Development, construction and tests of the Mu2e electromagnetic calorimeter mechanical structures

The “muon-to-electron conversion” (Mu2e) experiment at Fermilab will search for the charged lepton flavour violating neutrino-less coherent conversion of a muon into an electron in the field of an aluminum nucleus. The observation of this process would be the unambiguous evidence of the existence of physics beyond the standard model. Mu2e detectors comprise a straw-tracker, an electromagnetic calorimeter and an external veto for cosmic rays. In particular, the calorimeter provides excellent electron identification, a fast calorimetric online trigger, and complementary information to aid pattern recognition and track reconstruction. The detector has been designed as a state-of-the-art crystal calorimeter and employs 1348 pure Cesium Iodide (CsI) crystals readout by UV-extended silicon photosensors and fast front-end and digitization electronics. A design consisting of two identical annular matrices (named “disks”) positioned at the relative distance of 70 cm downstream the aluminum target along the muon beamline satisfies the Mu2e physics requirements. The hostile Mu2e operational conditions, in terms of radiation levels (total expected ionizing dose of 12 krad and a neutron fluence of 5 × 1010 n/cm2 @ 1 MeVeq (Si)/y), magnetic field intensity (1 T) and vacuum level (10−4 Torr) have posed tight constraints on scintillating materials, sensors, electronics and on the design of the detector mechanical structures and material choice. The support structure of each 674 crystal matrix is composed of an aluminum hollow ring and parts made of open-cell vacuum-compatible carbon fiber. The photosensors and front-end electronics for the readout of each crystal are inserted in a machined copper holder and make a unique mechanical unit. The resulting 674 mechanical units are supported by a machined plate of vacuum-compatible plastic material. The plate also integrates the cooling system made of a network of copper lines flowing a low temperature radiation-hard fluid and placed in thermal contact with the copper holders to constitute a low resistance thermal bridge. The data acquisition electronics are hosted in aluminum custom crates positioned on the external lateral surface of the disks. The crates also integrate the electronics cooling system as lines running in parallel to the front-end system. In this paper we report on the calorimeter mechanical structure design, the mechanical and thermal simulations that have determined the design technological choices, and the status of component production, quality assurance tests and plans for assembly at Fermilab.

Investigate the Thermal Analysis Properties of Polymer Electrolyte

Propylene carbonate (PC) (1:1) have been used as plasticizer to synthesized two series of polymer blend electrolytes (As and Cs) composed of Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/Polyacrylonitrile (PAN), (80/20) Wt.% and ethylene carbonate (EC) using solution cast technique. Mixed iodide salts and varying weight ratio of potassium iodide (KI) and cesium iodide (CsI) was used to study the thermal properties of polymer blend electrolytes (GPEs). Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) results show a decrease in the glass transition of electrolytes when increasing the weight percentage of salts, while the melting point increases due to the reduction in the polymer fluidity. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicates that the increase in the thermal stability can be attributed to the high thermal stability of polymer blend and the existence of the strong interaction between the two polymers. The optimum value of glass transition (Ts) is 104.2 °C found in sample containing 35 Wt.% of KI salt which has a melting point (Tm) 194.7 °C.

The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS) for the EMM Mission

The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) Hope probe was launched on 20 July 2020 at 01:58 GST (Gulf Standard Time) and entered orbit around Mars on 9 Feb 2021 at 19:42 GST. The high-altitude orbit (19,970 km periapse, 42,650 km apoapse altitude, 25° inclination) with a 54.5 hour period enables a unique, synoptic, and nearly-continuous monitor of the Mars global climate. The Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS), one of three remote sensing instruments carried by Hope, is an imaging ultraviolet spectrograph, designed to investigate how conditions throughout the Mars atmosphere affect rates of atmospheric escape, and how key constituents in the exosphere behave temporally and spatially. EMUS will target two broad regions of the Mars upper atmosphere: 1) the thermosphere (100–200 km altitude), observing UV dayglow emissions from hydrogen (102.6, 121.6 nm), oxygen (130.4, 135.6 nm), and carbon monoxide (140–170 nm) and 2) the exosphere (above 200 km altitude), observing bound and escaping hydrogen (121.6 nm) and oxygen (130.4 nm).EMUS achieves high sensitivity across a wavelength range of 100–170 nm in a single optical channel by employing “area-division” or “split” coatings of silicon carbide (SiC) and aluminum magnesium fluoride (Al+MgF2) on each of its two optical elements. The EMUS detector consists of an open-face (windowless) microchannel plate (MCP) stack with a cesium iodide (CsI) photocathode and a photon-counting, cross-delay line (XDL) anode that enables spectral-spatial imaging. A single spherical telescope mirror with a 150 mm focal length provides a 10.75° field of view along two science entrance slits, selectable with a rotational mechanism. The high and low resolution (HR, LR) slits have angular widths of 0.18° and 0.25° and spectral widths of 1.3 nm and 1.8 nm, respectively. The spectrograph uses a Rowland circle design, with a toroidally-figured diffraction grating with a laminar groove profile and a ruling density of 936 gr mm−1 providing a reciprocal linear dispersion of 2.65 nm mm−1. The total instrument mass is 22.3 kg, and the orbit-average power is less than 15 W.

Diagnostics of atomic- molecular interactions in nano-compositions organics-inorganics by means of infrared spectroscopy

This paper prolongs our studies of the formation and properties of the organic-inorganic scintillating compositions from activated polystyrene and inorganic nanoparticles from cesium iodid and sulfate. The compositions from the solution of polystyrene in benzene and nano- or micro-particles of cesium iodide were solidified in the form of thin films. Then some of the films were subjected to rolling. The variations of the infrared transmission spectra of the compositions were measured either during their solidification or after the solidification and rolling. The new absorption band was revealed in the process of the solidification and disappeared after it. The fractal-like structures of parallel rows were formed in the films. Quasi-periodical oscillations of the transmission spectra were found in several infrared regions ascribed to the interaction of the infrared radiation with the fractal super-structure of the films. The modifications of the absorption spectra found in our experiments are attributed to the interactions of polystyrene molecules with benzene molecules and nanoparticles of cesium iodide.

Self- concentrated mass-transfer during deformation treatments of organic-inorganic compositions

This paper prolongs the series of our previous papers where we found super-fast and super-deep introduction of foreign substances in crystalline materials by means of the ball rolling. A set of new experimental results was used to justify the new version of the mechanism of this introduction with the record speed and depth. The main process which determines this phenomena is connected with the sequence of openings and closings of nanocracks at the surface subjected to the rolling and the capture of the substance introduced from the surface by these cracks. The process of this introduction with the record parameters is supported by the intense chemical interactions between the matrix and the substance being introduced. This chemical interaction is intensified by several times with the deformation treatments. The analogous super-fast mass transfer is observed in the situation of the pulling out of the polystyrene fibers from the solution of polystyrene in benzene when the interaction of the organic components with cesium iodide nanoparticles was activated by the deformation treatment of the solution during its pulling out resulting in the formation of big amounts of nano-channels promising for effective utilization of hazardous radioactive wastes.

Introducing the GammaPen: All-in-One Gamma Probe for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

Purpose: Using an itra-operative gamma probe after injection of radiotracer during surgery helps the surgeon to identify the sentinel lymph node of regional metastasis through the detection of radiation. This work reports the design and specification of an integrated gamma probe (GammaPen), developed by our company. Materials and Methods: GammaPen is a compact and fully integrated gamma probe. The detector module consists of a thallium-activated Cesium Iodide (CsI (Tl)) scintillator, and a Silicon Photo Multiplier (SiPM), shielded using Tungsten housing. Probe sensitivity, spatial resolution and angular resolution in air and water, and side and back shielding effectiveness were measured to evaluate the performance of the probe based on NEMA NU3 standard. Results: The sensitivity of the probe in the air/water at distances of 10, 30, and 50 mm is 18784/176800, 3500/3050, and 1575/1104 cps/MBq. The spatial and angular resolutions in the air/scattering medium are 40/47 mm and 77/87 degrees at a 30 mm distance from the probe. The detector shielding effectiveness and leakage sensitivity are 99.91% and 0.09%, respectively. Conclusion: The results and surgeon experience in the operating room showed that GammaPen can be effectively used for sentinel lymph node localization.