The XMM-BCS galaxy cluster survey: I. The X-ray selected cluster catalog from the initial 6 deg2^2

The XMM-Newton - Blanco Cosmology Survey project (XMM-BCS) is a coordinated X-ray, optical and mid-infrared cluster survey in a field also covered by Sunyaev-Zel dovich effect (SZE) surveys by the South Pole Telescope and the Atacama Cosmology Telescope. The aim of the project is to study the cluster population in a 14 deg{sup 2} field (center: {alpha} {approx} 23:29:18.4, {delta} {approx} -54:40:33.6). The uniform multi-wavelength coverage will also allow us for the first time to comprehensively compare the selection function of the different cluster detection approaches in a single test field and perform a cross-calibration of cluster scaling relations. In this work, we present a catalog of 46 X-ray selected clusters from the initial 6 deg{sup 2} survey core.We describe the XMM-BCS source detection pipeline and derive physical properties of the clusters. We provide photometric redshift estimates derived from the BCS imaging data and spectroscopic redshift measurements for a low redshift subset of the clusters. The photometric redshift estimates are found to be unbiased and in good agreement with the spectroscopic values. Our multi-wavelength approach gives us a comprehensive look at the cluster and group population up to redshifts z {approx} 1. The median redshift of the sample is 0.47 and the median mass M{sub 500} {approx} 1 x 10{sup 14} M{sub {circle_dot}} ({approx} 2 keV). From the sample, we derive the cluster log N - log S using an approximation to the survey selection function and find it in good agreement with previous studies. We compare optical mass estimates from the Southern Cosmology Survey available for part of our cluster sample with our estimates derived from the X-ray luminosity. Weak lensing masses available for a subset of the cluster sample are in agreement with our estimates. Optical masses based on cluster richness and total optical luminosity are found to be significantly higher than the X-ray values. The present results illustrate the excellent potential of medium-deep, X-ray surveys to deliver cluster samples for cosmological modelling. In combination with available multi-wavelength data in optical, near-infrared and SZE, this will allow us to probe the dependence of the selection functions on relevant cluster observables and provide thus an important input for upcoming large-area multi-wavelength cluster surveys

Diffractive processes in antiproton-proton collision at s**(1/2) = 1.96 TeV in the D0 experiment

A first study of single diffractive central high-p{sub T} dijet events in p{bar p} collisions at center-of-mass energy {radical}s = 1.96 TeV is presented, using data recorded by the D0 detector at the Tevatron during RunIIa in 2002-2004. The total integrated luminosity corresponding to the data sample is 398 pb{sup -1}. A diffractive sample is selected using a rapidity gap approach. A precise definition of the rapidity gap constitutes the first part of the thesis. The rapidity gap is defined by means of two parts of the D0 detector--luminosity detectors and calorimeter. Luminosity detectors serve as a basic indicators of diffractive candidates and the calorimeter is used to confirm the low energy activity in the forward region (a rapidity gap). Presented studies of energy deposited in forward part of calorimeter by various types of events yield two rapidity gap definitions. Both of them use a fixed rapidity interval in calorimeter |{eta}| {element_of} [2.6,5.2] and introduce an upper limit on the energy deposited in this region. First definition, which corresponds to the lowest systematical errors, uses a limit of 10 GeV, an energy limit in the second definition is set to 3 GeV. This alternative definition corresponds to the lowest contamination of diffractive sample by non-diffractive events, on the other hand it is accompanied with rejection of high percentage of diffractive candidates. Using the gap definition dijet diffractive data are then selected and compared to inclusive dijet events in various distributions. The main focus is to measure the difference in azimuthal angles between two leading jets in events with at least two high p{sub t} central jets. This variable is sensitive to the dynamics of the process. Indeed, the results show the different behavior of {Delta}{phi} distributions between the inclusive and diffractive samples. It is also shown that this difference is bigger for lower p{sub T} jets. Other distributions presented in the thesis show that most of the properties are the same for inclusive and diffractive events. The only observed difference is in the transversal properties of the jets, which could be explained as that diffractive jets are narrower than inclusive ones. Results are compared to Monte Carlo Pomwig (for diffractive sample) and Herwig (for inclusive sample); both show a good agreement with the data

Semileptonic B-Meson Decays

The study of the semileptonic B-meson decays is the most accessible and cleanest way to determine the CKM matrix elements |V{sub cb}| and V{sub ub}. These decays also provide experimental access to study the QCD form-factors, heavy quark masses, and HQE parameters. The theoretical description of semileptonic B-meson decays at the parton level is very simple because there is no interaction between leptonic and hadronic currents. At the hadron level one needs to introduce corrections due to the strong interaction between quarks. Especially in the description of the inclusive B-meson decays the motion of the b-quark inside the B-meson plays a crucial role. All these effects are described in the frameworks of Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET) and Lattice QCD (LQCD). We give an overview about results of studies of semileptonic B-meson decays collected with the BABAR and Belle detectors at the PEP-II and the KEKB e{sup +}e{sup -}-storage rings. We present recent results on hadronic moments measured in inclusive B {yields} X{sub c}lv and B {yields} X{sub u}lv decays and extracted heavy quark masses m{sub b} and m{sub c} and dominant non-perturbative Heavy Quark Expansion (HQE) parameters. We also report the measurements of the CKM matrix elements |V{sub cb}| and |V{sub ub}| in inclusive and in exclusive semileptonic B-meson decays. We describe the studies of the form-factor parameters for the decay B{sup 0} {yields} D*{sup -}l{sup +}v and present the measurement of the B{sup 0} {yields} {pi}{sup -}l{sup +}v form-factor shape

On the influence of the cosmological constant on gravitational lensing in small systems

The cosmological constant Lambda affects gravitational lensing phenomena. The contribution of Lambda to the observable angular positions of multiple images and to their amplification and time delay is here computed through a study in the weak deflection limit of the equations of motion in the Schwarzschild-de Sitter metric. Due to Lambda the unresolved images are slightly demagnified, the radius of the Einstein ring decreases and the time delay increases. The effect is however negligible for near lenses. In the case of null cosmological constant, we provide some updated results on lensing by a Schwarzschild black hole.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure; v2: extended discussion on the lens equation, references added, results unchanged, in press on PR

Report of the 2005 Snowmass Top/QCD Working Group

This report discusses several topics in both top quark physics and QCD at an International Linear Collider (ILC). Issues such as measurements at the $t\bar{t}$ threshold, including both theoretical and machine requirements, and the determination of electroweak top quark couplings, are reviewed. New results concerning the potential of a 500 GeV $e^+e^-$ collider for measuring $Wtb$ couplings and the top quark Yukawa coupling are presented. The status of higher order QCD corrections to jet production cross sections, heavy quark form factors, and longitudinal gauge boson scattering, needed for percent-level studies at the ILC, are reviewed. A new study of the measurement of the hadronic structure of the photon at a $\gamma\gamma$ collider is presented. The effects on top quark properties from several models of new physics, including composite models, Little Higgs theories, and CPT violation, are studied.Comment: 39 pages, many figs; typos fixed and refs added. Contributed to the 2005 International Linear Collider Physics and Detector Workshop and 2nd ILC Accelerator Workshop, Snowmass, Colorado, 14-27 Aug 200

Multiple - pion production by 200-GeV/c muons

The main objectives of this experiment are to study the multiple-pion production, especially fire ball-like behavior at the known muon energy, and to compare with the cosmic ray data by means of cloud chambers containing lead plates and with emulsion stack data in the lower energy region (5GeV/c). The cloud chamber data by cosmic ray muons has been investigated by means of the One Fire Ball Model (the mesons are emitted from excited centers) in the energy range of 10 to 100 GeV, while the emulsion data at 5 GeV/c have indicated dominant contributions from isobars (the excited baryon of 1238 MeV). In the cosmic ray data we can not discuss more details of 'the fire ball', such as its mass or temperature, because those incident muon energies can not be estimated directly

Highly Accurate Frequency Calculations of Crab Cavities Using the VORPAL Computational Framework

We have applied the Werner-Cary method [J. Comp. Phys. 227, 5200-5214 (2008)] for extracting modes and mode frequencies from time-domain simulations of crab cavities, as are needed for the ILC and the beam delivery system of the LHC. This method for frequency extraction relies on a small number of simulations, and post-processing using the SVD algorithm with Tikhonov regularization. The time-domain simulations were carried out using the VORPAL computational framework, which is based on the eminently scalable finite-difference time-domain algorithm. A validation study was performed on an aluminum model of the 3.9 GHz RF separators built originally at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in the US. Comparisons with measurements of the A15 cavity show that this method can provide accuracy to within 0.01% of experimental results after accounting for manufacturing imperfections. To capture the near degeneracies two simulations, requiring in total a few hours on 600 processors were employed. This method has applications across many areas including obtaining MHD spectra from time-domain simulations