arXiv subjects

A. Ljubicic

Publications and source records attributed to A. Ljubicic.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Hunting up low-mass bosons from the Sun using HPGe detector

In this experiment we aim to look for keV-mass bosons emitted from the Sun, by looking at a process analogous to the photoelectric/Compton effect inside the HPGe detector. Their coupling to both electrons and nucleons is assumed. For masses above 25 keV, the mass dependence of our limit on the scalar-electron coupling reveals a constraint which proves stronger than that obtained recently and based on the very good agreement between the measured and predicted solar neutrino flux from the ^{8}B reaction. On the other hand, the mass dependence of our limit on the scalar-proton/electron coupling together entails a limit on a possible Yukawa addition to the gravitational inverse square low. Such a constraint on the Yukawa interactions proves much stronger than that derived from the latest AFM Casimir force measurement.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2010

Measurement of the atmospheric muon charge ratio with the OPERA detector

The OPERA detector at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) was used to measure the atmospheric muon charge ratio in the TeV energy region. We analyzed 403069 atmospheric muons corresponding to 113.4 days of livetime during the 2008 CNGS run. We computed separately the muon charge ratio for single and for multiple muon events in order to select different energy regions of the primary cosmic ray spectrum and to test the charge ratio dependence on the primary composition. The measured charge ratio values were corrected taking into account the charge-misidentification errors. Data have also been grouped in five bins of the "vertical surface energy". A fit to a simplified model of muon production in the atmosphere allowed the determination of the pion and kaon charge ratios weighted by the cosmic ray energy spectrum.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2010

Search for solar axion emission from 7Li and D(p,gamma)3He nuclear decays with the CAST gamma-ray calorimeter

We present the results of a search for a high-energy axion emission signal from 7Li (0.478 MeV) and D(p,gamma)3He (5.5 MeV) nuclear transitions using a low-background gamma-ray calorimeter during Phase I of the CAST experiment. These so-called "hadronic axions" could provide a solution to the long-standing strong-CP problem and can be emitted from the solar core from nuclear M1 transitions. This is the first such search for high-energy pseudoscalar bosons with couplings to nucleons conducted using a helioscope approach. No excess signal above background was found.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2008

Search for solar hadronic axions produced by a bremsstrahlung-like process

We have searched for hadronic axions which may be produced in the Sun by a bremsstrahlung-like process, and observed in the HPGe detector by an axioelectric effect. A conservative upper limit on the hadronic axion mass m_a < 334 eV at 95% C.L. is obtained. Our experimental approach is based on the axion-electron coupling and it does not include the axion-nucleon coupling, which suffers from the large uncertainties related to the estimation of the flavor-singlet axial-vector matrix element.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2008

Constraining theories of low-scale quantum gravity by non-observation of the bulk vector boson signal from the Sun

In this experiment we aim to detect Kaluza-Klein (KK) excitations of the bulk gauge field, emitted in a bremsstrahlung process on solar plasma constituents, by looking at a process analogous to the photoelectric effect inside the HPGe detector. Using a generic feature of the underlying effective theory that the unknown 4-dimensional gauge coupling is independent of the number of extra large dimensions delta, we show that the expected number of events in the detector is insensitive to the true scale of quantum gravity for delta=2. With the entire data collection time of 202 days in the energy interval 1.7 - 3.8 keV, the number of events detected was as low as 1.1x10^6, compared to 2.7x10^6 from the expected high multiplicity of the solar KK excitations for delta =2. Hence, our bound from the presumed existence of new forces associated with additional gauge bosons actually conforms with very stringent bounds set from various astrophysical considerations. Baring any modifications of the infrared part of the KK spectrum, this bound would therefore rule out the possibility of observing any signal at the LHC for delta=2. Although a dependence on the fundamental scale referring to 4+delta-dimensional gravity turns on again for delta=3, the experimental sensitivity of the present setup proves insufficient to draw any constraint for delta>2.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

Search for hadronic axions using axioelectric effect

We made a search for hadronic axions which could be emitted from the Sun in M1 transitions between the first 14.4 keV thermally excited and the ground state in Fe-57, and absorbed in the HPGe detector by axioelectric effect. An upper limit on hadronic axion mass of 400 eV is obtained at the 95% confidence level.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2004

A Search For Solar Hadronic Axions Using Kr-83

We introduce a new experimental method for solar hadronic axions search. It is suggested that these axions are created in the Sun during M1 transition between the first thermally excited level at 9.4 keV and the ground state in $^{83}Kr$. Our method is based on axion detection via resonant absorption process by the same nucleus in the laboratory. We use proportional gas counter filled with krypton to detect signals for axions. With this setup, target and detector are the same which increases the efficiency of the experiment. At present, an upper limit on hadronic axion mass of 5.5 keV at the 95% confidence level is obtained.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2001

Search for solar axions using Li-7

We describe a novel approach to the search for solar, near-monochromatic hadronic axions, the latter being suggested to be created in the solar core during M1 transitions between the first excited level of Li-7, at 478 keV, and the ground state. As a result of Doppler broadening, in principle these axions can be detected via resonant absorption by the same nuclide on the Earth. Excited nuclei of Li-7 are produced in the solar interior by Be-7 electron capture and thus the axions are accompanied by emission of Be-7 solar neutrinos of energy 384 keV. An experiment was made which has yielded an upper limit on hadronic axion mass of 32 keV at the 95% confidence level.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2000

Detection of weakly interacting light vector bosons by coherent scattering

We propose a novel experimental method to produce and detect weakly interacting light vector bosons using coherent processes in refractive media. A light vector boson would be produced by a laser photon scattered at a plane interface between two media of different dielectric properties and will be converted back to photon in the similar scattering process. The effect depends strongly on the indices of refraction of the two media. If incident and recovered photons were traveling through extremely high vacuums, limits on the existence of several light vector bosons could be substantially improved.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1998

Search for Solar Axions Using Fe-57

We have made a search for Fe-57 gamma rays of energy 14.4 keV induced by resonant absorption of monochromatic solar axions, as proposed by Moriyama. The proposed axions are suggested to be emitted from the Sun, in M1 transitions between the first, thermally excited state and the ground state of Fe-57. An upper limit on hadronic axion mass of 745 eV is obtained at the 95% confidence level, it being assumed that z=0.56 and S=0.5.

nucl-ex↗