Study of the performance of the NA62 Small-Angle Calorimeter at the DAΦ\PhiNE Linac

The measurement of $BR(K^+\to\pi^+\nu\bar{\nu})$ with 10% precision by the NA62 experiment requires extreme background suppression. The Small Angle Calorimeter aims to provide an efficient veto for photons flying at angles down to zero with respect to the kaon flight direction. The initial prototype was upgraded and tested at the Beam Test Facility of the DA$\Phi$NE Linac at Frascati. The energy resolution and the efficiency were measured and are presented.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure

Precision test of the SM with Kl2 and Kl3 decays at KLOE

Kaon decay studies seeking new-physics (NP) effects in leptonic (K_l2) or semileptonic (K_l3) decays are discussed. A unitarity test of the first row of the CKM mixing matrix is obtained from the KLOE precision measurements of Kl3 widths for K^+-, K_L, and (unique to KLOE) K_S, complemented with the absolute branching ratio for the K_mu2 decay. KLOE results lead to constraints for NP models and can probe possible charged Higgs exchange contribution in SM extensions with two Higgs doublets. The main focus in the present document is set on a new measurement of R_K=Gamma(K_e2)/Gamma(K_mu2) with an accuracy at the % level, aiming at finding evidence of deviations from the SM prediction induced by lepton-flavor violation NP effects.Comment: Contributed to Rencontres de Moriond EW 2009, La Thuile, Italy, 7-14 March 200

A prototype large-angle photon veto detector for the P326 experiment at CERN

The P326 experiment at the CERN SPS has been proposed with the purpose of measuring the branching ratio for the decay K^+ \to \pi^+ \nu \bar{\nu} to within 10%. The photon veto system must provide a rejection factor of 10^8 for \pi^0 decays. We have explored two designs for the large-angle veto detectors, one based on scintillating tiles and the other using scintillating fibers. We have constructed a prototype module based on the fiber solution and evaluated its performance using low-energy electron beams from the Frascati Beam-Test Facility. For comparison, we have also tested a tile prototype constructed for the CKM experiment, as well as lead-glass modules from the OPAL electromagnetic barrel calorimeter. We present results on the linearity, energy resolution, and time resolution obtained with the fiber prototype, and compare the detection efficiency for electrons obtained with all three instruments.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables. Presented at the 2007 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium, Honolulu HI, USA, 28 October - 3 November 200

Searches for Physics Beyond the Standard Model at Colliders

All experimental measurements of particle physics today are beautifully described by the Standard Model. However, there are good reasons to believe that new physics may be just around the corner at the TeV energy scale. This energy range is currently probed by the Tevatron and HERA accelerators and selected results of searches for physics beyond the Standard Model are presented here. No signals for new physics have been found and limits are placed on the allowed parameter space for a variety of different particles.Comment: Proceedings for 2007 Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics, Manchester, July 200

Regularity of higher codimension area minimizing integral currents

This lecture notes are an expanded version of the course given at the ERC-School on Geometric Measure Theory and Real Analysis, held in Pisa, September 30th - October 30th 2013. The lectures aim to explain the main steps of a new proof of the partial regularity of area minimizing integer rectifiable currents in higher codimension, due originally to F. Almgren, which is contained in a series of papers in collaboration with C. De Lellis (University of Zurich).Comment: This text will appear in "Geometric Measure Theory and Real Analysis", pp. 131--192, Proceedings of the ERC school in Pisa (2013), L. Ambrosio Ed., Edizioni SNS (CRM Series

A global fit to determine the pseudoscalar mixing angle and the gluonium content of the eta' meson

We update the values of the eta-eta' mixing angle and of the eta' gluonium content by fitting our measurement R_phi = BR(phi to eta' gamma)/ BR(phi to eta gamma) together with several vector meson radiative decays to pseudoscalars (V to P gamma), pseudoscalar mesons radiative decays to vectors (P to V gamma) and the eta' to gamma gamma, pi^0 to gamma gamma widths. From the fit we extract a gluonium fraction of Z^2_G = 0.12 +- 0.04, the pseudoscalar mixing angle psi_P = (40.4 +- 0.6) degree and the phi-omega mixing angle psi_V = (3.32 +- 0.09) degree. Z^2_G and psi_P are fairly consistent with those previously published. We also evaluate the impact on the eta' gluonium content determination of future experimental improvements of the eta' branching ratios and decay width.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures to submit to JHE

LEMUR: Large European Module for solar Ultraviolet Research. European contribution to JAXA's Solar-C mission

Understanding the solar outer atmosphere requires concerted, simultaneous solar observations from the visible to the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft X-rays, at high spatial resolution (between 0.1" and 0.3"), at high temporal resolution (on the order of 10 s, i.e., the time scale of chromospheric dynamics), with a wide temperature coverage (0.01 MK to 20 MK, from the chromosphere to the flaring corona), and the capability of measuring magnetic fields through spectropolarimetry at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Simultaneous spectroscopic measurements sampling the entire temperature range are particularly important. These requirements are fulfilled by the Japanese Solar-C mission (Plan B), composed of a spacecraft in a geosynchronous orbit with a payload providing a significant improvement of imaging and spectropolarimetric capabilities in the UV, visible, and near-infrared with respect to what is available today and foreseen in the near future. The Large European Module for solar Ultraviolet Research (LEMUR), described in this paper, is a large VUV telescope feeding a scientific payload of high-resolution imaging spectrographs and cameras. LEMUR consists of two major components: a VUV solar telescope with a 30 cm diameter mirror and a focal length of 3.6 m, and a focal-plane package composed of VUV spectrometers covering six carefully chosen wavelength ranges between 17 and 127 nm. The LEMUR slit covers 280" on the Sun with 0.14" per pixel sampling. In addition, LEMUR is capable of measuring mass flows velocities (line shifts) down to 2 km/s or better. LEMUR has been proposed to ESA as the European contribution to the Solar C mission.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figures. To appear on Experimental Astronom