SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Particle identification”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2007

Genesis Concentrator Target Particle Contamination Mapping and Material Identification

The majority of surface particles were found to be < 5 microns in diameter with increasing numbers close to the optical resolution limit of 0.3 microns. Acceleration grid EDS results show that the majority of materials appear to be from the SRC shell and SLA materials which include carbon-carbon fibers and Si-rich microspheres in a possible silicone binder. Other major debris material from the SRC included white paint, kapton, collector array fragments, and Al. Image analysis also revealed that SRC materials were also found mixed with the Utah mud and salt deposits. The EDS analysis of the acceleration grid showed that particles < 1 m where generally carbon based particles. Chemical cleaning techniques with Xylene and HF in an ultrasonic bath are currently being investigated for removal of small particles by the Genesis science team as well as ultra-pure water megasonic cleaning by the JSC team [4]. Removal of organic contamination from target materials is also being investigated by the science team with the use of UV-ozone cleaning devices at JSC and Open University [5]. In preparation for solar wind oxygen analyses at UCLA and Open University [1, 2], surface particle contamination on three Genesis concentrator targets was closely examined to evaluate cleaning strategies. Two silicon carbide (Genesis sample # 60001 and 60003) and one chemical vapor deposited (CVD) 13C concentrator target (60002) were imaged and mosaic mapped with optical microscopes. The resulting full target mosaic images and particle feature maps were subsequently compared with non-flight, but flight-like, concentrator targets and sample return capsule (SRC) materials. Contamination found on the flown concentrator acceleration grid was further examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for particle identification was subsequently compared with the optical images from the flown targets. Figure 1 show that all three targets imaged in this report are fully intact and do not show any signs of material fractures. However, previous ellipsometry results and overview imaging of both flown SiC targets show a solar wind irradiation gradient from the center focal point to the outer edge [3]. In addition, due to the hard landing, each target has experienced varying degrees of impacts, scratches, and particle debris from the spacecraft and Utah impact site.

Calaway, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Minimum length Pb/SCIN detector for efficient cosmic ray identification

A study was made of the performance of a minimal length cosmic ray shower detector that would be light enough for space flight and would provide efficient identification of positions and protons. Cosmic ray positions are mainly produced in the decay chain of: Pion yields Muon yields Positron and they provide a measure of the matter density traversed by primary protons. Present positron flux measurements are consistent with the Leaky Box and Halo models for sources of cosmic rays. Abundant protons in the space environment are a significant source of background that would wash out the positron signal. Protons and positrons produced very distictive showers of particles when they enter matter; many studies have been published on their behavior on large calorimeter detectors. The challenge is to determine the minimal material necessary (minimal calorimeter depth) for positive particles identification. The primary instrument for the investigation is the Monte Carlo code GEANT, a library of programs from CERN that can be used to model experimental geometry, detector responses and particle interaction processes. The use of the Monte Carlo approach is crucial since statistical fluctuations in shower shape are significant. Studies conducted during the 1988 summer program showed that straightforward approaches to the problem achieved 85 to 90 percent correct identification, but left a residue of 10 to 15 percent misidentified particles. This percentage improved to a few percent when multiple shower-cut criteria were applied to the data. This summer, the same study was extended to employ several physical and statistical methods of identifying response of the calorimeter and the efficiency of the optimal shower cuts to off-normal incidence particle was determined.

Snyder, H. David↗

DOE OSTI2015

A Study of Particle Production in Proton Induced Collisions Using the MIPP Detector at Fermilab

The Main Injector Particle Production (MIPP) experiment is a fixed target hadron production experiment at Fermilab. MIPP is a high acceptance spectrometer which provides excellent charged particle identification using Time Projection Chamber (TPC), Time of Flight (ToF), multicell Cherenkov (Ckov), ring imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detectors, and Calorimeter for neutrons. The MIPP experiment is designed to measure particle production in interactions of 120 GeV/c primary protons from the Main Injector and secondary beams of $\pi^{\pm}, \rm{K}^{\pm}$, p and $\bar{\rm{p}}$ from 5 to 90 GeV/c on nuclear targets which include H, Be, C, Bi and U, and a dedicated run with the NuMI target. The goal of the experiment is to measure hadron production cross sections or yields using these beams and targets. These hadronic interaction data can have a direct impact on the detailed understanding of the neutrino fluxes of several accelerator-based neutrino experiments like MINOS, MINER$\nu$A, NO$\ nu$A and ELBNF. In this thesis, we present inelastic cross section measurements for 58 and 85 GeV/c p+p interactions, and 58 and 120 GeV/c p+Be, p+C and p+Bi interactions. A new method is described to account for the low multiplicity inefficiencies in the interaction trigger using KNO scaling. Inelastic cross sections as a function of multiplicity are also presented for p+H and p+C interactions at different beam momenta. The MIPP data are compared with the Monte Carlo predictions and existing data. We also describe an algorithm to identify charged particles ($\pi^{\pm}/\rm{p}/\bar{\rm{p}}$ etc.), and present the inclusive charged pion production cross sections in bins of true momentum using 58 and 120 GeV/c p+C interactions for both the data and Monte Carlo.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2017

Fully convolutional neural network for removing background in noisy images of uranium bearing particles

A fully convolutional neural network (FCN) was developed to supersede automatic or manual thresholding algorithms used for tabulating SIMS particle search data. The FCN was designed to perform a binary classification of pixels in each image belonging to a particle or not, thereby effectively removing background signal without manually or automatically determining an intensity threshold. Using 8,000 images from 28 different particle screening analyses, the FCN was trained to accurately predict pixels belonging to a particle with near 99% accuracy. Background eliminated images were then segmented using a watershed technique in order to determine isotopic ratios of particles. A comparison of the isotopic distributions of an independent data set segmented using the neural network, compared to a commercially available automated particle measurement (APM) program developed by CAMECA, highlighted the necessity for effective background removal to ensure that resulting particle identification is not only accurate, but preserves valuable signal that could be lost due to improper segmentation. The FCN approach improves the robustness of current state-of-the-art particle searching algorithms by reducing user input biases, resulting in an improved absolute signal per particle and decreased uncertainty of the determined isotope ratios.

Tarolli, Jay G. (ORCID:0000000307369057)↗

DOE OSTI2011

A Search for Anomalous Production of Events with Multiple Leptons and a $W$ or $Z$ Boson

This paper presents a search for anomalous production of multiple low-energy leptons in association with a $W$ or $Z$ boson using events collected at the CDF experiment corresponding to $5.1$ fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. This search is sensitive to a wide range of topologies with low-momentum leptons, including those with the leptons near one another. The observed rates of production of additional electrons and muons are compared with the standard model predictions. No indications of phenomena beyond the standard model are found. A 95\% confidence level limit is presented on the production cross section for a benchmark model of supersymmetric hidden-valley Higgs production. Particle identification efficiencies are also provided to enable the calculation of limits on additional models.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Partial Wave Analysis of Strange Mesons Decaying to K+p+p- in the Reaction ¿p ¿ K+p+p-¿(1520) and the Commissioning of the GlueX DIRC Detector

Hadron spectroscopy is a cornerstone of our understanding of the strong nuclear interactions. Studying the hadron spectrum led to the postulation of quarks and gluons, and the development of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the theory of the strong nuclear force. Today hadron spectroscopy provides an important test of QCD, particularly in the non-perturbative energy regime. One such test is the existence of hybrid hadrons that have gluonic degrees of freedom, e.g. q ?qg states, that are allowed by QCD but have remained elusive in experimental searches. The GlueX experiment located at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, is designed to map the light meson spectrum, including hybrid mesons, produced by a linearly polarized photon beam that is scattered off of a liquid hydrogen target. This dissertation concerns the installation and commissioning of the GlueX DIRC upgrade and the analysis of three reactions measured by the GlueX experiment. The GlueX DIRC is a particle identification detector installed as an upgrade to the GlueX experiment in 2019 to improve the experiment?s ability to distinguish pions and kaons. The DIRC uses Cherenkov photons radiated by charged particles that travel faster than the speed of light in the detector medium to determine the velocity of said particles. The velocity measurement is used in conjunction with momentum measurements from other detectors to determine the mass of the particle. The DIRC will be essential to the future of strange meson spectroscopy in GlueX. The reactions ?p ? K+K??+??p, ?p ? K+K??0?0p, ?p ? K+K??0?p were initially chosen for this analysis to search for the hybrid meson candidate ?(2170) and related resonances. The ?(2170) has been observed in e+e? collider experiments decaying to K+K??+?? and K+K??0?0, among other final states. The ?(2170) was not observed in this analysis. The reaction ?p ? K+?+???(1520), a subset of the ?p ? K+K??+??p reaction, was analyzed with a Partial Wave Analysis (PWA) in order to study strange mesons that decay to K+?+??. In the PWA, a useful model for the angular distributions was found but no significant structures could be observed due to statistical limitations.

Hurley, Andrew↗

DOE OSTI2023

Beyond the Standard Model New Physics Searches with SBND

SBND (Short-Baseline Near Detector) is a 112-ton liquid argon time projection chamber located on the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and is the near detector of the Short-Baseline Neutrino program. The primary goals of SBND are to provide flux constraints for sterile neutrino searches, conduct world-leading neutrino cross-section measurements on argon, and perform Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) new physics searches with its high-precision particle identification capabilities. SBND’s prospects and tools for detecting a variety of BSM phenomena produced in a neutrino beam, such as sub-GeV dark matter, dark neutrinos, heavy neutral leptons and millicharged particles, are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2016

Cosmic muon induced EM showers in NO$\nu$A detector

Here, the NuMI Off-Axis v e Appearance (NOvA) experiment is a ne appearance neutrino oscillation experiment at Fermilab. It identifies the ne signal from the electromagnetic (EM) showers induced by the electrons in the final state of neutrino interactions. Cosmic muon induced EM showers, dominated by bremsstrahlung, are abundant in NOvA far detector. We use the Cosmic Muon- Removal technique to get pure EM shower sample from bremsstrahlung muons in data. We also use Cosmic muon decay in flight EM showers which are highly pure EM showers.The large Cosmic-EM sample can be used, as data driven method, to characterize the EM shower signature and provides valuable checks of the simulation, reconstruction, particle identification algorithm, and calibration across the NOvA detector.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2013

Exclusive Meson Production in Hall C at JLab 12 GeV

Exclusive meson production plays an important role in probing the quark and gluon distributions in hadrons. The additional flavor degree of freedom in the H(e,e'K^+)Lambda/Sigma^0 reactions provides a unique opportunity to study the mechanism underlying strangeness production and the transition from hadronic to partonic degrees of freedom. The 12-GeV upgrade at Jefferson Lab provides the energies, and Hall~C, with its heavily-shielded detector setup in a highly-focusing spectrometer, is optimal for precision kaon cross section measurements. A new threshold aerogel Cerenkov detection system provides a simple and economical option for kaon identification. Measurements of reactions with neutral final states allow one to probe universal features of the Generalized Parton Distribution and to verify their formalism in thus far unexplored regimes. The addition of a neutral particle spectrometer in Hall C augments its scientific capabilities to include photon detection from, e.g., ?0 decay or Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering. In this talk I will present the current status and discuss the outlook on future studies of probing quark and gluon distributions through exclusive reactions in Hall C as well as the particle identification requirements for each of these stages.

Horn, Tanja↗

DOE OSTI2017

R&D of a high-performance DIRC detector for a future electron-ion collider

An Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is proposed as the next big scientific facility to be built in the United States, costing over $1 billion in design and construction. Each detector concept for the electron/ion beam interaction point is integrated into a large solenoidal magnet. The necessity for excellent hadronic particle identification (pion/kaon/proton) in the barrel region of the solenoid has pushed research and development (R&D) towards a new, high-performance Detection of Internally Reflected Cherenkov light (DIRC) detector design. The passage of a high energy charged particle through a fused silica bar of the DIRC generates optical Cherenkov radiation. A large fraction of this light propagates by total internal reflection to the end of the bar, where the photon trajectories expand in a large volume before reaching a highly segmented photo-detector array. The spatial and temporal distribution of the Cherenkov light at the photo-detector array allows one to reconstruct the angle of emission of the light relative to the incident charged particle track. In order to reach the desired performance of 3sigma pi/K separation at 6 GeV/c particle momentum a new 3-layer spherical lens focusing optic with a lanthanum crown glass central layer was designed to have a nearly at focal plane. In order to validate the EIC DIRC simulation package, a synergistic test beam campaign was carried out in 2015 at the CERN PS with the PANDA Barrel DIRC group using a prototype DIRC detector. Along with the analysis of the CERN test beam data, measurements of the focal plane of the 3-layer lens were performed using a custom-built laser setup at Old Dominion University. Radiation hardness of the lanthanum crown glass was tested using a 160 keV X-ray source and a monochromator at the Catholic University of America. Results of these test-bench experiments and the analysis of the 2015 CERN test beam data are presented here.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2013

High-Resolution Hypernuclear Spectroscopy at JLab Hall A. Results and perspectives

Hypernuclear spectroscopy via electromagnetic induced reactions is a valuable and powerful way to study hypernuclei, hadronic systems with non-zero strangeness content, providing an alternative to the hadron induced reactions mainly studied so far. Electron-induced hypernuclear spectroscopy has been studied in Hall A at Je!erson Lab [1] on three nuclei, 12C, 16O, and 9Be with unprecedented resolution and with an improved particle identification system, using a RICH detector, in order to unambiguously identify kaons, thus allowing the measurement of high-quality, almost backgroundfree, hypernuclear spectra. Two superconducting septum magnets were added to the existing apparatus in order to permit particle detection at very forward angle providing a reasonable counting rate. These studies have provided the first quantitative information on core-excited states in hypernuclei. In the case of oxygen, a waterfall target has been employed allowing for the simultaneous measurement of hypernuclear production on oxygen and of elementary kaon-? electro-production on protons: a crucial measurement to disentangle the contribution of the elementary reaction from the measured hypernuclear production cross section, yielding direct access to the nucleus-hypernucleus transition structure. A ? binding energy value for 16 ?N calibrated against the elementary (e, e?K+) reaction on hydrogen, has been obtained. Final results for 12C, 16O, 9Be will be presented [1-3]. Results of Hall C experiments will be presented in another talk in this Conference. Since it is essential for further theoretical study of hypernuclei to collect enough information about L production on nucleons and about excitation spectra of a wide variety of ? hypernuclei, a continuation of the successful hypernuclear program at JLab is very desirable. For these reasons Hall A and Hall C Jefferson Lab hypernuclear collaborations decided to merge and propose a new layout for the 12 GeV Jefferson Lab era that has the advantages of both the experimental setups. In fact the new experimental design not only widens and deepens the physics range but also dramatically improves production yield and efficiency allowing to study both mass spectroscopy on a wide range of nuclei (from few body to 208Pb) and pion decay spectroscopy at the same time [4]. Figs.1, 2 show the results obtained for 12C and 16O. Fig. 3 shows the new layout.

Garibaldi, Franco↗

DOE OSTI2024

3D-Reconstruction of Tau Neutrinos in LArTPC Detectors

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation neutrino experiment currently under construction. DUNE will consist of two high-resolution neutrino interaction imaging detectors exposed to the world’s most intense neutrino beam, with the Near Detector at Fermilab and the Far Detector 1,300 km away in the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, US. The high statistics and excellent resolution capabilities of DUNE's $^{40}$Ar detector will allow us to make precision studies of oscillation parameters capable of searching for CP violation in the lepton sector, testing interaction models, and studying phenomena that have until now, seemed too complex to measure, like $\nu_\tau$ detection and therefore, providing the completion of the 3-flavor neutrino paradigm. Knowledge of the $\nu_\tau$ detection can impact a broad spectrum of open questions. These include searching for non-standard neutrino interactions, constraining the unitarity of the PMNS matrix, searching for sterile neutrinos, and studying neutrino interactions. In the case of LArTPC data, the detector hits can be considered nodes in a graph, and the edges represent the spatial and temporal relationships between them. By using graph neural networks, it is possible to exploit these relationships and improve the accuracy of particle identification and reconstruction. During my presentation and specifically for tau neutrino reconstruction, I will show the effectiveness and reliability of our in-house developed graph neural network (GNN), NuGraph. This GNN classifies detector hits based on the particle type responsible for their production, assuring that the system accurately identifies and categorizes information based on its unique characteristics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Moving toward automated µFTIR spectra matching for microplastic identification: addressing false identifications and improving accuracy

Abstract Infrared spectroscopy is a widely used tool for studying microplastics and identifying microparticles. Researchers rely on spectral libraries to differentiate between synthetic and natural materials. Unfortunately, spectral library matching is not perfect, and best practices require researchers to use time consuming, manual peak matching to assess spectral matches. Moving toward automated matching requires increased confidence in the matching process. Using spectra matching software may increase the efficiency of particle identification, however some matching strategies may confuse natural materials such as cotton, silk, and plant matter with common classes of synthetics such as polyesters and polyamides. In this experiment, we prepared 22 pristine sample materials from natural and synthetic sources and measured micro-Fourier transform infrared (µFTIR) spectra in transmission mode for each sample using a Thermo Nicolet iN10 MX instrument. The collected spectra were then input into two spectral library matching systems (Omnic Picta and Open Specy), using a total of five identification routines. Next, we placed a subset of four pristine microplastic materials in a biologically active river system for two weeks to simulate environmental samples. These simulated environmental samples were processed using 10% hydrogen peroxide for 24 h to remove organic contamination and then identified using the strongest performing library. We found that libraries with fewer sample spectra produced lower correlation matches and that using derivative correction greatly reduced the number of inaccuracies in identifying materials as either natural or synthetic. We also found that environmental fouling reduced the correlation value of library matches when compared to pristine particles, however the effect was not consistent across the four materials tested. Overall, we found that the accuracy of automated library matching in the tested systems and processing routines varied from 64.1 to 98.0% for distinguishing between natural and synthetic materials, and that a high Hit Quality Index (HQI) did not always correlate with accuracy. These results are important for the microplastic field, demonstrating a need to rigorously test spectral libraries and processing routines with known materials to ensure identification accuracy.

Kozloski, Rachel↗

DOE OSTI2015

Measurement of pion, kaon and proton production in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 7 TeV$

The measurement of primary π ± , K ± , p and $\bar{p}$ production at mid-rapidity (|y|< 0.5) in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV performed with a large ion collider experiment at the large hadron collider (LHC) is reported. Particle identification is performed using the specific ionisation energy-loss and time-of-flight information, the ring-imaging Cherenkov technique and the kink-topology identification of weak decays of charged kaons. Transverse momentum spectra are measured from 0.1 up to 3 GeV/c for pions, from 0.2 up to 6 GeV/c for kaons and from 0.3 up to 6 GeV/c for protons. The measured spectra and particle ratios are compared with quantum chromodynamics-inspired models, tuned to reproduce also the earlier measurements performed at the LHC. Lastly, the integrated particle yields and ratios as well as the average transverse momenta are compared with results at lower collision energies.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2015

Research in Elementary Particle Physics

This report details the accomplishments and research results for the High Energy Physics Group at the University of Texas at Arlington at the Energy and Intensity Frontiers. For the Energy Frontier we have made fundamental contributions in the search for supersymmetric particles, proposed to explain the stabilization of the mass of the Higgs Boson – the agent giving mass to all known particles. We have also made major contributions to the search for additional Higgs Bosons and to the planning for future searches. This work has been carried out in the context of the ATLAS Experiment at CERN (European Nuclear Research Laboratory) and for which we have made major contributions to computing and data distribution and processing, and have worked to calibrate the detector and prepare upgraded electronics for the future. Our other contribution to the Energy Frontier has been to the International Linear Collider (ILC) project, potentially hosted by Japan, and to the Silicon Detector Concept (SiD) in particular. We have lead the development of the SiD Concept and have worked on a new form of precise energy measurement for particles from the high energy collisions of electrons and positrons at the ILC. For the Intensity Frontier, we have worked to develop the concept of Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment(s) (LBNE) at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Our contributions to detector development, neutrino beam studies, particle identification, software development will facilitate future studies of the oscillation of one type of neutrino into other type(s), establish the order of the neutrino masses, and, through an innovative new idea, allow us to create a beam of dark matter particles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2012

Exclusive Kaon Electroproduction in Hall C at JLab 12 GeV and EIC

The additional flavor degree of freedom in the H($e,e^\prime K^+$)$\Lambda$/$\Sigma^0$ reactions provides a unique opportunity to study the mechanism underlying strangeness production and the transition from hadronic to partonic degrees of freedom in exclusive processes. However, due to the lack of experimental facilities, the potential of these reactions has not been fully exploited to date. The Jefferson Lab 12 GeV upgrade provides the energies needed for precision kaon cross section measurements in the valence quark region in Hall C. A new threshold aerogel Cerenkov detection system provides a simple and economical option for the kaon identification. Beyond the valence quark region, the first studies of strange sea quarks could be carried out at a future facility like an Electron Ion Collider (EIC). A Detector of Internally Reflected Cherenkov light (DIRC) offers a geometrically compact option for particle ID over the full range of kaon momenta. In this talk I will present the current status and discuss the outlook on future studies of strange quarks with kaon electroproduction as well as the particle identification requirements for each of these stages.

Hlavin, Nathaniel↗

DOE OSTI2023

Noise signal identification in time projection chamber data using deep learning model

Deep learning has been employed in various scientific fields and has provided promising results. Here, in this study, a deep learning classifier was implemented to improve the quality of data obtained from a time projection chamber. Digital waveforms of the detected signals were classified into the following three categories: particles, noises, and particles piled up with noises. A simple 1-dimensional convolutional neural network was developed for the classification. The model demonstrated an excellent performance on the test dataset. Its practical performance was also examined using track images and particle identification plots by comparing the original and clean data without the noise signals. The comparison clearly showed that the deep learning model improved the quality of data. The current study presents an effective application of the deep learning model for the time projection chamber data.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2017

NeutronSTARS: A segmented neutron and charged particle detector for low-energy reaction studies

NeutronSTARS (Neutron-Silicon Telescope Array for Reaction Studies) consists of 2.2-tons of gadolinium-doped liquid scintillator for neutron detection and large area silicon detectors for charged particle identification. This detector array is intended for low-energy-nuclear-reaction measurements that result in the emission of neutrons such as (n, xn) and fission. This paper describes the NeutronSTARS experimental setup, calibration, and the array’s response to neutral and charged particles.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗