Quantum Theory of Neutrino Oscillations for Pedestrians - Simple Answers to Confusing Questions

Why are different mass states coherent? What is the correct formula for the oscillation phase? How can textbook formulas for oscillations in time describe experiments which never measure time? How can we treat the different velocities and different transit times of different mass eigenstates and avoid incorrect factors of two? How can textbook forumulas which describe coherence between energy states be justified when Stodolsky's theorem states there is no coherence between different energies? Is covariant relativistic quantum field theory necessary to describe neutrino oscillations? How important is the detector, which is at rest in the laboratory and cannot be Lorentz tranformed to other frames? These questions are answered by a simple rigorous calculation which includes the quantum fluctuations in the position of the detector and in the transit time between source and detector. The commonly used standard formula for neutrino oscillation phases is confirmed. An "ideal" detector which measures precisely the energy and momentum of the neutrino destroys all phases in the initial wave packet and cannot observe oscillations. A realistic detector preserves the phase differences between neutrinos having the same energy and different momenta and confirms the standard formula. Whether phase differences between neutrinos with different energies are observable or destroyed by the detector is irrelevant.Comment: 10 pages, Introduction expanded to explain sources of confusion in detai

The Sound of Fury: Teaching, Tempers, and White Privileged Resistance

This essay focuses on the resistance of students situated in positions of privilege in classrooms addressing issues of dominance, identity, and oppression related to race and racism. Examining the psycho/social history of two critical aspects of resistance – defensiveness (related to guilt and shame) and denial – the author draws from both practice and theory to explicate the roots of this resistance and offer specific, effective ways to support students in moving through resistance into responsibility

Dark Matter and Dark Radiation

We explore the feasibility and astrophysical consequences of a new long-range U(1) gauge field ("dark electromagnetism") that couples only to dark matter, not to the Standard Model. The dark matter consists of an equal number of positive and negative charges under the new force, but annihilations are suppressed if the dark matter mass is sufficiently high and the dark fine-structure constant $\hat\alpha$ is sufficiently small. The correct relic abundance can be obtained if the dark matter also couples to the conventional weak interactions, and we verify that this is consistent with particle-physics constraints. The primary limit on $\hat\alpha$ comes from the demand that the dark matter be effectively collisionless in galactic dynamics, which implies $\hat\alpha \lesssim 10^{-4}$ for TeV-scale dark matter. These values are easily compatible with constraints from structure formation and primordial nucleosynthesis. We raise the prospect of interesting new plasma effects in dark matter dynamics, which remain to be explored.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures Updated equations and figure

CLEO Results on Tau Michel Parameters

We present measurements of the tau Michel Parameters made by the CLEO experiment. Three different analyses are performed: a spin-independent lepton spectrum analysis and a second spin-dependent analysis using $\ell^\pm$ \vs\ $\pi^\mp\pi^0$ events, and a third spin-dependent analysis using $\pi^+$ \vs\ $\pi^-$ events. the results are used to derive limits on the general four-fermion couplings, the mass of the charged Higgs in the MSSM, and a right-handed $W$ in left-right models. Many of these measurements are more precise than the PDG world averages.Comment: Invited talk at the TAU'98 Workshop, 14-17 September 1998, Santander, Spain. 7 pages, 7 figures, LaTeX -> postscrip

CP violation in unpolarized e^+ e^- to charginos at one loop level

We study CP violation in e^+ e^- to \tilde\chi_i^+\tilde\chi_j^- in the framework of the MSSM. Though the cross section of this process is CP-even at the tree level even for polarized electron-positron beams, we show that it contains a CP-odd part at the one loop order and there are CP-odd observables that can in principle be measured even using unpolarized electron-positron beams. The relevant diagram calculations are briefly discussed and the results of selected (box) diagram computations are shown.Comment: similar to Phys. Rev. D version, but corrected figs. 4, 5, 6 (factor four

Diquark and light four-quark states

Four-quark states with different internal clusters are discussed within the constituent quark model. It is pointed out that the diquark concept is not meaningful in the construction of a tetraquark interpolating current in the QCD sum rule approach, and hence existing sum-rule studies of four-quark states are incomplete. An updated QCD sum-rule determination of the properties of diquark clusters is then used as input for the constituent quark model to obtain the masses of light $0^{++}$ tetraquark states ({\it i.e.\} a bound state of two diquark clusters). The results support the identification of $\sigma(600)$, $f_0(980)$ and $a_0(980)$ as the $0^{++}$ light tetraquark states, and seem to be inconsistent with the tetraquark state interpretation of the new BES observations of the near-threshold $p\bar p$ enhancements, X(1835) and X(1812), with the possible exception that X(1576) may be an "exotic" first orbital excitation of $f_0(980)$ or $a_0(980)$.Comment: 7 pages, 4 eps figures, RevTex, two figures and some references added, published version in PR

Interplay of gravitation and linear superposition of different mass eigenstates

The interplay of gravitation and the quantum-mechanical principle of linear superposition induces a new set of neutrino oscillation phases. These ensure that the flavor-oscillation clocks, inherent in the phenomenon of neutrino oscillations, redshift precisely as required by Einstein's theory of gravitation. The physical observability of these phases in the context of the solar neutrino anomaly, type-II supernovae, and certain atomic systems is briefly discussed

A Three-dimensional Deformable Brain Atlas for DBS Targeting. I. Methodology for Atlas Creation and Artifact Reduction.

BackgroundTargeting in deep brain stimulation (DBS) relies heavily on the ability to accurately localize particular anatomic brain structures. Direct targeting of subcortical structures has been limited by the ability to visualize relevant DBS targets.Methods and resultsIn this work, we describe the development and implementation, of a methodology utilized to create a three dimensional deformable atlas for DBS surgery. This atlas was designed to correspond to the print version of the Schaltenbrand-Bailey atlas structural contours. We employed a smoothing technique to reduce artifacts inherent in the print version.ConclusionsWe present the methodology used to create a three dimensional patient specific DBS atlas which may in the future be tested for clinical utility