Next-to-Leading Order Corrections to Single Top Quark Production and Decay at the Tevatron: 1. s-channel Process

We present a study of s-channel single top quark production at the upgraded Tevatron $p\bar{p}$ collider, including the next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD corrections to the production and the decay of the top quark. The "modified" narrow width approximation was adopted to preserve the spin of the top quark in its production and decay. We discuss the effect of the different $O(\alpha_s)$ contributions on the inclusive cross section as well as various kinematic distributions after imposing the relevant cuts to select s-channel single top signal events. In particular the $O(\alpha_s)$ decay contribution, while small in size, has a significant impact on several distributions. With the help of the best-jet algorithm to reconstruct the top quark we demonstrate that it is possible to study kinematical and spin correlations in s-channel single top events. We furthermore compare top quark spin measurements in two different basis and show how NLO corrections have to be taken into consideration in searches for the Higgs boson through $W^{\pm}H$ associated production at the Tevatron.Comment: 39 pages, 37 figure

Combined Effect of QCD Resummation and QED Radiative Correction to W boson Observables at the Tevatron

A precise determination of the W boson mass at the Fermilab Tevatron requires a theoretical calculation in which the effects of the initial-state multiple soft-gluon emission and the final-state photonic correction are simultaneously included . Here, we present such a calculation and discuss its prediction on the transverse mass distribution of the W boson and the transverse momentum distribution of its decay charged lepton, which are the most relevant observables for measuring the W boson mass at hadron colliders.Comment: 10 pages, 3 Postscript figures, uses revtex4.st

Competing Ground States in Triple-layered Sr4Ru3O10: Verging on Itinerant Ferromagnetism with Critical Fluctuations

Sr4Ru3O10 is characterized by a sharp metamagnetic transition and ferromagnetic behavior occurring within the basal plane and along the c-axis, respectively. Resistivity at magnetic field, B, exhibits low-frequency quantum oscillations when B||c-axis and large magnetoresistivity accompanied by critical fluctuations driven by the metamagnetism when B^c-axis. The complex behavior evidenced in resistivity, magnetization and specific heat presented is not characteristic of any obvious ground states, and points to an exotic state that shows a delicate balance between fluctuations and order.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figure

Single Top Quark Production and Decay at Next-to-leading Order in Hadron Collision

We present a calculation of the next-to-leading order QCD corrections, with one-scale phase space slicing method, to single top quark production and decay process $p\bar{p},pp\to t\bar{b}+X\to b\ell\nu\bar{b}+X$ at hadron colliders. Using the helicity amplitude method, the angular correlation of the final state partons and the spin correlation of the top quark are preserved. The effect of the top quark width is also examined.Comment: 47 pages, 9 figure

Faculty and student feedback of synchronous distance education in a multi-university learning consortium

The Texas Learning Consortium (TLC) began as a partnership between the foreign language departments at 5 small, private, liberal arts universities, where each specializes in a small number of different world languages to increase the course offerings to their students without the expense of adding additional faculty on every campus. Each university offers their language courses to consortium students in a real-time, interactive, distance education format. In Fall 2017, the consortium expanded beyond foreign languages, and the first engineering course, Statics, was offered in this synchronous, distance format. As background, this paper will provide an overview of the technology used in the classrooms and some of the administrative obstacles that were overcome in scheduling, registration and information technology. The paper will also reflect on the impact of this particular technological implementation on various teaching styles in both foreign language and engineering courses, especially compared to other distance engineering education in the literature, with a purpose of analyzing the model’s suitability for expansion into other engineering courses or a fully accredited consortium based engineering program. Student and faculty satisfaction surveys will additionally provide insight as to whether this distance format is the right fit for campuses used to high-touch learning environments.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Magnetic anisotropy and geometrical frustration in the Ising spin-chain system Sr5Rh4O12

A structural and thermodynamic study of the newly synthesized single crystal Sr5Rh4O12 is reported. Sr5Rh4O12 consists of a triangular lattice of spin chains running along the c-axis. It is antiferromagnetically ordered below 23 K with the intrachain and interchain coupling being ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM), respectively. There is strong evidence for an Ising character in the interaction and geometrical frustration that causes incomplete long-range AFM order. The isothermal magnetization exhibits two step-like transitions leading to a ferrimagnetic state at 2.4 T and a FM state at 4.8 T, respectively. Sr5Rh4O12 is a unique frustrated spin-chain system ever found in 4d and 5d based materials without a presence of an incomplete 3d-electron shell.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure