantages of these detector systems are discussed using examples from our measurements. The status of current measurements is presented

High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy applied to bulk sample analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosanke, K.L.; Koch, C.D.; Wilson, R.D.

1980-01-01

A high resolution Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometer has been installed and made operational for use in routine bulk sample analysis by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation (BFEC) geochemical analysis department. The Ge(Li) spectrometer provides bulk sample analyses for potassium, uranium, and thorium that are superior to those obtained by the BFEC sodium iodide spectrometer. The near term analysis scheme permits a direct assay for uranium that corrects for bulk sample self-absorption effects and is independent of the uranium/radium disequilibrium condition of the sample. A more complete analysis scheme has been developed that fully utilizes the gamma-ray data provided by the Ge(Li) spectrometer and that more properly accounts for the sample self-absorption effect. This new analysis scheme should be implemented on the BFEC Ge(Li) spectrometer at the earliest date

Contraband detection using high-energy gamma rays from 16O*

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micklich, B.J.; Fink, C.L.; Sagalovsky, L.; Smith, D.L.

1996-01-01

High-energy monoenergetic gamma rays (6.13 and 7.12 MeV) from the decay of excited states of the 16 O* nucleus are highly penetrating and thus offer potential for non-intrusive inspection of loaded containers for narcotics, explosives, and other contraband items. These excited states can be produced by irradiation of water with 14-MeV neutrons from a DT neutron generator or through the 19 F(p,α) 16 O* reaction. Resonances in 19 F(p,α) 16 O* at proton energies between 340 keV and 2 MeV allow use of a low-energy accelerator to provide a compact, portable gamma source of reasonable intensity. The present work provides estimates of gamma source parameters and suggests how various types of contraband could be detected. Gamma rays can be used to perform transmission or emission radiography of containers or other objects. Through the use of (γ, n) and (γ, fission) reactions, this technique is also capable of detecting special nuclear materials such as deuterium, lithium, beryllium, uranium, and plutonium. Analytic and Monte Carlo techniques are used to model empty and loaded container inspection for accelerator-produced gamma, radioisotope, and x-ray sources

Found: A Galaxy's Missing Gamma Rays

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-04-01

Recent reanalysis of data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has resulted in the first detection of high-energy gamma rays emitted from a nearby galaxy. This discovery reveals more about how supernovae interact with their environments.Colliding Supernova RemnantAfter a stellar explosion, the supernovas ejecta expand, eventually encountering the ambient interstellar medium. According to models, this generates a strong shock, and a fraction of the kinetic energy of the ejecta is transferred into cosmic rays high-energy radiation composed primarily of protons and atomic nuclei. Much is still unknown about this process, however. One open question is: what fraction of the supernovas explosion power goes into accelerating these cosmic rays?In theory, one way to answer this is by looking for gamma rays. In a starburst galaxy, the collision of the supernova-accelerated cosmic rays with the dense interstellar medium is predicted to produce high-energy gamma rays. That radiation should then escape the galaxy and be visible to us.Pass 8 to the RescueObservational tests of this model, however, have beenstumped by Arp 220. This nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxy is the product of a galaxy merger ~700 million years ago that fueled a frenzy of starbirth. Due to its dusty interior and extreme levels of star formation, Arp 220 has long been predicted to emit the gamma rays produced by supernova-accelerated cosmic rays. But though weve looked, gamma-ray emission has never been detected from this galaxy until now.In a recent study, a team of scientists led by Fang-Kun Peng (Nanjing University) reprocessed 7.5 years of Fermi observations using the new Pass 8 analysis software. The resulting increase in resolution revealed the first detection of GeV emission from Arp 220!Acceleration EfficiencyGamma-ray luminosity vs. total infrared luminosity for LAT-detected star-forming galaxies and Seyferts. Arp 220s luminosities are consistent with the scaling relation. [Peng et al. 2016

Evaluation of Multi-Channel ADCs for Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Hui; Hennig, Wolfgang; Walby, Mark D.; Breus, Dimitry; Harris, Jackson

2013-04-01

As nuclear physicists increasingly design large scale experiments with hundreds or thousands of detector channels, there are growing needs for high density readout electronics with good timing and energy resolution that at the same time offer lower cost per channel compared to existing commercial solutions. Recent improvements in the design of commercial analog to digital converters (ADCs) have resulted in a variety of multi-channel ADCs that are natural choice for designing such high density readout modules. However, multi-channel ADCs typically are designed for medical imaging/ultrasound applications and therefore are not rated for their spectroscopic characteristics. In this work, we evaluated the gamma-ray spectroscopic performance of several multi-channel ADCs, including their energy resolution, nonlinearity, and timing resolution. Some of these ADCs demonstrated excellent energy resolution, 2.66% FWHM at 662 keV with a LaBr3 or 1.78 keV FWHM at 1332.5 keV with a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector, and sub-nanosecond timing resolution with LaBr 3. We present results from these measurements to illustrate their suitability for gamma-ray spectroscopy.

AGIS -- the Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System

Science.gov (United States)

Krennrich, Frank

2009-05-01

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System, AGIS, is envisioned to become the follow-up mission of the current generation of very high energy gamma-ray telescopes, namely, H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS. These instruments have provided a glimpse of the TeV gamma-ray sky, showing more than 70 sources while their detailed studies constrain a wealth of physics and astrophysics. The particle acceleration, emission and absorption processes in these sources permit the study of extreme physical conditions found in galactic and extragalactic TeV sources. AGIS will dramatically improve the sensitivity and angular resolution of TeV gamma-ray observations and therefore provide unique prospects for particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. This talk will provide an overview of the science drivers, scientific capabilities and the novel technical approaches that are pursued to maximize the performance of the large array concept of AGIS.

Limits to the Fraction of High-energy Photon Emitting Gamma-Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Zheng, WeiKang

2013-02-01

After almost four years of operation, the two instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have shown that the number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with high-energy photon emission above 100 MeV cannot exceed roughly 9% of the total number of all such events, at least at the present detection limits. In a recent paper, we found that GRBs with photons detected in the Large Area Telescope have a surprisingly broad distribution with respect to the observed event photon number. Extrapolation of our empirical fit to numbers of photons below our previous detection limit suggests that the overall rate of such low flux events could be estimated by standard image co-adding techniques. In this case, we have taken advantage of the excellent angular resolution of the Swift mission to provide accurate reference points for 79 GRB events which have eluded any previous correlations with high-energy photons. We find a small but significant signal in the co-added field. Guided by the extrapolated power-law fit previously obtained for the number distribution of GRBs with higher fluxes, the data suggest that only a small fraction of GRBs are sources of high-energy photons.

LIMITS TO THE FRACTION OF HIGH-ENERGY PHOTON EMITTING GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Zheng, WeiKang

2013-01-01

After almost four years of operation, the two instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have shown that the number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with high-energy photon emission above 100 MeV cannot exceed roughly 9% of the total number of all such events, at least at the present detection limits. In a recent paper, we found that GRBs with photons detected in the Large Area Telescope have a surprisingly broad distribution with respect to the observed event photon number. Extrapolation of our empirical fit to numbers of photons below our previous detection limit suggests that the overall rate of such low flux events could be estimated by standard image co-adding techniques. In this case, we have taken advantage of the excellent angular resolution of the Swift mission to provide accurate reference points for 79 GRB events which have eluded any previous correlations with high-energy photons. We find a small but significant signal in the co-added field. Guided by the extrapolated power-law fit previously obtained for the number distribution of GRBs with higher fluxes, the data suggest that only a small fraction of GRBs are sources of high-energy photons.

Levels of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone in ground beef patties irradiated by low-energy X-ray and gamma rays.

Science.gov (United States)

Hijaz, Faraj M; Smith, J Scott

2010-01-01

Food irradiation improves food safety and maintains food quality by controlling microorganisms and extending shelf life. However, acceptance and commercial adoption of food irradiation is still low. Consumer groups such as Public Citizen and the Food and Water Watch have opposed irradiation because of the formation of 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs) in irradiated, lipid-containing foods. The objectives of this study were to measure and to compare the level of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone (2-DCB) in ground beef irradiated by low-energy X-rays and gamma rays. Beef patties were irradiated by low-energy X-rays and gamma rays (Cs-137) at 3 targeted absorbed doses of 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 kGy. The samples were extracted with n-hexane using a Soxhlet apparatus, and the 2-DCB concentration was determined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The 2-DCB concentration increased linearly (P irradiation dose for gamma-ray and low-energy X-ray irradiated patties. There was no significant difference in 2-DCB concentration between gamma-ray and low-energy X-ray irradiated patties (P > 0.05) at all targeted doses. © 2010 Institute of Food Technologists®

ICF ignition capsule neutron, gamma ray, and high energy x-ray images

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, P. A.; Wilson, D. C.; Swenson, F. J.; Morgan, G. L.

2003-03-01

Post-processed total neutron, RIF neutron, gamma-ray, and x-ray images from 2D LASNEX calculations of burning ignition capsules are presented. The capsules have yields ranging from tens of kilojoules (failures) to over 16 MJ (ignition), and their implosion symmetry ranges from prolate (flattest at the hohlraum equator) to oblate (flattest towards the laser entrance hole). The simulated total neutron images emphasize regions of high DT density and temperature; the reaction-in-flight neutrons emphasize regions of high DT density; the gamma rays emphasize regions of high shell density; and the high energy x rays (>10 keV) emphasize regions of high temperature.

Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Astrophysics

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

During the last decades, various classes of radio-loud active galactic nuclei have been established as sources of high-energy radiation extending over a very broad range from soft gamma-rays (photon energies E~MeV) up to very-high-energy gamma-rays (E>100 GeV). These include blazars of different types, as well as young and evolved radio galaxies. The observed gamma-ray emission from such implies efficient particle acceleration processes taking place in highly magnetized and relativistic jets produced by supermassive black holes, processes that have yet to be identified and properly understood. In addition, nearby starforming and starburst galaxies, some of which host radio-quiet Seyfert-type nuclei, have been detected in the gamma-ray range as well. In their cases, the observed gamma-ray emission is due to non-thermal activity in the interstellar medium, possibly including also a contribution from accretion disks and nuclear outflows. Finally, the high-energy emission from clusters of galaxies remains elusive...

Fermi observations of high-energy gamma-ray emission from GRB 080916C.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdo, A A; Ackermann, M; Arimoto, M; Asano, K; Atwood, W B; Axelsson, M; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Band, D L; Barbiellini, G; Baring, M G; Bastieri, D; Battelino, M; Baughman, B M; Bechtol, K; Bellardi, F; Bellazzini, R; Berenji, B; Bhat, P N; Bissaldi, E; Blandford, R D; Bloom, E D; Bogaert, G; Bogart, J R; Bonamente, E; Bonnell, J; Borgland, A W; Bouvier, A; Bregeon, J; Brez, A; Briggs, M S; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Burnett, T H; Burrows, D; Busetto, G; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Caraveo, P A; Casandjian, J M; Ceccanti, M; Cecchi, C; Celotti, A; Charles, E; Chekhtman, A; Cheung, C C; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Cominsky, L R; Connaughton, V; Conrad, J; Costamante, L; Cutini, S; Deklotz, M; Dermer, C D; de Angelis, A; de Palma, F; Digel, S W; Dingus, B L; do Couto E Silva, E; Drell, P S; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Edmonds, Y; Evans, P A; Fabiani, D; Farnier, C; Favuzzi, C; Finke, J; Fishman, G; Focke, W B; Frailis, M; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giebels, B; Giglietto, N; Giommi, P; Giordano, F; Glanzman, T; Godfrey, G; Goldstein, A; Granot, J; Greiner, J; Grenier, I A; Grondin, M-H; Grove, J E; Guillemot, L; Guiriec, S; Haller, G; Hanabata, Y; Harding, A K; Hayashida, M; Hays, E; Hernando Morat, J A; Hoover, A; Hughes, R E; Jóhannesson, G; Johnson, A S; Johnson, R P; Johnson, T J; Johnson, W N; Kamae, T; Katagiri, H; Kataoka, J; Kavelaars, A; Kawai, N; Kelly, H; Kennea, J; Kerr, M; Kippen, R M; Knödlseder, J; Kocevski, D; Kocian, M L; Komin, N; Kouveliotou, C; Kuehn, F; Kuss, M; Lande, J; Landriu, D; Larsson, S; Latronico, L; Lavalley, C; Lee, B; Lee, S-H; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Lichti, G G; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lott, B; Lovellette, M N; Lubrano, P; Madejski, G M; Makeev, A; Marangelli, B; Mazziotta, M N; McBreen, S; McEnery, J E; McGlynn, S; Meegan, C; Mészáros, P; Meurer, C; Michelson, P F; Minuti, M; Mirizzi, N; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Moiseev, A A; Monte, C; Monzani, M E; Moretti, E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, I V; Murgia, S; Nakamori, T; Nelson, D; Nolan, P L; Norris, J P; Nuss, E; Ohno, M; Ohsugi, T; Okumura, A; Omodei, N; Orlando, E; Ormes, J F; Ozaki, M; Paciesas, W S; Paneque, D; Panetta, J H; Parent, D; Pelassa, V; Pepe, M; Perri, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Petrosian, V; Pinchera, M; Piron, F; Porter, T A; Preece, R; Rainò, S; Ramirez-Ruiz, E; Rando, R; Rapposelli, E; Razzano, M; Razzaque, S; Rea, N; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, T; Reyes, L C; Ritz, S; Rochester, L S; Rodriguez, A Y; Roth, M; Ryde, F; Sadrozinski, H F-W; Sanchez, D; Sander, A; Saz Parkinson, P M; Scargle, J D; Schalk, T L; Segal, K N; Sgrò, C; Shimokawabe, T; Siskind, E J; Smith, D A; Smith, P D; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Stamatikos, M; Starck, J-L; Stecker, F W; Steinle, H; Stephens, T E; Strickman, M S; Suson, D J; Tagliaferri, G; Tajima, H; Takahashi, H; Takahashi, T; Tanaka, T; Tenze, A; Thayer, J B; Thayer, J G; Thompson, D J; Tibaldo, L; Torres, D F; Tosti, G; Tramacere, A; Turri, M; Tuvi, S; Usher, T L; van der Horst, A J; Vigiani, L; Vilchez, N; Vitale, V; von Kienlin, A; Waite, A P; Williams, D A; Wilson-Hodge, C; Winer, B L; Wood, K S; Wu, X F; Yamazaki, R; Ylinen, T; Ziegler, M

2009-03-27

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are highly energetic explosions signaling the death of massive stars in distant galaxies. The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi Observatory together record GRBs over a broad energy range spanning about 7 decades of gammaray energy. In September 2008, Fermi observed the exceptionally luminous GRB 080916C, with the largest apparent energy release yet measured. The high-energy gamma rays are observed to start later and persist longer than the lower energy photons. A simple spectral form fits the entire GRB spectrum, providing strong constraints on emission models. The known distance of the burst enables placing lower limits on the bulk Lorentz factor of the outflow and on the quantum gravity mass.

Fermi Observations of high-energy gamma-ray emissions from GRB 080916C

CERN Document Server

Abdo, A A; Arimoto, M; Asano, K; Atwood, W B; Axelsson, M; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Band, D L; Barbiellini, Guido; Baring, Matthew G; Bastieri, Denis; Battelino, M; Baughman, B M; Bechtol, K; Bellardi, F; Bellazzini, R; Berenji, B; Bhat, P N; Bissaldi, E; Blandford, R D; Bloom, Elliott D; Bogaert, G; Bogart, J R; Bonamente, E; Bonnell, J; Borgland, A W; Bouvier, A; Bregeon, J; Brez, A; Briggs, M S; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Burnett, Thompson H; Burrows, David N; Busetto, Giovanni; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Caraveo, P A; Casandjian, J M; Ceccanti, M; Cecchi, C; Celotti, Annalisa; Charles, E; Chekhtman, A; Cheung, C.C.Teddy; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cohen-Tanugi, Johann; Cominsky, Lynn R; Connaughton, V; Conrad, J; Costamante, L; Cutini, S; DeKlotz, M; Dermer, C D; De Angelis, Alessandro; de Palma, F; Digel, S W; Dingus, B L; do Couto e Silva, Eduardo; Drell, P S; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Edmonds, Y; Evans, P A; Fabiani, D; Farnier, C; Favuzzi, C; Finke, Justin D; Fishman, G; Focke, W B; Frailis, M; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giebels, B; Giglietto, N; Giommi, P; Giordano, F; Glanzman, Thomas Lynn; Godfrey, Gary L; Goldstein, A; Granot, J; Greiner, J; Grenier, I A; Grondin, M H; Grove, J.Eric; Guillemot, L; Guiriec, S; Haller, G; Hanabata, Y; Harding, Alice K; Hayashida, M; Hays, Elizabeth A; Hernando Morata, J A; Hoover, A; Hughes, R E; Johannesson, G; Johnson, A S; Johnson, R P; Johnson, T J; Johnson, W N; Kamae, Tsuneyoshi; Katagiri, H; Kataoka, J; Kavelaars, A; Kawai, N; Kelly, H; Kennea, J; Kerr, M; Kippen, R M; Knodlseder, J; Kocevski, D; Kocian, M L; Komin, N; Kouveliotou, C; Kuehn, Frederick Gabriel Ivar; Kuss, Michael; Lande, J; Landriu, D; Larsson, S; Latronico, L; Lavalley, C; Lee, B; Lee, S H; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Lichti, G G; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lott, B; Lovellette, M N; Lubrano, Pasquale; Madejski, G M; Makeev, A; Marangelli, B; Mazziotta, M N; McBreen, Sheila; McEnery, J E; McGlynn, S; Meegan, C; Miszaros, P; Meurer, C; Michelson, P F; Minuti, M; Mirizzi, N; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Moiseev, A A; Monte, C; Monzani, M E; Moretti, E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, Igor Vladimirovich; Murgia, Simona; Nakamori, T; Nelson, D; Nolan, P L; Norris, J P; Nuss, E; Ohno, M; Ohsugi, Takashi; Okumura, Akira; Omodei, N; Orlando, E; Ormes, J F; Ozaki, M; Paciesas, W S; Paneque, D; Panetta, J H; Parent, D; Pelassa, V; Pepe, M; Perri, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Petrosian, Vahe; Pinchera, M; Piron, F; Porter, Troy A; Preece, R; Rainr, S; Ramirez-Ruiz, E; Rando, R; Rapposelli, E; Razzano, M; Razzaque, Soebur; Rea, N; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, Thierry; Reyes, Luis C; Ritz, S; Rochester, L S; Rodriguez, A Y; Roth, M; Ryde, F; Sadrozinski, H F W; Sanchez, D; Sander, A; Parkinson, P.M.Saz; Scargle, J D; Schalk, T L; Segal, K N; Sgro, C; Shimokawabe, T; Siskind, E J; Smith, D A; Smith, P D; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Stamatikos, M; Starck, Jean-Luc; Stecker, Floyd William; Steinle, H; Stephens, T E; Strickman, M S; Suson, Daniel J; Tagliaferri, G.; Tajima, Hiroyasu; Takahashi, H; Takahashi, T; Tanaka, T; Tenze, A; Thayer, J B; Thayer, J G; Thompson, D J; Tibaldo, L; Torres, Diego F; Tosti, G; Tramacere, A; Turri, M; Tuvi, S; Usher, T L; van der Horst, A J; Vigiani, L; Vilchez, N; Vitale, V; von Kienlin, A; Waite, A P; Williams, D A; Wilson-Hodge, C; Winer, B L; Wood, K S; Wu, X F; Yamazaki, R; Ylinen, T; Ziegler, M

2009-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are highly energetic explosions signaling the death of massive stars in distant galaxies. The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi Observatory together record GRBs over a broad energy range spanning about 7 decades of gammaray energy. In September 2008, Fermi observed the exceptionally luminous GRB 080916C, with the largest apparent energy release yet measured. The high-energy gamma rays are observed to start later and persist longer than the lower energy photons. A simple spectral form fits the entire GRB spectrum, providing strong constraints on emission models. The known distance of the burst enables placing lower limits on the bulk Lorentz factor of the outflow and on the quantum gravity mass.

Gamma-ray relative energy response of Ce: YAG crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jianhua; Zhang Chuanfei; Hu Mengchun; Peng Taiping; Wang Zhentong; Tang Dengpan; Zhao Guangjun

2010-01-01

Gamma-ray relative energy response of Ce: YAG crystal, which is important for pulsed γ-ray measurement, was studied in this work.The Ce: YAG crystal, which was developed at Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was aligned point by point with γ-rays scattered from an industrial 60 Co line source. The γ-ray relative energy response was calculated using the mass attenuation coefficient. The results show that the numerical calculation method of γ-ray relative energy response is reliable, and the experimental method with multi-energy point γ-ray by Compton scattering is also feasible, that can be used for checking up correctness of the numerical calculation results. (authors)

Gamma-ray spectrometer system with high efficiency and high resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moss, C.E.; Bernard, W.; Dowdy, E.J.; Garcia, C.; Lucas, M.C.; Pratt, J.C.

1983-01-01

Our gamma-ray spectrometer system, designed for field use, offers high efficiency and high resolution for safeguards applications. The system consists of three 40% high-purity germanium detectors and a LeCroy 3500 data acquisition system that calculates a composite spectrum for the three detectors. The LeCroy 3500 mainframe can be operated remotely from the detector array with control exercised through modems and the telephone system. System performance with a mixed source of 125 Sb, 154 Eu, and 155 Eu confirms the expected efficiency of 120% with the overall resolution showing little degradation over that of the worst detector

The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor Instrument

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhat, P. N.; Briggs, M. S.; Connaughton, V.; Paciesas, W. S.; Preece, R. D.; Meegan, C. A.; Lichti, G. G.; Diehl, R.; Greiner, J.; Kienlin, A. von; Fishman, G. J.; Kouveliotou, C.; Kippen, R. M.

2009-01-01

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope launched on June 11, 2008 carries two experiments onboard--the Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). The primary mission of the GBM instrument is to support the LAT in observing γ-ray bursts (GRBs) by providing low-energy measurements with high temporal and spectral resolution as well as rapid burst locations over a large field-of-view (≥8 sr). The GBM will complement the LAT measurements by observing GRBs in the energy range 8 keV to 40 MeV, the region of the spectral turnover in most GRBs. The GBM detector signals are processed by the onboard digital processing unit (DPU). We describe some of the hardware features of the DPU and its expected limitations during intense triggers.

High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy at high count rates with a prototype High Purity Germanium detector

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, R. J.; Amman, M.; Vetter, K.

2018-04-01

High-resolution gamma-ray spectrometers are required for applications in nuclear safeguards, emergency response, and fundamental nuclear physics. To overcome one of the shortcomings of conventional High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors, we have developed a prototype device capable of achieving high event throughput and high energy resolution at very high count rates. This device, the design of which we have previously reported on, features a planar HPGe crystal with a reduced-capacitance strip electrode geometry. This design is intended to provide good energy resolution at the short shaping or digital filter times that are required for high rate operation and which are enabled by the fast charge collection afforded by the planar geometry crystal. In this work, we report on the initial performance of the system at count rates up to and including two million counts per second.

Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) Observed with the Fermi-Gamma-ray Burst Monitor: Temporal and Spectral Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, G. J.; Briggs, M. S.; Connaughton, W.; Wilson-Hodge, C.; Bhat, P. N.

2010-01-01

The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope Observatory (Fermi) was detecting 2.1 TGFs per week. This rate has increased by a factor of 8 since new flight software was uploaded to the spacecraft in November 2009 in order to increase the sensitivity of GBM to TGFs. Further upgrades to Fermi-GBM to allow observations of weaker TGFs are in progress. The high time resolution (2 s) allows temporal features to be resolved so that some insight may be gained on the origin and transport of the gamma-ray photons through the atmosphere. The absolute time of the TGFs, known to several microseconds, also allows accurate correlations of TGFs with lightning networks and other lightning-related phenomena. The thick bismuth germanate (BGO) scintillation detectors of the GBM system have observed photon energies from TGFs at energies above 40 MeV. New results on the some temporal aspects of TGFs will be presented along with spectral characteristics and properties of several electron-positron TGF events that have been identified.

Nuclear Forensics using Gamma-ray Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norman E. B.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Much of George Dracoulis’s research career was devoted to utilising gamma-ray spectroscopy in fundamental studies in nuclear physics. This same technology is useful in a wide range of applications in the area of nuclear forensics. Over the last several years, our research group has made use of both high- and low-resolution gamma-ray spectrometers to: identify the first sample of plutonium large enough to be weighed; determine the yield of the Trinity nuclear explosion; measure fission fragment yields as a function of target nucleus and neutron energy; and observe fallout in the U. S. from the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident.

CsI(Tl)-photodiode detectors for gamma-ray spectroscopy

CERN Document Server

Fioretto, E; Viesti, G; Cinausero, M; Zuin, L; Fabris, D; Lunardon, M; Nebbia, G; Prete, G

2000-01-01

We report on the performances of CsI(Tl)-photodiode detectors for gamma-ray spectroscopy applications. Light output yield and energy resolution have been measured for different crystals and read-out configurations.

Characterization of high density SiPM non-linearity and energy resolution for prompt gamma imaging applications

Science.gov (United States)

Regazzoni, V.; Acerbi, F.; Cozzi, G.; Ferri, A.; Fiorini, C.; Paternoster, G.; Piemonte, C.; Rucatti, D.; Zappalà, G.; Zorzi, N.; Gola, A.

2017-07-01

Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) (Trento, Italy) has recently introduced High Density (HD) and Ultra High-Density (UHD) SiPMs, featuring very small micro-cell pitch. The high cell density is a very important factor to improve the linearity of the SiPM in high-dynamic-range applications, such as the scintillation light readout in high-energy gamma-ray spectroscopy and in prompt gamma imaging for proton therapy. The energy resolution at high energies is a trade-off between the excess noise factor caused by the non-linearity of the SiPM and the photon detection efficiency of the detector. To study these effects, we developed a new setup that simulates the LYSO light emission in response to gamma photons up to 30 MeV, using a pulsed light source. We measured the non-linearity and energy resolution vs. energy of the FBK RGB-HD e RGB-UHD SiPM technologies. We considered five different cell sizes, ranging from 10 μm up to 25 μm. With the UHD technology we were able to observe a remarkable reduction of the SiPM non-linearity, less than 5% at 5 MeV with 10 μm cells, which should be compared to a non-linearity of 50% with 25 μm-cell HD-SiPMs. With the same setup, we also measured the different components of the energy resolution (intrinsic, statistical, detector and electronic noise) vs. cell size, over-voltage and energy and we separated the different sources of excess noise factor.

Gamma-Ray Emission from Galaxy Clusters : DARK MATTER AND COSMIC-RAYS

Science.gov (United States)

Pinzke, Anders

The quest for the first detection of a galaxy cluster in the high energy gamma-ray regime is ongoing, and even though clusters are observed in several other wave-bands, there is still no firm detection in gamma-rays. To complement the observational efforts we estimate the gamma-ray contributions from both annihilating dark matter and cosmic-ray (CR) proton as well as CR electron induced emission. Using high-resolution simulations of galaxy clusters, we find a universal concave shaped CR proton spectrum independent of the simulated galaxy cluster. Specifically, the gamma-ray spectra from decaying neutral pions, which are produced by CR protons, dominate the cluster emission. Furthermore, based on our derived flux and luminosity functions, we identify the galaxy clusters with the brightest galaxy clusters in gamma-rays. While this emission is challenging to detect using the Fermi satellite, major observations with Cherenkov telescopes in the near future may put important constraints on the CR physics in clusters. To extend these predictions, we use a dark matter model that fits the recent electron and positron data from Fermi, PAMELA, and H.E.S.S. with remarkable precision, and make predictions about the expected gamma-ray flux from nearby clusters. In order to remain consistent with the EGRET upper limit on the gamma-ray emission from Virgo, we constrain the minimum mass of substructures for cold dark matter halos. In addition, we find comparable levels of gamma-ray emission from CR interactions and dark matter annihilations without Sommerfeld enhancement.

Recent improvements in plutonium gamma-ray analysis using MGA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruhter, W.D.; Gunnink, R.

1992-06-01

MGA is a gamma-ray spectrum analysis program for determining relative plutonium isotopic abundances. It can determine plutonium isotopic abundances better than 1% using a high-resolution, low-energy, planar germanium detector and measurement times ten minutes or less. We have modified MGA to allow determination of absolute plutonium isotopic abundances in solutions. With calibration of a detector using a known solution concentration in a well-defined sample geometry, plutonium solution concentrations can be determined. MGA can include analysis of a second spectrum of the high-energy spectrum to include determination of fission product abundances relative to total plutonium. For the high-energy gamma-ray measurements we have devised a new hardware configuration, so that both the low- and high-energy gamma-ray detectors are mounted in a single cryostat thereby reducing weight and volume of the detector systems. We describe the detector configuration, and the performance of the MGA program for determining plutonium concentrations in solutions and fission product abundances

A micro-machined retro-reflector for improving light yield in ultra-high-resolution gamma cameras

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heemskerk, J.W.T.; Korevaar, M.A.N.; Kreuger, R.; Ligtvoet, C.M.; Schotanus, P.; Beekman, F.J.

2009-01-01

High-resolution imaging of x-ray and gamma-ray distributions can be achieved with cameras that use charge coupled devices (CCDs) for detecting scintillation light flashes. The energy and interaction position of individual gamma photons can be determined by rapid processing of CCD images of

Large-area atmospheric Cherenkov detectors for high-energy gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ong, R.A.

1996-01-01

This paper describes the development of new ground-based gamma-ray detectors to explore the energy region between 20 and 200 GeV. This region in energy is interesting because it is currently unexplored by any experiment. The proposed detectors use the atmospheric Cherenkov technique, in which Cherenkov radiation produced in the gamma-ray air showers is detected using mirrors and light-sensitive devices. The important feature of the proposed experiments is the use of large mirror collection areas, which should allow for a significant improvement (i.e. reduction) in energy threshold over existing experiments. Large mirror areas are available for relatively low cost at central tower solar power plants, and there are two groups developing gamma-ray experiments using solar heliostat arrays. This paper summarizes the progress in the design of experiments using this novel approach

High-energy Emission from Nonrelativistic Radiative Shocks: Application to Gamma-Ray Novae

Science.gov (United States)

Vurm, Indrek; Metzger, Brian D.

2018-01-01

The observation of GeV gamma-rays from novae by Fermi/LAT demonstrates that the nonrelativistic radiative shocks in these systems can accelerate particles to energies of at least ∼10 GeV. The low-energy extension of the same nonthermal particle distribution inevitably gives rise to emission in the hard X-ray band. Above ≳ 10 {keV}, this radiation can escape the system without significant absorption/attenuation, and can potentially be detected by NuSTAR. We present theoretical models for hard X-ray and gamma-ray emission from radiative shocks in both leptonic and hadronic scenarios, accounting for the rapid evolution of the downstream properties due to the fast cooling of thermal plasma. We find that due to strong Coulomb losses, only a fraction of {10}-4{--}{10}-3 of the gamma-ray luminosity is radiated in the NuSTAR band; nevertheless, this emission could be detectable simultaneously with the LAT emission in bright gamma-ray novae with a ∼50 ks exposure. The spectral slope in hard X-rays is α ≈ 0 for typical nova parameters, thus serving as a testable prediction of the model. Our work demonstrates how combined hard X-ray and gamma-ray observations can be used to constrain properties of the nova outflow (velocity, density, and mass outflow rate) and particle acceleration at the shock. A very low X-ray to gamma-ray luminosity ratio ({L}{{X}}/{L}γ ≲ 5× {10}-4) would disfavor leptonic models for the gamma-ray emission. Our model can also be applied to other astrophysical environments with radiative shocks, including SNe IIn and colliding winds in massive star binaries.

High-resolution gamma-ray measurement systems using a compact electro- mechanically cooled detector system and intelligent software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buckley, W.M.; Carlson, J.B.; Neufeld, K.W.

1995-01-01

Obtaining high-resolution gamma-ray measurements using high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors in the field has been of limited practicality due to the need to use and maintain a supply of liquid nitrogen (LN 2 ). This same constraint limits high-resolution gamma measurements in unattended safeguards or treaty Verification applications. We are developing detectors and software to greatly extend the applicability of high-resolution germanium-based measurements for these situations

Preliminary evaluation of a novel energy-resolved photon-counting gamma ray detector.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, L-J; Tan, J W; Spartiotis, K; Schulman, T

2009-06-11

In this paper, we present the design and preliminary performance evaluation of a novel energy-resolved photon-counting (ERPC) detector for gamma ray imaging applications. The prototype ERPC detector has an active area of 4.4 cm × 4.4 cm, which is pixelated into 128 × 128 square pixels with a pitch size of 350 µm × 350µm. The current detector consists of multiple detector hybrids, each with a CdTe crystal of 1.1 cm × 2.2 cm × 1 mm, bump-bonded onto a custom-designed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ERPC ASIC has 2048 readout channels arranged in a 32 × 64 array. Each channel is equipped with pre- and shaping-amplifiers, a discriminator, peak/hold circuitry and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for digitizing the signal amplitude. In order to compensate for the pixel-to-pixel variation, two 8-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are implemented into each channel for tuning the gain and offset. The ERPC detector is designed to offer a high spatial resolution, a wide dynamic range of 12-200 keV and a good energy resolution of 3-4 keV. The hybrid detector configuration provides a flexible detection area that can be easily tailored for different imaging applications. The intrinsic performance of a prototype ERPC detector was evaluated with various gamma ray sources, and the results are presented.

High energy radiation from black holes gamma rays, cosmic rays, and neutrinos

CERN Document Server

Dermer, Charles D

2009-01-01

Bright gamma-ray flares observed from sources far beyond our Milky Way Galaxy are best explained if enormous amounts of energy are liberated by black holes. The highest- energy particles in nature--the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays--cannot be confined by the Milky Way's magnetic field, and must originate from sources outside our Galaxy. Understanding these energetic radiations requires an extensive theoretical framework involving the radiation physics and strong-field gravity of black holes. In High Energy Radiation from Black Holes, Charles Dermer and Govind Menon present a systemat

VERY HIGH ENERGY OBSERVATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS WITH STACEE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarvis, A.; Ong, R. A.; Ball, J.; Carson, J. E.; Zweerink, J.; Williams, D. A.; Aune, T.; Covault, C. E.; Driscoll, D. D.; Fortin, P.; Mukherjee, R.; Gingrich, D. M.; Hanna, D. S.; Kildea, J.; Lindner, T.; Mueller, C.; Ragan, K.

2010-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions known in the universe. Sensitive measurements of the high-energy spectra of GRBs can place important constraints on the burst environments and radiation processes. Until recently, there were no observations during the first few minutes of GRB afterglows in the energy range between 30 GeV and ∼1 TeV. With the launch of the Swift GRB Explorer in late 2004, GRB alerts and localizations within seconds of the bursts became available. The Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) was a ground-based, gamma-ray telescope with an energy threshold of ∼150 GeV for sources at zenith. At the time of Swift's launch, STACEE was in a rare position to provide >150 GeV follow-up observations of GRBs as fast as three minutes after the burst alert. In addition, STACEE performed follow-up observations of several GRBs that were localized by the HETE-2 and INTEGRAL satellites. Between 2002 June and 2007 July, STACEE made follow-up observations of 23 GRBs. Upper limits are placed on the high-energy gamma-ray fluxes from 21 of these bursts.

High-energy gamma-ray astronomy and the COS-B mission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wills, R.D.

1977-01-01

The most significant results in gamma-ray astronomy have been produced by satellite- and balloon-borne instruments sensitive in the range 30 MeV to approximately 10 GeV. The COS-B instrument which is described is typical of this type of detector. For this reason the review of gamma-ray production mechanisms gives greater attention to those processes which are specifically important in that energy range. (orig.) [de

Highlights of GeV Gamma-Ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, David J.

2010-01-01

Because high-energy gamma rays are primarily produced by high-energy particle interactions, the gamma-ray survey of the sky by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope offers a view of sites of cosmic ray production and interactions. Gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, pulsar wind nebulae, binary sources, and Active Galactic Nuclei are all phenomena that reveal particle acceleration through their gamma-ray emission. Diffuse Galactic gamma radiation, Solar System gamma-ray sources, and energetic radiation from supernova remnants are likely tracers of high-energy particle interactions with matter and photon fields. This paper will present a broad overview of the constantly changing sky seen with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi spacecraft.

High resolution gamma-ray spectrometry of culverts containing transuranic waste at the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofstetter, K.J.; Sigg, R.

1990-01-01

A number of concrete culverts used to retrievably store drummed, dry, radioactive waste at the Savannah River Site (SRS), were suspected of containing ambiguous quantities of transuranic (TRU) nuclides. These culverts were assayed in place for Pu-239 content using thermal and fast neutron counting techniques. High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy on 17 culverts, having neutron emission rates several times higher than expected, showed characteristic gamma-ray signatures of neutron emitters other than Pu-239 (e.g., Pu-238, Pu/Be, or Am/Be neutron sources). This study confirmed the Pu-239 content of the culverts with anomalous neutron rates and established limits on the Pu-239 mass in each of the 17 suspect culverts by in-field, non-intrusive gamma-ray measurements

The effect of energy peak drift on the calibration of a high resolution gamma-ray soil density gauge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henshall, J.K.

1994-01-01

High spatial resolution is obtained from a gamma-ray transmission density gauge by restricting the measured counts to a narrow band of the energy spectrum, close to the emission energy peak. The effect on measurement accuracy of any movement of this measurement window relative to the energy peak was investigated. The findings were related to anticipated energy peak movements in a proposed LED-based gain-stabilization system. Movements of the energy peaks during recording of unstabilized spectra prevented direct comparisons of spectra at different positions. A simulation procedure was, therefore, developed in which movements of the measurement window relative to sets of stable calibration spectra were examined. When analysing spectra, recorded using a gauge with a different gain-stabilization system, accuracy was found to be unaffected by simulated peak movements of up to 0.03 MeV in the direction of increasing energy. However, movements of stabilized spectra in the direction of decreasing energy, and of unstabilized spectra in either direction, increased measurement errors to twice the level of inherent measurement errors within 0.02 MeV, with errors in bulk density of up to 0.7 Mg m −3 for movements of 0.1 MeV. The spectra of the new LED-based stabilization system are expected to behave in a manner similar to the unstabilized system, therefore requiring regular monitoring of the peak position. (author)

Miniature gamma-ray camera for tumor localization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, J.C.; Olsen, R.W.; James, R.B.; Cross, E.

1997-08-01

The overall goal of this LDRD project was to develop technology for a miniature gamma-ray camera for use in nuclear medicine. The camera will meet a need of the medical community for an improved means to image radio-pharmaceuticals in the body. In addition, this technology-with only slight modifications-should prove useful in applications requiring the monitoring and verification of special nuclear materials (SNMs). Utilization of the good energy resolution of mercuric iodide and cadmium zinc telluride detectors provides a means for rejecting scattered gamma-rays and improving the isotopic selectivity in gamma-ray images. The first year of this project involved fabrication and testing of a monolithic mercuric iodide and cadmium zinc telluride detector arrays and appropriate collimators/apertures. The second year of the program involved integration of the front-end detector module, pulse processing electronics, computer, software, and display

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS)-Simulation Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, G.; Buckley, J.; Bugaev, V.; Fegan, S.; Funk, S.; Konopelko, A.; Vassiliev, V. V.

2008-12-01

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS) is a US-led concept for a next-generation instrument in ground-based very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. The most important design requirement for AGIS is a sensitivity of about 10 times greater than current observatories like Veritas, H.E.S.S or MAGIC. We present results of simulation studies of various possible designs for AGIS. The primary characteristics of the array performance, collecting area, angular resolution, background rejection, and sensitivity are discussed.

Rapid non-destructive quantitative estimation of urania/ thoria in mixed thorium uranium di-oxide pellets by high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shriwastwa, B.B.; Kumar, Anil; Raghunath, B.; Nair, M.R.; Abani, M.C.; Ramachandran, R.; Majumdar, S.; Ghosh, J.K

2001-06-01

A non-destructive technique using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry has been standardised for quantitative estimation of uranium/thorium in mixed (ThO{sub 2}-UO{sub 2}) fuel pellets of varying composition. Four gamma energies were selected; two each from the uranium and thorium series and the time of counting has been optimised. This technique can be used for rapid estimation of U/Th percentage in a large number of mixed fuel pellets from a production campaign.

Rapid non-destructive quantitative estimation of urania/ thoria in mixed thorium uranium di-oxide pellets by high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shriwastwa, B.B.; Kumar, Anil; Raghunath, B.; Nair, M.R.; Abani, M.C.; Ramachandran, R.; Majumdar, S.; Ghosh, J.K.

2001-01-01

A non-destructive technique using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry has been standardised for quantitative estimation of uranium/thorium in mixed (ThO 2 -UO 2 ) fuel pellets of varying composition. Four gamma energies were selected; two each from the uranium and thorium series and the time of counting has been optimised. This technique can be used for rapid estimation of U/Th percentage in a large number of mixed fuel pellets from a production campaign

Coakial gamma ray detector and method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harchol, M.

1977-01-01

A coaxial gamma ray detector is fabricated using intrinsic Ge semiconductor material in a geometry whereby full depletion of electrical carriers is prevented within a small region proximate the point of electrical contact thereby allowing greater biasing potentials across the detector and, consequently, providing reduced electronic noise and increased energy resolution

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS): Galactic Astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Digel, Seth William; Funk, S.; Kaaret, P. E.; Tajima, H.; AGIS Collaboration

2010-03-01

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS), a concept for a next-generation atmospheric Cherenkov telescope array, would provide unprecedented sensitivity and resolution in the energy range >50 GeV, allowing great advances in the understanding of the populations and physics of sources of high-energy gamma rays in the Milky Way. Extrapolation based on the known source classes and the performance parameters for AGIS indicates that a survey of the Galactic plane with AGIS will reveal hundreds of TeV sources in exquisite detail, for population studies of a variety of source classes, and detailed studies of individual sources. AGIS will be able to study propagation effects on the cosmic rays produced by Galactic sources by detecting the diffuse glow from their interactions in dense interstellar gas. AGIS will complement and extend results now being obtained in the GeV range with the Fermi mission, by providing superior angular resolution and sensitivity to variability on short time scales, and of course by probing energies that Fermi cannot reach.

Plutonium isotopic measurements by gamma-ray spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, F.X.; Lemming, J.F.

1976-01-01

A nondestructive technique is described for calculating plutonium-238, plutonium-240, plutonium-241 and americium-241 relative to plutonium-239 from measured peak areas in the high resolution gamma-ray spectra of solid plutonium samples. Gamma-ray attenuation effects were minimized by selecting sets of neighboring peaks in the spectrum whose components are due to the different isotopes. Since the detector efficiencies are approximately the same for adjacent peaks, the accuracy of the isotopic ratios is dependent on the half-lives, branching intensities, and measured peak areas. The data presented describe the results obtained by analyzing gamma-ray spectra in the energy region from 120 to 700 keV. Most of the data analyzed were obtained from plutonium material containing 6 percent plutonium-240. Sample weights varied from 0.25 g to approximately 1.2 kg. The methods were also applied to plutonium samples containing up to 23 percent plutonium-240 with weights of 0.25 to 200 g. Results obtained by gamma-ray spectroscopy are compared to chemical analyses of aliquots taken from the bulk samples

Approach of the estimation for the highest energy of the gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumitrescu, Gheorghe

2004-01-01

In the last decade there was under debate the issue concerning the composition of the ultra high energy cosmic rays and some authors suggested that the light composition seems to be a relating issue. There was another debate concerning the limit of the energy of gamma rays. The bottom-up approaches suggest a limit at 10 15 eV. Some top-down approaches rise this limit at about 10 20 eV or above. The present paper provides an approach to estimate the limit of the energy of gamma rays using the recent paper of Claus W. Turtur. (author)

Gamma-ray detectors for intelligent, hand-held radiation monitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fehlau, P.E.

1983-01-01

Small radiation detectors based on HgI 2 , bismuth germanate (BGO), plastic, or NaI(Tl) detector materials were evaluated for use in small, lighweight radiation monitors. The two denser materials, HgI 2 and BGO, had poor resolution at low-energy and thus performed less well than NaI(Tl) in detecting low-energy gamma rays from bare, enriched uranium. The plastic scintillator, a Compton recoil detector, also performed less well at low gamma-ray energy. Two small NaI(Tl) detectors were suitable for detecting bare uranium and sheilded plutonium. One became part of a new lightweight hand-held monitor and the other found uses as a pole-mounted detector for monitoring hard-to-reach locations

Gamma-ray Output Spectra from 239 Pu Fission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullmann, John

2015-01-01

Gamma-ray multiplicities, individual gamma-ray energy spectra, and total gamma energy spectra following neutron-induced fission of 239 Pu were measured using the DANCE detector at Los Alamos. Corrections for detector response were made using a forward-modeling technique based on propagating sets of gamma rays generated from a paramaterized model through a GEANT model of the DANCE array and adjusting the parameters for best fit to the measured spectra. The results for the gamma-ray spectrum and multiplicity are in general agreement with previous results, but the measured total gamma-ray energy is about 10% higher. A dependence of the gamma-ray spectrum on the gamma-ray multplicity was also observed. Global model calculations of the multiplicity and gamma energy distributions are in good agreement with the data, but predict a slightly softer total-energy distribution

CAN ULTRAHIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS COME FROM GAMMA-RAY BURSTS? COSMIC RAYS BELOW THE ANKLE AND GALACTIC GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eichler, David; Pohl, Martin

2011-01-01

The maximum cosmic-ray energy achievable by acceleration by a relativistic blast wave is derived. It is shown that forward shocks from long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in the interstellar medium accelerate protons to large enough energies, and have a sufficient energy budget, to produce the Galactic cosmic-ray component just below the ankle at 4 x 10 18 eV, as per an earlier suggestion. It is further argued that, were extragalactic long GRBs responsible for the component above the ankle as well, the occasional Galactic GRB within the solar circle would contribute more than the observational limits on the outward flux from the solar circle, unless an avoidance scenario, such as intermittency and/or beaming, allows the present-day local flux to be less than 10 -3 of the average. Difficulties with these avoidance scenarios are noted.

NEUTRINO EMISSION FROM HIGH-ENERGY COMPONENT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, Julia K.; Olivo, Martino; Halzen, Francis; O Murchadha, Aongus

2010-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have the potential to produce the particle energies (up to 10 21 eV) and energy budget (10 44 erg yr -1 Mpc -3 ) to accommodate the spectrum of the highest energy cosmic rays; on the other hand, there is no observational evidence that they accelerate hadrons. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope recently observed two bursts that exhibit a power-law high-energy extension of a typical (Band) photon spectrum that extends to ∼30 GeV. On the basis of fireball phenomenology we argue that these two bursts, along with GRB941017 observed by EGRET in 1994, show indirect evidence for considerable baryon loading. Since the detection of neutrinos is the only unambiguous way to establish that GRBs accelerate protons, we use two methods to estimate the neutrino flux produced when they interact with fireball photons to produce charged pions and neutrinos. While the number of events expected from the two Fermi bursts discussed is small, should GRBs be the sources of the observed cosmic rays, a GRB941017-like event that has a hadronic power-law tail extending to several tens of GeV will be detected by the IceCube neutrino telescope.

H.E.S.S. observations of RX J1713.7-3946 with improved angular and spectral resolution: Evidence for gamma-ray emission extending beyond the X-ray emitting shell

Science.gov (United States)

H. E. S. S. Collaboration; Abdalla, H.; Abramowski, A.; Aharonian, F.; Benkhali, F. Ait; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Andersson, T.; Angüner, E. O.; Arrieta, M.; Aubert, P.; Backes, M.; Balzer, A.; Barnard, M.; Becherini, Y.; Tjus, J. Becker; Berge, D.; Bernhard, S.; Bernlöhr, K.; Blackwell, R.; Böttcher, M.; Boisson, C.; Bolmont, J.; Bordas, P.; Bregeon, J.; Brun, F.; Brun, P.; Bryan, M.; Bulik, T.; Capasso, M.; Carr, J.; Casanova, S.; Cerruti, M.; Chakraborty, N.; Chalme-Calvet, R.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Chen, A.; Chevalier, J.; Chrétien, M.; Colafrancesco, S.; Cologna, G.; Condon, B.; Conrad, J.; Cui, Y.; Davids, I. D.; Decock, J.; Degrange, B.; Deil, C.; Devin, J.; deWilt, P.; Dirson, L.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Domainko, W.; Donath, A.; Drury, L. O.'C.; Dubus, G.; Dutson, K.; Dyks, J.; Edwards, T.; Egberts, K.; Eger, P.; Ernenwein, J.-P.; Eschbach, S.; Farnier, C.; Fegan, S.; Fernandes, M. V.; Fiasson, A.; Fontaine, G.; Förster, A.; Fukuyama, T.; Funk, S.; Füßling, M.; Gabici, S.; Gajdus, M.; Gallant, Y. A.; Garrigoux, T.; Giavitto, G.; Giebels, B.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Gottschall, D.; Goyal, A.; Grondin, M.-H.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, J.; Haupt, M.; Hawkes, J.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hervet, O.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Hoischen, C.; Holler, M.; Horns, D.; Ivascenko, A.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jamrozy, M.; Janiak, M.; Jankowsky, D.; Jankowsky, F.; Jingo, M.; Jogler, T.; Jouvin, L.; Jung-Richardt, I.; Kastendieck, M. A.; Katarzyński, K.; Katz, U.; Kerszberg, D.; Khélifi, B.; Kieffer, M.; King, J.; Klepser, S.; Klochkov, D.; Kluźniak, W.; Kolitzus, D.; Komin, Nu.; Kosack, K.; Krakau, S.; Kraus, M.; Krayzel, F.; Krüger, P. P.; Laffon, H.; Lamanna, G.; Lau, J.; Lees, J.-P.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lefranc, V.; Lemière, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Lenain, J.-P.; Leser, E.; Lohse, T.; Lorentz, M.; Liu, R.; López-Coto, R.; Lypova, I.; Marandon, V.; Marcowith, A.; Mariaud, C.; Marx, R.; Maurin, G.; Maxted, N.; Mayer, M.; Meintjes, P. J.; Meyer, M.; Mitchell, A. M. W.; Moderski, R.; Mohamed, M.; Mohrmann, L.; Morå, K.; Moulin, E.; Murach, T.; Naurois, M. de; Niederwanger, F.; Niemiec, J.; Oakes, L.; O'Brien, P.; Odaka, H.; Öttl, S.; Ohm, S.; Ostrowski, M.; Oya, I.; Padovani, M.; Panter, M.; Parsons, R. D.; Pekeur, N. W.; Pelletier, G.; Perennes, C.; Petrucci, P.-O.; Peyaud, B.; Piel, Q.; Pita, S.; Poon, H.; Prokhorov, D.; Prokoph, H.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Quirrenbach, A.; Raab, S.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Renaud, M.; los Reyes, R. de; Rieger, F.; Romoli, C.; Rosier-Lees, S.; Rowell, G.; Rudak, B.; Rulten, C. B.; Sahakian, V.; Salek, D.; Sanchez, D. A.; Santangelo, A.; Sasaki, M.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schüssler, F.; Schulz, A.; Schwanke, U.; Schwemmer, S.; Settimo, M.; Seyffert, A. S.; Shafi, N.; Shilon, I.; Simoni, R.; Sol, H.; Spanier, F.; Spengler, G.; Spies, F.; Stawarz, Ł.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Stinzing, F.; Stycz, K.; Sushch, I.; Takahashi, T.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Tavernier, T.; Taylor, A. M.; Terrier, R.; Tibaldo, L.; Tiziani, D.; Tluczykont, M.; Trichard, C.; Tuffs, R.; Uchiyama, Y.; van der Walt, D. J.; Eldik, C. van; Rensburg, C. van; Soelen, B. van; Vasileiadis, G.; Veh, J.; Venter, C.; Viana, A.; Vincent, P.; Vink, J.; Voisin, F.; Völk, H. J.; Volpe, F.; Vuillaume, T.; Wadiasingh, Z.; Wagner, S. J.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, R. M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Willmann, P.; Wörnlein, A.; Wouters, D.; Yang, R.; Zabalza, V.; Zaborov, D.; Zacharias, M.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Zech, A.; Zefi, F.; Ziegler, A.; Żywucka, N.

2018-04-01

Supernova remnants exhibit shock fronts (shells) that can accelerate charged particles up to very high energies. In the past decade, measurements of a handful of shell-type supernova remnants in very high-energy gamma rays have provided unique insights into the acceleration process. Among those objects, RX J1713.7-3946 (also known as G347.3-0.5) has the largest surface brightness, allowing us in the past to perform the most comprehensive study of morphology and spatially resolved spectra of any such very high-energy gamma-ray source. Here we present extensive new H.E.S.S. measurements of RX J1713.7-3946, almost doubling the observation time compared to our previous publication. Combined with new improved analysis tools, the previous sensitivity is more than doubled. The H.E.S.S. angular resolution of 0.048° (0.036° above 2 TeV) is unprecedented in gamma-ray astronomy and probes physical scales of 0.8 (0.6) parsec at the remnant's location. The new H.E.S.S. image of RX J1713.7-3946 allows us to reveal clear morphological differences between X-rays and gamma rays. In particular, for the outer edge of the brightest shell region, we find the first ever indication for particles in the process of leaving the acceleration shock region. By studying the broadband energy spectrum, we furthermore extract properties of the parent particle populations, providing new input to the discussion of the leptonic or hadronic nature of the gamma-ray emission mechanism. All images (FITS files) are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/612/A6

Gamma-ray sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermsen, W.

1980-01-01

Results are presented from an analysis of the celestial gamma-ray fine-scale structure based on over half of the data which may ultimately be available from the COS-B satellite. A catalogue consisting of 25 gamma-ray sources measured at energies above 100 MeV is presented. (Auth.)

X-ray echoes from gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dermer, C.D.; Hurley, K.C.; Hartmann, D.H.

1991-01-01

The identification of an echo of reflected radiation in time histories of gamma-ray burst spectra can provide important information about the existence of binary companions or accretion disks in gamma-ray burst systems. Because of the nature of Compton scattering, the spectrum of the echo will be attenuated at gamma-ray energies compared with the spectrum of the primary burst emission. The expected temporal and spectral signatures of the echo and a search for such echoes are described, and implications for gamma-ray burst models are discussed. 35 refs

Relativistic motion in gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krolik, J.H.; Pier, E.A.

1991-01-01

Three fundamental problems affect models of gamma-ray bursts, i.e., the energy source, the ability of high-energy photons to escape the radiation region, and the comparative weakness of X-ray emission. It is indicated that relativistic bulk motion of the gamma-ray-emitting plasma generically provides a solution to all three of these problems. Results show that, if the plasma that produces gamma-ray bursts has a bulk relativistic velocity with Lorentz factor gamma of about 10, several of the most troubling problems having to do with gamma-ray bursts are solved. 42 refs

Search for very-high-energy emission from Gamma-ray Bursts using the first 18 months of data from the HAWC Gamma-ray Observatory

OpenAIRE

The HAWC collaboration; Alfaro, R.; Alvarez, C.; Álvarez, J. D.; Arceo, R.; Arteaga-Velázquez, J. C.; Rojas, D. Avila; Solares, H. A. Ayala; Barber, A. S.; Bautista-Elivar, N.; Becerril, A.; Belmont-Moreno, E.; BenZvi, S. Y.; Bernal, A.; Braun, J.

2017-01-01

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-ray Observatory is an extensive air shower detector operating in central Mexico, which has recently completed its first two years of full operations. If for a burst like GRB 130427A at a redshift of 0.34 and a high-energy component following a power law with index -1.66, the high-energy component is extended to higher energies with no cut-off other than from extragalactic background light attenuation, HAWC would observe gamma rays with a peak ene...

Angular resolution study of a combined gamma-neutron coded aperture imager for standoff detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayaz-Maierhafer, Birsen; Hayward, Jason P.; Ziock, Klaus P.; Blackston, Matthew A.; Fabris, Lorenzo

2013-01-01

Nuclear threat source observables at standoff distances of tens of meters from mCi class sources include both gamma-rays and neutrons. This work uses simulations to investigate the effects of the angular resolution of a mobile gamma-ray and neutron coded aperture imaging system upon orphan source detection significance and specificity. The design requires maintaining high sensitivity and specificity while keeping the system size as compact as possible to reduce weight, footprint, and cost. A mixture of inorganic and organic scintillators was considered in the detector plane for high sensitivity to both gamma-rays and fast neutrons. For gamma-rays (100 to 2500 keV) and fission spectrum neutrons, angular resolutions of 1–9° and radiation angles of incidence appropriate for mobile search were evaluated. Detection significance for gamma-rays considers those events that contribute to the photopeak of the image pixel corresponding the orphan source location. For detection of fission spectrum neutrons, energy depositions above a set pulse shape discrimination threshold were tallied. The results show that the expected detection significance for the system at an angular resolution of 1° is significantly lower compared to its detection significance an angular resolution of ∼3–4°. An angular resolution of ∼3–4° is recommended both for better detection significance and improved false alarm rate, considering that finer angular resolution does not result in improved background rejection when the coded aperture method is used. Instead, over-pixelating the search space may result in an unacceptably high false alarm rate

High-energy neutrinos from gamma ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dermer, Charles D.; Atoyan, Armen

2003-01-01

We treat high-energy neutrino production in gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Detailed calculations of photomeson neutrino production are presented for the collapsar model, where internal nonthermal synchrotron radiation is the primary target photon field, and the supranova model, where external pulsar-wind synchrotron radiation provides important additional target photons. Detection of > or approx. 10 TeV neutrinos from GRBs with Doppler factors > or approx. 200, inferred from γ-ray observations, would support the supranova model. Detection of or approx. 3x10 -4 erg cm -2 offer a realistic prospect for detection of ν μ

A Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Spectrum of 1ES 2344+514

OpenAIRE

Schroedter, M.; Badran, H. M.; Buckley, J. H.; Gordo, J. Bussons; Carter-Lewis, D. A.; Duke, C.; Fegan, D. J.; Fegan, S. F.; Finley, J. P.; Gillanders, G. H.; Grube, J.; Horan, D.; Kenny, G. E.; Kertzman, M.; Kosack, K.

2005-01-01

The BL Lacertae (BL Lac) object 1ES 2344+514 (1ES 2344), at a redshift of 0.044, was discovered as a source of very high energy (VHE) gamma rays by the Whipple Collaboration in 1995 \\citep{2344Catanese98}. This detection was recently confirmed by the HEGRA Collaboration \\citep{2344Hegra03}. As is typical for high-frequency peaked blazars, the VHE gamma-ray emission is highly variable. On the night of 20 December, 1995, a gamma-ray flare of 5.3-sigma significance was detected, the brightest ou...

Developments in mercuric iodide gamma ray imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patt, B E; Beyerle, A G; Dolin, R C; Ortale, C [EG and G Energy Measurements, Inc., Goleta, CA (USA). Santa Barbara Operations

1989-11-01

A mercuric iodide (HgI{sub 2}) gamma ray imaging array and camera system previously described have been characterized for spatial and energy resolution. Based on these data a new camera is being developed to more fully exploit the potential of the array. Characterization results and design criteria for the new camera will be presented. (orig.).

Absolute peak detection efficiencies of a Ge(Li) detector for high gamma-ray energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katagiri, Masaki

1985-11-01

Absolute peak detection efficiencies of a Ge(Li) detector for gamma-rays of 3.5 MeV to 12 MeV were measured using four (p,γ) reactions and a (n,γ) reaction. Two-line-method was used to obtaine peak detection efficiencies. The efficiencies with the both cases are agreed very well. Utilization of (n,γ) reaction is, therefore, effective for measuring these efficiencies, because high energy gamma-rays can be generated easily by using a neutron source. These results were applied to calibration of a gamma-ray standard source, emitting 6.13 MeV gamma-rays, and of intensities of 56 Co standard gamma-ray source. (author)

A Pair Production Telescope for Medium-Energy Gamma-Ray Polarimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter, Stanley D.; Bloser, Peter F.; Depaola, Gerardo; Dion, Michael P.; DeNolfo, Georgia A.; Hanu, Andrei; Iparraguirre, Marcos; Legere, Jason; Longo, Francesco; McConnell, Mark L.;

Modulated High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from the Micro-quasar Cygnus X-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, A.A.; Cheung, C.C.; Dermer, C.D.; Grove, J.E.; Johnson, W.N.; Lovellette, M.N.; Makeev, A.; Ray, P.S.; Strickman, M.S.; Wood, K.S.; Abdo, A.A.; Cheung, C.C.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R.D.; Bloom, E.D.; Borgland, A.W.; Cameron, R.A.; Chiang, J.; Claus, R.; Digel, S.W.; Silva, E.D.E.; Drell, P.S.; Dubois, R.; Focke, W.B.; Glanzman, T.; Godfrey, G.; Hayashida, M.; Johannesson, G.; Johnson, A.S.; Kamae, T.; Kocian, M.L.; Lande, J.; Madejski, G.M.; Michelson, P.F.; Mitthumsiri, W.; Monzani, M.E.; Moskalenko, I.V.; Murgia, S.; Nolan, P.L.; Paneque, D.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Rochester, L.S.; Romani, R.W.; Tanaka, T.; Thayer, J.B.; Tramacere, A.; Uchiyama, Y.; Usher, T.L.; Waite, A.P.; Wang, P.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R.D.; Bloom, E.D.; Borgland, A.W.; Cameron, R.A.; Chiang, J.; Claus, R.; Digel, S.W.; Silva, E.D.E.; Drell, P.S.; Dubois, R.; Focke, W.B.; Glanzman, T.; Godfrey, G.; Hayashida, M.; Johannesson, G.; Johnson, A.S.; Kamae, T.; Kocian, M.L.; Lande, J.; Madejski, G.M.; Michelson, P.F.; Mitthumsiri, W.; Monzani, M.E.; Moskalenko, I.V.; Murgia, S.; Nolan, P.L.; Paneque, D.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Rochester, L.S.; Romani, R.W.; Tanaka, T.; Thayer, J.B.; Tramacere, A.; Uchiyama, Y.; Usher, T.L.; Waite, A.P.; Wang, P.; Axelsson, M.; Hjalmarsdotter, L.; Axelsson, M.; Conrad, J.; Hjalmarsdotter, L.; Jackson, M.S.; Meurer, C.; Ryde, F.; Ylinen, T.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Brez, A.; Kuss, M.; Latronico, L.; Omodei, N.; Pesce-Rollins, M.; Razzano, M.; Sgro, C.; Ballet, J.; Casandjian, J.M.; Chaty, S.; Corbel, S.; Grenier, I.A.; Koerding, E.; Rodriguez, J.; Starck, J.L.; Tibaldo, L.

2009-01-01

Micro-quasars are accreting black holes or neutron stars in binary systems with associated relativistic jets. Despite their frequent outburst activity, they have never been unambiguously detected emitting high-energy gamma rays. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has detected a variable high-energy source coinciding with the position of the x-ray binary and micro-quasar Cygnus X-3. Its identification with Cygnus X-3 is secured by the detection of its orbital period in gamma rays, as well as the correlation of the LAT flux with radio emission from the relativistic jets of Cygnus X-3. The gamma-ray emission probably originates from within the binary system, opening new areas in which to study the formation of relativistic jets. (authors)

Observation of solar gamma-ray by Hinotori

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimori, Masato; Okudaira, Kiyoaki; Hirashima, Yo; Kondo, Ichiro.

1982-01-01

The solar gamma-ray emitted by solar flare was observed. The gamma-ray is the electromagnetic radiation with the energy more than 300 keV. The line gamma-ray intensity and the time profile were observed. The gamma-ray detector CsI (Tl) was loaded on Hinotori, and the observed gamma-ray was analyzed by a multi-channel analyzer. The observed line gamma-ray was the radiation from Fe-56 and Ne-20. The line gamma-ray from C-12 and O-16 was also seen. These gamma-ray is the direct evidence of the nuclear reaction on the sun. The observed spectrum suggested the existence of the lines from Mg-24 and Si-28. The intensity of the 2.22 MeV gamma-line was small. This fact showed that the origin of this line was different from other nuclear gamma-ray. Two kinds of hard X-ray bursts were detected. The one was impulsive burst, and the other was gradual burst. There was no time difference between the hard X-ray and the gamma-ray of the impulsive burst. The impulsive burst may be explained by the beam model. The delay of time profile in the high energy gamma-ray of the gradual burst was observed. This means that the time when accelerated electrons cause bremsstrahlung depends on the electron energy. The long trapping of electrons at the top of magnetic loop is suggested. (Kato, T.)

ICF burn-history measurments using 17-MeV fusion gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerche, R.A.; Cable, M.D.; Dendooven, P.G.

1995-01-01

Fusion reaction rate for inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) experiments at the Nova Laser Facility is measured with 30-ps resolution using a high-speed neutron detector. We are investigating a measurement technique based on the 16.7-MeV gamma rays that are released in deuterium-tritium fusion. Our concept is to convert gamma-ray energy into a fast burst of Cerenkov light that can be recorded with a high-speed optical detector. We have detected fusion gamma rays in preliminary experiments conducted at Nova where we used a tungsten/aerogel converter to generate Cerenkov light and an optical streak camera to record the signal

A gamma-ray tracking detector for molecular imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, C.J.; Lewis, R.A.; Helsby, W.I.; Nolan, P.; Boston, A.

2003-01-01

A design for a gamma-ray detector for molecular imaging is presented. The system is based on solid-state strip detector technology. The advantages of position sensitivity coupled with fine spectral resolution are exploited to produce a tracking detector for use with a variety of isotopes in nuclear medicine. Current design concepts employ both silicon and germanium layers to provide an energy range from 60 keV to >1 MeV. This allows a reference X-ray image to be collected simultaneously with the gamma-ray image providing accurate anatomical registration. The tracking ability of the gamma-ray detector allows ambiguities in the data set to be resolved which would otherwise cause events to be rejected in standard non-tracking system. Efficiency improvements that high solid angle coverage and the use of a higher proportion of events make time resolved imaging and multi-isotope work possible. A modular detector system, designed for viewing small animals has been accepted for funding

High resolution phoswich gamma-ray imager utilizing monolithic MPPC arrays with submillimeter pixelized crystals

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, T.; Kataoka, J.; Nakamori, T.; Kishimoto, A.; Yamamoto, S.; Sato, K.; Ishikawa, Y.; Yamamura, K.; Kawabata, N.; Ikeda, H.; Kamada, K.

2013-05-01

We report the development of a high spatial resolution tweezers-type coincidence gamma-ray camera for medical imaging. This application consists of large-area monolithic Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs) and submillimeter pixelized scintillator matrices. The MPPC array has 4 × 4 channels with a three-side buttable, very compact package. For typical operational gain of 7.5 × 105 at + 20 °C, gain fluctuation over the entire MPPC device is only ± 5.6%, and dark count rates (as measured at the 1 p.e. level) amount to acrylic light guide measuring 1 mm thick, and with summing operational amplifiers that compile the signals into four position-encoded analog outputs being used for signal readout. Spatial resolution of 1.1 mm was achieved with the coincidence imaging system using a 22Na point source. These results suggest that the gamma-ray imagers offer excellent potential for applications in high spatial medical imaging.

Depth of interaction detection for {gamma}-ray imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lerche, Ch.W. [Instituto de Aplicaciones de las Tecnologias de la Informacion y de las Comunicaciones Avanzadas, (UPV) Camino de Vera s/n, E46022 (Spain)], E-mail: lerche@ific.uv.es; Doering, M. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, D52425 Juelich (Germany); Ros, A. [Institute de Fisica Corpuscular (CSIC-UV), 22085, Valencia E46071 (Spain); Herrero, V.; Gadea, R.; Aliaga, R.J.; Colom, R.; Mateo, F.; Monzo, J.M.; Ferrando, N.; Toledo, J.F.; Martinez, J.D.; Sebastia, A. [Instituto de Aplicaciones de las Tecnologias de la Informacion y de las Comunicaciones Avanzadas, (UPV) Camino de Vera s/n, E46022 (Spain); Sanchez, F.; Benlloch, J.M. [Institute de Fisica Corpuscular (CSIC-UV), 22085, Valencia E46071 (Spain)

2009-03-11

A novel design for an inexpensive depth of interaction capable detector for {gamma}-ray imaging has been developed. The design takes advantage of the strong correlation between the width of the scintillation light distribution in monolithic crystals and the interaction depth of {gamma}-rays. We present in this work an inexpensive modification of the commonly used charge dividing circuits which enables the instantaneous and simultaneous computation of the second order moment of light distribution. This measure provides a good estimate for the depth of interaction and does not affect the determination of the position centroids and the energy release of {gamma}-ray impact. The method has been tested with a detector consisting of a monolithic LSO block sized 42x42x10mm{sup 3} and a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube H8500 from Hamamatsu. The mean spatial resolution of the detector was found to be 3.4mm for the position centroids and 4.9mm for the DOI. The best spatial resolutions were observed at the center of the detector and yielded 1.4mm for the position centroids and 1.9mm for the DOI.

X-Ray Spectral Characteristics of Ginga Gamma-Ray Bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strohmayer, T.E.; Fenimore, E.E.; Murakami, T.; Yoshida, A.

1998-01-01

We have investigated the spectral characteristics of a sample of bright gamma-ray bursts detected with the gamma-ray burst sensors aboard the satellite Ginga. This instrument employed a proportional and scintillation counter to provide sensitivity to photons in the 2 endash 400 keV region and as such provided a unique opportunity to characterize the largely unexplored X-ray properties of gamma-ray bursts. The photon spectra of the Ginga bursts are well described by a low-energy slope, a bend energy, and a high-energy slope. In the energy range where they can be compared, this result is consistent with burst spectral analyses obtained from the BATSE experiment aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. However, below 20 keV we find evidence for a positive spectral number index in approximately 40% of our burst sample, with some evidence for a strong rolloff at lower energies in a few events. There is a correlation (Pearson's r = -0.62) between the low-energy slope and the bend energy. We find that the distribution of spectral bend energies extends below 10 keV. There has been some concern in cosmological models of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that the bend energy covers only a small dynamic range. Our result extends the observed dynamic range, and, since we observe bend energies down to the limit of our instrument, perhaps observations have not yet limited the range. The Ginga trigger range was virtually the same as that of BATSE, yet we find a different range of fit parameters. One possible explanation might be that GRBs have two break energies, one often in the 50 endash 500 keV range and the other near 5 keV. Both BATSE and Ginga fit with only a single break energy, so BATSE tends to find breaks near the center of its energy range, and we tend to find breaks in our energy range. The observed ratio of energy emitted in the X-rays relative to the gamma rays can be much larger than a few percent and, in fact, is sometimes larger than unity. The average for our 22 bursts

Neutron-induced gamma-ray spectroscopy: simulations for chemical mapping of planetary surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brueckner, J.; Waenke, H.; Reedy, R.C.

1986-01-01

Cosmic rays interact with the surface of a planetary body and produce a cascade of secondary particles, such as neutrons. Neutron-induced scattering and capture reactions play an important role in the production of discrete gamma-ray lines that can be measured by a gamma-ray spectrometer on board of an orbiting spacecraft. These data can be used to determine the concentration of many elements in the surface of a planetary body, which provides clues to its bulk composition and in turn to its origin and evolution. To investigate the gamma rays made by neutron interactions, thin targets were irradiated with neutrons having energies from 14 MeV to 0.025 eV. By means of foil activation technique the ratio of epithermal to thermal neutrons was determined to be similar to that in the Moon. Gamma rays emitted by the targets and the surrounding material were detected by a high-resolution germanium detector in the energy range of 0.1 to 8 MeV. Most of the gamma-ray lines that are expected to be used for planetary gamma-ray spectroscopy were found in the recorded spectra and the principal lines in these spectra are presented. 58 refs., 7 figs., 9 tabs

High Energy Gamma-rays from FR I Jets

CERN Document Server

Sikora, M

2003-01-01

Thanks to Hubble and Chandra telescopes, some of the large scale jets in extragalactic radio sources are now being observed at optical and X-ray frequencies. For the FR I objects the synchrotron nature of this emission is surely established, although a lot of uncertainties--connected for example with the particle acceleration processes involved--remain. In this paper we study production of high energy gamma-rays in FR I kiloparsec-scale jets by inverse-Compton emission of the synchrotron-emitting electrons. We consider different origin of seed photons contributing to the inverse-Compton scattering, including nuclear jet radiation as well as ambient, stellar and circumstellar emission of the host galaxies. We discuss how future detections or non-detections of the evaluated gamma-ray fluxes can provide constraints on the unknown large scale jet parameters, i.e. the magnetic field intensity and the jet Doppler factor. For the nearby sources Centaurus A and M 87, we find measurable fluxes of TeV photons resulting...

Formation properties from high resolution neutron activation gamma-ray spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mellor, D.W.; Underwood, M.C.

1985-01-01

A neutron activation logging tool has been developed comprising a Five Curie /sup 241/ Am-Be neutron source and a large n-type hyper-pure germanium gamma-ray detector. The tool maintains a constant temperature cryogenic environment for periods in excess of twenty hours. No liquid nitrogen or other consumable material is used in the operating or recharging stages. A large calibration tank in simulated well-bore geometry has been constructed with sand bodies saturated with oil and low salinity water (14,000 ppm NaCl). In the water zone prompt neutron capture gamma-rays from silicon, hydrogen and chlorine were prominent; gamma-rays from inelastic scattering on oxygen and silicon were detected. No gamma-rays arising from inelastic scattering on carbon were detected. These data have been interpreted to yield the porosity, fluid saturations, salinity and matrix composition. In the oil zone, gamma-rays arising from inelastic scattering on oxygen, silicon and carbon were detected. The intensity of the carbon line was very poor, and inadequate for quantitative purposes

Very high energy gamma ray astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, R.C.; Lewis, D.A.

1990-02-01

Our scientific goal is to discover and study by means of gamma-ray astronomy those regions of the universe where particles are accelerated to extreme energies. The atmospheric Cherenkov technique provides a unique and potentially sensitive window in the region of 10 11 to approximately 10 14 eV for this purpose. The Whipple Observatory Collaboration is currently engaged in the development of a Cherenkov camera which has the ultimate capability of distinguishing gamma-ray showers from the numerous cosmic-ray background showers by imaging the Cherenkov light from each shower. We have recently demonstrated the potential of the imaging technique with our 18 sigma detection of TeV photons from the Crab Nebula using a camera of 10 elements, pixel spacing 0.25 degrees. This detection represents a factor of 10 improvement in sensitivity compared to a non-imaging detector. The next step in the development of the detector is to obtain a second large reflector, similar to the present 10 meter instrument, for stereoscopic viewing of showers. This project, named GRANITE, is now approved by DOE. With GRANITE it should be possible to probe more deeply in space by a factor of 7, and to fully investigate the possibility of new physics which has been suggested by reports of anomalous radiation from Hercules X-1. 18 refs

VHE Gamma-ray Supernova Remnants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Funk, Stefan; /KIPAC, Menlo Park

2007-01-22

Increasing observational evidence gathered especially in X-rays and {gamma}-rays during the course of the last few years support the notion that Supernova remnants (SNRs) are Galactic particle accelerators up to energies close to the ''knee'' in the energy spectrum of Cosmic rays. This review summarizes the current status of {gamma}-ray observations of SNRs. Shell-type as well as plerionic type SNRs are addressed and prospect for observations of these two source classes with the upcoming GLAST satellite in the energy regime above 100 MeV are given.

Cosmic ray nuclei detection in the balloon borne nuclear emulsion gamma ray telescope flight in Australia (GRAINE 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iyono Atsushi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Nuclear emulsion plates for studying elementary particle physics as well as cosmic ray physics are very powerful tracking tools with sub-micron spatial resolutions of charged particle trajectories. Even if gamma rays have to be detected, electron-positron pair tracks can provide precise information to reconstruct their direction and energy with high accuracy. Recent developments of emulsion analysis technology can digitally handle almost all tracks recorded in emulsion plates by using the Hyper Track Selector of the OPERA group at NAGOYA University. On the other hand, the potential of time resolutions have been equipped by emulsion multilayer shifter technology in the GRAINE (Gamma Ray Astro-Imager with Nuclear Emulsion experiments, the aims of which are to detect cosmic gamma rays such as the Vela pulsar stellar object by precise emulsion tracking analysis and to study cosmic ray particle interactions and chemical compositions. In this paper, we focus on the subject of cosmic ray nuclei detection in the GRAINE balloon flight experiments launched at Alice Springs, Australia in May 2015.

NaI(Tl) electron energy resolution

CERN Document Server

Mengesha, W

2002-01-01

NaI(Tl) electron energy resolution eta sub e was measured using the Modified Compton Coincidence Technique (MCCT). The MCCT allowed detection of nearly monoenergetic internal electrons resulting from the scattering of incident 662 keV gamma rays within a primary NaI(Tl) detector. Scattered gamma rays were detected using a secondary HPGe detector in a coincidence mode. Measurements were carried out for electron energies ranging from 16 to 438 keV, by varying the scattering angle. Measured HPGe coincidence spectra were deconvolved to determine the scattered energy spectra from the NaI(Tl) detector. Subsequently, the NaI(Tl) electron energy spectra were determined by subtracting the energy of scattered spectra from the incident source energy (662 keV). Using chi-squared minimization, iterative deconvolution of the internal electron energy spectra from the measured NaI(Tl) spectra was then used to determine eta sub e at the electron energy of interest. eta sub e values determined using this technique represent va...

The Multi-Messenger Approach to High-Energy Gamma-Ray Sources

CERN Document Server

Paredes, Josep M; Torres, Diego F

2008-01-01

This book provides a theoretical and observational overview of the state of the art of gamma-ray astrophysics, and their impact and connection with the physics of cosmic rays and neutrinos. With the aim of shedding new and fresh light on the problem of the nature of the gamma-ray sources, particularly those yet unidentified, this book summarizes contributions to a workshop that continues with the series initiated by the meeting held at Tonantzintla in October 2000, and Hong-Kong in May 2004. This books will be of interest for all active researchers in the field of high energy astrophysics and astroparticle physics, as well as for graduate students entering into the subject.

Refinement of the AdEPT Medium-Energy Gamma-Ray Science

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We propose to explore the theoretical framework for the relatively unexplored field of medium energy (5--200 MeV) gamma-ray astronomy for a mission concept...

Microwave-gamma ray water in crude monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paap, H.J.

1984-01-01

A microwave-gamma ray water-in-crude monitoring system measures the percent quantity of fresh water or salt water in crude oil flowing in a pipe line. The system includes a measuring cell arranged with the pipe line so that the crude oil flows through the measuring cell. A microwave transmitter subsystem and a gamma ray source are arranged with the measuring cell so that microwave energy and gamma rays are transmitted through the measuring cell. A microwave receiving subsystem and a gamma ray detector provide signals corresponding to received microwave energy and to the received gamma rays, respectively. Apparatus connected to the microwave receiver and to the gamma ray detector provides an indication of the percentage of water in the crude oil

A search for spectral lines in gamma-ray bursts using TGRS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurczynski, P.; Palmer, D.; Seifert, H.; Teegarden, B. J.; Gehrels, N.; Cline, T. L.; Ramaty, R.; Hurley, K.; Madden, N. W.; Pehl, R. H.

1998-01-01

We present the results of an ongoing search for narrow spectral lines in gamma-ray burst data. TGRS, the Transient Gamma-Ray Spectrometer aboard the Wind satellite is a high energy-resolution Ge device. Thus it is uniquely situated among the array of space-based, burst sensitive instruments to look for line features in gamma-ray burst spectra. Our search strategy adopts a two tiered approach. An automated 'quick look' scan searches spectra for statistically significant deviations from the continuum. We analyzed all possible time accumulations of spectra as well as individual spectra for each burst. Follow-up analysis of potential line candidates uses model fitting with F-test and χ 2 tests for statistical significance

Neural network consistent empirical physical formula construction for neutron–gamma discrimination in gamma ray tracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yildiz, Nihat; Akkoyun, Serkan

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Detector responses in neutron–gamma discrimination were estimated by neural networks. ► Novel consistent neural network empirical physical formulas (EPFs) were constructed for detector responses. ► The EPFs are of explicit mathematical functional form. ► The EPFs can be used to derive various physical functions relevant to neutron–gamma discrimination in gamma ray tracking. -- Abstract: Gamma ray tracking is an efficient detection technique in studying exotic nuclei which lies far from beta stability line. To achieve very powerful and extraordinary resolution ability, new detectors based on gamma ray tracking are currently being developed. To reach this achievement, the neutron–gamma discrimination in these detectors is also an important task. In this paper, by suitable layered feedforward neural networks (LFNNs), we have constructed novel and consistent empirical physical formulas (EPFs) for some highly nonlinear detector counts measured in neutron–gamma discrimination. The detector counts data used in the discrimination was actually borrowed from our previous paper. The counts used here had been originally measured versus the following parameters: energy deposited in the first interaction points, difference in the incoming direction of initial gamma rays, and finally figure of merit values of the clusters determined by tracking. The LFNN–EPFs are of explicit mathematical functional form. Therefore, by various suitable operations of mathematical analysis, these LFNN–EPFs can be used to derivate further physical functions which might be potentially relevant to neutron–gamma discrimination performance of gamma ray tracking.

Correlation between X-ray and high energy gamma-ray emission form Cygnus X-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weekes, T.C.; Danaher, S.; Fegan, D.J.; Porter, N.A.

1981-01-01

In May-June 1980, the 4.8 hour modulated X-ray flux from Cygnus X-3 underwent a significant change in the shape of the light curve; this change correlates with the peak in the high-energy (E > 2 x 10 12 eV) gamma ray emission at the same epoch. (orig.)

About cosmic gamma ray lines

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Roland

2017-06-01

Gamma ray lines from cosmic sources convey the action of nuclear reactions in cosmic sites and their impacts on astrophysical objects. Gamma rays at characteristic energies result from nuclear transitions following radioactive decays or high-energy collisions with excitation of nuclei. The gamma-ray line from the annihilation of positrons at 511 keV falls into the same energy window, although of different origin. We present here the concepts of cosmic gamma ray spectrometry and the corresponding instruments and missions, followed by a discussion of recent results and the challenges and open issues for the future. Among the lessons learned are the diffuse radioactive afterglow of massive-star nucleosynthesis in 26Al and 60Fe gamma rays, which is now being exploited towards the cycle of matter driven by massive stars and their supernovae; large interstellar cavities and superbubbles have been recognised to be of key importance here. Also, constraints on the complex processes making stars explode as either thermonuclear or core-collapse supernovae are being illuminated by gamma-ray lines, in this case from shortlived radioactivities from 56Ni and 44Ti decays. In particular, the three-dimensionality and asphericities that have recently been recognised as important are enlightened in different ways through such gamma-ray line spectroscopy. Finally, the distribution of positron annihilation gamma ray emission with its puzzling bulge-dominated intensity disctribution is measured through spatially-resolved spectra, which indicate that annihilation conditions may differ in different parts of our Galaxy. But it is now understood that a variety of sources may feed positrons into the interstellar medium, and their characteristics largely get lost during slowing down and propagation of positrons before annihilation; a recent microquasar flare was caught as an opportunity to see positrons annihilate at a source.

The analysis of hydrocarbons by dual-energy gamma-ray densitometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, T.; Reynolds, P.W.; Lipsett, J.J.

1985-11-01

Various hydrocarbons have been analyzed noninvasively by dual-energy gamma-ray densitometry. The hydrogen/carbon atomic ratio was deduced for pure hydrocarbons while for heavy oil process samples, the ash content was inferred

1012 - 1015 eV interaction deduced from energy spectra of gamma-ray and hadrons at airplane altitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Yoshiyuki

1978-01-01

The present paper deals with the latest results of the spectral measurements of high energy cosmic ray performed on an airplane with an emulsion chamber. The hadronic component together with the gamma-ray component were observed in the region of gamma energy not smaller than 30 GeV and gamma energy sum not larger than 40 TeV. It was observed that the integral spectra of hadronic showers showed less steep power than those obtained at mountain stations. On the other hand, the integral spectra of gamma-ray in the energy region from 40 GeV to 40 TeV showed steeper power than those of hadronic component. The zenith angle distributions of hadrons and gamma-ray were inspected, and it was confirmed that the observed distributions were well reproduced by the theoretical curves with the appropriate attenuation length. (Yoshimori, M.)

Systematic search for very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from bow shocks of runaway stars

Science.gov (United States)

H.E.S.S. Collaboration; Abdalla, H.; Abramowski, A.; Aharonian, F.; Ait Benkhali, F.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Andersson, T.; Angüner, E. O.; Arakawa, M.; Arrieta, M.; Aubert, P.; Backes, M.; Balzer, A.; Barnard, M.; Becherini, Y.; Becker Tjus, J.; Berge, D.; Bernhard, S.; Bernlöhr, K.; Blackwell, R.; Böttcher, M.; Boisson, C.; Bolmont, J.; Bordas, P.; Bregeon, J.; Brun, F.; Brun, P.; Bryan, M.; Büchele, M.; Bulik, T.; Capasso, M.; Carr, J.; Casanova, S.; Cerruti, M.; Chakraborty, N.; Chalme-Calvet, R.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Chen, A.; Chevalier, J.; Chrétien, M.; Coffaro, M.; Colafrancesco, S.; Cologna, G.; Condon, B.; Conrad, J.; Cui, Y.; Davids, I. D.; Decock, J.; Degrange, B.; Deil, C.; Devin, J.; deWilt, P.; Dirson, L.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Domainko, W.; Donath, A.; Drury, L. O.'C.; Dutson, K.; Dyks, J.; Edwards, T.; Egberts, K.; Eger, P.; Ernenwein, J.-P.; Eschbach, S.; Farnier, C.; Fegan, S.; Fernandes, M. V.; Fiasson, A.; Fontaine, G.; Förster, A.; Funk, S.; Füßling, M.; Gabici, S.; Gajdus, M.; Gallant, Y. A.; Garrigoux, T.; Giavitto, G.; Giebels, B.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Gottschall, D.; Goyal, A.; Grondin, M.-H.; Hahn, J.; Haupt, M.; Hawkes, J.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hervet, O.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Hoischen, C.; Holler, M.; Horns, D.; Ivascenko, A.; Iwasaki, H.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jamrozy, M.; Janiak, M.; Jankowsky, D.; Jankowsky, F.; Jingo, M.; Jogler, T.; Jouvin, L.; Jung-Richardt, I.; Kastendieck, M. A.; Katarzyński, K.; Katsuragawa, M.; Katz, U.; Kerszberg, D.; Khangulyan, D.; Khélifi, B.; Kieffer, M.; King, J.; Klepser, S.; Klochkov, D.; Kluźniak, W.; Kolitzus, D.; Komin, Nu.; Kosack, K.; Krakau, S.; Kraus, M.; Krüger, P. P.; Laffon, H.; Lamanna, G.; Lau, J.; Lees, J.-P.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lefranc, V.; Lemière, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Lenain, J.-P.; Leser, E.; Lohse, T.; Lorentz, M.; Liu, R.; López-Coto, R.; Lypova, I.; Marandon, V.; Marcowith, A.; Mariaud, C.; Marx, R.; Maurin, G.; Maxted, N.; Mayer, M.; Meintjes, P. J.; Meyer, M.; Mitchell, A. M. W.; Moderski, R.; Mohamed, M.; Mohrmann, L.; Morå, K.; Moulin, E.; Murach, T.; Nakashima, S.; de Naurois, M.; Niederwanger, F.; Niemiec, J.; Oakes, L.; O'Brien, P.; Odaka, H.; Öttl, S.; Ohm, S.; Ostrowski, M.; Oya, I.; Padovani, M.; Panter, M.; Parsons, R. D.; Pekeur, N. W.; Pelletier, G.; Perennes, C.; Petrucci, P.-O.; Peyaud, B.; Piel, Q.; Pita, S.; Poon, H.; Prokhorov, D.; Prokoph, H.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Quirrenbach, A.; Raab, S.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Renaud, M.; de los Reyes, R.; Richter, S.; Rieger, F.; Romoli, C.; Rowell, G.; Rudak, B.; Rulten, C. B.; Sahakian, V.; Saito, S.; Salek, D.; Sanchez, D. A.; Santangelo, A.; Sasaki, M.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schüssler, F.; Schulz, A.; Schwanke, U.; Schwemmer, S.; Seglar-Arroyo, M.; Settimo, M.; Seyffert, A. S.; Shafi, N.; Shilon, I.; Simoni, R.; Sol, H.; Spanier, F.; Spengler, G.; Spies, F.; Stawarz, Ł.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Stycz, K.; Sushch, I.; Takahashi, T.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Tavernier, T.; Taylor, A. M.; Terrier, R.; Tibaldo, L.; Tiziani, D.; Tluczykont, M.; Trichard, C.; Tsuji, N.; Tuffs, R.; Uchiyama, Y.; van der Walt, D. J.; van Eldik, C.; van Rensburg, C.; van Soelen, B.; Vasileiadis, G.; Veh, J.; Venter, C.; Viana, A.; Vincent, P.; Vink, J.; Voisin, F.; Völk, H. J.; Vuillaume, T.; Wadiasingh, Z.; Wagner, S. J.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, R. M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Willmann, P.; Wörnlein, A.; Wouters, D.; Yang, R.; Zabalza, V.; Zaborov, D.; Zacharias, M.; Zanin, R.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Zech, A.; Zefi, F.; Ziegler, A.; Żywucka, N.

2018-04-01

Context. Runaway stars form bow shocks by ploughing through the interstellar medium at supersonic speeds and are promising sources of non-thermal emission of photons. One of these objects has been found to emit non-thermal radiation in the radio band. This triggered the development of theoretical models predicting non-thermal photons from radio up to very-high-energy (VHE, E ≥ 0.1 TeV) gamma rays. Subsequently, one bow shock was also detected in X-ray observations. However, the data did not allow discrimination between a hot thermal and a non-thermal origin. Further observations of different candidates at X-ray energies showed no evidence for emission at the position of the bow shocks either. A systematic search in the Fermi-LAT energy regime resulted in flux upper limits for 27 candidates listed in the E-BOSS catalogue. Aim. Here we perform the first systematic search for VHE gamma-ray emission from bow shocks of runaway stars. Methods: Using all available archival H.E.S.S. data we search for very-high-energy gamma-ray emission at the positions of bow shock candidates listed in the second E-BOSS catalogue release. Out of the 73 bow shock candidates in this catalogue, 32 have been observed with H.E.S.S. Results: None of the observed 32 bow shock candidates in this population study show significant emission in the H.E.S.S. energy range. Therefore, flux upper limits are calculated in five energy bins and the fraction of the kinetic wind power that is converted into VHE gamma rays is constrained. Conclusions: Emission from stellar bow shocks is not detected in the energy range between 0.14 and 18 TeV.The resulting upper limits constrain the level of VHE gamma-ray emission from these objects down to 0.1-1% of the kinetic wind energy.

Airborne gamma-ray spectrometry and computer data processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghuwanshi, S.S.; Bhishma Kumar; Tewari, S.G.

1993-01-01

The physical basis for the measurement of radioelemental concentrations of U, Th, and K on the surface of the earth by airborne gamma-ray spectrometry (AGRS) are described in this paper. The yield of an infinite radioactive plane source for a particular gamma energy helps to know the sampled volume in AGRS, the ground coverage, the ground resolution, the effective planning of the survey, flight line spacing, and sampling time. The infinite source-yield enables the determination of the attenuation coefficients in actual surveys and lays down the criteria for a standard test strip. Scattering of gamma-rays in matter is discussed in order to study its influence in the measurements from air. The theoretical gamma-ray spectrum from terrestrial U, Th, and K are discussed in contrast to its realistic picture which poses problems for their direct use for measurements. The criterion of FWHM (full width at half maximum) and inter-energy distance with their yields is described which finally helps to select the energy windows for (window and MCA) AGRS system. Factors which affect the measurements of radioelemental concentration in AGRS surveys include both correctable and non-correctable ones. Correctable factors are : (a) non-terrestrial sources of gamma-rays aircraft, cosmic, and airborne background (H) (B); (b) interference due to gamma-scattering inter channel effects (l); (c) height variations (H) due to navigation and topography; (d) temperature (T) of ambient air; and (e) pressure (P) of air at flying altitude. For removal of background effects, measurements over test strip and calibration pads are necessary for making the corrections in the order - BIH. These methods are described in the paper. The non-correctable factors include effects, due to terrain moisture, vegetation, and others. The possible ways to eliminate these effects are also briefly described. (author). 17 refs., 13 figs

Study of the high energy gamma-ray emission from the crab pulsar with the MAGIC telescope and Fermi-LAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Takayuki

2010-01-01

law with an exponential cut-off at a few GeV can well describe the energy spectrum of the Crab pulsar between 100 MeV and 30 GeV. This is consistent with the outer magnetosphere scenario and again, inconsistent with the inner magnetosphere scenario. The measurements of both experiments strongly disfavor the inner magnetosphere scenario. However, by combining the results of the two experiments, it turns out that even the standard outer magnetosphere scenario cannot explain the measurements. Various assumptions have been made to explain this discrepancy. By modifying the energy spectrum of the electrons which emit high energy gamma-rays via the curvature radiation, the combined measurements can be reproduced but further studies with higher statistics and a better energy resolution are needed to support this assumption. The energy-dependent pulse profile from 100 MeV to 100 GeV has also been studied in detail. Many interesting features have been found, among which the variabilities of both the pulse edges and the pulse peak phases are the most remarkable. More data would allow a more thorough investigation of the fine structure of the pulsar magnetosphere based on these features. Aiming for better observations of pulsars and other sources below 100 GeV, a new photosensor, HPD R9792U-40, has been investigated. Many beneficial properties, such as a very high photodetection efficiency, an extremely low ion-feedback probability and an excellent charge resolution have been found. (orig.)

Study of the high energy gamma-ray emission from the crab pulsar with the MAGIC telescope and Fermi-LAT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saito, Takayuki

2010-12-06

law with an exponential cut-off at a few GeV can well describe the energy spectrum of the Crab pulsar between 100 MeV and 30 GeV. This is consistent with the outer magnetosphere scenario and again, inconsistent with the inner magnetosphere scenario. The measurements of both experiments strongly disfavor the inner magnetosphere scenario. However, by combining the results of the two experiments, it turns out that even the standard outer magnetosphere scenario cannot explain the measurements. Various assumptions have been made to explain this discrepancy. By modifying the energy spectrum of the electrons which emit high energy gamma-rays via the curvature radiation, the combined measurements can be reproduced but further studies with higher statistics and a better energy resolution are needed to support this assumption. The energy-dependent pulse profile from 100 MeV to 100 GeV has also been studied in detail. Many interesting features have been found, among which the variabilities of both the pulse edges and the pulse peak phases are the most remarkable. More data would allow a more thorough investigation of the fine structure of the pulsar magnetosphere based on these features. Aiming for better observations of pulsars and other sources below 100 GeV, a new photosensor, HPD R9792U-40, has been investigated. Many beneficial properties, such as a very high photodetection efficiency, an extremely low ion-feedback probability and an excellent charge resolution have been found. (orig.)

Remote planetary geochemical exploration with the NEAR X-ray/gamma-ray spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trombka, J.I.; Boynton, W.V.; Brueckner, J.; Squyres, S.; Clark, P.E.; Starr, R.; Evans, L.G.; Floyd, S.R.; McClanahan, T.P.; Goldsten, J.; Mcnutt, R.; Schweitzer, J.S.

1999-01-01

The X-ray/gamma-ray spectrometer (XGRS) instrument onboard the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft will map asteroid 433 Eros in the 0.2 keV to 10 MeV energy region. Measurements of the discrete line X-ray and gamma-ray emissions in this energy domain can be used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative elemental composition maps of the asteroid surface. The NEAR X-ray/gamma-ray spectrometer (XGRS) was turned on for the first time during the week of 7 April 1996. Rendezvous with Eros 433 is expected during December 1998. Observations of solar X-ray spectra during both quiescent and active periods have been made. A gamma-ray transient detection system has been implemented and about three gamma-ray transient events a week have been observed which are associated with either gamma-ray bursts or solar flares

Ultra high energy gamma rays and observations with CYGNUS/MILAGRO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weeks, D.D.; Yodh, G.B.

1992-01-01

This talk discusses high-energy observations of the Crab pulsar/nebula and the pulsar in the X-ray binary, Hercules X-1, and makes the case for continued observations with ground-based γ-ray detectors. The CYGNUS Air Shower Array has a wide field of view on monitors several astrophysical γ-ray sources at the same time, many of which are prime objects observed by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) and air Cerenkov telescopes. This array and the future MILAGRO Water Cerenkov Detector can perform observations that are simultaneous with similar experiments to provide confirmation of emission, and can measure source spectra at a range of high energies previously unexplored

Nuclear Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy at the Limit of Particle Stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dr. Norbert Pietralla

2006-01-01

The research project ''Nuclear Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy at the Limit of Particle Stability'' with sponsor ID ''DE-FG02-04ER41334'' started late-summer 2004 and aims at the investigation of highly excited low-spin states of selected key-nuclei in the vicinity of the particle separation threshold by means of high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy in electromagnetic excitation reactions. This work addresses nuclear structures with excitation energies close to the binding energy or highly excited off-yrast states in accordance with the NSAC milestones. In 2005 the program was extended towards additional use of virtual photons and theoretical description of the low-lying collective excitations in the well deformed nuclei

Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes

Science.gov (United States)

Marisaldi, Martino; Fuschino, Fabio; Labanti, Claudio; Tavani, Marco; Argan, Andrea; Del Monte, Ettore; Longo, Francesco; Barbiellini, Guido; Giuliani, Andrea; Trois, Alessio; Bulgarelli, Andrea; Gianotti, Fulvio; Trifoglio, Massimo

2013-08-01

Lightning and thunderstorm systems in general have been recently recognized as powerful particle accelerators, capable of producing electrons, positrons, gamma-rays and neutrons with energies as high as several tens of MeV. In fact, these natural systems turn out to be the highest energy and most efficient natural particle accelerators on Earth. Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) are millisecond long, very intense bursts of gamma-rays and are one of the most intriguing manifestation of these natural accelerators. Only three currently operative missions are capable of detecting TGFs from space: the RHESSI, Fermi and AGILE satellites. In this paper we review the characteristics of TGFs, including energy spectrum, timing structure, beam geometry and correlation with lightning, and the basic principles of the associated production models. Then we focus on the recent AGILE discoveries concerning the high energy extension of the TGF spectrum up to 100 MeV, which is difficult to reconcile with current theoretical models.

Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marisaldi, Martino; Fuschino, Fabio; Labanti, Claudio; Tavani, Marco; Argan, Andrea; Del Monte, Ettore; Longo, Francesco; Barbiellini, Guido; Giuliani, Andrea; Trois, Alessio; Bulgarelli, Andrea; Gianotti, Fulvio; Trifoglio, Massimo

2013-01-01

Lightning and thunderstorm systems in general have been recently recognized as powerful particle accelerators, capable of producing electrons, positrons, gamma-rays and neutrons with energies as high as several tens of MeV. In fact, these natural systems turn out to be the highest energy and most efficient natural particle accelerators on Earth. Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) are millisecond long, very intense bursts of gamma-rays and are one of the most intriguing manifestation of these natural accelerators. Only three currently operative missions are capable of detecting TGFs from space: the RHESSI, Fermi and AGILE satellites. In this paper we review the characteristics of TGFs, including energy spectrum, timing structure, beam geometry and correlation with lightning, and the basic principles of the associated production models. Then we focus on the recent AGILE discoveries concerning the high energy extension of the TGF spectrum up to 100 MeV, which is difficult to reconcile with current theoretical models

Pulse shape analysis for the gamma-ray tracking detector Agata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olariu, A.

2007-10-01

Agata is the European project for a 4π gamma-ray tracking array of 180 Ge detectors and is expected to have a detection sensitivity higher by 3 orders of magnitude than that of the present generation of gamma spectrometers. The trajectories of the photons inside a Ge crystal are reconstituted, which allows the determination of the initial energy of the incident photons as the total energy deposited along the track. The sequence of a γ-ray scattering process is too fast compared with the time resolution of the detector to be measured electronically, so tracking algorithms are necessary. Gamma-ray tracking detectors are operating in position sensitive mode it means that Ge crystal are segmented in order to facilitate the localization of the gamma interactions. It is possible to improve the position resolution by using the information conveyed by the shape of the detector signal. The task of the PSA (Pulse Shape Analysis) algorithm is to analyze this signal and extract the number of interactions, the position and the energy of each interaction. PSA algorithms rely on a basis of reference signals given by single interactions and that are obtained through an experimental characterization of the detector with scanning systems. The matrix method is a new PSA algorithm that consists in fitting linearly the detector signal with a set of calculated signals. We have tested this method with both simulated and measured signals. In the case of simulated single interactions the position resolution is 1.4 mm which is within Agata's specifications. For measured signals we have obtained mean positional errors of 3.2 mm at the front end of the detector an 4.8 mm at the back end

CdTe and CdZnTe gamma ray detectors for medical and industrial imaging systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisen, Y.; Shor, A.; Mardor, I.

1999-01-01

CdTe and CdZnTe X-ray and gamma ray detectors in the form of single elements or as segmented monolithic detectors have been shown to be useful in medical and industrial imaging systems. These detectors possess inherently better energy resolution than scintillators coupled to either photodiodes or photomultipliers, and together with application specific integrated circuits they lead to compact imaging systems of enhanced spatial resolution and better contrast resolution. Photopeak efficiencies of these detectors is greatly affected by a relatively low hole mobility-lifetime product. Utilizing these detectors as highly efficient good spectrometers, demands use of techniques to improve their charge collection properties, i.e., correct for variations in charge losses at different depths of interaction in the detector. The corrections for the large hole trapping are made either by applying electronic techniques or by fabricating detector or electrical contacts configurations which differ from the commonly used planar detectors. The following review paper is divided into three parts: The first part discusses detector contact configurations for enhancing photopeak efficiencies and the single carrier collection approach which leads to improved energy resolutions and photopeak efficiencies at high gamma ray energies. The second part demonstrates excellent spectroscopic results using thick CdZnTe segmented monolithic pad and strip detectors showing energy resolutions less than 2% FWHM at 356 keV gamma rays. The third part discusses advantages and disadvantages of CdTe and CdZnTe detectors in imaging systems and describes new developments for medical diagnostics imaging systems

Lunar based gamma ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haymes, R.C.

1985-01-01

Gamma ray astronomy represents the study of the universe on the basis of the electromagnetic radiation with the highest energy. Gamma ray astronomy provides a crucial tool for the understanding of astronomical phenomena, taking into account nucleosynthesis in supernovae, black holes, active galaxies, quasars, the sources of cosmic rays, neutron stars, and matter-antimatter annihilation. Difficulties concerning the conduction of studies by gamma ray astronomy are related to the necessity to perform such studies far from earth because the atmosphere is a source of gamma rays. Studies involving the use of gamma ray instruments in earth orbit have been conducted, and more gamma ray astronomy observations are planned for the future. Imperfections of studies conducted in low earth orbit could be overcome by estalishing an observatory on the moon which represents a satellite orbiting at 60 earth radii. Details concerning such an observatory are discussed. 5 references

Assembly and calibration of a new experimental apparatus for production and utilization of capture gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semmler, R.

1993-01-01

A new experimental apparatus has been mounted at the tangential beam tube B H 4/12 of the IPEN IEA-R1 (2 MW) reactor, for production and utilization of capture gamma rays. In this type of experiment, monochromatic gamma radiation, with energy resolution of about 10 eV, is produced by thermal neutron capture in several materials placed near the reactor core. By changing the target material it was possible to obtain up to 30 gamma lines in the 5 to 11 MeV energy range and so, the present experimental arrangement may be considered as an excellent gamma ray source for photonuclear reactions studies in low excitation energies. (author)

Solar Coronal Events with Extended Hard X-ray and Gamma-ray Emission

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, H. S.

2017-12-01

A characteristic pattern of solar hard X-ray emission, first identified in SOL1969-03-31 by Frost & Dennis (1971) now has been linked to prolonged high-energy gamma-ray emission detected by the Fermi/LAT experiment, for example in SOL2014-09-01. The distinctive features of these events include flat hard X-ray spectra extending well above 100 keV, a characteristic pattern of time development, low-frequency gyrosynchrotron peaks, CME association, and gamma-rays identifiable with pion decay originating in GeV ions. The identification of these events with otherwise known solar structures nevertheless remains elusive, in spite of the wealth of imagery available from AIA. The quandary is that these events have a clear association with CMEs in the high corona, and yet the gamma-ray production implicates the photosphere itself. The vanishingly small loss cone in the nominal acceleration region makes this extremely difficult. I propose direct inward advection of a part of the SEP particle population, as created on closed field structures, as a possible resolution of this puzzle, and note that this requires retracting magnetic structures on long time scales following the flare itself.

A field-deployable gamma-ray spectrometer utilizing xenon at high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.C.; Mahler, G.J.; Yu, B.; Salwen, C.; Kane, W.R.; Lemley, J.R.

1996-01-01

Prototype gamma-ray spectrometers utilizing xenon gas at high pressure, suitable for applications in the nuclear safeguards, arms control, and nonproliferation communities, have been developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). These spectrometers function as ambient-temperature ionization chambers detecting gamma rays with good efficiency in the energy range 50 keV - 2 MeV, with an energy resolution intermediate between semiconductor (Ge) and scintillation (NaI) spectrometers. They are capable of prolonged, low-power operation without a requirement for cryogenic fluids or other cooling mechanisms, and with the addition of small quantities of 3 He gas, can function simultaneously as efficient thermal neutron detectors

A high energy gamma ray astronomy experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofstadter, R.

1988-01-01

The author describes work involving NASA's Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). GRO exemplifies the near zero principle because it investigates new gamma ray phenomena by relying on the space program to take us into the region of zero interference above the earth's atmosphere. In its present form GRO has four experiments

Statistical measurement of the gamma-ray source-count distribution as a function of energy

Science.gov (United States)

Zechlin, H.-S.; Cuoco, A.; Donato, F.; Fornengo, N.; Regis, M.

2017-01-01

Photon counts statistics have recently been proven to provide a sensitive observable for characterizing gamma-ray source populations and for measuring the composition of the gamma-ray sky. In this work, we generalize the use of the standard 1-point probability distribution function (1pPDF) to decompose the high-latitude gamma-ray emission observed with Fermi-LAT into: (i) point-source contributions, (ii) the Galactic foreground contribution, and (iii) a diffuse isotropic background contribution. We analyze gamma-ray data in five adjacent energy bands between 1 and 171 GeV. We measure the source-count distribution dN/dS as a function of energy, and demonstrate that our results extend current measurements from source catalogs to the regime of so far undetected sources. Our method improves the sensitivity for resolving point-source populations by about one order of magnitude in flux. The dN/dS distribution as a function of flux is found to be compatible with a broken power law. We derive upper limits on further possible breaks as well as the angular power of unresolved sources. We discuss the composition of the gamma-ray sky and capabilities of the 1pPDF method.

THE HIGH ENERGY BUDGET ALLOCATIONS IN SHOCKS AND GAMMA RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eichler, David; Guetta, Dafne; Pohl, Martin

2010-01-01

The statistical distribution of energies among particles responsible for long gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission is analyzed in light of recent results of the Fermi Observatory. The all-sky flux, F γ , recorded by the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) is shown, despite its larger energy range, to be not significantly larger than that reported by the Burst and Transient Explorer, suggesting a relatively small flux in the 3-30 MeV energy range. The present-day energy input rate in γ-rays recorded by the GBM from long GRBs is found, assuming star formation rates in the literature, to be W-dot(0)=0.5 F γ H/c=5x10 42 erg Mpc -3 yr -1 . The Large Area Telescope fluence, when observed, is about 5%-10% per decade of the total, in good agreement with the predictions of saturated, nonlinear shock acceleration. The high-energy component of long GRBs, as measured by Fermi, is found to contain only ∼10 -2.5 of the energy needed to produce ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) above 4 EeV, assuming the latter to be extragalactic, when various numerical factors are carefully included, if the cosmic-ray source spectrum has a spectral index of -2. The observed γ-ray fraction of the required UHECR energy is even smaller if the source spectrum is softer than E -2 . The AMANDA II limits rule out such a GRB origin for UHECRs if much more than 10 -2 of the cosmic-ray energy goes into neutrinos that are within, and simultaneous with, the γ-ray beam. It is suggested that 'orphan' neutrinos out of the γ-ray beam might be identifiable via orphan afterglow or other wide angle signatures of GRBs in lieu of coincidence with prompt γ-rays, and it is recommended that feasible single neutrino trigger criteria be established to search for such coincidences.

Soft x-ray emission from gamma-ray bursts observed with ginga

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Atsumasa; Murakami, Toshio; Itoh, Masayuki

1989-01-01

The soft X-ray emission of gamma-ray bursts below 10 keV provides information about size, location, and emission mechanism. The Gamma-ray Burst Detector (GBD) on board Ginga, which consists of a proportional counter and a scintillation detector, covers an energy range down to 1.5 keV with 63 cm 2 effective area. In several of the observed gamma-ray bursts, the intensity of the soft X-ray emission showed a longer decay time of 50 to 100s after the higher energy gamma-ray emission had ended. Although we cannot rule out other models, such as bremsstrahlung and thermal cyclotron types, due to poor statistics, the soft X-ray spectra are consistent with a blackbody of 1 to 2 keV in the late phase of the gamma-ray bursts. This enables us to estimate the size of the blackbody responsible for the X-ray emission. (author)

FERMI OBSERVATIONS OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM GRB 080825C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Bloom, E. D.; Borgland, A. W.; Bouvier, A.; Asano, K.; Atwood, W. B.; Axelsson, M.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J.; Ballet, J.; Band, D. L.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bhat, P. N.; Bissaldi, E.; Bonamente, E.

2009-01-01

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has opened a new high-energy window in the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Here we present a thorough analysis of GRB 080825C, which triggered the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM), and was the first firm detection of a GRB by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). We discuss the LAT event selections, background estimation, significance calculations, and localization for Fermi GRBs in general and GRB 080825C in particular. We show the results of temporal and time-resolved spectral analysis of the GBM and LAT data. We also present some theoretical interpretation of GRB 080825C observations as well as some common features observed in other LAT GRBs.

Developments in gamma-ray spectrometry: systems, software, and methods-II. 3. Low-Energy Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Using a Compton-Suppressed Telescope Detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sigg, R.A.; DiPrete, D.P.

2001-01-01

The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) utilizes gamma-ray spectrometry in studying numerous areas of applied interest to the Savannah River Site (SRS). For example, analyses of long-lived gamma-ray-emitting fission products and actinides are required to meet waste characterization, process holdup, environmental restoration, and decontamination and decommissioning efforts. A significant portion of the overall effort centers on measurements of gamma rays having energies below several hundred kilo-electron-volts. To assist these efforts, the SRTC recently acquired a spectrometer system that provides lower natural and Compton scattered background levels while achieving relatively high counting efficiencies for low-energy gamma rays. The combination of high efficiency and low background provides factor-of- 2-to-4 improvements in minimum detectable activities and allows meeting programmatic objectives with shorter measurement times. Numerous Compton-suppression spectrometers have been reported since the concept was first advanced. The spectrometer consists of two high-purity germanium detectors in a telescope configuration surrounded by a background /Compton-suppression sodium iodide detector. The front germanium detector is a 20-mm-thick x 60-mm-diam broad energy spectrometer, and the rear detector is a 40% efficient 61- mm-diam x 60-cm-thick closed-end coaxial spectrometer. The cryostat housing the germanium detectors (a) includes a carbon composite window for transmitting low-energy gamma rays, (b) is in a J-type configuration to mask the germanium detectors from natural activities in the cryo-pumping media, and (c) is fabricated from materials selected for low background. The telescope detector is in the 8.6-cm-inside-diameter annulus of a 22.9- x 22.9-cm sodium iodide detector encased in a 10-cm-thick lead shield. The counting system is located in a basement counting room having ∼60-cm-thick concrete walls. Initial tests show that the low-energy segment of

Thermal neutron capture gamma-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tuli, J.K.

1983-01-01

The energy and intensity of gamma rays as seen in thermal neutron capture are presented. Only those (n,α), E = thermal, reactions for which the residual nucleus mass number is greater than or equal to 45 are included. These correspond to evaluations published in Nuclear Data Sheets. The publication source data are contained in the Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF). The data presented here do not involve any additional evaluation. Appendix I lists all the residual nuclides for which the data are included here. Appendix II gives a cumulated index to A-chain evaluations including the year of publication. The capture gamma ray data are given in two tables - the Table 1 is the list of all gamma rays seen in (n,#betta#) reaction given in the order of increasing energy; the Table II lists the gamma rays according to the nuclide

Bursts of the Crab Nebula gamma-ray emission at high and ultra-high energies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidvansky A.S.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Characteristics of the flares of gamma rays detected from the Crab Nebula by the AGILE and Fermi-LAT satellite instruments are compared with those of a gamma ray burst recorded by several air shower arrays on February 23, 1989 and with one recent observation made by the ARGO-YBJ array. It is demonstrated that though pulsar-periodicity and energy spectra of emissions at 100 MeV (satellite gamma ray telescopes and 100 TeV (EAS arrays are different, their time structures seem to be similar. Moreover, maybe the difference between “flares” and “waves” recently found in the Crab Nebula emission by the AGILE team also exists at ultra-high energies.

Multiple Gamma-Ray Detection Capability of a CeBr3 Detector for Gamma Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Naqvi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The newly developed cerium tribromide (CeBr3 detector has reduced intrinsic gamma-ray activity with gamma energy restricted to 1400–2200 keV energy range. This narrower region of background gamma rays allows the CeBr3 detector to detect more than one gamma ray to analyze the gamma-ray spectrum. Use of multiple gamma-ray intensities in elemental analysis instead of a single one improves the accuracy of the estimated results. Multigamma-ray detection capability of a cylindrical 75 mm × 75 mm (diameter × height CeBr3 detector has been tested by analyzing the chlorine concentration in water samples using eight chlorine prompt gamma rays over 517 to 8578 keV energies utilizing a D-D portable neutron generator-based PGNAA setup and measuring the corresponding minimum detection limit (MDC of chlorine. The measured MDC of chlorine for gamma rays with 517–8578 keV energies varies from 0.07 ± 0.02 wt% to 0.80 ± 0.24. The best value of MDC was measured to be 0.07 ± 0.02 wt% for 788 keV gamma rays. The experimental results are in good agreement with Monte Carlo calculations. The study has shown excellent detection capabilities of the CeBr3 detector for eight prompt gamma rays over 517–8578 keV energy range without significant background interference.

X-Ray-Driven Gamma Emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, J. J.; Karamian, S. A.; Rivlin, L. A.; Zadernovsky, A. A.

2001-01-01

X-ray-driven gamma emission describes processes that may release nuclear energy in a 'clean' way, as bursts of incoherent or coherent gamma rays without the production of radioactive by-products. Over the past decade, studies in this area, as a part of the larger field of quantum nucleonics, have gained tremendous momentum. Since 1987 it has been established that photons could trigger gamma emission from a long-lived metastable nuclear excited state of one nuclide and it appears likely that triggering in other isotopes will be demonstrated conclusively in the near future. With these experimental results have come new proposals for the creation of collective and avalanche-like incoherent gamma-ray bursts and even for the ultimate light source, a gamma-ray laser. Obviously, many applications would benefit from controlled bursts of gamma radiation, whether coherent or not. This paper reviews the experimental results and concepts for the production of gamma rays, driven by externally produced X-rays

Advances in gamma ray resonant scattering and absorption long-lived isomeric nuclear states

CERN Document Server

Davydov, Andrey V

2015-01-01

This book presents the basics and advanced topics of research of gamma ray physics. It describes measuring of  Fermi surfaces with gamma resonance spectroscopy and the theory of angular distributions of resonantly scattered gamma rays. The dependence of excited-nuclei average lifetime on the shape of the exciting-radiation spectrum and electron binding energies in the spectra of scattered gamma rays is described. Resonant excitation by gamma rays of nuclear isomeric states with long lifetime leads to the emission and absorption lines. In the book, a new gamma spectroscopic method, gravitational gamma spectrometry, is developed. It has a resolution hundred million times higher than the usual Mössbauer spectrometer. Another important topic of this book is resonant scattering of annihilation quanta by nuclei with excited states in connection with positron annihilation. The application of the methods described is to explain the phenomenon of Coulomb fragmentation of gamma-source molecules and resonant scatt...

Topics in High-Energy Astrophysics: X-ray Time Lags and Gamma-ray Flares

Science.gov (United States)

Kroon, John J.

2016-03-01

The Universe is host to a wide variety of high-energy processes that convert gravitational potential energy or rest-mass energy into non-thermal radiation such as bremsstrahlung and synchrotron. Prevailing models of X-ray emission from accreting Black Hole Binaries (BHBs) struggle to simultaneously fit the quiescent X-ray spectrum and the transients which result in the phenomenon known as X-ray time lags. And similarly, classical models of diffusive shock acceleration in pulsar wind nebulae fail to explain the extreme particle acceleration in very short timescales as is inferred from recent gamma-ray flares from the Crab nebula. In this dissertation, I develop new exact analytic models to shed light on these intriguing processes. I take a fresh look at the formation of X-ray time lags in compact sources using a new mathematical approach in which I obtain the exact Green's function solution. The resulting Green's function allows one to explore a variety of injection scenarios, including both monochromatic and broadband (bremsstrahlung) seed photon injection. I obtain the exact solution for the dependence of the time lags on the Fourier frequency, for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous clouds. The model can successfully reproduce both the observed time lags and the quiescent X-ray spectrum using a single set of coronal parameters. I show that the implied coronal radii in the new model are significantly smaller than those obtained in the Monte Carlo simulations, hence greatly reducing the coronal heating problem. Recent bright gamma-ray flares from the Crab nebula observed by AGILE and Fermi reaching GeV energies and lasting several days challenge the contemporary model for particle acceleration in pulsar wind nebulae, specifically the diffusive shock acceleration model. Simulations indicate electron/positron pairs in the Crab nebula pulsar wind must be accelerated up to PeV energies in the presence of ambient magnetic fields with strength B ~100 microG. No

Preliminary Determination of Natural Radioactivity Levels of the State of Qatar using High-Resolution Gamma-ray Spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Sulaiti, H.A.; Regan, P.H.; Bradley, D.A.; Matthews, M.; Santawamaitre, T.; Malain, D.

2009-01-01

The State of Qatar is a peninsula with a total area of 11,437 km 2 which lies over a geological formation comprising a sequence of limestone, chalk, clay and gypsum. Establishing a baseline for the radioactivity concentration in Qatar's soil is the main purpose behind the present study. The project is focused on obtaining measurements of representative soil samples from various areas in Qatar to establish concentrations of the 235 U, 238 U and 232 Th natural decay chains and also the long-lived naturally occurring radionuclide 40 K. The 235 U, 238 U, 232 Th and 40 K concentrations have been measured via high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry using a hyper-pure germanium detector situated in a low-background environment with a copper inner-plated passive lead shield. A wide range of different gamma-ray energy transitions lines arising from the multiple decay products from the 235 U, 238 U and 232 Th decay chains have been analyzed separately to obtain more statistically significant overall results

Production of low energy gamma rays by neutron interactions with fluorine for incident neutron energies between 0.1 and 20 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, G.L.; Dickens, J.K.

1975-06-01

Differential cross sections for the production of low-energy gamma rays (less than 240 keV) by neutron interactions in fluorine have been measured for neutron energies between 0.1 and 20 MeV. The Oak Ridge Electron Linear Accelerator was used as the neutron source. Gamma rays were detected at 92 0 using an intrinsic germanium detector. Incident neutron energies were determined by time-of-flight techniques. Tables are presented for the production cross sections of three gamma rays having energies of 96, 110, and 197 keV. (14 figures, 3 tables) (U.S.)

Multichannel CdZnTe Gamma Ray Spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doty, F.P.; Lingren, C. L.; Apotovsky, B. A.; Brunsch, J.; Butler, J. F.; Collins, T.; Conwell, R.L.; Friesenhahn, S.; Gormley, J.; Pi, B.; Zhao, S.; Augustine, F.L.; Bennet, B. A.; Cross, E.; James, R. B.

1998-01-01

A 3 cm 3 multichannel gamma spectrometer for DOE applications is under development by Digirad Corporation. The device is based on a position sensitive detector packaged in a compact multi-chip module (MCM) with integrated readout circuitry. The modular, multichannel design will enable identification and quantitative analysis of radionuclides in extended sources, or sources containing low levels of activity. The MCM approach has the advantages that the modules are designed for imaging applications, and the sensitivity can be arbitrarily increased by increasing the number of pixels, i.e. adding modules to the instrument. For a high sensitivity probe, the outputs for each pixel can be corrected for gain and offset variations, and summed digitally. Single pixel results obtained with discrete low noise readout indicate energy resolution of 3 keV can be approached with currently available CdZnTe. The energy resolution demonstrated to date with MCMs for 511 keV gamma rays is 10 keV

Prospects for Dark Matter Measurements with the Advanced Gamma Ray Imaging System (AGIS)

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, James

2009-05-01

AGIS, a concept for a future gamma-ray observatory consisting of an array of 50 atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, would provide a powerful new tool for determining the nature of dark matter and its role in structure formation in the universe. The advent of more sensitive direct detection experiments, the launch of Fermi and the startup of the LHC make the near future an exciting time for dark matter searches. Indirect measurements of cosmic-ray electrons may already provide a hint of dark matter in our local halo. However, gamma-ray measurements will provide the only means for mapping the dark matter in the halo of our galaxy and other galaxies. In addition, the spectrum of gamma-rays (either direct annihilation to lines or continuum emission from other annihilation channels) will be imprinted with the mass of the dark matter particle, and the particular annihilation channels providing key measurements needed to identify the dark matter particle. While current gamma-ray instruments fall short of the generic sensitivity required to measure the dark matter signal from any sources other than the (confused) region around the Galactic center, we show that the planned AGIS array will have the angular resolution, energy resolution, low threshold energy and large effective area required to detect emission from dark matter annihilation in Galactic substructure or nearby Dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

A new X-ray pinhole camera for energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence imaging with high-energy and high-spatial resolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romano, F.P., E-mail: romanop@lns.infn.it [IBAM, CNR, Via Biblioteca 4, 95124 Catania (Italy); INFN-LNS, Via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Altana, C. [INFN-LNS, Via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy); Cosentino, L.; Celona, L.; Gammino, S.; Mascali, D. [INFN-LNS, Via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Pappalardo, L. [IBAM, CNR, Via Biblioteca 4, 95124 Catania (Italy); INFN-LNS, Via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Rizzo, F. [INFN-LNS, Via S. Sofia 62, 95123 Catania (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania (Italy)

2013-08-01

A new X-ray pinhole camera for the Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) imaging of materials with high-energy and high-spatial resolution, was designed and developed. It consists of a back-illuminated and deep depleted CCD detector (composed of 1024 × 1024 pixels with a lateral size of 13 μm) coupled to a 70 μm laser-drilled pinhole-collimator, positioned between the sample under analysis and the CCD. The X-ray pinhole camera works in a coaxial geometry allowing a wide range of magnification values. The characteristic X-ray fluorescence is induced on the samples by irradiation with an external X-ray tube working at a maximum power of 100 W (50 kV and 2 mA operating conditions). The spectroscopic capabilities of the X-ray pinhole camera were accurately investigated. Energy response and energy calibration of the CCD detector were determined by irradiating pure target-materials emitting characteristic X-rays in the energy working-domain of the system (between 3 keV and 30 keV). Measurements were performed by using a multi-frame acquisition in single-photon counting. The characteristic X-ray spectra were obtained by an automated processing of the acquired images. The energy resolution measured at the Fe–Kα line is 157 eV. The use of the X-ray pinhole camera for the 2D resolved elemental analysis was investigated by using reference-patterns of different materials and geometries. The possibility of the elemental mapping of samples up to an area of 3 × 3 cm{sup 2} was demonstrated. Finally, the spatial resolution of the pinhole camera was measured by analyzing the profile function of a sharp-edge. The spatial resolution determined at the magnification values of 3.2 × and 0.8 × (used as testing values) is about 90 μm and 190 μm respectively. - Highlights: • We developed an X-ray pinhole camera for the 2D X-ray fluorescence imaging. • X-ray spectra are obtained by a multi-frame acquisition in single photon mode. • The energy resolution in the X-ray

X-ray and. gamma. -ray sources: a comparison of their characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freund, A K [Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin, 38 - Grenoble (France)

1979-11-01

A comparison of the various source characteristics, in particular the available fluxes of radiation in the X-ray/..gamma..-ray region from (1) high power rotary anode X-ray generators, (2) radioactive ..gamma..-ray sources and (3) high energy electron storage rings is presented. Some of the specific characteristics and possible applications of synchrotron radiation as a source are discussed in detail, together with problems associated with the monochromatization of the continuous radiation in the X-ray/..gamma..-ray region. The new high energy machines PEP at Stanford, the 8 GeV storage ring CESR at Cornell and the PETRA storage ring in Hamburg, which will soon come into operation provide a spectrum of high intensity radiation reaching well above h..gamma..sub(photon)=100 keV. The possibilities of using ondulators (wigglers), and laser-electron scattering for constructing high repetition rate tunable ..gamma..-ray sources are also discussed. Finally the potentials of using the powerful spontaneous emission of ..gamma..-quanta by relativistic channeled particles are mentioned.

Catalog of gamma-rays unplaced in radioactive decay schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narita, Tsutomu; Kitao, Kensuke.

1991-03-01

A catalog is made for gamma-rays emitted in decay of radioactive nuclides but not placed in their decay schemes. It consists of two tables. In Table 1, the number of these unplaced gamma-ray components by a nuclide is given together with the fraction of total intensity of these gamma-rays to that of all observed gamma-rays. In Table 2, the unplaced gamma-rays are arranged in order of increasing energy. Each line of this table contains the gamma-ray energy, intensity, nuclide identification, and energies and intensities of the most prominent gamma-rays from the decay of the radionuclides. This catalog is a compilation from Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File (ENSDF) maintained by National Nuclear Data Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory, of at February 1990. (author)

Observing with a space-borne gamma-ray telescope: selected results from INTEGRAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schanne, Stephane

2006-01-01

The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, i.e. the INTEGRAL satellite of ESA, in orbit since about 3 years, performs gamma-ray observations of the sky in the 15 keV to 8 MeV energy range. Thanks to its imager IBIS, and in particular the ISGRI detection plane based on 16384 CdTe pixels, it achieves an excellent angular resolution (12 arcmin) for point source studies with good continuum spectrum sensitivity. Thanks to its spectrometer SPI, based on 19 germanium detectors maintained at 85 K by a cryogenic system, located inside an active BGO veto shield, it achieves excellent spectral resolution of about 2 keV for 1 MeV photons, which permits astrophysical gamma-ray line studies with good narrow-line sensitivity. In this paper we review some goals of gamma-ray astronomy from space and present the INTEGRAL satellite, in particular its instruments ISGRI and SPI. Ground and in-flight calibration results from SPI are presented, before presenting some selected astrophysical results from INTEGRAL. In particular results on point source searches are presented, followed by results on nuclear astrophysics, exemplified by the study of the 1809 keV gamma-ray line from radioactive 26 Al nuclei produced by the ongoing stellar nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy. Finally a review on the study of the positron-electron annihilation in the Galactic center region, producing 511 keV gamma-rays, is presented

ON ULTRA-HIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS AND THEIR RESULTANT GAMMA-RAYS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gavish, Eyal; Eichler, David [Physics Department, Ben-Gurion University, Be’er-Sheva 84105 (Israel)

2016-05-01

The Fermi Large Area Telescope collaboration has recently reported on 50 months of measurements of the isotropic extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGRB) spectrum between 100 MeV and 820 GeV. Ultra-high-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) protons interact with the cosmic microwave background photons and produce cascade photons of energies 10 MeV–1 TeV that contribute to the EGRB flux. We examine seven possible evolution models for UHECRs and find that UHECR sources that evolve as the star formation rate (SFR), medium low luminosity active galactic nuclei type-1 ( L = 10{sup 43.5} erg s{sup −1} in the [0.5–2] KeV band), and BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) are the most acceptable given the constraints imposed by the observed EGRB. Other possibilities produce too much secondary γ -radiation. In all cases, the decaying dark matter (DM) contribution improves the fit at high energy, but the contribution of still unresolved blazars, which would leave the smallest role for decaying DM, may yet provide an alternative improvement. The possibility that the entire EGRB can be fitted with resolvable but not-yet-resolved blazars, as recently claimed by Ajello et al., would leave little room in the EGRB to accommodate γ -rays from extragalactic UHECR production, even for many source evolution rates that would otherwise be acceptable. We find that under the assumption of UHECRs being mostly protons, there is not enough room for producing extragalactic UHECRs with active galactic nucleus, gamma-ray burst, or even SFR source evolution. Sources that evolve as BL Lacs, on the other hand, would produce much less secondary γ -radiation and would remain a viable source of UHECRs, provided that they dominate.

The TeV {gamma}-ray binary PSR B1259-63. Observations with the high energy stereoscopic system in the years 2005-2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerschhaggl, Matthias

2010-04-06

PSR B1259-63/SS2883 is a binary system where a 48 ms pulsar orbits a massive Be star with a period of 3.4 years. The system exhibits variable, non-thermal radiation around periastron on the highly eccentric orbit (e=0.87) visible from radio to very high energies (VHE; E>100 GeV). When being detected in TeV {gamma}-rays with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in 2004 it became known as the first variable galactic VHE source. This thesis presents VHE data from PSR B1259-63 as taken during the years 2005, 2006 and before as well as shortly after the 2007 periastron passage. These data extend the knowledge of the lightcurve of this object to all phases of the binary orbit. The lightcurve constrains physical mechanisms present in this TeV source. Observations of VHE {gamma}-rays with the H.E.S.S. telescope array using the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique were performed. The H.E.S.S. instrument features an angular resolution of < 0.1 and an energy resolution of < 20%. Gamma-ray events in an energy range of 0.5-70 TeV were recorded. From these data, energy spectra and lightcurve with a monthly time sampling were extracted. VHE {gamma}-ray emission from PSRB1259-63 was detected with an overall significance of 9.5 standard deviations using 55 h of exposure, obtained from April to August 2007. The monthly flux of -rays during the observation period was measured, yielding VHE lightcurve data for the early pre-periastron phase of the system for the first time. No spectral variability was found on timescales of months. The spectrum is described by a power law with a photon index of {gamma}=2.8{+-}0.2{sub stat}{+-}0.2{sub sys} and flux normalisation {phi}{sub 0}=(1.1{+-}0.1{sub stat}{+-}0.2{sub sys}) x 10{sup -12} TeV{sup -1}cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}. PSR B1259-63 was also monitored in 2005 and 2006, far from periastron passage, comprising 8.9 h and 7.5 h of exposure, respectively. No significant excess of {gamma}-rays is seen in those observations. PSR B1259-63 has

The TeV {gamma}-ray binary PSR B1259-63. Observations with the high energy stereoscopic system in the years 2005-2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerschhaggl, Matthias

2010-04-06

PSR B1259-63/SS2883 is a binary system where a 48 ms pulsar orbits a massive Be star with a period of 3.4 years. The system exhibits variable, non-thermal radiation around periastron on the highly eccentric orbit (e=0.87) visible from radio to very high energies (VHE; E>100 GeV). When being detected in TeV {gamma}-rays with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in 2004 it became known as the first variable galactic VHE source. This thesis presents VHE data from PSR B1259-63 as taken during the years 2005, 2006 and before as well as shortly after the 2007 periastron passage. These data extend the knowledge of the lightcurve of this object to all phases of the binary orbit. The lightcurve constrains physical mechanisms present in this TeV source. Observations of VHE {gamma}-rays with the H.E.S.S. telescope array using the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique were performed. The H.E.S.S. instrument features an angular resolution of < 0.1 and an energy resolution of < 20%. Gamma-ray events in an energy range of 0.5-70 TeV were recorded. From these data, energy spectra and lightcurve with a monthly time sampling were extracted. VHE {gamma}-ray emission from PSRB1259-63 was detected with an overall significance of 9.5 standard deviations using 55 h of exposure, obtained from April to August 2007. The monthly flux of -rays during the observation period was measured, yielding VHE lightcurve data for the early pre-periastron phase of the system for the first time. No spectral variability was found on timescales of months. The spectrum is described by a power law with a photon index of {gamma}=2.8{+-}0.2{sub stat}{+-}0.2{sub sys} and flux normalisation {phi}{sub 0}=(1.1{+-}0.1{sub stat}{+-}0.2{sub sys}) x 10{sup -12} TeV{sup -1}cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}. PSR B1259-63 was also monitored in 2005 and 2006, far from periastron passage, comprising 8.9 h and 7.5 h of exposure, respectively. No significant excess of {gamma}-rays is seen in those observations. PSR B1259-63 has

Gamma-rays from decaying dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertone, G. [Paris-6 Univ., 75 (France). Inst. d' Astrophysique; Buchmueller, W.; Covi, L.; Ibarra, A. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

2007-10-15

We study the prospects for detecting gamma-rays from decaying Dark Matter (DM), focusing in particular on gravitino DM in R-parity breaking vacua. Given the substantially different angular distribution of the predicted gamma-ray signal with respect to the case of annihilating DM, and the relatively poor (of order 0.1 ) angular resolution of gamma-ray detectors, the best strategy for detection is in this case to look for an exotic contribution to the gamma-ray flux at high galactic latitudes, where the decaying DM contribution would resemble an astrophysical extragalactic component, similar to the one inferred by EGRET observations. Upcoming experiments such as GLAST and AMS-02 may identify this exotic contribution and discriminate it from astrophysical sources, or place significant constraints on the mass and lifetime of DM particles. (orig.)

Feasibility study of gamma-ray medical radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alyassin, Abdalmajeid M.; Maqsoud, Hamza A.; Mashat, Ahmad M.; Al-Mohr, Al-Sayed; Abdulwajid, Subhan

2013-01-01

This research explores the feasibility of using gamma-ray radiography in medical imaging. We will show that gamma-ray medical radiography has the potential to provide alternative diagnostic medical information to X-ray radiography. Approximately one Ci Am-241 radioactive source which emits mono-energetic 59.5 keV gamma rays was used. Several factors that influence the feasibility of this study were tested. They were the radiation source uniformity, image uniformity, and image quality parameters such as contrast, noise, and spatial resolution. In addition, several gamma-ray and X-ray images were acquired using humanoid phantoms. These images were recorded on computed radiography image receptors and displayed on a standard monitor. Visual assessments of these images were then conducted. The Am-241 radioactive source provided relatively uniform radiation exposure and images. Image noise and image contrast were mainly dependent on the exposure time and source size, whereas spatial resolution was dependent on source size and magnification factor. The gamma-ray humanoid phantom images were of lower quality than the X-ray images mainly due to the low radioactivity used and not enough exposure time. Nevertheless, the gamma-ray images displayed most of the main structures contained in the humanoid phantoms. Higher exposure rates and thus lower exposure times were estimated for different pure Am-241 source sizes that are hypothesized to provide high quality images similar to X-ray images. For instance, a 10 mm source size of pure Am-241 with 7 s exposure time should produce images similar in contrast and noise to X-ray images. This research paves the way for the production and usage of a highly radioactive Am-241 source with the potential to lead to the feasibility of acceptable quality medical gamma-ray radiography. - Highlights: ► Characterized the performance of gamma-ray radiography. ► Displayed medical images of humanoid phantoms using gamma radiography. ► Am-241

Development of Compton X-ray spectrometer for high energy resolution single-shot high-flux hard X-ray spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kojima, Sadaoki, E-mail: kojima-s@ile.osaka-u.ac.jp, E-mail: sfujioka@ile.osaka-u.ac.jp; Ikenouchi, Takahito; Arikawa, Yasunobu; Sakata, Shohei; Zhang, Zhe; Abe, Yuki; Nakai, Mitsuo; Nishimura, Hiroaki; Shiraga, Hiroyuki; Fujioka, Shinsuke, E-mail: kojima-s@ile.osaka-u.ac.jp, E-mail: sfujioka@ile.osaka-u.ac.jp; Azechi, Hiroshi [Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Ozaki, Tetsuo [National Institute for Fusion Science, 322-6 Oroshi, Toki, Gifu 509-5292 (Japan); Miyamoto, Shuji; Yamaguchi, Masashi; Takemoto, Akinori [Laboratory of Advanced Science and Technology for Industry, University of Hyogo, 3-1-2 Kouto, Kamigori-cho, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1205 (Japan)

2016-04-15

Hard X-ray spectroscopy is an essential diagnostics used to understand physical processes that take place in high energy density plasmas produced by intense laser-plasma interactions. A bundle of hard X-ray detectors, of which the responses have different energy thresholds, is used as a conventional single-shot spectrometer for high-flux (>10{sup 13} photons/shot) hard X-rays. However, high energy resolution (Δhv/hv < 0.1) is not achievable with a differential energy threshold (DET) X-ray spectrometer because its energy resolution is limited by energy differences between the response thresholds. Experimental demonstration of a Compton X-ray spectrometer has already been performed for obtaining higher energy resolution than that of DET spectrometers. In this paper, we describe design details of the Compton X-ray spectrometer, especially dependence of energy resolution and absolute response on photon-electron converter design and its background reduction scheme, and also its application to the laser-plasma interaction experiment. The developed spectrometer was used for spectroscopy of bremsstrahlung X-rays generated by intense laser-plasma interactions using a 200 μm thickness SiO{sub 2} converter. The X-ray spectrum obtained with the Compton X-ray spectrometer is consistent with that obtained with a DET X-ray spectrometer, furthermore higher certainly of a spectral intensity is obtained with the Compton X-ray spectrometer than that with the DET X-ray spectrometer in the photon energy range above 5 MeV.

High-energy photons and neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dar, A.

1998-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope has recently discovered thousands of gigantic cometlike objects in a ring around the central star in the nearest planetary nebula. It is assumed that such circumstellar rings exist around the majority of stars. Collisions of relativistic debris from gamma-ray bursts (GRB) in dense stellar regions with such gigantic cometlike objects, which have been stripped off from the circumstellar rings by gravitational perturbations, produce detectable fluxes of high energy γ rays and neutrinos from GRBs

Gamma ray transitions in de-excitation of 252Cf spontaneous fission fragments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, N.A.; Rashid, K.; Ahmad, M.; Qureshi, I.E.; Alam, G.D.; Ali, A.; Bhatti, N.; Horsch, F.

1983-11-01

Gamma rays in the range from 60 keV to 730 keV have been observed following the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf, with high resolution Ge(Li) detector, full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 700 eV at 122 keV, in coincidence with the two fission fragments observed with surface barrier detectors. A total number of 18, 636, 549 events were recorded over a run period of about 150 hours stretching over three weeks. The events were sorted to generate gamma ray spectra belonging to 2 amu intervals gamma of the fragment masses and 6 MeV intervals of the total kinetic energy released. Some of the prominent gamma lines belonging to various masses of the fission fragments have been identified. For some gamma lines, the intensities have been evaluated as a function of the total kinetic energy of the fission fragments. (authors)

Cadmium telluride gamma-radiation detectors with a high energy resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alekseeva, L.A.; Dorogov, P.G.; Ivanov, V.I.; Khusainov, A.K.

1985-01-01

This paper considers the possibility of improving the energy resolution of cadmium telluride gamma-radiation detectors through the choice of the geometry and size of the sensitive region of the detector. The optimum ratio of the product of the mobility and lifetime for electrons to the same product for holes from the point of view of energy resolution is greater than or equal to 10 2 for a detector of spherical geometry and should be less than or equal to 10 for a cylindrical geometry and approximately 1 for a planar geometry. The optimum values of the major and minor radii of a spherical detector are calculated

Plutonium characterisation with prompt high energy gamma-rays from (n,gamma) reactions for nuclear warhead dismantlement verification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Postelt, Frederik; Gerald, Kirchner [Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker-Centre for Science and Peace Research, Hamburg (Germany)

2015-07-01

Measurements of neutron induced gammas allow the characterisation of fissile material (i.e. plutonium and uranium), despite self- and additional shielding. Most prompt gamma-rays from radiative neutron capture reactions in fissile material have energies between 3 and 6.5 MeV. Such high energy photons have a high penetrability and therefore minimise shielding and self-absorption effects. They are also isotope specific and therefore well suited to determine the isotopic composition of fissile material. As they are non-destructive, their application in dismantlement verification is desirable. Disadvantages are low detector efficiencies at high gamma energies, as well as a high background of gammas which result from induced fission reactions in the fissile material, as well as delayed gammas from both, (n,f) and(n,gamma) reactions. In this talk, simulations of (n,gamma) measurements and their implications are presented. Their potential for characterising fissile material is assessed and open questions are addressed.

Librarian driven analysis of gamma ray spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondrashov, V.; Petersone, I.

2002-01-01

For a set of a priori given radionuclides extracted from a general nuclide data library, the authors use median estimates of the gamma-peak areas and estimates of their errors to produce a list of possible radionuclides matching gamma ray line(s). The identification of a given radionuclide is obtained by searching for a match with the energy information of a database. This procedure is performed in an interactive graphic mode by markers that superimpose, on the spectral data, the energy information and yields provided by a general gamma ray data library. This library of experimental data includes approximately 17,000 gamma ray energy lines related to 756 known gamma emitter radionuclides listed by the ICRP. (author)

High energy resolution off-resonant X-ray spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wojciech, Blachucki [Univ. of Fribourg (Switzerland). Dept. of Physics

2015-10-16

This work treats of the high energy resolution off-resonant X-ray spectroscopy (HEROS) method of determining the density of unoccupied electronic states in the vicinity of the absorption edge. HEROS is an alternative to the existing X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) methods and opens the way for new studies not achievable before.

Very high energy gamma ray astrophysics: Progress report, May 1, 1987-February 1, 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, R.G.; Lewis, D.A.

1988-02-01

The Whipple observatory Gamma Ray Collaboration has continued to make steady progress in its development of a highly sensitive stereoscopic imaging gamma-ray telescope (known as the HERCULES project). The milestones in this year's development include: the demonstration of the success of the imaging concept with a single camera by the detection of a very weak flux of gamma rays from the Crab Nebula at a high level of statistical significance (7 sigma), the confirmation of our detection of an anomalous pulsed flux from Hercules X-1 in the summer of 1986 by two other groups; this result has serious implications for the mechanism for gamma-ray emission in this binary source. The construction and installation of the new high resolution camera on the 10 m reflector; the realistic simulation of the sensitivity of this camera as well as that of the full HERCULES system was also undertaken. These, and other highlights of this year's program at the Iowa State University and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, are discussed in this paper. 6 figs

Focal Plane Detectors for the Advanced Gamma-Ray Imaging System (AGIS)

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, R. G.; Byrum, K.; Drake, G.; Funk, S.; Otte, N.; Smith, A.; Tajima, H.; Williams, D.

2009-05-01

The Advanced Gamma-Ray Imaging System (AGIS) is a concept for the next generation observatory in ground-based very high energy gamma-ray astronomy. It is being designed to achieve a significant improvement in sensitivity compared to current Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) Arrays. One of the main requirements in order that AGIS fulfills this goal will be to achieve higher angular resolution than current IACTs. Simulations show that a substantial improvement in angular resolution may be achieved if the pixel size is reduced to 0.05 deg, i.e. two to three times smaller than for current IACT cameras. Here we present results from testing of alternatives being considered for AGIS, including both silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and multi-anode photomultipliers (MAPMTs).

A search for high energy gamma rays from a quiet sun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, C.Y.

1975-01-01

A search for solar gamma-rays in the energy range 10 MeV and greater was made by measuring the angular distribution of the flux from the direction of the sun using a stack of oriented nuclear emulsions flown by balloon on July 21, 1974, from Fort Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The emulsion plates were scanned for the electron-positron pairs. An upper limit to the flux of solar gamma-rays, for a 90% statistical confidence level, was estimated to be 3.1 x 10 -4 photons cm -2 s -1 in the energy region above 10 MeV. On the day of the flight the sun spot number (Rsub(z)) was 55, and no major solar flares were reported. (orig.) [de

Gamma ray astronomy with COS-B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swanenburg, B.N.

1981-01-01

Observational results in the field of gamma-ray astronomy that have been obtained to date with the COS-B satellite are discussed and questions raised by these observations are summarized. Following a brief review of the instrumental characteristics of COS-B and the extent of COS-B gamma-ray coverage of the sky, particular attention is given to the questions raised by the discovery of many unidentified gamma-ray sources with no apparent optical, X-ray or radio counterparts and the detection of high-energy gamma radiation from the quasar 3C 273, which suggests the role of gamma-ray emission in the creation of other radiation

High-energy gamma-ray emission from solar flares: Constraining the accelerated proton spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, David; Dunphy, Philip P.; Mackinnon, Alexander L.

1994-01-01

Using a multi-component model to describe the gamma-ray emission, we investigate the flares of December 16, 1988 and March 6, 1989 which exhibited unambiguous evidence of neutral pion decay. The observations are then combined with theoretical calculations of pion production to constrain the accelerated proton spectra. The detection of pi(sup 0) emission alone can indicate much about the energy distribution and spectral variation of the protons accelerated to pion producing energies. Here both the intensity and detailed spectral shape of the Doppler-broadened pi(sup 0) decay feature are used to determine the spectral form of the accelerated proton energy distribution. The Doppler width of this gamma-ray emission provides a unique diagnostic of the spectral shape at high energies, independent of any normalisation. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this diagnostic has been used to constrain the proton spectra. The form of the energetic proton distribution is found to be severely limited by the observed intensity and Doppler width of the pi(sup 0) decay emission, demonstrating effectively the diagnostic capabilities of the pi(sup 0) decay gamma-rays. The spectral index derived from the gamma-ray intensity is found to be much harder than that derived from the Doppler width. To reconcile this apparent discrepancy we investigate the effects of introducing a high-energy cut-off in the accelerated proton distribution. With cut-off energies of around 0.5-0.8 GeV and relatively hard spectra, the observed intensities and broadening can be reproduced with a single energetic proton distribution above the pion production threshold.

Response of CZT drift-strip detector to X- and gamma rays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuvvetli, Irfan; Budtz-Jørgensen, Carl; Gerward, Leif

2001-01-01

The drift-strip method for improving the energy response of a CdZnTe (CZT) detector to hard X- and gamma rays is discussed. Results for a 10 x 10 x 3 mm(3) detector crystal demonstrate a remarkable improvement of the energy resolution. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) is 2.18 keV (3.6%), 2...

On the high energy gamma ray spectrum and the particle production model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohta, Itaru; Tezuka, Ikuo.

1979-01-01

A small emulsion chamber, 25 cm x 20 cm in area and 12 radiation lengths in thick, was exposed with JAL jet-cargo at an atmospheric depth of 260 g/cm 2 during 150 hrs. The gamma ray spectrum derived by combining data from X-ray films and nuclear emulsions is well represented by I sub(r) (>=Er) = (3.65 +- 0.30) x 10 -8 [E sub(r)/TeV]sup(-1.89+0.06-0.09)/cm 2 sr sec in the energy range 200 - 3,000 GeV. This result is in good agreement with those of several other groups. We discuss our data in terms of Feynman's and Koba-Nielsen-Olesen's scaling law of high energy particle production model. Interpreted in terms of an assumption of mild violation of the scaling law as x.d delta-s / delta-s indx = AE sup(2a)exp (-BE sup(a)x), our gamma ray spectrum results suggest an existence of a violation parameter of a = 0.18, which is consistent with results from gamma ray spectrum observations at great depth such as the mountain elevations. (author)

Hard x-ray to low energy gamma ray spectrum of the Crab Nebula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, G.V.

1986-01-01

The spectrum of the Crab Nebula has been determined in the energy range 10 keV to 5 MeV from the data of the UCSD/MIT Hard-X-ray and Low Energy Gamma Ray Experiment on the first High Energy Astronomy Observatory, HEAO-1. The x-ray to γ-ray portion of the continuous emission from the Crab is indicative of the electron spectrum, its transport through the nebula, and the physical conditions near the shocked interface between the nebular region and the wind which is the physical link between the nebula and the pulsar, NP0532. The power-law dependence of the spectrum found in the lower-energy decade of this observation (10 to 100 keV) is not continued without modification to higher energies. Evidence for this has been accumulating from previous observations in the γ-ray ranges of 1-10 MeV and above 35 MeV. The observations on which this dissertation is based further characterize the spectral change in the 100 keV to 1 MeV region. These observations provide a crucial connection between the x-ray and γ-ray spectrum of the non-pulsed emission of the Crab Nebula. The continuity of this spectrum suggests that the emission mechanism responsible for the non-pulsed γ-rays observed above 35 MeV is of the same origin as the emission at lower energies, i.e. that of synchrotron radiation in the magnetic field of the nebula

Experimental investigation of silicon photomultipliers as compact light readout systems for gamma-ray spectroscopy applications in fusion plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nocente, M., E-mail: massimo.nocente@mib.infn.it; Gorini, G. [Dipartimento di Fisica “G. Occhialini,” Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano (Italy); Istituto di Fisica del Plasma “P. Caldirola,” EURATOM-ENEA-CNR Association, Milano (Italy); Fazzi, A.; Lorenzoli, M.; Pirovano, C. [Dipartimento di Energia, CeSNEF, Politecnico di Milano, Milano (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano, Milano (Italy); Tardocchi, M. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma “P. Caldirola,” EURATOM-ENEA-CNR Association, Milano (Italy); Cazzaniga, C.; Rebai, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica “G. Occhialini,” Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano (Italy); Uboldi, C.; Varoli, V. [Dipartimento di Energia, CeSNEF, Politecnico di Milano, Milano (Italy)

2014-11-15

A matrix of Silicon Photo Multipliers has been developed for light readout from a large area 1 in. × 1 in. LaBr{sub 3} crystal. The system has been characterized in the laboratory and its performance compared to that of a conventional photo multiplier tube. A pulse duration of 100 ns was achieved, which opens up to spectroscopy applications at high counting rates. The energy resolution measured using radioactive sources extrapolates to 3%–4% in the energy range E{sub γ} = 3–5 MeV, enabling gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements at good energy resolution. The results reported here are of relevance in view of the development of compact gamma-ray detectors with spectroscopy capabilities, such as an enhanced gamma-ray camera for high power fusion plasmas, where the use of photomultiplier is impeded by space limitation and sensitivity to magnetic fields.

Study of the parabolic-spherical shape on the energy resolution in gamma spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Joao Carlos Pereira da

1997-01-01

In gamma spectrometry, the energy resolution is an important parameter. This parameter measures the capability of the system to separate two photopeaks that are together. Scintillation systems have various factors that affect the energy resolution: energy deposition, light emission, light collection and electric signal processing. Light collection depended on the mechanisms of light transport until light strikes on the photocathode. In this trajectory the light losses energy by attenuation and refractions on the surfaces. In order to minimize these effects, a parabolic-spherical shape is proposed. The energy resolutions of hemispherical and parabolic-spherical shapes were measured. The results show a better resolution for the new shape, about 33% for Compton edge due to a 137 Cs radioactive source. (author)

The design and construction of a scintillation pair spectrometer for the detection of {gamma}-rays in the energy range 2-20 MeV; Realisation d'un spectrometre a scintillations et a paires pour la detection des rayonnements {gamma} d'energie comprise entre 2 et 20 MeV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Longequeue, J P [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1958-07-15

The scintillation pair spectrometer is designed to allow the measurement of the energy of {gamma} rays in the range 2 to 20 MeV. Such an instrument is chosen because of its main features: high energy resolution and ease of working. Against this, however, the efficiency is low. It was possible to tolerate this low efficiency because of the facts that the {gamma}-rays studied emanated from (p, {gamma}) reactions and that the two electrostatic acceleration available could provide beams of 500 {mu}A having energy maxima at 300 and 600 keV. We used the {gamma} rays produced by the reactions {sup 23}Na (p, {gamma}) {sup 24}Mg, {sup 19}F (p, {alpha} {gamma}) {sup 16}O and {sup 7}Li (p, {gamma}) {sup 8}Be as well as the {gamma} rays emitted by sources of RTh and of {sup 24}Na. Under these conditions the spectrometer attained a resolving power of 6,5 {+-} 0,5 per cent at 6,1 MeV and it was able to separate the 14,8 and 17,6 MeV lines produced by the reaction {sup 7}Li (p, {gamma}) {sup 8}Be. As well as this, the efficiency which varied from 2.10{sup -4} to 1,7.10{sup -3} between 2 and 20 MeV was well above the efficiencies already obtained with this type of instrument. (author) [French] Le spectrometre a scintillations et a paires presente dans cette these a pour but de mesurer l'energie des rayonnements {gamma} dans la bande de 2 a 20 MeV. Le choix d'un tel appareil est du a ses caracteristiques essentielles: bonne resolution en energie et maniabilite. Par contre, son efficacite est faible. Nous avons pu tolerer cette faible efficacite car les rayonnements {gamma} que nous avons etudies provenaient de reactions (p, {gamma}) et les deux accelerateurs electrostatiques dont nous disposions pouvaient fournir des faisceaux de 500 {mu}A avec des energies maximum de 300 et 600 keV. Nous avons utilise les rayonnements {gamma} produits par les reactions {sup 23}Na (p, {gamma}) {sup 24}Mg, {sup 19}F (p, {alpha} {gamma}) {sup 16}O et {sup 7}Li (p, {gamma}) {sup 8}Be ainsi que les

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imageing System (AGIS): Simulation Design Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Bugaev, V.; Buckley, J.; Digel, S.; Fegan, S.; Funk, S.; Konopelko, A.; Krawczynski, H.; Lebohec, S.; Maier, G.; Vassiliev, V.

2008-04-01

We present design studies for AGIS, a proposed array of ˜100 imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes for gamma-rays astronomy in the 40GeV to 100 TeV energy regime. We describe optimization studies for the array configuration, pixel size and field of view aimed at achieving the best sensitivity over the entire energy range and best angular resolution for a fixed project total cost.

Real-time image parameterization in high energy gamma-ray astronomy using transputers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punch, M.; Fegan, D.J.

1991-01-01

Recently, significant advances in Very-High-Energy gamma-ray astronomy have been made by parameterization of the Cherenkov images arising from gamma-ray initiated showers in the Earth's atmosphere. A prototype system to evaluate the use of Transputers as a parallel-processing elements for real-time analysis of data from a Cherenkov imaging camera is described in this paper. The operation of and benefits resulting from such a system are described, and the viability of an applicaiton of the prototype system is discussed

Registered particles onboard identification in the various apertures of GAMMA-400 space gamma-telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Arkhangelskaja, Irene

2016-07-01

GAMMA-400 (Gamma Astronomical Multifunctional Modular Apparatus) will be the gamma-telescope onboard international satellite gamma-observatory designed for particle registration in the wide energy band. Its parameters are optimized for detection of gamma-quanta with the energy ˜ 100 GeV in the main aperture. The main scientific goals of GAMMA-400 are to investigate fluxes of γ-rays and the electron-positron cosmic ray component possibly generated by dark matter particles decay or annihilation and to search for and study in detail discrete γ-ray sources, to investigate the energy spectra of Galactic and extragalactic diffuse γ-rays, and to study γ-ray bursts and γ-emission from the active Sun. This article presents analysis of detected events identification procedures and energy resolution in three apertures provide particles registration both from upper and lateral directions based on GAMMA-400 modeling due special designed software. Time and segmentation methods are used to reject backsplash (backscattering particles created when high energy γ-rays interact with the calorimeter's matter and move in the opposite direction) in the main aperture while only energy deposition analysis allows to reject this effect in the additional and lateral ones. The main aperture provides the best angular (all strip layers information analysis) and energy (energy deposition in the all detectors studying) resolution in the energy range 0.1 - 3 × 10^{3} GeV. The energy resolution in this band is 1%. Triggers in the main aperture will be formed using information about particle direction provided by time of flight system and presence of charged particle or backsplash signal formed according to analysis of energy deposition in combination of all two-layers anticoincidence systems individual detectors. In the additional aperture gamma-telescope allows to register events in the energy band 10 × 10^{-3} - 3 × 10^{3} GeV. The additional aperture energy resolution provides due to

Boxes, Boosts, and Energy Duality: Understanding the Galactic-Center Gamma-Ray Excess through Dynamical Dark Matter

CERN Document Server

Boddy, Kimberly K.

2017-03-28

Many models currently exist which attempt to interpret the excess of gamma rays emanating from the Galactic Center in terms of annihilating or decaying dark matter. These models typically exhibit a variety of complicated cascade mechanisms for photon production, leading to a non-trivial kinematics which obscures the physics of the underlying dark sector. In this paper, by contrast, we observe that the spectrum of the gamma-ray excess may actually exhibit an intriguing "energy-duality" invariance under $E_\\gamma \\rightarrow E_\\ast^2/E_\\gamma$ for some $E_\\ast$. As we shall discuss, such an energy duality points back to a remarkably simple alternative kinematics which in turn is realized naturally within the Dynamical Dark Matter framework. Observation of this energy duality could therefore provide considerable information about the properties of the dark sector from which the Galactic-Center gamma-ray excess might arise, and highlights the importance of acquiring more complete data for the Galactic-Center exce...

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS): Focal Plane Detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Reshmi; Byrum, K.; Drake, G.; Falcone, A.; Funk, S.; Horan, D.; Tajima, H.; Wagner, B.; Williams, D.

2008-04-01

Report of the Focal Plane Instrumentation Working Group, AGIS collaboration: The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS) is a concept for the next generation instrument in ground-based very high energy gamma-ray astronomy. It has the goal of achieving significant improvement in sensitivity over current experiments. One of the main requirements for AGIS will be to achieve higher angular resolution than current imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). Simulations show that a substantial improvement in angular resolution may be achieved if the pixel size is reduced to 0.05 deg, below that of current IACTs. Reducing the cost per channel and improving reliability and modularity are other important considerations. Here we present several alternatives being considered for AGIS, including both silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) and multi-anode photomultipliers (MAPMTs) and summarize results from feasibility testing by various AGIS photodetector group members.

Gamma-ray identification of nuclear weapon materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gosnell, T. B.; Hall, J. M.; Jam, C. L.; Knapp, D. A.; Koenig, Z. M.; Luke, S. J.; Pohl, B. A.; Schach Wittenau, A. von; Wolford, J. K.

1997-01-01

There has been an accelerating national interest in countering nuclear smuggling. This has caused a corresponding expansion of interest in the use of gamma-ray spectrometers for checkpoint monitoring, nuclear search, and within networks of nuclear and collateral sensors. All of these are fieldable instruments--ranging from large, fixed portal monitors to hand-held and remote monitoring equipment. For operational reasons, detectors with widely varying energy resolution and detection efficiency will be employed. In many instances, such instruments must be sensitive to weak signals, always capable of recognizing the gamma-ray signatures from nuclear weapons materials (NWM), often largely insensitive to spectral alteration by radiation transport through intervening materials, capable of real-time implementation, and able to discriminate against signals from commonly encountered legitimate gamma-ray sources, such as radiopharmaceuticals. Several decades of experience in classified programs have shown that all of these properties are not easily achieved and successful approaches were of limited scope--such as the detection of plutonium only. This project was originally planned as a two-year LDRD-ER. Since funding for 1997 was not sustained, this is a report of the first year's progress

Effective atomic numbers of blue topaz at different gamma-rays energies obtained from Compton scattering technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tuschareon, S., E-mail: tuscharoen@hotmail.com; Limkitjaroenporn, P., E-mail: tuscharoen@hotmail.com; Kaewkhao, J., E-mail: tuscharoen@hotmail.com [Center of Excellence in Glass Technology and Materials Science (CEGM), Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom, 73000, Thailand and Science Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom, 73000 (Thailand)

2014-03-24

Topaz occurs in a wide range of colors, including yellow, orange, brown, pink-to-violet and blue. All of these color differences are due to color centers. In order to improve the color of natural colorless topaz, the most commonly used is irradiated with x- or gamma-rays, indicated that attenuation parameters is important to enhancements by irradiation. In this work, the mass attenuation coefficients of blue topaz were measured at the different energy of γ-rays using the Compton scattering technique. The results show that, the experimental values of mass attenuation coefficient are in good agreement with the theoretical values. The mass attenuation coefficients increase with the decrease in gamma rays energies. This may be attributed to the higher photon interaction probability of blue topaz at lower energy. This result is a first report of mass attenuation coefficient of blue topaz at different gamma rays energies.

Elpasolite Planetary Ice and Composition Spectrometer (EPICS): A Low-Resource Combined Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer for Planetary Science

Science.gov (United States)

Stonehill, L. C.; Coupland, D. D. S.; Dallmann, N. A.; Feldman, W. C.; Mesick, K.; Nowicki, S.; Storms, S.

2017-12-01

The Elpasolite Planetary Ice and Composition Spectrometer (EPICS) is an innovative, low-resource gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer for planetary science missions, enabled by new scintillator and photodetector technologies. Neutrons and gamma rays are produced by cosmic ray interactions with planetary bodies and their subsequent interactions with the near-surface materials produce distinctive energy spectra. Measuring these spectra reveals details of the planetary near-surface composition that are not accessible through any other phenomenology. EPICS will be the first planetary science instrument to fully integrate the neutron and gamma-ray spectrometers. This integration is enabled by the elpasolite family of scintillators that offer gamma-ray spectroscopy energy resolutions as good as 3% FWHM at 662 keV, thermal neutron sensitivity, and the ability to distinguish gamma-ray and neutron signals via pulse shape differences. This new detection technology will significantly reduce size, weight, and power (SWaP) while providing similar neutron performance and improved gamma energy resolution compared to previous scintillator instruments, and the ability to monitor the cosmic-ray source term. EPICS will detect scintillation light with silicon photomultipliers rather than traditional photomultiplier tubes, offering dramatic additional SWaP reduction. EPICS is under development with Los Alamos National Laboratory internal research and development funding. Here we report on the EPICS design, provide an update on the current status of the EPICS development, and discuss the expected sensitivity and performance of EPICS in several potential missions to airless bodies.

Gamma rays made on Earth have unexpectedly high energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Johanna

2011-01-01

Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) are the source of the highest-energy nonanthropogenic photons produced on Earth. Associated with thunder-storms - and in fact, with individual lightning discharges - they are presumed to be the bremsstrahlung produced when relativistic electrons, accelerated by the storms' strong electric fields, collide with air molecules some 10-20 km above sea level. The TGFs last up to a few milliseconds and contain photons with energies on the order of MeV.

Gamma-ray pulsars: Emission zones and viewing geometries

Science.gov (United States)

Romani, Roger W.; Yadigaroglu, I.-A.

1995-01-01

There are now a half-dozen young pulsars detected in high-energy photons by the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), showing a variety of emission efficiencies and pulse profiles. We present here a calculation of the pattern of high-energy emission on the sky in a model which posits gamma-ray production by charge-depleted gaps in the outer magnetosphere. This model accounts for the radio to gamma-ray pulse offsets of the known pulsars, as well as the shape of the high-energy pulse profiles. We also show that about one-third of emitting young radio pulsars will not be detected due to beaming effects, while approximately 2.5 times the number of radio-selected gamma-ray pulsars will be viewed only high energies. Finally we compute the polarization angle variation and find that the previously misunderstood optical polarization sweep of the Crab pulsar arises naturally in this picture. These results strongly support an outer magnetosphere location for the gamma-ray emission.

Polarization of the prompt gamma-ray emission from the gamma-ray burst of 6 December 2002.

Science.gov (United States)

Coburn, Wayne; Boggs, Steven E

2003-05-22

Observations of the afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have revealed that they lie at cosmological distances, and so correspond to the release of an enormous amount of energy. The nature of the central engine that powers these events and the prompt gamma-ray emission mechanism itself remain enigmatic because, once a relativistic fireball is created, the physics of the afterglow is insensitive to the nature of the progenitor. Here we report the discovery of linear polarization in the prompt gamma-ray emission from GRB021206, which indicates that it is synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in a strong magnetic field. The polarization is at the theoretical maximum, which requires a uniform, large-scale magnetic field over the gamma-ray emission region. A large-scale magnetic field constrains possible progenitors to those either having or producing organized fields. We suggest that the large magnetic energy densities in the progenitor environment (comparable to the kinetic energy densities of the fireball), combined with the large-scale structure of the field, indicate that magnetic fields drive the GRB explosion.

Physics and astrophysics with gamma-ray telescopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vandenbroucke, J. [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States)

2012-08-15

In the past few years gamma-ray astronomy has entered a golden age. A modern suite of telescopes is now scanning the sky over both hemispheres and over six orders of magnitude in energy. At {approx}TeV energies, only a handful of sources were known a decade ago, but the current generation of ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS) has increased this number to nearly one hundred. With a large field of view and duty cycle, the Tibet and Milagro air shower detectors have demonstrated the promise of the direct particle detection technique for TeV gamma rays. At {approx}GeV energies, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has increased the number of known sources by nearly an order of magnitude in its first year of operation. New classes of sources that were previously theorized to be gamma-ray emitters have now been confirmed observationally. Moreover, there have been surprise discoveries of GeV gamma-ray emission from source classes for which no theory predicted it was possible. In addition to elucidating the processes of high-energy astrophysics, gamma-ray telescopes are making essential contributions to fundamental physics topics including quantum gravity, gravitational waves, and dark matter. I summarize the current census of astrophysical gamma-ray sources, highlight some recent discoveries relevant to fundamental physics, and describe the synergetic connections between gamma-ray and neutrino astronomy. This is a brief overview intended in particular for particle physicists and neutrino astronomers, based on a presentation at the Neutrino 2010 conference in Athens, Greece. I focus in particular on results from Fermi (which was launched soon after Neutrino 2008), and conclude with a description of the next generation of instruments, namely HAWC and the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

TLD gamma-ray energy deposition measurements in the zero energy fast reactor ZEBRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knipe, A.D.

1977-01-01

A recent study of gamma-ray energy deposition was carried out in the Zebra reactor at AEE Winfrith during a collaborative programme between the UKAEA and PNC of Japan. The programme was given the title MOZART. This paper describes the TLD experiments in the MOZART MZB assembly and discusses the technique and various corrections necessary to relate the measured quantity to the calculated energy deposition

Gamma-Ray Interactions for Reachback Analysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karpius, Peter Joseph [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Myers, Steven Charles [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-08-02

This presentation is a part of the DHS LSS spectroscopy training course and presents an overview of the following concepts: identification and measurement of gamma rays; use of gamma counts and energies in research. Understanding the basic physics of how gamma rays interact with matter can clarify how certain features in a spectrum were produced.

High-Quality Medium-Resolution Gamma-Ray Spectra from Certified Reference Uranium and Plutonium Materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zsigrai, J.; Muehleisen, A.; ); Weber, A.-L.; Funk, P.; Berlizov, A.; Mintcheva, J.

2015-01-01

The Institute of Transuranium Elements (ITU) has made an effort to record a collection of medium resolution gamma-ray spectra from well-characterized U and Pu certified reference materials CRM-171 (also known as SRM-969), CBNM-271, and Harwell PIDIE standards. The goal of this exercise was twofold: (i) to complement the international database of reference gamma-ray spectra with high-quality data for medium resolution spectrometers, and (ii) to feed Phase I of the U/Pu isotopic inter-comparison exercise that is being jointly organized by the ESARDA NDA Working Group and IAEA. Phase II of the exercise will be fed by similar spectra recorded by Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN). These activities are supported through a joint Member State Support Programmes (MSSP) task and aimed at delivering reliable methodologies for the determination of U/Pu isotopic composition using medium resolution gamma-spectrometers. The latter have obvious benefits for in-field applications, amongst which are better usability, portability and maintainability. As the spectra will be made available online for software developers and end users, ultimately this will also contribute to sustainability as well as the improved and validated performance of existing U/Pu isotopic codes. The spectra were recorded using the IAEA's standard Lanthanum Bromide (LaBr3(Ce)) (2.0'' x 0.5'') and Cadmium Zink Telluride (CdZnTe) (500 mm''3) detectors and acquisition electronics. Aiming to acquire the highest quality reference data, the spectra were measured for long acquisition times, ensuring very good counting statistics across potentially useful spectral intervals — up to 1 MeV for the CdZnTe and up to 2.6 MeV for the LaBr3(Ce) detectors. Great attention was also paid to ensure that the measurement geometry was stable and reproducible, and the spectra had minimum influence from background radiation and pile-up effects. The paper will briefly

Discoveries by the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, Neil

2011-01-01

Fermi is a large space gamma-ray mission developed by NASA and the DOE with major contributions from France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Sweden. It was launched in June 2008 and has been performing flawlessly since then. The main instrument is the Large Area Telescope (LAT) operating in the 20 MeV to 300 GeV range and a smaller monitor instrument is the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) operating in the 8 keV to 40 MeV range. New findings are occurring every week. Some of the key discoveries are: 1) Discovery of many new gamma-ray pulsars, including gamma-ray only and millisecond pulsars. 2) Detection of high energy gamma-ray emission from globular clusters, most likely due to summed emission from msec pulsars. 3) Discovery of delayed and extended high energy gamma-ray emission from short and long gamma-ray busts. 4) Detection of approximately 250 gamma-ray bursts per year with the GBM instrument. 5) Most accurate measurement of the cosmic ray electron spectrum between 30 GeV and 1 TeV, showing some excess above the conventional diffusion model. The talk will present the new discoveries and their implications.

Processing of gamma-ray spectrometric logs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umiastowski, K.; Dumesnil, P.

1984-10-01

CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique) has developped a gamma-ray spectrometric tool, containing an analog-to-digital converter. This new tool permits to perform very precise uranium logs (natural gamma-ray spectrometry), neutron activation logs and litho-density logs (gamma-gamma spectrometric logs). Specific processing methods were developped to treate the particular problems of down-hole gamma-ray spectrometry. Extraction of the characteristic gamma-ray peak, even if they are superposed on the background radiation of very high intensity, is possible. This processing methode enables also to obtain geological informations contained in the continuous background of the spectrum. Computer programs are written in high level language for SIRIUS (VICTOR) and APOLLO computers. Exemples of uranium and neutron activation logs treatment are presented [fr

Study on 3D gamma-ray imaging for medical diagnosis with coded aperture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horiki, Kazunari; Shimazoe, Kenji; Ohno, Masashi; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Kobashi, Keiji; Moro, Eiji

2014-01-01

The conventional methods for medical imaging have several disadvantages such as restriction on the energy and detection efficiency. Coded aperture imaging can be used for medical imagings without restriction on the energy, which makes it possible to use multiple tracers in diagnosis. The detection efficiency of Coded aperture imaging is ten times better than that of the pinhole collimator. First, simulations of the coded aperture imaging have been done to confirm M-array's effectiveness. Second, two experiments have been done with low-energy gamma-ray (122 keV( 57 Co)) and with high-energy gamma-ray (662 keV( 137 Cs)). In both cases reconstructed image was successfully acquired. The measured spatial resolution in the experiment using 57 Co is 4.3 mm (FWHM). (author)

High-energy emissions from the gamma-ray binary LS 5039

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takata, J.; Leung, Gene C. K.; Cheng, K. S. [Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong); Tam, P. H. T.; Kong, A. K. H. [Institute of Astronomy and Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Hui, C. Y., E-mail: takata@hku.hk, E-mail: gene930@connect.hku.hk, E-mail: hrspksc@hku.hk [Department of Astronomy and Space Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-07-20

We study mechanisms of multi-wavelength emissions (X-ray, GeV, and TeV gamma-rays) from the gamma-ray binary LS 5039. This paper is composed of two parts. In the first part, we report on results of observational analysis using 4 yr data of the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Due to the improvement of instrumental response function and increase of the statistics, the observational uncertainties of the spectrum in the ∼100-300 MeV bands and >10 GeV bands are significantly improved. The present data analysis suggests that the 0.1-100 GeV emissions from LS 5039 contain three different components: (1) the first component contributes to <1 GeV emissions around superior conjunction, (2) the second component dominates in the 1-10 GeV energy bands, and (3) the third component is compatible with the lower-energy tail of the TeV emissions. In the second part, we develop an emission model to explain the properties of the phase-resolved emissions in multi-wavelength observations. Assuming that LS 5039 includes a pulsar, we argue that emissions from both the magnetospheric outer gap and the inverse-Compton scattering process of cold-relativistic pulsar wind contribute to the observed GeV emissions. We assume that the pulsar is wrapped by two kinds of termination shock: Shock-I due to the interaction between the pulsar wind and the stellar wind and Shock-II due to the effect of the orbital motion. We propose that the X-rays are produced by the synchrotron radiation at the Shock-I region and the TeV gamma-rays are produced by the inverse-Compton scattering process at the Shock-II region.

Design Study for Direction Variable Compton Scattering Gamma Ray

Science.gov (United States)

Kii, T.; Omer, M.; Negm, H.; Choi, Y. W.; Kinjo, R.; Yoshida, K.; Konstantin, T.; Kimura, N.; Ishida, K.; Imon, H.; Shibata, M.; Shimahashi, K.; Komai, T.; Okumura, K.; Zen, H.; Masuda, K.; Hori, T.; Ohgaki, H.

2013-03-01

A monochromatic gamma ray beam is attractive for isotope-specific material/medical imaging or non-destructive inspection. A laser Compton scattering (LCS) gamma ray source which is based on the backward Compton scattering of laser light on high-energy electrons can generate energy variable quasi-monochromatic gamma ray. Due to the principle of the LCS gamma ray, the direction of the gamma beam is limited to the direction of the high-energy electrons. Then the target object is placed on the beam axis, and is usually moved if spatial scanning is required. In this work, we proposed an electron beam transport system consisting of four bending magnets which can stick the collision point and control the electron beam direction, and a laser system consisting of a spheroidal mirror and a parabolic mirror which can also stick the collision point. Then the collision point can be placed on one focus of the spheroid. Thus gamma ray direction and collision angle between the electron beam and the laser beam can be easily controlled. As the results, travelling direction of the LCS gamma ray can be controlled under the limitation of the beam transport system, energy of the gamma ray can be controlled by controlling incident angle of the colliding beams, and energy spread can be controlled by changing the divergence of the laser beam.

Silicon detectors for x and gamma-ray with high radiation resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cimpoca, Valerica; Popescu, Ion V.; Ruscu, Radu

2001-01-01

Silicon detectors are widely used in X and gamma-ray spectroscopy for direct detection or coupled with scintillators in high energy nuclear physics (modern collider experiments are representative), medicine and industrial applications. In X and gamma dosimetry, a low detection limit (under 6 KeV) with silicon detectors becomes available. Work at the room temperature is now possible due to the silicon processing evolution, which assures low reverse current and high life time of carriers. For several years, modern semiconductor detectors have been the primary choice for the measurement of nuclear radiation in various scientific fields. Nowadays the recently developed high resolution silicon detectors found their way in medical applications. As a consequence many efforts have been devoted to the development of high sensitivity and radiation hardened X and gamma-ray detectors for the energy range of 5 - 150 keV. The paper presents some results concerning the technology and behaviour of X and Gamma ray silicon detectors used in physics research, industrial and medical radiography. The electrical characteristics of these detectors, their modification after exposure to radiation and the results of spectroscopic X and Gamma-ray measurements are discussed. The results indicated that the proposed detectors enables the development of reliable silicon detectors to be used in controlling the low and high radiation levels encountered in a lot of application

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS): Next-generation Cherenkov telescopes array.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassiliev, Vladimir; AGIS Collaboration

2010-03-01

AGIS is a concept for a next-generation ground-based gamma-ray observatory in the energy range from 50 GeV to 200 TeV. AGIS is being designed to have significantly improved sensitivity, angular resolution, and reliability of operation relative to the present generation instruments such as VERITAS and H.E.S.S. The novel technologies of AGIS are expected to enable great advances in the understanding of the populations and physics of sources of high-energy gamma rays in the Milky Way (e.g. SNR, X-ray binaries, dense molecular clouds) and outside the Galaxy (e.g. AGN, GRBs, galaxy clusters, and star-forming galaxies). AGIS will complement and extend the results now being obtained in the GeV range with the Fermi mission providing wide energy coverage, superior angular resolution, and sensitivity to variability on short time scales. AGIS will be a key instrument for identifying and characterizing Fermi LAT sources. In this submission we outline the status of the development of AGIS project, design concept, and principal technologies. As illustrations of the scientific capabilities of AGIS, we review its potential to indirectly search for dark matter and measure cosmological magnetic fields.

Multidimensional analysis of high resolution. gamma. -ray data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flibotte, S.; Huettmeier, U.J.; France, G. de; Haas, B.; Romain, P.; Theisen, C.; Vivien, J.P.; Zen, J. (Centre de Recherches Nucleaires, 67 - Strasbourg (France)); Bednarczyk, P. (Inst. of Nuclear Physics, Krakow (Poland))

1992-08-15

Algorithms are developed to analyze high-fold {gamma}-ray coincidences. Performances of the programs have been tested in 3, 4 and 5 dimensions using events generated with a Monte Carlo simulation. (orig.).

Low-energy X-ray and gamma spectrometry using silicon photodiodes; Espectrometria de raios X e gama de baixa energia utilizando fotodiodos de silicio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Iran Jose Oliveira da

2000-08-01

The use of semiconductor detectors for radiation detection has increased in recent years due to advantages they present in comparison to other types of detectors. As the working principle of commercially available photodiodes is similar to the semiconductor detector, this study was carried out to evaluate the use of Si photodiodes for low energy x-ray and gamma spectrometry. The photodiodes investigated were SFH-205, SFH-206, BPW-34 and XRA-50 which have the following characteristics: active area of 0,07 cm{sup 2} and 0,25 cm{sup 2}, thickness of the depletion ranging from 100 to 200 {mu}m and junction capacitance of 72 pF. The photodiode was polarized with a reverse bias and connected to a charge sensitive pre-amplifier, followed by a amplifier and multichannel pulse analyzer. Standard radiation source used in this experiment were {sup 241} Am, {sup 109} Cd, {sup 57} Co and {sup 133} Ba. The X-ray fluorescence of lead and silver were also measured through K- and L-lines. All the measurements were made with the photodiodes at room temperature.The results show that the responses of the photodiodes very linear by the x-ray energy and that the energy resolution in FWHM varied between 1.9 keV and 4.4 keV for peaks corresponding to 11.9 keV to 59 keV. The BPW-34 showed the best energy resolution and the lower dark current. The full-energy peak efficiency was also determined and it was observed that the peak efficiency decreases rapidly above 50 keV. The resolution and efficiency are similar to the values obtained with other semiconductor detectors, evidencing that the photodiodes used in that study can be used as a good performance detector for low energy X-ray and gamma spectrometry. (author)

High-Resolution Gamma-Ray Imaging Measurements Using Externally Segmented Germanium Detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Callas, J.; Mahoney, W.; Skelton, R.; Varnell, L.; Wheaton, W.

1994-01-01

Fully two-dimensional gamma-ray imaging with simultaneous high-resolution spectroscopy has been demonstrated using an externally segmented germanium sensor. The system employs a single high-purity coaxial detector with its outer electrode segmented into 5 distinct charge collection regions and a lead coded aperture with a uniformly redundant array (URA) pattern. A series of one-dimensional responses was collected around 511 keV while the system was rotated in steps through 180 degrees. A non-negative, linear least-squares algorithm was then employed to reconstruct a 2-dimensional image. Corrections for multiple scattering in the detector, and the finite distance of source and detector are made in the reconstruction process.

Dual-Energy Semiconductor Detector of X-rays and Gamma Radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brodyn, M.S.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Analysis of the major types of ionizing radiation detectors, their advantages and disadvantages are presented. Application of ZnSe-based semiconductor detector in high temperature environment is substantiated. Different forms of ZnSe-based detector samples and double-crystal scheme for registration of X- and gamma rays in a broad energy range were used . Based on the manufactured simulator device, the study sustains the feasibility of the gamma quanta recording by a high-resistance ZnSe-based detector operating in a perpulse mode.

Egret observations of the extragalactic gamma-ray emission

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sreekumar, P.; Bertsch, D.L.; Dingus, B.L.

1998-01-01

The all-sky survey in high-energy gamma rays (E > 30 MeV) carried out by EGRET aboard the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory provides a unique opportunity to examine in detail the diffuse gamma-ray emission. The observed diffuse emission has a Galactic component arising from cosmic-ray interactions wi...

Review of GRANAT observations of gamma-ray bursts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Terekhov, O.; Denissenko, D.; Sunyaev, R.

1995-01-01

The GRANAT observatory was launched into a high apogee orbit on 1 December, 1989. Three instruments onboard GRANAT - PHEBUS, WATCH and SIGMA are able to detect gamma-ray bursts in a very broad energy range from 6 keV up to 100 MeV. Over 250 gamma-ray bursts were detected. We discuss the results...... of the observations of the time histories and spectral evolution of the detected events provided by the different instruments in different energy ranges. Short Gamma-Ray Bursts ( 2 s) events. Evidence of the existence...... of four differently behaving componenents in gamma-ray burst spectra is discussed. Statistical properties of the gamma-ray burst sources based on the 5 years of observations with (∼ 10−6 erg/cm2) sensitivity as well as the results of high sensitivity (∼ 10−8 erg/cm2) search for Gamma-Ray Bursts within...

Possible galactic origin of. gamma. -ray bursts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manchanda, R K; Ramsden, D [Southampton Univ. (UK). Dept. of Physics

1977-03-31

It is stated that extragalactic models for the origin of non-solar ..gamma..-ray bursts include supernova bursts in remote galaxies, and the collapse of the cores of active stars, whilst galactic models are based on flare stars, thermonuclear explosions in neutron stars and the sudden accretion of cometary gas on to neutron stars. The acceptability of any of these models may be tested by the observed size spectrum of the ..gamma..-ray bursts. The extragalactic models predict a power law spectrum with number index -1.5, whilst for the galactic models the number index will be -1. Experimental data on ..gamma..-ray bursts is, however, still meagre, and so far only 44 confirmed events have been recorded by satellite-borne instruments. The number spectrum of the observed ..gamma..-ray bursts indicates that the observed distribution for events with an energy < 10/sup -4/ erg/cm/sup 2/ is flat; this makes the choice of any model completely arbitrary. An analysis of the observed ..gamma..-ray events is here presented that suggests very interesting possibilities for their origin. There appears to be a preferred mean energy for ..gamma..-ray bursts; some 90% of the recorded events show a mean energy between 5 x 10/sup -5/ and 5 x 10/sup -4/ erg/cm/sup 2/, contrary to the predicted characteristics of the number spectrum of various models. A remarkable similarity is found between the distribution of ..gamma..-ray bursts and that of supernova remnants, suggesting a genetic relationship between the two and the galactic origin of the ..gamma..-ray bursts, and the burst source could be identified with completely run down neutron stars, formed during supernova explosions.

Advances in Gamma-Ray Imaging with Intensified Quantum-Imaging Detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Ling

Nuclear medicine, an important branch of modern medical imaging, is an essential tool for both diagnosis and treatment of disease. As the fundamental element of nuclear medicine imaging, the gamma camera is able to detect gamma-ray photons emitted by radiotracers injected into a patient and form an image of the radiotracer distribution, reflecting biological functions of organs or tissues. Recently, an intensified CCD/CMOS-based quantum detector, called iQID, was developed in the Center for Gamma-Ray Imaging. Originally designed as a novel type of gamma camera, iQID demonstrated ultra-high spatial resolution (advancing this conceptually-proven gamma-ray imaging technology to make it ready for both preclinical and clinical applications. To start with, a Monte Carlo simulation of the key light-intensification device, i.e. the image intensifier, was developed, which revealed the dominating factor(s) that limit energy resolution performance of the iQID cameras. For preclinical imaging applications, a previously-developed iQID-based single-photon-emission computed-tomography (SPECT) system, called FastSPECT III, was fully advanced in terms of data acquisition software, system sensitivity and effective FOV by developing and adopting a new photon-counting algorithm, thicker columnar scintillation detectors, and system calibration method. Originally designed for mouse brain imaging, the system is now able to provide full-body mouse imaging with sub-350-micron spatial resolution. To further advance the iQID technology to include clinical imaging applications, a novel large-area iQID gamma camera, called LA-iQID, was developed from concept to prototype. Sub-mm system resolution in an effective FOV of 188 mm x 188 mm has been achieved. The camera architecture, system components, design and integration, data acquisition, camera calibration, and performance evaluation are presented in this work. Mounted on a castered counter-weighted clinical cart, the camera also features

Very high energy gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weekes, T.C.

1989-01-01

It is apparent that very high gamma-ray astronomy, at the very end of the electromagnetic spectrum, is just at the threshold of becoming an important channel of astronomical information. The author discusses how, to fully develop, it requires telescopes with improved minimum flux sensitivity; development of techniques that characterize the nature of the primary; more overlapping observations to remove any question of the reality of the detected phenomenon; more consistency in the application of statistics among experimenters and more openness about methods used; development of models that will predict the phenomenon to be expected rather than explain what has been observed; and more accurate calibrations to determine absolute fluxes and energies

High-resolution gamma ray attenuation density measurements on mining exploration drill cores, including cut cores

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, P.-S.; Bourke, A.

2017-01-01

Physical property measurements are increasingly important in mining exploration. For density determinations on rocks, one method applicable on exploration drill cores relies on gamma ray attenuation. This non-destructive method is ideal because each measurement takes only 10 s, making it suitable for high-resolution logging. However calibration has been problematic. In this paper we present new empirical, site-specific correction equations for whole NQ and BQ cores. The corrections force back the gamma densities to the "true" values established by the immersion method. For the NQ core caliber, the density range extends to high values (massive pyrite, 5 g/cm3) and the correction is thought to be very robust. We also present additional empirical correction factors for cut cores which take into account the missing material. These "cut core correction factors", which are not site-specific, were established by making gamma density measurements on truncated aluminum cylinders of various residual thicknesses. Finally we show two examples of application for the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Canada. The gamma ray attenuation measurement system is part of a multi-sensor core logger which also determines magnetic susceptibility, geochemistry and mineralogy on rock cores, and performs line-scan imaging.

Study of X-rays and nuclear gamma -rays in muonic thallium

CERN Document Server

Backe, H; Jahnke, U; Kankeleit, E; Pearce, R M; Petitjean, C; Schellenberg, L; Schneuwly, H; Schröder, W U; Walter, H K; Zehnder, A

1972-01-01

Energies and intensities of muonic X-rays, nuclear gamma -rays and mu -capture gamma -rays were measured in natural muonic thallium with Ge (Li) detectors. The absolute intensities of higher mu X-rays were reproduced by a cascade calculation starting with a statistical population at n=20 including K-, L- and M-conversion. The electron screening effect was deduced from energies of higher mu X-rays. Eight prompt nuclear gamma -rays were found. This excitation explains the anomalous intensity ratios of the 2p-1s and 3d-2p fine structure components. From the nuclear gamma -rays of the first excited states were deduced: the magnetic h.f. splittings, muonic isomer shifts E2/M1 mixing ratios and the half-life in the presence of the muon in /sup 205/Tl. Evidence for a magnetic nuclear polarization was found. An isotope shift of Delta E=10.35+or-0.25 keV was measured for the 1s/sub 1/2/ state which is compared with data from optical spectroscopy. From an analysis of the time distribution of delayed gamma -rays from mu...

High resolution phoswich gamma-ray imager utilizing monolithic MPPC arrays with submillimeter pixelized crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, T; Kataoka, J; Nakamori, T; Kishimoto, A; Yamamoto, S; Sato, K; Ishikawa, Y; Yamamura, K; Kawabata, N; Ikeda, H; Kamada, K

2013-01-01

We report the development of a high spatial resolution tweezers-type coincidence gamma-ray camera for medical imaging. This application consists of large-area monolithic Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs) and submillimeter pixelized scintillator matrices. The MPPC array has 4 × 4 channels with a three-side buttable, very compact package. For typical operational gain of 7.5 × 10 5 at + 20 °C, gain fluctuation over the entire MPPC device is only ± 5.6%, and dark count rates (as measured at the 1 p.e. level) amount to ≤ 400 kcps per channel. We selected Ce-doped (Lu,Y) 2 (SiO 4 )O (Ce:LYSO) and a brand-new scintillator, Ce-doped Gd 3 Al 2 Ga 3 O 12 (Ce:GAGG) due to their high light yield and density. To improve the spatial resolution, these scintillators were fabricated into 15 × 15 matrices of 0.5 × 0.5 mm 2 pixels. The Ce:LYSO and Ce:GAGG scintillator matrices were assembled into phosphor sandwich (phoswich) detectors, and then coupled to the MPPC array along with an acrylic light guide measuring 1 mm thick, and with summing operational amplifiers that compile the signals into four position-encoded analog outputs being used for signal readout. Spatial resolution of 1.1 mm was achieved with the coincidence imaging system using a 22 Na point source. These results suggest that the gamma-ray imagers offer excellent potential for applications in high spatial medical imaging.

Gamma-ray astronomy in the medium energy (10-50 MeV) range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kniffen, D.A.; Bertsch, D.L.; Palmeira, R.A.R.; Rao, K.R.

1977-01-01

Gamma-ray astronomy in the medium energy (10-50 MeV) range can provide unique information with which to study many astrophysical problems. Observations in the 10-50 MeV range provide the cleanest window with which to view the isotropic diffuse component of the radiation and to study the possible cosmological implications of the spectrum. For the study of compact sources, this is the important region between the X-ray sky and the vastly different γ-ray sky seen by SAS-2 and COS-B. To understand the implications of medium energy γ-ray astronomy to the study of the galactic diffuse γ-radiation, the model developed to explain the high energy γ-ray observations of SAS-2 is extended to the medium energy range. This work illustrates the importance of medium energy γ-ray astronomy for studying the electromagnetic component of the galactic cosmic rays. To observe the medium energy component of the intense galactic center γ-ray emission, two balloon flights of a medium energy γ-ray spark chamber telescope were flown in Brazil in 1975. These results indicate the emission is higher than previously thought and above the predictions of the theoretical model

Energy resolution of scintillation detectors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moszyński, M., E-mail: M.Moszynski@ncbj.gov.pl; Syntfeld-Każuch, A.; Swiderski, L.; Grodzicka, M.; Iwanowska, J.; Sibczyński, P.; Szczęśniak, T.

2016-01-01

According to current knowledge, the non-proportionality of the light yield of scintillators appears to be a fundamental limitation of energy resolution. A good energy resolution is of great importance for most applications of scintillation detectors. Thus, its limitations are discussed below; which arise from the non-proportional response of scintillators to gamma rays and electrons, being of crucial importance to the intrinsic energy resolution of crystals. The important influence of Landau fluctuations and the scattering of secondary electrons (δ-rays) on intrinsic resolution is pointed out here. The study on undoped NaI and CsI at liquid nitrogen temperature with a light readout by avalanche photodiodes strongly suggests that the non-proportionality of many crystals is not their intrinsic property and may be improved by selective co-doping. Finally, several observations that have been collected in the last 15 years on the influence of the slow components of light pulses on energy resolution suggest that more complex processes are taking place in the scintillators. This was observed with CsI(Tl), CsI(Na), ZnSe(Te), and undoped NaI at liquid nitrogen temperature and, finally, for NaI(Tl) at temperatures reduced below 0 °C. A common conclusion of these observations is that the highest energy resolution, and particularly intrinsic resolution measured with the scintillators, characterized by two or more components of the light pulse decay, is obtainable when the spectrometry equipment integrates the whole light of the components. In contrast, the slow components observed in many other crystals degrade the intrinsic resolution. In the limiting case, afterglow could also be considered as a very slow component that spoils the energy resolution. The aim of this work is to summarize all of the above observations by looking for their origin.

Measurements of the low-energy gamma-ray continuum emission from the Galactic Center direction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardim, M.V.A.; Martin, I.M.; Jardim, J.O.D.

1982-07-01

The measurement of the gamma-ray continuum emission from the Galactic Center (GC) can provide us information about the physical processes taking place there at the site of emission. Using the data obtained with a balloon-borne gamma-ray telescope to measure gamma-rays in the energy interval between 0,3 and 3 MeV, which was launched on March 28, 1980 from Cachoeira Paulista (SP), we calculeted two points for the continuum spectrum in the range between 0,34 and 0,67 MeV. The points are related to the GC emission radiated in the longitude interval - 31 0 0 . The measurements are compatible with the observations in 1969 and 1972 by Haymes et alii and Johnson, respectively. The power law spectrum suggests that the main component for the gamma-ray continuum emission below 10 MeV is dominated by the bremsstrahlung due to relativistic electrons. (Author) [pt

Advantages of GSO Scintillator in Imaging and Law Level Gamma-ray Spectroscopy

CERN Document Server

Sharaf, J

2002-01-01

The single GSO crystal is an excellent scintillation material featuring a high light yield and short decay time for gamma-ray detection. Its performance characteristics were investigated and directly compared to those of BGO. For this purpose, the two scintillators are cut into small crystals of approximately 4*4*10 mm sup 3 and mounted on a PMT. Energy resolution, detection efficiency and counting precision have been measured for various photon energies. In addition to this spectroscopic characterization, the imaging performance of GSO was studied using a scanning rig. The modulation transfer function was calculated and the spatial resolution evaluated by measurements of the detector's point spread function. It is shown that there exists some source intensity for which the two scintillators yield identical precision for identical count time. Below this intensity, the GSO is superior to the BGO detector. The presented properties of GSO suggest potential applications of this scintillator in gamma-ray spectrosc...

Millisecond Pulsars at Gamma-Ray Energies: Fermi Detections and Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Alice K.

2011-01-01

The Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope has revolutionized the study of pulsar physics with the discovery of new populations of radio quiet and millisecond gamma-ray pulsars. The Fermi Large Area Telescope has so far discovered approx.20 new gamma-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs) by both folding at periods of known radio MSPs or by detecting them as gamma-ray sources that are followed up by radio pulsar searches. The second method has resulted in a phenomenally successful synergy, with -30 new radio MSPs (to date) having been discovered at Fermi unidentified source locations and the gamma-ray pulsations having then been detected in a number of these using the radio timing solutions. Many of the newly discovered MSPs may be suitable for addition to the collection of very stable MSPs used for gravitational wave detection. Detection of such a large number of MSPs was surprising, given that most have relatively low spin-down luminosity and surface field strength. I will discuss their properties and the implications for pulsar particle acceleration and emission, as well as their potential contribution to gamma-ray backgrounds and Galactic cosmic rays.

The opacity of the universe for high and very high energy {gamma}-rays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Manuel

2013-08-15

The flux of high energy (HE, energy 100 MeVenergy (VHE, E>or similar 100 GeV) {gamma}-rays originating from cosmological sources is attenuated due to pair production in interactions with photons at ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths of the extragalactic background light (EBL). The main components contributing to the EBL photon density are the starlight integrated over cosmic time and the starlight reprocessed by dust in galaxies. Consequently, the EBL is an integral measure of the cosmic star formation history. Depending on the source distance, the Universe should be opaque to {gamma}-rays above a certain energy. Nevertheless, the number of detected {gamma}-ray sources has increased continuously in recent years. VHE emitting objects beyond redshifts of z>0.5 have been detected with imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), while HE {gamma}-rays from active galactic nuclei (AGN) above redshifts z>or similar 3 have been observed with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite. In this work, a large sample of VHE {gamma}-ray spectra will be combined with data of the Fermi-LAT to derive upper limits on the EBL photon density at z = 0. Generic EBL realizations are used to correct AGN spectra for absorption, which are subsequently tested against model assumptions. The evolution of the EBL with redshift is accounted for, and a possible formation of electromagnetic cascades is considered. As a result, the EBL density is constrained over almost three orders of magnitude in wavelength, between 0.4 {mu}m and 100 {mu}m. At optical wavelengths, an EBL intensity above 24 nW m{sup -2}sr{sup -1} is ruled out, and between 8 {mu}m and 31 {mu}m it is limited to be below 5 nW m{sup -2}sr{sup -1}. In the infrared, the constraints are within a factor {proportional_to} 2 of lower limits derived from galaxy number counts. Additionally,the behavior of VHE spectra in the transition from the optical depth regimes {tau

Two-energy twin image removal in atomic-resolution x-ray holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishino, Y.; Ishikawa, T.; Hayashi, K.; Takahashi, Y.; Matsubara, E.

2002-01-01

We propose a two-energy twin image removal algorithm for atomic-resolution x-ray holography. The validity of the algorithm is shown in a theoretical simulation and in an experiment of internal detector x-ray holography using a ZnSe single crystal. The algorithm, compared to the widely used multiple-energy algorithm, allows efficient measurement of holograms, and is especially important when the available x-ray energies are fixed. It enables twin image free holography using characteristic x rays from laboratory generators and x-ray pulses of free-electron lasers

Characterization and Applications of a CdZnTe-Based Gamma-Ray Imager

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, Michelle Lee

Detection of electromagnetic radiation in the form of gamma rays provides a means to discover the presence of nuclear sources and the occurrence of highly-energetic events that occur in our terrestrial and astrophysical environment. The highly penetrative nature of gamma rays allows for probing into objects and regions that are obscured at other wavelengths. The detection and imaging of gamma rays relies upon an understanding of the ways in which these high-energy photons interact with matter. The applications of gamma-ray detection and imaging are numerous. Astrophysical observation of gamma rays expands our understanding of the Universe in which we live. Terrestrial detection and imaging of gamma rays enable environmental monitoring of radioactivity. This allows for identification and localization of nuclear materials to prevent illicit trafficking and to ultimately protect against harmful acts. This dissertation focusses on the development and characterization of a gamma-ray detection and imaging instrument and explores its capabilities for the aforementioned applications. The High Efficiency Multimode Imager, HEMI, is a prototype instrument that is based on Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CdZnTe) semiconductor detectors. The detectors are arranged in a two-planar configuration to allow for both Compton and coded-aperture imaging. HEMI was initially developed as a prototype instrument to demonstrate its capabilities for nuclear threat detection, spectroscopy, and imaging. The 96-detector instrument was developed and fully characterized within the laboratory environment, yielding a system energy resolution of 2.4% FWHM at 662 keV, an angular resolution of 9.5 deg. FWHM at 662 keV in Compton mode, and a 10.6 deg. angular resolution in coded aperture mode. After event cuts, the effective area for Compton imaging of the 662 keV photopeak is 0.1 cm 22. Imaging of point sources in both Compton and coded aperture modes have been demonstrated. The minimum detectable activity of

Advances in gamma-ray burst astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cline, T.L.; Desai, U.D.

1976-01-01

Work at Goddard is presently being carried out in three major areas of gamma-ray burst research: (1) A pair of simultaneously operating 0.8-m 2 burst detectors were successfully balloon-borne at locations 800 miles apart on 9 May, 1975, each to atmospheric depths of 3 to 4 g cm -2 , for a 20-h period of coincident data coverage. This experiment investigates the size spectrum of bursts in the 10 -7 to 10 -6 erg cm -2 size region where dozens of events per day are expected on a -1.5 index integral power-law extrapolation. Considerable separation in latitude was used to avoid possible atmospheric and auroral secondary effects. Its results are not yet available. (2) A deep-space burst detector, the first spacecraft instrument built specifically for gamma-ray burst studies, was recently successfully integrated into the Helios-B space probe. Its use at distances of up to 2 AU will make possible the first high-resolution directional study of gamma-ray burst source locations. Similar modifications to several other space vehicles are also being prepared. (3) The gamma-ray instrument on the IMP-7 satellite is presently the most sensitive burst detector still operating in orbit. Its results have shown that all measured event-average energy spectra are consistent with being alike. Using this characteristic spectrum to select IMP-7 candidate events of smaller size than those detected using other spacecraft in coincidence, a size spectrum is constructed which fits the -1.5 index power law down to 2.5 x 10 -5 erg cm -2 per event, at an occurrence rate of about once per month. (Auth.)

Gamma-rays attenuation of zircons from Cambodia and South Africa at different energies: A new technique for identifying the origin of gemstone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limkitjaroenporn, P.; Kaewkhao, J.

2014-01-01

In this work, the gamma-rays interaction properties of zircons from Cambodia and South Africa have been studied. The densities of Cambodian and South African’s zircons are 4.6716±0.0040 g/cm 3 and 4.5505±0.0018 g/cm 3 , respectively. The mass attenuation coefficient and the effective atomic number of gemstones were measured with the gamma-ray in energies range 223–662 keV using the Compton scattering technique. The mass attenuation coefficients of both zircons decreased with the increasing of gamma-rays energies. The different mass attenuation coefficients between the two zircons observed at gamma-ray energies below 400 keV are attributed to the differences in the photoelectric interaction. The effective atomic number of zircons was decreased with the increasing of gamma-ray energies and showed totally different values between the Cambodia and South Africa sources. The origins of the two zircons could be successfully identified by the method based on gamma-rays interaction with matter with advantage of being a non-destructive testing. - Highlights: • Gamma-rays interaction of zircons from Cambodia and South Africa studied. • Measured energy is during 223–662 keV. • Different μ m between the two zircons observed at gamma-ray energies below 400 keV. • The origins the two zircons could be successfully identified

Experimental techniques for the detection of the high energy gamma rays of cosmic origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumitrescu, Gh.; Angelescu, T.; Radu, A.A.

2002-01-01

The observation of high energy gamma rays of cosmic origin in the early 90 by Volcano Ranch experiment opened a new direction of study in astrophysics. The very high energy and the very low flux of these gamma rays, posed numerous detection problems which in turn were the object of a very intense research activity. The present article tries to review the detection techniques for the high energy gamma rays of cosmic origin. In the 'Introduction' we summarize the specific problems involved in the detection of this type of radiation. 'Chapter 1' presents the classic technique based on the use of scintillation detectors. 'Chapter 2' includes the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique (IACT) and the sampling wavefront technique. 'Chapter 3' is dedicated to the detection of the atmospheric nitrogen. 'Chapter 4' describes issues related to the calibration of the detectors, the cross checking of the experimental data, the use of the Monte Carlo simulations and the use of the density observed at a distance of 600 m S(600), in order to estimate the primary energy. The characteristics of some future developments of the above presented techniques are included in the last chapter. (authors)

MEGA - A next generation mission in Medium Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanbach, Gottfried

2001-01-01

A Medium Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy (MEGA) detector is being developed and proposed for a small satellite mission. MEGA intends to improve the sensitivity at medium γ-ray energies (0.4-50 MeV) by at least an order of magnitude with respect to past instruments. Its large field of view will be especially important for the discovery of transient sources and for conducting all-sky surveys. Key science objectives for MEGA are the investigation of cosmic high-energy accelerators and of nucleosynthesis sites with γ-ray lines. The large-scale structure of the galactic and cosmic diffuse background is another important goal for this mission. MEGA records and images γ-ray events by completely tracking Compton and pair creation interactions in a stack of double sided Si-strip track detectors and 3-D resolving CsI calorimeters

High-Z Nanoparticle/Polymer Nanocomposites for Gamma-Ray Scintillation Detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chao

An affordable and reliable solution for spectroscopic gamma-ray detection has long been sought after due to the needs from research, defense, and medical applications. Scintillators resolve gamma energy by proportionally converting a single high-energy photon into a number of photomultiplier-tube-detectable low-energy photons, which is considered a more affordable solution for general purposes compared to the delicate semiconductor detectors. An ideal scintillator should simultaneously exhibit the following characteristics: 1) high atomic number (Z) for high gamma stopping power and photoelectron production; 2) high light yield since the energy resolution is inversely proportional to the square root of light yield; 3) short emission decay lifetime; and 4) low cost and scalable production. However, commercial scintillators made from either inorganic single crystals or plastics fail to satisfy all requirements due to their intrinsic material properties and fabrication limitations. The concept of adding high-Z constituents into plastic scintillators to harness high Z, low cost, and fast emission in the resulting nanocomposite scintillators is not new in and of itself. Attempts have been made by adding organometallics, quantum dots, and scintillation nanocrystals into the plastic matrix. High-Z organometallics have long been used to improve the Z of plastic scintillators; however, their strong spin-orbit coupling effect entails careful triplet energy matching using expensive triplet emitters to avoid severe quenching of the light yield. On the other hand, reported quantum dot- and nanocrystal-polymer nanocomposites suffer from moderate Z and high optical loss due to aggregation and self-absorption at loadings higher than 10 wt%, limiting their potential for practical application. This dissertation strives to improve the performance of nanoparticle-based nanocomposite scintillators. One focus is to synthesize transparent nanocomposites with higher loadings of high

Gamma-ray multiplicity distribution in ternary fission of {sup 252}Cf

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jandel, M [Department of Nuclear Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava (Slovakia); Kliman, J [Department of Nuclear Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava (Slovakia); Krupa, L [Department of Nuclear Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava (Slovakia); Morhac, M [Department of Nuclear Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, Bratislava (Slovakia); Hamilton, J H [Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Kormicki, J [Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Ramayya, A V [Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Hwang, J K [Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Luo, Y X [Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Fong, D [Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Gore, P [Department of Physics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Akopian, G M Ter; Oganessian, Yu Ts; Rodin, A M; Fomichev, A S; Popeko, G S; Daniel, A V [Flerov Laboratory for Nuclear Reactions, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Rasmussen, J O; Macchiavelli, A O [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (United States); Stoyer, M A [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA (United States); Donangelo, R [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21945-970 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Cole, J D [Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2002-12-01

From multiparameter data obtained at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the integral characteristics of the prompt {gamma}-ray emission were extracted for tripartition of {sup 252}Cf with He, Be and C being the third light charged particle. We used multifold {gamma}-ray coincidence spectra for the determination of {gamma}-ray multiplicities assuming a Gaussian distribution for {gamma}-ray multiplicity. The multiplicity distribution characteristics, i.e. mean multiplicity and its dispersion were obtained by minimizing with respect to the calculated values of probabilities of multifold {gamma}-ray coincidences using a combinatoric method. Comparison with the known experimental data from binary fission was made. Further, we investigated dependencies of the mean {gamma}-ray multiplicity on the kinetic energy of the light charged particle. The mean {gamma}-ray multiplicity for He ternary fission is found to increase rapidly with increasing kinetic energy of He in the region less than 11 MeV and then decrease slowly with increasing kinetic energy of He. The anomalous behaviour of {gamma}-ray emission is discussed. The mean {gamma}-ray multiplicity was determined for the first time for Be and C ternary fission. For Be, the {gamma}-ray multiplicity as a function of kinetic energy was obtained as well.

Sample analysis using gamma ray induced fluorescent X-ray emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sood, B S; Allawadhi, K L; Gandhi, R; Batra, O P; Singh, N [Punjabi Univ., Patiala (India). Nuclear Science Labs.

1983-01-01

A non-destructive method for the analysis of materials using gamma ray-induced fluorescent x-ray emission has been developed. In this method, special preparation of very thin samples in which the absorption of the incident gamma rays and the emitted fluorescent x-rays is negligible, is not needed, and the absorption correction is determined experimentally. A suitable choice of the incident gamma ray energies is made to minimise enhancement effects through selective photoionization of the elements in the sample. The method is applied to the analysis of a typical sample of the soldering material using 279 keV and 59.5 keV gamma rays from /sup 203/Hg and /sup 241/Am radioactive sources respectively. The results of the analysis are found to agree well with those obtained from the chemical analysis.

Specialised software utilities for gamma-ray spectrometry. Computer codes to IAEA-TECDOC-1275

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-03-01

A Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP) on 'Software Utilities for Gamma-Ray Spectrometry' was initiated by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1996. In the CRP several basic applications of nuclear data handling were assayed which also dealt with the development of PC computer codes for various spectrometric purposes. This CD-ROM contains the following computer codes, produced under the CRP: ANGES, a program for the user controlled analysis of gamma-ray spectra from HPGe detectors; NUCL M AN, a program for the generation of gamma-ray libraries (using new, evaluated data) for specific applications; TRUE C OINC, a program to calculate true coincidence corrections; VOLUME, a program to calculate the full-energy peak efficiency calibration curve for homogeneous cylindrical sample geometries including self-attenuation correction; WINDIMEN, a program for the library driven analysis of gamma-ray spectra and for the quantification of radionuclide contents in the sample. RESFIT and DPPUNFOL, a set of programs for the definition of the detector resolution function and for unfolding of experimental annihilation spectra; MLMTEST, a program for the analysis of low-level NaI-spectra together with an extensive library of example reference spectra as well as a spectrum synthesizer

Energy budget in collimated gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tudose, Valeriu; Biermann, Peter

2003-01-01

There is increasing evidence for the existence of collimation in some, if not most, of the gamma-ray bursts. This would have direct implications, for instance, on the energy budget, the rate of events, but also indirect consequences for the theoretical models because it provides a tool to differentiate between their predictions. We consider the case of a structured jet, i.e. we assume the energy within the jet varies as a power-law, being a function of the angle between the jet axis and an arbitrary direction. We analyze first the situation in which the jet axis and the line of sight have a particular orientation, then we relax this assumption by allowing for an arbitrary viewing angle with respect to the symmetry axis of the jet. A qualitative study of the total energy content of the jet is performed. It turns out that the 'real' energy could be higher than what is inferred from observations. (authors)

Nuclear Material Accountability Applications of a Continuous Energy and Direction Gamma Ray Detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerts, David; Bean, Robert; Paff, Marc

2010-01-01

The Idaho National Laboratory has recently developed a detector system based on the principle of a Wilson cloud chamber that gives the original energy and direction to a gamma ray source. This detector has the properties that the energy resolution is continuous and the direction to the source can be resolved to desired fidelity. Furthermore, the detector has low power requirements, is durable, operates in widely varying environments, and is relatively cheap to produce. This detector is expected, however, to require significant time to perform measurements. To mitigate the significant time for measurements, the detector is expected to scale to very large sizes with a linear increase in cost. For example, the proof of principle detector is approximately 30,000 cm3. This work describes the technical results that lead to these assertions. Finally, the applications of this detector are described in the context of nuclear material accountability.

Development of a Compact Gamma-ray Detector for a Neural-Network Radiation Monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, H. S.; Ha, J. H.; Lee, K. H. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, C. H. [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-03-15

Radiation monitoring is very important to secure safety in nuclear-related facilities and against nuclear terrorism. For wide range of radiation monitoring, neutral network system of radiation detection is most efficient way. Thus, a compact radiation detector is useful to install in wide range to be concerned. A compact gamma-ray detector was fabricated by using a CsI(Tl) scintillator, which was matched with the formerly developed PIN photodiode, for a neural network radiation monitoring. At room temperature, the fabricated compact gamma-ray detector demonstrates an energy resolution of 13.3 % for 662 keV 6.9% for 1330 keV. The compactness, the low-voltage power consumption and the physical hardness are very useful features for a neural network radiation monitoring. In this study, characteristics of a fabricated compact gamma-ray detector were presented. An important aspect to consider in a neural-network radiation monitoring such as reaction probability of the fabricated compact detector for angle of incident gamma-ray was also addressed.

Constraints on the galactic distribution of cosmic rays from the COS-B gamma-ray data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-08-01

The velocity information of the HI and CO observations is used as a distance indicator to ascertain the spatial distribution of the interstellar gas. Using this distance information, the galacto-centric distribution of the gamma-ray emissivity (the production rate per H atom) is determined for three gamma-ray energy ranges from a correlation study of the gamma-ray intensity maps and the gas-tracer maps for selected galacto-centric distance intervals, taking into account the expected IC contribution and pointlike gamma-ray sources. On the assumption that unresolved gamma-ray point sources do not contribute significantly to the observed gamma-ray emission, the gamma-ray emissivity is proportional to the Cosmic ray density and, more specifically, the energy dependence can be used to study separately the distribution of Cosmic ray electrons and nuclei: whereas the emission for the 300 MeV - 5 GeV range is dominated by π 0 -decay, the 70 MeV - 150 MeV range has a large electron bremsstrahlung contribution

Performance of the prototype LaBr{sub 3} spectrometer developed for the JET gamma-ray camera upgrade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rigamonti, D., E-mail: davide.rigamonti@mib.infn.it; Nocente, M.; Gorini, G. [Dipartimento di Fisica “G. Occhialini,” Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano (Italy); Istituto di Fisica del Plasma “P. Caldirola,” CNR, Milano (Italy); Muraro, A.; Giacomelli, L.; Cippo, E. P.; Tardocchi, M. [Istituto di Fisica del Plasma “P. Caldirola,” CNR, Milano (Italy); Perseo, V. [Dipartimento di Fisica “G. Occhialini,” Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milano (Italy); Boltruczyk, G.; Gosk, M.; Korolczuk, S.; Mianowski, S.; Zychor, I. [Narodowe Centrum Badań Jądrowych (NCBJ), 05-400 Otwock-Swierk (Poland); Fernandes, A.; Pereira, R. C. [Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa (Portugal); Figueiredo, J. [Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa (Portugal); EUROfusion Programme Management Unit, Culham Science Centre, OX14 3DB Abingdon (United Kingdom); Kiptily, V. [Culham Science Centre for Fusion Energy, Culham (United Kingdom); Murari, A. [EUROfusion Programme Management Unit, Culham Science Centre, OX14 3DB Abingdon (United Kingdom); Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Universita’ di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy); Collaboration: EUROfusion Consortium, JET, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB (United Kingdom)

2016-11-15

In this work, we describe the solution developed by the gamma ray camera upgrade enhancement project to improve the spectroscopic properties of the existing JET γ-ray camera. Aim of the project is to enable gamma-ray spectroscopy in JET deuterium-tritium plasmas. A dedicated pilot spectrometer based on a LaBr{sub 3} crystal coupled to a silicon photo-multiplier has been developed. A proper pole zero cancellation network able to shorten the output signal to a length of 120 ns has been implemented allowing for spectroscopy at MHz count rates. The system has been characterized in the laboratory and shows an energy resolution of 5.5% at E{sub γ} = 0.662 MeV, which extrapolates favorably in the energy range of interest for gamma-ray emission from fast ions in fusion plasmas.

Photodetectors for the Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS)

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Robert G.; Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System AGIS Collaboration

2010-03-01

The Advanced Gamma-Ray Imaging System (AGIS) is a concept for the next generation very high energy gamma-ray observatory. Design goals include an order of magnitude better sensitivity, better angular resolution, and a lower energy threshold than existing Cherenkov telescopes. Each telescope is equipped with a camera that detects and records the Cherenkov-light flashes from air showers. The camera is comprised of a pixelated focal plane of blue sensitive and fast (nanosecond) photon detectors that detect the photon signal and convert it into an electrical one. Given the scale of AGIS, the camera must be reliable and cost effective. The Schwarzschild-Couder optical design yields a smaller plate scale than present-day Cherenkov telescopes, enabling the use of more compact, multi-pixel devices, including multianode photomultipliers or Geiger avalanche photodiodes. We present the conceptual design of the focal plane for the camera and results from testing candidate! focal plane sensors.

Gamma-ray emission spectrum from thermonuclear fusion reactions without intrinsic broadening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nocente, M.; Källne, J.; Salewski, Mirko

2015-01-01

First principle calculations of the gamma-ray energy spectrum arising from thermonuclear reactions without intrinsic broadening in fusion plasmas are presented, extending the theoretical framework needed to interpret measurements up to the accuracy level enabled by modern high resolution instrume......First principle calculations of the gamma-ray energy spectrum arising from thermonuclear reactions without intrinsic broadening in fusion plasmas are presented, extending the theoretical framework needed to interpret measurements up to the accuracy level enabled by modern high resolution...... instruments. An analytical formula for the spectrum from Maxwellian plasmas, which extends to higher temperatures than the results previously available in the literature, has been derived and used to discuss the assumptions and limitations of earlier models. In case of radio-frequency injection, numerical...... results based on a Monte Carlo method are provided, focusing in particular on improved relations between the peak shift and width from the reaction and the temperature of protons accelerated by radio-frequency heating.The results presented in this paper significantly improve the accuracy of diagnostic...

Calculation of the energy spectrum of atmospheric gamma-rays between 1 and 1000 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, I.M.; Dutra, S.L.G.; Palmeira, R.A.R.

The energy spectrum of atmospheric gamma-rays at 4 g/cm 2 has been calculated for cut-off rigidities of 4.5, 10 and 16 GV. The considered processes for the production of these gamma-rays were the π 0 decay plus the bremsstrahlung from primary, secondary like splash and re-entrant albedo electrons. The calculations indicated that the spectrum could be fitted to a power law in energy, with the exponential index varying from 1.1 in the energy range 1 - 10 MeV, to 1.4 in the energy range 10 - 200 MeV and 1.8 in the energy range 200 - 1000 MeV. These results are discussed [pt

Multiwavelength Study of Gamma-Ray Bright Blazars

Science.gov (United States)

Morozova, Daria; Larionov, V. M.; Hagen-Thorn, V. A.; Jorstad, S. G.; Marscher, A. P.; Troitskii, I. S.

2011-01-01

We investigate total intensity radio images of 6 gamma-ray bright blazars (BL Lac, 3C 279, 3C 273, W Com, PKS 1510-089, and 3C 66A) and their optical and gamma-ray light curves to study connections between gamma-ray and optical brightness variations and changes in the parsec-scale radio structure. We use high-resolution maps obtained by the BU group at 43 GHz with the VLBA, optical light curves constructed by the St.Petersburg State U. (Russia) team using measurements with the 0.4 m telescope of St.Petersburg State U. (LX200) and the 0.7 m telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (AZT-8), and gamma-ray light curves, which we have constructed with data provided by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Over the period from August 2008 to November 2009, superluminal motion is found in all 6 objects with apparent speed ranging from 2c to 40c. The blazars with faster apparent speeds, 3C 273, 3C 279, PKS 1510-089, and 3C 66A, exhibit stronger variability of the gamma-ray emission. There is a tendency for sources with sharply peaked gamma-ray flares to have faster jet speed than sources with gamma-ray light curves with no sharp peaks. Gamma-ray light curves with sharply peaked gamma-ray flares possess a stronger gamma-ray/optical correlations. The research at St.Petersburg State U. was funded by the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (state contract N#P123). The research at BU was funded in part by NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grant NNX08AV65G and by NSF grant AST-0907893. The VLBA is an instrument of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Fuzzy correlations of gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, D.H.; Linder, E.V.; Blumenthal, G.R.

1991-01-01

The origin of gamma-ray bursts is not known, both in the sense of the nature of the source emitting the radiation and literally, the position of the burst on the sky. Lacking unambiguously identified counterparts in any wavelength band studied to date, statistical approaches are required to determine the burster distance scale. Angular correlation analysis is one of the most powerful tools in this regard. However, poor detector resolution gives large localization errors, effectively beam smearing the positions. The resulting fuzzy angular correlation function is investigated and the generic isotropization that smearing induces on any intrinsic clustering is discussed. In particular, the extent to which gamma-ray burst observations by the BATSE detector aboard the Gamma-Ray Observatory might recover an intrinsic source correlation is investigated. 16 refs

Photoneutron cross sections measurements in 9Be, 13C e 17O with thermal neutron capture gamma-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semmler, Renato

2006-01-01

Photoneutron cross sections measurements of 9 Be, 13 C and 17 O have been obtained in the energy interval between 1,6 and 10,8 MeV, using neutron capture gamma-rays with high resolution in energy (3 a 21 eV), produced by 21 target materials, placed inside a tangential beam port, near the core of the IPEN/CNEN-SP IEA-R1 (5 MW) research reactor. The samples have been irradiated inside a 4π geometry neutron detector system 'Long Counter', 520,5 cm away from the capture target. The capture gamma-ray flux was determined by means of the analysis of the gamma spectrum obtained by using a Ge(Li) solid-state detector (EG and G ORTEC, 25 cm 3 , 5%), previously calibrated with capture gamma-rays from a standard target of Nitrogen (Melamine). The neutron photoproduction cross section has been measured for each target capture gamma-ray spectrum (compound cross section). A inversion matrix methodology to solve inversion problems for unfolding the set of experimental compound cross sections, was used in order to obtain the cross sections at specific excitation energy values (principal gamma line energies of the capture targets). The cross sections obtained at the energy values of the principal gamma lines were compared with experimental data reported by other authors, with have employed different gamma-ray sources. A good agreement was observed among the experimental data in this work with reported in the literature. (author)

Local gamma ray events as tests of the antimatter theory of gamma ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sofia, S.; Wilson, R.E.

1976-01-01

Nearby examples of the antimatter 'chunks' postulated by Sofia and Van Horn to explain the cosmic gamma ray bursts may produce detectable gamma ray events when struck by solar system meteoroids. These events would have a much shorter time scale and higher energy spectrum than the bursts already observed. In order to have a reasonably high event rate, the local meteoroid population must extend to a distance from the Sun of the order of 0.1 pc, but the required distance could become much lower if the instrumental threshold is improved. The expected gamma ray flux for interaction of the antimatter bodies with the solar wind is also examined, and found to be far below present instrumental capabilities. (Auth.)

Detection of gamma-rays with a 3.5 l liquid xenon ionization chamber triggered by the primary scintillation light

CERN Document Server

Aprile, E; Chen Dan Li; Muhkerjee, R; Xu Fan

2002-01-01

A gridded ionization chamber with a drift length of 4.5 cm and a total volume of 3.5 l, was operated with high-purity liquid xenon and extensively tested with gamma-rays from sup 1 sup 3 sup 7 Cs, sup 2 sup 2 Na and sup 6 sup 0 Co radioactive sources. An electron lifetime in excess of 1 ms was inferred from two independent measurements. The electric field dependence of the collected charge and energy resolution was studied in the range 0.1-4 kV/cm, for different gamma-ray energies. With an electric field of 4 kV/cm, the spectral performance of the detector is consistent with an energy resolution of 5.9% at 1 MeV, scaling with energy as E sup - sup 0 sup . sup 5. The chamber was also used to detect the primary scintillation light produced by gamma-ray interactions in liquid xenon. The light signal was successfully used to trigger the acquisition of the charge signal with a FADC readout. A trigger efficiency of approx 85% was measured at 662 keV.

Measurements of energy resolution with hemispheric scintillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendonca, A.C.S.; Binns, D.A.C.; Tauhata, L.; Poledna, R.

1980-01-01

The hemispheric configuration is used for plastic scintillators type NE 102 with the aiming to optimize the light collect. Scintillators at this configuration, with radii of 3,81 cm and 2,54 cm, are showing improvement about 16-17% in the energy resolution, on cilyndric scintillators with the same volume, for gamma rays of 511-1275 KeV. (E.G.) [pt

Gamma-Ray Pulsars Models and Predictions

CERN Document Server

Harding, A K

2001-01-01

Pulsed emission from gamma-ray pulsars originates inside the magnetosphere, from radiation by charged particles accelerated near the magnetic poles or in the outer gaps. In polar cap models, the high energy spectrum is cut off by magnetic pair production above an energy that is dependent on the local magnetic field strength. While most young pulsars with surface fields in the range B = 10^{12} - 10^{13} G are expected to have high energy cutoffs around several GeV, the gamma-ray spectra of old pulsars having lower surface fields may extend to 50 GeV. Although the gamma-ray emission of older pulsars is weaker, detecting pulsed emission at high energies from nearby sources would be an important confirmation of polar cap models. Outer gap models predict more gradual high-energy turnovers at around 10 GeV, but also predict an inverse Compton component extending to TeV energies. Detection of pulsed TeV emission, which would not survive attenuation at the polar caps, is thus an important test of outer gap models. N...

Gamma ray astronomy from satellites and balloons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schoenfelder, V.

1986-01-01

A survey is given of gamma ray astronomy topics presented at the Cosmic Ray Conference. The major conclusions at the Cosmic Ray Conference in the field of gamma ray astronomy are given. (1) MeV-emission of gamma-ray bursts is a common feature. Variations in duration and energy spectra from burst to burst may explain the discrepancy between the measured log N - log S dependence and the observed isotropy of bursts. (2) The gamma-ray line at 1.809 MeV from Al(26) is the first detected line from a radioactive nucleosynthesis product. In order to understand its origin it will be necessary to measure its longitude distribution in the Milky Way. (3) The indications of a gamma-ray excess found from the direction of Loop I is consistent with the picture that the bulk of cosmic rays below 100 GeV is produced in galactic supernova remnants. (4) The interpretation of the large scale distribution of gamma rays in the Milky Way is controversial. At present an extragalactic origin of the cosmic ray nuclei in the GeV-range cannot be excluded from the gamma ray data. (5) The detection of MeV-emission from Cen A is a promising step towards the interesting field of extragalactic gamma ray astronomy

Gamma ray generator

Science.gov (United States)

Firestone, Richard B; Reijonen, Jani

2014-05-27

An embodiment of a gamma ray generator includes a neutron generator and a moderator. The moderator is coupled to the neutron generator. The moderator includes a neutron capture material. In operation, the neutron generator produces neutrons and the neutron capture material captures at least some of the neutrons to produces gamma rays. An application of the gamma ray generator is as a source of gamma rays for calibration of gamma ray detectors.

Gamma ray lines from a universal extra dimension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertone, Gianfranco; Jackson, C. B.; Shaughnessy, Gabe; Tait, Tim M.P.; Vallinotto, Alberto

2012-03-01

Indirect Dark Matter searches are based on the observation of secondary particles produced by the annihilation or decay of Dark Matter. Among them, gamma-rays are perhaps the most promising messengers, as they do not suffer deflection or absorption on Galactic scales, so their observation would directly reveal the position and the energy spectrum of the emitting source. Here, we study the detailed gamma-ray energy spectrum of Kaluza--Klein Dark Matter in a theory with 5 Universal Extra Dimensions. We focus in particular on the two body annihilation of Dark Matter particles into a photon and another particle, which produces monochromatic photons, resulting in a line in the energy spectrum of gamma rays. Previous calculations in the context of the five dimensional UED model have computed the line signal from annihilations into \\gamma \\gamma, but we extend these results to include \\gamma Z and \\gamma H final states. We find that these spectral lines are subdominant compared to the predicted \\gamma \\gamma signal, but they would be important as follow-up signals in the event of the observation of the \\gamma \\gamma line, in order to distinguish the 5d UED model from other theoretical scenarios.

Optimizing Transition Edge Sensors for High-Resolution X-ray Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saab, Tarek; Bandler, Simon R.; Boyce, Kevin; Chervenak, James A.; Figueroa-Feliciano, Enectali; Iyomoto, Naoko; Kelley, Richard L.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; Porter, Frederick S.; Sadleir, John E.

2006-01-01

Transition Edge Sensors (TES) have found applications as astronomical detectors ranging from the microwave to the gamma ray energy bands. Each energy band, however, imposes a different set of requirements on the TES such as energy and timing resolution, focal plane coverage, and the mechanisms by which the signal is coupled to the detector. This paper focuses on the development of TESs optimized for the 0.1-10 keV energy range at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Such detectors are suitable candidates for some of the upcoming X-ray observatories such as NeXT and Constellation-X. Ongoing efforts at producing, characterizing, and modeling such devices, as well as the latest results, are discussed

Unattented mode monitoring of high resolution gamma-ray spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, B.G.R.; Van Dyck, P.; Debraix, P.

1991-01-01

An Isotope Monitoring System (IMS) for unattended spectrum acquisition is described. This consists of a simple low cost flexible software package running on a Compaq 80386 and controlling up to 4 Canberra Packard System 100 multi-channel analyzer (MCA) cards. The IMS permits the independent configuration of each of the 4 MCA cards for different monitoring cycles and for different spectrum acquisition cycles each being based upon different trigger criteria. In this way IMS is able to automatically identify events, time tag them, and acquire and store valid spectra corresponding to those event. An additional feature of IMS permits to run a Multigroup Analysis (MGA) software package for the determination of plutonium isotopic compositions in batch mode. One particular application is discussed which consists of 4 high resolution gamma-ray detector systems connected together to the IMS for unattended spectrum acquisition. The off-line batch mode analysis of the spectra using MGA is also discussed

Multi-dimensional analysis of high resolution {gamma}-ray data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flibotte, S; Huttmeier, U J; France, G de; Haas, B; Romain, P; Theisen, Ch; Vivien, J P; Zen, J [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 67 - Strasbourg (France); Bednarczyk, P [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Cracow (Poland)

1992-08-01

High resolution {gamma}-ray multi-detectors capable of measuring high-fold coincidences with a large efficiency are presently under construction (EUROGAM, GASP, GAMMASPHERE). The future experimental progress in our understanding of nuclear structure at high spin critically depends on our ability to analyze the data in a multi-dimensional space and to resolve small photopeaks of interest from the generally large background. Development of programs to process such high-fold events is still in its infancy and only the 3-fold case has been treated so far. As a contribution to the software development associated with the EUROGAM spectrometer, we have written and tested the performances of computer codes designed to select multi-dimensional gates from 3-, 4- and 5-fold coincidence databases. The tests were performed on events generated with a Monte Carlo simulation and also on experimental data (triples) recorded with the 8{pi} spectrometer and with a preliminary version of the EUROGAM array. (author). 7 refs., 3 tabs., 1 fig.

Development of high resolution x-ray CT technique for irradiated fuel assembly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishimi, Akihiro; Katsuyama, Kozo; Maeda, Koji; Asaga, Takeo [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Oarai Research and Development Center, Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan)

2012-03-15

High X-ray CT technique was developed to observe the irradiation performance of FBR fuel assembly and MOX fuel. In this technique, the high energy X-ray pulse (12MeV) was used synchronizing detection system with the X-ray pulse to reduce the effect of the gamma ray emissions from the irradiated fuel assembly. In this study, this technique was upgraded to obtain high resolution X-ray CT image. In this upgrading, the collimator which had slit width of 0.1 mm and X-ray detector of a highly sensitive silicon semiconductor detector (100 channels) was introduced in the X-ray CT system. As a result of these developments, high resolution X-ray CT images could be obtained on the transverse cross section of irradiated fuel assembly. (author)

Camera Concepts for the Advanced Gamma-Ray Imaging System (AGIS)

Science.gov (United States)

Nepomuk Otte, Adam

2009-05-01

The Advanced Gamma-Ray Imaging System (AGIS) is a concept for the next generation observatory in ground-based very high energy gamma-ray astronomy. Design goals are ten times better sensitivity, higher angular resolution, and a lower energy threshold than existing Cherenkov telescopes. Each telescope is equipped with a camera that detects and records the Cherenkov-light flashes from air showers. The camera is comprised of a pixelated focal plane of blue sensitive and fast (nanosecond) photon detectors that detect the photon signal and convert it into an electrical one. The incorporation of trigger electronics and signal digitization into the camera are under study. Given the size of AGIS, the camera must be reliable, robust, and cost effective. We are investigating several directions that include innovative technologies such as Geiger-mode avalanche-photodiodes as a possible detector and switched capacitor arrays for the digitization.

Fast-neutron gamma-ray production from elemental iron: E/sub n/ approx. < 2 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.L.

1976-05-01

A Ge(Li) detector and a fission detector were used to measure elemental differential cross section excitation functions for fast neutron gamma-ray production from iron relative to fast neutron fission of 235 U. Data were acquired at approximately 50 keV intervals with approximately 50 keV neutron-energy resolution from near threshold to approximately 2 MeV. Angular distributions for the 0.847 MeV gamma ray were measured at 0.93, 0.98, 1.08, 1.18, 1.28, 1.38, 1.59, 1.68, 1.79, 1.85 and 2.03 MeV. Significant fourth-order terms were required for the Legendre polynomial expansions used in fitting several of these angular distributions. This casts doubt on the accuracy of the commonly used approximation that the integrated gamma-ray production cross section is essentially equal to 4π times the 55 0 (or 125 0 ) differential cross section. The method employed in processing these data is described. Comparison is made between results from the present work and some previously reported data sets. The uncertainties associated with energy scales, neutron-energy resolution and other experimental factors for these various measurements make it difficult to draw conclusions concerning the observed differences in the values reported for these fluctuating cross sections. 6 tables, 7 figures

Energy resolution in X-ray detecting micro-strip gas counters

CERN Document Server

Bateman, J E; Derbyshire, G E; Duxbury, D M; Mir, J A; Spill, E J; Stephenson, R

2002-01-01

Systematic measurements of the energy resolution available from a Micro-Strip Gas Counter (MSGC) are presented. The effect of factors such as bias potential, gas filling and strip geometry on the energy resolution are examined in detail and related to a simple model. The geometry of the MSGC is adapted to permit 'wall-less' detection of X-rays and this results in useful improvements in the pulse height spectra.

Spatial distribution of reflected gamma rays by Monte Carlo simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jehouani, A.; Merzouki, A.; Boutadghart, F.; Ghassoun, J.

2007-01-01

In nuclear facilities, the reflection of gamma rays of the walls and metals constitutes an unknown origin of radiation. These reflected gamma rays must be estimated and determined. This study concerns reflected gamma rays on metal slabs. We evaluated the spatial distribution of the reflected gamma rays spectra by using the Monte Carlo method. An appropriate estimator for the double differential albedo is used to determine the energy spectra and the angular distribution of reflected gamma rays by slabs of iron and aluminium. We took into the account the principal interactions of gamma rays with matter: photoelectric, coherent scattering (Rayleigh), incoherent scattering (Compton) and pair creation. The Klein-Nishina differential cross section was used to select direction and energy of scattered photons after each Compton scattering. The obtained spectra show peaks at 0.511 * MeV for higher source energy. The Results are in good agreement with those obtained by the TRIPOLI code [J.C. Nimal et al., TRIPOLI02: Programme de Monte Carlo Polycinsetique a Trois dimensions, CEA Rapport, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique.

Sensitivity analysis of high resolution gamma-ray detection for safeguards monitoring at natural uranium conversion facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewji, S.A., E-mail: dewjisa@ornl.gov [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008 MS-6335, Oak Ridge TN 37831 (United States); Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 State Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0745 (United States); Croft, S. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008 MS-6335, Oak Ridge TN 37831 (United States); Hertel, N.E. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008 MS-6335, Oak Ridge TN 37831 (United States); Georgia Institute of Technology, 770 State Street, Atlanta, GA 30332-0745 (United States)

2017-03-11

Under the policies proposed by recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) circulars and policy papers, implementation of safeguards exists when any purified aqueous uranium solution or uranium oxides suitable for isotopic enrichment or fuel fabrication exists. Under IAEA Policy Paper 18, the starting point for nuclear material under safeguards was reinterpreted, suggesting that purified uranium compounds should be subject to safeguards procedures no later than the first point in the conversion process. In response to this technical need, a combination of simulation models and experimental measurements were employed in previous work to develop and validate gamma-ray nondestructive assay monitoring systems in a natural uranium conversion plant (NUCP). In particular, uranyl nitrate (UO{sub 2}(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}) solution exiting solvent extraction was identified as a key measurement point (KMP). Passive nondestructive assay techniques using high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy were evaluated to determine their viability as a technical means for drawing safeguards conclusions at NUCPs, and if the IAEA detection requirements of 1 significant quantity (SQ) can be met in a timely manner. Building upon the aforementioned previous validation work on detector sensitivity to varying concentrations of uranyl nitrate via a series of dilution measurements, this work investigates detector response parameter sensitivities to gamma-ray signatures of uranyl nitrate. The full energy peak efficiency of a detection system is dependent upon the sample, geometry, absorption, and intrinsic efficiency parameters. Perturbation of these parameters translates into corresponding variations of the 185.7 keV peak area of the {sup 235}U in uranyl nitrate. Such perturbations in the assayed signature impact the quality or versatility of the safeguards conclusions drawn. Given the potentially high throughput of uranyl nitrate in NUCPs, the ability to assay 1 SQ of material requires

On the transparency of the metagalaxy to ultrahigh-energy gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aharonyan, F.A.; Vardanyan, V.V.

1987-01-01

The electron-photon shower production in the field of the microwave background radiation (MBR) is considered. The absolute flux of ultrahigh-energy cascade gamma-rays (E>or approx.5X10 19 eV), resulting from the Π-meson photoproduction in the field of the MBR is obtained

ROLE OF LINE-OF-SIGHT COSMIC-RAY INTERACTIONS IN FORMING THE SPECTRA OF DISTANT BLAZARS IN TeV GAMMA RAYS AND HIGH-ENERGY NEUTRINOS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Essey, Warren; Kusenko, Alexander; Kalashev, Oleg; Beacom, John F.

2011-01-01

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can produce both gamma rays and cosmic rays. The observed high-energy gamma-ray signals from distant blazars may be dominated by secondary gamma rays produced along the line of sight by the interactions of cosmic-ray protons with background photons. This explains the surprisingly low attenuation observed for distant blazars, because the production of secondary gamma rays occurs, on average, much closer to Earth than the distance to the source. Thus, the observed spectrum in the TeV range does not depend on the intrinsic gamma-ray spectrum, while it depends on the output of the source in cosmic rays. We apply this hypothesis to a number of sources and, in every case, we obtain an excellent fit, strengthening the interpretation of the observed spectra as being due to secondary gamma rays. We explore the ramifications of this interpretation for limits on the extragalactic background light and for the production of cosmic rays in AGNs. We also make predictions for the neutrino signals, which can help probe the acceleration of cosmic rays in AGNs.

Extra-light gamma-ray imager for safeguards and homeland security

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivanov, Oleg P.; Semin, Ilya A.; Potapov, Victor N.; Stepanov, Vyacheslav E. [National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, 123182, (Russian Federation)

2015-07-01

Gamma-ray imaging is the most important way to identify unknown gamma-ray emitting objects in decommissioning, security, overcoming accidents. Over the past two decades a system for producing of gamma images in these conditions became more or less portable devices. But in recent years these systems have become the hand-held devices. This is very important, especially in emergency situations, and measurements for safety reasons. We describe the first integrated hand-held instrument for emergency and security applications. The device is based on the coded aperture image formation, position sensitive gamma-ray (X-ray) detector Medipix2 (detectors produces by X-ray Imaging Europe) and tablet computer. The development was aimed at creating a very low weight system with high angular resolution. We present some sample gamma-ray images by camera. Main estimated parameters of the system are the following. The field of view video channel ∼ 490 deg. The field of view gamma channel ∼ 300 deg. The sensitivity of the system with a hexagonal mask for the source of Cs-137 (Eg = 662 keV), is in units of dose D ∼ 100 mR. This option is less then order of magnitude worse than for the heavy, non-hand-held systems (e.g., gamma-camera Cartogam, by Canberra.) The angular resolution of the gamma channel for the sources of Cs-137 (Eg = 662 keV) is about 1.20 deg. (authors)

Gamma-ray escape peak characteristics of radiation-damaged reverse-electrode germanium coaxial detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pehl, R.H.; Hull, E.L.; Madden, N.W.; Xing Jingshu; Friesel, D.L.

1996-01-01

A comparison of the characteristics of full-energy gamma-ray peaks and their corresponding escape peaks when high energy photons interact in radiation damaged reverse-electrode (n-type) germanium coaxial detectors is presented. Coaxial detector geometry is the dominant factor, causing charge collection to be dramatically better for interactions occurring near the outer periphery of the detector as well as increasing of the probability of escape events occurring in this region. It follows that the resolution of escape peaks is better than that of ordinary gamma-ray peaks. This is experimentally verified. A nearly identical but undamaged detector exhibited significant Doppler broadening of single escape peaks. Because double escape events preferentially occur at outer radii, energy shifts of double escape reflect extremely small amounts of charge trapping in undamaged detectors. (orig.)

Large microcalorimeter arrays for high-resolution X- and gamma-rayspectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoover, A.S., E-mail: ahoover@lanl.gov [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Hoteling, N.; Rabin, M.W. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Ullom, J.N.; Bennett, D.A. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Karpius, P.J.; Vo, D.T. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Doriese, W.B.; Hilton, G.C.; Horansky, R.D.; Irwin, K.D.; Kotsubo, V. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Lee, D.W. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Vale, L.R. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States)

2011-10-01

Microcalorimeter detectors provide unprecedented energy resolution for the measurement of X-rays and soft gamma-rays. Energy resolution in the 100 keV region can be up to an order of magnitude better than planar high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. The technology is well-suited to analysis of materials with complex spectra presenting closely spaced photopeaks. One application area is the measurement and assay of nuclear materials for safeguards and fuel cycle applications. In this paper, we discuss the operation and performance of a 256-pixel array, and present results of a head-to-head comparison of isotopic determination measurements with high-purity germanium using a plutonium standard. We show that the uncertainty of a single measurement is smaller for the microcalorimeter data compared to the HPGe data when photopeak areas are equal. We identify several key areas where analysis codes can be optimized that will likely lead to improvement in the microcalorimeter performance.

Energy spectrum of lightning gamma emission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chubenko, A.P. [P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Karashtin, A.N. [Research Radiophysics Institute, Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Ryabov, V.A., E-mail: ryabov@x4u.lebedev.r [P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Shepetov, A.L. [P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Antonova, V.P.; Kryukov, S.V. [Ionosphere Institute, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Mitko, G.G.; Naumov, A.S.; Pavljuchenko, L.V. [P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Ptitsyn, M.O., E-mail: ptitsyn@lpi.r [P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Shalamova, S.Ya. [P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Shlyugaev, Yu.V. [Research Radiophysics Institute, Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation); Vildanova, L.I. [Tien-Shan Mountain Cosmic Ray Station, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Zybin, K.P. [P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation); Gurevich, A.V., E-mail: alex@lpi.r [P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2009-08-10

The results of gamma emission observations obtained during thunderstorms at Tien-Shan Mountain Cosmic Ray Station are presented. The energy spectrum radiation of the stepped leader gamma radiation is measured. The total energy of stepped leader emitted in gamma rays is estimated as 10{sup -3}-10{sup -2} J. The experimental results are in an agreement with the runaway breakdown mechanism.

Energy spectrum of lightning gamma emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chubenko, A.P.; Karashtin, A.N.; Ryabov, V.A.; Shepetov, A.L.; Antonova, V.P.; Kryukov, S.V.; Mitko, G.G.; Naumov, A.S.; Pavljuchenko, L.V.; Ptitsyn, M.O.; Shalamova, S.Ya.; Shlyugaev, Yu.V.; Vildanova, L.I.; Zybin, K.P.; Gurevich, A.V.

2009-01-01

The results of gamma emission observations obtained during thunderstorms at Tien-Shan Mountain Cosmic Ray Station are presented. The energy spectrum radiation of the stepped leader gamma radiation is measured. The total energy of stepped leader emitted in gamma rays is estimated as 10 -3 -10 -2 J. The experimental results are in an agreement with the runaway breakdown mechanism.

Measurement of actinide concentration in solution samples from the NUCEF reprocessing facility by X-ray and low energy gamma-ray spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howarth, P.J.A.; Uchiyama, Gunzo; Asakura, Toshihide; Sawada, Mutsumi; Hagiya, Hiromichi; Fujine, Sachio

1999-01-01

X-ray and low-energy gamma-ray spectroscopy has been used to measure actinide concentration within the backend nuclear fuel reprocessing research facility at NUCEF. Research on advanced reprocessing techniques at NUCEF is based on the PARC refinement of the PUREX process which aims to recover Am and Cm from the highly active waste stream and to control and partition Np and Tc. It is hoped that the PARC process will mitigate the environmental impact of the wastes and improve the economy of reprocessing. The main actinides for which assay is required are U, Pu, Np and Am and knowledge of these concentrations will enable the following to be determined: i.) evaluation of the distribution of actinides throughout the reprocessing facility ii.) verification of the simulated actinide distribution from chemical kinetic simulations of the PARC process and iii.) assurance of safety and control over migrant radioactive species. The research presented here shows that passive measurement of x-rays and low-energy gamma-rays from solution samples provides an accurate and non-destructive means for assaying the concentration. The measurement technique is based on the use of the characteristic low energy gamma-rays and internal conversion x-ray emission from actinides (11 keV to 22 keV). The x-ray emission is a few orders of magnitude more intense than the characteristic gamma-ray emission and can be easily detected from solutions. The experimental system described here can be used for solution monitoring to a minimum concentration of typically 10-6 M for Pu, 10-10 M for Am and 10-6 M for Np. (author)

FERMI OBSERVATIONS OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM GRB 090217A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R. D.; Borgland, A. W.; Bouvier, A.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J.; Brez, A.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Baring, M. G.; Bastieri, D.; Bhat, P. N.; Briggs, M. S.; Bissaldi, E.; Bonamente, E.; Brigida, M.

2010-01-01

The Fermi observatory is advancing our knowledge of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) through pioneering observations at high energies, covering more than seven decades in energy with the two on-board detectors, the Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Here, we report on the observation of the long GRB 090217A which triggered the GBM and has been detected by the LAT with a significance greater than 9σ. We present the GBM and LAT observations and on-ground analyses, including the time-resolved spectra and the study of the temporal profile from 8 keV up to ∼1 GeV. All spectra are well reproduced by a Band model. We compare these observations to the first two LAT-detected, long bursts GRB 080825C and GRB 080916C. These bursts were found to have time-dependent spectra and exhibited a delayed onset of the high-energy emission, which are not observed in the case of GRB 090217A. We discuss some theoretical implications for the high-energy emission of GRBs.

Combined in-beam gamma-ray and conversion electron spectroscopy with radioactive ion beams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konki J.

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In-beam gamma-ray and electron spectroscopy have been widely used as tools to study the broad variety of phenomena in nuclear structure. The SPEDE spectrometer is a new device to be used in conjunction with the MINIBALL germanium detector array to enable the detection of internal conversion electrons in coincidence with gamma rays from de-exciting nuclei in radioactive ion beam experiments at the upcoming HIE-ISOLDE facility at CERN, Switzerland. Geant4 simulations were carried out in order to optimise the design and segmentation of the silicon detector to achieve good energy resolution and performance.

Gamma-ray flares from the Crab Nebula.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdo, A A; Ackermann, M; Ajello, M; Allafort, A; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Barbiellini, G; Bastieri, D; Bechtol, K; Bellazzini, R; Berenji, B; Blandford, R D; Bloom, E D; Bonamente, E; Borgland, A W; Bouvier, A; Brandt, T J; Bregeon, J; Brez, A; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Buehler, R; Buson, S; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Cannon, A; Caraveo, P A; Casandjian, J M; Çelik, Ö; Charles, E; Chekhtman, A; Cheung, C C; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Costamante, L; Cutini, S; D'Ammando, F; Dermer, C D; de Angelis, A; de Luca, A; de Palma, F; Digel, S W; do Couto e Silva, E; Drell, P S; Drlica-Wagner, A; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Favuzzi, C; Fegan, S J; Ferrara, E C; Focke, W B; Fortin, P; Frailis, M; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giglietto, N; Giordano, F; Giroletti, M; Glanzman, T; Godfrey, G; Grenier, I A; Grondin, M-H; Grove, J E; Guiriec, S; Hadasch, D; Hanabata, Y; Harding, A K; Hayashi, K; Hayashida, M; Hays, E; Horan, D; Itoh, R; Jóhannesson, G; Johnson, A S; Johnson, T J; Khangulyan, D; Kamae, T; Katagiri, H; Kataoka, J; Kerr, M; Knödlseder, J; Kuss, M; Lande, J; Latronico, L; Lee, S-H; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lubrano, P; Madejski, G M; Makeev, A; Marelli, M; Mazziotta, M N; McEnery, J E; Michelson, P F; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Moiseev, A A; Monte, C; Monzani, M E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, I V; Murgia, S; Nakamori, T; Naumann-Godo, M; Nolan, P L; Norris, J P; Nuss, E; Ohsugi, T; Okumura, A; Omodei, N; Ormes, J F; Ozaki, M; Paneque, D; Parent, D; Pelassa, V; Pepe, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Pierbattista, M; Piron, F; Porter, T A; Rainò, S; Rando, R; Ray, P S; Razzano, M; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, T; Ritz, S; Romani, R W; Sadrozinski, H F-W; Sanchez, D; Saz Parkinson, P M; Scargle, J D; Schalk, T L; Sgrò, C; Siskind, E J; Smith, P D; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Strickman, M S; Suson, D J; Takahashi, H; Takahashi, T; Tanaka, T; Thayer, J B; Thompson, D J; Tibaldo, L; Torres, D F; Tosti, G; Tramacere, A; Troja, E; Uchiyama, Y; Vandenbroucke, J; Vasileiou, V; Vianello, G; Vitale, V; Wang, P; Wood, K S; Yang, Z; Ziegler, M

2011-02-11

A young and energetic pulsar powers the well-known Crab Nebula. Here, we describe two separate gamma-ray (photon energy greater than 100 mega-electron volts) flares from this source detected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The first flare occurred in February 2009 and lasted approximately 16 days. The second flare was detected in September 2010 and lasted approximately 4 days. During these outbursts, the gamma-ray flux from the nebula increased by factors of four and six, respectively. The brevity of the flares implies that the gamma rays were emitted via synchrotron radiation from peta-electron-volt (10(15) electron volts) electrons in a region smaller than 1.4 × 10(-2) parsecs. These are the highest-energy particles that can be associated with a discrete astronomical source, and they pose challenges to particle acceleration theory.

Gamma-ray flares from the Crab nebula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, A.A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Casandjian, J.M.; Grenier, I.A.; Naumann-Godo, M.; Pierbattista, M.; Tibaldo, L.

2011-01-01

A young and energetic pulsar powers the well-known Crab Nebula. Here, we describe two separate gamma-ray (photon energy greater than 100 mega-electron volts) flares from this source detected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The first flare occurred in February 2009 and lasted approximately 16 days. The second flare was detected in September 2010 and lasted approximately 4 days. During these outbursts, the gamma-ray flux from the nebula increased by factors of four and six, respectively. The brevity of the flares implies that the gamma rays were emitted via synchrotron radiation from peta-electron-volt (10 15 electron volts) electrons in a region smaller than 1.4 * 10 -2 parsecs. These are the highest-energy particles that can be associated with a discrete astronomical source, and they pose challenges to particle acceleration theory. (authors)

Exploring the extreme gamma-ray sky with HESS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sol, Helene

2006-01-01

The international HESS experiment. High Energy Stereoscopic System, fully operational since January 2004, is opening a new era for extreme gamma-ray astronomy. Located in Namibia, it is now the most sensitive detector for cosmic sources of very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays, in the tera-electron-volt (TeV) range. In July 2005, it had already more than double the number of sources detected at such energies, with the discovery of several active galactic nuclei (AGN), supernova remnants and plerions, a binary pulsar system, a microquasar candidate, and a sample of yet unidentified sources. HESS has also provide for the first time gamma-ray images of extended sources with the first astrophysical jet resolved in gamma-rays, and the first mapping of a shell supernova remnant, which proves the efficiency of in situ acceleration of particles up to 100 TeV and beyond

A possible very high energy gamma-ray burst from Hercules X-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vishwanath, P.R.; Bhat, P.N.; Ramanamurthy, P.V.; Sreekantan, B.V.

1989-01-01

A large increase is observed in the trigger rate in the direction of Hercules X-1 in the Atmospheric Cerenkov array at Pachmarhi, India. The burst lasted from 2147 UT to 2201 UT on April 11, 1986. The accidental coincidence rate did not show any increase during the burst. Barring any electronic noise or celestial or terrestrial optical phenomenon with time structure similar to that of atmospheric Cerenkov phenomenon, the increase is ascribed to TeV gamma rays from Her X-1. The number of gamma-ray events during the burst amounted to about 54 percent of the cosmic-ray flux, resulting in a 42-sigma effect. This is the largest TeV gamma-ray signal seen from any source till now. The time-averaged flux for the burst period is 1.8 x 10 photons/sq cm per s above a threshold energy of 0.4 TeV, which results in a luminosity of 1.8 x 10 to the 37 ergs/s. The burst took place at the end of the 'high on' state in the 35-day cycle of the Her X-1 binary system indicating accretion disk as the possible production site. 14 refs

Gamma-rays attenuation of zircons from Cambodia and South Africa at different energies: A new technique for identifying the origin of gemstone

Science.gov (United States)

Limkitjaroenporn, P.; Kaewkhao, J.

2014-10-01

In this work, the gamma-rays interaction properties of zircons from Cambodia and South Africa have been studied. The densities of Cambodian and South African's zircons are 4.6716±0.0040 g/cm3 and 4.5505±0.0018 g/cm3, respectively. The mass attenuation coefficient and the effective atomic number of gemstones were measured with the gamma-ray in energies range 223-662 keV using the Compton scattering technique. The mass attenuation coefficients of both zircons decreased with the increasing of gamma-rays energies. The different mass attenuation coefficients between the two zircons observed at gamma-ray energies below 400 keV are attributed to the differences in the photoelectric interaction. The effective atomic number of zircons was decreased with the increasing of gamma-ray energies and showed totally different values between the Cambodia and South Africa sources. The origins of the two zircons could be successfully identified by the method based on gamma-rays interaction with matter with advantage of being a non-destructive testing.

High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy and the fascinating angular momentum realm of the atomic nucleus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riley, M A; Simpson, J; Paul, E S

2016-01-01

In 1974 Aage Bohr and Ben Mottelson predicted the different ‘phases’ that may be expected in deformed nuclei as a function of increasing angular momentum and excitation energy all the way up to the fission limit. While admitting their picture was highly conjectural they confidently stated ‘...with the ingenious experimental approaches that are being developed, we may look forward with excitement to the detailed spectroscopic studies that will illuminate the behaviour of the spinning quantised nucleus’ . High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy has indeed been a major tool in studying the structure of atomic nuclei and has witnessed numerous significant advances over the last four decades. This article will select highlights from investigations at the Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark, and Daresbury Laboratory, UK, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, some of which have continued at other national laboratories in Europe and the USA to the present day. These studies illustrate the remarkable diversity of phenomena and symmetries exhibited by nuclei in the angular momentum–excitation energy plane that continue to surprise and fascinate scientists. (invited comment)

High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy and the fascinating angular momentum realm of the atomic nucleus

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, M. A.; Simpson, J.; Paul, E. S.

2016-12-01

In 1974 Aage Bohr and Ben Mottelson predicted the different ‘phases’ that may be expected in deformed nuclei as a function of increasing angular momentum and excitation energy all the way up to the fission limit. While admitting their picture was highly conjectural they confidently stated ‘...with the ingenious experimental approaches that are being developed, we may look forward with excitement to the detailed spectroscopic studies that will illuminate the behaviour of the spinning quantised nucleus’. High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy has indeed been a major tool in studying the structure of atomic nuclei and has witnessed numerous significant advances over the last four decades. This article will select highlights from investigations at the Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark, and Daresbury Laboratory, UK, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, some of which have continued at other national laboratories in Europe and the USA to the present day. These studies illustrate the remarkable diversity of phenomena and symmetries exhibited by nuclei in the angular momentum-excitation energy plane that continue to surprise and fascinate scientists.

Gamma ray astronomy and the origin of galactic cosmic rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabici, Stefano

2011-01-01

Diffusive shock acceleration operating at expanding supernova remnant shells is by far the most popular model for the origin of galactic cosmic rays. Despite the general consensus received by the model, an unambiguous and conclusive proof of the supernova remnant hypothesis is still missing. In this context, the recent developments in gamma ray astronomy provide us with precious insights into the problem of the origin of galactic cosmic rays, since production of gamma rays is expected both during the acceleration of cosmic rays at supernova remnant shocks and during their subsequent propagation in the interstellar medium. In particular, the recent detection of a number of supernova remnants at TeV energies nicely fits with the model, but it still does not constitute a conclusive proof of it, mainly due to the difficulty of disentangling the hadronic and leptonic contributions to the observed gamma ray emission. The main goal of my research is to search for an unambiguous and conclusive observational test for proving (or disproving) the idea that supernova remnants are the sources of galactic cosmic rays with energies up to (at least) the cosmic ray knee. Our present comprehension of the mechanisms of particle acceleration at shocks and of the propagation of cosmic rays in turbulent magnetic fields encourages beliefs that such a conclusive test might come from future observations of supernova remnants and of the Galaxy in the almost unexplored domain of multi-TeV gamma rays. (author)

Increase in compton scattering of gamma rays passing along metal surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigor'ev, A.N.; Bilyk, Z.V.; Sakun, A.V.; Marushchenko, V.V.; Chernyavskij, O.Yu.; Litvinov, Yu.V.

2014-01-01

The paper considers experimental study of changes in energy of 137 Cs gamma source as gamma rays pass along metal surface. Decrease in gamma energy was examined by reducing the number of gamma rays in the complete absorption peak to the Compton length level and increasing the Compton effect. The number of gamma rays in the complete absorption peak decreases by 3.5 times in the angle range under study

Toward a next-generation high-energy gamma-ray telescope. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bloom, E.D.; Evans, L.L. [eds.

1997-03-01

It has been some time between the time of the first Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) workshop, Towards a Next Generation High-Energy Gamma-Ray Telescope, in late August 1994, and the publication of a partial proceedings of that meeting. Since then there has been considerable progress in both the technical and project development of GLAST. From its origins at SLAC/Stanford in early 1992, the collaboration has currently grown to more than 20 institutions from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, and is still growing. About half of these are astrophysics/astronomy institutions; the other half are high-energy physics institutions. About 100 astronomers, astrophysicists, and particle physicists are currently spending some fraction of their time on the GLAST R and D program. The late publication date of this proceedings has resulted in some additions to the original content of the meeting. The first paper is actually a brochure prepared for NASA by Peter Michelson in early 1996. Except for the appendix, the other papers in the proceedings were presented at the conference, and written up over the following two years. Some presentations were never written up.

Towards a next-generation high-energy gamma-ray telescope. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, E.D.; Evans, L.L.

1997-03-01

It has been some time between the time of the first Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) workshop, Towards a Next Generation High-Energy Gamma-Ray Telescope, in late August 1994, and the publication of a partial proceedings of that meeting. Since then there has been considerable progress in both the technical and project development of GLAST. From its origins at SLAC/Stanford in early 1992, the collaboration has currently grown to more than 20 institutions from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, and is still growing. About half of these are astrophysics/astronomy institutions; the other half are high-energy physics institutions. About 100 astronomers, astrophysicists, and particle physicists are currently spending some fraction of their time on the GLAST R and D program. The late publication date of this proceedings has resulted in some additions to the original content of the meeting. The first paper is actually a brochure prepared for NASA by Peter Michelson in early 1996. Except for the appendix, the other papers in the proceedings were presented at the conference, and written up over the following two years. Some presentations were never written up

TEV GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE GALACTIC CENTER RIDGE BY VERITAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Archer, A.; Buckley, J. H.; Bugaev, V. [Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130 (United States); Benbow, W.; Cerruti, M. [Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645 (United States); Bird, R.; Collins-Hughes, E. [School of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 (Ireland); Buchovecky, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Byrum, K. [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Cardenzana, J. V; Eisch, J. D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Chen, X. [Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm (Germany); Ciupik, L. [Astronomy Department, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 (United States); Connolly, M. P. [School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway (Ireland); Falcone, A. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Feng, Q.; Finley, J. P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Fleischhack, H. [DESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Flinders, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 (United States); Fortson, L., E-mail: asmith44@umd.edu [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 (United States); and others

2016-04-20

The Galactic Center ridge has been observed extensively in the past by both GeV and TeV gamma-ray instruments revealing a wealth of structure, including a diffuse component and the point sources G0.9+0.1 (a composite supernova remnant) and Sgr A* (believed to be associated with the supermassive black hole located at the center of our Galaxy). Previous very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations with the H.E.S.S. experiment have also detected an extended TeV gamma-ray component along the Galactic plane in the >300 GeV gamma-ray regime. Here we report on observations of the Galactic Center ridge from 2010 to 2014 by the VERITAS telescope array in the >2 TeV energy range. From these observations we (1) provide improved measurements of the differential energy spectrum for Sgr A* in the >2 TeV gamma-ray regime, (2) provide a detection in the >2 TeV gamma-ray emission from the composite SNR G0.9+0.1 and an improved determination of its multi-TeV gamma-ray energy spectrum, and (3) report on the detection of VER J1746-289, a localized enhancement of >2 TeV gamma-ray emission along the Galactic plane.

Systematics of gamma-ray energy spectra for classification of workplaces around a nuclear facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urabe, Itsumasa; Tsujimoto, Tadashi; Katsurayama, Kousuke

1988-01-01

Radiation dosimetry in workplaces has been carried out both for assurance of the doses complying with the acceptable values and for improvement of protection methods to minimise detriments of the exposed population. This means that it is very important not only to determine dosimetric quantities in workplaces but also to know features of radiation levels because information for radiation protection can often be derived from the radiometric quantities. Classification of workplaces based on the feature of gamma-ray energy spectra is one of the practical ways to realise radiation protection being taken into consideration of the radiometric quantities. Furthermore, demarcation of workplaces based on these radiometric quantities may be effective for improvement of radiation protection practice such as estimation of radiation doses, designing of radiation shields and other activities. From these points of view, gamma-ray energy spectra have been determined in various workplaces in nuclear facilities, and systematics of gamma-ray fields were tried for classification of workplaces on the basis of the feature appeared in health physical quantities such as effective dose equivalents and responses of dosemeters

Multiplicity and correlated energy of gamma rays emitted in the spontaneous fission of Californium-252

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brunson, G.S. Jr.

1982-06-01

An array of eight high-speed plastic scintillation detectors has been used to infer a mathematical model for the emission multipliciy of prompt gammas in the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf. Exceptional time resolution and coincidence capability permitted the separation of gammas from fast neutrons over a flight path of approximately 10 cm. About 20 different distribution models were tested. The average energy of the prompt gammas is inversely related to the number emitted; however, this inverse relationship is not strong and the total gamma energy does increase with increasing gamma number. An extension of the experiment incorporated a lithium-drifted germanium gamma spectrometer that resolved nearly 100 discrete gammas associated with fission. Of these gammas, some were preferentially associated with fission in which few gammas were emitted. Certain others were more frequent when many gammas were emitted. Results are presented

Method of making a low energy gamma ray collimator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muehllehner, Gerd.

1975-01-01

Described herein is a method for making a low energy gamma ray collimator which involves corrugating lead foil strips by passing them through pinion wire rollers and gluing corrugated strips between straight strips using an adhesive such as epoxy to build up a honeycomb-like structure. A thin aluminum sheet is glued to both edges of the strips to protect them and to provide a more rigid assembly which may be sawed to a desired shape. (Patent Office Record)

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS)-Science Highlights

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, J.; Coppi, P.; Digel, S.; Funk, S.; Krawczynski, H.; Krennrich, F.; Pohl, M.; Romani, R.; Vassiliev, V.

2008-12-01

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS), a future gamma-ray telescope consisting of an array of ~50 atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes distributed over an area of ~1 km2, will provide a powerful new tool for exploring the high-energy universe. The order-of-magnitude increase in sensitivity and improved angular resolution could provide the first detailed images of γ-ray emission from other nearby galaxies or galaxy clusters. The large effective area will provide unprecedented sensitivity to short transients (such as flares from AGNs and GRBs) probing both intrinsic spectral variability (revealing the details of the acceleration mechanism and geometry) as well as constraining the high-energy dispersion in the velocity of light (probing the structure of spacetime and Lorentz invariance). A wide field of view (~4 times that of current instruments) and excellent angular resolution (several times better than current instruments) will allow for an unprecedented survey of the Galactic plane, providing a deep unobscured survey of SNRs, X-ray binaries, pulsar-wind nebulae, molecular cloud complexes and other sources. The differential flux sensitivity of ~10-13 erg cm-2 sec-1 will rival the most sensitive X-ray instruments for these extended Galactic sources. The excellent capabilities of AGIS at energies below 100 GeV will provide sensitivity to AGN and GRBs out to cosmological redshifts, increasing the number of AGNs detected at high energies from about 20 to more than 100, permitting population studies that will provide valuable insights into both a unified model for AGN and a detailed measurement of the effects of intergalactic absorption from the diffuse extragalactic background light. A new instrument with fast-slewing wide-field telescopes could provide detections of a number of long-duration GRBs providing important physical constraints from this new spectral component. The new array will also have excellent background rejection and very large effective area

SN 1987A gamma-ray line profiles and fluxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bussard, R.W.; Burrows, A.; The, L.S.

1989-01-01

Results for the time dependence of the line profiles and integrated fluxes for the 0.847 and 1.238 MeV gamma rays from the decay of cobalt to excited states of iron are presented for several models of the ejectum of SN 1987A. The relatively early detection of these lines has led several workers to propose that some degree of mixing has brought the cobalt closer to the electron-scattering photosphere than standard models predict. Constraints on the amount of mixing from recent observations are discussed using calculations of the energy-integrated line fluxes as a function of time since the explosion. Implications for the line profiles at various times are considered, and it is found that they show strong time dependences and are quite sensitive to the degree of mixing. The two primary effects are Doppler broadening due to the presence of radioactive material at higher velocities and a strong blueshift at early times resulting from optical depth effects. These results have important implications for gamma-ray observations, especially with high-resolution germanium instruments. Finally, the consequences of the fragmentation of the debris for the early emergence of the gamma-ray lines are considered. 32 refs

Measurements of gamma-ray energy deposition in a heterogeneous reactor experimental configuration and their analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calamand, D.; Wouters, R. de; Knipe, A.D.; Menil, R.

1984-10-01

An important contribution to the power output of a fast reactor is provided by the energy deposition from gamma-rays, and is particularly significant in the inner fertile zones of heterogeneous breeder reactor designs. To establish the validity of calculational methods and data for such systems an extensive series of measurements was performed in the zero power reactor Masurca, as part of the RACINE programme. The experimental study involved four European laboratories and the measurement techniques covered a range of thermoluminescent dosemeters and an ionization chamber. The present paper describes and compares the gamma-ray energy deposition measurements and analysis

Design and Performance of Soft Gamma-ray Detector for NeXT Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Tajima, H.; Kamae, T.; Madejski, G.; Takahashi, T.; Nakazawa, K.; Watanabe, S.; Mitani, T.; Tanaka, T.; Fukazawa, Y.; Kataoka, J.; Ikagawa, T.; Kokubun, M.; Makishima, K.; Terada, Y.; Nomachi, M.; Tashiro, M.

The Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) on board NeXT (Japanese future high energy astrophysics mission) is a Compton telescope with narrow field of view, which utilizes Compton kinematics to enhance its background rejection capabilities. It is realized as a hybrid semiconductor gamma-ray detector which consists of silicon and Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) detectors. It can detect photons in an energy band 0.05-1 MeV at a background level of 5×10-7 counts/s/cm2/keV; the silicon layers are required to improve the performance at a lower energy band (development of key technologies to realize the SGD; high quality CdTe, low noise front-end VLSI and bump bonding technology. Energy resolutions of 1.7 keV (FWHM) for CdTe pixel detectors and 1.1 keV for silicon strip detectors have been measured. We also present the validation of Monte Carlo simulation used to evaluate the performance of the SGD.

The measurement of gamma ray induced heating in a mixed neutron and gamma ray environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, H.K.

1991-10-01

The problem of measuring the gamma heating in a mixed DT neutron and gamma ray environment was explored. A new detector technique was developed to make this measurement. Gamma heating measurements were made in a low-Z assembly irradiated with 14-Mev neutrons and (n, n') gammas produced by a Texas Nuclear Model 9400 neutron generator. Heating measurements were made in the mid-line of the lattice using a proportional counter operating in the Continuously-varied Bias-voltage Acquisition mode. The neutron-induced signal was separated from the gamma-induced signal by exploiting the signal rise-time differences inherent to radiations of different linear energy transfer coefficient, which are observable in a proportional counter. The operating limits of this measurement technique were explored by varying the counter position in the low-Z lattice, hence changing the irradiation spectrum observed. The experiment was modelled numerically to help interpret the measured results. The transport of neutrons and gamma rays in the assembly was modelled using the one- dimensional radiation transport code ANISN/PC. The cross-section set used for these calculations was derived from the ENDF/B-V library using the code MC 2 -2 for the case of DT neutrons slowing down in a low-Z material. The calculated neutron and gamma spectra in the slab and the relevant mass-stopping powers were used to construct weighting factors which relate the energy deposition in the counter fill-gas to that in the counter wall and in the surrounding material. The gamma energy deposition at various positions in the lattice is estimated by applying these weighting factors to the measured gamma energy deposition in the counter at those locations

Gamma-Ray Bursts: 4th Huntsville Symposium. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meegan, C.A.; Preece, R.D.; Koshut, T.M.

1998-01-01

These proceedings represent papers presented at the Fourth Huntsville Gamma-Ray Bursts Symposium held in September, 1997 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. This conference occurred at a crucial time in the history of the gamma-ray burst research. In early 1997, 30 years after the detection of the first gamma-ray burst by the Vela satellites, counterparts to bursts were finally detected at optical and radio wavelengths. The symposium attracted about 200 scientists from 16 countries. Some of the topics discussed include gamma-ray burst spectra, x-ray observations, optical observations, radio observations, host galaxies, shocks and afterglows and models of gamma-ray bursts. There were 183 papers presented, out of these, 16 have been abstracted for the Energy Science and Technology database

Bright x-ray flares in gamma-ray burst afterglows.

Science.gov (United States)

Burrows, D N; Romano, P; Falcone, A; Kobayashi, S; Zhang, B; Moretti, A; O'brien, P T; Goad, M R; Campana, S; Page, K L; Angelini, L; Barthelmy, S; Beardmore, A P; Capalbi, M; Chincarini, G; Cummings, J; Cusumano, G; Fox, D; Giommi, P; Hill, J E; Kennea, J A; Krimm, H; Mangano, V; Marshall, F; Mészáros, P; Morris, D C; Nousek, J A; Osborne, J P; Pagani, C; Perri, M; Tagliaferri, G; Wells, A A; Woosley, S; Gehrels, N

2005-09-16

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows have provided important clues to the nature of these massive explosive events, providing direct information on the nearby environment and indirect information on the central engine that powers the burst. We report the discovery of two bright x-ray flares in GRB afterglows, including a giant flare comparable in total energy to the burst itself, each peaking minutes after the burst. These strong, rapid x-ray flares imply that the central engines of the bursts have long periods of activity, with strong internal shocks continuing for hundreds of seconds after the gamma-ray emission has ended.

Recent achievements in the field of gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Tan; Dai Zigao

2001-01-01

Recent progresses in the field of gamma-ray bursts is briefly introduced. Gamma-ray bursts are the most energetic explosion since the Big Bang of the universe. Within a few tens of seconds, the energy released in gamma-ray bursts could be several hundred times larger than that released form the sun in its whole life (about 10 billion years). The authors will first briefly discuss the observational facts, based on which the authors will discuss the standard fireball model, the dynamical behavior and evolution of gamma-ray bursts and their afterglows. Then, various observational phenomena that contradict the standard model are given and the importance of these post-standard effects are pointed out. The questions related to the energy source of gamma-ray bursts are still unanswered, and other important questions also remain to be solved

Point source search techniques in ultra high energy gamma ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexandreas, D.E.; Biller, S.; Dion, G.M.; Lu, X.Q.; Yodh, G.B.; Berley, D.; Goodman, J.A.; Haines, T.J.; Hoffman, C.M.; Horch, E.; Sinnis, C.; Zhang, W.

1993-01-01

Searches for point astrophysical sources of ultra high energy (UHE) gamma rays are plagued by large numbers of background events from isotropic cosmic rays. Some of the methods that have been used to estimate the expected number of background events coming from the direction of a possible source are found to contain biases. Search techniques that avoid this problem are described. There is also a discussion of how to optimize the sensitivity of a search to emission from a point source. (orig.)

Fast-neutron gamma-ray production from elemental iron: E/sub n/ < or approx. = 2 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, D.L.

1976-05-01

A Ge(Li) detector and a fission detector were used to measure elemental differential cross section excitation functions for fast-neutron gamma-ray production from iron relative to fast-neutron fission of 235 U. Data were acquired at approximately 50 keV intervals with approximately 50 keV neutron-energy resolution from near threshold to approximately 2 MeV. Angular distributions for the 0.847-MeV gamma ray were measured at 0.93, 0.98, 1.08, 1.18, 1.28, 1.38, 1.59, 1.68, 1.79, 1.85 and 2.03 MeV. Significant fourth-order terms were required for the Legendre polynomial expansions used in fitting several of these angular distributions. This casts doubt on the accuracy of the commonly used approximation that the integrated gamma-ray production cross section is essentially equal to 4π times the 55-degree (or 125-degree) differential cross section. The method employed in processing these data is described. Comparison is made between results from the present work and some previously reported data sets. The uncertainties associated with energy scales, neutron-energy resolution and other experimental factors for these various measurements make it difficult to draw conclusions concerning the observed differences in the values reported for these fluctuating cross sections

The Advanced Gamma-ray Imaging System (AGIS): Extragalactic Science

Science.gov (United States)