RESUMEN
The ABC effect-a puzzling low-mass enhancement in the pipi invariant mass spectrum, first observed by Abashian, Booth, and Crowe-is well known from inclusive measurements of two-pion production in nuclear fusion reactions. Here we report on the first exclusive and kinematically complete measurements of the most basic double-pionic fusion reaction pn-->dpi;{0}pi;{0} at beam energies of 1.03 and 1.35 GeV. The measurements, which have been carried out at CELSIUS-WASA, reveal the ABC effect to be a (pipi)_{I=L=0} channel phenomenon associated with both a resonancelike energy dependence in the integral cross section and the formation of a DeltaDelta system in the intermediate state. A corresponding simple s-channel resonance ansatz provides a surprisingly good description of the data.
RESUMEN
A laboratory for measuring low-level radioactivity has been built at the AlbaNova University Center in Stockholm. Low-level concrete in combination with a 5 cm iron lining provide an average photon fluency rate from terrestrial sources at least a factor of 40 below that in the common laboratories of the Center. The radon activity inside the laboratory has been measured to (3+/-2) Bq m(-3). Material considerations are discussed. Construction and performance of the laboratory, as well as the present instrumentation, is described.