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Manned space missions towards Moon and Mars planned in the next decades require a reliable radiation risk assessment considering the long time exposure of astronauts (up to years) to different radiation fields. The radiation environment inside a human space habitat, generated by the interaction of the Galactic Cosmic Rays and occasionally of Solar Particle Events with the spacecraft hull, is peculiar due to its composition (ions from Hydrogen to Iron, knock out neutrons) and the large kinetic energy range of the particles. For this reason the risk assessment approach used for astronauts in space is quite different from the one used on Earth. In this approach the risk for astronauts is evaluated calculating factors which score the risk in function of physical characteristics of the single particle, like the quality factor Q (related to the radiation ionizing power) or the squared ratio between the charge (Z) and velocity (β) of the particle (Z 2/β 2). LIDAL-ALTEA (Light Ion Detector for ALTEA - Anomalous Long Term Effects on Astronauts) is an experimental apparatus which will allow to evaluate for the first time in the field the Z 2/β 2 risk factor of the single detected particle on-board the International Space Station. The LIDAL system is a Time-Of-Flight detector designed to work paired to three Silicon Detector Units of the ALTEA, which will measure the deposited energy of the passing particle. The velocity of the particle (β), calculated from the Time-Of-Flight measurement performed by LIDAL, allows to evaluate the particle electric charge once related to the deposited energy measured by ALTEA. A first LIDAL prototype has been developed by the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and tested at TIFPA (Trento Insistute for Fundamental Physics Applications) proton beam line, in order to evaluate the timing performances of the detector. Results are briefly presented and the current status of the apparatus production is discussed in view of the launch scheduled for 2019.

LIDAL–ALTEA is a detector designed to study the radiation flux and energy spectra in the International Space Station (ISS). Its mission is manifested by NASA in 2019. The ALTEA subsystem, which took data on the ISS in the past Zaconte et al. (2010), is based on Silicon Strip detectors and will measure the released energy of the traversing particles, while the LIDAL subdetector is based on fast plastic scintillators , read by PMTs, will measure the particle Time Of Flight. A custom Front End electronics has been designed to reach a time resolution better than 120 ps. LIDAL is under construction while a prototype has been already tested with a proton beam . The measured time resolution fulfills the design expectation and is compatible with FLUKA simulations. The Monte Carlo results have also been validated by the comparison with a test measure where the ALTEA detector was exposed to proton beams.

The antikaon-nucleon interaction close to threshold provides crucial information on the interplay between spontaneous and explicit chiral symmetry breaking in low-energy QCD. In this context the importance of kaonic deuterium X-ray spectroscopy has been well recognized, but no experimental results have yet been obtained due to the difficulty of the measurement. We propose to measure the shift and width of the kaonic deuterium 1s state with an accuracy of 60 eV and 140 eV respectively at J-PARC. These results together with the kaonic hydrogen data (KpX at KEK, DEAR and SIDDHARTA at DAFNE) will then permit the determination of values of both the isospin I=0 and I=1 antikaon-nucleon scattering lengths and will provide the most stringent constraints on the antikaon-nucleon interaction, promising a breakthrough. Refined Monte Carlo studies were performed, including the investigation of background suppression factors for the described setup. These studies have demonstrated the feasibility of determining the shift and width of the kaonic deuterium atom 1s state with the desired accuracy of 60 eV and 140 eV., 12 pages, 9 figures

In the VIP2 (VIolation of the Pauli Exlusion Principle) experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) we are searching for possible violations of standard quantum mechanics predictions. With high precision we investigate the Pauli Exclusion Principle and the collapse of the wave function (collapse models). We will present our experimental method of searching for possible small violations of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons, via the search for "anomalous" X-ray transitions in copper atoms, produced by "new" electrons (brought inside a copper bar by circulating current) which could have the probability to undergo Pauli-forbidden transition to the ground state (1 s level) already occupied by two electrons. We will describe the concept of the VIP2 experiment taking data at LNGS presently. The goal of VIP2 is to test the PEP for electrons with unprecedented accuracy, down to a limit in the probability that PEP is violated at the level of 10$^{-31}$. We will show preliminary experimental results obtained at LNGS and discuss implications of a possible violation., Comment: Proceedings TAUP 2017

The LIDAL (Light Ion Detector for ALTEA) is a device designed to work paired with three silicon detector units of ALTEA (Anomalous Long Term Effects on Astronauts) in order to improve the particle identification capabilities of ALTEA on the International Space Station also providing Time-of-Flight measurements. The LIDAL-ALTEA goal is to measure ions from protons up to iron in real time. The improved measurements of the radiation environment inside ISS will be very valuable for radiation risk assessment and mitigation. It is necessary to have a detailed simulation of the apparatus response to cosmic ray nuclei in order to assess the detector response, its observational capabilities and to set the relevant parameters of the device. Here a new Monte Carlo simulation of the LIDAL-ALTEA setup and physics processes, in the framework of FLUKA, is presented. A comparison between Monte Carlo simulations and calibration data is also shown.

AMADEUS is an experiment planned to be performed at the DAΦNE e+e− collider of the Frascati National Laboratories (Italy) of INFN, to investigate the antikaon-nuclei interaction at low energies. AMADEUS will perform, for the first time, full-acceptance studies of antikaon interaction in light nuclei, including a complete experimental program for the case of the kaonic nuclear clusters. The study of the absorption of antikaon by the nucleus will provide information concerning the \(\bar{K}N\) interaction and the modification of the kaon mass in the nuclear medium. The experiment is being preceded by the study of the hadronic interactions of K− in the 4He of the drift chamber from the KLOE experiment data.

We present the idea of searching for X-rays as a signature of the mechanism inducing the spontaneous collapse of the wave function. Such a signal is predicted by the continuous spontaneous localization theories, which are solving the "measurement problem" by modifying the Schrodinger equation. We will show some encouraging preliminary results and discuss future plans and strategy., to be published in Foundation of Physics 2015

The Pauli Exclusion Principle is one of the most fundamental rules of nature and represents a pillar of modern physics. According to many observations the Pauli Exclusion Principle must be extremely well fulfilled. Nevertheless, numerous experimental investigations were performed to search for a small violation of this principle. The VIP experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory searched for Pauli-forbidden X-ray transitions in copper atoms using the Ramberg-Snow method and obtained the best limit so far. The follow-up experiment VIP2 is designed to reach even higher sensitivity. It aims to improve the limit by VIP by orders of magnitude. The experimental method, comparison of different PEP tests based on different assumptions and the developments for VIP2 are presented., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings DISCRETE2014 Conference

The strong interaction of antikaons (K-) with nucleons and nuclei in the low energy regime represents an active research field connected intrinsically with few-body physics. There are important open questions like the question of antikaon nuclear bound states - the prototype system being K-pp. A unique and rather direct experimental access to the antikaon-nucleon scattering lengths is provided by precision X-ray spectroscopy of transitions in low-lying states of light kaonic atoms like kaonic hydrogen isotopes. In the SIDDHARTA experiment at the electron-positron collider DA?NE of LNF-INFN we measured the most precise values of the strong interaction observables, i.e. the strong interaction on the 1s ground state of the electromagnetically bound K-p atom leading to a hadronic shift and a hadronic broadening of the 1s state. The SIDDHARTA result triggered new theoretical work which achieved major progress in the understanding of the low-energy strong interaction with strangeness. Antikaon-nucleon scattering lengths have been calculated constrained by the SIDDHARTA data on kaonic hydrogen. For the extraction of the isospin-dependent scattering lengths a measurement of the hadronic shift and width of kaonic deuterium is necessary. Therefore, new X-ray studies with the focus on kaonic deuterium are in preparation (SIDDHARTA2). Many improvements in the experimental setup will allow to measure kaonic deuterium which is challenging due to the anticipated low X-ray yield. Especially important are the data on the X-ray yields of kaonic deuterium extracted from a exploratory experiment within SIDDHARTA., Comment: Proc. Few Body 21, 4 pages, 2 figures

1 ar X iv :1 50 1. 04 46 2v 1 [ qu an tph ] 1 9 Ja n 20 15 The development of mathematically complete and consistent models solving the so-called ”measurement problem”, strongly renewed the interest of the scientific community for the foundations of quantum mechanics, among these the Dynamical Reduction Models posses the unique characteristic to be experimentally testable. In the first part of the paper an upper limit on the reduction rate parameter of such models will be obtained, based on the analysis of the X-ray spectrum emitted by an isolated slab of germanium and measured by the IGEX experiment. The second part of the paper is devoted to present the results of the VIP (Violation of the Pauli exclusion principle) experiment and to describe its recent upgrade. The VIP experiment established a limit on the probability that the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP) is violated by electrons, using the very clean method of searching for PEP forbidden atomic transitions in copper. 1 Upper limit on the wave function collapse mean rate parameter λ The first consistent and satisfying Dynamical Reduction Model, known as Quantum Mechanics with Spontaneous Localization (QMSL) [1], considers particles undergoing spontaneous localizations around definite positions, following a Possion distribution characterized by a mean frequency λ = 10−16 s−1. This brought to the development of the CSL theory [2] based on the introduction of new, non linear and stochastic terms, in the Shrodinger equation besides to the standard Hamiltonian. Such terms induce, for the state vector, a diffusion process, which is responsible for the wave packet reduction. As demonstrated by Q. Fu [3] the particle interaction with the stochastic field also causes an enhancement of the energy expectation value. This implies, for a charged particle, the emission of electromagnetic radiation (known as spontaneous radiation) not present in the standard quantum mechanics. The radiation spectrum spontaneously emitted by a free electron was calculated by Fu [3] in the framework of the non-relativistic CSL model, and it is given by: dΓ(E) dE = eλ 4π2a2m2E , where m represents the electron mass, E is the energy of the emitted photon, λ and a are respectively the reduction rate parameter and the correlation length of the reduction model which is assumed to be a = 10−7 m. If the stochastic field is assumed to be coupled to the particle mass density (mass proportional CSL model) (see for example [4]) then the previous expression for the emission rate is to be multiplied by the factor (me/mN ) , with mN the nucleon mass. Using the measured radiation appearing in an isolated slab of Germanium [5] corresponding to an energy of 11 KeV, Fu obtained the limit λ ≤ 0.55 · 10−16s−1. In Ref. [6] the author argues that, in evaluating his numerical result, Fu uses for the electron charge the value e = 17137.04, whereas the standard adopted Feynman rules require the identification e/(4π) = 17137.04. We took into account this correction when evaluating the new limit. In order to reduce possible biases introduced on the λ value by the punctual evaluation of the rate at one single energy bin, the X-ray emission spectrum measured by the IGEX experiment [7, 8] was fitted in the range ∆E = 4.5÷ 48.5 KeV m, compatible with the non-relativistic assumption (for electrons) used in the calculation of the predicted rate. A Bayesian model was

By performing X-rays measurements in the "cosmic silence" of the underground laboratory of Gran Sasso, LNGS-INFN, we test a basic principle of quantum mechanics: the Pauli Exclusion Principle (PEP), for electrons. We present the achieved results of the VIP experiment and the ongoing VIP2 measurement aiming to gain two orders of magnitude improvement in testing PEP. We also use a similar experimental technique to search for radiation (X and gamma) predicted by continuous spontaneous localization models, which aim to solve the "measurement problem"., 7 pages, 3 figures, proceedings to the workshop "Eighth International Workshop DICE2016", Castello Pasquini/Castiglioncello (Tuscany), September 12-16, 2016 Spacetime - Matter - Quantum Mechanics

The AMADEUS experiment aims to provide unique quality data of $K^-$ hadronic interactions in light nuclear targets, in order to solve fundamental open questions in the non-perturbative strangeness QCD sector, like the controversial nature of the $\Lambda(1405)$ state, the yield of hyperon formation below threshold, the yield and shape of multi-nucleon $K^-$ absorption, processes which are intimately connected to the possible existence of exotic antikaon multi-nucleon clusters. AMADEUS takes advantage of the DA$\Phi$NE collider, which provides a unique source of monochromatic low-momentum kaons and exploits the KLOE detector as an active target, in order to obtain excellent acceptance and resolution data for $K^-$ nuclear capture on H, ${}^4$He, ${}^{9}$Be and ${}^{12}$C, both at-rest and in-flight. During the second half of 2012 a successful data taking was performed with a dedicated pure carbon target implemented in the central region of KLOE, providing a high statistic sample of pure at-rest $K^-$ nuclear interactions. For the future dedicated setups involving cryogenic gaseous targets are under preparation., Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures

The AMADEUS experiment aims to perform dedicated precision studies in the sector of low-energy kaon-nuclei interaction at the DA\Phi NE collider at LNF-INFN. In particular the experiment plans to perform measurements of the debated deeply bound kaonic nuclear states (by stopping kaons in cryogenic gaseous targets 3He and 4He) to explore the nature of the \Lambda(1405) in nuclear environment and to measure the cross section of K- on light nuclei, for K- momentum lower than 100 MeV/c. The AMADEUS dedicated setup will be installed in the central region of the KLOE detector., Comment: 3 pages

AMADEUS is an experiment planned to be performed at the DAFNE e+e− collider of the Frascati National Laboratories (Italy) of INFN, to investigate the antikaon‐nuclei interaction at low energies. AMADEUS will perform, for the first time, full‐acceptance studies of antikaon interaction in light nuclei, including a complete experimental program for the case of the kaonic clusters. The study of the absorption of antikaon by the nucleus will provide information concerning the K̄N interaction and the modification of the kaon mass in the nuclear medium. The experiment is being preceded by the study of the hadronic interactions of K− in the 4He of the drift chamber from the KLOE experiment data.

We have measured the K‐series x‐rays of kaonic hydrogen atoms to determine the strong‐interaction energy‐level shift and width of the 1s atomic state with significant improvements over the previous experiments. The measurement offers a unique possibility to precisely determine the complex K−p S‐wave scattering length. We have also measured kaonic x‐ray spectra with several gaseous targets : deuterium, helium‐3 and helium‐4. In this paper, we present an overview of this experiment and preliminary spectra of those kaonic x‐rays.

AMADEUS is an experiment planned to be performed at the DAΦNE e+e− collider of the Frascati National Laboratories (Italy) of INFN, to investigate the antikaon-nuclei interaction at low energies. AMADEUS will perform, for the first time, full-acceptance studies of antikaon interaction in light nuclei, including a complete experimental program for the case of the kaonic nuclear clusters. The study of the absorption of antikaon by the nucleus will provide information concerning the \(\bar{K}N\) interaction and the modification of the kaon mass in the nuclear medium. The experiment is being preceded by the study of the hadronic interactions of K− in the 4He of the drift chamber from the KLOE experiment data.

The strong-interaction shift of kaonic 3He and 4He 2p states was measured using gaseous targets for the first time in the SIDDHARTA experiment. The determined shift of kaonic 4He is much smaller than the values obtained in the experiments performed in 70's and 80's. Thus, the problems in kaonic helium (the "kaonic helium puzzle") was definitely solved by our measurements. The first observation of the kaonic 3He X-rays was also achieved. The shift both of kaonic 3He and 4He was found to be as small as a few eV., Proc of Hadron2011

The \(\overline{K}N\) system at rest plays a key role for the understanding of strong interaction of hadrons with strangeness involved. The experiment SIDDHARTA used X-ray spectroscopy of kaonic atoms to measure the strong interaction induced shift and width of the ground state. It was the first experiment on kaonic He3 and deuterium ever, kaonic hydrogen was measured with improved precision resulting in \(\epsilon_{1s} = -283 \pm 36 \mbox{(stat)} \pm 6 \mbox{(syst)}\) eV and \(\Gamma_{1s} = 541 \pm 89 \mbox{(stat)} \pm 22 \mbox{(syst)}\) eV. Additionally a scheme for an improved future experiment on kaonic deuterium is introduced in this contribution.

One of the fundamental rules of nature and a pillar in the foundation of quantum theory and thus of modern physics is represented by the Pauli Exclusion Principle. We know that this principle is extremely well fulfilled due to many observations. Numerous experiments were performed to search for tiny violation of this rule in various systems. The experiment VIP at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory is searching for possible small violations of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons leading to forbidden X-ray transitions in copper atoms. VIP is aiming at a test of the Pauli Exclusion Principle for electrons with high accuracy, down to the level of 10$^{-29}$ - 10$^{-30}$, thus improving the previous limit by 3-4 orders of magnitude. The experimental method, results obtained so far and new developments within VIP2 (follow-up experiment at Gran Sasso, in preparation) to further increase the precision by 2 orders of magnitude will be presented., Proceedings DISCRETE 2012-Third Symposium on Prospects in the Physics of Discrete Symmetries, Lisbon, December 3-7, 2012