Engineering topics

Frekers, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Frekers, D..

6 records

DOE OSTI2022

Search for electron-neutrino transitions to sterile states in the BEST experiment

The Baksan Experiment on Sterile Transitions (BEST) probes the gallium anomaly and its possible connections to oscillations between active and sterile neutrinos. Based on the Gallium-Germanium Neutrino Telescope (GGNT) technology of the SAGE experiment, BEST employs two zones of liquid Ga target to explore neutrino oscillations on the meter scale. Oscillations on this short scale could produce deficits in the 71 Ge production rates within the two zones, as well as a possible rate difference between the zones. From July 5th to October 13th 2019, the two-zone target was exposed to a primarily monoenergetic, 3.4-MCi 51 Cr neutrino source 10 times for a total of 20 independent 71 Ge extractions from the two Ga targets. The 71 Ge production rates from the neutrino source were measured from July 2019 to March 2020. At the end of these measurements, the counters were filled with 71 Ge doped gas and calibrated during November 2020. In this paper, results from the BEST sterile neutrino oscillation experiment are presented in details. The ratio of the measured 71 Ge production rates to the predicted rates for the inner and the outer target volumes are calculated from the known neutrino capture cross section. Comparable deficits in the measured ratios relative to predicted values are found for both zones, with the 4⁢𝜎 deviations from unity consistent with the previously reported gallium anomaly. Finally, if interpreted in the context of neutrino oscillations, the deficits give best-fit oscillation parameters of Δ⁢𝑚 2 = 3.3$^{+∞}{−2.3}$ eV 2 and sin 2 ⁡2⁢𝜃 = 0.42$^{+0.15}{−0.17}$, consistent with 𝜈 𝑒 →𝜈 𝑠 oscillations governed by a surprisingly large mixing angle.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Results from the Baksan Experiment on Sterile Transitions (BEST)

The Baksan Experiment on Sterile Transitions (BEST) was designed to investigate the deficit of electron neutrinos 𝜈𝑒 observed in previous gallium-based radiochemical measurements with high-intensity neutrino sources, commonly referred to as the “gallium anomaly,” which could be interpreted as evidence for oscillations between 𝜈𝑒 and sterile neutrino (𝜈 𝑠 ) states. A 3.414-MCi 51 Cr 𝜈 𝑒 source was placed at the center of two nested Ga volumes and measurements were made of the production of 71 Ge through the charged current reaction, 71 Ga ⁢(𝜈 𝑒 ,𝑒 − ) ⁢71 Ge, at two average distances. The measured production rates for the inner and the outer targets, respectively, are [54.9$^{+2.5}_{−2.4}$⁢(stat) ± 1.4⁢(syst)] and [55.6$^{+2.7}_{−2.6}$⁢(stat) ± 1.4⁢(syst)] atoms of 71 Ge/𝑑. The ratio (𝑅) of the measured rate of 71 Ge production at each distance to the expected rate from the known cross section and experimental efficiencies are 𝑅 in = 0.79 ± 0.05 and 𝑅 out = 0.77 ± 0.05. The ratio of the outer to the inner result is 0.97 ± 0.07, which is consistent with unity within uncertainty. The rates at each distance were found to be similar, but 20%–24% lower than expected, thus reaffirming the anomaly. Furthermore, these results are consistent with 𝜈 𝑒 → 𝜈 𝑠 oscillations with a relatively large Δ⁢𝑚 2 (>0.5 eV 2 ) and mixing sin 2 ⁡2⁢𝜃 (≈ 0.4).

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Mass determination near N = 20 for Al and Na isotopes

We report on the mass measurements of 31;32 Na and 29;34;35 Al, performed with the TITAN Penning trap mass spectrometer at TRIUMF. The mass excesses were found to be 12246(14) keV and 18638(37) keV for 31;32 Na and -18207:77(37) keV, -3000:5(29) keV, and -223:7(73) keV for 29;34;35 Al, respectively. Our measurements con rm the observation of a crossover in the two-neutron separation energies of 33 Mg and 34 Al. We did not observe the recently reported, long-lived, isomeric state of 34 Al, but, based on the previously measured half-lives, the mass value of the ground state was determined.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2016

High energy-resolution measurement of the Se 82 ( He 3 , t ) Br 82 reaction for double- β decay and for solar neutrinos

For this study, a high-resolution ( 3 He,t) charge-exchange experiment at an incident energy of 420 MeV has been performed on the double beta (ββ) decay nucleus 82 Se. A detailed Gamow-Teller (GT - ) strength distribution in 82 Br has been extracted, which provides information to the ββ-decay nuclear matrix elements. Three strong and isolated transitions, which are to the 75, 1484 and the 2087 keV states in 82 Br, are found to dominate the low-excitation region below ≈ 2.1 MeV. Above 2.1 MeV a sudden onset of a strong GT fragmentation is observed. The degree of fragmentation resembles a situation found in the neighboring A = 76 system 76 Ge, whereas the observed concentration of strength in the three low-lying states is reminiscent of the heavier neighbors 96 Zr and 100 Mo. The strong GT transition to the 75 keV (1 + ) state makes 82 Se interesting for solar neutrino detection. The 82 Se(ν e ,e - ) 82 Br solar neutrino capture rate in a nonoscillation scenario is therefore evaluated to 668 ± 12(stat) ± 60(sys) SNU, and some of the advantages of using selenium for solar neutrino studies are discussed.

59 ≤ A ≤ 89↗

DOE OSTI2015

Recent searches for double-electron capture of nuclei to excited states

Double electron capture has been of interest of many theoretical and experimental works as a possible extension of double beta-decay investigations. The neutrinoless double-electron capture, similarly as the neutrinoless double beta-decay may help to clarify if neutrinos are Majorana or Dirac particles. Results obtained in several double electron capture experiments are reviewed and new experiments to be carried out in deep underground laboratories using enriched sources and multidimensional HPGe-HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry with a few years of counting time are proposed, which should be able to improve half-lives limits by at least an order of magnitude.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Progress at the TITAN-EBIT

Precision mass measurements of short-lived isotopes provide insight into a wide array of physics, including nuclear structure, nucleosynthesis, and tests of the Standard Model. The precision of Penning trap mass spectrometry (PTMS) measurements is limited by the lifetime of the isotopes of interest, but scales proportionally with their charge state q, making highly charged ions attractive for mass measurements of nuclides far from stability. TITAN, TRIUMF's Ion Trap(s) for Atomic and Nuclear science, is currently the only setup in the world coupling an EBIT to a rare isotope facility for the purpose of PTMS. Charge breeding ions for Penning trap mass spectrometry, however, entails specific set of challenges. To make use of its potential, efficiencies have to be high, breeding times have to be short and the ion energy spread has to be small. An overview of the TITAN facility and charge-breeding program is given, current and future developments are highlighted and some selected results are presented.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗