Interference Study of the chi_c0 (1^3P_0) in the Reaction Proton-Antiproton -> pi^0 pi^0

Fermilab experiment E835 has observed proton-antiproton annihilation production of the charmonium state chi_c0 and its subsequent decay into pi^0 pi^0. Although the resonant amplitude is an order of magnitude smaller than that of the non-resonant continuum production of pi^0 pi^0, an enhanced interference signal is evident. A partial wave expansion is used to extract physics parameters. The amplitudes J=0 and 2, of comparable strength, dominate the expansion. Both are accessed by L=1 in the entrance proton-antiproton channel. The product of the input and output branching fractions is determined to be B(pbar p -> chi_c0) x B(chi_c0 -> pi^0 pi^0)= (5.09 +- 0.81 +- 0.25) x 10^-7.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Accepted by PRL (July 2003

E835 at FNAL: Charmonium Spectroscopy in pˉp\bar p p Annihilations

I present preliminary results on the search for $h_c$ in its $\eta_c\gamma$ and $J/\psi\pi^0$ decay modes. We observe an excess of \eta_c\gamma$events near 3526 MeV that has a probability${\cal P} \sim 0.001$to arise from background fluctations. The resonance parameters are$M=3525.8 \pm 0.2 \pm 0.2 $MeV,$\Gamma\leq$1 MeV, and$10.6\pm 3.7\pm3.4(br) < \Gamma_{\bar{p}p}B_{\eta_c\gamma} < 12.8\pm 4.8\pm4.5(br) $eV. We find no event excess within the search region in the$J/\psi\pi^0$ mode.Comment: Presented at the 6th International Conference on Hyperons, Charm and Beauty Hadrons (BEACH 2004), Chicago(Il), June 27-July 3,200

A Study of \bar{p}p -> Two Neutral Pseudoscalar Mesons at the chi_c0(1^3P_0) Formation Energy

Fermilab experiment E835 has studied reactions \bar{p}p -> pi0 pi0, pi0 eta, eta eta, pi0 eta' and eta eta' in the energy region of the chi_c0(1^3P_0) from 3340 MeV to 3470 MeV. Interference between resonant and continuum production is observed in the pi0 pi0 and eta eta channels, and the product of the input and output branching fractions is measured. Limits on resonant production are set for the pi0 eta and pi0 eta' channels. An indication of interference is observed in the eta eta' channel. The technique for extracting resonance parameters in an environment dominated by continuum production is described.Comment: 15 pages, 21 figures, submitted Phys. Rev.

Human Non-neutralizing HIV-1 Envelope Monoclonal Antibodies Limit the Number of Founder Viruses during SHIV Mucosal Infection in Rhesus Macaques

HIV-1 mucosal transmission begins with virus or virus-infected cells moving through mucus across mucosal epithelium to infect CD4+ T cells. Although broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are the type of HIV-1 antibodies that are most likely protective, they are not induced with current vaccine candidates. In contrast, antibodies that do not neutralize primary HIV-1 strains in the TZM-bl infection assay are readily induced by current vaccine candidates and have also been implicated as secondary correlates of decreased HIV-1 risk in the RV144 vaccine efficacy trial. Here, we have studied the capacity of anti-Env monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against either the immunodominant region of gp41 (7B2 IgG1), the first constant region of gp120 (A32 IgG1), or the third variable loop (V3) of gp120 (CH22 IgG1) to modulate in vivo rectal mucosal transmission of a high-dose simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV-BaL) in rhesus macaques. 7B2 IgG1 or A32 IgG1, each containing mutations to enhance Fc function, was administered passively to rhesus macaques but afforded no protection against productive clinical infection while the positive control antibody CH22 IgG1 prevented infection in 4 of 6 animals. Enumeration of transmitted/founder (T/F) viruses revealed that passive infusion of each of the three antibodies significantly reduced the number of T/F genomes. Thus, some antibodies that bind HIV-1 Env but fail to neutralize virus in traditional neutralization assays may limit the number of T/F viruses involved in transmission without leading to enhancement of viral infection. For one of these mAbs, gp41 mAb 7B2, we provide the first co-crystal structure in complex with a common cyclical loop motif demonstrated to be critical for infection by other retroviruses

Use of Lasers to Study the Impact of Fractionation and Condensation on the Toxicity of Nuclear Weapon Fallout

An experimental concept has been developed to collect data to aid in the refinement of simulation programs designed to predict the fallout effects arising from surface and shallowly buried nuclear weapon detonations. These experiments, called the Condensation Debris Experiments (CDE), are intended to study the condensation/fractionation of material that is liberated following an initial deposition of laser energy onto a small, characterized target. The CDE effort also encompasses target development and material studies as well as supporting computational efforts studying radiation hydrodynamics, computational fluid dynamics, and relevant neutron activation processes (not discussed here)

Absolute X-Ray Yields From Laser-Irradiated, Ge-Doped Aerogel Targets

Bright, multi-keV x-ray sources are essential for radiography of inertial-confinement fusion (ICF) experiments. In this context, there are two parameters of importance: the energy of the emitted photons, which determines how penetrating the x-rays are for radiographic purposes, and the brightness of the source, which determines the ability of a radiograph to resolve small features. As ICF experiments continue to get larger, such as those that will be carried out at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, or at the French Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique's (CEA) Laser MegaJoule, and compression in fuel capsules gets higher, sources for x-ray backlighting will have to have harder-photon spectra. For a given laser energy available to drive the multi-keV x-ray-backlight source, the only way for the source to get brighter is for it to convert the laser to x-rays more efficiently. We have been developing and characterizing laser-driven, underdense x-ray sources that are highly efficient in recent years [2-5]. CEA researchers have also recently had great success efficiently making multi-keV x-rays from pre-pulsed foils [6]