February 13, 2004 Journal article Open Access

RAP: thermoacoustic detection at the DAΦNE beam test facility

Giorgio Frossati; Paolo Valente; Lina Quintieri; E. Coccia; S. Bertolucci; G. Delle Monache; Andrea Carlo Marini; V. Fafone; D. Di Gioacchino; F.J. Ronga; G. Pizzella; Carlo Ligi; A C Fauth; Sabrina D'Antonio; G. Modestino; A. de Waard; G. Mazzitelli; Paolo Tripodi

In order to investigate the anomalous response at ultra-low temperatures of the resonant-mass gravitational wave detector NAUTILUS, the RAP experiment has been planned to measure the vibrations in a small cylindrical aluminium bar when hit by 10 5 510 MeV electrons from the DANE beam test facility, corresponding to the energies released by typical extensive air showers. The results of the measurement at low temperature and in the superconducting regime are crucial to understand the interaction of ionizing particles with bulk superconductors and to confirm the results on the thermoacoustic model of the past experiments. The first run of RAP experiment is scheduled for the end of June. The scheme of operation and the preliminary results at room temperature will be presented.