Strong-interaction shifts and widths of kaonic helium isotopes.

The kaonic 3He and 4He [Formula: see text] transitions in gaseous targets were observed by the SIDDHARTA experiment. The X-ray energies of these transitions were measured with large-area silicon-drift detectors using the timing information of the [Formula: see text] pairs produced by the DAΦNE [Formula: see text] collider. The strong-interaction shifts and widths both of the kaonic 3He and 4He 2p states were determined, which are much smaller than the results obtained by the previous experiments. The "kaonic helium puzzle" (a discrepancy between theory and experiment) was now resolved.

Preliminary study of kaonic deuterium X-rays by the SIDDHARTA experiment at DAΦNE.

The study of the [Formula: see text] system at very low energies plays a key role for the understanding of the strong interaction between hadrons in the strangeness sector. At the DAΦNE electron-positron collider of Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati we studied kaonic atoms with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], taking advantage of the low-energy charged kaons from Φ-mesons decaying nearly at rest. The SIDDHARTA experiment used X-ray spectroscopy of the kaonic atoms to determine the transition yields and the strong interaction induced shift and width of the lowest experimentally accessible level (1s for H and D and 2p for He). Shift and width are connected to the real and imaginary part of the scattering length. To disentangle the isospin dependent scattering lengths of the antikaon-nucleon interaction, measurements of [Formula: see text] and of [Formula: see text] are needed. We report here on an exploratory deuterium measurement, from which a limit for the yield of the K-series transitions was derived: [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] (CL 90%). Also, the upcoming SIDDHARTA-2 kaonic deuterium experiment is introduced.

Measurements of the strong-interaction widths of the kaonic (3)He and (4)He 2p levels.

The kaonic (3)He and (4)He X-rays emitted in the [Formula: see text] transitions were measured in the SIDDHARTA experiment. The widths of the kaonic (3)He and (4)He 2p states were determined to be [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], respectively. Both results are consistent with the theoretical predictions. The width of kaonic (4)He is much smaller than the value of [Formula: see text] determined by the experiments performed in the 70's and 80's, while the width of kaonic (3)He was determined for the first time.

First measurement of kaonic helium-3 X-rays.

The first observation of the kaonic (3)He 3d→2p transition was made, using slow K- mesons stopped in a gaseous (3)He target. The kaonic atom X-rays were detected with large-area silicon drift detectors using the timing information of the K+K- pairs of ϕ-meson decays produced by the DAΦNE e+e- collider. The strong interaction shift of the kaonic (3)He 2p state was determined to be -2±2(stat)±4(syst) eV.

In-situ technical study of modern paintings - Part 2: Imaging and spectroscopic analysis of zinc white in paintings from 1889 to 1940 by Alessandro Milesi (1856-1945).

We present a multi-analytical in situ non-invasive study of a series of emblematic paintings by Alessandro Milesi (1856-1945) from the collection of the International Gallery of Modern Art Ca' Pesaro in Venice. Eight paintings dated from 1897 to 1910 were studied with imaging and spectroscopic techniques. White pigments were characterized by a combination of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy which traced the presence of zinc-based pigments in Milesi's paintings, Raman Spectroscopy, Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) Spectroscopy and Time-resolved Luminescence Imaging. Time-resolved analysis of luminescence emissions revealed the nanosecond emission from organic compounds and the slower emission from the luminescent inorganic pigment Zinc Oxide that varied between 1.1 and 1.6 microseconds. In this work, data regarding the distribution of luminescent pigments was acquired with a time-gated imaging detector. Furthermore, differences in emission decay kinetics recorded from different paintings can be ascribed to different paint formulations or origins of the Zinc white in paint.

Prompt gamma imaging with a slit camera for real-time range control in proton therapy.

Treatments delivered by proton therapy are affected by uncertainties on the range of the beam within the patient, requiring medical physicists to add safety margins on the penetration depth of the beam. To reduce these margins and deliver safer treatments, different projects are currently investigating real-time range control by imaging prompt gammas emitted along the proton tracks in the patient. This study reports on the feasibility, development and test of a new concept of prompt gamma camera using a slit collimator to obtain a one-dimensional projection of the beam path on a scintillation detector. This concept was optimized, using the Monte Carlo code MCNPX version 2.5.0, to select high energy photons correlated with the beam range and detect them with both high statistics and sufficient spatial resolution. To validate the Monte Carlo model, spectrometry measurements of secondary particles emitted by a PMMA target during proton irradiation at 160 MeV were realized. An excellent agreement with the simulations was observed when using subtraction methods to isolate the gammas in direct incidence. A first prototype slit camera using the HiCam gamma detector was consequently prepared and tested successfully at 100 and 160 MeV beam energies. Results confirmed the potential of this concept for real-time range monitoring with millimetre accuracy in pencil beam scanning mode for typical clinical conditions. If we neglect electronic dead times and rejection of detected events, the current solution with its collimator at 15 cm from the beam axis can achieve a 1-2 mm standard deviation on range estimation in a homogeneous PMMA target for numbers of protons that correspond to doses in water at the Bragg peak as low as 15 cGy at 100 MeV and 25 cGy at 160 MeV assuming pencil beams with a Gaussian profile of 5 mm sigma at target entrance.

Elemental mapping and microimaging by x-ray capillary optics.

Recently, many experiments have highlighted the advantage of using polycapillary optics for x-ray fluorescence studies. We have developed a special confocal scheme for micro x-ray fluorescence measurements that enables us to obtain not only elemental mapping of the sample but also simultaneously its own x-ray imaging. We have designed the prototype of a compact x-ray spectrometer characterized by a spatial resolution of less than 100 microm for fluorescence and less than 10 microm for imaging. A couple of polycapillary lenses in a confocal configuration together with a silicon drift detector allow elemental studies of extended samples (approximately 3 mm) to be performed, while a CCD camera makes it possible to record an image of the same samples with 6 microm spatial resolution, which is limited only by the pixel size of the camera. By inserting a compound refractive lens between the sample and the CCD camera, we hope to develop an x-ray microscope for more enlarged images of the samples under test.