Nuclear Commons^™

Distribution And Evolution Of Fukushima Dai-Ichi Derived 137cs, 90sr, And 129i In Surface Seawater Off The Coast Of Japan, Jennifer A. Kenyon, Ken O. Buesseler, Núria Casacuberta, Maxi Castrillejo, Shigeyoshi Otosaka, Pere Masqué, Jessica A. Drysdale, Steven M. Pike, Virginie Sanial

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 American Chemical Society. The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plants (FDNPPs) accident in 2011 led to an unprecedented release of radionuclides into the environment. Particularly important are 90Sr and 137Cs due to their known health detriments and long half-lives (T1/2 ≈ 30 y) relative to ecological systems. These radionuclides can be combined with the longer-lived 129I (T1/2 = 15.7 My) to trace hydrologic, atmospheric, oceanic, and geochemical processes. This study seeks to evaluate 137Cs, 90Sr, and 129I concentrations in seawater off the coast of Japan, reconcile the sources of contaminated waters, and assess the application of 137Cs/90Sr, 129I/137Cs, and …

Study Of Cell Charging Effects For The Neutron Electric Dipole Moment Experiment At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Mark Broering

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

The neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) collaboration at the Spallation Neutron Source plans to use ultra-cold neutrons in superfluid helium to improve the nEDM limit by about two orders of magnitude. In this apparatus, neutrons are stored in poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, cells located in a strong, stable electric field. This electric field is produced by high voltage electrodes located outside of the neutron cells. Several sources generate charged particles inside the neutron cells. The electric field pulls these charges farther apart, attracting each to the oppositely charged electrode. As the charges build up on the cells walls, they create an …

The Pion Form Factor And Momentum And Angular Momentum Fractions Of The Proton In Lattice Qcd, Gen Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) provides a way to have a precise calculation and a new way of understanding the hadrons from first principles. From this perspective, this dissertation focuses first on a precise calculation of the pion form factor using overlap fermions on six ensembles of 2+1-flavor domain-wall configurations generated by the RBC/UKQCD collaboration with pion masses varying from 137 to 339 MeV. Taking advantage of the fast Fourier transform, low-mode substitution (LMS) and the multi-mass algorithm to access many combinations of source and sink momenta, we have done a simulation with various valence quark masses and with a range …

Sensitivity Of Electron-Proton Coincidence Asymmetries In Neutron Beta-Decay To Scalar And Tensor Interactions, Subash C. Nepal

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

We study the combined sensitivity of measurements of electron-proton coincidence asymmetries in polarized neutron beta-decay together with a measurement of the electron energy spectrum in unpolarized neutron beta-decay to beyond Standard Model (BSM) scalar and tensor interactions, via the appearance of such BSM physics in the Fierz interference terms b and b_v. Whereas measurements of the electron energy spectrum directly probe b, both the proton and neutrino asymmetries for which experimental results exist are not sensitive to b_v, but effectively to b - b_v. This results in reduced sensitivity to BSM scalar and …

Verification Of The Vertical Bubble Flow Experiments, Reginald Jones Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Detailed experimental design to support basic pedagogy of flow regimes – single phase liquid, bubbly, slug, annular, dispersed droplet, and single phase vapor – occurring in flow channels of nuclear reactors has been developed for EGMN 203 - Nuclear Engineering Practicum offering at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. The laboratory instruction will be used to help students forming ideas and understanding flow regimes occurring in nuclear engineering applications. We designed and constructed four water columns to act as surrogates for water channels in a nuclear reactor. Each column was used for a different experiment: salted versus …

Characterization Of Neutron Irradiated Accident Tolerant Nuclear Fuel Cladding Silicon Carbide & Radiation Detector Deadtime, Bader Almutairi

Doctoral Dissertations

“In part I, the pulse shape characteristics generated by a Geiger Muller (GM) detector and recorded by an oscilloscope manually, were investigated. The objective of part I was (1) to find a correlation between pulse shape and the operating voltage; and (2) to assess if pulse shape properties followed distinct patterns comparable to detector deadtime findings reported by a previous study. It was observed that (1) there is a strong correlation between pulse shape and operating voltage, and (2) pulse shape falls in three distinct regions similar to detector deadtime. Furthermore, parts II and III are companions and share the …

Improving Inverse Compton Sources By Avoiding Non-Linearities, B. Terzić, G. A. Krafft, V. Petrillo, I. Drebot, M. Ruijter

Physics Faculty Publications

We present a new, more nuanced understanding of non-linear effects in inverse Compton sources. Deleterious non-linear effects can arise even at low laser intensities, a regime previously viewed as linear. After laying out a survey of non-linear phenomena which degrade the effectiveness of inverse Compton sources, we discuss two powerful techniques designed to avoid these non-linearities. Starting with the known technique of non-linear longitudinal chirping of the laser pulse in the high laser field regime, we show that the simple stretching of the laser pulse, while keeping the energy constant, can significantly increase the spectral density of the scattered radiation …

Origin Of Single Transverse-Spin Asymmetries In High-Energy Collisions, Justin Cammarota, Leonard Gamberg, Zhong-Bo Kang, Joshua A. Miller, Daniel Pitonyak, Alexei Prokudin, Ted C. Rogers, Nobuo Sato

Physics Faculty Publications

In this paper, we perform the first simultaneous QCD global analysis of data from semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering, Drell-Yan, 𝑒⁺⁢𝑒⁻ annihilation into hadron pairs, and proton-proton collisions. Consequently, we are able to extract a universal set of nonperturbative functions that describes the observed asymmetries in these reactions. The outcome of our analysis indicates single transverse-spin asymmetries in high-energy collisions have a common origin. Furthermore, we achieve the first phenomenological agreement with lattice QCD on the up and down quark tensor charges.

Jeopardy Update On E12-06-106: Rg-D Experiment Study Of Color Transparency In Exclusive Vector Meson Electroproduction Off Nuclei, W. Armstrong, C. Ayerbe, W. Brooks, T. Chetry, R. Dupré, D. Dutta, A. El Alaoui, L. El Fassi, S. Joosten, J. Kim, K. Hafidi, M. Hattawy, M. Holtrop, J. Lopez, Z. -E. Meziani, T. Mineeva, B. Mustapha, C. Peng, L. Weinstein, J. Xie

Physics Faculty Publications

Experiment E12-06-106 (RG-D) aims to study the color transparency (CT) phenomenon in the exclusive diffractive p⁰ electro-production off nuclei, using the CLAS-12 spectrometer in Hall-B. This experiment was endorsed by PAC30 back in 2006 and was reviewed by PAC36 in 2010 [1], at which time it was approved for 60 PAC days and granted the B⁺ rating.

CT is one of the underlying properties of Quantum Chromo Dynamics (QCD) related to the presence of color degrees of freedom in the strongly interacting matter. It refers to the suppression of interactions of the colorless small size configuration in the nuclear …

Ab Initio Study Of (𝜈ℓ, ℓ⁻) And (𝜈ℓ, ℓ⁺) Inclusive Scattering In 12C: Confronting The Miniboone And T2k Ccqe Data, A. Lovato, J. Carlson, S. Gandolfi, N. Rocco, R. Schiavilla

Physics Faculty Publications

We carry out an ab initio calculation of the neutrino flux-folded inclusive cross sections measured on ¹²C by the MiniBooNE and T2K Collaborations in the charged-current quasielastic regime. The calculation is based on realistic two- and three-nucleon interactions, and on a realistic nuclear electroweak current with one- and two-nucleon terms that are constructed consistently with these interactions and reproduce low-energy electroweak transitions. Numerically exact quantum Monte Carlo methods are utilized to compute the nuclear weak response functions, by fully retaining many-body correlations in the initial and final states and interference effects between one- and two-body current contributions. We employ a …

Neutron Valence Structure From Nuclear Deep Inelastic Scattering, E. P. Segarra, A. Schmidt, T. Kutz, D. W. Higinbotham, E. Piasetzky, M. Strikman, L. B. Weinstein, O. Hen

Physics Faculty Publications

Mechanisms of spin-flavor SU(6) symmetry breaking in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) are studied via an extraction of the free neutron structure function from a global analysis of deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data on the proton and on nuclei from A = 2 (deuterium) to 208 (lead). Modification of the structure function of nucleons bound in atomic nuclei (known as the EMC effect) are consistently accounted for within the framework of a universal modification of nucleons in short-range correlated (SRC) pairs. Our extracted neutron-to-proton structure function ratio Fⁿ₂/F^p₂ becomes constant for x_B ≥ 0.6, equaling 0.47 …

Probing Few-Body Nuclear Dynamics Via ³H And ³He (E E'P) Pn Cross-Section Measurements, R. Cruz-Torres, F. Hauenstein, D. Bulumulla, C. Hyde, M. Khachatryan, M.N.H. Rashad, L.B. Weinstein, Et. Al., Jefferson Lab Hall A. Tritium Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

We report the first measurement of the (e, e'p) three-body breakup reaction cross sections in helium-3 (³He) and tritium (³H) at large momentum transfer [< Q²> ≈ 1.9 (GeV/c)²] and x_B> 1 kinematics, where the cross section should be sensitive to quasielastic (QE) scattering from single nucleons. The data cover missing momenta 40 ≤ p_miss ≤ 500 MeV/c that, in the QE limit with no rescattering, equals the initial momentum of the probed nucleon. The measured cross sections are compared with state-of-the-art ab initio calculations. Overall …

Generalized Contact Formalism Analysis Of The ⁴He(E,E′Pn) Reaction, J.R. Pybus, I. Korover, R. Weiss, A. Schmidt, N. Barnea, D.W. Higinbotham, E. Piasetzky, M. Strikman, L. B. Weinstein, O. Hen

Physics Faculty Publications

Measurements of short-range correlations in exclusive ⁴He (e , e ′ p N) reactions are analyzed using the Generalized Contact Formalism (GCF). We consider both instant-form and light-cone formulations with both the AV18 and local N2LO(1.0) nucleon-nucleon (NN) potentials. We find that kinematic distributions, such as the reconstructed pair opening angle, recoil neutron momentum distribution, and pair center of mass motion, as well as the measured missing energy, missing mass distributions, are all well reproduced by GCF calculations. The missing momentum dependence of the measured ⁴He (e , e ′ p N) /⁴He (e , e …

Results On Total And Elastic Cross Sections In Proton–Proton Collisions At √S = 200 Gev, J. Adam, L. Adamczyk, J. R. Adams, S. Bueltmann, Z. Zhu, M. Zyzak, Et Al., Star Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

We report results on the total and elastic cross sections in proton-proton collisions at √s = 200 GeV obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section was measured in the squared four-momentum transfer range 0.045 ≤ −t ≤ 0.135 GeV². The value of the exponential slope parameter B of the elastic differential cross section dσ/dt ∼ e^−Bt in the measured −t range was found to be B = 14.32 ± 0.09 (stat.)^+0.13_−0.28(syst.) GeV⁻². The total cross section σ_tot, obtained from …

Chiral Effective Field Theory Calculations Of Weak Transitions In Light Nuclei, G.B. King, L. Andreoli, S. Pastore, M. Piarulli, R. Schiavilla, R.B. Wiringa, J. Carlson, S. Gandolfi

Physics Faculty Publications

We report quantum Monte Carlo calculations of weak transitions in A 10 nuclei, based on the Norfolk two-and three-nucleon chiral interactions, and associated one-and two-body axial currents. We find that the contribution from two-body currents is at the 2-3% level, with the exception of matrix elements entering the rates of Li-8, B-8, and He-8 beta decay. These matrix elements are suppressed in impulse approximation based on the (leading order) Gamow Teller transition operator alone; two-body currents provide a 20-30% correction, which is, however, insufficient to bring theory in agreement with experimental data. For the other transitions, the agreement with the …

Novel Observation Of Isospin Structure Of Short-Range Correlations In Calcium Isotopes, D. Nguyen, Z. Ye, Lawrence Weinstein, X. Zheng, P. Zhu, R. Zielinski, Et Al., Jefferson Lab Hall A Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

Short-range correlations (SRCs) have been identified as being responsible for the high-momentum tail of the nucleon momentum distribution, n(k). Hard, short-range interactions of nucleon pairs generate the high-momentum tail and imprint a universal character on n(k) for all nuclei at large momentum. Triple coincidence experiments have shown a strong dominance of np pairs, but these measurements involve large final-state interactions. This paper presents the results from Jefferson Lab experiment E08014 which measured inclusive electron scattering cross section from Ca isotopes. By comparing the inclusive cross section from ⁴⁸Ca to ⁴⁰Ca in a kinematic region dominated by SRCs …

Magnetic Structure And Radiative Captures Of Few-Nucleon Systems: Status And Prospects, Laura Elisa Marcucci, Rocco Schiavilla, Alex Gnech, Michele Viviani

Physics Faculty Publications

We review the main ingredients for an ab-initio study of few-nucleon reactions of astrophysical interest within the chiral effective field theory approach, with particular attention to radiative captures relevant for Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution. We conclude with an outlook for ongoing and future work.

Decreasing Uncertainty In Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Measurements Through The Application Of Pappus Chains, Ryan Williams

Honors Theses and Capstones

To make further advancements in nuclear polarization, the Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Group at the University of New Hampshire requires an accurate measurement of the polarization of their materials. Through a non-traditional method of data analysis, the uncertainty in this polarization measurement via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was reduced. To extract the polarization, we measure an NMR signal through the real impedance of our circuitry, whose area is proportional to the polarization. However, our signal size depends on how in-tune our circuitry is with a specific frequency, with the signal growing smaller the less in-tune it becomes. A new method of …

Parton Distribution Functions From Loffe Time Pseudo-Distributions, Bálint Joó, Joseph Karpie, Kostas Orginos, Anatoly V. Radyushkin, David Richards, Savvas Zafeiropoulos

Physics Faculty Publications

In this paper, we present a detailed study of the unpolarized nucleon parton distribution function (PDF) employing the approach of parton pseudo-distribution functions. We perform a systematic analysis using three lattice ensembles at two volumes, with lattice spacings a = 0.127 fm and a = 0.094 fm, for a pion mass of roughly 400 MeV. With two lattice spacings and two volumes, both continuum limit and infinite volume extrapolation systematic errors of the PDF are considered. In addition to the x dependence of the PDF, we compute their first two moments and compare them with the pertinent phenomenological determinations.

Generalized Parton Distributions And Pseudodistributions, Anatoly V. Radyushkin

Physics Faculty Publications

We derive one-loop matching relations for the Ioffe-time distributions (ITDs) related to the pion distribution amplitude (DA) and generalized parton distributions (GPDs). They are obtained from a universal expression for the one-loop correction in an operator form, and will be used in the ongoing lattice calculations of the pion DA and GPDs within the parton pseudodistributions approach.