A xenon gas purity monitor for EXO

We discuss the design, operation, and calibration of two versions of a xenon gas purity monitor (GPM) developed for the EXO double beta decay program. The devices are sensitive to concentrations of oxygen well below 1 ppb at an ambient gas pressure of one atmosphere or more. The theory of operation of the GPM is discussed along with the interactions of oxygen and other impurities with the GPM's tungsten filament. Lab tests and experiences in commissioning the EXO-200 double beta decay experiment are described. These devices can also be used on other noble gases.Comment: 41 pages, 26 figure

Obesity, overweight and liver disease in the Midspan prospective cohort studies

Objectives: To analyse the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and liver disease in men and women. Design: The Midspan prospective cohort studies. Participants: The three studies were: Main study, screened in 1965–1968, workplaces across Scotland, the general population of the island of Tiree and mainland relatives; Collaborative study, conducted from 1970 to 1973, 27 workplaces in Glasgow, Clydebank and Grangemouth; Renfrew/Paisley general population study, screened in 1972–1976. After exclusions there were 16 522 men and 10 216 women, grouped by BMI into under/normal weight (< 25 kg m–2), overweight (25 to < 30 kg m–2) and obese (greater than or equal to30 kg m–2). Measurements: Relative rates (RRs) of liver disease mortality, subdivided into liver cancer and all other liver disease, by BMI category and per s.d. increase in BMI, followed-up to end 2007. RRs of liver disease from any diagnosis on the death certificate, hospital discharge records or cancer registrations (Collaborative and Renfrew/Paisley studies only 13 027 men and 9328 women). Analyses adjusted for age and study, then other confounders. Results: In total, 146 men (0.9%) and 61 women (0.6%) died of liver disease as main cause. There were strong associations of BMI with liver disease mortality in men (RR per s.d. increase in BMI=1.41 (95% confidence interval 1.21–1.65)). Obese men had more than three times the rate of liver disease mortality than under/normal weight men. Adjustment for other risk factors had very little effect. No substantial or robust associations were observed in women. In all, 325 men (2.5%) and 155 women (1.7%) had liver disease established from any source. Similar positive associations were observed for men, and there was evidence of a relationship in women. Conclusions: BMI is related to liver disease, although not to liver disease mortality in women. The current rise in overweight and obesity may lead to a continuing epidemic of liver disease

Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer Mortality: Extended Follow-up of the Original Whitehall Study

Given the well-established links between diabetes and elevated rates of pancreatic cancer, there are reasons to anticipate that other markers of metabolic abnormality (increased body mass index, plasma cholesterol, and blood pressure) and their correlates (physical activity and socioeconomic status) may also confer increased risk. However, to date, the results of a series of population-based cohort studies are inconclusive. We examined these associations in the original Whitehall cohort study of 17,898 men. A maximum of 38 years of follow-up gave rise to 163 deaths due to carcinoma of the pancreas. Although Poisson regression analyses confirmed established risk factor-disease associations for increasing age, smoking, and type 11 diabetes, there was essentially no evidence that body mass index (rate ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval per 1 SD increase, 0.86-1.18), plasma cholesterol (0.91; 0.78-1.07), diastolic blood pressure (0.93; 0.78-1.09), systolic blood pressure (0.98; 0.83-1.15), physical activity (sedentary versus high: 1.37; 0.89-2.12), or socioeconomic status [clerical (low) versus professional/executive, 0.95; 0.59-1.511 offered any predictive value for pancreatic cancer mortality. These results were unchanged following control for a range of covariates

Evidence for Two Isospin Zero ... Mesons at 1645 and 1875 MeV

Crystal Barrel data on ¯ pp ! jß 0 ß 0 ß 0 at beam momenta of 1.94 and 1.2 GeV/c reveal evidence for two I = 0 J PC = 2 \Gamma+ resonances in jßß. The first, at 1645 \Sigma 14(stat:) \Sigma 15(syst:) MeV with width 180 +40 \Gamma21 \Sigma 25 MeV, decays to a 2 (1320)ß with L = 0. It may be interpreted as the q¯q 1 D 2 partner of ß 2 (1670). A strong signal is also observed just above threshold in f 2 (1270)j with L = 0. It is 10--20 times stronger than is expected for the high mass tail of the 1645 MeV resonance. It can be fitted as a second 2 \Gamma+ resonance at 1875 \Sigma 20 \Sigma 35 MeV with width 200 \Sigma 25 \Sigma 45 MeV. A third 2 ++ resonance at 2135 \Sigma 20 \Sigma 45 MeV with \Gamma = 250 \Sigma 25 \Sigma 45 MeV, decaying to both a 2 (1320)ß and f 2 (1270)j with L = 1, is compatible in mass and width with f 2 (2175) observed earlier by the GAMS group. to be submitted to Phys. Lett. B An isospin I = 0 1 D 2 q¯q resonance is expected in the vicinity ..

E Decays to ... in ... Annihilation At Rest

19> , R. McCrady m , J.P. Merlo a , C.A. Meyer m , L. Montanet f , A. Noble o5 , R. Ouared f , F. Ould-Saada o , K. Peters b , C.N. Pinder e , G. Pinter d , S. Ravndal b , C. Regenfus l , E. Schafer k6 , P. Schmidt g , M. Schutrumpf b , I. Scott i , R. Seibert g , S. Spanier o , H. Stock b , C. Straßburger c , U. Strohbusch g , M. Suffert n , U. Thoma c , M. Tischhauser h , D. Urner o7 , C. Volcker l , F. Walter k , D. Walther b , U. Wiedner g , N. Winter h ,