Systematic study of trace radioactive impurities in candidate construction materials for EXO-200

The Enriched Xenon Observatory (EXO) will search for double beta decays of 136Xe. We report the results of a systematic study of trace concentrations of radioactive impurities in a wide range of raw materials and finished parts considered for use in the construction of EXO-200, the first stage of the EXO experimental program. Analysis techniques employed, and described here, include direct gamma counting, alpha counting, neutron activation analysis, and high-sensitivity mass spectrometry.Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures. Expanded introduction, added missing table entry. Accepted for publication in Nucl. Instrum. Meth.

Light Sterile Neutrinos: A White Paper

This white paper addresses the hypothesis of light sterile neutrinos based on recent anomalies observed in neutrino experiments and the latest astrophysical data

Indication for the disappearance of reactor electron antineutrinos in the Double Chooz experiment

The Double Chooz Experiment presents an indication of reactor electron antineutrino disappearance consistent with neutrino oscillations. A ratio of 0.944 $\pm$ 0.016 (stat) $\pm$ 0.040 (syst) observed to predicted events was obtained in 101 days of running at the Chooz Nuclear Power Plant in France, with two 4.25 GW$_{th}$ reactors. The results were obtained from a single 10 m$^3$ fiducial volume detector located 1050 m from the two reactor cores. The reactor antineutrino flux prediction used the Bugey4 measurement as an anchor point. The deficit can be interpreted as an indication of a non-zero value of the still unmeasured neutrino mixing parameter \sang. Analyzing both the rate of the prompt positrons and their energy spectrum we find \sang = 0.086 $\pm$ 0.041 (stat) $\pm$ 0.030 (syst), or, at 90% CL, 0.015 $<$ \sang $\ <$ 0.16.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, (new version after PRL referee's comments

Precision Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters with KamLAND

The KamLAND experiment has determined a precise value for the neutrino oscillation parameter $\Delta m^{2}_{21}$ and stringent constraints on $\theta_{12}$. The exposure to nuclear reactor anti-neutrinos is increased almost fourfold over previous results to 2.44$\times10^{32}$ proton-yr due to longer livetime and an enlarged fiducial volume. An undistorted reactor $\bar{\nu}_{e}$ energy spectrum is now rejected at >5$\sigma$. Extending the analysis down to the inverse beta decay energy threshold, and incorporating geo-neutrinos, gives a best-fit at $\Delta m^{2}_{21}$= $7.58^{+0.14}_{-0.13}(stat)^{+0.15}_{-0.15}(syst)\times10^{-5}$ eV$^{2}$ and $\tan^2 \theta_{12}$=$0.56^{+0.10}_{0.07}(stat)^{+0.10}_{-0.06}(syst)$. Local $\Delta \chi^2$-minima at higher and lower $\Delta m^{2}_{21}$ are disfavored at >4$\sigma$. Combining with solar neutrino data, we obtain $\Delta m^{2}_{21}$= $7.59^{+0.21}_{-0.21}\times10^{-5}$ eV$^{2}$ and $\tan^2 \theta_{12}$=$0.47^{+0.06}_{-0.05}$.Comment: Version as published in PRL. Revised Fig. 2 (allowed contours) due to an error in the figure generating code (numbers or conclusions did not change). The full dChi2-map for this analysis is available at http://www.awa.tohoku.ac.jp/KamLAND/chi2map_3rdresult/chi2map.html . Fig. 3 (low E spectrum) was dropped due to space limitation

Business constraints and growth potential of micro and small manufacturing enterprises in Uganda

Ugandan micro and small enterprises (MSEs) still perform poorly. Studies associating poor performance of manufacturers with lack of finance and low investment ignore micro enterprises. Those focusing on MSEs are either exploratory in nature or employ a descriptive analysis, which cannot show the extent to which business constraints explain the performance of MSEs. Thus, this paper tries to examine the extent to which the growth of MSEs is associated with business constraints while controlling for owners’ attributes and firms’ characteristics. The results reveal that MSEs’ growth potential is negatively associated with limited access to productive resources (finance and business development services), high taxes and lack of market access