Black hole formation in the Friedmann universe: Formulation and computation in numerical relativity

We study formation of black holes in the Friedmann universe. We present a formulation of the Einstein equations under the constant mean curvature time-slicing condition. Our formalism not only gives us the analytic solution of the perturbation equations for non-linear density and metric fluctuations on superhorizon scales, but also allows us to carry out a numerical relativity simulation for black hole formation after the scale of the density fluctuations is well within the Hubble horizon scale. We perform a numerical simulation of spherically symmetric black hole formation in the radiation-dominated, spatially flat background universe for a realistic initial condition supplied from the analytic solution. It is found that the initial metric perturbation has to be non-linear (the maximum value of 3D conformal factor $\psi_0$ at $t=0$ should be larger than $\sim 1.4$) for a black hole to be formed, but the threshold amplitude for black hole formation and the final black hole mass considerably depend on the initial density (or metric) profile of the perturbation: The threshold value of $\psi_0$ at $t=0$ for formation of a black hole is smaller for a high density peak surrounded by a low density region than for that surrounded by the average density region of the flat universe. This suggests that it is necessary to take into account the spatial correlation of density fluctuations in the study of primordial black hole formation.Comment: 12 pages, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Measurement of ϕ\phi(1020) meson leptonic width with CMD-2 detector at VEPP-2M Collider

The $\phi$(1020) meson leptonic width has been determined from the combined analysis of 4 major decay modes of the resonance ($\phi\to K^+ K^-,K^0_LK^0_S,\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0,\eta\gamma$) studied with the CMD-2 detector at the VEPP-2M $e^+e^-$ collider. The following value has been obtained: $\Gamma(\phi\to e^+e^-) = 1.235\pm 0.006\pm 0.022$ keV. The $\phi(1020)$ meson parameters in four main decay channels have been also recalculated: $B(\phi\to K^+K^-) = 0.493\pm 0.003\pm 0.007$, $B(\phi\to K_LK_S) = 0.336\pm 0.002\pm 0.006$, $B(\phi\to\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0) = 0.155\pm 0.002\pm 0.005$, $B(\phi\to\eta\gamma) = 0.0138\pm 0.0002\pm 0.0002$.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figure

Search for narrow resonances in e+ e- annihilation between 1.85 and 3.1 GeV with the KEDR Detector

We report results of a search for narrow resonances in e+ e- annihilation at center-of-mass energies between 1.85 and 3.1 GeV performed with the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M e+ e- collider. The upper limit on the leptonic width of a narrow resonance Gamma(R -> ee) Br(R -> hadr) < 120 eV has been obtained (at 90 % C.L.)

Measurement of main parameters of the \psi(2S) resonance

A high-precision determination of the main parameters of the \psi(2S) resonance has been performed with the KEDR detector at the VEPP-4M e^{+}e^{-} collider in three scans of the \psi(2S) -- \psi(3770) energy range. Fitting the energy dependence of the multihadron cross section in the vicinity of the \psi(2S) we obtained the mass value M = 3686.114 +- 0.007 +- 0.011 ^{+0.002}_{-0.012} MeV and the product of the electron partial width by the branching fraction into hadrons \Gamma_{ee}*B_{h} = 2.233 +- 0.015 +- 0.037 +- 0.020 keV. The third error quoted is an estimate of the model dependence of the result due to assumptions on the interference effects in the cross section of the single-photon e^{+}e^{-} annihilation to hadrons explicitly considered in this work. Implicitly, the same assumptions were employed to obtain the charmonium leptonic width and the absolute branching fractions in many experiments. Using the result presented and the world average values of the electron and hadron branching fractions, one obtains the electron partial width and the total width of the \psi(2S): \Gamma_{ee} =2.282 +- 0.015 +- 0.038 +- 0.021 keV, \Gamma = 296 +- 2 +- 8 +- 3 keV. These results are consistent with and more than two times more precise than any of the previous experiments

Measurement of Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillations with the ANTARES Neutrino Telescope

The data taken with the ANTARES neutrino telescope from 2007 to 2010, a total live time of 863 days, are used to measure the oscillation parameters of atmospheric neutrinos. Muon tracks are reconstructed with energies as low as 20 GeV. Neutrino oscillations will cause a suppression of vertical upgoing muon neutrinos of such energies crossing the Earth. The parameters determining the oscillation of atmospheric neutrinos are extracted by fitting the event rate as a function of the ratio of the estimated neutrino energy and reconstructed flight path through the Earth. Measurement contours of the oscillation parameters in a two-flavour approximation are derived. Assuming maximum mixing, a mass difference of $\Delta m_{32}^2=(3.1\pm 0.9)\cdot 10^{-3}$ eV$^2$ is obtained, in good agreement with the world average value.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Centrality dependence of charged particle production at large transverse momentum in Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}} = 2.76 TeV

The inclusive transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}$) distributions of primary charged particles are measured in the pseudo-rapidity range $|\eta|<0.8$ as a function of event centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}=2.76$ TeV with ALICE at the LHC. The data are presented in the $p_{\rm T}$ range $0.15<p_{\rm T}<50$ GeV/$c$ for nine centrality intervals from 70-80% to 0-5%. The Pb-Pb spectra are presented in terms of the nuclear modification factor $R_{\rm{AA}}$ using a pp reference spectrum measured at the same collision energy. We observe that the suppression of high-$p_{\rm T}$ particles strongly depends on event centrality. In central collisions (0-5%) the yield is most suppressed with $R_{\rm{AA}}\approx0.13$ at $p_{\rm T}=6$-7 GeV/$c$. Above $p_{\rm T}=7$ GeV/$c$, there is a significant rise in the nuclear modification factor, which reaches $R_{\rm{AA}} \approx0.4$ for $p_{\rm T}>30$ GeV/$c$. In peripheral collisions (70-80%), the suppression is weaker with $R_{\rm{AA}} \approx 0.7$ almost independently of $p_{\rm T}$. The measured nuclear modification factors are compared to other measurements and model calculations.Comment: 17 pages, 4 captioned figures, 2 tables, authors from page 12, published version, figures at http://aliceinfo.cern.ch/ArtSubmission/node/284

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp. Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02

A Pre-Landing Assessment of Regolith Properties at the InSight Landing Site

This article discusses relevant physical properties of the regolith at the Mars InSight landing site as understood prior to landing of the spacecraft. InSight will land in the northern lowland plains of Mars, close to the equator, where the regolith is estimated to be ≥3--5 m thick. These investigations of physical properties have relied on data collected from Mars orbital measurements, previously collected lander and rover data, results of studies of data and samples from Apollo lunar missions, laboratory measurements on regolith simulants, and theoretical studies. The investigations include changes in properties with depth and temperature. Mechanical properties investigated include density, grain-size distribution, cohesion, and angle of internal friction. Thermophysical properties include thermal inertia, surface emissivity and albedo, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, and specific heat. Regolith elastic properties not only include parameters that control seismic wave velocities in the immediate vicinity of the Insight lander but also coupling of the lander and other potential noise sources to the InSight broadband seismometer. The related properties include Poisson’s ratio, P- and S-wave velocities, Young’s modulus, and seismic attenuation. Finally, mass diffusivity was investigated to estimate gas movements in the regolith driven by atmospheric pressure changes. Physical properties presented here are all to some degree speculative. However, they form a basis for interpretation of the early data to be returned from the InSight mission.Additional co-authors: Nick Teanby and Sharon Keda