Choosing integration points for QCD calculations by numerical integration

I discuss how to sample the space of parton momenta in order to best perform the numerical integrations that lead to a calculation of three jet cross sections and similar observables in electron-positron annihilation.Comment: 25 pages with 8 figure

Next-to-leading order numerical calculations in Coulomb gauge

Calculations of observables in quantum chromodynamics can be performed using a method in which all of the integrations, including integrations over virtual loop momenta, are performed numerically. We use the flexibility inherent in this method in order to perform next-to-leading order calculations for event shape variables in electron-positron annihilation in Coulomb gauge. The use of Coulomb gauge provides the potential to go beyond a purely order alpha_s^2 calculation by including, for instance, renormalon or parton showering effects. We expect that the approximations needed to include such effects at all orders in alpha_s will be simplest in a gauge in which unphysically polarized gluons do not propagate over long distances.Comment: 36 pages with 7 figure

Hadronic Probes of the Polarized Intrinsic Strangeness of the Nucleon

We have previously interpreted the various large apparent violations of the naive Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule found in many channels in $\bar{p}p$ annihilation at LEAR as evidence for an intrinsic polarized $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function. The model is further supported by new data from LEAR and elsewhere. Here we discuss in more detail the possible form of the $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function, interpret the new data and clarify the relative roles of strangeness shake-out and rearrangement, discuss whether alternative interpretations are still allowed by the new data, and propose more tests of the model.We have previously interpreted the various large apparent violations of the naive Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule found in many channels in $\bar{p}p$ annihilation at LEAR as evidence for an intrinsic polarized $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function. The model is further supported by new data from LEAR and elsewhere. Here we discuss in more detail the possible form of the $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function, interpret the new data and clarify the relative roles of strangeness shake-out and rearrangement, discuss whether alternative interpretations are still allowed by the new data, and propose more tests of the model.We have previously interpreted the various large apparent violations of the naive Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule found in many channels in $\bar{p}p$ annihilation at LEAR as evidence for an intrinsic polarized $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function. The model is further supported by new data from LEAR and elsewhere. Here we discuss in more detail the possible form of the $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function, interpret the new data and clarify the relative roles of strangeness shake-out and rearrangement, discuss whether alternative interpretations are still allowed by the new data, and propose more tests of the model.We have previously interpreted the various large apparent violations of the naive Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule found in many channels in $\bar{p}p$ annihilation at LEAR as evidence for an intrinsic polarized $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function. The model is further supported by new data from LEAR and elsewhere. Here we discuss in more detail the possible form of the $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function, interpret the new data and clarify the relative roles of strangeness shake-out and rearrangement, discuss whether alternative interpretations are still allowed by the new data, and propose more tests of the model.We have previously interpreted the various large apparent violations of the naı̈ve Okubo–Zweig–Iizuka (OZI) rule found in many channels in p ̄ p annihilation at LEAR as evidence for an intrinsic polarized s ̄ s component of the nucleon wave function. The model is further supported by new data from LEAR and elsewhere. Here we discuss in more detail the possible form of the s ̄ s component of the nucleon wave function, interpret the new data and clarify the relative roles of strangeness shake-out and rearrangement, discuss whether alternative interpretations are still allowed by the new data, and propose more tests of the model

General subtraction method for numerical calculation of one-loop QCD matrix elements

We present a subtraction scheme for eliminating the ultraviolet, soft, and collinear divergences in the numerical calculation of an arbitrary one-loop QCD amplitude with an arbitrary number of external legs. The subtractions consist of local counter terms in the space of the four-dimensional loop momentum. The ultraviolet subtraction terms reproduce MSbar renormalization. The key point in the method for the soft and collinear subtractions is that, although the subtraction terms are defined graph-by-graph and the matrix element is also calculated graph-by-graph, the sum over graphs of the integral of each the subtraction term can be evaluated analytically and provides the well known simple pole structure that arises from subtractions from real emission graphs, but with the opposite sign.Comment: 38 pages, 10 figures, axodraw styl

Hadronic Probes of the Polarized Intrinsic Strangeness of the Nucleon

We have previously interpreted the various large apparent violations of the naive Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule found in many channels in $\bar{p}p$ annihilation at LEAR as evidence for an intrinsic polarized $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function. The model is further supported by new data from LEAR and elsewhere. Here we discuss in more detail the possible form of the $\bar{s}s$ component of the nucleon wave function, interpret the new data and clarify the relative roles of strangeness shake-out and rearrangement, discuss whether alternative interpretations are still allowed by the new data, and propose more tests of the model.Comment: LaTeX, 31 page

Study of the dependence of 198Au half-life on source geometry

We report the results of an experiment to determine whether the half-life of \Au{198} depends on the shape of the source. This study was motivated by recent suggestions that nuclear decay rates may be affected by solar activity, perhaps arising from solar neutrinos. If this were the case then the $\beta$-decay rates, or half-lives, of a thin foil sample and a spherical sample of gold of the same mass and activity could be different. We find for \Au{198}, $(T_{1/2})_{\rm foil}/(T_{1/2})_{\rm sphere} = 0.999 \pm 0.002$, where $T_{1/2}$ is the mean half-life. The maximum neutrino flux at the sample in our experiments was several times greater than the flux of solar neutrinos at the surface of the Earth. We show that this increase in flux leads to a significant improvement in the limits that can be inferred on a possible solar contribution to nuclear decays.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

Structure of Fat Jets at the Tevatron and Beyond

Boosted resonances is a highly probable and enthusiastic scenario in any process probing the electroweak scale. Such objects when decaying into jets can easily blend with the cornucopia of jets from hard relative light QCD states. We review jet observables and algorithms that can contribute to the identification of highly boosted heavy jets and the possible searches that can make use of such substructure information. We also review previous studies by CDF on boosted jets and its measurements on specific jet shapes.Comment: invited review for a special "Top and flavour physics in the LHC era" issue of The European Physical Journal C, we invite comments regarding contents of the review; v2 added references and institutional preprint number

The Superpartner Spectrum of Gaugino Mediation

We compute the superpartner masses in a class of models with gaugino mediation (or no-scale) boundary conditions at a scale between the GUT and Planck scales. These models are compelling because they are simple, solve the supersymmetric flavor and CP problems, satisfy all constraints from colliders and cosmology, and predict the superpartner masses in terms of very few parameters. Our analysis includes the renormalization group evolution of the soft-breaking terms above the GUT scale. We show that the running above the GUT scale is largely model independent and find that a phenomenologically viable spectrum is obtained.Comment: 15 page

Can multi-TeV (top and other) squarks be natural in gauge mediation?

We investigate whether multi-TeV (1-3 TeV) squarks can be natural in models of gauge mediated SUSY breaking. The idea is that for some boundary condition of the scalar (Higgs and stop) masses, the Higgs (mass)$^2$, evaluated at the renormalization scale $\sim O(100)$ GeV, is not very sensitive to (boundary values of) the scalar masses (this has been called ``focussing'' in recent literature). Then, the stop masses can be multi-TeV without leading to fine-tuning in electroweak symmetry breaking. {\em Minimal} gauge mediation does {\em not} lead to this focussing (for all values of $\tan \beta$ and the messenger scale): the (boundary value of) the Higgs mass is too small compared to the stop masses. Also, in minimal gauge mediation, the gaugino masses are of the same order as the scalar masses so that multi-TeV scalars implies multi-TeV gauginos (especially gluino) leading to fine-tuning. We discuss ideas to {\em increase} the Higgs mass relative to the stop masses (so that focussing can be achieved) and also to {\em suppress} gaugino masses relative to scalar masses (or to modify the gaugino mass relations) in {\em non-minimal} models of gauge mediation -- then multi-TeV (top and other) squarks can be natural. Specific models of gauge mediation which incorporate these ideas and thus have squarks (and in some cases, the gluino) heavier than a TeV without resulting in fine-tuning are also studied and their collider signals are contrasted with those of other models which have multi-TeV squarks.Comment: LaTeX, 29 pages, 9 eps figures. Replacing an earlier version. In version 3, some references and a minor comment have been added and typos have been correcte

Searches for solar-influenced radioactive decay anomalies using Spacecraft RTGs

Experiments showing a seasonal variation of the nuclear decay rates of a number of different nuclei, and decay anomalies apparently related to solar flares and solar rotation, have suggested that the Sun may somehow be influencing nuclear decay processes. Recently, Cooper searched for such an effect in $^{238}$Pu nuclei contained in the radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) on board the Cassini spacecraft. In this paper we modify and extend Cooper's analysis to obtain constraints on anomalous decays of $^{238}$Pu over a wider range of models, but these limits cannot be applied to other nuclei if the anomaly is composition-dependent. We also show that it may require very high sensitivity for terrestrial experiments to discriminate among some models if such a decay anomaly exists, motivating the consideration of future spacecraft experiments which would require less precision.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures (to appear in Astroparticle Physics