Knowledge (XXG)

Barn (unit)

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where two streams of particles, with cross-sectional areas measured in femtobarns, are directed to collide over a period of time. The total number of collisions will be directly proportional to the luminosity of the collisions measured over this time. Therefore, the collision count can be calculated
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on a project using a particle accelerator to measure the cross sections of certain nuclear reactions. According to an account of theirs from a couple years later, they were dining in a cafeteria in December 1942 and discussing their work. They "lamented" that there was no name for the unit of cross
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In SI, one can use units such as square femtometers (fm). The most common SI prefixed unit for the barn is the femtobarn, which is equal to a tenth of a square zeptometer. Many scientific papers discussing high-energy physics mention quantities of fractions of femtobarn level.
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by multiplying the integrated luminosity by the sum of the cross-section for those collision processes. This count is then expressed as inverse femtobarns for the time period (e.g., 100 fb in nine months). Inverse femtobarns are often quoted as an indication of
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with a luminosity peak of 6760 inverse microbarns per second; by May 2012 the LHC delivered 1 inverse femtobarn of data per week to each detector collaboration. A record of over 23 fb was achieved during 2012. As of November 2016, the LHC had achieved
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section and challenged themselves to develop one. They initially tried to find the name of "some great man closely associated with the field" that they could name the unit after, but struggled to find one that was appropriate. They considered "
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The initial published report to feature the unit was C.P. Baker, M.G. Holloway, L.D.P. King, and R.E. Schreiber, "Cross section for the reaction 20(230, 240)10," (
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during this period. If this is multiplied by the cross-section, then a dimensionless number is obtained equal to the number of expected scattering events.
185:, and is best understood as a measure of the probability of interaction between small particles. A barn is approximately the cross-sectional area of a 1126: 948: 1160: 1156: 943: 1263:"Thanks to recent fine tuning, the LHC has delivered 2 inverse femtobarns of data already this year; peak luminosity is now over 2x10^33" 1096: 1185: 1073: 1241: 801: 38: 266:. But this latter association, combined with the "rural background" of one of the scientists, suggested to them the term " 1420: 262:, another scientist associated with their work, but considered "Manley" too long and "John" too closely associated with 190: 1329: 938: 194: 1425: 1020: 996: 1206: 793: 797: 504: 470: 198: 166: 808:
of integrated luminosity, one expects to find 100 events per femtobarn of cross-section within these data.
1415: 1347: 851: 843: 247: 1371: 1134: 250:" too long (in retrospect, they considered an "Oppy" to perhaps have been allowable), and considered " 238: 812: 1130: 1220: 1164: 1069: 1063: 967: 817: 259: 242: 234: 222: 1127:"Understanding luminosity through 'barn', a unit that helps physicists count particle events" 1104: 1010: 858:
of proton–proton data in 2011 alone. In April 2012 the LHC achieved the collision energy of
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Calculated cross sections are often given in terms of inverse squared gigaelectronvolts (
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The inverse femtobarn (fb) is the unit typically used to measure the number of
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acknowledged it in the 8th SI Brochure (superseded in 2019) due to its use in
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https://permalink.lanl.gov/object/tr?what=info:lanl-repo/lareport/LA-00002-MS
935:", a unit of time created by the same people at the same time as the barn 887:
runs for 8 hours (28 800 seconds) at an instantaneous luminosity of
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M.G. Holloway and C.P. Baker, "Note on the origin of the term 'barn'"],
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The unit symbol for the barn (b) is also the IEEE standard symbol for
263: 1397: 999:(submitted 13 September 1944, issued 5 March 1947). Reprinted as 1266: 899:, then it will gather data totaling an integrated luminosity of 839: 267: 255: 254:" to be too easily confused with the commonly-used Greek letter 150: 71: 1023:) (June 28, 1943), which also defines the unit in its abstract. 279: 1001:
Holloway, M.G.; Baker, C.P. (1972). "How the barn was born".
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over that year, significantly exceeding the stated goal of
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Unit for cross sectional area used in high-energy physics
1309:"LHC proton run for 2011 reaches successful conclusion" 1186:"10 Inverse Femtobarns: Celebration Time At Fermilab!" 1221:"CDF, DZero reach 5 inverse femtobarns of luminosity" 830:
in the first decade of the 21st century. Fermilab's
1209:. Pauline Gagnon, Quantum Diaries. October 17, 2011. 800:, and is the conventional unit for time-integrated 189:nucleus. The barn is also the unit of area used in 118: 100: 78: 65: 57: 49: 37: 32: 1103:. Scientific Digital Visions, Inc. Archived from 197:to quantify the interaction of a nucleus with an 1039:How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement 1242:"LHC experiments reach record data milestone" 8: 1372:"LHC Report: The final days of Run 2 | CERN" 1068:. Routledge Kegan & Paul. p. 487. 1043:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1155:Mason Inman, Emily Ball (April 16, 2004). 29: 1348:"LHC smashes targets for 2016 run | CERN" 177:, today it is also used in all fields of 678: 613: 533: 284: 959: 258:. They then considered naming it after 1207:"What will we do with all this data?" 949:List of humorous units of measurement 804:. Thus if a detector has accumulated 181:to express the cross sections of any 7: 1223:. Fermilab Today. September 26, 2008 944:List of unusual units of measurement 875:to both ATLAS and CMS in 2015–2018. 1288:"LHC Report: 2 inverse femtobarns!" 1332:. CERN. 2012-12-17. Archived from 1244:. Symmetry magazine. June 17, 2011 1188:. Science20.com. December 12, 2010 1033:Russ Rowlett (September 1, 2004). 25: 1401:citation for this usage of "barn" 1125:Kate Metropolis (July 21, 2004). 1062:Green, Jonathon (December 1987). 82: 1311:. CERN Press Office. 2011-10-31 274:Commonly used prefixed versions 883:As a simplified example, if a 201:. While the barn never was an 1: 766:0.1 ym = 100000 rm 750:0.1 zm = 100000 ym 734:0.1 am = 100000 zm 715:0.1 fm = 100000 am 1133:News Service. Archived from 834:took about 4 years to reach 286:Multiples and sub-multiples 191:nuclear quadrupole resonance 1290:. CERN Bulletin. 2011-08-05 1101:The Language of the Nucleus 1442: 939:Orders of magnitude (area) 195:nuclear magnetic resonance 972:SI brochure (8th edition) 794:particle collision events 615:Conversion from SI units 515:= 1), this simplifies to 96: 1157:"PEP-II's luminous life" 680:Conversion to SI units 199:electric field gradient 1330:"LHC luminosity plots" 1095:Craig A. Stone, Ph.D. 838:in 2005, while two of 469:), via the conversion 233:, American physicists 161:). Originally used in 1065:Dictionary of Jargon 813:particle accelerator 798:target cross-section 602:SI units with prefix 70:the broad side of a 1421:Non-SI metric units 681: 616: 287: 179:high-energy physics 165:for expressing the 91:... is equal to ... 679: 614: 285: 183:scattering process 126:    120:    110:    102:    1015:10.1063/1.3070918 818:particle collider 796:per femtobarn of 788:Inverse femtobarn 785: 784: 781: 780: 675: 674: 599: 598: 458: 457: 243:Purdue University 235:Marshall Holloway 223:Manhattan Project 207:SI standards body 175:nuclear reactions 135: 134: 79:Conversions 16:(Redirected from 1433: 1426:Particle physics 1386: 1385: 1383: 1382: 1368: 1362: 1361: 1359: 1358: 1344: 1338: 1337: 1326: 1320: 1319: 1317: 1316: 1305: 1299: 1298: 1296: 1295: 1284: 1278: 1277: 1275: 1274: 1269:. August 5, 2011 1259: 1253: 1252: 1250: 1249: 1238: 1232: 1231: 1229: 1228: 1217: 1211: 1210: 1203: 1197: 1196: 1194: 1193: 1182: 1176: 1175: 1173: 1172: 1163:. Archived from 1152: 1146: 1145: 1143: 1142: 1122: 1116: 1115: 1113: 1112: 1092: 1086: 1085: 1083: 1082: 1059: 1053: 1052: 1050: 1049: 1030: 1024: 1018: 993: 987: 986: 984: 983: 964: 921: 919: 913: 909: 907: 904: 898: 894: 892: 874: 870: 866: 861: 857: 837: 829: 807: 682: 617: 610: 609: 595: 593: 581: 571: 569: 566: 554: 552: 534: 530: 528: 522: 495: 493: 487: 288: 241:were working at 239:Charles P. Baker 225:research on the 211:particle physics 156: 127: 121: 114: 111: 103: 44:particle physics 30: 21: 1441: 1440: 1436: 1435: 1434: 1432: 1431: 1430: 1406: 1405: 1394: 1389: 1380: 1378: 1370: 1369: 1365: 1356: 1354: 1346: 1345: 1341: 1328: 1327: 1323: 1314: 1312: 1307: 1306: 1302: 1293: 1291: 1286: 1285: 1281: 1272: 1270: 1261: 1260: 1256: 1247: 1245: 1240: 1239: 1235: 1226: 1224: 1219: 1218: 1214: 1205: 1204: 1200: 1191: 1189: 1184: 1183: 1179: 1170: 1168: 1167:on June 2, 2009 1154: 1153: 1149: 1140: 1138: 1124: 1123: 1119: 1110: 1108: 1094: 1093: 1089: 1080: 1078: 1076: 1061: 1060: 1056: 1047: 1045: 1032: 1031: 1027: 1000: 994: 990: 981: 979: 966: 965: 961: 957: 928: 917: 915: 911: 905: 902: 900: 896: 890: 888: 881: 872: 868: 864: 859: 855: 854:, reached over 835: 827: 805: 790: 604: 591: 589: 579: 567: 564: 562: 550: 548: 526: 524: 520: 491: 489: 485: 463: 276: 219: 167:cross sectional 163:nuclear physics 154: 125: 119: 112: 109: 101: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1439: 1437: 1429: 1428: 1423: 1418: 1408: 1407: 1404: 1403: 1393: 1392:External links 1390: 1388: 1387: 1363: 1339: 1336:on 2013-02-19. 1321: 1300: 1279: 1254: 1233: 1212: 1198: 1177: 1147: 1117: 1087: 1074: 1054: 1025: 988: 958: 956: 953: 952: 951: 946: 941: 936: 927: 924: 880: 877: 820:productivity. 789: 786: 783: 782: 779: 778: 775: 772: 768: 767: 764: 760: 759: 756: 752: 751: 748: 744: 743: 740: 736: 735: 732: 728: 727: 724: 721: 717: 716: 713: 709: 708: 705: 701: 700: 697: 693: 692: 689: 686: 676: 673: 672: 669: 665: 664: 661: 657: 656: 653: 649: 648: 645: 641: 640: 637: 633: 632: 629: 625: 624: 621: 603: 600: 597: 596: 587: 583: 582: 577: 573: 572: 560: 556: 555: 546: 542: 541: 538: 521:0.3894 mb 486:0.3894 mb 462: 459: 456: 455: 452: 449: 446: 442: 441: 438: 435: 432: 428: 427: 424: 421: 418: 414: 413: 410: 407: 404: 400: 399: 396: 393: 390: 386: 385: 382: 379: 376: 372: 371: 368: 365: 362: 358: 357: 354: 351: 348: 344: 343: 340: 337: 334: 330: 329: 326: 323: 320: 316: 315: 312: 309: 306: 302: 301: 298: 295: 292: 275: 272: 218: 215: 133: 132: 123: 116: 115: 107: 98: 97: 94: 93: 88: 81: 80: 76: 75: 67: 63: 62: 59: 55: 54: 51: 47: 46: 41: 35: 34: 26: 24: 18:Shed (physics) 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1438: 1427: 1424: 1422: 1419: 1417: 1416:Units of area 1414: 1413: 1411: 1402: 1399: 1396: 1395: 1391: 1377: 1373: 1367: 1364: 1353: 1349: 1343: 1340: 1335: 1331: 1325: 1322: 1310: 1304: 1301: 1289: 1283: 1280: 1268: 1264: 1258: 1255: 1243: 1237: 1234: 1222: 1216: 1213: 1208: 1202: 1199: 1187: 1181: 1178: 1166: 1162: 1158: 1151: 1148: 1137:on 2009-05-10 1136: 1132: 1128: 1121: 1118: 1107:on 2007-06-30 1106: 1102: 1098: 1091: 1088: 1077: 1075:0-7100-9919-3 1071: 1067: 1066: 1058: 1055: 1044: 1040: 1036: 1029: 1026: 1022: 1016: 1012: 1008: 1004: 1003:Physics Today 998: 992: 989: 977: 973: 969: 963: 960: 954: 950: 947: 945: 942: 940: 937: 934: 930: 929: 925: 923: 897:300 μb⋅s 886: 879:Usage example 878: 876: 853: 849: 846:experiments, 845: 841: 833: 825: 821: 819: 814: 809: 803: 799: 795: 787: 776: 773: 770: 769: 765: 762: 761: 757: 754: 753: 749: 746: 745: 741: 738: 737: 733: 730: 729: 725: 722: 719: 718: 714: 711: 710: 706: 703: 702: 698: 695: 694: 690: 687: 684: 683: 677: 670: 667: 666: 662: 659: 658: 654: 651: 650: 646: 643: 642: 638: 635: 634: 630: 627: 626: 622: 619: 618: 612: 611: 608: 601: 588: 585: 584: 578: 575: 574: 561: 558: 557: 547: 544: 543: 539: 536: 535: 532: 518: 514: 513: 508: 507: 502: 501:natural units 497: 483: 479: 478: 474: 473: 468: 460: 453: 450: 447: 444: 443: 439: 436: 433: 430: 429: 425: 422: 419: 416: 415: 411: 408: 405: 402: 401: 397: 394: 391: 388: 387: 383: 380: 377: 374: 373: 369: 366: 363: 360: 359: 355: 352: 349: 346: 345: 341: 338: 335: 332: 331: 327: 324: 321: 318: 317: 313: 310: 307: 304: 303: 299: 296: 293: 290: 289: 283: 281: 273: 271: 269: 265: 261: 257: 253: 249: 244: 240: 236: 232: 228: 224: 216: 214: 212: 208: 204: 200: 196: 192: 188: 184: 180: 176: 172: 168: 164: 160: 152: 148: 144: 140: 131: 124: 117: 108: 106: 105:SI base units 99: 95: 92: 89: 87: 83: 77: 74: 73: 68: 64: 60: 56: 52: 48: 45: 42: 40: 36: 31: 19: 1379:. Retrieved 1375: 1366: 1355:. Retrieved 1351: 1342: 1334:the original 1324: 1313:. Retrieved 1303: 1292:. Retrieved 1282: 1271:. Retrieved 1257: 1246:. Retrieved 1236: 1225:. Retrieved 1215: 1201: 1190:. Retrieved 1180: 1169:. Retrieved 1165:the original 1150: 1139:. Retrieved 1135:the original 1120: 1109:. Retrieved 1105:the original 1100: 1090: 1079:. Retrieved 1064: 1057: 1046:. Retrieved 1038: 1028: 1006: 1002: 991: 980:. Retrieved 971: 962: 912:8.64 pb 893:10 cm⋅s 882: 822: 810: 791: 774:100 rm 758:100 ym 742:100 zm 723:100 am 699:100 fm 691:Other names 605: 511: 505: 498: 476: 471: 464: 277: 231:World War II 220: 142: 138: 136: 90: 85: 69: 50:Unit of 873:150 fb 811:Consider a 806:100 fb 671:10 rb 663:10 zb 655:10 fb 647:10 nb 639:10 mb 631:10 kb 594:10 GeV 586:0.389379 pb 576:0.389379 mb 570:10 GeV 461:Conversions 260:John Manley 248:Oppenheimer 227:atomic bomb 147:metric unit 66:Named after 39:Unit system 1410:Categories 1381:2018-12-07 1357:2016-11-02 1315:2011-10-31 1294:2011-08-06 1273:2011-08-05 1248:2011-07-23 1227:2011-07-23 1192:2011-04-08 1171:2009-03-13 1141:2009-03-13 1111:2022-11-22 1097:"Glossary" 1081:2009-12-14 1048:2009-12-14 1035:"Units: S" 982:2009-03-13 978:. May 2006 955:References 869:25 fb 865:40 fb 860:8 TeV 828:10 fb 802:luminosity 771:1 yb 763:1 zb 755:1 ab 747:1 fb 739:1 pb 731:1 nb 726:Outhouse 720:1 μb 712:1 mb 707:1 fm 704:1 cb 668:1 rm 660:1 ym 652:1 zm 644:1 am 636:1 fm 628:1 pm 580:1 GeV 445:yoctobarn 431:zeptobarn 403:femtobarn 361:microbarn 347:millibarn 205:unit, the 157:(100  122:equivalent 1376:home.cern 1352:home.cern 856:5 fb 836:1 fb 826:produced 696:1 b 553: GeV 417:attobarn 389:picobarn 375:nanobarn 319:kilobarn 305:megabarn 217:Etymology 155:10 m 153:equal to 141:(symbol: 128:100  113:10 m 84:1 b 1131:Stanford 1009:(7): 9. 997:LAMS-523 926:See also 920: fb 914: = 910: = 908: μb 895: = 885:beamline 832:Tevatron 824:Fermilab 529: am 494: am 169:area of 503:(where 294:Symbol 264:toilets 229:during 221:During 187:uranium 145:) is a 1072:  685:Barns 623:barns 171:nuclei 86:in ... 58:Symbol 1398:IUPAC 933:Shake 916:0.008 848:ATLAS 777:Shed 563:2.568 549:2.568 333:barn 291:Unit 252:Bethe 1267:CERN 1161:SLAC 1070:ISBN 976:BIPM 850:and 840:CERN 559:1 pb 545:1 mb 540:GeV 537:barn 268:barn 256:beta 237:and 193:and 173:and 151:area 139:barn 72:barn 53:area 33:Barn 1011:doi 906:000 903:640 889:300 852:CMS 844:LHC 842:'s 688:SI 620:SI 527:940 517:GeV 499:In 492:940 482:GeV 467:GeV 454:10 451:10 448:yb 440:10 437:10 434:zb 426:10 423:10 420:ab 412:10 409:10 406:fb 398:10 395:10 392:pb 384:10 381:10 378:nb 370:10 367:10 364:μb 356:10 353:10 350:mb 342:10 339:10 328:10 325:10 322:kb 314:10 311:10 308:Mb 300:cm 280:bit 149:of 1412:: 1374:. 1350:. 1265:. 1159:. 1129:. 1099:. 1041:. 1037:. 1007:25 1005:. 974:. 970:. 918:64 565:19 551:19 531:. 525:38 523:= 519:= 509:= 496:. 490:38 488:= 484:= 336:b 297:m 213:. 203:SI 159:fm 137:A 130:fm 1384:. 1360:. 1318:. 1297:. 1276:. 1251:. 1230:. 1195:. 1174:. 1144:. 1114:. 1084:. 1051:. 1017:. 1013:: 985:. 931:" 901:8 891:× 592:× 590:1 568:× 512:c 506:ħ 480:/ 477:c 472:ħ 143:b 61:b 20:)

Index

Shed (physics)
Unit system
particle physics
barn
SI base units
fm
metric unit
area
fm
nuclear physics
cross sectional
nuclei
nuclear reactions
high-energy physics
scattering process
uranium
nuclear quadrupole resonance
nuclear magnetic resonance
electric field gradient
SI
SI standards body
particle physics
Manhattan Project
atomic bomb
World War II
Marshall Holloway
Charles P. Baker
Purdue University
Oppenheimer
Bethe

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