Future imaging atmospheric telescopes: performance of possible array configurations for gamma photons in the GeV-TeV range

The future of ground based gamma ray astronomy lies in large arrays of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT) with better capabilities: lower energy threshold, higher sensitivity, better resolution and background rejection. Currently, designs for the next generation of IACT arrays are being explored by various groups. We have studied possible configurations with a large number of telescopes of various sizes. Here, we present the precision of source, shower core and energy reconstruction for gamma rays in the GeV-TeV range for different altitudes of observation. These results were obtained through tools that we have developed in order to simulate any type of IACT configuration and evaluate its performance.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of the 30th ICRC, Merida, Mexico (2007

Analysis of preliminary data on e+e−→ϕ→γf0(980)→γπ0π0e^+e^-\to\phi\to\gamma f_0(980)\to\gamma\pi^0\pi^0 reaction

We perform the analysis of the preliminary data on $e^+e^-\to\phi\to\gamma f_0(980)\to\gamma\pi^0\pi^0$ reaction simultaneously with the data on $\pi\pi$ scattering and reactions $J/\psi\to\phi\pi^+\pi^-$ and $K^-p\to\pi^+\pi^-(\Lambda,\Sigma)$. It is found that the $f_0(980)$ meson mass $m_{f_0}=950$ MeV and $B(\phi\to\gamma f_0\to\gamma\pi^0\pi^0)\simeq1\cdot10^{-4}$.Comment: 8 pages, revtex, 3 ps files of figures, minor change

Unitary chiral dynamics in J/Psi to VPP decays and the role of scalar mesons

We make a theoretical study of the J/Psi decays into \omega\pi\pi, \phi\pi\pi, \omega K \bar{K} and \phi K\bar{K} using the techniques of the chiral unitary approach stressing the important role of the scalar resonances dynamically generated through the final state interaction of the two pseudoscalar mesons. We also discuss the importance of new mechanisms with intermediate exchange of vector and axial-vector mesons and the role played by the OZI rule in the J/\Psi\phi\pi\pi vertex, quantifying its effects. The results nicely reproduce the experimental data for the invariant mass distributions in all the channels considered.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figure

J/\Psi \to \phi \pi \pi (K \bar{K}) decays, chiral dynamcis and OZI violation

We have studied the invariant mass distributions of the \pi\pi and K \bar{K} systems for invariant masses up to 1.2 GeV from the J/\Psi \to \phi \pi\pi(K\bar{K}) decays. The approach exploits the connection between these processes and the \pi\pi and K\bar{K} strange and non-strange scalar form factors by considering the \phi meson as a spectator. The calculated scalar form factors are then matched with the ones from next-to-leading order chiral perturbation theory, including the calculation of the the K\bar{K} scalar form factors. Final state interactions in the J/\Psi \to \phi \pi\pi (K\bar{K}) processes are taken into account as rescattering effects in the system of the two pseudoscalar mesons. A very good agreement with the experimental data from DM2 and MARK-III is achieved. Furthermore, making use of SU(3) symmetry, the S-wave contribution to the \pi^+\pi^- event distribution in the J/\Psi \to \omega \pi^+\pi^- reaction is also given and the data up to energies of about 0.7 GeV are reproduced. These decays of the J/\Psi to a vector and a pair of pseudoscalars turn out to be very sensitive to OZI violating physics which we parametrize in terms of a direct OZI violation parameter and the chiral perturbation theory low energy constants L_4^r and L_6^r. These constants all come out very different from zero, lending further credit to the statement that the OZI rule is not operative in the scalar 0^{++} channel.Comment: revtex, 21 pages, 10 figures, extended discussion of the model in section 2 and some minor corrections, version accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys.

A mixed analog/digital shaper for the LHCb preshower

This note describes, first, the experimental and theoretical studies of the LHCb's preshower signals performed with a prototype cell. Four designs of the very front end electronic are then discuted and a choice is proposed

Supersymmetric dark matter in M31: can one see neutralino annihilation with CELESTE?

It is widely believed that dark matter exists within galaxies and clusters of galaxies. Under the assumption that this dark matter is composed of the lightest, stable supersymmetric particle, assumed to be the neutralino, the feasibility of its indirect detection via observations of a diffuse gamma-ray signal due to neutralino annihilations within M31 is examined. To this end, first the dark matter halo of the close spiral galaxy M31 is modeled from observations, then the resultant gamma-ray flux is estimated within supersymmetric model configurations. We conclude that under favorable conditions such as the rapid accretion of neutralinos on the central black hole in M31 and/or the presence of many clumps inside its halo with $r^{-3/2}$ inner profiles, a neutralino annihilation gamma-ray signal is marginally detectable by the ongoing collaboration CELESTE.Comment: Latex, 32 pages, 12 figures, 5 table

On the structure of the scalar mesons f0(975)f_0(975) and a0(980)a_0(980)

We investigate the structure of the scalar mesons $f_0(975)$ and $a_0(980)$ within realistic meson-exchange models of the $\pi\pi$ and $\pi\eta$ interactions. Starting from a modified version of the J\"ulich model for $\pi\pi$ scattering we perform an analysis of the pole structure of the resulting scattering amplitude and find, in contrast to existing models, a somewhat large mass for the $f_0(975)$ ($m_{f_0}=1015$ MeV, $\Gamma_{f_0}=30$ MeV). It is shown that our model provides a description of $J/\psi\rightarrow\phi\pi\pi/\phi KK$ data comparable in quality with those of alternative models. Furthermore, the formalism developed for the $\pi\pi$ system is consistently extended to the $\pi\eta$ interaction leading to a description of the $a_0(980)$ as a dynamically generated threshold effect (which is therefore neither a conventional $q\overline{q}$ state nor a $K\overline{K}$ bound state). Exploring the corresponding pole position the $a_0(980)$ is found to be rather broad ($m_{a_0}=991$ MeV, $\Gamma_{a_0}=202$ MeV). The experimentally observed smaller width results from the influence of the nearby $K\overline{K}$ threshold on this pole.Comment: 25 pages, 15 Postscript figure

Search for the scalar a0a_0 and f0f_0 mesons in the reactions e+e−→γπ0π0(η)e^+e^-\to\gamma\pi^0\pi^0(\eta)

It is shown that the reactions $e^+e^-\to\gamma\pi^0\pi^0(\eta)$ give a good chance for observing scalar $a_0$ and $f_0$ mesons. In the photon energy region less then 100 MeV the vector meson contributions $e^+e^-\to V^0\to\pi^0 V'^0\to\gamma\pi^0\pi^0(\eta)$ are negligible in comparison with the scalar mesons $e^+e^-\to\phi\to\gamma f_0(a_0)\to\gamma\pi^0\pi^0(\eta)$ for $BR(\phi\to\gamma f_0(a_0)\to\gamma\pi^0\pi^0(\eta))$ greater than $5\cdot10^{-6}(10^{-5})$. Using two-channel treatment of the $\pi\pi$ scattering the predictions for $BR(\phi\to\gamma (f_0+\sigma)\to\gamma\pi\pi)$ are derived. The four quark model, the model of $K\bar K$ molecule and the$s\bar s$ model of scalar $f_0$ and $a_0$ mesons are discussed.Comment: 31 pages, 10 ps files of figures, minor numerical changes, Appendix corrected, to be published in Phys.Rev.

SuSpect: a Fortran Code for the Supersymmetric and Higgs Particle Spectrum in the MSSM

We present the Fortran code SuSpect version 2.3, which calculates the Supersymmetric and Higgs particle spectrum in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The calculation can be performed in constrained models with universal boundary conditions at high scales such as the gravity (mSUGRA), anomaly (AMSB) or gauge (GMSB) mediated breaking models, but also in the non-universal MSSM case with R-parity and CP conservation. Care has been taken to treat important features such as the renormalization group evolution of parameters between low and high energy scales, the consistent implementation of radiative electroweak symmetry breaking and the calculation of the physical masses of the Higgs bosons and supersymmetric particles taking into account the dominant radiative corrections. Some checks of important theoretical and experimental features, such as the absence of non desired minima, large fine-tuning in the electroweak symmetry breaking condition, as well as agreement with precision measurements can be performed. The program is user friendly, simple to use, self-contained and can easily be linked with other codes; it is rather fast and flexible, thus allowing scans of the parameter space with several possible options and choices for model assumptions and approximations.Comment: 44 pages, 1 figure. Program updated and text shortened. The program can be found at http://www.lpta.univ-montp2.fr/~kneur/Suspec