446 research outputs found
Evolution of active and polar photospheric magnetic fields during the rise of Cycle 24 compared to previous cycles
The evolution of the photospheric magnetic field during the declining phase
and minimum of Cycle 23 and the recent rise of Cycle 24 are compared with the
behavior during previous cycles. We used longitudinal full-disk magnetograms
from the NSO's three magnetographs at Kitt Peak, the Synoptic Optical Long-term
Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) Vector Spectro-Magnetograph (VSM), the
Spectromagnetograph and the 512-Channel Magnetograph instruments, and
longitudinal full-disk magnetograms from the Mt. Wilson 150-foot tower. We
analyzed 37 years of observations from these two observatories that have been
observing daily, weather permitting, since 1974, offering an opportunity to
study the evolving relationship between the active region and polar fields in
some detail over several solar cycles. It is found that the annual averages of
a proxy for the active region poloidal magnetic field strength, the magnetic
field strength of the high-latitude poleward streams, and the time derivative
of the polar field strength are all well correlated in each hemisphere. These
results are based on statistically significant cyclical patterns in the active
region fields and are consistent with the Babcock-Leighton phenomenological
model for the solar activity cycle. There was more hemispheric asymmetry in the
activity level, as measured by total and maximum active region flux, during
late Cycle 23 (after around 2004), when the southern hemisphere was more
active, and Cycle 24 up to the present, when the northern hemisphere has been
more active, than at any other time since 1974. The active region net proxy
poloidal fields effectively disappeared in both hemispheres around 2004, and
the polar fields did not become significantly stronger after this time. We see
evidence that the process of Cycle 24 field reversal has begun at both poles.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physic
Experimental Study of the Shortest Reset Word of Random Automata
In this paper we describe an approach to finding the shortest reset word of a
finite synchronizing automaton by using a SAT solver. We use this approach to
perform an experimental study of the length of the shortest reset word of a
finite synchronizing automaton. The largest automata we considered had 100
states. The results of the experiments allow us to formulate a hypothesis that
the length of the shortest reset word of a random finite automaton with
states and 2 input letters with high probability is sublinear with respect to
and can be estimated as $1.95 n^{0.55}.
Measurement of single pi0 production in neutral current neutrino interactions with water by a 1.3 GeV wide band muon neutrino beam
Neutral current single pi0 production induced by neutrinos with a mean energy
of 1.3 GeV is measured at a 1000 ton water Cherenkov detector as a near
detector of the K2K long baseline neutrino experiment. The cross section for
this process relative to the total charged current cross section is measured to
be 0.064 +- 0.001 (stat.) +- 0.007 (sys.). The momentum distribution of
produced pi0s is measured and is found to be in good agreement with an
expectation from the present knowledge of the neutrino cross sections.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Two-proton correlations from 158 AGeV Pb+Pb central collisions
The two-proton correlation function at midrapidity from Pb+Pb central
collisions at 158 AGeV has been measured by the NA49 experiment. The results
are compared to model predictions from static thermal Gaussian proton source
distributions and transport models RQMD and VENUS. An effective proton source
size is determined by minimizing CHI-square/ndf between the correlation
functions of the data and those calculated for the Gaussian sources, yielding
3.85 +-0.15(stat.) +0.60-0.25(syst.) fm. Both the RQMD and the VENUS model are
consistent with the data within the error in the correlation peak region.Comment: RevTeX style, 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. More discussion are added
about the structure on the tail of the correlation function. The systematic
error is revised. To appear in Phys. Lett.
Event-by-event fluctuations of average transverse momentum in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 GeV per nucleon
We present first data on event-by-event fluctuations in the average
transverse momentum of charged particles produced in Pb+Pb collisions at the
CERN SPS. This measurement provides previously unavailable information allowing
sensitive tests of microscopic and thermodynamic collision models and to search
for fluctuations expected to occur in the vicinity of the predicted QCD phase
transition. We find that the observed variance of the event-by-event average
transverse momentum is consistent with independent particle production modified
by the known two-particle correlations due to quantum statistics and final
state interactions and folded with the resolution of the NA49 apparatus. For
two specific models of non-statistical fluctuations in transverse momentum
limits are derived in terms of fluctuation amplitude. We show that a
significant part of the parameter space for a model of isospin fluctuations
predicted as a consequence of chiral symmetry restoration in a non-equilibrium
scenario is excluded by our measurement.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.
Evidence for muon neutrino oscillation in an accelerator-based experiment
We present results for muon neutrino oscillation in the KEK to Kamioka (K2K)
long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. K2K uses an accelerator-produced
muon neutrino beam with a mean energy of 1.3 GeV directed at the
Super-Kamiokande detector. We observed the energy dependent disappearance of
muon neutrino, which we presume have oscillated to tau neutrino. The
probability that we would observe these results if there is no neutrino
oscillation is 0.0050% (4.0 sigma).Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Evidence for a mixed mass composition at the `ankle' in the cosmic-ray spectrum
We report a first measurement for ultra-high energy cosmic rays of the
correlation between the depth of shower maximum and the signal in the water
Cherenkov stations of air-showers registered simultaneously by the fluorescence
and the surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Such a correlation
measurement is a unique feature of a hybrid air-shower observatory with
sensitivity to both the electromagnetic and muonic components. It allows an
accurate determination of the spread of primary masses in the cosmic-ray flux.
Up till now, constraints on the spread of primary masses have been dominated by
systematic uncertainties. The present correlation measurement is not affected
by systematics in the measurement of the depth of shower maximum or the signal
in the water Cherenkov stations. The analysis relies on general characteristics
of air showers and is thus robust also with respect to uncertainties in
hadronic event generators. The observed correlation in the energy range around
the `ankle' at differs significantly from
expectations for pure primary cosmic-ray compositions. A light composition made
up of proton and helium only is equally inconsistent with observations. The
data are explained well by a mixed composition including nuclei with mass . Scenarios such as the proton dip model, with almost pure compositions, are
thus disfavoured as the sole explanation of the ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray
flux at Earth.Comment: Published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Added Report
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NA49 Results on Single Particle and Correlation Measurements in Central Pb+Pb Collisions
Single-particle spectra and two-particle correlation functions measured by the NA49 collaboration in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 GeV/nucleon are presented. These measurements are used to study the kinetic and chemical freeze-out conditions in heavy ion collisions. We conclude that large baryon stopping, high baryon density and strong transverse radial flow are achieved in central Pb+Pb collisions at the SPS.Single-particle spectra and two-particle correlation functions measured by the NA49 collaboration in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 GeV/nucleon are presented. These measurements are used to study the kinetic and chemical freeze-out conditions in heavy ion collisions. We conclude that large baryon stopping, high baryon density and strong transverse radial flow are achieved in central Pb+Pb collisions at the SPS
Xi and Xi-bar Production in 158 GeV/Nucleon Pb+Pb Collisions
We report measurements of Xi and Xi-bar hyperon absolute yields as a function
of rapidity in 158 GeV/c Pb+Pb collisions. At midrapidity, dN/dy = 2.29 +/-
0.12 for Xi, and 0.52 +/- 0.05 for Xi-bar, leading to the ratio of Xi-bar/Xi =
0.23 +/- 0.03. Inverse slope parameters fitted to the measured transverse mass
spectra are of the order of 300 MeV near mid-rapidity. The estimated total
yield of Xi particles in Pb+Pb central interactions amounts to 7.4 +/- 1.0 per
collision. Comparison to Xi production in properly scaled p+p reactions at the
same energy reveals a dramatic enhancement (about one order of magnitude) of Xi
production in Pb+Pb central collisions over elementary hadron interactions.Comment: 15 page
The rapid atmospheric monitoring system of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a facility built to detect air showers produced by cosmic rays above 10(17) eV. During clear nights with a low illuminated moon fraction, the UV fluorescence light produced by air showers is recorded by optical telescopes at the Observatory. To correct the observations for variations in atmospheric conditions, atmospheric monitoring is performed at regular intervals ranging from several minutes (for cloud identification) to several hours (for aerosol conditions) to several days (for vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity). In 2009, the monitoring program was upgraded to allow for additional targeted measurements of atmospheric conditions shortly after the detection of air showers of special interest, e. g., showers produced by very high-energy cosmic rays or showers with atypical longitudinal profiles. The former events are of particular importance for the determination of the energy scale of the Observatory, and the latter are characteristic of unusual air shower physics or exotic primary particle types. The purpose of targeted (or 'rapid') monitoring is to improve the resolution of the atmospheric measurements for such events. In this paper, we report on the implementation of the rapid monitoring program and its current status. The rapid monitoring data have been analyzed and applied to the reconstruction of air showers of high interest, and indicate that the air fluorescence measurements affected by clouds and aerosols are effectively corrected using measurements from the regular atmospheric monitoring program. We find that the rapid monitoring program has potential for supporting dedicated physics analyses beyond the standard event reconstruction
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