Study of B0_s anti-B0_s oscillations and B0_s lifetimes using hadronic decays of B0_s mesons

Oscillations of B0s mesons have been studied in samples selected from about 3.5 million hadronic Z decays detected by DELPHI between 1992 and 1995. One analysis uses events in the exclusive decay channels: B0s -> Ds- pi+ or Ds- a1+ and B0s -> anti-D0 K- pi+ or anti-D0 K- a1+, where the D decays are completely reconstructed. In addition, B0s anti-B0s oscillations have been studied in events with an exclusively reconstructed Ds accompanied in the same hemisphere by a high momentum hadron of opposite charge. Combining the two analyses, a limit on the mass difference between the physical B0s states has been obtained: Delta(m_B0s) > 4.0 ps^{-1} at the 95% C.L. with a sensitivity of Delta(m_B0s) = 3.2 ps^{-1}. Using the latter sample of events, the B0s lifetime has been measured and an upper limit on the decay width difference between the two physical B0s states has been obtained: tau(B0s) = 1.53^{+0.16}_{-0.15}(stat.) +/- {0.07}(syst.) ps \Delta\Gamma(B0s)/\Gamma(B0s) < 0.69 at the 95% C.L. The combination of these results with those obtained using Ds+- lepton-+ sample gives: Delta(m_B0s) > 4.9 ps^{-1} at the 95% C.L. with a sensitivity of Delta(m_B0s) = 8.7 ps^{-1}. tau(B0s) = 1.46 +/- 0.11 ps and \Delta\Gamma(B0s)/\Gamma(B0s) < 0.45 at the 95% C.L.Comment: 42 pages, 13 figure

Stabilization of solvent impregnated resins (SIRs) by coating with water soluble polymers and chemical crosslinking

WOS: 000221113100001Solvent impregnated resins (SIRs) have been stabilized by the formation of a surface coating consisting of crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol). Amberlite XAD-4 and vinyl sulphone respectively proved to be the most effective matrix and crosslinking agent for the protective layer in the preparation of SIRs containing Aliquat 336 reagent. The derived materials have been characterized in terms of Aliquat 336 content, amount of poly(vinyl alcohol), sulphur elemental content in the protective layer as well as operational stability. It has been found that the Aliquat 336 loading of impregnated XAD-4 is 0.82 mmol of extractant/g: this falls to 0.55 mmol of extractant/g after coating with a layer of vinyl sulphone crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved