A short overview of nuclear facilities and activities at LNS
M. Lattuada
CONTENTS:
 Beam production facilities
 Biggest detection facilities
 Nuclear research activities
 LNS staff: ~ 120 (~ 35 physicists and engineers)
 Researchers from other institutions: ~ 20
 Fellows, Post-doc, … : ~ 40
 Graduate/undergraduate students: ~ 40
USERS (participants in at least one experiment at LNS in the last 3 years): 545 (180 from abroad)
Physics research:
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Nuclear physics (experimental and theoretical)

Nuclear and sub-nuclear astrophysics
Interdisciplinary and technological research:
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Accelerators and ion sources
Informatics
Plasma physics
Biophysics - Radiobiology
Cultural heritage
Ion beam therapy
Layout of the experimental areas
MAGNEX
CHIMERA
PROTON THERAPY
2O°
CICLOPE
MEDEA-SOLE-MACISTE
O°
4O°
6O°
8O°
TANDEM
ECR
SOURCES
CYCLOTRON
EXCYT
PRE-INJECTOR
The LNS Tandem accelerator
Stable beams at LNS
The LNS K800 Superconducting
Cyclotron can accelerate ions up
to 80 MeV/amu
100
Energy (MeV/a.m.u.)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0
20
40
60
80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
Mass (a.m.u.)
Stable beams at LNS
First beam: 8Li (13C beam + graphite target)
Last experiment: primary beam 100 W -> average intensity 7· 104 pps)
Bottleneck: CEC efficiency ~3 %
There is still room for improvement …
Radioactive beams at LNS
Fragment Separator
Final Focus
Production Target
Radioactive beams at LNS
Tagging Technique
The basic idea is to identify
Secondary
one-by-one each single ion Target
Charge and mass (Z,A)
Position (x,y)
Energy E
Tagged
Ion
(A,Z),
E
SiStrip
2424
Secondary
Ion
(ΔE,ToF)
(x,y)
20Ne+9Be
Radioactive beams at LNS
MACISTE
8 gas plastic position
sensitive detectors
  60
SOLE
Superconducting Solenoid
00   60
MEDEA
180 BaF2 detectors
300   1800
Detection systems at LNS
ΔE(Si)-E(CsI)
Z - identification
PSD in CsI(Tl)
Z,A for ligth ions
Be
Li
HI
a
3He
t
d
p
1192 CsI(Tl)
Si
~300 μm
3-12 cm
ΔE(Si)-ToF
A - identification for
particles stopped in Silicon
PSD in Silicon
ΔE(Si)-E(CsI)
Z,A for ligth ions (Z<10)
Z - identification for
particles stopped in
Silicon
Detection systems at LNS
Main parameters
Maximum magnetic
rigidity
1.8 T·
m
Solid angle
51
msr
Momentum
acceptance
± 10
%
Momentum
resolution
1/540
0
Mass resolution
1/300
Detection systems at LNS
First MAGNEX experiments: (7Li,7Be) CEX reaction
December 2007 - July 2008
Targets: 27Al, 19F, 27Al, 12C, WO3, 28Si
Nuclei investigated: 19O, 27Mg for spectroscopy and
12C,16O,28Al to measure the strength of Fermi (0+), GT (1+)
and SD(0-,1-,2-) transitions
52 MeV beam energy
7Be ejectiles detected by MAGNEX spectrometer
Angular setting
 lab  0
 lab  6
 lab  12
3  lab  13
7   lab  18
• Data Analysis under way
Tandem experiments at LNS
Multineutron transfer induced by 18O tandem beams
High resolution spectroscopy of light neutron rich nuclei
via multineutron transfer using tandem 18O beam
12,13C(18O,15,16,17O)
to study the 13,14,15,16C nuclei
at Einc= 84 MeV
Next: the use of a 14C target will extend the exoticity
of the nuclei that can be studied (16,17C)
Tandem experiments at LNS
10,8
12.9
10,8
12.9
The 13C(18O,16O)15C reaction (2009 experiments)
12.9
10,8
13C
target 50 μg/cm2 thick
Average energy resolution ~ 250 keV (FWHM)
Angular resolution in the CM reference ~1.5 (FWHM)
New collective states between 10 and 15 MeV?
Tandem experiments at LNS
The trojan horse method for resonant reactions: the
AGB case
In the “Trojan Horse Method” (THM) the cross section of an astrophysically relevant
reaction A(x,c)c’, can be measured by measuring the three body A(b,cc’)s cross section,
where b can be described as x+s:
Upper vertex: direct b breakup into x+s
s
b
x
A
c
c’
With a proper choice of the
detection configuration, the cross
section of the 2-body reaction at
sub-Coulomb energy can be
deduced from the 3-body one at
energy above the barrier.
Lower vertex: virtual A(x,c)c’ reaction
In the case of a resonant two body reaction the resonance parameters, and in particular the
strength, can be extracted through a modified R-Matrix procedure
Tandem experiments at LNS
The 15N(p,a)12C reaction
The 15N(p,a)12C, 18O(p,a)15N and 17O(p,a)14N reactions are crucial to investigate
N and O isotopic ratios in AGB stars and constrain their evolution
Low energy direct data show a large
spread: extrapolation to energies of
astrophysical importance is critical
The THM allows to extend
measurement to zero energy:
• no extrapolation
• no electron screening
the
Recommended value for S(0):
735 MeVb
La Cognata et al. PRC 80 (2009) 012801
Tandem experiments at LNS
The 18O(p,a)15N reaction
In case of a narrow resonance the reaction rate is determined by the resonance strengths 
First time observation of the 20 keV resonance in the
18O+p interaction
Absolute values of the strengths obtained by
normalizing to the known resonance at 144 keV
 (eV)
present work
 (eV)
NACRE
20 keV
8.3 +3.8-2.6 10-19
6 +17-5 10-19
90 keV
1.8 ± 0.3 10-7
1.6 ± 0.5 10-7
La Cognata et al. PRL 101 (2008) 152501
La Cognata et al. ApJ 708 (2010) 796
Tandem experiments at LNS
Structure effects in collisions induced by halo nuclei
Elastic scattering 9,10,11Be+64Zn @Ecm=24.5MeV
Experiments performed at LNS and ISOLDE
11Be+64Zn
10Be+64Zn
9Be+64Zn
Similar elastic scattering angular distribution
measured for 9,10Be+64Zn .
11Be+64Zn
scattering exhibits a strong suppression
of the elastic cross section at small angles 
absorption occurring at large distances due to 11Be
halo structure.
No effect observed for the weakly bound 9Be
Reaction cross section
s(9Be)=1.1b, s(10Be) ≈1.2b
s(11Be) ≈2.7b
11Be+64Zn
break-up/transfer angular distribution
s≈1.1b
The large break-up cross section
partially due to break-up/transfer
events (srec/sbu-tr ≈0.4)
Tandem experiments at LNS
CHIMERA results
32
11
3
neutron enrichment
of IMF emitted from
the neck
<N/Z>
Time-scale measurement of IMF products
Li
Be
B
C
PRC 71(2005)044602
Dynamical fission in
112,124Sn+58,64Ni
at 35 MeV/A
and 197Au+197Au at 15 MeV/A
PRL 101 (2008)262701
CS experiments at LNS
CHIMERA: very recent results
Bose condensate
3-a correlations to measure
the size of the emitter
15B
11Li
40Ca
8He
+
12C
 3 a coincidences
Study of nuclei at the drip line
with FRIBs fragmentation beams
12B+d
elastic scattering
The 4p detector allows kinematical
coincidence to extract angular
distributions for elastic and inelastic
processes using radioactive beams
CS experiments at LNS
The first EXCYT experiments were designed for low intensity beam
•BIGBANG: 4He(8Li,n) integrated cross section (~ 102 mb)
•RCS:
measurement of 8Li + 28Si total reaction cross section
using an active 28Si target
•RSM:
8Li
+ 4He scattering excitation function in a single run,
with the resonant scattering method on thick gas target
EXCYT experiments at LNS
Resonant elastic scattering on thick helium target
to look for 8Li-a configurations of 12B
Start ToF
4He
gas
Stop ToF
E
8Li*
a
E
8Li
t1
Calculated ToF vs DE
Useful in experiments with low intensity
beams: excitation function measured in a
single run.
 Scattering cross section measured at 180o c.
m. angle

a
t2
BUT …
… angular and energy resolution change with
energy
… accurate knowledge of stopping
power is needed
ToF discriminates elastic events
from inelastic scattering events
EXCYT experiments at LNS
1 nsec resolution
ToF
Eexc~ 1 MeV
counts
counts
Elastic
Inelastic
DE(MeV)
EXCYT experiments at LNS
Two-proton decay: the
18Ne
case
Two-proton radioactivity
predicted in the 60’s (Goldansky)
Two particle correlations in nuclei
Role of the pairing
18Ne
beam produced at 35 MeV/u
by 20Ne projectile fragmentation
The 6.15 MeV state populated by Coulomb
excitation (E1 transition) on Pb target
Full detection and identification of decay products
Energy, angle and relative momentum correlations
FRIBs experiments at LNS
18Ne
2He
18Ne*
18Ne
Hunting for pp decay
208Pb
16O
G. Raciti, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 192503(2008)
(669)% direct three-body
(32)%
208Pb
virtual sequential
(317)% 2He decay
18Ne*
16O
FRIBs experiments at LNS
Work in progress
 New EXCYT beams (15O ?)
 FRIBs:


front-end and tagging detector : high rate capability
improvement of CS extraction line transport and acceptance
 New chamber for SERSE (under construction)
improved intensity
(good for EXCYT and FRIBs)
 Coupling of EDEN with MAGNEX ?
High energy astrophysics
interstellar radiation and matter
neutrinos
protons
far cosmic “accelerator”
(particle energy>1017eV)
electromagnetic radiation
(radio, light, UV, X, gamma)
Optical
modules
Cherenkov
light
“Submarine Telescope” for very
high energy neutrinos.
It will allow to explore regions and
phenomena in the Universe never
observed so far
neutrino
muon
Neutrino observatory project at LNS
European framework
KM3NeT
• Consortium of the Institutes
that develops and supports the pilot projects in the Mediterranean Sea.
Consists of Institutes from 10 European Countries (Cyprus, France,
Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Romania, Spain, U.K.)
• Large European Research Infrastructure
– Included in the first roadmap for the European RI of the ESFRI
• Design Study project
– Approved under the 6th FP
– Conclusion in October 2009 with publication of the Technical Design
Report
• Preparatory Phase project
– Approved under the 7th FP, started on March 1st 2008
– Coordinated by INFN-LNS
Neutrino observatory project at LNS
Phase1 project:
a test site in Catania
Shore station
An underwater infrastructure has been
realized by the Laboratori Nazionali del
Sud to test detector prototypes
A seismic and environmental
observatory of INGV has been installed
and connected to the EO cable
SN-1
North branch
5.220 m
Double-shielded
cable (2.330 m)
Single shielded
cable (20.595 m)
BU
South branch
5.000 m
• Project jointly funded by INFN and MIUR:
• Realization of shore and deep sea infrastructures
• Design and realization of a subsystem of the km3 including key elements of the detector
• Deployment and connection of a junction box and a fully instrumented detector module
consisting in a four storey tower
• Study of the water properties and of the seabed morphology
Neutrino observatory project at LNS
Phase2 project:
a deep sea station at Capo Passero
OBJECTIVES
- Realization of an underwater infrastructure at a depth of
3500 m in the Capo Passero site
- Test of the detector installation procedures at 3500 m
- Installation of a 16 storey tower
- Long term monitoring of the site
PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE
- Shore station in Portopalo di Capo Passero to host the
power feeding and the data acquisition systems
- 100 km electro-optical cable connecting the underwater
infrastructures with the shore station
STATUS
- The electro-optical cable (about 40 kW) has been deployed
- A building located inside the harbor area of Portopalo has
been renovated to host the shore station.
- A 16 storey tower has been deployed last month to test the
structure and the installation operations from the point of
view of mechanics
Neutrino observatory project at LNS
Primary
beam
power
100watt
LEBI1
8Li+
5.4•106
CEC
(10 keV)
Through
platforms
8Li-
8Li-
2.8%
100%
1.5•105
1.5 • 105
Through
2nd stage
100%
1.5 • 105
Tandem
entrance
Through
Tandem
@7MV
On
target
100%
47%
70%
1.5 • 105
7.0 • 104
5.0 • 104
8Li3+
bottleneck
Production with the sliced target is at least 3 times the value found
with the former cylinder target
Tandem transmission can still be increased by improving beam
optics and moreover it will be higher at larger terminal voltages
With a primary beam of 200 Watt an intensity close to 2·105 pps
can be obtained
Radioactive beams at LNS
Production Results
Proton rich with
58Ni+27Al
Neutron rich with
20Ne+9Be
40Ar+9Be
Light proton rich with
18Ne,17F
and
12C+9Be
Production
(May-June 2009)
300÷400 enA of primary
20Ne
beam
60 kHz of secondary beam on the
tagging detector
 5 kHz of
18Ne
and  3 kHz of
17F
Radioactive beams at LNS
89 THREE-FOLD
TELESCOPE ARRAY
81 TWO-FOLD
TELESCOPE ARRAY
Detection systems at LNS
Search for cluster structures in n-rich B isotopes
Aim of the experiment was to search for
possible a + 8Li configurations of 12B, by
looking at resonances in the elastic
scattering of the two components in inverse
kinematics
Ebeam~30 MeV
10 MeV< Eexc<20 MeV
Theoretical calculations (AMD) predict
existence of Li-He structures in B isotopes.
the
Kanada-En’yo & Horiuchi, PR C52(1995)647
EXCYT experiments at LNS