Data acquisition system for the socal plane detector of the mass separator MASHA

The results of the development and the general information about the data acquisition system which was recently created at the MASHA setup (Flerov laboratory of nuclear reactions at Joint institute for nuclear research) are presented. The main difference from the previous system is that we use a new modern platform, National Instruments PXI with XIA multichannel high-speed digitizers (250 MHz 12 bit 16 channels). At this moment system has 448 spectrometric channels. The software and its features for the data acquisition and analysis are also described. The new DAQ system expands precision measuring capabilities of alpha decays and spontaneous fission at the focal plane position-sensitive silicon strip detector which, in turn, increases the capabilities of the setup in such a field as low-yield registration of elements.     

Cluster of scintillation counters for the shower array in the NEVOD EAS project

A shower array for investigations of primary cosmic rays in the knee region in the energy spectrum of extensive air showers is being designed on the basis of the NEVOD experimental complex. Features of the cluster organization of the array and the results of the study of the characteristics of both the basic scintillation counter and the counter cluster, which is the basic element for triggering, detecting, and data collection and treatment systems, are discussed.     

Shell effects in the evolution of the mass asymmetry in heavy-ion collisions leading to composite systems withZ=108

Fragment mass distributions are presented obtained in the heavy-ion reactions²²Ne+²⁴⁹Cf,³²S+²³⁸U,⁴⁰Ar+²³²Th and⁵⁶Fe+²⁰⁸Pb leading to composite systems with equal nuclear charge numberZ=108. The experiments were performed at the heavy-ion cyclotron U 300 of the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions in Dubna. The spectrometer DEMAS was used to measure the time-of-flight values and the laboratory angles of the correlated fragments. The shape of the mass distributions strongly depends on the initial mass asymmetry. When decreasing the bombarding energy down to values near the Coulomb barrier, the mass distributions obtained in the reactions³²S+²³⁸U and⁴⁰Ar+²³²Th exhibit relative maxima ofM≈205 interpreted to be due to stabilizing effects of nuclear shells during the fragmentation process.     

Motion of the edge of an ice sheet

Translated from Issledovaniya po Prikladnoi Matematike, No. 10, pp. 150–154, 1984.     

First results for the measurement of double-electron capture of 106Cd in the experiment TGV II

Present status of the experiment TGV II which is devoted to the measurement of double-beta decay of ¹⁰⁶Cd is given. The low background spectrometer TGV II is installed in the Modane Underground Laboratory and has been running from February 2005 with approx 10 grams of ¹⁰⁶Cd enriched at 75%. After an analysis of 3736 hours of experimental data the new improved half-life limit for 2νEC/EC decay of ¹⁰⁶Cd (0 _g.s. ⁺ → 0 _g.s. ⁺ ) is given as T ₁ ^2/2ν > 4.8 × 10¹⁹ years (90% CL). The search for 2νEC/EC decay of ¹⁰⁶Cd to the excited states of ¹⁰⁶Pd allows to determine the limits of the half-lives T ₁ ^2/2ν (0 _g.s. ⁺ → 2 ₁ ⁺ ) > 3.9 × 10¹⁹ years (90% CL) and T ₁ ^2/2ν (0 _g.s. ⁺ → 0 ₁ ⁺ ) > 5.8 × 10¹⁹ years (90% CL). Presented by I. Štekl at the Workshop on calculation of double-beta-decay matrix elements (MEDEX’05), Corfu, Greece, September 26–29, 2005.     

Probing fission time scales with neutrons and GDR gamma rays

The time scales for nuclear fission have been explored using both pre-and postfission neutrons and GDR gamma rays. Four systems were investigated: 133-MeV ¹⁶O + ¹⁷⁶Yb and ²⁰⁸Pb and 104-MeV ⁴He + ¹⁸⁸Os and ²⁰⁹Bi. Fission fragments were measured in coincidence with PPACs. The neutrons were detected using eight detectors from the DEMON array, while gamma rays were measured using the US BaF2 array. The pre-and postfission gamma rays were determined using moving source fits parallel and perpendicular to the fission fragment emission directions. The time scales for fission for the neutrons were determined using the neutron clock technique. The gamma-ray data were fitted using a statistical model calculation based on the code CASCADE. The results of the fits from both data types were used to extract nuclear friction coefficients, γ, and fission time scales. The γ values ranged from 7 to 20, while the fission times were (31–105)×10^?21 s.     

On the evolution of the mass asymmetry in damped heavy-ion collisions

TotaT kinetic energy vs. fragment mass distributions have been measured in the reactions of⁶⁴Zn projectiles with¹¹⁴Sn,^natAg and¹³⁹La nuclei at incidence energies of 20–50% above the Coulomb barrier. Conclusions are drawn on the possible influence of nuclear structure effects on the energy dissipation and the mass drift behaviour of the present collision systems.