Is the Sun Embedded in a Typical Interstellar Cloud?

The physical properties and kinematics of the partially ionized interstellar material near the Sun are typical of warm diffuse clouds in the solar vicinity. The interstellar magnetic field at the heliosphere and the kinematics of nearby clouds are naturally explained in terms of the S1 superbubble shell. The interstellar radiation field at the Sun appears to be harder than the field ionizing ambient diffuse gas, which may be a consequence of the low opacity of the tiny cloud surrounding the heliosphere. The spatial context of the Local Bubble is consistent with our location in the Orion spur.Comment: "From the Outer Heliosphere to the Local Bubble", held at International Space Sciences Institute, October 200

Search for a scalar or vector particle decaying into Zgamma in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV

We present a search for a narrow scalar or vector resonance decaying into Zgamma with a subsequent Z decay into a pair of electrons or muons. The data for this search were collected with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron ppbar collider at a center of mass energy sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV. Using 1.1 (1.0) fb-1 of data, we observe 49 (50) candidate events in the electron (muon) channel, in good agreement with the standard model prediction. From the combination of both channels, we derive 95% C.L. upper limits on the cross section times branching fraction (sigma x B) into Zgamma. These limits range from 0.19 (0.20) pb for a scalar (vector) resonance mass of 600 GeV/c^2 to 2.5 (3.1) pb for a mass of 140 GeV/c^2.Comment: Published by Phys. Lett.

Measurement of the differential cross section for the production of an isolated photon with associated jet in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

The process ppbar -> photon + jet + X is studied using 1.0 fb^-1 of data collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron ppbar collider at a center-of-mass energy sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV. Photons are reconstructed in the central rapidity region |y_gamma|<1.0 with transverse momenta in the range 30<Pt_gamma<400 GeV while jets are reconstructed in either the central |y_jet|15 GeV. The differential cross section d^3sigma/dPt_gamma dy_gamma dy_jet is measured as a function of Pt_gamma in four regions, differing by the relative orientations of the photon and the jet in rapidity. Ratios between the differential cross sections in each region are also presented. Next-to-leading order QCD predictions using different parameterizations of parton distribution functions and theoretical scale choices are compared to the data. The predictions do not simultaneously describe the measured normalization and Pt_gamma dependence of the cross section in any of the four measured regions.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure

Measurement of the ratio of the ppˉ→Wp\bar{p}\to W+cc-jet cross section to the inclusive ppˉ→Wp\bar{p}\to W+jets cross section

We present a measurement of the fraction of inclusive $W$+jets events produced with net charm quantum number $\pm1$, denoted $W$+$c$-jet, in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV using approximately 1~fb$^{-1}$ of data collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We identify the $W$+jets events via the leptonic $W$ boson decays. Candidate $W$+$c$-jet events are selected by requiring a jet containing a muon in association with a reconstructed $W$ boson and exploiting the charge correlation between this muon and $W$ boson decay lepton to perform a nearly model-independent background subtraction. We measure the fraction of $W$+$c$-jet events in the inclusive $W$+jets sample for jet $p_{T}>20$ GeV and pseudorapidity $|\eta|<2.5$ to be 0.074$\pm0.019$(stat.)$\pm^{0.012}_{0.014}$(syst.), in agreement with theoretical predictions. The probability that background fluctuations could produce the observed fraction of $W$+$c$-jet events is estimated to be $2.5\times 10^{-4}$, which corresponds to a 3.5 $\sigma$ statistical significance.Comment: submitted to Physics Letters

Search for scalar top quarks in the acoplanar charm jets and missing transverse energy final state in ppˉp\bar{p} collisions at s=1.96\sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

We present a search for the pair production of scalar top quarks, $\tilde{t}$, using 995 pb$^{-1}$ of data collected in $p\bar{p}$ collisions with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider at $\sqrt{s} = 1.96$ TeV. Both scalar top quarks are assumed to decay into a charm quark and a neutralino ($\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{1}$), where $\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{1}$ is the lightest supersymmetric particle. This leads to a final state with two acoplanar charm jets and missing transverse energy. We find the yield of such events to be consistent with the standard model expectation, and exclude sets of $\tilde{t}$ and $\tilde{\chi}^{0}_{1}$ masses at the 95% C.L. that substantially extend the domain excluded by previous searches.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Physics Letters

Measurement of the ttbar production cross section and top quark mass extraction using dilepton events in ppbar collisions

We present a measurement of the top quark pair production cross section in ppbar collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV using approximately 1 fb^{-1} of data collected with the D0 detector. We consider decay channels containing two high pt charged leptons where one lepton is identified as an electron or a muon while the other lepton can be an electron, a muon or a hadronically decaying tau lepton. For a mass of the top quark of 170 GeV, the measured cross section is 7.5 +1.0-1.0 (stat) +0.7-0.6 (syst) +0.6-0.5 (lumi) pb. Using lepton+tau events only, we measure: \sigma_ttbar \times B(ttbar to ltau bbbar) = 0.13 +0.09-0.08 (stat) +0.06-0.06 (syst) +0.02-0.02 (lumi) pb. Comparing the measured cross section as a function of the mass of the top quark with a partial next-to-next-to leading order Quantum Chromodynamics theoretical prediction, we extract a mass of the top quark of 171.5 +9.9-8.8 GeV, in agreement with direct measurements.Comment: published in Phys. Lett. B, 10 pages, 7 figure

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with jets and missing transverse energy using 2.1 fb-1 of ppbar collision data at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

A data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.1 fb-1 collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider was analyzed to search for squarks and gluinos produced in ppbar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. No evidence for the production of such particles was observed in topologies involving jets and missing transverse energy, and 95% C.L. lower limits of 379 GeV and 308 GeV were set on the squark and gluino masses, respectively, within the framework of minimal supergravity with tan(beta)=3, A0=0, and mu<0. The corresponding previous limits are improved by 54 GeV and 67 GeV

Enhancing the Device Performance of III-V Based Bipolar Transistors

Superior DC and RF performance are obtained using InGaP/GaInAsN and InP/GaInAs double heterojunction bipolar transistors with compositionally graded base layers. By grading the base layer energy band-gap, we achieve nearly a 100% improvement in DC current gain and as much as a 15% increase in the unity gain cutoff frequency (ft) relative to baseline constant-composition base layer devices. In InGaP/GaInAsN DHBTs, DC current gains as high as 250 and cutoff frequencies of 60 GHz are demonstrated for devices with a collector thickness of 400 nm and BVceo values of 8.4 Volts. Graded-base InP/InGaAs DHBTs with an ft of 135 GHz are also demonstrated. Estimations of the ft*BVceo figure-of-merit are used to compare performance of these devices to existing technologies

Fuel performance improvement program: description and characterization of HBWR Series H-2, H-3, and H-4 test rods

The fabrication process and as-built characteristics of the HBWR Series H-2 and H-3 test rods, as well as the three packed-particle (sphere-pac) rods in HBWR Series H-4 are described. The HBWR Series H-2, H-3, and H-4 tests are part of the irradiation test program of the Fuel Performance Improvement Program. Fifteen rods were fabricated for the three test series. Rod designs include: (1) a reference dished pellet design incorporating chamfered edges, (2) a chamfered, annular pellet design combined with graphite-coated cladding, and (3) a sphere-pac design. Both the annular-coated and sphere-pac designs include internal pressurization using helium