arXiv subjects

P. R. Sala

Publications and source records attributed to P. R. Sala.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

Cosmic-ray interactions with the Sun using the FLUKA code

The interactions of cosmic rays with the solar atmosphere produce secondary particle which can reach the Earth. In this work we present a comprehensive calculation of the yields of secondary particles as gamma-rays, electrons, positrons, neutrons and neutrinos performed with the FLUKA code. We also estimate the intensity at the Sun and the fluxes at the Earth of these secondary particles by folding their yields with the intensities of cosmic rays impinging on the solar surface. The results are sensitive on the assumptions on the magnetic field nearby the Sun and to the cosmic-ray transport in the magnetic field in the inner solar system.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2018

Demonstration of MeV-Scale Physics in Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers Using ArgoNeuT

MeV-scale energy depositions by low-energy photons produced in neutrino-argon interactions have been identified and reconstructed in ArgoNeuT liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) data. ArgoNeuT data collected on the NuMI beam at Fermilab were analyzed to select isolated low-energy depositions in the TPC volume. The total number, reconstructed energies and positions of these depositions have been compared to those from simulations of neutrino-argon interactions using the FLUKA Monte Carlo generator. Measured features are consistent with energy depositions from photons produced by de-excitation of the neutrino's target nucleus and by inelastic scattering of primary neutrons produced by neutrino-argon interactions. This study represents a successful reconstruction of physics at the MeV-scale in a LArTPC, a capability of crucial importance for detection and reconstruction of supernova and solar neutrino interactions in future large LArTPCs.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Hadronic interactions of primary cosmic rays with the FLUKA code

The measured fluxes of secondary particles produced by the interactions of cosmic rays with the astronomical environment represent a powerful tool to infer some properties of primary cosmic rays. In this work we investigate the production of secondary particles in inelastic hadronic interactions between several cosmic rays species of projectiles and different target nuclei of the interstellar medium. The yields of secondary particles have been calculated with the FLUKA simulation package, that provides with very good accuracy the energy distributions of secondary products in a large energy range. An application to the propagation and production of secondaries in the Galaxy is presented.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

Production of secondary particles and nuclei in cosmic rays collisions with the interstellar gas using the FLUKA code

The measured fluxes of secondary particles produced by the interactions of Cosmic Rays (CRs) with the astronomical environment play a crucial role in understanding the physics of CR transport. In this work we present a comprehensive calculation of the secondary hadron, lepton, gamma-ray and neutrino yields produced by the inelastic interactions between several species of stable or long-lived cosmic rays projectiles (p, D, T, 3He, 4He, 6Li, 7Li, 9Be, 10Be, 10B, 11B, 12C, 13C, 14C, 14N, 15N, 16O, 17O, 18O, 20Ne, 24Mg and 28Si) and different target gas nuclei (p, 4He, 12C, 14N, 16O, 20Ne, 24Mg, 28Si and 40Ar). The yields are calculated using FLUKA, a simulation package designed to compute the energy distributions of secondary products with large accuracy in a wide energy range. The present results provide, for the first time, a complete and self-consistent set of all the relevant inclusive cross sections regarding the whole spectrum of secondary products in nuclear collisions. We cover, for the projectiles, a kinetic energy range extending from $0.1 GeV/n$ up to $100 TeV/n$ in the lab frame. In order to show the importance of our results for multi-messenger studies about the physics of CR propagation, we evaluate the propagated spectra of Galactic secondary nuclei, leptons, and gamma rays produced by the interactions of CRs with the insterstellar gas, exploiting the numerical codes DRAGON and GammaSky. We show that, adopting our cross section database, we are able to provide a good fit of a complete sample of CR observables, including: leptonic and hadronic spectra measured at Earth, the local interstellar spectra measured by Voyager, and the gamma-ray emissivities from Fermi-LAT collaboration. We also show a set of gamma-ray and neutrino full-sky maps and spectra.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Operation and performance of the ICARUS-T600 cryogenic plant at Gran Sasso underground Laboratory

ICARUS T600 liquid argon time projection chamber is the first large mass electronic detector of a new generation able to combine the imaging capabilities of the old bubble chambers with the excellent calorimetric energy measurement. After the three months demonstration run on surface in Pavia during 2001, the T600 cryogenic plant was significantly revised, in terms of reliability and safety, in view of its long-term operation in an underground environment. The T600 detector was activated in Hall B of the INFN Gran Sasso Laboratory during Spring 2010, where it was operated without interruption for about three years, taking data exposed to the CERN to Gran Sasso long baseline neutrino beam and cosmic rays. In this paper the T600 cryogenic plant is described in detail together with the commissioning procedures that lead to the successful operation of the detector shortly after the end of the filling with liquid Argon. Overall plant performance and stability during the long-term underground operation are discussed. Finally, the decommissioning procedures, carried out about six months after the end of the CNGS neutrino beam operation, are reported.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2013

Extended calibration range for prompt photon emission in ion beam irradiation

Monitoring the dose delivered during proton and carbon ion therapy is still a matter of research. Among the possible solutions, several exploit the measurement of the single photon emission from nuclear decays induced by the irradiation. To fully characterize such emission the detectors need development, since the energy spectrum spans the range above the MeV that is not traditionally used in medical applications. On the other hand, a deeper understanding of the reactions involving gamma production is needed in order to improve the physic models of Monte Carlo codes, relevant for an accurate prediction of the prompt-gamma energy spectrum.This paper describes a calibration technique tailored for the range of energy of interest and reanalyzes the data of the interaction of a 80MeV/u fully stripped carbon ion beam with a Poly-methyl methacrylate target. By adopting the FLUKA simulation with the appropriate calibration and resolution a significant improvement in the agreement between data and simulation is reported.

physics.med-ph↗

arXiv2009

A model for multifragmentation in heavy-ion reactions

From an experimental point of view, clear signatures of multifragmentation have been detected by different experiments. On the other hand, from a theoretical point of view, many different models, built on the basis of totally different and often even contrasting assumptions, have been provided to explain them. In this contribution we show the capabilities and the shortcomings of one of this models, a QMD code developed by us and coupled to the nuclear de-excitation module taken from the multipurpose transport and interaction code FLUKA, in reproducing the multifragmentation observations recently reported by the INDRA collaboration for the reaction Nb + Mg at a 30 MeV/A projectile bombarding energy. As far as fragment production is concerned, we also briefly discuss the isoscaling technique by considering reactions characterized by a different isospin asymmetry, and we explain how the QMD + FLUKA model can be applied to obtain information on the slope of isotopic yield ratios, which is crucially related to the symmetry energy of asymmetric nuclear matter.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2007

Secondary Cosmic Ray particles due to GCR interactions in the Earth's atmosphere

Primary GCR interact with the Earth's atmosphere originating atmospheric showers, thus giving rise to fluxes of secondary particles in the atmosphere. Electromagnetic and hadronic interactions interplay in the production of these particles, whose detection is performed by means of complementary techniques in different energy ranges and at different depths in the atmosphere, down to the Earth's surface. Monte Carlo codes are essential calculation tools which can describe the complexity of the physics of these phenomena, thus allowing the analysis of experimental data. However, these codes are affected by important uncertainties, concerning, in particular, hadronic physics at high energy. In this paper we shall report some results concerning inclusive particle fluxes and atmospheric shower properties as obtained using the FLUKA transport and interaction code. Some emphasis will also be given to the validation of the physics models of FLUKA involved in these calculations.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

The hadronic models for cosmic ray physics: the FLUKA code solutions

FLUKA is a general purpose Monte Carlo transport and interaction code used for fundamental physics and for a wide range of applications. These include Cosmic Ray Physics (muons, neutrinos, EAS, underground physics), both for basic research and applied studies in space and atmospheric flight dosimetry and radiation damage. A review of the hadronic models available in FLUKA and relevant for the description of cosmic ray air showers is presented in this paper. Recent updates concerning these models are discussed. The FLUKA capabilities in the simulation of the formation and propagation of EM and hadronic showers in the Earth's atmosphere are shown.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2006

A Monte Carlo approach to study neutron and fragment emission in heavy-ion reactions

Quantum Molecular Dynamics models (QMD) are Monte Carlo approaches targeted at the description of nucleon-ion and ion-ion collisions. We have developed a QMD code, which has been used for the simulation of the fast stage of ion-ion collisions, considering a wide range of system masses and system mass asymmetries. The slow stage of the collisions has been described by statistical methods. The combination of both stages leads to final distributions of particles and fragments, which have been compared to experimental data available in literature. A few results of these comparisons, concerning neutron double-differential production cross-sections for C, Ne and Ar ions impinging on C, Cu and Pb targets at 290 - 400 MeV/A bombarding energies and fragment isotopic distributions from Xe + Al at 790 MeV/A, are shown in this paper.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2006

A QMD description of the interaction of ion beams with matter

Heavy-ion collisions can be simulated by means of comprehensive approaches, to include the many different reaction mechanisms which may contribute. QMD models and their relativistic extensions are examples of these approaches based on Monte Carlo techniques. In this paper are shown some results obtained by coupling a new QMD code, which describes the fast stage of ion-ion collisions, to the evaporation /fission/Fermi break-up and photon de-excitation routines present in the FLUKA multipurpose Monte Carlo transport and interaction code. In particular, we compare the predicted neutron spectra to available experimental data from thin and thick target irradiations. We show also some predictions of particle and charged fragment fluences for the interaction of C and Fe ions with a thick PMMA target, which may be useful to assess the risk of side-effects in the hadron therapy of tumours.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2006

Heavy-ion collisions described by a new QMD code interfaced to FLUKA: model validation by comparisons with experimental data concerning neutron and charged fragment production

A new code, based on the Quantum Molecular Dynamics theoretical approach, has been developed and interfaced to the FLUKA evaporation/fission/Fermi break-up module. At present, this code is undergoing a series of validation tests. In this paper its predictions are compared to measured charged fragment yields and double differential neutron spectra in thin target heavy-ion reactions, at bombarding energies of about 100 MeV/A. The comparisons with the predictions of a modified version of RQMD 2.4 originally developed in Frankfurt, already available in the FLUKA code, are presented and potential improvements are briefly sketched.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2006

Atmospheric neutrinos in a Large Liquid Argon detector

In view of the evaluation of the physics goals of a large Liquid Argon TPC, evolving from the ICARUS technology, we have studied the possibility of performing precision measurements on atmospheric neutrinos. For this purpose we have improved existing Monte Carlo neutrino event generators based on FLUKA and NUX by including the 3-flavor oscillation formalism and the numerical treatment of Earth matter effects. By means of these tools we have studied the sensitivity in the measurement of Theta(23) through the accurate measurement of electron neutrinos. The updated values for Delta m^2(23) from Super-Kamiokande and the mixing parameters as obtained by solar and KamLand experiments have been used as reference input, while different values of Theta(13) have been considered. An exposure larger than 500 kton yr seems necessary in order to achieve a significant result, provided that the present knowledge of systematic uncertainties is largely improved.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

CNGS neutrino beam systematics for $θ_{13}$

Energy spectra, intensity and composition of the CERN to Gran Sasso CNGS neutrino beam for nu_mu-->nu_tau and nu_mu-->nu_e oscillation searches are presented. The associated beam systematics, which is the major ingredient for the nu_mu-->nu_e search sensitivity, are obtained from the study of the previous CERN WANF.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

The FLUKA Monte Carlo, non-perturbative QCD and Cosmic Ray cascades

The FLUKA Monte Carlo code, presently used in cosmic ray physics, contains packages to sample soft hadronic processes which are built according to the Dual Parton Model. This is a phenomenological model capable of reproducing many of the features of hadronic collisions in the non perturbative QCD regime. The basic principles of the model are summarized and, as an example, the associated Lambda-K production is discussed. This is a process which has some relevance for the calculation of atmospheric neutrino fluxes.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

The physics models of FLUKA: status and recent development

A description of the intermediate and high energy hadronic interaction models used in the FLUKA code is given. Benchmarking against experimental data is also reported in order to validate the model performances. Finally the most recent developments and perspectives for nucleus-nucleus interactions are described together with some comparisons with experimental data.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

The FLUKA code: present applications and future developments

The main features of the FLUKA Monte Carlo code, which can deal with transport and interaction of electromagnetic and hadronic particles, are summarised. The physical models embedded in FLUKA are mentioned, as well as examples of benchmarking against experimental data. A short history of the code is provided and the following examples of applications are discussed in detail: prediction of calorimetric performances, atmospheric neutrino flux calculations, dosimetry in atmosphere and radiobiology applications, including hadrontherapy and space radiation protection. Finally a few lines are dedicated to the FLUKA server, from which the code can be downloaded.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2003

High energy extension of the FLUKA atmospheric neutrino flux

The atmospheric neutrino flux calculated with FLUKA was originally limited to 100-200 GeV for statistical reasons. In order to make it available for the analysis of high energy events, like upward through-going muons detected by neutrino telescopes, we have extended the calculation so to provide a reliable neutrino yield per primary nucleon up to about 10**6 GeV/nucleon, as far as the interaction model is concerned. We point out that the primary flux model above 100 GeV/nucleon still contributes with an important systematic error to the neutrino flux.

hep-ph↗