Bias-Free Estimation in Multicomponent Maximum Likelihood Fits with Component-Dependent Templates

The possibility of strong biases in a multicomponent Maximum Likelihood fits with component-dependent templates has been demonstrated in some toy problems. We discuss here in detail a problem of practical interest, particle identification based on time-of-flight or dE/dx information. We show that large biases can occur in estimating particle fractions in a sample if differences between the momentum spectra of particles are ignored, and we present a more robust fit technique, allowing bias-free estimation even when the particle spectra in the sample are unknown.Comment: May 2006, 4 pages, 6 figures To appear in the proceedings of PHYSTATO5: Statistical Problems in Particle Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Oxford, England, United Kingdom, 12-15 Sep 200

Neutrino optics and oscillations in gravitational fields

We study the propagation of neutrinos in gravitational fields using wave functions that are exact to first order in the metric deviation. For illustrative purposes, the geometrical background is represented by the Lense-Thirring metric. We derive explicit expressions for neutrino deflection, helicity transitions, flavor oscillations and oscillation Hamiltonian.Comment: 16 page

A Statistical Prescription to Estimate Properly Normalized Distributions of Different Particle Species

We describe a statistical method to avoid biased estimation of the content of different particle species. We consider the case when the particle identification information strongly depends on some kinematical variables, whose distributions are unknown and different for each particles species. We show that the proposed procedure provides properly normalized and completely data-driven estimation of the unknown distributions without any a priori assumption on their functional form. Moreover, we demonstrate that the method can be generalized to any kinematical distribution of the particles

Flavor and CP Violation with Fourth Generations Revisited

The Standard Model predicts a very small CP violation phase $\sin2\Phi^{\rm SM}_{B_s} \simeq -0.04$%= \arg M_{12} \simeq \arg\,(V^*_{ts}V_{tb})^2$in$B_s$--$\bar B_s$mixing.$\lambda^2\eta$. Any finite value of$\Phi_{B_s}$measured at the Tevatron would imply New Physics. With recent hints for finite$\sin2\Phi_{B_s}$, experiments at the Tevatron, we reconsider the possibility of a 4th generation. As recent direct search bounds have become considerably heavier than 300 GeV, we take the$t'$mass to be near the unitarity bound of 500 GeV. Combining the measured values of$\Delta m_{B_s}$with${\cal B}(B \to X_s\ell^+\ell^-)$, together with typical$f_{B_s}$values, we find a sizable$\sin2\Phi^{\rm SM4}_{B_s} \sim -0.33$. Using$m_{b'} = 480$GeV, we extract the range$0.06 < |V_{t'b}| < 0.13$from the constraints of$\Gamma(Z\to b\bar b)$,$\Delta m_{D}$and${\cal B}(K^+\to\pi^+\nu\bar\nu)$. A future measurement of${\cal B}(K_L\to\pi^0\nu\bar\nu)$will determine$V_{t'd}$.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figure

An Unbiased 1.3 mm Emission Line Survey of the Protoplanetary Disk Orbiting LkCa 15

The outer (>30 AU) regions of the dusty circumstellar disk orbiting the ~2-5 Myr-old, actively accreting solar analog LkCa 15 are known to be chemically rich, and the inner disk may host a young protoplanet within its central cavity. To obtain a complete census of the brightest molecular line emission emanating from the LkCa 15 disk over the 210-270 GHz (1.4 - 1.1 mm) range, we have conducted an unbiased radio spectroscopic survey with the Institute de Radioastronomie Millimetrique (IRAM) 30 meter telescope. The survey demonstrates that, in this spectral region, the most readily detectable lines are those of CO and its isotopologues 13CO and C18O, as well as HCO+, HCN, CN, C2H, CS, and H2CO. All of these species had been previously detected in the LkCa 15 disk; however, the present survey includes the first complete coverage of the CN (2-1) and C2H (3-2) hyperfine complexes. Modeling of these emission complexes indicates that the CN and C2H either reside in the coldest regions of the disk or are subthermally excited, and that their abundances are enhanced relative to molecular clouds and young stellar object environments. These results highlight the value of unbiased single-dish line surveys in guiding future high resolution interferometric imaging of disks.Comment: 35 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Modafinil-Induced changes in functional connectivity in the cortex and cerebellum of healthy elderly subjects

In the past few years, cognitive enhancing drugs (CEDs) have gained growing interest and the focus of investigations aimed at exploring their use to potentiate the cognitive performances of healthy individuals. Most of this exploratory CED-related research has been performed on young adults. However, CEDs may also help to maintain optimal brain functioning or compensate for subtle and or subclinical deficits associated with brain aging or early-stage dementia. In this study, we assessed effects on resting state brain activity in a group of healthy elderly subjects undergoing acute administration of modafinil, a wakefulness-promoting agent. To that aim, participants (n = 24) were investigated with resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) before and after the administration of a single dose (100 mg) of modafinil. Effects were compared to age and size-matched placebo group. Rs-fMRI effects were assessed, employing a graph-based approach and Eigenvector Centrality (EC) analysis, by taking in account topological changes occurring in functional brain networks. The main finding of the study is that modafinil promotes enhanced centrality, a measure of the importance of nodes within functional networks, of the bilateral primary visual (V1) cortex. EC analysis also revealed that modafinil-treated subjects show increased functional connectivity between the V1 and specific cerebellar (Crus I, Crus II, VIIIa lobule) and frontal (right inferior frontal sulcus and left middle frontal gyrus) regions. Present findings provide functional data supporting the hypothesis that modafinil can modulate the cortico-cerebellar connectivity of the aging brai

First ADS analysis of B- -> D0K- decays in hadron collisions

Proceedings of DISCRETE 2010, Symposium on Prospects in the Physics of Discrete Symmetries, Rome (IT), 6-11 December 2010Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Massive motion in Brans-Dicke geometry and beyond

Gravity theories that can be viewed as dynamics for area metric manifolds, for which Brans-Dicke theory presents a recently studied example, require for their physical interpretation the identification of the distinguished curves that serve as the trajectories of light and massive matter. Complementing previous results on the propagation of light, we study effective massive point particle motion. We show that the relevant geometrical structure is a special Finsler norm determined by the area metric, and that massive point particles follow Finsler geodesics.Comment: 12 page

The artificial retina for track reconstruction at the LHC crossing rate

We present the results of an R&D study for a specialized processor capable of precisely reconstructing events with hundreds of charged-particle tracks in pixel and silicon strip detectors at $40\,\rm MHz$, thus suitable for processing LHC events at the full crossing frequency. For this purpose we design and test a massively parallel pattern-recognition algorithm, inspired to the current understanding of the mechanisms adopted by the primary visual cortex of mammals in the early stages of visual-information processing. The detailed geometry and charged-particle's activity of a large tracking detector are simulated and used to assess the performance of the artificial retina algorithm. We find that high-quality tracking in large detectors is possible with sub-microsecond latencies when the algorithm is implemented in modern, high-speed, high-bandwidth FPGA devices.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, ICHEP14. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1409.089