Search for rare quark-annihilation decays, B --> Ds(*) Phi

We report on searches for B- --> Ds- Phi and B- --> Ds*- Phi. In the context of the Standard Model, these decays are expected to be highly suppressed since they proceed through annihilation of the b and u-bar quarks in the B- meson. Our results are based on 234 million Upsilon(4S) --> B Bbar decays collected with the BABAR detector at SLAC. We find no evidence for these decays, and we set Bayesian 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions BF(B- --> Ds- Phi) Ds*- Phi)<1.2x10^(-5). These results are consistent with Standard Model expectations.Comment: 8 pages, 3 postscript figues, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications

Measurement of the branching fraction for B−→D0K∗−B^- \to D^0 K^{*-}

We present a measurement of the branching fraction for the decay B- --> D0 K*- using a sample of approximately 86 million BBbar pairs collected by the BaBar detector from e+e- collisions near the Y(4S) resonance. The D0 is detected through its decays to K- pi+, K- pi+ pi0 and K- pi+ pi- pi+, and the K*- through its decay to K0S pi-. We measure the branching fraction to be B.F.(B- --> D0 K*-)= (6.3 +/- 0.7(stat.) +/- 0.5(syst.)) x 10^{-4}

Observation of a significant excess of π0π0\pi^{0}\pi^{0} events in B meson decays

We present an observation of the decay $B^{0} \to \pi^{0} \pi^{0}$ based on a sample of 124 million $B\bar{B}$ pairs recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy $B$ Factory at SLAC. We observe $46 \pm 13 \pm 3$ events, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic, corresponding to a significance of 4.2 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. We measure the branching fraction \BR(B^{0} \to \pi^{0} \pi^{0}) = (2.1 \pm 0.6 \pm 0.3) \times 10^{-6}, averaged over $B^{0}$ and $\bar{B}^{0}$ decays

Vulnerability to natural disasters in Serbia: spatial and temporal comparison

The frequency of natural disasters and the extent of their consequences at a global level are constantly increasing. This trend is partially caused by increased population vulnerability, which implies the degree of population vulnerability due to high magnitude natural processes. This paper presents an analysis of vulnerability to natural disaster in Serbia in the second half of the twentieth and the early twenty-first century. Vulnerability changes were traced on the basis of demographic–economic indicators derived from statistical data for local government units (municipalities) provided by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia. Calculations were performed in the geographical information system environment. The results of the study show that spatial and temporal vulnerability variations are causally correlated with changes in the selected components. Significant rise of vulnerability is related to urban areas, while lower values are characteristic for other areas of Serbia; this is primarily a consequence of different population density

Measurements of Branching Fractions and CP-Violating Asymmetries in B0→π+π-, K+π-, K+K- Decays

We present measurements of branching fractions and CP-violating asymmetries for two-body neutral B meson decays to charged pions and kaons based on a sample of about 88x10(6) Upsilon(4S)--&gt;BB decays. From a time-independent fit we measure the charge-averaged branching fractions B(B0--&gt;pi+pi-)=(4.7+/-0.6+/-0.2)x10(-6), B(B0--&gt;K+pi-)=(17.9+/-0.9+/-0.7)x10(-6), and the direct CP-violating charge asymmetry A(Kpi)=-0.102+/-0.050+/-0.016 [-0.188,-0.016], where the ranges in square brackets indicate the 90% confidence intervals. From a time-dependent fit we measure the B0--&gt;pi+pi- CP-violating parameters S(pipi)=0.02+/-0.34+/-0.05 [-0.54,+0.58] and C(pipi)=-0.30+/-0.25+/-0.04 [-0.72,+0.12]

Measurement of the branching fraction and decay rate asymmetry of B-→Dπ+π-π0K-

We report the observation of the decay B-→Dπ+π-π0K-, where Dπ+π-π0 indicates a neutral D meson detected in the final state π+π-π0, excluding KS0π0. This doubly Cabibbo-suppressed decay chain can be used to measure the CKM phase γ. Using about 229×106 e+e-→BB̄ events recorded by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II e+e- storage ring, we measure the branching fraction B(B-→Dπ+π-π0K-)= (5.5±1.0(stat.)±0.7(syst.))×10-6 and the decay rate asymmetry A(B-→Dπ+π-π0K-)=-0.02±0.16(stat.)±0. 03(syst.) for the full decay chain. © 2005 The American Physical Society

Improved measurements of the branching fractions for B0→π+π- and B0→K+π-, and a search for B0→K+K-

We present measurements of the branching fractions for the charmless two-body decays B0→π+π- and B0→K+π-, and a search for the decay B0→K+K-. We include the effects of final-state radiation from the daughter mesons for the first time, and quote branching fractions for the inclusive processes B0→h+h′-nγ, where h and h′ are pions or kaons. The maximum value of the sum of the energies of the n undetected photons, Eγmax, is mode-dependent. Using a data sample of approximately 227×106 Υ(4S)→BB̄ decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+e- collider at SLAC, we measure: B(B0→π+π-nγ;Eγmax =150MeV)=(5.1±0.4±0.2) ×10-6, B(B0→K+π-nγ;Eγmax =105MeV)=(18.1±0. 6±0.6)×10-6, B(B0→K+K-nγ;Eγmax =59MeV)&lt;0.5×10-6(90%confidence level), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. Theoretical calculations can be used to extrapolate from the above measurements the nonradiative branching fractions, B0. Using one such calculation, we find: B0(B0→π+π-)=(5.5±0. 4±0.3)×10-6, B0(B0→K+π-)=(19.1±0.6±0.6) ×10-6, B0(B0→K+K-)&lt;0.5×10-6(90%confidence level). Meaningful comparison between theory and experiment, as well as combination of measurements from different experiments, can be performed only in terms of these nonradiative quantities. © 2007 The American Physical Society

Study of the τ-→3h-2h+ντ decay

The branching fraction of the τ-→3h-2h+ντ decay (h=π,K) is measured with the BABAR detector to be (8.56±0.05±0.42) ×10-4, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The observed structure of this decay is significantly different from the phase space prediction, with the ρ resonance playing a strong role. The decay τ-→f1(1285)π-ντ, with the f1(1285) meson decaying to four charged pions, is observed and the branching fraction is measured to be (3.9±0.7±0.5)×10-4. © 2005 The American Physical Society

Observation of e(+)e(-) annihilation into the C = +1 hadronic final states rho(0)rho(0) and phirho(0).

We report the first observation of e(+)e(-) annihilation into states of positive C parity, namely, rho(0)rho(0) and phirho(0). The two states are observed in the pi(+)pi(-)pi(+)pi(-) and K(+)K(-)pi(+)pi(-) final states, respectively, in a data sample of 225 fb(-1) collected by the BABAR experiment at the Positron-Electron Project II e(+)e(-) storage rings at energies near sqrt[s]=10.58 GeV. The distributions of costheta(*), where theta(*) is the center-of-mass polar angle of the phi meson or the forward rho(0) meson, suggest production by two-virtual-photon annihilation. We measure cross sections within the range |costheta(*)|&lt;0.8 of sigma(e(+)e(-)--&gt;rho(0)rho(0))=20.7+/-0.7(stat)+/-2.7(syst) fb and sigma(e(+)e(-)--&gt;phirho(0))=5.7+/-0.5(stat)+/-0.8(syst) fb

Direct CP violation searches in charmless hadronic B meson decays

This is the pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the links below. Copyright @ 2002 APSWe search for direct CP violation in charmless hadronic B decays observed in a sample of about 22.7 million BB̅ pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We measure the following charge asymmetries: ACP(B±→η′K±)=-0.11±0.11±0.02, ACP(B±→ωπ±)=-0.01 - 0.31 + 0.29±0.03, ACP(B±→φK±)=-0.05±0.20±0.03, ACP(B±→φK*±)=-0.43 - 0.30 + 0.36±0.06, and ACP(B0→φK*0)=0.00±0.27±0.03.This work was supported by DOE and NSF (USA), NSERC (Canada), IHEP (China), CEA and CNRS-IN2P3 (France), BMBF (Germany), INFN (Italy), NFR (Norway), MIST (Russia), and PPARC (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from the Swiss NSF, A. P. Sloan Foundation, Research Corporation, and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation