279 research outputs found
Twilight in the Zone of Insolvency: Fiduciary Duty and Creditors of Troubled Companies - Comparative & International Perspectives
Search for Solar Axions Produced in the Reaction
A search for the axioelectric absorption of 5.5-MeV solar axions produced in
the reaction was performed with
two BGO detectors placed inside a low-background setup. A model independent
limit on axion-photon and axion-nucleon couplings was obtained: . Constraints on the axion-electron
coupling constant were obtained for axions with masses in the MeV
range: . The solar positron flux from
decay was determined for axions with masses . Using the existing experimental data on the interplanetary positron
flux, a new constraint on the axion-electron coupling constant for axions with
masses in the MeV range was obtained: .Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Pumping current of a Luttinger liquid with finite length
We study transport properties in a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid in the presence
of two time-dependent point like weak impurities, taking into account
finite-length effects. By employing analytical methods and performing a
perturbation theory, we compute the backscattering pumping current (I_bs) in
different regimes which can be established in relation to the oscillatory
frequency of the impurities and to the frequency related to the length and the
renormalized velocity (by the electron-electron interactions) of the charge
density modes. We investigate the role played by the spatial position of the
impurity potentials. We also show how the previous infinite length results for
I_bs are modified by the finite size of the system.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure
L-VRAP-a lunar volatile resources analysis package for lunar exploration
The Lunar Volatile Resources Analysis Package (L-VRAP) has been conceived to deliver some of the objectives of the proposed Lunar Lander mission currently being studied by the European Space Agency. The purpose of the mission is to demonstrate and develop capability; the impetus is very much driven by a desire to lay the foundations for future human exploration of the Moon. Thus, LVRAP has design goals that consider lunar volatiles from the perspective of both their innate scientific interest and also their potential for in situ utilisation as a resource. The device is a dual mass spectrometer system and is capable of meeting the requirements of the mission with respect to detection, quantification and characterisation of volatiles. Through the use of appropriate sampling techniques, volatiles from either the regolith or atmosphere (exosphere) can be analysed. Furthermore, since L-VRAP has the capacity to determine isotopic compositions, it should be possible for the instrument to determine the sources of the volatiles that are found on the Moon (be they lunar per se, extra-lunar, or contaminants imparted by the mission itself
Black Holes from Cosmic Rays: Probes of Extra Dimensions and New Limits on TeV-Scale Gravity
If extra spacetime dimensions and low-scale gravity exist, black holes will
be produced in observable collisions of elementary particles. For the next
several years, ultra-high energy cosmic rays provide the most promising window
on this phenomenon. In particular, cosmic neutrinos can produce black holes
deep in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to quasi-horizontal giant air showers.
We determine the sensitivity of cosmic ray detectors to black hole production
and compare the results to other probes of extra dimensions. With n \ge 4 extra
dimensions, current bounds on deeply penetrating showers from AGASA already
provide the most stringent bound on low-scale gravity, requiring a fundamental
Planck scale M_D > 1.3 - 1.8 TeV. The Auger Observatory will probe M_D as large
as 4 TeV and may observe on the order of a hundred black holes in 5 years. We
also consider the implications of angular momentum and possible exponentially
suppressed parton cross sections; including these effects, large black hole
rates are still possible. Finally, we demonstrate that even if only a few black
hole events are observed, a standard model interpretation may be excluded by
comparison with Earth-skimming neutrino rates.Comment: 30 pages, 18 figures; v2: discussion of gravitational infall, AGASA
and Fly's Eye comparison added; v3: Earth-skimming results modified and
strengthened, published versio
Search for heavy neutrinos mixing with tau neutrinos
We report on a search for heavy neutrinos (\nus) produced in the decay
D_s\to \tau \nus at the SPS proton target followed by the decay \nudecay in
the NOMAD detector. Both decays are expected to occur if \nus is a component
of .\
From the analysis of the data collected during the 1996-1998 runs with
protons on target, a single candidate event consistent with
background expectations was found. This allows to derive an upper limit on the
mixing strength between the heavy neutrino and the tau neutrino in the \nus
mass range from 10 to 190 . Windows between the SN1987a and Big Bang
Nucleosynthesis lower limits and our result are still open for future
experimental searches. The results obtained are used to constrain an
interpretation of the time anomaly observed in the KARMEN1 detector.\Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, a few comments adde
Final NOMAD results on nu_mu->nu_tau and nu_e->nu_tau oscillations including a new search for nu_tau appearance using hadronic tau decays
Results from the nu_tau appearance search in a neutrino beam using the full
NOMAD data sample are reported. A new analysis unifies all the hadronic tau
decays, significantly improving the overall sensitivity of the experiment to
oscillations. The "blind analysis" of all topologies yields no evidence for an
oscillation signal. In the two-family oscillation scenario, this sets a 90%
C.L. allowed region in the sin^2(2theta)-Delta m^2 plane which includes
sin^2(2theta)<3.3 x 10^{-4} at large Delta m^2 and Delta m^2 < 0.7 eV^2/c^4 at
sin^2(2theta)=1. The corresponding contour in the nu_e->nu_tau oscillation
hypothesis results in sin^2(2theta)<1.5 x 10^{-2} at large Delta m^2 and Delta
m^2 < 5.9 eV^2/c^4 at sin^2(2theta)=1. We also derive limits on effective
couplings of the tau lepton to nu_mu or nu_e.Comment: 46 pages, 16 figures, Latex, to appear on Nucl. Phys.
Search for nu(mu)-->nu(e) Oscillations in the NOMAD Experiment
We present the results of a search for nu(mu)-->nu(e) oscillations in the
NOMAD experiment at CERN. The experiment looked for the appearance of nu(e) in
a predominantly nu(mu) wide-band neutrino beam at the CERN SPS. No evidence for
oscillations was found. The 90% confidence limits obtained are delta m^2 < 0.4
eV^2 for maximal mixing and sin^2(2theta) < 1.4x10^{-3} for large delta m^2.
This result excludes the LSND allowed region of oscillation parameters with
delta m^2 > 10 eV^2.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Inclusive production of and mesons in charged current interactions
The inclusive production of the meson resonances ,
and in neutrino-nucleus charged current interactions has been
studied with the NOMAD detector exposed to the wide band neutrino beam
generated by 450 GeV protons at the CERN SPS. For the first time the
meson is observed in neutrino interactions. The statistical
significance of its observation is 6 standard deviations. The presence of
in neutrino interactions is reliably established. The average
multiplicity of these three resonances is measured as a function of several
kinematic variables. The experimental results are compared to the
multiplicities obtained from a simulation based on the Lund model. In addition,
the average multiplicity of in antineutrino - nucleus
interactions is measured.Comment: 23 pages, 14 figures, 8 tables. To appear in Nucl. Phys.
Prediction of Neutrino Fluxes in the NOMAD Experiment
The method developed for the calculation of the flux and composition of the
West Area Neutrino Beam used by NOMAD in its search for neutrino oscillations
is described. The calculation is based on particle production rates computed
using a recent version of FLUKA and modified to take into account the cross
sections measured by the SPY and NA20 experiments. These particles are
propagated through the beam line taking into account the material and magnetic
fields they traverse. The neutrinos produced through their decays are tracked
to the NOMAD detector. The fluxes of the four neutrino flavours at NOMAD are
predicted with an uncertainty of about 8% for nu(mu) and nu(e), 10% for
antinu(mu), and 12% for antinu(e). The energy-dependent uncertainty achieved on
the R(e, mu) prediction needed for a nu(mu)->nu(e) oscillation search ranges
from 4% to 7%, whereas the overall normalization uncertainty on this ratio is
4.2%.Comment: 43 pages, 20 figures. Submitted to Nucl. Phys.
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