4,479 research outputs found
Statistical evaluation of the flux cross-calibration of the XMM-Newton EPIC cameras
The second XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue, 2XMM, provides the
ideal data base for performing a statistical evaluation of the flux
cross-calibration of the XMM-Newton European Photon Imaging Cameras (EPIC). We
aim to evaluate the status of the relative flux calibration of the EPIC cameras
on board XMM-Newton (MOS1, MOS2, and pn) and investigate the dependence of the
calibration on energy, position in the field of view of the X-ray detectors,
and lifetime of the mission. We compiled the distribution of flux percentage
differences for large samples of 'good quality' objects detected with at least
two of the EPIC cameras. The mean offset of the fluxes and dispersion of the
distributions was then found by Gaussian fitting. Count rate to flux conversion
was performed with a fixed spectral model. The impact on the results of varying
this model was investigated. Excellent agreement was found between the two EPIC
MOS cameras to better than 4% from 0.2 keV to 12.0 keV. MOS cameras register
7-9% higher flux than pn below 4.5 keV and 10-13% flux excess above 4.5 keV. No
evolution of the flux ratios is seen with time, except at energies below 0.5
keV, where we found a strong decrease in the MOS to pn flux ratio with time.
This effect is known to be due to a gradually degrading MOS redistribution
function. The flux ratios show some dependence on distance from the optical
axis in the sense that the MOS to pn flux excess increases with off-axis angle.
Furthermore, in the 4.5-12.0 keV band there is a strong dependence of the MOS
to pn excess flux on the azimuthal-angle. These results strongly suggest that
the calibration of the Reflection Grating Array (RGA) blocking factors is
incorrect at high energies. Finally, we recommend ways to improve the
calculation of fluxes in future versions of XMM-Newton source catalogues.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables. Abridged Abstract. Accepted for
publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Synopsis of a computer program designed to interface a personal computer with the fast data acquisition system of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer
Briefly described are the essential features of a computer program designed to interface a personal computer with the fast, digital data acquisition system of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The instrumentation was developed to provide a time-resolved analysis of individual vapor pulses produced by the incidence of a pulsed laser beam on an ablative material. The high repetition rate spectrometer coupled to a fast transient recorder captures complete mass spectra every 20 to 35 microsecs, thereby providing the time resolution needed for the study of this sort of transient event. The program enables the computer to record the large amount of data generated by the system in short time intervals, and it provides the operator the immediate option of presenting the spectral data in several different formats. Furthermore, the system does this with a high degree of automation, including the tasks of mass labeling the spectra and logging pertinent instrumental parameters
Search for New Phenomena in tt Events with Large Missing Transverse Momentum in Proton-Proton Collisions at âs = 7 TeV with the ATLAS Detector
A search for new phenomena in ttÌ
events with large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The measurement is based on 1.04ââfb-1 of data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Contributions to this final state may arise from a number of standard model extensions. The results are interpreted in terms of a model where new top-quark partners are pair produced and each decay to an on-shell top (or antitop) quark and a long-lived undetected neutral particle. The data are found to be consistent with standard model expectations. A limit at 95% confidence level is set excluding a cross section times branching ratio of 1.1 pb for a top-partner mass of 420 GeV and a neutral particle mass less than 10 GeV. In a model of exotic fourth generation quarks, top-partner masses are excluded up to 420 GeV and neutral particle masses up to 140 GeV
Search for the Standard Model Higgs Boson in the Diphoton Decay Channel with 4.9 fb^(-1) of pp Collision Data at âs = 7 TeV with ATLAS
A search for the standard model Higgs boson is performed in the diphoton decay channel. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.9ââfb^(-1) collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of âs = 7ââTeV. In the diphoton mass range 110â150 GeV, the largest excess with respect to the background-only hypothesis is observed at 126.5 GeV, with a local significance of 2.8 standard deviations. Taking the look-elsewhere effect into account in the range 110â150 GeV, this significance becomes 1.5 standard deviations. The standard model Higgs boson is excluded at 95% confidence level in the mass ranges of 113â115 GeV and 134.5â136 GeV
Measurement of the W âÏÎœ_Ï cross section in pp collisions at âs = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment
The cross section for the production of W bosons with subsequent decay WâÏÎœ_Ï is measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on a data sample that was recorded in 2010 at a protonâproton center-of-mass energy of âs = 7TeV and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^(â1). The cross section is measured in a region of high detector acceptance and then extrapolated to the full phase space. The product of the total W production cross section and the WâÏÎœ_Ï branching ratio is measured to be Ï^(tot)
_(WâÏÎœÏ) = 11.1±0.3 (stat)±1.7 (syst)±0.4 (lumi) nb
Measurement of the W^±Z production cross section and limits on anomalous triple gauge couplings in protonâproton collisions at âs = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector
This Letter presents a measurement of W^± Z production in 1.02 fb^(â1) of pp collision data at âs = 7 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2011. Doubly leptonic decay events are selected with electrons, muons and missing transverse momentum in the final state. In total 71 candidates are observed, with a background expectation of 12.1 ± 1.4(stat.)^(+4.1)_(â2.0)(syst.) events. The total cross section for W^± Z production for Z/Îł^â masses within the range 66 GeV to 116 GeV is determined to be Ï^(tot)_(WZ) = 20.5^(+3.1)_(â2.8)(stat.)^(+1.4)_(â1.3)(syst.)^(+0.9)_(â0.8)(lumi.) pb, which is consistent with the Standard Model expectation of 17.3^(+1.3) _(0.8) pb. Limits on anomalous triple gauge boson couplings are extracted
- âŠ