Radiation hardness qualification of PbWO_4 scintillation crystals for the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

Ensuring the radiation hardness of PbWO_4 crystals was one of the main priorities during the construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS experiment at CERN. The production on an industrial scale of radiation hard crystals and their certification over a period of several years represented a difficult challenge both for CMS and for the crystal suppliers. The present article reviews the related scientific and technological problems encountered

Chlamydia trachomatis infection and the risk of perinatal mortality in Hungary

Introduction: Chlamydial infections of the genital tract are thought to often lead to preterm birth, which is the most important perinatal problem in Hungary. Aim of study: A multicenter study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection, risk factors for the infection and to relate the infection to perinatal mortality, accounting for potential confounding effects. Methods: The nucleic acid hybridization method (PACE2 Gen-Probe) was applied for the examination of Chlamydia trachomatis. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess risk. Results: A total of 6156 pregnant women were examined for the occurrence of Chlamydia trachomatis. The observed overall rate of chlamydial infection was 5.9%. Young age (less than 24 years old) (OR and 95% CI:1.6 (1.3-2.0)), unmarried status (1.5 (1.2-1.9)) and the high unemployment rate (2.1 (1.6-2.7)) were statistically significant predictors of the infection. In logistic regression analysis, chlamydial infection (1.9 (1.1-3.3)). high unemployment rate (1.5 (1.2-2.2)) and low birth weight (1.7 (1.1-2.7) were significant predictors of perinatal mortality. Conclusions: Testing pregnant women for diseases that can be transmitted perinatally is an important part of obstetric cart. Screening for C. trachomatis of unmarried women under 24 years of age is suggested and need increased observation during labor

Charged particle multiplicities in pp interactions at √s = 0.9, 2.36, and 7 TeV

Measurements of primary charged hadron multiplicity distributions are presented for non-single-diractive events in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 0.9, 2.36, and 7 TeV, in five pseudorapidity ranges from |η| < 0.5 to |η| < 2.4. The data were collected with the minimum-bias trigger of the CMS experiment during the LHC commissioning runs in 2009 and the 7 TeV run in 2010. The multiplicity distribution at √s = 0.9 TeV is in agreement with previous measurements. At higher energies the increase of the mean multiplicity with √s is underestimated by most event generators. The average transverse momentum as a function of the multiplicity is also presented. The measurement of higher-order moments of the multiplicity distribution confirms the violation of Koba-Nielsen-Olesen scaling that has been observed at lower energies

Observation and studies of jet quenching in PbPb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV

Jet production in PbPb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 2.76 TeV was studied with the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the LHC, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.7 μb^(−1). Jets are reconstructed using the energy deposited in the CMS calorimeters and studied as a function of collision centrality. With increasing collision centrality, a striking imbalance in dijet transverse momentum is observed, consistent with jet quenching. The observed effect extends from the lower cutoff used in this study (jet pT = 120 GeV/c) up to the statistical limit of the available data sample (jet pT ≈ 210 GeV/c). Correlations of charged particle tracks with jets indicate that the momentum imbalance is accompanied by a softening of the fragmentation pattern of the second most energetic, away-side jet. The dijet momentum balance is recovered when integrating low transverse momentum particles distributed over a wide angular range relative to the direction of the away-side jet

Search for resonances in the dilepton mass distribution in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

A search for narrow resonances at high mass in the dimuon and dielectron channels has been performed by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC, using pp collision data recorded at √s=7 TeV. The event samples correspond to integrated luminosities of 40 pb^(−1) in the dimuon channel and 35 pb^(−1) in the dielectron channel. Heavy dilepton resonances are predicted in theoretical models with extra gauge bosons (Z′) or as Kaluza-Klein graviton excitations (G_(KK)) in the Randall-Sundrum model. Upper limits on the inclusive cross section of Z′(G_(KK)) → ℓ^+ ℓ^− relative to Z → ℓ^+ ℓ^− are presented. These limits exclude at 95% confidence level a Z′ with standard-model-like couplings below 1140GeV, the superstring-inspired Z'_ψ below 887 GeV, and, for values of the coupling parameter kM_(Pl) of 0.05 (0.1), Kaluza-Klein gravitons below 855 (1079) GeV

Measurement of W^+W^− production and search for the Higgs boson in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV

A measurement of W^+W^− production in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV and a search for the Higgs boson are reported. The W^+W^− candidates are selected in events with two leptons, either electrons or muons. The measurement is performed using LHC data recorded with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 pb^(−1). The pp → W^+W^− cross section is measured to be 41.1±15.3 (stat)±5.8(syst)±4.5(lumi)pb consistent with the standard model prediction. Limits on WWγ and WWZ anomalous triple gauge couplings are set. The search for the standard model Higgs boson in the W^+W^− decay mode does not reveal any evidence of excess above backgrounds. Limits are set on the production of the Higgs boson in the context of the standard model and in the presence of a sequential fourth family of fermions with high masses. In the latter context, a Higgs boson with mass between 144 and 207 GeV/c^2 is ruled out at 95% confidence level

Measurements of inclusive W and Z cross sections in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

Measurements of inclusive W and Z boson production cross sections in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV are presented, based on 2.9 pb^(-1) of data recorded by the CMS detector at the LHC. The measurements, performed in the electron and muon decay channels, are combined to give σ(pp → WX) x B (W → lv) = 9.95 ± 0.07 (stat.) ± 0.28 (syst.) ± 1.09 (lumi.) nb and σ(pp → ZX) x B (Z → ℓ+ℓ-) = 0.931 ± 0.026 (stat.) ± 0.023 (syst.) ± 0.102 (lumi.) nb, where ℓ stands for either e or µ. Theoretical predictions, calculated at the next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD using recent parton distribution functions, are in agreement with the measured cross sections. Ratios of cross sections, which incur an experimental systematic uncertainty of less than 4%, are also reported

First Measurement of Bose-Einstein Correlations in Proton-Proton Collisions at √s=0.9 and 2.36 TeV at the LHC

Bose-Einstein correlations have been measured using samples of proton-proton collisions at 0.9 and 2.36 TeV center-of-mass energies, recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is observed in the form of an enhancement of pairs of same-sign charged particles with small relative four-momentum. The size of the correlated particle emission region is seen to increase significantly with the particle multiplicity of the event

Transverse-Momentum and Pseudorapidity Distributions of Charged Hadrons in pp Collisions at √s=7 TeV

Charged-hadron transverse-momentum and pseudorapidity distributions in proton-proton collisions at √s=7  TeV are measured with the inner tracking system of the CMS detector at the LHC. The charged-hadron yield is obtained by counting the number of reconstructed hits, hit pairs, and fully reconstructed charged-particle tracks. The combination of the three methods gives a charged-particle multiplicity per unit of pseudorapidity dN_(ch)/dη||η|<0.5=5.78±0.01(stat)±0.23(syst) for non-single-diffractive events, higher than predicted by commonly used models. The relative increase in charged-particle multiplicity from √s=0.9 to 7 TeV is [66.1±1.0(stat)±4.2(syst)]%. The mean transverse momentum is measured to be 0.545±0.005(stat)±0.015(syst)  GeV/c. The results are compared with similar measurements at lower energies