Improved variables for measuring the LambdabLambda_b polarization

We discuss a few possible strategies for measuring the polarization of the $\Lambda_{\mathrm{b}}$ baryons produced in $e^+e^-$-annihilation at the $\mathrm{Z}$ resonance through their inclusive semileptonic decays. After reviewing the existing methods, a new method is proposed, based on the ratio of the averages of the squared electron and neutrino energy, including both perturbative and nonperturbative corrections. This variable minimizes the statistical error on the $\Lambda_{\mathrm{b}}$ polarization, while keeping the systematic theoretical errors at the level of 1-2%. A number of other polarization-sensitive variables are also discussed, such as averages of ratios of the electron and neutrino energy and the distribution in the difference of the electron and neutrino rapidities.Comment: 23 pages, 4 uuencoded figures, REVTe

Analyticity, crossing and the absorptive parts of the one-loop contributions to the quark-quark-gluon gauge boson four-point function

Starting from the known one-loop result for the $e^{+}e^{-}$-annihilation process $e^{+}e^{-}\stackrel{\gamma,Z} {\longrightarrow} q\bar{q}g$ with massless quarks we employ analyticity and crossing to determine the absorptive parts of the corresponding one-loop contributions in Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) and in the Drell-Yan process (DY). Whereas the ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^2)$ absorptive parts generate a non-measurable phase factor in the $e^{+}e^{-}$-annihilation channel one obtains measurable phase effects from the one-loop contributions in the deep inelastic and in the Drell-Yan case. We compare our results with the results of previous calculations where the absorptive parts in DIS and in the DY process were calculated directly in the respective channels. We also present some new results on the dispersive and absorptive contributions of the triangle anomaly graph to the DIS process.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures, typos corrected. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Effects of QCD Resummation on Distributions of Leptons from the Decay of Electroweak Vector Bosons

We study the distributions of leptons from the decay of electroweak vector bosons produced in hadron collisions. The effects of the initial state multiple soft-gluon emission, using the Collins--Soper resummation formalism, are included. The resummed results are compared with the next-to-leading-order results for the distributions of the transverse momentum, rapidity asymmetry, and azimuthal angle of the decay leptons.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures uuencoded, LaTeX, uses epsf.tex for figures. (Was replaced on 5/2/95 because of mailer problems.

Vertical mixing in atmospheric tracer transport models: error characterization and propagation

International audienceImperfect representation of vertical mixing near the surface in atmospheric transport models leads to uncertainties in modelled tracer mixing ratios. When using the atmosphere as an integrator to derive surface-atmosphere exchange from mixing ratio observations made in the atmospheric boundary layer, this uncertainty has to be quantified and taken into account. A comparison between radiosonde-derived mixed layer heights and mixed layer heights derived from ECMWF meteorological data during May?June 2005 in Europe revealed random discrepancies of about 40% for the daytime with insignificant bias errors, and much larger values approaching 100% for nocturnal mixed layers with bias errors also exceeding 50%. The Stochastic Time Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model was used to propagate this uncertainty into CO2 mixing ratio uncertainties, accounting for spatial and temporal error covariance. Average values of 3 ppm were found for the 2 month period, indicating that this represents a large fraction of the overall uncertainty. A pseudo data experiment shows that the error propagation with STILT avoids biases in flux retrievals when applied in inversions. The results indicate that transport models driven by current generation data assimilation for meteorological fields is by far not sufficient for inversions of continental mixing ratio data. As a solution we suggest the use of better, higher resolution atmospheric models, and a modification of the overall sampling strategy

Helicity Analysis of Semileptonic Hyperon Decays Including Lepton Mass Effects

Using the helicity method we derive complete formulas for the joint angular decay distributions occurring in semileptonic hyperon decays including lepton mass and polarization effects. Compared to the traditional covariant calculation the helicity method allows one to organize the calculation of the angular decay distributions in a very compact and efficient way. In the helicity method the angular analysis is of cascade type, i.e. each decay in the decay chain is analyzed in the respective rest system of that particle. Such an approach is ideally suited as input for a Monte Carlo event generation program. As a specific example we take the decay $\Xi^0 \to \Sigma^+ + l^- + \bar{\nu}_l$ ($l^-=e^-, \mu^-$) followed by the nonleptonic decay $\Sigma^+ \to p + \pi^0$ for which we show a few examples of decay distributions which are generated from a Monte Carlo program based on the formulas presented in this paper. All the results of this paper are also applicable to the semileptonic and nonleptonic decays of ground state charm and bottom baryons, and to the decays of the top quark.Comment: Published version. 40 pages, 11 figures included in the text. Typos corrected, comments added, references added and update

Water relations of climbing ivy in a temperate forest

Ivy (Hedera helix) is the most important liana in temperate European forests. We studied water relations of adult ivy in a natural, 35m tall mixed deciduous forest in Switzerland using a construction crane to access the canopy. Predawn leaf water potential at the top of climbing ivy ranged from −0.4 to −0.6MPa, daily minima ranged from −1.3 to −1.7MPa. Leaf water potentials as well as relative sap flow were held surprisingly constant throughout different weather conditions, suggesting a tendency to isohydric behaviour. Maximum stomatal conductance was 200mmolm−2s−1. The use of a potometer experiment allowed us to measure absolute transpiration rates integrated over a whole plant of 0.23mmolm−2s−1. Nightly sap flow of ivy during warm, dry nights accounted for up to 20% of the seasonal maximum. Maximum sap flow rates were reached at ca. 0.5kPa vpd. On the other hand, the host trees showed a less conservative stomatal regulation, maximum sap flow rates were reached at vpd values of ca. 1kPa. Sap flow rates of ivy decreased by ca. 20% in spring after bud break of trees, suggesting that ivy profits strongly from warm sunny days in early spring before budbreak of the host trees and from mild winter days. This species may benefit from rising winter temperatures in Europe and thus become a stronger competitor against its host tree

Probing the tails of the ground state energy distribution for the directed polymer in a random medium of dimension d=1,2,3d=1,2,3 via a Monte-Carlo procedure in the disorder

In order to probe with high precision the tails of the ground-state energy distribution of disordered spin systems, K\"orner, Katzgraber and Hartmann \cite{Ko_Ka_Ha} have recently proposed an importance-sampling Monte-Carlo Markov chain in the disorder. In this paper, we combine their Monte-Carlo procedure in the disorder with exact transfer matrix calculations in each sample to measure the negative tail of ground state energy distribution $P_d(E_0)$ for the directed polymer in a random medium of dimension $d=1,2,3$. In $d=1$, we check the validity of the algorithm by a direct comparison with the exact result, namely the Tracy-Widom distribution. In dimensions $d=2$ and $d=3$, we measure the negative tail up to ten standard deviations, which correspond to probabilities of order $P_d(E_0) \sim 10^{-22}$. Our results are in agreement with Zhang's argument, stating that the negative tail exponent $\eta(d)$ of the asymptotic behavior $\ln P_d (E_0) \sim - | E_0 |^{\eta(d)}$ as $E_0 \to -\infty$ is directly related to the fluctuation exponent $\theta(d)$ (which governs the fluctuations $\Delta E_0(L) \sim L^{\theta(d)}$ of the ground state energy $E_0$ for polymers of length $L$) via the simple formula $\eta(d)=1/(1-\theta(d))$. Along the paper, we comment on the similarities and differences with spin-glasses.Comment: 13 pages, 16 figure

SU(3)_flavor analysis of two-body weak decays of charmed baryons

We study two-body weak decays of charmed baryons \Lambda_c and \Xi_c into an octet or decuplet baryon and a pseudoscalar meson employing the SU(3) flavor symmetry. Using certain measured Cabibbo-favored modes, we fix the reduced amplitudes and predict the branching ratios of various decays of charmed baryons in the Cabibbo-enhanced, -suppressed and -doubly suppressed modes.Comment: 25 pages, No figure, Phys. Rev. D (to appear