The Earth's Gamma-ray Albedo as observed by EGRET

The Earth's high energy gamma-ray emission is caused by cosmic ray interactions with the atmosphere. The EGRET detector on-board the CGRO satellite is only the second experiment (after SAS-2) to provide a suitable dataset for the comprehensive study of this emission. Approximately 60% of the EGRET dataset consist of gamma photons from the Earth. This conference contribution presents the first results from the first analysis project to tackle this large dataset. Ultimate purpose is to develop an analytical model of the Earth's emission for use in the GLAST project. The results obtained so far confirm the earlier results from SAS-2 and extend them in terms of statistical precision and angular resolution.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of the Gamma 2004 Symposium on High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy, Heidelberg, July, 2004 (AIP Proceedings Series

Faster Background Determination - a method for gaining time coverage and flux measurement accuracy with Cherenkov telescopes

An improved way of taking off-source data for background determination in Cherenkov telescope observations is proposed. Generalizing the traditional concept of taking on-source/off-source observations of equal duration (e.g. 30 minutes ON followed by 30 minutes OFF), Faster Background Determination (FBD) permits an off-source observation with the same zenith angle distribution as the on-source observation to be obtained within less time. The method permits the on-source observation time to be maximized without compromising the quality of the background determination. It also increases the signal significance for strong sources. The only modification necessary in the data acquisition is a small change to the tracking algorithm. The only modification necessary in the data analysis is to introduce a time normalization which does not increase the systematic errors. The method could become the normal observing mode for Cherenkov telescopes when observing strong sources.Comment: LaTeX, 13 pages, 4 figures, Astropart. Phys., in pres

A Relativistic Quark Model for Mesons with an Instanton-Induced Interaction

We present new results of a relativistic quark model based on the Bethe-Salpeter equation in its instantaneous approximation. Assuming a linearly rising confinement potential with an appropriate spinorial structure in Dirac space and adopting a residual interaction based on instanton effects, we can compute masses of the light mesons up to highest observed angular momenta with a natural solution of the $U_A(1)$ problem. The calculated ground states masses and the radial excitations describe the experimental results well. In this paper, we will also discuss our results concerning numerous meson decay properties. For processes like $\pi^+/K^+\to e^+\nu_e\gamma$ and $0^-\to\gamma\gamma$ at various photon virtualities, we find a good agreement with experimental data. We will also comment on the form factors of the $K_{\ell 3}$ decay and on the decay constants of the $\pi$, $K$ and $\eta$ mesons. For the sake of completeness, we will furthermore present the electromagnetic form factors of the charged $\pi$ and $K$ mesons as well as a comparison of the radiative meson decay widths with the most recent experimental data.Comment: 30 pages including 10 tables and 16 figures; submitted to Eur. Phys. J. A; misprints correcte

Weak Decays Of Heavy Mesons In A Covariant Quark Model

In this paper we investigate weak decays of heavy mesons in the framework of a covariant quark model, which is based on the Bethe-Salpeter equation in instantaneous approximation. Apart from a phenomenological confinement potential, a residual interaction induced by instantons is adopted. Masses and many decay observables of light mesons have already been described successfully in this model. An appropiate extension allows a unified description of light and heavy systems. Using a set of parameters which are fixed by the mass spectra, we evaluate the form factors of semileptonic decays of charmed and bottom mesons. In the heavy quark limit these can be reduced to the Isgur-Wise function, which is calculated. Finally the form factors are used to determine the non-leptonic decay rates of B mesons in the factorization approximation.Comment: 20 pages including 13 tables and 6 figures; Corrected typo

The Meson Spectrum in a Covariant Quark Model

Within the framework of the instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation, we present a detailed analysis of light meson spectra with respect to various parameterizations of confinement in Dirac space. Assuming a linearly rising quark-antiquark potential, we investigate two different spinorial forms (Dirac structures), namely {1/2}(\Id\otimes\Id - \gamma^0\otimes\gamma^0) as well as the $U_A(1)$-invariant combination {1/2}(\Id\otimes\Id - \gamma^5\otimes\gamma^5 - \gamma^\mu\otimes\gamma_\mu), both providing a good description of the ground state Regge trajectories up to highest observed angular momenta. Whereas the first structure is slightly prefered concerning numerous meson decay properties (see \cite{pap41}), we find the $U_A(1)$-invariant force to be much more appropriate for the description of a multitude of higher mass resonances discovered in the data of the {\sc Crystal Barrel} collaboration during the last few years. Furthermore, this confinement structure has the remarkable feature to yield a linear dependence of masses on their radial excitation number. For many experimental resonances such a trajectory-like behaviour was observed by Anisovich {\it et al.} We can confirm that almost the same slope occurs for all trajectories. Adding the $U_A(1)$-breaking instanton induced 't Hooft interaction we can compute the pseudoscalar mass splittings with both Dirac structures and for the scalar mesons a natural mechanism of flavour mixing is achieved. [...]Comment: 32 pages including 19 figures and 3 tables; submitted to Eur. Phys.