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G. Bruno

Publications and source records attributed to G. Bruno.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Graphene-based absorber exploiting guided mode resonances in one-dimensional gratings

A one-dimensional dielectric grating, based on a simple geometry, is proposed and investigated to enhance light absorption in a monolayer graphene exploiting guided mode resonances. Numerical findings reveal that the optimized configuration is able to absorb up to 60% of the impinging light at normal incidence for both TE and TM polarizations resulting in a theoretical enhancement factor of about 26 with respect to the monolayer graphene absorption (about 2.3%). Experimental results confirm this behaviour showing CVD graphene absorbance peaks up to about 40% over narrow bands of few nanometers. The simple and flexible design paves the way for the realization of innovative, scalable and easy-to-fabricate graphene-based optical absorbers.

physics.optics↗

SOPHIE velocimetry of Kepler transit candidates XII. KOI-1257 b: a highly eccentric three-month period transiting exoplanet

In this paper we report a new transiting warm giant planet: KOI-1257 b. It was first detected in photometry as a planet-candidate by the ${\it Kepler}$ space telescope and then validated thanks to a radial velocity follow-up with the SOPHIE spectrograph. It orbits its host star with a period of 86.647661 d $\pm$ 3 s and a high eccentricity of 0.772 $\pm$ 0.045. The planet transits the main star of a metal-rich, relatively old binary system with stars of mass of 0.99 $\pm$ 0.05 Msun and 0.70 $ \pm $ 0.07 Msun for the primary and secondary, respectively. This binary system is constrained thanks to a self-consistent modelling of the ${\it Kepler}$ transit light curve, the SOPHIE radial velocities, line bisector and full-width half maximum (FWHM) variations, and the spectral energy distribution. However, future observations are needed to confirm it. The PASTIS fully-Bayesian software was used to validate the nature of the planet and to determine which star of the binary system is the transit host. By accounting for the dilution from the binary both in photometry and in radial velocity, we find that the planet has a mass of 1.45 $ \pm $ 0.35 Mjup, and a radius of 0.94 $ \pm $ 0.12 Rjup, and thus a bulk density of 2.1 $ \pm $ 1.2 g.cm$^{-3}$. The planet has an equilibrium temperature of 511 $\pm$ 50 K, making it one of the few known members of the warm-jupiter population. The HARPS-N spectrograph was also used to observe a transit of KOI-1257 b, simultaneously with a joint amateur and professional photometric follow-up, with the aim of constraining the orbital obliquity of the planet. However, the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect was not clearly detected, resulting in poor constraints on the orbital obliquity of the planet.

astro-ph.EP↗

Improvements on analytic modelling of stellar spots

In this work we present the solution of the stellar spot problem using the Kelvin-Stokes theorem. Our result is applicable for any given location and dimension of the spots on the stellar surface. We present explicitely the result up to the second degree in the limb darkening law. This technique can be used to calculate very efficiently mutual photometric effects produced by eclipsing bodies occulting stellar spots and to construct complex spot shapes.

astro-ph.EP↗

Observation and applications of single-electron charge signals in the XENON100 experiment

The XENON100 dark matter experiment uses liquid xenon in a time projection chamber (TPC) to measure xenon nuclear recoils resulting from the scattering of dark matter Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). In this paper, we report the observation of single-electron charge signals which are not related to WIMP interactions. These signals, which show the excellent sensitivity of the detector to small charge signals, are explained as being due to the photoionization of impurities in the liquid xenon and of the metal components inside the TPC. They are used as a unique calibration source to characterize the detector. We explain how we can infer crucial parameters for the XENON100 experiment: the secondary-scintillation gain, the extraction yield from the liquid to the gas phase and the electron drift velocity.

physics.ins-det↗

SOPHIE velocimetry of Kepler transit candidates XI. Kepler-412 system: probing the properties of a new inflated hot Jupiter

We confirm the planetary nature of Kepler-412b, listed as planet candidate KOI-202 in the Kepler catalog, thanks to our radial velocity follow-up program of Kepler-released planet candidates, which is on going with the SOPHIE spectrograph. We performed a complete analysis of the system by combining the Kepler observations from Q1 to Q15, to ground-based spectroscopic observations that allowed us to derive radial velocity measurements, together with the host star parameters and properties. We also analyzed the light curve to derive the star's rotation period and the phase function of the planet, including the secondary eclipse. We found the planet has a mass of 0.939 $\pm$ 0.085 M$_{Jup}$ and a radius of 1.325 $\pm$ 0.043 R$_{Jup}$ which makes it a member of the bloated giant subgroup. It orbits its G3 V host star in 1.72 days. The system has an isochronal age of 5.1 Gyr, consistent with its moderate stellar activity as observed in the Kepler light curve and the rotation of the star of 17.2 $\pm$ 1.6 days. From the detected secondary, we derived the day side temperature as a function of the geometric albedo and estimated the geometrical albedo, Ag, is in the range 0.094 to 0.013. The measured night side flux corresponds to a night side brightness temperature of 2154 $\pm$ 83 K, much greater than what is expected for a planet with homogeneous heat redistribution. From the comparison to star and planet evolution models, we found that dissipation should operate in the deep interior of the planet. This modeling also shows that despite its inflated radius, the planet presents a noticeable amount of heavy elements, which accounts for a mass fraction of 0.11 $\pm$ 0.04.

astro-ph.EP↗

SOPHIE velocimetry of Kepler transit candidates: X KOI-142c: first radial velocity confirmation of a non-transiting exoplanet discovered by transit timing

The exoplanet KOI-142b (Kepler-88b) shows transit timing variations (TTVs) with a semi-amplitude of $\sim 12\,$ hours, earning the nickname of "king of transit variations". Only the transit of the planet b was detected in the Kepler data with an orbital period of $\sim 10.92\,$ days and a radius of $\sim 0.36$ R$_{\mathrm{Jup}}$. The TTVs together with the transit duration variations (TDVs) of KOI-142b were analysed by Nesvorny et al. (2013) who found a unique solution for a companion perturbing planet. The authors predicted an outer non-transiting companion, KOI-142c, with a mass of $0.626\pm 0.03$ M$_{\mathrm{Jup}}$ and a period of $22.3397^{+0.0021}_{-0.0018}\,$days, and hence close to the 2:1 mean-motion resonance with the inner transiting planet. We report independent confirmation of KOI-142c using radial velocity observations with the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence. We derive an orbital period of $22.10 \pm 0.25\,$days and a minimum planetary mass of $0.76^{+0.32}_{0.16}\,$ M$_{\mathrm{Jup}}$, both in good agreement with the predictions by previous transit timing analysis. Therefore, this is the first radial velocity confirmation of a non-transiting planet discovered with transit timing variations, providing an independent validation of the TTVs technique.

astro-ph.EP↗

Analysis of the XENON100 Dark Matter Search Data

The XENON100 experiment, situated in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, aims at the direct detection of dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), based on their interactions with xenon nuclei in an ultra low background dual-phase time projection chamber. This paper describes the general methods developed for the analysis of the XENON100 data. These methods have been used in the 100.9 and 224.6 live days science runs from which results on spin-independent elastic, spin-dependent elastic and inelastic WIMP-nucleon cross-sections have already been reported.

astro-ph.IM↗

SOPHIE velocimetry of Kepler transit candidates IX. KOI-415 b: a long-period, eccentric transiting brown dwarf to an evolved Sun

We report the discovery of a long-period brown-dwarf transiting companion of the solar-type star KOI-415. The transits were detected by the Kepler space telescope. We conducted Doppler measurements using the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence. The photometric and spectroscopic signals allow us to characterize a 62.14+-2.69 Mjup, brown-dwarf companion of an evolved 0.94+-0.06 Msun star in a highly eccentric orbit of P = 166.78805+-0.00022 days and e = 0.698+-0.002. The radius of KOI-415 b is 0.79 (-0.07,+0.12) Rjup, a value that is compatible with theoretical predictions for a 10 Gyr, low-metallicity and non-irradiated object.

astro-ph.EP↗

The neutron background of the XENON100 dark matter experiment

The XENON100 experiment, installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), aims to directly detect dark matter in the form of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) via their elastic scattering off xenon nuclei. This paper presents a study on the nuclear recoil background of the experiment, taking into account neutron backgrounds from ($α$,n) and spontaneous fission reactions due to natural radioactivity in the detector and shield materials, as well as muon-induced neutrons. Based on Monte Carlo simulations and using measured radioactive contaminations of all detector components, we predict the nuclear recoil backgrounds for the WIMP search results published by the XENON100 experiment in 2011 and 2012, 0.11$^{+0.08}_{-0.04}$ events and 0.17$^{+0.12}_{-0.07}$ events, respectively, and conclude that they do not limit the sensitivity of the experiment.

astro-ph.IM↗

Response of the XENON100 Dark Matter Detector to Nuclear Recoils

Results from the nuclear recoil calibration of the XENON100 dark matter detector installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), Italy are presented. Data from measurements with an external 241AmBe neutron source are compared with a detailed Monte Carlo simulation which is used to extract the energy dependent charge-yield Qy and relative scintillation efficiency Leff. A very good level of absolute spectral matching is achieved in both observable signal channels - scintillation S1 and ionization S2 - along with agreement in the 2-dimensional particle discrimination space. The results confirm the validity of the derived signal acceptance in earlier reported dark matter searches of the XENON100 experiment.

astro-ph.IM↗

KOI-200b and KOI-889b: two transiting exoplanets detected and characterized with Kepler, SOPHIE and HARPS-N

We present the detection and characterization of the two new transiting, close-in, giant extrasolar planets KOI-200b and KOI-889b. They were first identified by the Kepler team as promising candidates from photometry of the Kepler satellite, then we established their planetary nature thanks to the radial velocity follow-up jointly secured with the spectrographs SOPHIE and HARPS-N. Combined analyses of the whole datasets allow the two planetary systems to be characterized. The planet KOI-200b has mass and radius of 0.68 +/- 0.09 M_Jup and 1.32 +/- 0.14 R_Jup; it orbits in 7.34 days a F8V host star with mass and radius of 1.40 (+0.14/-0.11) M_Sun and 1.51 +/- 0.14 R_Sun. KOI-889b is a massive planet with mass and radius of 9.9 +/- 0.5 M_Jup and 1.03 +/- 0.06 R_Jup; it orbits in 8.88 days an active G8V star with a rotation period of 19.2 +/- 0.3 days, and mass and radius of 0.88 +/- 0.06 M_Sun and 0.88 +/- 0.04 R_Sun. Both planets lie on eccentric orbits and are located just at the frontier between regimes where the tides can explain circularization and where tidal effects are negligible. The two planets are among the first ones detected and characterized thanks to observations secured with HARPS-N, the new spectrograph recently mounted at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo. These results illustrate the benefits that could be obtained from joint studies using two spectrographs as SOPHIE and HARPS-N.

astro-ph.EP↗

Light output response of the LVD liquid scintillator to neutron-induced nuclear recoils

The organic liquid scintillator used in the LVD experiment (INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory) has been exposed to an Am-Be neutron source to measure the light response function for neutron energies in the region from about 4 to 11 MeV. A full Monte Carlo simulation, incorporating the detector response, is used to generate neutron scattering spectra which are matched to the observed ones to determine the quenching factors. The obtained light output response is well described by the semi-empirical Birks model. The results, consistent with those obtained by other authors using similar hydrocarbonate scintillators, can be of interest for fast and high-energy neutron spectroscopy that could be performed with this detector.

physics.ins-det↗

Dark Matter Results from 225 Live Days of XENON100 Data

We report on a search for particle dark matter with the XENON100 experiment, operated at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) for 13 months during 2011 and 2012. XENON100 features an ultra-low electromagnetic background of (5.3 \pm 0.6) \times 10^-3 events (kg day keVee)^-1 in the energy region of interest. A blind analysis of 224.6 live days \times 34 kg exposure has yielded no evidence for dark matter interactions. The two candidate events observed in the pre-defined nuclear recoil energy range of 6.6-30.5 keVnr are consistent with the background expectation of (1.0 \pm 0.2) events. A Profile Likelihood analysis using a 6.6-43.3 keVnr energy range sets the most stringent limit on the spin-independent elastic WIMP-nucleon scattering cross section for WIMP masses above 8 GeV/c^2, with a minimum of 2 \times 10^-45 cm^2 at 55 GeV/c^2 and 90% confidence level.

astro-ph.CO↗

Limits on spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross sections from 225 live days of XENON100 data

We present new experimental constraints on the elastic, spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross section using recent data from the XENON100 experiment, operated in the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. An analysis of 224.6 live days x 34 kg of exposure acquired during 2011 and 2012 revealed no excess signal due to axial-vector WIMP interactions with 129-Xe and 131-Xe nuclei. This leads to the most stringent upper limits on WIMP-neutron cross sections for WIMP masses above 6 GeV, with a minimum cross section of 3.5 x 10^{-40} cm^2 at a WIMP mass of 45 GeV, at 90% confidence level.

astro-ph.CO↗

Comment on "On the subtleties of searching for dark matter with liquid xenon detectors"

In a recent manuscript (arXiv:1208.5046) Peter Sorensen claims that XENON100's upper limits on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross sections for WIMP masses below 10 GeV "may be understated by one order of magnitude or more". Having performed a similar, though more detailed analysis prior to the submission of our new result (arXiv:1207.5988), we do not confirm these findings. We point out the rationale for not considering the described effect in our final analysis and list several potential problems with his study.

astro-ph.CO↗

Measurement of the velocity of neutrinos from the CNGS beam with the Large Volume Detector

We report the measurement of the time-of-flight of ~17 GeV muon neutrinos on the CNGS baseline (732 km) with the Large Volume Detector (LVD) at the Gran Sasso Laboratory. The CERN-SPS accelerator has been operated from May 10th to May 24th 2012, with a tightly bunched-beam structure to allow the velocity of neutrinos to be accurately measured on an event-by-event basis. LVD has detected 48 neutrino events, associated to the beam, with a high absolute time accuracy. These events allow to establish the following limit on the difference between the neutrino speed and the light velocity: -3.8 x 10-6 < (v-c)/c < 3.1 x 10-6 (at 99% C.L.). This value is an order of magnitude lower than previous direct measurements.

hep-ex↗

Implications on Inelastic Dark Matter from 100 Live Days of XENON100 Data

The XENON100 experiment has recently completed a dark matter run with 100.9 live-days of data, taken from January to June 2010. Events in a 48kg fiducial volume in the energy range between 8.4 and 44.6 keVnr have been analyzed. A total of three events have been found in the predefined signal region, compatible with the background prediction of (1.8 \pm 0.6) events. Based on this analysis we present limits on the WIMP-nucleon cross section for inelastic dark matter. With the present data we are able to rule out the explanation for the observed DAMA/LIBRA modulation as being due to inelastic dark matter scattering off iodine at a 90% confidence level.

astro-ph.CO↗

Dark Matter Results from 100 Live Days of XENON100 Data

We present results from the direct search for dark matter with the XENON100 detector, installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN, Italy. XENON100 is a two-phase time projection chamber with a 62 kg liquid xenon target. Interaction vertex reconstruction in three dimensions with millimeter precision allows to select only the innermost 48 kg as ultra-low background fiducial target. In 100.9 live days of data, acquired between January and June 2010, no evidence for dark matter is found. Three candidate events were observed in a pre-defined signal region with an expected background of 1.8 +/- 0.6 events. This leads to the most stringent limit on dark matter interactions today, excluding spin-independent elastic WIMP-nucleon scattering cross-sections above 7.0x10^-45 cm^2 for a WIMP mass of 50 GeV/c^2 at 90% confidence level.

astro-ph.CO↗