New Detectors to Explore the Lifetime Frontier

Long-lived particles (LLPs) are a common feature in many beyond the Standard Model theories, including supersymmetry, and are generically produced in exotic Higgs decays. Unfortunately, no existing or proposed search strategy will be able to observe the decay of non-hadronic electrically neutral LLPs with masses above $\sim$ GeV and lifetimes near the limit set by Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), $c \tau \lesssim 10^7 - 10^8$~m. We propose the MATHUSLA surface detector concept (MAssive Timing Hodoscope for Ultra Stable neutraL pArticles), which can be implemented with existing technology and in time for the high luminosity LHC upgrade to find such ultra-long-lived particles (ULLPs), whether produced in exotic Higgs decays or more general production modes. We also advocate for a dedicated LLP detector at a future 100 TeV collider, where a modestly sized underground design can discover ULLPs with lifetimes at the BBN limit produced in sub-percent level exotic Higgs decays.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. Added more detail to discussion of backgrounds. Various minor clarifications. Results and conclusions unchange

Electrical Properties of Carbon Fiber Support Systems

Carbon fiber support structures have become common elements of detector designs for high energy physics experiments. Carbon fiber has many mechanical advantages but it is also characterized by high conductivity, particularly at high frequency, with associated design issues. This paper discusses the elements required for sound electrical performance of silicon detectors employing carbon fiber support elements. Tests on carbon fiber structures are presented indicating that carbon fiber must be regarded as a conductor for the frequency region of 10 to 100 MHz. The general principles of grounding configurations involving carbon fiber structures will be discussed. To illustrate the design requirements, measurements performed with a silicon detector on a carbon fiber support structure at small radius are presented. A grounding scheme employing copper-kapton mesh circuits is described and shown to provide adequate and robust detector performance.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, submitted to NI

High-Resolution Whole-Mount In Situ Hybridization Using Quantum Dot Nanocrystals

The photostability and narrow emission spectra of nanometer-scale semiconductor crystallites (QDs) make them desirable candidates for whole-mount fluorescent in situ hybridization to detect mRNA transcripts in morphologically preserved intact embryos. We describe a method for direct QD labeling of modified oligonucleotide probes through streptavidin-biotin and antibody-mediated interactions (anti-FITC and anti-digoxigenin). To overcome permeability issues and allow QD conjugate penetration, embryos were treated with proteinase K. The use of QDs dramatically increased sensitivity of whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH) in comparison with organic fluorophores and enabled fluorescent detection of specific transcripts within cells without the use of enzymatic amplification. Therefore, this method offers significant advantages both in terms of sensitivity, as well as resolution. Specifically, the use of QDs alleviates issues of photostability and limited brightness plaguing organic fluorophores and allows fluorescent imaging of cleared embryos. It also offers new imaging possibilities, including intracellular localization of mRNAs, simultaneous multiple-transcript detection, and visualization of mRNA expression patterns in 3D

The MATHUSLA Test Stand

The rate of muons from LHC $pp$ collisions reaching the surface above the ATLAS interaction point is measured and compared with expected rates from decays of $W$ and $Z$ bosons and $b$- and $c$-quark jets. In addition, data collected during periods without beams circulating in the LHC provide a measurement of the background from cosmic ray inelastic backscattering that is compared to simulation predictions. Data were recorded during 2018 in a 2.5 $\times$ 2.5 $\times$ 6.5~$\rm{m}^3$ active volume MATHUSLA test stand detector unit consisting of two scintillator planes, one at the top and one at the bottom, which defined the trigger, and six layers of RPCs between them, grouped into three $(x,y)$-measuring layers separated by 1.74 m from each other. Triggers selecting both upward-going tracks and downward-going tracks were used.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures, 1 tabl

The Layer 0 Inner Silicon Detector of the D0 Experiment

This paper describes the design, fabrication, installation and performance of the new inner layer called Layer 0 (L0) that was inserted in the existing Run IIa Silicon Micro-Strip Tracker (SMT) of the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. L0 provides tracking information from two layers of sensors, which are mounted with center lines at a radial distance of 16.1 mm and 17.6 mm respectively from the beam axis. The sensors and readout electronics are mounted on a specially designed and fabricated carbon fiber structure that includes cooling for sensor and readout electronics. The structure has a thin polyimide circuit bonded to it so that the circuit couples electrically to the carbon fiber allowing the support structure to be used both for detector grounding and a low impedance connection between the remotely mounted hybrids and the sensors.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figure

Lambda and Antilambda polarization from deep inelastic muon scattering

We report results of the first measurements of Lambda and Antilambda polarization produced in deep inelastic polarized muon scattering on the nucleon. The results are consistent with an expected trend towards positive polarization with increasing x_F. The polarizations of Lambda and Antilambda appear to have opposite signs. A large negative polarization for Lambda at low positive x_F is observed and is not explained by existing models.A possible interpretation is presented.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure