Probe of Lorentz Invariance Violation effects and determination of the distance of PG 1553+113

The high frequency peaked BL Lac object PG 1553+113 underwent a flaring event in 2012. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) observed this source for two consecutive nights at very high energies (VHE, $E>$100~GeV). The data show an increase of a factor of three of the flux with respect to archival measurements with the same instrument and hints of intra-night variability. The data set has been used to put constraints on possible Lorentz invariance violation (LIV), manifesting itself as an energy dependence of the velocity of light in vacuum, and to set limits on the energy scale at which Quantum Gravity effects causing LIV may arise. With a new method to combine H.E.S.S. and Fermi large area telescope data, the previously poorly known redshift of PG 1555+113 has been determined to be close to the value derived from optical measurements.Comment: 2014 Fermi Symposium proceedings - eConf C14102.

Density modulations in an elongated Bose-Einstein condensate released from a disordered potential

We observe large density modulations in time-of-flight images of elongated Bose-Einstein condensates, initially confined in a harmonic trap and in the presence of weak disorder. The development of these modulations during the time-of-flight and their dependence with the disorder are investigated. We render an account of this effect using numerical and analytical calculations. We conclude that the observed large density modulations originate from the weak initial density modulations induced by the disorder, and not from initial phase fluctuations (thermal or quantum).Comment: Published version; 4+ pages; 4 figure

Assessment of the U and Co magnetic moments in UCoGe by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism

The ferromagnetic superconductor UCoGe has been investigated by high field X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) at the U-M$_{4,5}$ and Co/Ge-K edges. The analysis of the branching ratio and XMCD at the U-M$_{4,5}$ edges reveals that the U-5$f$ electrons count is close to 3. The orbital ($\sim0.70\,\mu_B$) and spin ($\sim-0.30\,\mu_B$) moments of U at 2.1K and 17T (H//c) have been determined. Their ratio ($\sim-2.3$) suggests a significant delocalization of the 5$f$ electron states. The similar field dependences of the local U/Co and the macroscopic magnetization indicate that the Co moment is induced by the U moment. The XMCD at the Co/Ge-K edges reveal the presence of small Co-4$p$ and Ge-4$p$ orbital moments parallel to the macroscopic magnetization. In addition, the Co-3$d$ moment is estimated to be at most of the order of 0.1$\mu_B$ at 17T. Our results rule out the possibility of an unusual polarisability of the U and Co moments as well as their antiparallel coupling. We conclude that the magnetism which mediates the superconductivity in UCoGe is driven by U.Comment: 4 figures + supplementary materia

Analysis of the D^+ → K^-π^+e^+ν_e decay channel

Using 347.5  fb^(-1) of data recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II electron-positron collider, 244×10^3 signal events for the D^+ → K^-π^+e^+ν_e decay channel are analyzed. This decay mode is dominated by the K̅ ^*(892)^0 contribution. We determine the K̅ ^*(892)^0 parameters: m_(K^*(892)^0)=(895.4±0.2±0.2)  MeV/c^2, Γ_(K^*(892)^0)=(46.5±0.3±0.2)  MeV/c^2, and the Blatt-Weisskopf parameter r_(BW) =2.1±0.5±0.5  (GeV/c)^-1, where the first uncertainty comes from statistics and the second from systematic uncertainties. We also measure the parameters defining the corresponding hadronic form factors at q^2 = 0 (r_V = ^(V(0))/_(A1(0)) = 1.463 ± 0.017 ± 0.031, r_2 = _(A1(0)) ^(A2(0))= 0.801±0.020±0.020) and the value of the axial-vector pole mass parametrizing the q^2 variation of A_1 and A_2: m_A=(2.63±0.10±0.13)  GeV/c^2. The S-wave fraction is equal to (5.79±0.16±0.15)%. Other signal components correspond to fractions below 1%. Using the D^+ → K^-π^+π^+ channel as a normalization, we measure the D^+ semileptonic branching fraction: B(D^+ → K^-π^+e^+ν_e)=(4.00±0.03±0.04±0.09)×10^(-2), where the third uncertainty comes from external inputs. We then obtain the value of the hadronic form factor A_1 at q^2=0: A_1(0)=0.6200±0.0056±0.0065±0.0071. Fixing the P-wave parameters, we measure the phase of the S wave for several values of the Kπ mass. These results confirm those obtained with Kπ production at small momentum transfer in fixed target experiments

Study of B → Xγ decays and determination of |V_(td)/V_(ts)|

Using a sample of 471×10^6 BB̅[overbar] events collected with the BABAR detector, we study the sum of seven exclusive final states B→X_(s(d))γ, where X_(s(d)) is a strange (nonstrange) hadronic system with a mass of up to 2.0  GeV/c^2. After correcting for unobserved decay modes, we obtain a branching fraction for b→dγ of (9.2±2.0(stat)±2.3(syst))×10^(-6) in this mass range, and a branching fraction for b→sγ of (23.0±0.8(stat)±3.0(syst))×10^(-5) in the same mass range. We find B[script](b→dγ)/B[script](b→sγ)=0.040±0.009(stat)±0.010(syst), from which we determine |V_(td)/V_(ts)|=0.199±0.022(stat)±0.024(syst)±0.002(th)

Measurement of CP observables in B^± → D_(CP)K^± decays and constraints on the CKM angle γ

Using the entire sample of 467×10^6 Υ(4S)→BB[overbar] decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, we perform an analysis of B^± → DK^± decays, using decay modes in which the neutral D meson decays to either CP-eigenstates or non-CP-eigenstates. We measure the partial decay rate charge asymmetries for CP-even and CP-odd D final states to be A_(CP+) = 0.25±0.06±0.02 and A_(CP-) = -0.09±0.07±0.02, respectively, where the first error is the statistical and the second is the systematic uncertainty. The parameter A_(CP+) is different from zero with a significance of 3.6 standard deviations, constituting evidence for direct CP violation. We also measure the ratios of the charged-averaged B partial decay rates in CP and non-CP decays, R_(CP+) = 1.18±0.09±0.05 and R_(CP-) = 1.07±0.08±0.04. We infer frequentist confidence intervals for the angle γ of the unitarity triangle, for the strong phase difference δ_B, and for the amplitude ratio r_B, which are related to the B^- → DK^- decay amplitude by r_(B)e^(i(δB-γ)) = A(B^- → D[overbar]^(0)K^-)/A(B^- → D^(0)K^-). Including statistical and systematic uncertainties, we obtain 0.24 < r_B < 0.45 (0.06 < r_B <0.51) and, modulo 180°, 11.3° < γ < 22.7° or 80.8° < γ <99.2° or 157.3° <γ < 168.7° (7.0°<γ<173.0°) at the 68% (95%) confidence level