The atmosphere as particle detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanev, Todor

1990-01-01

The possibility of using an inflatable, gas-filled balloon as a TeV gamma-ray detector on the moon is considered. By taking an atmosphere of Xenon gas there, or by extracting it on the moon, a layman's detector design is presented. In spite of its shortcomings, the exercise illustrates several of the novel features offered by particle physics on the moon.

The atmosphere as particle detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanev, T.

1990-03-01

The possibility of using an inflatable, gas-filled balloon as a TeV gamma-ray detector on the moon is considered. By taking an atmosphere of Xenon gas there, or by extracting it on the moon, a layman's detector design is presented. In spite of its shortcomings, the exercise illustrates several of the novel features offered by particle physics on the moon.

Xenon detector with high energy resolution for gamma-ray line emission registration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novikov, Alexander S.; Ulin, Sergey E.; Chernysheva, Irina V.; Dmitrenko, Valery V.; Grachev, Victor M.; Petrenko, Denis V.; Shustov, Alexander E.; Uteshev, Ziyaetdin M.; Vlasik, Konstantin F.

2014-09-01

A description of the xenon detector (XD) for gamma-ray line emission registration is presented. The detector provides high energy resolution and is able to operate under extreme environmental conditions (wide temperature range and unfavorable acoustic action). Resistance to acoustic noise as well as improvement in energy resolution has been achieved by means of real-time digital pulse processing. Another important XD feature is the ionization chamber's thin wall with composite housing, which significantly decreases the mass of the device and expands its energy range, especially at low energies.

Solid Xenon Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balakishiyeva, Durdana N.; Mahapatra, Rupak; Saab, Tarek; Yoo, Jonghee

2010-08-01

Crystals like Germanium and Silicon need to be grown in specialized facilities which is time and money costly. It takes many runs to test the detector once it's manufactured and mishaps are very probable. It is of a great challenge to grow big germanium crystals and that's why stacking them up in a tower is the only way at the moment to increase testing mass. Liquid Noble gas experiments experiencing contamination problems, their predicted energy resolution at 10 keV and lower energy range is not as good as predicted. Every experiment is targeting one specific purpose, looking for one thing. Why not to design an experiment that is diverse and build a detector that can search for Dark Matter, Solar Axions, Neutrinoless Double Beta decay, etc. Solid Xenon detector is such detector. We designed a simple Xenon crystal growing chamber that was put together at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The first phase of this experiment was to demonstrate that a good, crack free Xenon crystal can be grown (regardless of many failed attempts by various groups) and our first goal, 1 kg crystal, was successful.

XENON100 Dark Matter Search: Scintillation Response of Liquid Xenon to Electronic Recoils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Kyungeun Elizabeth

, respectively. A general review about dark matter focusing on WIMPs and their direct detection with liquid noble gas detectors is presented in Chap. 1. LXe as an attractive WIMP detection medium is explained in Chap. 2. The XENON100 detector design, the detector, and its subsystems are detailed in Chap. 3. The calibration of the detector and the characterized detector response used for the discrimination of a WIMP-like signal against background are explained in Chap. 4. In an effort to understand the background, anomalous electronic recoils were studied extensively and are described in Chap. 5. In order to obtain a better understanding of the electronic recoil background of XENON100, including an estimation of the electronic recoil background contribution, as well as to interpret dark matter results such as annual modulation, measurement of the scintillation yield of low-energy electrons in LXe was performed in 2011, with the dedicated setup mentioned above. The results from this measurement are discussed in Chap. 6. Finally, the results for the latest science data from XENON100 to search for WIMPs, comprising 225 live-days taken over 13 months during 2011 and 2012 are explained in Chap. 7.

Scalability study of solid xenon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yoo, J.; Cease, H.; Jaskierny, W. F.

2015-04-01

We report a demonstration of the scalability of optically transparent xenon in the solid phase for use as a particle detector above a kilogram scale. We employed a cryostat cooled by liquid nitrogen combined with a xenon purification and chiller system. A modified {\\it Bridgeman's technique} reproduces a large scale optically transparent solid xenon.

The XENON1T dark matter experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Antunes, B.; Arneodo, F.; Balata, M.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breskin, A.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Chiarini, A.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Corrieri, R.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; Gangi, P. Di; Giovanni, A. Di; Diglio, S.; Disdier, J.-M.; Doets, M.; Duchovni, E.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Front, D.; Fulgione, W.; Rosso, A. Gallo; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Giboni, K.-L.; Goetzke, L. W.; Grandi, L.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Huhmann, C.; Itay, R.; James, A.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lombardi, F.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Maier, R.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Undagoitia, T. Marrodán; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Morå, K.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Orlandi, D.; Othegraven, R.; Pakarha, P.; Parlati, S.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Pizzella, V.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; García, D. Ramírez; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Santos, J. M. F. dos; Saldanha, R.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Lavina, L. Scotto; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Shockley, E.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. v.; Stern, M.; Stein, A.; Tatananni, D.; Tatananni, L.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Upole, N.; Vargas, M.; Wack, O.; Walet, R.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wittweg, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.

2017-12-01

The XENON1T experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) is the first WIMP dark matter detector operating with a liquid xenon target mass above the ton-scale. Out of its 3.2 t liquid xenon inventory, 2.0 t constitute the active target of the dual-phase time projection chamber. The scintillation and ionization signals from particle interactions are detected with low-background photomultipliers. This article describes the XENON1T instrument and its subsystems as well as strategies to achieve an unprecedented low background level. First results on the detector response and the performance of the subsystems are also presented.

Impact of neutrino background prediction for next generation dark matter xenon detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cadeddu, M.; Picciau, E.

2018-01-01

Next generation direct dark matter detectors will have the sensitivity to detect neutrinos from several sources, among which atmospheric and diffuse supernova neutrinos, through the Standard Model reaction of Coherent Elastic Neutrino Scattering on nucleus. This reaction represents an irreducible background that can be expressed as a limit in the Weakly Interacting Massive Particles parameters plane. This limit is known as the “neutrino floor” and it has been obtained by other authors considering standard hypotheses for the neutrino-nucleus form factor and for the coherence of the scattering process. Since the coherent scattering has never been observed experimentally, it is licit to relax some hypotheses in the differential cross section and to evaluate the effect of such modifications on the neutrino floor prediction. In this contribution, we show a more accurate neutrino-nucleus form factor and we discuss the coherence hypothesis of the process in two extreme cases, namely the total coherence and the total decoherence regime. We derive the neutrino background event rate under these new assumptions, considering xenon as a target. The differences between the number of neutrino events and the implication for the next generation dark matter detectors, such as XENON1T/XENONnT, LZ and DARWIN, are discussed.

An ultra-low background PMT for liquid xenon detectors

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. S.; Bai, X.; Bernard, E.; ...

2012-11-15

Results are presented from radioactivity screening of two models of photomultiplier tubes designed for use in current and future liquid xenon experiments. The Hamamatsu 5.6 cm diameter R8778 PMT, used in the LUX dark matter experiment, has yielded a positive detection of four common radioactive isotopes: 238U, 232Th, 40K, and 60Co. Screening of LUX materials has rendered backgrounds from other detector materials subdominant to the R8778 contribution. A prototype Hamamatsu 7.6 cm diameter R11410 MOD PMT has also been screened, with benchmark isotope counts measured at <0.4 238U / <0.3 232Th / < 8.3 40K / 2.0+-0.2 60Co mBq/PMT. This represents a large reduction, equal to a change of xmore » $$\\frac{1}{24}$$ 238U / x $$\\frac{1}{9}$$ 232Th / x $$\\frac{1}{8}$$ 40K per PMT, between R8778 and R11410 MOD, concurrent with a doubling of the photocathode surface area (4.5 cm to 6.4 cm diameter). 60Co measurements are comparable between the PMTs, but can be significantly reduced in future R11410 MOD units through further material selection. Assuming PMT activity equal to the measured 90% upper limits, Monte Carlo estimates indicate that replacement of R8778 PMTs with R11410 MOD PMTs will change LUX PMT electron recoil background contributions by a factor of x $$\\frac{1}{25}$$ after further material selection for 60Co reduction, and nuclear recoil backgrounds by a factor of \\times $$\\frac{1}{36}$$. The strong reduction in backgrounds below the measured R8778 levels makes the R11410 MOD a very competitive technology for use in large-scale liquid xenon detectors.« less

Radon depletion in xenon boil-off gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruenner, S.; Cichon, D.; Lindemann, S.; Undagoitia, T. Marrodán; Simgen, H.

2017-03-01

An important background in detectors using liquid xenon for rare event searches arises from the decays of radon and its daughters. We report for the first time a reduction of ^{222}Rn in the gas phase above a liquid xenon reservoir. We show a reduction factor of ≳ 4 for the ^{222}Rn concentration in boil-off xenon gas compared to the radon enriched liquid phase. A semiconductor-based α -detector and miniaturized proportional counters are used to detect the radon. As the radon depletion in the boil-off gas is understood as a single-stage distillation process, this result establishes the suitability of cryogenic distillation to separate radon from xenon down to the 10^{-15} mol/mol level.

GraXe, graphene and xenon for neutrinoless double beta decay searches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gómez-Cadenas, J.J.; Martín-Albo, J.; Monrabal, F.

2012-02-01

We propose a new detector concept, GraXe (to be pronounced as grace), to search for neutrinoless double beta decay in {sup 136}XE. GraXe combines a popular detection medium in rare-event searches, liquid xenon, with a new, background-free material, graphene. In our baseline design of GraXe, a sphere made of graphene-coated titanium mesh and filled with liquid xenon (LXe) enriched in the {sup 136}XE isotope is immersed in a large volume of natural LXe instrumented with photodetectors. Liquid xenon is an excellent scintillator, reasonably transparent to its own light. Graphene is transparent over a large frequency range, and impermeable to themore » xenon. Event position could be deduced from the light pattern detected in the photosensors. External backgrounds would be shielded by the buffer of natural LXe, leaving the ultra-radiopure internal volume virtually free of background. Industrial graphene can be manufactured at a competitive cost to produce the sphere. Enriching xenon in the isotope {sup 136}XE is easy and relatively cheap, and there is already near one ton of enriched xenon available in the world (currently being used by the EXO, KamLAND-Zen and NEXT experiments). All the cryogenic know-how is readily available from the numerous experiments using liquid xenon. An experiment using the GraXe concept appears realistic and affordable in a short time scale, and its physics potential is enormous.« less

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. S.; Bai, X.; Bedikian, S.; ...

2012-11-29

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) collaboration has designed and constructed a dual-phase xenon detector, in order to conduct a search for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), a leading dark matter candidate. The goal of the LUX detector is to clearly detect (or exclude) WIMPS with a spin independent cross section per nucleon of 2×10 -46 cm 2, equivalent to ~1 event/100 kg/month in the inner 100-kg fiducial volume (FV) of the 370-kg detector. The overall background goals are set to have <1 background events characterized as possible WIMPs in the FV in 300 days of running. This work describes themore » design and construction of the LUX detector.« less

The Daya Bay antineutrino detector filling system and liquid mass measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Band, H. R.; Cherwinka, J. J.; Draeger, E.; Heeger, K. M.; Hinrichs, P.; Lewis, C. A.; Mattison, H.; McFarlane, M. C.; Webber, D. M.; Wenman, D.; Wang, W.; Wise, T.; Xiao, Q.

2013-09-01

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured the neutrino mixing angle θ13 to world-leading precision. The experiment uses eight antineutrino detectors filled with 20-tons of gadolinium-doped liquid scintillator to detect antineutrinos emitted from the Daya Bay nuclear power plant through the inverse beta decay reaction. The precision measurement of sin22θ13 relies on the relative antineutrino interaction rates between detectors at near (400 m) and far (roughly 1.8 km) distances from the nuclear reactors. The measured interaction rate in each detector is directly proportional to the number of protons in the liquid scintillator target. A precision detector filling system was developed to simultaneously fill the three liquid zones of the antineutrino detectors and measure the relative target mass between detectors to < 0.02%. This paper describes the design, operation, and performance of the system and the resulting precision measurement of the detectors' target liquid masses.

A plan for directional dark matter sensitivity in high-pressure xenon detectors through the addition of wavelength shifting gaseous molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gehman, V. M.; Goldschmidt, A.; Nygren, D.; Oliveira, C. A. B.; Renner, J.

2013-10-01

Xenon is an especially attractive candidate for both direct WIMP and 0νββ decay searches. Although the current trend has exploited the liquid phase, the gas phase xenon offers remarkable performance advantages for: energy resolution, topology visualization, and discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils. The NEXT-100 experiment, now under construction in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, Spain, will operate at ~ 15 bars with 100 kg of 136Xe for the 0νββ decay search. We will describe recent results with small prototypes, indicating that NEXT-100 can provide about 0.5% FWHM energy resolution at the decay's Q value (2457.83 keV), as well as rejection of γ-rays with topological cuts. However, sensitivity goals for WIMP dark matter and 0νββ decay searches indicate the probable need for ton-scale active masses. NEXT-100 provides the springboard to reach this scale with xenon gas. We describe a scenario for performing both searches in a single, high-pressure, ton-scale xenon gas detector, without significant compromise to either. In addition, even in a single ton-scale, high-pressure xenon gas TPC, an intrinsic sensitivity to the nuclear recoil direction may exist. This plausibly offers an advance of more than two orders of magnitude relative to current low-pressure TPC concepts. We argue that, in an era of deepening fiscal austerity, such a dual-purpose detector may be possible at acceptable cost, within the time frame of interest, and deserves our collective attention.

Liquid xenon purification, de-radonation (and de-kryptonation)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pocar, Andrea, E-mail: pocar@umass.edu; Physics Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550

Liquid xenon detectors are at the forefront of rare event physics, including searches for neutrino-less double beta decay and WIMP dark matter. The xenon for these experiments needs to be purified from chemical impurities such as electronegative atoms and molecules, which absorb ionization electrons, and VUV (178 nm) scintillation light-absorbing chemical species. In addition, superb purification from radioactive impurities is required. Particularly challenging are radioactive noble isotopes ({sup 85}Kr,{sup 39,42}Ar,{sup 220,222}Rn). Radon is a particularly universal problem, due to the extended decay sequence of its daughters and its ubiquitous presence in detector materials. Purification and de-radonation of liquid xenon aremore » addressed with particular focus on the experience gained with the EXO-200 neutrino-less double beta decay detector.« less

Critical Viscosity of Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Shear thirning will cause a normally viscous fluid -- such as pie filling or whipped cream -- to deform and flow more readily under high shear conditions. In shear thinning, a pocket of fluid will deform and move one edge forward, as depicted here.

High pressure xenon ionization detector

DOEpatents

Markey, J.K.

1989-11-14

A method is provided for detecting ionization comprising allowing particles that cause ionization to contact high pressure xenon maintained at or near its critical point and measuring the amount of ionization. An apparatus is provided for detecting ionization, the apparatus comprising a vessel containing a ionizable medium, the vessel having an inlet to allow high pressure ionizable medium to enter the vessel, a means to permit particles that cause ionization of the medium to enter the vessel, an anode, a cathode, a grid and a plurality of annular field shaping rings, the field shaping rings being electrically isolated from one another, the anode, cathode, grid and field shaping rings being electrically isolated from one another in order to form an electric field between the cathode and the anode, the electric field originating at the anode and terminating at the cathode, the grid being disposed between the cathode and the anode, the field shaping rings being disposed between the cathode and the grid, the improvement comprising the medium being xenon and the vessel being maintained at a pressure of 50 to 70 atmospheres and a temperature of 0 to 30 C. 2 figs.

High pressure xenon ionization detector

DOEpatents

Markey, John K.

1989-01-01

A method is provided for detecting ionization comprising allowing particles that cause ionization to contact high pressure xenon maintained at or near its critical point and measuring the amount of ionization. An apparatus is provided for detecting ionization, the apparatus comprising a vessel containing a ionizable medium, the vessel having an inlet to allow high pressure ionizable medium to enter the vessel, a means to permit particles that cause ionization of the medium to enter the vessel, an anode, a cathode, a grid and a plurality of annular field shaping rings, the field shaping rings being electrically isolated from one another, the anode, cathode, grid and field shaping rings being electrically isolated from one another in order to form an electric field between the cathode and the anode, the electric field originating at the anode and terminating at the cathode, the grid being disposed between the cathode and the anode, the field shaping rings being disposed between the cathode and the grid, the improvement comprising the medium being xenon and the vessel being maintained at a pressure of 50 to 70 atmospheres and a temperature of 0.degree. to 30.degree. C.

Gravity assisted recovery of liquid xenon at large mass flow rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Virone, L.; Acounis, S.; Beaupère, N.; Beney, J.-L.; Bert, J.; Bouvier, S.; Briend, P.; Butterworth, J.; Carlier, T.; Chérel, M.; Crespi, P.; Cussonneau, J.-P.; Diglio, S.; Manzano, L. Gallego; Giovagnoli, D.; Gossiaux, P.-B.; Kraeber-Bodéré, F.; Ray, P. Le; Lefèvre, F.; Marty, P.; Masbou, J.; Morteau, E.; Picard, G.; Roy, D.; Staempflin, M.; Stutzmann, J.-S.; Visvikis, D.; Xing, Y.; Zhu, Y.; Thers, D.

2018-06-01

We report on a liquid xenon gravity assisted recovery method for nuclear medical imaging applications. The experimental setup consists of an elevated detector enclosed in a cryostat connected to a storage tank called ReStoX. Both elements are part of XEMIS2 (XEnon Medical Imaging System): an innovative medical imaging facility for pre-clinical research that uses pure liquid xenon as detection medium. Tests based on liquid xenon transfer from the detector to ReStoX have been successfully performed showing that an unprecedented mass flow rate close to 1 ton per hour can be reached. This promising achievement as well as future areas of improvement will be discussed in this paper.

A study of intrinsic statistical variation for low-energy nuclear recoils in liquid xenon detector for dark matter searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lu; Wei, Wenzhao; Mei, Dongming; Cubed Collaboration

2015-10-01

Noble liquid xenon experiments, such as XENON100, LUX, XENON 1-Ton, and LZ are large dark matter experiments directly searches for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). One of the most important features is to discriminate nuclear recoils from electronic recoils. Detector response is generally calibrated with different radioactive sources including 83mKr, tritiated methane, 241AmBe, 252Cf, and DD-neutrons. The electronic recoil and nuclear recoil bands have been determined by these calibrations. However, the width of nuclear recoil band needs to be fully understood. We derive a theoretical model to understand the correlation of the width of nuclear recoil band and intrinsic statistical variation. In addition, we conduct experiments to validate the theoretical model. In this paper, we present the study of intrinsic statistical variation contributing to the width of nuclear recoil band. DE-FG02-10ER46709 and the state of South Dakota.

Signal yields, energy resolution, and recombination fluctuations in liquid xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Beltrame, P.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boulton, E. M.; Bramante, R.; Brás, P.; Byram, D.; Cahn, S. B.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Chiller, A. A.; Chiller, C.; Currie, A.; Cutter, J. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Dobson, J. E. Y.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edwards, B. N.; Faham, C. H.; Fiorucci, S.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Gehman, V. M.; Ghag, C.; Gibson, K. R.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Hall, C. R.; Hanhardt, M.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hogan, D. P.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Ignarra, C. M.; Ihm, M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Knoche, R.; Larsen, N. A.; Lee, C.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lesko, K. T.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Manalaysay, A.; Mannino, R. L.; Marzioni, M. F.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mock, J.; Moongweluwan, M.; Morad, J. A.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; O'Sullivan, K.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Phelps, P.; Reichhart, L.; Rhyne, C.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Solmaz, M.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Stephenson, S.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W. C.; Tennyson, B. P.; Terman, P. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; To, W. H.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Uvarov, S.; Verbus, J. R.; Webb, R. C.; White, J. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Xu, J.; Yazdani, K.; Young, S. K.; Zhang, C.; LUX Collaboration

2017-01-01

This work presents an analysis of monoenergetic electronic recoil peaks in the dark-matter-search and calibration data from the first underground science run of the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) detector. Liquid xenon charge and light yields for electronic recoil energies between 5.2 and 661.7 keV are measured, as well as the energy resolution for the LUX detector at those same energies. Additionally, there is an interpretation of existing measurements and descriptions of electron-ion recombination fluctuations in liquid xenon as limiting cases of a more general liquid xenon recombination fluctuation model. Measurements of the standard deviation of these fluctuations at monoenergetic electronic recoil peaks exhibit a linear dependence on the number of ions for energy deposits up to 661.7 keV, consistent with previous LUX measurements between 2 and 16 keV with 3H. We highlight similarities in liquid xenon recombination for electronic and nuclear recoils with a comparison of recombination fluctuations measured with low-energy calibration data.

Dark matter directionality revisited with a high pressure xenon gas detector

DOE PAGES

Mohlabeng, Gopolang; Kong, Kyoungchul; Li, Jin; ...

2015-07-20

An observation of the anisotropy of dark matter interactions in a direction-sensitive detector would provide decisive evidence for the discovery of galactic dark matter. Directional information would also provide a crucial input to understanding its distribution in the local Universe. Most of the existing directional dark matter detectors utilize particle tracking methods in a low-pressure gas time projection chamber. These low pressure detectors require excessively large volumes in order to be competitive in the search for physics beyond the current limit. In order to avoid these volume limitations, we consider a novel proposal, which exploits a columnar recombination effect inmore » a high-pressure gas time projection chamber. The ratio of scintillation to ionization signals observed in the detector carries the angular information of the particle interactions. In this paper, we investigate the sensitivity of a future directional detector focused on the proposed high-pressure Xenon gas time projection chamber. We study the prospect of detecting an anisotropy in the dark matter velocity distribution. We find that tens of events are needed to exclude an isotropic distribution of dark matter interactions at 95% confidence level in the most optimistic case with head-to-tail information. However, one needs at least 10-20 times more events without head-to-tail information for light dark matter below ~50 GeV. For an intermediate mass range, we find it challenging to observe an anisotropy of the dark matter distribution. Our results also show that the directional information significantly improves precision measurements of dark matter mass and the elastic scattering cross section for a heavy dark matter.« less

Search for WIMP inelastic scattering off xenon nuclei with XENON100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lombardi, F.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Mora, K.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Pizzella, V.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Vargas, M.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-07-01

We present the first constraints on the spin-dependent, inelastic scattering cross section of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) on nucleons from XENON100 data with an exposure of 7.64 ×103 kg .days . XENON100 is a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber with 62 kg of active mass, operated at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy and designed to search for nuclear recoils from WIMP-nucleus interactions. Here we explore inelastic scattering, where a transition to a low-lying excited nuclear state of Xe 129 is induced. The experimental signature is a nuclear recoil observed together with the prompt deexcitation photon. We see no evidence for such inelastic WIMP-Xe 129 interactions. A profile likelihood analysis allows us to set a 90% C.L. upper limit on the inelastic, spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon cross section of 3.3 ×10-38 cm2 at 100 GeV /c2 . This is the most constraining result to date, and sets the pathway for an analysis of this interaction channel in upcoming, larger dual-phase xenon detectors.

Radioactive 133-Xenon gas-filled balloon to prevent restenosis: dosimetry, efficacy, and safety considerations.

PubMed

Apple, Marc; Waksman, Ron; Chan, Rosanna C; Vodovotz, Yoram; Fournadjiev, Jana; Bass, Bill G

2002-08-06

Ionizing radiation administered intraluminally via catheter-based systems using solid beta and gamma sources or liquid-filled balloons has shown reduction in the neointima formation after injury in the porcine model. We propose a novel system that uses a 133-Xenon (133Xe) radioactive gas-filled balloon catheter system. Overstretch balloon injury was performed in the coronary arteries of 33 domestic pigs. A novel 133Xe radioactive gas-filled balloon (3.5/45 mm) was positioned to overlap the injured segment with margins. After vacuum was obtained in the balloon catheter, approximately 2.5 cc of 133Xe gas was injected to fill the balloon. Doses of 0, 7.5, 15, and 30 Gy were delivered to a distance of 0.25 mm from the balloon surface. The dwell time ranged from 1.0 to 4.0 minutes, depending on the dose. Localization of 133Xe in the balloon was verified by a gamma camera. The average activity in a 3.5/45-mm balloon was measured at 67.7+/-12.1 mCi, and the total diffusion loss of the injected dose was 0.26% per minute of the injected dose. Bedside radiation exposure measured between 2 and 6 mR/h, and the shallow dose equivalent was calculated as 0.037 mrem per treatment. Histomorphometric analysis at 2 weeks showed inhibition of the intimal area (intimal area corrected for medial fracture length [IA/FL]) in the irradiated segments of 0.26+/-0.08 with 30 Gy, 0.07+/-0.24 with 15 Gy, and 0.12+/-0.89 with 7.5 Gy versus 0.76+/-0.08 with control P<0.001. 133Xe gas-filled balloon is feasible and effective in the reduction of neointima formation in the porcine model and safe for use in coronary arteries.

The Xenon1T Dark Matter Search Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, Elena

The worldwide race towards direct dark matter detection in the form of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) has been dramatically accelerated by the remarkable progress and evolution of liquid xenon time projection chambers (LXeTPCs). With a realistic discovery potential, Xenon100 has already reached a sensitivity of 7 × 10-45 cm2, and continues to accrue data at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy towards its ultimate sensitivity reach at the σ SI ˜ 2 × 10-45 cm2 level for the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross-section. To fully explore the favoured parameter space for WIMP dark matter in search of a first robust and statistically significant discovery, or to confirm any hint of a signal from Xenon100, the next phase of the Xenon program will be a detector at the ton scale - Xenon1T. The Xenon1T detector, based on 2.2 ton of LXe viewed by low radioactivity photomultiplier tubes and housed in a water Cherenkov muon veto at LNGS, is presented. With an experimental aim of probing WIMP interaction cross-sections above of order σ SI ˜ 2 × 10-47 cm2 within 2 years of operation, Xenon1T will provide the sensitivity to probe a particularly favourable region of electroweak physics on a timescale compatible with complementary ground and satellite based indirect searches and with accelerator dark matter searches at the LHC. Indeed, for a σ SI ˜ 10-45 cm2 and 100 GeV/c2 WIMP mass, Xenon1T could detect of order 100 events in this exposure, providing statistics for placing significant constraints on the WIMP mass.

Online ^{222}Rn removal by cryogenic distillation in the XENON100 experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; Gangi, P. Di; Giovanni, A. Di; Diglio, S.; Duchovni, E.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Grandi, L.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Calloch, M. Le; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Undagoitia, T. Marrodán; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Meng, Y.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Miguez, B.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Orrigo, S. E. A.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Piro, M.-C.; Pizzella, V.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Saldanha, R.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Lavina, L. Scotto; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Shockley, E.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. v.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Upole, N.; Wang, H.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.; Cristescu, I.

2017-06-01

We describe the purification of xenon from traces of the radioactive noble gas radon using a cryogenic distillation column. The distillation column was integrated into the gas purification loop of the XENON100 detector for online radon removal. This enabled us to significantly reduce the constant ^{222}Rn background originating from radon emanation. After inserting an auxiliary ^{222}Rn emanation source in the gas loop, we determined a radon reduction factor of R > 27 (95% C.L.) for the distillation column by monitoring the ^{222}Rn activity concentration inside the XENON100 detector.

Research on the measurement of the ultraviolet irradiance in the xenon lamp aging test chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Muyao; Li, Tiecheng; Lin, Fangsheng; Yin, Dejin; Cheng, Weihai; Huang, Biyong; Lai, Lei; Xia, Ming

2018-01-01

This paper briefly introduces the methods of calibrating the irradiance in the Xenon lamp aging test chamber. And the irradiance under ultraviolet region is mainly researched. Three different detectors whose response wave range are respectively UVA (320 400nm), UVB (275 330nm) and UVA+B (280 400nm) are used in the experiment. Through comparing the measuring results with different detectors under the same xenon lamp source, we discuss the difference between UVA, UVB and UVA+B on the basis of the spectrum of the xenon lamp and the response curve of the detectors. We also point out the possible error source, when use these detectors to calibrate the chamber.

The search for dark matter in xenon: Innovative calibration strategies and novel search channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichard, Shayne Edward

The direct detection dark matter experiment XENON1T became operational in early 2016, heralding the era of tonne-scale dark matter detectors. Direct detection experiments typically search for elastic scatters of dark matter particles off target nuclei. XENON1T's larger xenon target provides the advantage of stronger dark matter signals and lower background rates compared to its predecessors, XENON10 and XENON100; but, at the same time, calibration of the detector's response to backgrounds with traditional external sources becomes exceedingly more difficult. A 220Rn source is deployed on the XENON100 dark matter detector in order to address the challenges in calibration of tonne-scale liquid noble element detectors. I show that the subsequent 212Pb beta emission can be used for low-energy electronic recoil calibration in searches for dark matter. The isotope spreads throughout the entire active region of the detector, and its activity naturally decays below background level within a week after the source is closed. I find no increase in the activity of the troublesome 222Rn background after calibration. Alpha emitters are also distributed throughout the detector and facilitate calibration of its response to 222Rn. Using the delayed coincidence of 220Rn/216Po, I map for the first time the convective motion of particles in the XENON100 detector. Additionally, I make a competitive measurement of the half-life of 212Po, t1/2=293.9+/-(1.0)stat+/-(0.6)ns. In contrast to the elastic scattering of dark matter particles off nuclei, I explore inelastic scattering where the nucleus is excited to a low-lying state of 10-100 keV, with a subsequent prompt de-excitation. I use the inelastic structure factors for the odd-mass xenon isotopes based on state-of-the-art large-scale shell-model calculations with chiral effective field theory WIMP-nucleon currents, finding that the inelastic channel is comparable to or can dominate the elastic channel for momentum transfers around 150 Me

Reflectance of polytetrafluoroethylene for xenon scintillation light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, C.; Pinto da Cunha, J.; Pereira, A.; Chepel, V.; Lopes, M. I.; Solovov, V.; Neves, F.

2010-03-01

Gaseous and liquid xenon particle detectors are being used in a number of applications including dark matter search and neutrino-less double beta decay experiments. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is often used in these detectors both as electrical insulator and as a light reflector to improve the efficiency of detection of scintillation photons. However, xenon emits in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) wavelength region (λ ≃175 nm) where the reflecting properties of PTFE are not sufficiently known. In this work, we report on measurements of PTFE reflectance, including its angular distribution, for the xenon scintillation light. Various samples of PTFE, manufactured by different processes (extruded, expanded, skived, and pressed) have been studied. The data were interpreted with a physical model comprising both specular and diffuse reflections. The reflectance obtained for these samples ranges from about 47% to 66% for VUV light. Other fluoropolymers, namely, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), and perfluoro-alkoxyalkane (PFA) were also measured.

Signal yields, energy resolution, and recombination fluctuations in liquid xenon

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. ?S.; Alsum, S.; Ara?jo, H. ?M.; ...

2017-01-19

This study presents an analysis of monoenergetic electronic recoil peaks in the dark-matter-search and calibration data from the first underground science run of the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) detector. Liquid xenon charge and light yields for electronic recoil energies between 5.2 and 661.7 keV are measured, as well as the energy resolution for the LUX detector at those same energies. Additionally, there is an interpretation of existing measurements and descriptions of electron-ion recombination fluctuations in liquid xenon as limiting cases of a more general liquid xenon recombination fluctuation model. Measurements of the standard deviation of these fluctuations at monoenergetic electronicmore » recoil peaks exhibit a linear dependence on the number of ions for energy deposits up to 661.7 keV, consistent with previous LUX measurements between 2 and 16 keV with 3H. We highlight similarities in liquid xenon recombination for electronic and nuclear recoils with a comparison of recombination fluctuations measured with low-energy calibration data.« less

Gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Christophorou, Loucas G.; McCorkle, Dennis L.; Maxey, David V.; Carter, James G.

1982-01-05

Improved binary and ternary gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one molecular gas or mixture of two molecular gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a noble gas having a very small cross section at and below about 1.0 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electric field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

Gas mixtures for gas-filled particle detectors

DOEpatents

Christophorou, Loucas G.; McCorkle, Dennis L.; Maxey, David V.; Carter, James G.

1980-01-01

Improved binary and tertiary gas mixtures for gas-filled particle detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one gas or mixture of two gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a gas (Ar) having a very small cross section at and below aout 0.5 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electron field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

The impact of photon flight path on S1 pulse shape analysis in liquid xenon two-phase detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moongweluwan, M.

2016-02-01

The LUX dark matter search experiment is a 350 kg dual-phase xenon time projection chamber located at the 4850 ft level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD. The success of two-phase xenon detectors for dark matter searches relies on their ability to distinguish electron recoil (ER) background events from nuclear recoil (NR) signal events. Typically, the NR-ER discrimination is obtained from the ratio of the electroluminescence light (S2) to the prompt scintillation light (S1). Analysis of the S1 pulse shape is an additional discrimination technique that can be used to distinguish NR from ER. Pulse-shape NR-ER discrimination can be achieved based on the ratio of the de-excitation processes from singlet and triplet states that generate the S1. The NR S1 is dominated by the de-excitation process from singlet states with a time constant of about 3 ns while the ER S1 is dominated by the de-excitation process from triplet states with a time constant of about 24 ns. As the size of the detectors increases, the variation in the S1 photon flight path can become comparable to these decay constants, reducing the utility of pulse-shape analysis to separate NR from ER. The effect of path length variations in the LUX detector has been studied using the results of simulations and the impact on the S1 pulse shape analysis is discussed.

Measurement of the absolute reflectance of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) immersed in liquid xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neves, F.; Lindote, A.; Morozov, A.; Solovov, V.; Silva, C.; Bras, P.; Rodrigues, J. P.; Lopes, M. I.

2017-01-01

The performance of a detector using liquid xenon (LXe) as a scintillator is strongly dependent on the collection efficiency for xenon scintillation light, which in turn is critically dependent on the reflectance of the surfaces that surround the active volume. To improve the light collection in such detectors the active volume is usually surrounded by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) reflector panels, used due to its very high reflectance—even at the short wavelength of scintillation light of LXe (peaked at 178 nm). In this work, which contributed to the overall R&D effort towards the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment, we present experimental results for the absolute reflectance measurements of three different PTFE samples (including the material used in the LUX detector) immersed in LXe for its scintillation light. The obtained results show that very high bi-hemispherical reflectance values (>= 97%) can be achieved, enabling very low energy thresholds in liquid xenon scintillator-based detectors.

On the evaluation of silicon photomultipliers for use as photosensors in liquid xenon detectors

DOE PAGES

Godfrey, B.; Anderson, T.; Breedon, E.; ...

2018-03-26

Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are potential solid-state alternatives to traditional photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) for single-photon detection. In this paper, we report on evaluating SensL MicroFC-10035-SMT SiPMs for their suitability as PMT alternatives. The devices were successfully operated in a liquid-xenon detector, which demonstrates that SiPMs can be used in noble element time projection chambers as photosensors. The devices were also cooled down to 170 K to observe dark count dependence on temperature. No dependencies on the direction of an applied 3.2 kV/cm electric field were observed with respect to dark-count rate, gain, or photon detection efficiency.

On the evaluation of silicon photomultipliers for use as photosensors in liquid xenon detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Godfrey, B.; Anderson, T.; Breedon, E.

Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are potential solid-state alternatives to traditional photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) for single-photon detection. In this paper, we report on evaluating SensL MicroFC-10035-SMT SiPMs for their suitability as PMT alternatives. The devices were successfully operated in a liquid-xenon detector, which demonstrates that SiPMs can be used in noble element time projection chambers as photosensors. The devices were also cooled down to 170 K to observe dark count dependence on temperature. No dependencies on the direction of an applied 3.2 kV/cm electric field were observed with respect to dark-count rate, gain, or photon detection efficiency.

Liquid xenon scintillation measurements and pulse shape discrimination in the LUX dark matter detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Beltrame, P.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boulton, E. M.; Brás, P.; Byram, D.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Currie, A.; Cutter, J. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edwards, B. N.; Fallon, S. R.; Fan, A.; Fiorucci, S.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Genovesi, J.; Ghag, C.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Hall, C. R.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hogan, D. P.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Ignarra, C. M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Knoche, R.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lesko, K. T.; Liao, J.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Manalaysay, A.; Mannino, R. L.; Marzioni, M. F.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mock, J.; Moongweluwan, M.; Morad, J. A.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; O'Sullivan, K.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Rhyne, C.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Solmaz, M.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W. C.; Tennyson, B. P.; Terman, P. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; To, W. H.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Utku, U.; Uvarov, S.; Velan, V.; Verbus, J. R.; Webb, R. C.; White, J. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Xu, J.; Yazdani, K.; Young, S. K.; Zhang, C.; LUX Collaboration

2018-06-01

Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are a leading candidate for dark matter and are expected to produce nuclear recoil (NR) events within liquid xenon time-projection chambers. We present a measurement of the scintillation timing characteristics of liquid xenon in the LUX dark matter detector and develop a pulse shape discriminant to be used for particle identification. To accurately measure the timing characteristics, we develop a template-fitting method to reconstruct the detection times of photons. Analyzing calibration data collected during the 2013-2016 LUX WIMP search, we provide a new measurement of the singlet-to-triplet scintillation ratio for electron recoils (ER) below 46 keV, and we make, to our knowledge, a first-ever measurement of the NR singlet-to-triplet ratio at recoil energies below 74 keV. We exploit the difference of the photon time spectra for NR and ER events by using a prompt fraction discrimination parameter, which is optimized using calibration data to have the least number of ER events that occur in a 50% NR acceptance region. We then demonstrate how this discriminant can be used in conjunction with the charge-to-light discrimination to possibly improve the signal-to-noise ratio for nuclear recoils.

Monitoring xenon purity in the LUX detector with a mass spectrometry system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balajthy, Jon; LUX Experiment Collaboration

2015-04-01

The LUX dark matter search experiment is a 350 kg two-phase liquid/gas xenon time projection chamber located at the 4850 ft level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD. To monitor for radioactive impurities such as krypton and impurities which limit charge yield such as oxygen, LUX uses a xenon sampling system consisting of a mass spectrometer and a liquid nitrogen cold trap. The cold trap separates the gaseous impurities from a small sample of xenon and allows them to pass to the mass spectrometer for analysis. We report here on results from the LUX xenon sampling program. We also report on methods to enhance the sensitivity of the cold trap technique in preparation for the next-generation LUX-ZEPLIN experiment which will have even more stringent purity requirements.

Improved gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors

DOEpatents

Christophorou, L.G.; McCorkle, D.L.; Maxey, D.V.; Carter, J.G.

1980-03-28

Improved binary and ternary gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one molecular gas or mixture of two molecular gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a noble gas having a very small cross section at and below about 1.0 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electric field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

Improved gas mixtures for gas-filled particle detectors

DOEpatents

Christophorou, L.G.; McCorkle, D.L.; Maxey, D.V.; Carter, J.G.

Improved binary and tertiary gas mixture for gas-filled particle detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one gas or mixture of two gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a gas (Ar) having a very small cross section at and below about 0.5 eV; whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electron field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

Xenon Purification Research and Development for the LZ Dark Matter Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pech, Katherin

2013-04-01

The LZ Experiment is a next generation dark matter detector based on the current LUX detector design, with a 7-ton active volume. Although many research and development breakthroughs were achieved for the 350 kg LUX detector, the large volume scaling required for LZ presents a new set of design challenges that need to be overcome. Because the search for WIMP-like dark matter requires ultra low background experiments, the xenon target material in the LZ detector must meet purity specifications beyond what is commercially available. This challenge is two-fold. The xenon must contain extremely low amounts of electronegative impurities such as oxygen, which attenuate the charge signal. Additionally, it must also have very little of the inert isotope Kr-85, a beta-emitter that can obscure the dark matter signal in the detector volume. The purity requirements for the LUX experiment have been achieved, but the factor of 20 scaling in volume for LZ and increased demands for sensitivity mean that new research and development work must be done to increase our xenon purification capabilities. This talk will focus on the efforts being done at Case Western Reserve University to meet these strict purity requirements for the LZ Experiment.

The "collimator monitoring fill factor" of a two-dimensional detector array, a measure of its ability to detect collimation errors.

PubMed

Stelljes, Tenzin Sonam; Looe, Hui Khee; Harder, Dietrich; Poppe, Björn

2017-03-01

Two-dimensional detector arrays are routinely used for constancy checks and treatment plan verification in photon-beam radiotherapy. In addition to the spatial resolution of the dose profiles, the "coverage" of the radiation field with respect to the detection of any beam collimation deficiency appears as the second characteristic feature of a detector array. The here proposed "collimator monitoring fill factor" (CM fill factor) has been conceived to serve as a quantitative characteristic of this "coverage". The CM fill factor is defined as the probability of a 2D array to detect any collimator position error. Therefore, it is represented by the ratio of the "sensitive area" of a single detector, in which collimator position errors are detectable, and the geometrical "cell area" associated with this detector within the array. Numerical values of the CM fill factor have been Monte Carlo simulated for 2D detector arrays equipped with air-vented ionization chambers, liquid-filled ionization chambers and diode detectors and were compared with the "FWHM fill factor" defined by Gago-Arias et al. (2012). For arrays with vented ionization chambers, the differences between the CM fill factor and the FWHM fill factor are moderate, but occasionally the latter exceeds unity. For narrower detectors such as liquid-filled ionization chambers and Si diodes and for small sampling distances, large differences between the FWHM fill factor and the CM fill factor have been observed. These differences can be explained by the shapes of the fluence response functions of these narrow detectors. A new parameter "collimator monitoring fill factor" (CM fill factor), applicable to quantitate the collimator position error detection probability of a 2D detector array, has been proposed. It is designed as a help in classifying the clinical performance of two-dimensional detector arrays in photon-beam radiotherapy. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Mobility and fluorescence of barium ions in xenon gas for the exo experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benitez Medina, Julio Cesar

The Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO) is an experiment which aims to observe the neutrinoless double beta decay of 136Xe. The measurement of this decay would give information about the absolute neutrino mass and whether or not the neutrino is its own antiparticle. Since this is a very rare decay, the ability to reject background events by detecting the barium ion daughter from the double beta decay would be a major advantage. EXO is currently operating a detector with 200 kg of enriched liquid xenon, and there are plans to build a ton scale xenon detector. Measurements of the purity of liquid xenon in our liquid xenon test cell are reported. These results are relevant to the research on detection of single barium ions by our research group at Colorado State University. Details of the operation of the purity monitor are described. The effects of using a purifier, recirculation and laser ablation on the purity of liquid xenon are discussed. Mobility measurements of barium in xenon gas are reported for the first time. The variation of mobility with xenon gas pressure suggests that a significant fraction of molecular ions are formed when barium ions interact with xenon gas at high pressures. The measured mobility of Ba+ in Xe gas at different pressures is compared with the predicted theoretical value, and deviations are explained by a model that describes the fraction of molecular ions in Xe gas as a function of pressure. The results are useful for the analysis of experiments of fluorescence of Ba+ in xenon gas. It is also important to know the mobility of the ions in order to calculate the time they interact with an excitation laser in fluorescence experiments and in proposed 136 Ba+ daughter detection schemes. This thesis presents results of detection of laser induced fluorescence of Ba+ ions in Xe gas. Measurements of the pressure broadening of the excitation spectra of Ba+ in xenon gas are presented. Nonradiative decays due to gas collisions and optical pumping

Prospects for dark matter detection with inelastic transitions of xenon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCabe, Christopher

2016-05-16

Dark matter can scatter and excite a nucleus to a low-lying excitation in a direct detection experiment. This signature is distinct from the canonical elastic scattering signal because the inelastic signal also contains the energy deposited from the subsequent prompt de-excitation of the nucleus. A measurement of the elastic and inelastic signal will allow a single experiment to distinguish between a spin-independent and spin-dependent interaction. For the first time, we characterise the inelastic signal for two-phase xenon detectors in which dark matter inelastically scatters off the {sup 129}Xe or {sup 131}Xe isotope. We do this by implementing a realistic simulationmore » of a typical tonne-scale two-phase xenon detector and by carefully estimating the relevant background signals. With our detector simulation, we explore whether the inelastic signal from the axial-vector interaction is detectable with upcoming tonne-scale detectors. We find that two-phase detectors allow for some discrimination between signal and background so that it is possible to detect dark matter that inelastically scatters off either the {sup 129}Xe or {sup 131}Xe isotope for dark matter particles that are heavier than approximately 100 GeV. If, after two years of data, the XENON1T search for elastic scattering nuclei finds no evidence for dark matter, the possibility of ever detecting an inelastic signal from the axial-vector interaction will be almost entirely excluded.« less

Cryogenic readout for multiple VUV4 Multi-Pixel Photon Counters in liquid xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Giovanni, A.

2018-03-01

This work concerned the preliminary tests and characterization of a cryogenic preamplifier board for an array made of 16 S13370-3050CN (VUV4 family) Multi-Pixel Photon Counters manufactured by Hamamatsu and operated at liquid xenon temperature. The proposed prototype is based on the use of the Analog Devices AD8011 current feedback operational amplifier. The detector allows for single photon detection, making this device a promising choice for the future generation of neutrino and dark matter detectors based on liquid xenon targets.

New constraints and discovery potential of sub-GeV dark matter with xenon detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCabe, Christopher

2017-08-01

Existing xenon dark matter (DM) direct detection experiments can probe the DM-nucleon interaction of DM with a sub-GeV mass through a search for photon emission from the recoiling xenon atom. We show that LUX's constraints on sub-GeV DM, which utilize the scintillation (S1) and ionization (S2) signals, are approximately 3 orders of magnitude more stringent than previous xenon constraints in this mass range, derived from the XENON10 and XENON100 S2-only searches. The new LUX constraints provide the most stringent direct detection constraints for DM particles with a mass below 0.5 GeV. In addition, the photon emission signal in LUX and its successor LZ maintain the discrimination between background and signal events so that an unambiguous discovery of sub-GeV DM is possible. We show that LZ has the potential to reconstruct the DM mass with ≃20 % accuracy for particles lighter than 0.5 GeV.

Measurement of light and charge yield of low-energy electronic recoils in liquid xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goetzke, L. W.; Aprile, E.; Anthony, M.; Plante, G.; Weber, M.

2017-11-01

The dependence of the light and charge yield of liquid xenon on the applied electric field and recoil energy is important for dark matter detectors using liquid xenon time projections chambers. Few measurements have been made of this field dependence at recoil energies less than 10 keV. In this paper, we present results of such measurements using a specialized detector. Recoil energies are determined via the Compton coincidence technique at four drift fields relevant for liquid xenon dark matter detectors: 0.19, 0.48, 1.02, and 2.32 kV /cm . Mean recoil energies down to 1 keV were measured with unprecedented precision. We find that the charge and light yield are anticorrelated above ˜3 keV and that the field dependence becomes negligible below ˜6 keV . However, below 3 keV, we find a charge yield significantly higher than expectation and a reconstructed energy deviating from linearity.

Detection of Alpha Particles and Low Energy Gamma Rays by Thermo-Bonded Micromegas in Xenon Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Yuehuan; Guan, Liang; Zhang, Zhiyong; Lin, Qing; Wang, Xiaolian; Ni, Kaixuan; Zhao, Tianchi

2013-08-01

Micromegas is a type of micro-pattern gaseous detector currently under R&D for applications in rare event search experiments. Here we report the performance of a Micromegas structure constructed with a micromesh thermo-bonded to a readout plane, motivated by its potential application in two-phase xenon detectors for dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. The study is carried out in pure xenon at room temperature. Measurements with alpha particles from the Americium-241 source showed that gas gains larger than 200 can be obtained at xenon pressure up to 3 atm. Gamma rays down to 8 keV were observed with such a device.

Setup optimization toward accurate ageing studies of gas filled detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abuhoza, A.; Schmidt, H. R.; Biswas, S.; Frankenfeld, U.; Hehner, J.; Schmidt, C. J.

2013-08-01

An infrastructure has been set up at the GSI detector laboratory to study the influence of construction materials on the ageing properties of gas filled detectors, such as multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC), gas electron multiplier (GEM). Optimization of an ageing setup was performed by observing the variation of the normalized gain obtained using two identical MWPCs. An accuracy in the relative gain measurement below 1% has been achieved by monitoring environmental conditions and by systematic improvements of the measuring equipment. Ageing test of fiberglass G11 has been performed.

Numerical study on xenon positive column discharges of mercury-free lamp

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ouyang, Jiting; He, Feng; Miao, Jinsong

2007-02-15

In this paper, the numerical study has been performed on the xenon positive column discharges of mercury-free fluorescent lamp. The plasma discharge characteristics are analyzed by numerical simulation based on two-dimensional fluid model. The effects of cell geometry, such as the dielectric layer, the electrode width, the electrode gap, and the cell height, and the filling gas including the pressure and the xenon percentage are investigated in terms of discharge current and discharge efficiency. The results show that a long transient positive column will form in the xenon lamp when applying ac sinusoidal power and the lamp can operate inmore » a large range of voltage and frequency. The front dielectric layer of the cell plays an important role in the xenon lamp while the back layer has little effect. The ratio of electrode gap to cell height should be large to achieve a long positive column xenon lamp and higher efficiency. Increase of pressure or xenon concentration results in an increase of discharge efficiency and voltage. The discussions will be helpful for the design of commercial xenon lamp cells.« less

The physics of background discrimination in liquid xenon, and first results from Xenon10 in the hunt for WIMP dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahl, Carl Eric

2009-06-01

The WIMP limit set by the Xenon10 experiment in 2007 signals a new era in direct detection of dark matter, with several large-scale liquid target detectors now under construction. A major challenge in these detectors will be to understand backgrounds at the level necessary to claim a positive WIMP signal. In liquid xenon, these backgrounds are dominated by electron recoils, which may be distinguished from the WIMP signal (nuclear recoils) by their higher charge-to-light ratio. During the construction and operation of Xenon10, the prototype detector Xed probed the physics of this discrimination. Particle interactions in liquid xenon both ionize and excite xenon atoms, giving charge and scintillation signals, respectively. Some fraction of ions recombine, reducing the charge signal and creating additional scintillation. The charge-to-light ratio, determined by the initial exciton-ion ratio and the ion recombination fraction, provides the basis for discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils. Intrinsic fluctuations in the recombination fraction limit discrimination. Changes in recombination induce an exact anti-correlation between charge and light, and when calibrated this anti-correlation distinguishes recombination fluctuations from uncorrelated fluctuations in the measured signals. We determine the mean recombination and recombination fluctuations as a function of energy and applied field for electron and nuclear recoils, finding that recombination fluctuations are already the limiting factor for discrimination above ~12 keVr (nuclear recoil energy). Below 12 keVr statistical fluctuations in the number of scintillation photons counted dominate, and we project a x6 improvement in background rejection with a x2 increase in light collection efficiency. We also build a simple recombination model that successfully reproduces the mean recombination in electron and nuclear recoils, including the surprising reversal of the expected trend for recombination with

Comparison of Xenon-Enhanced Area-Detector CT and Krypton Ventilation SPECT/CT for Assessment of Pulmonary Functional Loss and Disease Severity in Smokers.

PubMed

Ohno, Yoshiharu; Fujisawa, Yasuko; Takenaka, Daisuke; Kaminaga, Shigeo; Seki, Shinichiro; Sugihara, Naoki; Yoshikawa, Takeshi

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to compare the capability of xenon-enhanced area-detector CT (ADCT) performed with a subtraction technique and coregistered 81m Kr-ventilation SPECT/CT for the assessment of pulmonary functional loss and disease severity in smokers. Forty-six consecutive smokers (32 men and 14 women; mean age, 67.0 years) underwent prospective unenhanced and xenon-enhanced ADCT, 81m Kr-ventilation SPECT/CT, and pulmonary function tests. Disease severity was evaluated according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification. CT-based functional lung volume (FLV), the percentage of wall area to total airway area (WA%), and ventilated FLV on xenon-enhanced ADCT and SPECT/CT were calculated for each smoker. All indexes were correlated with percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (%FEV 1 ) using step-wise regression analyses, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. In addition, the diagnostic accuracy of the proposed model was compared with that of each radiologic index by means of McNemar analysis. Multivariate logistic regression showed that %FEV 1 was significantly affected (r = 0.77, r 2 = 0.59) by two factors: the first factor, ventilated FLV on xenon-enhanced ADCT (p < 0.0001); and the second factor, WA% (p = 0.004). Univariate logistic regression analyses indicated that all indexes significantly affected GOLD classification (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that ventilated FLV on xenon-enhanced ADCT and CT-based FLV significantly influenced GOLD classification (p < 0.0001). The diagnostic accuracy of the proposed model was significantly higher than that of ventilated FLV on SPECT/CT (p = 0.03) and WA% (p = 0.008). Xenon-enhanced ADCT is more effective than 81m Kr-ventilation SPECT/CT for the assessment of pulmonary functional loss and disease severity.

Effective field theory search for high-energy nuclear recoils using the XENON100 dark matter detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lombardi, F.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Morâ, K.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Pizzella, V.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Vargas, M.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang., Y.; Farmer, B.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-08-01

We report on weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) search results in the XENON100 detector using a nonrelativistic effective field theory approach. The data from science run II (34 kg ×224.6 live days) were reanalyzed, with an increased recoil energy interval compared to previous analyses, ranging from (6.6 -240 ) keVnr . The data are found to be compatible with the background-only hypothesis. We present 90% confidence level exclusion limits on the coupling constants of WIMP-nucleon effective operators using a binned profile likelihood method. We also consider the case of inelastic WIMP scattering, where incident WIMPs may up-scatter to a higher mass state, and set exclusion limits on this model as well.

Momentum Transfer in a Spinning Fuel Tank Filled with Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peugeot, John W.; Dorney, Daniel J.

2006-01-01

Transient spin-up and spin-down flows inside of spacecraft fuel tanks need to be analyzed in order to properly design spacecraft control systems. Knowledge of the characteristics of angular momentum transfer to and from the fuel is used to size the de-spin mechanism that places the spacecraft in a controllable in-orbit state. In previous studies, several analytical models of the spin-up process were developed. However, none have accurately predicted all of the flow dynamics. Several studies have also been conducted using Navier-Stokes based methods. These approaches have been much more successful at simulating the dynamic processes in a cylindrical container, but have not addressed the issue of momentum transfer. In the current study, the spin-up and spin-down of a fuel tank filled with gaseous xenon has been investigated using a three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes code. Primary interests have been concentrated on the spin-up/spin-down time constants and the initial torque imparted on the system. Additional focus was given to the relationship between the dominant flow dynamics and the trends in momentum transfer. Through the simulation of both a cylindrical and a spherical tank, it was revealed that the transfer of angular momentum is nonlinear at early times and tends toward a linear pattern at later times. Further investigation suggests that the nonlinear spin up is controlled by the turbulent transport of momentum, while the linear phase is controlled by a Coriolis driven (Ekman) flow along the outer wall. These results indicate that the spinup and spin-down processes occur more quickly in tanks with curved surfaces than those with defined top, bottom, and side walls. The results also provide insights for the design of spacecraft de-spin mechanisms.

Hyperpolarized xenon magnetic resonance of the lung and the brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatesh, Arvind Krishnamachari

2001-04-01

Hyperpolarized noble gas Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a new diagnostic modality that has been used successfully for lung imaging. Xenon is soluble in blood and inhaled xenon is transported to the brain via circulating blood. Xenon also accumulates in the lipid rich white matter of the brain. Hyperpolarized xenon can hence be used as a tissue- sensitive probe of brain function. The goals of this study were to identify the NMR resonances of xenon in the rat brain and evaluate the role of hyperpolarized xenon for brain MRI. We have developed systems to produce sufficient volumes of hyperpolarized xenon for in vivo brain experiments. The specialized instrumentation developed include an apparatus for optical pump-cell manufacture and high purity gas manifolds for filling cells. A hyperpolarized gas delivery system was designed to ventilate small animals with hyperpolarized xenon for transport to the brain. The T1 of xenon dissolved in blood indicates that the lifetime of xenon in the blood is sufficient for significant magnetization to be transferred to distal tissues. A variety of carrier agents for intravenous delivery of hyperpolarized xenon were tested for transport to distal tissues. Using our new gas delivery system, high SNR 129Xe images of rat lungs were obtained. Spectroscopy with hyperpolarized xenon indicated that xenon was transported from the lungs to the blood and tissues with intact magnetization. After preliminary studies that indicated the feasibility for in vivo rat brain studies, experiments were performed with adult rats and young rats with different stages of white matter development. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed the prominence of one peak from xenon in the rat brain, which was assigned to brain lipids. Cerebral brain perfusion was calculated from the wash-out of the hyperpolarized xenon signal in the brain. An increase in brain perfusion during maturation was observed. These experiments showed that hyperpolarized xenon MRI

Material radioassay and selection for the XENON1T dark matter experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; Di Gangi, P.; Di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Grandi, L.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Le Calloch, M.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Miguez, B.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Piro, M.-C.; Pizzella, V.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Saldanha, R.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Shockley, E.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. v.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Upole, N.; Wang, H.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.; Laubenstein, M.; Nisi, S.

2017-12-01

The XENON1T dark matter experiment aims to detect weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) through low-energy interactions with xenon atoms. To detect such a rare event necessitates the use of radiopure materials to minimize the number of background events within the expected WIMP signal region. In this paper we report the results of an extensive material radioassay campaign for the XENON1T experiment. Using gamma-ray spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques, systematic measurements of trace radioactive impurities in over one hundred samples within a wide range of materials were performed. The measured activities allowed for stringent selection and placement of materials during the detector construction phase and provided the input for XENON1T detection sensitivity estimates through Monte Carlo simulations.

Pulse-shape discrimination and energy resolution of a liquid-argon scintillator with xenon doping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahl, C. G.; Bernard, E. P.; Lippincott, W. H.; Nikkel, J. A.; Shin, Y.; McKinsey, D. N.

2014-06-01

Liquid-argon scintillation detectors are used in fundamental physics experiments and are being considered for security applications. Previous studies have suggested that the addition of small amounts of xenon dopant improves performance in light or signal yield, energy resolution, and particle discrimination. In this study, we investigate the detector response for xenon dopant concentrations from 9 ± 5 ppm to 1100 ± 500 ppm xenon (by weight) in 6 steps. The 3.14-liter detector uses tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB) wavelength shifter with dual photomultiplier tubes and is operated in single-phase mode. Gamma-ray-interaction signal yield of 4.0 ± 0.1 photoelectrons/keV improved to 5.0 ± 0.1 photoelectrons/keV with dopant. Energy resolution at 662 keV improved from (4.4 ± 0.2)% (σ) to (3.5 ± 0.2)% (σ) with dopant. Pulse-shape discrimination performance degraded greatly at the first addition of dopant, slightly improved with additional additions, then rapidly improved near the end of our dopant range, with performance becoming slightly better than pure argon at the highest tested dopant concentration. Some evidence of reduced neutron scintillation efficiency with increasing dopant concentration was observed. Finally, the waveform shape outside the TPB region is discussed, suggesting that the contribution to the waveform from xenon-produced light is primarily in the last portion of the slow component.

The XENON100 Dark Matter Experiment: Design, Construction, Calibration and 2010 Search Results with Improved Measurement of the Scintillation Response of Liquid Xenon to Low-Energy Nuclear Recoils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plante, Guillaume

An impressive array of astrophysical observations suggest that 83% of the matter in the universe is in a form of non-luminous, cold, collisionless, non-baryonic dark matter. Several extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics aimed at solving the hierarchy problem predict stable weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that could naturally have the right cosmological relic abundance today to compose most of the dark matter if their interactions with normal matter are on the order of a weak scale cross section. These candidates also have the added benefit that their properties and interaction rates can be computed in a well defined particle physics model. A considerable experimental effort is currently under way to uncover the nature of dark matter. One method of detecting WIMP dark matter is to look for its interactions in terrestrial detectors where it is expected to scatter off nuclei. In 2007, the XENON10 experiment took the lead over the most sensitive direct detection dark matter search in operation, the CDMS II experiment, by probing spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interaction cross sections down to sigmachi N ˜ 5 x 10-44 cm 2 at 30 GeV/c2. Liquefied noble gas detectors are now among the technologies at the forefront of direct detection experiments. Liquid xenon (LXe), in particular, is a well suited target for WIMP direct detection. It is easily scalable to larger target masses, allows discrimination between nuclear recoils and electronic recoils, and has an excellent stopping power to shield against external backgrounds. A particle losing energy in LXe creates both ionization electrons and scintillation light. In a dual-phase LXe time projection chamber (TPC) the ionization electrons are drifted and extracted into the gas phase where they are accelerated to amplify the charge signal into a proportional scintillation signal. These two signals allow the three-dimensional localization of events with millimeter precision and the ability to

Modeling the Removal of Xenon from Lithium Hydrate with Aspen HYSYS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efthimion, Phillip; Gentile, Charles

2011-10-01

The Laser Inertial Fusion Engine (LIFE) project mission is to provide a long-term, carbon-free source of sustainable energy, in the form of electricity. A conceptual xenon removal system has been modeled with the aid of Aspen HYSYS, a chemical process simulator. Aspen HYSYS provides excellent capability to model chemical flow processes, which generates outputs which includes specific variables such as temperature, pressure, and molar flow. The system is designed to strip out hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium. The base design bubbles plasma exhaust laden with x filled with liquid helium. The system separates the xenon from the hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium with a lithium hydrate and a lithium bubbler. After the removal of the hydrogen and its isotopes, the xenon is then purified by way of the process of cryogenic distillation. The pure hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium are then sent to the isotope separation system (ISS). The removal of xenon is an integral part of the laser inertial fusion engine and Aspen HYSYS is an excellent tool to calculate how to create pure xenon.

Building a multi-cathode-gas-filled scintillator detector for fission fragments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mahgoub, M., E-mail: mmahgoub@jazanu.edu.sa; Physics department, Technical University of Munich, D-85748 Garching

2016-06-10

Radiation cannot be detected directly by human senses, indeed detecting and identifying the fission products or decay yield with high accuracy is a great challenge for experimental physicist. In this work we are building a Multi-Cathode-Gas-filled Scintillator MCGS detector. The detector consists of two parts. First: anode-wire proportional chamber and cathode strip foil, which measure the energy loss of the particles in the gas, due to the ionization, and identifies the position of the products on the detector plane depending on their energy with the presence of a magnetic field. Second: a 7 mm thick scintillator attached to a photomultipliermore » tube in the back end of the detector. This part measures the rest energy of the particles. A data acquisition system records the events and the particles infonnation. The yields are identified from the energy loss to rest energy ratio.« less

Development of high pressure-high vacuum-high conductance piston valve for gas-filled radiation detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, D. N.; Ayyappan, R.; Kamble, L. P.; Singh, J. P.; Muralikrishna, L. V.; Alex, M.; Balagi, V.; Mukhopadhyay, P. K.

2008-05-01

Gas-filled radiation detectors need gas filling at pressures that range from few cms of mercury to as high as 25kg/cm2 at room temperature. Before gas-filling these detectors require evacuation to a vacuum of the order of ~1 × 10-5 mbar. For these operations of evacuation and gas filling a system consisting of a vacuum pump with a high vacuum gauge, gas cylinder with a pressure gauge and a valve is used. The valve has to meet the three requirements of compatibility with high-pressure and high vacuum and high conductance. A piston valve suitable for the evacuation and gas filling of radiation detectors has been designed and fabricated to meet the above requirements. The stainless steel body (80mm×160mm overall dimensions) valve with a piston arrangement has a 1/2 inch inlet/outlet opening, neoprene/viton O-ring at piston face & diameter for sealing and a knob for opening and closing the valve. The piston movement mechanism is designed to have minimum wear of sealing O-rings. The valve has been hydrostatic pressure tested up to 75bars and has Helium leak rate of less than 9.6×10-9 m bar ltr/sec in vacuum mode and 2×10-7 mbar ltr/sec in pressure mode. As compared to a commercial diaphragm valve, which needed 3 hours to evacuate a 7 litre chamber to 2.5×10-5 mbar, the new valve achieved vacuum 7.4×10-6mbar in the same time under the same conditions.

Evaluation of carrier agents for hyperpolarized xenon MRI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatesh, A. K.; Zhao, L.; Balamore, D.; Jolesz, F. A.; Albert, M. S.

2000-01-01

Several biocompatible carrier agents, in which xenon is highly soluble and has a long T(1), were tested, and injected in living rats. These included saline, Intralipid suspension, perfluorocarbon emulsion and (129)Xe gas-filled liposomes. The T(1) of (129)Xe in these compounds ranged from 47 to 116 s. Vascular injection of these carrier agents was tolerated well, encouraging their use for further experiments in live animals. In vivo spectra, obtained from gas-filled liposomes and perfluorocarbon solutions, suggest that these carrier agents have potential for use in angiography and perfusion imaging. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A dual-phase xenon TPC for scintillation and ionisation yield measurements in liquid xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baudis, Laura; Biondi, Yanina; Capelli, Chiara; Galloway, Michelle; Kazama, Shingo; Kish, Alexander; Pakarha, Payam; Piastra, Francesco; Wulf, Julien

2018-05-01

A small-scale, two-phase (liquid/gas) xenon time projection chamber ( Xurich II) was designed, constructed and is under operation at the University of Zürich. Its main purpose is to investigate the microphysics of particle interactions in liquid xenon at energies below 50 keV, which are relevant for rare event searches using xenon as target material. Here we describe in detail the detector, its associated infrastructure, and the signal identification algorithm developed for processing and analysing the data. We present the first characterisation of the new instrument with calibration data from an internal ^83{m} Kr source. The zero-field light yield is 15.0 and 14.0 photoelectrons/keV at 9.4 and 32.1 keV, respectively, and the corresponding values at an electron drift field of 1 kV/cm are 10.8 and 7.9 photoelectrons/keV. The charge yields at these energies are 28 and 31 electrons/keV, with the proportional scintillation yield of 24 photoelectrons per one electron extracted into the gas phase, and an electron lifetime of 200 μ s. The relative energy resolution, σ /E, is 11.9 and 5.8% at 9.4 and 32.1 keV, respectively using a linear combination of the scintillation and ionisation signals. We conclude with measurements of the electron drift velocity at various electric fields, and compare these to literature values.

Is xenon eldest?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zahnle, K.

1994-01-01

It is well known that the solubility of noble gases in magmas decreases with increasing atomic weight. Xenon, the weightiest of the stable noble gases, is the least soluble atmospheric gas in magma. It is not unreasonable to suppose that the noble gases should have degassed from (or equilibrated with) a bubbling mantle in order of increasing solubility, such that xenon was the most rapidly degassed and helium the least. The apparent relative ages of the famous radiogenic noble gas isotopes agrees, at least qualitatively, with this premise. When atmospheric loss processes are assigned their proper place, several long-standing xenonological puzzles become added evidence for xenon's relative antiquity. Xenon being the afore-mentioned sense the oldest atmospheric gas, will have been most greatly subject to escape, be it impact-driven or EUV-driven. Nonradiogenic xenon's pronounced isotopic fractionation has already been attributed to escape; why it should be more fractionated than krypton would be assigned to xenon's greater atmospheric age. The small atmospheric inventory of xenon relative to the other nonradiogenic noblegases, known as the 'missing xenon' problem, could easily be explained by differential escape. The relatively tiny atmospheric inventories of the radiogenic daughter products of 129 Iodine and 244 Plutonium, both much smaller than would be expected from the inferred abundances of the parents in meteorites, offer a third and fourth data to support the hypothesis that Earth has lost most of its xenon.

Surface purity control during XMASS detector refurbishment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Kazuyoshi

2015-08-01

The XMASS project aims at detecting dark matter, pp and 7Be solar neutrinos, and neutrino less double beta decay using large volume of pure liquid xenon. The first physics target of the XMASS project is to detect dark matter with 835 kg liquid xenon. After the commissioning runs, XMASS detector was refurbished to minimize the background contribution mainly from PMT sealing material and we restarted data taking in November 2013. We report how we control surface purity, especially how we prevent radon daughter accumulation on the detector copper surface, during XMASS detector refurbishment. The result and future plan of XMASS are also reported.

Results from a calibration of XENON100 using a source of dissolved radon-220

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Duchovni, E.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Grandi, L.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Le Calloch, M.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Meng, Y.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Miguez, B.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Orrigo, S. E. A.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Saldanha, R.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Shockley, E.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Upole, N.; Wang, H.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-04-01

A Rn 220 source is deployed on the XENON100 dark matter detector in order to address the challenges in calibration of tonne-scale liquid noble element detectors. We show that the Pb 212 beta emission can be used for low-energy electronic recoil calibration in searches for dark matter. The isotope spreads throughout the entire active region of the detector, and its activity naturally decays below background level within a week after the source is closed. We find no increase in the activity of the troublesome Rn 222 background after calibration. Alpha emitters are also distributed throughout the detector and facilitate calibration of its response to Rn 222 . Using the delayed coincidence of Rn 220 - Po 216 , we map for the first time the convective motion of particles in the XENON100 detector. Additionally, we make a competitive measurement of the half-life of Po 212 , t1 /2=(293.9 ±(1.0 )stat±(0.6 )sys) ns .

The Next White (NEW) Detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monrabal, F.; et al.

Conceived to host 5 kg of xenon at a pressure of 15 bar in the fiducial volume, the NEXT- White (NEW) apparatus is currently the largest high pressure xenon gas TPC using electroluminescent amplification in the world. It is also a 1:2 scale model of the NEXT-100 detector scheduled to start searching formore » $$\\beta\\beta 0\

SU-E-T-35: A General Fill Factor Definition Serving to Characterise the MLC Misalignment Detection Capabilities of Two-Dimensional Detector Arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stelljes, T.S.; Looe, H.K.; Poppe, B.

Purpose: To present a general definition of the fill factor realistically characterizing the “field coverage”, i.e. the MLC misalignment detection capabilities of a detector array. Methods: According to Gago-Arias et al.{sup 1} the fill factor of a 2D array is defined as the ratio of the area enclosed by the FWHM of the fluence response function KM(x) of a single detector and its cell area defined by the detector spacing. More generally - accounting also for the possible overlap between FWHM’s of neighboured detectors - the fill factor is here defined as that fraction of the sum of the detectormore » cell areas in which a defined MLC misalignment is detectable when the induced percentage signal changes exceed a detection threshold d. Ideally the generalized fill factor may reach 100 %. With user code EGS-chamber and a 2 MeV photon slit beam 0.25 mm wide, both types of the fill factor were calculated for an array with total cell area 100 cm{sup 2} for chamber widths 1–9 mm, using =1mm, d=5%. Results: For single chamber width 5 mm, fill factors were 0.49 (FWHM) and 0.61 (generalized). For chamber width 2 mm the FWHM fill factor was 0.13 whereas the generalized fill factor was 0.32. For chamber widths above 7 mm, the FWHM fill factor exceeds unity, and the general fill factor is exactly 1.00. Conclusions: An updated fill factor definition is introduced which, as a generalization of the FWHM-based definition, more closely estimates the performance of small array chambers and gives a realistic value in the case of overlapping sensitive areas of neighboured chambers. References:{sup 1}A. Gago-Arias, L. Brualla-Gonzalez, D.M. Gonzalez-Castano, F. Gomez, M.S. Garcia, V.L. Vega, J.M. Sueiro, J. Pardo-Montero, “Evaluation of chamber response function influence on IMRT verification using 2D commercial detector arrays,” Phys. Med. Biol. 57, 2005–2020 (2012)« less

Cryogenic readout for multiple VUV4 Multi-Pixel Photon Counters in liquid xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arneodo, F.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Bruno, G.; Conicella, V.; Di Giovanni, A.; Fawwaz, O.; Messina, M.; Candela, A.; Franchi, G.

2018-06-01

We present the performances and characterization of an array made of S13370-3050CN (VUV4 generation) Multi-Pixel Photon Counters manufactured by Hamamatsu and equipped with a low power consumption preamplifier operating at liquid xenon temperature (∼ 175 K). The electronics is designed for the readout of a matrix of maximum dimension of 8 × 8 individual photosensors and it is based on a single operational amplifier. The detector prototype presented in this paper utilizes the Analog Devices AD8011 current feedback operational amplifier, but other models can be used depending on the application. A biasing correction circuit has been implemented for the gain equalization of photosensors operating at different voltages. The results show single photon detection capability making this device a promising choice for future generation of large scale dark matter detectors based on liquid xenon, such as DARWIN.

The LUX-Zeplin Dark Matter Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mock, Jeremy; Lux-Zeplin (Lz) Collaboration

2016-03-01

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) detector is a second generation dark matter experiment that will operate at the 4850 foot level of the Sanford Underground Research Experiment as a follow-up to the LUX detector, currently the world's most sensitive WIMP direct detection experiment. The LZ detector will contain 7 tonnes of active liquid xenon with a 5.6 tonne fiducial mass in the TPC. The TPC is surrounded by an active, instrumented, liquid-xenon ``skin'' region to veto gammas, then a layer of liquid scintillator to veto neutrons, all contained within a water shield. Modeling the detector is key to understanding the expected background, which in turn leads to a better understanding of the projected sensitivity, currently expected to be 2e-48 cm2 for a 50 GeV WIMP. I will discuss the current status of the LZ experiment as well as its projected sensitivity.

Fast-neutron and gamma-ray imaging with a capillary liquid xenon converter coupled to a gaseous photomultiplier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Israelashvili, I.; Coimbra, A. E. C.; Vartsky, D.; Arazi, L.; Shchemelinin, S.; Caspi, E. N.; Breskin, A.

2017-09-01

Gamma-ray and fast-neutron imaging was performed with a novel liquid xenon (LXe) scintillation detector read out by a Gaseous Photomultiplier (GPM). The 100 mm diameter detector prototype comprised a capillary-filled LXe converter/scintillator, coupled to a triple-THGEM imaging-GPM, with its first electrode coated by a CsI UV-photocathode, operated in Ne/5%CH4 at cryogenic temperatures. Radiation localization in 2D was derived from scintillation-induced photoelectron avalanches, measured on the GPM's segmented anode. The localization properties of 60Co gamma-rays and a mixed fast-neutron/gamma-ray field from an AmBe neutron source were derived from irradiation of a Pb edge absorber. Spatial resolutions of 12± 2 mm and 10± 2 mm (FWHM) were reached with 60Co and AmBe sources, respectively. The experimental results are in good agreement with GEANT4 simulations. The calculated ultimate expected resolutions for our application-relevant 4.4 and 15.1 MeV gamma-rays and 1-15 MeV neutrons are 2-4 mm and ~ 2 mm (FWHM), respectively. These results indicate the potential applicability of the new detector concept to Fast-Neutron Resonance Radiography (FNRR) and Dual-Discrete-Energy Gamma Radiography (DDEGR) of large objects.

Xenon Feed System Progress

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

From - To) 13-06-2006 Technical Paper 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER F04611-00-C-0055 Xenon Feed System Progress (Preprint) 5b. GRANT...propulsion xenon feed system for a flight technology demonstration program. Major accomplishments include: 1) Utilization of the Moog...successfully fed xenon to a 200 watt Hall Effect Thruster in a Technology Demonstration Program. The feed system has demonstrated throttling of xenon

Lowering the radioactivity of the photomultiplier tubes for the XENON1T dark matter experiment

DOE PAGES

Aprile, E.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; ...

2015-11-23

The low-background, VUV-sensitive 3-inch diameter photomultiplier tube R11410 has been developed by Hamamatsu for dark matter direct detection experiments using liquid xenon as the target material. We present the results from the joint effort between the XENON collaboration and the Hamamatsu company to produce a highly radio-pure photosensor (version R11410-21) for the XENON1T dark matter experiment. After introducing the photosensor and its components, we show the methods and results of the radioactive contamination measurements of the individual materials employed in the photomultiplier production. We then discuss the adopted strategies to reduce the radioactivity of the various PMT versions. Finally, wemore » detail the results from screening 286 tubes with ultra-low background germanium detectors, as well as their implications for the expected electronic and nuclear recoil background of the XENON1T experiment.« less

The LUX prototype detector: Heat exchanger development

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. S.; Bai, X.; Bedikian, S.; ...

2013-01-24

The LUX (large underground xenon) detector is a two-phase xenon time projection chamber (TPC) designed to search for WIMP–nucleon dark matter interactions. As with all noble element detectors, continuous purification of the detector medium is essential to produce a large (> 1 ms) electron lifetime; this is necessary for efficient measurement of the electron signal which in turn is essential for achieving robust discrimination of signal from background events. Here, we describe the development of a novel purification system deployed in a prototype detector. The results from the operation of this prototype indicated heat exchange with an efficiency above 94%more » up to a flow rate of 42 slpm, allowing for an electron drift length greater than 1 m to be achieved in approximately 2 days and sustained for the duration of the testing period.« less

First Dark Matter Search Results from the XENON1T Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Gardner, R.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Grandi, L.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Howlett, J.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lombardi, F.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Mariş, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Morâ, K.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Pizzella, V.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Riedel, B.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Saldanha, R.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Shockley, E.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thapa, S.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Vargas, M.; Upole, N.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zhu, T.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-11-01

We report the first dark matter search results from XENON1T, a ˜2000 -kg -target-mass dual-phase (liquid-gas) xenon time projection chamber in operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy and the first ton-scale detector of this kind. The blinded search used 34.2 live days of data acquired between November 2016 and January 2017. Inside the (1042 ±12 )-kg fiducial mass and in the [5 ,40 ] keVnr energy range of interest for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter searches, the electronic recoil background was (1.93 ±0.25 )×10-4 events /(kg ×day ×keVee) , the lowest ever achieved in such a dark matter detector. A profile likelihood analysis shows that the data are consistent with the background-only hypothesis. We derive the most stringent exclusion limits on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interaction cross section for WIMP masses above 10 GeV /c2 , with a minimum of 7.7 ×10-47 cm2 for 35 -GeV /c2 WIMPs at 90% C.L.

Application of Two Phase (Liquid/Gas) Xenon Gamma-Camera for the Detection of Special Nuclear Material and PET Medical Imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKinsey, Daniel Nicholas

The McKinsey group at Yale has been awarded a grant from DTRA for the building of a Liquid Xenon Gamma Ray Color Camera (LXe-GRCC), which combines state-of-the-art detection of LXe scintillation light and time projection chamber (TPC) charge readout. The DTRA application requires a movable detector and hence only a single phase (liquid) xenon detector can be considered in this case. We propose to extend the DTRA project to applications that allow a two phase (liquid/gas) xenon TPC. This entails additional (yet minimal) hardware and extension of the research effort funded by DTRA. The two phase detector will have bettermore » energy and angular resolution. Such detectors will be useful for PET medical imaging and detection of special nuclear material in stationary applications (e.g. port of entry). The expertise of the UConn group in gas phase TPCs will enhance the capabilities of the Yale group and the synergy between the two groups will be very beneficial for this research project as well as the education and research projects of the two universities. The LXe technology to be used in this project has matured rapidly over the past few years, developed for use in detectors for nuclear physics and astrophysics. This technology may now be applied in a straightforward way to the imaging of gamma rays. According to detailed Monte Carlo simulations recently performed at Yale University, energy resolution of 1% and angular resolution of 3 degrees may be obtained for 1.0 MeV gamma rays, using existing technology. With further research and development, energy resolution of 0.5% and angular resolution of 1.3 degrees will be possible at 1.0 MeV. Because liquid xenon is a high density, high Z material, it is highly efficient for scattering and capturing gamma rays. In addition, this technology scales elegantly to large detector areas, with several square meter apertures possible. The Yale research group is highly experienced in the development and use of noble liquid

DARWIN: towards the ultimate dark matter detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Amsler, C.; Aprile, E.; Arazi, L.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Beskers, B.; Breskin, A.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; Diglio, S.; Drexlin, G.; Duchovni, E.; Erdal, E.; Eurin, G.; Ferella, A.; Fieguth, A.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Di Gangi, P.; Di Giovanni, A.; Galloway, M.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Glueck, F.; Grandi, L.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hannen, V.; Hogenbirk, E.; Howlett, J.; Hilk, D.; Hils, C.; James, A.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kilminster, B.; Kish, A.; Krauss, L. M.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lin, Q.; Linde, F. L.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Morå, K. D.; Morteau, E.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Newstead, J. L.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; de Perio, P.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Piro, M. C.; Plante, G.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Rizzo, A.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schumann, M.; Schreiner, J.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M. C.; Simgen, H.; Sissol, P.; von Sivers, M.; Thers, D.; Thurn, J.; Tiseni, A.; Trotta, R.; Tunnell, C. D.; Valerius, K.; Vargas, M. A.; Wang, H.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wester, T.; Wulf, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zhu, T.; Zuber, K.

2016-11-01

DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN (DARWIN) will be an experiment for the direct detection of dark matter using a multi-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber at its core. Its primary goal will be to explore the experimentally accessible parameter space for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in a wide mass-range, until neutrino interactions with the target become an irreducible background. The prompt scintillation light and the charge signals induced by particle interactions in the xenon will be observed by VUV sensitive, ultra-low background photosensors. Besides its excellent sensitivity to WIMPs above a mass of 5 GeV/c2, such a detector with its large mass, low-energy threshold and ultra-low background level will also be sensitive to other rare interactions. It will search for solar axions, galactic axion-like particles and the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 136Xe, as well as measure the low-energy solar neutrino flux with < 1% precision, observe coherent neutrino-nucleus interactions, and detect galactic supernovae. We present the concept of the DARWIN detector and discuss its physics reach, the main sources of backgrounds and the ongoing detector design and R&D efforts.

Measurements and modeling of charge carrier lifetime in compressed xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pudov, A. O.; Abyzov, A. S.; Sokolov, S. A.; Davydov, L. N.; Rybka, A. V.; Kutny, V. E.; Melnikov, S. I.; Kholomyeyev, G. A.; Leonov, S. A.; Turchin, A. A.

2018-06-01

Gamma-spectrometers based on high-pressure xenon gas (HPXe) are proving themselves as a great potential alternative to the spectrometers based on high-purity germanium crystals and scintillators. The working medium for the high-resolution HPXe detectors, that is, xenon gas compressed up to pressure ∼50 bar and sometimes doped with hydrogen, methane or others gases, needs to be of very high purity. The gas purity level can be determined by direct measurements or, alternatively, its usability in gamma-spectrometers can be evaluated indirectly through the charge carrier (electron) lifetime measurements. Different approaches and specific setups have been used for the lifetime determination, most of those methods involve the measurement and analyses of individual pulses from ionizing particles registered in an ionization chamber filled with Xe. In the present paper, we report on the HPXe electron lifetime study carried out by using measurements in a cylindrical ionization chamber and the respective analytical charge transport model. Our results support the possibility of carrier lifetime determination in the cylindrical configuration. In addition, the voltage regimes for the use of the chamber in the spectroscopic mode were determined. The measurements were conducted in a two-electrode configuration for a range of pressure values (5 to 50 bar) for the Xe+0.25%H2 gas mixture of ∼6N purity. It is shown that in gases with relatively high values of the electron drift velocity and the electron lifetime, for example low-density gases, the charge collection time measurements can give significantly underestimated lifetime assessment. On the other hand, for the low drift velocity gases, they give much more accurate results. With the use of the analytical model, the electron lifetime was determined more precisely.

The Genesis solar xenon composition and its relationship to planetary xenon signatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowther, S. A.; Gilmour, J. D.

2013-12-01

The fluence and isotopic composition of solar wind xenon have been determined from silicon collector targets flown on the NASA Genesis mission. A protocol was developed to extract gas quantitatively from samples of ∼9-25 mm2, and xenon measured using the RELAX mass spectrometer. The fluence of implanted solar wind xenon is 1.202(87) × 106 atoms 132Xe cm-2, which equates to a flux of 5.14(21) × 106 atoms 132Xe cm-2 year-1 at the L1 point. This value is in good agreement with those reported in other studies. The isotopic composition of the solar wind is consistent with that extracted from the young lunar regolith and other Genesis collector targets. The more precise xenon isotopic data derived from the Genesis mission confirm models of relationships among planetary xenon signatures. The underlying composition of Xe-Q is mass fractionated solar wind; small, varying contributions of Xe-HL and 129Xe from 129I decay are present in reported meteorite analyses. In contrast, an s-process deficit is apparent in Xe-P3, which appears to have been mass fractionated to the same extent as Xe-Q from a precursor composition, suggesting similar trapping mechanisms. Solar wind xenon later evolved by the addition of ∼1% (at 132Xe) of s-process xenon to this precursor. As an alternative model to a single source reservoir for Xe-P3, we propose that trapping of xenon onto carbonaceous carriers has been an ongoing process across galactic history, and that preparation of the residues in which Xe-P3 has been identified preferentially preserves longer lived host phases; a higher proportion of these sample xenon isotopic compositions from earlier in galactic chemical evolution, allowing the s-process deficit to become apparent. The relationships among SW-Xe, Xe-Q and Xe-P3 predict that the 124Xe/132Xe ratio for the solar wind is 0.00481(6).

High-pressure Xenon Gas Electroluminescent TPC Concept for Simultaneous Searches for Neutrino-less Double Beta Decay & WIMP Dark Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nygren, David

2013-04-01

Xenon is an especially attractive candidate for both direct WIMP and 0- decay searches. Although the current trend has exploited the liquid phase, gas phase xenon offers some remarkable performance advantages for energy resolution, topology visualization, and discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils. The NEXT-100 experiment, now beginning construction in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, Spain, will operate at 12 bars with 100 kg of ^136Xe for the 0- decay search. I will describe recent results with small prototypes, indicating that NEXT-100 can provide about 0.5% FWHM energy resolution at the decay 2457.83 keV Q-value, as well as rejection of -rays by topology. However, sensitivity goals for WIMP dark matter and 0- decay searches indicate the need for ton-scale active masses; NEXT-100 provides the springboard to reach this scale with xenon gas. I describe a scenario for performing both searches in a single high-pressure ton-scale xenon gas detector, without significant compromise to either. In addition, -- even in a single, ton-scale, high-pressure xenon gas TPC, an intrinsic sensitivity to the nuclear recoil direction may exist -- plausibly offering an advance of more than two orders of magnitude relative to current low-pressure TPC concepts. I argue that, in an era of deepening fiscal austerity, such a dual-purpose detector may be possible, at acceptable cost, within the time frame of interest, and deserves our collective attention.

Light propagation in gas-filled kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Sílvia M. G.; Facão, Margarida; Ferreira, Mário F. S.

2018-04-01

We study the propagation of light in kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibres (HC-PCFs) filled with three different noble gases, namely, helium, xenon and argon. Various properties, including the guided modes, the group-velocity dispersion, and the nonlinear parameter were determined. The zero dispersion wavelength and the nonlinear parameter vary with the gas pressure which may be used to tune the generation of new frequencies using the same pump laser and the same fibre. In the case of the kagomé HC-PCF filled with xenon, the zero dispersion wavelength shifts from 693 to 1973 nm when the pressure is increased from 1 to 150bar, while the effective Kerr nonlinearity becomes comparable to that of silica. We have simulated the propagation of femtosecond pulses launched at 790 nm in order to study the generation of supercontinuum and UV light in kagomé HC-PCFs filled with the noble gases.

New constraints and prospects for sub-GeV dark matter scattering off electrons in xenon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Essig, Rouven; Volansky, Tomer; Yu, Tien-Tien

2017-08-30

We study in detail sub-GeV dark matter scattering off electrons in xenon, including the expected electron recoil spectra and annual modulation spectra. We derive improved constraints using low-energy XENON10 and XENON100 ionization-only data. For XENON10, in addition to including electron-recoil data corresponding to about 1–3 electrons, we include for the first time events corresponding to about 4–7 electrons. Assuming the scattering is momentum independent (F DM = 1 ), this strengthens a previous cross-section bound by almost an order of magnitude for dark matter masses above 50 MeV. The available XENON100 data corresponds to events with about 4–50 electrons, andmore » leads to a constraint that is comparable to the XENON10 bound above 50 MeV for F DM = 1 . We demonstrate that a search for an annual modulation signal in upcoming xenon experiments (XENON1T, XENONnT, LZ) could substantially improve the above bounds even in the presence of large backgrounds. We also emphasize that in simple benchmark models of sub-GeV dark matter, the dark matter-electron scattering rate can be as high as one event every ten (two) seconds in the XENON1T (XENONnT or LZ) experiments, without being in conflict with any other known experimental bounds. While there are several sources of backgrounds that can produce single- or few-electron events, a large event rate can be consistent with a dark matter signal and should not be simply written off as purely a detector curiosity. This fact motivates a detailed analysis of the ionization-data (“S2”) data, taking into account the expected annual modulation spectrum of the signal rate, as well as the DM-induced electron-recoil spectra, which are another powerful discriminant between signal and background.« less

New constraints and prospects for sub-GeV dark matter scattering off electrons in xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Essig, Rouven; Volansky, Tomer; Yu, Tien-Tien

2017-08-01

We study in detail sub-GeV dark matter scattering off electrons in xenon, including the expected electron recoil spectra and annual modulation spectra. We derive improved constraints using low-energy XENON10 and XENON100 ionization-only data. For XENON10, in addition to including electron-recoil data corresponding to about 1-3 electrons, we include for the first time events corresponding to about 4-7 electrons. Assuming the scattering is momentum independent (FDM=1 ), this strengthens a previous cross-section bound by almost an order of magnitude for dark matter masses above 50 MeV. The available XENON100 data corresponds to events with about 4-50 electrons, and leads to a constraint that is comparable to the XENON10 bound above 50 MeV for FDM=1 . We demonstrate that a search for an annual modulation signal in upcoming xenon experiments (XENON1T, XENONnT, LZ) could substantially improve the above bounds even in the presence of large backgrounds. We also emphasize that in simple benchmark models of sub-GeV dark matter, the dark matter-electron scattering rate can be as high as one event every ten (two) seconds in the XENON1T (XENONnT or LZ) experiments, without being in conflict with any other known experimental bounds. While there are several sources of backgrounds that can produce single- or few-electron events, a large event rate can be consistent with a dark matter signal and should not be simply written off as purely a detector curiosity. This fact motivates a detailed analysis of the ionization-data ("S2") data, taking into account the expected annual modulation spectrum of the signal rate, as well as the DM-induced electron-recoil spectra, which are another powerful discriminant between signal and background.

Inpainting approaches to fill in detector gaps in phase contrast computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brun, F.; Delogu, P.; Longo, R.; Dreossi, D.; Rigon, L.

2018-01-01

Photon counting semiconductor detectors in radiation imaging present attractive properties, such as high efficiency, low noise, and energy sensitivity. The very complex electronics limits the sensitive area of current devices to a few square cm. This disadvantage is often compensated by tiling a larger matrix with an adequate number of detector units but this usually results in non-negligible insensitive gaps between two adjacent modules. When considering the case of Computed Tomography (CT), these gaps lead to degraded reconstructed images with severe streak and ring artifacts. This work presents two digital image processing solutions to fill in these gaps when considering the specific case of synchrotron radiation x-ray parallel beam phase contrast CT. While not discussed with experimental data, other CT modalities, such as spectral, cone beam and other geometries might benefit from the presented approaches.

First Dark Matter Search Results from the XENON1T Experiment.

PubMed

Aprile, E; Aalbers, J; Agostini, F; Alfonsi, M; Amaro, F D; Anthony, M; Arneodo, F; Barrow, P; Baudis, L; Bauermeister, B; Benabderrahmane, M L; Berger, T; Breur, P A; Brown, A; Brown, A; Brown, E; Bruenner, S; Bruno, G; Budnik, R; Bütikofer, L; Calvén, J; Cardoso, J M R; Cervantes, M; Cichon, D; Coderre, D; Colijn, A P; Conrad, J; Cussonneau, J P; Decowski, M P; de Perio, P; Di Gangi, P; Di Giovanni, A; Diglio, S; Eurin, G; Fei, J; Ferella, A D; Fieguth, A; Fulgione, W; Gallo Rosso, A; Galloway, M; Gao, F; Garbini, M; Gardner, R; Geis, C; Goetzke, L W; Grandi, L; Greene, Z; Grignon, C; Hasterok, C; Hogenbirk, E; Howlett, J; Itay, R; Kaminsky, B; Kazama, S; Kessler, G; Kish, A; Landsman, H; Lang, R F; Lellouch, D; Levinson, L; Lin, Q; Lindemann, S; Lindner, M; Lombardi, F; Lopes, J A M; Manfredini, A; Mariş, I; Marrodán Undagoitia, T; Masbou, J; Massoli, F V; Masson, D; Mayani, D; Messina, M; Micheneau, K; Molinario, A; Morå, K; Murra, M; Naganoma, J; Ni, K; Oberlack, U; Pakarha, P; Pelssers, B; Persiani, R; Piastra, F; Pienaar, J; Pizzella, V; Piro, M-C; Plante, G; Priel, N; Rauch, L; Reichard, S; Reuter, C; Riedel, B; Rizzo, A; Rosendahl, S; Rupp, N; Saldanha, R; Dos Santos, J M F; Sartorelli, G; Scheibelhut, M; Schindler, S; Schreiner, J; Schumann, M; Scotto Lavina, L; Selvi, M; Shagin, P; Shockley, E; Silva, M; Simgen, H; Sivers, M V; Stein, A; Thapa, S; Thers, D; Tiseni, A; Trinchero, G; Tunnell, C; Vargas, M; Upole, N; Wang, H; Wang, Z; Wei, Y; Weinheimer, C; Wulf, J; Ye, J; Zhang, Y; Zhu, T

2017-11-03

We report the first dark matter search results from XENON1T, a ∼2000-kg-target-mass dual-phase (liquid-gas) xenon time projection chamber in operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy and the first ton-scale detector of this kind. The blinded search used 34.2 live days of data acquired between November 2016 and January 2017. Inside the (1042±12)-kg fiducial mass and in the [5,40]  keV_{nr} energy range of interest for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter searches, the electronic recoil background was (1.93±0.25)×10^{-4}  events/(kg×day×keV_{ee}), the lowest ever achieved in such a dark matter detector. A profile likelihood analysis shows that the data are consistent with the background-only hypothesis. We derive the most stringent exclusion limits on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interaction cross section for WIMP masses above 10  GeV/c^{2}, with a minimum of 7.7×10^{-47}  cm^{2} for 35-GeV/c^{2} WIMPs at 90% C.L.

Xenon elimination kinetics following brief exposure.

PubMed

Schaefer, Maximilian S; Piper, Thomas; Geyer, Hans; Schneemann, Julia; Neukirchen, Martin; Thevis, Mario; Kienbaum, Peter

2017-05-01

Xenon is a modern inhalative anaesthetic with a very low solubility in tissues providing rapid elimination and weaning from anaesthesia. Besides its anaesthetic properties, Xenon promotes the endogenous erythropoietin biosynthesis and thus has been enlisted as prohibited substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). For effective doping controls, knowledge about the elimination kinetics of Xenon and the duration of traceability are of particular importance. Seventy-seven full blood samples were obtained from 7 normal weight patients undergoing routine Xenon-based general anaesthesia with a targeted inspiratory concentration of 60% Xenon in oxygen. Samples were taken before and during Xenon inhalation as well as one, two, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, and 48 h after exposure. Xenon concentrations were assessed in full blood by gas chromatography and triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry with a detection limit of 0.25 µmol/L. The elimination of Xenon was characterized by linear regression of log-transformed Xenon blood concentrations, as well as non-linear regression. Xenon exposure yielded maximum concentrations in arterial blood of 1.3 [1.1; 1.6] mmol/L. Xenon was traceable for 24 to 48 h. The elimination profile was characterized by a biphasic pattern with a rapid alpha phase, followed by a slower beta phase showing a first order kinetics (c[Xe] = 69.1e -0.26x , R 2  = 0.83, t 1/2  = 2.7 h). Time in hours after exposure could be estimated by 50*ln(1.39/c[Xe] 0.077 ). Xenon's elimination kinetics is biphasic with a delayed beta phase following a first order kinetics. Xenon can reliably be detected for at least 24 h after brief exposure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Results from the XENON10 and the Race to Detect Dark Matter with Noble Liquids

ScienceCinema

Shutt, Tom [Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio, United States

2017-12-09

Detectors based on liquid noble gases have the potential to revolutionize the direct search for WIMP dark matter. The XENON10 experiment, of which I am a member, has recently announced the results from it's first data run and is now the leading WIMP search experiment. This and other experiments using xenon, argon and neon have the potential to rapidly move from the current kg-scale target mass to the ton scale and well beyond. This should allow a (nearly) definitive test or discovery of dark matter if it is in the form of weakly interacting massive particles.

Optical pumping and xenon NMR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raftery, M. Daniel

1991-11-01

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of xenon has become an important tool for investigating a wide variety of materials, especially those with high surface area. The sensitivity of its chemical shift to environment, and its chemical inertness and adsorption properties make xenon a particularly useful NMR probe. This work discusses the application of optical pumping to enhance the sensitivity of xenon NMR experiments, thereby allowing them to be used in the study of systems with lower surface area. A novel method of optically-pumping 129Xe in low magnetic field below an NMR spectrometer and subsequent transfer of the gas to highmore » magnetic field is described. NMR studies of the highly polarized gas adsorbed onto powdered samples with low to moderate surface areas are now possible. For instance, NMR studies of optically-pumped xenon adsorbed onto polyacrylic acid show that xenon has a large interaction with the surface. By modeling the low temperature data in terms of a sticking probability and the gas phase xenon-xenon interaction, the diffusion coefficient for xenon at the surface of the polymer is determined. The sensitivity enhancement afforded by optical pumping also allows the NMR observation of xenon thin films frozen onto the inner surfaces of different sample cells. The geometry of the thin films results in interesting line shapes that are due to the bulk magnetic susceptibility of xenon. Experiments are also described that combine optical pumping with optical detection for high sensitivity in low magnetic field to observe the quadrupoler evolution of 131 Xe spins at the surface of the pumping cells. In cells with macroscopic asymmetry, a residual quadrupolar interaction causes a splitting in the 131Xe NMR frequencies in bare Pyrex glass cells and cells with added hydrogen.« less

Optical pumping and xenon NMR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raftery, M.D.

1991-11-01

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of xenon has become an important tool for investigating a wide variety of materials, especially those with high surface area. The sensitivity of its chemical shift to environment, and its chemical inertness and adsorption properties make xenon a particularly useful NMR probe. This work discusses the application of optical pumping to enhance the sensitivity of xenon NMR experiments, thereby allowing them to be used in the study of systems with lower surface area. A novel method of optically-pumping [sup 129]Xe in low magnetic field below an NMR spectrometer and subsequent transfer of the gas tomore » high magnetic field is described. NMR studies of the highly polarized gas adsorbed onto powdered samples with low to moderate surface areas are now possible. For instance, NMR studies of optically-pumped xenon adsorbed onto polyacrylic acid show that xenon has a large interaction with the surface. By modeling the low temperature data in terms of a sticking probability and the gas phase xenon-xenon interaction, the diffusion coefficient for xenon at the surface of the polymer is determined. The sensitivity enhancement afforded by optical pumping also allows the NMR observation of xenon thin films frozen onto the inner surfaces of different sample cells. The geometry of the thin films results in interesting line shapes that are due to the bulk magnetic susceptibility of xenon. Experiments are also described that combine optical pumping with optical detection for high sensitivity in low magnetic field to observe the quadrupoler evolution of 131 Xe spins at the surface of the pumping cells. In cells with macroscopic asymmetry, a residual quadrupolar interaction causes a splitting in the [sup 131]Xe NMR frequencies in bare Pyrex glass cells and cells with added hydrogen.« less

The Development of the improved equipment for the measurement radionuclides of xenon in atmospheric air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pakhomov, S. A.; Dubasov, Y. V.

2009-04-01

The Radium Khlopin Institute have developed the mobile (vehicle based) equipment attended for the providing of the monitoring of radioactive xenon isotopes in atmospheric air on territories, neighboring with NPP. This equipment comprises the improved sampling installation with sample-processing unit and specialized spectrometer of β-γ-coincidences. The principal specificity of sampling installation is the using of the gas-cooling machine attended for the reaching of the cryogenic temperatures, which works without helium, using for cooling the processed air itself. The capacity of sampling reaches 20 cubic meters per hour with the xenon extraction factor of 75%. The duration of the sampling cycle forms 3 - 7 hours depending of the xenon volume requirements. The sample-processing unit is designed on preparative gas chromatograph scheme. Duration of sample-processing procedure does not exceed one and half hour. The volume of the prepared sample is around half liter, it contains 3 - 7 cubic centimeters of the xenon, depending of sampling cycle time. For measurements of xenon radioisotopes containing in obtained sample, was developed a β-γ-coincidences spectrometer on the base of the "ORTEC" HP Ge detector equipped with scintillation β-detector designed as Marinelli chamber of 700 cm3 volume. This spectrometer allows to reduce the ambient background more than in 20 times, with γ-channel efficiency reduction not more than in 1.5 times. The minimum detectable activity of 133Хе (MDA), evaluated by Currie formula for probability 95 % is 0.05 Bq at the exposition of 20 hours. Spectrometer is also intended for determination of the stable krypton and xenon concentrations in β-chamber by X-ray-fluorescent method. Therefore, in a shield of the spectrometer collimating pinhole is made and 241Am source is installed. To improve the sensitivity of the analysis beryllium window is made in β-chamber wall, adjoining to the HPGe detector. X-ray-fluorescent analysis allows to

DARWIN: towards the ultimate dark matter detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aalbers, J.; Breur, P.A.; Brown, A.

2016-11-01

DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN (DARWIN) will be an experiment for the direct detection of dark matter using a multi-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber at its core. Its primary goal will be to explore the experimentally accessible parameter space for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in a wide mass-range, until neutrino interactions with the target become an irreducible background. The prompt scintillation light and the charge signals induced by particle interactions in the xenon will be observed by VUV sensitive, ultra-low background photosensors. Besides its excellent sensitivity to WIMPs above a mass of 5 GeV/ c {supmore » 2}, such a detector with its large mass, low-energy threshold and ultra-low background level will also be sensitive to other rare interactions. It will search for solar axions, galactic axion-like particles and the neutrinoless double-beta decay of {sup 136}Xe, as well as measure the low-energy solar neutrino flux with < 1% precision, observe coherent neutrino-nucleus interactions, and detect galactic supernovae. We present the concept of the DARWIN detector and discuss its physics reach, the main sources of backgrounds and the ongoing detector design and R and D efforts.« less

The NEW detector: construction, commissioning and first results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebot-Guinot, M.; NEXT Collaboration

2017-09-01

NEXT (Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC) is a neutrinoless double-beta (ββ0ν) decay experiment at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC). It seeks to detect the ββ0ν decay of Xe-136 using a high pressure xenon gas TPC with electroluminescent (EL) amplification. The NEXT-White (NEW) detector, with an active xenon mass of about 10 kg at 15 bar, is the first NEXT prototype installed at LSC. It implements the NEXT detector concept tested in smaller prototypes using the same radiopure sensors and materials that will be used in the future NEXT-100, serving as a benchmark for technical solutions as well as for the signal selection and background rejection algorithms. NEW is currently under commissioning at the LSC. In this poster proceedings we describe the technical solutions adopted for NEW construction, the lessons learned from the commissioning phase, and the first results on energy calibration and energy resolution obtained with low-energy radioactive source data.

Novel xenon calibration scheme for two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence of hydrogen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Drew; Scime, Earl; Short, Zachary, E-mail: zdshort@mix.wvu.edu

Two photon absorption laser induced fluorescence (TALIF) measurements of neutral hydrogen and its isotopes are typically calibrated by performing TALIF measurements on krypton with the same diagnostic system and using the known ratio of the absorption cross sections [K. Niemi et al., J. Phys. D 34, 2330 (2001)]. Here we present the measurements of a new calibration method based on a ground state xenon scheme for which the fluorescent emission wavelength is nearly identical to that of hydrogen, thereby eliminating chromatic effects in the collection optics and simplifying detector calibration. We determine that the ratio of the TALIF cross sectionsmore » of xenon and hydrogen is 0.024 ± 0.001.« less

Characterization of Nuclear Recoils in High Pressure Xenon Gas: Towards a Simultaneous Search for WIMP Dark Matter and Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

DOE PAGES

Renner, J.; Gehman, V. M.; Goldschmidt, A.; ...

2015-03-24

Xenon has recently been the medium of choice in several large scale detectors searching for WIMP dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay. Though present-day large scale experiments use liquid xenon, the gas phase offers advantages favorable to both types of searches such as improved intrinsic energy resolution and fewer fluctuations in the partition of deposited energy between scintillation and ionization channels. We recently constructed a high pressure xenon gas TPC as a prototype for the NEXT (Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC) neutrinoless double beta decay experiment and have demonstrated the feasibility of 0.5% FWHM energy resolution at themore » 136Xe double beta Q-value with 3-D tracking capabilities. We now present results from this prototype on the simultaneous observation of scintillation and ionization produced by nuclear recoils at approximately 14 bar pressure. The recoils were produced by neutrons of approximately 2-6 MeV emitted from a radioisotope plutonium-beryllium source, and primary scintillation (S1) and electroluminescent photons produced by ionization (S2) were observed. We discuss the potential of gaseous xenon to distinguish between electron and nuclear recoils through the ratio of these two signals S2/S1. From these results combined with the possibility of using columnar recombination to sense nuclear recoil directionality at high pressures we envision a dual-purpose, ton-scale gaseous xenon detector capable of a combined search for WIMP dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay. This work has been performed within the context of the NEXT collaboration.« less

Critical Viscosity of Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of liquid xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Resembling a tiny bit of window screen, the oscillator at the heart of CVX-2 will vibrate between two pairs of paddle-like electrodes. The slight bend in the shape of the mesh has no effect on the data. What counts are the mesh's displacement in the xenon fluid and the rate at which the displacement dampens. The unit shown here is encased in a small test cell and capped with a sapphire windown to contain the xenon at high pressure.

Signal yields of keV electronic recoils and their discrimination from nuclear recoils in liquid xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Grandi, L.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Howlett, J.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lombardi, F.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Mahlstedt, J.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Morâ, K.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Pizzella, V.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Ramírez García, D.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rupp, N.; Saldanha, R.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Shockley, E.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Vargas, M.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wittweg, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zhu, T.; Xenon Collaboration

2018-05-01

We report on the response of liquid xenon to low energy electronic recoils below 15 keV from beta decays of tritium at drift fields of 92 V /cm , 154 V /cm and 366 V /cm using the XENON100 detector. A data-to-simulation fitting method based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo is used to extract the photon yields and recombination fluctuations from the experimental data. The photon yields measured at the two lower fields are in agreement with those from literature; additional measurements at a higher field of 366 V /cm are presented. The electronic and nuclear recoil discrimination as well as its dependence on the drift field and photon detection efficiency are investigated at these low energies. The results provide new measurements in the energy region of interest for dark matter searches using liquid xenon.

Xenon Fractionation and Archean Hydrogen Escape

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zahnle, K. J.

2015-01-01

Xenon is the heaviest gas found in significant quantities in natural planetary atmospheres. It would seem the least likely to escape. Yet there is more evidence for xenon escape from Earth than for any element other than helium and perhaps neon. The most straightforward evidence is that most of the radiogenic Xe from the decay of (129)I (half-life 15.7 Myr) and (244)Pu (half-life 81 Myr) that is Earth's birthright is missing. The missing xenon is often attributed to the impact erosion of early atmospheres of Earth and its ancestors. It is obvious that if most of the radiogenic xenon were driven off by impacts, most of the rest of the atmophiles fared the same fate. The other line of evidence is in the nonradiogenic isotopes of xenon and its silent partner, krypton. Atmospheric xenon is strongly mass fractionated (at about 4% per amu) compared to any known solar system source (Figure 1). This is in stark contrast to krypton, which may not be fractionated at all: atmospheric Kr is slightly heavier than solar Kr (at about 0.5% per amu), but it is the same as in carbonaceous chondrites. Nonradiogenic xenon is also under abundant relative to krypton (the so-called "missing xenon" problem). Together these observations imply that xenon has been subject to fractionating escape and krypton not.

Separation and purification of xenon

DOEpatents

Schlea, deceased, Carl Solomon

1978-03-14

Xenon is separated from a mixture of xenon and krypton by extractive distillation using carbon tetrafluoride as the partitioning agent. Krypton is flushed out of the distillation column with CF.sub.4 in the gaseous overhead stream while purified xenon is recovered from the liquid bottoms. The distillation is conducted at about atmospheric pressure or at subatmospheric pressure.

Toward molecular mechanism of xenon anesthesia: a link to studies of xenon complexes with small aromatic molecules.

PubMed

Andrijchenko, Natalya N; Ermilov, Alexander Yu; Khriachtchev, Leonid; Räsänen, Markku; Nemukhin, Alexander V

2015-03-19

The present study illustrates the steps toward understanding molecular mechanism of xenon anesthesia by focusing on a link to the structures and spectra of intermolecular complexes of xenon with small aromatic molecules. A primary cause of xenon anesthesia is attributed to inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors by an unknown mechanism. Following the results of quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations we report plausible xenon action sites in the ligand binding domain of the NMDA receptor, which are due to interaction of xenon atoms with aromatic amino-acid residues. We rely in these calculations on computational protocols adjusted in combined experimental and theoretical studies of intermolecular complexes of xenon with phenol. Successful reproduction of vibrational shifts in molecular species upon complexation with xenon measured in low-temperature matrices allowed us to select a proper functional form in density functional theory (DFT) approach for use in QM subsystems, as well as to calibrate force field parameters for MD simulations. The results of molecular modeling show that xenon atoms can compete with agonists for a place in the corresponding protein cavity, thus indicating their active role in anesthetic action.

Development of a new type of germanium detector for dark matter searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Wenzhao

Monte Carlo simulation is an important tool used to develop a better understanding of important physical processes. This thesis describes three Monte Carlo simulations used to understand germanium detector response to low energy nuclear recoils and radiogenic backgrounds for direct dark matter searches. The first simulation is the verification of Barker-Mei model, a theoretical model for calculating the ionization efficiency for germanium detector for the energy range of 1 - 100 keV. Utilizing the shape analysis, a bin-to-bin comparison between simulation and experimental data was performed for verifying the accuracy of the Barker-Mei model. A percentage difference within 4% was achieved between data and simulation, which showed the validity of the Barker-Mei model. The second simulation is the study of a new type of germanium detector for n/gamma discrimination at 77 K with plasma time difference in pulse shape. Due to the poor time resolution, conventional P-type Point Contact (PPC) and coaxial germanium detectors are not capable of discriminating nuclear recoils from electron recoils. In this thesis, a new idea of using great detector granularity and plasma time difference in pulse shape to discriminate nuclear recoils from electron recoils with planar germanium detectors in strings was discussed. The anticipated sensitivity of this new detector array is shown for detecting dark matter. The last simulation is a study of a new type of germanium-detector array serving as a PMT screening facility for ultra-low background dark matter experiments using noble liquid xenon as detector material such LUX/LZ and XENON100/XENON1T. A well-shaped germanium detector array and a PMT were simulated to study the detector response to the signal and background for a better understanding of the radiogenic gamma rays from PMTs. The detector efficiency and other detector performance were presented in this work.

Detector Calibration to Spontaneous Fission for the Study of Superheavy Elements Using Gas-Filled Recoil Ion Separator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeyama, Mirei; Kaji, Daiya; Morimoto, Kouji; Wakabayashi, Yasuo; Tokanai, Fuyuki; Morita, Kosuke

Detector response to spontaneous fission (SF) of heavy nuclides produced in the 206Pb(48Ca,2n)252No reaction was investigated using a gas-filled recoil ion separator (GARIS). Kinetic energy distributions of the SF originating from 252No were observed by tuning implantation depth of evaporation residue (ER) to the detector. The focal plane detector used in the GARIS experiments was well calibrated by comparing with the known total kinetic energy (TKE) of SF due to 252No. The correction value for the TKE calculation was deduced as a function of the implantation depth of 252No to the detector. Furthermore, we have investigated the results by comparing with those obtained by a computer simulation using the particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS).

A liquid xenon imaging telescope for 1-30 MeV gamma-ray astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aprile, Elena; Mukherjee, Reshmi; Suzuki, Masayo

1989-01-01

A study of the primary scintillation light in liquid xenon excited by 241 Am alpha particles and 207 Bi internal conversion electrons are discussed. The time dependence and the intensity of the light at different field strengths have been measured with a specifically designed chamber, equipped with a CaF sub 2 light transmitting window coupled to a UV sensitive PMT. The time correlation between the fast light signal and the charge signal shows that the scintillation signals produced in liquid xenon by ionizing particles provides an ideal trigger in a Time Projection type LXe detector aiming at full imaging of complex gamma-ray events. Researchers also started Monte Carlo calculations to establish the performance of a LXe imaging telescope for high energy gamma-rays.

Critical Viscosity of Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Because xenon near the critical point will collapse under its own weight, experiments on Earth (green line) are limited as they get closer (toward the left) to the critical point. CVX in the microgravity of space (red line) moved into unmeasured territory that scientists had not been able to reach.

Sealed position sensitive hard X-ray detector having large drift region for all sky camera with high angular resolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorenstein, P.; Perlman, D.; Parsignault, D.; Burns, R.

1979-01-01

A sealed position sensitive proportional counter filled with two atmospheres of 95% xenon and 5% methane, and containing a drift region of 24 atm cm, has operated in a stable manner for many months. The detector contains G-10 frames to support the anode and cathode wires. The detector was sealed successfully by a combination of vacuum baking the G-10 frames at 150 C for two weeks followed by assembly into the detector in an environment of dry nitrogen, and the use of passive internal getters. The counter is intended for use with a circumferential cylindrical collimator. Together they provide a very broad field of view detection system with the ability to locate cosmic hard X-ray and soft gamma ray sources to an angular precision of a minute of arc. A set of instruments based on this principle have been proposed for satellites to detect and precisely locate cosmic gamma ray bursts.

Modeling Xenon Tank Pressurization using One-Dimensional Thermodynamic and Heat Transfer Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilligan, Ryan P.; Tomsik, Thomas M.

2017-01-01

As a first step in understanding what ground support equipment (GSE) is required to provide external cooling during the loading of 5,000 kg of xenon into 4 aluminum lined composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), a modeling analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel. The goals of the analysis were to predict xenon temperature and pressure throughout loading at the launch facility, estimate the time required to load one tank, and to get an early estimate of what provisions for cooling xenon might be needed while the tanks are being filled. The model uses the governing thermodynamic and heat transfer equations to achieve these goals. Results indicate that a single tank can be loaded in about 15 hours with reasonable external coolant requirements. The model developed in this study was successfully validated against flight and test data. The first data set is from the Dawn mission which also utilizes solar electric propulsion with xenon propellant, and the second is test data from the rapid loading of a hydrogen cylindrical COPV. The main benefit of this type of model is that the governing physical equations using bulk fluid solid temperatures can provide a quick and accurate estimate of the state of the propellant throughout loading which is much cheaper in terms of computational time and licensing costs than a Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis while capturing the majority of the thermodynamics and heat transfer.

High efficiency photoionization detector

DOEpatents

Anderson, David F.

1984-01-01

A high efficiency photoionization detector using tetraaminoethylenes in a gaseous state having a low ionization potential and a relative photoionization cross section which closely matches the emission spectrum of xenon gas. Imaging proportional counters are also disclosed using the novel photoionization detector of the invention. The compound of greatest interest is TMAE which comprises tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene which has a measured ionization potential of 5.36.+-.0.02 eV, and a vapor pressure of 0.35 torr at 20.degree. C.

First limits on WIMP nuclear recoil signals in ZEPLIN-II: A two-phase xenon detector for dark matter detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alner, G. J.; Araújo, H. M.; Bewick, A.; Bungau, C.; Camanzi, B.; Carson, M. J.; Cashmore, R. J.; Chagani, H.; Chepel, V.; Cline, D.; Davidge, D.; Davies, J. C.; Daw, E.; Dawson, J.; Durkin, T.; Edwards, B.; Gamble, T.; Gao, J.; Ghag, C.; Howard, A. S.; Jones, W. G.; Joshi, M.; Korolkova, E. V.; Kudryavtsev, V. A.; Lawson, T.; Lebedenko, V. N.; Lewin, J. D.; Lightfoot, P.; Lindote, A.; Liubarsky, I.; Lopes, M. I.; Lüscher, R.; Majewski, P.; Mavrokoridis, K.; McMillan, J. E.; Morgan, B.; Muna, D.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Neves, F.; Nicklin, G. G.; Ooi, W.; Paling, S. M.; Pinto da Cunha, J.; Plank, S. J. S.; Preece, R. M.; Quenby, J. J.; Robinson, M.; Salinas, G.; Sergiampietri, F.; Silva, C.; Solovov, V. N.; Smith, N. J. T.; Smith, P. F.; Spooner, N. J. C.; Sumner, T. J.; Thorne, C.; Tovey, D. R.; Tziaferi, E.; Walker, R. J.; Wang, H.; White, J. T.; Wolfs, F. L. H.

2007-11-01

Results are presented from the first underground data run of ZEPLIN-II, a 31 kg two-phase xenon detector developed to observe nuclear recoils from hypothetical weakly interacting massive dark matter particles. Discrimination between nuclear recoils and background electron recoils is afforded by recording both the scintillation and ionisation signals generated within the liquid xenon, with the ratio of these signals being different for the two classes of event. This ratio is calibrated for different incident species using an AmBe neutron source and 60Co γ-ray sources. From our first 31 live days of running ZEPLIN-II, the total exposure following the application of fiducial and stability cuts was 225 kg × days. A background population of radon progeny events was observed in this run, arising from radon emission in the gas purification getters, due to radon daughter ion decays on the surfaces of the walls of the chamber. An acceptance window, defined by the neutron calibration data, of 50% nuclear recoil acceptance between 5 keV ee and 20 keV ee, had an observed count of 29 events, with a summed expectation of 28.6 ± 4.3 γ-ray and radon progeny induced background events. These figures provide a 90% c.l. upper limit to the number of nuclear recoils of 10.4 events in this acceptance window, which converts to a WIMP-nucleon spin-independent cross-section with a minimum of 6.6 × 10 -7 pb following the inclusion of an energy-dependent, calibrated, efficiency. A second run is currently underway in which the radon progeny will be eliminated, thereby removing the background population, with a projected sensitivity of 2 × 10 -7 pb for similar exposures as the first run.

The search for majoron emission in xenon-136 and two-neutrino double-beta decay of xenon-134 with the enriched xenon observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton, Josiah

Despite neutrino oscillation experiments firmly establishing neutrinos have non-zero mass, the absolute mass scale is unknown. Moreover, it's unknown whether the neutrino is distinguishable from its antiparticle. The most promising approach for measuring the neutrino mass scale and answering the issue of neutrino-antineutrino distinguishability is by searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay, a very rare theorized process not allowed under the current theoretical framework of particle physics. Positive observation of neutrinoless double-beta decay would usher in a revolution in particle physics, since it would determine the neutrino mass scale, establish that neutrinos and antineutrinos are indistinguishable, and that the particle physics conservation law of total lepton number is violated in nature. The latter two consequences are particularly salient, as they lead to potential explanations of neutrino mass generation and the observed large asymmetry of matter over antimatter in the universe. The Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO-200) is an international collaboration searching for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of the isotope 136 Xe. EXO-200 operates a unique world-class low-radioactivity detector containing 110 kg of liquified xenon isotopically enriched to 80.6% in 136Xe. Recently, EXO-200 published the most precise two-neutrino double-beta decay half-life ever measured and one of the strongest limits on the half-life of the neutrinoless double-beta decay mode of 136Xe. This work presents an improved experimental search for the majoron-mediated neutrinoless double-beta decay modes of 136Xe and a novel search for the yet unobserved two neutrino double-beta decay of 134Xe.

[How xenon works: neuro and cardioprotection mechanisms].

PubMed

Morais, Ricardo; Andrade, Luísa; Lourenço, André; Tavares, Jorge

2014-01-01

The Xenon, a noble gas, has anesthetics properties, associated with remarkable hemodynamic stability as well as cardioprotective, neuroprotective proprieties. Its physicochemical characteristics give him a quick induction and emergence of anesthesia, being free of deleterious effects in all organs and showing no teratogenicity. Such properties have led to a growing interest in improving the knowledge about this noble gas, in order to assess the mechanisms of neuro and cardioprotection induced and to assess the clinical indications for its use. Qualitative review of clinical trials on anesthesia with xenon. Studies were identified from MEDLINE and by hand-searching, using the following keywords: xenon, xenon anestesia, xenon neuroprotection, xenon cradioprotection. After several studies, including two randomized multicenter controlled trials, the use of xenon as an anesthetic in patients ASA I-II was approved in March 2007. However his use in clinical practice has been strongly limited by it's high price. It seems unlikely that the advantages it offers in relation to other anesthetics justify it's use in patients ASA I-II. Although, xenon may be a valuable asset in the reduction of co-morbilities and mortality in anesthesia of patients ASA III-IV, unfortunately, there are no large randomized control studies to prove it. Unfortunately, there are still no randomized or multicentric studies showing a favourable cost-benefit profile of xenon in ASA III-IV patients vs. other anaesthetics. The usefulness of xenon in Anesthesiology requires more studies to be defined.

High efficiency photoionization detector

DOEpatents

Anderson, D.F.

1984-01-31

A high efficiency photoionization detector is described using tetraaminoethylenes in a gaseous state having a low ionization potential and a relative photoionization cross section which closely matches the emission spectrum of xenon gas. Imaging proportional counters are also disclosed using the novel photoionization detector of the invention. The compound of greatest interest is TMAE which comprises tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene which has a measured ionization potential of 5.36 [+-] 0.02 eV, and a vapor pressure of 0.35 torr at 20 C. 6 figs.

RF Noise Generation in High-Pressure Short-Arc DC Xenon Lamps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minayeva, Olga; Doughty, Douglas

2007-10-01

Continuous direct current xenon arcs will generate RF noise under certain circumstance, which can lead to excessive electro- magnetic interference in systems that use these arcs as light sources. Phenomenological observations are presented for xenon arcs having arc gaps ˜1 mm, cold fill pressures of ˜2.5 MPa, and currents up to 30 amps. Using a loop antenna in the vicinity of an operating lamp, it is observed that as the current to the arc is lowered there is a reproducible threshold at which the RF noise generation begins. This threshold is accompanied by a small abrupt drop in voltage (˜0.2 volts). The RF emission appears in pulses ˜150 nsec wide separated by ˜300 nec - the pulse interval decreases with decreasing current. The properties of the RF emission as a function of arc parameters (such as pressure, arc gap, electrode design) will be discussed and a semi-quantitative model presented.

Detectability of galactic supernova neutrinos coherently scattered on xenon nuclei in XMASS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abe, K.; Hiraide, K.; Ichimura, K.; Kishimoto, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Kobayashi, M.; Moriyama, S.; Nakagawa, K.; Nakahata, M.; Norita, T.; Ogawa, H.; Sekiya, H.; Takachio, O.; Takeda, A.; Yamashita, M.; Yang, B. S.; Kim, N. Y.; Kim, Y. D.; Tasaka, S.; Liu, J.; Martens, K.; Suzuki, Y.; Fujita, R.; Hosokawa, K.; Miuchi, K.; Oka, N.; Onishi, Y.; Takeuchi, Y.; Kim, Y. H.; Lee, J. S.; Lee, K. B.; Lee, M. K.; Fukuda, Y.; Itow, Y.; Kegasa, R.; Kobayashi, K.; Masuda, K.; Takiya, H.; Uchida, H.; Nishijima, K.; Fujii, K.; Murayama, I.; Nakamura, S.; Xmass Collaboration

2017-03-01

The coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) plays a crucial role at the final evolution of stars. The detection of it would be of importance in astroparticle physics. Among all available neutrino sources, galactic supernovae give the highest neutrino flux in the MeV range. Among all liquid xenon dark matter experiments, XMASS has the largest sensitive volume and light yield. The possibility to detect galactic supernova via the CEvNS-process on xenon nuclei in the current XMASS detector was investigated. The total number of events integrated in about 18 s after the explosion of a supernova 10 kpc away from the Earth was expected to be from 3.5 to 21.1, depending on the supernova model used to predict the neutrino flux, while the number of background events in the same time window was measured to be negligible. All lead to very high possibility to detect CEvNS experimentally for the first time utilizing the combination of galactic supernovae and the XMASS detector. In case of a supernova explosion as close as Betelgeuse, the total observable events can be more than ∼ 104, making it possible to distinguish different supernova models by examining the evolution of neutrino event rate in XMASS.

Critical Viscosity of Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. The sample cell at the heart of CVX-2 will sit inside a thermostat providing three layers of insulation. The cell itself comprises a copper body that conducts heat efficiently and smoothes out thermal variations that that would destroy the xenon's uniformity. Inside the cell, the oscillating screen viscometer element is supported between two pairs of electrodes that deflect the screen and then measure screen motion.

On the behavior of solutions of xenon in liquid n-alkanes: solubility of xenon in n-pentane and n-hexane.

PubMed

Bonifácio, Rui P M F; Martins, Luís F G; McCabe, Clare; Filipe, Eduardo J M

2010-12-09

The solubility of xenon in liquid n-pentane and n-hexane has been studied experimentally, theoretically, and by computer simulation. Measurements of the solubility are reported for xenon + n-pentane as a function of temperature from 254 to 305 K. The uncertainty in the experimental data is less than 0.15%. The thermodynamic functions of solvation such as the standard Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy of solvation have been calculated from Henry's law coefficients for xenon + n-pentane solutions and also for xenon + n-hexane, which were reported in previous work. The results provide a further example of the similarity between the xenon + n-alkane interaction and the n-alkane + n-alkane interactions. Using the SAFT-VR approach we were able to quantitatively predict the experimental solubility for xenon in n-pentane and semiquantitatively that of xenon in n-hexane using simple Lorentz-Berthelot combining rules to describe the unlikely interaction. Henry's constants at infinite dilution for xenon + n-pentane and xenon + n-hexane were also calculated by Monte Carlo simulation using a united atom force field to describe the n-alkane and the Widom test particle insertion method.

Modeling ARRM Xenon Tank Pressurization Using 1D Thermodynamic and Heat Transfer Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilligan, Patrick; Tomsik, Thomas

2016-01-01

As a first step in understanding what ground support equipment (GSE) is required to provide external cooling during the loading of 5,000 kg of xenon into 4 aluminum lined composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), a modeling analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel. The goals of the analysis were to predict xenon temperature and pressure throughout loading at the launch facility, estimate the time required to load one tank, and to get an early estimate of what provisions for cooling xenon might be needed while the tanks are being filled. The model uses the governing thermodynamic and heat transfer equations to achieve these goals. Results indicate that a single tank can be loaded in about 15 hours with reasonable external coolant requirements. The model developed in this study was successfully validated against flight and test data. The first data set is from the Dawn mission which also utilizes solar electric propulsion with xenon propellant, and the second is test data from the rapid loading of a hydrogen cylindrical COPV. The main benefit of this type of model is that the governing physical equations using bulk fluid solid temperatures can provide a quick and accurate estimate of the state of the propellant throughout loading which is much cheaper in terms of computational time and licensing costs than a Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis while capturing the majority of the thermodynamics and heat transfer.

135Xe measurements with a two-element CZT-based radioxenon detector for nuclear explosion monitoring.

PubMed

Ranjbar, Lily; Farsoni, Abi T; Becker, Eric M

2017-04-01

Measurement of elevated concentrations of xenon radioisotopes ( 131m Xe, 133m Xe, 133 Xe and 135 Xe) in the atmosphere has been shown to be a very powerful method for verifying whether or not a detected explosion is nuclear in nature. These isotopes are among the few with enough mobility and with half-lives long enough to make their detection at long distances realistic. Existing radioxenon detection systems used by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) suffer from problems such as complexity, need for high maintenance and memory effect. To study the response of CdZnTe (CZT) detectors to xenon radioisotopes and investigate whether it is capable of mitigating the aforementioned issues with the current radioxenon detection systems, a prototype detector utilizing two coplanar CZT detectors was built and tested at Oregon State University. The detection system measures xenon radioisotopes through beta-gamma coincidence technique by detecting coincidence events between the two detectors. In this paper, we introduce the detector design and report our measurement results with radioactive lab sources and 135 Xe produced in the OSU TRIGA reactor. Minimum Detectable Concentration (MDC) for 135 Xe was calculated to be 1.47 ± 0.05 mBq/m 3 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anticonvulsant effect of xenon on neonatal asphyxial seizures.

PubMed

Azzopardi, Denis; Robertson, Nicola J; Kapetanakis, Andrew; Griffiths, James; Rennie, Janet M; Mathieson, Sean R; Edwards, A David

2013-09-01

Xenon, a monoatomic gas with very high tissue solubility, is a non-competitive inhibitor of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor, has antiapoptotic effects and is neuroprotective following hypoxic ischaemic injury in animals. Xenon may be expected to have anticonvulsant effects through glutamate receptor blockade, but this has not previously been demonstrated clinically. We examined seizure activity on the real time and amplitude integrated EEG records of 14 full-term infants with perinatal asphyxial encephalopathy treated within 12 h of birth with 30% inhaled xenon for 24 h combined with 72 h of moderate systemic hypothermia. Seizures were identified on 5 of 14 infants. Seizures stopped during xenon therapy but recurred within a few minutes of withdrawing xenon and stopped again after xenon was restarted. Our data show that subanaesthetic levels of xenon may have an anticonvulsant effect. Inhaled xenon may be a valuable new therapy in this hard-to-treat population.

Parylene supported 20um*20um uncooled thermoelectric infrared detector with high fill factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modarres-Zadeh, Mohammad J.; Carpenter, Zachary S.; Rockley, Mark G.; Abdolvand, Reza

2012-06-01

Presented is a novel design for an uncooled surface-micromachined thermoelectric (TE) infrared (IR) detector. The detector features a P-doped polysilicon/Nichrome (Cr20-Ni80) thermocouple, which is embedded into a thin layer of Parylene-N to provide structural support. The low thermal conductivity (~0.1W/m.K), chemical resistance, and ease of deposition/patterning of Parylene-N make it an excellent choice of material for use in MEMS thermal detectors. This detector also features an umbrella-like IR absorber composed of a three layer stack of NiCr/SiN/NiCr to optimize IR absorption. The total device area is 20 um * 20 um per pixel with an absorber area of ~19 um * 19 um resulting in a fill factor of 90%. At room temperature, a DC responsivity of ~170V/W with a rise time of less than 8 ms is measured from the fabricated devices in vacuum when viewing a 500K blackbody without any concentrating optics. The dominant source of noise in thermoelectric IR detectors is typically Johnson noise when the detectors are operating in an open circuit condition. The fabricated detectors have resistances about 85KOhm which results in Johnson noise of about 38nV/Hz^0.5. The D* is calculated to be 9 * 106 cm*Hz0.5/ W. Preliminary finite element analysis indicates that the thermal conduction from the hot junction to the substrate through the TE wires is dominant ( GTE >> Gparylene) considering the fabricated dimensions of the parylene film and the TE wires. Thus, by further reducing the size of the TE wires, GTE can be decreased and hence, responsivity can be improved while the parylene film sustains the structural integrity of the cell.

Development of a high resolution liquid xenon imaging chamber for gamma-ray astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aprile, Elena

1991-01-01

The objective was to develop the technology of liquid xenon (LXe) detectors for spectroscopy and imaging of gamma rays from astrophysical sources emitting in the low to medium energy regime. In particular, the technical challenges and the physical processes relevant to the realization of the LXe detector operated as a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) were addressed and studied. Experimental results were obtained on the following topics: (1) long distance drift of free electrons in LXe (purity); (2) scintillation light yield for electrons and alphas in LXe (triggering); and (3) ionization yield for electrons and gamma rays in LXe (energy resolution). The major results from the investigations are summarized.

High resolution collimator system for X-ray detector

DOEpatents

Eberhard, Jeffrey W.; Cain, Dallas E.

1987-01-01

High resolution in an X-ray computerized tomography (CT) inspection system is achieved by using a collimator/detector combination to limit the beam width of the X-ray beam incident on a detector element to the desired resolution width. In a detector such as a high pressure Xenon detector array, a narrow tapered collimator is provided above a wide detector element. The collimator slits have any desired width, as small as a few mils at the top, the slit width is easily controlled, and they are fabricated on standard machines. The slit length determines the slice thickness of the CT image.

[Xenon: From rare gaz to doping product].

PubMed

Tassel, Camille; Le Daré, Brendan; Morel, Isabelle; Gicquel, Thomas

2016-04-01

Doping is defined as the use of processes or substances to artificially increase physical or mental performance. Xenon is a noble gas used as an anesthetic and recently as a doping agent. Xenon is neuroprotective as an antagonist of NMDA glutamate receptors. Xenon stimulates the synthesis of erythropoietin (EPO) by increase of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF). Xenon would be a new doping product, maintaining doping methods ahead of detection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Noble liquid detectors for fundamental physics and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curioni, A.

2009-12-01

Noble liquid detectors come in many sizes and configurations and cover a lot of ground as particle and radiation detectors: from calorimeters for colliders to imaging detectors for neutrino physics and proton decay to WIMP Dark Matter detectors. It turns out that noble liquid detectors are a mature technology for imaging and spectroscopy of gamma rays and for neutron detection, a fact that makes them suitable for applications, e.g. cargo scanning and Homeland Security. In this short paper I will focus on liquid xenon and liquid argon, which make excellent detectors for hypothetical WIMP Dark Matter and neutrinos and for much less exotic gamma rays.

The XENONnT Dark Matter Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, Elena; Xenon Collaboration

2017-01-01

With XENON1T ready to search for dark matter with the highest sensivity of any experiment to-date the XENON collaboration started to secure funding and resources to upgrade the detector by the end of 2018- phase which we refer to as XENONnT. The XENONnT experiment will utilize the already-built-and-tested XENON1T infrastructures, such as the cryogenic system, Kr distillation system and Xe storage and recovery system, with the main upgrade of the time projection chamber (TPC). The upgraded XENONnT detector will be filled with 7.5-ton ultra-pure liquid xenon, tripling the active liquid xenon target mass of XENON1T. About 500 low-radioactive three-inch R11410 PMTs will be used. Background from internal sources such as radon will be reduced. It will enable another order of magnitude improvement in dark matter search sensitivity compared to that of XENON1T, or accumulate statistics if a positive dark matter signal is observed by XENON1T. The detailed TPC upgrade plan, the background control and reduction techniques, the predicted sensitivity reach will be presented.

Xenon lighting adjusted to plant requirements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koefferlein, M.; Doehring, T.; Payer, H.D.

1994-12-31

The high luminous flux and spectral properties of xenon lamps would provide an ideal luminary for plant lighting if not excess IR radiation poses several problems for an application: the required filter systems reduce the irradiance at spectral regions of particular importance for plant development. Most of the economical drawbacks of xenon lamps are related to the difficult handling of that excess IR energy. Furthermore, the temporal variation of the xenon output depending on the oscillations of the applied AC voltage has to be considered for the plant development. However, xenon lamps outperform other lighting systems with respect to spectralmore » stability, immediate response, and maximum luminance. Therefore, despite considerable competition by other lighting techniques, xenon lamps provide a very useful tool for special purposes. In plant lighting however, they seem to play a less important role as other lamp and lighting developments can meet these particular requirements at lower costs.« less

Xenon Feed System Progress (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-13

development, assembly and test of an electric propulsion xenon feed system for a flight technology demonstration program. Major accomplishments...pressure transducer feedback, the PFCV has successfully fed xenon to a 200 watt Hall Effect Thruster in a Technology Demonstration Program. The feed

Iterative Boltzmann plot method for temperature and pressure determination in a xenon high pressure discharge lamp

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zalach, J.; Franke, St.

2013-01-28

The Boltzmann plot method allows to calculate plasma temperatures and pressures if absolutely calibrated emission coefficients of spectral lines are available. However, xenon arcs are not very well suited to be analyzed this way, as there are only a limited number of lines with atomic data available. These lines have high excitation energies in a small interval between 9.8 and 11.5 eV. Uncertainties in the experimental method and in the atomic data further limit the accuracy of the evaluation procedure. This may result in implausible values of temperature and pressure with inadmissible uncertainty. To omit these shortcomings, an iterative schememore » is proposed that is making use of additional information about the xenon fill pressure. This method is proved to be robust against noisy data and significantly reduces the uncertainties. Intentionally distorted synthetic data are used to illustrate the performance of the method, and measurements performed on a laboratory xenon high pressure discharge lamp are analyzed resulting in reasonable temperatures and pressures with significantly reduced uncertainties.« less

A new transition radiation detector to detect heavy nuclei around the knee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyle, Patrick J.; Swordy, Simon P.; Wakely, Scott P.

2003-02-01

The overall cosmic ray intensity spectrum falls as a constant power law over at least 11 decades of particle energy. One of the only features in this spectrum is the slight change in power law index near 1015 eV, often called the ‘knee" of the spectrum. Accurate measurements of cosmic ray elemental abundances into this energy region are expected to reveal the origin of this feature, and possibly the nature of cosmic ray sources. The extremely low intensity of particles at these energies (a few per m2 per year) makes the detection challenging. Since only direct measurements have so far proved reliable for the accurate determination of elemental composition, a large-area, light weight, device is needed to achieve long exposures above the atmosphere either on high-altitude balloons or spacecraft. Here we report on a detector which uses the x-ray transition radiation yield from plastic foams to provide a response into the knee region for heavy elements. We use individual xenon-filled gas proportional tubes as detectors, combined with Amplex ASIC chip electronics for readout. The construction of this type of detector, and its implementation in the upcoming NASA CREAM 100 day high-altitude balloon payload is described. Also discussed is the calibration of the detector in an accelerator beam at CERN and a comparison with GEANT4 Monet Carlo simulations.

The feasibility of using a portable xenon delivery device to permit earlier xenon ventilation with therapeutic cooling of neonates during ambulance retrieval.

PubMed

Dingley, John; Liu, Xun; Gill, Hannah; Smit, Elisa; Sabir, Hemmen; Tooley, James; Chakkarapani, Ela; Windsor, David; Thoresen, Marianne

2015-06-01

Therapeutic hypothermia is the standard of care after perinatal asphyxia. Preclinical studies show 50% xenon improves outcome, if started early. During a 32-patient study randomized between hypothermia only and hypothermia with xenon, 5 neonates were given xenon during retrieval using a closed-circuit incubator-mounted system. Without xenon availability during retrieval, 50% of eligible infants exceeded the 5-hour treatment window. With the transportable system, 100% were recruited. Xenon delivery lasted 55 to 120 minutes, using 174 mL/h (117.5-193.2) (median [interquartile range]), after circuit priming (1300 mL). Xenon delivery during ambulance retrieval was feasible, reduced starting delays, and used very little gas.

Adsorption of xenon on vicinal copper and platinum surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Layton

The adsorption of xenon was studied on Cu(111), Cu(221), Cu(643) and on Pt(111), Pt(221), and Pt(531) using low energy electron diffraction (LEED), temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of xenon, and ultraviolet photoemission of adsorbed xenon (PAX). These experiments were performed to study the atomic and electronic structure of stepped and step-kinked, chiral metal surfaces. Xenon TPD and PAX were performed on each surface in an attempt to titrate terrace, step edge, and kink adsorption sites by adsorption energetics (TPD) and local work function differences (PAX). Due to the complex behavior of xenon on the vicinal copper and platinum metal surfaces, adsorption sites on these surfaces could not be adequately titrated by xenon TPD. On Cu(221) and Cu(643), xenon desorption from step adsorption sites was not apparent leading to the conclusion that the energy difference between terrace and step adsorption is minuscule. On Pt(221) and Pt(531), xenon TPD indicated that xenon prefers to bond at step edges and that the xenon-xenon interaction at step edges in repulsive but no further indication of step-kink adsorption was observed. The Pt(221) and Pt(531) TPD spectra indicated that the xenon overlayer undergoes strong compression near monolayer coverage on these surfaces due to repulsion between step-edge adsorbed xenon and other encroaching xenon atoms. The PAX experiments on the copper and platinum surfaces demonstrated that the step adsorption sites have lower local work functions than terrace adsorption sites and that higher step density leads to a larger separation in the local work function of terrace and step adsorption sites. The PAX spectra also indicated that, for all surfaces studied at 50--70 K, step adsorption is favored at low coverage but the step sites are not saturated until monolayer coverage is reached; this observation is due to the large entropy difference between terrace and step adsorption states and to repulsive interactions between xenon atoms

Critical Viscosity of Xenon investigators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Dr. Dr. Robert F. Berg (right), principal investigator and Dr. Micheal R. Moldover (left), co-investigator, for the Critical Viscosity of Xenon (CVX/CVX-2) experiment. They are with the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD. The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Although it does not easily combine with other chemicals, its viscosity at the critical point can be used as a model for a range of chemicals.

Functionalized xenon as a biosensor

PubMed Central

Spence, Megan M.; Rubin, Seth M.; Dimitrov, Ivan E.; Ruiz, E. Janette; Wemmer, David E.; Pines, Alexander; Yao, Shao Qin; Tian, Feng; Schultz, Peter G.

2001-01-01

The detection of biological molecules and their interactions is a significant component of modern biomedical research. In current biosensor technologies, simultaneous detection is limited to a small number of analytes by the spectral overlap of their signals. We have developed an NMR-based xenon biosensor that capitalizes on the enhanced signal-to-noise, spectral simplicity, and chemical-shift sensitivity of laser-polarized xenon to detect specific biomolecules at the level of tens of nanomoles. We present results using xenon “functionalized” by a biotin-modified supramolecular cage to detect biotin–avidin binding. This biosensor methodology can be extended to a multiplexing assay for multiple analytes. PMID:11535830

Recovering Residual Xenon Propellant for an Ion Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganapathi, Gani; Skakkottai, P.; wu, Jiunn Jeng

2006-01-01

Future nuclear-powered Ion-Propulsion- System-propelled spacecraft such as Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter (JIMO) will carry more than 10,000 kg of xenon propellant. Typically, a small percentage of this propellant cannot be used towards the end of the mission because of the pressure drop requirements for maintaining flow. For large missions such as JIMO, this could easily translate to over 250 kg of unusable xenon. A proposed system, the Xenon Recovery System (XRS), for recovering almost all of the xenon remaining in the tank, would include a cryopump in the form of a condenser/evaporator that would be alternatively cooled by a radiator, then heated electrically. When the pressure of the xenon in the tank falls below 0.7 MPa (100 psia), the previously isolated XRS will be brought online and the gas from the tank would enter the cryopump that is initially cooled to a temperature below saturation temperature of xenon. This causes xenon liquefaction and further cryopumping from the tank till the cryopump is full of liquid xenon. At this point, the cryopump is heated electrically by small heaters (70 to 80 W) to evaporate the liquid that is collected as high-pressure gas (<7 MPa; 1,000 psia) in an intermediate accumulator. Check valves between the tank and the XRS prevent the reverse flow of xenon during the heating cycle. The accumulator serves as the high-pressure source of xenon gas to the Xenon Feed System (XFS) downstream of the XRS. This cycle is repeated till almost all the xenon is recovered. Currently, this system is being baselined for JIMO.

Measuring and Modeling Xenon Uptake in Plastic Beta-Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suarez, R.; Hayes, J. C.; Harper, W. W.; Humble, P.; Ripplinger, M. D.; Stephenson, D. E.; Williams, R. M.

2013-12-01

The precision of the stable xenon volume measurement in atmospheric monitoring radio-xenon systems is a critical parameter used to determine the activity concentration of a radio-xenon sample. Typically these types of systems use a plastic scintillating beta-cell as part of a beta-gamma detection scheme to measure the radioactivity present in the gas sample. Challenges arise when performing the stable xenon calculation during or after radioactive counting of the sample due to xenon uptake into the plastic beta-cells. Plastic beta cells can adsorb as much as 5% of the sample during counting. If quantification is performed after counting, the uptake of xenon into the plastic results in an underestimation of the xenon volume measurement. This behavior also causes what is typically known as 'memory effect' in the cell. Experiments were conducted using a small volume low pressure range thermal conductivity sensor to quantify the amount of xenon uptake into the cell over a given period of time. Understanding the xenon uptake in the cell provides a better estimate of the stable volume which improves the overall measurement capability of the system. The results from these experiments along with modeling will be presented.

Anticipatory control of xenon in a pressurized water reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Impink, A.J. Jr.

1987-02-10

A method is described for automatically dampening xenon-135 spatial transients in the core of a pressurized water reactor having control rods which regulate reactor power level, comprising the steps of: measuring the neutron flu in the reactor core at a plurality of axially spaced locations on a real-time, on-line basis; repetitively generating from the neutron flux measurements, on a point-by-point basis, signals representative of the current axial distribution of xenon-135, and signals representative of the current rate of change of the axial distribution of xenon-135; generating from the xenon-135 distribution signals and the rate of change of xenon distribution signals,more » control signals for reducing the xenon transients; and positioning the control rods as a function of the control signals to dampen the xenon-135 spatial transients.« less

Chromatographic separation of radioactive noble gases from xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerib, D. S.; Araújo, H. M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Beltrame, P.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boulton, E. M.; Bramante, R.; Cahn, S. B.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Chiller, A. A.; Chiller, C.; Coffey, T.; Currie, A.; Cutter, J. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Dobson, J. E. Y.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edwards, B. N.; Faham, C. H.; Fiorucci, S.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Gehman, V. M.; Ghag, C.; Gibson, K. R.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Hall, C. R.; Hanhardt, M.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hogan, D. P.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Ignarra, C. M.; Ihm, M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Knoche, R.; Larsen, N. A.; Lee, C.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lesko, K. T.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Manalaysay, A.; Mannino, R. L.; Marzioni, M. F.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mock, J.; Moongweluwan, M.; Morad, J. A.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; O'Sullivan, K.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Pech, K.; Phelps, P.; Reichhart, L.; Rhyne, C.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Stephenson, S.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W.; Tennyson, B. P.; Terman, P. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; To, W. H.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Uvarov, S.; Verbus, J. R.; Webb, R. C.; White, J. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Yazdani, K.; Young, S. K.; Zhang, C.

2018-01-01

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment operates at the Sanford Underground Research Facility to detect nuclear recoils from the hypothetical Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) on a liquid xenon target. Liquid xenon typically contains trace amounts of the noble radioactive isotopes 85Kr and 39Ar that are not removed by the in situ gas purification system. The decays of these isotopes at concentrations typical of research-grade xenon would be a dominant background for a WIMP search experiment. To remove these impurities from the liquid xenon, a chromatographic separation system based on adsorption on activated charcoal was built. 400 kg of xenon was processed, reducing the average concentration of krypton from 130 ppb to 3.5 ppt as measured by a cold-trap assisted mass spectroscopy system. A 50 kg batch spiked to 0.001 g/g of krypton was processed twice and reduced to an upper limit of 0.2 ppt.

Chromatographic separation of radioactive noble gases from xenon

DOE PAGES

Akerib, DS; Araújo, HM; Bai, X; ...

2017-10-31

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment operates at the Sanford Underground Research Facility to detect nuclear recoils from the hypothetical Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) on a liquid xenon target. Liquid xenon typically contains trace amounts of the noble radioactive isotopesmore » $$^{85}$$Kr and $$^{39}$$Ar that are not removed by the in situ gas purification system. The decays of these isotopes at concentrations typical of research-grade xenon would be a dominant background for a WIMP search exmperiment. To remove these impurities from the liquid xenon, a chromatographic separation system based on adsorption on activated charcoal was built. 400 kg of xenon was processed, reducing the average concentration of krypton from 130 ppb to 3.5 ppt as measured by a cold-trap assisted mass spectroscopy system. A 50 kg batch spiked to 0.001 g/g of krypton was processed twice and reduced to an upper limit of 0.2 ppt.« less

Method for the simultaneous preparation of Radon-211, Xenon-125, Xenon-123, Astatine-211, Iodine-125 and Iodine-123

DOEpatents

Mirzadeh, Saed; Lambrecht, Richard M.

1987-01-01

A method for simultaneously preparing Radon-211, Astatine-211, Xenon-125, Xenon-123, Iodine-125 and Iodine-123 in a process that includes irradiating a fertile metal material then using a one-step chemical procedure to collect a first mixture of about equal amounts of Radon-211 and Xenon-125, and a separate second mixture of about equal amounts of Iodine-123 and Astatine-211.

Improving Spectroscopic Performance of a Coplanar-Anode High-Pressure Xenon Gamma-Ray Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiff, Scott Douglas; He, Zhong; Tepper, Gary C.

2007-08-01

High-pressure xenon (HPXe) gas is a desirable radiation detection medium for homeland security applications because of its good inherent room-temperature energy resolution, potential for large, efficient devices, and stability over a broad temperature range. Past work in HPXe has produced large-diameter gridded ionization chambers with energy resolution at 662 keV between 3.5 and 4% FWHM. However, one major limitation of these detectors is resolution degradation due to Frisch grid microphonics. A coplanar-anode HPXe detector has been developed as an alternative to gridded chambers. An investigation of this detector's energy resolution is reported in this submission. A simulation package is used to investigate the contributions of important physical processes to the measured photopeak broadening. Experimental data is presented for pure Xe and Xe + 0.2%H2 mixtures, including an analysis of interaction location effects on the energy spectrum.

Discovery potential of xenon-based neutrinoless double beta decay experiments in light of small angular scale CMB observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gómez-Cadenas, J.J.; Martín-Albo, J.; Vidal, J. Muñoz

2013-03-01

The South Pole Telescope (SPT) has probed an expanded angular range of the CMB temperature power spectrum. Their recent analysis of the latest cosmological data prefers nonzero neutrino masses, with Σm{sub ν} = (0.32±0.11) eV. This result, if confirmed by the upcoming Planck data, has deep implications on the discovery of the nature of neutrinos. In particular, the values of the effective neutrino mass m{sub ββ} involved in neutrinoless double beta decay (ββ0ν) are severely constrained for both the direct and inverse hierarchy, making a discovery much more likely. In this paper, we focus in xenon-based ββ0ν experiments, on themore » double grounds of their good performance and the suitability of the technology to large-mass scaling. We show that the current generation, with effective masses in the range of 100 kg and conceivable exposures in the range of 500 kg·year, could already have a sizeable opportunity to observe ββ0ν events, and their combined discovery potential is quite large. The next generation, with an exposure in the range of 10 ton·year, would have a much more enhanced sensitivity, in particular due to the very low specific background that all the xenon technologies (liquid xenon, high-pressure xenon and xenon dissolved in liquid scintillator) can achieve. In addition, a high-pressure xenon gas TPC also features superb energy resolution. We show that such detector can fully explore the range of allowed effective Majorana masses, thus making a discovery very likely.« less

The atmosphere of Mars: detection of krypton and xenon.

PubMed

Owen, T; Biemann, K; Rushneck, D R; Biller, J E; Howarth, D W; Lafleur, A L

1976-12-11

Krypton and xenon have been discovered in the martian atmosphere with the mass spectrometer on the second Viking lander. Krypton is more abundant than xenon. The relative abundances of the krypton isotopes appear normal, but the ratio of xenon-129 to xenon-132 is enhanced on Mars relative to the terrestrial value for this ratio. Some possible implications of these findings are discussed.

Magnetic field influences on the lateral dose response functions of photon-beam detectors: MC study of wall-less water-filled detectors with various densities.

PubMed

Looe, Hui Khee; Delfs, Björn; Poppinga, Daniela; Harder, Dietrich; Poppe, Björn

2017-06-21

The distortion of detector reading profiles across photon beams in the presence of magnetic fields is a developing subject of clinical photon-beam dosimetry. The underlying modification by the Lorentz force of a detector's lateral dose response function-the convolution kernel transforming the true cross-beam dose profile in water into the detector reading profile-is here studied for the first time. The three basic convolution kernels, the photon fluence response function, the dose deposition kernel, and the lateral dose response function, of wall-less cylindrical detectors filled with water of low, normal and enhanced density are shown by Monte Carlo simulation to be distorted in the prevailing direction of the Lorentz force. The asymmetric shape changes of these convolution kernels in a water medium and in magnetic fields of up to 1.5 T are confined to the lower millimetre range, and they depend on the photon beam quality, the magnetic flux density and the detector's density. The impact of this distortion on detector reading profiles is demonstrated using a narrow photon beam profile. For clinical applications it appears as favourable that the magnetic flux density dependent distortion of the lateral dose response function, as far as secondary electron transport is concerned, vanishes in the case of water-equivalent detectors of normal water density. By means of secondary electron history backtracing, the spatial distribution of the photon interactions giving rise either directly to secondary electrons or to scattered photons further downstream producing secondary electrons which contribute to the detector's signal, and their lateral shift due to the Lorentz force is elucidated. Electron history backtracing also serves to illustrate the correct treatment of the influences of the Lorentz force in the EGSnrc Monte Carlo code applied in this study.

Urine analysis concerning xenon for doping control purposes.

PubMed

Thevis, Mario; Piper, Thomas; Geyer, Hans; Schaefer, Maximilian S; Schneemann, Julia; Kienbaum, Peter; Schänzer, Wilhelm

2015-01-15

On September 1(st) 2014, a modified Prohibited List as established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) became effective featuring xenon as a banned substance categorized as hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) activator. Consequently, the analysis of xenon from commonly provided doping control specimens such as blood and urine is desirable, and first data on the determination of xenon from urine in the context of human sports drug testing, are presented. In accordance to earlier studies utilizing plasma as doping control matrix, urine was enriched to saturation with xenon, sequentially diluted, and the target analyte was detected as supported by the internal standard d6 -cyclohexanone by means of gas chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) using headspace injection. Three major xenon isotopes at m/z 128.9, 130.9 and 131.9 were targeted in (pseudo) selected reaction monitoring mode enabling the unambiguous identification of the prohibited substance. Assay characteristics including limit of detection (LOD), intraday/interday precision, and specificity as well as analyte recovery under different storage conditions were determined. Proof-of-concept data were generated by applying the established method to urine samples collected from five patients before, during and after (up to 48 h) xenon-based general anesthesia. Xenon was traceable in enriched human urine samples down to the detection limit of approximately 0.5 nmol/mL. The intraday and interday imprecision values of the method were found below 25%, and specificity was demonstrated by analyzing 20 different blank urine samples that corroborated the fitness-for-purpose of the analytical approach to unequivocally detect xenon at non-physiological concentrations in human urine. The patients' urine specimens returned 'xenon-positive' test results up to 40 h post-anesthesia, indicating the limits of the expected doping control detection window. Since xenon has been considered a prohibited substance

Transdermal diffusion of xenon in vitro using diffusion cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verkhovsky, A.; Petrov, E.

2015-11-01

The aim of this research was to study the diffusion rate of xenon through guinea pig skin and how viscosity of cosmetic component capryl/capric triglyceride (CCT) facilitates to deliver xenon to surface of skin patches. They were placed in Franz cell for 24 hours and diffusion rate and permeability of xenon were calculated. Thus diffusion rate was 0.031 mg/hour*cm2 and permeability was 0.003 cm/hour. Using Brookfield viscometer it was shown that viscosity of CCT decreased upon increasing xenon concentration. Obtained results can be utilized in developing of new xenon containing drugs for topical administration.

Xenon migration behaviour in titanium nitride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavarini, S.; Toulhoat, N.; Peaucelle, C.; Martin, P.; Mende, J.; Pipon, Y.; Jaffrezic, H.

2007-05-01

Titanium nitride is one of the inert matrixes proposed to surround the fuel in gas cooled fast reactor (GFR) systems. These reactors operate at high temperature and necessitate refractory materials presenting a high chemical stability and good mechanical properties. A total retention of the most volatile fission products, such as Xe, I or Cs, by the inert matrix is needed during the in pile process. The thermal migration of xenon in TiN was studied by implanting 800 keV Xe++ ions in sintered samples at an ion fluence of 5 × 1015 cm-2. Annealing was performed at temperatures ranging from 1673 to 1923 K for 1 and 3 h. Xenon concentration profiles were studied by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) using 2.5 MeV α-particles. The migration behaviour of xenon corresponds to a gas migration model. It is dominated by a surface directed transport with a slight diffusion component. The mean activation energy corresponding to the diffusion component was found to be 2.2 ± 0.3 eV and corresponds to the Brownian motion of xenon bubbles. The directed Xe migration can be interpreted in term of bubble transport using Evans model. This last process is mostly responsible for xenon release from TiN.

Electron drift in a large scale solid xenon

DOE PAGES

Yoo, J.; Jaskierny, W. F.

2015-08-21

A study of charge drift in a large scale optically transparent solid xenon is reported. A pulsed high power xenon light source is used to liberate electrons from a photocathode. The drift speeds of the electrons are measured using a 8.7 cm long electrode in both the liquid and solid phase of xenon. In the liquid phase (163 K), the drift speed is 0.193 ± 0.003 cm/μs while the drift speed in the solid phase (157 K) is 0.397 ± 0.006 cm/μs at 900 V/cm over 8.0 cm of uniform electric fields. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that a factor twomore » faster electron drift speed in solid phase xenon compared to that in liquid in a large scale solid xenon.« less

Search for light dark matter in XENON10 data.

PubMed

Angle, J; Aprile, E; Arneodo, F; Baudis, L; Bernstein, A; Bolozdynya, A I; Coelho, L C C; Dahl, C E; DeViveiros, L; Ferella, A D; Fernandes, L M P; Fiorucci, S; Gaitskell, R J; Giboni, K L; Gomez, R; Hasty, R; Kastens, L; Kwong, J; Lopes, J A M; Madden, N; Manalaysay, A; Manzur, A; McKinsey, D N; Monzani, M E; Ni, K; Oberlack, U; Orboeck, J; Plante, G; Santorelli, R; dos Santos, J M F; Schulte, S; Shagin, P; Shutt, T; Sorensen, P; Winant, C; Yamashita, M

2011-07-29

We report results of a search for light (≲10  GeV) particle dark matter with the XENON10 detector. The event trigger was sensitive to a single electron, with the analysis threshold of 5 electrons corresponding to 1.4 keV nuclear recoil energy. Considering spin-independent dark matter-nucleon scattering, we exclude cross sections σ(n)>7×10(-42)  cm(2), for a dark matter particle mass m(χ)=7  GeV. We find that our data strongly constrain recent elastic dark matter interpretations of excess low-energy events observed by CoGeNT and CRESST-II, as well as the DAMA annual modulation signal.

Xenon lighting adjusted to plant requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koefferlein, M.; Doehring, T.; Payer, Hans D.; Seidlitz, H. K.

1994-01-01

Xenon lamps are available as low and high power lamps with relatively high efficiency and a relatively long lifetime up to several thousand hours. Different construction types of short-arc and long-arc lamps permit a good adaptation to various applications in projection and illumination techniques without substantial changes of the spectral quality. Hence, the xenon lamp was the best choice for professional technical purposes where high power at simultaneously good spectral quality of the light was required. However, technical development does not stand still. Between the luminous efficacy of xenon lamps of 25-50 lm/W and the theoretical limit for 'white light' of 250 lm/W is still much room for improvement. The present development mainly favors other lamp types, like metal halide lamps and fluorescent lamps for commercial lighting purposes. The enclosed sections deal with some of the properties of xenon lamps relevant to plant illumination; particularly the spectral aspects, the temporal characteristics of the emission, and finally the economy of xenon lamps will be addressed. Due to radiation exceeding the natural global radiation in both the ultraviolet (UV) and the infrared (IR) regions, filter techniques have to be included into the discussion referring to the requirements of plant illumination. Most of the presented results were obtained by investigations in the GSF phytotron or in the closed Phytocell chambers of the University of Erlangen. As our experiences are restricted to area plant illumination rather than spot lights our discussion will concentrate on low pressure long-arc xenon lamps which are commonly used for such plant illuminations. As the spectral properties of short-arc lamps do not differ much from those of long-arc lamps most of our conclusions will be valid for high pressure xenon lamps too. These lamps often serve as light sources for small sun simulators and for monochromators which are used for action spectroscopy of plant responses.

Barium Tagging n Solid Xenon for nEXO Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton, Tim; Chambers, Chris; Craycraft, Adam; Fairbank, William; nEXO Collaboration

2015-04-01

nEXO is a next-generation experiment designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of the isotope Xe136 in a liquid xenon time projection chamber. Positive observation of this decay would determine the nature of the neutrino to be a Majorana particle. Since the daughter of this decay is barium (Ba136), detecting the presence of Ba136 at a decay site (called ``barium tagging'') would provide strong rejection of backgrounds in the search for this decay. This would involve detecting a single barium ion from within a macroscopic volume of liquid xenon. This technique may be available for a second phase of the nEXO detector and sensitivity beyond the inverted hierarchy to neutrino oscillations. Several methods of barium tagging are being explored by the nEXO collaboration, but here we present a method of trapping the barium ion/atom (it may neutralize) in solid xenon (SXe) at the end of a cold probe, and then detecting the ion/atom by its fluorescence in the SXe. Our group at CSU has been studying the fluorescence of Ba in SXe by laser excitation, in order to ultimately detect a single Ba +/Ba in a SXe sample. We present studies of fluorescence signals, as well as recent results on imaging small numbers of Ba atoms in SXe, in a focused laser region. This work is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

Search for Dark Matter Interactions using Ionization Yield in Liquid Xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uvarov, Sergey

Cosmological observations overwhelmingly support the existence of dark matter which constitutes 87% of the universe's total mass. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are a prime candidate for dark matter, and the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment aims to a direct-detection of a WIMP-nucleon interaction. The LUX detector is a dual-phase xenon time-projection chamber housed 4,850 feet underground at Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota. We present the ionization-only analysis of the LUX 2013 WIMP search data. In the 1.04 x 104 kg-days exposure, thirty events were observed out of the 24.8 expected from radioactive backgrounds. We employ a cut-and-count method to set a 1-sided 90% C.L. upper limit for spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross-sections. A zero charge yield for nuclear-recoils below 0.7 keV is included upper limit calculation. This ionization-only analysis excludes an unexplored region of WIMP-nucleon cross-section for low-mass WIMPs achieving 1.56 x 10-43 cm2 WIMP-nucleon cross-section exclusion for a 5.1 GeV/ c2 WIMP.

A Global Analysis of Light and Charge Yields in Liquid Xenon

DOE PAGES

Lenardo, Brian; Kazkaz, Kareem; Manalaysay, Aaron; ...

2015-11-04

Here, we present an updated model of light and charge yields from nuclear recoils in liquid xenon with a simultaneously constrained parameter set. A global analysis is performed using measurements of electron and photon yields compiled from all available historical data, as well as measurements of the ratio of the two. These data sweep over energies from keV and external applied electric fields from V/cm. The model is constrained by constructing global cost functions and using a simulated annealing algorithm and a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach to optimize and find confidence intervals on all free parameters in the model.more » This analysis contrasts with previous work in that we do not unnecessarily exclude datasets nor impose artificially conservative assumptions, do not use spline functions, and reduce the number of parameters used in NEST v 0.98. Here, we report our results and the calculated best-fit charge and light yields. These quantities are crucial to understanding the response of liquid xenon detectors in the energy regime important for rare event searches such as the direct detection of dark matter particles.« less

The Xenon record of Earth's early differentiaiton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peto, M. K.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Kelley, K. A.

2011-12-01

Xenon isotopes in mantle derived rocks provide information on the early differentiation of the silicate mantle of our planet. {131,132 134,136}Xe isotopes are produced by the spontaneous fission of two different elements: the now extinct radionuclide 244Pu, and the long-lived 238U. These two parent nuclides, however, yield rather different proportion of fissiogenic Xenon isotopes. Hence, the proportion of Pu- to U-derived fission xenon is indicative of the degree and rate of outgassing of a mantle reservoir. Recent data obtained from Iceland in our lab confirm that the Xenon isotopic composition of the plume source(s) is characterized by lower 136Xe/130Xe ratios than the MORB source and the Iceland plume is more enriched in the Pu-derived Xenon component. These features are interpreted as reflecting different degrees of outgassing and appear not to be the result of preferential recycling of Xenon to the deep mantle. To further investigate how representative the Icelandic measurements might be of other mantle plumes, we measured noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Xe) in gas-rich basalt glasses from the Rochambeau Ridge (RR) in the Northern Lau Basin. Recent work suggests the presence of a "Samoan-like" OIB source in the northern Lau Basin and our measurements were performed on samples with plume-like 3He/4He ratios (15-28 RA) [1]. The Xenon isotopic measurements indicate that the maximum measured 136Xe/130Xe ratios in the Rochambeau samples are similar to Iceland. In particular, for one of the gas rich samples we were able to obtain 77 different isotopic measurements through step-crushing. Preliminary investigation of this sample suggests higher Pu- to U-derived fission Xenon than in MORBs. To quantitatively evaluate the degree and rate of outgassing of the plume and MORB reservoirs, particularly during the first few hundred million years of Earth's history, we have modified a geochemical reservoir model that was previously developed to investigate mantle overturn and mixing

Xenon. Now More than Ever.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahnle, K. J.

2017-12-01

Xenon is one of the major goals of proposed missions to Venus. This talk explains why xenon is important to understanding the evolution of Venus's atmosphere. Implications for the historic climate of Venus add a new wrinkle in the story. Xenon's 9 stable isotopes can tell us much about the contrasting histories of Earth, Mars, and Venus. Earth's atmospheric Xe is highly mass fractionated compared to any known solar system source. Moreover, Earth's Xe/Kr ratio is low. It would seem that our heaviest gas has been escaping. What is even more remarkable, Xe escape took place for billions of years until the advent of an O2 atmosphere (Srinivasan EPSL 31:129 (1976); Pujol et al. EPSL 308:298 (2011); Avice et al. Nature Comm 8 (2017)). (ii) Earth's original xenon - what Pepin named U-Xe and claimed was the true solar Xe - had not been seen anywhere else until this year, when the secret parent of U-Xe was found hiding in Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by Rosetta (Marty et al. Science 356:1069 (2017)). Apparently 20% of Earth's xenon came from this kind of comet. This has obvious consequences for volatiles in general. Mars's Xe is also strongly mass fractionated, but its original Xe is indistinguishable from solar Xe, which means that Xe escape is a planetary process that operated in parallel on the two planets. (iii) 7% of Earth's 129Xe are radiogenic daughters of extinct 129I, half-life 15.7 Myrs. This is only 1% of the radiogenic 129Xe that Earth would have had had Earth retained its full cosmic birthright. The missing 129Xe can be interpreted as dating the Moon-forming impact to 100 Myrs after the solar system formed. Venus will be different. Xenon loss probably requires escape as an ion, and therefore it likely depends on hydrogen escape and an organized planetary magnetic field. Xenon escape during Earth's Archean implies that hydrogen was abundant and that the planetary magnetic field was strong. Venus will have seen a different history of escape, so that the mass

Critical Viscosity of Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2001 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. The thermostat for CVX sits inside the white cylinder on a support structure that is placed inside a pressure canister. A similar canister holds the electronics and control systems. The CVX-2 arrangement is identical. The principal investigator is Dr. Robert F. Berg (not shown) of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD. This is a detail view of MSFC 0100143.

Xenon Blocks Neuronal Injury Associated with Decompression

PubMed Central

Blatteau, Jean-Eric; David, Hélène N.; Vallée, Nicolas; Meckler, Cedric; Demaistre, Sebastien; Lambrechts, Kate; Risso, Jean-Jacques; Abraini, Jacques H.

2015-01-01

Despite state-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment, about 30% of patients suffering neurologic decompression sickness (DCS) exhibit incomplete recovery. Since the mechanisms of neurologic DCS involve ischemic processes which result in excitotoxicity, it is likely that HBO in combination with an anti-excitotoxic treatment would improve the outcome in patients being treated for DCS. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effect of the noble gas xenon in an ex vivo model of neurologic DCS. Xenon has been shown to provide neuroprotection in multiple models of acute ischemic insults. Fast decompression compared to slow decompression induced an increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a well-known marker of sub-lethal cell injury. Post-decompression administration of xenon blocked the increase in LDH release induced by fast decompression. These data suggest that xenon could be an efficient additional treatment to HBO for the treatment of neurologic DCS. PMID:26469983

Xenon Blocks Neuronal Injury Associated with Decompression.

PubMed

Blatteau, Jean-Eric; David, Hélène N; Vallée, Nicolas; Meckler, Cedric; Demaistre, Sebastien; Lambrechts, Kate; Risso, Jean-Jacques; Abraini, Jacques H

2015-10-15

Despite state-of-the-art hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment, about 30% of patients suffering neurologic decompression sickness (DCS) exhibit incomplete recovery. Since the mechanisms of neurologic DCS involve ischemic processes which result in excitotoxicity, it is likely that HBO in combination with an anti-excitotoxic treatment would improve the outcome in patients being treated for DCS. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effect of the noble gas xenon in an ex vivo model of neurologic DCS. Xenon has been shown to provide neuroprotection in multiple models of acute ischemic insults. Fast decompression compared to slow decompression induced an increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a well-known marker of sub-lethal cell injury. Post-decompression administration of xenon blocked the increase in LDH release induced by fast decompression. These data suggest that xenon could be an efficient additional treatment to HBO for the treatment of neurologic DCS.

Xenon Acquisition Strategies for High-Power Electric Propulsion NASA Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, Daniel A.; Unfried, Kenneth G.

2015-01-01

The benefits of high-power solar electric propulsion (SEP) for both NASA's human and science exploration missions combined with the technology investment from the Space Technology Mission Directorate have enabled the development of a 50kW-class SEP mission. NASA mission concepts developed, including the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission, and those proposed by contracted efforts for the 30kW-class demonstration have a range of xenon propellant loads from 100's of kg up to 10,000 kg. A xenon propellant load of 10 metric tons represents greater than 10% of the global annual production rate of xenon. A single procurement of this size with short-term delivery can disrupt the xenon market, driving up pricing, making the propellant costs for the mission prohibitive. This paper examines the status of the xenon industry worldwide, including historical xenon supply and pricing. The paper discusses approaches for acquiring on the order of 10 MT of xenon propellant considering realistic programmatic constraints to support potential near-term NASA missions. Finally, the paper will discuss acquisitions strategies for mission campaigns utilizing multiple high-power solar electric propulsion vehicles requiring 100's of metric tons of xenon over an extended period of time where a longer term acquisition approach could be implemented.

Liquid xenon calorimeter for MEG II experiment with VUV-sensitive MPPCs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogawa, Shinji; MEG II Collaboration

2017-02-01

The MEG II experiment is an upgrade of the MEG experiment to search for the charged lepton flavor violating decay of muon, μ+ →e+ γ . The MEG II experiment is expected to reach a branching ratio sensitivity of 4 ×10-14 , which is one order of magnitude better than the sensitivity of the current MEG experiment. The performance of the liquid xenon (LXe) γ-ray detector will be greatly improved with a highly granular scintillation readout realized by replacing 216 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) on the γ-ray entrance face with 4092 Multi-Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs). For this purpose, we have developed a new type of MPPC which is sensitive to the LXe scintillation light in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) range, in collaboration with Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. We have measured the performance of the MPPC in LXe, and an excellent performance has been confirmed including high photon detection efficiency (> 15 %) for LXe scintillation light. An excellent performance of the LXe detector has been confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations based on the measured properties of the MPPC. The construction of the detector is in progress, aiming to start physics data taking in 2017.

Relaxation channels of multi-photon excited xenon clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Serdobintsev, P. Yu.; Melnikov, A. S.; Department of Physics, St. Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg 198904

2015-09-21

The relaxation processes of the xenon clusters subjected to multi-photon excitation by laser radiation with quantum energies significantly lower than the thresholds of excitation of atoms and ionization of clusters were studied. Results obtained by means of the photoelectron spectroscopy method showed that desorption processes of excited atoms play a significant role in the decay of two-photon excited xenon clusters. A number of excited states of xenon atoms formed during this process were discovered and identified.

Magnetic resonance imaging of convection in laser-polarized xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mair, R. W.; Tseng, C. H.; Wong, G. P.; Cory, D. G.; Walsworth, R. L.

2000-01-01

We demonstrate nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging of the flow and diffusion of laser-polarized xenon (129Xe) gas undergoing convection above evaporating laser-polarized liquid xenon. The large xenon NMR signal provided by the laser-polarization technique allows more rapid imaging than one can achieve with thermally polarized gas-liquid systems, permitting shorter time-scale events such as rapid gas flow and gas-liquid dynamics to be observed. Two-dimensional velocity-encoded imaging shows convective gas flow above the evaporating liquid xenon, and also permits the measurement of enhanced gas diffusion near regions of large velocity variation.

DFT-MD simulations of shocked Xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magyar, Rudolph J.; Mattsson, Thomas R.

2009-03-01

Xenon is not only a technologically important element used in laser technologies, jet propulsion and dental anesthesia, but it is also arguably the simplest material in which to study the metal-insulator transition at high pressure. Because of its closed shell electronic configuration, Xenon is often assumed to be chemically inert, interacting almost entirely through the van der Waals interaction, and at liquid density, is typically modeled well using Leonard-Jones potentials. However, such modeling has a limited range of validity as Xenon is known to form compounds at normal conditions and likely exhibits considerably more chemistry at higher densities when hybridization of occupied orbitals becomes significant. In this talk, we present DFT-MD simulations of shocked liquid Xenon with the goal of developing an improved equation of state. The relative importance of the van der Waals interaction compared to other Coulomb interactions is considered, and estimates of the relative accuracy of various density functionals are quantified. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Evidence of charge exchange pumping in calcium-xenon system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chubb, D. L.

1973-01-01

Charge exchange between xenon ions and calcium atoms may produce an inversion between the 5s or 4d and 4p energy levels of the calcium ions. A low power flowing xenon plasma seeded with calcium was utilized to determine if charge exchange or electron collisions populate the 5s and 4d levels Ca(+). Line intensity ratios proportional to the density ratios n5s/n4p and n4d/n4p were measured. From the dependence of these intensity ratios on power input to the xenon plasma it was concluded that charge exchange pumping of the 5s and 4d levels predominates over electron collisional pumping of these levels. Also, by comparing intensity ratios obtained using argon and krypton in place of xenon with those obtained in xenon the same conclusion was made.

Comparison of various stopping gases for 3He-based position sensitive neutron detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doumas, A.; Smith, G. C.

2012-05-01

A range of solid state, scintillator and gas based detectors are being developed for use at the next generation of high flux neutron facilities. Since gas detectors are expected to continue to play a key role in future specific thermal neutron experiments, a comparison of the performance characteristics of prospective stopping gases is beneficial. Gas detectors typically utilize the reaction 3He(n,p)t to detect thermal neutrons; the 3He gas is used in a mixture containing a particular stopping gas in order to maintain relatively short ranges for the proton and triton pair emitted from the n-3He reaction. Common stopping gases include hydrocarbons (e.g. propane), carbon tetrafluoride, and noble gases such as argon and xenon. For this study, we utilized the Monte Carlo simulation code "Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter" to analyze the expected behavior of argon, xenon, carbon dioxide, difluoroethane and octafluoropropane as stopping gases for thermal neutron detectors. We also compare these findings to our previously analyzed performance of propane, butane and carbon tetrafluoride. A discussion of these gases includes their behavior in terms of proton and triton range, ionization distribution and straggle.

Xenon ventilation during therapeutic hypothermia in neonatal encephalopathy: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Dingley, John; Tooley, James; Liu, Xun; Scull-Brown, Emma; Elstad, Maja; Chakkarapani, Ela; Sabir, Hemmen; Thoresen, Marianne

2014-05-01

Therapeutic hypothermia has become standard of care in newborns with moderate and severe neonatal encephalopathy; however, additional interventions are needed. In experimental models, breathing xenon gas during cooling offers long-term additive neuroprotection. This is the first xenon feasibility study in cooled infants. Xenon is expensive, requiring a closed-circuit delivery system. Cooled newborns with neonatal encephalopathy were eligible for this single-arm, dose-escalation study if clinically stable, under 18 hours of age and requiring less than 35% oxygen. Xenon duration increased stepwise from 3 to 18 hours in 14 subjects; 1 received 25% xenon and 13 received 50%. Respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic (ie, amplitude-integrated EEG, seizures), and inflammatory (C-reactive protein) effects were examined. The effects of starting or stopping xenon rapidly or slowly were studied. Three matched control subjects per xenon treated subject were selected from our cooling database. Follow-up was at 18 months using mental developmental and physical developmental indexes of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II. No adverse respiratory or cardiovascular effects, including post-extubation stridor, were seen. Xenon increased sedation and suppressed seizures and background electroencephalographic activity. Seizures sometimes occurred during rapid weaning of xenon but not during slow weaning. C-reactive protein levels were similar between groups. Hourly xenon consumption was 0.52 L. Three died, and 7 of 11 survivors had mental and physical developmental index scores ≥70 at follow-up. Breathing 50% xenon for up to 18 hours with 72 hours of cooling was feasible, with no adverse effects seen with 18 months' follow-up. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Purging means and method for Xenon arc lamps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, C. G. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

High pressure Xenon short-arc lamp with two reservoirs which are selectively connectable to the lamp's envelope is described. One reservoir contains an absorbent which will absorb both Xenon and contaminant gases such as CO2 and O2. The absorbent temperature is controlled to evacuate the envelope of both the Xenon and the contaminant gases. The temperature of the absorbent is then raised to desorb only clean Xenon while retaining the contaminant gases, thereby clearing the envelope of the contaminant gases. The second reservoir contains a gas whose specific purpose is, to remove the objectional metal film which deposits gradually on the interior surface of the lamp envelope during normal arc operation. The origin of the film is metal transferred from the cathode of the arc lamp by sputtering or other gas transfer processes.

VUV light reflectivity measurements from PTFE in Liquid Xenon for the LZ Dark Matter experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pushkin, Kirill; LZ Collaboration

2016-03-01

The LUX-Zeplin (LZ) collaboration is the next generation of the experiment to search for Dark Matter in the Universe with a dual-phase detector based on liquid xenon (LXe) with a target mass of 7 ton. LXe dual phase detectors are very sensitive probes to search for WIMP dark matter interactions. The LZ collaboration is conducting R&D to study VUV light reflectivity from PTFE (Teflon) in LXe. Teflon is used in dual phase detectors both as an electrical insulator and as reflector of VUV scintillation light (~175 nm) to improve photon detection with photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). However, experimental data for the reflectance of VUV light from PTFE in LXe is not sufficiently conclusive. We present a new technique of measuring the light reflectivity from PTFE by varying the fractional area of the PMT in the detector. PTFE reflectivity measurements were performed as a function of Teflon wall thickness in the range of 2 mm to 9.5 mm. The method, apparatus and experimental results will be presented.

Plutonium-fission xenon found in Earth's mantle

PubMed

Kunz; Staudacher; Allegre

1998-05-08

Data from mid-ocean ridge basalt glasses indicate that the short-lived radionuclide plutonium-244 that was present during an early stage of the development of the solar system is responsible for roughly 30 percent of the fissiogenic xenon excesses in the interior of Earth today. The rest of the fissiogenic xenon can be ascribed to the spontaneous fission of still live uranium-238. This result, in combination with the refined determination of xenon-129 excesses from extinct iodine-129, implies that the accretion of Earth was finished roughly 50 million to 70 million years after solar system formation and that the atmosphere was formed by mantle degassing.

NEST: a comprehensive model for scintillation yield in liquid xenon

DOE PAGES

Szydagis, M.; Barry, N.; Kazkaz, K.; ...

2011-10-03

Here, a comprehensive model for explaining scintillation yield in liquid xenon is introduced. We unify various definitions of work function which abound in the literature and incorporate all available data on electron recoil scintillation yield. This results in a better understanding of electron recoil, and facilitates an improved description of nuclear recoil. An incident gamma energy range of O(1 keV) to O(1 MeV) and electric fields between 0 and O(10 kV/cm) are incorporated into this heuristic model. We show results from a Geant4 implementation, but because the model has a few free parameters, implementation in any simulation package should bemore » simple. We use a quasi-empirical approach, with an objective of improving detector calibrations and performance verification. The model will aid in the design and optimization of future detectors. This model is also easy to extend to other noble elements. In this paper we lay the foundation for an exhaustive simulation code which we call NEST (Noble Element Simulation Technique).« less

Hyperpolarized xenon NMR and MRI signal amplification by gas extraction

PubMed Central

Zhou, Xin; Graziani, Dominic; Pines, Alexander

2009-01-01

A method is reported for enhancing the sensitivity of NMR of dissolved xenon by detecting the signal after extraction to the gas phase. We demonstrate hyperpolarized xenon signal amplification by gas extraction (Hyper-SAGE) in both NMR spectra and magnetic resonance images with time-of-flight information. Hyper-SAGE takes advantage of a change in physical phase to increase the density of polarized gas in the detection coil. At equilibrium, the concentration of gas-phase xenon is ≈10 times higher than that of the dissolved-phase gas. After extraction the xenon density can be further increased by several orders of magnitude by compression and/or liquefaction. Additionally, being a remote detection technique, the Hyper-SAGE effect is further enhanced in situations where the sample of interest would occupy only a small proportion of the traditional NMR receiver. Coupled with targeted xenon biosensors, Hyper-SAGE offers another path to highly sensitive molecular imaging of specific cell markers by detection of exhaled xenon gas. PMID:19805177

Search for Electronic Recoil Event Rate Modulation with 4 Years of XENON100 Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Miguez, B.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Pizzella, V.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Wang, H.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-03-01

We report on a search for electronic recoil event rate modulation signatures in the XENON100 data accumulated over a period of 4 yr, from January 2010 to January 2014. A profile likelihood method, which incorporates the stability of the XENON100 detector and the known electronic recoil background model, is used to quantify the significance of periodicity in the time distribution of events. There is a weak modulation signature at a period of 43 1-14+16 day in the low energy region of (2.0-5.8) keV in the single scatter event sample, with a global significance of 1.9 σ ; however, no other more significant modulation is observed. The significance of an annual modulation signature drops from 2.8 σ , from a previous analysis of a subset of this data, to 1.8 σ with all data combined. Single scatter events in the low energy region are thus used to exclude the DAMA/LIBRA annual modulation as being due to dark matter electron interactions via axial vector coupling at 5.7 σ .

Assessing the depth of hypnosis of xenon anaesthesia with the EEG.

PubMed

Stuttmann, Ralph; Schultz, Arthur; Kneif, Thomas; Krauss, Terence; Schultz, Barbara

2010-04-01

Xenon was approved as an inhaled anaesthetic in Germany in 2005 and in other countries of the European Union in 2007. Owing to its low blood/gas partition coefficient, xenons effects on the central nervous system show a fast onset and offset and, even after long xenon anaesthetics, the wake-up times are very short. The aim of this study was to examine which electroencephalogram (EEG) stages are reached during xenon application and whether these stages can be identified by an automatic EEG classification. Therefore, EEG recordings were performed during xenon anaesthetics (EEG monitor: Narcotrend®). A total of 300 EEG epochs were assessed visually with regard to the EEG stages. These epochs were also classified automatically by the EEG monitor Narcotrend® using multivariate algorithms. There was a high correlation between visual and automatic classification (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient r=0.957, prediction probability Pk=0.949). Furthermore, it was observed that very deep stages of hypnosis were reached which are characterised by EEG activity in the low frequency range (delta waves). The burst suppression pattern was not seen. In deep hypnosis, in contrast to the xenon EEG, the propofol EEG was characterised by a marked superimposed higher frequency activity. To ensure an optimised dosage for the single patient, anaesthetic machines for xenon should be combined with EEG monitoring. To date, only a few anaesthetic machines for xenon are available. Because of the high price of xenon, new and further developments of machines focus on optimizing xenon consumption.

Search for two-neutrino double electron capture of 124Xe with XENON100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Duchovni, E.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Le Calloch, M.; Levy, C.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Meng, Y.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Miguez, B.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Orrigo, S. E. A.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C. D.; Wall, R.; Wang, H.; Weber, M.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-02-01

Two-neutrino double electron capture is a rare nuclear decay where two electrons are simultaneously captured from the atomic shell. For 124Xe this process has not yet been observed and its detection would provide a new reference for nuclear matrix element calculations. We have conducted a search for two-neutrino double electron capture from the K shell of 124Xe using 7636 kg d of data from the XENON100 dark matter detector. Using a Bayesian analysis we observed no significant excess above background, leading to a lower 90% credibility limit on the half-life T1 /2>6.5 ×1020 yr. We have also evaluated the sensitivity of the XENON1T experiment, which is currently being commissioned, and found a sensitivity of T1 /2>6.1 ×1022 yr after an exposure of 2 t yr .

Hugoniot measurements of double-shocked precompressed dense xenon plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, J.; Chen, Q. F.; Gu, Y. J.; Chen, Z. Y.

2012-12-01

The current partially ionized plasmas models for xenon show substantial differences since the description of pressure and thermal ionization region becomes a formidable task, prompting the need for an improved understanding of dense xenon plasmas behavior at above 100 GPa. We performed double-shock compression experiments on dense xenon to determine accurately the Hugoniot up to 172 GPa using a time-resolved optical radiation method. The planar strong shock wave was produced using a flyer plate impactor accelerated up to ˜6 km/s with a two-stage light-gas gun. The time-resolved optical radiation histories were acquired by using a multiwavelength channel optical transience radiance pyrometer. Shock velocity was measured and mass velocity was determined by the impedance-matching methods. The experimental equation of state of dense xenon plasmas are compared with the self-consistent fluid variational calculations of dense xenon in the region of partial ionization over a wide range of pressures and temperatures.

Antiapoptotic activity of argon and xenon

PubMed Central

Spaggiari, Sabrina; Kepp, Oliver; Rello-Varona, Santiago; Chaba, Kariman; Adjemian, Sandy; Pype, Jan; Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Lemaire, Marc; Kroemer, Guido

2013-01-01

Although chemically non-reactive, inert noble gases may influence multiple physiological and pathological processes via hitherto uncharacterized physical effects. Here we report a cell-based detection system for assessing the effects of pre-defined gas mixtures on the induction of apoptotic cell death. In this setting, the conventional atmosphere for cell culture was substituted with gas combinations, including the same amount of oxygen (20%) and carbon dioxide (5%) but 75% helium, neon, argon, krypton, or xenon instead of nitrogen. The replacement of nitrogen with noble gases per se had no effects on the viability of cultured human osteosarcoma cells in vitro. Conversely, argon and xenon (but not helium, neon, and krypton) significantly limited cell loss induced by the broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor staurosporine, the DNA-damaging agent mitoxantrone and several mitochondrial toxins. Such cytoprotective effects were coupled to the maintenance of mitochondrial integrity, as demonstrated by means of a mitochondrial transmembrane potential-sensitive dye and by assessing the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol. In line with this notion, argon and xenon inhibited the apoptotic activation of caspase-3, as determined by immunofluorescence microscopy coupled to automated image analysis. The antiapoptotic activity of argon and xenon may explain their clinically relevant cytoprotective effects. PMID:23907115

Intrinsic backgrounds from Rn and Kr in the XENON100 experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; Di Gangi, P.; Di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lombardi, F.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Morå, K.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Piro, M.-C.; Pizzella, V.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Ramírez García, D.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rupp, N.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Lavina, L. Scotto; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. Von; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Vargas, M.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; Weber, M.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wittweg, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.

2018-02-01

In this paper, we describe the XENON100 data analyses used to assess the target-intrinsic background sources radon (?), thoron (?) and krypton (?). We detail the event selections of high-energy alpha particles and decay-specific delayed coincidences. We derive distributions of the individual radionuclides inside the detector and quantify their abundances during the main three science runs of the experiment over a period of ˜ 4 years, from January 2010 to January 2014. We compare our results to external measurements of radon emanation and krypton concentrations where we find good agreement. We report an observed reduction in concentrations of radon daughters that we attribute to the plating-out of charged ions on the negatively biased cathode.

Mechanistic Insights into Xenon Inhibition of NMDA Receptors from MD Simulations

PubMed Central

Liu, Lu Tian; Xu, Yan; Tang, Pei

2010-01-01

Inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors has been viewed as a primary cause of xenon anesthesia, yet the mechanism is unclear. Here, we investigated interactions between xenon and the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of a NMDA receptor and examined xenon-induced structural and dynamical changes that are relevant to functional changes of the NMDA receptor. Several comparative molecular dynamics simulations were performed on two X-ray structures representing the open- and closed-cleft LBD of the NMDA receptor. We identified plausible xenon action sites in the LBD, including those nearby agonist sites, in the hinge region, and at the interface between two subunits. The xenon binding energy varies from −5.3 to −0.7 kcal/mol. Xenon's effect on the NMDA receptor is conformation-dependent and is produced through both competitive and non-competitive mechanisms. Xenon can promote cleft opening in the absence of agonists and consequently stabilizes the closed channel. Xenon can also bind at the interface of two subunits, alter the inter-subunit interaction, and lead to a reduction of the distance between GT-links. This reduction corresponds to a rearrangement of the channel toward a direction of pore size decreasing, implying a closed or desensitized channel. In addition to these non-competitive actions, xenon was found to weaken the glutamate binding, which could lead to low agonist efficacy and appear as competitive inhibition. PMID:20560662

Synthesis of the missing oxide of xenon, XeO2, and its implications for Earth's missing xenon.

PubMed

Brock, David S; Schrobilgen, Gary J

2011-04-27

The missing Xe(IV) oxide, XeO(2), has been synthesized at 0 °C by hydrolysis of XeF(4) in water and 2.00 M H(2)SO(4(aq)). Raman spectroscopy and (16/18)O isotopic enrichment studies indicate that XeO(2) possesses an extended structure in which Xe(IV) is oxygen bridged to four neighboring oxygen atoms to give a local square-planar XeO(4) geometry based on an AX(4)E(2) valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) arrangement. The vibrational spectra of Xe(16)O(2) and Xe(18)O(2) amend prior vibrational assignments of xenon doped SiO(2) and are in accordance with prior speculation that xenon depletion from the Earth's atmosphere may occur by xenon insertion at high temperatures and high pressures into SiO(2) in the Earth's crust.

Xenon Acquisition Strategies for High-Power Electric Propulsion NASA Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herman, Daniel A.; Unfried, Kenneth G.

2015-01-01

Solar electric propulsion (SEP) has been used for station-keeping of geostationary communications satellites since the 1980s. Solar electric propulsion has also benefitted from success on NASA Science Missions such as Deep Space One and Dawn. The xenon propellant loads for these applications have been in the 100s of kilograms range. Recent studies performed for NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) have demonstrated that SEP is critically enabling for both near-term and future exploration architectures. The high payoff for both human and science exploration missions and technology investment from NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) are providing the necessary convergence and impetus for a 30-kilowatt-class SEP mission. Multiple 30-50- kilowatt Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission (SEP TDM) concepts have been developed based on the maturing electric propulsion and solar array technologies by STMD with recent efforts focusing on an Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM). Xenon is the optimal propellant for the existing state-of-the-art electric propulsion systems considering efficiency, storability, and contamination potential. NASA mission concepts developed and those proposed by contracted efforts for the 30-kilowatt-class demonstration have a range of xenon propellant loads from 100s of kilograms up to 10,000 kilograms. This paper examines the status of the xenon industry worldwide, including historical xenon supply and pricing. The paper will provide updated information on the xenon market relative to previous papers that discussed xenon production relative to NASA mission needs. The paper will discuss the various approaches for acquiring on the order of 10 metric tons of xenon propellant to support potential near-term NASA missions. Finally, the paper will discuss acquisitions strategies for larger NASA missions requiring 100s of metric tons of xenon will be discussed.

Analgesic Effect of Xenon in Rat Model of Inflammatory Pain.

PubMed

Kukushkin, M L; Igon'kina, S I; Potapov, S V; Potapov, A V

2017-02-01

The analgesic effects of inert gas xenon were examined on rats. The formalin model of inflammatory pain, tail-flick test, and hot-plate test revealed the antinociceptive effects of subanesthetizing doses of inhalation anesthetic xenon. Inhalation of 50/50 xenon/oxygen mixture moderated the nociceptive responses during acute and tonic phases of inflammatory pain.

Search for 2 ν β β decay of Xe 136 to the 0 1 + excited state of Ba 136 with the EXO-200 liquid xenon detector

DOE PAGES

Albert, J. B.; Auty, D. J.; Barbeau, P. S.; ...

2016-03-08

EXO-200 is a single phase liquid xenon detector designed to search for neutrinoless ββ decay of 136Xe to the ground state of 136Ba. We report here on a search for the two-neutrino ββ decay of 136Xe to the first 0 + excited state, 0 + 1, of Ba136 based on a 100 kg yr exposure of 136Xe. Using a specialized analysis employing a machine learning algorithm, we obtain a 90% CL half-life sensitivity of 1.7×10 24 yr. We find no statistically significant evidence for the 2νββ decay to the excited state resulting in a lower limit of T 2ν 1/2more » (0 + → 0 + 1) > 6.9 ×10 23 yr at 90% CL. In conclusion, this observed limit is consistent with the estimated half-life of 2.5×10 25 yr.« less

Critical Viscosity of Xenon team

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. The thermostat for CVX sits inside the white cylinder on a support structure (at left) that is placed inside a pressure canister. A similar canister (right) holds the electronics and control systems. The CVX-2 arrangement is identical. The principal investigator is Dr. Robert F. Berg (left) of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD.

Critical Viscosity of Xenon team

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. The thermostat for CVX sits inside the white cylinder on a support structure (at left) that is placed inside a pressure canister. A similar canister (right) holds the electronics and control systems. The CVX-2 arrangement is identical. The principal investigator is Dr. Robert F. Berg (not shown) of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD.

Hyperpolarized xenon-129 production and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruset, Iulian C.

Hyperpolarized 3He and 129Xe were initially developed and used in the nuclear physics community. Lately they are primarily used in Medical Resonance Imaging (MRI). Although first MRI polarized gas images were acquired using 129Xe, the research community has focused mostly on 3He, due to the well-known polarizing methods and higher polarization numbers achieved. The main purpose of this thesis is to present a novel design of a large-scale SEOP polarizer for producing large quantities of highly polarized 129Xe. High Rb-Xe spin-exchange rates through long-lived van de Waals molecules at low total pressure, implemented in a novel counterflow polarizer design, resulted in xenon polarization as high as 50% for 1.2 liters/hour, with a maximum of 64% for 0.3 l/h. We characterized and improved the polarization process by finding the optimum operating parameters of the polarizer. Two new methods to efficiently use high-power diode lasers are described: a new optical arrangement for a better beam shaping of fiber coupled lasers and the first external-cavity spectrum narrowing of a stack of laser diode arrays. A new accumulation technique for the hyperpolarized xenon was developed and full recovery of polarization after a freeze-thaw cycle was demonstrated for the first time. Two approaches for xenon delivery, frozen and gas states, were developed. Hyperpolarized xenon transportation to Brigham and Women's Hospital was successfully accomplished for collaborative research. First MRI images using hyperpolarized xenon acquired at BWH are presented. Final chapter is focused on describing a low field human MRI scanner using hyperpolarized 3He. We built a human scale imager with open access for orientational studies of the lung functionality. Horizontal and vertical human lung images were acquired as a first stage of this project.

Observation of a barium xenon exciplex within a large argon cluster.

PubMed

Briant, M; Gaveau, M-A; Mestdagh, J-M

2010-07-21

Spectroscopic measurements provide fluorescence and excitation spectra of a single barium atom codeposited with xenon atoms on argon clusters of average size approximately 2000. The spectra are studied as a function of the number of xenon atoms per cluster. The excitation spectrum with approximately 10 xenon atoms per cluster is qualitatively similar to that observed when no xenon atom is present on the cluster. It consists of two bands located on each side of the 6s6p (1)P-6s(2) (1)S resonance line of the free barium. In contrast, the fluorescence spectrum differs qualitatively since a barium-xenon exciplex is observed, which has no counterpart in xenon free clusters. In particular an emission is observed, which is redshifted by 729 cm(-1) with respect to the Ba(6s6p (1)P-6s(2) (1)S) resonance line.

SU-F-T-576: Characterization of Two Dimensional Liquid Filled Detector Array(SRS 1000) in High Precision Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muthukumaran, M; Manigandan, D; Murali, V

Purpose: The aim of the study is to characterize a two dimensional liquid filled detector array SRS 1000 for routine QA in Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery system. Methods: SRS 1000 consists of 977 liquid filled ionization chambers and is designed to be used in small field SRS/SBRT techniques. The detector array has got two different spacial resolutions. Till field size of 5.5×5.5 cm the spacial resolution is 2.5mm (center to center) and after that till field size of 11 × 11 cm the spacial resolution is 5mm. The size of the detector is 2.3 × 2.3 0.5 mm with a volumemore » of .003 cc. The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is a frameless stereotactic radiosurgery system in which a LINAC is mounted on a robotic manipulator to deliver beams with a high sub millimeter accuracy. The SRS 1000’s MU linearity, stability, reproducibility in Cyberknife Robotic Radiosurgery system was measured and investigated. The output factors for fixed and IRIS collimators for all available collimators (5mm till 60 mm) was measured and compared with the measurement done with PTW pin-point ionization chamber. Results: The MU linearity was measured from 2 MU till 1000 MU for doserates in the range of 700cGy/min – 780 cGy/min and compared with the measurement done with pin point chamber The MU linearity was with in 3%. The detector arrays stability and reproducibility was excellent and was withinin 0.5% The measured output factors showed an agreement of better than 2% when compared with the measurements with pinpoint chamber for both fixed and IRIS collimators with all available field sizes. Conclusion: We have characterised PTW 1000 SRS as a precise and accurate measurement tool for routine QA of Cyberknife Robotic radiosurgery system.« less

The noble gas xenon provides protection and trophic stimulation to midbrain dopamine neurons.

PubMed

Lavaur, Jérémie; Le Nogue, Déborah; Lemaire, Marc; Pype, Jan; Farjot, Géraldine; Hirsch, Etienne C; Michel, Patrick P

2017-07-01

Despite its low chemical reactivity, the noble gas xenon possesses a remarkable spectrum of biological effects. In particular, xenon is a strong neuroprotectant in preclinical models of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. In this study, we wished to determine whether xenon retained its neuroprotective potential in experimental settings that model the progressive loss of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons in Parkinson's disease. Using rat midbrain cultures, we established that xenon was partially protective for DA neurons through either direct or indirect effects on these neurons. So, when DA neurons were exposed to l-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid so as to increase ambient glutamate levels and generate slow and sustained excitotoxicity, the effect of xenon on DA neurons was direct. The vitamin E analog Trolox also partially rescued DA neurons in this setting and enhanced neuroprotection by xenon. However, in the situation where DA cell death was spontaneous, the protection of DA neurons by xenon appeared indirect as it occurred through the repression of a mechanism mediated by proliferating glial cells, presumably astrocytes and their precursor cells. Xenon also exerted trophic effects for DA neurons in this paradigm. The effects of xenon were mimicked and improved by the N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptor antagonist memantine and xenon itself appeared to work by antagonizing N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. Note that another noble gas argon could not reproduce xenon effects. Overall, present data indicate that xenon can provide protection and trophic support to DA neurons that are vulnerable in Parkinson's disease. This suggests that xenon might have some therapeutic value for this disorder. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society for Neurochemistry.

Isolation and Purification of the Xenon Fraction of 252Cf Spontaneous Fission Products for the Production of Radio Xenon Calibration Standards

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGrath, Christopher A.

2015-04-01

The presence of radioactive xenon isotopes indicates that fission events have occurred, and is used to help enforce the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) produces 135Xe, 133mXe, 133Xe, and 131mXe standards used for the calibration and testing of collection equipment and analytical techniques used to monitor radio xenon emissions. At INL, xenon is produced and collected as one of several spontaneous fission products from a 252Cf source. Further chromatographic purification of the fission gases ensures the separations of the xenon fraction for selective collection. An explanation of the fission gas collection, separation and purification is presented. Additionally,more » the range of 135Xe to 133Xe ratio that can be isolated is explained. This is an operational update on the work introduced previously, now that it is in operation and has been recharged with a second 252Cf source.« less

Evaluation of pulmonary function using single-breath-hold dual-energy computed tomography with xenon

PubMed Central

Kyoyama, Hiroyuki; Hirata, Yusuke; Kikuchi, Satoshi; Sakai, Kosuke; Saito, Yuriko; Mikami, Shintaro; Moriyama, Gaku; Yanagita, Hisami; Watanabe, Wataru; Otani, Katharina; Honda, Norinari; Uematsu, Kazutsugu

2017-01-01

Abstract Xenon-enhanced dual-energy computed tomography (xenon-enhanced CT) can provide lung ventilation maps that may be useful for assessing structural and functional abnormalities of the lung. Xenon-enhanced CT has been performed using a multiple-breath-hold technique during xenon washout. We recently developed xenon-enhanced CT using a single-breath-hold technique to assess ventilation. We sought to evaluate whether xenon-enhanced CT using a single-breath-hold technique correlates with pulmonary function testing (PFT) results. Twenty-six patients, including 11 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, underwent xenon-enhanced CT and PFT. Three of the COPD patients underwent xenon-enhanced CT before and after bronchodilator treatment. Images from xenon-CT were obtained by dual-source CT during a breath-hold after a single vital-capacity inspiration of a xenon–oxygen gas mixture. Image postprocessing by 3-material decomposition generated conventional CT and xenon-enhanced images. Low-attenuation areas on xenon images matched low-attenuation areas on conventional CT in 21 cases but matched normal-attenuation areas in 5 cases. Volumes of Hounsfield unit (HU) histograms of xenon images correlated moderately and highly with vital capacity (VC) and total lung capacity (TLC), respectively (r = 0.68 and 0.85). Means and modes of histograms weakly correlated with VC (r = 0.39 and 0.38), moderately with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (r = 0.59 and 0.56), weakly with the ratio of FEV1 to FVC (r = 0.46 and 0.42), and moderately with the ratio of FEV1 to its predicted value (r = 0.64 and 0.60). Mode and volume of histograms increased in 2 COPD patients after the improvement of FEV1 with bronchodilators. Inhalation of xenon gas caused no adverse effects. Xenon-enhanced CT using a single-breath-hold technique depicted functional abnormalities not detectable on thin-slice CT. Mode, mean, and volume of HU histograms of xenon images

[Intracranial and cerebral perfusion pressure in neurosurgical patients during anaesthesia with xenon].

PubMed

Rylova, A V; Gavrilov, A G; Lubnin, A Iu; Potapov, A A

2014-01-01

Despite difficulties in providing xenon anaesthesia, xenon still seems to be attractive for neurosurgical procedures. But data upon its effect on intracranial (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) remains controversial. We monitored ICP and CPP in patients with or without intracranial hypertension during xenon inhalation in different concentrations. Our results suggest that caution should be used while inhaling xenon in high anaesthetic concentration in patients wiith known intracranial hypertension. We also address new possibilities of xenon use, e.g., for sedation in neurosurgery. The study was supported by Russian Fund for Fundamental Research, grant number 13-04-01640.

Physics reach of the XENON1T dark matter experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aprile, E.; Anthony, M.; Aalbers, J.

2016-04-01

The XENON1T experiment is currently in the commissioning phase at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. In this article we study the experiment's expected sensitivity to the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon interaction cross section, based on Monte Carlo predictions of the electronic and nuclear recoil backgrounds. The total electronic recoil background in 1 tonne fiducial volume and (1, 12) keV electronic recoil equivalent energy region, before applying any selection to discriminate between electronic and nuclear recoils, is (1.80 ± 0.15) · 10{sup −4} (kg·day·keV){sup −1}, mainly due to the decay of {sup 222}Rn daughters inside the xenon target. The nuclear recoil background in the correspondingmore » nuclear recoil equivalent energy region (4, 50) keV, is composed of (0.6 ± 0.1) (t·y){sup −1} from radiogenic neutrons, (1.8 ± 0.3) · 10{sup −2} (t·y){sup −1} from coherent scattering of neutrinos, and less than 0.01 (t·y){sup −1} from muon-induced neutrons. The sensitivity of XENON1T is calculated with the Profile Likelihood Ratio method, after converting the deposited energy of electronic and nuclear recoils into the scintillation and ionization signals seen in the detector. We take into account the systematic uncertainties on the photon and electron emission model, and on the estimation of the backgrounds, treated as nuisance parameters. The main contribution comes from the relative scintillation efficiency L{sub eff}, which affects both the signal from WIMPs and the nuclear recoil backgrounds. After a 2 y measurement in 1 t fiducial volume, the sensitivity reaches a minimum cross section of 1.6 · 10{sup −47} cm{sup 2} at m{sub χ} = 50 GeV/c{sup 2}.« less

Abatement of Xenon and Iodine Emissions from Medical Isotope Production Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doll, Charles G.; Sorensen, Christina M.; Bowyer, Ted W.

2014-04-01

The capability of the International Monitoring System (IMS) to detect xenon from underground nuclear explosions is dependent on the radioactive xenon background. Adding to the background, medical isotope production (MIP) by fission releases several important xenon isotopes including xenon-133 and iodine-133 that decays to xenon-133. The amount of xenon released from these facilities may be equivalent to or exceed that released from an underground nuclear explosion. Thus the release of gaseous fission products within days of irradiation makes it difficult to distinguish MIP emissions from a nuclear explosion. In addition, recent shortages in molybdenum-99 have created interest and investment opportunitiesmore » to design and build new MIP facilities in the United States and throughout the world. Due to the potential increase in the number of MIP facilities, a discussion of abatement technologies provides insight into how the problem of emission control from MIP facilities can be tackled. A review of practices is provided to delineate methods useful for abatement of medical isotopes.« less

Ionization of Xenon to the Nickel-Like Stage and Beyond in Micro-Capillary Plasma Columns Heated by Ultrafast Current Pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avaria, G.; Grisham, M.; Li, J.; Tomasel, F. G.; Shlyapstsev, V. N.; Busquet, M.; Woolston, M.; Rocca, J. J.

Homogeneous plasma columns with ionization levels typical of MA discharges were created by rapidly heating gas-filled 520 µm diameter channels with ns rise-time current pulses of unusually low amplitude, 40 kA. These conditions allow the generation of high aspect ratio (eg. > 300:1) plasma columns with very high degrees of ionization (e.g. Ni-like Xenon) of interest for soft x-ray lasers below λ = 10 nm. Spectra and simulations of plasmas generated in 520 µm diameter alumina capillaries driven by 35-40 kA current pulses with 4 ns rise time were obtained for discharges in Xenon and Neon discharges. The first shows the presence of lines corresponding to ionization stages up to Fe-like Xe. The latter show that Al impurities from the walls are ionized to the H-like and He-like stages. He-like Al spectra containing the resonance line significantly broaden by opacity, the intercombination line, and Li-like satellites are analyzed. For Xenon discharges, the spectral lines from the Ni-like transitions the 3d94d (3/2, 3/2)J = 0 to the 3d94p(5/2, 3/2)J = 1 and to 3d94p(3/2, 1/2)J = 1 are observed.

Xenon International Automated Control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2016-08-05

The Xenon International Automated Control software monitors, displays status, and allows for manual operator control as well as fully automatic control of multiple commercial and PNNL designed hardware components to generate and transmit atmospheric radioxenon concentration measurements every six hours.

Terrestrial and Martian weathering signatures of xenon components in shergottite mineral separates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartwright, J. A.; Ocker, K. D.; Crowther, S. A.; Burgess, R.; Gilmour, J. D.

2010-08-01

Xenon-isotopic ratios, step-heating release patterns, and gas concentrations of mineral separates from Martian shergottites Roberts Massif (RBT) 04262, Dar al Gani (DaG) 489, Shergotty, and Elephant Moraine (EET) 79001 lithology B are reported. Concentrations of Martian atmospheric xenon are similar in mineral separates from all meteorites, but more weathered samples contain more terrestrial atmospheric xenon. The distributions of xenon from the Martian and terrestrial atmospheres among minerals in any one sample are similar, suggesting similarities in the processes by which they were acquired. However, in opaque and maskelynite fractions, Martian atmospheric xenon is released at higher temperatures than terrestrial atmospheric xenon. It is suggested that both Martian and terrestrial atmospheric xenon were initially introduced by weathering (low temperature alteration processes). However, the Martian component was redistributed by shock, accounting for its current residence in more retentive sites. The presence or absence of detectable 129Xe from the Martian atmosphere in mafic minerals may correspond to the extent of crustal contamination of the rock's parent melt. Variable contents of excess 129Xe contrast with previously reported consistent concentrations of excess 40Ar, suggesting distinct sources contributed these gases to the parent magma.

Xenon in the treatment of panic disorder: an open label study.

PubMed

Dobrovolsky, Alexander; Ichim, Thomas E; Ma, Daqing; Kesari, Santosh; Bogin, Vladimir

2017-06-13

Current treatments of panic disorder (PD) are limited by adverse effects, poor efficacy, and need for chronic administration. The established safety profile of subanesthetic concentrations of xenon gas, which is known to act as a glutamate subtype NMDA receptor antagonist, coupled with preclinical studies demonstrating its effects in other anxiety related conditions, prompted us to evaluate its feasibility and efficacy in treatment of patients with PD. An open-label clinical trial of xenon-oxygen mixture was conducted in 81 patients with PD; group 1 consisting of patients only with PD (N = 42); and group 2 patients with PD and other comorbidities (N = 39). Based on the analysis of the results of a number of psychometric scales used in this study (SAS, HADS, CGI), several conclusions can be made: (1) xenon is a potentially effective modality in acute treatment of PD; (2) an anti-panic effect of xenon administration persists for at least 6 months after the completion of the active phase of treatment; (3) xenon inhalation is well tolerated, with the drop-out rates being much lower than that of conventional pharmacotherapy (5.8% vs. 15%); (4) the severity of depressive disorders that frequently accompany PD can be significantly reduced with the use of xenon; (5) xenon may be considered as an alternative to benzodiazepines in conjunction with cognitive-behavioral therapy as a safe modality in treatment of anxiety disorder. These data support the need for randomized double-blind clinical trials to further study xenon-based interventions. Trial registration This clinical trial was retrospectively registered on April 14th, 2017 as ISRCTN15184285 in the ISRCTN database.

Density Functional Theory (DFT) Simulations of Shocked Liquid Xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattsson, Thomas R.; Magyar, Rudolph J.

2009-06-01

Xenon is not only a technologically important element used in laser technologies and jet propulsion, but it is also one of the most accessible materials in which to study the metal-insulator transition with increasing pressure. Because of its closed shell electronic configuration, Xenon is often assumed to be chemically inert, interacting almost entirely through the van der Waals interaction, and at liquid density, is typically modeled well using Leonard-Jones potentials. However, such modeling has a limited range of validity as Xenon is known to form compounds at normal conditions and likely exhibits considerably more chemistry at higher densities when hybridization of occupied orbitals becomes significant. In this talk, we present DFT-MD simulations of shocked liquid Xenon with the goal of developing an improved equation of state. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

NWA 8114: Analysis of Xenon in this Unique Martian Meteorite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowther, S. A.; Jastrzebski, N. D.; Nottingham, M.; Theis, K. J.; Gilmour, J. D.

2014-09-01

The Xe composition of NWA 8114 is dominated by martian atmospheric xenon, with contributions from terrestrial atmospheric contamination at low temperature and fissiogenic xenon at high temperature. The overall systematics are similar to Nakhla.

A Decade of Xenon Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moody, G. J.

1974-01-01

Presents reactions for the formation of xenon compounds and compounds of the other inert gases. Provides bonding and structure theories for noble gas compounds and speculates on possible applications. (GS)

Detector to detector corrections: a comprehensive experimental study of detector specific correction factors for beam output measurements for small radiotherapy beams.

PubMed

Azangwe, Godfrey; Grochowska, Paulina; Georg, Dietmar; Izewska, Joanna; Hopfgartner, Johannes; Lechner, Wolfgang; Andersen, Claus E; Beierholm, Anders R; Helt-Hansen, Jakob; Mizuno, Hideyuki; Fukumura, Akifumi; Yajima, Kaori; Gouldstone, Clare; Sharpe, Peter; Meghzifene, Ahmed; Palmans, Hugo

2014-07-01

The aim of the present study is to provide a comprehensive set of detector specific correction factors for beam output measurements for small beams, for a wide range of real time and passive detectors. The detector specific correction factors determined in this study may be potentially useful as a reference data set for small beam dosimetry measurements. Dose response of passive and real time detectors was investigated for small field sizes shaped with a micromultileaf collimator ranging from 0.6 × 0.6 cm(2) to 4.2 × 4.2 cm(2) and the measurements were extended to larger fields of up to 10 × 10 cm(2). Measurements were performed at 5 cm depth, in a 6 MV photon beam. Detectors used included alanine, thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs), stereotactic diode, electron diode, photon diode, radiophotoluminescent dosimeters (RPLDs), radioluminescence detector based on carbon-doped aluminium oxide (Al2O3:C), organic plastic scintillators, diamond detectors, liquid filled ion chamber, and a range of small volume air filled ionization chambers (volumes ranging from 0.002 cm(3) to 0.3 cm(3)). All detector measurements were corrected for volume averaging effect and compared with dose ratios determined from alanine to derive a detector correction factors that account for beam perturbation related to nonwater equivalence of the detector materials. For the detectors used in this study, volume averaging corrections ranged from unity for the smallest detectors such as the diodes, 1.148 for the 0.14 cm(3) air filled ionization chamber and were as high as 1.924 for the 0.3 cm(3) ionization chamber. After applying volume averaging corrections, the detector readings were consistent among themselves and with alanine measurements for several small detectors but they differed for larger detectors, in particular for some small ionization chambers with volumes larger than 0.1 cm(3). The results demonstrate how important it is for the appropriate corrections to be applied to give

Collision-induced light scattering in a thin xenon layer between graphite slabs - MD study.

PubMed

Dawid, A; Górny, K; Wojcieszyk, D; Dendzik, Z; Gburski, Z

2014-08-14

The collision-induced light scattering many-body correlation functions and their spectra in thin xenon layer located between two parallel graphite slabs have been investigated by molecular dynamics computer simulations. The results have been obtained at three different distances (densities) between graphite slabs. Our simulations show the increased intensity of the interaction-induced light scattering spectra at low frequencies for xenon atoms in confined space, in comparison to the bulk xenon sample. Moreover, we show substantial dependence of the interaction-induced light scattering correlation functions of xenon on the distances between graphite slabs. The dynamics of xenon atoms in a confined space was also investigated by calculating the mean square displacement functions and related diffusion coefficients. The structural property of confined xenon layer was studied by calculating the density profile, perpendicular to the graphite slabs. Building of a fluid phase of xenon in the innermost part of the slot was observed. The nonlinear dependence of xenon diffusion coefficient on the separation distance between graphite slabs has been found. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Modeling Xenon Purification Systems in a Laser Inertial Fusion Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Ann; Gentile, Charles

2011-10-01

A Laser Inertial Fusion Engine (LIFE) is a proposed method to employ fusion energy to produce electricity for consumers. However, before it can be built and used as such, each aspect of a LIFE power plant must first be meticulously planned. We are in the process of developing and perfecting models for an exhaust processing and fuel recovery system. Such a system is especially essential because it must be able to recapture and purify expensive materials involved in the reaction so they may be reused. One such material is xenon, which is to be used as an intervention gas in the target chamber. Using Aspen HYSYS, we have modeled several subsystems for exhaust processing, including a subsystem for xenon recovery and purification. After removing hydrogen isotopes using lithium bubblers, we propose to use cryogenic distillation to purify the xenon from remaining contaminants. Aspen HYSYS allows us to analyze predicted flow rates, temperatures, pressures, and compositions within almost all areas of the xenon purification system. Through use of Aspen models, we hope to establish that we can use xenon in LIFE efficiently and in a practical manner.

Ultralow energy calibration of LUX detector using Xe 127 electron capture

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; ...

2017-12-01

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields(more » $$\\textit{Q$$_y$})$ and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V/cm. The data are obtained using low energy $$^{127}$$Xe electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). The sequence of gamma-ray and X-ray cascades associated with $$^{127}$$I de-excitations produces clearly identified 2-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K- (binding energy, 33.2 keV), L- (5.2 keV), M- (1.1 keV), and N- (186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. The N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil $$\\textit{in situ}$$ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.« less

Ultralow energy calibration of LUX detector using Xe 127 electron capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields (Q y) and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V/cm. The data are obtained using low energy 127Xe electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of weakly interacting massive particles. The sequence of gamma-ray and x-ray cascades associated with 127I deexcitations produces clearly identified two-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K-(binding energy, 33.2 keV), L-(5.2 keV), M-(1.1 keV),more » and N-(186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. In conclusion, the N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil in situ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.« less

Ultralow energy calibration of LUX detector using Xe 127 electron capture

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; ...

2017-12-28

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields (Q y) and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V/cm. The data are obtained using low energy 127Xe electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of weakly interacting massive particles. The sequence of gamma-ray and x-ray cascades associated with 127I deexcitations produces clearly identified two-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K-(binding energy, 33.2 keV), L-(5.2 keV), M-(1.1 keV),more » and N-(186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. In conclusion, the N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil in situ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.« less

Measurement of Yields and Fluctuations using Background and Calibration Data from the LUX Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pease, Evan; LUX Collaboration

2016-03-01

The Large Underground Xenon (LUX) detector is a 350-kg liquid xenon (LXe) time-projection chamber designed for the direct detection of weakly-interacting massive particles (WIMPs), a leading dark matter candidate. LUX operates on the 4850-foot level of the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD. Monoenergetic electronic recoil (ER) peaks in the WIMP search and calibration data from the first underground science run of the LUX detector have been used to measure ER light and charge yields in LXe between 5.2 keV and 662 keV. The energy resolution of the LUX detector at these energies will also be presented. Recombination fluctuations are observed to follow a linear dependence on the number of ions for the energies in this study, and this dependence is consistent with low-energy measurements made with a tritium beta source in the LUX detector. Using these results and additional measurements of the recoil bands from tritium and D-D neutron calibrations, I will compare recombination fluctuations in LXe response to electronic and nuclear recoils. The presenter is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. The SCGSR program is administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the DOE under contract DE-AC05-06OR23100.

Density Functional Theory (dft) Simulations of Shocked Liquid Xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattsson, Thomas R.; Magyar, Rudolph J.

2009-12-01

Xenon is not only a technologically important element used in laser technologies and jet propulsion, but it is also one of the most accessible materials in which to study the metal-insulator transition with increasing pressure. Because of its closed shell electronic configuration, xenon is often assumed to be chemically inert, interacting almost entirely through the van der Waals interaction, and at liquid density, is typically modeled well using Leonard-Jones potentials. However, such modeling has a limited range of validity as xenon is known to form compounds under normal conditions and likely exhibits considerably more chemistry at higher densities when hybridization of occupied orbitals becomes significant. We present DFT-MD simulations of shocked liquid xenon with the goal of developing an improved equation of state. The calculated Hugoniot to 2 MPa compares well with available experimental shock data. Sandia is a mul-tiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Experimental studies of a zeeman-tuned xenon laser differential absorption apparatus.

PubMed

Linford, G J

1973-06-01

A Zeeman-tuned cw xenon laser differential absorption device is described. The xenon laser was tuned by axial magnetic fields up to 5500 G generated by an unusually large water-cooled dc solenoid. Xenon laser lines at 3.37 micro, 3.51 micro, and 3.99 micro were tuned over ranges of 6 A, 6 A, and 11 A, respectively. To date, this apparatus has been used principally to study the details of formaldehyde absorption lines lying near the 3 .508-micro xenon laser transition. These experiments revealed that the observed absorption spectrum of formaldehyde exhibits a sufficiently unique spectral structure that the present technique may readily be used to measure relative concentrations of formaldehyde in samples of polluted air.

Minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) for sevoflurane and xenon at normothermia and hypothermia in newborn pigs.

PubMed

Liu, X; Dingley, J; Elstad, M; Scull-Brown, E; Steen, P A; Thoresen, M

2013-05-01

Neuroprotection from therapeutic hypothermia increases when combined with the anaesthetic gas xenon in animal studies. A clinical feasibility study of the combined treatment has been successfully undertaken in asphyxiated human term newborns. It is unknown whether xenon alone would be sufficient for sedation during hypothermia eliminating or reducing the need for other sedative or analgesic infusions in ventilated sick infants. Minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of xenon is unknown in any neonatal species. Eight newborn pigs were anaesthetised with sevoflurane alone and then sevoflurane plus xenon at two temperatures. Pigs were randomised to start at either 38.5°C or 33.5°C. MAC for sevoflurane was determined using the claw clamp technique at the preset body temperature. For xenon MAC determination, a background of 0.5 MAC sevoflurane was used, and 60% xenon added to the gas mixture. The relationship between sevoflurane and xenon MAC is assumed to be additive. Xenon concentrations were changed in 5% steps until a positive clamp reaction was noted. Pigs' temperature was changed to the second target, and two MAC determinations for sevoflurane and 0.5 MAC sevoflurane plus xenon were repeated. MAC for sevoflurane was 4.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.65-4.50] at 38.5°C and 3.05% (CI: 2.63-3.48) at 33.5°C, a significant reduction. MAC for xenon was 120% at 38.5°C and 116% at 33.5°C, not different. In newborn swine sevoflurane, MAC was temperature dependent, while xenon MAC was independent of temperature. There was large individual variability in xenon MAC, from 60% to 120%. © 2013 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.

Structural Basis for Xenon Inhibition in a Cationic Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channel

PubMed Central

Sauguet, Ludovic; Fourati, Zeineb; Prangé, Thierry; Delarue, Marc; Colloc'h, Nathalie

2016-01-01

GLIC receptor is a bacterial pentameric ligand-gated ion channel whose action is inhibited by xenon. Xenon has been used in clinical practice as a potent gaseous anaesthetic for decades, but the molecular mechanism of interactions with its integral membrane receptor targets remains poorly understood. Here we characterize by X-ray crystallography the xenon-binding sites within both the open and “locally-closed” (inactive) conformations of GLIC. Major binding sites of xenon, which differ between the two conformations, were identified in three distinct regions that all belong to the trans-membrane domain of GLIC: 1) in an intra-subunit cavity, 2) at the interface between adjacent subunits, and 3) in the pore. The pore site is unique to the locally-closed form where the binding of xenon effectively seals the channel. A putative mechanism of the inhibition of GLIC by xenon is proposed, which might be extended to other pentameric cationic ligand-gated ion channels. PMID:26910105

Structural Basis for Xenon Inhibition in a Cationic Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channel.

PubMed

Sauguet, Ludovic; Fourati, Zeineb; Prangé, Thierry; Delarue, Marc; Colloc'h, Nathalie

2016-01-01

GLIC receptor is a bacterial pentameric ligand-gated ion channel whose action is inhibited by xenon. Xenon has been used in clinical practice as a potent gaseous anaesthetic for decades, but the molecular mechanism of interactions with its integral membrane receptor targets remains poorly understood. Here we characterize by X-ray crystallography the xenon-binding sites within both the open and "locally-closed" (inactive) conformations of GLIC. Major binding sites of xenon, which differ between the two conformations, were identified in three distinct regions that all belong to the trans-membrane domain of GLIC: 1) in an intra-subunit cavity, 2) at the interface between adjacent subunits, and 3) in the pore. The pore site is unique to the locally-closed form where the binding of xenon effectively seals the channel. A putative mechanism of the inhibition of GLIC by xenon is proposed, which might be extended to other pentameric cationic ligand-gated ion channels.

Cell tracking with caged xenon: using cryptophanes as MRI reporters upon cellular internalization.

PubMed

Klippel, Stefan; Döpfert, Jörg; Jayapaul, Jabadurai; Kunth, Martin; Rossella, Federica; Schnurr, Matthias; Witte, Christopher; Freund, Christian; Schröder, Leif

2014-01-07

Caged xenon has great potential in overcoming sensitivity limitations for solution-state NMR detection of dilute molecules. However, no application of such a system as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent has yet been performed with live cells. We demonstrate MRI localization of cells labeled with caged xenon in a packed-bed bioreactor working under perfusion with hyperpolarized-xenon-saturated medium. Xenon hosts enable NMR/MRI experiments with switchable contrast and selectivity for cell-associated versus unbound cages. We present MR images with 10(3) -fold sensitivity enhancement for cell-internalized, dual-mode (fluorescence/MRI) xenon hosts at low micromolar concentrations. Our results illustrate the capability of functionalized xenon to act as a highly sensitive cell tracer for MRI detection even without signal averaging. The method will bridge the challenging gap for translation to in vivo studies for the optimization of targeted biosensors and their multiplexing applications. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry measurement of xenon in gas-loaded liposomes for neuroprotective applications.

PubMed

Klegerman, Melvin E; Moody, Melanie R; Hurling, Jermaine R; Peng, Tao; Huang, Shao-Ling; McPherson, David D

2017-01-15

We have produced a liposomal formulation of xenon (Xe-ELIP) as a neuroprotectant for inhibition of brain damage in stroke patients. This mandates development of a reliable assay to measure the amount of dissolved xenon released from Xe-ELIP in water and blood samples. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to quantify xenon gas released into the headspace of vials containing Xe-ELIP samples in water or blood. In order to determine blood concentration of xenon in vivo after Xe-ELIP administration, 6 mg of Xe-ELIP lipid was infused intravenously into rats. Blood samples were drawn directly from a catheterized right carotid artery. After introduction of the samples, each vial was allowed to equilibrate to 37°C in a water bath, followed by 20 minutes of sonication prior to headspace sampling. Xenon concentrations were calculated from a gas dose-response curve and normalized using the published xenon water-gas solubility coefficient. The mean corrected percent of xenon from Xe-ELIP released into water was 3.87 ± 0.56% (SD, n = 8), corresponding to 19.3 ± 2.8 μL/mg lipid, which is consistent with previous independent Xe-ELIP measurements. The corresponding xenon content of Xe-ELIP in rat blood was 23.38 ± 7.36 μL/mg lipid (n = 8). Mean rat blood xenon concentration after intravenous administration of Xe-ELIP was 14 ± 10 μM, which is approximately 15% of the estimated neuroprotective level. Using this approach, we have established a reproducible method for measuring dissolved xenon in fluids. These measurements have established that neuroprotective effects can be elicited by less than 20% of the calculated neuroprotective xenon blood concentration. More work will have to be done to establish the protective xenon pharmacokinetic range. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Effects of xenon anesthesia on cerebral blood flow in neurosurgical patients without intracranial hypertension].

PubMed

Rylova, A V; Beliaev, A Iu; Lubnin, A Iu

2013-01-01

Among anesthetic agents used in neurosurgery xenon appears to be the most advantageous. It preserves arterial blood pressure, assures rapid recovery and neuroprotection. But the data is lacking on xenon effect upon cerebral blood flow under anesthetic conditions. We measured flow velocity in middle cerebral artery in neurosurgical patients without intracranial hypertension during closed circuit xenon anesthesia comparing propofol and xenon effect in the same patients. In our study xenon didn't seem to induce clinically relevant changes in cerebral blood flow and preserved cerebral vascular reactivity thus proving its safety in patients without intracranial hypertension.

Xenon ventilation computed tomography and the management of asthma in the elderly.

PubMed

Park, Heung-Woo; Jung, Jae-Woo; Kim, Kyung-Mook; Kim, Tae-Wan; Lee, So-Hee; Lee, Chang Hyun; Goo, Jin Mo; Min, Kyung-Up; Cho, Sang-Heon

2014-04-01

Xenon ventilation computed tomography (CT) has shown potential in assessing the regional ventilation status in subjects with asthma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of xenon ventilation CT in the management of asthma in the elderly. Treatment-naïve asthmatics aged 65 years or older were recruited. Before initiation of medication, spirometry with bronchodilator (BD) reversibility, questionnaires to assess the severity of symptoms including a visual analogue scale (VAS), tests to evaluate cognitive function and mood, and xenon ventilation CT were performed. Xenon gas trapping (XT) on xenon ventilation CT represents an area where inhaled xenon gas was not expired and was trapped. Symptoms and lung functions were measured again after the 12-week treatment. A total of 30 elderly asthmatics were enrolled. The severity of dyspnoea measured by the VAS showed a significant correlation with the total number of areas of XT on the xenon ventilation CT taken in the pre-BD wash-out phase (r = -0.723, P < 0.001). The total number of areas of XT significantly decreased after BD inhalation, and differences in the total number of areas of XT (between the pre- and post-BD wash-out phases) at baseline showed significant correlations with the per cent increases in forced expiratory volume in 1 s after subsequent anti-asthma treatment (r = -0.775, P < 0.001). Xenon ventilation CT may be an objective and promising tool in the measurement of dyspnoea and prediction of the treatment response in elderly asthmatics. © 2014 The Authors. Respirology © 2014 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

[Characteristics of perioperative period in Xenon-based combined general anaesthesia in neurosurgery].

PubMed

Viatkin, A A; Petrosian, L G; Mizikov, V M; Vasil'ev, S A

2013-01-01

Neuroprotection could be the aim to use Xenon for general anesthesia. However the experience of Xenon anesthesia in neurosurgery is quite limited. The appraisal of Xenon based anesthesia was accomplished in 12 patients during various brain surgery. Xe in concentration 65% was used to maintenance of anesthesia, other medication was avoided. As a resuIt there were 8 cases of arterial hypertension and 2 cases of superficial hypnotic state. Excitation (n = 3), hyperdynamic reaction (n = 8), PONV (n = 8) were detected in early postoperative period. An analysis of this study suggests a conclusion that studied method of Xenon-based anesthesia is inexpedient for neurosurgery.

Xenon Defects in Uranium Dioxide From First Principles and Interatomic Potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Alexander

In this thesis, we examine the defect energetics and migration energies of xenon atoms in uranium dioxide (UO2) from first principles and interatomic potentials. We also parameterize new, accurate interatomic potentials for xenon and uranium dioxide. To achieve accurate energetics and provide a foundation for subsequent calculations, we address difficulties in finding consistent energetics within Hubbard U corrected density functional theory (DFT+U). We propose a method of slowly ramping the U parameter in order to guide the calculation into low energy orbital occupations. We find that this method is successful for a variety of materials. We then examine the defect energetics of several noble gas atoms in UO2 for several different defect sites. We show that the energy to incorporate large noble gas atoms into interstitial sites is so large that it is energetically favorable for a Schottky defect cluster to be created to relieve the strain. We find that, thermodynamically, xenon will rarely ever be in the interstitial site of UO2. To study larger defects associated with the migration of xenon in UO 2, we turn to interatomic potentials. We benchmark several previously published potentials against DFT+U defect energetics and migration barriers. Using a combination of molecular dynamics and nudged elastic band calculations, we find a new, low energy migration pathway for xenon in UO2. We create a new potential for xenon that yields accurate defect energetics. We fit this new potential with a method we call Iterative Potential Refinement that parameterizes potentials to first principles data via a genetic algorithm. The potential finds accurate energetics for defects with relatively low amounts of strain (xenon in defect clusters). It is important to find accurate energetics for these sorts of low-strain defects because they essentially represent small xenon bubbles. Finally, we parameterize a new UO2 potential that simultaneously yields accurate vibrational properties

Xenon-Enhanced Dual-Energy CT Imaging in Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema

PubMed Central

Kobayashi, Masahiro; Nakamura, Yasuhiko; Gocho, Kyoko; Ishida, Fumiaki; Isobe, Kazutoshi; Shiraga, Nobuyuki; Homma, Sakae

2017-01-01

Background Little has been reported on the feasibility of xenon-enhanced dual-energy computed tomography (Xe-DECT) in the visual and quantitative analysis of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE). Objectives We compared CPFE with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as correlation with parameters of pulmonary function tests (PFTs). Methods Studied in 3 groups were 25 patients with CPFE, 25 with IPF without emphysema (IPF alone), 30 with COPD. Xe-DECT of the patients’ entire thorax was taken from apex to base after a patient’s single deep inspiration of 35% stable nonradioactive xenon. The differences in several parameters of PFTs and percentage of areas enhanced by xenon between 3 groups were compared and analyzed retrospectively. Results The percentage of areas enhanced by xenon in both lungs were calculated as CPFE/IPF alone/COPD = 72.2 ± 15.1% / 82.2 ± 14.7% /45.2 ± 23.2%, respectively. In the entire patients, the percentage of areas enhanced by xenon showed significantly a positive correlation with FEV1/FVC (R = 0.558, P < 0.0001) and %FEV1, (R = 0.528, P < 0.0001) and a negative correlation with %RV (R = -0.594, P < 0.0001) and RV/TLC (R = -0.579, P < 0.0001). The percentage of areas enhanced by xenon in patients with CPFE showed significantly a negative correlation with RV/TLC (R = -0.529, P = 0.007). Xenon enhancement of CPFE indicated 3 different patterns such as upper predominant, diffuse, and multifocal defect. The percentage of areas enhanced by xenon in upper predominant defect pattern was significantly higher than that in diffuse defect and multifocal defect pattern among these 3 different patterns in CPFE. Conclusion The percentage of areas enhanced by xenon demonstrated strong correlations with obstructive ventilation impairment. Therefore, we conclude that Xe-DECT may be useful for distinguishing emphysema lesion from fibrotic lesion in CPFE. PMID:28107411

Xenon-Enhanced Dual-Energy CT Imaging in Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema.

PubMed

Sugino, Keishi; Kobayashi, Masahiro; Nakamura, Yasuhiko; Gocho, Kyoko; Ishida, Fumiaki; Isobe, Kazutoshi; Shiraga, Nobuyuki; Homma, Sakae

2017-01-01

Little has been reported on the feasibility of xenon-enhanced dual-energy computed tomography (Xe-DECT) in the visual and quantitative analysis of combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE). We compared CPFE with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as correlation with parameters of pulmonary function tests (PFTs). Studied in 3 groups were 25 patients with CPFE, 25 with IPF without emphysema (IPF alone), 30 with COPD. Xe-DECT of the patients' entire thorax was taken from apex to base after a patient's single deep inspiration of 35% stable nonradioactive xenon. The differences in several parameters of PFTs and percentage of areas enhanced by xenon between 3 groups were compared and analyzed retrospectively. The percentage of areas enhanced by xenon in both lungs were calculated as CPFE/IPF alone/COPD = 72.2 ± 15.1% / 82.2 ± 14.7% /45.2 ± 23.2%, respectively. In the entire patients, the percentage of areas enhanced by xenon showed significantly a positive correlation with FEV1/FVC (R = 0.558, P < 0.0001) and %FEV1, (R = 0.528, P < 0.0001) and a negative correlation with %RV (R = -0.594, P < 0.0001) and RV/TLC (R = -0.579, P < 0.0001). The percentage of areas enhanced by xenon in patients with CPFE showed significantly a negative correlation with RV/TLC (R = -0.529, P = 0.007). Xenon enhancement of CPFE indicated 3 different patterns such as upper predominant, diffuse, and multifocal defect. The percentage of areas enhanced by xenon in upper predominant defect pattern was significantly higher than that in diffuse defect and multifocal defect pattern among these 3 different patterns in CPFE. The percentage of areas enhanced by xenon demonstrated strong correlations with obstructive ventilation impairment. Therefore, we conclude that Xe-DECT may be useful for distinguishing emphysema lesion from fibrotic lesion in CPFE.

GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY MEASUREMENT OF XENON IN GAS-LOADED LIPOSOMES FOR NEUROPROTECTIVE APPLICATIONS1

PubMed Central

Klegerman, Melvin E.; Moody, Melanie R.; Hurling, Jermaine R.; Peng, Tao; Huang, Shao-Ling; McPherson, David D.

2016-01-01

Rationale We have produced a liposomal formulation of xenon (Xe-ELIP) as a neuroprotectant for inhibition of brain damage in stroke patients. This mandates development of a reliable assay to measure the amount of dissolved xenon released from Xe-ELIP in water and blood samples. Methods Gas chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to quantify xenon gas released into the headspace of vials containing Xe-ELIP samples in water or blood. In order to determine blood concentration of xenon in vivo after Xe-ELIP administration, 6 mg Xe-ELIP lipid was infused intravenously into rats. Blood samples were drawn directly from a catheterized right carotid artery. After introduction of the samples, each vial was allowed to equilibrate to 37° C in a water bath, followed by 20 minutes of sonication prior to headspace sampling. Xenon concentrations were calculated from a gas dose-response curve and normalized using the published xenon water-gas solubility coefficient. Results The mean corrected percent of xenon from Xe-ELIP released into water was 3.87 ± 0.56% (SD, n = 8), corresponding to 19.3 ± 2.8 μl/mg lipid, which is consistent with previous independent Xe-ELIP measurements. The corresponding xenon content of Xe-ELIP in rat blood was 23.38 ± 7.36 μl/mg lipid (n = 8). Mean rat blood xenon concentration after IV administration of Xe-ELIP was 14 ± 10 μM, which is approximately 15% of the estimated neuroprotective level. Conclusions Using this approach, we have established a reproducible method for measuring dissolved xenon in fluids. These measurements have established that neuroprotective effects can be elicited by less than 20% of the calculated neuroprotective xenon blood concentration. More work will have to be done to establish the protective xenon pharmacokinetic range. PMID:27689777

Xenon inhibits excitatory but not inhibitory transmission in rat spinal cord dorsal horn neurons

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The molecular targets for the promising gaseous anaesthetic xenon are still under investigation. Most studies identify N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors as the primary molecular target for xenon, but the role of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors is less clear. In this study we evaluated the effect of xenon on excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord using in vitro patch-clamp recordings from rat spinal cord slices. We further evaluated the effects of xenon on innocuous and noxious stimuli using in vivo patch-clamp method. Results In vitro, xenon decreased the amplitude and area under the curve of currents induced by exogenous NMDA and AMPA and inhibited dorsal root stimulation-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents. Xenon decreased the amplitude, but not the frequency, of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. There was no discernible effect on miniature or evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents or on the current induced by inhibitory neurotransmitters. In vivo, xenon inhibited responses to tactile and painful stimuli even in the presence of NMDA receptor antagonist. Conclusions Xenon inhibits glutamatergic excitatory transmission in the superficial dorsal horn via a postsynaptic mechanism. There is no substantial effect on inhibitory synaptic transmission at the concentration we used. The blunting of excitation in the dorsal horn lamina II neurons could underlie the analgesic effect of xenon. PMID:20444263

Xenon and hypothermia combine to provide neuroprotection from neonatal asphyxia.

PubMed

Ma, Daqing; Hossain, Mahmuda; Chow, Andre; Arshad, Mubarik; Battson, Renee M; Sanders, Robert D; Mehmet, Huseyin; Edwards, A David; Franks, Nicholas P; Maze, Mervyn

2005-08-01

Perinatal asphyxia can result in neuronal injury with long-term neurological and behavioral consequences. Although hypothermia may provide some modest benefit, the intervention itself can produce adverse consequences. We have investigated whether xenon, an antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of the glutamate receptor, can enhance the neuroprotection provided by mild hypothermia. Cultured neurons injured by oxygen-glucose deprivation were protected by combinations of interventions of xenon and hypothermia that, when administered alone, were not efficacious. A combination of xenon and hypothermia administered 4 hours after hypoxic-ischemic injury in neonatal rats provided synergistic neuroprotection assessed by morphological criteria, by hemispheric weight, and by functional neurological studies up to 30 days after the injury. The protective mechanism of the combination, in both in vitro and in vivo models, involved an antiapoptotic action. If applied to humans, these data suggest that low (subanesthetic) concentrations of xenon in combination with mild hypothermia may provide a safe and effective therapy for perinatal asphyxia.

Xenon Anesthesia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PubMed

Law, Lawrence Siu-Chun; Lo, Elaine Ah-Gi; Gan, Tong Joo

2016-03-01

Xenon anesthesia has been studied for decades. However, no meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on xenon anesthesia has been conducted. The aim of this study was to systematically review all available evidence from RCTs comparing xenon and other inhaled and IV anesthetics on anesthetic outcomes. Our meta-analysis attempted to quantify the effects of xenon anesthesia on clinical outcomes in relation to other anesthetics. We found 43 RCTs from PubMed, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, and CINAHL (until January 2015). A total of 31 studies comparing xenon (841 patients) with other inhaled agents (836 patients) and 12 studies comparing xenon (373 patients) with propofol (360 patients) were found. We evaluated clinical outcomes, such as intraoperative hemodynamics, emergence, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Patients undergoing xenon anesthesia had a lower heart rate and higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) intraoperatively than those receiving volatile anesthesia (mean difference = -6 min⁻¹ [99% confidence interval {99% CI} -10.0 to -2.3]; mean difference = 9 mm Hg [99% CI 3.1-14.4]) and propofol anesthesia (mean difference = -10 min⁻¹ [99% CI -12.4 to -6.6]; mean difference = 7 mm Hg [99% CI 0.85-13.2]). Compared with baseline, intraoperative MAP remained relatively stable (change < 5.5%, 99% CI within ±20% of the baseline) under xenon anesthesia, but MAP decreased by ≥15% under volatile (mean difference = -17 mm Hg [99% CI -29.5 to - 4.9], percentage change = -17.5%) and propofol (mean difference = -14 mm Hg [99% CI -26.1 to -2.5], percentage change = -15.0%) anesthesia. Patients had faster emergence from xenon than from volatile anesthesia: eyes opening (versus all volatile agents: mean 4 vs 7 minutes, percentage change = -49.8% [99% CI -55.1% to -44.0%]), tracheal extubation (versus all volatile agents: mean 4 vs 8 minutes percentage change = -44.6% [99% CI -57.3% to -28.1%]), orientation (versus sevoflurane: mean 5 vs 10 minutes

Optimization of Dual-Energy Xenon-CT for Quantitative Assessment of Regional Pulmonary Ventilation

PubMed Central

Fuld, Matthew K.; Halaweish, Ahmed; Newell, John D.; Krauss, Bernhard; Hoffman, Eric A.

2013-01-01

Objective Dual-energy X-ray computed tomography (DECT) offers visualization of the airways and quantitation of regional pulmonary ventilation using a single breath of inhaled xenon gas. In this study we seek to optimize scanning protocols for DECT xenon gas ventilation imaging of the airways and lung parenchyma and to characterize the quantitative nature of the developed protocols through a series of test-object and animal studies. Materials and Methods The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved all animal studies reported here. A range of xenon-oxygen gas mixtures (0, 20, 25, 33, 50, 66, 100%; balance oxygen) were scanned in syringes and balloon test-objects to optimize the delivered gas mixture for assessment of regional ventilation while allowing for the development of improved three-material decomposition calibration parameters. Additionally, to alleviate gravitational effects on xenon gas distribution, we replaced a portion of the oxygen in the xenon/oxygen gas mixture with helium and compared gas distributions in a rapid-prototyped human central-airway test-object. Additional syringe tests were performed to determine if the introduction of helium had any effect on xenon quantitation. Xenon gas mixtures were delivered to anesthetized swine in order to assess airway and lung parenchymal opacification while evaluating various DECT scan acquisition settings. Results Attenuation curves for xenon were obtained from the syringe test objects and were used to develop improved three-material decomposition parameters (HU enhancement per percent xenon: Within the chest phantom: 2.25 at 80kVp, 1.7 at 100 kVp, and 0.76 at 140 kVp with tin filtration; In open air: 2.5 at 80kVp, 1.95 at 100 kVp, and 0.81 at 140 kVp with tin filtration). The addition of helium improved the distribution of xenon gas to the gravitationally non-dependent portion of the airway tree test-object, while not affecting quantitation of xenon in the three-material decomposition DECT. 40%Xe

New insight into the assessment of asthma using xenon ventilation computed tomography.

PubMed

Jung, Jae-Woo; Kwon, Jae-Woo; Kim, Tae-Wan; Lee, So-Hee; Kim, Kyung-Mook; Kang, Hye-Ryun; Park, Heung-Woo; Lee, Chang-Hyun; Goo, Jin-Mo; Min, Kyung-Up; Cho, Sang-Heon

2013-08-01

Image analyses include computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, and xenon ventilation CT, which is new modality to evaluate pulmonary functional imaging. To examine the usefulness of dual-energy xenon ventilation CT in asthmatic patients. A total of 43 patients 18 years or older who were nonsmokers were included in the study. Xenon CT images in wash-in and wash-out phases were obtained at baseline and after inhalation of methacholine and salbutamol. The degrees of ventilation defects and xenon trappings were evaluated through visual analysis. Ventilation defects and xenon trapping were significantly increased and decreased after methacholine challenge and salbutamol inhalation, respectively (P < .005). The ventilation abnormalities were not significantly related to the percentage of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) or the ratio of FEV1 to forced vital capacity. Xenon trappings after salbutamol inhalation were negatively related to the scores of the asthma control test, wheezing, or night symptoms, with statistical significance (P < .05), whereas, FEV1 showed no significant correlation with symptom scores. Baseline FEV1 was significantly lower and dyspnea and wheezing were more severe in the non-full reversal group than in the full reversal group after salbutamol inhalation in xenon CT (P < .05). The degree of ventilation defects were positively correlated with FEV1 improvement after 3 months of treatment (P = .02). The results of this study suggest that xenon ventilation CT can be used as a new method to assess ventilation abnormalities in asthma, and these ventilation abnormalities can be used as novel parameters that reflect the status of asthma control and symptom severity. Copyright © 2013 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Xenon Preconditioning Protects against Renal Ischemic-Reperfusion Injury via HIF-1α Activation

PubMed Central

Ma, Daqing; Lim, Ta; Xu, Jing; Tang, Haidy; Wan, Yanjie; Zhao, Hailin; Hossain, Mahmuda; Maxwell, Patrick H.; Maze, Mervyn

2009-01-01

The mortality rate from acute kidney injury after major cardiovascular operations can be as high as 60%, and no therapies have been proved to prevent acute kidney injury in this setting. Here, we show that preconditioning with the anesthetic gas xenon activates hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and its downstream effectors erythropoietin and vascular endothelial growth factor in a time-dependent manner in the kidneys of adult mice. Xenon increased the efficiency of HIF-1α translation via modulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. In a model of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, xenon provided morphologic and functional renoprotection; hydrodynamic injection of HIF-1α small interfering RNA demonstrated that this protection is HIF-1α dependent. These results suggest that xenon preconditioning is a natural inducer of HIF-1α and that administration of xenon before renal ischemia can prevent acute renal failure. If these data are confirmed in the clinical setting, then preconditioning with xenon may be beneficial before procedures that temporarily interrupt renal perfusion. PMID:19144758

Preclinical neuroprotective actions of xenon and possible implications for human therapeutics: a narrative review.

PubMed

Maze, Mervyn

2016-02-01

The purpose of this report is to facilitate an understanding of the possible application of xenon for neuroprotection in critical care settings. This narrative review appraises the literature assessing the efficacy and safety of xenon in preclinical models of acute ongoing neurologic injury. Databases of the published literature (MEDLINE® and EMBASE™) were appraised for peer-reviewed manuscripts addressing the use of xenon in both preclinical models and disease states of acute ongoing neurologic injury. For randomized clinical trials not yet reported, the investigators' declarations in the National Institutes of Health clinical trials website were considered. While not a primary focus of this review, to date, xenon cannot be distinguished as superior for surgical anesthesia over existing alternatives in adults. Nevertheless, studies in a variety of preclinical disease models from multiple laboratories have consistently shown xenon's neuroprotective properties. These properties are enhanced in settings where xenon is combined with hypothermia. Small randomized clinical trials are underway to explore xenon's efficacy and safety in clinical settings of acute neurologic injury where hypothermia is the current standard of care. According to the evidence to date, the neuroprotective efficacy of xenon in preclinical models and its safety in clinical anesthesia set the stage for the launch of randomized clinical trials to determine whether these encouraging neuroprotective findings can be translated into clinical utility.

In vivo detection of cucurbit[6]uril, a hyperpolarized xenon contrast agent for a xenon magnetic resonance imaging biosensor

PubMed Central

Hane, Francis T.; Li, Tao; Smylie, Peter; Pellizzari, Raiili M.; Plata, Jennifer A.; DeBoef, Brenton; Albert, Mitchell S.

2017-01-01

The Hyperpolarized gas Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (HyperCEST) Magnetic Resonance (MR) technique has the potential to increase the sensitivity of a hyperpolarized xenon-129 MRI contrast agent. Signal enhancement is accomplished by selectively depolarizing the xenon within a cage molecule which, upon exchange, reduces the signal in the dissolved phase pool. Herein we demonstrate the in vivo detection of the cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) contrast agent within the vasculature of a living rat. Our work may be used as a stepping stone towards using the HyperCEST technique as a molecular imaging modality. PMID:28106110

The digital trigger system for the RED-100 detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Naumov, P. P., E-mail: ddr727@yandex.ru; Akimov, D. Yu.; Belov, V. A.

The system for forming a trigger for the liquid xenon detector RED-100 is developed. The trigger can be generated for all types of events that the detector needs for calibration and data acquisition, including the events with a single electron of ionization. In the system, a mechanism of event detection is implemented according to which the timestamp and event type are assigned to each event. The trigger system is required in the systems searching for rare events to select and keep only the necessary information from the ADC array. The specifications and implementation of the trigger unit which provides amore » high efficiency of response even to low-energy events are considered.« less

Comparison of xenon-based anaesthesia compared with total intravenous anaesthesia in high risk surgical patients.

PubMed

Bein, B; Turowski, P; Renner, J; Hanss, R; Steinfath, M; Scholz, J; Tonner, P H

2005-10-01

Xenon, a noble gas with anaesthetic and analgesic properties, has gained renewed interest due to its favourable physical properties which allow a rapid emergence from anaesthesia. However, high costs limit its use to a subset of patients who may benefit from xenon, thereby offsetting its costs. To date, there are only limited data available on the performance of xenon in high risk patients. We studied 39 patients with ASA physical status III undergoing aortic surgery. The patients were randomly assigned to either a xenon (Xe, n = 20) or a TIVA (T, n = 19) group. Global cardiac performance and myocardial contractility were assessed using transoesophageal echocardiography, and myocardial cell damage with troponin T and CK-MB. Echocardiographic measurements were made prior to xenon administration, following xenon administration, and after clamping of the abdominal aorta, after declamping and at corresponding time points in the TIVA group. Laboratory values were determined repeatedly for up to 72 h. Data were analysed using two-way anova factoring for time and anaesthetic agent or with ancova comparing linear regression lines. No significant differences were found in global myocardial performance, myocardial contractility or laboratory values at any time during the study period. Mean (SEM) duration of stay on the ICU (xenon: 38 +/- 46 vs. TIVA 25 +/- 15 h) or in hospital (xenon: 14 +/- 12 vs. TIVA 10 +/- 6 days) did not differ significantly between the groups. Although xenon has previously been shown to exert superior haemodynamic stability, we were unable to demonstrate an advantage of xenon-based anaesthesia compared to TIVA in high risk surgical patients.

Measuring double-electron capture with liquid xenon experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, D.-M.; Marshall, I.; Wei, W.-Z.; Zhang, C.

2014-01-01

We investigate the possibilities of observing the decay mode for 124Xe in which two electrons are captured, two neutrinos are emitted, and the final daughter nucleus is in its ground state, using dark matter experiments with liquid xenon. The first upper limit of the decay half-life is calculated to be 1.66 × 1021 years at a 90% confidence level (C.L.) obtained with the published background data from the XENON100 experiment. Employing a known background model from the large underground xenon (LUX) experiment, we predict that the detection of double-electron capture of 124Xe to the ground state of 124Te with LUX will have approximately 115 events, assuming a half-life of 2.9 × 1021 years. We conclude that measuring 124Xe 2ν double-electron capture to the ground state of 124Te can be performed more precisely with the proposed LUX-Zeplin (LZ) experiment.

An improved interatomic potential for xenon in UO2: a combined density functional theory/genetic algorithm approach.

PubMed

Thompson, Alexander E; Meredig, Bryce; Wolverton, C

2014-03-12

We have created an improved xenon interatomic potential for use with existing UO2 potentials. This potential was fit to density functional theory calculations with the Hubbard U correction (DFT + U) using a genetic algorithm approach called iterative potential refinement (IPR). We examine the defect energetics of the IPR-fitted xenon interatomic potential as well as other, previously published xenon potentials. We compare these potentials to DFT + U derived energetics for a series of xenon defects in a variety of incorporation sites (large, intermediate, and small vacant sites). We find the existing xenon potentials overestimate the energy needed to add a xenon atom to a wide set of defect sites representing a range of incorporation sites, including failing to correctly rank the energetics of the small incorporation site defects (xenon in an interstitial and xenon in a uranium site neighboring uranium in an interstitial). These failures are due to problematic descriptions of Xe-O and/or Xe-U interactions of the previous xenon potentials. These failures are corrected by our newly created xenon potential: our IPR-generated potential gives good agreement with DFT + U calculations to which it was not fitted, such as xenon in an interstitial (small incorporation site) and xenon in a double Schottky defect cluster (large incorporation site). Finally, we note that IPR is very flexible and can be applied to a wide variety of potential forms and materials systems, including metals and EAM potentials.

Monte Carlo study of the coincidence resolving time of a liquid xenon PET scanner, using Cherenkov radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez-Cadenas, J. J.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Ferrario, P.

2017-08-01

In this paper we use detailed Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate that liquid xenon (LXe) can be used to build a Cherenkov-based TOF-PET, with an intrinsic coincidence resolving time (CRT) in the vicinity of 10 ps. This extraordinary performance is due to three facts: a) the abundant emission of Cherenkov photons by liquid xenon; b) the fact that LXe is transparent to Cherenkov light; and c) the fact that the fastest photons in LXe have wavelengths higher than 300 nm, therefore making it possible to separate the detection of scintillation and Cherenkov light. The CRT in a Cherenkov LXe TOF-PET detector is, therefore, dominated by the resolution (time jitter) introduced by the photosensors and the electronics. However, we show that for sufficiently fast photosensors (e.g, an overall 40 ps jitter, which can be achieved by current micro-channel plate photomultipliers) the overall CRT varies between 30 and 55 ps, depending on the detection efficiency. This is still one order of magnitude better than commercial CRT devices and improves by a factor 3 the best CRT obtained with small laboratory prototypes.

Phase II: Field Detector Development For Undeclared/Declared Nuclear Testing For Treaty Verfiation Monitoring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kriz, M.; Hunter, D.; Riley, T.

2015-10-02

Radioactive xenon isotopes are a critical part of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) for the detection or confirmation of nuclear weapons tests as well as on-site treaty verification monitoring. On-site monitoring is not currently conducted because there are no commercially available small/robust field detector devices to measure the radioactive xenon isotopes. Xenon is an ideal signature to detect clandestine nuclear events since they are difficult to contain and can diffuse and migrate through soils due to their inert nature. There are four key radioxenon isotopes used in monitoring: 135Xe (9 hour half-life), 133mXe (2 day half-life), 133Xe (5more » day half-life) and 131mXe (12 day half-life) that decay through beta emission and gamma emission. Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is a leader in the field of gas collections and has developed highly selective molecular sieves that allow for the collection of xenon gas directly from air. Phase I assessed the development of a small, robust beta-gamma coincidence counting system, that combines collection and in situ detection methodologies. Phase II of the project began development of the custom electronics enabling 2D beta-gamma coincidence analysis in a field portable system. This will be a significant advancement for field detection/quantification of short-lived xenon isotopes that would not survive transport time for laboratory analysis.« less

Apparatus and methods for determining gas saturation and porosity of a formation penetrated by a gas filled or liquid filled borehole

DOEpatents

Wilson, Robert D.

2001-03-27

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for determining gas saturation, liquid saturation, porosity and density of earth formations penetrated by a well borehole. Determinations are made from measures of fast neutron and inelastic scatter gamma radiation induced by a pulsed, fast neutron source. The system preferably uses two detectors axially spaced from the neutron source. One detector is preferably a scintillation detector responsive to gamma radiation, and a second detector is preferably an organic scintillator responsive to both neutron and gamma radiation. The system can be operated in cased boreholes which are filled with either gas or liquid. Techniques for correcting all measurements for borehole conditions are disclosed.

New class of biological detectors for WIMPs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drukier, A. K.; Cantor, Ch.; Chonofsky, M.; Church, G. M.; Fagaly, R. L.; Freese, K.; Lopez, A.; Sano, T.; Savage, C.; Wong, W. P.

2014-07-01

Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) may constitute a large fraction of the matter in the Universe. There are excess events in the data of DAMA/LIBRA, CoGeNT, CRESST-II, and recently CDMS-Si, which could be consistent with WIMP masses of approximately 10 GeV/c2. However, for MDM > 10 GeV/c2 null results of the CDMS-Ge, XENON, and LUX detectors may be in tension with the potential detections for certain dark matter scenarios and assuming a certain light response. We propose the use of a new class of biological dark matter (DM) detectors to further examine this light dark matter hypothesis, taking advantage of new signatures with low atomic number targets. Two types of biological DM detectors are discussed here: DNA-based detectors and enzymatic reactions (ER) based detectors. In the case of DNA-based detectors, we discuss a new implementation. In the case of ER detectors, there are four crucial phases of the detection process: (a) change of state due to energy deposited by a particle; (b) amplification due to the release of energy derived from the action of an enzyme on its substrate; (c) sustainable but nonexplosive enzymatic reaction; (d) self-termination due to the denaturation of the enzyme, when the temperature is raised. This paper provides information of how to design as well as optimize these four processes.

Early outgassing of Mars supported by differential water solubility of iodine and xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Musselwhite, Donald S.; Drake, Michael J.; Swindle, Timothy D.

1991-01-01

The Martian atmosphere has a high X-129/Xe-132 ratio compared to the Martian mantle. As Xe-129 is the daughter product of the extinct nuclide I-129, a means of fractionating iodine from xenon early in Martian history appears necessary to account for the X-129/Xe-132 ratios of its known reservoirs. A model is presented here to account for the Marian xenon data which relies on the very different solubilities of xenon and iodine in water to fractionate them after outgassing. Atmospheric xenon is lost by impact erosion during heavy bombardment, followed by release of Xe-129 produced from I-129 decay in the crust.

Discrimination Between Patients With Alzheimer Disease and Healthy Subjects Using Layer Analysis of Cerebral Blood Flow and Xenon Solubility Coefficient in Xenon-Enhanced Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Sase, Shigeru; Yamamoto, Homaro; Kawashima, Ena; Tan, Xin; Sawa, Yutaka

The aim of this study was to develop a method for discriminating between patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and healthy subjects using layer analysis of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and xenon solubility coefficient (λ) in xenon-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Xenon-enhanced CT was performed on 27 patients with AD (81.7 [3.3] years old) and 15 healthy volunteers (78.6 [4.0] years old) using a wide volume CT. For each subject, we created the first- (surface) to sixth-layer images of CBF and λ for the 6 viewing directions (layer thickness, 5 mm). For the discriminant views, receiver operating characteristic curves for the ratio of CBF to λ were created to identify patients with AD. For the third- and fourth-layer left lateral views, which were designated as the discriminant views, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 96.8% and 97.4%, respectively. With the use of the discriminant views obtained by xenon-enhanced CT, we could effectively discriminate between patients with AD and healthy subjects using both CBF and λ.

Noble Gas Xenon Is a Novel Adenosine Triphosphate-sensitive Potassium Channel Opener

PubMed Central

Bantel, Carsten; Maze, Mervyn; Trapp, Stefan

2010-01-01

Background Adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels in brain are involved in neuroprotective mechanisms. Pharmacologic activation of these channels is seen as beneficial, but clinical exploitation by using classic K+ channel openers is hampered by their inability to cross the blood–brain barrier. This is different with the inhalational anesthetic xenon, which recently has been suggested to activate KATP channels; it partitions freely into the brain. Methods To evaluate the type and mechanism of interaction of xenon with neuronal-type KATP channels, these channels, consisting of Kir6.2 pore-forming subunits and sulfonylurea receptor-1 regulatory subunits, were expressed in HEK293 cells and whole cell, and excised patch-clamp recordings were performed. Results Xenon, in contrast to classic KATP channel openers, acted directly on the Kir6.2 subunit of the channel. It had no effect on the closely related, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-regulated Kir1.1 channel and failed to activate an ATP-insensitive mutant version of Kir6.2. Furthermore, concentration–inhibition curves for ATP obtained from inside-out patches in the absence or presence of 80% xenon revealed that xenon reduced the sensitivity of the KATP channel to ATP. This was reflected in an approximately fourfold shift of the concentration causing half-maximal inhibition (IC50) from 26 ± 4 to 96 ± 6 μm. Conclusions Xenon represents a novel KATP channel opener that increases KATP currents independently of the sulfonylurea receptor-1 subunit by reducing ATP inhibition of the channel. Through this action and by its ability to readily partition across the blood–brain barrier, xenon has considerable potential in clinical settings of neuronal injury, including stroke. PMID:20179498

Sub-anesthetic Xenon Increases Erythropoietin Levels in Humans: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Stoppe, Christian; Ney, Julia; Brenke, Martin; Goetzenich, Andreas; Emontzpohl, Christoph; Schälte, Gereon; Grottke, Oliver; Moeller, Manfred; Rossaint, Rolf; Coburn, Mark

2016-11-01

The licensed anesthetic xenon, which exerts organ protective properties, was recently added by the World Anti-Doping Agency to the list of prohibited substances. Xenon is supposed to trigger the production of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and subsequently erythropoietin, but data are limited to in vivo experimental work. Therefore we evaluated the effect of xenon on erythropoietin levels in healthy persons. Twenty-four healthy volunteers were randomly assigned either to a group spontaneously breathing xenon 30 % (Xe/O 2 30 %/60 %) or a group breathing control gas (N 2 /O 2 40 %/60 %) for 45 min. Primary outcome parameters were erythropoietin levels at several time-points after exposure. Secondary outcome parameters were serum levels of testosterone, cytokines, and growth factors as well as concentrations of xenon in blood and exhalation samples measured at several time-points after exposure. In addition, hemodynamic safety parameters were monitored during exposure. The administration of xenon significantly increased erythropoietin levels 8 h after exposure (1.34 [±0.368]; p = 0.008), peaking at 24 h compared to the baseline values (1.45 [±0.498]; p = 0.01) and remained traceable in blood and exhalation probes until 24 h after exposure. In contrast, no significant change was observed in the control group. Measurement of stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) revealed a significant increase of SDF-1 levels (p = 0.005), whereas no differences were observed with respect to growth factors, cytokines, or androgens. In an in vitro chemotaxis assay, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) showed a trend towards increased migration in serum samples received from participants after xenon exposure (p = 0.080). The present study presents first evidence about a xenon-induced effect on increased erythropoietin levels in healthy volunteers. The study was registered at the European Medicines Agency (EudraCT-number: 2014-000973-38) and at Clinical

Can xenon in water inhibit ice growth? Molecular dynamics of phase transitions in water-Xe system.

PubMed

Artyukhov, Vasilii I; Pulver, Alexander Yu; Peregudov, Alex; Artyuhov, Igor

2014-07-21

Motivated by recent experiments showing the promise of noble gases as cryoprotectants, we perform molecular dynamics modeling of phase transitions in water with xenon under cooling. We follow the structure and dynamics of xenon water solution as a function of temperature. Homogeneous nucleation of clathrate hydrate phase is observed and characterized. As the temperature is further reduced we observe hints of dissociation of clathrate due to stronger hydrophobic hydration, pointing towards a possible instability of clathrate at cryogenic temperatures and conversion to an amorphous phase comprised of "xenon + hydration shell" Xe·(H2O)21.5 clusters. Simulations of ice-xenon solution interface in equilibrium and during ice growth reveal the effects of xenon on the ice-liquid interface, where adsorbed xenon causes roughening of ice surface but does not preferentially form clathrate. These results provide evidence against the ice-blocker mechanism of xenon cryoprotection.

Xenon treatment attenuates early renal allograft injury associated with prolonged hypothermic storage in rats.

PubMed

Zhao, Hailin; Yoshida, Akira; Xiao, Wei; Ologunde, Rele; O'Dea, Kieran P; Takata, Masao; Tralau-Stewart, Catherine; George, Andrew J T; Ma, Daqing

2013-10-01

Prolonged hypothermic storage elicits severe ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) to renal grafts, contributing to delayed graft function (DGF) and episodes of acute immune rejection and shortened graft survival. Organoprotective strategies are therefore needed for improving long-term transplant outcome. The aim of this study is to investigate the renoprotective effect of xenon on early allograft injury associated with prolonged hypothermic storage. Xenon exposure enhanced the expression of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP-70) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and promoted cell survival after hypothermia-hypoxia insult in human proximal tubular (HK-2) cells, which was abolished by HSP-70 or HO-1 siRNA. In the brown Norway to Lewis rat renal transplantation, xenon administered to donor or recipient decreased the renal tubular cell death, inflammation, and MHC II expression, while delayed graft function (DGF) was therefore reduced. Pathological changes associated with acute rejection, including T-cell, macrophage, and fibroblast infiltration, were also decreased with xenon treatment. Donors or recipients treated with xenon in combination with cyclosporin A had prolonged renal allograft survival. Xenon protects allografts against delayed graft function, attenuates acute immune rejection, and enhances graft survival after prolonged hypothermic storage. Furthermore, xenon works additively with cyclosporin A to preserve post-transplant renal function.

[Effects of xenon preconditioning against ischemia/reperfusion injury and oxidative stress in immature heart].

PubMed

Li, Qian; Lian, Chun-Wei; Fang, Li-Qun; Liu, Bin; Yang, Bo

2014-09-01

To investigate whether xenon preconditioning (PC) could protect immature myocardium against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in a dose-dependent manner and clarify the role of xenon PC on oxidative stress. Forty-eight isolated perfused immature rabbit hearts were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12): The sham group had the hearts perfused continuously for 300 min. In I/R group, the hearts were subjected to 60 min perfusion followed by 60 min ischemia and 180 min reperfusion. In 1 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and 0.5 MAC xenon PC groups, the hearts were preconditioned with 1 MAC or 0.5 MAC xenon respectively, following 60 min ischemia and 180 min reperfusion. The cardiac function, myocardial infarct size, mitochondrial structure, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level in each group were determined after reperfusion. Compared with I/R group, both 1 MAC and 0. 5 MAC xenon preconditioning significantly improved cardiac function (P < 0.01), reduced myocardial infarct size (P < 0.01) and mitochondrial damage, increased SOD activity and decreased MDA level (P < 0.01). There were no differences between 1 MAC group and 0.5 MAC xenon group (P > 0.05). Xenon preconditioning at 0. 5 and 1 MAC produce similar cardioprotective effects against I/R injury in isolated perfused immature heart.

Xenon preconditioning: the role of prosurvival signaling, mitochondrial permeability transition and bioenergetics in rats.

PubMed

Mio, Yasushi; Shim, Yon Hee; Richards, Ebony; Bosnjak, Zeljko J; Pagel, Paul S; Bienengraeber, Martin

2009-03-01

Similar to volatile anesthetics, the anesthetic noble gas xenon protects the heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury, but the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are not fully understood. We tested the hypothesis that xenon-induced cardioprotection is mediated by prosurvival signaling kinases that target mitochondria. Male Wistar rats instrumented for hemodynamic measurements were subjected to a 30 min left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and 2 h reperfusion. Rats were randomly assigned to receive 70% nitrogen/30% oxygen (control) or three 5-min cycles of 70% xenon/30% oxygen interspersed with the oxygen/nitrogen mixture administered for 5 min followed by a 15 min memory period. Myocardial infarct size was measured using triphenyltetrazolium staining. Additional hearts from control and xenon-pretreated rats were excised for Western blotting of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3beta) phosphorylation and isolation of mitochondria. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption before and after hypoxia/reoxygenation and mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening were determined. Xenon significantly (P < 0.05) reduced myocardial infarct size compared with control (32 +/- 4 and 59% +/- 4% of the left ventricular area at risk; mean +/- sd) and enhanced phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3beta. Xenon pretreatment preserved state 3 respiration of isolated mitochondria compared with the results obtained in the absence of the gas. The Ca(2+) concentration required to induce mitochondrial membrane depolarization was larger in the presence compared with the absence of xenon pretreatment (78 +/- 17 and 56 +/- 17 microM, respectively). The phosphoinositol-3-kinase-kinase inhibitor wortmannin blocked the effect of xenon on infarct size and respiration. These results indicate that xenon preconditioning reduces myocardial infarct size, phosphorylates Akt, and GSK-3beta, preserves mitochondrial function, and inhibits Ca(2+)-induced mitochondrial permeability

Requirements for Xenon International

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hayes, James C.; Ely, James H.; Haas, Derek A.

2015-12-30

This document defines the requirements for the new Xenon International radioxenon system. The output of this project will be a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) developed prototype and a manufacturer-developed production prototype. The two prototypes are intended to be as close to matching as possible; this will be facilitated by overlapping development cycles and open communication between PNNL and the manufacturer.

Optimization of dual-energy xenon-computed tomography for quantitative assessment of regional pulmonary ventilation.

PubMed

Fuld, Matthew K; Halaweish, Ahmed F; Newell, John D; Krauss, Bernhard; Hoffman, Eric A

2013-09-01

Dual-energy x-ray computed tomography (DECT) offers visualization of the airways and quantitation of regional pulmonary ventilation using a single breath of inhaled xenon gas. In this study, we sought to optimize scanning protocols for DECT xenon gas ventilation imaging of the airways and lung parenchyma and to characterize the quantitative nature of the developed protocols through a series of test-object and animal studies. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved all animal studies reported here. A range of xenon/oxygen gas mixtures (0%, 20%, 25%, 33%, 50%, 66%, 100%; balance oxygen) were scanned in syringes and balloon test-objects to optimize the delivered gas mixture for assessment of regional ventilation while allowing for the development of improved 3-material decomposition calibration parameters. In addition, to alleviate gravitational effects on xenon gas distribution, we replaced a portion of the oxygen in the xenon/oxygen gas mixture with helium and compared gas distributions in a rapid-prototyped human central-airway test-object. Additional syringe tests were performed to determine if the introduction of helium had any effect on xenon quantitation. Xenon gas mixtures were delivered to anesthetized swine to assess airway and lung parenchymal opacification while evaluating various DECT scan acquisition settings. Attenuation curves for xenon were obtained from the syringe test-objects and were used to develop improved 3-material decomposition parameters (Hounsfield unit enhancement per percentage xenon: within the chest phantom, 2.25 at 80 kVp, 1.7 at 100 kVp, and 0.76 at 140 kVp with tin filtration; in open air, 2.5 at 80 kVp, 1.95 at 100 kVp, and 0.81 at 140 kVp with tin filtration). The addition of helium improved the distribution of xenon gas to the gravitationally nondependent portion of the airway tree test-object, while not affecting the quantitation of xenon in the 3-material decomposition DECT. The mixture 40% Xe/40% He/20% O2

A technique for administering xenon gas anesthesia during surgical procedures in mice.

PubMed

Ruder, Arne Mathias; Schmidt, Michaela; Ludiro, Alessia; Riva, Marco A; Gass, Peter

2014-11-01

Carrying out invasive procedures in animals requires the administration of anesthesia. Xenon gas offers advantages as an anesthetic agent compared with other agents, such as its protection of the brain and heart from hypoxia-induced damage. The high cost of xenon gas has limited its use as an anesthetic in animal experiments, however. The authors designed and constructed simple boxes for the induction and maintenance of xenon gas and isoflurane anesthesia in small rodents in order to minimize the amount of xenon gas that is wasted. While using their anesthesia delivery system to anesthetize pregnant mice undergoing caesarean sections, they measured the respiratory rates of the anesthetized mice, the survival of the pups and the percentages of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the system to confirm the system's safety.

In Vivo Measurement in Pigs of Wash-In Kinetics of Xenon at its Site of Action.

PubMed

Froeba, Gebhard; Adolph, Oliver

2016-01-01

Xenon (Xe) in many respects is an ideal anaesthetic agent. Its blood/gas partition coefficient is lower than that of any other anaesthetic, enabling rapid induction of and emergence from anaesthesia. While the whole body kinetics during wash-in of inhalational anaesthesia is well known, data describing the pharmacokinetics of xenon in the cerebral compartment at the site of action are still largely missing. In order to illuminate xenon's cerebral pharmacokinetics, we anaesthetised five pigs and measured arterial, mixed- and sagittal sinus-venous blood, as well as end-expiratory gas concentrations of xenon by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) up to 30 minutes after starting the anaesthetic gas mixture. Despite xenon's fast onset of effect the half-time for equilibration between xenon concentration in arterial blood and at the site of action is measured to be 1.49 ± 0.04 minutes versus 3.91 ± 0.1 minutes. Successful loading of xenon in the brain during inhalational anesthesia was accomplished after approximately 15 minutes although the end-expiratory xenon concentration reached a plateau after 7 minutes. Thus cerebral xenon uptake rate is only moderate, xenon fast onset of action being largely due to its extremely fast alveolar uptake. To ensure safety and precise control during anaesthesia we need a profound knowledge about to what extent the measured end-tidal concentrations reflect the drug concentrations in the target tissue. The results of this study expand our knowledge about the temporal characteristics of xenon´s pharmacokinetics at its site of action and provide the basis for appropriate clinical protocols and experimental designs of future studies.

A novel electron tunneling infrared detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, T. W.; Waltman, S. B.; Reynolds, J. K.; Kaiser, W. J.

1990-01-01

The pneumatic infrared detector, originally developed by Golay in the late 1940s, uses the thermal expansion of one cm(exp 3) of xenon at room temperature to detect the heat deposited by infrared radiation. This detector was limited by thermal fluctuations within a 10 Hz bandwidth, but suffered from long thermal time constants and a fragile structure. Nevertheless, it represents the most sensitive room temperature detector currently available in the long wavelength infrared (LWIR). Fabrication of this type of detector on smaller scales has been limited by the lack of a suitably sensitive transducer. Researchers designed a detector based on this principle, but which is constructed entirely from micromachined silicon, and uses a vacuum tunneling transducer to detect the expansion of the trapped gas. Because this detector is fabricated using micromachining techniques, miniaturization and integration into one and two-dimensional arrays is feasible. The extreme sensitivity of vacuum tunneling to changes in electrode separation will allow a prototype of this detector to operate in the limit of thermal fluctuations over a 10 kHz bandwidth. A calculation of the predicted response and noise of the prototype is presented with the general formalism of thermal detectors. At present, most of the components of the prototype have been fabricated and tested independently. In particular, a characterization of the micromachined electron tunneling transducer has been carried out. The measured noise in the tunnel current is within a decade of the limit imposed by shot noise, and well below the requirements for the operation of an infrared detector with the predicted sensitivity. Assembly and characterization of the prototype infrared detector will be carried out promptly.

Unattended Radiation Sensor Systems for Remote Terrestrial Applications and Nuclear Nonproliferation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Berg, Lodewijk; Proctor, Alan E.; Pohl, Ken R.; Bolozdynya, Alex; De Vito, Raymond

2002-10-01

The design of instrumentation for remote sensing presents special requirements in the areas of power consumption, long-term stability, and compactness. At the same time, the high sensitivity and resolution of the devices needs to be preserved. This paper will describe several instruments suitable for remote sensing developed under the sponsorship of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The first is a system consisting of a mechanical cryocooler coupled with a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The system is portable and can be operated for extended periods of time at remote locations without servicing. The second is a hand-held radiation intensity meter with high sensitivity that can operate for several months on two small batteries. Intensity signals above a set limit can be transmitted to a central monitoring station by cable or radio transmission. The third is a small module incorporating one or more high resolution mercuric iodide detectors and front end electronics. This unit can be operated using standard electronic systems, or it can be connected to a separately designed, pocket-size module that can provide power to any detector system and can process detector signals. It incorporates a shaping amplifier, a multichannel analyzer, and gated integrator electronics to process the slow signal pulses generated by room temperature solid state detectors. The fourth is a high pressure xenon (HPXe) ionization chamber filled with very pure xenon gas at high pressure, so that the efficiency and spectral resolution are increased above the normally available gas-filled tubes. The performance of these systems will be described and discussed.

Irreversible xenon insertion into a small-pore zeolite at moderate pressures and temperatures

DOE PAGES

Seoung, Donghoon; Cynn, Hyunchae; Park, Changyong; ...

2014-09-01

Pressure drastically alters the chemical and physical properties of materials and allows structural phase transitions and chemical reactions to occur that defy much of our understanding gained under ambient conditions. Particularly exciting is the high-pressure chemistry of xenon, which is known to react with hydrogen and ice at high pressures and form stable compounds. Here, we show that Ag 16Al 16Si 24O 8·16H 2O (Ag-natrolite) irreversibly inserts xenon into its micropores at 1.7 GPa and 250 °C, while Ag + is reduced to metallic Ag and possibly oxidized to Ag 2+. In contrast to krypton, xenon is retained within themore » pores of this zeolite after pressure release and requires heat to desorb. This irreversible insertion and trapping of xenon in Ag-natrolite under moderate conditions sheds new light on chemical reactions that could account for the xenon deficiency relative to argon observed in terrestrial and Martian atmospheres.« less

Bispectral index, entropy, and quantitative electroencephalogram during single-agent xenon anesthesia.

PubMed

Laitio, Ruut M; Kaskinoro, Kimmo; Särkelä, Mika O K; Kaisti, Kaike K; Salmi, Elina; Maksimow, Anu; Långsjö, Jaakko W; Aantaa, Riku; Kangas, Katja; Jääskeläinen, Satu; Scheinin, Harry

2008-01-01

The aim was to evaluate the performance of anesthesia depth monitors, Bispectral Index (BIS) and Entropy, during single-agent xenon anesthesia in 17 healthy subjects. After mask induction with xenon and intubation, anesthesia was continued with xenon only. BIS, State Entropy and Response Entropy, and electroencephalogram were monitored throughout induction, steady-state anesthesia, and emergence. The performance of BIS, State Entropy, and Response Entropy were evaluated with prediction probability, sensitivity, and specificity analyses. The power spectrum of the raw electroencephalogram signal was calculated. The mean (SD) xenon concentration during anesthesia was 66.4% (2.4%). BIS, State Entropy, and Response Entropy demonstrated low prediction probability values at loss of response (0.455, 0.656, and 0.619) but 1 min after that the values were high (0.804, 0.941, and 0.929). Thereafter, equally good performance was demonstrated for all indices. At emergence, the prediction probability values to distinguish between steady-state anesthesia and return of response for BIS, State Entropy, and Response Entropy were 0.988, 0.892, and 0.992. No statistical differences between the performances of the monitors were observed. Quantitative electroencephalogram analyses showed generalized increase in total power (P < 0.001), delta (P < 0.001) and theta activity (P < 0.001), and increased alpha activity (P = 0.003) in the frontal brain regions. Electroencephalogram-derived depth of sedation indices BIS and Entropy showed a delay to detect loss of response during induction of xenon anesthesia. Both monitors performed well in distinguishing between conscious and unconscious states during steady-state anesthesia. Xenon-induced changes in electroencephalogram closely resemble those induced by propofol.

Neither xenon nor fentanyl induces neuroapoptosis in the newborn pig brain.

PubMed

Sabir, Hemmen; Bishop, Sarah; Cohen, Nicki; Maes, Elke; Liu, Xun; Dingley, John; Thoresen, Marianne

2013-08-01

Some inhalation anesthetics increase apoptotic cell death in the developing brain. Xenon, an inhalation anesthetic, increases neuroprotection when combined with therapeutic hypothermia after hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in newborn animals. The authors, therefore, examined whether there was any neuroapoptotic effect of breathing 50% xenon with continuous fentanyl sedation for 24 h at normothermia or hypothermia on newborn pigs. Twenty-six healthy pigs (<24-h old) were randomized into four groups: (1) 24  h of 50% inhaled xenon with fentanyl at hypothermia (Trec = 33.5 °C), (2) 24 h of 50% inhaled xenon with fentanyl at normothermia (Trec = 38.5 °C), (3) 24 h of fentanyl at normothermia, or (4) nonventilated juvenile controls at normothermia. Five additional nonrandomized pigs inhaled 2% isoflurane at normothermia for 24 h to verify any proapoptotic effect of inhalation anesthetics in our model. Pathological cells were morphologically assessed in cortex, putamen, hippocampus, thalamus, and white matter. To quantify the findings, immunostained cells (caspase-3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine-triphosphate nick-end labeling) were counted in the same brain regions. For groups (1) to (4), the total number of apoptotic cells was less than 5 per brain region, representing normal developmental neuroapoptosis. After immunostaining and cell counting, regression analysis showed that neither 50% xenon with fentanyl nor fentanyl alone increased neuroapoptosis. Isoflurane caused on average a 5- to 10-fold increase of immunostained cells. At normothermia or hypothermia, neither 24 h of inhaled 50% xenon with fentanyl sedation nor fentanyl alone induces neuroapoptosis in the neonatal pig brain. Breathing 2% isoflurane increases neuroapoptosis in neonatal pigs.

Xenon depresses aEEG background voltage activity whilst maintaining cardiovascular stability in sedated healthy newborn pigs.

PubMed

Sabir, Hemmen; Wood, Thomas; Gill, Hannah; Liu, Xun; Dingley, John; Thoresen, Marianne

2016-04-15

Changes in electroencephalography (EEG) voltage range are used to monitor the depth of anaesthesia, as well as predict outcome after hypoxia-ischaemia in neonates. Xenon is being investigated as a potential neuroprotectant after hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury, but the effect of Xenon on EEG parameters in children or neonates is not known. This study aimed to examine the effect of 50% inhaled Xenon on background amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) activity in sedated healthy newborn pigs. Five healthy newborn pigs, receiving intravenous fentanyl sedation, were ventilated for 24 h with 50%Xenon, 30%O2 and 20%N2 at normothermia. The upper and lower voltage-range of the aEEG was continuously monitored together with cardiovascular parameters throughout a 1 h baseline period with fentanyl sedation only, followed by 24 h of Xenon administration. The median (IQR) upper and lower aEEG voltage during 1 h baseline was 48.0 μV (46.0-50.0) and 25.0 μV (23.0-26.0), respectively. The median (IQR) aEEG upper and lower voltage ranges were significantly depressed to 21.5 μV (20.0-26.5) and 12.0 μV (12.0-16.5) from 10 min after the onset of 50% Xenon administration (p=0.002). After the initial Xenon induced depression in background aEEG voltage, no further aEEG changes were seen over the following 24h of ventilation with 50% xenon under fentanyl sedation. Mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate remained stable. Mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were not significantly influenced by 24h Xenon ventilation. 50% Xenon rapidly depresses background aEEG voltage to a steady ~50% lower level in sedated healthy newborn pigs. Therefore, care must be taken when interpreting the background voltage in neonates also receiving Xenon. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of pulmonary function using single-breath-hold dual-energy computed tomography with xenon: Results of a preliminary study.

PubMed

Kyoyama, Hiroyuki; Hirata, Yusuke; Kikuchi, Satoshi; Sakai, Kosuke; Saito, Yuriko; Mikami, Shintaro; Moriyama, Gaku; Yanagita, Hisami; Watanabe, Wataru; Otani, Katharina; Honda, Norinari; Uematsu, Kazutsugu

2017-01-01

Xenon-enhanced dual-energy computed tomography (xenon-enhanced CT) can provide lung ventilation maps that may be useful for assessing structural and functional abnormalities of the lung. Xenon-enhanced CT has been performed using a multiple-breath-hold technique during xenon washout. We recently developed xenon-enhanced CT using a single-breath-hold technique to assess ventilation. We sought to evaluate whether xenon-enhanced CT using a single-breath-hold technique correlates with pulmonary function testing (PFT) results.Twenty-six patients, including 11 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, underwent xenon-enhanced CT and PFT. Three of the COPD patients underwent xenon-enhanced CT before and after bronchodilator treatment. Images from xenon-CT were obtained by dual-source CT during a breath-hold after a single vital-capacity inspiration of a xenon-oxygen gas mixture. Image postprocessing by 3-material decomposition generated conventional CT and xenon-enhanced images.Low-attenuation areas on xenon images matched low-attenuation areas on conventional CT in 21 cases but matched normal-attenuation areas in 5 cases. Volumes of Hounsfield unit (HU) histograms of xenon images correlated moderately and highly with vital capacity (VC) and total lung capacity (TLC), respectively (r = 0.68 and 0.85). Means and modes of histograms weakly correlated with VC (r = 0.39 and 0.38), moderately with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (r = 0.59 and 0.56), weakly with the ratio of FEV1 to FVC (r = 0.46 and 0.42), and moderately with the ratio of FEV1 to its predicted value (r = 0.64 and 0.60). Mode and volume of histograms increased in 2 COPD patients after the improvement of FEV1 with bronchodilators. Inhalation of xenon gas caused no adverse effects.Xenon-enhanced CT using a single-breath-hold technique depicted functional abnormalities not detectable on thin-slice CT. Mode, mean, and volume of HU histograms of xenon images reflected

Optical ionization detector

DOEpatents

Wuest, C.R.; Lowry, M.E.

1994-03-29

An optical ionization detector wherein a beam of light is split so that one arm passes through a fiber optics and the other arm passes through a gas-filled region, and uses interferometry to detect density changes in a gas when charged particles pass through it. The gas-filled region of the detector is subjected to a high electric field and as a charged particle traverses this gas region electrons are freed from the cathode and accelerated so as to generate an electron avalanche which is collected on the anode. The gas density is effected by the electron avalanche formation and if the index or refraction is proportional to the gas density the index will change accordingly. The detector uses this index change by modulating the one arm of the split light beam passing through the gas, with respect to the other arm that is passed through the fiber optic. Upon recombining of the beams, interference fringe changes as a function of the index change indicates the passage of charged particles through the gaseous medium. 3 figures.

Optical ionization detector

DOEpatents

Wuest, Craig R.; Lowry, Mark E.

1994-01-01

An optical ionization detector wherein a beam of light is split so that one arm passes through a fiber optics and the other arm passes through a gas-filled region, and uses interferometry to detect density changes in a gas when charged particles pass through it. The gas-filled region of the detector is subjected to a high electric field and as a charged particle traverses this gas region electrons are freed from the cathode and accelerated so as to generate an electron avalanche which is collected on the anode. The gas density is effected by the electron avalanche formation and if the index or refraction is proportional to the gas density the index will change accordingly. The detector uses this index change by modulating the one arm of the split light beam passing through the gas, with respect to the other arm that is passed through the fiber optic. Upon recombining of the beams, interference fringe changes as a function of the index change indicates the passage of charged particles through the gaseous medium.

Xenon improves neurological outcome and reduces secondary injury following trauma in an in vivo model of traumatic brain injury

PubMed Central

Luh, Clara; Gruss, Marco; Radyushkin, Konstantin; Hirnet, Tobias; Werner, Christian; Engelhard, Kristin; Franks, Nicholas P; Thal, Serge C; Dickinson, Robert

2015-01-01

Objectives To determine the neuroprotective efficacy of the inert gas xenon following traumatic brain injury, and to determine whether application of xenon has a clinically relevant therapeutic time window. Design Controlled animal study. Setting University research laboratory. Subjects Male C57BL/6N mice (n=196) Interventions 75% xenon, 50% xenon or 30% xenon, with 25% oxygen (balance nitrogen) treatment following mechanical brain lesion by controlled cortical impact. Measurements & Main Results Outcome following trauma was measured using: 1) functional neurological outcome score, 2) histological measurement of contusion volume, 3) analysis of locomotor function and gait. Our study shows that xenon-treatment improves outcome following traumatic brain injury. Neurological outcome scores were significantly (p<0.05) better in xenon-treated groups in the early phase (24 hours) and up to 4 days after injury. Contusion volume was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in the xenon-treated groups. Xenon treatment significantly (p<0.05) reduced contusion volume when xenon was given 15 minutes after injury or when treatment was delayed 1 hour or 3 hours after injury. Neurological outcome was significantly (p<0.05) improved when xenon treatment was given 15 minutes or 1 hour after injury. Improvements in locomotor function (p<0.05) were observed in the xenon-treated group, 1 month after trauma. Conclusions These results show for the first time that xenon improves neurological outcome and reduces contusion volume following traumatic brain injury in mice. In this model, xenon application has a therapeutic time window of up to at least 3 hours. These findings support the idea that xenon may be of benefit as a neuroprotective treatment in brain trauma patients. PMID:25188549

Xenon improves neurologic outcome and reduces secondary injury following trauma in an in vivo model of traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Campos-Pires, Rita; Armstrong, Scott P; Sebastiani, Anne; Luh, Clara; Gruss, Marco; Radyushkin, Konstantin; Hirnet, Tobias; Werner, Christian; Engelhard, Kristin; Franks, Nicholas P; Thal, Serge C; Dickinson, Robert

2015-01-01

To determine the neuroprotective efficacy of the inert gas xenon following traumatic brain injury and to determine whether application of xenon has a clinically relevant therapeutic time window. Controlled animal study. University research laboratory. Male C57BL/6N mice (n = 196). Seventy-five percent xenon, 50% xenon, or 30% xenon, with 25% oxygen (balance nitrogen) treatment following mechanical brain lesion by controlled cortical impact. Outcome following trauma was measured using 1) functional neurologic outcome score, 2) histological measurement of contusion volume, and 3) analysis of locomotor function and gait. Our study shows that xenon treatment improves outcome following traumatic brain injury. Neurologic outcome scores were significantly (p < 0.05) better in xenon-treated groups in the early phase (24 hr) and up to 4 days after injury. Contusion volume was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the xenon-treated groups. Xenon treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced contusion volume when xenon was given 15 minutes after injury or when treatment was delayed 1 or 3 hours after injury. Neurologic outcome was significantly (p < 0.05) improved when xenon treatment was given 15 minutes or 1 hour after injury. Improvements in locomotor function (p < 0.05) were observed in the xenon-treated group, 1 month after trauma. These results show for the first time that xenon improves neurologic outcome and reduces contusion volume following traumatic brain injury in mice. In this model, xenon application has a therapeutic time window of up to at least 3 hours. These findings support the idea that xenon may be of benefit as a neuroprotective treatment in patients with brain trauma.

Inference and analysis of xenon outflow curves under multi-pulse injection in two-dimensional chromatography.

PubMed

Shu-Jiang, Liu; Zhan-Ying, Chen; Yin-Zhong, Chang; Shi-Lian, Wang; Qi, Li; Yuan-Qing, Fan

2013-10-11

Multidimensional gas chromatography is widely applied to atmospheric xenon monitoring for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). To improve the capability for xenon sampling from the atmosphere, sampling techniques have been investigated in detail. The sampling techniques are designed by xenon outflow curves which are influenced by many factors, and the injecting condition is one of the key factors that could influence the xenon outflow curves. In this paper, the xenon outflow curves of single-pulse injection in two-dimensional gas chromatography has been tested and fitted as a function of exponential modified Gaussian distribution. An inference formula of the xenon outflow curve for six-pulse injection is derived, and the inference formula is also tested to compare with its fitting formula of the xenon outflow curve. As a result, the curves of both the one-pulse and six-pulse injections obey the exponential modified Gaussian distribution when the temperature of the activated carbon column's temperature is 26°C and the flow rate of the carrier gas is 35.6mLmin(-1). The retention time of the xenon peak for one-pulse injection is 215min, and the peak width is 138min. For the six-pulse injection, however, the retention time is delayed to 255min, and the peak width broadens to 222min. According to the inferred formula of the xenon outflow curve for the six-pulse injection, the inferred retention time is 243min, the relative deviation of the retention time is 4.7%, and the inferred peak width is 225min, with a relative deviation of 1.3%. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Early treatment with xenon protects against the cold ischemia associated with chronic allograft nephropathy in rats.

PubMed

Zhao, Hailin; Luo, Xianghong; Zhou, Zhaowei; Liu, Juying; Tralau-Stewart, Catherine; George, Andrew J T; Ma, Daqing

2014-01-01

Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is a common finding in kidney grafts with functional impairment. Prolonged hypothermic storage-induced ischemia-reperfusion injury is associated with the early onset of CAN. As the noble gas xenon is clinically used as an anesthetic and has renoprotective properties in a rodent model of ischemia-reperfusion injury, we studied whether early treatment with xenon could attenuate CAN associated with prolonged hypothermic storage. Exposure to xenon enhanced the expression of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its receptor in human proximal tubular (HK-2) cells, which, in turn, increased cell proliferation. Xenon treatment before or after hypothermia-hypoxia decreased cell apoptosis and cell inflammation after reoxygenation. The xenon-induced HK-2 cell proliferation was abolished by blocking the IGF-1 receptor, mTOR, and HIF-1α individually. In the Fischer-to-Lewis rat allogeneic renal transplantation model, xenon exposure of donors before graft retrieval or recipients after engraftment enhanced tubular cell proliferation and decreased tubular cell death and cell inflammation associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury. Compared with control allografts, xenon treatment significantly suppressed T-cell infiltration and fibrosis, prevented the development of CAN, and improved renal function. Thus, xenon treatment promoted recovery from ischemia-reperfusion injury and reduced susceptibility to the subsequent development of CAN in allografts.

Excess thermodynamics of mixtures involving xenon and light linear alkanes by computer simulation.

PubMed

Carvalho, A J Palace; Ramalho, J P Prates; Martins, Luís F G

2007-06-14

Excess molar enthalpies and excess molar volumes as a function of composition for liquid mixtures of xenon + ethane (at 161.40 K), xenon + propane (at 161.40 K) and xenon + n-butane (at 182.34 K) have been obtained by Monte Carlo computer simulations and compared with available experimental data. Simulation conditions were chosen to closely match those of the corresponding experimental results. The TraPPE-UA force field was selected among other force fields to model all the alkanes studied, whereas the one-center Lennard-Jones potential from Bohn et al. was used for xenon. The calculated H(m)(E) and V(m)(E) for all systems are negative, increasing in magnitude as the alkane chain length increases. The results for these systems were compared with experimental data and with other theoretical calculations using the SAFT approach. An excellent agreement between simulation and experimental results was found for xenon + ethane system, whereas for the remaining two systems, some deviations that become progressively more significant as the alkane chain length increases were observed.

Protection of xenon against postoperative oxygen impairment in adults undergoing Stanford Type-A acute aortic dissection surgery

PubMed Central

Jin, Mu; Cheng, Yi; Yang, Yanwei; Pan, Xudong; Lu, Jiakai; Cheng, Weiping

2017-01-01

Abstract Objectives: The available evidence shows that hypoxemia after Stanford Type-A acute aortic dissection (AAD) surgery is a frequent cause of several adverse consequences. The pathogenesis of postoperative hypoxemia after AAD surgery is complex, and ischemia/reperfusion and inflammation are likely to be underlying risk factors. Xenon, recognized as an ideal anesthetic and anti-inflammatory treatment, might be a possible treatment for these adverse effects. Methods/Design: The trial is a prospective, double-blind, 4-group, parallel, randomized controlled, a signal-center clinical trial. We will recruit 160 adult patients undergoing Stanford type-A AAD surgery. Patients will be allocated a study number and will be randomized on a 1:1:1:1 basis to receive 1 of the 3 treatment options (pulmonary inflated with 50% xenon, 75% xenon, or 100% xenon) or no treatment (control group, pulmonary inflated with 50% nitrogen). The aims of this study are to clarify the lung protection capability of xenon and its possible mechanisms in patients undergoing the Stanford type-A AAD surgery. Discussion: This trial uses an innovative design to account for the xenon effects of postoperative oxygen impairment, and it also delineates the mechanism for any benefit from xenon. The investigational xenon group is considered a treatment intervention, as it includes 3 groups of pulmonary static inflation with 50%, 75%, and 100% xenon. It is suggested that future trials might define an appropriate concentration of xenon for the best practice intervention. PMID:28834897

Modular data acquisition system and its use in gas-filled detector readout at ESRF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sever, F.; Epaud, F.; Poncet, F.; Grave, M.; Rey-Bakaikoa, V.

1996-09-01

Since 1992, 18 ESRF beamlines are open to users. Although the data acquisition requirements vary a lot from one beamline to another, we are trying to implement a modular data acquisition system architecture that would fit with the maximum number of acquisition projects at ESRF. Common to all of these systems are large acquisition memories and the requirement to visualize the data during an acquisition run and to transfer them quickly after the run to safe storage. We developed a general memory API handling the acquisition memory and its organization and another library that provides calls for transferring the data over TCP/IP sockets. Interesting utility programs using these libraries are the `online display' program and the `data transfer' program. The data transfer program as well as an acquisition control program rely on our well-established `device server model', which was originally designed for the machine control system and then successfully reused in beamline control systems. In the second half of this paper, the acquisition system for a 2D gas-filled detector is presented, which is one of the first concrete examples using the proposed modular data acquisition architecture.

Measurement of radon and xenon binding to a cryptophane molecular host

PubMed Central

Jacobson, David R.; Khan, Najat S.; Collé, Ronald; Fitzgerald, Ryan; Laureano-Pérez, Lizbeth; Bai, Yubin; Dmochowski, Ivan J.

2011-01-01

Xenon and radon have many similar properties, a difference being that all 35 isotopes of radon (195Rn–229Rn) are radioactive. Radon is a pervasive indoor air pollutant believed to cause significant incidence of lung cancer in many geographic regions, yet radon affinity for a discrete molecular species has never been determined. By comparison, the chemistry of xenon has been widely studied and applied in science and technology. Here, both noble gases were found to bind with exceptional affinity to tris-(triazole ethylamine) cryptophane, a previously unsynthesized water-soluble organic host molecule. The cryptophane–xenon association constant, Ka = 42,000 ± 2,000 M-1 at 293 K, was determined by isothermal titration calorimetry. This value represents the highest measured xenon affinity for a host molecule. The partitioning of radon between air and aqueous cryptophane solutions of varying concentration was determined radiometrically to give the cryptophane–radon association constant Ka = 49,000 ± 12,000 M-1 at 293 K. PMID:21690357

Low-mass dark matter search using ionization signals in XENON100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Buss, A.; Bütikofer, L.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Duchovni, E.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Galloway, M.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Gross, E.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Levinson, L.; Le Calloch, M.; Levy, C.; Linde, F.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Lyashenko, A.; Manfredini, A.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Melgarejo Fernandez, A. J.; Meng, Y.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Miguez, B.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Oberlack, U.; Orrigo, S. E. A.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Simgen, H.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C. D.; von Sivers, M.; Wall, R.; Wang, H.; Weber, M.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xenon Collaboration

2016-11-01

We perform a low-mass dark matter search using an exposure of 30 kg ×yr with the XENON100 detector. By dropping the requirement of a scintillation signal and using only the ionization signal to determine the interaction energy, we lowered the energy threshold for detection to 0.7 keV for nuclear recoils. No dark matter detection can be claimed because a complete background model cannot be constructed without a primary scintillation signal. Instead, we compute an upper limit on the WIMP-nucleon scattering cross section under the assumption that every event passing our selection criteria could be a signal event. Using an energy interval from 0.7 keV to 9.1 keV, we derive a limit on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section that excludes WIMPs with a mass of 6 GeV /c2 above 1.4 ×10-41 cm2 at 90% confidence level.

Xenon neurotoxicity in rat hippocampal slice cultures is similar to isoflurane and sevoflurane.

PubMed

Brosnan, Heather; Bickler, Philip E

2013-08-01

Anesthetic neurotoxicity in the developing brain of rodents and primates has raised concern. Xenon may be a nonneurotoxic alternative to halogenated anesthetics, but its toxicity has only been studied at low concentrations, where neuroprotective effects predominate in animal models. An equipotent comparison of xenon and halogenated anesthetics with respect to neurotoxicity in developing neurons has not been made. Organotypic hippocampal cultures from 7-day-old rats were exposed to 0.75, 1, and 2 minimum alveolar concentrations (MAC) partial pressures (60% xenon at 1.2, 2.67, and 3.67 atm; isoflurane at 1.4, 1.9, and 3.8%; and sevoflurane at 3.4 and 6.8%) for 6 h, at atmospheric pressure or in a pressure chamber. Cell death was assessed 24 h later with fluorojade and fluorescent dye exclusion techniques. Xenon caused death of hippocampal neurons in CA1, CA3, and dentate regions after 1 and 2 MAC exposures, but not at 0.75 MAC. At 1 MAC, xenon increased cell death 40% above baseline (P < 0.01; ANOVA with Dunnett test). Both isoflurane and sevoflurane increased neuron death at 1 but not 2 MAC. At 1 MAC, the increase in cell death compared with controls was 63% with isoflurane and 90% with sevoflurane (both P < 0.001). Pretreatment of cultures with isoflurane (0.75 MAC) reduced neuron death after 1 MAC xenon, isoflurane, and sevoflurane. Xenon causes neuronal cell death in an in vitro model of the developing rodent brain at 1 MAC, as does isoflurane and sevoflurane at similarly potent concentrations. Preconditioning with a subtoxic dose of isoflurane eliminates this toxicity.

Venus, Earth, Xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahnle, K. J.

2013-12-01

Xenon has been regarded as an important goal of many proposed missions to Venus. This talk is intended to explain why. Despite its being the heaviest gas found in natural planetary atmospheres, there is more evidence that Xe escaped from Earth than for any element apart from helium: (i) Atmospheric Xe is very strongly mass fractionated (at about 4% per amu) from any known solar system source. This suggests fractionating escape that preferentially left the heavy Xe isotopes behind. (ii) Xe is underabundant compared to Kr, a lighter noble gas that is not strongly mass fractionated in air. (iii) Radiogenic Xe is strongly depleted by factors of several to ~100 compared to the quantities expected from radioactive decay of primordial solar system materials. In these respects Xe on Mars is similar to Xe on Earth, but with one key difference: Xe on Mars is readily explained by a simple process like hydrodynamic escape that acts on an initially solar or meteoritic Xe. This is not so for Earth. Earth's Xe cannot be derived by an uncontrived mass fractionating process acting on any known type of Solar System Xe. Earth is a stranger, made from different stuff than any known meteorite or Mars or even the Sun. Who else is in Earth's family? Comets? We know nothing. Father Zeus? Data from Jupiter are good enough to show that jovian Xe is not strongly mass-fractionated but not good enough to determine whether Jupiter resembles the Earth or the Sun. Sister Venus? Noble gas data from Venus are incomplete, with Kr uncertain and Xe unmeasured. Krypton was measured by several instruments on several spacecraft. The reported Kr abundances are discrepant and were once highly controversial. These discrepancies appear to have been not so much resolved as forgotten. Xenon was not detected on Venus. Upper limits were reported for the two most abundant xenon isotopes 129Xe and 132Xe. From the limited data it is not possible to tell whether Venus's affinities lie with the solar wind, or with

Feasibility and cardiac safety of inhaled xenon in combination with therapeutic hypothermia following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Arola, Olli J; Laitio, Ruut M; Roine, Risto O; Grönlund, Juha; Saraste, Antti; Pietilä, Mikko; Airaksinen, Juhani; Perttilä, Juha; Scheinin, Harry; Olkkola, Klaus T; Maze, Mervyn; Laitio, Timo T

2013-09-01

Preclinical studies reveal the neuroprotective properties of xenon, especially when combined with hypothermia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and cardiac safety of inhaled xenon treatment combined with therapeutic hypothermia in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients. An open controlled and randomized single-centre clinical drug trial (clinicaltrials.gov NCT00879892). A multipurpose ICU in university hospital. Thirty-six adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients (18-80 years old) with ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia as initial cardiac rhythm. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either mild therapeutic hypothermia treatment with target temperature of 33°C (mild therapeutic hypothermia group, n=18) alone or in combination with xenon by inhalation, to achieve a target concentration of at least 40% (Xenon+mild therapeutic hypothermia group, n=18) for 24 hours. Thirty-three patients were evaluable (mild therapeutic hypothermia group, n=17; Xenon+mild therapeutic hypothermia group, n=16). Patients were treated and monitored according to the Utstein protocol. The release of troponin-T was determined at arrival to hospital and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The median end-tidal xenon concentration was 47% and duration of the xenon inhalation was 25.5 hours. The frequency of serious adverse events, including inhospital mortality, status epilepticus, and acute kidney injury, was similar in both groups and there were no unexpected serious adverse reactions to xenon during hospital stay. In addition, xenon did not induce significant conduction, repolarization, or rhythm abnormalities. Median dose of norepinephrine during hypothermia was lower in xenon-treated patients (mild therapeutic hypothermia group=5.30 mg vs Xenon+mild therapeutic hypothermia group=2.95 mg, p=0.06). Heart rate was significantly lower in Xenon+mild therapeutic hypothermia patients during hypothermia

Metallic wire grid behavior and testing in a low pressure gaseous noble elements detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, W.

2018-05-01

High voltage performance has been a challenge for noble element detectors. One piece of this challenge is the emission of electrons from metal electrodes when applying high voltage. This has become a major concern for low-background detectors such as LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ). LZ is a liquid xenon Time Projection Chamber (TPC) searching for Weakly Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs). In this work, we demonstrate a method to measure electron emission from metallic electrode grids via detection of proportional scintillation light. We find consistency with Fowler-Nordheim emission with a surface parameter β = 1988 after electro-polishing treatment of a stainless steel grid.

Ultralow energy calibration of LUX detector using Xe 127 electron capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Beltrame, P.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boulton, E. M.; Brás, P.; Byram, D.; Cahn, S. B.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Currie, A.; Cutter, J. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edwards, B. N.; Fallon, S. R.; Fan, A.; Fiorucci, S.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Genovesi, J.; Ghag, C.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Hall, C. R.; Hanhardt, M.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hogan, D. P.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Ignarra, C. M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Knoche, R.; Larsen, N. A.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lesko, K. T.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Manalaysay, A.; Mannino, R. L.; Marzioni, M. F.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mock, J.; Moongweluwan, M.; Morad, J. A.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; O'Sullivan, K.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Rhyne, C.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Solmaz, M.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W. C.; Tennyson, B. P.; Terman, P. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; To, W. H.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Uvarov, S.; Velan, V.; Verbus, J. R.; Webb, R. C.; White, J. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Xu, J.; Yazdani, K.; Young, S. K.; Zhang, C.

2017-12-01

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields (Qy ) and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V /cm . The data are obtained using low energy Xe 127 electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of weakly interacting massive particles. The sequence of gamma-ray and x-ray cascades associated with I 127 deexcitations produces clearly identified two-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K-(binding energy, 33.2 keV), L-(5.2 keV), M-(1.1 keV), and N-(186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. The N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil in situ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.

Microscopic simulation of xenon-based optical TPCs in the presence of molecular additives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azevedo, C. D. R.; González-Díaz, D.; Biagi, S. F.; Oliveira, C. A. B.; Henriques, C. A. O.; Escada, J.; Monrabal, F.; Gómez-Cadenas, J. J.; Álvarez, V.; Benlloch-Rodríguez, J. M.; Borges, F. I. G. M.; Botas, A.; Cárcel, S.; Carrión, J. V.; Cebrián, S.; Conde, C. A. N.; Díaz, J.; Diesburg, M.; Esteve, R.; Felkai, R.; Fernandes, L. M. P.; Ferrario, P.; Ferreira, A. L.; Freitas, E. D. C.; Goldschmidt, A.; Gutiérrez, R. M.; Hauptman, J.; Hernandez, A. I.; Morata, J. A. Hernando; Herrero, V.; Jones, B. J. P.; Labarga, L.; Laing, A.; Lebrun, P.; Liubarsky, I.; Lopez-March, N.; Losada, M.; Martín-Albo, J.; Martínez-Lema, G.; Martínez, A.; McDonald, A. D.; Monteiro, C. M. B.; Mora, F. J.; Moutinho, L. M.; Vidal, J. Muñoz; Musti, M.; Nebot-Guinot, M.; Novella, P.; Nygren, D.; Palmeiro, B.; Para, A.; Pérez, J.; Querol, M.; Renner, J.; Ripoll, L.; Rodríguez, J.; Rogers, L.; Santos, F. P.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Serra, L.; Shuman, D.; Simón, A.; Sofka, C.; Sorel, M.; Stiegler, T.; Toledo, J. F.; Torrent, J.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Veloso, J. F. C. A.; Webb, R.; White, J. T.; Yahlali, N.

2018-01-01

We introduce a simulation framework for the transport of high and low energy electrons in xenon-based optical time projection chambers (OTPCs). The simulation relies on elementary cross sections (electron-atom and electron-molecule) and incorporates, in order to compute the gas scintillation, the reaction/quenching rates (atom-atom and atom-molecule) of the first 41 excited states of xenon and the relevant associated excimers, together with their radiative cascade. The results compare positively with observations made in pure xenon and its mixtures with CO2 and CF4 in a range of pressures from 0.1 to 10 bar. This work sheds some light on the elementary processes responsible for the primary and secondary xenon-scintillation mechanisms in the presence of additives, that are of interest to the OTPC technology.

CO adsorption on ion bombarded Ni(111): characterization by photoemission from adsorbed xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Sabrina S.; Malafsky, Geoffrey P.; Hsu, David S. Y.

1993-11-01

The adsorption of CO on Ni(111), ion bombarded with various fluences of 1.0 keV Ar + ions, has been investigated using photoemission from adsorbed xenon (PAX). After ion bombardment of the Ni(111) surface, various amounts of CO were adsorbed, followed by adsorption of xenon at 85 K. Two pressures of xenon were used in examining the 3d {5}/{2} peak of xenon: 5 × 10 -6 and 7 × 10 -10 Torr. PAX data taken at both pressures show that CO selectively adsorbs onto the defect (step) sites created by ion bombardment. In addition, it was found that the amount of CO which could occupy a defect site previously occupied by one Xe atom varied from 10 to 2.5, depending on the ion fluence.

Fill-factor improvement of Si CMOS single-photon avalanche diode detector arrays by integration of diffractive microlens arrays.

PubMed

Intermite, Giuseppe; McCarthy, Aongus; Warburton, Ryan E; Ren, Ximing; Villa, Federica; Lussana, Rudi; Waddie, Andrew J; Taghizadeh, Mohammad R; Tosi, Alberto; Zappa, Franco; Buller, Gerald S

2015-12-28

Single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector arrays generally suffer from having a low fill-factor, in which the photo-sensitive area of each pixel is small compared to the overall area of the pixel. This paper describes the integration of different configurations of high efficiency diffractive optical microlens arrays onto a 32 × 32 SPAD array, fabricated using a 0.35 µm CMOS technology process. The characterization of SPAD arrays with integrated microlens arrays is reported over the spectral range of 500-900 nm, and a range of f-numbers from f/2 to f/22. We report an average concentration factor of 15 measured for the entire SPAD array with integrated microlens array. The integrated SPAD and microlens array demonstrated a very high uniformity in overall efficiency.

Progress on Acoustic Measurements of the Bulk Viscosity of Near-Critical Xenon (BVX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillis, Keith A.; Shinder, Iosif I.; Moldover, Michael R.; Zimmerli, Gregory A.

2004-01-01

We plan to determine the bulk viscosity of xenon 10 times closer [in reduced temperature tau = (T-Tc)/Tc] to its liquid-vapor critical point than ever before. (Tc is the critical temperature.) To do so, we must measure the dispersion and attenuation of sound at frequencies 1/100 of those used previously. In general, sound attenuation has contributions from the bulk viscosity acting throughout the volume of the xenon as well as contributions from the thermal conductivity and the shear viscosity acting within thin thermoacoustic boundary layers at the interface between the xenon and the solid walls of the resonator. Thus, we can determine the bulk viscosity only when the boundary layer attenuation is small and well understood. We present a comparison of calculations and measurements of sound attenuation in the acoustic boundary layer of xenon near its liquid-vapor critical point.

Measuring xenon in human plasma and blood by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Thevis, Mario; Piper, Thomas; Geyer, Hans; Thomas, Andreas; Schaefer, Maximilian S; Kienbaum, Peter; Schänzer, Wilhelm

2014-07-15

Due to the favorable pharmacokinetic properties and minimal side effects of xenon, its use in modern anesthesia has been well accepted, and recent studies further demonstrated the intra- and postoperative neuro-, cardio-, and reno-protective action of the noble gas. Since the production of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and its downstream effector erythropoietin as well as noradrenalin reuptake inhibition have been found to play key roles in this context, the question arose as to whether the use of xenon is a matter for doping controls and preventive doping research. The aim of the present study was hence to evaluate whether the (ab)use of xenon can be detected from doping control samples with the instrumentation commonly available in sports drug testing laboratories. Plasma was saturated with xenon according to reported protocols, and the target analyte was measured by means of gas chromatography/time-of-flight and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry with headspace injection. Recording the accurate mass of three major xenon isotopes at m/z 128.9048, 130.9045 and 131.9042 allowed for the unequivocal identification of the analyte and the detection assay was characterized concerning limit of detection (LOD), intraday precision, and specificity as well as analyte recovery under different storage conditions. Xenon was detected in fortified plasma samples with detection limits of approximately 0.5 nmol/mL to 50 nmol/mL, depending on the type of mass spectrometer used. The method characteristics of intraday precision (coefficient of variation <20%) and specificity demonstrated the fitness-for-purpose of the analytical approach to unambiguously detect xenon at non-physiological concentrations in human plasma and blood. Eventually, authentic plasma and blood samples collected pre-, intra-, and post-operative (4, 8, and 24 h) were positively analyzed after storage for up to 30 h, and provided proof-of-concept for the developed assay. If relevant to

XENON-133 IN CALIFORNIA, NEVADA, AND UTAH FROM THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT (JOURNAL VERSION)

EPA Science Inventory

The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the USSR introduced numerous radioactive nuclides into the atmosphere, including the noble gas xenon-133. EPA's Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas, NV, detected xenon-133 from the Chernobyl accident in air sampl...

Surface damage on polycrystalline β-SiC by xenon ion irradiation at high fluence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baillet, J.; Gavarini, S.; Millard-Pinard, N.; Garnier, V.; Peaucelle, C.; Jaurand, X.; Duranti, A.; Bernard, C.; Rapegno, R.; Cardinal, S.; Escobar Sawa, L.; De Echave, T.; Lanfant, B.; Leconte, Y.

2018-05-01

Polycrystalline β-silicon carbide (β-SiC) pellets were prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). These were implanted at room temperature with 800 keV xenon at ion fluences of 5.1015 and 1.1017 cm-2. Microstructural modifications were studied by electronic microscopy (TEM and SEM) and xenon profiles were determined by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS). A complete amorphization of the implanted area associated with a significant oxidation is observed for the highest fluence. Large xenon bubbles formed in the oxide phase are responsible of surface swelling. No significant gas release has been measured up to 1017 at.cm-2. A model is proposed to explain the different steps of the oxidation process and xenon bubbles formation as a function of ion fluence.

High-pressure plastic scintillation detector for measuring radiogenic gases in flow systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schell, W. R.; Vives-Batlle, J.; Yoon, S. R.; Tobin, M. J.

1999-02-01

Radioactive gases are emitted into the atmosphere from nuclear electric power and nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, from hospitals discarding xenon used in diagnostic medicine, as well as from nuclear weapons tests. A high-pressure plastic scintillation detector was constructed to measure atmospheric levels of such radioactive gases by detecting the beta and internal conversion (IC) electron decays. Operational tests and calibrations were made that permit integration of the flow detectors into a portable Gas Analysis, Separation and Purification system (GASP). The equipment developed can be used for measuring fission gases released from nuclear reactor sources and/or as part of monitoring equipment for enforcing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The detector is being used routinely for in-line gas separation efficiency measurements, at the elevated operational pressures used for the high-pressure swing analysis system (2070 kPa) and at flow rates of 5-15 l/min [1, 2]. This paper presents the design features, operational methods, calibration, and detector applications.

Redesigned β γ radioxenon detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Matthew W.; McIntyre, Justin I.; Bowyer, Ted W.; Carman, April J.; Hayes, James C.; Heimbigner, Tom R.; Hubbard, Charles W.; Lidey, Lance; Litke, Kevin E.; Morris, Scott J.; Ripplinger, Michael D.; Suarez, Reynold; Thompson, Robert

2007-08-01

The Automated Radio-xenon Sampler/Analyzer (ARSA), designed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) collects and detects several radioxenon isotopes, and is used to monitor underground nuclear explosions. The ARSA is very sensitive to 133Xe, 131mXe, 133mXe, and 135Xe (<1 mBq/SCM) [M. Auera et al., Wernspergera, Appl. Radiat. 6 (2004) 60] through use of its compact high efficiency β-γ coincidence detector. For this reason, it is an excellent treaty monitoring system and it can be used as an environmental sampling device as well. Field testing of the ARSA has shown it to be both robust and reliable, but the nuclear detector requires a detailed photomultiplier tube (PMT) gain matching regime difficult to implement in a field environment. Complexity is a problem from a maintenance and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) standpoint, and efforts to reduce these issues have led to development of a simplified β-γ coincident detector. The new design reduces the number of PMT's and the complexity of the calibration needed in comparison to the old design. New scintillation materials (NaI(Tl), CsI(Na), and CsI(Tl)) were investigated and a comparison of three different gamma sensitive well detectors has been completed. A new plastic-scintillator gas cell was constructed and a new method of forming the scintillator gas cell was developed. The simplified detector system compares favorably with the original ARSA design in spectral resolution and efficiency and is significantly easier to set up and calibrate. The new materials and configuration allow the resulting β-γ coincidence detector to maintain the overall performance of the ARSA type β-γ detector while simplifying the design.

Xenon Treatment Protects against Remote Lung Injury after Kidney Transplantation in Rats.

PubMed

Zhao, Hailin; Huang, Han; Ologunde, Rele; Lloyd, Dafydd G; Watts, Helena; Vizcaychipi, Marcela P; Lian, Qingquan; George, Andrew J T; Ma, Daqing

2015-06-01

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) of renal grafts may cause remote organ injury including lungs. The authors aimed to evaluate the protective effect of xenon exposure against remote lung injury due to renal graft IRI in a rat renal transplantation model. For in vitro studies, human lung epithelial cell A549 was challenged with H2O2, tumor necrosis factor-α, or conditioned medium from human kidney proximal tubular cells (HK-2) after hypothermia-hypoxia insults. For in vivo studies, the Lewis renal graft was stored in 4°C Soltran preserving solution for 24 h and transplanted into the Lewis recipient, and the lungs were harvested 24 h after grafting. Cultured lung cells or the recipient after engraftment was exposed to 70% Xe or N2. Phospho (p)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), Bcl-2, high-mobility group protein-1 (HMGB-1), TLR-4, and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) expression, lung inflammation, and cell injuries were assessed. Recipients receiving ischemic renal grafts developed pulmonary injury. Xenon treatment enhanced HIF-1α, which attenuated HMGB-1 translocation and NF-κB activation in A549 cells with oxidative and inflammatory stress. Xenon treatment enhanced p-mTOR, HIF-1α, and Bcl-2 expression and, in turn, promoted cell proliferation in the lung. Upon grafting, HMGB-1 translocation from lung epithelial nuclei was reduced; the TLR-4/NF-κB pathway was suppressed by xenon treatment; and subsequent tissue injury score (nitrogen vs. xenon: 26 ± 1.8 vs. 10.7 ± 2.6; n = 6) was significantly reduced. Xenon treatment confers protection against distant lung injury triggered by renal graft IRI, which is likely through the activation of mTOR-HIF-1α pathway and suppression of the HMGB-1 translocation from nuclei to cytoplasm.

Experimental investigations of argon and xenon ion sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, H. R.

1975-01-01

The multipole thruster was used to investigate the use of argon and xenon propellants as possible alternatives to the electric thruster propellants of mercury and cesium. The multipole approach was used because of its general high performance level. The design employed, using flat and cylindrical rolled sections of sheet metal, was selected for ease of fabrication, design, assembly, and modification. All testing was conducted in a vacuum facility and the pumping was accomplished by a 0.8 m diffusion pump together with liquid nitrogen cooled liner. Minimum discharge losses were in the 200-250 ev. ion range for both argon and xenon. Flatness parameters were typically in the 0.70-0.75 range.

Xenon Protects Against Septic Acute Kidney Injury via miR-21 Target Signaling Pathway.

PubMed

Jia, Ping; Teng, Jie; Zou, Jianzhou; Fang, Yi; Wu, Xie; Liang, Mingyu; Ding, Xiaoqiang

2015-07-01

Septic acute kidney injury is one of the most common and life-threatening complications in critically ill patients, and there is no approved effective treatment. We have shown xenon provides renoprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury and nephrotoxicity in rodents via inhibiting apoptosis. Here, we studied the effects of xenon preconditioning on septic acute kidney injury and its mechanism. Experimental animal investigation. University research laboratory. Experiments were performed with male C57BL/6 mice, 10 weeks of age, weighing 20-25 g. We induced septic acute kidney injury by a single intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Mice were exposed for 2 hours to either 70% xenon or 70% nitrogen, 24 hours before the onset of septic acute kidney injury. In vivo knockdown of miR-21 was performed using locked nucleic acid-modified anti-miR, the role of miR-21 in renal protection conferred by the xenon preconditioning was examined, and miR-21 signaling pathways were analyzed. Xenon preconditioning provided morphologic and functional renoprotection, characterized by attenuation of renal tubular damage, apoptosis, and a reduction in inflammation. Furthermore, xenon treatment significantly upregulated the expression of miR-21 in kidney, suppressed proinflammatory factor programmed cell death protein 4 expression and nuclear factor-κB activity, and increased interleukin-10 production. Meanwhile, xenon preconditioning also suppressed the expression of proapoptotic protein phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, activating protein kinase B signaling pathway, subsequently increasing the expression of antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2, and inhibiting caspase-3 activity. Knockdown of miR-21 upregulated its target effectors programmed cell death protein 4 and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 expression, resulted in an increase in apoptosis, and exacerbated lipopolysaccharide

Xenon Protects Against Septic Acute Kidney Injury via miR-21 Target Signaling Pathway*

PubMed Central

Jia, Ping; Teng, Jie; Zou, Jianzhou; Fang, Yi; Wu, Xie; Liang, Mingyu

2015-01-01

Objectives: Septic acute kidney injury is one of the most common and life-threatening complications in critically ill patients, and there is no approved effective treatment. We have shown xenon provides renoprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury and nephrotoxicity in rodents via inhibiting apoptosis. Here, we studied the effects of xenon preconditioning on septic acute kidney injury and its mechanism. Design: Experimental animal investigation. Setting: University research laboratory. Subjects: Experiments were performed with male C57BL/6 mice, 10 weeks of age, weighing 20–25 g. Interventions: We induced septic acute kidney injury by a single intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Mice were exposed for 2 hours to either 70% xenon or 70% nitrogen, 24 hours before the onset of septic acute kidney injury. In vivo knockdown of miR-21 was performed using locked nucleic acid-modified anti-miR, the role of miR-21 in renal protection conferred by the xenon preconditioning was examined, and miR-21 signaling pathways were analyzed. Measurements and Main Results: Xenon preconditioning provided morphologic and functional renoprotection, characterized by attenuation of renal tubular damage, apoptosis, and a reduction in inflammation. Furthermore, xenon treatment significantly upregulated the expression of miR-21 in kidney, suppressed proinflammatory factor programmed cell death protein 4 expression and nuclear factor-κB activity, and increased interleukin-10 production. Meanwhile, xenon preconditioning also suppressed the expression of proapoptotic protein phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, activating protein kinase B signaling pathway, subsequently increasing the expression of antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2, and inhibiting caspase-3 activity. Knockdown of miR-21 upregulated its target effectors programmed cell death protein 4 and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10

Measurement of aircraft xenon strobe light characteristics

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-08-01

This report provides data on the characteristics of aircraft xenon strobe lights related to their potential for use as the cooperative element in Optical IR (Infrared) Airborne Proximity Warning Indicator (APWI) systems. It includes a description of ...

Chondritic xenon in the Earth's mantle.

PubMed

Caracausi, Antonio; Avice, Guillaume; Burnard, Peter G; Füri, Evelyn; Marty, Bernard

2016-05-05

Noble gas isotopes are powerful tracers of the origins of planetary volatiles, and the accretion and evolution of the Earth. The compositions of magmatic gases provide insights into the evolution of the Earth's mantle and atmosphere. Despite recent analytical progress in the study of planetary materials and mantle-derived gases, the possible dual origin of the planetary gases in the mantle and the atmosphere remains unconstrained. Evidence relating to the relationship between the volatiles within our planet and the potential cosmochemical end-members is scarce. Here we show, using high-precision analysis of magmatic gas from the Eifel volcanic area (in Germany), that the light xenon isotopes identify a chondritic primordial component that differs from the precursor of atmospheric xenon. This is consistent with an asteroidal origin for the volatiles in the Earth's mantle, and indicates that the volatiles in the atmosphere and mantle originated from distinct cosmochemical sources. Furthermore, our data are consistent with the origin of Eifel magmatism being a deep mantle plume. The corresponding mantle source has been isolated from the convective mantle since about 4.45 billion years ago, in agreement with models that predict the early isolation of mantle domains. Xenon isotope systematics support a clear distinction between mid-ocean-ridge and continental or oceanic plume sources, with chemical heterogeneities dating back to the Earth's accretion. The deep reservoir now sampled by the Eifel gas had a lower volatile/refractory (iodine/plutonium) composition than the shallower mantle sampled by mid-ocean-ridge volcanism, highlighting the increasing contribution of volatile-rich material during the first tens of millions of years of terrestrial accretion.

First direct detection limits on sub-GeV dark matter from XENON10.

PubMed

Essig, Rouven; Manalaysay, Aaron; Mardon, Jeremy; Sorensen, Peter; Volansky, Tomer

2012-07-13

The first direct detection limits on dark matter in the MeV to GeV mass range are presented, using XENON10 data. Such light dark matter can scatter with electrons, causing ionization of atoms in a detector target material and leading to single- or few-electron events. We use 15  kg day of data acquired in 2006 to set limits on the dark-matter-electron scattering cross section. The strongest bound is obtained at 100 MeV where σ(e)<3×10(-38)  cm2 at 90% C.L., while dark-matter masses between 20 MeV and 1 GeV are bounded by σ(e)<10(-37)  cm2 at 90% C.L. This analysis provides a first proof of principle that direct detection experiments can be sensitive to dark-matter candidates with masses well below the GeV scale.

Measurement of the drift velocity and transverse diffusion of electrons in liquid xenon with the EXO-200 detector

DOE PAGES

Albert, J. B.; Barbeau, P. S.; Beck, D.; ...

2017-02-14

The EXO-200 Collaboration is searching for neutrinoless double β decay using a liquid xenon (LXe) time projection chamber. This measurement relies on modeling the transport of charge deposits produced by interactions in the LXe to allow discrimination between signal and background events. In this paper, we present measurements of the transverse diffusion constant and drift velocity of electrons at drift fields between 20 V/cm and 615 V/cm using EXO-200 data. Finally, at the operating field of 380 V/cm EXO-200 measures a drift velocity of 1.705 +0.014 –0.010 mm/μs and a transverse diffusion coefficient of 55 ± 4 cm 2/s.

X-ray grid-detector apparatus

DOEpatents

Boone, John M.; Lane, Stephen M.

1998-01-27

A hybrid grid-detector apparatus for x-ray systems wherein a microchannel plate structure has an air-interspaced grid portion and a phosphor/optical fluid-filled grid portion. The grids are defined by multiple adjacent channels separated by lead-glass septa. X-rays entering the air-interspaced grid portion at an angle of impingement upon the septa are attenuated, while non-impinging x-rays pass through to the phosphor/fluid filled portion. X-ray energy is converted to luminescent energy in the phosphor/fluid filled portion and the resultant beams of light are directed out of the phosphor/optical fluid filled portion to an imaging device.

Xenon adsorption on geological media and implications for radionuclide signatures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paul, M. J.; Biegalski, S. R.; Haas, D. A.

Here, the detection of radioactive noble gases is a primary technology for verifying compliance with the pending Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. A fundamental challenge in applying this technology for detecting underground nuclear explosions is estimating the timing and magnitude of the radionuclide signatures. While the primary mechanism for transport is advective transport, either through barometric pumping or thermally driven advection, diffusive transport in the surrounding matrix also plays a secondary role. From the study of primordial noble gas signatures, it is known that xenon has a strong physical adsorption affinity in shale formations. Given the unselective nature of physical adsorption, isothermmore » measurements reported here show that non-trivial amounts of xenon adsorb on a variety of media, in addition to shale. A dual-porosity model is then discussed demonstrating that sorption amplifies the diffusive uptake of an adsorbing matrix from a fracture. This effect may reduce the radioxenon signature down to approximately one-tenth, similar to primordial xenon isotopic signatures.« less

Xenon adsorption on geological media and implications for radionuclide signatures

DOE PAGES

Paul, M. J.; Biegalski, S. R.; Haas, D. A.; ...

2018-02-13

Here, the detection of radioactive noble gases is a primary technology for verifying compliance with the pending Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. A fundamental challenge in applying this technology for detecting underground nuclear explosions is estimating the timing and magnitude of the radionuclide signatures. While the primary mechanism for transport is advective transport, either through barometric pumping or thermally driven advection, diffusive transport in the surrounding matrix also plays a secondary role. From the study of primordial noble gas signatures, it is known that xenon has a strong physical adsorption affinity in shale formations. Given the unselective nature of physical adsorption, isothermmore » measurements reported here show that non-trivial amounts of xenon adsorb on a variety of media, in addition to shale. A dual-porosity model is then discussed demonstrating that sorption amplifies the diffusive uptake of an adsorbing matrix from a fracture. This effect may reduce the radioxenon signature down to approximately one-tenth, similar to primordial xenon isotopic signatures.« less

Intrabullous ventilation in pulmonary emphysema: assessment with dynamic xenon-133 gas SPECT.

PubMed

Suga, Kazuyoshi; Iwanaga, Hideyuki; Tokuda, Osamu; Okada, Munemasa; Matsunaga, Naofumi

2012-04-01

Intrabullous ventilation in patients with pulmonary emphysema (PE) was cross-sectionally evaluated using dynamic xenon-133 gas single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Fifty-two patients with PE with a total of 109 bullae of more than 4 cm in maximum diameter underwent xenon-133 gas SPECT. The real xenon-133 gas half-clearance time (T1/2) at each bulla was compared with that at the surrounding lung in the same lobe. The emphysema subtype of the surrounding lung was classified into centrilobular, panlobular, and paraseptal on computed tomography (CT). All bullae except for one in all patients showed xenon-133 gas wash-in. Of the 108 bullae with wash-in, 95 (87.9%) bullae in 46 (88%) patients showed marked xenon-133 gas retention with a T1/2 beyond 110 s (mean: 184 s ± 91). The surrounding lungs of these bullae also showed marked retention with a T1/2 of greater than 100 s (mean: 174 s ± 82), and the majority (N=92, 96.8%) were centrilobular or panlobular on CT. The remaining 13 (12.0%) bullae in six (11%) patients showed minimal retention with a T1/2 of less than 80 s (mean: 62 s ± 11), regardless of no significant difference in size compared with the bullae with marked retention. All the surrounding lungs of these bullae except for one also showed minimal retention with a T1/2 of less than 70 s (mean: 60 s ± 18), which was significantly less compared with that of the bullae with marked retention (P<0.0001), and the majority (N=11, 84.6%) were paraseptal with or without an interstitially fibrotic change and predominantly located at the lower lung lobe on CT. The T1/2 of the 108 bullae with xenon-133 gas wash-in was significantly correlated with that of the surrounding lungs (r=0.884, P<0.0001). Intrabullous ventilation in patients with PE appears to depend on the ventilation status of the surrounding lung, and bullae with the surrounding lungs of paraseptal-type emphysema tend to show minimal air trapping. Xenon-133 gas SPECT is useful for assessment

Assessment of regional emphysema, air-trapping and Xenon-ventilation using dual-energy computed tomography in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Min; Seo, Joon Beom; Hwang, Hye Jeon; Kim, Namkug; Oh, Sang Young; Lee, Jae Seung; Lee, Sei Won; Oh, Yeon-Mok; Kim, Tae Hoon

2017-07-01

To compare the parenchymal attenuation change between inspiration/expiration CTs with dynamic ventilation change between xenon wash-in (WI) inspiration and wash-out (WO) expiration CTs. 52 prospectively enrolled COPD patients underwent xenon ventilation dual-energy CT during WI and WO periods and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The parenchymal attenuation parameters (emphysema index (EI), gas-trapping index (GTI) and air-trapping index (ATI)) and xenon ventilation parameters (xenon in WI (Xe-WI), xenon in WO (Xe-WO) and xenon dynamic (Xe-Dyna)) of whole lung and three divided areas (emphysema, hyperinflation and normal) were calculated on virtual non-contrast images and ventilation images. Pearson correlation, linear regression analysis and one-way ANOVA were performed. EI, GTI and ATI showed a significant correlation with Xe-WI, Xe-WO and Xe-Dyna (EI R = -.744, -.562, -.737; GTI R = -.621, -.442, -.629; ATI R = -.600, -.421, -.610, respectively, p < 0.01). All CT parameters showed significant correlation with PFTs except forced vital capacity (FVC). There was a significant difference in GTI, ATI and Xe-Dyna in each lung area (p < 0.01). The parenchymal attenuation change between inspiration/expiration CTs and xenon dynamic change between xenon WI- and WO-CTs correlate significantly. There are alterations in the dynamics of xenon ventilation between areas of emphysema. • The xenon ventilation change correlates with the parenchymal attenuation change. • The xenon ventilation change shows the difference between three lung areas. • The combination of attenuation and xenon can predict more accurate PFTs.

Xenon migration in UO2 under irradiation studied by SIMS profilometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchand, B.; Moncoffre, N.; Pipon, Y.; Bérerd, N.; Garnier, C.; Raimbault, L.; Sainsot, P.; Epicier, T.; Delafoy, C.; Fraczkiewicz, M.; Gaillard, C.; Toulhoat, N.; Perrat-Mabilon, A.; Peaucelle, C.

2013-09-01

During Pressurized Water Reactor operation, around 25% of the created Fission Products (FP) are Xenon and Krypton. They have a low solubility in the nuclear fuel and can either (i) agglomerate into bubbles which induce mechanical stress in the fuel pellets or (ii) be released from the pellets, increasing the pressure within the cladding and decreasing the thermal conductivity of the gap between pellets and cladding. After fifty years of studies on the nuclear fuel, all mechanisms of Fission Gas Release (FGR) are still not fully understood. This paper aims at studying the FGR mechanisms by decoupling thermal and irradiation effects and by assessing the Xenon behavior for the first time by profilometry. Samples are first implanted with 136Xe at 800 keV corresponding to a projected range of 140 nm. They are then either annealed in the temperature range 1400-1600 °C, or irradiated with heavy energy ions (182 MeV Iodine) at Room Temperature (RT), 600 °C or 1000 °C. Depth profiles of implanted Xenon in UO2 are determined by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). It is shown that Xenon is mobile during irradiation at 1000 °C. In contrast, thermal treatments do not induce any Xenon migration process: these results are correlated to the formation of Xenon bubbles observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy. At depths lower than about 40 nm (zone 1), no bubbles are observed, At depths in between 40 nm and 110 nm (zone 2), a large number of small bubbles (around 2 nm in diameter) can be observed. By comparing with the SRIM profile, it appears that this area corresponds to the maximum of the defect profile, The third zone displays two bubble populations. The first population has the same size than the bubbles present in zone 2. The bubble size of the second population is significantly larger (up to around 10 nm). A STEM micrograph is presented in Fig. 4. It highlights the Xenon bubbles more clearly. It appears that the largest bubbles are located mainly near dislocations

Microgap x-ray detector

DOEpatents

Wuest, Craig R.; Bionta, Richard M.; Ables, Elden

1994-01-01

An x-ray detector which provides for the conversion of x-ray photons into photoelectrons and subsequent amplification of these photoelectrons through the generation of electron avalanches in a thin gas-filled region subject to a high electric potential. The detector comprises a cathode (photocathode) and an anode separated by the thin, gas-filled region. The cathode may comprise a substrate, such a beryllium, coated with a layer of high atomic number material, such as gold, while the anode can be a single conducting plane of material, such as gold, or a plane of resistive material, such as chromium/silicon monoxide, or multiple areas of conductive or resistive material, mounted on a substrate composed of glass, plastic or ceramic. The charge collected from each electron avalanche by the anode is passed through processing electronics to a point of use, such as an oscilloscope.

Detection of lipoid tumors by xenon-133

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, E.E.; DeLand, F.H.; Maruyama, Y.

1978-01-01

Three patients with biopsy-proven liposarcoma were studied with inhalation of xenon-133, a gas highly soluble in fat. Increased concentration of radioactivity in the region of the tumor suggested the potential usefulness of radioxenon for the detection of lipomatous tumors.

Xenon fluorides show potential as fluorinating agents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chernick, C. L.; Shieh, T. C.; Yang, N. C.

1967-01-01

Xenon fluorides permit the controlled addition of fluorine across an olefinic double bond. They provide a series of fluorinating agents that permit ready separation from the product at a high purity. The reactions may be carried out in the vapor phase.

The Modification and Performance of a Large Animal Anesthesia Machine (Tafonius®) in Order to Deliver Xenon to a Horse.

PubMed

Santangelo, Bruna; Robin, Astrid; Simpson, Keith; Potier, Julie; Guichardant, Michel; Portier, Karine

2017-01-01

Xenon, due to its interesting anesthetic properties, could improve the quality of anesthesia protocols in horses despite its high price. This study aimed to modify and test an anesthesia machine capable of delivering xenon to a horse. An equine anesthesia machine (Tafonius, Vetronic Services Ltd., UK) was modified by including a T-connector in the valve block to introduce xenon, so that the xenon was pushed into the machine cylinder by the expired gases. A xenon analyzer was connected to the expiratory limb of the patient circuit. The operation of the machine was modeled and experimentally tested for denitrogenation, wash-in, and maintenance phases. The system was considered to consist of two compartments, one being the horse's lungs, the other being the machine cylinder and circuit. A 15-year-old, 514-kg, healthy gelding horse was anesthetized for 70 min using acepromazine, romifidine, morphine, diazepam, and ketamine. Anesthesia was maintained with xenon and oxygen, co-administered with lidocaine. Ventilation was controlled. Cardiorespiratory variables, expired fraction of xenon (FeXe), blood gases were measured and xenon was detected in plasma. Recovery was unassisted and recorded. FeXe remained around 65%, using a xenon total volume of 250 L. Five additional boli of ketamine were required to maintain anesthesia. PaO 2 was 45 ± 1 mmHg. The recovery was calm. Xenon was detected in blood during the entire administration time. This pilot study describes how to deliver xenon to a horse. Although many technical problems were encountered, their correction could guide future endeavors to study the use of xenon in horses.

Live-cell MRI with xenon hyper-CEST biosensors targeted to metabolically labeled cell-surface glycans.

PubMed

Witte, Christopher; Martos, Vera; Rose, Honor May; Reinke, Stefan; Klippel, Stefan; Schröder, Leif; Hackenberger, Christian P R

2015-02-23

The targeting of metabolically labeled glycans with conventional MRI contrast agents has proved elusive. In this work, which further expands the utility of xenon Hyper-CEST biosensors in cell experiments, we present the first successful molecular imaging of such glycans using MRI. Xenon Hyper-CEST biosensors are a novel class of MRI contrast agents with very high sensitivity. We designed a multimodal biosensor for both fluorescent and xenon MRI detection that is targeted to metabolically labeled sialic acid through bioorthogonal chemistry. Through the use of a state of the art live-cell bioreactor, it was demonstrated that xenon MRI biosensors can be used to image cell-surface glycans at nanomolar concentrations. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Xenon is an inhibitor of tissue-plasminogen activator: adverse and beneficial effects in a rat model of thromboembolic stroke

PubMed Central

David, Hélène N; Haelewyn, Benoît; Risso, Jean-Jacques; Colloc'h, Nathalie; Abraini, Jacques H

2010-01-01

Preclinical evidence in rodents has proven that xenon may be a very promising neuroprotective agent for treating acute ischemic stroke. This has led to the general thinking that clinical trials with xenon could be initiated in acute stroke patients in a next future. However, an unappreciated physicochemical property of xenon has been that this gas also binds to the active site of a series of serine proteases. Because the active site of serine proteases is structurally conserved, we have hypothesized and investigated whether xenon may alter the catalytic efficiency of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), a serine protease that is the only approved therapy for acute ischemic stroke today. Here, using molecular modeling and in vitro and in vivo studies, we show (1) xenon is a tPA inhibitor; (2) intraischemic xenon dose dependently inhibits tPA-induced thrombolysis and subsequent reduction of ischemic brain damage; (3) postischemic xenon virtually suppresses ischemic brain damage and tPA-induced brain hemorrhages and disruption of the blood–brain barrier. Taken together, these data indicate (1) xenon should not be administered before or together with tPA therapy; (2) xenon could be a golden standard for treating acute ischemic stroke if given after tPA-induced reperfusion, with both unique neuroprotective and antiproteolytic (anti-hemorrhaging) properties. PMID:20087367

Xenon does not increase heart rate-corrected cardiac QT interval in volunteers and in patients free of cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Neukirchen, Martin; Schaefer, Maximilian S; Kern, Carolin; Brett, Sarah; Werdehausen, Robert; Rellecke, Philipp; Reyle-Hahn, Matthias; Kienbaum, Peter

2015-09-01

Impaired cardiac repolarization, indicated by prolonged QT interval, may cause critical ventricular arrhythmias. Many anesthetics increase the QT interval by blockade of rapidly acting potassium rectifier channels. Although xenon does not affect these channels in isolated cardiomyocytes, the authors hypothesized that xenon increases the QT interval by direct and/or indirect sympathomimetic effects. Thus, the authors tested the hypothesis that xenon alters the heart rate-corrected cardiac QT (QTc) interval in anesthetic concentrations. The effect of xenon on the QTc interval was evaluated in eight healthy volunteers and in 35 patients undergoing abdominal or trauma surgery. The QTc interval was recorded on subjects in awake state, after their denitrogenation, and during xenon monoanesthesia (FetXe > 0.65). In patients, the QTc interval was recorded while awake, after anesthesia induction with propofol and remifentanil, and during steady state of xenon/remifentanil anesthesia (FetXe > 0.65). The QTc interval was determined from three consecutive cardiac intervals on electrocardiogram printouts in a blinded manner and corrected with Bazett formula. In healthy volunteers, xenon did not alter the QTc interval (mean difference: +0.11 ms [95% CI, -22.4 to 22.7]). In patients, after anesthesia induction with propofol/remifentanil, no alteration of QTc interval was noted. After propofol was replaced with xenon, the QTc interval remained unaffected (417 ± 32 ms vs. awake: 414 ± 25 ms) with a mean difference of 4.4 ms (95% CI, -4.6 to 13.5). Xenon monoanesthesia in healthy volunteers and xenon/remifentanil anesthesia in patients without clinically relevant cardiovascular disease do not increase QTc interval.

Nuclear Spin Attenuates the Anesthetic Potency of Xenon Isotopes in Mice: Implications for the Mechanisms of Anesthesia and Consciousness.

PubMed

Li, Na; Lu, Dongshi; Yang, Lei; Tao, Huan; Xu, Younian; Wang, Chenchen; Fu, Lisha; Liu, Hui; Chummum, Yatisha; Zhang, Shihai

2018-04-11

Xenon is an elemental anesthetic with nine stable isotopes. Nuclear spin is a quantum property which may differ among isotopes. Xenon 131 (Xe) has nuclear spin of 3/2, xenon 129 (Xe) a nuclear spin of 1/2, and the other seven isotopes have no nuclear spin. This study was aimed to explore the effect of nuclear spin on xenon anesthetic potency. Eighty C57BL/6 male mice (7 weeks old) were randomly divided into four groups, xenon 132 (Xe), xenon 134 (Xe), Xe, and Xe groups. Due to xenon's low potency, loss of righting reflex ED50 for mice to xenon was determined with 0.50% isoflurane. Loss of righting reflex ED50 of isoflurane was also measured, and the loss of righting reflex ED50 values of the four xenon isotopes were then calculated. The exact polarizabilities of the isotopes were calculated. Combined with 0.50% isoflurane, the loss of righting reflex ED50 values were 15 ± 4%, 16 ± 5%, 22 ± 5%, and 23 ± 7% for Xe, Xe, Xe, and Xe, respectively. For xenon alone, the loss of righting reflex ED50 values of Xe, Xe, Xe, and Xe were 70 ± 4%, 72 ± 5%, 99 ± 5%, and 105 ± 7%, respectively. Four isotopes had a same exact polarizability of 3.60 Å. Xenon isotopes with nuclear spin are less potent than those without, and polarizability cannot account for the difference. The lower anesthetic potency of Xe may be the result of it participating in conscious processing and therefore partially antagonizing its own anesthetic potency. Nuclear spin is a quantum property, and our results are consistent with theories that implicate quantum mechanisms in consciousness.

Xenon isotopic composition of the Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peto, M. K.; Mukhopadhyay, S.

2012-12-01

Although convection models do not preclude preservation of smaller mantle regions with more pristine composition throughout Earth's history, it has been widely assumed that the moon forming giant impact likely homogenizes the whole mantle following a magma ocean that extended all the way to the bottom of the mantle. Recent findings of tungsten and xenon heterogeneities in the mantle [1,2,3,4], however, imply that i) the moon forming giant impact may not have homogenized the whole mantle and ii) plate tectonics was inefficient in erasing early formed compositional differences, particularly for the xenon isotopes. Therefore, the xenon isotope composition in the present day mantle still preserves a memory of early Earth processes. However, determination of the xenon isotopic composition of the mantle source is still scarce, since the mantle composition is overprinted by post-eruptive atmospheric contamination in basalts erupted at ocean islands and mid ocean ridges. The xenon composition of the depleted upper mantle has been defined by the gas rich sample, 2πD43 (also known as "popping rock"), from the North Atlantic (13° 469`N). However, the composition of a single sample is not likely to define the composition of the upper mantle, especially since popping rock has an "enriched" trace element composition. We will present Ne, Ar and Xe isotope data on MORB glass samples with "normal" helium isotope composition (8±1 Ra) from the Southeast Indian Ridge, the South Atlantic Ridge, the Sojourn Ridge, the Juan de Fuca, the East Pacific Rise, and the Gakkel Ridge. Following the approach of [1], we correct for syn- and post-eruptive atmosphere contamination, and determine the variation of Ar and Xe isotope composition of the "normal" MORB source. We investigate the effect of atmospheric recycling in the variation of MORB mantle 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe ratios, and attempt to constrain the average upper mantle argon and xenon isotopic compositions. [1] Mukhopadhyay, Nature

Diffusion NMR methods applied to xenon gas for materials study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mair, R. W.; Rosen, M. S.; Wang, R.; Cory, D. G.; Walsworth, R. L.

2002-01-01

We report initial NMR studies of (i) xenon gas diffusion in model heterogeneous porous media and (ii) continuous flow laser-polarized xenon gas. Both areas utilize the pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) techniques in the gas phase, with the aim of obtaining more sophisticated information than just translational self-diffusion coefficients--a brief overview of this area is provided in the Introduction. The heterogeneous or multiple-length scale model porous media consisted of random packs of mixed glass beads of two different sizes. We focus on observing the approach of the time-dependent gas diffusion coefficient, D(t) (an indicator of mean squared displacement), to the long-time asymptote, with the aim of understanding the long-length scale structural information that may be derived from a heterogeneous porous system. We find that D(t) of imbibed xenon gas at short diffusion times is similar for the mixed bead pack and a pack of the smaller sized beads alone, hence reflecting the pore surface area to volume ratio of the smaller bead sample. The approach of D(t) to the long-time limit follows that of a pack of the larger sized beads alone, although the limiting D(t) for the mixed bead pack is lower, reflecting the lower porosity of the sample compared to that of a pack of mono-sized glass beads. The Pade approximation is used to interpolate D(t) data between the short- and long-time limits. Initial studies of continuous flow laser-polarized xenon gas demonstrate velocity-sensitive imaging of much higher flows than can generally be obtained with liquids (20-200 mm s-1). Gas velocity imaging is, however, found to be limited to a resolution of about 1 mm s-1 owing to the high diffusivity of gases compared with liquids. We also present the first gas-phase NMR scattering, or diffusive-diffraction, data, namely flow-enhanced structural features in the echo attenuation data from laser-polarized xenon flowing through a 2 mm glass bead pack. c2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Search for bosonic super-WIMP interactions with the XENON100 experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Althueser, L.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Capelli, C.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Howlett, J.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kazama, S.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lombardi, F.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Morâ, K.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Pizzella, V.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Ramírez García, D.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Vargas, M.; Wang, H.; Wang, Z.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wittweg, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zhu, T.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-12-01

We present results of searches for vector and pseudoscalar bosonic super-weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), which are dark matter candidates with masses at the keV-scale, with the XENON100 experiment. XENON100 is a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber operated at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. A profile likelihood analysis of data with an exposure of 224.6 live days ×34 kg showed no evidence for a signal above the expected background. We thus obtain new and stringent upper limits in the (8 - 125 ) keV /c2 mass range, excluding couplings to electrons with coupling constants of ga e>3 ×10-13 for pseudo-scalar and α'/α >2 ×10-28 for vector super-WIMPs, respectively. These limits are derived under the assumption that super-WIMPs constitute all of the dark matter in our galaxy.

Extreme Confinement of Xenon by Cryptophane-111 in the Solid State

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joseph, Akil I.; Lapidus, Saul H.; Kane, Christopher M.

2014-12-11

Solids that sorb, capture and/or store the heavier noble gases are of interest because of their potential for transformative rare gas separation/production, storage, or recovery technologies. Herein, we report the isolation, crystal structures, and thermal stabilities of a series of xenon and krypton clathrates of (±)-cryptophane-111 (111). One trigonal crystal form, Xe@111•y(solvent), is exceptionally stable, retaining xenon at temperatures of up to about 300 °C. The high kinetic stability is attributable not only to the high xenon affinity and cage-like nature of the host, but also to the crystal packing of the clathrate, wherein each window of the molecular containermore » is blocked by the bridges of adjacent containers, effectively imprisoning the noble gas in the solid state. The results highlight the potential of discrete molecule materials exhibiting intrinsic microcavities or zero-dimensional pores.« less

Stirring Up an Elastic Fluid: Critical Viscosity of Xenon-2 (CVX-2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Robert F.; Moldover, Michael R.; Zimmerli, Gregory A.

2002-12-01

Whipped cream stays in place even when turned upside down. Yet it readily flows through the nozzle of a spray can to reach the dessert plate. This demonstrates the phenomenon of shear thinning that is important to many industrial and physical processes. Paints, film emulsions, and other complex solutions that are highly viscous under normal conditions but become thin and flow easily under shear forces. A simple fluid, such as water, does not exhibit shear thinning under normal conditions. Very close to the liquid-vapor critical point, where the distinction between liquid and vapor disappears, the fluid becomes more complex and is predicted to display shear thinning. At the critical point, xenon atoms interact over long distances in a classical model of cooperative phenomena. Physicists rely on this system to learn how long-range order arises. The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Although it does not easily combine with other chemicals, its viscosity at the critical point can be used as a model for a range of fluids. Viscosity originates from the interactions of individual molecules. It is so complicated that, except for the simplest gas, it cannot be calculated accurately from theory. Tests with critical fluids can provide key data, but are limited on Earth because critical fluids are highly compressed by gravity. CVX-2 employs a tiny metal screen vibrating between two electrodes in a bath of critical xenon. The vibrations and how they dampen are used to measure viscosity. CVX flew on STS-85 (1997), where it revealed that, close to the critical point, the xenon is partly elastic: it can 'stretch' as well as flow. For STS-107, the hardware has been enhanced to determine if critical xenon is a shear-thinning fluid.

Stirring Up an Elastic Fluid: Critical Viscosity of Xenon-2 (CVX-2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berg, Robert F.; Moldover, Michael R.; Zimmerli, Gregory A.; Motil, Susan M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Whipped cream stays in place even when turned upside down. Yet it readily flows through the nozzle of a spray can to reach the dessert plate. This demonstrates the phenomenon of shear thinning that is important to many industrial and physical processes. Paints, film emulsions, and other complex solutions that are highly viscous under normal conditions but become thin and flow easily under shear forces. A simple fluid, such as water, does not exhibit shear thinning under normal conditions. Very close to the liquid-vapor critical point, where the distinction between liquid and vapor disappears, the fluid becomes more complex and is predicted to display shear thinning. At the critical point, xenon atoms interact over long distances in a classical model of cooperative phenomena. Physicists rely on this system to learn how long-range order arises. The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Although it does not easily combine with other chemicals, its viscosity at the critical point can be used as a model for a range of fluids. Viscosity originates from the interactions of individual molecules. It is so complicated that, except for the simplest gas, it cannot be calculated accurately from theory. Tests with critical fluids can provide key data, but are limited on Earth because critical fluids are highly compressed by gravity. CVX-2 employs a tiny metal screen vibrating between two electrodes in a bath of critical xenon. The vibrations and how they dampen are used to measure viscosity. CVX flew on STS-85 (1997), where it revealed that, close to the critical point, the xenon is partly elastic: it can 'stretch' as well as flow. For STS-107, the hardware has been enhanced to determine if critical xenon is a shear-thinning fluid.

Timing of xenon-induced delayed postconditioning to protect against spinal cord ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

PubMed

Yang, Y W; Cheng, W P; Lu, J K; Dong, X H; Wang, C B; Zhang, J; Zhao, L Y; Gao, Z F

2014-07-01

This study was designed to assess the neuroprotective effect of xenon-induced delayed postconditioning on spinal cord ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and to determine the time of administration for best neuroprotection in a rat model of spinal cord IRI. Fifty male rats were randomly divided equally into a sham group, control group, and three xenon postconditioning groups (n=10 per group). The control group underwent spinal cord IRI and immediately inhaled 50% nitrogen/50% oxygen for 3 h at the initiation of reperfusion. The three xenon postconditioning groups underwent the same surgical procedure and immediately inhaled 50% xenon/50% oxygen for 3 h at the initiation of reperfusion or 1 and 2 h after reperfusion. The sham operation group underwent the same surgical procedure without aortic occlusion, and inhaled 50% nitrogen/50% oxygen. Neurological function was assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan score at 4, 24, and 48 h of reperfusion. Histological examination was performed using Nissl staining and immunohistochemistry, and apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labelling staining. Compared with the control group, the three xenon postconditioning groups showed improvements in neurological outcomes, and had more morphologically normal neurones at 48 h of reperfusion. Apoptotic cell death was reduced and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax immunoreactivity increased in xenon-treated rats compared with controls. Xenon postconditioning up to 2 h after reperfusion provided protection against spinal cord IRI in rats, but the greatest neuroprotection occurred with administration of xenon for 1 h at reperfusion. © The Author [2013]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Renal function following xenon anesthesia for partial nephrectomy-An explorative analysis of a randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Stevanovic, Ana; Schaefer, Patrick; Coburn, Mark; Rossaint, Rolf; Stoppe, Christian; Boor, Peter; Pfister, David; Heidenreich, Axel; Christ, Hildegard; Hellmich, Martin; Fahlenkamp, Astrid V

2017-01-01

Perioperative preservation of renal function has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality in kidney surgery. Nephroprotective effects of the anesthetic xenon on ischemia-reperfusion injury were found in several experimental studies. We aimed to explore whether xenon anesthesia can reduce renal damage in humans undergoing partial nephrectomy and to gather pilot data of possible nephroprotection in these patients. A prospective randomized, single-blinded, controlled study. Single-center, University Hospital of Aachen, Germany between July 2013-October 2015. Forty-six patients with regular renal function undergoing partial nephrectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive xenon- (n = 23) or isoflurane (n = 23) anesthesia. Primary outcome was the maximum postoperative glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline within seven days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative and tumor-related data, assessment of further kidney injury markers, adverse events and optional determination of renal function after 3-6 months. Unexpected radical nephrectomy was performed in 5 patients, thus they were excluded from the per-protocol analysis, but included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The maximum postoperative GFR decline was attenuated by 45% in the xenon-group (10.9 ml min-1 1.73 cm-2 versus 19.7 ml min-1 1.73 cm-2 in the isoflurane group), but without significance (P = 0.084). Occurrence of adverse events was reduced (P = 0.003) in the xenon group. Renal function was similar among the groups after 3-6 months. Xenon anesthesia was feasible and safe in patients undergoing partial nephrectomy with regard to postoperative renal function. We found no significant effect on early renal function but less adverse events in the xenon group. Larger randomized controlled studies in more heterogeneous collectives are required, to confirm or refute the possible clinical benefit on renal function by xenon. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01839084 and EudraCT 2012-005698-30.

Xenon adsorption on geological media and implications for radionuclide signatures.

PubMed

Paul, M J; Biegalski, S R; Haas, D A; Jiang, H; Daigle, H; Lowrey, J D

2018-07-01

The detection of radioactive noble gases is a primary technology for verifying compliance with the pending Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. A fundamental challenge in applying this technology for detecting underground nuclear explosions is estimating the timing and magnitude of the radionuclide signatures. While the primary mechanism for transport is advective transport, either through barometric pumping or thermally driven advection, diffusive transport in the surrounding matrix also plays a secondary role. From the study of primordial noble gas signatures, it is known that xenon has a strong physical adsorption affinity in shale formations. Given the unselective nature of physical adsorption, isotherm measurements reported here show that non-trivial amounts of xenon adsorb on a variety of media, in addition to shale. A dual-porosity model is then discussed demonstrating that sorption amplifies the diffusive uptake of an adsorbing matrix from a fracture. This effect may reduce the radioxenon signature down to approximately one-tenth, similar to primordial xenon isotopic signatures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isotopic signature of atmospheric xenon released from light water reactors.

PubMed

Kalinowski, Martin B; Pistner, Christoph

2006-01-01

A global monitoring system for atmospheric xenon radioactivity is being established as part of the International Monitoring System to verify compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The isotopic activity ratios of (135)Xe, (133m)Xe, (133)Xe and (131m)Xe are of interest for distinguishing nuclear explosion sources from civilian releases. Simulations of light water reactor (LWR) fuel burn-up through three operational reactor power cycles are conducted to explore the possible xenon isotopic signature of nuclear reactor releases under different operational conditions. It is studied how ratio changes are related to various parameters including the neutron flux, uranium enrichment and fuel burn-up. Further, the impact of diffusion and mixing on the isotopic activity ratio variability are explored. The simulations are validated with reported reactor emissions. In addition, activity ratios are calculated for xenon isotopes released from nuclear explosions and these are compared to the reactor ratios in order to determine whether the discrimination of explosion releases from reactor effluents is possible based on isotopic activity ratios.

XENON100 exclusion limit without considering Leff as a nuisance parameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Jonathan H.; Bœhm, Céline; Oppermann, Niels; Ensslin, Torsten; Lacroix, Thomas

2012-07-01

In 2011, the XENON100 experiment has set unprecedented constraints on dark matter-nucleon interactions, excluding dark matter candidates with masses down to 6 GeV if the corresponding cross section is larger than 10-39cm2. The dependence of the exclusion limit in terms of the scintillation efficiency (Leff) has been debated at length. To overcome possible criticisms XENON100 performed an analysis in which Leff was considered as a nuisance parameter and its uncertainties were profiled out by using a Gaussian likelihood in which the mean value corresponds to the best fit Leff value (smoothly extrapolated to 0 below 3 keVnr). Although such a method seems fairly robust, it does not account for more extreme types of extrapolation nor does it enable us to anticipate how much the exclusion limit would vary if new data were to support a flat behavior for Leff below 3 keVnr, for example. Yet, such a question is crucial for light dark matter models which are close to the published XENON100 limit. To answer this issue, we use a maximum likelihood ratio analysis, as done by the XENON100 Collaboration, but do not consider Leff as a nuisance parameter. Instead, Leff is obtained directly from the fits to the data. This enables us to define frequentist confidence intervals by marginalizing over Leff.

Measurement of xenon plasma properties in an ion thruster using laser Thomson scattering technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yamamoto, N.; Tomita, K.; Sugita, K.

2012-07-15

This paper reports on the development of a method for measuring xenon plasma properties using the laser Thomson scattering technique, for application to ion engine system design. The thresholds of photo-ionization of xenon plasma were investigated and the number density of metastable atoms, which are photo-ionized by a probe laser, was measured using laser absorption spectroscopy, for several conditions. The measured threshold energy of the probe laser using a plano-convex lens with a focal length of 200 mm was 150 mJ for a xenon mass flow rate of 20 {mu}g/s and incident microwave power of 6 W; the probe lasermore » energy was therefore set as 80 mJ. Electron number density was found to be (6.2 {+-} 0.4) Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 17} m{sup -3} and electron temperature was found to be 2.2 {+-} 0.4 eV at a xenon mass flow rate of 20 {mu}g/s and incident microwave power of 6 W. The threshold of the probe laser intensity against photo-ionization in a miniature xenon ion thruster is almost constant for various mass flow rates, since the ratio of population of the metastable atoms to the electron number density is little changed.« less

Shear Thinning in Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergm Robert F.; Moldover, Michael R.; Yao, Minwu; Zimmerli, Gregory A.

2009-01-01

We measured shear thinning, a viscosity decrease ordinarily associated with complex liquids such as molten plastics or ketchup, near the critical point of xenon. The data span a wide range of dimensionless shear rate: the product of the shear rate and the relaxation time of critical fluctuations was greater than 0.001 and was less than 700. As predicted by theory, shear thinning occurred when this product was greater than 1. The measurements were conducted aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia to avoid the density stratification caused by Earth's gravity.

Microgap x-ray detector

DOEpatents

Wuest, C.R.; Bionta, R.M.; Ables, E.

1994-05-03

An x-ray detector is disclosed which provides for the conversion of x-ray photons into photoelectrons and subsequent amplification of these photoelectrons through the generation of electron avalanches in a thin gas-filled region subject to a high electric potential. The detector comprises a cathode (photocathode) and an anode separated by the thin, gas-filled region. The cathode may comprise a substrate, such a beryllium, coated with a layer of high atomic number material, such as gold, while the anode can be a single conducting plane of material, such as gold, or a plane of resistive material, such as chromium/silicon monoxide, or multiple areas of conductive or resistive material, mounted on a substrate composed of glass, plastic or ceramic. The charge collected from each electron avalanche by the anode is passed through processing electronics to a point of use, such as an oscilloscope. 3 figures.

Near-infrared scintillation of xenon by 63Ni beta decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshimizu, Norimasa; Lal, Amit; Pollock, Clifford R.

2006-07-01

The near-infrared scintillation of xenon gas by the β decay of 37MBq of Ni63 was studied, in the interest of its use in integrated devices for applications such as optical beacons and wavelength calibration. The emission was imaged and analyzed using Spencer's theory of electron penetration using xenon scattering cross sections derived from Thomas-Fermi theory. The total emission was approximately 2×105photons/s at 20kPa and 1×105photons/s at 100kPa. Spectral data show three dominant peaks at 823, 828, and 882nm as well as the formation of metastable states.

First-principles calculation of the reflectance of shock-compressed xenon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Norman, G. E.; Saitov, I. M., E-mail: saitovilnur@gmail.com; Stegailov, V. V.

2015-05-15

Within electron density functional theory (DFT), the reflectance of radiation from shock-compressed xenon plasma is calculated. The dependence of the reflectance on the frequency of the incident radiation and on the plasma density is considered. The Fresnel formula is used. The expression for the longitudinal dielectric tensor in the long-wavelength limit is used to calculate the imaginary part of the dielectric function (DF). The real part of the DF is determined by the Kramers-Kronig transformation. The results are compared with experimental data. An approach is proposed to estimate the plasma frequency in shock-compressed xenon.

miR-21 Contributes to Xenon-conferred Amelioration of Renal Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury in Mice

PubMed Central

Jia, Ping; Teng, Jie; Zou, Jianzhou; Fang, Yi; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Bosnjak, Zeljko J.; Liang, Mingyu; Ding, Xiaoqiang

2015-01-01

Background MicroRNAs participate in the regulation of numerous physiological and disease processes. The in vivo role of microRNAs in anesthetics-conferred organoprotection is unknown. Methods Mice were exposed for 2 h to either 70% xenon, or 70% nitrogen, 24 h before the induction of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. The role of microRNA, miR-21, in renal protection conferred by the delayed xenon preconditioning was examined using in vivo knockdown of miR-21 and analysis of miR-21 target pathways. Results Xenon preconditioning provided morphologic and functional protection against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (n = 6), characterized by attenuation of renal tubular damage, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Xenon preconditioning significantly increased the expression of miR-21 in the mouse kidney. A locked nucleic acid-modified anti–miR-21, given before xenon preconditioning, knocked down miR-21 effectively, and exacerbated subsequent renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Mice treated with anti–miR-21 and ischemia-reperfusion injury showed significantly higher serum creatinine than antiscrambled oligonucleotides-treated mice, 24 h after ischemia-reperfusion (1.37 ± 0.28 vs. 0.81 ± 0.14 mg/dl; n = 5; P < 0.05). Knockdown of miR-21 induced significant up-regulation of programmed cell death protein 4 and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, two proapoptotic target effectors of miR-21, and resulted in significant down-regulation of phosphorylated protein kinase B and increased tubular cell apoptosis. In addition, xenon preconditioning up-regulated hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and its downstream effector vascular endothelial growth factor in a time-dependent manner. Knockdown of miR-21 resulted in a significant decrease of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. Conclusions These results indicate that miR-21 contributes to the renoprotective effect of xenon preconditioning. PMID:23681145

miR-21 contributes to xenon-conferred amelioration of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice.

PubMed

Jia, Ping; Teng, Jie; Zou, Jianzhou; Fang, Yi; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Bosnjak, Zeljko J; Liang, Mingyu; Ding, Xiaoqiang

2013-09-01

MicroRNAs participate in the regulation of numerous physiological and disease processes. The in vivo role of microRNAs in anesthetics-conferred organoprotection is unknown. Mice were exposed for 2 h to either 70% xenon, or 70% nitrogen, 24 h before the induction of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. The role of microRNA, miR-21, in renal protection conferred by the delayed xenon preconditioning was examined using in vivo knockdown of miR-21 and analysis of miR-21 target pathways. Xenon preconditioning provided morphologic and functional protection against renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (n = 6), characterized by attenuation of renal tubular damage, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. Xenon preconditioning significantly increased the expression of miR-21 in the mouse kidney. A locked nucleic acid-modified anti-miR-21, given before xenon preconditioning, knocked down miR-21 effectively, and exacerbated subsequent renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Mice treated with anti-miR-21 and ischemia-reperfusion injury showed significantly higher serum creatinine than antiscrambled oligonucleotides-treated mice, 24 h after ischemia-reperfusion (1.37 ± 0.28 vs. 0.81 ± 0.14 mg/dl; n = 5; P < 0.05). Knockdown of miR-21 induced significant up-regulation of programmed cell death protein 4 and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, two proapoptotic target effectors of miR-21, and resulted in significant down-regulation of phosphorylated protein kinase B and increased tubular cell apoptosis. In addition, xenon preconditioning up-regulated hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and its downstream effector vascular endothelial growth factor in a time-dependent manner. Knockdown of miR-21 resulted in a significant decrease of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. These results indicate that miR-21 contributes to the renoprotective effect of xenon preconditioning.

The Enriched Xenon Observatory: EXO-200 and Ba+ tagging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolinski, M. J.; EXO Collaboration

2012-08-01

The Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO) is a proposed ton-scale double beta decay experiment with a tentative design sensitivity to the Majorana mass of ˜10 meV. The first phase of EXO is EXO-200, which uses 200 kg of Xe enriched to 80% in 136Xe to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. EXO-200 is a liquid Xe time projection chamber with the ability to detect both scintillation and ionization signals. The detector is constructed from ultra-low background materials and is currently installed at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, a salt mine with a 1600 meter water equivalent overburden. The projected 2 year sensitivity for EXO-200 is T1/20ν>6.4×1025 y at 90% confidence level. Looking toward a ton-scale EXO, one unique feature of the experiment is the proposal to identify the barium daughter produced by 136Xe double beta decay on an event-by-event basis. This technique will allow for the elimination of all backgrounds other than the background from the two-neutrino double beta decay spectrum. The EXO Collaboration is exploring a number of options to implement Ba-daughter tagging in the next generation EXO experiment.

Collateral Ventilation to Congenital Hyperlucent Lung Lesions Assessed on Xenon-Enhanced Dynamic Dual-Energy CT: an Initial Experience

PubMed Central

Yang, Dong Hyun; Kim, Namkug; Park, Seung Il; Kim, Dong Kwan; Kim, Ellen Ai-Rhan

2011-01-01

Objective We wanted to evaluate the resistance to collateral ventilation in congenital hyperlucent lung lesions and to correlate that with the anatomic findings on xenon-enhanced dynamic dual-energy CT. Materials and Methods Xenon-enhanced dynamic dual-energy CT was successfully and safely performed in eight children (median age: 5.5 years, 4 boys and 4 girls) with congenital hyperlucent lung lesions. Functional assessment of the lung lesions on the xenon map was done, including performing a time-xenon value curve analysis and assessing the amplitude of xenon enhancement (A) value, the rate of xenon enhancement (K) value and the time of arrival value. Based on the A value, the lung lesions were categorized into high or low (A value > 10 Hounsfield unit [HU]) resistance to collateral ventilation. In addition, the morphologic CT findings of the lung lesions, including cyst, mucocele and an accessory or incomplete fissure, were assessed on the weighted-average CT images. The xenon-enhanced CT radiation dose was estimated. Results Five of the eight lung lesions were categorized into the high resistance group and three lesions were categorized into the low resistance group. The A and K values in the normal lung were higher than those in the low resistance group. The time of arrival values were delayed in the low resistance group. Cysts were identified in five lesions, mucocele in four, accessory fissure in three and incomplete fissure in two. Either cyst or an accessory fissure was seen in four of the five lesions showing high resistance to collateral ventilation. The xenon-enhanced CT radiation dose was 2.3 ± 0.6 mSv. Conclusion Xenon-enhanced dynamic dual-energy CT can help visualize and quantitate various degrees of collateral ventilation to congenital hyperlucent lung lesions in addition to assessing the anatomic details of the lung. PMID:21228937

Collateral ventilation to congenital hyperlucent lung lesions assessed on xenon-enhanced dynamic dual-energy CT: an initial experience.

PubMed

Goo, Hyun Woo; Yang, Dong Hyun; Kim, Namkug; Park, Seung Il; Kim, Dong Kwan; Kim, Ellen Ai-Rhan

2011-01-01

We wanted to evaluate the resistance to collateral ventilation in congenital hyperlucent lung lesions and to correlate that with the anatomic findings on xenon-enhanced dynamic dual-energy CT. Xenon-enhanced dynamic dual-energy CT was successfully and safely performed in eight children (median age: 5.5 years, 4 boys and 4 girls) with congenital hyperlucent lung lesions. Functional assessment of the lung lesions on the xenon map was done, including performing a time-xenon value curve analysis and assessing the amplitude of xenon enhancement (A) value, the rate of xenon enhancement (K) value and the time of arrival value. Based on the A value, the lung lesions were categorized into high or low (A value > 10 Hounsfield unit [HU]) resistance to collateral ventilation. In addition, the morphologic CT findings of the lung lesions, including cyst, mucocele and an accessory or incomplete fissure, were assessed on the weighted-average CT images. The xenon-enhanced CT radiation dose was estimated. Five of the eight lung lesions were categorized into the high resistance group and three lesions were categorized into the low resistance group. The A and K values in the normal lung were higher than those in the low resistance group. The time of arrival values were delayed in the low resistance group. Cysts were identified in five lesions, mucocele in four, accessory fissure in three and incomplete fissure in two. Either cyst or an accessory fissure was seen in four of the five lesions showing high resistance to collateral ventilation. The xenon-enhanced CT radiation dose was 2.3 ± 0.6 mSv. Xenon-enhanced dynamic dual-energy CT can help visualize and quantitate various degrees of collateral ventilation to congenital hyperlucent lung lesions in addition to assessing the anatomic details of the lung.

Barrel calorimeter of the CMD-3 detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shebalin, V. E., E-mail: V.E.Shebalin@inp.nsk.su; Anisenkov, A. V.; Aulchenko, V. M.

The structure of the barrel calorimeter of the CMD-3 detector is presented in this work. The procedure of energy calibration of the calorimeter and the method of photon energy restoration are described. The distinctive feature of this barrel calorimeter is its combined structure; it is composed of two coaxial subsystems: a liquid xenon calorimeter and a crystalline CsI calorimeter. The calorimeter spatial resolution of the photon conversion point is about 2 mm, which corresponds to an angular resolution of ∼6 mrad. The energy resolution of the calorimeter is about 8% for photons with energy of 200 MeV and 4% formore » photons with energy of 1 GeV.« less

Chondritic xenon in the Earth’s mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caracausi, Antonio; Avice, Guillaume; Burnard, Peter G.; Füri, Evelyn; Marty, Bernard

2016-05-01

Noble gas isotopes are powerful tracers of the origins of planetary volatiles, and the accretion and evolution of the Earth. The compositions of magmatic gases provide insights into the evolution of the Earth’s mantle and atmosphere. Despite recent analytical progress in the study of planetary materials and mantle-derived gases, the possible dual origin of the planetary gases in the mantle and the atmosphere remains unconstrained. Evidence relating to the relationship between the volatiles within our planet and the potential cosmochemical end-members is scarce. Here we show, using high-precision analysis of magmatic gas from the Eifel volcanic area (in Germany), that the light xenon isotopes identify a chondritic primordial component that differs from the precursor of atmospheric xenon. This is consistent with an asteroidal origin for the volatiles in the Earth’s mantle, and indicates that the volatiles in the atmosphere and mantle originated from distinct cosmochemical sources. Furthermore, our data are consistent with the origin of Eifel magmatism being a deep mantle plume. The corresponding mantle source has been isolated from the convective mantle since about 4.45 billion years ago, in agreement with models that predict the early isolation of mantle domains. Xenon isotope systematics support a clear distinction between mid-ocean-ridge and continental or oceanic plume sources, with chemical heterogeneities dating back to the Earth’s accretion. The deep reservoir now sampled by the Eifel gas had a lower volatile/refractory (iodine/plutonium) composition than the shallower mantle sampled by mid-ocean-ridge volcanism, highlighting the increasing contribution of volatile-rich material during the first tens of millions of years of terrestrial accretion.

Delayed post-ischaemic administration of xenon reduces brain damage in a rat model of global ischaemia.

PubMed

Metaxa, V; Lagoudaki, R; Meditskou, S; Thomareis, O; Oikonomou, L; Sakadamis, A

2014-01-01

Xenon and nitrous oxide have been shown to be neuroprotective in vivo and in vitro, but mainly in models of focal cerebral ischaemia. This study aimed to investigate whether the two gases are able to attenuate cerebral injury after global cerebral ischaemia. Adult male Wistar rats underwent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and were ventilated for 1 hour with 21% O₂/78% N₂. They were then randomized to three groups which continued to receive atmospheric air, 50% N2O/50% O₂ and 50% Xe/50% O₂ for an additional period of 45 minutes. The number of ischaemic neurons, the cortical volume loss and the immunochemical and molecular expression of c-fos and MMP-9 were evaluated. Xenon reduced the number of ischaemic neurons in the cortex and CA1 hippocampal region (p < 0.001) and decreased the cortical volume loss (p < 0.01). Immunochemical induction of c-fos in the cortex was significantly suppressed (p < 0.01) after administration of xenon. The molecular analysis revealed significant effects of N2O and xenon administration on c-fos and MMP-9 expression. The data indicate that N2O and xenon administration is neuroprotective 1 hour after bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. These findings provide valuable evidence on the beneficial role of N2O and xenon in global cerebral injury.

Xenon Treatment Protects Against Cold Ischemia Associated Delayed Graft Function and Prolongs Graft Survival in Rats

PubMed Central

Zhao, H; Watts, H R; Chong, M; Huang, H; Tralau-Stewart, C; Maxwell, P H; Maze, M; George, A J T; Ma, D

2013-01-01

Prolonged hypothermic storage causes ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in the renal graft, which is considered to contribute to the occurrence of the delayed graft function (DGF) and chronic graft failure. Strategies are required to protect the graft and to prolong renal graft survival. We demonstrated that xenon exposure to human proximal tubular cells (HK-2) led to activation of range of protective proteins. Xenon treatment prior to or after hypothermia–hypoxia challenge stabilized the HK-2 cellular structure, diminished cytoplasmic translocation of high-mobility group box (HMGB) 1 and suppressed NF-κB activation. In the syngeneic Lewis-to-Lewis rat model of kidney transplantation, xenon exposure to donors before graft retrieval or to recipients after engraftment decreased caspase-3 expression, localized HMGB-1 within nuclei and prevented TLR-4/NF-κB activation in tubular cells; serum pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced and renal function was preserved. Xenon treatment of graft donors or of recipients prolonged renal graft survival following IRI in both Lewis-to-Lewis isografts and Fischer-to-Lewis allografts. Xenon induced cell survival or graft functional recovery was abolished by HIF-1α siRNA. Our data suggest that xenon treatment attenuates DGF and enhances graft survival. This approach could be translated into clinical practice leading to a considerable improvement in long-term graft survival. PMID:23710625

ARGON, XENON, HYDROGEN, AND THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND GLYCOLYSIS OF MOUSE TISSUE SLICES

PubMed Central

South, Frank E.; Cook, Sherburne F.

1954-01-01

The effects of xenon, argon, and hydrogen on the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of mouse liver, brain, and sarcoma slices have been investigated. Xenon was found to alter the rates of metabolism of these tissues in a manner almost identical with helium. The gas increased the rate of oxygen consumption in all three tissues and significantly depressed that of anaerobic glycolysis in brain and liver. The depression of glycolysis in sarcoma was less pronounced and not highly significant. Although both the magnitude and statistical significance of the effects observed with argon were much smaller, there was a seeming adherence to the general pattern established by xenon and helium. Hydrogen while remaining essentially ineffective insofar as oxygen uptake was concerned, depressed glycolysis in both liver and brain slices but did not significantly affect sarcoma slices. The following points are stressed in the Discussion: (1) the magnitude and direction of effects exerted by helium, argon, xenon, hydrogen, and nitrogen do not conform with the relative values of molecular weight, density, and solubility of these gases; (2) the effect of these gases on tissue metabolism does not necessarily parallel that exerted upon the whole organism. PMID:13118104

Ethane and Xenon mixing: density functional theory (DFT) simulations and experiments on Sandia's Z machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magyar, Rudolph; Root, Seth; Mattsson, Thomas; Cochrane, Kyle

2012-02-01

The combination of ethane and xenon is one of the simplest binary mixtures in which bond breaking is expected to play a role under shock conditions. At cryogenic conditions, xenon is often understood to mix with alkanes such as Ethane as if it were also an alkane, but this model is expected to break down at higher temperatures and pressures. To investigate the breakdown, we have performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations on several xenon/ethane mixtures. Additionally, we have performed shock compression experiments on Xenon-Ethane using the Sandia Z - accelerator. The DFT and experimental results are compared to hydrodynamic simulations using different mixing models in the equation of state. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Innovative concept for a major breakthrough in atmospheric radioactive xenon detection for nuclear explosion monitoring.

PubMed

Le Petit, G; Cagniant, A; Morelle, M; Gross, P; Achim, P; Douysset, G; Taffary, T; Moulin, C

The verification regime of the comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT) is based on a network of three different waveform technologies together with global monitoring of aerosols and noble gas in order to detect, locate and identify a nuclear weapon explosion down to 1 kt TNT equivalent. In case of a low intensity underground or underwater nuclear explosion, it appears that only radioactive gases, especially the noble gas which are difficult to contain, will allow identification of weak yield nuclear tests. Four radioactive xenon isotopes, 131m Xe, 133m Xe, 133 Xe and 135 Xe, are sufficiently produced in fission reactions and exhibit suitable half-lives and radiation emissions to be detected in atmosphere at low level far away from the release site. Four different monitoring CTBT systems, ARIX, ARSA, SAUNA, and SPALAX™ have been developed in order to sample and to measure them with high sensitivity. The latest developed by the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is likely to be drastically improved in detection sensitivity (especially for the metastable isotopes) through a higher sampling rate, when equipped with a new conversion electron (CE)/X-ray coincidence spectrometer. This new spectrometer is based on two combined detectors, both exhibiting very low radioactive background: a well-type NaI(Tl) detector for photon detection surrounding a gas cell equipped with two large passivated implanted planar silicon chips for electron detection. It is characterized by a low electron energy threshold and a much better energy resolution for the CE than those usually measured with the existing CTBT equipments. Furthermore, the compact geometry of the spectrometer provides high efficiency for X-ray and for CE associated to the decay modes of the four relevant radioxenons. The paper focus on the design of this new spectrometer and presents spectroscopic performances of a prototype based on recent results achieved from both radioactive xenon standards and air sample

Predictors for postoperative nausea and vomiting after xenon-based anaesthesia.

PubMed

Schaefer, M S; Apfel, C C; Sachs, H-J; Stuttmann, R; Bein, B; Tonner, P H; Hein, M; Neukirchen, M; Reyle-Hahn, M; Kienbaum, P

2015-07-01

In contrast to volatile anaesthetics, xenon acts by antagonism at N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors and antagonizes 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptors that mediate nausea and vomiting. Therefore, it is unknown whether the same risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after volatile anaesthetics apply to xenon-based anaesthesia. With ethics committee approval and written informed consent, 502 consecutive patients undergoing xenon-based anaesthesia were included in a multicentre prospective observational study. Antiemetic prophylaxis was administered at the discretion of the attending anaesthetists. Postoperative nausea and vomiting and need for antiemetic rescue medication were assessed for 24 h after anaesthesia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to quantify risk factors for PONV and need for rescue medication. Four hundred and eighty-eight subjects were available for the final analysis. The incidence of PONV in subjects without prophylaxis was lower than expected according to the Apfel Score (28% observed; 42% expected, P<0.001). Independent predictors for PONV were (adjusted odds ratio; 95% confidence interval) female sex (1.76; 1.08-2.89), younger patient age (0.82 per 10 yr; 0.69-0.97), and longer duration of anaesthesia (1.36 per hour; 1.17-1.59). The incidence of PONV was significantly lower than predicted by the Apfel Score. Female sex, younger age, and longer duration of anaesthesia are risk factors for PONV after xenon-based anaesthesia. German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices number AL-PMS-01/07GER. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Xenon Protects against Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury in an In Vitro Model.

PubMed

Campos-Pires, Rita; Koziakova, Mariia; Yonis, Amina; Pau, Ashni; Macdonald, Warren; Harris, Katie; Edge, Christopher J; Franks, Nicholas P; Mahoney, Peter F; Dickinson, Robert

2018-04-15

The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective efficacy of the inert gas xenon as a treatment for patients with blast-induced traumatic brain injury in an in vitro laboratory model. We developed a novel blast traumatic brain injury model using C57BL/6N mouse organotypic hippocampal brain-slice cultures exposed to a single shockwave, with the resulting injury quantified using propidium iodide fluorescence. A shock tube blast generator was used to simulate open field explosive blast shockwaves, modeled by the Friedlander waveform. Exposure to blast shockwave resulted in significant (p < 0.01) injury that increased with peak-overpressure and impulse of the shockwave, and which exhibited a secondary injury development up to 72 h after trauma. Blast-induced propidium iodide fluorescence overlapped with cleaved caspase-3 immunofluorescence, indicating that shock-wave-induced cell death involves apoptosis. Xenon (50% atm) applied 1 h after blast exposure reduced injury 24 h (p < 0.01), 48 h (p < 0.05), and 72 h (p < 0.001) later, compared with untreated control injury. Xenon-treated injured slices were not significantly different from uninjured sham slices at 24 h and 72 h. We demonstrate for the first time that xenon treatment after blast traumatic brain injury reduces initial injury and prevents subsequent injury development in vitro. Our findings support the idea that xenon may be a potential first-line treatment for those with blast-induced traumatic brain injury.

Xenon Protects against Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury in an In Vitro Model

PubMed Central

Campos-Pires, Rita; Koziakova, Mariia; Yonis, Amina; Pau, Ashni; Macdonald, Warren; Harris, Katie; Edge, Christopher J.; Franks, Nicholas P.; Mahoney, Peter F.

2018-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective efficacy of the inert gas xenon as a treatment for patients with blast-induced traumatic brain injury in an in vitro laboratory model. We developed a novel blast traumatic brain injury model using C57BL/6N mouse organotypic hippocampal brain-slice cultures exposed to a single shockwave, with the resulting injury quantified using propidium iodide fluorescence. A shock tube blast generator was used to simulate open field explosive blast shockwaves, modeled by the Friedlander waveform. Exposure to blast shockwave resulted in significant (p < 0.01) injury that increased with peak-overpressure and impulse of the shockwave, and which exhibited a secondary injury development up to 72 h after trauma. Blast-induced propidium iodide fluorescence overlapped with cleaved caspase-3 immunofluorescence, indicating that shock-wave–induced cell death involves apoptosis. Xenon (50% atm) applied 1 h after blast exposure reduced injury 24 h (p < 0.01), 48 h (p < 0.05), and 72 h (p < 0.001) later, compared with untreated control injury. Xenon-treated injured slices were not significantly different from uninjured sham slices at 24 h and 72 h. We demonstrate for the first time that xenon treatment after blast traumatic brain injury reduces initial injury and prevents subsequent injury development in vitro. Our findings support the idea that xenon may be a potential first-line treatment for those with blast-induced traumatic brain injury. PMID:29285980

Ultrasonic liquid level detector

DOEpatents

Kotz, Dennis M.; Hinz, William R.

2010-09-28

An ultrasonic liquid level detector for use within a shielded container, the detector being tubular in shape with a chamber at its lower end into which liquid from in the container may enter and exit, the chamber having an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver in its top wall and a reflector plate or target as its bottom wall whereby when liquid fills the chamber a complete medium is then present through which an ultrasonic wave may be transmitted and reflected from the target thus signaling that the liquid is at chamber level.

Pairwise additivity in the nuclear magnetic resonance interactions of atomic xenon.

PubMed

Hanni, Matti; Lantto, Perttu; Vaara, Juha

2009-04-14

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of atomic (129/131)Xe is used as a versatile probe of the structure and dynamics of various host materials, due to the sensitivity of the Xe NMR parameters to intermolecular interactions. The principles governing this sensitivity can be investigated using the prototypic system of interacting Xe atoms. In the pairwise additive approximation (PAA), the binary NMR chemical shift, nuclear quadrupole coupling (NQC), and spin-rotation (SR) curves for the xenon dimer are utilized for fast and efficient evaluation of the corresponding NMR tensors in small xenon clusters Xe(n) (n = 2-12). If accurate, the preparametrized PAA enables the analysis of the NMR properties of xenon clusters, condensed xenon phases, and xenon gas without having to resort to electronic structure calculations of instantaneous configurations for n > 2. The binary parameters for Xe(2) at different internuclear distances were obtained at the nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock level of theory. Quantum-chemical (QC) calculations at the corresponding level were used to obtain the NMR parameters of the Xe(n) (n = 2-12) clusters at the equilibrium geometries. Comparison of PAA and QC data indicates that the direct use of the binary property curves of Xe(2) can be expected to be well-suited for the analysis of Xe NMR in the gaseous phase dominated by binary collisions. For use in condensed phases where many-body effects should be considered, effective binary property functions were fitted using the principal components of QC tensors from Xe(n) clusters. Particularly, the chemical shift in Xe(n) is strikingly well-described by the effective PAA. The coordination number Z of the Xe site is found to be the most important factor determining the chemical shift, with the largest shifts being found for high-symmetry sites with the largest Z. This is rationalized in terms of the density of virtual electronic states available for response to magnetic perturbations.

Progress in the development of a S-RETGEM-based detector for an early forest fire warning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charpak, G.; Benaben, P.; Breuil, P.; Martinengo, P.; Nappi, E.; Peskov, V.

2009-12-01

We present a prototype of a Strip Resistive Thick GEM (S-RETGEM) photosensitive gaseous detector filled with Ne and ethylferrocene (EF) vapours at a total pressure of 1 atm for an early forest fire detection system. Measurements show that it is one hundred times more sensitive than the best commercial ultraviolet (UV) flame detectors; and therefore, it is able to reliably detect a flame of ~ 1.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 m3 at a distance of about 1 km. An additional and unique feature of this detector is its imaging capability, which in combination with other techniques, may significantly reduce false fire alarms rate when operating in an automatic mode. Preliminary results conducted with air-filled photosensitive gaseous detectors are also presented. The main advantages of this approach include both the simplicity of manufacturing and affordability of construction materials such as plastics and glues specifically reducing detector production cost. The sensitivity of these air-filled detectors at certain conditions may be as high as those filled with Ne and EF. Long-term tests of such sealed detectors indicate a significant progress in this direction. We believe that our detectors utilized in addition to other flame and smoke sensors will exceptionally increase the capability to detect forest fire at a very early stage of development. Our future efforts will be focused on attempts to commercialize such detectors utilizing our aforementioned findings.

Clinical efficacy of xenon versus propofol: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Xia, Yimeng; Fang, Hongwei; Xu, Jindong; Jia, Chenfei; Tao, Guorong; Yu, Buwei

2018-05-01

Interest in the anesthetic use of xenon, a noble gas, has waxed and waned for decades, and the clinical effects of xenon are still debated. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the clinical efficacy of xenon with that of propofol. Electronic searches were performed through December 2017 using various databases, including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. We identified thirteen trials that included a total of 817 patients. Patients treated with xenon had a lower bispectral index (BIS) (weighted mean difference (WMD): -6.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): -11.33 to -1.18, P = .02), a higher mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) (WMD: 7.00, 95% CI: 2.32-11.68, P = .003) and a lower heart rate (HR) (WMD: -9.45, 95% CI: -12.28 to -6.63, P < 0.00001) than propofol-treated patients. However, there were no significant differences between the 2 treatment groups in the effects of nondepolarizing muscular relaxants, the duration spent in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) (WMD: -0.94, 95% CI: -8.79-6.91, P = .81), or the incidence of perioperative complications [assessed using the outcomes of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) (relative risk (RR): 2.01, 95% CI: 0.79-5.11, P = .14), hypotension (RR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.27 to 1.40, P = .25), hypertension (RR: 1.27, 95% CI: 0.73-2.21, P = .39) and bradycardia (RR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.36-2.74, P = 1.00)]. In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, we found that xenon treatment resulted in a higher MAP, a lower HR, and a smaller BIS index than treatment with propofol.

Inner-Shell Electron Recoil Discrimination in Xenon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trask, Makayla; Lippincott, Hugh; Baxter, Dan

2017-01-01

\\bulletmore » $$$$ Dark matter searches using time projection chambers (TPCs) rely on the ability to distinguish between nuclear and electron interactions $$$$ Xenon TPCs are specifically searching for a low energy nuclear recoil ( < 30 keV ) signal $$$$ To do this, these interactions must be discernable from the electron recoil background« less

Upgrade of the MEG liquid xenon calorimeter with VUV-light sensitive large area SiPMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ieki, K.

2016-07-01

The MEG experiment searches for the muon lepton flavor violating decay, μ+ →e+ γ. An upgrade of the experiment is ongoing, aiming at reaching a sensitivity of Br(μ+ →e+ γ) = 4 ×10-14, an order of magnitude better than the sensitivity of the current MEG. To achieve this goal, all of the detectors are being upgraded. In MEG, the energy, position and timing of the gamma ray were measured by a liquid Xe calorimeter, which consists of 900 l of liquid Xe and 846 2-in. round-shaped photo-multiplier tubes (PMTs). In the upgrade, the granularity at the gamma ray incident face will be improved by replacing 216 PMTs with 4092 SiPMs (MPPCs) with an active area of 12×12 mm2 each. The energy resolution for the gamma ray is expected to improve by a factor of 2, because the efficiency to collect scintillation light will become more uniform. The position resolution is also expected to improve by a factor of 2. In collaboration with Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., we have successfully developed a high performance MPPC for our detector. It has excellent photon detection efficiency for the liquid xenon scintillation light in VUV range. The size of the chips is large so that it can cover large area with a manageable number of readout channels. The characteristics of the MPPCs are being tested in liquid Xe, and also at the room temperature. The results of the tests will be presented, together with the expected performance of the upgraded detector.

Time Resolved Detectors and Measurements for Accelerators and Beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boland, M. J.; School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010; Rassool, R. P.

2010-06-23

Time resolved experiments require precision timing equipment and careful configuration of the machine and the beamline. The Australian Synchrotron has a state of the art timing system that allows flexible, real-time control of the machine and beamline timing parameters to target specific electron bunches. Results from a proof-of-principle measurement with a pulsed laser and a streak camera on the optical diagnostic beamline will be presented. The timing system was also used to fast trigger the PILATUS detector on an x-ray beamline to measure the fill pattern dependent effects of the detector. PILATUS was able to coarsely measure the fill patternmore » in the storage ring which implies that fill pattern intensity variations need to be corrected for when using the detector in this mode.« less

Shear Thinning Near the Critical Point of Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerli, Gregory A.; Berg, Robert F.; Moldover, Michael R.; Yao, Minwu

2008-01-01

We measured shear thinning, a viscosity decrease ordinarily associated with complex liquids, near the critical point of xenon. The data span a wide range of reduced shear rate: 10(exp -3) < gamma-dot tau < 700, where gamma-dot tau is the shear rate scaled by the relaxation time tau of critical fluctuations. The measurements had a temperature resolution of 0.01 mK and were conducted in microgravity aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia to avoid the density stratification caused by Earth's gravity. The viscometer measured the drag on a delicate nickel screen as it oscillated in the xenon at amplitudes 3 mu,m < chi (sub 0) >430 mu, and frequencies 1 Hz < omega/2 pi < 5 Hz. To separate shear thinning from other nonlinearities, we computed the ratio of the viscous force on the screen at gamma-dot tau to the force at gamma-dot tau approximates 0: C(sub gamma) is identical with F(chi(sub 0), omega tau, gamma-dot tau )/F)(chi(sub 0, omega tau, 0). At low frequencies, (omega tau)(exp 2) < gamma-dot tau, C(sub gamma) depends only on gamma-dot tau, as predicted by dynamic critical scaling. At high frequencies, (omega tau)(exp 2) > gamma-dot tau, C(sub gamma) depends also on both x(sub 0) and omega. The data were compared with numerical calculations based on the Carreau-Yasuda relation for complex fluids: eta(gamma-dot)/eta(0)=[1+A(sub gamma)|gamma-dot tau|](exp - chi(sub eta)/3+chi(sub eta)), where chi(sub eta) =0.069 is the critical exponent for viscosity and mode-coupling theory predicts A(sub gamma) =0.121. For xenon we find A(sub gamma) =0.137 +/- 0.029, in agreement with the mode coupling value. Remarkably, the xenon data close to the critical temperature T(sub c) were independent of the cooling rate (both above and below T(sub c) and these data were symmetric about T(sub c) to within a temperature scale factor. The scale factors for the magnitude of the oscillator s response differed from those for the oscillator's phase; this suggests that the surface tension of the two

Nausea and Vomiting following Balanced Xenon Anesthesia Compared to Sevoflurane: A Post-Hoc Explorative Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Fahlenkamp, Astrid V; Stoppe, Christian; Cremer, Jan; Biener, Ingeborg A; Peters, Dirk; Leuchter, Ricarda; Eisert, Albrecht; Apfel, Christian C; Rossaint, Rolf; Coburn, Mark

2016-01-01

Like other inhalational anesthetics xenon seems to be associated with post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). We assessed nausea incidence following balanced xenon anesthesia compared to sevoflurane, and dexamethasone for its prophylaxis in a randomized controlled trial with post-hoc explorative analysis. 220 subjects with elevated PONV risk (Apfel score ≥2) undergoing elective abdominal surgery were randomized to receive xenon or sevoflurane anesthesia and dexamethasone or placebo after written informed consent. 93 subjects in the xenon group and 94 subjects in the sevoflurane group completed the trial. General anesthesia was maintained with 60% xenon or 2.0% sevoflurane. Dexamethasone 4mg or placebo was administered in the first hour. Subjects were analyzed for nausea and vomiting in predefined intervals during a 24h post-anesthesia follow-up. Logistic regression, controlled for dexamethasone and anesthesia/dexamethasone interaction, showed a significant risk to develop nausea following xenon anesthesia (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.02-5.19, p = 0.044). Early-onset nausea incidence was 46% after xenon and 35% after sevoflurane anesthesia (p = 0.138). After xenon, nausea occurred significantly earlier (p = 0.014), was more frequent and rated worse in the beginning. Dexamethasone did not markedly reduce nausea occurrence in both groups. Late-onset nausea showed no considerable difference between the groups. In our study setting, xenon anesthesia was associated with an elevated risk to develop nausea in sensitive subjects. Dexamethasone 4mg was not effective preventing nausea in our study. Group size or dosage might have been too small, and change of statistical analysis parameters in the post-hoc evaluation might have further contributed to a limitation of our results. Further trials will be needed to address prophylaxis of xenon-induced nausea. EU Clinical Trials EudraCT-2008-004132-20 ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00793663.

Nausea and Vomiting following Balanced Xenon Anesthesia Compared to Sevoflurane: A Post-Hoc Explorative Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Fahlenkamp, Astrid V.; Stoppe, Christian; Cremer, Jan; Biener, Ingeborg A.; Peters, Dirk; Leuchter, Ricarda; Eisert, Albrecht; Apfel, Christian C.; Rossaint, Rolf; Coburn, Mark

2016-01-01

Objective Like other inhalational anesthetics xenon seems to be associated with post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). We assessed nausea incidence following balanced xenon anesthesia compared to sevoflurane, and dexamethasone for its prophylaxis in a randomized controlled trial with post-hoc explorative analysis. Methods 220 subjects with elevated PONV risk (Apfel score ≥2) undergoing elective abdominal surgery were randomized to receive xenon or sevoflurane anesthesia and dexamethasone or placebo after written informed consent. 93 subjects in the xenon group and 94 subjects in the sevoflurane group completed the trial. General anesthesia was maintained with 60% xenon or 2.0% sevoflurane. Dexamethasone 4mg or placebo was administered in the first hour. Subjects were analyzed for nausea and vomiting in predefined intervals during a 24h post-anesthesia follow-up. Results Logistic regression, controlled for dexamethasone and anesthesia/dexamethasone interaction, showed a significant risk to develop nausea following xenon anesthesia (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.02–5.19, p = 0.044). Early-onset nausea incidence was 46% after xenon and 35% after sevoflurane anesthesia (p = 0.138). After xenon, nausea occurred significantly earlier (p = 0.014), was more frequent and rated worse in the beginning. Dexamethasone did not markedly reduce nausea occurrence in both groups. Late-onset nausea showed no considerable difference between the groups. Conclusion In our study setting, xenon anesthesia was associated with an elevated risk to develop nausea in sensitive subjects. Dexamethasone 4mg was not effective preventing nausea in our study. Group size or dosage might have been too small, and change of statistical analysis parameters in the post-hoc evaluation might have further contributed to a limitation of our results. Further trials will be needed to address prophylaxis of xenon-induced nausea. Trial Registration EU Clinical Trials EudraCT-2008-004132-20 ClinicalTrials.gov NCT

Xenon treatment protects against cold ischemia associated delayed graft function and prolongs graft survival in rats.

PubMed

Zhao, H; Watts, H R; Chong, M; Huang, H; Tralau-Stewart, C; Maxwell, P H; Maze, M; George, A J T; Ma, D

2013-08-01

Prolonged hypothermic storage causes ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in the renal graft, which is considered to contribute to the occurrence of the delayed graft function (DGF) and chronic graft failure. Strategies are required to protect the graft and to prolong renal graft survival. We demonstrated that xenon exposure to human proximal tubular cells (HK-2) led to activation of range of protective proteins. Xenon treatment prior to or after hypothermia-hypoxia challenge stabilized the HK-2 cellular structure, diminished cytoplasmic translocation of high-mobility group box (HMGB) 1 and suppressed NF-κB activation. In the syngeneic Lewis-to-Lewis rat model of kidney transplantation, xenon exposure to donors before graft retrieval or to recipients after engraftment decreased caspase-3 expression, localized HMGB-1 within nuclei and prevented TLR-4/NF-κB activation in tubular cells; serum pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced and renal function was preserved. Xenon treatment of graft donors or of recipients prolonged renal graft survival following IRI in both Lewis-to-Lewis isografts and Fischer-to-Lewis allografts. Xenon induced cell survival or graft functional recovery was abolished by HIF-1α siRNA. Our data suggest that xenon treatment attenuates DGF and enhances graft survival. This approach could be translated into clinical practice leading to a considerable improvement in long-term graft survival. © Copyright 2013 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Background studies in gas ionizing x ray detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eldridge, Hudson B.

1989-01-01

The background response of a gas ionizing proportional x ray detector is estimated by solving the one dimensional photon transport equation for two regions using Monte Carlo techniques. The solution was effected using the SSL VAX 780 and the CRAY XMP computers at Marshall Space Flight Center. The isotropic photon energy spectrum encompassing the range from 1 to 1000 KeV incident onto the first region, the shield, is taken so as to represent the measured spectrum at an altitude of 3 mb over Palastine, Texas. The differential energy spectrum deposited in the gas region, xenon, over the range of 0 to 100 KeV is written to an output file. In addition, the photon flux emerging from the shield region, tin, over the range of 1 to 1000 KeV is also tabulated and written to a separate file. Published tabular cross sections for photoelectric, elastic and inelastic Compton scattering as well as the total absorption coefficient are used. Histories of each incident photon as well as secondary photons from Compton and photoelectric interactions are followed until the photon either is absorbed or exits from the regions under consideration. The effect of shielding thickness upon the energy spectrum deposited in the xenon region for this background spectrum incident upon the tin shield was studied.

Neuroprotection against traumatic brain injury by xenon, but not argon, is mediated by inhibition at the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor glycine site.

PubMed

Harris, Katie; Armstrong, Scott P; Campos-Pires, Rita; Kiru, Louise; Franks, Nicholas P; Dickinson, Robert

2013-11-01

Xenon, the inert anesthetic gas, is neuroprotective in models of brain injury. The authors investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of the inert gases such as xenon, argon, krypton, neon, and helium in an in vitro model of traumatic brain injury. The authors use an in vitro model using mouse organotypic hippocampal brain slices, subjected to a focal mechanical trauma, with injury quantified by propidium iodide fluorescence. Patch clamp electrophysiology is used to investigate the effect of the inert gases on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and TREK-1 channels, two molecular targets likely to play a role in neuroprotection. Xenon (50%) and, to a lesser extent, argon (50%) are neuroprotective against traumatic injury when applied after injury (xenon 43±1% protection at 72 h after injury [N=104]; argon 30±6% protection [N=44]; mean±SEM). Helium, neon, and krypton are devoid of neuroprotective effect. Xenon (50%) prevents development of secondary injury up to 48 h after trauma. Argon (50%) attenuates secondary injury, but is less effective than xenon (xenon 50±5% reduction in secondary injury at 72 h after injury [N=104]; argon 34±8% reduction [N=44]; mean±SEM). Glycine reverses the neuroprotective effect of xenon, but not argon, consistent with competitive inhibition at the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor glycine site mediating xenon neuroprotection against traumatic brain injury. Xenon inhibits N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and activates TREK-1 channels, whereas argon, krypton, neon, and helium have no effect on these ion channels. Xenon neuroprotection against traumatic brain injury can be reversed by increasing the glycine concentration, consistent with inhibition at the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor glycine site playing a significant role in xenon neuroprotection. Argon and xenon do not act via the same mechanism.

Development and evaluation of a silver mordenite composite sorbent for the partitioning of xenon from krypton in gas compositions

DOE PAGES

Garn, Troy G.; Greenhalgh, Mitchell; Law, Jack D.

2015-12-22

A new engineered form composite sorbent for the selective separation of xenon from krypton in simulant composition off-gas streams resulting from the reprocessing of used nuclear fuel has been developed and evaluated. A sodium mordenite powder was incorporated into a macroporous polymer binder, formed into spherical beads and successfully converted to a 9 wt.% silver form composite sorbent. The final engineered form sorbent retained the characteristic surface area indicative of sodium mordenite powder. The sorbent was evaluated for xenon adsorption potential with capacities measured as high as 30 millimoles of xenon per kilogram of sorbent achieved at ambient temperature andmore » 460 millimoles of xenon per kilogram sorbent at 220 K. Xenon/krypton selectivity was calculated to be 22.4 with a 1020 µL/L xenon, 150 µL/L krypton in a balance of air feed gas at 220 K. Furthermore, adsorption/desorption thermal cycling effects were evaluated with results indicating sorbent performance was not significantly impacted while undergoing numerous adsorption/desorption thermal cycles.« less

Xenon Sputter Yield Measurements for Ion Thruster Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, John D.; Gardner, Michael M.; Johnson, Mark L.; Wilbur, Paul J.

2003-01-01

In this paper, we describe a technique that was used to measure total and differential sputter yields of materials important to high specific impulse ion thrusters. The heart of the technique is a quartz crystal monitor that is swept at constant radial distance from a small target region where a high current density xenon ion beam is aimed. Differential sputtering yields were generally measured over a full 180 deg arc in a plane that included the beam centerline and the normal vector to the target surface. Sputter yield results are presented for a xenon ion energy range from 0.5 to 10 keV and an angle of incidence range from 0 deg to 70 deg from the target surface normal direction for targets consisting of molybdenum, titanium, solid (Poco) graphite, and flexible graphite (grafoil). Total sputter yields are calculated using a simple integration procedure and comparisons are made to sputter yields obtained from the literature. In general, the agreement between the available data is good. As expected for heavy xenon ions, the differential and total sputter yields are found to be strong functions of angle of incidence. Significant under- and over-cosine behavior is observed at low- and high-ion energies, respectively. In addition, strong differences in differential yield behavior are observed between low-Z targets (C and Ti) and high-Z targets (Mo). Curve fits to the differential sputter yield data are provided. They should prove useful to analysts interested in predicting the erosion profiles of ion thruster components and determining where the erosion products re-deposit.

Evaluation of hemodynamic effects of xenon in dogs undergoing hemorrhagic shock

PubMed Central

Franceschi, Ruben C.; Malbouisson, Luiz; Yoshinaga, Eduardo; Auler, José Otavio Costa; de Figueiredo (in memoriam), Luiz Francisco Poli; Carmona, Maria José C.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The anesthetic gas xenon is reported to preserve hemodynamic stability during general anesthesia. However, the effects of the gas during shock are unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Xe on hemodynamic stability and tissue perfusion in a canine model of hemorrhagic shock. METHOD: Twenty-six dogs, mechanically ventilated with a fraction of inspired oxygen of 21% and anesthetized with etomidate and vecuronium, were randomized into Xenon (Xe; n = 13) or Control (C; n = 13) groups. Following hemodynamic monitoring, a pressure-driven shock was induced to reach an arterial pressure of 40 mmHg. Hemodynamic data and blood samples were collected prior to bleeding, immediately after bleeding and 5, 20 and 40 minutes following shock. The Xe group was treated with 79% Xe diluted in ambient air, inhaled for 20 minutes after shock. RESULT: The mean bleeding volume was 44 mL.kg−1 in the C group and 40 mL.kg−1 in the Xe group. Hemorrhage promoted a decrease in both the cardiac index (p<0.001) and mean arterial pressure (p<0.001). These changes were associated with an increase in lactate levels and worsening of oxygen transport variables in both groups (p<0.05). Inhalation of xenon did not cause further worsening of hemodynamics or tissue perfusion markers. CONCLUSIONS: Xenon did not alter hemodynamic stability or tissue perfusion in an experimentally controlled hemorrhagic shock model. However, further studies are necessary to validate this drug in other contexts. PMID:23525321

Frequency-Dependent Viscosity of Xenon Near the Critical Point

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berg, Robert F.; Moldover, Michael R.; Zimmerli, Gregory A.

1999-01-01

We used a novel, overdamped oscillator aboard the Space Shuttle to measure the viscosity eta of xenon near its critical density rho(sub c), and temperature T(sub c). In microgravity, useful data were obtained within 0.1 mK of T(sub c), corresponding to a reduced temperature t = (T -T(sub c))/T(sub c) = 3 x 10(exp -7). The data extend two decades closer to T(sub c) than the best ground measurements, and they directly reveal the expected power-law behavior eta proportional to t(sup -(nu)z(sub eta)). Here nu is the correlation length exponent, and our result for the small viscosity exponent is z(sub eta) = 0.0690 +/- 0.0006. (All uncertainties are one standard uncertainty.) Our value for z(sub eta) depends only weakly on the form of the viscosity crossover function, and it agrees with the value 0.067 +/- 0.002 obtained from a recent two-loop perturbation expansion. The measurements spanned the frequency range 2 Hz less than or equal to f less than or equal to 12 Hz and revealed viscoelasticity when t less than or equal to 10(exp -1), further from T(sub c) than predicted. The viscoelasticity scales as Af(tau), where tau is the fluctuation-decay time. The fitted value of the viscoelastic time-scale parameter A is 2.0 +/- 0.3 times the result of a one-loop perturbation calculation. Near T(sub c), the xenon's calculated time constant for thermal diffusion exceeded days. Nevertheless, the viscosity results were independent of the xenon's temperature history, indicating that the density was kept near rho(sub c), by judicious choices of the temperature vs. time program. Deliberately bad choices led to large density inhomogeneities. At t greater than 10(exp -5), the xenon approached equilibrium much faster than expected, suggesting that convection driven by microgravity and by electric fields slowly stirred the sample.

Postconditioning effects of argon or xenon on early graft function in a porcine model of kidney autotransplantation.

PubMed

De Deken, J; Rex, S; Lerut, E; Martinet, W; Monbaliu, D; Pirenne, J; Jochmans, I

2018-07-01

Ischaemia-reperfusion injury is inevitable during renal transplantation and can lead to delayed graft function and primary non-function. Preconditioning, reconditioning and postconditioning with argon and xenon protects against renal ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rodent models. The hypothesis that postconditioning with argon or xenon inhalation would improve graft function in a porcine renal autotransplant model was tested. Pigs (n = 6 per group) underwent left nephrectomy after 60 min of warm ischaemia (renal artery and vein clamping). The procured kidney was autotransplanted in a separate procedure after 18 h of cold storage, immediately after a right nephrectomy. Upon reperfusion, pigs were randomized to inhalation of control gas (70 per cent nitrogen and 30 per cent oxygen), argon (70 per cent and 30 per cent oxygen) or xenon (70 per cent and 30 per cent oxygen) for 2 h. The primary outcome parameter was peak plasma creatinine; secondary outcome parameters included further markers of graft function (creatinine course, urine output), graft injury (aspartate aminotransferase, heart-type fatty acid-binding protein, histology), apoptosis and autophagy (western blot, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) staining), inflammatory mediators and markers of cell survival/growth (mRNA and tissue protein quantification), and animal survival. Results are presented as median (i.q.r.). ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used where indicated. Peak plasma creatinine levels were similar between the groups: control 20·8 (16·4-23·1) mg/dl, argon 21·4 (17·1-24·9) mg/dl and xenon 19·4 (17·5-21·0) mg/dl (P = 0·607). Xenon was associated with an increase in autophagy and proapoptotic markers. Creatinine course, urine output, injury markers, histology, survival and inflammatory mediators were not affected by the intervention. Postconditioning with argon or xenon did not improve kidney graft function in this

Influence of atmospheric transport patterns on xenon detections at the CTBTO radionuclide network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krysta, Monika; Kusmierczyk-Michulec, Jolanta

2016-04-01

In order to fulfil its task of monitoring for signals emanating from nuclear explosions, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) operates global International Monitoring System (IMS) comprising seismic, infrasound, hydroacoustic and radionuclide measurement networks. At present, 24 among 80 radionuclide stations foreseen by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) are equipped with certified noble gas measurement systems. Over a past couple of years these systems collected a rich set of measurements of radioactive isotopes of xenon. Atmospheric transport modelling simulations are crucial to an assessment of the origin of xenon detected at the IMS stations. Numerous studies undertaken in the past enabled linking these detections to non Treaty-relevant activities and identifying main contributors. Presence and quantity of xenon isotopes at the stations is hence a result of an interplay of emission patterns and atmospheric circulation. In this presentation we analyse the presence or absence of radioactive xenon at selected stations from an angle of such an interplay. We attempt to classify the stations according to similarity of detection patterns, examine seasonality in those patterns and link them to large scale or local meteorological phenomena. The studies are undertaken using crude hypotheses on emission patterns from known sources and atmospheric transport modelling simulations prepared with the FLEXPART model.

A relativistic coupled-cluster interaction potential and rovibrational constants for the xenon dimer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerabek, Paul; Smits, Odile; Pahl, Elke; Schwerdtfeger, Peter

2018-01-01

An accurate potential energy curve has been derived for the xenon dimer using state-of-the-art relativistic coupled-cluster theory up to quadruple excitations accounting for both basis set superposition and incompleteness errors. The data obtained is fitted to a computationally efficient extended Lennard-Jones potential form and to a modified Tang-Toennies potential function treating the short- and long-range part separately. The vibrational spectrum of Xe2 obtained from a numerical solution of the rovibrational Schrödinger equation and subsequently derived spectroscopic constants are in excellent agreement with experimental values. We further present solid-state calculations for xenon using a static many-body expansion up to fourth-order in the xenon interaction potential including dynamic effects within the Einstein approximation. Again we find very good agreement with the experimental (face-centred cubic) lattice constant and cohesive energy.

Configuration interaction in charge exchange spectra of tin and xenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Arcy, R.; Morris, O.; Ohashi, H.; Suda, S.; Tanuma, H.; Fujioka, S.; Nishimura, H.; Nishihara, K.; Suzuki, C.; Kato, T.; Koike, F.; O'Sullivan, G.

2011-06-01

Charge-state-specific extreme ultraviolet spectra from both tin ions and xenon ions have been recorded at Tokyo Metropolitan University. The electron cyclotron resonance source spectra were produced from charge exchange collisions between the ions and rare gas target atoms. To identify unknown spectral lines of tin and xenon, atomic structure calculations were performed for Sn14+-Sn17+ and Xe16+-Xe20+ using the Hartree-Fock configuration interaction code of Cowan (1981 The Theory of Atomic Structure and Spectra (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press)). The energies of the capture states involved in the single-electron process that occurs in these slow collisions were estimated using the classical over-barrier model.

Fluorination of amorphous thin-film materials with xenon fluoride

DOEpatents

Weil, R.B.

1987-05-01

A method is disclosed for producing fluorine-containing amorphous semiconductor material, preferably comprising amorphous silicon. The method includes depositing amorphous thin-film material onto a substrate while introducing xenon fluoride during the film deposition process.

Fluorination of amorphous thin-film materials with xenon fluoride

DOEpatents

Weil, Raoul B.

1988-01-01

A method is disclosed for producing fluorine-containing amorphous semiconductor material, preferably comprising amorphous silicon. The method includes depositing amorphous thin-film material onto a substrate while introducing xenon fluoride during the film deposition process.

Quenching gas for detectors of charged particles

DOEpatents

Atac, M.

1974-01-22

Operation of detectors of charged particles such as wire counters and Geiger-Muller tubes is improved by filling the counters with a quenching-gas mixture of argon, isobutane and methylchloroform. (Official Gazette)

Xenon plasma sustained by pulse-periodic laser radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rudoy, I. G.; Solovyov, N. G.; Soroka, A. M.

2015-10-15

The possibility of sustaining a quasi-stationary pulse-periodic optical discharge (POD) in xenon at a pressure of p = 10–20 bar in a focused 1.07-μm Yb{sup 3+} laser beam with a pulse repetition rate of f{sub rep} ⩾ 2 kHz, pulse duration of τ ⩾ 200 μs, and power of P = 200–300 W has been demonstrated. In the plasma development phase, the POD pulse brightness is generally several times higher than the stationary brightness of a continuous optical discharge at the same laser power, which indicates a higher plasma temperature in the POD regime. Upon termination of the laser pulse,more » plasma recombines and is then reinitiated in the next pulse. The initial absorption of laser radiation in successive POD pulses is provided by 5p{sup 5}6s excited states of xenon atoms. This kind of discharge can be applied in plasma-based high-brightness broadband light sources.« less

Adding 5 h delayed xenon to delayed hypothermia treatment improves long-term function in neonatal rats surviving to adulthood.

PubMed

Liu, Xun; Dingley, John; Scull-Brown, Emma; Thoresen, Marianne

2015-06-01

We previously reported that combining immediate hypothermia with immediate or 2 h delayed inhalation of an inert gas, xenon, gave additive neuroprotection in rats after a hypoxic-ischemic insult, compared to hypothermia alone. Defining the therapeutic time window for this new combined intervention is crucial in clinical practice when immediate treatment is not always feasible. The aim of this study is to investigate whether combined hypothermia and xenon still provide neuroprotection in rats after a 5 h delay for both hypothermia and xenon. Seven-day-old Wistar rat pups underwent a unilateral hypoxic-ischemic insult. Pups received 5 h of treatment starting 5 h after the insult randomized between normothermia, hypothermia, or hypothermia with 50% xenon. Surviving pups were tested for fine motor function through weeks 8-10 before being euthanized at week 11. Their hemispheric and hippocampal areas were assessed. Both delayed hypothermia-xenon and hypothermia-only treated groups had significantly less brain tissue loss than those which underwent normothermia. The functional performance after 1 wk and adulthood was significantly better after hypothermia-xenon treatment as compared to the hypothermia-only or normothermia groups. Adding 50% xenon to 5 h delayed hypothermia significantly improved functional outcome as compared to delayed hypothermia alone despite similar reductions in brain area.

Magnetization transfer from laser-polarized xenon to protons located in the hydrophobic cavity of the wheat nonspecific lipid transfer protein

PubMed Central

Landon, Céline; Berthault, Patrick; Vovelle, Françoise; Desvaux, Hervé

2001-01-01

Nonspecific lipid transfer protein from wheat is studied by liquid-state NMR in the presence of xenon. The gas–protein interaction is indicated by the dependence of the protein proton chemical shifts on the xenon pressure and formally confirmed by the first observation of magnetization transfer from laser-polarized xenon to the protein protons. Twenty-six heteronuclear nOes have allowed the characterization of four interaction sites inside the wheat ns-LTP cavity. Their locations are in agreement with the variations of the chemical shifts under xenon pressure and with solvation simulations. The richness of the information obtained by the noble gas with a nuclear polarization multiplied by ∼12,000 makes this approach based on dipolar cross-relaxation with laser-polarized xenon promising for probing protein hydrophobic pockets at ambient pressure. PMID:11274467

Constraints on Nucleosynthesis from Xenon Isotopes in Presolar Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilmour, J. D.; Turner, G.

2007-03-01

By applying theoretical constraints to three-dimensional fits of xenon isotope data from presolar grains, we show that they strongly suggest a nucleosynthesis process that produces ``r-process'' isotopes without producing s-process isotopes (128Xe, 130Xe) and without producing the conventional r-process isotope 136Xe. It is one of three distinct nucleosynthetic sources that are necessary and sufficient to explain the gross variation in xenon isotopic data across all presolar material. The other source contributing r-process isotopes is responsible for the heavy isotope signature identified in nanodiamonds, which is also present in presolar SiC, and is associated with light isotope enrichment. The relative enrichments of heavy and light isotopes in this component in nanodiamonds and SiC grains are different, implying that the parent nucleosynthetic processes are not inextricably linked. Because minor variations in the isotopic compositions of xenon trapped in nanodiamonds show that two distinct sites contributed nanodiamonds to the early solar system within the average grain lifetime, it is suggested that Type IIa supernovae (SNe IIa) are not the source of the nanodiamonds. The s-process signature derived is consistent with that derived from mixing lines between grain subpopulations for isotopes on the s-process path. This implies that a pure end-member is present in the grains (although not approached in analyses). Our approach is more general and provides a less restrictive set of numerical constraints to be satisfied by proposed theoretical treatments of nucleosynthesis.

Improved xenon lamp for solar simulators: A concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, L. F.

1974-01-01

Short-arc xenon lamp proposes to produce more uniform solar output. With this lamp, both axes of sensors can be tested with same setup. Lamp includes cathode with conical tip and annular anode. Annulus is supported by angled projection to avoid interference with passage of light generated by arc.

Search for magnetic inelastic dark matter with XENON100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; Di Gangi, P.; Di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Eurin, G.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lombardi, F.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Maris, I.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Pizzella, V.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. v.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C.; Vargas, M.; Wang, H.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Ye, J.; Zhang, Y.

2017-10-01

We present the first search for dark matter-induced delayed coincidence signals in a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber, using the 224.6 live days of the XENON100 science run II. This very distinct signature is predicted in the framework of magnetic inelastic dark matter which has been proposed to reconcile the modulation signal reported by the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration with the null results from other direct detection experiments. No candidate event has been found in the region of interest and upper limits on the WIMP's magnetic dipole moment are derived. The scenarios proposed to explain the DAMA/LIBRA modulation signal by magnetic inelastic dark matter interactions of WIMPs with masses of 58.0 GeV/c2 and 122.7 GeV/c2 are excluded at 3.3 σ and 9.3 σ, respectively.

Pretreatment with xenon protected immature rabbit heart from ischaemia/reperfusion injury by opening of the mitoKATP channel.

PubMed

Li, Qian; Lian, Chunwei; Zhou, Ronghua; Li, Tao; Xiang, Xujin; Liu, Bin

2013-04-01

The noble gas anaesthetic, xenon has previously been shown to protect the adult myocardium from ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, however its effect on immature myocardium is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of xenon on the isolated immature heart. Isolated, immature (2-3weeks old) New Zealand rabbit hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit buffer via Langendorff-mode. After 20min of baseline equilibration, hearts were pretreated with 75% xenon, 75% xenon+100μM diazoxide, or 75% xenon+100μM 5-hydroxydecanoate, and then subjected to 1h of global ischaemia and 3h of reperfusion. Pretreatment with 75% xenon significantly improved cardiac function (P<0.01 vs. the I/R group, respectively), limited myocardial infarct size (20.83±2.16%, P<0.01 vs. 35.82±2.14% of the I/R group), reduced cardiac enzyme release (CK-MB, 1.00±0.19IU/L, P<0.01 vs. 0.44±0.14IU/L of the I/R group; LDH, 6.15±1.06IU/L P<0.01 vs. 3.49±0.37IU/L of the I/R group) and decreased apoptosis (6.17±0.56%, P<0.01 vs. 11.31±0.93% of the I/R group). In addition, the mitochondrial structure changes caused by I/R injury were largely prevented by 75% xenon pretreatment (1.37±0.16, P<0.01 vs. 2.32±0.13 of the I/R group). The mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channel opener diazoxide did not influence the effect of xenon, but the specific mitoKATP channel blocker 5-hydroxydecanoate completely abolished this effect. Our study demonstrated that pretreatment with 75% xenon protected immature heart from I/R injury, and this protection was probably mediated by preservation of myocardial mitochondria and opening of mitoKATP channel. Copyright © 2012 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystallographic studies with xenon and nitrous oxide provide evidence for protein-dependent processes in the mechanisms of general anesthesia.

PubMed

Abraini, Jacques H; Marassio, Guillaume; David, Helene N; Vallone, Beatrice; Prangé, Thierry; Colloc'h, Nathalie

2014-11-01

The mechanisms by which general anesthetics, including xenon and nitrous oxide, act are only beginning to be discovered. However, structural approaches revealed weak but specific protein-gas interactions. To improve knowledge, we performed x-ray crystallography studies under xenon and nitrous oxide pressure in a series of 10 binding sites within four proteins. Whatever the pressure, we show (1) hydrophobicity of the gas binding sites has a screening effect on xenon and nitrous oxide binding, with a threshold value of 83% beyond which and below which xenon and nitrous oxide, respectively, binds to their sites preferentially compared to each other; (2) xenon and nitrous oxide occupancies are significantly correlated respectively to the product and the ratio of hydrophobicity by volume, indicating that hydrophobicity and volume are binding parameters that complement and oppose each other's effects; and (3) the ratio of occupancy of xenon to nitrous oxide is significantly correlated to hydrophobicity of their binding sites. These data demonstrate that xenon and nitrous oxide obey different binding mechanisms, a finding that argues against all unitary hypotheses of narcosis and anesthesia, and indicate that the Meyer-Overton rule of a high correlation between anesthetic potency and solubility in lipids of general anesthetics is often overinterpreted. This study provides evidence that the mechanisms of gas binding to proteins and therefore of general anesthesia should be considered as the result of a fully reversible interaction between a drug ligand and a receptor as this occurs in classical pharmacology.

Timing of distant flap pedicle division using xenon 133 clearance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snelling, C.F.; Poomee, A.; Sutherland, J.B.

1980-09-01

Clearance of intradermally injected xenon 133 was used to measure blood flow in distant flaps in humans with the donor pedicle temporarily clamped just prior to division. All 18 flaps with a blood flow of 0.5 ml per 100 gm of tissue per minute or more survived completely after separation. Of 7 with lesser flow, 3 underwent marginal necrosis adjacent to the line of division and 4 survived entirely. Xenon 133 washout does permit quantitative evaluation of blood flow, and since it is a clean isotope, it appears superior to sodium 24 and technetium 99m, which have been used inmore » a similar manner. The test is proposed as an adjunct to clinical judgment in timing pedicle division.« less

Post-Test Inspection of Nasa's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Long Duration Test Hardware: Ion Optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soulas, George C.; Shastry, Rohit

2016-01-01

A Long Duration Test (LDT) was initiated in June 2005 as a part of NASAs Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) service life validation approach. Testing was voluntarily terminated in February 2014, with the thruster accumulating 51,184 hours of operation, processing 918 kg of xenon propellant, and delivering 35.5 MN-s of total impulse. This presentation will present the post-test inspection results to date for the thrusters ion optics.

Comparison of the effects of xenon and sevoflurane anaesthesia on leucocyte function in surgical patients: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Fahlenkamp, A V; Coburn, M; Rossaint, R; Stoppe, C; Haase, H

2014-02-01

While most anaesthetics are known to suppress immune reactions, data from experimental studies indicate the enhancement of reactivity to inflammatory stimulators under xenon treatment. We investigated the effect of xenon anaesthesia on leucocyte function in surgical patients. We performed a subgroup analysis of subjects undergoing xenon or sevoflurane anaesthesia in a randomized clinical trial. After oral premedication with midazolam, two separate blood samples were obtained from subjects undergoing elective abdominal surgery, directly before and 1 h after induction of anaesthesia. General anaesthesia was maintained with either 60% xenon or 2.0% sevoflurane in 30% O2. Leucocyte count, phagocytotic function, and pro-inflammatory cytokine release after ex vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation were determined. Except for lymphocyte numbers, leucocyte subpopulations did not differ between the groups. Phagocytosis and oxidative burst of granulocytes were reduced in both groups after 1 h of anaesthesia, whereas monocytes were not affected. Pro-inflammatory cytokine release in response to LPS was not affected. In vivo, xenon and sevoflurane anaesthesia did not have a pro-inflammatory effect, at least in combination with the types of surgery performed in this study. Notably, the impact of xenon anaesthesia did not differ significantly from sevoflurane anaesthesia with regard to leucocyte function. However, an underestimation of treatment effects due to limited sample sizes cannot be fully excluded.

Partial-wave analysis for positronium-xenon collisions in the ultralow-energy region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibuya, Kengo; Saito, Haruo

2018-05-01

We propose a method to convert measured positronium annihilation rates in gaseous xenon into total and differential cross sections of positronium-xenon collisions in an ultralow-energy region of less than 80 meV where their experimental determinations as functions of the positronium kinetic energy are extremely difficult. This method makes it possible to determine not only the s -wave collisional parameters but also the p -wave and d -wave parameters. We have found a small positive value of the scattering length, A0=2.06 ±0.10 a0 , which indicates that the positronium-xenon interaction in this energy region is repulsive and suggests that it is dominated by the scattering amplitude of the positron rather than that of the electron. An extrapolation of the analytical result into the experimentally inaccessible energy regions from 80 meV to 1.0 eV indicates that there should not be a Ramsauer-Townsend minimum but rather a peak in the total cross section at an energy of approximately 0.4 eV.

Worsening respiratory function in mechanically ventilated intensive care patients: feasibility and value of xenon-enhanced dual energy CT.

PubMed

Hoegl, Sandra; Meinel, Felix G; Thieme, Sven F; Johnson, Thorsten R C; Eickelberg, Oliver; Zwissler, Bernhard; Nikolaou, Konstantin

2013-03-01

To evaluate the feasibility and incremental diagnostic value of xenon-enhanced dual-energy CT in mechanically ventilated intensive care patients with worsening respiratory function. The study was performed in 13 mechanically ventilated patients with severe pulmonary conditions (acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), n=5; status post lung transplantation, n=5; other, n=3) and declining respiratory function. CT scans were performed using a dual-source CT scanner at an expiratory xenon concentration of 30%. Both ventilation images (Xe-DECT) and standard CT images were reconstructed from a single CT scan. Findings were recorded for Xe-DECT and standard CT images separately. Ventilation defects on xenon images were matched to morphological findings on standard CT images and incremental diagnostic information of xenon ventilation images was recorded if present. Mean xenon consumption was 2.95 l per patient. No adverse events occurred under xenon inhalation. In the visual CT analysis, the Xe-DECT ventilation defects matched with pathologic changes in lung parenchyma seen in the standard CT images in all patients. Xe-DECT provided additional diagnostic findings in 4/13 patients. These included preserved ventilation despite early pneumonia (n=1), more confident discrimination between a large bulla and pneumothorax (n=1), detection of an airway-to-pneumothorax fistula (n=1) and exclusion of a suspected airway-to-mediastinum fistula (n=1). In all 4 patients, the additional findings had a substantial impact on patients' management. Xenon-enhanced DECT is safely feasible and can add relevant diagnostic information in mechanically ventilated intensive care patients with worsening respiratory function. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Xenon decreases cell migration and secretion of a pro-angiogenesis factor in breast adenocarcinoma cells: comparison with sevoflurane.

PubMed

Ash, S A; Valchev, G I; Looney, M; Ni Mhathuna, A; Crowley, P D; Gallagher, H C; Buggy, D J

2014-07-01

While volatile agents have been implicated in metastasis-enhancing effects on cancer cells, the effects of xenon are unknown. We investigated xenon- and sevoflurane-mediated effects on migration and expression of angiogenesis biomarkers in human breast adenocarcinoma cells. MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells were exposed to xenon 70% with O2 25%, CO2 5%; control gas containing O2 25%, CO2 5%, N2 70%; or sevoflurane 2.5 vol% administered in O2 60%, N2 37%, or control gas. Cell viability was determined by the MTT assay. Migration at 24 h was determined using the Oris™ Cell Migration Assay. Secretion of angiogenesis factors was measured using a membrane-based immunoassay array. Xenon reduced MDA-MB-231 migration to 59 (13%) after 1-h exposure (P=0.02), 64 (10%) after 3 h (P=0.01), and 71 (9%) after 5 h (P=0.04) compared with control gas, without affecting viability. Similarly, MCF-7 migration was significantly reduced at all timepoints [to 58 (12%) at 1 h, 65 (12%) at 3 h, and 65% (12%) at 5 h]. Sevoflurane did not affect migration when delivered in control gas. Glycine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor co-agonist, antagonized the effects of xenon on migration. Expression of the pro-angiogenesis factor regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) was reduced in conditioned medium from xenon-exposed MDA-MB-231 cells compared with cells exposed to either control gas or sevoflurane [mean dot density 2.0 (0.2) compared with 3.0 (0.1) and 3.1 (0.3), respectively (P=0.02)]. Xenon, but not sevoflurane, inhibited migration in both oestrogen receptor positive and negative breast adenocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, xenon decreased release of the pro-angiogenic factor RANTES from MDA-MB-231 cells. © The Author [2014]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Inhaled Xenon Attenuates Myocardial Damage in Comatose Survivors of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: The Xe-Hypotheca Trial.

PubMed

Arola, Olli; Saraste, Antti; Laitio, Ruut; Airaksinen, Juhani; Hynninen, Marja; Bäcklund, Minna; Ylikoski, Emmi; Wennervirta, Johanna; Pietilä, Mikko; Roine, Risto O; Harjola, Veli-Pekka; Niiranen, Jussi; Korpi, Kirsi; Varpula, Marjut; Scheinin, Harry; Maze, Mervyn; Vahlberg, Tero; Laitio, Timo

2017-11-28

The authors previously reported that inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia attenuates brain white matter injury in comatose survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). A pre-defined secondary objective was to assess the effect of inhaled xenon on myocardial ischemic damage in the same study population. A total of 110 comatose patients who had experienced OHCA from a cardiac cause were randomized to receive either inhaled xenon (40% end-tidal concentration) combined with hypothermia (33°C) for 24 h (n = 55; xenon group) or hypothermia treatment alone (n = 55; control group). Troponin-T levels were measured at hospital admission, and at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-cardiac arrest. All available cases were analyzed for troponin-T release. Troponin-T measurements were available from 54 xenon patients and 54 control patients. The baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. After adjustments for age, sex, study site, primary coronary percutaneous intervention (PCI), and norepinephrine dose, the mean ± SD post-arrival incremental change of the ln-transformed troponin-T at 72 h was 0.79 ± 1.54 in the xenon group and 1.56 ± 1.38 in the control group (adjusted mean difference -0.66; 95% confidence interval: -1.16 to -0.16; p = 0.01). The effect of xenon on the change in the troponin-T values did not differ in patients with or without PCI or in those with a diagnosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (group by PCI or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction interaction effect; p = 0.86 and p = 0.71, respectively). Among comatose survivors of OHCA, in comparison with hypothermia alone, inhaled xenon combined with hypothermia suggested a less severe myocardial injury as demonstrated by the significantly reduced release of troponin-T. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Method and apparatus for analyzing the fill characteristics of a packaging container

DOEpatents

Rodriguez, Julio G.

1998-01-01

A system for analyzing the fill characteristics of a container. A container having a filling material therein is positioned adjacent a sound generator. Sound waves from the generator are applied to the container, causing it to vibrate. A vibration detector is used to determine the amount of container vibration. A preferred vibration detector involves a laser vibrometer which applies a reference laser beam to the vibrating container. The reference beam is reflected off of the container to generate a reflected laser beam. The reflected beam experiences a Doppler frequency shift compared with the reference beam which is caused by container vibration. The Doppler shift of the reflected beam is then compared with standardized Doppler shift data from a control container. Repeated Doppler shift measurements may also be undertaken which are converted into a vibration profile that is compared with a standardized vibration profile from a control container.

Method and apparatus for analyzing the fill characteristics of a packaging container

DOEpatents

Rodriguez, J.G.

1998-10-13

A system is described for analyzing the fill characteristics of a container. A container having a filling material therein is positioned adjacent a sound generator. Sound waves from the generator are applied to the container, causing it to vibrate. A vibration detector is used to determine the amount of container vibration. A preferred vibration detector involves a laser vibrometer which applies a reference laser beam to the vibrating container. The reference beam is reflected off of the container to generate a reflected laser beam. The reflected beam experiences a Doppler frequency shift compared with the reference beam which is caused by container vibration. The Doppler shift of the reflected beam is then compared with standardized Doppler shift data from a control container. Repeated Doppler shift measurements may also be undertaken which are converted into a vibration profile that is compared with a standardized vibration profile from a control container. 4 figs.

Search for magnetic inelastic dark matter with XENON100

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aprile, E.; Anthony, M.; Aalbers, J.

2017-10-01

We present the first search for dark matter-induced delayed coincidence signals in a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber, using the 224.6 live days of the XENON100 science run II. This very distinct signature is predicted in the framework of magnetic inelastic dark matter which has been proposed to reconcile the modulation signal reported by the DAMA/LIBRA collaboration with the null results from other direct detection experiments. No candidate event has been found in the region of interest and upper limits on the WIMP's magnetic dipole moment are derived. The scenarios proposed to explain the DAMA/LIBRA modulation signal by magnetic inelasticmore » dark matter interactions of WIMPs with masses of 58.0 GeV/c{sup 2} and 122.7 GeV/c{sup 2} are excluded at 3.3 σ and 9.3 σ, respectively.« less

Incipient triple point for adsorbed xenon monolayers: Pt(111) versus graphite substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novaco, Anthony D.; Bruch, L. W.; Bavaresco, Jessica

2015-04-01

Simulation evidence of an incipient triple point is reported for xenon submonolayers adsorbed on the (111) surface of platinum. This is in stark contrast to the "normal" triple point found in simulations and experiments for xenon on the basal plane surface of graphite. The motions of the atoms in the surface plane are treated with standard 2D "NVE" molecular dynamics simulations using modern interactions. The simulation evidence strongly suggests an incipient triple point in the 120 -150 K range for adsorption on the Pt (111) surface while the adsorption on graphite shows a normal triple point at about 100 K.

Long term spectral irradiance measurements of a 1000-watt xenon arc lamp

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, W. E.

1974-01-01

Spectral irradiance measurements over the range of 200 to 1060 nm were made on a 1000-watt xenon arc lamp over a period of 1500 hours. Four sets of measurements were made after periods of 70, 525, 1000, and 1500 hours of operation. The lamp (Hanovia Compact Xenon Arc Lamp) was mounted in the NASA Solar Irradiation System. When used in the System, the lamp is used as the radiating source for six test stations. Measurements were made of both the longterm stability (or variation of spectral irradiance as a function of time) and the actual spectral irradiance incident on the test specimen.

Measurement of Xenon Viscosity as a Function of Low Temperature and Pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grisnik, Stanley P.

1998-01-01

The measurement of xenon gas viscosity at low temperatures (175-298 K) and low pressures (350 torr-760 torr) has been performed in support of Hall Thruster testing at NASA Lewis Research Center. The measurements were taken using the capillary flow technique. Viscosity measurements were repeatable to within 3%. The results in this paper are in agreement with data from Hanley and Childs and suggest that the data from Clarke and Smith is approximately 2% low. There are no noticeable pressure effects on xenon absolute viscosity for the pressure range from 350 torr to 760 torr.

Xenon ion propulsion for orbit transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rawlin, V. K.; Patterson, M. J.; Gruber, R. P.

1990-01-01

For more than 30 years, NASA has conducted an ion propulsion program which has resulted in several experimental space flight demonstrations and the development of many supporting technologies. Technologies appropriate for geosynchronous stationkeeping, earth-orbit transfer missions, and interplanetary missions are defined and evaluated. The status of critical ion propulsion system elements is reviewed. Electron bombardment ion thrusters for primary propulsion have evolved to operate on xenon in the 5 to 10 kW power range. Thruster efficiencies of 0.7 and specific impulse values of 4000 s were documented. The baseline thruster currently under development by NASA LeRC includes ring-cusp magnetic field plasma containment and dished two-grid ion optics. Based on past experience and demonstrated simplifications, power processors for these thrusters should have approximately 500 parts, a mass of 40 kg, and an efficiency near 0.94. Thrust vector control, via individual thruster gimbals, is a mature technology. High pressure, gaseous xenon propellant storage and control schemes, using flight qualified hardware, result in propellant tankage fractions between 0.1 and 0.2. In-space and ground integration testing has demonstrated that ion propulsion systems can be successfully integrated with their host spacecraft. Ion propulsion system technologies are mature and can significantly enhance and/or enable a variety of missions in the nation's space propulsion program.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: quantitative and visual ventilation pattern analysis at xenon ventilation CT performed by using a dual-energy technique.

PubMed

Park, Eun-Ah; Goo, Jin Mo; Park, Sang Joon; Lee, Hyun Ju; Lee, Chang Hyun; Park, Chang Min; Yoo, Chul-Gyu; Kim, Jong Hyo

2010-09-01

To evaluate the potential of xenon ventilation computed tomography (CT) in the quantitative and visual analysis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study was approved by the institutional review board. After informed consent was obtained, 32 patients with COPD underwent CT performed before the administration of xenon, two-phase xenon ventilation CT with wash-in (WI) and wash-out (WO) periods, and pulmonary function testing (PFT). For quantitative analysis, results of PFT were compared with attenuation parameters from prexenon images and xenon parameters from xenon-enhanced images in the following three areas at each phase: whole lung, lung with normal attenuation, and low-attenuating lung (LAL). For visual analysis, ventilation patterns were categorized according to the pattern of xenon attenuation in the area of structural abnormalities compared with that in the normal-looking background on a per-lobe basis: pattern A consisted of isoattenuation or high attenuation in the WI period and isoattenuation in the WO period; pattern B, isoattenuation or high attenuation in the WI period and high attenuation in the WO period; pattern C, low attenuation in both the WI and WO periods; and pattern D, low attenuation in the WI period and isoattenuation or high attenuation in the WO period. Among various attenuation and xenon parameters, xenon parameters of the LAL in the WO period showed the best inverse correlation with results of PFT (P < .0001). At visual analysis, while emphysema (which affected 99 lobes) commonly showed pattern A or B, airway diseases such as obstructive bronchiolitis (n = 5) and bronchiectasis (n = 2) and areas with a mucus plug (n = 1) or centrilobular nodules (n = 5) showed pattern D or C. WI and WO xenon ventilation CT is feasible for the simultaneous regional evaluation of structural and ventilation abnormalities both quantitatively and qualitatively in patients with COPD. (c) RSNA, 2010.

Heat capacity of xenon adsorbed on nanobundle grooves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chishko, K. A.; Sokolova, E. S.

2016-02-01

A model of a one-dimensional nonideal gas in an external transverse force field is used to interpret the experimentally observed thermodynamic properties of xenon deposited in grooves on the surface of carbon nanobundles. A nonideal gas model with pairwise interactions is not entirely adequate for describing dense adsorbates (at low temperatures), but makes it easy to account for the exchange of particles between the 1D adsorbate and the 3D atmosphere, which is an important factor at intermediate (on the order of 35 K for xenon) and, especially, high (˜100 K) temperatures. In this paper, we examine a 1D real gas taking only the one-dimensional Lennard-Jones interaction into account, but under exact equilibrium with respect to the number of particles between the 1D adsorbate and the 3D atmosphere of the measurement cell. The low-temperature branch of the specific heat is fitted independently by an elastic chain model so as to obtain the best agreement between theory and experiment over the widest possible region, beginning at zero temperature. The gas approximation sets in after temperatures for which the phonon specific heat of the chain essentially transforms to a one-dimensional equipartition law. Here the basic parameters of both models can be chosen so that the heat capacity C(T) of the chain transforms essentially continuously into the corresponding curve for the gas approximation. Thus, it can be expected that an adequate interpretation of the real temperature dependences of the specific heat of low-dimensionality atomic adsorbates can be obtained through a reasonable combination of the phonon and gas approximations. The main parameters of the gas approximation (such as the desorption energy) obtained by fitting the theory to experiments on the specific heat of xenon correlate well with published data.

Pillar-structured neutron detector based multiplicity system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, John W.; Shao, Qinghui; Voss, Lars F.; Kerr, Phil L.; Fabris, Lorenzo; Conway, Adam M.; Nikolic, Rebecca J.

2018-01-01

This work demonstrates the potential of silicon pillars filled with boron-10 as a sensor technology for a compact and portable neutron multiplicity system. Solid-state, semiconductor based neutron detectors may enable completely new detector form factors, offer an alternate approach to helium-3 based systems, and reduce detector weight and volume requirements. Thirty-two pillar-structured neutron detectors were assembled into a system with an active area of over 20 cm2 and were used in this work to demonstrate the feasibility of this sensor technology as a potential replacement for helium-3 based gas detectors. Multiplicity measurements were successfully carried out using a californium-252 neutron source, in which the source mass, system efficiency, and die-away time were determined. This demonstration shows that these solid-state detectors could allow for a more compact and portable system that could be used for special nuclear material identification in the field.

Feasibility and safety of xenon compared with sevoflurane anaesthesia in coronary surgical patients: a randomized controlled pilot study.

PubMed

Stoppe, C; Fahlenkamp, A V; Rex, S; Veeck, N C; Gozdowsky, S C; Schälte, G; Autschbach, R; Rossaint, R; Coburn, M

2013-09-01

To date, only limited data exist about the use of xenon as an anaesthetic agent in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The favourable cardio- and neuroprotective properties of xenon might attenuate postoperative complications, improve outcome, and reduce the incidence of delirium. Thus, the aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility and safety of balanced xenon anaesthesia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and to gather pilot data for a future randomized multicentre study. Thirty patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass grafting were enrolled in this randomized, single-blind controlled trial. They were randomized to receive balanced general anaesthesia with either xenon (45-50 vol%) or sevoflurane (1-1.4 vol%). The primary outcome was the occurrence of adverse events (AEs). Secondary outcome parameters were feasibility criteria (bispectral index, perioperative haemodynamic, and respiratory profile) and safety parameters (dosage of study treatments, renal function, intraoperative blood loss, need for inotropic support, regional cerebral tissue oxygenation). Furthermore, at predefined time points, systemic and pulmonary haemodynamics were assessed by the use of a pulmonary artery catheter. There were no patient characteristic differences between the groups. Patients undergoing xenon anaesthesia did not differ with respect to the incidence of AE (6 vs 8, P=0.464) compared with the sevoflurane group. No differences were detected regarding secondary feasibility and safety criteria. The haemodynamic and respiratory profile was comparable between the treatment groups. Balanced xenon anaesthesia is feasible and safe compared with sevoflurane anaesthesia in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Acronym CARDIAX: A pre- and post-coronary artery bypass graft implantation disposed application of xenon. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01285271; EudraCT-number: 2010-023942-63. Approved by the ethics committee 'Ethik

Nuclear spin-spin coupling in a van der Waals-bonded system: xenon dimer.

PubMed

Vaara, Juha; Hanni, Matti; Jokisaari, Jukka

2013-03-14

Nuclear spin-spin coupling over van der Waals bond has recently been observed via the frequency shift of solute protons in a solution containing optically hyperpolarized (129)Xe nuclei. We carry out a first-principles computational study of the prototypic van der Waals-bonded xenon dimer, where the spin-spin coupling between two magnetically non-equivalent isotopes, J((129)Xe - (131)Xe), is observable. We use relativistic theory at the four-component Dirac-Hartree-Fock and Dirac-density-functional theory levels using novel completeness-optimized Gaussian basis sets and choosing the functional based on a comparison with correlated ab initio methods at the nonrelativistic level. J-coupling curves are provided at different levels of theory as functions of the internuclear distance in the xenon dimer, demonstrating cross-coupling effects between relativity and electron correlation for this property. Calculations on small Xe clusters are used to estimate the importance of many-atom effects on J((129)Xe - (131)Xe). Possibilities of observing J((129)Xe - (131)Xe) in liquid xenon are critically examined, based on molecular dynamics simulation. A simplistic spherical model is set up for the xenon dimer confined in a cavity, such as in microporous materials. It is shown that the on the average shorter internuclear distance enforced by the confinement increases the magnitude of the coupling as compared to the bulk liquid case, rendering J((129)Xe - (131)Xe) in a cavity a feasible target for experimental investigation.

Xenon for tunnelling analysis of the efflux pump component OprN.

PubMed

Ntsogo Enguéné, Yvette Véronique; Phan, Gilles; Garnier, Cyril; Ducruix, Arnaud; Prangé, Thierry; Broutin, Isabelle

2017-01-01

Tripartite efflux pumps are among the main actors responsible for antibiotics resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. In the last two decades, structural studies gave crucial information about the assembly interfaces and the mechanistic motions. Thus rigidifying the assembly seems to be an interesting way to hamper the drug efflux. In this context, xenon is a suitable probe for checking whether small ligands could act as conformational lockers by targeting hydrophobic cavities. Here we focus on OprN, the outer membrane channel of the MexEF efflux pump from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After exposing OprN crystals to xenon gas pressure, 14 binding sites were observed using X-ray crystallography. These binding sites were unambiguously characterized in hydrophobic cavities of OprN. The major site is observed in the sensitive iris-like region gating the channel at the periplasmic side, built by the three key-residues Leu 405, Asp 109, and Arg 412. This arrangement defines along the tunnel axis a strong hydrophobic/polar gradient able to enhance the passive efflux mechanism of OprN. The other xenon atoms reveal strategic hydrophobic regions of the channel scaffold to target, with the aim to freeze the dynamic movements responsible of the open/close conformational equilibrium in OprN.

Xenon for tunnelling analysis of the efflux pump component OprN

PubMed Central

Garnier, Cyril; Ducruix, Arnaud; Broutin, Isabelle

2017-01-01

Tripartite efflux pumps are among the main actors responsible for antibiotics resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. In the last two decades, structural studies gave crucial information about the assembly interfaces and the mechanistic motions. Thus rigidifying the assembly seems to be an interesting way to hamper the drug efflux. In this context, xenon is a suitable probe for checking whether small ligands could act as conformational lockers by targeting hydrophobic cavities. Here we focus on OprN, the outer membrane channel of the MexEF efflux pump from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After exposing OprN crystals to xenon gas pressure, 14 binding sites were observed using X-ray crystallography. These binding sites were unambiguously characterized in hydrophobic cavities of OprN. The major site is observed in the sensitive iris-like region gating the channel at the periplasmic side, built by the three key-residues Leu 405, Asp 109, and Arg 412. This arrangement defines along the tunnel axis a strong hydrophobic/polar gradient able to enhance the passive efflux mechanism of OprN. The other xenon atoms reveal strategic hydrophobic regions of the channel scaffold to target, with the aim to freeze the dynamic movements responsible of the open/close conformational equilibrium in OprN. PMID:28886086

Impact of pulsed xenon ultraviolet light on hospital-acquired infection rates in a community hospital.

PubMed

Vianna, Pedro G; Dale, Charles R; Simmons, Sarah; Stibich, Mark; Licitra, Carmelo M

2016-03-01

The role of contaminated environments in the spread of hospital-associated infections has been well documented. This study reports the impact of a pulsed xenon ultraviolet no-touch disinfection system on infection rates in a community care facility. This study was conducted in a community hospital in Southern Florida. Beginning November 2012, a pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection system was implemented as an adjunct to traditional cleaning methods on discharge of select rooms. The technology uses a xenon flashlamp to generate germicidal light that damages the DNA of organisms in the hospital environment. The device was implemented in the intensive care unit (ICU), with a goal of using the pulsed xenon ultraviolet system for disinfecting all discharges and transfers after standard cleaning and prior to occupation of the room by the next patient. For all non-ICU discharges and transfers, the pulsed xenon ultraviolet system was only used for Clostridium difficile rooms. Infection data were collected for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, C difficile, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). The intervention period was compared with baseline using a 2-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test. In non-ICU areas, a significant reduction was found for C difficile. There was a nonsignificant decrease in VRE and a significant increase in methicillin-resistant S aureus. In the ICU, all infections were reduced, but only VRE was significant. This may be because of the increased role that environment plays in the transmission of this pathogen. Overall, there were 36 fewer infections in the whole facility and 16 fewer infections in the ICU during the intervention period than would have been expected based on baseline data. Implementation of pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection is associated with significant decreases in facility-wide and ICU infection rates. These outcomes suggest that enhanced environmental disinfection plays a role in the risk mitigation of hospital

Boltzmann expansion in a radiofrequency conical helicon thruster operating in xenon and argon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charles, C.; Boswell, R.; Takahashi, K.

2013-06-03

A low pressure ({approx}0.5 mTorr in xenon and {approx}1 mTorr in argon) Boltzmann expansion is experimentally observed on axis within a magnetized (60 to 180 G) radiofrequency (13.56 MHz) conical helicon thruster for input powers up to 900 W using plasma parameters measured with a Langmuir probe. The axial forces, respectively, resulting from the electron and magnetic field pressures are directly measured using a thrust balance for constant maximum plasma pressure and show a higher fuel efficiency for argon compared to xenon.

Calibration of the NEXT-White Detector using $$^{83m}\\mathrm{Kr}$$ Decays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martínez-Lema, G.; et al.

The NEXT-White (NEW) detector is currently the largest radio-pure high pressure gas xenon time projection chamber with electroluminescent readout in the world. NEXT-White has been operating at Laboratorio Subterr\\'aneo de Canfranc (LSC) since October 2016. This paper describes the calibrations performed withmore » $$^{83m}\\mathrm{Kr}$$ decays during a long run taken from March to November 2017 (Run II). Krypton calibrations are used to correct for the finite drift-electron lifetime as well as for the dependence of the measured energy on the event position which is mainly caused by variations in solid angle coverage. After producing calibration maps to correct for both effects we measure an excellent energy resolution for 41.5 keV point-like deposits of (4.55 $$\\pm$$ 0.01) % FWHM in the full chamber and (3.88 $$\\pm$$ 0.04) % FWHM in a restricted fiducial volume. Using naive 1/$$\\sqrt{E}$$ scaling, these values translate into FWHM resolutions of (0.592 $$\\pm$$ 0.001) % FWHM and (0.504 $$\\pm$$ 0.005) % at the $$Q_{\\beta\\beta}$$ energy of xenon double beta decay (2458 keV), well within range of our target value of 1%.« less

Effects of pulmonary static inflation with 50% xenon on oxygen impairment during cardiopulmonary bypass for stanford type A acute aortic dissection

PubMed Central

Jin, Mu; Yang, Yanwei; Pan, Xudong; Lu, Jiakai; Zhang, Zhiquan; Cheng, Weiping

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of pulmonary static inflation with 50% xenon on postoperative oxygen impairment during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods: This prospective single-center nonrandomized controlled clinical trial included 100 adult patients undergoing surgery for Stanford type A AAD at an academic hospital in China. Fifty subjects underwent pulmonary static inflation with 50% oxygen from January 2013 to January 2014, and 50 underwent inflation with 50% xenon from January 2014 to December 2014. During CPB, the lungs were inflated with either 50% xenon (xenon group) or 50% oxygen (control group) to maintain an airway pressure of 5 cm H2O. The primary outcome was oxygenation index (OI) value after intubation, and 10 minutes and 6 hours after the operation. The second outcome was cytokine and reactive oxygen species levels after intubation and 10 minutes, 6 hours, and 24 hours after the operation. Results: Patients treated with xenon had lower OI levels compared to the control group before surgery (P = 0.002); however, there was no difference in postoperative values between the 2 groups. Following surgery, mean maximal OI values decreased by 18.8% and 33.8%, respectively, in the xenon and control groups. After surgery, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha, and thromboxane B2 decreased by 23.5%, 9.1%, and 30.2%, respectively, in the xenon group, but increased by 10.8%, 26.2%, and 26.4%, respectively, in the control group. Moreover, IL-10 levels increased by 28% in the xenon group and decreased by 7.5% in the control group. There were significant time and treatment-time interaction effects on methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (P = 0.000 and P = 0.050, respectively) and myeloperoxidase (P = 0.000 and P = 0.001 in xenon and control groups, respectively). There was no difference in hospital mortality and 1-year

Pulsed xenon flashlamp device for the treatment of psoriasis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumgardner, Jonathan M.; Hennings, David R.; Johnston, Thomas F., Jr.; Taylor, Eric

2003-06-01

We present our research into a pulsed xenon lamp source for the treatment of psoriasis and other skin disorders. Various filtering techniques, lamp configurations, power supply configurations and delivery systems are discussed. Comparisons are made to existing treatment modalities. Cryogen cooling of the treatment site is discussed.

Genetically encoded reporters for hyperpolarized xenon magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shapiro, Mikhail G.; Ramirez, R. Matthew; Sperling, Lindsay J.; Sun, George; Sun, Jinny; Pines, Alexander; Schaffer, David V.; Bajaj, Vikram S.

2014-07-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables high-resolution non-invasive observation of the anatomy and function of intact organisms. However, previous MRI reporters of key biological processes tied to gene expression have been limited by the inherently low molecular sensitivity of conventional 1H MRI. This limitation could be overcome through the use of hyperpolarized nuclei, such as in the noble gas xenon, but previous reporters acting on such nuclei have been synthetic. Here, we introduce the first genetically encoded reporters for hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI. These expressible reporters are based on gas vesicles (GVs), gas-binding protein nanostructures expressed by certain buoyant microorganisms. We show that GVs are capable of chemical exchange saturation transfer interactions with xenon, which enables chemically amplified GV detection at picomolar concentrations (a 100- to 10,000-fold improvement over comparable constructs for 1H MRI). We demonstrate the use of GVs as heterologously expressed indicators of gene expression and chemically targeted exogenous labels in MRI experiments performed on living cells.

Performance characteristics of ring-cusp thrusters with xenon propellant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, M. J.

1986-01-01

The performance characteristics and operating envelope of several 30-cm ring-cusp ion thrusters with xenon propellant were investigated. Results indicate a strong performance dependence on the discharge chamber boundary magnetic fields and resultant distribution of electron currents. Significant improvements in discharge performance over J-series divergent-field thrusters were achieved for large throttling ranges, which translate into reduced cathode emission currents and reduced power dissipation which should be of significant benefit for operation at thruster power levels in excess of 10 kW. Mass spectrometry of the ion beam was documented for both the ring-cusp and J-series thrusters with xenon propellant for determination of overall thruster efficiency, and lifetime. Based on the lower centerline values of doubly charged ions in the ion beam and the lower operating discharge voltage, the screen grid erosion rate of the ring-cusp thruster is expected to be lower than the divergent-field J-series thruster by a factor of 2.

Performance characteristics of ring-cusp thrusters with xenon propellant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, M. J.

1986-01-01

The performance characteristics and operating envelope of several 30-cm ring-cusp ion thrusters with xenon propellant were investigated. Results indicate a strong performance dependence on the discharge chamber boundary magnetic fields and resultant distribution of electron currents. Significant improvements in discharge performance over J-series divergent-field thrusters were achieved for large throttling ranges, which translate into reduced cathode emission currents and reduced power dissipation which should be of significant benefit for operation at thruster power levels in excess of 10 kW. Mass spectrometer of the ion beam was documented for both the ring-cusp and J-series thrusters with xenon propellant for determination of overall thruster efficiency, and lifetime. Based on the lower centerline values of doubly charged ions in the ion beam and the lower operating discharge voltage, the screen grid erosion rate of the ring-cusp thruster is expected to be lower than the divergent-field J-series thruster by a factor of 2.

In situ measurement of atmospheric krypton and xenon on Mars with Mars Science Laboratory

DOE PAGES

Conrad, P. G.; Malespin, C. A.; Franz, H. B.; ...

2016-11-01

Mars Science Laboratory's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation has measured all of the stable isotopes of the heavy noble gases krypton and xenon in the martian atmosphere, in situ, from the Curiosity Rover at Gale Crater, Mars. Previous knowledge of martian atmospheric krypton and xenon isotope ratios has been based upon a combination of the Viking mission's krypton and xenon detections and measurements of noble gas isotope ratios in martian meteorites. But, the meteorite measurements reveal an impure mixture of atmospheric, mantle, and spallation contributions. The xenon and krypton isotopic measurements reported here include the complete set of stablemore » isotopes, unmeasured by Viking. Our new results generally agree with Mars meteorite measurements but also provide a unique opportunity to identify various non-atmospheric heavy noble gas components in the meteorites. Kr isotopic measurements define a solar-like atmospheric composition, but deviating from the solar wind pattern at 80Kr and 82Kr in a manner consistent with contributions originating from neutron capture in Br. The Xe measurements suggest an intriguing possibility that isotopes lighter than 132Xe have been enriched to varying degrees by spallation and neutron capture products degassed to the atmosphere from the regolith, and a model is constructed to explore this possibility. Such a spallation component, but, is not apparent in atmospheric Xe trapped in the glassy phases of martian meteorites.« less

In situ measurement of atmospheric krypton and xenon on Mars with Mars Science Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, P. G.; Malespin, C. A.; Franz, H. B.; Pepin, R. O.; Trainer, M. G.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Atreya, S. K.; Freissinet, C.; Jones, J. H.; Manning, H.; Owen, T.; Pavlov, A. A.; Wiens, R. C.; Wong, M. H.; Mahaffy, P. R.

2016-11-01

Mars Science Laboratory's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation has measured all of the stable isotopes of the heavy noble gases krypton and xenon in the martian atmosphere, in situ, from the Curiosity Rover at Gale Crater, Mars. Previous knowledge of martian atmospheric krypton and xenon isotope ratios has been based upon a combination of the Viking mission's krypton and xenon detections and measurements of noble gas isotope ratios in martian meteorites. However, the meteorite measurements reveal an impure mixture of atmospheric, mantle, and spallation contributions. The xenon and krypton isotopic measurements reported here include the complete set of stable isotopes, unmeasured by Viking. The new results generally agree with Mars meteorite measurements but also provide a unique opportunity to identify various non-atmospheric heavy noble gas components in the meteorites. Kr isotopic measurements define a solar-like atmospheric composition, but deviating from the solar wind pattern at 80Kr and 82Kr in a manner consistent with contributions originating from neutron capture in Br. The Xe measurements suggest an intriguing possibility that isotopes lighter than 132Xe have been enriched to varying degrees by spallation and neutron capture products degassed to the atmosphere from the regolith, and a model is constructed to explore this possibility. Such a spallation component, however, is not apparent in atmospheric Xe trapped in the glassy phases of martian meteorites.

In Situ Measurement of Atmospheric Krypton and Xenon on Mars with Mars Science Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conrad, P. G.; Malespin, C. A.; Franz, H. B.; Pepin, R. O.; Trainer, M. G.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Atreya, S. K.; Freissinet, C.; Jones, J. H.; Manning, H.;

In situ measurement of atmospheric krypton and xenon on Mars with Mars Science Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conrad, P. G.; Malespin, C. A.; Franz, H. B.

Mars Science Laboratory's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation has measured all of the stable isotopes of the heavy noble gases krypton and xenon in the martian atmosphere, in situ, from the Curiosity Rover at Gale Crater, Mars. Previous knowledge of martian atmospheric krypton and xenon isotope ratios has been based upon a combination of the Viking mission's krypton and xenon detections and measurements of noble gas isotope ratios in martian meteorites. But, the meteorite measurements reveal an impure mixture of atmospheric, mantle, and spallation contributions. The xenon and krypton isotopic measurements reported here include the complete set of stablemore » isotopes, unmeasured by Viking. Our new results generally agree with Mars meteorite measurements but also provide a unique opportunity to identify various non-atmospheric heavy noble gas components in the meteorites. Kr isotopic measurements define a solar-like atmospheric composition, but deviating from the solar wind pattern at 80Kr and 82Kr in a manner consistent with contributions originating from neutron capture in Br. The Xe measurements suggest an intriguing possibility that isotopes lighter than 132Xe have been enriched to varying degrees by spallation and neutron capture products degassed to the atmosphere from the regolith, and a model is constructed to explore this possibility. Such a spallation component, but, is not apparent in atmospheric Xe trapped in the glassy phases of martian meteorites.« less

First observations of speed of light tracks by a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdellaoui, G.; Abe, S.; Adams, J. H., Jr.; Ahriche, A.; Allard, D.; Allen, L.; Alonso, G.; Anchordoqui, L.; Anzalone, A.; Arai, Y.; Asano, K.; Attallah, R.; Attoui, H.; Ave Pernas, M.; Bacholle, S.; Bakiri, M.; Baragatti, P.; Barrillon, P.; Bartocci, S.; Bayer, J.; Beldjilali, B.; Belenguer, T.; Belkhalfa, N.; Bellotti, R.; Belov, A.; Belov, K.; Benmessai, K.; Bertaina, M.; Biermann, P. L.; Biktemerova, S.; Bisconti, F.; Blanc, N.; Błȩcki, J.; Blin-Bondil, S.; Bobik, P.; Bogomilov, M.; Bozzo, E.; Bruno, A.; Caballero, K. S.; Cafagna, F.; Campana, D.; Capdevielle, J.-N.; Capel, F.; Caramete, A.; Caramete, L.; Carlson, P.; Caruso, R.; Casolino, M.; Cassardo, C.; Castellina, A.; Catalano, C.; Catalano, O.; Cellino, A.; Chikawa, M.; Chiritoi, G.; Christl, M. J.; Connaughton, V.; Conti, L.; Cordero, G.; Cotto, G.; Crawford, H. J.; Cremonini, R.; Csorna, S.; Cummings, A.; Dagoret-Campagne, S.; De Donato, C.; de la Taille, C.; De Santis, C.; del Peral, L.; Di Martino, M.; Diaz Damian, A.; Djemil, T.; Dutan, I.; Ebersoldt, A.; Ebisuzaki, T.; Engel, R.; Eser, J.; Fenu, F.; Fernández-González, S.; Fernández-Soriano, J.; Ferrarese, S.; Flamini, M.; Fornaro, C.; Fouka, M.; Franceschi, A.; Franchini, S.; Fuglesang, C.; Fujii, T.; Fujimoto, J.; Fukushima, M.; Galeotti, P.; García-Ortega, E.; Garipov, G.; Gascón, E.; Genci, J.; Giraudo, G.; González Alvarado, C.; Gorodetzky, P.; Greg, R.; Guarino, F.; Guzmán, A.; Hachisu, Y.; Haiduc, M.; Harlov, B.; Haungs, A.; Hernández Carretero, J.; Hidber Cruz, W.; Ikeda, D.; Inoue, N.; Inoue, S.; Isgrò, F.; Itow, Y.; Jammer, T.; Jeong, S.; Joven, E.; Judd, E. G.; Jung, A.; Jochum, J.; Kajino, F.; Kajino, T.; Kalli, S.; Kaneko, I.; Karadzhov, Y.; Karczmarczyk, J.; Katahira, K.; Kawai, K.; Kawasaki, Y.; Kedadra, A.; Khales, H.; Khrenov, B. A.; Kim, Jeong-Sook; Kim, Soon-Wook; Kleifges, M.; Klimov, P. A.; Kolev, D.; Krantz, H.; Kreykenbohm, I.; Kudela, K.; Kurihara, Y.; Kusenko, A.; Kuznetsov, E.; La Barbera, A.; Lachaud, C.; Lahmar, H.; Lakhdari, F.; Larson, R.; Larsson, O.; Lee, J.; Licandro, J.; López Campano, L.; Maccarone, M. C.; Mackovjak, S.; Mahdi, M.; Maravilla, D.; Marcelli, L.; Marcos, J. L.; Marini, A.; Marszał, W.; Martens, K.; Martín, Y.; Martinez, O.; Martucci, M.; Masciantonio, G.; Mase, K.; Mastafa, M.; Matev, R.; Matthews, J. N.; Mebarki, N.; Medina-Tanco, G.; Mendoza, M. A.; Menshikov, A.; Merino, A.; Meseguer, J.; Meyer, S. S.; Mimouni, J.; Miyamoto, H.; Mizumoto, Y.; Monaco, A.; Morales de los Ríos, J. A.; Moretto, C.; Nagataki, S.; Naitamor, S.; Napolitano, T.; Naslund, W.; Nava, R.; Neronov, A.; Nomoto, K.; Nonaka, T.; Ogawa, T.; Ogio, S.; Ohmori, H.; Olinto, A. V.; Orleański, P.; Osteria, G.; Pagliaro, A.; Painter, W.; Panasyuk, M. I.; Panico, B.; Pasqualino, G.; Parizot, E.; Park, I. H.; Pastircak, B.; Patzak, T.; Paul, T.; Pérez-Grande, I.; Perfetto, F.; Peter, T.; Picozza, P.; Pindado, S.; Piotrowski, L. W.; Piraino, S.; Placidi, L.; Plebaniak, Z.; Pliego, S.; Pollini, A.; Polonski, Z.; Popescu, E. M.; Prat, P.; Prévôt, G.; Prieto, H.; Puehlhofer, G.; Putis, M.; Rabanal, J.; Radu, A. A.; Reyes, M.; Rezazadeh, M.; Ricci, M.; Rodríguez Frías, M. D.; Rodencal, M.; Ronga, F.; Roudil, G.; Rusinov, I.; Rybczyński, M.; Sabau, M. D.; Sáez Cano, G.; Sagawa, H.; Sahnoune, Z.; Saito, A.; Sakaki, N.; Salazar, H.; Sanchez Balanzar, J. C.; Sánchez, J. L.; Santangelo, A.; Sanz-Andrés, A.; Sanz Palomino, M.; Saprykin, O.; Sarazin, F.; Sato, M.; Schanz, T.; Schieler, H.; Scotti, V.; Selmane, S.; Semikoz, D.; Serra, M.; Sharakin, S.; Shimizu, H. M.; Shinozaki, K.; Shirahama, T.; Spataro, B.; Stan, I.; Sugiyama, T.; Supanitsky, D.; Suzuki, M.; Szabelska, B.; Szabelski, J.; Tajima, N.; Tajima, T.; Takahashi, Y.; Takami, H.; Takeda, M.; Takizawa, Y.; Talai, M. C.; Tenzer, C.; Thomas, S. B.; Tibolla, O.; Tkachev, L.; Tokuno, H.; Tomida, T.; Tone, N.; Toscano, S.; Traïche, M.; Tsenov, R.; Tsunesada, Y.; Tsuno, K.; Tubbs, J.; Turriziani, S.; Uchihori, Y.; Vaduvescu, O.; Valdés-Galicia, J. F.; Vallania, P.; Vankova, G.; Vigorito, C.; Villaseñor, L.; Vlcek, B.; von Ballmoos, P.; Vrabel, M.; Wada, S.; Watanabe, J.; Watts, J., Jr.; Weber, M.; Weigand Muñoz, R.; Weindl, A.; Wiencke, L.; Wille, M.; Wilms, J.; Włodarczyk, Z.; Yamamoto, T.; Yang, J.; Yano, H.; Yashin, I. V.; Yonetoku, D.; Yoshida, S.; Young, R.; Zgura, I. S.; Zotov, M. Yu.; Zuccaro Marchi, A.

2018-05-01

EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder mission for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO). It was launched on the moonless night of the 25th of August 2014 from Timmins, Canada. The flight ended successfully after maintaining the target altitude of 38 km for five hours. One part of the mission was a 2.5 hour underflight using a helicopter equipped with three UV light sources (LED, xenon flasher and laser) to perform an inflight calibration and examine the detectors capability to measure tracks moving at the speed of light. We describe the helicopter laser system and details of the underflight as well as how the laser tracks were recorded and found in the data. These are the first recorded laser tracks measured from a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere. Finally, we present a first reconstruction of the direction of the laser tracks relative to the detector.

Studies of K-Ar dating and xenon from extinct radioactivities in breccia 14318; implications for early lunar history

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, J. H.; Alexander, E. C., Jr.; Davis, P. K.; Srinivasan, B.

1974-01-01

The lunar breccia 14318 is one of three Apollo-14 breccias containing substantial amounts of parentless xenon from the spontaneous fission of extinct Pu-244. The argon and xenon contained in this breccia were studied by stepwise heating of pristine and neutron-irradiated samples. The isotopic composition of xenon from fission, determined by an improved method, is shown to be from Pu-244. Concentrations of this fissiogenic xenon are in substantial excess (15-fold) of what could be produced by spontaneous fission of U-238. The breccia is found to contain abundant trapped argon with an Ar-40/Ar-36 ratio of roughly 14. Otherwise, the argon is radiogenic and gives a convincing K-Ar age of 3.69 plus or minus 0.09 b.y. by the stepwise Ar-40/Ar-39 method, nearly in agreement with ages for other Apollo-14 breccias.

Understanding the SNO+ Detector

DOE PAGES

Kamdin, K.

2015-03-24

SNO+, a large liquid scintillator experiment, is the successor of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment. The scintillator volume will be loaded with large quantities of 130Te, an isotope that undergoes double beta decay, in order to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. In addition to this search, SNO+ has a broad physics program due to its sensitivity to solar and supernova neutrinos, as well as reactor and geo anti-neutrinos. SNO+ can also place competitive limits on certain modes of invisible nucleon decay during its first phase. The detector is currently undergoing commissioning in preparation for its first phase, inmore » which the detector is filled with ultra pure water. This will be followed by a pure scintillator phase, and then a Tellurium-loaded scintillator phase to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. Here we present the work done to model detector aging, which was first observed during SNO. The aging was found to reduce the optical response of the detector. We also describe early results from electronics calibration of SNO+.« less

Post-Test Inspection of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Long-Duration Test Hardware: Discharge Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shastry, Rohit; Soulas, George C.

2016-01-01

NASAs Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) Long-Duration Test (LDT) is part of the comprehensive service life assessment of the NEXT thruster. The test was voluntarily terminated in April 2014 after accumulating 51,184 hours of high voltage operation, processing 918 kg of xenon, and delivering 35.5 MN-s of total impulse. This presentation covers the post-test inspection of the thruster hardware, in particular of the discharge chamber and other miscellaneous components such as propellant isolators and electrical cabling.

Pillar-structured neutron detector based multiplicity system

DOE PAGES

Murphy, John W.; Shao, Qinghui; Voss, Lars F.; ...

2017-10-04

This work demonstrates the potential of silicon pillars filled with boron-10 as a sensor technology for a compact and portable neutron multiplicity system. Solid-state, semiconductor based neutron detectors may enable completely new detector form factors, offer an alternate approach to helium-3 based systems, and reduce detector weight and volume requirements. Thirty-two pillar-structured neutron detectors were assembled into a system with an active area of over 20 cm 2 and were used in this work to demonstrate the feasibility of this sensor technology as a potential replacement for helium-3 based gas detectors. Multiplicity measurements were successfully carried out using a californium-252more » neutron source, in which the source mass, system efficiency, and die-away time were determined. As a result, this demonstration shows that these solid-state detectors could allow for a more compact and portable system that could be used for special nuclear material identification in the field.« less

Radon and material radiopurity assessment for the NEXT double beta decay experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cebrián, S.; Dafni, T.; González-Díaz, D.

The ”Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC” (NEXT), intended to investigate the neutrinoless double beta decay using a high-pressure xenon gas TPC filled with Xe enriched in {sup 136}Xe at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory in Spain, requires ultra-low background conditions demanding an exhaustive control of material radiopurity and environmental radon levels. An extensive material screening process is underway for several years based mainly on gamma-ray spectroscopy using ultra-low background germanium detectors in Canfranc but also on mass spectrometry techniques like GDMS and ICPMS. Components from shielding, pressure vessel, electroluminescence and high voltage elements and energy and tracking readout planes havemore » been analyzed, helping in the final design of the experiment and in the construction of the background model. The latest measurements carried out will be presented and the implication on NEXT of their results will be discussed. The commissioning of the NEW detector, as a first step towards NEXT, has started in Canfranc; in-situ measurements of airborne radon levels were taken there to optimize the system for radon mitigation and will be shown too.« less

Performance analysis of photoresistor and phototransistor for automotive’s halogen and xenon bulbs light output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rammohan, A.; Kumar, C. Ramesh

2017-11-01

Illumination of any light is measured using a different kind of calibrated equipment’s available in the market such as a goniometer, spectral radiometer, photometer, Lux meter and camera based systems which directly display the illumination of automotive headlights light distribution in the unit of lux, foot-candles, lumens/sq. ft. and Lambert etc., In this research, we dealt with evaluating the photo resistor or Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) and phototransistor whether it is useful for sensing light patterns of Automotive Halogen and Xenon bulbs. The experiments are conducted during night hours under complete dark space. We have used the headlamp setup available in TATA SUMO VICTA vehicle in the Indian market and conducted the experiments separately for Halogen and Xenon bulbs under low and high beam operations at various degrees and test points within ten meters of distance. Also, we have compared the light intensity of halogen and xenon bulbs to prove the highest light intensity between halogen and Xenon bulbs. After doing a rigorous test with these two sensors it is understood both are good to sensing beam pattern of automotive bulbs and even it is good if we use an array of sensors or a mixed combination of sensors for measuring illumination purposes under perfect calibrations.

Molecular oxygen migration through the xenon docking sites of human hemoglobin in the R-state.

PubMed

Lepeshkevich, Sergei V; Gilevich, Syargey N; Parkhats, Marina V; Dzhagarov, Boris M

2016-09-01

A nanosecond laser flash-photolysis technique was used to study bimolecular and geminate molecular oxygen (O2) rebinding to tetrameric human hemoglobin and its isolated α and β chains in buffer solutions equilibrated with 1atm of air and up to 25atm of xenon. Xenon binding to the isolated α chains and to the α subunits within tetrameric hemoglobin was found to cause a decrease in the efficiency of O2 escape by a factor of ~1.30 and 3.3, respectively. A kinetic model for O2 dissociation, rebinding, and migration through two alternative pathways in the hemoglobin subunits was introduced and discussed. It was shown that, in the isolated α chains and α subunits within tetrameric hemoglobin, nearly one- and two-third escaping molecules of O2 leave the protein via xenon docking sites, respectively. The present experimental data support the idea that O2 molecule escapes from the β subunits mainly through the His(E7) gate, and show unambiguously that, in the α subunits, in addition to the direct E7 channel, there is at least one alternative escape route leading to the exterior via the xenon docking sites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of recovery parameters for xenon versus other inhalation anesthetics: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hou, Bingzong; Li, Fujing; Ou, Shanshan; Yang, Lukun; Zhou, Shaopeng

2016-03-01

To summarize and evaluate the available data describing the recovery parameters of xenon anesthesia. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Anesthesia for elective surgeries. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from databases including Medline (1964-2013), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, 1990-2012), and Google Scholar (1966-2013). Inhalation of xenon or other anesthetics was administered in elective surgery. Recovery parameters (time to recovery, alertness/sedation scale scores at "eye opening," bispectral index at "reaction on demand," time to extubation, and time to orientation). Eleven RCTs (N = 661 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Recovery from xenon anesthesia was significantly faster in terms of the time to eye opening (mean difference [MD], -4.18 minutes; 95% confidence interval [CI], -5.03 to -3.32 minutes; P < .00001), the time to reaction on demand (MD, -5.35 minutes; 95% CI, -6.59 to -4.11 minutes; P < .00001), the time to extubation (MD, -4.49 minutes; 95% CI, -5.40 to -3.58 minutes; P < .00001), and the time to orientation (MD, -4.99 minutes; 95% CI, -6.45 to -3.52 minutes; P < .00001). This meta-analysis confirmed that recovery from xenon anesthesia is faster than other inhalation anesthesia. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of gas filling pressure and operation energy on ion and neutron emission in a medium energy plasma focus device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niranjan, Ram; Rout, R. K.; Srivastava, Rohit; Kaushik, T. C.

2018-03-01

The effects of gas filling pressure and operation energy on deuterium ions and neutrons have been studied in a medium energy plasma focus device, MEPF-12. The deuterium gas filling pressure was varied from 1 to 10 mbar at an operation energy of 9.7 kJ. Also, the operation energy was varied from 3.9 to 9.7 kJ at a deuterium gas filling pressure of 4 mbar. Time resolved emission of deuterium ions was measured using a Faraday cup. Simultaneously, time integrated and time resolved emissions of neutrons were measured using a silver activation detector and plastic scintillator detector, respectively. Various characteristics (fluence, peak density, and most probable energy) of deuterium ions were estimated using the Faraday cup signal. The fluence was found to be nearly independent of the gas filling pressure and operation energy, but the peak density and most probable energy of deuterium ions were found to be varying. The neutron yield was observed to be varying with the gas filling pressure and operation energy. The effect of ions on neutrons emission was observed at each operation condition.

Xenon/remifentanil anesthesia protects against adverse effects of losartan on hemodynamic challenges induced by anesthesia and acute blood loss.

PubMed

Francis, Roland C E; Philippi-Höhne, Claudia; Klein, Adrian; Pickerodt, Philipp A; Reyle-Hahn, Matthias S; Boemke, Willehad

2010-12-01

The authors aimed to test the hypothesis that xenon anesthesia limits adverse hypotensive effects of losartan during acute hemorrhage. In six conscious unsedated Beagle dogs, the systemic and pulmonary circulation were monitored invasively, and two subsequent 60-min hypotensive challenges were performed by (a) induction (propofol) and maintenance of anesthesia with isoflurane/remifentanil or xenon/remifentanil and by (b) subsequent hemorrhage (20 mL kg⁻¹ within 5 min) from a central vein. The same amount of blood was retransfused 1 h after hemorrhage. Experiments were performed with or without acute angiotensin II receptor subtype 1 blockade by i.v. losartan (100 μg·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) starting 45 min before induction of anesthesia. Four experiments were performed in each individual dog. Xenon/remifentanil anesthesia provided higher baseline mean arterial blood pressure (85 ± 6 mmHg) than isoflurane/remifentanil anesthesia (67 ± 3 mmHg). In losartan-treated animals, isoflurane/remifentanil caused significant hypotension (42 ± 4 mmHg for isoflurane/remifentanil vs. 71 ± 6 mmHg for xenon/remifentanil). Independent of losartan, hemorrhage did not induce any further reduction of mean arterial blood pressure or cardiac output in either group. Spontaneous hemodynamic recovery was observed in all groups before retransfusion was started. Losartan did not alter the adrenaline, noradrenaline, and vasopressin response to acute hemorrhage. Losartan potentiates hypotension induced by isoflurane/remifentanil anesthesia but does not affect the hemodynamic stability during xenon/remifentanil anesthesia. Losartan does not deteriorate the hemodynamic adaptation to hemorrhage of 20 mL kg⁻¹ during xenon/remifentanil and isoflurane/remifentanil anesthesia. Therefore, xenon/remifentanil anesthesia protects against circulatory side effects of losartan pretreatment and thus may afford safer therapeutic use of losartan during acute hemorrhage.

Neuroprotection and neurotoxicity in the developing brain: an update on the effects of dexmedetomidine and xenon.

PubMed

Alam, Azeem; Suen, Ka Chun; Hana, Zac; Sanders, Robert D; Maze, Mervyn; Ma, Daqing

Growing and consistent preclinical evidence, combined with early clinical epidemiological observations, suggest potentially neurotoxic effects of commonly used anesthetic agents in the developing brain. This has prompted the FDA to issue a safety warning for all sedatives and anesthetics approved for use in children under three years of age. Recent studies have identified dexmedetomidine, the potent α2-adrenoceptor agonist, and xenon, the noble gas, as effective anesthetic adjuvants that are both less neurotoxic to the developing brain, and also possess neuroprotective properties in neonatal and other settings of acute ongoing neurologic injury. Dexmedetomidine and xenon are effective anesthetic adjuvants that appear to be less neurotoxic than other existing agents and have the potential to be neuroprotective in the neonatal and pediatric settings. Although results from recent clinical trials and case reports have indicated the neuroprotective potential of xenon and dexmedetomidine, additional randomized clinical trials corroborating these studies are necessary. By reviewing both the existing preclinical and clinical evidence on the neuroprotective effects of dexmedetomidine and xenon, we hope to provide insight into the potential clinical efficacy of these agents in the management of pediatric surgical patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Xenon-Ion Drilling of Tungsten Films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garner, C. E.

1986-01-01

High-velocity xenon ions used to drill holes of controlled size and distribution through tungsten layer that sheaths surface of controlled-porosity dispenser cathode of traveling wave-tube electron emitter. Controlled-porosity dispenser cathode employs barium/calcium/ aluminum oxide mixture that migrates through pores in cathode surface, thus coating it and reducing its work function. Rapid, precise drilling technique applied to films of other metals and used in other applications where micron-scale holes required. Method requires only few hours, as opposed to tens of hours by prior methods.

Liquefied Noble Gas (LNG) detectors for detection of nuclear materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikkel, J. A.; Gozani, T.; Brown, C.; Kwong, J.; McKinsey, D. N.; Shin, Y.; Kane, S.; Gary, C.; Firestone, M.

2012-03-01

Liquefied-noble-gas (LNG) detectors offer, in principle, very good energy resolution for both neutrons and gamma rays, fast response time (hence high-count-rate capabilities), excellent discrimination between neutrons and gamma rays, and scalability to large volumes. They do, however, need cryogenics. LNG detectors in sizes of interest for fissionable material detection in cargo are reaching a certain level of maturity because of the ongoing extensive R&}D effort in high-energy physics regarding their use in the search for dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay. The unique properties of LNG detectors, especially those using Liquid Argon (LAr) and Liquid Xenon (LXe), call for a study to determine their suitability for Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) for Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) and possibly for other threats in cargo. Rapiscan Systems Laboratory, Yale University Physics Department, and Adelphi Technology are collaborating in the investigation of the suitability of LAr as a scintillation material for large size inspection systems for air and maritime containers and trucks. This program studies their suitability for NII, determines their potential uses, determines what improvements in performance they offer and recommends changes to their design to further enhance their suitability. An existing 3.1 liter LAr detector (microCLEAN) at Yale University, developed for R&}D on the detection of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) was employed for testing. A larger version of this detector (15 liters), more suitable for the detection of higher energy gamma rays and neutrons is being built for experimental evaluation. Results of measurements and simulations of gamma ray and neutron detection in microCLEAN and a larger detector (326 liter CL38) are presented.

Protection of xenon against postoperative oxygen impairment in adults undergoing Stanford Type-A acute aortic dissection surgery: Study protocol for a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Jin, Mu; Cheng, Yi; Yang, Yanwei; Pan, Xudong; Lu, Jiakai; Cheng, Weiping

2017-08-01

The available evidence shows that hypoxemia after Stanford Type-A acute aortic dissection (AAD) surgery is a frequent cause of several adverse consequences. The pathogenesis of postoperative hypoxemia after AAD surgery is complex, and ischemia/reperfusion and inflammation are likely to be underlying risk factors. Xenon, recognized as an ideal anesthetic and anti-inflammatory treatment, might be a possible treatment for these adverse effects. The trial is a prospective, double-blind, 4-group, parallel, randomized controlled, a signal-center clinical trial. We will recruit 160 adult patients undergoing Stanford type-A AAD surgery. Patients will be allocated a study number and will be randomized on a 1:1:1:1 basis to receive 1 of the 3 treatment options (pulmonary inflated with 50% xenon, 75% xenon, or 100% xenon) or no treatment (control group, pulmonary inflated with 50% nitrogen). The aims of this study are to clarify the lung protection capability of xenon and its possible mechanisms in patients undergoing the Stanford type-A AAD surgery. This trial uses an innovative design to account for the xenon effects of postoperative oxygen impairment, and it also delineates the mechanism for any benefit from xenon. The investigational xenon group is considered a treatment intervention, as it includes 3 groups of pulmonary static inflation with 50%, 75%, and 100% xenon. It is suggested that future trials might define an appropriate concentration of xenon for the best practice intervention.

Re-solution of xenon clusters in plutonium dioxide under the collision cascade impact: A molecular dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seitov, D. D.; Nekrasov, K. A.; Kupryazhkin, A. Ya.; Gupta, S. K.; Akilbekov, A. T.

2017-09-01

The interaction of xenon clusters with the collision cascades in the PuO2 crystals is investigated using the molecular dynamics simulation and the approximation of the pair interaction potentials. The potentials of interaction of Xe atoms with the surrounding particles in the crystal lattice are suggested, that are valid in the range of high collision energies. The cascades created by the recoil 235U ions formed as the plutonium α-decay product are considered, and the influence of such cascades on the structure of the xenon clusters is analyzed. It is shown, that the cascade-cluster interaction leads to release of the xenon atoms from the clusters and their subsequent re-solution in the crystal bulk.

Xenon anaesthesia for patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a prospective randomized controlled pilot trial.

PubMed

Al Tmimi, L; Van Hemelrijck, J; Van de Velde, M; Sergeant, P; Meyns, B; Missant, C; Jochmans, I; Poesen, K; Coburn, M; Rex, S

2015-10-01

Off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery carries a high risk for haemodynamic instability and perioperative organ injury. Favourable haemodynamic effects and organ-protective properties could render xenon an attractive anaesthetic for OPCAB surgery. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether xenon anaesthesia for OPCAB surgery is non-inferior to sevoflurane anaesthesia with regard to intraoperative vasopressor requirements. Forty-two patients undergoing elective OPCAB surgery were enrolled in this prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled pilot trial. Patients were randomized to either xenon (50-60 vol%) or sevoflurane (1.1-1.4 vol%) anaesthesia. Primary outcome was intraoperative noradrenaline requirements necessary to achieve predefined haemodynamic goals. Secondary outcomes included safety variables such as the occurrence of adverse events (intraoperatively and during a 6-month follow-up after surgery) and the perioperative cardiorespiratory and inflammatory profile. Baseline and intraoperative data did not differ between groups. Xenon was non-inferior to sevoflurane, as xenon patients required significantly less noradrenaline intraoperatively to achieve the predefined haemodynamic goals {geometric mean 428 [95% confidence interval (CI) 312, 588] vs 1702 [1267, 2285] µg, P<0.0001}. No differences were found for safety. Significantly more sevoflurane patients developed postoperative delirium (POD) (hazard ratio 4.2, P=0.044). The average arterial pressure was lower in the sevoflurane group {median75 [interquartile range (IQR) 6] vs 72 [4] mmHg, P=0.002}. No differences were found for other haemodynamic parameters, the respiratory profile and the perioperative release of inflammatory cytokines, troponin T, serum protein S-100β and erythropoietin. Compared with sevoflurane, xenon anaesthesia allows a significant reduction in vasopressor administration in OPCAB surgery. Moreover, xenon anaesthesia was associated with a lower risk for POD, a

WE-AB-202-07: Ventilation CT: Voxel-Level Comparison with Hyperpolarized Helium-3 & Xenon-129 MRI

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tahir, B; Marshall, H; Hughes, P

Purpose: To compare the spatial correlation of ventilation surrogates computed from inspiratory and expiratory breath-hold CT with hyperpolarized Helium-3 & Xenon-129 MRI in a cohort of lung cancer patients. Methods: 5 patients underwent expiration & inspiration breath-hold CT. Xenon-129 & {sup 1}H MRI were also acquired at the same inflation state as inspiratory CT. This was followed immediately by acquisition of Helium-3 & {sup 1}H MRI in the same breath and at the same inflation state as inspiratory CT. Expiration CT was deformably registered to inspiration CT for calculation of ventilation CT from voxel-wise differences in Hounsfield units. Inspiration CTmore » and the Xenon-129’s corresponding anatomical {sup 1}H MRI were registered to Helium-3 MRI via the same-breath anatomical {sup 1}H MRI. This enabled direct comparison of CT ventilation with Helium-3 MRI & Xenon-129 MRI for the median values in corresponding regions of interest, ranging from finer to coarser in-plane dimensions of 10 by 10, 20 by 20, 30 by 30 and 40 by 40, located within the lungs as defined by the same-breath {sup 1}H MRI lung mask. Spearman coefficients were used to assess voxel-level correlation. Results: The median Spearman’s coefficients of ventilation CT with Helium-3 & Xenon-129 MRI for ROIs of 10 by 10, 20 by 20, 30 by 30 and 40 by 40 were 0.52, 0.56, 0.60 and 0.68 and 0.40, 0.42, 0.52 and 0.70, respectively. Conclusion: This work demonstrates a method of acquiring CT & hyperpolarized gas MRI (Helium-3 & Xenon-129 MRI) in similar breath-holds to enable direct spatial comparison of ventilation maps. Initial results show moderate correlation between ventilation CT & hyperpolarized gas MRI, improving for coarser regions which could be attributable to the inherent noise in CT intensity, non-ventilatory effects and registration errors at the voxel-level. Thus, it may be more beneficial to quantify ventilation at a more regional level.« less

Low-Energy Sputtering Studies of Boron Nitride with Xenon Ions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, P. K.; Shutthanandan, V.

1999-01-01

Sputtering of boron nitride with xenon ions was investigated using secondary ion (SIMS) and secondary neutral (SNMS) mass spectrometry. The ions generated from the ion gun were incident on the target at an angle of 50' with respect to the surface'normal. The energy of ions ranged from 100 eV to 3 keV. A flood electron gun was used to neutralize the positive charge build-up on the target surface. The intensities of sputtered neutral and charged particles, including single atoms, molecules, and clusters, were measured as a function of ion energy. Positive SIMS spectra were dominated by the two boron isotopes whereas BN- and B- were the two major constituents of the negative SIMS spectra. Nitrogen could be detected only in the SNMS spectra. The intensity-energy curves of the sputtered particles were similar in shape. The knees in P-SIMS and SNMS intensity-energy curves appear at around I keV which is significantly higher that 100 to 200 eV energy range at which knees appear in the sputtering of medium and heavy elements by ions of argon and xenon. This difference in the position of the sputter yield knee between boron nitride and heavier targets is due to the reduced ion energy differences. The isotopic composition of secondary ions of boron were measured by bombarding boron nitride with xenon ions at energies ranging from 100 eV to 1.5 keV using a quadrupole mass spectrometer. An ion gun was used to generate the ion beam. A flood electron gun was used to neutralize the positive charge buildup on the target surface. The secondary ion flux was found to be enriched in heavy isotopes at lower incident ion energies. The heavy isotope enrichment was observed to decrease with increasing primary ion energy. Beyond 350 eV, light isotopes were sputtered preferentially with the enrichment increasing to an asymptotic value of 1.27 at 1.5 keV. The trend is similar to that of the isotopic enrichment observed earlier when copper was sputtered with xenon ions in the same energy

Simplified Ion Thruster Xenon Feed System for NASA Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, John Steven; Randolph, Thomas M.; Hofer, Richard R.; Goebel, Dan M.

2009-01-01

The successful implementation of ion thruster technology on the Deep Space 1 technology demonstration mission paved the way for its first use on the Dawn science mission, which launched in September 2007. Both Deep Space 1 and Dawn used a "bang-bang" xenon feed system which has proven to be highly successful. This type of feed system, however, is complex with many parts and requires a significant amount of engineering work for architecture changes. A simplified feed system, with fewer parts and less engineering work for architecture changes, is desirable to reduce the feed system cost to future missions. An attractive new path for ion thruster feed systems is based on new components developed by industry in support of commercial applications of electric propulsion systems. For example, since the launch of Deep Space 1 tens of mechanical xenon pressure regulators have successfully flown on commercial spacecraft using electric propulsion. In addition, active proportional flow controllers have flown on the Hall-thruster-equipped Tacsat-2, are flying on the ion thruster GOCE mission, and will fly next year on the Advanced EHF spacecraft. This present paper briefly reviews the Dawn xenon feed system and those implemented on other xenon electric propulsion flight missions. A simplified feed system architecture is presented that is based on assembling flight-qualified components in a manner that will reduce non-recurring engineering associated with propulsion system architecture changes, and is compared to the NASA Dawn standard. The simplified feed system includes, compared to Dawn, passive high-pressure regulation, a reduced part count, reduced complexity due to cross-strapping, and reduced non-recurring engineering work required for feed system changes. A demonstration feed system was assembled using flight-like components and used to operate a laboratory NSTAR-class ion engine. Feed system components integrated into a single-string architecture successfully operated

Evolution of atmospheric xenon and other noble gases inferred from Archean to Paleoproterozoic rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avice, G.; Marty, B.; Burgess, R.; Hofmann, A.; Philippot, P.; Zahnle, K.; Zakharov, D.

2018-07-01

We have analyzed ancient atmospheric gases trapped in fluid inclusions contained in minerals of Archean (3.3 Ga) to Paleozoic (404 Ma) rocks in an attempt to document the evolution of the elemental composition and isotopic signature of the atmosphere with time. Doing so, we aimed at understanding how physical and chemical processes acted over geological time to shape the modern atmosphere. Modern atmospheric xenon is enriched in heavy isotopes by 30-40‰ u-1 relative to Solar or Chondritic xenon. Previous studies demonstrated that, 3.3 Ga ago, atmospheric xenon was isotopically fractionated (enriched in the light isotopes) relative to the modern atmosphere, by 12.9 ± 1.2 (1σ) ‰ u-1, whereas krypton was isotopically identical to modern atmospheric Kr. Details about the specific and progressive isotopic fractionation of Xe during the Archean, originally proposed by Pujol et al. (2011), are now well established by this work. Xe isotope fractionation has evolved from 21‰ u-1 at 3.5 Ga to 12.9‰ u-1 at 3.3 Ga. The current dataset provides some evidence for stabilization of the Xe fractionation between 3.3 and 2.7 Ga. However, further studies will be needed to confirm this observation. After 2.7 Ga, the composition kept evolving and reach the modern-like atmospheric Xe composition at around 2.1 Ga ago. Xenon may be the second atmospheric element, after sulfur, to show a secular isotope evolution during the Archean that ended shortly after the Archean-Proterozoic transition. Fractionation of xenon indicates that xenon escaped from Earth, probably as an ion, and that Xe escape stopped when the atmosphere became oxygen-rich. We speculate that the Xe escape was enabled by a vigorous hydrogen escape on the early anoxic Earth. Organic hazes, scavenging isotopically heavy Xe, could also have played a role in the evolution of atmospheric Xe. For 3.3 Ga-old samples, Ar-N2 correlations are consistent with a partial pressure of nitrogen (pN2) in the Archean atmosphere

Energy and Emission Characteristics of a Short-Arc Xenon Flash Lamp Under "Saturated" Optical Brightness Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamrukov, A. S.; Kireev, S. G.; Kozlov, N. P.; Shashkovskii, S. G.

2017-09-01

We present the results of a study of the electrical, energy, and spectral brightness characteristics of an experimental three-electrode high-pressure xenon flash lamp under conditions ensuring close to maximum possible spectral brightness for the xenon emission. We show that under saturated optical brightness conditions (brightness temperature in the visible region of the spectrum 30,000 K), emission of a pulsed discharge in xenon is quite different from the emission from an ideal blackbody: the maximum brightness temperatures are 24,000 K in the short-wavelength UV region and 19,000 K in the near IR range. The relative fraction of UV radiation in the emission spectrum of the lamp is >50%, which lets us consider such lamps as promising broadband sources of radiation with high spectral brightness for many important practical applications.

Relaxation times measurement in single and multiply excited xenon clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serdobintsev, P. Yu.; Melnikov, A. S.; Pastor, A. A.; Timofeev, N. A.; Khodorkovskiy, M. A.

2018-05-01

Direct measurement of the rates of nonradiative relaxation processes in electronically excited xenon clusters was carried out. The clusters were created in a pulsed supersonic beam and two-photon excited by femtosecond laser pulses with a wavelength of 263 nm. The measurements were performed using the pump-probe method and electron spectroscopy. It is shown that relaxation of light clusters XeN (N < 15) predominantly occurs by desorption of excited xenon atoms with a characteristic time constant of 3 ps. Heavier electronically excited clusters (N > 10) vibrationally relax to the lowest electronically excited state at a rate of about 0.075 eV/ps. Multiply excited clusters are deactivated via energy exchange between excited centers with the ionization of one of them. The production of electrons in this process occurs with a delay of ˜4 ps from the pump pulse, and the process is completed in 10 ps.

Can pulsed xenon ultraviolet light systems disinfect aerobic bacteria in the absence of manual disinfection?

PubMed

Jinadatha, Chetan; Villamaria, Frank C; Ganachari-Mallappa, Nagaraja; Brown, Donna S; Liao, I-Chia; Stock, Eileen M; Copeland, Laurel A; Zeber, John E

2015-04-01

Whereas pulsed xenon-based ultraviolet light no-touch disinfection systems are being increasingly used for room disinfection after patient discharge with manual cleaning, their effectiveness in the absence of manual disinfection has not been previously evaluated. Our study indicates that pulsed xenon-based ultraviolet light systems effectively reduce aerobic bacteria in the absence of manual disinfection. These data are important for hospitals planning to adopt this technology as adjunct to routine manual disinfection. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Xenon triggers pro-inflammatory effects and suppresses the anti-inflammatory response compared to sevoflurane in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Breuer, Thomas; Emontzpohl, Christoph; Coburn, Mark; Benstoem, Carina; Rossaint, Rolf; Marx, Gernot; Schälte, Gereon; Bernhagen, Juergen; Bruells, Christian S; Goetzenich, Andreas; Stoppe, Christian

2015-10-15

Cardiac surgery encompasses various stimuli that trigger pro-inflammatory mediators, reactive oxygen species and mobilization of leucocytes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of xenon on the inflammatory response during cardiac surgery. This randomized trial enrolled 30 patients who underwent elective on-pump coronary-artery bypass grafting in balanced anaesthesia of either xenon or sevoflurane. For this secondary analysis, blood samples were drawn prior to the operation, intra-operatively and on the first post-operative day to measure the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8/C-X-C motif ligand 8 (IL-8/CXCL8), and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Chemokines such as C-X-C motif ligand 12/ stromal cell-derived factor-1α (CXCL12/SDF-1α) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) were measured to characterize xenon's perioperative inflammatory profile and its impact on migration of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Xenon enhanced the postoperative increase of IL-6 compared to sevoflurane (Xenon: 90.7 versus sevoflurane: 33.7 pg/ml; p = 0.035) and attenuated the increase of IL-10 (Xenon: 127.9 versus sevoflurane: 548.3 pg/ml; p = 0.028). Both groups demonstrated a comparable intraoperative increase of oxidative stress (intra-OP: p = 0.29; post-OP: p = 0.65). While both groups showed an intraoperative increase of the cardioprotective mediators MIF and CXCL12/SDF-1α, only MIF levels decreased in the xenon group on the first postoperative day (50.0 ng/ml compared to 23.3 ng/ml; p = 0.012), whereas it remained elevated after sevoflurane anaesthesia (58.3 ng/ml to 53.6 ng/ml). Effects of patients' serum on chemotactic migration of peripheral mononuclear blood cells taken from healthy volunteers indicated a tendency towards enhanced migration after sevoflurane anaesthesia (p = 0.07). Compared to sevoflurane, balanced xenon anaesthesia triggers pro-inflammatory effects and suppresses the anti-inflammatory response in

Facile xenon capture and release at room temperature using a metal-organic framework: a comparison with activated charcoal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thallapally, Praveen K.; Grate, Jay W.; Motkuri, Radha K.

2012-01-11

Two well known Metal organic frameworks (MOF-5, NiDOBDC) were synthesized and studied for facile xenon capture and separation. Our results indicate the NiDOBDC adsorbs significantly more xenon than MOF-5, releases it more readily than activated carbon, and is more selective for Xe over Kr than activated carbon.

Performance of Gas Scintillation Proportional Counter Array for High-Energy X-Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gubarev, Mikhail; Ramsey, Brian; Apple, Jeffery

2004-01-01

A focal plane array of high-pressure gas scintillation proportional counters (GSPC) for a High Energy X-Ray Observatory (HERO) is developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center. The array is consisted from eight GSPCs and is a part of balloon born payload scheduled to flight in May 2004. These detectors have an active area of approximately 20 square centimeters, and are filled with a high pressure (10(exp 6) Pa) xenon-helium mixture. Imaging is via crossed-grid position-sensitive phototubes sensitive in the UV region. The performance of the GSPC is well matched to that of the telescopes x-ray optics which have response to 75 keV and a focal spot size of approximately 500 microns. The detector's energy resolution, 4% FWHM at 60 keV, is adequate for resolving the broad spectral lines of astrophysical importance and for accurate continuum measurements. Results of the on-earth detector calibration will be presented and in-flight detector performance will be provided, as available.

Retinal endoilluminator toxicity of xenon and light-emitting diode (LED) light source: rabbit model.

PubMed

Aydin, Bahri; Dinç, Erdem; Yilmaz, S Necat; Altiparmak, U Emrah; Yülek, Fatma; Ertekin, Sevda; Yilmaz, Mustafa; Yakın, Mehmet

2014-09-01

This study evaluates retinal toxicity due to endoillumination with the light-emitting diode (LED) light source in comparison to endoillumination with xenon light source. Twenty-five eyes of 14 New Zealand pigmented rabbits were used in the study. The LED light (Omesis Medical Systems, Turkey) group was composed of 7 right eyes, while the other 7 right eyes constituted the xenon group (420 nm filter, 357mW/cm(2)) (Bright Star; DORC, Zuidland, Netherlands). Eleven untreated left eyes composed the control group. Twenty gauge pars plana incision 1.5 mm behind the limbus was performed in the right eyes. Twenty gauge bullet type fiberoptic endoilluminator was inserted into the eye from the incision without any pars plana vitrectomy. Fiberoptic endoilluminator was placed in such a way that it was directed toward visual streak of the rabbit retina with a 5 mm distance to retinal surface. Endoillumination was then applied for 20 min with a maximum light intensity for LED and xenon light. In left control eyes, no surgical procedure and no endoillumination were performed. One week after the endoillumination procedure, both eyes of the rabbits were enucleated following electroretinography. Sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin to evaluate morphologic changes. Retina tissues were assessed by active caspase-3 staining. There was no difference in the shape of the waveforms recorded in the eyes endoilluminated with LED light and xenon light sources compared to control eyes both before and after endoillumination application (p > 0.05). Microscopic evaluation of the retinas with hematoxylin and eosin staining demonstrated that all study groups have normal histologic properties similar to control group. No apoptosis positive cells were found within all sections in all groups. When the LED light source is used with maximum power and limited duration for endoillumination in rabbit eyes it does not produce phototoxic effects that may be detectable by electrophysiology

An automated multidimensional preparative gas chromatographic system for isolation and enrichment of trace amounts of xenon from ambient air.

PubMed

Larson, Tuula; Östman, Conny; Colmsjö, Anders

2011-04-01

The monitoring of radioactive xenon isotopes is one of the principal methods for the detection of nuclear explosions in order to identify clandestine nuclear testing. In this work, a miniaturized, multiple-oven, six-column, preparative gas chromatograph was constructed in order to isolate trace quantities of radioactive xenon isotopes from ambient air, utilizing nitrogen as the carrier gas. The multidimensional chromatograph comprised preparative stainless steel columns packed with molecular sieves, activated carbon, and synthetic carbon adsorbents (e.g., Anasorb®-747 and Carbosphere®). A combination of purification techniques--ambient adsorption, thermal desorption, back-flushing, thermal focusing, and heart cutting--was selectively optimized to produce a well-defined xenon peak that facilitated reproducible heart cutting and accurate quantification. The chromatographic purification of a sample requires approximately 4 h and provides complete separation of xenon from potentially interfering components (such as water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and radon) with recovery and accuracy close to 100%. The preparative enrichment process isolates and concentrates a highly purified xenon gas fraction that is suitable for subsequent ultra-low-level γ-, ß/γ-spectroscopic or high-resolution mass spectrometric measurement (e.g., to monitor the gaseous fission products of nuclear explosions at remote locations). The Xenon Processing Unit is a free-standing, relatively lightweight, and transportable system that can be interfaced to a variety of sampling and detection systems. It has a relatively inexpensive, rugged, and compact modular (19-inch rack) design that provides easy access to all parts for maintenance and has a low power requirement.

Wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector

DOEpatents

Lee, Edwin Y.; James, Ralph B.

2002-01-01

Wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector useful for gamma-ray and x-ray spectrometers and imaging systems. The detector is fabricated using wafer fusion to insert an electrically conductive grid, typically comprising a metal, between two solid semiconductor pieces, one having a cathode (negative electrode) and the other having an anode (positive electrode). The wafer fused semiconductor radiation detector functions like the commonly used Frisch grid radiation detector, in which an electrically conductive grid is inserted in high vacuum between the cathode and the anode. The wafer-fused semiconductor radiation detector can be fabricated using the same or two different semiconductor materials of different sizes and of the same or different thicknesses; and it may utilize a wide range of metals, or other electrically conducting materials, to form the grid, to optimize the detector performance, without being constrained by structural dissimilarity of the individual parts. The wafer-fused detector is basically formed, for example, by etching spaced grooves across one end of one of two pieces of semiconductor materials, partially filling the grooves with a selected electrical conductor which forms a grid electrode, and then fusing the grooved end of the one semiconductor piece to an end of the other semiconductor piece with a cathode and an anode being formed on opposite ends of the semiconductor pieces.

Design and development of radioactive xenon gas purification and analysis system based on molecular sieves.

PubMed

Sabzian, M; Nasrabadi, M N; Haji-Hosseini, M

2018-10-01

The dynamic adsorption of xenon on molecular sieve packed columns was investigated. The modified Wheeler-Jonas equation was used to describe adsorption parameters such as adsorption capacity and adsorption rate coefficient. Different experimental conditions were accomplished to study their effects and to touch appropriate adsorbing circumstances. Respectable consistency was reached between experimental and modeled values. A purification and analysis setup was developed for radioactive xenon gas determination. Standard sample analysis results approved acceptable quantification accuracy. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Impact of Hyperpolarization-activated, Cyclic Nucleotide-gated Cation Channel Type 2 for the Xenon-mediated Anesthetic Effect: Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Experiments.

PubMed

Mattusch, Corinna; Kratzer, Stephan; Buerge, Martina; Kreuzer, Matthias; Engel, Tatiana; Kopp, Claudia; Biel, Martin; Hammelmann, Verena; Ying, Shui-Wang; Goldstein, Peter A; Kochs, Eberhard; Haseneder, Rainer; Rammes, Gerhard

2015-05-01

The thalamus is thought to be crucially involved in the anesthetic state. Here, we investigated the effect of the inhaled anesthetic xenon on stimulus-evoked thalamocortical network activity and on excitability of thalamocortical neurons. Because hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated cation (HCN) channels are key regulators of neuronal excitability in the thalamus, the effect of xenon on HCN channels was examined. The effects of xenon on thalamocortical network activity were investigated in acutely prepared brain slices from adult wild-type and HCN2 knockout mice by means of voltage-sensitive dye imaging. The influence of xenon on single-cell excitability in brain slices was investigated using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Effects of xenon on HCN channels were verified in human embryonic kidney cells expressing HCN2 channels. Xenon concentration-dependently diminished thalamocortical signal propagation. In neurons, xenon reduced HCN channel-mediated Ih current amplitude by 33.4 ± 12.2% (at -133 mV; n = 7; P = 0.041) and caused a left-shift in the voltage of half-maximum activation (V1/2) from -98.8 ± 1.6 to -108.0 ± 4.2 mV (n = 8; P = 0.035). Similar effects were seen in human embryonic kidney cells. The impairment of HCN channel function was negligible when intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate level was increased. Using HCN2 mice, we could demonstrate that xenon did neither attenuate in vitro thalamocortical signal propagation nor did it show sedating effects in vivo. Here, we clearly showed that xenon impairs HCN2 channel function, and this impairment is dependent on intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels. We provide evidence that this effect reduces thalamocortical signal propagation and probably contributes to the hypnotic properties of xenon.

Differential Sputtering Behavior of Pyrolytic Graphite and Carbon-Carbon Composite Under Xenon Bombardment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, John D.; Johnson, Mark L.; Williams, Desiree D.

2003-01-01

A differential sputter yield measurement technique is described, which consists of a quartz crystal monitor that is swept at constant radial distance from a small target region where a high current density xenon ion beam is aimed. This apparatus has been used to characterize the sputtering behavior of various forms of carbon including polycrystalline graphite, pyrolytic graphite, and PVD-infiltrated and pyrolized carbon-carbon composites. Sputter yield data are presented for pyrolytic graphite and carbon-carbon composite over a range of xenon ion energies from 200 eV to 1 keV and angles of incidence from 0 deg (normal incidence) to 60 deg .

Effects of pulmonary static inflation with 50% xenon on oxygen impairment during cardiopulmonary bypass for stanford type A acute aortic dissection: A pilot study.

PubMed

Jin, Mu; Yang, Yanwei; Pan, Xudong; Lu, Jiakai; Zhang, Zhiquan; Cheng, Weiping

2017-03-01

The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of pulmonary static inflation with 50% xenon on postoperative oxygen impairment during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection (AAD). This prospective single-center nonrandomized controlled clinical trial included 100 adult patients undergoing surgery for Stanford type A AAD at an academic hospital in China. Fifty subjects underwent pulmonary static inflation with 50% oxygen from January 2013 to January 2014, and 50 underwent inflation with 50% xenon from January 2014 to December 2014. During CPB, the lungs were inflated with either 50% xenon (xenon group) or 50% oxygen (control group) to maintain an airway pressure of 5 cm H2O. The primary outcome was oxygenation index (OI) value after intubation, and 10 minutes and 6 hours after the operation. The second outcome was cytokine and reactive oxygen species levels after intubation and 10 minutes, 6 hours, and 24 hours after the operation. Patients treated with xenon had lower OI levels compared to the control group before surgery (P = 0.002); however, there was no difference in postoperative values between the 2 groups. Following surgery, mean maximal OI values decreased by 18.8% and 33.8%, respectively, in the xenon and control groups. After surgery, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha, and thromboxane B2 decreased by 23.5%, 9.1%, and 30.2%, respectively, in the xenon group, but increased by 10.8%, 26.2%, and 26.4%, respectively, in the control group. Moreover, IL-10 levels increased by 28% in the xenon group and decreased by 7.5% in the control group. There were significant time and treatment-time interaction effects on methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (P = 0.000 and P = 0.050, respectively) and myeloperoxidase (P = 0.000 and P = 0.001 in xenon and control groups, respectively). There was no difference in hospital mortality and 1-year survival rate between the 2 groups