Theory Uncertainties for Higgs and Other Searches Using Jet Bins

Bounds on the Higgs mass from the Tevatron and LHC are determined using exclusive jet bins to maximize sensitivity. Scale variation in exclusive fixed-order predictions underestimates the perturbative uncertainty for these cross sections, due to cancellations between the perturbative corrections leading to large K factors and those that induce logarithmic sensitivity to the jet-bin boundary. To account for this, we propose that scale variation in the fixed-order calculations should be used to determine theory uncertainties for inclusive jet cross sections, whose differences yield exclusive jet cross sections. This yields a theory correlation matrix for the jet bins such that the additional uncertainty from large logarithms due to the jet boundary cancels when neighboring bins are added. This procedure is tested for H + 0, 1 jets, WW + 0 jets, and W + 0, 1, 2 jets, and found to be generally applicable. For a case where the higher-order resummation of the jet boundary corrections is known, we show that this procedure yields fixed-order uncertainties which are theoretically consistent with those obtained in the resummed calculation.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures; v2: journal versio

N-Jettiness: An Inclusive Event Shape to Veto Jets

Jet vetoes are essential in many Higgs and new-physics analyses at the LHC and Tevatron. The signals are typically characterized by a specific number of hard jets, leptons, or photons, while the backgrounds often have additional jets. In such cases vetoing undesired additional jets is an effective way to discriminate signals and background. Given an inclusive event sample with N or more jets, the veto to have only N energetic jets defines an "exclusive" N-jet cross section. This strongly restricts the phase space of the underlying inclusive N-jet cross section and causes large double logarithms in perturbation theory that must be summed to obtain theory predictions. Jet vetoes are typically implemented using jet algorithms. This yields complicated phase-space restrictions and one often relies on parton-shower Monte Carlos, which are limited to leading-logarithmic accuracy. We introduce a global event shape "N-jettiness", tau_N, which is defined for events with N signal jets and vanishes in the limit of exactly N infinitely narrow jets. Requiring tau_N << 1 constrains radiation between the N signal jets and vetoes additional undesired jets. This provides an inclusive method to veto jets and to define an exclusive N-jet cross section that can be well-controlled theoretically. N-jettiness yields a factorization formula with inclusive jet and beam functions.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, v2: typos corrected, journal versio

The Beam Thrust Cross Section for Drell-Yan at NNLL Order

At the LHC and Tevatron strong initial-state radiation (ISR) plays an important role. It can significantly affect the partonic luminosity available to the hard interaction or contaminate a signal with additional jets and soft radiation. An ideal process to study ISR is isolated Drell-Yan production, pp -> X l+l- without central jets, where the jet veto is provided by the hadronic event shape beam thrust tau_B. Most hadron collider event shapes are designed to study central jets. In contrast, requiring tau_B << 1 provides an inclusive veto of central jets and measures the spectrum of ISR. For tau_B << 1 we carry out a resummation of alpha_s^n ln^m tau_B corrections at next-to-next-to-leading-logarithmic order. This is the first resummation at this order for a hadron-hadron collider event shape. Measurements of tau_B at the Tevatron and LHC can provide crucial tests of our understanding of ISR and of tau_B's utility as a central jet veto.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, v2: journal versio

Dissecting Soft Radiation with Factorization

An essential part of high-energy hadronic collisions is the soft hadronic activity that underlies the primary hard interaction. It includes soft radiation from the primary hard partons, secondary multiple parton interactions (MPI), and factorization-violating effects. The invariant mass spectrum of the leading jet in $Z$+jet and $H$+jet events is directly sensitive to these effects, and we use a QCD factorization theorem to predict its dependence on the jet radius $R$, jet $p_T$, jet rapidity, and partonic process for both the perturbative and nonperturbative components of primary soft radiation. We prove that the nonperturbative contributions involve only odd powers of $R$, and the linear $R$ term is universal for quark and gluon jets. The hadronization model in PYTHIA8 agrees well with these properties. The perturbative soft initial state radiation (ISR) has a contribution that depends on the jet area in the same way as the underlying event, but this degeneracy is broken by dependence on the jet $p_T$. The size of this soft ISR contribution is proportional to the color state of the initial partons, yielding the same positive contribution for $gg\to Hg$ and $gq\to Zq$, but a negative interference contribution for $q\bar q\to Z g$. Hence, measuring these dependencies allows one to separate hadronization, soft ISR, and MPI contributions in the data.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, v2: PRL version, text rearrange

Factorization at the LHC: From PDFs to Initial State Jets

We study proton-(anti)proton collisions at the LHC or Tevatron in the presence of experimental restrictions on the hadronic final state and for generic parton momentum fractions. At the scale Q of the hard interaction, factorization does not yield standard parton distribution functions (PDFs) for the initial state. The measurement restricting the hadronic final state introduces a new scale \mu_B << Q and probes the proton prior to the hard collision. This corresponds to evaluating the PDFs at the scale \mu_B. After the proton is probed, the incoming hard parton is contained in an initial-state jet, and the hard collision occurs between partons inside these jets rather than inside protons. The proper description of such initial-state jets requires "beam functions". At the scale \mu_B, the beam function factorizes into a convolution of calculable Wilson coefficients and PDFs. Below \mu_B, the initial-state evolution is described by the usual PDF evolution which changes x, while above \mu_B it is governed by a different renormalization group evolution which sums double logarithms of \mu_B/Q and leaves x fixed. As an example, we prove a factorization theorem for "isolated Drell-Yan", pp -> Xl+l- where X is restricted to have no central jets. We comment on the extension to cases where the hadronic final state contains a certain number of isolated central jets.Comment: 41 pages (19 for everyone + 22 for experts), 16 figures; v2: Notational typos fixed. Added sentences to emphasize that measuring isolated Drell-Yan directly tests the initial state parton shower; v3: typos fixed, journal versio

NASA Research in aeropropulsion

Selected examples of recent accomplishments and current activities that are relevant to the principal classes of civil and military vehicles: subsonic transports, commuters, supersonic transports, general aviation, rotorcraft, V/STOL, and high performance. Some instances of emerging technologies with potential high impact on further progress are discussed

Neutron irradiation of Am-241 effectively produces curium

Computer study was made on the production of multicurie amounts of highly alpha-active curium 242 from americium 241 irradiation. The information available includes curium 242 yields, curium composition, irradiation data, and production techniques and safeguards

Use of similarity parameters for examination of geometry characteristics of high-expansion- ratio axial-flow turbines

Similarity parameters used for examining geometry characteristics of axial flow turbines with high expansion rati

Supercharged topping rocket propellant feed system

A rocket propellant feed system utilizing a bleed turbopump to supercharge a topping turbopump is presented. The bleed turbopump is of a low pressure type to meet the cavitation requirements imposed by the propellant storage tanks. The topping turbopump is of a high pressure type and develops 60 to 70 percent of the pressure rise in the propellant

A review of NASA's propulsion programs for aviation

A review of five NASA engine-oriented propulsion programs of major importance to civil aviation are presented and discussed. Included are programs directed at exploring propulsion system concepts for (1) energy conservation subsonic aircraft (improved current turbofans, advanced turbofans, and advanced turboprops); (2) supersonic cruise aircraft (variable cycle engines); (3) general aviation aircraft (improved reciprocating engines and small gas turbines); (4) powered lift aircraft (advanced turbofans); and (5) advanced rotorcraft