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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Scintillating Bubble Chambers for Rare Event Searches

The Scintillating Bubble Chamber (SBC) collaboration is developing liquid-noble bubble chambers to detect sub-keV nuclear recoils, allowing the search for low-mass (GeV-scale) dark matter and coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering from low-energy (MeV-scale) neutrinos. The scintillating bubble chamber detectors benefit from the energy reconstruction that the scintillation signal gives in addition to the superior electron-recoil insensitivity that bubble chambers naturally provide. The high level of superheat achievable in noble liquids while being electron-recoil insensitive allows for lower nuclear recoil thresholds than in existing freon-based bubble chambers, potentially reaching the 100 eV threshold desired for reactor CEvNS measurements. To validate this lower threshold, the SBC collaboration is constructing two 10 kg detectors that are functionally identical. The SBC-LAr10, which is being commissioned at Fermilab, is intended for engineering and calibration research and has additional possibilities in assessing coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering in argon. SBC-SNOLAB, the second detector for a low-background dark matter search, will be run at SNOLAB underground.

Pyda, Daniel [Unlisted, US]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Analysis of scintillation light dependence on liquid Argon purity

Previous studies have investigated the correlation between impurity concentrations in Liquid Argon (LAr) and the temporal evolution of either the slow scintillation decay time or the light yield. These impurities typically consist of various molecular species. Electronegative contaminants directly affect electron drift and photon production, while other molecules, such as nitrogen (N_2),can influence LAr scintillation properties without necessarily affecting electron lifetime. Many current and future neutrino and dark-matter experiments use LAr detectors. This study aims to evaluate the measured electron lifetimes in relation to the timing characteristics of the scintillation light signal in the SBN ICARUS detector at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The ICARUS experiment consists of two cryostats that have shown some discrepancies in the measured electron lifetime over the years. In particular, this study addresses the use of data collected under varying purity conditions in the two cryostats.

Saia, Clara [Catania Astrophys. Observ.]↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dual Readout in Homogenous Inorganic Scintillators for Precision Calorimeters

Homogeneous inorganic scintillator-based calorimeters are the gold standard for electromagnetic energy resolution, but often degrade the hadronic energy resolution achievable at colliders. By incorporating the dual readout technique, we seek to improve the hadronic energy resolution of these calorimeters through the measurement and separation of the scintillation and Cherenkov light in hadronic showers. In April 2024, CalVision performed single-crystal tests using the electron test beam at DESY. Using a single delay line technique for waveform analysis, sufficient cerenkov light can be extracted to fully capitalize on the dual readout technique. This talk will present the results of PWO, BGO, BSO, PbF2, and two novel scintillating glasses.

Anderson, Thomas [Virginia U.]↗
DOE OSTI2026

Scintillator Manufacture

This paper will be a literature review of composite scintillators, and their applications in neutron detection. Due to the shortage of 3 He, the traditional medium for neutron detection, new materials need to be explored for this purpose. Composite scintillating particle materials can serve as a solution to replace 3 He, offering faster response times, and all-solid-state form factors for diversified applications in the field. This project will include manufacturing Europium (Eu) and Sodium (Na) doped LiCaAlF 6 (LiCAF) scintillating particles for neutron detection.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1972

A brief review of ionospheric scintillation fading effects as observed in NASA satellite tracking and data acquisition networks.

Discussion of some results of the effects of ionospheric irregularities on NASA satellite tracking and data acquisition operations. Ionospheric scintillation fading produced by irregularities has been observed at 136 MHz (vhf), 400 MHz (uhf), 1550 MHz (L-band) and 1700 to 2200 MHz (S-band). Details of these observations are presented. Vhf scintillation effects are evident in both auroral and equatorial regions. Fading effects decrease with increasing radio frequency in the auroral region. The same frequency dependence for fading is not observed in the equatorial region. Although there is a seasonal and diurnal character to scintillation in the equatorial region, fading effects are usually more severe than in the auroral region for a given radio frequency. Space diversity measurements indicate that reasonable solutions for vhf telemetry problems are available for either region. Space diversity should provide a solution for microwave frequencies as well. Ionospheric fading amplitude for 1700 MHz is relatively small in the auroral region. In the equatorial region amplitude fading levels for 1550-MHz signals from ATS-5 are often much larger than expected. Observations of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP) operating at 2300 MHz observed near the geomagnetic equator show fading peaks in excess of 15 dB.

Golden, T. S.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Velocity of the solar wind as determined from interplanetary scintillations.

The method of smooth perturbations is used to derive the equations for interplanetary scintillation in a (statistically) spherically symmetric solar wind with constant wind velocity. The expressions, valid in the limit of small scintillation index, are used to discuss the relation between the radial wind velocity and the observed projected velocity of the scintillation pattern. It is found that the pattern velocity is systematically less than the wind velocity by a substantial fraction, depending on the radial variation of the density fluctuations. If the fluctuations fall off as 1/r-squared the correction is 18 percent, whereas if the fluctuations are proportional to 1/r the correction is 57 percent. The effects may be even more severe if the solar wind is not spherically symmetric.

Jokipii, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Scintillation in an earth-to-space propagation path.

Results of an experiment to measure the scintillation at a satellite from a ground-based laser transmitter. The GEOS-II satellite in a nearly circular orbit of 1250 km was illuminated by a ground-based laser tracking station using a 4880-A CW argon laser. A detector aboard the satellite measured the incident light and telemetered the data to recording equipment on the ground. Log-amplitude variance, probability distributions, and scintillation frequency distributions are derived from the data. The probability distribution is shown to be log-normal. Log-amplitude variance and normalized power spectral density are shown to be within the limits measured for stellar scintillation.-

Minott, P. O.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Study of equatorial scintillations

Observations of the amplitude scintillations produced by the F-region in equatorial areas are presented. The equipment used for conducting the observations is described. The use of transmissions from the ATS-1, ATS-3, and ATS-5 for obtaining data is described. The two principal subjects discussed are: (1) correlation between satellite and incoherent radar observations of scintillations and (2) simultaneous observations of scintillations at 136 MHz and 1550 MHz.

Pomalaza, J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Scintillation modeling.

Results of a quantitative attempt to model the scintillation-producing ionospheric irregularities. An empirical model of rms electron-density fluctuation and transverse scale size was employed for this purpose. On the basis of an analysis of diurnal-variation curves for scintillation, it is concluded that in most instances the model will produce better than order-of-magnitude estimates of the strength of scintillation to be expected under average ionospheric conditions. However, a number of significant limitations to the model are noted.

Fremouw, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Turbulence and scintillations in the interplanetary plasma.

The properties of the broadband fluctuations of the interplanetary plasma are discussed, taking into account observations in the vicinity of 1 AU heliocentric radius on space probes. Aspects of interplanetary scintillations and angular broadening as a probe of the solar wind are considered, giving attention to the 'thin-screen' approximation, a three-dimensional model of interplanetary scintillations, the structure of density fluctuations, and the determination of solar wind velocity from scintillations. It is pointed out that the theoretical understanding of the origin and evolution of the fluctuations and their full import for the solar wind is still at a relatively rudimentary stage.

Jokipii, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Modeling and prediction of ionospheric scintillation

Scintillation modeling performed thus far is based on the theory of diffraction by a weakly modulating phase screen developed by Briggs and Parkin (1963). Shortcomings of the existing empirical model for the scintillation index are discussed together with questions of channel modeling, giving attention to the needs of the communication engineers. It is pointed out that much improved scintillation index models may be available in a matter of a year or so.

Fremouw, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Cosmic-ray cascades photographed in scintillator

Light produced by nuclear-electromagnetic cascades in a plastic scintillator can be photographed, and the resulting images on film used to measure both the energy content of the cascades and also the positions at which the cascades passed through the scintillator. The energy content of a cascade can be measured to 20% and its position determined to plus or minus 0.8 cm in each scintillator. Techniques for photographing the cascades and analyzing the film are described. Sample data are presented and discussed.

Barrowes, S. C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Interstellar scattering of pulsar radiation. I - Scintillation

An investigation of the intensity fluctuations of 28 pulsars near 0.4 GHz indicates that spectra of interstellar scintillation are consistent with a Gaussian shape, that scintillation indices are near unity, and that the scintillation bandwidth depends linearly on dispersion measure. Observations at cm wavelengths show that the observer is in the near field of the scattering medium for objects with the lowest dispersion measures, and confirm the steep dependence of correlation bandwidth on dispersion measure found by Sutton (1971). The variations of scattering parameters with dispersion measure may indicate that the rms deviation of thermal electron density on the scale of 10 to the 11th cm grows with path length through the galaxy.

Backer, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Scintillations during occultations by planets. I - An approximate theory

Fluctuations are observed during occultations of both stars and spacecraft by planetary atmospheres. Existing treatments of spacecraft scintillations ignore a major effect unique to occultations: the severe flattening of the Fresnel zone or source image by defocusing. Other large effects, due to 'saturation' of the scintillation, have also been ignored. The deeper portions of atmospheric temperature and density profiles inferred from occultation data are seriously in error if other planets' atmospheres are as turbulent as our own. Thus, profiles obtained from entry probes (e.g., the Soviet Venera series) are probably more accurate than those from radio occultation (Mariner 5 and 10) data. Scintillation greatly reduces the information obtainable from occultation observations; much of the detail attributed to layering in published profiles is probably due to aliasing of turbulence. This paper gives an approximately correct theoretical treatment that is a substantial improvement over published theories, and shows how a more accurate theory could be constructed. Some methods for a more accurate determination of atmospheric structure are proposed.

Young, A. T.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Scintillation statistics caused by atmospheric turbulence and speckle in satellite laser ranging

We study the statistics of scintillation at the ground-based receiver for the earth-space-earth retroreflector configuration of satellite laser ranging. These statistics are governed by the joint effects of atmospheric turbulence and speckle produced by the retroreflector array. An expression for the probability density function of scintillation is obtained and evaluated numerically. Comparison of the normalized variance of scintillation calculated by using this function shows good agreement with results obtained by other methods.

Bufton, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Bispectral analysis of meter wavelength interplanetary scintillation

The bispectrum of interplanetary scintillation is investigated. Rice-squared and lognormal point-source intensity probability density functions are used to derive model bispectra as functionals of the intensity autocovariance. Simultaneous observations of the source CTA 21 at 270, 340, and 470 MHz are analyzed to produce scintillation indices, skewness parameters, and bispectra, which are compared with the models for the cases of weak, intermediate, and strong scattering. The results obtained for CTA 21 are shown to rule out lognormal statistics for interplanetary scintillation over the frequency range from 340 to 470 MHz. It is found that the observed bispectra correspond well with the predictions of the Rice-squared model for weak and intermediate scattering, but are systematically different from model bispectra computed by assuming a point source in the case of strong scattering.

Armstrong, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Interplanetary phase scintillation and the search for very low frequency gravitational radiation

Observations of radio-wave phase scintillation are reported which used the Viking spacecraft having an earth-spacecraft link very similar to that which will be used in very low-frequency (VLF) gravitational-wave searches. The phase power-spectrum level varies by seven orders of magnitude as the sun-earth-spacecraft (elongation) angle changes from 1 to 175 deg. It is noteworthy that a broad minimum in the S-band (2.3 GHz) phase fluctuation occurs in the antisolar direction; the corresponding fractional frequency stability (square root Allan variance) is about 3 x 10 to the -14th for 1000-s integration times. A simultaneous two-frequency two-station observation indicates that the contribution to the phase fluctuation from the ionosphere is significant but dominated by the contribution from the interplanetary medium. Nondispersive tropospheric scintillation was not detected (upper limit to fractional frequency stability about 5 x 10 to the -14th). Evidently, even observations in the antisolar direction will require higher radio frequencies, phase scintillation calibration, and correlation techniques in the data processing, for detection of gravitational bursts at the anticipated strain amplitude levels of no more than 10 to the -15th.

Armstrong, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Modelling of equatorial phase and amplitude scintillations from OGO-6 and AE irregularity data

The technique of modelling equatorial phase and amplitude scintillations from in-situ measurements of irregularity amplitude, ambient ionization density and irregularity power spectrum is outlined. The in-situ measurements do not directly provide information on irregularity layer thickness for which radar backscatter observations are utilized. The equatorial scintillation models developed from OGO-6 and AE-C in-situ measurements during the two solstices are presented. Considerable differences in the longitude variation of scintillations are predicted during the two solstices. The model estimates are in good agreement with the available ground based phase and amplitude measurements. Problems associated with the use of bottomside spread-F data for transionospheric propagation modelling at VHF/UHF are also discussed.

Basu, S.↗