32,341 research outputs found
A Modified Stern-Gerlach Experiment Using a Quantum Two-State Magnetic Field
The Stern-Gerlach experiment has played an important role in our
understanding of quantum behavior. We propose and analyze a modified version of
this experiment where the magnetic field of the detector is in a quantum
superposition, which may be experimentally realized using a superconducting
flux qubit. We show that if incident spin- particles couple with the
two-state magnetic field, a discrete target distribution results that resembles
the distribution in the classical Stern-Gerlach experiment. As an application
of the general result, we compute the distribution for a square waveform of the
incident fermion. This experimental setup allows us to establish: (1) the
quantization of the intrinsic angular momentum of a spin- particle, and
(2) a correlation between EPR pairs leading to nonlocality, without necessarily
collapsing the particle's spin wavefunction.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure
Improved Limits on decays to invisible final states
We establish improved upper limits on branching fractions for B0 decays to
final States 10 where the decay products are purely invisible (i.e., no
observable final state particles) and for final states where the only visible
product is a photon. Within the Standard Model, these decays have branching
fractions that are below the current experimental sensitivity, but various
models of physics beyond the Standard Model predict significant contributions
for these channels. Using 471 million BB pairs collected at the Y(4S) resonance
by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II e+e- storage ring at the SLAC National
Accelerator Laboratory, we establish upper limits at the 90% confidence level
of 2.4x10^-5 for the branching fraction of B0-->Invisible and 1.7x10^-5 for the
branching fraction of B0-->Invisible+gammaComment: 8 pages, 3 postscript figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid
Communications
Visions in a Ninth-Century Village: an Early Medieval Microhistory
Microhistory is an approach that has largely passed the study of the early Middle Ages by, chiefly for lack of suitable evidence. This article however suggests that an account of a ninth-century peasant’s vision can be read to recover a microhistory of a rural priest in northern Francia, and draws out the implications for how the local societies of the period might be viewed
Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV
The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8 TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum
The thing is …: a new model for encouraging diverse opinions in museum outreach
What happens when a museum takes one single object out into a public space in order to generate a range of conversations over which the museum aims to have as little control as possible? UCL Museums commissioned a portable kiosk in which to host conversations about a single object, at a variety of locations where a wide range of people congregate, with the aim of engaging people in subjects that are potentially challenging or contentious. This article interrogates the initial uses of this new system, addressing problematic issues around the facilitator's role in hosting discussions where opinions differ and questioning how far a museum should go to encourage engagement with difficult topics. Drawing on theories and techniques for facilitating dialogue and debate, in this article the methods employed in this work are laid open to discussion, and the article incorporates a range of views from participants, facilitators and museum staff
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