L. Benussi

We have searched for a deeply bound kaonic state by using the FINUDA spectrometer installed at the ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider $\mathrm{DA}\ensuremath{\Phi}\mathrm{NE}$. Almost monochromatic ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$'s produced through the decay of $\ensuremath{\phi}(1020)$ mesons are used to observe ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ absorption reactions stopped on very thin nuclear targets. Taking this unique advantage, we have succeeded to detect a kaon-bound state ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}pp$ through its two-body decay into a $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ hyperon and a proton. The binding energy and the decay width are determined from the invariant-mass distribution as ${115}_{\ensuremath{-}5}^{+6}(\mathrm{stat}{)}_{\ensuremath{-}4}^{+3}(\mathrm{syst})\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$ and ${67}_{\ensuremath{-}11}^{+14}(\mathrm{stat}{)}_{\ensuremath{-}3}^{+2}(\mathrm{syst})\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively.

The narrow dip observed at 1.9 GeV/c2 by the Fermilab experiment E687 in diffractive photoproduction of 3π+3π− is examined. The E687 data are refitted, a mechanism is proposed to explain why this resonance appears as a dip, and possible interpretations are discussed.

Using data from the FOCUS experiment we analyze the D+π− and D0π+ invariant mass distributions. We measure the D2∗0 mass MD2∗0=(2464.5±1.1±1.9)MeV/c2 and width ΓD2∗0=(38.7±5.3±2.9)MeV/c2, and the D2∗+ mass MD2∗+=(2467.6±1.5±0.76)MeV/c2 and width ΓD2∗+=(34.1±6.5±4.2)MeV/c2. We find evidence for broad structures over background in both the neutral and charged final state. If each is interpreted as evidence for a single L=1, jq=1/2 excited charm meson resonance, the masses and widths are M1/20=(2407±21±35)MeV/c2, Γ1/20=(240±55±59)MeV/c2, and M1/2+=(2403±14±35)MeV/c2, Γ1/2+=(283±24±34)MeV/c2, respectively.

Evidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus 6ΛH is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DAΦNE, Frascati, studying (π+,π−) pairs in coincidence from the K−stop+6Li→6ΛH+π+ production reaction followed by 6ΛH→6He+π− weak decay. The production rate of 6ΛH undergoing this two-body π− decay is determined to be (2.9±2.0)×10−6/K−stop. Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is BΛ(6ΛH)=(4.0±1.1) MeV with respect to 5H+Λ. A systematic difference of (0.98±0.74) MeV between BΛ values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the 6ΛH 0+g.s.→1+ excitation.Received 2 November 2011DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.042501© 2012 American Physical Society

Gas detectors for elementary particles require F-based gases for optimal performance. Recent regulations demand the use of environmentally unfriendly F-based gases to be limited or banned. This work studies properties of potential eco-friendly gas replacements by computing the physical and chemical parameters relevant for use as detector media, and suggests candidates to be considered for experimental investigation.

The search for a novel technology able to detect and reconstruct nuclear and electron recoil events with the energy of a few keV has become more and more important now that large regions of high-mass dark matter (DM) candidates have been excluded. Moreover, a detector sensitive to incoming particle direction will be crucial in the case of DM discovery to open the possibility of studying its properties. Gaseous time projection chambers (TPC) with optical readout are very promising detectors combining the detailed event information provided by the TPC technique with the high sensitivity and granularity of latest-generation scientific light sensors. The CYGNO experiment (a CYGNus module with Optical readout) aims to exploit the optical readout approach of multiple-GEM structures in large volume TPCs for the study of rare events as interactions of low-mass DM or solar neutrinos. The combined use of high-granularity sCMOS cameras and fast light sensors allows the reconstruction of the 3D direction of the tracks, offering good energy resolution and very high sensitivity in the few keV energy range, together with a very good particle identification useful for distinguishing nuclear recoils from electronic recoils. This experiment is part of the CYGNUS proto-collaboration, which aims at constructing a network of underground observatories for directional DM search. A one cubic meter demonstrator is expected to be built in 2022/23 aiming at a larger scale apparatus (30 m3–100 m3) at a later stage.

We have performed a search for CPT violation in neutral charm meson oscillations. While flavor mixing in the charm sector is predicted to be small by the Standard Model, it is still possible to investigate CPT violation through a study of the proper time dependence of a CPT asymmetry in right-sign decay rates for D0→K−π+ and D0→K+π−. This asymmetry is related to the CPT violating complex parameter ξ and the mixing parameters x and y: ACPT∝(Reξ)y−(Imξ)x. Our 95% confidence level limit is −0.0068<(Reξ)y−(Imξ)x<0.0234. Within the framework of the Standard Model Extension incorporating general CPT violation, we also find 95% confidence level limits for the expressions involving coefficients of Lorentz violation of (−2.8<N(x,y,δ)(Δa0+0.6ΔaZ)<4.8)×10−16 GeV, (−7.0<N(x,y,δ)ΔaX<3.8)×10−16 GeV, and (−7.0<N(x,y,δ)ΔaY<3.8)×10−16 GeV, where N(x,y,δ) is the factor which incorporates mixing parameters x, y and the doubly Cabibbo-suppressed to Cabibbo-favored relative strong phase δ.

Λ-hypernuclei are produced and studied, with the FINUDA spectrometer, for the first time at an e+e− collider: DAΦNE, the Frascati ϕ-factory. The slow negative kaons from ϕ(1020) decay are stopped in thin (0.2 g/cm2) nuclear targets, and Λ-hypernuclei formation is detected by measuring the momentum of the outgoing π−. A preliminary analysis on 12ΛC shows an energy resolution of 1.29 MeV FWHM on the hypernuclear levels, the best obtained so far with magnetic spectrometers at hadron facilities. Capture rates for the ground state and the excited ones are reported, and compared with previous experiments.

Using a large sample of charm semileptonic decays collected by the FOCUS photoproduction experiment at Fermilab, we present evidence for a small, even spin K−π+ amplitude that interferes with the dominant K̄∗0 component in the D+→K−π+μ+ν final state. Although this interference significantly distorts the D+→K−π+μ+ν decay angular distributions, the new amplitude creates only a very small distortion to the observed kaon pion mass distribution when integrated over the other kinematic variables describing the decay. Our data can be described by K̄∗0 interference with either a constant amplitude or broad spin zero resonance.

FOCUS results from Dalitz plot analyses of D+s and D+ to π+π−π+ are presented. The K-matrix formalism is applied to charm decays for the first time, which allows us to fully exploit the already existing knowledge coming from light-meson spectroscopy experiments. In particular all the measured dynamics of the S-wave ππ scattering, characterized by broad/overlapping resonances and large non-resonant background, can be properly included. This Letter studies the extent to which the K-matrix approach is able to reproduce the observed Dalitz plot and thus help us to understand the underlying dynamics. The results are discussed along with their possible implications for the controversial σ meson.

The FINUDA experiment collected data to study the production of hypernuclei on different nuclear targets. The hypernucleus formation occurred through the strangeness-exchange reaction $K^-_{stop} + \; ^AZ \rightarrow \; ^A_{\Lambda}Z + \pi^-$. From the analysis of the momentum of the emerging $\pi^-$, binding energies and formation probabilities of $^7_{\Lambda}$Li, $^9_{\Lambda}$Be, $^{13}_{\Lambda}$C and $^{16}_{\Lambda}$O have been measured and are here presented. The behavior of the formation probability as a function of the atomic mass number A is also discussed.

Three candidate events of the neutron-rich hypernucleus HΛ6 were uniquely identified in the FINUDA experiment at DAΦNE, Frascati, by observing π+ mesons from the (Kstop−,π+) production reaction on 6Li targets, in coincidence with π− mesons from HΛ6→He6+π− weak decay. Details of the experiment and the analysis of its data are reported, leading to an estimate of (2.9±2.0)⋅10−6/Kstop− for the HΛ6 production rate times the two-body π− weak decay branching ratio. The HΛ6 binding energy with respect to H5+Λ was determined jointly from production and decay to be BΛ=(4.0±1.1) MeV, assuming that 5H is unbound with respect to H3+2n by 1.7 MeV. The binding energy determined from production is higher, in each one of the three events, than that determined from decay, with a difference of (0.98±0.74) MeV here assigned to the 0g.s.+→1+ excitation. The consequences of this assignment to Λ hypernuclear dynamics are briefly discussed.

Momenta spectra of protons emitted following the capture of K− in 6Li and 12C have been measured with 1% resolution. The 12C spectrum is smooth whereas for 6Li a well defined peak appears at about 500MeV/c. The first observation of a structure in this region was identified as a strange tribaryon or, possibly, a K¯-nuclear state. The peak is correlated with a π− coming from Σ− decay in flight, selected by setting the π momentum larger than 275MeV/c. The Σ− could be produced, together with a 500MeV/c proton, by the capture of a K− in a deuteron-cluster substructure of the 6Li nucleus. The capture rate for such a reaction is (1.62±0.23stat−0.44+0.71(sys))%/Kstop−, in agreement with the existing observations on 4He targets and with the hypothesis that the 6Li nucleus can be interpreted as a (d+α) cluster.

Using a large sample of D0→K−μ+ν and D0→π−μ+ν decays collected by the FOCUS photoproduction experiment at Fermilab, we present new measurements of the q2 dependence for the f+(q2) form factor. These measured f+(q2) form factors are fit to common parameterizations such as the pole dominance form and compared to recent unquenched Lattice QCD calculations. We find mpole=1.93±0.05±0.03GeV/c2 for D0→K−μ+ν and mpole=1.91−0.15+0.30±0.07GeV/c2 for D0→π−μ+ν and f−(K)(0)/f+(K)(0)=−1.7−1.4+1.5±0.3.

Correlated Λd pairs emitted after the absorption of negative kaons at rest Kstop−A→ΛdA′ in light nuclei 6Li and 12C are studied. Λ-hyperons and deuterons are found to be preferentially emitted in opposite directions. The Λd invariant mass spectrum of 6Li shows a bump whose mass is 3251±6 MeV/c2. The bump mass (binding energy), width and yield are reported. The appearance of a bump is discussed in the realm of the [K¯3N] clustering process in nuclei. The experiment was performed with the FINUDA spectrometer at DAΦNE (LNF).

Using data collected by the high-energy photoproduction experiment FOCUS at Fermilab we performed a Dalitz plot analysis of the Cabibbo favored decay D+→K−π+π+. This study uses 53653 Dalitz-plot events with a signal fraction of ∼97%, and represents the highest statistics, most complete Dalitz plot analysis for this channel. Results are presented and discussed using two different formalisms. The first is a simple sum of Breit–Wigner functions with freely fitted masses and widths. It is the model traditionally adopted and serves as comparison with the already published analyses. The second uses a K-matrix approach for the dominant S-wave, in which the parameters are fixed by first fitting Kπ scattering data and continued to threshold by Chiral Perturbation Theory. We show that the Dalitz plot distribution for this decay is consistent with the assumption of two-body dominance of the final state interactions and the description of these interactions is in agreement with other data on the Kπ final state.

The FINUDA experiment performed a systematic study of the charged mesonic weak decay channel of p-shell Λ-hypernuclei. Negatively charged pion spectra from mesonic decay were measured with magnetic analysis for the first time for 7ΛLi, 9ΛBe, 11ΛB and 15ΛN. The shape of the π− spectra was interpreted through a comparison with pion distorted wave calculations that take into account the structure of both hypernucleus and daughter nucleus. Branching ratios Γπ−/Γtot were derived from the measured spectra and converted to π− decay rates Γπ− by means of known or extrapolated total decay widths Γtot of p-shell Λ-hypernuclei. Based on these measurements, the spin-parity assignment 1/2+ for 7ΛLi and 5/2+ for 11ΛB ground-state are confirmed and a spin-parity 3/2+ for 15ΛN ground-state is assigned for the first time.

In view of an upgrade of the CMS experiment, the GEM for CMS collaboration is performing feasibility studies on employing Triple-GEM detectors for the high-η region (1.6–2.4) of the CMS endcaps. A detailed review of the development and characterization of the CMS full-size prototype baseline detector will be presented. GEMs have excellent spatial and time resolution, high rate capability and radiation hardness, they are an appealing option for simultaneously enhancing muon tracking and triggering capabilities in the high-η region. The GEM for CMS collaboration has studied the performance of small and full-size prototype detectors during several test beam campaigns in order to validate new technologies and techniques in view of a mass production for CMS experiment. Results from measurements with x-rays and from test beam campaigns at the CERN SPS will be shown from both small and large prototypes.

The CYGNO project has the goal to use a gaseous TPC with optical readout to detect dark matter and solar neutrinos with low energy threshold and directionality. The CYGNO demonstrator will consist of 1 m 3 volume filled with He:CF 4 gas mixture at atmospheric pressure. Optical readout with high granularity CMOS sensors, combined with fast light detectors, will provide a detailed reconstruction of the event topology. This will allow to discriminate the nuclear recoil signal from the background, mainly represented by low energy electron recoils induced by radioactivity. Thanks to the high reconstruction efficiency, CYGNO will be sensitive to low mass dark matter, and will have the potential to overcome the neutrino floor, that ultimately limits non-directional dark matter searches.

The series of upgrades to the Large Hadron Collider, culminating in the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider, will enable a significant expansion of the physics program of the CMS experiment. However, the accelerator upgrades will also make the experimental conditions more challenging, with implications for detector operations, triggering, and data analysis. The luminosity of the proton-proton collisions is expected to exceed $2-3\times10^{34}$~cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ for Run 3 (starting in 2022), and it will be at least $5\times10^{34}$~cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ when the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider is completed for Run 4. These conditions will affect muon triggering, identification, and measurement, which are critical capabilities of the experiment. To address these challenges, additional muon detectors are being installed in the CMS endcaps, based on Gas Electron Multiplier technology. For this purpose, 161 large triple-Gas Electron Multiplier detectors have been constructed and tested. Installation of these devices began in 2019 with the GE1/1 station and will be followed by two additional stations, GE2/1 and ME0, to be installed in 2023 and 2026, respectively. The assembly and quality control of the GE1/1 detectors were distributed across several production sites around the world. We motivate and discuss the quality control procedures that were developed to standardize the performance of the detectors, and we present the final results of the production. Out of 161 detectors produced, 156 detectors passed all tests, and 144 detectors are now installed in the CMS experiment. The various visual inspections, gas tightness tests, intrinsic noise rate characterizations, and effective gas gain and response uniformity tests allowed the project to achieve this high success rate.

Using data from FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab, we present a model independent partial-wave analysis of the K−π+ S-wave amplitude from the decay D+→K−π+π+. The S-wave is a generic complex function to be determined directly from the data fit. The P- and D-waves are parameterized by a sum of Breit–Wigner amplitudes. The measurement of the S-wave amplitude covers the whole elastic range of the K−π+ system.

New spectra from the FINUDA experiment of the Non-Mesonic Weak Decay (NMWD) proton kinetic energy for BeΛ9, BΛ11, CΛ12, CΛ13, NΛ15 and OΛ16 are presented and discussed along with the published data on HeΛ5 and LiΛ7. Exploiting the large mass number range and the low energy threshold (15 MeV) for the proton detection of FINUDA, an evaluation of both Final State Interactions (FSI) and the two-nucleon induced NMWD contributions to the decay process has been done. Based on this evaluation, a linear dependence of FSI on the hypernuclear mass number A is found and for the two-nucleon stimulated decay rate the experimental value of Γ2/Γp=0.43±0.25 is determined for the first time. A value for the two-nucleon stimulated decay rate to the total decay rate Γ2/ΓNMWD=0.24±0.10 is also extracted.

Due to the recent restrictions deriving from the application of the Kyoto protocol, the main components of the gas mixtures presently used in the Resistive Plate Chambers systems of the LHC experiments will be most probably phased out of production in the coming years. Identifying possible replacements with the adequate characteristics requires an intense R&D, which was recently started, also in collaborations across the various experiments. Possible candidates have been proposed and are thoroughly investigated. Some tests on one of the most promising candidate - HFO-1234ze, an allotropic form of tetrafluoropropane- have already been reported. Here an innovative approach, based on the use of Helium, to solve the problems related to the too elevate operating voltage of HFO-1234ze based gas mixtures, is discussed and the relative first results are shown.

The results of a measurement of the proton spectra following the non-mesonic weak decay of 5ΛHe, 7ΛLi and 12ΛC are presented and discussed. The experiment was performed at the (e+ e−) collider DAΦNE at Laboratori Nazionale di Frascati of INFN. It is the first measurement for 7ΛLi, and for all the spectra the lower limit on the energy of the protons is 15 MeV, never reached before. All the spectra show a similar shape, namely a peak at around 80 MeV as expected for the free Λp→np weak reaction, with a low energy rise that should be due to final state interactions and/or two-nucleon induced weak processes. The decay spectrum of 5ΛHe is somehow similar to the ones reported by previous measurements and theoretical calculations, but the same does not happen for the 12ΛC one.

The decay of Λ-hypernuclei without π emission, known as Non-Mesonic Weak Decay (NMWD), gives an effective tool to investigate ΔS=1 four-baryon interactions. It was theoretically suggested that the two-nucleon induced mechanism could play a substantial role in reproducing the observed NMWD decay rates and nucleon spectra, but at present no direct evidence of such a mechanism has been obtained. The FINUDA experiment, exploiting the possibility to detect both charged and neutral particles coming from the hypernucleus decay, has allowed us to deduce the relative weight of the two nucleon induced decay rate to the total NMWD rate. The value of Γ2N/ΓNMWD=0.21±0.07stat−0.02sys+0.03sys has been deduced, well consistent with the previous determinations.

Optical readout of large Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) with multiple Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) amplification stages has shown to provide very interesting performances for high energy particle tracking. Proposed applications for low-energy and rare event studies, such as Dark Matter search, ask for demanding performance in the keV energy range. The performance of such a readout was studied in details as a function of the electric field configuration and GEM gain by using a 55Fe source within a 7 litre sensitive volume detector developed as a part of the R&D for the CYGNUS project. Results reported in this paper show that the low noise level of the sensor allows to operate with a 2 keV threshold while keeping a rate of fake-events lesser than 10 per year. In this configuration, a detection efficiency well above 95% along with an energy resolution (σ) of 18% is obtained for the 5.9 keV photons demonstrating the very promising capabilities of this technique.

Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) working in combination with Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) produce a very sensitive detector capable of observing low energy events. This is achieved by capturing photons generated during the GEM electron multiplication process by means of a high-resolution camera. The CYGNO experiment has recently developed a TPC Triple GEM detector coupled to a low noise and high spatial resolution CMOS sensor. For the image analysis, an algorithm based on an adapted version of the well-known DBSCAN was implemented, called iDBSCAN. In this paper a description of the iDBSCAN algorithm is given, including test and validation of its parameters, and a comparison with DBSCAN itself and a widely used algorithm known as Nearest Neighbor Clustering (NNC). The results show that the adapted version of DBSCAN is capable of providing full signal detection efficiency and very good energy resolution while improving the detector background rejection.

The search for a novel technology able to detect and reconstruct nuclear recoil events in the keV energy range has become more and more important as long as vast regions of high mass WIMP-like Dark Matter candidate have been excluded. Gaseous Time Projection Chambers (TPC) with optical readout are very promising candidate combining the complete event information provided by the TPC technique to the high sensitivity and granularity of last generation scientific light sensors. A TPC with an amplification at the anode obtained with Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM) was tested at the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati. Photons and neutrons from radioactive sources were employed to induce recoiling nuclei and electrons with kinetic energy in the range [1-100] keV. A He-CF4 (60/40) gas mixture was used at atmospheric pressure and the light produced during the multiplication in the GEM channels was acquired by a high position resolution and low noise scientific CMOS camera and a photomultiplier. A multi-stage pattern recognition algorithm based on an advanced clustering technique is presented here. A number of cluster shape observables are used to identify nuclear recoils induced by neutrons originated from a AmBe source against X-ray 55Fe photo-electrons. An efficiency of 18% to detect nuclear recoils with an energy of about 6 keV is reached obtaining at the same time a 96% 55Fe photo-electrons suppression. This makes this optically readout gas TPC a very promising candidate for future investigations of ultra-rare events as directional direct Dark Matter searches.

Using data from the FOCUS (E831) experiment, we have searched for T violation in charm meson decays using the four-body decay channels $D^0 \to K^-K^+\pi^-\pi^+$, $D^+ \to K^0_SK^+\pi^-\pi^+$, and $D^+_s \to K^0_SK^+\pi^-\pi^+$. The T violation asymmetry is obtained using triple-product correlations and assuming the validity of the CPT theorem. We find the asymmetry values to be $A_Tviol (D^0) = 0.010 \pm 0.057(stat.) \pm 0.037(syst.)$, $A_Tviol (D^+) = 0.023 \pm 0.062(stat.) \pm 0.022(syst.)$, and $A_Tviol (D^+_s) = -0.036 \pm 0.067(stat.) \pm 0.023(syst.)$. Each measurement is consistent with no T violation. New measurements of the CP asymmetries for some of these decay modes are also presented.

Using a large sample of D+ to K- pi+ mu+ nu decays collected by the FOCUS photoproduction experiment at Fermilab, we present new measurements of two semileptonic form factor ratios: rv and r2. We find rv = 1.504 \pm 0.057 \pm 0.039 and r2 = 0.875 \pm 0.049 \pm 0.064. Our form factor results include the effects of the s-wave interference discussed in a previous paper.

We present a Kπ mass spectrum analysis of the four-body semileptonic charm decay D+→K−π+μ+ν in the range of 0.65GeV/c2<mKπ<1.5GeV/c2. We observe a non-resonant contribution of 5.30±0.74−0.96+0.99% with respect to the total D+→K−π+μ+ν decay. For the K∗(892)0 resonance, we obtain a mass of 895.41±0.32−0.43+0.35MeV/c2, a width of 47.79±0.86−1.06+1.32MeV/c2, and a Blatt–Weisskopf damping factor parameter of 3.96±0.54−0.90+1.31GeV−1. We also report 90% CL upper limits of 4% and 0.64% for the branching ratios Γ(D+→K¯∗(1680)0μ+ν)Γ(D+→K−π+μ+ν) and Γ(D+→K¯0∗(1430)0μ+ν)Γ(D+→K−π+μ+ν), respectively.

We describe a silicon microstrip detector interleaved with segments of a beryllium oxide target which was used in the FOCUS photoproduction experiment at Fermilab. The detector was designed to improve the vertex resolution and to enhance the reconstruction efficiency of short-lived charm particles.

The production of neutron rich $\Lambda$-hypernuclei via the ($K^-_stop$,$\pi^+$) reaction has been studied using data collected with the FINUDA spectrometer at the DA$\Phi$NE $\phi$-factory (LNF). The analysis of the inclusive $\pi^+$ momentum spectra is presented and an upper limit for the production of $^6_\Lambda$H and $^7_\Lambda$H from $^6$Li and $^7$Li, is assessed for the first time.

We present an analysis of the decay D0→K+π− based on FOCUS data. From a sample of 234 signal events, we find a branching ratio of Γ(D0→K+π−)Γ(D0→K−π+)=(0.429−0.061+0.063±0.027)% under the assumptions of no mixing and no CP violation. Allowing for CP violation, we find a branching ratio of (0.429±0.063±0.028)% and a CP asymmetry of 0.18±0.14±0.04. The branching ratio for the case of mixing with no CP violation is (0.381−0.163+0.167±0.092)%. We also present limits on charm mixing.

This paper describes the development of a sensor designed to detect low concentrations of hydrogen fluoride (HF) in gas mixtures. The sensor employs a plastic optical fiber (POF) covered with a thin layer of glass- like material. HF attacks the glass and alters the fiber transmission capability so that the detection simply requires a LED and a photodiode. The coated POF is obtained by means of low-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition that allows the glass-like film to be deposited at low temperature without damaging the fiber core. The developed sensor will be installed in the recirculation gas system of the resistive plate chamber muon detector of the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at the Large Hadron Collider accelerator of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

The CMS collaboration considers upgrading the muon forward region which is particularly affected by the high-luminosity conditions at the LHC. The proposal involves Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) chambers, which are able to handle the extreme particle rates expected in this region along with a high spatial resolution. This allows to combine tracking and triggering capabilities, which will improve the CMS muon High Level Trigger, the muon identification and the track reconstruction. Intense R&D has been going on since 2009 and it has lead to the development of several GEM prototypes and associated detector electronics. These GEM prototypes have been subjected to extensive tests in the laboratory and in test beams at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS). This contribution will review the status of the CMS upgrade project with GEMs and its impact on the CMS performance.

Triple-GEM detector technology was recently selected by CMS for a part of the upgrade of its forward muon detector system as GEM detectors provide a stable operation in the high radiation environment expected during the future High-Luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC). In a first step, GEM chambers (detectors) will be installed in the innermost muon endcap station in the $1.6<\left|\eta\right|<2.2$ pseudo-rapidity region, mainly to control level-1 muon trigger rates after the second LHC Long Shutdown. These new chambers will add redundancy to the muon system in the $\eta$-region where the background rates are high, and the bending of the muon trajectories due to the CMS magnetic field is small. A novel construction technique for such chambers has been developed in such a way where foils are mounted onto a single stack and then uniformly stretched mechanically, avoiding the use of spacers and glue inside the active gas volume. We describe the layout, the stretching mechanism and the overall assembly technique of such GEM chambers.

The CYGNO project aims at realizing a one cubic meter gaseous Time Projection Chamber (TPC) equipped with Scientific CMOS (sCMOS) commercial cameras to optically readout Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) to be operated at the underground of Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS). The purpose of the project is to study the technology needed for a large size gaseous TPC (30–100 m3) operated at atmospheric pressure for the directional search of low mass O(GeV) dark matter and low energy (eg solar) neutrinos astronomy. The roadmap of the project foresees the underground operation of a 50 litres TPC prototype, called LIME, the largest TPC realized with this technology, fully equipped with copper and water shielding. LIME is equivalent to about a 1/20 of the CYGNO demonstrator and aims to validate: The construction materials, the Monte Carlo simulations, the data reconstruction and the particle identification performances at low energy threshold. LIME is under installation at the LNGS and it is supposed to start data taking at the beginning of 2022. The detector description and installation will be presented, as well as the overground performance and limitations that require underground characterization.

Results obtained by the RPC ECOgas@GIF++ Collaboration, using Resistive Plate Chambers operated with new, eco-friendly gas mixtures, based on Tetrafluoropropene and carbon dioxide, are shown and discussed in this paper. Tests aimed to assess the performance of this kind of detectors in high-irradiation conditions, analogous to the ones foreseen for the coming years at the Large Hadron Collider experiments, were performed, and demonstrate a performance basically similar to the one obtained with the gas mixtures currently in use, based on Tetrafluoroethane, which is being progressively phased out for its possible contribution to the greenhouse effect. Long term aging tests are also being carried out, with the goal to demonstrate the possibility of using these eco-friendly gas mixtures during the whole High Luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider.

The CYGNO project aims to develop a high-precision optical Time Projection Chamber (TPC) for directional Dark Matter search and solar neutrino spettroscopy, to be hosted at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). The distinctive feature of CYGNO include the exploitation of scientific CMOS cameras and photomultiplier tubes coupled to a Gas Electron Multiplier for amplification within helium-fluorine-based gas mixture at atmospheric pressure. The primary objective of this project is to achieve three-dimentional tracking with head-tail capability and to enhance background rejection down to the keV energy range. This enhancement will significantly improve sensitivity to low Weakly Interacting Massive Particle masses for both Spin-Independent and Spin-Dependent coupling. We provide insights into the commissioning and underground operation of our 50-liter prototype, known as LIME, which represents the largest prototype developed by our collaboration to date. We showcase its capability to measure and identify low-energy nuclear and electron recoils. Additionally, we outline the design and prospects for the development of a funded $\mathcal{O}(1\,\rm{m}^3)$ demonstrator, set to be housed in Hall F of LNGS. Furthermore, we present the physics potential that a future $\mathcal{O}(30\, \rm{m}^3)$ experiment could bring to the field. Lastly, we discuss the results from our collaboration's research and development efforts aimed at maximizing the potential of CYGNO. This includes the recent achievement of negative ion drift operation at atmospheric pressure with optical readout, which was accomplished in synergy with the ERC Consolidator Grant project INITIUM.

The High Luminosity LHC phase includes an upgrade to the muon stations for the CMS Experiment. CMS trigger and muon identification performance will be crucial, and it is, therefore, necessary to install new GEM stations to extend acceptance in the high-{\eta} region. An explanation of the quality control test and an update on the status of production will be provided.

In view of the High Luminosity upgrade of the CERN LHC, the forward CMS Muon spectrometer will be extended with two new stations of improved Resistive Plate Chambers (iRPC) covering the pseudorapidity range from 1.8 to 2.4. Compared to the present RPC system, the gap thickness is reduced to lower the avalanche charge, and an innovative 2D strip readout geometry is proposed. These improvements will allow iRPC detector to cope with higher background rates. A new Front-End-Board (FEB) is designed to readout iRPC signals with a threshold as low as 30 fC and an integrated Time Digital Converter with a resolution of 30 ps. In addition, the communication bandwidth is significantly increased by using optical fibers. The history, final design, certification, and calibration of this FEB are presented.

The INFN Cloud project was launched at the beginning of 2020, aiming to build a distributed Cloud infrastructure and provide advanced services for the INFN scientific communities. A Platform as a Service (PaaS) was created inside INFN Cloud that allows the experiments to develop and access resources as a Software as a Service (SaaS), and CYGNO is the betatester of this system. The aim of the CYGNO experiment is to realize a large gaseous Time Projection Chamber based on the optical readout of the photons produced in the avalanche multiplication of ionization electrons in a GEM stack. To this extent, CYGNO exploits the progress in commercial scientific Active Pixel Sensors based on Scientific CMOS for Dark Matter search and Solar Neutrino studies. CYGNO, like many other astroparticle experiments, requires a computing model to acquire, store, simulate and analyze data typically far from High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments. Indeed, astroparticle experiments are typically characterized by being less demanding of computing resources with respect to HEP ones but have to deal with unique and unrepeatable data, sometimes collected in extreme conditions, with extensive use of templates and montecarlo, and are often re-calibrated and reconstructed many times for a given data set. Moreover, the varieties and the scale of computing models and requirements are extremely large. In this scenario, the Cloud infrastructure with standardized and optimized services offered to the scientific community could be a useful solution able to match the requirements of many small/medium size experiments. In this work, we will present the CYGNO computing model based on the INFN cloud infrastructure where the experiment software, easily extendible to similar experiments to similar applications on other similar experiments, provides tools as a service to store, archive, analyze, and simulate data.

Using data from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab, we present a new measurement for the branching ratios of the Cabibbo-suppressed decay modes D0→π−π+ and D0→K−K+. We measured: Γ(D0→K−K+)/Γ(D0→π−π+)=2.81±0.10(stat)±0.06(syst), Γ(D0→K−K+)/Γ(D0→K−π+)=0.0993±0.0014(stat)±0.0014(syst), and Γ(D0→π−π+)/Γ(D0→K−π+)=0.0353±0.0012(stat)±0.0006(syst). These values have been combined with other experimental data to extract the ratios of isospin amplitudes and the phase shifts for the D→KK and D→ππ decay channels.

We review genetic programming principles, their application to FOCUS data samples, and use the method to study the doubly Cabibbo suppressed decay D+ -> K+ pi+ pi- relative to its Cabibbo favored counterpart, D+ -> K- pi+ pi+. We find that this technique is able to improve upon more traditional analysis methods. To our knowledge, this is the first application of the genetic programming technique to High Energy Physics data.

Using data from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab, we present a new measurement of the weak decay-asymmetry parameter αΛc in Λc+→Λπ+ decay. Comparing particle with antiparticle decays, we obtain the first measurement of the CP violation parameter A≡αΛc+αΛ¯cαΛc−αΛ¯c. We obtain αΛc=−0.78±0.16±0.19 and A=−0.07±0.19±0.24 where errors are statistical and systematic.

Novel data from the $K^{-}_{stop}A$ absorption reaction in light nuclei $^{6,7}$Li and $^{9}$Be are presented. The study aimed at finding $\Lambda t$ correlations. Regardless of $A$, the $\Lambda t$ pairs are preferentially emitted in opposite directions. Reaction modeling predominantly assigns to the $K^-_{stop}A\to\Lambda t(N)A'$ direct reactions the emission of the $\Lambda t$ pairs whose yield is found to range from $10^{-3}$ to $10^{-4}$$/K^-_{stop}$. The experiment was performed with the FINUDA spectrometer at DA$\Phi$NE (LNF).

The status of the CMS RPC Gas Gain Monitoring (GGM) system developed at the Frascati Laboratory of INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) is reported on. 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 muon detection system of the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider is based on different technologies for muon tracking and triggering. In particular, the muon system in the endcap disks of the detector consists of Resistive Plate Chambers for triggering and Cathode Strip Chambers for tracking. At present, the endcap muon system is only partially instrumented with the very forward detector region remaining uncovered. In view of a possible future extension of the muon endcap system, we report on a feasibility study on the use of Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors, in particular Gas Electron Multipliers, for both muon triggering and tracking. Results on the construction and characterization of small triple-Gas Electron Multiplier prototype detectors are presented.

This Letter is concerned with the study of the Kstop−A→π±Σ∓A′ reaction in p-shell nuclei, i.e., 6,7Li, 9Be, 13C and 16O. The π±Σ∓/Kstop− emission rates are reported as a function of A. These rates are discussed in comparison with previous findings. The ratio π−Σ+/π+Σ− in p-shell nuclei is found to depart largely from that on hydrogen, which provides support for large in-medium effects possibly generated by the sub-threshold Λ(1405). The continuum momentum spectra of prompt pions and free sigmas are also discussed as well as the π±Σ∓ missing mass behavior and the link with the reaction mechanism. The apparatus used for the investigation is the FINUDA spectrometer operating at the DAΦNE ϕ-factory (LNF-INFN, Italy).

The performance and long term stability of an optically readout Time Projection Chamber with an electron amplification structure based on three Gas Electron Multipliers was studied. He/CF4 based gas mixtures were used in two different proportions (60/40 and 70/30) in a CYGNO prototype with 7 litres sensitive volume. With electrical configurations providing very similar electron gains, an almost full detection efficiency in the whole detector volume was found with both mixtures, while a light yield about 20% larger for the 60/40 was found. The electrostatic stability was tested by monitoring voltages and currents during 25 days. The detector worked in very stable and safe condition for the whole period. In the presence of less CF4, a larger probability of unstable events was clearly detected.

The CMS RPC muon detector utilizes a gas recirculation system called closed loop (CL) to cope with large gas mixture volumes and costs.A systematic study of CL gas purifiers has been carried out over 400 days between July 2008 and August 2009 at CERN in a low-radiation test area, with the use of RPC chambers with currents monitoring, and gas analysis sampling points.The study aimed to fully clarify the presence of pollutants, the chemistry of purifiers used in the CL, and the regeneration procedure.Preliminary results on contaminants release and purifier characterization are reported.

The μ-RWELL has been conceived as a compact, simple and robust Micro-Pattern-Gaseous-Detector (MPGD) for very large area HEP applications requiring the operation in harsh environment. The detector amplification stage, similar to a GEM foil, is realized with a polyimide structure micro-patterned with a blind-hole matrix, embedded through a thin Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) resistive layer in the readout PCB. The introduction of the resistive layer strongly suppressing the transition from streamer to spark gives the possibility to achieve large gains (> 104), without significantly affecting the capability to stand high particle fluxes. In this work we give an overview of the two detector layouts designed for low and high rate applications, presenting the results of a systematic study of the detector performance as a function of the surface resistivity and discussing the status of the Technology Transfer towards the industry for large area detector manufacturing.

Previous studies of proton and neutron spectra from Non-Mesonic Weak Decay of eight Λ-Hypernuclei (A=5–16) have been revisited. New values of the ratio of the two-nucleon and the one-proton induced decay widths, Γ2N/Γp, are obtained from single proton spectra, Γ2N/Γp=0.50±0.24, and from neutron and proton coincidence spectra, Γ2N/Γp=0.36±0.14stat−0.04sys+0.05sys, in full agreement with previously published ones. With these values, a method is developed to extract the one-proton induced decay width in units of the free Λ decay width, Γp/ΓΛ, without resorting to Intra Nuclear Cascade models but by exploiting only experimental data, under the assumption of a linear dependence on A of the Final State Interaction contribution. This is the first systematic determination ever done and it agrees within the errors with recent theoretical calculations.

In this work the design of a constant fraction discriminator (CFD) to be used in the VFAT3 chip for the read-out of the triple-GEM detectors of the CMS experiment, is described. A prototype chip containing 8 CFDs was implemented using 130 nm CMOS technology and test results are shown.

Using data from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab, we present new measurements for the Cabibbo-suppressed decay mode D 0 → π -π + π -π + .We measure the branching ratio0022.An amplitude analysis has been performed, a first for this channel, in order to determine the resonant substructure of this decay mode.The dominant component is the decay D 0 → a 1 (1260) + π -, accounting for 60% of the decay rate.The second most dominant contribution comes from the decay D 0 → ρ(770) 0 ρ(770) 0 , with a fraction of 25%.We also study the a 1 (1260) line shape and resonant substructure.Using the helicity formalism for the angular distribution of the decay D 0 → ρ(770) 0 ρ(770) 0 , we measure a longitudinal polarization of P L = (71 ± 4 ± 2)%.

The FINUDA spectrometer, devoted to hypernuclear physics and installed on the DAΦNE two rings collider at the Laboratori Nationali di Frascati, is able to monitor the relevant machine parameters, as luminosity, collision vertexes, c.m. energy and transversal momentum boost, during the process of data taking to study hypernuclear physics without affecting it. The collider parameters relevant to optimize the machine performances to the needs of the experiment are measured both on-line and offline in a run-to-run basis, in an efficient, redundant way, allowing the continuous extraction of reliable and cross-checked information on the machine working conditions.

An experimental study of the Kstop−A→Σ−pA′ reaction on A=Li6,Li7,Be9,C13, and O16p-shell nuclei is presented. The data were collected by the FINUDA spectrometer operating at the DAΦNEϕ factory (LNF-INFN, Italy). Emission rates for the reaction in the mentioned nuclei are measured and compared with the few existing data. The spectra of several observables are discussed; indications of quasifree absorptions by a (np) pair embedded in the A nucleus can be obtained from the study of the missing mass distributions.Received 14 August 2015DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.92.045204©2015 American Physical Society

The operations of Resistive Plate Chambers in LHC experiments require Fluorine based (F-based) gases for optimal performance. Recent European regulations demand the use of environmentally unfriendly F-based gases to be limited or banned. In view of the CMS experiment upgrade, several tests are ongoing to measure the performance of the detector with these new ecological gas mixtures, in terms of efficiency, streamer probability, induced charge and time resolution. Prototype chambers with readout pads and with the standard CMS electronic setup are under test. In this paper preliminary results on performance of RPCs operated with a potential eco-friendly gas candidate 1,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene, commercially known as HFO-1234ze, with CO2 and CF3I based gas mixtures are presented and discussed for the possible application in the CMS experiment.

The Time Projection Chamber (TPC) is an ideal candidate to finely study the charged particle ionization in a gaseous medium. Large volume TPCs can be readout with a suitable number of channels offering a complete 3D reconstruction of a charged particle track, that is the sequence of its energy releases in the TPC gas volume. Moreover, He-based TPCs are very promising to study keV energy particles as nuclear recoils, opening the possibility for directional searches of Dark Matter (DM) and the study of Solar Neutrinos (SN). In this paper we report the analysis of the data acquired with a small TPC prototype (named LEMOn) built by the CYGNO collaboration that was exposed to a beam of 450 MeV electrons at the Beam Test Facility of National Laboratories of Frascati. LEMOn is operated with a He-CF4 mixture at atmospheric pressure and is based on a Gas Electron Multipliers amplification stage that produces visible light collected by the high granularity and very good sensitivity of scientific CMOS camera. This type of readout – in conjunction with a fast light detection – allows a 3D reconstruction of the electrons tracks. The electrons are leaving a trail of clusters of ionizations corresponding to a few keV energy release each. Their study leads to predict a keV energy threshold and 1–10 mm longitudinal and 0.1–0.3 mm transverse position resolution (sigma) for nuclear recoils, very promising for the application of optically read out TPC to DM searches and SN measurements.

Using a high statistics sample of photo-produced charm particles from the FOCUS experiment at Fermilab, we report results of a search for eight rare and Standard-Model-forbidden decays: D+, Ds+ > h+/- muon-/+ muon+ (with h=pion or Kaon). Improvement over previous results by a factor of 1.7--14 is realized. Our branching ratio upper limit D+ > pion+ muon- muon+ of 8.8E-6 at the 90% C.L. is below the current MSSM R-Parity violating constraint.

Using data from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab, we present a new measurement for the Cabibbo-suppressed decay mode D0→K+K−π+π−. We measure: Γ(D0→K+K−π+π−)/Γ(D0→K−π−π+π+)=0.0295±0.0011±0.0008. An amplitude analysis has been performed in order to determine the resonant substructure of this decay mode. The dominant components are the decays D0→K1(1270)+K−, D0→K1(1400)+K− and D0→ρ(770)0ϕ(1020).

Using a high statistics sample of photo-produced charm particles from the FOCUS experiment at Fermilab, we report on the measurement of the ratio of semileptonic rates \Gamma(D+ > ANTI-K pi mu+ nu)/\Gamma(D+ > ANTI-K0 mu+ nu)= 0.625 +/- 0.045 +/- 0.034. Allowing for the K pi S-wave interference measured previously by FOCUS, we extract the vector to pseudoscalar ratio \Gamma(D+ > ANTI-K*0 mu+ nu)/\Gamma(D+ > ANTI-K0 mu+ nu)= 0.594 +/- 0.043 +/- 0.033 and the ratio \Gamma(D+ > ANTI-K0 mu+ nu)/\Gamma(D+ > K- pi+ pi+)= 1.019 +/- 0.076 +/- 0.065. Our results show a lower ratio for \Gamma(D > K* \ell nu})/\Gamma(D > K \ell nu) than has been reported recently and indicate the current world average branching fractions for the decays D+ >ANTI-K0(mu+, e+) nu are low. Using the PDG world average for B(D+ > K- pi+ pi+) we extract B(D+ > ANIT-K0 mu+ nu)=(9.27 +/- 0.69 +/- 0.59 +/- 0.61)%.

We present a search for a charmed pentaquark decaying strongly to D(∗)−p. Finding no evidence for such a state, we set limits on the cross-section times branching ratio relative to D∗− and D− under particular assumptions about the production mechanism.

Using a large sample of D+ -> K- pi+ mu+ nu decays collected by the FOCUS photoproduction experiment at Fermilab, we present the first measurements of the helicity basis form factors free from the assumption of spectroscopic pole dominance. We also present the first information on the form factor that controls the s-wave interference discussed in a previous paper by the FOCUS collaboration. We find reasonable agreement with the usual assumption of spectroscopic pole dominance and measured form factor ratios.

We present a search for a pentaquark decaying strongly to pKS0 in γN collisions at a center-of-mass energy up to 25 GeV. Finding no evidence for such a state in the mass range of 1470MeV/c2 to 2200MeV/c2, we set limits on the yield and on the cross section times branching ratio relative to Σ∗(1385)± and K∗(892)+.

Due to its large volume (18 m3)the Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) detector of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the LHC proton collider (CERN, Switzerland) will employ a gas re-circulation system. Since the mixture composition and quality are crucial issues for the detector operation, CMS-RPC will use an online gas analysis and monitoring system. An overview of both the CMS-RPC gas system and gas monitoring system is given and the project parameters are described.

In this paper we describe the testing of a prototype of an innovative displacement gauge, based on use of Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. This displacement gauge, originally intended for monitoring repositioning of pixel vertex detectors in the BTeV experiment, is now proposed for CMS pixel alignment.

The FINUDA experiment has recently completed an extensive study of the weak decay of p-shell Λ-hypernuclei including both mesonic and non-mesonic modes. Charged mesonic decay rates have been determined based on the analysis of π− kinetic energy spectra, never measured before. The study of proton spectra from non-mesonic weak decay for p-shell hypernuclei, both single and in coincidence with a neutron, has triggered the investigation of the two-nucleon induced ΛNN→nNN decay channel: its weight has been evaluated to be Γ2/ΓNM=0.21±0.07stat−0.02sys+0.03sys. Finally, a direct experimental evidence of the occurrence of the weak reaction Λnp→nnp in nuclei is presented for the first time. Three events have been found which can be attributed to LiΛ7 and BeΛ9 two-nucleon induced non-mesonic weak decay; the kinematical analysis is discussed here.

Resistive Plate Chambers have been chosen as dedicated trigger muon detector for the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment [1] at the Large Hadron Collider [2] at CERN. The system consists of about 3000 m2 of double gap RPC chambers placed in both the barrel and endcap muon regions.

The high-luminosity phase of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) will result in ten times higher particle background than measured during the first phase of LHC operation. In order to fully exploit the highly-demanding operating conditions during HL-LHC, the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Collaboration will use Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector technology. The technology will be integrated into the innermost region of the forward muon spectrometer of CMS as an additional muon station called GE1∕1. The primary purpose of this auxiliary station is to help in muon reconstruction and to control level-1 muon trigger rates in the pseudo-rapidity region 1.6≤|η|≤2.2. The new station will contain trapezoidal-shaped GEM detectors called GE1∕1 chambers. The design of these chambers is finalized, and the installation is in progress during the Long Shutdown phase two (LS-2) that started in 2019. Several full-size prototypes were built and operated successfully in various test beams at CERN. We describe performance measurements such as gain, efficiency, and time resolution of these prototype chambers, developed after years of R&D, and summarize their behavior in different gas compositions as a function of the applied voltage.

The CYGNO project aims at the development of a high precision optical readout gaseous Tima Projection Chamber (TPC) for directional dark matter (DM) searches, to be hosted at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). CYGNO employs a He:CF4 gas mixture at atmospheric pressure with a Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) based amplification structure coupled to an optical readout comprised of sCMOS cameras and photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). This experimental setup allows to achieve 3D tracking and background rejection down to O(1) keV energy, to boost sensitivity to low WIMP masses. The characteristics of the optical readout approach in terms of the light yield will be illustrated along with the particle identification properties. The project timeline foresees, in the next 2–3 years, the realisation and installation of a 0.4 m3 TPC in the underground laboratories at LNGS to act as a demonstrator. Finally, the studies of the expected DM sensitivities of the CYGNO demonstrator will be presented.

Abstract We are going to discuss the R&amp;D and the prospects for the CYGNO project, towards the development of an innovative, high precision 3D tracking Time Projection Chamber with optical readout using He:CF 4 gas at 1 bar. CYGNO uses a stack of triple thin GEMs for charge multiplication, this induces scintillation in CF 4 gas, which is readout by PMTs and sCMOS cameras. High granularity and low readout noise of sCMOS along with high sampling of PMT allows CYGNO to have 3D tracking with head tail capability and particle identification down to O(keV) energy for directional Dark Matter searches and solar neutrino spectroscopy. We will present the most recent R&amp;D results from the CYGNO project, and in particular the overground commissioning of the largest prototype developed so far, LIME with a 33×33 cm 2 readout plane and 50 cm of drift length, for a total of 50 litres active volume. We will illustrate the LIME response characterisation between 3.7 keV and 44 keV by means of multiple X-ray sources, and the data Monte-Carlo comparison of simulated sCMOS images in this energy range. Furthermore, we will present current LIME installation, operation and data taking at underground Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), serving as demonstrator for the development of a 0.4 m 3 CYGNO detector. We will conclude by mentioning the technical choices and the prospects of the 0.4 m 3 detector, as laid out in the Technical Design Report (TDR) recently produced by our collaboration.

Abstract The nature of dark matter is still unknown and an experimental program to look for dark matter particles in our Galaxy should extend its sensitivity to light particles in the GeV mass range and exploit the directional information of the DM particle motion (Vahsen et al. in CYGNUS: feasibility of a nuclear recoil observatory with directional sensitivity to dark matter and neutrinos, arXiv:2008.12587 , 2020). The Cygno project is studying a gaseous time projection chamber operated at atmospheric pressure with a Gas Electron Multiplier (Sauli in Nucl Instrum Meth A 386:531, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-9002(96)01172-2 , 1997) amplification and with an optical readout as a promising technology for light dark matter and directional searches. In this paper we describe the operation of a 50 l prototype named LIME (Long Imaging ModulE) in an overground location at Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (LNF) of INFN. This prototype employs the technology under study for the 1 cubic meter Cygno demonstrator to be installed at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) (Amaro et al. in Instruments 2022, 6(1), https://www.mdpi.com/2410-390X/6/1/6 , 2022). We report the characterization of LIME with photon sources in the energy range from few keV to several tens of keV to understand the performance of the energy reconstruction of the emitted electron. We achieved a low energy threshold of few keV and an energy resolution over the whole energy range of 10–20%, while operating the detector for several weeks continuously with very high operational efficiency. The energy spectrum of the reconstructed electrons is then reported and will be the basis to identify radio-contaminants of the LIME materials to be removed for future Cygno detectors.

Using data collected by the fixed target Fermilab experiment FOCUS, we present several first measurements for the semileptonic decay D0→K¯0π−μ+ν. Using a model that includes a K¯0π− s-wave component, we measure the form factor ratios to be rv=1.71±0.68±0.34 and r2=0.91±0.37±0.10 and the s-wave amplitude to be A=0.35±0.22±0.05GeV−1. Finally, we measure the vector semileptonic branching ratio Γ(D0→K*(892)−μ+ν)Γ(D0→K¯0π−π+)=0.337±0.034±0.013.

Performances of the Gas Gain Monitoring system of the CMS RPC muon detectors after one year of operation at the scaled down closed loop recirculation gas system are presented. The GGM is made of 12 single-gap RPC's arranged in a cosmic ray telescope, with charge readout for online monitoring of working point. Preliminary results on sensitivity to gas changes and to environmental variables will be reported on.

The CMS GEM collaboration is performing a feasibility study to install triple-GEM detectors in the forward region of the muon system (1.6 < |η| < 2.4) of the CMS detector at the LHC. Such micro-pattern gas detectors are able to cope with the extreme particle rates that are expected in that region during the High Luminosity phase of the LHC. With their spatial resolution of order 100 micron GEMs would not only provide additional benefits in the CMS muon High Level Trigger, but also in the muon identification and track reconstruction, effectively combining tracking and triggering capabilities in one single device. The present status of the full project will be reviewed, highlighting all importants steps and achievements since the start of the R&amp;D in 2009. Several small and full-size prototypes were constructed with different geometries and techniques. The baseline design of the triple-GEM detector for CMS will be described, along with the results from extensive test measurements of all prototypes both in the lab and in test beams at the CERN SPS. The proposed on- and off-detector electronics for the final system will be presented.

At present, part of the forward RPC muon system of the CMS detector at the CERN LHC remains uninstrumented in the high-\eta region. An international collaboration is investigating the possibility of covering the 1.6 < |\eta| < 2.4 region of the muon endcaps with large-area triple-GEM detectors. Given their good spatial resolution, high rate capability, and radiation hardness, these micro-pattern gas detectors are an appealing option for simultaneously enhancing muon tracking and triggering capabilities in a future upgrade of the CMS detector. A general overview of this feasibility study will be presented. The design and construction of small (10\times10 cm2) and full-size trapezoidal (1\times0.5 m2) triple-GEM prototypes will be described. During detector assembly, different techniques for stretching the GEM foils were tested. Results from measurements with x-rays and from test beam campaigns at the CERN SPS will be shown for the small and large prototypes. Preliminary simulation studies on the expected muon reconstruction and trigger performances of this proposed upgraded muon system will be reported.

This contribution introduces a new type of Micropattern Gaseous Detector, the Fast Timing Micropattern (FTM) detector, utilizing fully Resistive WELL structures. The structure of the prototype will be described in detail and the results of the characterization study performed with an X-ray gun will be presented, together with the first results on time resolution based on data collected with muon/pion test beams.

The Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) are employed in the CMS experiment at the LHC as dedicated trigger system both in the barrel and in the endcap. This note presents results of the RPC detector uniformity and stability during the 2011 data taking period, and preliminary results obtained with 2012 data. The detector uniformity has been ensured with a dedicated High Voltage scan with LHC collisions, in order to determine the optimal operating working voltage of each individual RPC chamber installed in CMS. Emphasis is given on the procedures and results of the High Voltage calibration. Moreover, an increased detector stability has been obtained by automatically taking into account temperature and atmospheric pressure variations in the CMS cavern.

A cylindrical tracking detector with an inner radius of one meter employing straw tubes is being envisaged for the FINUDA experiment aimed at hyper-nuclear physics at DAΦNE, the Frascati φ-factory. A prototype using several 10 mm and 20 mm diameter, two meter long aluminized mylar straws has been assembled and tested with a one GeV/c pion beam. While operating with dimethyl ether, gas gain, space resolution, and device systematics have been studied. A simple method of correction for systematics due to straw eccentricity has been developed and, once applied, a space resolution better than 40 μm can be reached.

A high statistics sample of photoproduced charm particles from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab has been used to measure the D0 and D+ lifetimes. Using about 210000 D0 and 110000 D+ events we obtained the following values: 409.6±1.1 (statistical)±1.5 (systematic) fs for D0 and 1039.4±4.3 (statistical)±7.0 (systematic) fs for D+.

Using a large sample of Ds to Phi mu nu decays collected by the FOCUS photoproduction experiment at Fermilab, we present new measurements of two semileptonic form factor ratios: rV and r2. We find rV = 1.549 \pm 0.250 \pm 0.145 and r2 = 0.713 \pm 0.202 \pm 0.266. These values are consistent with the rV and r2 form factors measured for the process D+ to K*bar mu nu.

We present a new measurement of the branching ratio of the Cabibbo suppressed decay D^0\to \pi^-\mu^+\nu relative to the Cabibbo favored decay D^0\to K^-\mu^+\nu and an improved measurement of the ratio |\frac{f_+^{\pi}(0)}{f_+^{K}(0)}|. Our results are 0.074 \pm 0.008 \pm 0.007 for the branching ratio and 0.85 \pm 0.04 \pm 0.04 \pm 0.01 for the form factor ratio, respectively.

During the summer 2006, a first integrated test of a part of the CMS experiment was performed at CERN collecting a data sample of several millions of cosmic rays events. A fraction of the Resistive Plate Chambers system was successfully operated. Results on the RPC performance are reported.

Results from the gas gain monitoring (GGM) system for the RPC muon detector in the CMS experiment at the LHC are presented. The system is designed to provide fast and accurate determination of any shift in the working point of the chambers due to gas mixture changes.

In view of a possible extension of the forward CMS muon detector system and future LHC luminosity upgrades, Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors (MPGDs) are an appealing technology. They can simultaneously provide precision tracking and fast trigger information, as well as sufficiently fine segmentation to cope with high particle rates in the high-eta region at LHC and its future upgrades. We report on the design and construction of a full-size prototype for the CMS endcap system, the largest Triple-GEM detector built to-date. We present details on the 3D modeling of the detector geometry, the implementation of the readout strips and electronics, and the detector assembly procedure.

The CMS GEM collaboration is considering Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs) for upgrading the CMS forward muon system in the 1.5 <; |η| <; 2.4 endcap region. GEM detectors can provide precision tracking and fast trigger information. They would improve the CMS muon trigger and muon momentum resolution and provide missing redundancy in the high-η region. Employing a new faster construction and assembly technique, we built four full-scale Triple-GEM muon detectors for the inner ring of the first muon endcap station. We plan to install these or further improved versions in CMS during the first long LHC shutdown in 2013/14 for continued testing. These detectors are designed for the stringent rate and resolution requirements in the increasingly hostile environments expected at CMS after the second long LHC shutdown in 2018/19. The new prototypes were studied in muon/pion beams at the CERN SPS. We discuss our experience with constructing the new full-scale production prototypes and present preliminary performance results from the beam test. We also tested smaller Triple-GEM prototypes with zigzag readout strips with 2 mm pitch in these beams and measured a spatial resolution of 73 μm. This readout offers a potential reduction of channel count and consequently electronics cost for this system while maintaining high spatial resolution.

The CMS muon system includes in both the barrel and endcap region Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC). They mainly serve as trigger detectors and also improve the reconstruction of muon parameters. Over the years, the instantaneous luminosity of the Large Hadron Collider gradually increases. During the LHC Phase 1 (~first 10 years of operation) an ultimate luminosity is expected above its design value of 10^34/cm^2/s at 14 TeV. To prepare the machine and also the experiments for this, two long shutdown periods are scheduled for 2013-2014 and 2018-2019. The CMS Collaboration is planning several detector upgrades during these long shutdowns. In particular, the muon detection system should be able to maintain a low-pT threshold for an efficient Level-1 Muon Trigger at high particle rates. One of the measures to ensure this, is to extend the present RPC system with the addition of a 4th layer in both endcap regions. During the first long shutdown, these two new stations will be equipped in the region |eta|<1.6 with 144 High Pressure Laminate (HPL) double-gap RPCs operating in avalanche mode, with a similar design as the existing CMS endcap chambers. Here, we present the upgrade plans for the CMS RPC system for the fist long shutdown, including trigger simulation studies for the extended system, and details on the new HPL production, the chamber assembly and the quality control procedures.

Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM) are a proven position sensitive gas detector technology which nowadays is becoming more widely used in High Energy Physics. GEMs offer an excellent spatial resolution and a high particle rate capability, with a close to 100% detection efficiency. In view of the high luminosity phase of the CERN Large Hadron Collider, these aforementioned features make GEMs suitable candidates for the future upgrades of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector. In particular, the CMS GEM Collaboration proposes to cover the high-eta region of the muon system with large-area triple-GEM detectors, which have the ability to provide robust and redundant tracking and triggering functions. In this contribution, after a general introduction and overview of the project, the construction of full-size trapezoidal triple-GEM prototypes will be described in more detail. The procedures for the quality control of the GEM foils, including gain uniformity measurements with an x-ray source will be presented. In the past few years, several CMS triple-GEM prototype detectors were operated with test beams at the CERN SPS. The results of these test beam campaigns will be summarised.

We propose to adopt Fiber Bragg Grating technology to develop an innovative sensor for monitoring relative humidity of the gas fluxed in Resistive Plate Counters. Use of Fiber Bragg Grating as sensing device makes the proposed sensor well suited to develop distributed real-time monitoring systems to be installed on large volume detectors operated in high electromagnetic fields. In fact Fiber Bragg Gratings are fully immune from electromagnetic disturbances and allow simplified wiring by in-series interconnection of tens of them along a single optical fiber. In this paper we present results intended to investigate the feasibility of our proposal.

Resistive Plate Counters (RPC) detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments use gas recirculation systems to cope with large gas mixture volumes and costs. In this paper a long-term systematic study about gas purifiers, gas contaminants and detector performance is discussed. The study aims at measuring the lifetime of purifiers with new and used cartridge material along with contaminants release in the gas system. During the data-taking the response of several RPC double-gap detectors was monitored in order to characterize the correlation between dark currents, filter status and gas contaminants.

The dedicated CMS R&D program was intended to study the feasibility of using micropattern detectors for the instrumentation of the vacant |η|>1.6 region in the present Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) endcap system. The proposed detector for CMS is a Triple-Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) trapezoidal chamber, equipped with 1D readout. While during 2010–2011 the Collaboration worked on the prototyping of the detector, during the first part of 2012 a newly developed assembly technique to be used for the mass production was adopted. GEMs can provide precision tracking and fast trigger information, contributing on one hand to the improvement of the CMS muon Trigger and on the other hand to provide the missing redundancy in the high η region. In the view of the next LHC long shutdown (LS1) the CMS GEM Collaboration designed and built four full-size Triple GEM-based muon detectors.

Optical readout of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM) provides very interesting performances and has been proposed for different applications in particle physics. In particular, thanks to its good efficiency in the keV energy range, it is being developed for low-energy and rare event studies, such as Dark Matter search. So far, the optical approach exploits the light produced during the avalanche processes in GEM channels. Further luminescence in the gas can be induced by electrons accelerated by a suitable electric field. The CYGNO collaboration studied this process with a combined use of a triple-GEM structure and a grid in an He/CF$_4$ (60/40) gas mixture at atmospheric pressure. Results reported in this paper allow to conclude that with an electric field of about 11~kV/cm a photon production mean free path of about 1.0~cm was found.

The CMS experiment, located at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in CERN, has a redundant muon system composed by three different gaseous detector technologies: Cathode Strip Chambers (in the forward regions), Drift Tubes (in the central region), and Resistive Plate Chambers (both its central and forward regions). All three are used for muon reconstruction and triggering. The CMS RPC system confers robustness and redundancy to the muon trigger. The RPC system operation in the challenging background and pileup conditions of the LHC environment is presented. The RPC system provides information to all muon track finders and thus contributing to both muon trigger and reconstruction. The summary of the detector performance results obtained with proton-proton collision at √s = 13 TeV during 2016 and 2017 data taking have been presented. The stability of the system is presented in terms of efficiency and cluster size vs time and increasing instantaneous luminosity. Data-driven predictions about the expected performance during High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) stage have been reported.

Abstract A new generation of resistive plate chambers, capable of withstanding high particle fluxes (up to 2000 Hz · cm -2 ) and instrumented with precise timing readout electronics is proposed to equip two of the four high pseudorapidity stations of the CMS muon system. Double-gap RPC detectors, with each gap made of two 1.4 mm High Pressure Laminate electrodes and separated by a gas gap of the same thickness, are proposed. The new layout reduces the amount of the avalanche charge produced by the passage of a charged particle through the detector. This improves the RPC rate capability by reducing the needed time to collect this charge. To keep the RPC efficiency high, a sensitive, low-noise and high time resolution front-end electronics is needed to cope with the lower charge signal of the new RPC. An ASIC called PETIROC that has all these characteristics has been selected to read out the strips of new chambers. Thin (0.6 mm) printed circuit board, 160 cm long, equipped with pickup strips of 0.75 cm average pitch, will be inserted between the two new RPC's gaps. The strips will be read out from both ends, and the arrival time difference of the two ends will be used to determine the hit position along the strip. Results from the improved RPC equipped with the new readout system and exposed to cosmic muons in the high irradiation environment at CERN GIF++ facility are presented in this work.

We present a study of the characteristics of a hybrid image intensifier tube based on a thinned backside Electron Bombarded CCD (EBCCD) with better performance in spatial resolution, single photoelectron detection and gain stability than the conventional intensified systems based on a Micro Channel Plate followed by a CCD. Single photon detection sensitivity has been studied and a procedure to correct the gain non-uniformity of the EBCCD has been developed. The EBCCD, operating at 14 kV, has an average gain of ∼3000 electrons/photoelectron and a noise of the order of 100 electron/pixel. These characteristics make the EBCCD a very attractive device for many applications in high-energy physics, astrophysics and biomedicine. A possible application in a neutrino oscillation experiment is presented.