1. A European aerosol phenomenology - 7 : high-time resolution chemical characteristics of submicron particulate matter across EuropeM. Bressi, F. Cavalli, Jean-Philippe Putaud, R. Fröhlich, J. -E. Petit, W. Aas, M. Äijälä, A. Alastuey, J. D. Allan, M. Aurela, Iasonas Stavroulas, Marta Via, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Similarities and differences in the submicron atmospheric aerosol chemical composition are analyzed from a unique set of measurements performed at 21 sites across Europe for at least one year. These sites are located between 35 and 62°N and 10° W – 26°E, and represent various types of settings (remote, coastal, rural, industrial, urban). Measurements were all carried out on-line with a 30-min time resolution using mass spectroscopy based instruments known as Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitors (ACSM) and Aerosol Mass Spectrometers (AMS) and following common measurement guidelines. Data regarding organics, sulfate, nitrate and ammonium concentrations, as well as the sum of them called non-refractory submicron aerosol mass concentration ([NR-PM1]) are discussed. NR-PM1 concentrations generally increase from remote to urban sites. They are mostly larger in the mid-latitude band than in southern and northern Europe. On average, organics account for the major part (36–64%) of NR-PM1 followed by sulfate (12–44%) and nitrate (6–35%). The annual mean chemical composition of NR-PM1 at rural (or regional background) sites and urban background sites are very similar. Considering rural and regional background sites only, nitrate contribution is higher and sulfate contribution is lower in mid-latitude Europe compared to northern and southern Europe. Large seasonal variations in concentrations (μg/m³) of one or more components of NR-PM1 can be observed at all sites, as well as in the chemical composition of NR-PM1 (%) at most sites. Significant diel cycles in the contribution to [NR-PM1] of organics, sulfate, and nitrate can be observed at a majority of sites both in winter and summer. Early morning minima in organics in concomitance with maxima in nitrate are common features at regional and urban background sites. Daily variations are much smaller at a number of coastal and rural sites. Looking at NR-PM1 chemical composition as a function of NR-PM1 mass concentration reveals that although organics account for the major fraction of NR-PM1 at all concentration levels at most sites, nitrate contribution generally increases with NR-PM1 mass concentration and predominates when NR-PM1 mass concentrations exceed 40 μg/m³ at half of the sites. Keywords: aerosol, chemical composition, mass spectrometry, phenomenology Published in RUNG: 10.05.2024; Views: 743; Downloads: 5 Full text (9,75 MB) This document has many files! More... |
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3. Experimental bounds on sterile-active neutrino mixing anglesMihael Petač, 2015, master's thesis Abstract: Despite the success of the Standard Model in the last few decades, we know it is not complete. There is strong motivation for assuming the existence of additional heavy neutral leptons, which can account for active neutrino masses and possibly also have cosmological implications. In this work I consider the Standard Model with two neutral lepton singlets (sterile neutrinos) with degenerated masses in the range 20MeV - 2GeV. The constraints on the active-sterile neutrino mixing angles are evaluated based on recent neutrino oscillations data. Using these constraints the bounds from accelerator experiments are reanalyzed for the case of the considered model. Finally, the results are compared with cosmological constraints coming from Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the nMSM resonant leptogenesis. Keywords: Sterile neutrinos, Neutrino mixing, See-saw, High-Energy Physics - Phenomenology, High-Energy Physics - Experiments Published in RUNG: 01.10.2021; Views: 2455; Downloads: 52 Full text (1,93 MB) |
4. Two-integral distribution functions in axisymmetric galaxies: Implications for dark matter searchesMihael Petač, Piero Ullio, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: We address the problem of reconstructing the phase-space distribution function for an extended collisionless system, with known density profile and in equilibrium within an axisymmetric gravitational potential. Assuming that it depends on only two integrals of motion, namely the energy and the component of the angular momentum along the axis of symmetry Lz , there is a one-to-one correspondence between the density profile and the component of the distribution function that is even in Lz, as well as between the weighted azimuthal velocity profile and the odd component. This inversion procedure was originally proposed by Lynden-Bell and later refined in its numerical implementation by Hunter and Qian; after overcoming a technical difficulty, we apply it here for the first time in presence of a strongly flattened component, as a novel approach of extracting the phase-space distribution function for dark matter particles in the halo of spiral galaxies. We compare results obtained for realistic axisymmetric models to those in the spherical symmetric limit as assumed in previous analyses, showing the rather severe shortcomings in the latter. We then apply the scheme to the Milky Way and discuss the implications for the direct dark matter searches. In particular, we reinterpret the null results of the Xenon1T experiment for spin-(in)dependent interactions and make predictions for the annual modulation of the signal for a set of axisymmetric models, including a self-consistently defined corotating halo. Keywords: dark matter, astrophysics of galaxies, high energy physics, phenomenology Published in RUNG: 01.10.2021; Views: 2520; Downloads: 0 This document has many files! More... |
5. Equilibrium axisymmetric halo model for the Milky Way and its implications for direct and indirect dark matter searchesMihael Petač, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: We for the first time provide self-consistent axisymmetric phase-space distribution models for the Milky Way's dark matter (DM) halo which are carefully matched against the latest kinematic measurements through Bayesian analysis. By using broad priors on the individual galactic components, we derive conservative estimates for the astrophysical factors entering the interpretation of direct and indirect DM searches. While the resulting DM density profiles are in good agreement with previous studies, implying ρ⊙≈10-2 M⊙/pc3, the presence of baryonic disc leads to significant differences in the local DM velocity distribution in comparison with the standard halo model. For direct detection, this implies roughly 30% stronger cross section limits at DM masses near detectors maximum sensitivity and up to an order of magnitude weaker limits at the lower end of the mass range. Furthermore, by performing Monte Carlo simulations for the upcoming DARWIN and DarkSide-20k experiments, we demonstrate that upon successful detection of heavy DM with coupling just below the current limits, the carefully constructed axisymmetric models can eliminate bias and reduce uncertainties by more then 50% in the reconstructed DM coupling and mass, but also help in a more reliable determination of the scattering operator. Furthermore, the velocity anisotropies induced by the baryonic disc can lead to significantly larger annual modulation amplitude and sizable differences in the directional distribution of the expected DM-induced events. For indirect searches, we provide the differential J factors and compute several moments of the relative velocity distribution that are needed for predicting the rate of velocity-dependent annihilations. However, we find that accurate predictions are still hindered by large uncertainties regarding the DM distribution near the galactic center. Keywords: dark matter, astrophysics, galaxies, high energy physics, experiments, phenomenology Published in RUNG: 01.10.2021; Views: 2555; Downloads: 42 Link to full text This document has many files! More... |