Physical Reach of a Neutrino Factory in the 2+2 and 3+1 Four-Family Scenario

We compare the physical reach of a Neutrino Factory in the 2+2 and 3+1 four-family models, with similar results in the two schemes; in both cases huge CP-violating effects can be observed with a near detector in the $\nu_\mu \to \nu_\tau$ channel. We also study the capability of long baseline experiments (optimized for the study of the three-family mixing parameter space) in distinguishing a three (active) neutrino model from a four-family scenario.Comment: 5 latex2e pages, 2 figures; talk given at NuFact '01, Tsukuba, 24-30 May 200

The 2+2 and 3+1 Four-Family Neutrino Mixing at the Neutrino Factory

We upgrade the study of the physical reach of a Neutrino Factory in the Four Family Neutrino Mixing scenario taking into account the latest LSND results that points out how the 3+1 scheme cannot be completely ruled out within the present experimental data (although the 2+2 scheme is still the preferred choice when four neutrinos are considered). A detailed comparison of the physical reach of the $\nu$-factory in the two schemes is given, with similar results for the sensitivity to the mixing angles. Huge CP-violating effects can be observed in both schemes with a near, O(10) Km, detector of O(10) Kton size in the $\nu_\mu \to \nu_\tau$ channel. A smaller detector of 1 Kton size can still observe very large effects in this channel.Comment: 38 Latex2e pages, 21 figures using epsfig, minor change

Two-zero Majorana textures in the light of the Planck results

The recent results of the Planck experiment put a stringent constraint on the sum of the light neutrino masses, m1+m2+m3 < 0.23 eV (95 % CL). On the other hand, two-zero Majorana mass matrix textures predict strong correlations among the atmospheric angle and the sum of the masses. We use the Planck result to show that, for the normal hierarchy case, the texture with vanishing (2,2) and (3,3) elements is ruled out at a high confidence level; in addition, we emphasize that a future measurement of the octant of the atmospheric mixing angle (or the one sigma determination of it based on recent fit to neutrino data) will put severe constraint on the possible structure of the Majorana mass matrix. The implication of the above mentioned correlations for neutrinoless double beta-decay are also discussed, for both normal and inverted orderings.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

A Theoretical Prediction of the Bs-Meson Lifetime Difference

We present the results of a quenched lattice calculation of the operator matrix elements relevant for predicting the Bs width difference. Our main result is (\Delta\Gamma_Bs/\Gamma_Bs)= (4.7 +/- 1.5 +/- 1.6) 10^(-2), obtained from the ratio of matrix elements, R(m_b)=/<\bar B_s^0|Q_L|B_s^0>=-0.93(3)^(+0.00)_(-0.01). R(m_b) was evaluated from the two relevant B-parameters, B_S^{MSbar}(m_b)=0.86(2)^(+0.02)_(-0.03) and B_Bs^{MSbar}(m_b) = 0.91(3)^(+0.00)_(-0.06), which we computed in our simulation.Comment: 21 pages, 7 PostScript figure

Estimate of surface direct radiative forcing of desert dust from atmospheric modulation of the aerosol optical depth

Measurements carried out on the island of Lampedusa, in the central Mediterranean, on 7 September 2005, show the occurrence of a quasi-periodic oscillation of aerosol optical depth, column water vapour, and surface irradiance in different spectral bands. The oscillation has a period of about 13 min and is attributed to the propagation of a gravity wave able to modify the vertical structure of the planetary boundary layer, as also confirmed by satellite images. The wave occurred during a Saharan dust event. The oscillation amplitude is about 0.1 for the aerosol optical depth, and about 0.4 cm for the column water vapour. The modulation of the downward surface irradiances is in opposition of phase with respect to aerosol optical depth and water vapour column variations. The perturbation of the downward irradiance produced by the aerosols is determined by comparing the measured irradiances with estimated irradiances at a fixed value of the aerosol optical depth, and by correcting for the effect of the water vapour in the shortwave spectral range. The direct radiative forcing efficiency, i.e., the radiative perturbation of the net surface irradiance produced by a unit of optical depth aerosol layer, is determined at different solar zenith angles as the slope of the irradiance perturbation versus the aerosol optical depth. The estimated direct surface forcing efficiency at about 60° solar zenith angle is −(181 ± 17) W m−2 in the shortwave, and −(83 ± 7) W m−2 in the photosynthetic spectral range. The estimated daily average forcing efficiencies are of about −79 and −46 W m−2 for the shortwave and photosynthetic spectral range, respectively

Estimate of surface direct radiative forcing of desert dust from atmospheric modulation of the aerosol optical depth

Abstract. Measurements carried out on the island of Lampedusa, in the central Mediterranean, on 7 September 2005, show the occurrence of a quasi-periodic oscillation of aerosol optical depth, column water vapour, and surface irradiance in different spectral bands. The oscillation has a period of about 13 min and is attributed to the propagation of a gravity wave able to modify the vertical structure of the planetary boundary layer, as also confirmed by satellite images. The wave occurred during a Saharan dust event. The oscillation amplitude is about 0.1 for the aerosol optical depth, and about 0.4 cm for the column water vapour. The modulation of the downward surface irradiances is in opposition of phase with respect to aerosol optical depth and water vapour column variations. The perturbation of the downward irradiance produced by the aerosols is determined by comparing the measured irradiances with estimated irradiances at a fixed value of the aerosol optical depth, and by correcting for the effect of the water vapour in the shortwave spectral range. The direct radiative forcing efficiency, i.e., the radiative perturbation of the net surface irradiance produced by a unit of optical depth aerosol layer, is determined at different solar zenith angles as the slope of the irradiance perturbation versus the aerosol optical depth. The estimated direct surface forcing efficiency at about 60° solar zenith angle is −(181 ± 17) W m−2 in the shortwave, and −(83 ± 7) W m−2 in the photosynthetic spectral range. The estimated daily average forcing efficiencies are of about −79 and −46 W m−2 for the shortwave and photosynthetic spectral range, respectively

Probing new physics scenarios in accelerator and reactor neutrino experiments

We perform a detailed combined fit to the $\overline \nu_e \rightarrow \overline \nu_e$ disappearence data of the Daya Bay experiment and the appearance $\nu_{\mu} \rightarrow \nu_{e}$ and disappearance $\nu_{\mu} \rightarrow \nu_{\mu}$ data of the Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) one in the presence of two models of new physics affecting neutrino oscillations, namely a model where sterile neutrinos can propagate in a large compactified extra dimension and a model where non-standard interactions (NSI) affect the neutrino production and detection. We find that the Daya Bay $\oplus$ T2K data combination constrains the largest radius of the compactified extra dimensions to be $R\lesssim 0.17$ $\mu {\rm m}$ at 2$\sigma$ C.L. (for the inverted ordering of the neutrino mass spectrum) and the relevant NSI parameters in the range ${\mathcal O}(10^{-3})-{\mathcal O}(10^{-2})$, for particular choices of the charged parity violating phases.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables; typos corrected; matches published versio

Characterization of a disease-associated mutation affecting a putative splicing regulatory element in intron 6b of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common recessive disorder caused by >1600 mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. About 13% of CFTR mutations are classified as “splicing mutations,” but for almost 40% of these, their role in affecting the pre-mRNA splicing of the gene is not yet defined. In this work, we describe a new splicing mutation detected in three unrelated Italian CF patients. By DNA analyses and mRNA studies, we identified the c.1002–1110_1113delTAAG mutation localized in intron 6b of the CFTR gene. At the mRNA level, this mutation creates an aberrant inclusion of a sequence of 101 nucleotides between exons 6b and 7. This sequence corresponds to a portion of intron 6b and resembles a cryptic exon because it is characterized by an upstream ag and a downstream gt sequence, which are most probably recognized as 5′- and 3′-splice sites by the spliceosome. Through functional analysis of this splicing defect, we show that this mutation abolishes the interaction of the splicing regulatory protein heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 with an intronic splicing regulatory element and creates a new recognition motif for the SRp75 splicing factor, causing activation of the cryptic exon. Our results show that the c.1002–1110_1113delTAAG mutation creates a new intronic splicing regulatory element in intron 6b of the CFTR gene exclusively recognized by SRp75

Small-scale distribution of metazoan meiofauna and sedimentary organic matter in subtidal sandy sediments (Mediterranean Sea)

While variations in sedimentary organic matter (OM) quantity, biochemical composition and nutritional quality as well as in meiofaunal abundance and assemblage composition at the macro- and mesoscale are relatively well known, information about variations at the microscale is much scarcer. To shed some light on this issue, we tested the null hypothesis by which abundance and composition of the meiofaunal assemblages, and the quantity, biochemical composition and nutritional quality of sedimentary organic matter in coastal shallow environments do not vary within a frame of 1 m2. No significant variation within the frame emerged for OM quantity, nutritional quality, biochemical composition and the abundance of meiofaunal assemblages. On the other hand, the composition of meiofaunal assemblages varied significantly within the frame and exhibited a clear segregation of assemblages farther to the shore, as a likely result of local micro-hydrodynamic conditions. Spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that lipid and protein sedimentary contents had a random distribution, whereas carbohydrate and biopolymeric C contents and meiofaunal total abundance were characterized by a patchy distribution, with discrete peaks within the sub-frame squares (ca. 0.1 m2). Phytopigments showed a spatial positive autocorrelation distribution, following the micro-hydrodynamic pattern, with patches larger than the sub-frame square, but smaller than the entire one (1 m2). Overall, our results suggest that, within 1 m2 of subtidal sandy sediments, three replicates could be sufficient to assess correctly OM attributes and the abundance of meiofauna, but could be possibly inadequate for assessing meiofaunal assemblages’ composition at a finer scale (&lt;1 m2)