Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2012
Volume 57, Number 3
Saturday–Tuesday, March 31–April 3 2012; Atlanta, Georgia
Session B15: SPS Undergraduate Research and Outreach I |
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Sponsoring Units: FEd Chair: Kendra Redmond, Am. Inst. of Physics/Soc. of Physics Students Room: Grand Hall East D |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 10:45AM - 10:57AM |
B15.00001: A Cosmic Ray Muon Tracker and its Applications to Astronomy and Archaeology Joann Sydney Rist, Edmundo Garcia This research focuses on compiling the design parameters to build a muon tracker detector to support an ongoing effort to measure cosmic ray events as part of a network of detectors based on the QuarkNet program. Currently the individual detectors used in the QuarkNet network are capable of measuring cosmic ray flow but not the direction of the tracks. If instead we use a network of trackers (that will measure the direction of the muon showers) we will increase the probability of detecting high energy cosmic ray events. In addition, cosmic ray trackers can also be used for other interesting applications. In this talk we delineate the general characteristics of the proposed tracker detectors and its applications. We show the results of the experimental work done so far to define the design characteristics of the detector: experimental determination of the optimal linear dimensions the proposed tracker detector and preliminary results of the amount signal that reaches the phototubes when an optical fiber is used carry out the light from the scintillator. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 10:57AM - 11:09AM |
B15.00002: Study of the Sensitivity of Plastic Scintillator to Fast Neutrons David Abbott The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab plans to use a two-out-of-three coincident requirement in a plastic scintillator based detector to veto cosmic ray events. This veto system must operate efficiently in a high-radiation environment. In this investigation, three plastic scintillator bars containing wavelength-shifting fibers represent the veto system. These bars were placed in series in front of a deuterium-deuterium neutron generator, which produced fast neutrons of approximately 2.8MeV. Multi-anode photomultiplier tubes read out the light from the fibers. The collected data was analyzed to determine the rate of interaction, approximate amount of energy deposited, and numerous other aspects of the neutrons' interactions. The rate of coincidental and correlated hits in multiple scintillator bars was the primary investigation, in order to further understand the sensitivity of the plastic scintillators to fast neutrons. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 11:09AM - 11:21AM |
B15.00003: Improving Event Identification in the HF Calorimeter of CMS Christopher Frye, Jeremiah Mans The Forward Hadron Calorimeter (HF) of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) lies in a region not covered by an inner tracking system, and we can rely only on the shapes of showers that hit the HF to determine whether or not they are due to electromagnetic particles. We review the current method of distinguishing shower types in the HF, and we bring attention to a drawback that will become present as the luminosity of the LHC increases and creates a need for tighter shower-shape cuts. We provide a method to correct this drawback, and we analyze the effectiveness of various tight cuts at isolating signal from background. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 11:21AM - 11:33AM |
B15.00004: Characterization of GEM Digital Hadron Calorimeter with 13bit KPiX Readout System Using Particle Beams Safat Khaled, Danrae Pray, Seongtae Park, Jaehoon Yu, Andrew Jones, Nam Tran, Benjamin Bloom, Andrew White, Changhie Hahn The High Energy Physics Group at the University of Texas at Arlington has been developing a digital hadron calorimeter (DHCAL) for future linear colliders using double-layer Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector in the sensitive gap. The group has built prototype double GEM detectors in several sizes and have exposed four 30cm x 30cm prototype GEM detectors to particle beams at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. One of these detectors utilized a 13bit KPiX chip and its accompanying read out system developed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. This talk will present the results of the beam test data analysis to understand the characteristics and performance of the prototype detectors. More specifically, it will present the measured gain, response, and efficiency of the detectors as well as the dependence of these quantities on the ambient pressure, position at which the particle passes through the detector and the applied high voltage. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 11:33AM - 11:45AM |
B15.00005: Modeling the Effects of Mirror Misalignment in a Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector Tawanda Hitchcock, Austin Harton, Edmundo Garcia The Very High Momentum Particle Identification Detector (VHMPID) has been proposed for the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This detector upgrade is considered necessary to study jet-matter interaction at high energies. The VHMPID identifies charged hadrons in the 5 GeV/c to 25 GeV/c momentum range. The Cherenkov photons emitted in the VHMPID radiator are collected by spherical mirrors and focused onto a photo-detector plane forming a ring image. The radius of this ring is related to the Cherenkov angle, this information coupled with the particle momentum allows the particle identification. A major issue in the RICH detector is that environmental conditions can cause movements in mirror position. In addition, chromatic dispersion causes the refractive index to shift, altering the Cherenkov angle. We are modeling a twelve mirror RICH detector taking into account the effects of mirror misalignment and chromatic dispersion using a commercial optical software package. This will include quantifying the effects of both rotational and translational mirror misalignment for the initial assembly of the module and later on particle identification. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 11:45AM - 11:57AM |
B15.00006: Total Pair Production Rate for Electron Neutrinos in Magnetic Fields B. Jordan Russell, Todd Tinsley We present a calculation for the total production rate for electron-positron pairs using electron-type neutrinos in an intense magnetic field. This production rate is significant to a number of astrophysical phenomena exhibiting strong magnetic fields and a sensitivity to neutrino transport, including magnetars and some varieties of supernovae. Because electron-type neutrino flux is considerably higher in supernovae events and it participates in both charged and neutral-current reactions, its contribution to the total production rate is of particular interest. We compare this to a previous calculation involving muon and tau-type neutrinos. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 11:57AM - 12:09PM |
B15.00007: Computational Analysis of the Bugey Neutrino Oscillation Experiment Mason Yost The Bugey 3-Detector neutrino experiment attempted to place a limit on $\Delta m^2_{1,2}$ and $\sin^2(2\theta_{1,2})$ by calculating neutrino fluxes from a nuclear reactor. This experiment was unusual because it utilized data taken from three different distances from the neutrino source. The experiment concluded that neutrinos did not oscillate between flavors. However, this conclusion was later contradicted and overruled by data from more accurate neutrino oscillation experiments, and recent discoveries suggest that a fourth neutrino may exist. To help determine the plausibility of a four neutrino model we are reexamining data from the Bugey experiment. Although our attempts to recreate the original experimenter's results have yielded some success, we have not yet been able to fully recreate the original experimenters' results. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 12:09PM - 12:21PM |
B15.00008: Antineutrino Stimulated Pair Production Tyler Webb, Todd Tinsley I will present a calculation of the antineutrino-stimulated production rate of electron-positron pairs in an intense magnetic field and discuss how the calculation relates to a previous calculation of the neutrino case. The production rates are important in supernova-like conditions where stellar dynamics are sensitive to the rates of energy transfer within the star. The process could have implications in the collapse of type-II supernovae or large-scale events like magnetar bursts. I will demonstrate how computation reveals that the production rates in the antineutrino case are equivalent to the rates in the neutrino case, with an inversion of the electron and positron Landau levels. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, March 31, 2012 12:21PM - 12:33PM |
B15.00009: The Global Youth Service Team: students applying science and technology in remote, developing region of the world Doug Hollinger Eh Kalu, director of the Karen Department of Health and Welfare along the border region between Thailand and Burma said, ``It is very difficult to attend to a medical emergency at night when all you have are candles for light.'' The Global Youth Service Team (GYST) provides high school and college students with the opportunity to apply science that they have learned in the performance of international humanitarian service. Volunteers with the GYST build solar powered electrical systems, ultraviolet water purifiers, provide training and education to people who are most in need due to energy poverty, lack access to resources, natural disasters or human rights violations. GYST volunteers train with photovoltaic materials and equipment to become solar energy technicians. They then travel to remote communities in developing countries where we are able to catalyze improvements in education and health care, promote sustainable energy initiatives and help communities develop the capacity to use their own resources by which to create opportunity. [Preview Abstract] |
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