Backward particle production in neutrino neon interactions

Backward proton and pion production is studied in ν and \(\bar v\) charged current interactions in neon. The results are compared with other experiments and theory. The complete backward proton data is compatible with protons produced by reinteractions in the nucleus. However in events with only one proton, muon variables appear correlated to those for the backward proton, as expected by the two-nucleon correlation model.     

Coherent single pion production by antineutrino charged current interactions and test of PCAC

The cross section for coherent production of a single π^? meson in charged current antineutrino interactions on neon nuclei has been measured in BEBC to be (175±25) 10^?40 cm²/neon nucleus, averaged over the energy spectrum of the antineutrino wide band beam at the CERN SPS; this corresponds to (0.9±0.1) % of the total charged current \(\bar v_\mu \) cross section. The distributions of kinematical variables are in agreement with theoretical predictions based on the PCAC hypothesis and the meson dominance model; in particular, theQ ² dependence is well described by a propagator containing a massm=(1.35±0.18) GeV. The absolute value of the cross section is also in agreement with the model. This analysis thus provides a test of the PCAC hypothesis in the antineutrino energy range 5–150 GeV.     

Trace metal speciation measurements in waters by the liquid binding phase DGT device

The speciation measurements of trace metals by the diffusive gradients in thin-films technique (DGT) using a poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) aqueous solution as a binding phase and a cellulose dialysis membrane (CDM) as a diffusive layer, CDM-PSS DGT, were investigated and showed good agreement with computer modelling calculations. The diffusion coefficients of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) complexes with Cd²⁺ and Cu²⁺ were measured and compared with those of the inorganic metal ions. CDM-PSS DGT device was tested for speciation measurement in sample solutions containing EDTA, tannic acid (TA), glucose (GL), dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBS) and humic acid (HA) as complexing ligands forming organic complexes with varying stability constants. Lower percentages of DGT labile copper concentrations over total filterable copper concentrations obtained from the deployments in freshwater sites indicated that copper complexes with organic matter were basically not measured by the devices.     

Phase-field modeling of void evolution and swelling in materials under irradiation

Void swelling is an important phenomenon observed in both nuclear fuels and cladding materials in operating nuclear reactors. In this work we develop a phase-field model to simulate void evolution and void volume change in irradiated materials. Important material processes, including the generation of defects such as vacancies and self-interstitials, their diffusion and annihilation, and void nucleation and evolution, have been taken into account in this model. The thermodynamic and kinetic properties, such...     

Post-polymerization modification of aromatic polyimides via Diels-Alder cycloaddition

We report a facile post-polymerization modification route to functionalized aromatic polyimides via Diels-Alder cycloaddition. Aromatic polyimides are important, versatile high-performance polymers; however, their structural diversity is restricted by the requirements of the step-growth polymerization. We prepared polyimides with alkynes in their main-chain as macromolecular dienophiles and quantitatively grafted tetraphenylcyclopentadienone based dienes. The resulting solution-processable, wholly aromatic polyimides show a considerable increase in surface area due to the induced conformational changes and bulky, rigid, and contorted molecular structures. The orthogonality of the reaction is exploited to insert functional groups, namely bromine and sulfonates, along the polymer backbone. In a further extension, the phenylene segments undergo cyclodehydrogenation to form nanographene segments within the polymer chains. The Diels-Alder cycloaddition onto polyimides is therefore demonstrated to be an effective, widely applicable route to tunable high-performance polymers with value-added functionality and thus considerable potential in a wide range of advanced materials.     

A search for the exotic Ξ<Superscript>−−</Superscript> (1860) in the hyperon beam experiment WA89(1860) in the hyperon beam experiment WA89

We report on a high statistics search for the Ξ^??(1860) resonance in Σ^?-nucleus collisions at 340 GeV/c. No evidence for this resonance is found in our data sample which contains 676000 Ξ^? candidates above bakground. For the decay channel Ξ^??(1860)→Ξ^? π ^? and the kinematic range 0.15<xF<0.9 we find a 3σ upper limit for the production cross section of 3.1 and 3.5 μb per nucleon, for reactions with carbon and copper, respectively.     

Double prompt photon production at high transverse momentum byπ − on protons at 280 GeV/c

A search for pairs of highp _T prompt photons produced in hydrogen by a 280 GeV/c incidentπ ^- beam has been carried out using a fine-grained electromagnetic calorimeter and the Omega spectrometer at the CERN SPS. Clear evidence for the existence of such events is found with a six standard deviation signal forp _T >3.0 GeV/c. The cross-sections are consistent with beyond leading order QCD calculations. A discussion on the determination of α _s is also presented.