Mario De Cesare

• Physics
• Researcher at CIRA Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali

The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare—Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) is one of the largest underground physics laboratory, a very peculiar environment suited for experiments in Astroparticle Physics, Nuclear Physics and Fundamental Symmetries. The newly established Bellotti Ion Beam facility represents a major advance in the possibi...

Carbon fusion reactions $$^{12}$$ 12 C( $$^{12}$$ 12 C,p) $$^{23}$$ 23 Na and $$^{12}$$ 12 C( $$^{12}$$ 12 C, $$\alpha $$ α ) $$^{20}$$ 20 Ne play a key role in the evolution of massive stars and in explosive scenarios such as type-Ia supernovae and super-bursts in binary stars. A direct determination of their cross sections is extremely challengin...

Supersonic plasma jet targets can improve the present knowledge on low energy nuclear reaction cross sections allowing to study electron screening effects. They could also be employed both in the preliminary tests of space vehicles thermal protection systems and in the validation of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) evaluations of hot exotic gases...

The Thermal Protection Systems (TPSs) of space vehicles, in the atmospheric re-entry phase, have to withstand high thermal fluxes and high temperature and their emissivity is one of the main parameters to be characterized. Thermography combined to other devices, such as pyrometers and thermocouples, allows to characterize the emissivity of the mate...

The dual color infrared thermography is a non-intrusive temperature measurement technique, based on the ratio principle between the signals collected at two near wavelengths in local grey body hypotheses and applicable when a thermal camera is equipped with a suitable pair of narrow band filters. The technique can reveal its utility in fields of ap...

In this work the hypersonic plasma flow generated in the 70 MW SCIROCCO hypersonic facility has been experimentally characterized using an Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) during a high enthalpy test campaign. The CIRA methodology to measure roto-translational and NO vibrational temperatures of a free jet via analyses performed in the Ultra Viol...

Carbon fusion reactions $$^{12}$$ 12 C( $$^{12}$$ 12 C,p) $$^{23}$$ 23 Na and $$^{12}$$ 12 C( $$^{12}$$ 12 C, $$\alpha $$ α ) $$^{20}$$ 20 Ne play a key role in the evolution of massive stars and in explosive scenarios such as type-Ia supernovae and super-bursts in binary stars. A direct determination of their cross sections is extremely challengin...

The reaction Be(p7,γ)8B plays an important role in the Sun, where it determines the high energy component of the solar neutrino spectrum. The importance of this reaction triggered several experiments over the last decades. A combined analysis of their results produces an overall consistent picture for the energy dependence of the cross section, whi...

The work aims to investigate the distribution versus depth of natural (²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K) and anthropogenic radionuclides (¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu) along the Domitia coastal zone (Campania Region, Southern Italy) downstream the Garigliano and Volturno rivers, to value the influence of the decommissioned Garigliano Nuclear Power Plant (GNPP) relea...

The following work reports a study that uses spontaneous emission spectroscopy for the evaluation of the average temperatures of the plasma shock layer and the test article surfaces subject to the hypersonic jet generated by the Plasma Wind Tunnel (PWT) facility at CIRA. Besides the qualitative information about the species of the hypersonic free s...

The re-entry of a vehicle into Earth's atmosphere either from near-Earth orbit or from interplanetary trajectories is the most critical phases of a space mission for materials, since space capsules and spacecraft surfaces are brought to relatively high temperatures (>2000 °C) and are subject to the high thermal fluxes. The most complex requirements...

The study of Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) is largely performed in Plasma Wind Tunnel (PWT) facilities where sample wear rate is of main interest and the knowledge of its relation with sample surface temperature desirable. The intrusive and indirect methods employed so far reduce the reliability and the accuracy of these tests. A new joined tech...

The reentry conditions endured by a vehicle entering the atmosphere from an Earth orbit or from an interplanetary trajectory are the most critical phases for materials used as Thermal Protection Systems (TPSs), since the spacecraft surfaces have to withstand extremely high heat fluxes and loads due to the hot plasmas generated downstream of the hig...

A new detection array called GASTLY (GAs-Silicon Two-Layer sYstem) has been designed to detect and identify low-energy light particles emitted in nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest. Devoted to the measurement of nanobarn cross-sections, the system is optimised for large solid angle coverage and for low-energy detection thresholds. The arra...

The ¹²C(¹²C,p)²³Na and ¹²C(¹²C,\(\alpha\))²⁰Ne fusion reactions are among the most important in stellar evolution since they determine the destiny of massive (\( M \simeq 8-10 M_{\odot}\)) stars. However, experimental low-energy investigations of such reactions are significantly hampered by ubiquitous natural hydrogen and deuterium contaminants in...

Be(p,\(\gamma\))⁸B has an important role in nuclear astrophysics, having a direct impact on both the high energy component of solar neutrinos and the ⁷Li abundance after the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis. All direct measurements providing useful information on this reaction so far used the same approach, i.e. a proton beam on a radioactive ⁷Be target. T...

Thermal protection systems (TPSs) of spacecrafts, either for single use or reusable, experience wear by ablation and erosion, due to the high heat fluxes during a re-entry phase in the atmosphere. The determination of the wear rate is a crucial point, which is presently mainly possible in aerospace on-ground measurements by means of invasive diagno...

C(α, γ)¹⁶O cross section plays a key-role in the stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis of massive stars. Hence, it must be determined with the precision of about 10% at the relevant Gamow energy of 300keV. The ERNA (European Recoil mass separator for Nuclear Astrophysics) collaboration measured, for the first time, the total cross section of ¹²C(α,...

C(α, γ)¹⁶O cross section plays a key-role in the stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis of massive stars. Hence, it must be determined with the precision of about 10% at the relevant Gamow energy of 300 keV. The ERNA (European Recoil mass separator for Nuclear Astrophysics) collaboration measured, for the first time, the total cross section of ¹²C(α...

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is an ultrasensitive technique for measuring long-lived actinides, e.g., ²³⁶U, ²³⁷Np and Pu isotopes. In order to improve the detection limit for actinides abundance, and to increase the detection efficiency in actinides AMS measurement, a 16-strip silicon detector was used to identify actinides at the Center for...

Background: The origin of fluorine is a widely debated issue. Nevertheless, the N15(α,γ)F19 reaction is a common feature among the various production channels so far proposed. Its reaction rate at relevant temperatures is determined by a number of narrow resonances together with the direct capture and the tails of the two broad resonances at Ec.m.=...

The origin of fluorine is a widely debated issue. Nevertheless, the ^{15}N({\alpha},{\gamma})^{19}F reaction is a common feature among the various production channels so far proposed. Its reaction rate at relevant temperatures is determined by a number of narrow resonances together with the DC component and the tails of the two broad resonances at...

Dual color thermography is a non-contact measurement temperature technique used mainly when the emissivity of surface is unknown; it is based on ratio of monochromatic emissive power calculated by means Planck’s radiation equation and allows measuring the temperature of gray body surface objects without being assigned their emissivity and without a...

Uranium beam characterization at CIRCE for background and contamination determinations

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is presently the most sensitive technique for the measurement of long-lived actinides, e.g. 236U and xPu isotopes. A new actinide AMS system, based on a 3-MV pelletron tandem accelerator, is operated at the Center for Isotopic Research on Cultural and Environmental Heritage (CIRCE) in Caserta, Italy. In this pape...

Italy built and commissioned 4 nuclear power plants between 1958-1978, which delivered a total of 1500 MW. All four were closed down after the Chernobyl accident following a referendum in 1987. One of the plants was Garigliano, commissioned in 1959. This plant used a 160 MW BWR1 (SEU of 2.3 %) and was operational from 1964 to 1979, when it was swit...

As a preliminary step towards measurements of the 12C +12 C reactions at astrophysical energies, we investigate the behaviour of targets under beam bombardment, specifically the quantitative relation between hydrogen and deuterium content of different carbon targets and target temperature. Experiments have taken place at the CIRCE accelerator in Ca...

One of the most complex issues during a hypersonic Plasma Wind Tunnel test is to control the high heat flow and towel as measure the thermal protection system surface temperature, that can reach up to 3000 °C. It is reported in the following a CIRA laboratory experimental result that has demonstrated the availability to realize temperature surfaces...

12C(12C,a)20Ne and 12C(12C,p)23Na are the most important reactions during the carbon burning phase in stars. Direct measurements at the relevant astrophysical energy (E=1.5+-0.3MeV) are very challenging because of the extremely small cross sections involved and of the high beam-induced background originating from impurities in the targets. In addit...

The isotopes 239 Pu and 240 Pu are present in surface soils as a result of global fallout from nuclear weapons tests carried out in the 1950's and 1960's. These isotopes constitute artificial tracers of recent soil erosion and sediment movement. In practice the high throughput capabilities and high sensitivity of the AMS technique makes the study o...

Tandem electrostatic accelerators often require the flexibility to operate at variety of terminal voltages to cater for various user needs. However beam transmission will only be optimal for a limited range of terminal voltages. This paper describes a focussing system that greatly expands the range of terminal voltages for optimal transmission. Thi...

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) measures the ratio of extremely small amounts of a radioactive isotope in the presence of ~ 10 15 times more stable ones. The isotopes are injected sequentially over a repeated period and observed at the exit of the accelerator. so any fluctuations in ion source output or transmission through the accelerator over...

A new measurement of the cross section of 7Be(p, $ \gamma$ )8B will be done in inverted kinematics with the recoil separator ERNA at the CIRCE laboratory in Caserta, Italy. The 8B recoils will be produced in a windowless hydrogen gas target. We report here on the construction and characterization of the gas cell. In detail we describe measurements...

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) measures the ratio of extremely small amounts of a radioactive isotope in the presence of ~ 1015 times more stable ones. The isotopes are injected sequentially over a repeated period and observed at the exit of the accelerator. so any fluctuations in ion source output or transmission through the accelerator over...

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is presently the most sensitive technique for the measurement of long-lived actinides, e.g. 236U and 239Pu. A new actinide line is in operation at the Center for Isotopic Research on Cultural and Environmental heritage (CIRCE) in Caserta, Italy. Using the actinide line a uranium mass sensitivity of around 4 μg ha...

Some potential applications of the isotopes 36Cl and 236U require higher sensitivity than is normally required or achieved. For 36Cl, one such application is the measurement of the 36Cl/Cl ratio of seawater. We show that, with appropriate precautions to reduce the effect of ion-source memory, it is possible to reach blank levels below 10−16 in the...

The assessment of the radiological impact of a decommissioning Nuclear Power Plant is presented here through the results of an environmental monitoring survey carried out in the area surrounding the Garigliano Power Plant. The levels of radioactivity in soil, water, air and other environmental matrices are shown, in which {\alpha}, {\beta} and {\ga...

The radiative capture reaction C12(α,γ)O16 has been investigated in the energy range E=3.3 to 4.5 MeV. This experiment focused in particular on the cascade transition to the 0+ state at Ex=6.05 MeV in 16O and was performed by detecting the capture γ-rays with a NaI detector array at the windowless 4He gas target of the recoil mass separator ERNA in...

In order to measure the isotopic ratio of actinides, the upgrade of the accelerator mass spectrometry system at the Center for Isotopic Research on Cultural and Environmental heritage at the Second University of Naples, Italy, was performed. The beam emittance of 238U and the isotopic abundance sensitivity of 236U were measured on the present beam...

Actinide isotopes are present in environmental samples at ultra-trace levels (236U concentration is quoted to be on the order of pg/kg or fg/kg). Their detection requires the resolution of mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, but only accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has the sensitivity required. In order to perform the isotopic ratio measurements...

The operation of Nuclear Power Plants and atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons performed in the past, together with production, transport and reprocessing of nuclear fuel, lead to the release into the environment of a wide range of radioactive nuclides, such as uranium, plutonium, fission and activation products. These nuclides are present in the e...

The cross section of 12C+12C fusion reactions determines the conditions reactions determines the conditions of carbon ignition in stars. The presence of structures, which are likely to extend to low energies, makes the extrapolation of data collected at high energy to the stellar energy difficult and potentially inaccurate, so a direct measurement...

The long-lived uranium isotope 236U (T1/2=2.34×107a) is mainly produced by 235U neutron capture. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is presently the most sensitive technique for the measurement of 236U. The sensitivity of 236U AMS measurement was reported at the Center for Isotopic Research on Cultural and Environmental heritage (CIRCE) at the Sec...

Actinide isotopes are present in environmental samples at ultra-trace levels (U-236 concentration is quoted to be on the order of pg/kg or fg/kg). Their detection requires the resolution of mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, but only accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has the sensitivity required. In order to perform the isotopic ratio measurement...

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.159903

The 3He(alpha,gamma)7Be reaction presently represents the largest nuclear uncertainty in the predicted solar neutrino flux and has important implications on the big bang nucleosynthesis, i.e., the production of primordial 7Li. We present here the results of an experiment using the recoil separator ERNA (European Recoil separator for Nuclear Astroph...

The reaction plays a key role for the understanding of the production of 7Li in Big Bang nucleosynthesis as well as for the high energy component of the solar neutrino spectrum. The uncertainty in its absolute cross-section arises from systematic differences of the available data sets. In various experiments the cross-section was measured by the de...

For improved cross-section measurements of the reaction 4He(3He,gamma )7Be in inverse kinematics, the recoil mass separator ERNA (European Recoil separator for Nuclear Astrophysics) is used to detect directly the 7Be recoils with high efficiency. The 7Be recoils are produced by the 4He projectiles in a windowless 3He gas target. ERNA fulfils the re...

The 3He(α, γ)7Be reaction plays an important role in the interpretation of the results of the solar neutrino experiments, since the estimate of the oscillation parameters relies on the solar neutrino spectrum, calculated by solar models. The high energy component in this spectrum is mainly produced by the decay of 7Be and 8B. The uncertainty in th...