Tests of the Equivalence Principle with Neutral Kaons

We test the Principle of Equivalence for particles and antiparticles, using CPLEAR data on tagged K0 and K0bar decays into pi^+ pi^-. For the first time, we search for possible annual, monthly and diurnal modulations of the observables |eta_{+-}| and phi_{+-}, that could be correlated with variations in astrophysical potentials. Within the accuracy of CPLEAR, the measured values of |eta_{+-}| and phi_{+-} are found not to be correlated with changes of the gravitational potential. We analyze data assuming effective scalar, vector and tensor interactions, and we conclude that the Principle of Equivalence between particles and antiparticles holds to a level of 6.5, 4.3 and 1.8 x 10^{-9}, respectively, for scalar, vector and tensor potentials originating from the Sun with a range much greater than the distance Earth-Sun. We also study energy-dependent effects that might arise from vector or tensor interactions. Finally, we compile upper limits on the gravitational coupling difference between K0 and K0bar as a function of the scalar, vector and tensor interaction range.Comment: 15 pages latex 2e, five figures, one style file (cernart.csl) incorporate

Test of CPT Symmetry and Quantum Mechanics with Experimental data from CPLEAR

We use fits to recent published CPLEAR data on neutral kaon decays to $\pi^+\pi^-$ and $\pi e\nu$ to constrain the CPT--violation parameters appearing in a formulation of the neutral kaon system as an open quantum-mechanical system. The obtained upper limits of the CPT--violation parameters are approaching the range suggested by certain ideas concerning quantum gravity.Comment: 9 pages of uuencoded postscript (includes 3 figures

“My Lung Disease Won’t Go Away, it’s There to Stay”: Profiles of Adaptation to Functional Limitations in Workers with Asthma and COPD

Purpose Earlier research has shown that adaptation (i.e., the way in which employees cope with limitations resulting from their disease) is associated with sick leave. Our aim was to investigate signs of adequate or inadequate adaptation in employees with asthma and COPD. Methods A Q-methodological study was carried out among 34 workers with asthma or COPD. Results Four adaptation profiles were distinguished: the eager, the adjusted, the cautious, and the worried workers. The adaptation profiles provide insight into the different ways in which workers with asthma and COPD cope with their illness at work. Conclusions The adaptation profiles serve as a starting point for the design of appropriate (occupational) care. The eager workers experience little difficulties at work; the cautious workers may need assistance in learning how to accept their disease; the worried workers need reassurance, and may need reactivation; the adjusted workers deserve extra attention, and, when necessary, advice on how to live with their asthma or COPD

Dispersion relation analysis of the neutral kaon regeneration amplitude in carbon

We apply a forward dispersion relation to the regeneration amplitude for kaon scattering on \PCtw using all available data. The CPLEAR data at low energies allow the determination of the net contribution from the subthreshold region which turns out to be much smaller than earlier evaluations, solving a long standing puzzle

Measurement of the neutral kaon regeneration amplitude in carbon at momenta below 1 GeV/c

The neutral kaon regeneration amplitude in carbon at momenta between 250 and 750~MeV/$c$ was determined by measuring the interference of inherent and coherently regenerated \PKS\ amplitudes. This interference appears in the rates of initially pure (tagged) \PKz\ and \PaKz\ decaying to \Pgpp\Pgpm\ after crossing a carbon absorber

The neutral kaon decays to π+π−π0\pi^+ \pi^- \pi^0: a detailed analysis of the CPLEAR data

A detailed analysis of neutral kaons decaying to \Pgpp \Pgpm \Pgpz\ is presented based on the complete data set containing half a million events. Time-dependent decay rate asymmetries are measured between initially tagged \PKz\ and \PaKz\ and for different regions of the phase space. These asymmetries, resulting from the interference between the CP-conserving decay amplitude of \PKzL\ and the decay amplitude of \PKzS\ -- either CP-violating or CP-conserving -- allow the determinationof the \PKzS\ parameters \etapmz\ (CP-violating) and \lampmz\ (CP-conserving), and also of the main i sospin components of the \PKzS\ decay amplitude. The branching ratio of \PKzS\ $\rightarrow$ \Pgpp \Pgpm \Pgpz\ (CP-conserving) is deduced directly from \lampmz . In addition, we extract the slope parameters describing the energy dependence of the \PKzL \rightarrow \Pgpp \Pgpm \Pgpz Dalitz plot. The whole set of our results fits well within the current phenomenological picture of the neut ral-kaon system including CP violation and Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT)