Search for heavy neutral lepton production in K+ decays

A search for heavy neutral lepton production in K + decays using a data sample collected with a minimum bias trigger by the NA62 experiment at CERN in 2015 is reported. Upper limits at the 10−7 to 10−6 level are established on the elements of the extended neutrino mixing matrix |Ue4| 2 and |Uμ4| 2 for heavy neutral lepton mass in the ranges 170–448 MeV/c2 and 250–373 MeV/c2, respectively. This improves on the previous limits from HNL production searches over the whole mass range considered for |Ue4|2 and above 300 MeV/c2 for |Uμ4|2

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p < 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p < 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p < 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p < 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p < 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice

Performance of the reconstruction algorithms of the FIRST experiment pixel sensors vertex detector

Hadrontherapy treatments use charged particles (e.g. protons and carbon ions) to treat tumors. During a therapeutic treatment with carbon ions, the beam undergoes nuclear fragmentation processes giving rise to significant yields of secondary charged particles. An accurate prediction of these production rates is necessary to estimate precisely the dose deposited into the tumours and the surrounding healthy tissues. Nowadays, a limited set of double differential carbon fragmentation cross-section is available. Experimental data are necessary to benchmark Monte Carlo simulations for their use in hadrontherapy. The purpose of the FIRST experiment is to study nuclear fragmentation processes of ions with kinetic energy in the range from 100 to 1000 MeV/u. Tracks are reconstructed using information from a pixel silicon detector based on the CMOS technology. The performances achieved using this device for hadrontherapy purpose are discussed. For each reconstruction step (clustering, tracking and vertexing), different methods are implemented. The algorithm performances and the accuracy on reconstructed observables are evaluated on the basis of simulated and experimental data

Measurement of the polarization of the Xi0 (anti-Xi0) hyperon beam by the NA48/1 experiment

A total of 368415 Xi(0) --> Lambda Xi(0) and 31 171 (Xi(0)) over bar --> (Lambda) over bar pi(0) were selected from data recorded in the NA48/1 experiment during 2002 data taking. From this sample, the polarization of Xi(0) and (Xi(0)) over bar hyperons was measured to be P(Xi 0) = -0.102 +/- 0.012(stat) +/- 0.008(syst) and P((Xi 0) over bar) = -0.01 +/- 0.04(stat) 0.008(syst). The dependence of P(Xi 0) on the Xi(0) transverse momentum with respect to the primary proton beam is also presented. With the same data sample. the ratio of (Xi(0)) over bar and Xi(0) fluxes in proton collisions at 400 GeV/c oil a beryllium target was measure

Determination of the relative decay rate KS -> πeν / KL -> πeν

The decay rate of K-S -> pi ev relative to the rate of K-L -> pi rev has been measured by the NA48 Collaboration in a neutral kaon beam originating from 400 GeV proton-Be interactions at the CERN SPS. The result is 0.993 +/- 0.026(stat) +/- 0.022(syst), compatible with I in agreement with the Standard Model prediction at tree level. It implies B R (K-S -> pi ev) = (7.05 +/- 0.18(stat) +/- 0.16(syst)) X 10(-4)

New high statistics measurement of K-e4 decay form factors and pi pi scattering phase shifts

We report results from a new measurement of the K-e4 decay K-+/- -> pi(+)pi(-)e(+/-)nu by the NA48/2 collaboration at the CERN SPS, based on a partial sample of more than 670 000 K-e4 decays in both charged modes collected in 2003. The form factors of the hadronic current (F,G,H) and pi pi phase difference (delta=delta(s)-delta(p)) have been measured in ten independent bins of the pi pi mass spectrum to investigate their variation. A sizeable acceptance at large pi pi mass, a low background and a very good resolution contribute to an improved experimental accuracy, a factor two better than in the previous measurement, when extracting the pi pi scattering lengths a(0) (0) and a(0) (2). Under the assumption of isospin symmetry and using numerical solutions of the Roy equations, the following values are obtained in the plane (a(0) (0),a(0) (2)): a(0) (0)=0.233 +/- 0.016(stat)+/- 0.007(syst),a(0) (2)=-0.0471 +/- 0.011(stat)+/- 0.004syst. The presence of potentially large isospin effects is also considered and will allow comparison with precise predictions from Chiral Perturbation Theory

Search for heavy neutrinos in K+→μ+νμK^+ \rightarrow \mu^+ \nu_{\mu} decays

International audienceThe NA62 experiment recorded a large sample of K+→μ+νμ decays in 2007. A peak search has been performed in the reconstructed missing mass spectrum. In the absence of a signal, limits in the range 2×10−6 to 10−5 have been set on the squared mixing matrix element |Uμ4|2 between muon and heavy neutrino states, for heavy neutrino masses in the range 300–375 MeV/ c2 . The result extends the range of masses for which upper limits have been set on the value of |Uμ4|2 in previous production search experiments

Measurement of the form factors of charged kaon semileptonic decays

International audienceA measurement of the form factors of charged kaon semileptonic decays is presented, based on 4.4 × 10$^{6}$K$^{±}$ → π$^{0}$e$^{±}$ν$_{e}$ (K$_{e3}^{±}$ ) and 2.3 × 10$^{6}$K$^{±}$ → π$^{0}$μ±ν$_{μ}$ (K$_{μ3}^{±}$ ) decays collected in 2004 by the NA48/2 experiment. The results are obtained with improved precision as compared to earlier measurements. The combination of measurements in the K$_{e3}^{±}$ and K$_{μ3}^{±}$ modes is also presented

First observation and study of the K±→π0π0μ±νK^{\pm} \rightarrow \pi^{0} \pi^{0} \mu^{\pm} \nu decay

International audienceThe NA48/2 experiment at CERN reports the first observation of the K$^{±}$ → π$^{0}$π$^{0}$μ$^{±}$ν decay based on a sample of 2437 candidates with 15% background contamination collected in 2003–2004. The decay branching ratio in the kinematic region of the squared dilepton mass above 0.03 GeV$^{2}$/c$^{4}$ is measured to be (0.65 ± 0.03) × 10$^{−6}$. The extrapolation to the full kinematic space, using a specific model, is found to be (3.45 ± 0.16) × 10$^{−6}$, in agreement with chiral perturbation theory predictions

First observation and study of the K±→π0π0μ±νK^{\pm} \rightarrow \pi^{0} \pi^{0} \mu^{\pm} \nu decay

The NA48/2 experiment at CERN reports the first observation of the $K^{\pm} \rightarrow \pi^{0} \pi^{0} \mu^{\pm} \nu$ decay based on a sample of 2437 candidates with 15% background contamination collected in 2003-2004. The decay branching ratio in the kinematic region of the squared dilepton mass above $0.03$~GeV$^2/c^4$ is measured to be $(0.65 \pm 0.03) \times 10^{-6}$. The extrapolation to the full kinematic space, using a specific model, is found to be $(3.45 \pm 0.17) \times 10^{-6}$, in agreement with chiral perturbation theory predictions