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At least 397 records · Page 22

Conformational Dynamics of the PH Domain in Phospholipases Cɛ and β may Contribute to Subfamily‐Specific Roles in Regulation

Phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes hydrolyze phosphatidylinositol lipids to produce second messengers, including inositol‐1,4,5‐triphosphate (IP 3 ) and diacylgycerol (DAG), which increase intracellular calcium and activate protein kinase C (PKC), respectively. PLCɛ contributes to cardiac hypertrophy and contractility, as well as to oncogenic and inflammatory signaling pathways following activation of G protein‐coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases. PLCɛ shares a conserved core with the PLC superfamily, but the roles of individual domains in regulation of activity and membrane binding have not been established. We used functional assays to show that the PLCɛ PH domain significantly increases basal lipase activity, but is dispensable for stability. We provide the first structural insights into domain organization of PLCɛ using small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and electron microscopy (EM) to reveal that the PH domain is conformationally heterogeneous in solution. Comparisons of the PLCɛ solution structure to that of the closely‐related PLCβ enzyme demonstrate that the PLCβ PH domain is also mobile in solution, in contrast to previously reported crystal structures. We propose that the dynamic nature of the PLC PH domain and resulting conformational heterogeneity contributes to subfamily‐specific differences in activity and regulation by G proteins. We are now using cryo‐EM to expand on these findings and obtain higher resolution structures. Support or Funding Information This work is supported by the Purdue Center for Cancer Research, AHA grant 16SDG29930017, NIH NLHBI 1R01HL141076‐01 to A.M.L., and Purdue College of Science Staff and Administrative & Professional Staff Advisory Council Professional Development awards to E.E.G. SAXS experiments used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE‐AC02‐06CH11357. This project was supported by grant 9 P41 GM103622 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. Use of the Pilatus 3 1M detector was provided by grant 1S10OD018090‐01 from NIGMS. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .

Garland‐Kuntz, Elisabeth E.↗

Test Beam and Irradiation Facilities

Progress in particle physics depends on a multitude of unique facilities and capabilities that enable to advance detector technologies. Among others, key facilities involve test beams and irradiation facilities, which allow users to test the performance and lifetime of their detectors under realistic conditions. Test beam facilities are particularly important for collider and neutrino detector applications, while irradiation facilities are crucial for collider as well as some space-based astro particle detectors. This contributed Snowmass paper aims to summarize existing test beam and irradiation facilities as well as develop the need and proposals for future facilities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Radiation tolerance study on irradiated AC-coupled, poly-silicon biased, p-on-n silicon strip sensors developed in India

The silicon sensors to be deployed in the next generation high energy physics experiments for operation in high luminosity scenarios, will require a high level of radiation tolerance. AC-coupled silicon strip sensors integrated with biasing poly-silicon resistors have been fabricated in collaboration with the Bharat Electronics Limited foundry using 4 inch n-type wafers in p-on-n configuration. Several sensors were irradiated with protons at different fluences at the Karlsruhe Cyclotron facility under the Advanced European Infrastructures for Detectors at Accelerators (AIDA) program. This paper reports on these radiation hardness study performed on the AC-coupled silicon sensors fabricated in India. The characterization comprises of electrical tests, including total current, voltage and strip scans and charge collection studies.

AC-coupled↗

Hardware design and testing of the generic rear transition module for the global trigger subsystem of ATLAS Phase-II Upgrade

Abstract In the framework of the ATLAS experiment’s Phase-II Upgrade at the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), new and improved trigger hardware and algorithms will be implemented onto a single-level, 10 μs-latency architecture. The Global Trigger is a new subsystem which will bring event-filter capabilities by performing offline-like algorithms on full-granularity calorimeter data. The implementation of the functionality is firmware-focused and composed of several processing nodes, which are hosted on identical hardware, made up of an Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) front board, called Global Common Module (GCM), and a rear transition module (RTM), called Generic RTM (GRM). The GRM, which was developed to mitigate the risks deriving from the complex design and power management of the GCM, features an advanced Xilinx Versal Prime system-on-chip and can handle communication with the GCM and Front-End Link eXchange (FELIX) subsystem and trigger processors through 124 25.8 Gb/s transceiver links, for readout and control. Additionally, the GRM mounts a Low-Power GigaBit Transceiver (lpGBT) chip which enables emulation of the detector front-ends for integration tests. This paper presents the GRM hardware design and its testing.

Instruments & Instrumentation↗

Gravitational-wave and Gravitational-wave Memory Signatures of Core-collapse Supernovae

Abstract In this paper, we calculate the energy, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), detection range, and angular anisotropy of the matter, matter memory, and neutrino memory gravitational-wave (GW) signatures of 21 three-dimensional initially nonrotating core-collapse supernova (CCSN) models carried to late times. We find that inferred energy, SNR, and detection range are angle-dependent quantities, and that the spread of possible energy, signal to noise, and detection ranges across all viewing angles generally increases with progenitor mass. When examining the low-frequency matter memory and neutrino memory components of the signal, we find that the neutrino memory is the most detectable component of a CCSN GW signal, and that DECIGO is best equipped to detect both matter memory and neutrino memory. Moreover, we find that the polarization angle between the h + and h × strains serves as a unique identifier of matter and neutrino memory. Finally, we develop a Galactic density- and stellar mass-weighted formalism to calculate the rate at which we can expect to detect CCSN GW signals with the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (aLIGO). When considering only the matter component of the signal, the aLIGO detection rate is around 65% of the total Galactic supernova rate, but increases to 90% when incorporating the neutrino memory component. We find that all future detectors (Einstein Telescope, Cosmic Explorer, DECIGO) will be able to detect CCSN GW signals from the entire Galaxy, and for the higher-mass progenitors even into the Local Group of galaxies.

Choi, Lyla (ORCID:0000000153860133)↗

penORNL: a parallel Monte Carlo photon and electron transport package using PENELOPE

The parallel Monte Carlo photon and electron transport code package penORNL was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to enable advanced scanning electron microscope (SEM) simulations on high-performance computing systems. This paper discusses the implementations, capabilities and parallel performance of the new code package. penORNL uses PENELOPE for its physics calculations and provides all available PENELOPE features to the users, as well as some new features including source definitions specifically developed for SEM simulations, a pulse-height tally capability for detailed simulations of gamma and x-ray detectors, and a modified interaction forcing mechanism to enable accurate energy deposition calculations. The parallel performance of penORNL was extensively tested with several model problems, and very good linear parallel scaling was observed with up to 512 processors. penORNL, along with its new features, will be available for SEM simulations upon completion of the new pulse-height tally implementation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Determination of the Quantity of I-135 Released from the AGR Experiment Series

A series of three Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) experiments have been conducted in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). From 2006 through 2014, these experiments supported the development and qualification of the new U.S. tri structural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel for Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTR). Each AGR experiment consisted of multiple fueled capsules, each plumbed for independent temperature control using a mix of helium and neon gases. The gas leaving a capsule was routed to individual Fission Product Monitor (FPM) detectors. For intact fuel particles, the TRISO particle coatings provide a substantial barrier to fission product release. However, particles with failed coatings, whether because of a minute percentage of initially defective particles, those which fail during irradiation, or those designed to fail (DTF) particles, can release fission products to the flowing gas stream. Because reactive fission product elements like iodine and cesium quickly deposit on cooler capsule components and piping structures as the effluent gas leaves the reactor core, only the noble fission gas isotopes of Kr and Xe tend to reach FPM detectors. The FPM system utilizes High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors coupled with a thallium activated sodium iodide NaI(Tl) scintillator. The germanium detector provides individual isotopic information, while the NaI(Tl) scintillator is used as a gross count rate meter. During irradiation, the 135mXe concentration reaching the FPM detectors is from both direct fission and by decay of the accumulated 135I. About ~2.5 hours after irradiation (ten 15.3 minute 135mXe half lives) the directly produced 135mXe has decayed and only the longer lived 135I remains as a source. Decay systematics dictate that 135mXe will be in secular equilibrium with its 135I parent, such that it’s production rate very nearly equals the decay rate of the parent, and its concentration in the flowing gas stream will appear to decay with the parent half life. This equilibrium condition enables the determination of the amount of 135I released from the fuel particles by measurement of the 135mXe at the FPM following reactor shutdown. In this paper, the 135I released will be reported and compared to similar releases for noble gases as well as the unexpected finding of 131I deposition from intentional impure gas injection into capsule 11 of experiment AGR 3/4.

AGR↗

New Experiments for Detecting Emissions from Fission

Ensuring that nuclear science and technology is used solely for peaceful purposes is one of the most pressing challenges facing our society. The Consortium for Monitoring, Technology, and Verification (MTV) mission is to help meet this challenge by providing advanced technology and trained talent for careers in nuclear security and nonproliferation. The study of nuclear fission is one area of interest in the MTV. We are performing new experiments for the characterization of neutron and gamma ray emissions from fission fragments. These emissions are signatures for the detection and characterization of nuclear materials. To perform these experiments, we have developed Fission Sphere (FS-3), an array of forty organic stilbene detectors operated in time-coincidence. The FS-3 is used to measure the prompt emissions of neutrons and gamma rays from Cf-252 spontaneous fission. These new data will be used to validate physics-based prediction codes, including CGMF and FREYA, and will be useful in future ENDF and ENSDF evaluations. This paper will present results from the first experiments using FS-3 and a Cf-252 spontaneous fission source. It will compare the experimental results with predictions from theory and Monte Carlo simulation. Specifically, we will describe the correlations among energy, multiplicity, and angles of emitted particles. We will also discuss the application of these correlations in multiplicity counting techniques, which are widely used in nuclear safeguards.

Pozzi, S. A.↗

A Pair Production Telescope for Medium-Energy Gamma-Ray Polarimetry

We describe the science motivation and development of a pair production telescope for medium-13 energy gamma-ray polarimetry. Our instrument concept, the Advanced Energetic Pair Telescope 14 (AdEPT), takes advantage of the Three-Dimensional Track Imager, a low-density gaseous time 15 projection chamber, to achieve angular resolution within a factor of two of the pair production 16 kinematics limit (~0.6° at 70 MeV), continuum sensitivity comparable with the Fermi-LAT front 17 detector (<3×10-6 MeV cm-2 s-1 at 70 MeV), and minimum detectable polarization less than 10% 18 for a 10 millicrab source in 106 seconds.

Hunter, Stanley D.↗

TU-C-BRE-01: KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - Emerging Frontiers in IMRT QA

As IMRT treatment processes advance and mature, so must the quality assurance processes being used to validate their delivery. In some respects, treatment delivery advancements (e.g. VMAT) have out-paced QA advancements. The purpose of this session is to describe new processes that are being implemented to bring IMRT QA up-to-date with the treatment delivery advances. It would explore emerging IMRT QA paradigms, including requirements-based IMRT QA which necessitates definition of delivery errors (e.g. patient dose error, leaf positioning error) and development of processes to ensure reliable error detection. Engineeringbased QA approaches, including use of IMRT treatment delivery process trees, fault tree analysis and failure modes effects analysis would be described. Approaches to detect errors such as (1) during treatment delivery validation using exit fluence detectors (e.g. EPIDs); (2) analysis of treatment delivery via use of machine parameter log files; (3) dose recalculation using (3a) treatment planning system; (3b) record-and-verify; or (3c) entrance and exit fluence measurement parameters would be explained. The relative advantages and disadvantages of each method would be discussed. Schemes for error classification and root cause analysis would be described – steps which are essential for future error prevention. For each QA method, testing procedures and results would be presented indicating the types of errors that can be detected, those that cannot be detected, and the reliability of the error detection method (for example determined via ROC analysis). For speakers, we are seeking to engage non-commercially biased experts. Those listed below are a sub-sample of possible qualified individuals.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Status and future plans for C 3 R&D

C 3 is an opportunity to realize an e + e - collider for the study of the Higgs boson at √s = 250 GeV, with a well defined upgrade path to 550 GeV while staying on the same short facility footprint. C 3 is based on a fundamentally new approach to normal conducting linear accelerators that achieves both high gradient and high efficiency at relatively low cost. Given the advanced state of linear collider designs, the key system that requires technical maturation for C 3 is the main linac. This paper presents the staged approach towards a facility to demonstrate C 3 technology with both Direct (source and main linac) and Parallel (beam delivery, damping ring, ancillary component) R&D. The primary goal of the C 3 Demonstration R&D Plan is to reduce technical and cost risk by building and operating the key components of C 3 at an adequate scale. This R&D plan starts with the engineering design, and demonstration of one cryomodule and will culminate in the construction of a 3 cryomodule linac with pre-production prototypes. This R&D program would also demonstrate the linac rf fundamentals including achievable gradient and gradient stability over a full electron bunch train and breakdown rates. It will also investigate beam dynamics including energy spread, wakefields, and emittance growth. This work will be critical to confirm the suitability of the C 3 beam parameters for the physics reach and detector performance in preparation for a Conceptual Design Report (CDR), as well as for follow-on technology development and industrialization. The C 3 Demonstration R&D Plan will open up significant new scientific and technical opportunities based on development of high-gradient and high-efficiency accelerator technology. It will push this technology to operate both at the GeV scale and mature the technology to be reliable and provide high-brightness electron beams. The timeline for progressing with C 3 technology development will be governed by practical limitations on both the technical progress and resource availability. It consists of four stages: Stage 0) Ongoing fundamental R&D on structure prototypes, damping and vibrations. Stage 1) Advancing the engineering maturity of the design and developing start-to-end simulations including space-charge and wakefield effects. This stage will include testing of strucutres operating at cryogenic temperatures. Beam tests would be performed with high beam current to test full beam loading. Stage 2) Production and testing of the first cryomodule at cryogenic temperatures. This would provide sufficient experimental data to compile a CDR and it is anticipated for Stage 2 to last 3 years and to culminate with the transport of photo-electrons through the first cryomodule. Stage 3) Updates to the engineering design of the cryomodules, production of the second and third cryomodule and their installation. Lower charge and lower emittance beams will be used to investigate emittance growth. The successful full demonstration of the 3 cryomodules to deliver up to a 3 GeV beam and achieve the C 3 five gradient will allow a comprehensive and robust evaluation of the technical design of C 3 as well as mitigate technical, schedule, and cost risks required to proceed with a Technical Design Report (TDR).

radiation hardened magnets↗

New NDA Methods for Thorium Fuel Cycle Safeguards (Mid-Project Report)

This project is developing new Non-Destructive Assay (NDA) safeguards techniques for emergent thorium fuel cycles based on Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA), which can assay 233 U and 235 U when they are present together in a sample with potentially high gamma-ray backgrounds from fission products and 232 U. Existing passive techniques face large challenges for this task so new active interrogation methods are needed. This effort is also exploring how gamma-ray signatures can complement NRTA for enhanced assayed performance. This project leverages an NRTA system being developed at PNNL in collaboration with MIT, which uses a commercially available deuterium-tritium neutron generator at short standoff (~2 m). We aim to assess the feasibility and performance of these new NDA techniques for the range of relevant samples in thorium fuel cycles. Key advancements described in this mid-project report include NRTA system design for thorium safeguards measurements, characterization of 233 U oxide powder at PNNL, a survey of detector technologies suitable for NRTA in high gamma background environments, successful preliminary demonstration of a quantitative isotopic estimation algorithm, and first NRTA measurements of a thorium sample.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Employing antineutrino detectors to safeguard future nuclear reactors from diversions

The Non-Proliferation Treaty and other non-proliferation agreements are in place worldwide to ensure that nuclear material and facilities are used only for peaceful purposes. Antineutrino detectors, sensitive to reactor power and fuel changes, can complement the tools already at the disposal of international agencies to safeguard nuclear facilities and to verify the States' compliance with the agreements. Recent advancement in these detectors has made it possible to leverage them to reduce the likelihood of an undetected diversion of irradiated nuclear material. We study the sensitivity of antineutrino monitors to fuel divergence from two reactor types: a traditional light-water reactor and an advanced sodium-cooled reactor design, a likely candidate for future deployment. The analysis demonstrates that a variety of potential diversion scenarios can be detected by such a system. We outline recent developments in monitoring capabilities and discuss their potential security implications to the international community.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Development of an integrated energetic neutral particle measurement system on experimental advanced full superconducting tokamak

Full function integrated, compact silicon photodiode based solid state neutral particle analyzers (ssNPA) have been developed for energetic particle (EP) relevant studies on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The ssNPAs will be mostly operated in advanced current mode with a few channels to be operated in conventional pulse-counting mode, aiming to simultaneously achieve individually proved ultra-fast temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution capabilities. The design details together with considerations on EAST specific engineering realities and physics requirements are presented. The system, including a group of single detectors on two vertical ports and two 16-channel arrays on a horizontal port, can provide both active and passive charge exchange measurements. ssNPA detectors, with variable thickness of ultra thin tungsten dominated foils directly deposited on the front surface, are specially fabricated and utilized to achieve about 22 keV energy resolution for deuterium particle detection.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Lunar accelerometer network gravitational observatory (LANGO)

With ground-based interferometers detecting hundreds of gravitational-wave (GW) events, GW astronomy has continued to blossom. U.S. and European scientists are developing plans to construct third-generation ground-based interferometers. ESA has proceeded through the mission formulation phase of space-based interferometer in a lower-frequency band, 10 –4 –0.1 Hz. Despite all these exciting developments, there is still a missing frequency band, 0.1–10 Hz. This mid-frequency band is rich with interesting astrophysical events. Coalescence and merger of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) will occur in this frequency band. Coalescing stellar-mass BHs will pass through this frequency band days before they reach the frequency band of LIGO and Virgo. Detection of such signals would enable a mid-frequency detector to issue an advance notice to the high-frequency GW detectors, as well as to optical, x-ray and γ-ray telescopes. We propose Lunar Accelerometer Network Gravitational Observatory (LANGO) to detect GWs in this frequency band. In the first phase (LANGO 1), we propose to deploy four ambient-temperature (250 K) accelerometers in the tetrahedral or in a square configuration on the hemisphere facing the Earth. After successful operation at 250 K, LANGO would be upgraded to a cryogenic (4 K) version with over two orders of magnitude increased sensitivity (LANGO 2), with coherent rejection of seismic noise implemented. LANGO is a full-tensor detector, capable of determining the source direction and wave polarization. Each test mass (TM) is suspended as a pendulum with resonance frequency ∼ 0.01 Hz, thus is only weakly coupled to the lunar surface horizontally. LANGO is designed to detect the relative motion of globally separated, nearly free, TMs by using the Moon as a large quiet platform. LANGO 1 and 2 accelerometers aim at sensitivities ⩽ 10 –11 m s –2 Hz –1/2 and ⩽ 10 –13 m s –2 Hz –1/2 in the horizontal axes over the frequency band of 1 mHz–10 Hz, which yield GW sensitivities 1.1 x 10 -21 Hz -1/2 and 3.8 x 10 -24 Hz -1/2 at 1 Hz, respectively. The LANGO accelerometers will be 10 3 –10 5 times more sensitive than Apollo seismometers. With such sensitivity, LANGO will also make great contribution to the advancement of lunar geophysics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Measurement of neutron capture on Xe 136

136 Xe is a 0νββ decay candidate isotope, and is used in multiple experiments searching for this hypothetical decay mode. These experiments require precise information about neutron capture for their background characterization and minimization. Thermal and resonant neutron capture on 136 Xe have been measured at the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. A neutron beam ranging from thermal energy to greater than 100 keV was incident on a gas cell filled with isotopically pure 136 Xe. The relative neutron capture cross sections for neutrons at thermal energies and the first resonance at 2.154 keV have been measured. Furthermore, the γ cascades for these captures have been measured, and cascade models have been developed which may be used by 0νββ experiments using 136 Xe.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Demonstration of Comprehensive Ex-Vessel Fluence Capability

Several recent developments in the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors’ (CASL) Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA) were tested to highlight its capability to perform ex-vessel fluence and reaction rate calculations. VERA offers unique capabilities for integrating the deterministic neutronics code, MPACT, with Shift, a Monte Carlo code, to perform high-fidelity in-core and ex-core radiation transport. Applications such as pressure vessel fluence, ex-core detector response, and coupon irradiation analyses take advantage of this coupling. For these applications, MPACT performs the in-core radiation transport with temperature feedback and isotopic depletion through the direct coupling with the CTF subchannel thermal-hydraulics code. Then, MPACT provides the fission source to Shift for a follow-on fixed source radiation transport calculation that tallies all the ex-core responses of interest for each time-dependent statepoint. The variance reduction method, CADIS, which is implemented in Shift, allows for efficient performance of ex-core transport for calculation of ex-core quantities of interest. This milestone report identifies limitations to the current methodology in place and showcases VERA’s current capability to model ex-core quantities of interest.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗