arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to V. Popa.
We discuss the properties of cosmic ray nuclearites, from the point of view of their search with large nuclear track detector arrays exposed at different altitudes, in particular with the SLIM experiment at the Chacaltaya high altitude lab (5290 m a.s.l.). We present calculations concerning their propagation in the Earth atmosphere and discuss their possible detection with CR39 and Makrofol nuclear track detectors.
Neutrino-induced upward-going muons in MACRO have been analysed in terms of relativity principles violating effects, keeping standard mass-induced atmospheric neutrino oscillations as the dominant source of nu_mu -> nu_tau transitions. The data disfavor these exotic possibilities even at a sub-dominant level, and stringent 90% C.L. limits are placed on the Lorentz invariance violation parameter |Delta v| < 6 * 10^(-24) at sin2theta_v = 0 and |Delta v| < 2.5--5 * 10^(-26) at sin2theta_v = +/-1. These limits can also be re-interpreted as upper bounds on the parameters describing violation of the Equivalence Principle.
SLIM is a large area experiment (440 m2) installed at the Chacaltaya cosmic ray laboratory since 2001, and about 100 m2 at Koksil, Himalaya, since 2003. It is devoted to the search for intermediate mass magnetic monopoles (107-1013 GeV/c2) and nuclearites in the cosmic radiation using stacks of CR39 and Makrofol nuclear track detectors. In four years of operation it will reach a sensitivity to a flux of about 10-15 cm-2 s-1 sr-1. We present the results of the calibration of CR39 and Makrofol and the analysis of a first sample of the exposed detector.
We present the calibration of the Makrofol nuclear detector using Pb ions of 158 AGeV.
We present the result of a search for correlations in the arrival times of high energy muons collected from 1995 till 2000 with the streamer tube system of the complete MACRO detector at the underground Gran Sasso Lab. Large samples of single muons (8.6 million), double muons (0.46 million) and multiple muons with multiplicities from 3 to 6 (0.08 million) were selected. These samples were used to search for time correlations of cosmic ray particles coming from the whole upper hemisphere or from selected space cones. The results of our analyses confirm with high statistics a random arrival time distribution of high energy cosmic rays.
We present the results of the measurements performed in the occasion of the 2001 total solar eclipse, looking for visible photons emitted through a possible radiative decay of solar neutrinos. We establish lower limits for the ν_2 and ν_3 proper lifetimes above 10^3 s/eV, for neutrino masses larger than 10^{-2} eV.
We present the results of the observations performed in the occasion of the June 21, 2001 total solar eclipse, looking for visible photons emitted trough a possible radiative decay of solar neutrinos. We establish lower limits for the neutrino proper lifetimes larger than 1000 s/eV, for neutrino masses larger than 0.01 eV.
We analyse the possibility of detecting visible photons from a hypothetical radiative decay of solar neutrinos. Our study is focused on the simulation of such measurements during total solar eclipses and it is based on the BP2000 Standard Solar Model and on the most recent experimental information concerning the neutrino properties.
We report the measurement of the fragmentation cross sections in high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions using the 158 A GeV Pb beam from the CERN-SPS. The fragments have charges changed from that of the incident projectile nucleus by $ΔZ=Z_{Pb}-Z_{frag}$, with 8 <ΔZ <75. The targets range from polyethylene to lead. Charge identification is made with CR39 nuclear track detectors, measured with an automatic image analyzer system. The measured fragmentation cross sections are parameterized with an empirical relation in terms of the atomic mass of the target, and of the charge of the final fragment.
A search for possible radiative decays of solar neutrinos with emission of photons in the visible range may be performed during total solar eclipses. We discuss some results obtained from the digitized images recorded during the August 11, 1999 total solar eclipse in Romania, and report on the observations made in June 21, 2001, in Zambia. Added reference for Section 1.
A search for possible radiative decays of solar neutrinos with emission of photons in the visible range was performed during the total solar eclipse of August 11, 1999. Due to very bad weather conditions our two telescopes were unable to collect useful data; fortunately we obtained several video camera images from a local TV station. An analysis of the digitised images is presented and limits on the lifetime for radiative decay are discussed.
We present a bibliography compilation on magnetic monopoles updated to include references till the end of year 1999. It is intended to contain nearly all the experimental papers on the subject and only the theoretical papers which have some specific experimental implications.
We present qualitative pictures of the structures of magnetic monopoles (MMs), nuclearites (nuggets of strange quark matter, strangelets, surrounded by electrons) and Q-balls (supersymmetric states of squarks, sleptons and Higgs fields). In particular we discuss the relation between their mass and size. MMs, nuclearites and Q-balls could be part of the cold Dark Matter (DM); we consider astrophysical limits on the flux of these particles in the cosmic radiation.
After a short review of Q-balls properties, in this paper we discuss their interaction with matter, and their energy losses in the earth, for a large range of velocities. These calculations are used to compute the fractional angular acceptance of a detector located at Gran Sasso Laboratory. Furthermore we computed the light yield in liquid scintillators, the ionization in streamer tubes and the Restricted Energy Loss in the CR39 nuclear track detector.
Some odd characteristics are observed in the single particle distributions obtained from $ He + Li $ interactions at $ 4.5 AGeV/c $ momenta which are explained as the manifestation of a new mechanism of strangeness production via dibaryonic de-excitations. A signature of the formation of hadronic and baryonic clusters is also reported. The di-pionic signals of the dibaryonic orbital de-excitations are analyzed in the frame of the MIT - bag Model and a Monte Carlo simulation.The role played by the dibaryonic resonances in relativistic nuclear collisions could be a significant one. Key words: Relativistic nuclear interactions negative pions, negative kaons, di-pions , streamer chamber, dibaryons, MIT - bag model PACS codes: 25.75.+r,14.40.Aq,14.20.Pt,12.40.As
The scaling of the diffraction peak in antiproton--proton scattering has been investigated from near threshold up to $3\,\,\, GeV/c$ laboratory momenta.It was shown that the scaling of the differential cross sections are evidentiated with a surprising accuracy not only at high energies,but also at very low ones(e.q. $p_{LAB}=0.1--0.5\,\,\, GeV/c$),beyond the resonance and exotic resonance regions.This precociuos scaling strongly suggests that the s -- channel helicity conservation (SCHC) can be a peculiar property that should be tested in antiproton -proton interaction not only at high energies but also at low energy even below $ p_{LAB} = 1\,\,\, GeV/c $.