On Rationality

Rationality is an enduring topic of interest across the disciplines and has become even more so, given the current crises that are unfolding in our society. The four books reviewed here, which are written by academics working in economics, political science, political theory and philosophy, provide an interdisciplinary engagement with the idea of rationality and the way it has shaped the institutional frameworks and global political economy of our time. Rational choice theory has certainly proved to be a useful analytic tool in certain contexts, and instrumental reason has been a key tenet of human progress in several periods of history, including the industrial revolution and the modernity that emerged in the nineteenth century. Given the complexity of our current challenges, however, is it time to ask whether this paradigm might be better complemented by more holistic and heterodox approaches? Hindmoor A and Taylor TY (2015) Rational Choice (Political Analysis), 2nd edn. London; New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Massumi (2015) The Power at the End of the Economy. Durham: Duke University Press. Brown (2015) Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s Stealth Revolution. New York: Zone Books. Ludovisi SG (ed.) (2015) Critical Theory and the Challenge of Praxis: Beyond Reification. Farnham; Burlington, VT: Ashgate

The Search for eta(1440) --> K^0_S K^pm \pi^mp in Two-Photon Fusion at CLEO

We analyze 13.8 \rm fb^{-1} of the integrated e^+e^- luminosity collected at 10.6 GeV center-of-mass energy with the CLEO II and CLEO II.V detectors to study exclusive two-photon production of hadrons with masses below 1.7{\rm \ GeV/c^2} decaying into the K^0_S K^\pm \pi^\mp final state. We observe two statistically significant enhancements in the \eta(1440) mass region. These enhancements have large transverse momentum which rules them out as being due to pseudoscalar resonances but is consistent with the production of axial-vector mesons. We use tagged two-photon events to study the properties of the observed enhancements and associate them with the production of f_1(1285) and f_1(1420). Our non-observation of \eta(1440) is inconsistent by more than two standard deviations with the first observation of this resonance in two-photon collisions by the L3 experiment. We present our estimates for 90% confidence level upper limits on the products of two-photon partial widths of pseudoscalar hadrons and their branching fractions into K^0_S(\pi^+\pi^-)K^\pm\pi^\mp.Comment: 24 pages postscript,also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2004/, submitted to PR

Study of tau Decays to Four-Hadron Final States with Kaons

The tau decays to four hadrons have been studied with the CLEO III detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) using (7.56 +- 0.15) fb^{-1} of data collected near the Y(4S) resonance. We present the first statistically significant measurements of B(tau- -> K- pi+pi- pi0 nu, excluding K^0) = (7.4 +- 0.8 +- 1.1) x 10^{-4} and B(tau--> K- K+ pi- pi0 nu) = (5.5 +- 1.4 +- 1.2) x 10^{-5}, including the first observation of the decay, tau- -> K- omega nu, with branching fraction (4.1 +- 0.6 +- 0.7) x 10^{-4}. We also publish the first upper limit for B(tau- -> K- K+ K- pi0 nu) < 4.8 (6.1) x 10^{-6} at 90% (95%) confidence level (C.L.).Comment: 9 pages postscript, also available from http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2004/, submitted to PR

Limits on Neutral D Mixing in Semileptonic Decays

Using the CLEO II.V detector observing e+e- collisions at around 10.6 GeV we search for neutral D mixing in semileptonic D0 decays tagged in charged D* decays. Combining the results from the Kenu and K*enu channels we find that the rate for D mixing is less than 0.0078 at 90% C.L.Comment: 9 pages postscript,also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2005/, submitted to PR

Radiative Decays of the Upsilon(1S) to a Pair of Charged Hadrons

Using data obtained with the CLEO~III detector, running at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR), we report on a new study of exclusive radiative Upsilon(1S) decays into the final states gamma pi^+ pi^-, gamma K^+ K^-, and gamma p pbar.. We present branching ratio measurements for the decay modes Upsilon(1S) to gamma f_2(1270), Upsilon(1S) to gamma f_2'(1525), and Upsilon(1S) to gamma K^+K^-; helicity production ratios for f_2(1270) and f_2'(1525); upper limits for the decay Upsilon(1S) to gamma f_J(2200), with f_J(2220) to pi^+ pi^-, K^+ K^-, p pbar; and an upper limit for the decay Upsilon(1S) to gamma X(1860), with X(1860) to gamma p pbar.Comment: 17 pages postscript,also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2005/, Submitted to PR

Photon transitions in Upsilon(2S) and Upsilon(3S)

We have studied the inclusive photon spectra in Upsilon(2S) and \Upsilon(3S) decays using a large statistics data sample obtained with the CLEO III detector. We present the most precise measurements of electric dipole (E1) photon transition rates and photon energies for Upsilon(2S)->gamma chi_bJ(1P) and Upsilon(3S)->gamma chi_bJ(2P) J=0,1,2. We measure the rate for a rare E1 transition Upsilon(3S)->gamma chi_b0(1P) for the first time. We also set upper limits on the rates for the hindered magnetic dipole (M1) transitions to the eta_b(1S) and eta_b(2S) states.Comment: 10 pages postscript,also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2004/, submitted to PR

Evidence for B^(*)_s bar{B}^(*)_s Production at the Upsilon(5S)

Using data collected by the CLEO III detector at CESR, we started a series of investigations on the Upsilon(5S) resonance decay properties. The data sample used for this analysis consists of 0.42 fb-1 of data taken on the Upsilon(5S) resonance, 6.34 fb-1 of data collected on the Upsilon(4S) and 2.32 fb-1 of data taken in the continuum below the Upsilon(4S). B_s mesons are expected to decay predominantly into D_s meson, while the lighter B mesons decay into D_s only about 10% of the time. We exploit this difference to make a preliminary model dependent estimate of the ratio of B_s(*) anti-B_s(*) to the total b anti-b quark pair production at the Upsilon(5S) energy to be (21 +- 3 +- 9)%.Comment: 17 pages postscript,also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CONF/2004/, Presented at ICHEP Aug 16-22,2004, Beijing, Chin

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

Study of dipion transitions among Upsilon(3S), Upsilon(2S), and Upsilon(1S) states

We present measurements of decay matrix elements for hadronic transitions of the form Upsilon(nS)-\u3eUpsilon(mS)pi pi, where (n,m)=(3,1),(2,1),(3,2). We reconstruct charged and neutral pion modes with the final state Upsilon decaying to either mu(+)mu(-) or e(+)e(-). Dalitz plot distributions for the 12 decay modes are fit individually as well as jointly assuming isospin symmetry, thereby measuring the matrix elements of the decay amplitude. We observe and account for the anomaly previously noted in the dipion invariant mass distribution for the Upsilon(3S)-\u3eUpsilon(1S)pi pi transition and obtain good descriptions of the dynamics of the decay using the most general decay amplitude allowed by partial conservation of the axial-vector current considerations. The fits further indicate that the Upsilon(2S)-\u3eUpsilon(1S)pi pi and Upsilon(3S)-\u3eUpsilon(2S)pi pi transitions also show the presence of terms in the decay amplitude that were previously ignored, although at a relatively suppressed level

Study of Di-Pion Transitions Among Upsilon(3S), Upsilon(2S), and Upsilon(1S) States

We present measurements of decay matrix elements for hadronic transitions of the form Upsilon(nS) -> pi pi Upsilon(mS) where (n, m) = (3, 1), (2, 1), and (3, 2). We reconstruct charged and neutral pion modes with the final state Upsilon decaying to either mu+mu- or e+e-. Dalitz plot distributions for the twelve decay modes are fit individually as well as jointly assuming isospin symmetry, thereby measuring the matrix elements of the decay amplitude. We observe and account for the anomaly previously noted in the di-pion invariant mass distribution for the Upsilon(3S) -> pi pi Upsilon(1S) transition and obtain good descriptions of the dynamics of the decay using the most general decay amplitude allowed by partial conservation of the axial-vector current (PCAC) considerations. The fits further indicate that the Upsilon(2S) -> pi pi Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(3S) -> pi pi Upsilon(2S) transitions also show the presence of terms in the decay amplitude that were previously ignored, although at a relatively suppressed level.Comment: 24 pages postscript,also available through http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/2007/, Accepted by PRD, one new table, one reworked figur