Monte Carlo Studies of a Novel LiF Radiator for RICH Detectors

We show that a multifaceted LiF radiator produces more Cherenkov light and has better resolution per photon than a flat radiator slab when used in a ring imaging Cherenkov counter. Such a system is being considered for the CLEO III upgrade.Comment: 9 page

On the use of low-cost computer peripherals for the assessment of motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease – Quantification of bradykinesia using target tracking tasks

The potential of computer games peripherals to measure the motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s diseases is assessed. Of particular interest is the quantification of bradykinesia. Previous studies used modified or custom haptic interfaces, here an unmodified force feedback joystick and steering wheel are used with a laptop. During testing an on screen cursor moves in response to movements of the peripheral, the user has to track a continuously moving target (pursuit tracking), or move to a predetermined target (step tracking). All tasks use movement in the horizontal axis, allowing use of joystick or steering wheel. Two pursuit tracking tasks are evaluated, pseudo random movement, and a swept frequency task. Two step tracking tasks are evaluated, movement between two or between two of five fixed targets. Thirteen patients and five controls took part on a weekly basis. Patients were assessed for bradykinesia at each session using standard clinical measures. A range of quantitative measures was developed to allow comparison between and within patients and controls using ANOVA. Both peripherals are capable of discriminating between controls and patients, and between patients with different levels of bradykinesia. Recommendations for test procedures and peripherals are given

SuperB: a linear high-luminosity B Factory

This paper is based on the outcome of the activity that has taken place during the recent workshop on "SuperB in Italy" held in Frascati on November 11-12, 2005. The workshop was opened by a theoretical introduction of Marco Ciuchini and was structured in two working groups. One focused on the machine and the other on the detector and experimental issues. The present status on CP is mainly based on the results achieved by BaBar and Belle. Estabilishment of the indirect CP violation in B sector in 2001 and of the direct CP violation in 2004 thanks to the success of PEP-II and KEKB e+e- asymmetric B Factories operating at the center of mass energy corresponding to the mass of the Y(4s). With the two B Factories taking data, the Unitarity Triangle is now beginning to be overconstrained by improving the measurements of the sides and now also of the angles alpha, and gamma. We are also in presence of the very intriguing results about the measurements of sin(2 beta) in the time dependent analysis of decay channels via penguin loops, where b --> s sbar s and b --> s dbar d. Tau physics, in particular LFV search, as well as charm and ISR physics are important parts of the scientific program of a SuperB Factory. The physics case together with possible scenarios for the high luminosity SuperB Factory based on the concepts of the Linear Collider and the related experimental issues are discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 22 figures, INFN Roadmap Repor

Ageing, masculinity and Parkinson's disease: Embodied perspectives

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) presents as an illness which predominantly affects older men. However older men’s lived experiences of PD, including how they are influenced by age and gender relations has seen little empirical study. Drawing on Watson’s (2000) male body schema, this paper explores PD’s effects on men’s bodies, alongside how men engage with masculinities and ageing in order to make meaning from these experiences. Data is presented from 30 narrative and semi structured interviews with 15 men of various ages who were living with PD. Findings suggest that PD threatens a pragmatic embodiment expressed through men’s everyday occupations; a visceral embodiment located in difficulties with the body’s basic movements and intimate functions and an experiential embodiment concerned with emotions and sensations within and about the body. In addition, each dimension of men’s embodiment also intersected with the ageing process, a process also shaped in turn by broader social and cultural concerns regarding the positions and possibilities of men’s lives as they move through the life course. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of gender and ageing in understanding men’s experiences of PD

Observation of the Isospin-Violating Decay Ds∗+→Ds+π0D_s^{*+}\to D_s^+\pi^0

Using data collected with the CLEO~II detector, we have observed the isospin-violating decay $D_s^{*+}\to D_s^+\pi^0$. The decay rate for this mode, relative to the dominant radiative decay, is found to be $\Gamma(D_s^{*+}\to D_s^+\pi^0)/\Gamma(D_s^{*+}\to D_s^+\gamma)= 0.062^{+0.020}_{-0.018}\pm0.022$.Comment: 8 page uuencoded postscript file, also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Measurements of the Ratios B(Ds+→ηℓ+ν)/B(Ds+→ϕℓ+ν){\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta\ell^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi\ell^+\nu) and B(Ds+→η′ℓ+ν)/B(Ds+→ϕℓ+ν){\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta'\ell^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi\ell^+\nu)

Using the CLEO~II detector we measure ${\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta e^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi e^+\nu) =1.24\pm0.12\pm0.15$, ${\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta' e^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi e^+\nu) =0.43\pm0.11\pm0.07$ and ${\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta' e^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to \eta e^+\nu) =0.35\pm0.09\pm0.07$. We find the vector to pseudoscalar ratio, ${\cal B}(D_s^+\to \phi e^+\nu)/{\cal B}(D_s^+\to (\eta+\eta') e^+\nu) =0.60\pm0.06\pm0.06$, which is similar to the ratio found in non strange $D$ decays.Comment: 11 page uuencoded postscript file, postscript file also available through http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLN

Measurement of the Inclusive Semi-electronic D0D^0 Branching Fraction

Using the angular correlation between the $\pi^+$ emitted in a $D^{*+} \rightarrow D^0 \pi^+$ decay and the $e^+$ emitted in the subsequent $D^0 \rightarrow Xe^+\nu$ decay, we have measured the branching fraction for the inclusive semi-electronic decay of the $D^0$ meson to be: {\cal B}(D^0 \rightarrow X e^+ \nu) = [6.64 \pm 0.18 (stat.) \pm 0.29 (syst.)] \%. The result is based on 1.7 fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ collisions recorded by the CLEO II detector located at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR). Combining the analysis presented in this paper with previous CLEO results we find, \frac{{\cal B} (D^0 \rightarrow X e^+ \nu)} {{\cal B} (D^0 \rightarrow K^- \pi^+)} = 1.684 \pm 0.056 (stat.) \pm 0.093(syst.) and \frac{{\cal B}(D\rightarrow K^-e^+\nu)} {{\cal B}(D\rightarrow Xe^+\nu)} = 0.581 \pm 0.023 (stat.) \pm 0.028(syst.). The difference between the inclusive rate and the sum of the measured exclusive branching fractions (measured at CLEO and other experiments) is $(3.3 \pm 7.2) \%$ of the inclusive rate.Comment: Latex file, 33pages, 4 figures Submitted to PR

Precision Measurement of the Ds∗+−Ds+D_s^{*+}- D_s^+ Mass Difference

We have measured the vector-pseudoscalar mass splitting $M(D_s^{*+})-M(D_s^+) = 144.22\pm 0.47\pm 0.37 MeV$, significantly more precise than the previous world average. We minimize the systematic errors by also measuring the vector-pseudoscalar mass difference $M(D^{*0})-M(D^0)$ using the radiative decay $D^{*0}\rightarrow D^0\gamma$, obtaining $[M(D_s^{*+})-M(D_s^+)]-[M(D^{*0})-M(D^0)] = 2.09\pm 0.47\pm 0.37 MeV$. This is then combined with our previous high-precision measurement of $M(D^{*0})-M(D^0)$, which used the decay $D^{*0}\rightarrow D^0\pi^0$. We also measure the mass difference $M(D_s^+)-M(D^+)=99.5\pm 0.6\pm 0.3$ MeV, using the $\phi\pi^+$ decay modes of the $D_s^+$ and $D^+$ mesons.Comment: 18 pages uuencoded compressed postscript (process with uudecode then gunzip). hardcopies with figures can be obtained by sending mail to: [email protected]

Semileptonic Branching Fraction of Charged and Neutral B Mesons

An examination of leptons in ${\Upsilon (4S)}$ events tagged by reconstructed $B$ decays yields semileptonic branching fractions of $b_-=(10.1 \pm 1.8\pm 1.4)\%$ for charged and $b_0=(10.9 \pm 0.7\pm 1.1)\%$ for neutral $B$ mesons. This is the first measurement for charged $B$. Assuming equality of the charged and neutral semileptonic widths, the ratio $b_-/b_0=0.93 \pm 0.18 \pm 0.12$ is equivalent to the ratio of lifetimes. A postscript version is available through World-Wide-Web in http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/1994Comment: 9 pages (in REVTEX format) Preprint CLNS94-1286, CLEO 94-1