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P. von Doetinchem

Publications and source records attributed to P. von Doetinchem.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

$K^{*}(892)^0$ production and the time between freeze-outs in $^{40}$Ar+$^{45}$Sc collisions by NA61/SHINE at the CERN SPS

The analysis of the production of strange $K^{*}(892)^0$ resonances allows us to better understand the temporal evolution of high-energy nucleus--nucleus collisions. In particular, the ratio of $K^{*}(892)^0$ to charged kaon yields is used to determine the time interval between chemical and kinetic freeze-outs. In this paper, the first measurements of $K^{*}(892)^0$ production in central $^{40}$Ar+$^{45}$Sc collisions at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron are reported. They were performed by NA61/SHINE at collision center-of-mass energies per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_\mathrm{NN}}$ = 8.8, 11.9, 16.8 GeV. The obtained $\langle K^{*}(892)^0 \rangle/\langle K^{+} \rangle $ and $\langle K^{*}(892)^0 \rangle/\langle K^{-} \rangle$ mean multiplicity ratios are compared with corresponding results in $p$+$p$ collisions, allowing for an estimate of the time interval between chemical and thermal freeze-outs in the $^{40}$Ar+$^{45}$Sc system. These are the first such results reported for $^{40}$Ar+$^{45}$Sc collisions.

nucl-ex↗
arXiv2025

Precision cross-sections for advancing cosmic-ray physics and other applications: a comprehensive programme for the next decade

Cosmic-ray physics in the GeV-to-TeV energy range has entered a precision era thanks to recent data from space-based experiments. However, the poor knowledge of nuclear reactions, in particular for the production of antimatter and secondary nuclei, limits the information that can be extracted from these data, such as source properties, transport in the Galaxy and indirect searches for particle dark matter. The Cross-Section for Cosmic Rays at CERN workshop series has addressed the challenges encountered in the interpretation of high-precision cosmic-ray data, with the goal of strengthening emergent synergies and taking advantage of the complementarity and know-how in different communities, from theoretical and experimental astroparticle physics to high-energy and nuclear physics. In this paper, we present the outcomes of the third edition of the workshop that took place in 2024. We present the current state of cosmic-ray experiments and their perspectives, and provide a detailed road map to close the most urgent gaps in cross-section data, in order to efficiently progress on many open physics cases, which are motivated in the paper. Finally, with the aim of being as exhaustive as possible, this report touches several other fields -- such as cosmogenic studies, space radiation protection and hadrontherapy -- where overlapping and specific new cross-section measurements, as well as nuclear code improvement and benchmarking efforts, are also needed. We also briefly highlight further synergies between astroparticle and high-energy physics on the question of cross-sections.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2025

Measurements of hadron production in 90 GeV/c proton-carbon interactions

This paper presents the multiplicity of neutral and charged hadrons produced in 90 GeV$/c$ proton-carbon interactions from a dataset taken by the NA61/SHINE experiment in 2017. Particle identification via dE/dx was performed for the charged hadrons $π^\pm$, $K^\pm$, and $p / \bar{p}$; the neutral hadrons $K^0_S$, $Λ$, and $\barΛ$ were identified via an invariant mass analysis of their decays to charged hadrons. Double-differential multiplicity results as a function of laboratory momentum and polar angle are presented for each particle species; these results provide vital constraints on the predicted neutrino beam flux for current and future long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2025

Proposal from the NA61/SHINE Collaboration for update of European Strategy for Particle Physics

Building on the current program's success and driven by new physics challenges, the NA61/SHINE Collaboration proposes to continue measuring hadron production properties in reactions induced by hadron and ion beams after CERN Long Shutdown 3. These measurements are of significant interest to the heavy-ion, cosmic-ray, and neutrino physics communities and will focus on: - Investigating hadron production in the light-ion systems to explore the diagram of high-energy nuclear collisions, and to obtain new insight into the unexpected violation of isospin (flavor) symmetry recently observed by the experiment; - Measuring charm-anticharm correlations to gain unique insights into the production locality of charm and anticharm quark pairs; - Examining strangeness and multi-strangeness production to improve our understanding of the early Universe's evolution and neutron star formation; - Measuring cross sections relevant for cosmic-ray measurements, significantly boosting searches for new physics in our Galaxy; - Conducting hadron production measurements with proton, pion, and kaon beams for neutrino physics, enhancing the precision of hadron production data needed for initial neutrino flux predictions in neutrino oscillation experiments; - Measuring hadron production processes relevant for understanding the flux of atmospheric neutrinos, as well as neutrinos and muons from spallation sources. To achieve these objectives, a detector upgrade and a beam upgrade are required, with data-taking planned for the period 2029-2032 and beyond.

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arXiv2025

Evidence of isospin-symmetry violation in high-energy collisions of atomic nuclei

Strong interactions preserve an approximate isospin symmetry between up ($u$) and down ($d$) quarks, part of the more general flavor symmetry. In the case of $K$ meson production, if this isospin symmetry were exact, it would result in equal numbers of charged ($K^+$ and $K^-$) and neutral ($K^0$ and $\overline K^{\,0}$) mesons in the final state. Here, we report results on the relative abundance of charged over neutral $K$ meson production in argon and scandium nuclei collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 11.9 GeV per nucleon pair. We find that the production of $K^+$ and $K^-$ mesons at mid-rapidity is $(18.4\pm 6.1)\%$ higher than that of the neutral $K$ mesons. Although with large uncertainties, earlier data on nucleus-nucleus collisions in the collision center-of-mass energy range $2.6 < \sqrt{s_{NN}} < 200$~\GeV are consistent with the present result. Using well-established models for hadron production, we demonstrate that known isospin-symmetry breaking effects and the initial nuclei containing more neutrons than protons lead only to a small (few percent) deviation of the charged-to-neutral kaon ratio from unity at high energies. Thus, they cannot explain the measurements. The significance of the flavor-symmetry violation beyond the known effects is 4.7$σ$ when the compilation of world data with uncertainties quoted by the experiments is used. New systematic, high-precision measurements and theoretical efforts are needed to establish the origin of the observed large isospin-symmetry breaking.

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arXiv2025

Multiplicity and net-electric charge fluctuations in central Ar+Sc interactions at 13A, 19A, 30A, 40A, 75A, and 150A GeV/c beam momenta measured by NA61/SHINE at the CERN SPS

This paper presents results on multiplicity fluctuations of positively and negatively charged hadrons as well as net-electric charge fluctuations measured in central Ar+Sc interactions at beam momenta 13A, 19A, 30A, 40A, 75A, and 150A GeV/c. The fluctuation analysis is one of the tools to search for the predicted critical point of strongly interacting matter. Results are corrected for the experimental biases and quantified using cumulant ratios. In most instances, multiplicity and net-charge distributions appear narrower than the corresponding Poisson or Skellam distributions. Cumulant ratios are compared with the EPOS1.99 model predictions, which provide a qualitative description that aligns with observations for positively and negatively charged particles. The obtained results are also compared to earlier NA61/SHINE results from inelastic p+p interactions in the same analysis acceptance.

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arXiv2025

Precision cross-sections for advancing cosmic-ray physics. Input to the 2026 ESPPU from the XSCRC community

The latest generation of cosmic-ray direct detection experiments is providing a wealth of high-precision data, stimulating a very rich and active debate in the community on the related strong discovery and constraining potentials on many topics, namely dark matter nature, and the sources, acceleration, and transport of Galactic cosmic rays. However, interpretation of these data is strongly limited by the uncertainties on nuclear and hadronic cross-sections. This contribution is one of the outcomes of the \textit{Cross-Section for Cosmic Rays at CERN} workshop series, that built synergies between experimentalists and theoreticians from the astroparticle, particle physics, and nuclear physics communities. A few successful and illustrative examples of CERN experiments' efforts to provide missing measurements on cross-sections are presented. In the context of growing cross-section needs from ongoing, but also planned, cosmic-ray experiments, a road map for the future is highlighted, including overlapping or complementary cross-section needs from applied topics (e.g., space radiation protection and hadrontherapy).

hep-ex↗
arXiv2025

Measurements of higher-order cumulants of multiplicity and net-electric charge distributions in inelastic proton-proton interactions by NA61/SHINE

This paper presents the energy dependence of multiplicity and net-electric charge fluctuations in p+p interactions at beam momenta 20, 31, 40, 80, and 158 GeV/c. Results are corrected for the experimental biases and quantified with the use of cumulants and factorial cumulants. Cumulant ratios are an essential tool in the search for the critical point of strongly interacting matter in heavy ion collisions. Measurements performed in p+p interactions provide a vital baseline estimation in these studies. The measured signals are compared with the string hadronic models EPOS1.99 and FTFP-BERT.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2024

Two-pion femtoscopic correlations in Be+Be collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} = 16.84$ GeV measured by the NA61/SHINE at CERN

This paper reports measurements of two-pion Bose-Einstein (HBT) correlations in Be+Be collisions at a beam momentum of 150$A\,\mbox{GeV}/\textit{c}$ by the $\mbox{NA61/SHINE}$ experiment at the CERN SPS accelerator. The obtained momentum space correlation functions can be well described by a Lévy distributed source model. The transverse mass dependence of the Lévy source parameters is presented, and their possible theoretical interpretations are discussed. The results show that the Lévy exponent $α$ is approximately constant as a function of $m_{\rm{T}}$ , and far from both the Gaussian case of $α= 2$ or the conjectured value at the critical endpoint, $α= 0.5$. The radius scale parameter $R$ shows a slight decrease in $m_{\rm{T}}$, which can be explained as a signature of transverse flow. Finally, an approximately constant trend of the intercept parameter $λ$ as a function of $m_{\rm{T}}$ was observed, different from measurement results at RHIC.

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arXiv2024

Measurements of $π^\pm$, $K^\pm$, $p$ and $\bar{p}$ spectra in $^{40}$Ar+$^{45}$Sc collisions at 13$A$ to 150$A$ GeV/$c$

The NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron studies the onset of deconfinement in strongly interacting matter through a beam energy scan of particle production in collisions of nuclei of varied sizes. This paper presents results on inclusive double-differential spectra, transverse momentum and rapidity distributions and mean multiplicities of $π^\pm$, $K^\pm$, $p$ and $\bar{p}$ produced in $^{40}$Ar+$^{45}$Sc collisions at beam momenta of 13$A$, 19$A$, 30$A$, 40$A$, 75$A$ and 150$A$~\GeVc. The analysis uses the 10\% most central collisions, where the observed forward energy defines centrality. The energy dependence of the $K^\pm$/$π^\pm$ ratios as well as of inverse slope parameters of the $K^\pm$ transverse mass distributions are placed in between those found in inelastic $p$+$p$ and central Pb+Pb collisions. The results obtained here establish a system-size dependence of hadron production properties that so far cannot be explained either within statistical or dynamical models.

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arXiv2024

$K_S^0$ meson production in inelastic p+p interactions at 31, 40 and 80 GeV/c beam momentum measured by NA61/SHINE at the CERN SPS

Measurements of $K_S^0$ meson production via its $π^{+} π^{-}$ decay mode in inelastic $\textit{p+p}$ interactions at incident projectile momenta of 31, 40 and 80 GeV/$c$ ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}=7.7, 8.8$ and $12.3$ GeV, respectively) are presented. The data were recorded by the NA61/SHINE spectrometer at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron. Double-differential distributions were obtained in transverse momentum and rapidity. The mean multiplicities of $K_S^0$ mesons were determined to be $(5.95 \pm 0.19 (stat) \pm 0.22 (sys)) \times 10^{-2}$ at 31 GeV/$c$, $(7.61 \pm 0.13 (stat) \pm 0.31 (sys)) \times 10^{-2}$ at 40 GeV/$c$ and $(11.58 \pm 0.12 (stat) \pm 0.37 (sys)) \times 10^{-2}$ at 80 GeV/$c$. The results on $K^{0}_{S}$ production are compared with model calculations (Epos1.99, SMASH 2.0 and PHSD) as well as with published data from other experiments.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2024

Search for a critical point of strongly-interacting matter in central $^{40}$Ar +$^{45}$Sc collisions at 13$A$-75$A$ GeV/$c$ beam momentum

The critical point of strongly interacting matter is searched for at the CERN SPS by the NA61/SHINE experiment in central $^{40}$Ar +$^{45}$Sc collisions at 13$A$, 19$A$, 30$A$, 40$A$, and 75$A$ GeV/$c$. The dependence of the second-order scaled factorial moments of proton multiplicity distributions on the number of subdivisions in transverse momentum space is measured. The intermittency analysis uses statistically independent data sets for every subdivision in transverse and cumulative-transverse momentum variables. The results obtained do not indicate the searched intermittent pattern. An upper limit on the fraction of correlated protons and the intermittency index is obtained based on a comparison with the Power-law Model.

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arXiv2023

Measurements of $π^+$, $π^-$, $p$, $\bar{p}$, $K^+$ and $K^-$ production in 120 GeV/$c$ p + C interactions

This paper presents multiplicity measurements of charged hadrons produced in 120 GeV/$c$ proton-carbon interactions. The measurements were made using data collected at the NA61/SHINE experiment during two different data-taking periods, with increased phase space coverage in the second configuration due to the addition of new subdetectors. Particle identification via $dE/dx$ was employed to obtain double-differential production multiplicities of $π^+$, $π^-$, $p$, $\bar{p}$, $K^+$ and $K^-$. These measurements are presented as a function of laboratory momentum in intervals of laboratory polar angle covering the range from 0 to 450 mrad. They provide crucial inputs for current and future long-baseline neutrino experiments, where they are used to estimate the initial neutrino flux.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2023

Search for the critical point of strongly-interacting matter in ${}^{40}$Ar + ${}^{45}$Sc collisions at 150A GeV/c using scaled factorial moments of protons

The critical point of dense, strongly interacting matter is searched for at the CERN SPS in ${}^{40}$Ar + ${}^{45}$Sc collisions at 150A GeV/c. The dependence of second-order scaled factorial moments of proton multiplicity distribution on the number of subdivisions of transverse momentum space is measured. The intermittency analysis is performed using both transverse momentum and cumulative transverse momentum. For the first time, statistically independent data sets are used for each subdivision number. The obtained results do not indicate any statistically significant intermittency pattern. An upper limit on the fraction of critical proton pairs and the power of the correlation function is obtained based on a comparison with the Power-law Model developed for this purpose.

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arXiv2021

The antinucleus annihilation reconstruction algorithm of the GAPS experiment

The General AntiParticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is an Antarctic balloon-borne detector designed to measure low-energy cosmic antinuclei (< 0.25 GeV/n), with a specific focus on antideuterons, as a distinctive signal from dark matter annihilation or decay in the Galactic halo. The instrument consists of a tracker, made up of ten planes of lithium-drifted Silicon Si(Li) detectors, surrounded by a plastic scintillator Time-of-Flight system. GAPS uses a novel particle identification method based on exotic atom capture and decay with the emission of pions, protons, and atomic X-rays from a common annihilation vertex. An important ingredient for the antinuclei identification is the reconstruction of the "annihilation star" topology. A custom antinucleus annihilation reconstruction algorithm, called the "star-finding" algorithm, was developed to reconstruct the annihilation star fully, determining the annihilation vertex position and reconstructing the tracks of the primary and secondary charged particles. The reconstruction algorithm and its performances were studied on simulated data obtained with the Geant4-based GAPS simulation software, which fully reproduced the detector geometry. This custom algorithm was found to have better performance in the vertex resolution and reconstruction efficiency compared with a standard Hough-3D algorithm.

astro-ph.IM↗
arXiv2021

Cosmic antihelium-3 nuclei sensitivity of the GAPS experiment

The General Antiparticle Spectrometer (GAPS) is an Antarctic balloon experiment designed for low-energy (0.1$-$0.3 GeV/$n$) cosmic antinuclei as signatures of dark matter annihilation or decay. GAPS is optimized to detect low-energy antideuterons, as well as to provide unprecedented sensitivity to low-energy antiprotons and antihelium nuclei. The novel GAPS antiparticle detection technique, based on the formation, decay, and annihilation of exotic atoms, provides greater identification power for these low-energy antinuclei than previous magnetic spectrometer experiments. This work reports the sensitivity of GAPS to detect antihelium-3 nuclei, based on full instrument simulation, event reconstruction, and realistic atmospheric influence simulations. The report of antihelium nuclei candidate events by AMS-02 has generated considerable interest in antihelium nuclei as probes of dark matter and other beyond the Standard Model theories. GAPS is in a unique position to detect or set upper limits on the cosmic antihelium nuclei flux in an energy range that is essentially free of astrophysical background. In three 35-day long-duration balloon flights, GAPS will be sensitive to an antihelium flux on the level of $1.3^{+4.5}_{-1.2}\cdot 10^{-6}\mathrm{m^{-2}sr^{-1}s^{-1}}(\mathrm{GeV}/n)^{-1}$ (95% confidence level) in the energy range of 0.11$-$0.3 GeV/$n$, opening a new window on rare cosmic physics.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2020

Cosmic-ray Antinuclei as Messengers of New Physics: Status and Outlook for the New Decade

The precise measurement of cosmic-ray antinuclei serves as an important means for identifying the nature of dark matter and other new astrophysical phenomena, and could be used with other cosmic-ray species to understand cosmic-ray production and propagation in the Galaxy. For instance, low-energy antideuterons would provide a "smoking gun" signature of dark matter annihilation or decay, essentially free of astrophysical background. Studies in recent years have emphasized that models for cosmic-ray antideuterons must be considered together with the abundant cosmic antiprotons and any potential observation of antihelium. Therefore, a second dedicated Antideuteron Workshop was organized at UCLA in March 2019, bringing together a community of theorists and experimentalists to review the status of current observations of cosmic-ray antinuclei, the theoretical work towards understanding these signatures, and the potential of upcoming measurements to illuminate ongoing controversies. This review aims to synthesize this recent work and present implications for the upcoming decade of antinuclei observations and searches. This includes discussion of a possible dark matter signature in the AMS-02 antiproton spectrum, the most recent limits from BESS Polar-II on the cosmic antideuteron flux, and reports of candidate antihelium events by AMS-02; recent collider and cosmic-ray measurements relevant for antinuclei production models; the state of cosmic-ray transport models in light of AMS-02 and Voyager data; and the prospects for upcoming experiments, such as GAPS. This provides a roadmap for progress on cosmic antinuclei signatures of dark matter in the coming years.

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