Neutral decays of the η-meson

The partial widths of η-meson decays η→2γ, η→3π⁰ and η→π⁰γγ have been measured in a high accuracy experiment made at the IHEP accelerator with the hodoscope electromagnetic spectrometer GAMS-2000. An upper limit has been determined for the 3γ channel. The Dalitz plot of the η decay into 3π⁰ shows that the matrix element does not depend on the pion energy.     

Small |t|π− p charge exchange scattering at 40 GeV/c

π^? p→π⁰ n differential cross-sections have been measured in the region of small 4-momentum transfer at 40 GeV/c incident momentum. The experiment performed at the IHEP 70 GeV accelerator makes use of a hodoscope γ-spectrometer. Thet- dependence of the cross-section points to a dominance of the spin-flip amplitude.     

Neutral decays ofη′(958)

The partial widths of the η′(958) decays into 2γ, ωγ, 3π⁰ andηπ⁰π⁰ have been measured with the GAMS-2000 spectrometer at the 70 GeV IHEP accelerator. Upper limits for the η′ decays into 3γ, π⁰γγ, 2π⁰ and 4π⁰ have also been obtained. The slope of a linear matrix element for theG-parity violating decayη′→3π⁰ has been determined.     

χ particle production in π−p collisions at 38 GeV/c

The production of χ particles in the reaction π^?p → χ + … has been studied near threshold. The measurements have been performed at the 70 GeV IHEP proton synchrotron using the hodoscope spectrometer GAMS-2000. The χ particles have been identified through their decay χ → J/ψ + γ, J/ψ → e⁺e^?. In the region X_F ?0.4 the fraction of obsered J/ψ particles which is obtained via the decay of χ states is 0.44 ± 0.16. The χ longitudinal and transverse momentum distributions are similar to those obtained for J/ψ. The inclusive production cross section of χ particles (³P₁ and ³P₂ states) at 38 GeV/c is σ_XF>0 (π^?p → χ + …) = (28±11) nb.     

A study of the radiation environment on board the Space Shuttle flight STS-57

A joint NASA-Russian study of the radiation environment inside a SPACEHAB 2 locker on Space Shuttle flight STS-57 was conducted. The Shuttle flew in a nearly circular orbit of 28.5 degrees inclination and 462 km altitude. The locker carried a charged particle spectrometer, a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC), and two area passive detectors consisting of combined NASA plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTDs) and thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs), and Russian nuclear emulsions, PNTDs and TLDs. All the detector systems were shielded by the same Shuttle mass distribution. This makes possible a direct comparison of the various dose measurement techniques. In addition, measurements of the neutron energy spectrum were made using the proton recoil technique. The results show good agreement between the integral LET spectrum of the combined galactic and trapped particles using the tissue equivalent proportional counter and track detectors between about 15 keV/micrometers and 200 keV/micrometers. The LET spectrum determined from nuclear emulsions was systematically lower by about 50%, possibly due to emulsion fading. The results show that the TEPC measured an absorbed dose 20% higher than the TLDs, due primarily to an increased TEPC response to neutrons and a low sensitivity of TLDs to high LET particles under normal processing techniques. There is a significant flux of high energy neutrons that is currently not taken into consideration in dose equivalent calculations. The results of the analysis of the spectrometer data will be reported separately.     

Intercomparison of radiation measurements on STS-63

A joint NASA Russia study of the radiation environment inside the Space Shuttle was performed on STS-63. This was the second flight under the Shuttle-Mir Science Program (Phase 1). The Shuttle was launched on 2 February 1995, in a 51.65° inclination orbit and landed at Kennedy Space Center on 11 February 1995, for a total flight duration of 8.27 days. The Shuttle carried a complement of both passive and active detectors distributed throughout the Shuttle volume. The crew exposure varied from 1962 to 2790 μGy with an average of 2265.8 μGy or 273.98 μGy/day. Crew exposures varied by a factor of 1.4, which is higher than usual for STS mission. The flight altitude varied from 314 to 395 km and provided a unique opportunity to obtain dose variation with altitude. Measurements of the average east-west dose variation were made using two active solid state detectors. The dose rate in the Spacehab locker, measured using a tissue equivalent proportional counter (TEPC), was 413.3 μGy/day, consistent with measurements made using thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs) in the same locker. The average quality factor was 2.33, and although it was higher than model calculations, it was consistent with values derived from high temperature peaks in TLDs. The dose rate due to galactic cosmic radiation was 110.6 μGy/day and agreed with model calculations. The dose rate from trapped particles was 302.7 μGy/day, nearly a factor of 2 lower than the prediction of the AP8 model. The neutrons in the intermediate energy range of 1–20 MeV contributed 13 μGy/day and 156 μSv/day, respectively. Analysis of data from the charged particle spectrometer has not yet been completed.