Position Sensing from Charge Dispersion in Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors with a Resistive Anode

Micro-pattern gas detectors, such as the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) and the Micromegas need narrow high density anode readout elements to achieve good spatial resolution. A high-density anode readout would require an unmanageable number of electronics channels for certain potential micro-detector applications such as the Time Projection Chamber. We describe below a new technique to achieve good spatial resolution without increasing the electronics channel count in a modified micro-detector outfitted with a high surface resistivity anode readout structure. The concept and preliminary measurements of spatial resolution from charge dispersion in a modified GEM detector with a resistive anode are described below.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Nucl. Inst. Meth; typo in eqn 4 corrected, fig 2 updated accordingl

Spatial resolution of a GEM readout TPC using the charge dispersion signal

A large volume Time Projection Chamber (TPC) is being considered for the central charged particle tracker for the detector for the proposed International Linear Collider (ILC). To meet the ILC-TPC spatial resolution challenge of ~100 microns with a manageable number of readout pads and channels of electronics, Micro Pattern Gas Detectors (MPGD) are being developed which could use pads comparable in width to the proportional-wire/cathode-pad TPC. We have built a prototype GEM readout TPC with 2 mm x 6 mm pads using the new concept of charge dispersion in MPGDs with a resistive anode. The dependence of transverse resolution on the drift distance has been measured for small angle tracks in cosmic ray tests without a magnetic field for Ar/CO2 (90:10). The GEM-TPC resolution with charge dispersion readout is significantly better than previous measurements carried out with conventional direct charge readout techniques.Comment: 5 figures, 10 page

Resolution studies of cosmic-ray tracks in a TPC with GEM readout

A large volume TPC is a leading candidate for the central tracking detector at a future high energy linear collider. To improve the resolution a new readout based on micro-pattern gas detectors is being developed. Measurements of the spatial resolution of cosmic-ray tracks in a GEM TPC are presented. We find that the resolution suffers if the readout pads are too wide with respect to the charge distribution at the readout plane due to insufficient charge sharing. For narrow pads of 2 x 6 mm**2 we measure a resolution of 100 micometer at short drift distances in the absence of an axial magnetic field. The dependence of the spatial resolution as a function of drift distance allows the determination of the underlying electron statistics. Our results show that the present technique uses about half the statistical power available from the number of primary electrons. The track angle effect is observed as expected.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, version as published in Nucl. Inst. Met

A measurement of the tau mass and the first CPT test with tau leptons

We measure the mass of the tau lepton to be 1775.1+-1.6(stat)+-1.0(syst.) MeV using tau pairs from Z0 decays. To test CPT invariance we compare the masses of the positively and negatively charged tau leptons. The relative mass difference is found to be smaller than 3.0 10^-3 at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, Submitted to Phys. Letts.

First Measurement of Z/gamma* Production in Compton Scattering of Quasi-real Photons

We report the first observation of Z/gamma* production in Compton scattering of quasi-real photons. This is a subprocess of the reaction e+e- to e+e-Z/gamma*, where one of the final state electrons is undetected. Approximately 55 pb-1 of data collected in the year 1997 at an e+e- centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP have been analysed. The Z/gamma* from Compton scattering has been detected in the hadronic decay channel. Within well defined kinematic bounds, we measure the product of cross-section and Z/gamma* branching ratio to hadrons to be (0.9+-0.3+-0.1) pb for events with a hadronic mass larger than 60 GeV, dominated by (e)eZ production. In the hadronic mass region between 5 GeV and 60 GeV, dominated by (e)egamma* production, this product is found to be (4.1+-1.6+-0.6) pb. Our results agree with the predictions of two Monte Carlo event generators, grc4f and PYTHIA.Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX, 5 eps figures included, submitted to Physics Letters

Search for Higgs Bosons in e+e- Collisions at 183 GeV

The data collected by the OPAL experiment at sqrts=183 GeV were used to search for Higgs bosons which are predicted by the Standard Model and various extensions, such as general models with two Higgs field doublets and the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of approximately 54pb-1. None of the searches for neutral and charged Higgs bosons have revealed an excess of events beyond the expected background. This negative outcome, in combination with similar results from searches at lower energies, leads to new limits for the Higgs boson masses and other model parameters. In particular, the 95% confidence level lower limit for the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson is 88.3 GeV. Charged Higgs bosons can be excluded for masses up to 59.5 GeV. In the MSSM, mh > 70.5 GeV and mA > 72.0 GeV are obtained for tan{beta}>1, no and maximal scalar top mixing and soft SUSY-breaking masses of 1 TeV. The range 0.8 < tanb < 1.9 is excluded for minimal scalar top mixing and m{top} < 175 GeV. More general scans of the MSSM parameter space are also considered.Comment: 49 pages. LaTeX, including 33 eps figures, submitted to European Physical Journal

A Measurement of the Product Branching Ratio f(b->Lambda_b).BR(Lambda_b->Lambda X) in Z0 Decays

The product branching ratio, f(b->Lambda_b).BR(Lambda_b->Lambda X), where Lambda_b denotes any weakly-decaying b-baryon, has been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. Lambda_b are selected by the presence of energetic Lambda particles in bottom events tagged by the presence of displaced secondary vertices. A fit to the momenta of the Lambda particles separates signal from B meson and fragmentation backgrounds. The measured product branching ratio is f(b->Lambda_b).BR(Lambda_b->Lambda X) = (2.67+-0.38(stat)+0.67-0.60(sys))% Combined with a previous OPAL measurement, one obtains f(b->Lambda_b).BR(Lambda_b->Lambda X) = (3.50+-0.32(stat)+-0.35(sys))%.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX, 3 eps figs included, submitted to the European Physical Journal

Measurement of the Michel Parameters in Leptonic Tau Decays

The Michel parameters of the leptonic tau decays are measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The Michel parameters are extracted from the energy spectra of the charged decay leptons and from their energy-energy correlations. A new method involving a global likelihood fit of Monte Carlo generated events with complete detector simulation and background treatment has been applied to the data recorded at center-of-mass energies close to sqrt(s) = M(Z) corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 155 pb-1 during the years 1990 to 1995. If e-mu universality is assumed and inferring the tau polarization from neutral current data, the measured Michel parameters are extracted. Limits on non-standard coupling constants and on the masses of new gauge bosons are obtained. The results are in agreement with the V-A prediction of the Standard Model.Comment: 32 pages, LaTeX, 9 eps figures included, submitted to the European Physical Journal

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is a second generation water Cherenkov detector designed to determine whether the currently observed solar neutrino deficit is a result of neutrino oscillations. The detector is unique in its use of D2O as a detection medium, permitting it to make a solar model-independent test of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis by comparison of the charged- and neutral-current interaction rates. In this paper the physical properties, construction, and preliminary operation of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory are described. Data and predicted operating parameters are provided whenever possible.Comment: 58 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Nucl. Inst. Meth. Uses elsart and epsf style files. For additional information about SNO see http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca . This version has some new reference