VERITAS: the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System

The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) represents an important step forward in the study of extreme astrophysical processes in the universe. It combines the power of the atmospheric Cherenkov imaging technique using a large optical reflector with the power of stereoscopic observatories using arrays of separated telescopes looking at the same shower. The seven identical telescopes in VERITAS, each of aperture 10 m, will be deployed in a filled hexagonal pattern of side 80 m; each telescope will have a camera consisting of 499 pixels with a field of view of 3.5 deg VERITAS will substantially increase the catalog of very high energy (E > 100GeV) gamma-ray sources and greatly improve measurements of established sources.Comment: 44 pages, 16 figure

Pion photoproduction on the nucleon in the quark model

We present a detailed quark-model study of pion photoproduction within the effective Lagrangian approach. Cross sections and single-polarization observables are investigated for the four charge channels, $\gamma p\to \pi^+ n$, $\gamma n\to \pi^- p$, $\gamma p\to \pi^0 p$, and $\gamma n\to \pi^0 n$. Leaving the $\pi N\Delta$ coupling strength to be a free parameter, we obtain a reasonably consistent description of these four channels from threshold to the first resonance region. Within this effective Lagrangian approach, strongly constrainted by the quark model, we consider the issue of double-counting which may occur if additional {\it t}-channel contributions are included.Comment: Revtex, 35 pages, 16 eps figures; version to appear on PR

Guidelines and considerations for designing field experiments simulating precipitation extremes in forest ecosystems

1. Precipitation regimes are changing in response to climate change, yet understanding of how forest ecosystems respond to extreme droughts and pluvials remains incomplete. As future precipitation extremes will likely fall outside the range of historical variability, precipitation manipulation experiments (PMEs) are critical to advancing knowledge about potential ecosystem responses. However, few PMEs have been conducted in forests compared to short‐statured ecosystems, and forest PMEs have unique design requirements and constraints. Moreover, past forest PMEs have lacked coordination, limiting cross‐site comparisons. Here, we review and synthesize approaches, challenges, and opportunities for conducting PMEs in forests, with the goal of guiding design decisions, while maximizing the potential for coordination. 2. We reviewed 63 forest PMEs at 70 sites world‐wide. Workshops, meetings, and communications with experimentalists were used to generate and build consensus around approaches for addressing the key challenges and enhancing coordination. 3. Past forest PMEs employed a variety of study designs related to treatment level, replication, plot and infrastructure characteristics, and measurement approaches. Important considerations for establishing new forest PMEs include: selecting appropriate treatment levels to reach ecological thresholds; balancing cost, logistical complexity, and effectiveness in infrastructure design; and preventing unintended water subsidies. Response variables in forest PMEs were organized into three broad tiers reflecting increasing complexity and resource intensiveness, with the first tier representing a recommended core set of common measurements. 4. Differences in site conditions combined with unique research questions of experimentalists necessitate careful adaptation of guidelines for forest PMEs to balance local objectives with coordination among experiments. We advocate adoption of a common framework for coordinating forest PME design to enhance cross‐site comparability and advance fundamental knowledge about the response and sensitivity of diverse forest ecosystems to precipitation extremes.New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, Grant/Award Number: NH00071-M; Northern States Research Cooperative, Grant/Award Number: 14-DG-11242307- 142; National Science Foundation Long-Term Ecological Research, Grant/Award Number: 1637685; USDA Forest Service; University of New Hampshire; NASA, Grant/Award Number: NNX14AD31G; USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture McIntire- Stennis Project, Grant/Award Number: NH00071-M; U.S. Department of Energy; Office of Science’s Terrestrial Ecosystem Science program; Pacific Northwest National Labs’ LDRD program; MSCA-IF 2015; EU-Horizon2020 program; NSF’s Research Coordination Network Progra

Angular analysis of the decay B0→K*0μ+μ- from pp collisions at s=8 TeV

The angular distributions and the differential branching fraction of the decay B0→K⁎(892)0μ+μ− are studied using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.5 fb −1 collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in pp collisions at s=8 TeV . From 1430 signal decays, the forward–backward asymmetry of the muons, the K⁎(892)0 longitudinal polarization fraction, and the differential branching fraction are determined as a function of the dimuon invariant mass squared. The measurements are among the most precise to date and are in good agreement with standard model predictions

Search for the production of an excited bottom quark decaying to tW in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for supersymmetry in the vector-boson fusion topology in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

The first search for supersymmetry in the vector-boson fusion topology is presented. The search targets final states with at least two leptons, large missing transverse momentum, and two jets with a large separation in rapidity. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb −1 of proton-proton collisions at s = 8 s√=8 TeV collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC. The observed dijet invariant mass spectrum is found to be consistent with the expected standard model prediction. Upper limits are set on the cross sections for chargino and neutralino production with two associated jets, assuming the supersymmetric partner of the τ lepton to be the lightest slepton and the lightest slepton to be lighter than the charginos. For a so-called compressed-mass-spectrum scenario in which the mass difference between the lightest supersymmetric particle χ ˜ 1 0 χ~01 and the next lightest, mass-degenerate, gaugino particles χ ˜ 2 0 χ~02 and χ ˜ 1 ± χ~±1 is 50 GeV, a mass lower limit of 170 GeV is set for these latter two particles

Decomposing transverse momentum balance contributions for quenched jets in PbPb collisions at √sNN=2.76 TeV

Interactions between jets and the quark-gluon plasma produced in heavy ion collisions are studied via the angular distributions of summed charged-particle transverse momenta (pT) with respect to both the leading and subleading jet axes in high-pT dijet events. The contributions of charged particles in different momentum ranges to the overall event pT balance are decomposed into short-range jet peaks and a long-range azimuthal asymmetry in charged-particle pT. The results for PbPb collisions are compared to those in pp collisions using data collected in 2011 and 2013, at collision energy √ sNN = 2.76 TeV with integrated luminosities of 166 µb −1 and 5.3 pb−1 , respectively, by the CMS experiment at the LHC. Measurements are presented as functions of PbPb collision centrality, charged-particle pT, relative azimuth, and radial distance from the jet axis for balanced and unbalanced dijets