SNO+ status and plans for double beta decay search and other neutrino studies

SNO+ is a multi-purpose Neutrino Physics experiment, succeeding to the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory by replacing heavy water with liquid scintillator, which can also be loaded with large quantities of double-beta decaying isotope. The scientific goals of SNO+ are the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay, the study of solar neutrinos and of anti-neutrinos from nuclear reactors and the Earth's natural radioactivity, as well as supernovae neutrinos. The installation of the detector at SNOLAB is being completed and commissioning has already started with a dry run. The detector will soon be filled with water and, later, with scintillator. Here we highlight the main detector developments and address the several Physics analysis being prepared for the several planned SNO+ runs.Peer Reviewe

The muonic longitudinal shower profiles at production

In this paper the longitudinal profile of muon production along the shower axis is studied. The characteristics of this distribution is investigated for different primary masses, zenith angles, primary energies, and different high energy hadronic models. It is found that the shape of this distribution displays universal features similarly to what is known for the electromagnetic profile. The relation between the muon production distribution and the longitudinal electromagnetic evolution is also discussed

Vector Boson decays of the Higgs Boson

We derive the width of the Higgs boson into vector bosons. General formulas are derived both for the on-shell decay H -> VV as well for the off-shell decays, H -> V^* V and H -> V^* V^*, where V=\gamma,W,Z. For the off-shell decays the width of the decaying vector boson is properly included. The formulas are valid both for the Standard Model as well as for arbitrary extensions. As an example we study in detail the gauge-invariant effective Lagrangian models where we can have sizable enhancements over the Standard Model that could be observed at LEP.Comment: 26 pages, 15 Figures in Postscrip

Family language patterns in bilingual families and relationships with children's language outcomes

Past research shows that family language patterns (i.e., which languages are spoken in the family and by whom) are associated with bilingual children's language use. However, it is unclear how input properties such as input quantity, parental proficiency, and language mixing may differ across family language patterns. It is also unclear whether the effects of family language patterns on children's language proficiency remain when differences in input properties are controlled. We investigated (i) which family language patterns occurred in bilingual families in the Netherlands (n = 136), (ii) whether input properties differed across patterns, and (iii) how patterns related to children's proficiency, once input properties were controlled. Home language situations were assessed through a questionnaire, children's proficiency in Dutch and the minority language through vocabulary tests and parent ratings. Three language patterns were found: one-parent-one-language, both parents mixed languages or used the minority language. The results showed differences in input properties across all patterns, as well as effects of these patterns on children's proficiency in Dutch and the minority language that disappeared once input properties were controlled. These findings do not provide robust evidence that family language patterns predict children's proficiency, but rather, that input quantity is crucial.</p