Underlying events in Herwig++

In this contribution we describe the new model of multiple partonic interactions (MPI) that has been implemented in Herwig++. Tuning its two free parameters is enough to find a good description of CDF underlying event data. We show extrapolations to the LHC and compare them to results from other models.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the "HERA and the LHC" worksho

Multiple Interactions in Herwig++

In this contribution we describe a new model of multiple partonic interactions that has been implemented in Herwig++. Tuning its two free parameters we find a good description of CDF underlying event data. We show extrapolations to the LHC and discuss intrinsic PDF uncertainties.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the DIS 2008 workshop, 7-11 April 2008, University College Londo

Extracting sigma_effective from the CDF gamma+3jets measurement

In their 1997 paper, CDF measured sigma_effective, the normalization factor that relates the cross section for double parton scattering to the product of the inclusive cross sections of the two individual scatters, in a model in which they are assumed to be independent. In his 2007 paper, Treleani pointed out that CDF used a non-standard definition, in which the double parton scattering cross section corresponds to exactly two scatters, rather than the more conventional one in which it is the inclusive two-scatter cross section. He also estimated the correction from one definition to the other, to give a corrected value of sigma_effective. Treleani's form would be correct under the assumption that CDF were able to uniquely identify and count the number of scatters in an event, which is certainly not the case. In this publication we consider CDF's event definition in more detail to provide an improved correction.Comment: 19 page

Underlying Event Simulation in the Herwig++ Event Generator

We study Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) at hadron colliders. This is done in the context of general purpose Monte Carlo Event Generators. The aim of this thesis is to develop and implement a model for the so--called Underlying Event for the program Herwig++. We discuss multiple parton-parton scattering as source of the UE and show that our implementation is able to describe existing data from the Tevatron collider very well. Nevertheless we extend this model by a soft, non-perturbative component

Simulation of multiple partonic interactions in Herwig++

In this paper we describe a new model of multiple partonic interactions that has been implemented in Herwig++. Tuning its two free parameters we find a good description of CDF underlying event data. We show extrapolations to the LHC.Comment: 25 pages, 16 figures, plots and tune updated for Herwig++ 2.2.1, additional paragraph on the LHC extrapolatio

The Underlying Event and the Total Cross Section from Tevatron to the LHC

Multiple partonic interactions are widely used to simulate the hadronic final state in high energy hadronic collisions, and successfully describe many features of the data. It is important to make maximum use of the available physical constraints on such models, particularly given the large extrapolation from current high energy data to LHC energies. In eikonal models, the rate of multiparton interactions is coupled to the energy dependence of the total cross section. Using a Monte Carlo implementation of such a model, we study the connection between the total cross section, the jet cross section, and the underlying event. By imposing internal consistency on the model, we derive constraints on its parameters at the LHC. By imposing internal consistency on the model and comparing to current data we constrain the allowed range of its parameters. We show that measurements of the total proton-proton cross-section at the LHC are likely to break this internal consistency, and thus to require an extension of the model. Likely such extensions are that hard scatters probe a denser matter distribution inside the proton in impact parameter space than soft scatters, a conclusion also supported by Tevatron data on double-parton scattering, and/or that the basic parameters of the model are energy dependent.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, version accepted by JHE

Hunting for CDF Multi-Muon "Ghost" Events at Collider and Fixed-Target Experiments

In 2008 the CDF collaboration discovered a large excess of events containing two or more muons, at least one of which seemed to have been produced outside the beam pipe. We investigate whether similar "ghost" events could (and should) have been seen in already completed experiments. The CDF di-muon data can be reproduced by a simple model where a relatively light X particle undergoes four-body decay. This model predicts a large number of ghost events in Fermilab fixed-target experiments E772, E789 and E866, applying the cuts optimized for analyses of Drell-Yan events. A correct description of events with more than two muons requires a more complicated model, where two X particles are produced from a very broad resonance Y. This model can be tested in fixed-target experiments only if the cut on the angles, or rapidities, of the muons can be relaxed. Either way, the UA1 experiment at the CERN ppbar collider should have observed O(100) ghost events.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

Prospective CERAD Neuropsychological Assessment in Patients With Multiple System Atrophy

The objective of the study was to characterize the pattern of cognitive dysfunction in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) applying a standardized neuropsychological assessment. A total of 20 patients with the diagnosis of probable or possible MSA were enrolled for neuropsychological assessment applying the CERAD plus battery. All patients were tested at baseline and 14/20 patients received additional follow-up assessments (median follow-up of 24 months). Additionally, relationship between cortical thickness values/subcortical gray matter volumes and CERAD subitems was evaluated at baseline in a subgroup of 13/20 patients. Trail Making Test (TMT) was the most sensitive CERAD item at baseline with abnormal performance (z-score < −1.28) in one or both pathological TMT items (TMT-A, TMT-B) in 60% of patients with MSA. Additionally, there was a significant inverse correlation between the volume of the left and the right accumbens area and the TMT A item after adjusting for age (left side: p = 0.0009; right side p = 0.003). Comparing both subtypes, patients with MSA-C had significant lower values in phonemic verbal fluency (p = 0.04) and a trend for lower values in semantic verbal fluency (p = 0.06) compared to MSA-P. Additionally, patients with MSA-C showed significantly worse performance in the TMT-B task (p = 0.04) and a trend for worse performance in the TMT-A task (p = 0.06). Concerning longitudinal follow-up, a significant worsening in the TMT-B (p = 0.03) can be reported in MSA. In conclusion, frontal-executive dysfunction presents the hallmark of cognitive impairment in MSA

Sumoylation inhibits α-synuclein aggregation and toxicity

Sumoylation of α-synuclein decreases its rate of aggregation and its deleterious effects in vitro and in vivo

Aggregation of αSynuclein promotes progressive in vivo neurotoxicity in adult rat dopaminergic neurons

Fibrillar αSynuclein is the major constituent of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, the protein deposits characteristic for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Multiplications of the αSynuclein gene, as well as point mutations cause familial PD. However, the exact role of αSynuclein in neurodegeneration remains uncertain. Recent research in invertebrates has suggested that oligomeric rather than fibrillizing αSynuclein mediates neurotoxicity. To investigate the impact of αSynuclein aggregation on the progression of neurodegeneration, we expressed variants with different fibrillation propensities in the rat substantia nigra (SN) by means of recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors. The formation of proteinase K-resistant αSynuclein aggregates was correlated to the loss of nigral dopaminergic (DA) neurons and striatal fibers. Expression of two prefibrillar, structure-based design mutants of αSynuclein (i.e., A56P and A30P/A56P/A76P) resulted in less aggregate formation in nigral DA neurons as compared to human wild-type (WT) or the inherited A30P mutation. However, only the αSynuclein variants capable of forming fibrils (WT/A30P), but not the oligomeric αSynuclein species induced a sustained progressive loss of adult nigral DA neurons. These results demonstrate that divergent modes of αSynuclein neurotoxicity exist in invertebrate and mammalian DA neurons in vivo and suggest that fibrillation of αSynuclein promotes the progressive degeneration of nigral DA neurons as found in PD patients