193 research outputs found
An improved method for measuring muon energy using the truncated mean of dE/dx
The measurement of muon energy is critical for many analyses in large
Cherenkov detectors, particularly those that involve separating
extraterrestrial neutrinos from the atmospheric neutrino background. Muon
energy has traditionally been determined by measuring the specific energy loss
(dE/dx) along the muon's path and relating the dE/dx to the muon energy.
Because high-energy muons (E_mu > 1 TeV) lose energy randomly, the spread in
dE/dx values is quite large, leading to a typical energy resolution of 0.29 in
log10(E_mu) for a muon observed over a 1 km path length in the IceCube
detector. In this paper, we present an improved method that uses a truncated
mean and other techniques to determine the muon energy. The muon track is
divided into separate segments with individual dE/dx values. The elimination of
segments with the highest dE/dx results in an overall dE/dx that is more
closely correlated to the muon energy. This method results in an energy
resolution of 0.22 in log10(E_mu), which gives a 26% improvement. This
technique is applicable to any large water or ice detector and potentially to
large scintillator or liquid argon detectors.Comment: 12 pages, 16 figure
All-particle cosmic ray energy spectrum measured with 26 IceTop stations
We report on a measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum with the IceTop
air shower array, the surface component of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at
the South Pole. The data used in this analysis were taken between June and
October, 2007, with 26 surface stations operational at that time, corresponding
to about one third of the final array. The fiducial area used in this analysis
was 0.122 km^2. The analysis investigated the energy spectrum from 1 to 100 PeV
measured for three different zenith angle ranges between 0{\deg} and 46{\deg}.
Because of the isotropy of cosmic rays in this energy range the spectra from
all zenith angle intervals have to agree. The cosmic-ray energy spectrum was
determined under different assumptions on the primary mass composition. Good
agreement of spectra in the three zenith angle ranges was found for the
assumption of pure proton and a simple two-component model. For zenith angles
{\theta} < 30{\deg}, where the mass dependence is smallest, the knee in the
cosmic ray energy spectrum was observed between 3.5 and 4.32 PeV, depending on
composition assumption. Spectral indices above the knee range from -3.08 to
-3.11 depending on primary mass composition assumption. Moreover, an indication
of a flattening of the spectrum above 22 PeV were observed.Comment: 38 pages, 17 figure
Bose-Einstein Correlations of Neutral and Charged Pions in Hadronic Z Decays
Bose-Einstein correlations of both neutral and like-sign charged pion pairs
are measured in a sample of 2 million hadronic Z decays collected with the L3
detector at LEP. The analysis is performed in the four-momentum difference
range 300 MeV < Q < 2 GeV. The radius of the neutral pion source is found to be
smaller than that of charged pions. This result is in qualitative agreement
with the string fragmentation model
Measurement of the W+W-gamma Cross Section and Direct Limits on Anomalous Quartic Gauge Boson Couplings at LEP
The process e+e- -> W+W-gamma is analysed using the data collected with the
L3 detector at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of 188.6GeV, corresponding to an
integrated luminosity of 176.8pb^-1. Based on a sample of 42 selected W+W-
candidates containing an isolated hard photon, the W+W-gamma cross section,
defined within phase-space cuts, is measured to be: sigma_WWgamma = 290 +/- 80
+/- 16 fb, consistent with the Standard Model expectation. Including the
process e+e- -> nu nu gamma gamma, limits are derived on anomalous
contributions to the Standard Model quartic vertices W+W- gamma gamma and W+W-Z
gamma at 95% CL: -0.043 GeV^-2 < a_0/Lambda^2 < 0.043 GeV^-2 0.08 GeV^-2 <
a_c/Lambda^2 < 0.13 GeV^-2 0.41 GeV^-2 < a_n/Lambda^2 < 0.37 GeV^-2
Lambda and Sigma0 Pair Production in Two-Photon Collisions at LEP
Strange baryon pair production in two-photon collisions is studied with the
L3 detector at LEP. The analysis is based on data collected at e+e-
centre-of-mass energies from 91 GeV to 208 GeV, corresponding to an integrated
luminosity of 844 pb-1. The processes gamma gamma -> Lambda Anti-lambda and
gamma gamma -> Sigma0 Anti-sigma0 are identified. Their cross sections as a
function of the gamma gamma centre-of-mass energy are measured and results are
compared to predictions of the quark-diquark model
Production of Single W Bosons at \sqrt{s}=189 GeV and Measurement of WWgamma Gauge Couplings
Single W boson production in electron-positron collisions is studied with the
L3 detector at LEP. The data sample collected at a centre-of-mass energy of
\sqrt{s} = 188.7GeV corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 176.4pb^-1.
Events with a single energetic lepton or two acoplanar hadronic jets are
selected. Within phase-space cuts, the total cross-section is measured to be
0.53 +/- 0.12 +/- 0.03 pb, consistent with the Standard Model expectation.
Including our single W boson results obtained at lower \sqrt{s}, the WWgamma
gauge couplings kappa_gamma and lambda_gamma are determined to be kappa_gamma =
0.93 +/- 0.16 +/- 0.09 and lambda_gamma = -0.31 +0.68 -0.19 +/- 0.13
Search for an invisibly decaying Higgs boson in e^+e^- collisions at \sqrt{s} = 183 - 189 GeV
A search for a Higgs boson decaying into invisible particles is performed
using the data collected at LEP by the L3 experiment at centre-of-mass energies
of 183 GeV and 189 GeV. The integrated luminosities are respectively 55.3 pb^-1
and 176.4 pb^-1. The observed candidates are consistent with the expectations
from Standard Model processes. In the hypothesis that the production cross
section of this Higgs boson equals the Standard Model one and the branching
ratio into invisible particles is 100%, a lower mass limit of 89.2 GeV is set
at 95% confidence level
Search for Heavy Neutral and Charged Leptons in e+ e- Annihilation at LEP
A search for exotic unstable neutral and charged heavy leptons as well as for
stable charged heavy leptons is performed with the L3 detector at LEP.
Sequential, vector and mirror natures of heavy leptons are considered. No
evidence for their existence is found and lower limits on their masses are set
Measurement of charged-particle multiplicity distributions and their H_q moments in hadronic Z decays at LEP
The charged-particle multiplicity distribution is measured for all hadronic
events as well as for light-quark and b-quark events produced in e+e-
collisions at the Z pole. Moments of the charged-particle multiplicity
distributions are calculated. The H moments of the multiplicity distributions
are studied, and their quasi-oscillations as a function of the rank of the
moment are investigated.Comment: Matches published versio
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