Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Fall 2014 Joint Meeting of the Texas Section of the APS, Texas Section of the AAPT, and Zone 13 of the Society of Physics Students
Volume 59, Number 12
Friday–Sunday, October 17–19, 2014; College Station, Texas
Session E3: Nuclear Physics I |
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Chair: Dan Melconian, Texas A&M University Room: MPHY 332 |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 3:35PM - 3:47PM |
E3.00001: Current Status of the TAMUTRAP Facility Michael Mehlman The primary goal of the upcoming Texas A\&M University Penning Trap (TAMUTRAP) facility is to test the standard model for the presence of a scalar current in the beta decay of T=2 superallowed beta-delayed proton emitters. By observing the shape of the proton energy spectrum one can deduce the beta-neutrino correlation parameter due to kinematic effects that expose the neutrino momentum. The TAMUTRAP decay station is centered around a unique, compensated cylindrical Penning trap, which is employed to both confine and detect the protons from these decays with high efficiency. This talk will provide a general overview of the TAMUTRAP facility and its current status. In particular, offline tests of the electrostatic beam transport system will be discussed, and the current status and development schedule for the phase-space reducing radio frequency quadrupole cooler/buncher will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 3:47PM - 3:59PM |
E3.00002: A Novel, Cost-Effective Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner Brian Kelly Positron Emission Tomography (PET) allows physicians and researchers to visualize metabolic data in the human body and is widely used in cancer and neurological imaging. Traditional PET scanners consist of a thin ring of scintillators coupled to photo detectors but these scanners often take long periods of time to acquire an image, are very costly, and are too complex to fit inside other machinery such as MRI. In response to this, we are building a novel PET detector that utilizes non-traditional scintillators and photo detectors in an attempt to significantly decrease cost, allow combined PET/MRI modalities and reduce scan time. In this talk, we will discuss the relevant theory, design and construction of our prototype. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 3:59PM - 4:11PM |
E3.00003: Scientific Modeling of Strip Positron Emission Tomography Frank Chu, Leonardo A. Bello Puentes Recent developments in medical imaging has shown promise in strip type PET scans. We designed a simulation package with Java and MATLAB that implements user drawn scintillating detectors which records back to back photon emissions from a free drawn source array. Additionally, it utilizes scripts which reconstruct the image using a multistep linear transformation. The resolution and amount of data acquired is dependent on the ADC frequency, size of the detector, and detector spacing. One of the challenges is to obtain high resolution images and data quantity while limiting detector size and spacing. In the future, we plan on improving the simulation to account for probabilistic special case scenarios, adding three dimensional image reconstruction, and including energy based analysis. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 4:11PM - 4:23PM |
E3.00004: Neutron Activation Analysis Screening of Scintillator Material for Low Background Experiments Brian Zamarripa-Roman Low background neutrino experiments require a well understood system to avoid unwanted interference. The neutrino experiment at the SNOLAB uses certain wavelength shifters to detect low energy neutrinos. The wavelength shifters were analyzed using neutron activation analysis to determine the elemental composition of the substances and determine the amount of isotopes that could decay and interfere with the experiment. When activating the substance in a neutron flux, the decay of the activated substance emits radiation specific to the isotopes decaying in the substance. These decays are analyzed and are compared to activated samples with added isotopes to calculate initial quantities. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 4:23PM - 4:35PM |
E3.00005: Garfield Simulation of Beta Particle Detection Emitted from Radiolabeled Peritoneal Tumors Joshua Medford, Amit Bashyal, Mingwu Jin, Yvonne Ng, Ronald Musser, Timothy Watson, Andrew White, Jae Yu Secondary peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is one of the most lethal forms of cancer with little to no cure. Several different procedures (``Hot Chemo'' and cytoreductive surgery) have been attempted in various ways with not much success. The University of Texas at Arlington high energy physics (HEP) group has been developing a highly efficient, high resolution sensor using the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) technology. A synergistic fusion of HEP and medical physics is ongoing to target high confidence identification and location of PC tumors to significantly improve the survival rate of PC. With the use of Garfield, a computer program designed for detailed simulation of two and three dimensional drift chambers that was developed by CERN, we plan to duplicate beta particles emitted from tumor tissue loaded with fludeoxyglucose ($^{\mathrm{18}}$F-FDG) or copper-64 (radiolabeled biomarkers) that are then imaged by a small, triple GEM detector configuration setup. This simulation will lay a solid foundation for precise and accurate mapping of PC that enables physicians to target and eradicate it with minimally invasive procedures. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 4:35PM - 4:47PM |
E3.00006: MR Imaging to Screen for Breast Cancer: Transformational magnetics makes it affordable Akhdiyor Sattarov Sattarov, Peter McIntyre, Leszek Motowidlo Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) is a highly sensitive screening procedure for early detection of breast cancer. We have developed a magnetic design for a 1.5T open-MRI magnet based on Nb3Sn superconductor, suitable for use in breast cancer screening. The magnet produces the required homogeneous field only in two spherical regions required for breast imaging. The magnetic design required optimization of the placement of multiple windings that could produce that field distribution with minimum requirement of superconductor. For that purpose we developed a new design methodology in which a domain where windings are permitted is divided into a mesh of independent current elements, the multipole content in the target region is calculated for currents in from each element, and the pattern of optimized currents is calculated through successive orthogonalizations. The optimized windings can be fabricated within a support structure that supports Lorenz forces exerted on individual windings. The approach also accommodates the use of ferromagnetic steel to shield fringe fields. A first design of the a 1.5T open-MRI magnet for double breast screening will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 4:47PM - 4:59PM |
E3.00007: A Modified Bogoliubov Approximation William Bassichis The Bogoliubov approximation has been used in nuclear physics, solid state and many other areas. Decades ago a soluble model for a Boson system was proposed which was amenable to an exact solution. The accuracy of the Bogoliubov approximation could then be determined at least for this model. Attempts have previously been made to improve upon the approximation with little success. Here a modification to the Bogoliubov approximation is obtained which results in results closer to the exact over a wide range of parameters. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 4:59PM - 5:11PM |
E3.00008: $^{56}$Fe Inelastic Neutron Scattering Cross Sections Deduced from $\gamma $-Ray Production Cross Sections Thaddeus Howard, S.F. Hicks, M.T. McEllistrem, J.R. Vanhoy, A.J. French, S.L. Henderson, R.L. Pecha, E.E. Peters, T.J. Ross, Z.C. Santonil, L.C. Sidwell, B.K. Thompson, S.W. Yates Inelastic neutron scattering cross sections have been deduced from $\gamma $-ray production cross sections for $^{56}$Fe. Measurements were made at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory using the neutron production and detection facilities located there. A natural iron sample (91.72{\%} isotopic abundance of $^{56}$Fe) was bombarded with a nearly mono-energetic incident neutron beam with energies in a range from 1.5-4.7 MeV. Gamma-ray excitation functions were determined for each observed $\gamma $ ray in this energy range; from these, branching ratios and $\gamma $-ray production cross sections were determined and neutron scattering cross sections deduced. Gamma-ray excitation functions were also measured for $^{27}$Al, $^{48}$Ti, and $^{51}$V to investigate using the deduced neutron scattering cross sections as standards to normalize absolutely the $^{56}$Fe cross sections. Cross sections determined in this work are compared to evaluated data from the National Nuclear Data Center. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 5:11PM - 5:23PM |
E3.00009: Determination of Decay Characteristics of $^{54}$Fe Excited Levels through Inelastic Neutron Scattering R.L. Pecha, S.F. Hicks, A.J. French, S.L. Henderson, Z.C. Santonil, B.K. Thompson, J.R. Vanhoy, Erin Peters, Timothy Ross, S.W. Yates Due to the importance of neutrons for the successful and safe operation of fission reactors, it is necessary to obtain accurate and expansive knowledge about how they interact with the surrounding materials. Iron is commonly used to build reactor components, and how neutrons interact with Fe can affect the efficiency and rate of reaction within a reactor. This research studies the gamma ray emission and neutron scattering probabilities from two common iron isotopes, $^{54}$Fe and $^{56}$Fe, when bombarded with a monoenergetic neutron beam in the 1.5 MeV-4.7 MeV range. This talk will focus on the gamma ray emissions from an enriched $^{54}$Fe sample that has been excited by inelastic scattering of neutrons. From these emissions, a nuclear excitation level scheme was built, and new information about the excitation of $^{54}$Fe nuclei was obtained. A basic overview of the experimental equipment used, measurements taken, results, and final level scheme will be discussed and compared to previous measurements. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, October 18, 2014 5:23PM - 5:35PM |
E3.00010: Sensitivity of inferred electron temperature from X-ray emission of NIF cryogenic DT implosions Michael Klem, T. Ma, N. Izumi, S. Khan, A. Mackinnon, P.K. Patel The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory seeks to achieve thermonuclear ignition through inertial confinement fusion. The accurate assessment of the performance of each implosion experiment is a crucial step. Here we report on work to derive a reliable electron temperature for the cryogenic deuterium-tritium implosions completed on the NIF using the x-ray signal from the Ross filter diagnostic. These x-rays are dominated by bremsstrahlung emission. By fitting the x-ray signal measured through each of the individual Ross filters, the source bremsstrahlung spectrum can be backed out, and an electron temperature of the implosion hot spot inferred. Currently, each filter is weighted equally in thisanalysis. We present work quantifying the error bars with such a technique, and results investigating the contribution of each filter to the overall accuracy of the temperature inference. Using this research, we also compare the inferred electron temperature against other measured implosion quantities to develop a more complete understanding of the hot-spot physics. [Preview Abstract] |
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