First evidence for electroweak radiative corrections from the new precision data

The analysis of the newest data on the leptonic Z-decays and m.sub(W) appears to reveal the first manifestations of electroweak radiative corrections. In fact, these data differ, at the level of 2.sigma., from their electroweak Born values, while they agree, to within 1.sigma., with the theoretical values which take the electroweak radiative corrections into account. Previous data were within 1.sigma. in agreement with both sets of values.The analysis of the newest data on the leptonic $Z$-decays and $m_W$ appears to reveal the first manifestations of electroweak radiative corrections. In fact, these data differ, at the level of $2\sigma$, from their electroweak Born values, while they agree, to within $1\sigma$, with the theoretical values which take the electroweak radiative corrections into account. Previous data were within $1\sigma$ in agreement with both sets of values

Extra quark-lepton generations and precision measurements

The existence of extra chiral generations with all fermions heavier than M_Z is strongly disfavoured by the precision electroweak data. However the data are fitted nicely even by a few extra generations, if one allows neutral leptons to have masses close to 50 GeV. The data allow inclusion of one additional generation of heavy fermions in SUSY extension of Standard Model if chargino and neutralino have masses close to 60 GeV with \Delta m =~ 1 GeV.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Extra generations and discrepancies of electroweak precision data

It is shown that additional chiral generations are not excluded by the latest electroweak precision data if one assumes that there is no mixing with the known three generations. In the case of ``heavy extra generations'', when all four new particles are heavier than $Z$ boson, quality of the fit for the one new generation is as good as for zero new generations (Standard Model). In the case of neutral leptons with masses around 50 GeV (``partially heavy extra generations'') the minimum of $\chi^2$ is between one and two extra generations.Comment: 10 pages, TeX. An additional reference and P.P.S. about heavy higgs are adde

Vertical structure of stratospheric water vapour trends derived from merged satellite data

Stratospheric water vapour is a powerful greenhouse gas. The longest available record from balloon observations over Boulder, Colorado, USA shows increases in stratospheric water vapour concentrations that cannot be fully explained by observed changes in the main drivers, tropical tropopause temperatures and methane. Satellite observations could help resolve the issue, but constructing a reliable long-term data record from individual short satellite records is challenging. Here we present an approach to merge satellite data sets with the help of a chemistry–climate model nudged to observed meteorology. We use the models’ water vapour as a transfer function between data sets that overcomes issues arising from instrument drift and short overlap periods. In the lower stratosphere, our water vapour record extends back to 1988 and water vapour concentrations largely follow tropical tropopause temperatures. Lower and mid-stratospheric long-term trends are negative, and the trends from Boulder are shown not to be globally representative. In the upper stratosphere, our record extends back to 1986 and shows positive long-term trends. The altitudinal differences in the trends are explained by methane oxidation together with a strengthened lower-stratospheric and a weakened upper stratospheric circulation inferred by this analysis. Our results call into question previous estimates of surface radiative forcing based on presumed global long-term increases in water vapour concentrations in the lower stratosphere

Status of the Lake Baikal Experiment

We review the present status of the Baikal Underwater Neutrino Experiment and report on neutrino events recorded with the detector stages NT-36 and NT-96.Comment: 5 pages, 4 PostScript figures, uses here.sty and mine.sty, submitted to the Proc. of 5th Int. Workshop on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (LNGS INFN, Assergi, September 7-11, 1997

Registration of atmospheric neutrinos with the Baikal neutrino telescope

We present first neutrino induced events observed with a deep underwater neutrino telescope. Data from 70 days effective life time of the BAIKAL prototype telescope NT-96 have been analyzed with two different methods. With the standard track reconstruction method, 9 clear upward muon candidates have been identified, in good agreement with 8.7 events expected from Monte Carlo calculations for atmospheric neutrinos. The second analysis is tailored to muons coming from close to the opposite zenith. It yields 4 events, compared to 3.5 from Monte Carlo expectations. From this we derive a 90 % upper flux limit of 1.1 * 10^-13 cm^-2 sec^-1 for muons in excess of those expected from atmospheric neutrinos with zenith angle > 150 degrees and energy > 10GeV.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figure

The Values of mtm_t and αsˉ\bar{\alpha_s} Derived from the Non-Observation of Electroweak Radiative Corrections at LEP: Global Fit

A set of equations representing the $W/Z$ mass ratio and various observables of $Z$ decays in terms of $\bar\alpha \equiv\alpha (m_Z)$, $G_{\mu}$, $m_Z$, $m_t$, $m_H$, $\bar\alpha_{s} \equiv\alpha_{s} (m_Z)$, $m_b$ and $m_\tau$ (all other fermion masses being neglected) are compared with the latest data of the four LEP detectors, which at the level of one standard deviation coincide with their Born values. Our global fit gives: $m_t = 161^{+ 15 +16}_{-16 -22} \bar\alpha_{s} = 0.119 \pm 0.006 \pm 0.002$, where the central values correspond to $m_H = 300$ GeV, the first errors are statistical and the second ones represent shifts of the central values corresponding to $m_H = 1000$ GeV($+$) and 60 GeV($-$). The predicted mass of the top is smaller than in the recent fits by 4 GeV. The {\it predicted} values of $m_W/m_Z$ and the LEP observables, based on the fitted values of $m_t$ and $\bar{\alpha}_s$, show a weak dependence on $m_H$ and differ by several {\it predicted} standard deviations from the corresponding Born values. The uncertainties of the predicted values and their deviations from the corresponding Born values determine the experimental accuracy required to observe electroweak radiative corrections.Comment: LaTex, 15 pages (including 3 figures as EPS files at the end

The Lake Baikal neutrino experiment

We rewiew the present status of the Baikal Neutrino Project and present the results of a search for high energy neutrinos with the detector intermediate stage NT-96.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of Sixth International Workshop on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP99), September 6-10, 1999, Pais, Franc

The Baikal Deep Underwater Neutrino Experiment: Results, Status, Future

We review the present status of the Baikal Underwater Neutrino Experiment and present results obtained with the various stages of the stepwise increasing detector: NT-36 (1993-95), NT-72 (1995-96) and NT-96 (1996-97). Results cover atmospheric muons, first clear neutrino events, search for neutrinos from WIMP annihilation in the center of the Earth, search for magnetic monopoles, and -- far from astroparticle physics -- limnology.Comment: Talk given at the Int. School on Nuclear Physics, Erice, Sept.199

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