S. Natali

The CMS RPC gas gain monitoring system: An Overview and preliminary results

The status of the Compact Solenoid Spectrometer (CMS) Resistive Plate Counter (RPC) Gas Gain Monitoring (GGM) system developed at the Frascati Laboratory of INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) is reported. The GGM system is a cosmic ray telescope based on small RPC detectors operated with the same gas mixture used by the CMS RPC system. The GGM gain and efficiency are continuously monitored on-line, thus providing a fast and accurate determination of any shift in working point conditions. The construction details and the first result of GGM commissioning are described.

The production of beauty particles in π−-U interactions at 320 GeV energy

Abstract B B production in π − -uranium interactions has been observed at 320 GeV beam energy looking at events with three muons in the final state. The cross section is found to be σ B B = 4.5±1.4±1.4 nb per nucleon (for a linear A -dependence) or σ B B = 17.6±5.5±5.5 nb per nucleon (assuming A 0.75 dependence). An estimate of x F distribution is given.

Resistive plate chamber neutron and gamma sensitivity measurement with a 252Cf source

A bakelite double gap Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC), operating in avalanche mode, has been exposed to the radiation emitted from a 252Cf source to measure its neutron and gamma sensitivity. One of the two gaps underwent the traditional electrodes surface coating with linseed oil. RPC signals were triggered by fission events detected using BaF2 scintillators. A Monte Carlo code, inside the GEANT 3.21 framework with MICAP interface, has been used to identify the gamma and neutron contributions to the total number of collected RPC signals. A neutron sensitivity of (0.63±0.02)×10−3 (average energy 2 MeV) and a gamma sensitivity of (14.0±0.5)×10−3 (average energy 1.5 MeV) have been measured in double gap mode. Measurements done in single gap mode have shown that both neutron and gamma sensitivity are independent of the oiling treatment.

Experimental study of BB production π-U interactions at 320 GeV energy

Abstract A sample of 29 gu + υ + 35 υ − υ − coming from B B decay have been observed in π -U interactions at 320 GeV energy. The experimental distributions and the total cross section are found to be in good agreement with QCD predictions. The effect of B 0 B 0 mixing is discussed.

Some properties of charmed particles produced in π−-nucleus interactions

Abstract The azimuthal correlation distribution of 102 charmed-particle pairs observed in the hybrid emulsion experiment WA75 is compared with theoretical predictions. The various pairs - (D − D 0 ), (D − D + ), (D 0 D 0 ) and (D + D 0 )-all s how, within statistical error, the same azimuthal correlation distribution, demonstrating its independence from the specific nature of the production channel. Among the decays of 150 charged charmed particles and 138 neutral ones seen, higher multiplicities are favoured for hadronic as opposed to semileptonic decays. The data are consistent with the muonic decays of charged D mesons proceeding through the channels (μ ± , v, K 0 ) and [μ ± , v, K ∗0 (892)] , the fraction through K 0 being 0.76±0.06.

An RPC-based Technical Trigger for the CMS Experiment

In the CMS experiment, sub-detectors may send special trigger signals, called “Technical Triggers”, for purposes like test and calibration. The Resistive Plate Chambers are part of the Muon Trigger System of the experiment, but might also produce a cosmic muon trigger to be used during the commissioning of the detectors, the CMS Magnet Test-Cosmic Challenge and the later running of CMS. The proposed implementation is based on the development of a new board, the RPC Balcony Collector (RBC); the test results on prototypes and their performance during the recent CMS Cosmic Challenge are presented.

BB inclusive cross section in 320 GeV π−-uranium interactions

Abstract The inclusive cross section for B B production by 320 GeV π− on uranium has been measured, assuming different production models and a variable amount of B0− B 0 mixing. A comparison of our results with those of the NA10 Collaboration is performed. The J/Ψ inclusive production cross section has also been measured in our experiment and agrees well with existing data, thus confirming the accuracy of our overall normalization.

A Muon Spectrometer With Calorimeter Dump Used for the Beauty Search at the {CERN} Super Proton Synchrotron

Abstract A detailed description is given of the WA78 apparatus, which combines a dump calorimeter and a muon spectrometer and is used to measure the cross-section for B B production by a high-intensity 320 GeV π − beam. The performance of the various parts of the equipment is discussed. In particular, we consider all the problems related to the calorimetric measurement in high-rate conditions.

The holographic bubble chamber experiment and the determination of the effective charmed quark mass and the K-factor for hadronic charm production

In the first holographic bubble chamber experiment — the HOBC experiment — we have accumulated a total of 40000 holograms with particle interactions. We have determined the total charm pair cross section inpN collisions to be 23.3−7.7+10 μb and 3.6−1.7+2.3 μb for 360 and 200 GeV/c incident protons respectively. We have assumed a linear dependence of the cross section on the atomic number of the target. This experiment has demonstrated the feasibility of holographic recording in small bubble chambers. Assuming that the charm cross section can be described by the standard QCD factorized expression with gluon fusion and quark-antiquark annihilation, we have used our measured charm cross sections with other measurements to determine the effective charmed quark mass to be 1.8−0.35+0.25 GeV/c2. TheK factor, which describes the importance of the higher order corrections, is calculated to be 9.8−6.9+12.5 (See noted added in proof.)

Local and global performance of double-gap resistive plate chambers operated in avalanche mode

Two large double-gap resistive plate chambers, with 2 and 3 mm gap widths, were tested to study their response uniformity when operated in avalanche mode. The effects of mechanical tolerances and the presence of the spacers is thoroughly examined. Results on efficiency and time resolution are presented. We find that average performance and response uniformity over the whole chamber surface are fully adequate to the requirements of future collider experiments.