Global Analysis of Fragmentation Functions for Eta Mesons

Fragmentation functions for eta mesons are extracted at next-to-leading order accuracy of QCD in a global analysis of data taken in electron-positron annihilation and proton-proton scattering experiments. The obtained parametrization is in good agreement with all data sets analyzed and can be utilized, for instance, in future studies of double-spin asymmetries for single-inclusive eta production. The Lagrange multiplier technique is used to estimate the uncertainties of the fragmentation functions and to assess the role of the different data sets in constraining them.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, updated reference

Switching of +/-360deg domain wall states in a nanoring by an azimuthal Oersted field

We demonstrate magnetic switching between two $360^\circ$ domain wall vortex states in cobalt nanorings, which are candidate magnetic states for robust and low power MRAM devices. These $360^\circ$ domain wall (DW) or "twisted onion" states can have clockwise or counterclockwise circulation, the two states for data storage. Reliable switching between the states is necessary for any realistic device. We accomplish this switching by applying a circular Oersted field created by passing current through a metal atomic force microscope tip placed at the center of the ring. After initializing in an onion state, we rotate the DWs to one side of the ring by passing a current through the center, and can switch between the two twisted states by reversing the current, causing the DWs to split and meet again on the opposite side of the ring. A larger current will annihilate the DWs and create a perfect vortex state in the rings.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Quantum Number Density Asymmetries Within QCD Jets Correlated With Lambda Polarization

The observation of jets in a variety of hard-scattering processes has allowed the quantitative study of perturbative quantum chromodynamics (PQCD) by comparing detailed theoretical predictions with a wide range of experimental data. This paper examines how some important, nonperturbative, facets of QCD involving the internal dynamical structure of jets can be studied by measuring the spin orientation of Lambda particles produced in these jets. The measurement of the transverse polarization for an individual Lambda within a QCD jet permits the definition of spin-directed asymmetries in local quantum number densities in rapidity space (such as charge, strangeness and baryon number densities) involving neighboring hadrons in the jet. These asymmetries can only be generated by soft, nonperturbative dynamical mechanisms and such measurements can provide insight not otherwise accessible into the color rearrangement that occurs during the hadronization stage of the fragmentation process.Comment: The replacement manuscript contains a new abstract, five pages of additional material and a revised version of Fig.

The SeaQuest spectrometer at Fermilab

The SeaQuest spectrometer at Fermilab was designed to detect oppositely-charged pairs of muons (dimuons) produced by interactions between a 120 GeV proton beam and liquid hydrogen, liquid deuterium and solid nuclear targets. The primary physics program uses the Drell–Yan process to probe antiquark distributions in the target nucleon. The spectrometer consists of a target system, two dipole magnets and four detector stations. The upstream magnet is a closed-aperture solid iron magnet which also serves as the beam dump, while the second magnet is an open aperture magnet. Each of the detector stations consists of scintillator hodoscopes and a high-resolution tracking device. The FPGA-based trigger compares the hodoscope signals to a set of pre-programmed roads to determine if the event contains oppositely-signed, high-mass muon pairs