arXiv subjects

C. Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to C. Zhang.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Background Radiation Measurements at High Power Research Reactors

Research reactors host a wide range of activities that make use of the intense neutron fluxes generated at these facilities. Recent interest in performing measurements with relatively low event rates, e.g. reactor antineutrino detection, at these facilities necessitates a detailed understanding of background radiation fields. Both reactor-correlated and naturally occurring background sources are potentially important, even at levels well below those of importance for typical activities. Here we describe a comprehensive series of background assessments at three high-power research reactors, including $γ$-ray, neutron, and muon measurements. For each facility we describe the characteristics and identify the sources of the background fields encountered. The general understanding gained of background production mechanisms and their relationship to facility features will prove valuable for the planning of any sensitive measurement conducted therein.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

7Be Solar Neutrino Measurement with KamLAND

We report a measurement of the neutrino-electron elastic scattering rate of 862 keV 7Be solar neutrinos based on a 165.4 kton-day exposure of KamLAND. The observed rate is 582 +/- 90 (kton-day)^-1, which corresponds to a 862 keV 7Be solar neutrino flux of (3.26 +/- 0.50) x 10^9 cm^-2s^-1, assuming a pure electron flavor flux. Comparing this flux with the standard solar model prediction and further assuming three flavor mixing, a nu_e survival probability of 0.66 +/- 0.14 is determined from the KamLAND data. Utilizing a global three flavor oscillation analysis, we obtain a total 7Be solar neutrino flux of (5.82 +/- 0.98) x 10^9 cm^-2s^-1, which is consistent with the standard solar model predictions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2015

Light Collection and Pulse-Shape Discrimination in Elongated Scintillator Cells for the PROSPECT Reactor Antineutrino Experiment

A meter-long, 23-liter EJ-309 liquid scintillator detector has been constructed to study the light collection and pulse-shape discrimination performance of elongated scintillator cells for the PROSPECT reactor antineutrino experiment. The magnitude and uniformity of light collection and neutron/gamma discrimination power in the energy range of antineutrino inverse beta decay products have been studied using gamma and spontaneous fission calibration sources deployed along the cell long axis. We also study neutron-gamma discrimination and light collection abilities for differing PMT and reflector configurations. Key design features for optimizing MeV-scale response and background rejection capabilities are identified.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

Equilibrium Phases of Tilted Dipolar Lattice Bosons

The recent advances in creating nearly degenerate quantum dipolar gases in optical lattices are opening the doors for the exploration of equilibrium physics of quantum systems with anisotropic and long-range dipolar interactions. In this paper we study the zero- and finite-temperature phase diagrams of a system of hard-core dipolar bosons at half-filling, trapped in a two-dimensional optical lattice. The dipoles are aligned parallel to one another and tilted out of the optical lattice plane by means of an external electric field. At zero-temperature, the system is a superfluid at all tilt angles $θ$ provided that the strength of dipolar interaction is below a critical value $V_c(θ)$. Upon increasing the interaction strength while keeping $θ$ fixed, the superfluid phase is destabilized in favor of a checkerboard or a stripe solid depending on the tilt angle. We explore the nature of the phase transition between the two solid phases and find evidence of a micro-emulsion phase, following the Spivak-Kivelson scenario, separating these two solid phases. Additionally, we study the stability of these quantum phases against thermal fluctuations and find that the stripe solid is the most robust, making it the best candidate for experimental observation.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2015

Optical spectroscopy study of three dimensional Dirac semimetal ZrTe$_5$

Three dimensional (3D) topological Dirac materials are under intensive study recently. The layered compound ZrTe$_5$ has been suggested to be one of them by transport and ARPES experiments. Here, we perform infrared reflectivity measurement to investigate the underlying physics of this material. The derived optical conductivity exhibits linear increasing with frequency below normal interband transitions, which provides the first optical spectroscopic proof of a 3D Dirac semimetal. Apart from that, the plasma edge shifts dramatically to lower energy upon temperature cooling, which might be associated with the consequence of lattice parameter shrinking. In addition, an extremely sharp peak shows up in the frequency dependent optical conductivity, indicating the presence of a Van Hove singularity in the joint density of state.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2015

Einstein Probe - a small mission to monitor and explore the dynamic X-ray Universe

Einstein Probe is a small mission dedicated to time-domain high-energy astrophysics. Its primary goals are to discover high-energy transients and to monitor variable objects in the $0.5-4~$keV X-rays, at higher sensitivity by one order of magnitude than those of the ones currently in orbit. Its wide-field imaging capability, featuring a large instantaneous field-of-view ($60^\circ \times60^\circ$, $\sim1.1$sr), is achieved by using established technology of micro-pore (MPO) lobster-eye optics, thereby offering unprecedentedly high sensitivity and large Grasp. To complement this powerful monitoring ability, it also carries a narrow-field, sensitive follow-up X-ray telescope based on the same MPO technology to perform follow-up observations of newly-discovered transients. Public transient alerts will be downlinked rapidly, so as to trigger multi-wavelength follow-up observations from the world-wide community. Over three of its 97-minute orbits almost the entire night sky will be sampled, with cadences ranging from 5 to 25 times per day. The scientific objectives of the mission are: to discover otherwise quiescent black holes over all astrophysical mass scales by detecting their rare X-ray transient flares, particularly tidal disruption of stars by massive black holes at galactic centers; to detect and precisely locate the electromagnetic sources of gravitational-wave transients; to carry out systematic surveys of X-ray transients and characterize the variability of X-ray sources. Einstein Probe has been selected as a candidate mission of priority (no further selection needed) in the Space Science Programme of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aiming for launch around 2020.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Nanostructure of edge dislocations in a smectic C* liquid crystal

We report on the first direct nanoscale imaging of elementary edge dislocations in a thermotropic chiral smectic C liquid crystal with the Burgers vector equal to one smectic layer spacing d. We find two different types of dislocation profiles. In the dislocation of type A, the layers deformations lack mirror symmetry with respect to the plane perpendicular to the Burgers vector; the dislocation core size is on the order of d. In the dislocation of type S, the core is strongly anisotropic, extending along the Burgers vector over distances much larger (by a factor of 4) than d. The difference is attributed to a different orientation of the molecular tilt plane with respect to the dislocation axis; the asymmetric layers distortions are observed when the molecular tilt plane is perpendicular to the axis and the split S core is observed when the molecules are tilted along the line.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2015

Neutron Calibration Sources in the Daya Bay Experiment

We describe the design and construction of the low rate neutron calibration sources used in the Daya Bay Reactor Anti-neutrino Experiment. Such sources are free of correlated gamma-neutron emission, which is essential in minimizing induced background in the anti-neutrino detector. The design characteristics have been validated in the Daya Bay anti-neutrino detector.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

A compact ultra-clean system for deploying radioactive sources inside the KamLAND detector

We describe a compact, ultra-clean device used to deploy radioactive sources along the vertical axis of the KamLAND liquid-scintillator neutrino detector for purposes of calibration. The device worked by paying out and reeling in precise lengths of a hanging, small-gauge wire rope (cable); an assortment of interchangeable radioactive sources could be attached to a weight at the end of the cable. All components exposed to the radiopure liquid scintillator were made of chemically compatible UHV-cleaned materials, primarily stainless steel, in order to avoid contaminating or degrading the scintillator. To prevent radon intrusion, the apparatus was enclosed in a hermetically sealed housing inside a glove box, and both volumes were regularly flushed with purified nitrogen gas. An infrared camera attached to the side of the housing permitted real-time visual monitoring of the cable's motion, and the system was controlled via a graphical user interface.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

PROSPECT - A Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum Experiment at Short Baselines

Current models of antineutrino production in nuclear reactors predict detection rates and spectra at odds with the existing body of direct reactor antineutrino measurements. High-resolution antineutrino detectors operated close to compact research reactor cores can produce new precision measurements useful in testing explanations for these observed discrepancies involving underlying nuclear or new physics. Absolute measurement of the 235U-produced antineutrino spectrum can provide additional constraints for evaluating the accuracy of current and future reactor models, while relative measurements of spectral distortion between differing baselines can be used to search for oscillations arising from the existence of eV-scale sterile neutrinos. Such a measurement can be performed in the United States at several highly-enriched uranium fueled research reactors using near-surface segmented liquid scintillator detectors. We describe here the conceptual design and physics potential of the PROSPECT experiment, a U.S.-based, multi-phase experiment with reactor-detector baselines of 7-20 meters capable of addressing these and other physics and detector development goals. Current R&D status and future plans for PROSPECT detector deployment and data-taking at the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will be discussed.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

Improving Photoelectron Counting and Particle Identification in Scintillation Detectors with Bayesian Techniques

Many current and future dark matter and neutrino detectors are designed to measure scintillation light with a large array of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). The energy resolution and particle identification capabilities of these detectors depend in part on the ability to accurately identify individual photoelectrons in PMT waveforms despite large variability in pulse amplitudes and pulse pileup. We describe a Bayesian technique that can identify the times of individual photoelectrons in a sampled PMT waveform without deconvolution, even when pileup is present. To demonstrate the technique, we apply it to the general problem of particle identification in single-phase liquid argon dark matter detectors. Using the output of the Bayesian photoelectron counting algorithm described in this paper, we construct several test statistics for rejection of backgrounds for dark matter searches in argon. Compared to simpler methods based on either observed charge or peak finding, the photoelectron counting technique improves both energy resolution and particle identification of low energy events in calibration data from the DEAP-1 detector and simulation of the larger MiniCLEAN dark matter detector.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

Tunable Spin-Orbit Coupling via Strong Driving in Ultracold Atom Systems

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is an essential ingredient in topological materials, conventional and quantum-gas based alike.~Engineered spin-orbit coupling in ultracold atom systems --unique in their experimental control and measurement opportunities-- provides a major opportunity to investigate and understand topological phenomena.~Here we experimentally demonstrate and theoretically analyze a technique for controlling SOC in a two component Bose-Einstein condensate using amplitude-modulated Raman coupling.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2014

Measuring Muon-Induced Neutrons with Liquid Scintillation Detector at Soudan Mine

We report a direct detection of muon-induced high energy neutrons with a 12-liter neutron detector fabricated with EJ-301 liquid scintillator operating at Soudan Mine for about two years. The detector response to energy from a few MeV up to $\sim$ 20 MeV has been calibrated using radioactive sources and cosmic-ray muons. Subsequently, we have calculated the scintillation efficiency for nuclear recoils, up to a few hundred MeV, using Birks' law in the Monte Carlo simulation. Data from an exposure of 655.1 days were analyzed and neutron-induced recoil events were observed in the energy region from 4 MeV to 50 MeV, corresponding to fast neutrons with kinetic energy up to a few hundred MeV, depending on the scattering angle. Combining with the Monte Carlo simulation, the muon-induced fast neutron flux is determined to be $(2.3 \pm 0.52 (sta.) \pm 0.99 (sys.) ) \times10^{-9}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ (E$_{n}$ $>$ 20 MeV), in a reasonable agreement with the model prediction. The muon flux is found to be ($1.65\pm 0.02 (sta.) \pm 0.1 (sys.) ) \times10^{-7}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ (E$_μ$ $>$ 1 GeV), consistent with other measurements. As a result, the muon-induced high energy gamma-ray flux is simulated to be 7.08 $\times$10$^{-7}$cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ (E$_γ$ $>$ 1 MeV) for the depth of Soudan.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

Equilibrium phases of two-dimensional bosons in quasi-periodic lattices

We report on results of Quantum Monte Carlo simulations for bosons in a two dimensional quasi-periodic optical lattice. We study the ground state phase diagram at unity filling and confirm the existence of three phases: superfluid, Mott insulator, and Bose glass. At lower interaction strength, we find that sizable disorder strength is needed in order to destroy superfluidity in favor of the Bose glass. On the other hand, at large enough interaction superfluidity is completely destroyed in favor of the Mott insulator (at lower disorder strength) or the Bose glass (at larger disorder strength). At intermediate interactions, the system undergoes an insulator to superfluid transition upon increasing the disorder, while a further increase of disorder strength drives the superfluid to Bose glass phase transition. While we are not able to discern between the Mott insulator and the Bose glass at intermediate interactions, we study the transition between these two phases at larger interaction strength and, unlike what reported in arXiv:1110.3213v3 for random disorder, find no evidence of a Mott-glass-like behavior.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2014

Advanced Scintillator Detector Concept (ASDC): A Concept Paper on the Physics Potential of Water-Based Liquid Scintillator

The recent development of Water-based Liquid Scintillator (WbLS), and the concurrent development of high-efficiency and high-precision-timing light sensors, has opened up the possibility for a new kind of large-scale detector capable of a very broad program of physics. The program would include determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy and observation of CP violation with long-baseline neutrinos, searches for proton decay, ultra-precise solar neutrino measurements, geo- and supernova neutrinos including diffuse supernova antineutrinos, and neutrinoless double beta decay. We outline here the basic requirements of the Advanced Scintillation Detector Concept (ASDC), which combines the use of WbLS, doping with a number of potential isotopes for a range of physics goals, high efficiency and ultra-fast timing photosensors, and a deep underground location. We are considering such a detector at the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) far site, where the ASDC could operate in conjunction with the liquid argon tracking detector proposed by the LBNE collaboration. The goal is the deployment of a 30-100 kiloton-scale detector, the basic elements of which are being developed now in experiments such as WATCHMAN, ANNIE, SNO+, and EGADS.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

A Multiperiod OPF Model Under Renewable Generation Uncertainty and Demand Side Flexibility

Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar have received much attention in recent years and large amount of renewable generation is being integrated to the electricity networks. A fundamental challenge in power system operation is to handle the intermittent nature of the renewable generation. In this paper we present a stochastic programming approach to solve a multiperiod optimal power flow problem under renewable generation uncertainty. The proposed approach consists of two stages. In the first stage operating points for conventional power plants are determined. Second stage realizes the generation from renewable resources and optimally accommodates it by relying on demand-side flexibility. The benefits from its application are demonstrated and discussed on a 4-bus and a 39-bus systems. Numerical results show that with limited flexibility on the demand-side substantial benefits in terms of potential additional re-dispatch costs can be achieved. The scaling properties of the approach are finally analysed based on standard IEEE test cases upto 300 buses, allowing to underlined its computational efficiency.

math.OC↗

arXiv2014

Observations from measurable sets and applications

We find new quantitative estimates on the space-time analyticity of solutions to linear parabolic equations with time-independent coefficients and apply them to obtain observability inequalities for its solutions over measurable sets.

math.OC↗

arXiv2014

Two superconducting phases and their characteristics in layered BaTi2(Sb1-xBix)2O with x=0.16

Two correlated superconducting phases are identified in layered superconductor BaTi2(Sb1-xBix)2O (x=0.16), with the superconducting transition temperatures of TC = 6 K (the high TC phase) and 3.4 K (the low TC Phase), respectively. The 6 K superconducting phase appears firstly in the as-prepared sample and can decay into the low TC phase by exposing to ambient atmosphere for certain duration. Especially the high TC phase can reappear from the decayed sample with the low TC phase by vacuum annealing. It is also found that the CDW/SDW order occurs only with the 6 K superconducting phase. These notable features and alteration of superconductivity due to the post-processing and external pressure can be explained by the scenario of electronic phase-separation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗