Structural validation of a realistic wing structure: the RIBES test article

Several experimental test cases are available in literature to study and validate fluid structure interaction methods. They, however, focus the attention mainly on replicating typical cruising aerodynamic conditions forcing the adoption of fully steel made models able to operate with the high loads generated in high speed facilities. This translates in a complete loss of similitude with typical realistic aeronautical wing structures configurations. To reverse this trend, and to better study the aerolastic mechanism from a structural point of view, an aeroelastic measurement campaign was carried within the EU RIBES project. A half wing model for wind tunnel tests was designed and manufactured replicating a typical metallic wing box structure, producing a database of loads, pressure, stress and deformation measurements. In this paper the design, manufacturing and validation activities performed within the RIBES project are described, with a focus on the structural behavior of the test article. All experimental data and numerical models are made freely available to the scientific community

Improving the sensitivity of future GW observatories in the 1-10 Hz band: Newtonian and seismic noise

The next generation gravitational wave interferometric detectors will likely be underground detectors to extend the GW detection frequency band to frequencies below the Newtonian noise limit. Newtonian noise originates from the continuous motion of the Earth’s crust driven by human activity, tidal stresses and seismic motion, and from mass density fluctuations in the atmosphere. It is calculated that on Earth’s surface, on a typical day, it will exceed the expected GW signals at frequencies below 10 Hz. The noise will decrease underground by an unknown amount. It is important to investigate and to quantify this expected reduction and its effect on the sensitivity of future detectors, to plan for further improvement strategies. We report about some of these aspects. Analytical models can be used in the simplest scenarios to get a better qualitative and semi-quantitative understanding. As more complete modeling can be done numerically, we will discuss also some results obtained with a finite-element-based modeling tool. The method is verified by comparing its results with the results of analytic calculations for surface detectors. A key point about noise models is their initial parameters and conditions, which require detailed information about seismic motion in a real scenario. We will describe an effort to characterize the seismic activity at the Homestake mine which is currently in progress. This activity is specifically aimed to provide informations and to explore the site as a possible candidate for an underground observatory. Although the only compelling reason to put the interferometer underground is to reduce the Newtonian noise, we expect that the more stable underground environment will have a more general positive impact on the sensitivity.We will end this report with some considerations about seismic and suspension noise

b→sγb \to s \gamma Decay and Right-handed Top-bottom Charged Current

We introduce an anomalous top quark coupling (right-handed current) into Standard Model Lagrangian. Based on this, a more complete calculation of $b \to s\gamma$ decay including leading log QCD corrections from $m_{top}$ to $M_W$ in addition to corrections from $M_{W}$ to $m_b$ is given. The inclusive decay rate is found to be suppressed comparing with the case without QCD running from $m_t$ to $M_W$ except at the time of small values of $|f_R^{tb}|$. e.g. when $f_R^{tb}=-0.08$, it is only $1/10$ of the value given before. As $|f_R^{tb}|$ goes smaller, this contribution is an enhancement like standard model case. From the newly experiment of CLEO Collaboration, strict restrictions to parameters of this top-bottom quark coupling are found.Comment: 20 Pages, 2 figures( ps file uuencoded)

Constraints From b→sγb \to s\gamma on the Left-Right Symmetric Model

Recent results from the CLEO Collaboration on both inclusive and exclusive radiative $B$ decays are used to constrain the parameter space of two versions of the Left-Right Symmetric Model. In the first scenario, when the left- and right-handed Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing matrices are equal, $V_L=V_R$, the radiative $B$ decay data is shown to lead to strong bounds on the $W_L-W_R$ mixing angle that are quite insensitive to either the top quark or $W_R$ mass. The second scenario examined is that of Gronau and Wakaizumi wherein $b$-quark decays proceed only via right-handed currents and $V_L$ and $V_R$ are quite distinct. For this model, the combined constraints from Tevatron $W_R$ searches, the $B$ lifetime, and radiative $B$ decays lead to a very highly restricted allowed range for the $W_L-W_R$ mixing angle.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures(not included), LaTex, SLAC-PUB-642

The b→sγγb\to s\gamma\gamma transition in softly broken supersymmetry

We study the effect of supersymmetric contributions to the effective quark transition $b\to s\gamma\gamma$, including leading order QCD effects. We apply the discussion to the decay $B_s\to\gamma\gamma$. Even though one-particle irreducible contributions could play a role, numerical cancelations make the amplitude for the two-photon emission strongly correlated to the $b\to s\gamma$ amplitude which is sharply constrained by experiment. A quite general statement follows: as long as non-standard physics effects appear only in the matching of the Wilson coefficients of the standard effective operator basis, the deviations from the standard model expectations of the decay rates induced by $b\to s\gamma\gamma$ are bound to follow closely the corresponding deviations on $b\to s\gamma$. Effects of new physics are therefore bound to be small.Comment: Latex2e, RevTex, 22 pages, 8 eps figures, comments and references adde

Using b→sγb \to s\gamma to Probe Top Quark Couplings

Possible anomalous couplings of the top-quark to on-shell photons and gluons are constrained by the recent results of the CLEO Collaboration on both inclusive and exclusive radiative $B$ decays. We find that the process \bsg\ can lead to reasonable bounds on both the anomalous electric and magnetic dipole moments of the top-quark, while essentially no limits are obtained on the corresponding chromoelectric and chromomagnetic moments, which enter the expression for the decay rate only through operator mixing.Comment: 10 pages plus 6 figures (available by request), LaTex, ANL-HEP-PR-93-3

QCD Sum Rule Analysis of the Decays B→Kℓ+ℓ−B \to K \ell^+ \ell^- and B→K∗ℓ+ℓ−B \to K^* \ell^+ \ell^-

We use QCD sum rules to calculate the hadronic matrix elements governing the rare decays $B \to K \ell^+ \ell^-$ and $B \to K^* \ell^+ \ell^-$ induced by the flavour changing neutral current $b \to s$ transition. We also study relations among semileptonic and rare $B \to K^{(*)}$ decay form factors. The analysis of the invariant mass distribution of the lepton pair in $B \to K^{(*)} \ell^+ \ell^-$ and of the angular asymmetry in $B \to K^* \ell^+ \ell^-$ provides us with interesting tests of the Standard Model and its extensions.Comment: 26 pages REVTEX + 7 figures. Some typos corrected, figure 5 and 7 modified. This version will appear on Physical Review

Stochastic background from extra-galactic double neutron stars

We present Monte Carlo simulations of the extra galactic population of inspiralling double neutron stars, and estimate its contribution to the astrophysical gravitational wave background, in the frequency range of ground based interferometers, corresponding to the last thousand seconds before the last stable orbit when more than 96 percent of the signal is released. We show that sources at redshift z>0.5 contribute to a truly continuous background which may be detected by correlating third generation interferometers.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures - proceeding of a talk given at the 11th GWDAW, to appear in CQ

Warming permafrost and active layer variability at Cime Bianche, Western European Alps

The objective of this paper is to provide a first synthesis on the state and recent evolution of permafrost at the monitoring site of Cime Bianche (3100 m a.s.l.) on the Italian side of the Western Alps. The analysis is based on 7 years of ground temperature observations in two boreholes and seven surface points. The analysis aims to quantify the spatial and temporal variability of ground surface temperature in relation to snow cover, the small-scale spatial variability of the active layer thickness and current temperature trends in deep permafrost.Results show that the heterogeneity of snow cover thickness, both in space and time, is the main factor controlling ground surface temperatures and leads to a mean range of spatial variability (2.5 ± 0.1 °C) which far exceeds the mean range of observed inter-annual variability (1.6 ± 0.1 °C). The active layer thickness measured in two boreholes at a distance of 30 m shows a mean difference of 2.0 ± 0.1 m with the active layer of one borehole consistently deeper. As revealed by temperature analysis and geophysical soundings, such a difference is mainly driven by the ice/water content in the sub-surface and not by the snow cover regimes. The analysis of deep temperature time series reveals that permafrost is warming. The detected trends are statistically significant starting from a depth below 8 m with warming rates between 0.1 and 0.01 °C yr⁻¹