arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A. Ferrari.
The FLUKA calculation of the atmospheric neutrino fluxes have been cross-checked by comparing predictions on lepton fluxes in atmosphere to experimental data. The dependence of predicted neutrino fluxes on the shape and normalization of primary spectrum is also investigated
In order to benchmark the 3-dimensional calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux based on the FLUKA Monte Carlo code, muon fluxes in the atmosphere have been computed and compared with data taken by the CAPRICE94 experiment at ground level and at different altitudes in the atmosphere. For this purpose only two additions have been introduced with respect to the neutrino flux calculation: the specific solar modulation corresponding to the period of data taking and the bending of charged particles in the atmosphere. Results are in good agreement with experimental data, although improvements in the model are possible. At this level, however, it is not possible to disentangle the interplay between the primary flux and the interaction model.
Fast neutrons from cosmic-ray muons are an important background to underground low energy experiments. The estimate of such background is often hampered by the difficulty of measuring and calculating neutron production with sufficient accuracy. Indeed substantial disagreement exists between the different analytical calculations performed so far, while data reported by different experiments is not always consistent. We discuss a new unified approach to estimate the neutron yield, the energy spectrum, the multiplicity and the angular distribution from cosmic muons using the Monte Carlo simulation package FLUKA and show that it gives a good description of most of the existing measurements once the appropriate corrections have been applied.
We study, by numerical simulations, the entrainment process in a supersonic, radiative jet flow, during the evolution of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, in the context of the the acceleration problem of molecular bipolar outflows, observed in Giant Molecular Clouds. Our results show that a large fraction of the initial jet momentum can be transferred to the ambient medium by this process. We therefore analyze in detail the instability evolution and compare some of the main observational properties of molecular outflows with those of the entrained material that we observe in our simulations. In particular, we find a good agreement for the mass vs. velocity distribution and for the outflow collimation structure, especially when a light jet is moving into a denser ambient medium. This is probably the case for (obscured) optical jets driving powerful molecular outflows in the denser environment of the inner regions of molecular clouds.
The CLIC (Compact Linear Collider) RF power source is based on a new scheme of electron pulse compression and bunch frequency multiplication using injection by transverse RF deflectors into an isochronous ring. In this paper, we describe the modifications needed in the present LEP Pre-Injector (LPI) complex at CERN in order to perform a low-charge test of the scheme. The design of the injector (including the new thermionic gun), of the modified linac, of the matched injection line, and of the isochronous ring lattice, are presented. The results of preliminary isochronicity measurements made on the present installation are also discussed.
The analysis of the stability properties of astrophysical jets against Kelvin-Helmholtz (or shear-layer) instabilities plays a basic role in the understanding the origin and physical characteristics of these objects. Numerical simulations by Bodo et al. (1998) have shown that the three-dimensional non-linear evolution of KH instabilities in supersonic jets is substantially faster than in the two-dimensional case, leading to a cascade of modes towards smaller scales and a very effective mixing and momentum transfer to the ambient medium. On the other hand, Rossi et al. (1997) and Micono et al. (1998) found, in two dimensions, that radiative losses tend to reduce and delay mixing effects and momentum transfer to the ambient medium. In this paper, as a logical next step, we investigate the effects of radiative losses on the stability of 3D supersonic jets, assuming that the internal jet density is initially lower, equal and higher than the ambient medium, respectively. We find that light and equal-density radiative jets evolve in a qualitatively similar fashion with respect to the corresponding adiabatic ones. Conversely, we note substantial differences in the evolution of heavy jets: they remain more collimated and do not spread out, while the momentum gained by the ambient medium stays within ~ 5 jet radii.
Recent HST observations suggest that the NLR in Seyfert Galaxies can be the result of interaction between jet and external inhomogeneous medium; following this suggestion we perform numerical simulations considering the impact of a radiative jet on a dense cloud. We approach the problem adopting a hydrodynamical code, that consents us to study in detail the jet hydrodynamics, while we choose a more simplified treatment of radiative processes, in order to give a qualitatively good interpretation of the emission processes. Our three main purposes are: i) to reproduce in our simulations the physical conditions observed in the NLR of Seyfert Galaxies, ii) to obtain physical constraints of the jet parameters and iii) to study the jet capability to photoionize the surrounding medium.
An extensive 3-dimensional Monte Carlo calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux is in progress with the FLUKA Monte Carlo code. The results are compared to those obtained under the 1-dimensional approximation, where secondary particles and decay products are assumed to be collinear to the primary cosmic ray, as usually done in most of the already existing flux calculations. It is shown that the collinear approximation gives rise to a wrong angular distribution of neutrinos, essentially in the Sub-GeV region. However, the angular smearing introduced by the experimental inability of detecting recoils in neutrino interactions with nuclei is large enough to wash out, in practice, most of the differences between 3-dimensional and 1-dimensional flux calculations. Therefore, the use of the collinear approximation should have not introduced a significant bias in the determination of the flavor oscillation parameters in current experiments.
We calculate the temporal evolution of distributions of relativistic electrons subject to synchrotron and adiabatic processes and Fermi-like acceleration in shocks. The shocks result from Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in the jet. Shock formation and particle acceleration are treated in a self-consistent way by means of a numerical hydrocode. We show that in our model the number of relativistic particles is conserved during the evolution, with no need of further injections of supra-thermal particles after the initial one. From our calculations, we derive predictions for values and trends of quantities like the spectral index and the cutoff frequency that can be compared with observations.
A detailed simulation of vertical showers in atmosphere produced by primary gammas and protons, in the energy range 1-100 TeV, has been performed by means of the FLUKA Monte Carlo code, with the aim of studying the time structure of the shower front at different detector heights. It turns out that the time delay distribution can be fitted using few parameters coincident with the distribution central moments. Such parameters exhibit a smooth behaviour as a function of energy. These results can be used both for detector design and for the interpretation of the existing measurements. Differences in the time structure between gamma and proton induced showers are found and explained in terms of the non-relativistic component of extensive air showers.
A formation zone intranuclear cascade model is applied to peripheral nucleus-nucleus collisions. We calculate the excitation energies of prefragments, treat their further nuclear disintegration and introduce a model for nuclear deexcitation by photon emission. Results are compared to data on target associated particle production in nucleus-nucleus collisions. We discuss implications of these models to the description of particle production in the fragmentation regions. Special emphasis is put on applications for air showers induced by cosmic ray nuclei and for residual nucleus production at heavy ion colliders.
Based on a Monte Carlo realization of the Dual Parton Model we study the production of target associated particles and of nuclear fragments in high energy hadron-nucleus interactions. A formation zone intranuclear cascade of low energy secondaries inside the target nucleus is discussed. We calculate excitation energies of residual nuclei left after the intranuclear cascade process and treat their further disintegration by introducing models for the evaporation of protons, neutrons, and light fragments, high energy fission, and by applying a Fermi Break-up model to light nuclear fragments. The results are compared to data on target associated particle production. We furthermore calculate cross sections for the production of nuclear fragments.
We present the results of a numerical analysis of the propagation and interaction of a supersonic jet with the external medium. We discuss the motion of the head of the jet into the ambient in different physical conditions, carrying out calculations with different Mach numbers and density ratios of the jet to the exteriors. Performing the calculation in a reference frame in motion with the jet head, we can follow in detail its long term dynamics. This numerical scheme allows us also to study the morphology of the cocoon for different physical parameters. We find that the propagation velocity of the jet head into the ambient medium strongly influences the morphology of the cocoon, and this result can be relevant in connection to the origin and structure of lobes in extragalactic radiosources.