102 research outputs found
A Measurement of Time-Averaged Aerosol Optical Depth using Air-Showers Observed in Stereo by HiRes
Air fluorescence measurements of cosmic ray energy must be corrected for
attenuation of the atmosphere. In this paper we show that the air-showers
themselves can yield a measurement of the aerosol attenuation in terms of
optical depth, time-averaged over extended periods. Although the technique
lacks statistical power to make the critical hourly measurements that only
specialized active instruments can achieve, we note the technique does not
depend on absolute calibration of the detector hardware, and requires no
additional equipment beyond the fluorescence detectors that observe the air
showers. This paper describes the technique, and presents results based on
analysis of 1258 air-showers observed in stereo by the High Resolution Fly's
Eye over a four year span.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication by Astroparticle Physics
Journa
Observation of the Ankle and Evidence for a High-Energy Break in the Cosmic Ray Spectrum
We have measured the cosmic ray spectrum at energies above eV using
the two air fluorescence detectors of the High Resolution Fly's Eye experiment
operating in monocular mode. We describe the detector, PMT and atmospheric
calibrations, and the analysis techniques for the two detectors. We fit the
spectrum to models describing galactic and extragalactic sources. Our measured
spectrum gives an observation of a feature known as the ``ankle'' near eV, and strong evidence for a suppression near eV.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. To appear in Physics Letters B. Accepted versio
To wet or not to wet: that is the question
Wetting transitions have been predicted and observed to occur for various
combinations of fluids and surfaces. This paper describes the origin of such
transitions, for liquid films on solid surfaces, in terms of the gas-surface
interaction potentials V(r), which depend on the specific adsorption system.
The transitions of light inert gases and H2 molecules on alkali metal surfaces
have been explored extensively and are relatively well understood in terms of
the least attractive adsorption interactions in nature. Much less thoroughly
investigated are wetting transitions of Hg, water, heavy inert gases and other
molecular films. The basic idea is that nonwetting occurs, for energetic
reasons, if the adsorption potential's well-depth D is smaller than, or
comparable to, the well-depth of the adsorbate-adsorbate mutual interaction. At
the wetting temperature, Tw, the transition to wetting occurs, for entropic
reasons, when the liquid's surface tension is sufficiently small that the free
energy cost in forming a thick film is sufficiently compensated by the fluid-
surface interaction energy. Guidelines useful for exploring wetting transitions
of other systems are analyzed, in terms of generic criteria involving the
"simple model", which yields results in terms of gas-surface interaction
parameters and thermodynamic properties of the bulk adsorbate.Comment: Article accepted for publication in J. Low Temp. Phy
Measurement of the photon-jet production differential cross section in collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.96~\TeV
We present measurements of the differential cross section dsigma/dpT_gamma
for the inclusive production of a photon in association with a b-quark jet for
photons with rapidities |y_gamma|< 1.0 and 30<pT_gamma <300 GeV, as well as for
photons with 1.5<|y_gamma|< 2.5 and 30< pT_gamma <200 GeV, where pT_gamma is
the photon transverse momentum. The b-quark jets are required to have pT>15 GeV
and rapidity |y_jet| < 1.5. The results are based on data corresponding to an
integrated luminosity of 8.7 fb^-1, recorded with the D0 detector at the
Fermilab Tevatron Collider at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV. The measured cross
sections are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations
using different sets of parton distribution functions as well as to predictions
based on the kT-factorization QCD approach, and those from the Sherpa and
Pythia Monte Carlo event generators.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.
Limits on anomalous trilinear gauge boson couplings from WW, WZ and Wgamma production in pp-bar collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV
We present final searches of the anomalous gammaWW and ZWW trilinear gauge
boson couplings from WW and WZ production using lepton plus dijet final states
and a combination with results from Wgamma, WW, and WZ production with leptonic
final states. The analyzed data correspond to up to 8.6/fb of integrated
luminosity collected by the D0 detector in pp-bar collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96
TeV. We set the most stringent limits at a hadron collider to date assuming two
different relations between the anomalous coupling parameters
Delta\kappa_\gamma, lambda, and Delta g_1^Z for a cutoff energy scale Lambda=2
TeV. The combined 68% C.L. limits are -0.057<Delta\kappa_\gamma<0.154,
-0.015<lambda<0.028, and -0.008<Delta g_1^Z<0.054 for the LEP parameterization,
and -0.007<Delta\kappa<0.081 and -0.017<lambda<0.028 for the equal couplings
parameterization. We also present the most stringent limits of the W boson
magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PL
Search for pair production of the scalar top quark in muon+tau final states
We present a search for the pair production of scalar top quarks
(), the lightest supersymmetric partners of the top quarks, in
collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV, using data
corresponding to an integrated luminosity of {7.3 } collected with the
\dzero experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. Each scalar top quark is
assumed to decay into a quark, a charged lepton, and a scalar neutrino
(). We investigate final states arising from and
. With no significant excess of events observed above the
background expected from the standard model, we set exclusion limits on this
production process in the (,) plane.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Search for Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model in p-pbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV
We report results from searches for neutral Higgs bosons produced in p-pbar
collisions recorded by the Dzero experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider.
We study the production of inclusive neutral Higgs boson in the tautau final
state and in association with a b quark in the btautau and bbb final states.
These results are combined to improve the sensitivity to the production of
neutral Higgs bosons in the context of the minimal supersymmetric standard
model (MSSM). The data are found to be consistent with expectation from
background processes. Upper limits on MSSM Higgs boson production are set for
Higgs boson masses ranging from 90 to 300 GeV. We exclude tanBeta>20-30 for
Higgs boson masses below 180 GeV. These are the most stringent constraints on
MSSM Higgs boson production in p-pbar collisions.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Particles-vortex interactions and flow visualization in He4
Recent experiments have demonstrated a remarkable progress in implementing
and use of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and particle tracking
techniques for the study of turbulence in He4. However, an interpretation of
the experimental data in the superfluid phase requires understanding how the
motion of tracer particles is affected by the two components, the viscous
normal fluid and the inviscid superfluid. Of a particular importance is the
problem of particle interactions with quantized vortex lines which may not only
strongly affect the particle motion, but, under certain conditions, may even
trap particles on quantized vortex cores. The article reviews recent
theoretical, numerical, and experimental results in this rapidly developing
area of research, putting critically together recent results, and solving
apparent inconsistencies. Also discussed is a closely related technique of
detection of quantized vortices negative ion bubbles in He4.Comment: To appear in the J Low Temperature Physic
Search for anomalous Wtb couplings in single top quark production in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV
We present new direct constraints on a general interaction using data
corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb collected by the D0
detector at the Tevatron collider. The standard model provides a
purely left-handed vector coupling at the vertex, while the most general,
lowest dimension Lagrangian allows right-handed vector and left- or
right-handed tensor couplings as well. We obtain precise limits on these
anomalous couplings by comparing the data to the expectations from different
assumptions on the coupling.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.
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