Tropical cyclone intensity change. A quantitative forecasting scheme

One to two day future tropical cyclone intensity change from both a composite and an individual case point-of-view are discussed. Tropical cyclones occurring in the Gulf of Mexico during the period 1957-1977 form the primary data source. Weather charts of the NW Atlantic were initially examined, but few differences were found between intensifying and non-intensifying cyclones. A rawinsonde composite analysis detected composite differences in the 200 mb height fields, the 850 mb temperature fields, the 200 mb zonal wind and the vertical shears of the zonal wind. The individual cyclones which make up the composite study were then separately examined using this composite case knowledge. Similar parameter differences were found in a majority of individual cases. A cyclone intensity change forecast scheme was tested against independent storm cases. Correct predictions of intensification or non-intensification could be made approximately 75% of the time

Early Results on Radioactive Background Characterization for Sanford Laboratory and DUSEL Experiments

Measuring external sources of background for a deep underground laboratory at the Homestake Mine is an important step for the planned low-background experiments. The naturally occurring $\gamma$-ray fluxes at different levels in the Homestake Mine are studied using NaI detectors and Monte Carlo simulations. A simple algorithm is developed to convert the measured $\gamma$-ray rates into $\gamma$-ray fluxes. A good agreement between the measured and simulated $\gamma$-ray fluxes is achieved with the knowledge of the chemical composition and radioactivity levels in the rock. The neutron fluxes and $\gamma$-ray fluxes are predicted by Monte Carlo simulations for different levels including inaccessible levels that are under construction for the planned low background experiments.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures, and 9 table

Morphology-dependent trends of galaxy age with environment in Abell 901/902 seen with COMBO-17

We investigate correlations between galaxy age and environment in the Abell 901/2 supercluster for separate morphologies. Using COMBO-17 data, we define a sample of 530 galaxies, complete at $M_V -5\log h<-18$ on an area of $3.5\times 3.5$ (Mpc/$h$)$^2$. We explore several age indicators including an extinction-corrected residual from the colour-magnitude relation (CMR). As a result, we find a clear trend of age with density for galaxies of all morphologies that include a spheroidal component, in the sense that galaxies in denser environments are older. This trend is not seen among Scd/Irr galaxies since they all have young ages. However, the trend among the other types is stronger for fainter galaxies. While we also see an expected age-morphology relation, we find no evidence for a morphology-density relation at fixed age.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS (Letters

Polarization morphology of SiO masers in the circumstellar envelope of the AGB star R Cassiopeiae

Silicon monoxide maser emission has been detected in the circumstellar envelopes of many evolved stars in various vibrationally-excited rotational transitions. It is considered a good tracer of the wind dynamics close to the photosphere of the star. We have investigated the polarization morphology in the circumstellar envelope of an AGB star, R Cas. We mapped the linear and circular polarization of SiO masers in the v=1, J=1-0 transition. The linear polarization is typically a few tens of percent while the circular polarization is a few percent. The fractional polarization tends to be higher for emission of lower total intensity. We found that, in some isolated features the fractional linear polarization appears to exceed 100%. We found the Faraday rotation is not negligible but is ~15 deg., which could produce small scale structure in polarized emission whilst total intensity is smoother and partly resolved out. The polarization angles vary considerably from feature to feature but there is a tendency to favour the directions parallel or perpendicular to the radial direction with respect to the star. In some features, the polarization angle abruptly flips 90 deg. We found that our data are in the regime where the model of Goldreich et al (1973) can be applied and the polarization angle flip is caused when the magnetic field is at close to 55 deg. to the line of sight. The polarization angle configuration is consistent with a radial magnetic field although other configurations are not excluded.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Search for the Standard Model Higgs Boson in the Diphoton Decay Channel with 4.9 fb^(-1) of pp Collision Data at √s = 7 TeV with ATLAS

A search for the standard model Higgs boson is performed in the diphoton decay channel. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.9  fb^(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s = 7  TeV. In the diphoton mass range 110–150 GeV, the largest excess with respect to the background-only hypothesis is observed at 126.5 GeV, with a local significance of 2.8 standard deviations. Taking the look-elsewhere effect into account in the range 110–150 GeV, this significance becomes 1.5 standard deviations. The standard model Higgs boson is excluded at 95% confidence level in the mass ranges of 113–115 GeV and 134.5–136 GeV

Measurement of the W →τν_τ cross section in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

The cross section for the production of W bosons with subsequent decay W→τν_τ is measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on a data sample that was recorded in 2010 at a proton–proton center-of-mass energy of √s = 7TeV and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^(−1). The cross section is measured in a region of high detector acceptance and then extrapolated to the full phase space. The product of the total W production cross section and the W→τν_τ branching ratio is measured to be σ^(tot) _(W→τντ) = 11.1±0.3 (stat)±1.7 (syst)±0.4 (lumi) nb

Measurement of the W^±Z production cross section and limits on anomalous triple gauge couplings in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter presents a measurement of W^± Z production in 1.02 fb^(−1) of pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2011. Doubly leptonic decay events are selected with electrons, muons and missing transverse momentum in the final state. In total 71 candidates are observed, with a background expectation of 12.1 ± 1.4(stat.)^(+4.1)_(−2.0)(syst.) events. The total cross section for W^± Z production for Z/γ^∗ masses within the range 66 GeV to 116 GeV is determined to be σ^(tot)_(WZ) = 20.5^(+3.1)_(−2.8)(stat.)^(+1.4)_(−1.3)(syst.)^(+0.9)_(−0.8)(lumi.) pb, which is consistent with the Standard Model expectation of 17.3^(+1.3) _(0.8) pb. Limits on anomalous triple gauge boson couplings are extracted

Search for a Light Higgs Boson Decaying to Long-Lived Weakly Interacting Particles in Proton-Proton Collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS Detector

A search for the decay of a light Higgs boson (120–140 GeV) to a pair of weakly interacting, long-lived particles in 1.94  fb^(-1) of proton-proton collisions at √s=7  TeV recorded in 2011 by the ATLAS detector is presented. The search strategy requires that both long-lived particles decay inside the muon spectrometer. No excess of events is observed above the expected background and limits on the Higgs boson production times branching ratio to weakly interacting, long-lived particles are derived as a function of the particle proper decay length

Search for contact interactions in dilepton events from pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter presents a search for contact interactions in the dielectron and dimuon channels using data from proton–proton collisions produced by the LHC at √s=7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. The data sample, collected in 2011, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.08 and 1.21 fb^(−1) in the e^+e^− and μ^+μ^− channels, respectively. No significant deviations from the standard model are observed. Using a Bayesian approach with a prior flat in 1/Λ^2, the following 95% CL lower limits are placed on the energy scale of ℓℓqq contact interactions: Λ−>10.1 TeV (Λ^+>9.4 TeV) in the electron channel and Λ^−>8.0 TeV (Λ^+>7.0 TeV) in the muon channel for constructive (destructive) interference in the left–left isoscalar contact interaction model. Limits are also provided for a prior flat in 1/Λ^4