The diverse origins of neutron-capture elements in the metal-poor star HD 94028 : possible detection of products of i-process nucleosynthesis

We present a detailed analysis of the composition and nucleosynthetic origins of the heavy elements in the metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −1.62 ± 0.09) star HD 94028. Previous studies revealed that this star is mildly enhanced in elements produced by the slow neutron-capture process (s process; e.g., [Pb/Fe] = +0.79 ± 0.32) and rapid neutron-capture process (r process; e.g., [Eu/Fe] = +0.22 ± 0.12), including unusually large molybdenum ([Mo/Fe] = +0.97 ± 0.16) and ruthenium ([Ru/Fe] = +0.69 ± 0.17) enhancements. However, this star is not enhanced in carbon ([C/Fe] = −0.06 ± 0.19). We analyze an archival near-ultraviolet spectrum of HD 94028, collected using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope, and other archival optical spectra collected from ground-based telescopes. We report abundances or upper limits derived from 64 species of 56 elements. We compare these observations with s-process yields from low-metallicity AGB evolution and nucleosynthesis models. No combination of s- and r-process patterns can adequately reproduce the observed abundances, including the super-solar [As/Ge] ratio (+0.99 ± 0.23) and the enhanced [Mo/Fe] and [Ru/Fe] ratios. We can fit these features when including an additional contribution from the intermediate neutron-capture process (i process), which perhaps operated through the ingestion of H in He-burning convective regions in massive stars, super-AGB stars, or low-mass AGB stars. Currently, only the i process appears capable of consistently producing the super-solar [As/Ge] ratios and ratios among neighboring heavy elements found in HD 94028. Other metal-poor stars also show enhanced [As/Ge] ratios, hinting that operation of the i process may have been common in the early Galaxy

Consistency and lattice renormalization of the effective theory for heavy quarks

The effective theory describing infinite mass particles with a given velocity, has a great interest in heavy flavor physics. It has the unpleasant characteristic that the energy spectrum is unbounded from below; this fact is the source of the problems in the formulation of the euclidean theory. In this paper we present an analysis of the euclidean effective theory, that is rather complete and has positive conclusions. A proof of the consistency of the euclidean theory is presented and a technique for the evaluation of the amplitudes in perturbation theory is described. We compute also the one-loop renormalization constants of the lattice effective theory and of the heavy-heavy current that is needed for the determination of the Isgur-Wise function. A variety of effects related to the explicit breaking of the Lorentz symmetry of lattice regularization is demonstrated. The most peculiar phenomenon is that the heavy quark velocity receives a finite renormalization. Finally, we compute the lattice-continuum renormalization constant of the Isgur-Wise current. It is needed for the conversion of the values of the matrix elements computed with the lattice effective theory, to the values in the full theory.Comment: 28 pages, Latex version 2.09, SISSA 56/93/E

Hadron collider limits on anomalous WWγWW\gamma couplings

A next-to-leading log calculation of the reactions $pp$ and $p\overline{p}\rightarrow W^\pm\gamma X$ is presented including a tri-boson gauge coupling from non-Standard Model contributions. Two approaches are made for comparison. The first approach considers the tri-boson $WW\gamma$ coupling as being uniquely fixed by tree level unitarity at high energies to its Standard Model form and, consequently, suppresses the non-Standard Model contributions with form factors. The second approach is to ignore such considerations and calculate the contributions to non-Standard Model tri-boson gauge couplings without such suppressions. It is found that at Tevatron energies, the two approaches do not differ much in quantitative results, while at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies the two approaches give significantly different predictions for production rates. At the Tevatron and LHC, however, the sensitivity limits on the anomalous coupling of $WW\gamma$ are too weak to usefully constrain parameters in effective Lagrangian models.Comment: Revtex 23 pages + 8 figures, UIOWA-94-1

Radiatively corrected shape function for inclusive heavy hadron decays

We discuss the non-perturbative and the radiative corrections to inclusive B decays from the point of view known from QED corrections to high energy e^+ e^- processes. Here the leading contributions can be implemented through the so called ``radiator function'' which corresponds to the shape function known in heavy hadron decays. In this way some new insight into the origin of the shape function is obtained. As a byproduct, a parameterization of the radiatively corrected shape function is suggested which can be implemented in Monte Carlo studies of inclusive heavy hadron decays.Comment: LaTeX, uses a4, graphicx and psfrag, 10 pages. The complete paper is also available at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/Preprints

Resummed B -> X_u l nu Decay Distributions to Next-to-Leading Order

We perform factorization of the most general distribution in semileptonic B -> X_u decays and we resum the threshold logarithms to next-to-leading order. From this (triple-differential) distribution, any other distribution is obtained by integration. As an application of our method, we derive simple analytical expressions for a few distributions, resummed to leading approximation. It is shown that the shape function can be directly determined by measuring the distribution in m_X^2/E_X^2, not in m_X^2/m_B^2. We compute the resummed hadron energy spectrum, which has a ``Sudakov shoulder'', and we show how the distribution in the singular region is related to the shape function. We also present an improved formula for the photon spectrum in B->X_s gamma which includes soft-gluon resummation and non-leading operators in the effective hamiltonian. We explicitly show that the same non-perturbative function - namely the shape function - controls the non-perturbative effects in all the distributions in the semi-leptonic and in the rare decay.Comment: LaTex file, 19 pages, 3 postscript figures; minor changes, some typos correcte

Granular Flows in a Rotating Drum: the Scaling Law between Velocity and Thickness of the Flow

The flow of dry granular material in a half-filled rotating drum is studied. The thickness of the flowing zone is measured for several rotation speeds, drum sizes and beads sizes (size ratio between drum and beads ranging from 47 to 7400). Varying the rotation speed, a scaling law linking mean velocity vs thickness of the flow, $v\sim h^m$, is deduced for each couple (beads, drum). The obtained exponent $m$ is not always equal to 1, value previously reported in a drum, but varies with the geometry of the system. For small size ratios, exponents higher than 1 are obtained due to a saturation of the flowing zone thickness. The exponent of the power law decreases with the size ratio, leading to exponents lower than 1 for high size ratios. These exponents imply that the velocity gradient of a dry granular flow in a rotating drum is not constant. More fundamentally, these results show that the flow of a granular material in a rotating drum is very sensible to the geometry, and that the deduction of the ``rheology'' of a granular medium flowing in such a geometry is not obvious

A new formulation of the effective theory for heavy particles

We derive the effective theories for heavy particles with a functional integral approach by integrating away the states with high velocity and with high virtuality. This formulation is non-perturbative and has a close connection with the Wilson renormalization group transformation. The fixed point hamiltonian of our transformation coincides with the static hamiltonian and irrelevant operators can be identified with the usual $1/M$ corrections to the static theory. No matching condition has to be imposed between the full and the static theory operators with our approach. The values of the matching constants come out as a dynamical effect of the renormalization group flow.Comment: 26 pages, plain Latex + 4 postscript figures (appended at the end), Preprint Roma1 993-94 (some missing lines in a few formulas have been restored; minor changes

Strong Decays of Strange Charmed P-Wave Mesons

Goldstone boson decays of P-wave $D_s^{**}$ mesons are studied within the framework of Heavy Hadron Chiral Perturbation Theory. We first analyze the simplest single kaon decays of these strange charmed mesons. We derive a model independent prediction for the width of $D_{s2}$ and use experimental information on $D_{s1}$ to constrain the S-wave contribution to $D_1^0$ decay. Single and double pion decay modes are then discussed and shown to be significantly restricted by isospin conservation. We conclude that the pion channels may offer the best hope for detecting one strange member of an otherwise invisible P-wave flavor multiplet.Comment: 16 pages, 2 updated figures not included but available upon request, CALT-68-1902. (Revised estimates for error on $D_{s2}$ width and for isospin violating neutral pion decay of $D'_{s1}$.