Re-evaluation of the Gottfried sum using neural networks

We provide a determination of the Gottfried sum from all available data, based on a neural network parametrization of the nonsinglet structure function F_2. We find S_G=0.244 +- 0.045, closer to the quark model expectation S_G=1/3 than previous results. We show that the uncertainty from the small x region is somewhat underestimated in previous determinations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, latex with revte

Precision determination of the strong coupling constant

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-223).In this thesis we study the event shapes variable thrust. Event shape variables are observables that characterize the shape of the distribution of the final state particles of a reaction. We take advantage of the formalism of Soft Collinear Effective Theory (SCET), an effective theory of the strong interactions appropriate for describing energetic jets. We give a factorization theorem for the process e+e- to hadrons, valid in the whole range of thrust values. This factorization theorem resums large logarithms at the N3LL accuracy and contains the full O(a) result for the fixed order cross section. In order to be able to describe the whole range of thrust values, we define the profile functions, which are thrust-dependent factorization scales which smoothly interpolate between regions where resummation of large logarithms is important and where it is not. To determine non perturbative effects, we fit renormalon-free nonperturbative matrix elements of operators defined in field theory, Q1. We perform a global analysis to all available thrust data in the tail region, where a two parameter fit to a,(mz) and the first power correction Q1 suffices. We find cr(mz) = 0.1135 i (0.0002)expt ± (0.0005)hadr ± (0.0009)pert, with X2 /dof(= 485) = 0.91, where the displayed 1-sigma errors are the total experimental error, the hadronization uncertainty, and the perturbative theory uncertainty, respectively. Furthermore, we perform a global analysis to all available data on the first moment of the thrust distribution. This analysis is a partially independent check of the tail fit, in fact it probes different regions of the thrust distribution and the analysis of experimental systematic uncertainties was conducted independently with respect to the data for the distribution. We find a,(mz) = 0.1141 i (0.0004)exp ± (0.0014)hadr ± (0.0007)pert with X2/dof(= 45) = 1.33. We also consider pp collisions, in particular the Drell-Yan process. Here we calculate analytically the beam thrust logarithms of the relevant beam functions and of the coefficient function at O(a2). This is a necessary ingredient for the calculation of the nonsingular terms in resummed predictions.by Riccardo Abbate.Ph.D

A new prescription for soft gluon resummation

We present a new prescription for the resummation of the divergent series of perturbative corrections, due to soft gluon emission, to hard processes near threshold in perturbative QCD (threshold resummation). This prescription is based on Borel resummation, and contrary to the commonly used minimal prescription, it does not introduce a dependence of resummed physical observables on the kinematically unaccessible x->0 region of parton distributions. We compare results for resummed deep-inelastic scattering obtained using the Borel prescription and the minimal prescription and exploit the comparison to discuss the ambiguities related to the resummation procedure.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures. Final version, to be published in Phys. Lett. B. Several typos corrected (in particular eqs 26,41,53); fig. 3 adde

Precision Thrust Cumulant Moments at N^3LL

We consider cumulant moments (cumulants) of the thrust distribution using predictions of the full spectrum for thrust including O(alpha_s^3) fixed order results, resummation of singular N^3LL logarithmic contributions, and a class of leading power corrections in a renormalon-free scheme. From a global fit to the first thrust moment we extract the strong coupling and the leading power correction matrix element Omega_1. We obtain alpha_s(m_Z) = 0.1141 \pm (0.0004)_exp \pm (0.0014)_hadr \pm (0.0007)_pert, where the 1-sigma uncertainties are experimental, from hadronization (related to Omega_1) and perturbative, respectively, and Omega_1 = 0.372 \pm (0.044)_exp \pm (0.039)_pert GeV. The n-th thrust cumulants for n > 1 are completely insensitive to Omega_1, and therefore a good instrument for extracting information on higher order power corrections, Omega'_n/Q^n, from moment data. We find (\tilde Omega'_2)^(1/2) = 0.74 \pm (0.11)_exp \pm (0.09)_pert GeV.Comment: 23 pages, 16 figures. v2: minor changes, references added, some data added. v3: minor modifications to match published versio

Synthesis and Stereochemical Characterization of a Novel Chiral α-Tetrazole Binaphthylazepine Organocatalyst

A novel α-tetrazole-substituted 1,1'-binaphthylazepine chiral catalyst has been synthesized and its absolute configuration has been determined by DFT computational analysis of the vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectrum of its precursor. The VCD analysis, carried out through the model averaging method, allowed to assign the absolute configuration of a benzylic stereocenter in the presence of a chiral binaphthyl moiety. The 1,1'-binaphthylazepine tetrazole and the nitrile its immediate synthetic precursor, have been preliminarily tested as chiral organocatalysts in the asymmetric intramolecular oxa-Michael cyclization of 2-hydroxy chalcones for the synthesis of chiral flavanones obtaining low enantioselectivity

Thrust at N^3LL with Power Corrections and a Precision Global Fit for alphas(mZ)

We give a factorization formula for the e+e- thrust distribution dsigma/dtau with tau=1-T based on soft-collinear effective theory. The result is applicable for all tau, i.e. in the peak, tail, and far-tail regions. The formula includes O(alphas^3) fixed-order QCD results, resummation of singular partonic alphas^j ln^k(tau)/tau terms with N^3LL accuracy, hadronization effects from fitting a universal nonperturbative soft function defined in field theory, bottom quark mass effects, QED corrections, and the dominant top mass dependent terms from the axial anomaly. We do not rely on Monte Carlo generators to determine nonperturbative effects since they are not compatible with higher order perturbative analyses. Instead our treatment is based on fitting nonperturbative matrix elements in field theory, which are moments Omega_i of a nonperturbative soft function. We present a global analysis of all available thrust data measured at center-of-mass energies Q=35 to 207 GeV in the tail region, where a two parameter fit to $\alpha_s(m_Z)$ and the first moment Omega_1 suffices. We use a short distance scheme to define Omega_1, called the R-gap scheme, thus ensuring that the perturbative dsigma/dtau does not suffer from an O(Lambda_QCD) renormalon ambiguity. We find alphas(mZ)=0.1135 \pm (0.0002)_{expt} \pm (0.0005)_{hadr} \pm (0.0009)_{pert}, with chi^2/dof=0.91, where the displayed 1-sigma errors are the total experimental error, the hadronization uncertainty, and the perturbative theory uncertainty, respectively. The hadronization uncertainty in alphas is significantly decreased compared to earlier analyses by our two parameter fit, which determines Omega_1=0.323 GeV with 16% uncertainty.Comment: 45 pages, 21 figures, v2: added discussion of bin integration vs. cumulant differences; comparison to Becher & Schwartz improved; typo in Eq.55 fixe

Strength of Correlations in a Silver Based Cuprate Analogue

AgF2 has been proposed as a cuprate analogue which requires strong correlation and marked covalence. On the other hand, fluorides are usually quite ionic and 4d transition metals tend to be less correlated than their 3d counterparts, which calls for further scrutiny. We combine valence band photoemission and Auger-Meitner spectroscopy of AgF and AgF2 together with computations in small clusters to estimate values of the Ag 4d Coulomb interaction U 4d and charge-transfer energy. Based on these values, AgF2 can be classified as a charge-transfer correlated insulator according to the Zaanen-Sawatzky-Allen classification scheme. Thus, we confirm that the material is a cuprate analogue from the point of view of correlations, suggesting that it should become a high-temperature superconductor if metallization is achieved by doping. We present also a computation of the Hubbard U in density functional "+U" methods and discuss its relation to the Hubbard U in spectroscopies.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure

Case Report - Multinodular goiter in a patient with Congenital Hypothyroidism and Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome: the possible synergic role of TPO and PTEN mutation

We report the case of a paediatric female patient affected by Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome (BRRS) and congenital hypothyroidism (CH) with homozygous mutation of the TPO gene. She underwent total thyroidectomy at the age of seven years because of the development of a multinodular goiter. BRRS patients present an increased risk of benign and malignant thyroid disease since childhood because of inactivating mutation of PTEN, an onco-suppressor gene. Instead, homozygous mutations in the TPO gene can be associated with severe forms of hypothyroidism with goiter; previous studies have described cases of follicular and papillary thyroid cancer in CH patients with TPO mutation despite a perfectly controlled thyroid function with Levothyroxine therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first case that describes the possible synergic role of coexisting mutation of both TPO and PTEN in the development of multinodular goiter underlining the importance of a tailored surveillance program in these patients, especially during childhood

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders: From epidemiology to pathogenesis-driven treatment

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