Searching for a heavy Higgs boson via the H --> l nu jj decay mode at the CERN LHC

The discovery of a heavy Higgs boson with mass up to m_H = 1 TeV at the CERN LHC is possible in the H--> W^+W^- --> l nu jj decay mode. The weak boson scattering signal and backgrounds from t\bar tjj and from W+jets production are analyzed with parton level Monte Carlo programs which are built on full tree level amplitudes for all subprocesses. The use of double jet tagging and the reconstruction of the W invariant mass reduce the combined backgrounds to the same level as the Higgs signal. A central mini-jet veto, which distinguishes the different gluon radiation patterns of the hard processes, further improves the signal to background ratio to about 2.5:1, with a signal cross section of 1 fb. The jet energy asymmetry of the W --> jj decay will give a clear signature of the longitudinal polarization of the W's in the final event sample.Comment: 23 pages (with 7 embedded figures), Revtex, uses epsf.sty. Z-compressed postscript version also available at http://phenom.physics.wisc.edu/pub/preprints/1997/madph-97-1017.ps.Z or at ftp://phenom.physics.wisc.edu/pub/preprints/1997/madph-97-1017.ps.

Searching for H --> tau tau in weak boson fusion at the LHC

Weak boson fusion is a copious source of intermediate mass Higgs bosons at the LHC. The additional very energetic forward jets in these events provide for powerful background suppression tools. We analyze the $H \to \tau\tau$ decay mode for the Standard Model Higgs boson. A parton level analysis of the dominant physics backgrounds (mainly $Z \to \tau\tau$ and Drell-Yan production of $\tau$'s) and of reducible backgrounds (from $W+$ jet and $b\bar{b}$ production in association with two jets and subsequent leptonic decays) demonstrates that this channel allows the observation of $H \to \tau\tau$ in a low background environment, yielding a significant Higgs signal with an integrated luminosity of about 30 fb$^{-1}$. The weak boson fusion process thus allows direct measurement of the $H\tau\tau$ coupling.Comment: 32 pages, Revtex, uses epsf.sty, 6 postscript figures. Opposite sign charge requirement for tau candidates added for reducible backgrounds; cuts for two figures explained more clearly in text; typos correcte

A method for identifying H -> tau tau -> e mu pTmiss at the CERN LHC

Weak boson fusion promises to be a copious source of intermediate mass Higgs bosons at the LHC. The additional very energetic forward jets in these events provide for powerful background suppression tools. We analyze the subsequent H -> tau tau -> e mu pTmiss decay for Higgs boson masses in the 100-150 GeV range. A parton level analysis of the dominant backgrounds demonstrates that this channel allows the observation of H -> tau tau in a low-background environment, yielding a significant Higgs boson signal with an integrated luminosity of order 60 fb^-1 or less, over most of the mass range. We also restate a No-Lose Theorem for observation of at least one of the CP-even neutral Higgs bosons in the MSSM, which requires an integrated luminosity of only 40 fb^-1.Comment: 21 pages, 10 embedded PS figs; additional comments on b-jet veto in tt~ backgrounds; to be published in Phys Rev

Lithogenic and anthropogenic origin of trace elements in surface soils from Amynteo-Ptolemais-Kozani lignite basin

The concentrations of 45 trace elements were determined by ICP-MS in twelve uncultivated surface soil samples inside (S1, S2, S4-S10) and outside (S3, S11, S12) the Amynteo-Ptolemais-Kozani lignite basin, in six surrounding rock samples as well as in a composite fly ash sample. The six rock samples were chosen to be representative of the surrounding formations of the lignite basin, gneisses, limestones, ophiolites and granites. Equal quantities of fly ash from the four main Power Stations (Agios Dimitrios, Kardia, Ptolemais, Amynteo) were carefully mixed and homogenized to obtain the composite fly ash sample. The enrichment factors, which are the ratio of an element concentration to that of the worldwide average for surface soils, are also determined for all analyzed samples. The concentrations of the elements As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Ga, Gd, Hf, Hg, Ho, La, Li, Mo, Nb, Nd, Pb, Pr, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, U, V, Y and Zr, are more or less similar to the worldwide surface soils average, with enrichment factors 3.0 in all soil samples, Ni in ten soil samples, Cr in seven, Zn in three, Co in two and Win one soil sample. The enrichment of the elements Co and W is mainly attributed to lithogenic (surrounding rocks) influences, while the enrichment of Ge and Se mainly implies anthropogenic influences (intensive lignite exploitation, combustion in Power Stations, fly ash, landfill in external deposits). Both lithogenic and anthropogenic influences are inferred from the enrichment of Ag, Ni, Cr and Zn.Peer reviewe

Environmentally Important Elements in Fly Ashes and Their Leachates of the Power Stations of Greece

9 páginas, 4 tablas.The relative mass of major and trace elements that potentially can be released from the fly ashes generated in the main Greek power plants (Megalopolis A, Amynteon, Agios Dimitrios, Ptolemais, and Kardia) when they are landfilled and exposed to water have been determined. These fly ashes were subject to a one-stage leaching procedure using the Synthetic Groundwater Leaching Procedure (SGLP) test to simulate this situation. The elements Si, Al, Fe, Ti, Ca, Mg, Na, K, S, Ag, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, I, La, Li, Lu, Mn, Mo, Nb, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Tl, Tm, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, and Zr have been studied. Results show that the elements with the highest potential hazard for the environment are S, Ca, Br, I, Mo, and Sr. The elements with a moderate mobility are K, Na, Ti, B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cs, Li, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, W, and Zn. Si, Al, Fe, Mg, Ag, As, Be, Bi, Ce, Co, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, La, Lu, Mn, Nb, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Sc, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, Tl, Tm, U, V, Y, Yb, and Zr have a low mobility and, consequently, a low potential hazard for the environment.This work was funded through the Greek-Spanish Bilateral Agreement for Scienti c Research, which is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewe

Abdominal wall endometrioma mimicking an incarcerated hernia: a case report

Christos Simoglou,1 Paul Zarogoulidis,2 Nikolaos Machairiotis,3 Konstantinos Porpodis,2 Lambros Simoglou,4 Alexandros Mitrakas,5 Agisilaos Esebidis,5 Eirini Sarika,6 George Kouklakis,7 Alkis Iordanidis,8 Nikolaos Katsikogiannis31Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece; 2Pulmonary Department, "G Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; 3Surgery Department (NHS), University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece; 4Surgical Clinic (NHS), Komotini General Hospital, Thrace, Greece; 51st University Surgery Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece; 6Biopathology Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece; 7Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Unit, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, 8Radiology Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, GreeceAbstract: The case of a tender, isolated abdominal wall tumor within a Pfannenstiel incision due to a seeding deposit of endometrial tissue secondary to a previous obstetric operation (caesarean section) in a 39-year-old female without previously reported pelvic endometriosis is presented. The lesion clinically mimicked the appearance of an incarcerated incisional hernia at the outer corner of the healed Pfannenstiel incision. The preoperative differential diagnosis also included that of a locally forming post-operative tender granuloma and the remote possibility of an incisional endometrioma (although no link to menstruation could be made). Local malignancy was not taken as a serious possibility. Definitive diagnosis of the excised lesion was made at histology. The pre-operative diagnostic dilemma is presented, along with a short review of the literature.Keywords: endometrioma, seeding endometriosis, abdominal wall tumo

Influence of Geological Conditions during Peat Accumulation on Trace Element Affinities and Their Behavior during Peat Combustion

7 páginas, 2 figuras, 7 tablas.The Philippi peat, NE Greece, constitutes one of the largest fossil fuel deposits in the Balkans and its potential use for power generation cannot be ruled out in the future. In this study, the concentrations of 43 trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, La, Li, Mo, Nb, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, and Zr) in the 550 °C peat ashes are determined and related to the concentrations in the bulk peat, to evaluate the behavior of each element during combustion. Mineralogical analysis of the chemically oxidized peat samples revealed that clay minerals, feldspars, quartz, gypsum, and calcite are the dominant mineral phases. The behavior of the trace elements during combustion depends significantly on this mineral composition that, in turn, depends on the depositional conditions during peat accumulation.This work was funded through the Greek-Spanish Bilateral Agreement for Scientific Research, which is gratefully acknowledged.Peer reviewe