Pionic charge exchange on the proton from 40 to 250 MeV

The total cross sections for pionic charge exchange on hydrogen were measured using a transmission technique on thin CH2 and C targets. Data were taken for pi- lab energies from 39 to 247 MeV with total errors of typically 2% over the Delta-resonance and up to 10% at the lowest energies. Deviations from the predictions of the SAID phase shift analysis in the 60 to 80 MeV region are interpreted as evidence for isospin-symmetry breaking in the s-wave amplitudes. The charge dependence of the Delta-resonance properties appears to be smaller than previously reported

The pi -> pi pi process in nuclei and the restoration of chiral symmetry

The results of an extensive campaign of measurements of the pi -> pi pi process in the nucleon and nuclei at intermediate energies are presented. The measurements were motivated by the study of strong pi pi correlations in nuclei. The analysis relies on the composite ratio C_{pi pi}^A, which accounts for the clear effect of the nuclear medium on the (pi pi) system. The comparison of the C_{pi pi}^A distributions for the (pi pi)_{I=J=0} and (pi pi)_{I=0,J=2} systems to the model predictions indicates that the C_{pi pi}^A behavior in proximity of the 2m_pi threshold is explainable through the partial restoration of chiral symmetry in nuclei.Comment: accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys.

General properties of the pion production reaction in nuclear matter

The pion production reaction $\pi^+ \to \pi^+\pi^{\pm}$ on $^{45}Sc$ was studied at incident pion energies of $T_{\pi^{+}}$ = 240, 260, 280, 300, and 320 MeV. The experiment was performed using the $M11$ pion-channel at TRIUMF, and multiparticle events, ($\pi^+,\pi^+\pi^{\pm}$) and ($\pi^+,\pi^+\pi^{\pm}p$), were detected with the CHAOS spectrometer. Results are reported in the form of both differential and total cross sections, and are compared to theoretical predictions and the reaction phase space. The present investigation of the T-dependence of the $\pi^+ A \to \pi^+\pi^{\pm} A'$ reaction complements earlier examinations of the A-dependence of the reaction, which was measured using $^{2}H$, $^{4}He$, $^{12}C$, $^{16}O$, $^{40}Ca$, and $^{208}Pb$ targets at $\sim$280 MeV. Some general properties of the pion-induced pion production reaction in nuclear matter will be presented, based on the combined results of the two studies.Comment: 23 pages, Latex, accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys.

The ππ\pi\pi interaction in nuclear matter from a study of the π+A→π+π±A′\pi^+ A \to \pi^+ \pi^{\pm} A' reactions

The pion-production reactions $\pi^+ A \to \pi^+\pi^{\pm} A'$ were studied on $^{2}H$, $^{12}C$, $^{40}Ca$, and $^{208}Pb$ nuclei at an incident pion energy of $T_{\pi^{+}}$=283 MeV. Pions were detected in coincidence using the CHAOS spectrometer. The experimental results are reduced to differential cross sections and compared to both theoretical predictions and the reaction phase space. The composite ratio $\cal C$$_{\pi\pi}^A$ between the $\pi^{+}\pi^{\pm}$ invariant masses on nuclei and on the nucleon is also presented. Near the $2m_{\pi}$ threshold pion pairs couple to $(\pi\pi)_{I=J=0}$ when produced in the $\pi^+\to \pi^+\pi^-$ reaction channel. There is a marked near-threshold enhancement of $\cal C$$_{\pi^+\pi^-}^A$ which is consistent with theoretical predictions addressing the partial restoration of chiral symmetry in nuclear matter. Furthermore, the behaviour of $\cal C$$_{\pi^+\pi^-}^A$ is well described when the restoration of chiral symmetry is combined with standard P-wave renormalization of pions in nuclear matter. On the other hand, nuclear matter only weakly influences $\cal C$$_{\pi^+\pi^+}^A$, which displays a flat behaviour throughout the energy range regardless of $A$.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures, PS format, accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys

Charged pion form factor between Q^2=0.60 and 2.45 GeV^2. II. Determination of, and results for, the pion form factor

The charged pion form factor, Fpi(Q^2), is an important quantity which can be used to advance our knowledge of hadronic structure. However, the extraction of Fpi from data requires a model of the 1H(e,e'pi+)n reaction, and thus is inherently model dependent. Therefore, a detailed description of the extraction of the charged pion form factor from electroproduction data obtained recently at Jefferson Lab is presented, with particular focus given to the dominant uncertainties in this procedure. Results for Fpi are presented for Q^2=0.60-2.45 GeV^2. Above Q^2=1.5 GeV^2, the Fpi values are systematically below the monopole parameterization that describes the low Q^2 data used to determine the pion charge radius. The pion form factor can be calculated in a wide variety of theoretical approaches, and the experimental results are compared to a number of calculations. This comparison is helpful in understanding the role of soft versus hard contributions to hadronic structure in the intermediate Q^2 regime.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figure

Behavioural, brain and cardiac responses to hypobaric hypoxia in broiler chickens

A novel approach to pre-slaughter stunning of chickens has been developed in which birds are rendered unconscious by progressive hypobaric hypoxia. Termed Low Atmospheric Pressure Stunning (LAPS), this approach involves application of gradual decompression lasting 280 s according to a prescribed curve. We examined responses to LAPS by recording behaviour, electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) in individual male chickens, and interpreted these with regard to the welfare impact of the process. We also examined the effect of two temperature adjusted pressure curves on these responses. Broiler chickens were exposed to LAPS in 30 triplets (16 and 14 triplets assigned to each pressure curve). In each triplet, one bird was instrumented for recording of EEG and ECG while the behaviour of all three birds was observed. Birds showed a consistent sequence of behaviours during LAPS (ataxia, loss of posture, clonic convulsions and motionless) which were observed in all birds. Leg paddling, tonic convulsions, slow wing flapping, mandibulation, head shaking, open bill breathing, deep inhalation, jumping and vocalisation were observed in a proportion of birds. Spectral analysis of EEG responses at 2 s intervals throughout LAPS revealed progressive decreases in median frequency at the same time as corresponding progressive increases in total power, followed later by decreases in total power as all birds exhibited isoelectric EEG and died. There was a very pronounced increase in total power at 50–60 s into the LAPS cycle, which corresponded to dominance of the signal by high amplitude slow waves, indicating loss of consciousness. Slow wave EEG was seen early in the LAPS process, before behavioural evidence of loss of consciousness such as ataxia and loss of posture, almost certainly due to the fact that it was completely dark in the LAPS chamber. ECG recordings showed a pronounced bradycardia (starting on average 49.6 s into LAPS), often associated with arrhythmia, until around 60 s into LAPS when heart rate levelled off. There was a good correlation between behavioural, EEG and cardiac measures in relation to loss of consciousness which collectively provide a loss of consciousness estimate of around 60 s. There were some effects of temperature adjusted pressure curves on behavioural latencies and ECG responses, but in general responses were consistent and very similar to those reported in previous research on controlled atmosphere stunning with inert gases. The results suggest that the process is humane (slaughter without avoidable fear, anxiety, pain, suffering and distress). In particular, the maintenance of slow wave EEG patterns in the early part of LAPS (while birds are still conscious) is strongly suggestive that LAPS is non-aversive, since we would expect this to be interrupted by pain or discomfort

Measurement of the cross section for isolated-photon plus jet production in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV using the ATLAS detector

The dynamics of isolated-photon production in association with a jet in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV are studied with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using a dataset with an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb−1. Photons are required to have transverse energies above 125 GeV. Jets are identified using the anti- algorithm with radius parameter and required to have transverse momenta above 100 GeV. Measurements of isolated-photon plus jet cross sections are presented as functions of the leading-photon transverse energy, the leading-jet transverse momentum, the azimuthal angular separation between the photon and the jet, the photon–jet invariant mass and the scattering angle in the photon–jet centre-of-mass system. Tree-level plus parton-shower predictions from Sherpa and Pythia as well as next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from Jetphox and Sherpa are compared to the measurements

Measurement of the View the tt production cross-section using eμ events with b-tagged jets in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper describes a measurement of the inclusive top quark pair production cross-section (σtt¯) with a data sample of 3.2 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 13 TeV, collected in 2015 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. This measurement uses events with an opposite-charge electron–muon pair in the final state. Jets containing b-quarks are tagged using an algorithm based on track impact parameters and reconstructed secondary vertices. The numbers of events with exactly one and exactly two b-tagged jets are counted and used to determine simultaneously σtt¯ and the efficiency to reconstruct and b-tag a jet from a top quark decay, thereby minimising the associated systematic uncertainties. The cross-section is measured to be: σtt¯ = 818 ± 8 (stat) ± 27 (syst) ± 19 (lumi) ± 12 (beam) pb, where the four uncertainties arise from data statistics, experimental and theoretical systematic effects, the integrated luminosity and the LHC beam energy, giving a total relative uncertainty of 4.4%. The result is consistent with theoretical QCD calculations at next-to-next-to-leading order. A fiducial measurement corresponding to the experimental acceptance of the leptons is also presented

A search for resonances decaying into a Higgs boson and a new particle X in the XH → qqbb final state with the ATLAS detector

A search for heavy resonances decaying into a Higgs boson (H) and a new particle (X) is reported, utilizing 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data at collected during 2015 and 2016 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The particle X is assumed to decay to a pair of light quarks, and the fully hadronic final state is analysed. The search considers the regime of high XH resonance masses, where the X and H bosons are both highly Lorentz-boosted and are each reconstructed using a single jet with large radius parameter. A two-dimensional phase space of XH mass versus X mass is scanned for evidence of a signal, over a range of XH resonance mass values between 1 TeV and 4 TeV, and for X particles with masses from 50 GeV to 1000 GeV. All search results are consistent with the expectations for the background due to Standard Model processes, and 95% CL upper limits are set, as a function of XH and X masses, on the production cross-section of the resonance