Report on the quality of the LHCb-Muon four-gap MWPC produced at LNF

The LNF-LHCb team produced 185 four-gap Multi-Wire Proportional Chambers (MWPC). In this note we report the summary of the results of the panel quality controls and of the measurements performed on the assembled detector

Gender differences in academic achievement of children with developmental coordination disorder

Background: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) has a negative impact on everyday activities and academic achievement in children, mainly owing to similar underlying motor and cognitive constructs. Academic achievement of boys and girls seems to be different, with boys being more prone to academic backlogs, especially in language-related areas. Aim: This study investigated if boys with DCD displayed more academic problems than girls with DCD. Setting: Ten-year-old children (N = 221, ±0.41) from different economic backgrounds were randomly selected for assessment as part of the NW-CHILD (North-West Child Health, Integrated with Learning and Development) longitudinal study in the North West Province of South Africa. Methods: The Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition, was used to determine DCD status in the group. The results of the Annual National Assessment and the mid-year June exam, which included six learning areas, were used to analyse academic differences between typically developing boys and girls and those who were identified with DCD (seven boys, seven girls). Independent t-testing and Mann–Whitney non-parametric tests were used to determine differences between boys and girls. Results: Boys with DCD had inferior literacy and numeracy skills, significantly poorer manual dexterity and balancing skills and also displayed statistically and large practically significant weaker mid-year grade point averages than girls. Children with DCD also portrayed poorer academic achievement than typically developing children. Conclusion: Significant differences in balancing skills and in languages between boys and girls with DCD might have contributed to the practically significant poorer maths performance of boys

Measurement of the front-end dead-time of the LHCb muon detector and evaluation of its contribution to the muon detection inefficiency

A method is described which allows to deduce the dead-time of the front-end electronics of the LHCb muon detector from a series of measurements performed at different luminosities at a bunch-crossing rate of 20 MHz. The measured values of the dead-time range from 70 ns to 100 ns. These results allow to estimate the performance of the muon detector at the future bunch-crossing rate of 40 MHz and at higher luminosity

Measurement of time resolution of the Mu2e LYSO calorimeter prototype

In this paper we present the time resolution measurements of the Lutetium–Yttrium Oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) calorimeter prototype for the Mu2e experiment. The measurements have been performed using the e− beam of the Beam Test Facility (BTF) in Frascati, Italy in the energy range from 100 to 400 MeV. The calorimeter prototype consisted of twenty five 30 x 30 x 130 mm^3, LYSO crystals read out by 10 × 10 mm^2 Hamamatsu Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs). The energy dependence of the measured time resolution can be parametrized as σ_t(E)=a/√E/GeV⊕b, with the stochastic and constant terms a=(51 ± 1)ps and b=(10 ± 4)ps, respectively. This corresponds to the time resolution of (162 ±4 )ps at 100 MeV

KLOE results in kaon physics and prospects for KLOE-2

The phi-factory DAPHNE offers a possibility to select pure kaon beams, charged and neutral ones. In particular, neutral kaons from phi->KS KL are produced in pairs and the detection of a KS (KL) tags the presence of a KL (KS). This allows to perform precise measurements of kaon properties by means of KLOE detector. Another advantage of a phi-factory consists in fact that the neutral kaon pairs are produced in a pure quantum state (J^(PC) = 1^(--)), which allowsto investigate CP and CPT symmetries via quantum interference effects, as well as the basic principles of quantum mechanics.A review of the most recent results of the KLOE experiment at DAPHNE using pure kaon beams or via quantum interferometry is presented together with prospects for kaon physics at KLOE-2.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, From Phi To Psi 2011 conference, to be published in Nuclear Physics B (Proceedings Supplements

Proposal for taking data with the KLOE-2 detector at the DAΦ\PhiNE collider upgraded in energy

This document reviews the physics program of the KLOE-2 detector at DA$\Phi$NE upgraded in energy and provides a simple solution to run the collider above the $\phi$-peak (up to 2, possibly 2.5 GeV). It is shown how a precise measurement of the multihadronic cross section in the energy region up to 2 (possibly 2.5) GeV would have a major impact on the tests of the Standard Model through a precise determination of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and the effective fine-structure constant at the $M_Z$ scale. With a luminosity of about $10^{32}$cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$, DA$\Phi$NE upgraded in energy can perform a scan in the region from 1 to 2.5 GeV in one year by collecting an integrated luminosity of 20 pb$^{-1}$ (corresponding to a few days of data taking) for single point, assuming an energy step of 25 MeV. A few years of data taking in this region would provide important tests of QCD and effective theories by $\gamma\gamma$ physics with open thresholds for pseudo-scalar (like the $\eta'$), scalar ($f_0,f'_0$, etc...) and axial-vector ($a_1$, etc...) mesons; vector-mesons spectroscopy and baryon form factors; tests of CVC and searches for exotics. In the final part of the document a technical solution for the energy upgrade of DA$\Phi$NE is proposed.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

Characterization of a prototype for the electromagnetic calorimeter of the Mu2e experiment

The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab searches the neutrinoless conversion of the muon into electron in the field of an Aluminum nucleus. The observation of this process would be a proof of the Charged Lepton Flavor Violation (CLFV). In case of no observation, the upper limit will be set to Rμe < 6×10−17 @ 90% CL, improving by a factor of 4 the previous best determination. The Mu2e detector apparatus consists of a straw tubes tracker that will measure the electrons momentum, and an electromagnetic calorimeter that provides a tracking-independent measurement of the electron energy, time and position. In this paper, we describe the baseline project of the EMC and present results in terms of performances and R&D

Physics topics at KLOE-2

The goal of the KLOE-2 experiment operating at the upgraded DA{\Phi}NE e+e-collider is to collect an integrated luminosity of about 20 fb-1 during 3-4 years of running. Measurements using the KLOE-2 apparatus equipped with the inner tracker, new scintillation calorimeters and tagging detectors for gamma-gamma physics will allow to refine and extend the KLOE program on kaon physics and tests of fundamental symmetries as well as the quantum interferometry. Here the latest results from KLOE data analysis and perspectives at KLOE-2 are presented.Comment: Proceedings of the EXA2011 conference,1 figure, 5 pages, be published in Hyperfine Interaction

Search for the KSto3π0 K_S to 3 \pi^0 decay with the KLOE detector

The $K_S \to 3 \pi^0$ decay is a pure CP violating process which, assuming CPT invariance, allows one to investigate direct CP violation. This decay has not been observed so far, and the best upper limit on the branching ratio $BR(K_S to 3\pi^0) < 1.2 \cdot 10^{-7}$ is two orders of magnitude larger than predictions based on the Standard Model: $BR(K_S \to 3\pi^0) \sim 2 \cdot 10^{-9}$. In this article we present the search for the $K_S \to 3\pi^0$ decay performed with the KLOE detector operating at the DAFNE {\Phi}-factory at the Frascati Laboratory. We describe the analysis techniques used in the background rejection and signal events selection as well as the evaluation of almost five times lower upper limit on the $K_S \to 3\pi^0$ branching ratio. We discuss shortly also the perspectives for a new measurement using the KLOE-2 apparatus equipped with a new inner tracker and the calorimeters at low theta angle.Comment: Proceedings of the MESON 2012 workshop, 4 pages, 2 figure

On the possibility to measure the (pi0 to gamma gamma) decay width and the (gamma* gamma to pi0) transition form factor with the KLOE-2 experiment

A possibility of KLOE-2 experiment to measure the width Gamma(pi0 to gamma gamma) and the (pi0 gamma gamma*) form factor F(Q^2) at low invariant masses of the virtual photon in the space-like region is considered. This measurement is an important test of the strong interaction dynamics at low energies. The feasibility is estimated on the basis of a Monte-Carlo simulation. The expected accuracy for Gamma(pi0 to gamma gamma) is at a per cent level, which is better than the current experimental world average and theory. The form factor will be measured for the first time at Q^2 less or equal 0.1 GeV^2 in the space-like region. The impact of these measurements on the accuracy of the pion-exchange contribution to the hadronic light-by-light scattering part of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon is also discussed.Comment: 2-column style; matches the revision accepted by EPJ