Electron Identification in Belle

We report on electron identification methods and their performance in the Belle experiment at the KEK-B asymmetric B-Factory $e^{+} e^{-}$ storage ring. Electrons are selected using a likelihood approach that takes information from the electromagnetic calorimeter, the central drift chamber, and the silica aerogel Cherenkov counters as input. We achieve an electron identification efficiency of $(92.4 \pm 0.4)$ with a $\pi^{\pm}$ fake rate of $(0.25 \pm 0.02)$ for the momentum range between 1.0 GeV/$c$ and 3.0 GeV/$c$ in laboratory frame.Comment: 20 page

Neutral B Flavor Tagging for the Measurement of Mixing-induced CP Violation at Belle

We describe a flavor tagging algorithm used in measurements of the CP violation parameter sin2phi_1 at the Belle experiment. Efficiencies and wrong tag fractions are evaluated using flavor-specific B meson decays into hadronic and semileptonic modes. We achieve a total effective efficiency of $ 28.8 +- 0.6 %.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figure

First hint for CP violation in neutrino oscillations from upcoming superbeam and reactor experiments

We compare the physics potential of the upcoming neutrino oscillation experiments Daya Bay, Double Chooz, NOvA, RENO, and T2K based on their anticipated nominal luminosities and schedules. After discussing the sensitivity to theta_{13} and the leading atmospheric parameters, we demonstrate that leptonic CP violation will hardly be measurable without upgrades of the T2K and NOvA proton drivers, even if theta_{13} is large. In the presence of the proton drivers, the fast track to hints for CP violation requires communication between the T2K and NOvA collaborations in terms of a mutual synchronization of their neutrino-antineutrino run plans. Even in that case, upgrades will only discover CP violation in a relatively small part of the parameter space at the 3 sigma confidence level, while 90% confidence level hints will most likely be obtained. Therefore, we conclude that a new facility will be required if the goal is to obtain a significant result with high probability.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figure

Thermal enhancement of the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between Fe epilayers separated by a crystalline ZnSe spacer

We have put into evidence the existence of an antiferromagnetic coupling between iron epilayers separated by a ZnSe crystalline semiconductor. The effect has been observed for ZnSe spacers thinner than 4 nm at room-temperature. The coupling constant increases linearly with temperature with a constant slope of ~5.5x 10-9 J/m2K. The mechanisms that may explain such exchange interaction are discussed in the manuscript. It results that thermally-induced effective exchange coupling mediated by spin-dependent on and off resonant tunnelling of electrons via localized mid-gap defect states in the ZnSe spacer layer appears to be the most plausible mechanism to induce the antiferromagnetic coupling.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figure

Evidence of time-dependent CP violation in the decay B0 to D*+D*-

We report a measurement of the CP-odd fraction and the time-dependent CP violation in B0 to D*+D*- decays, using 657.10^6 BBbar events collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We measure a CP-odd fraction of Rperp=0.125+/-0.043(stat)+/-0.023(syst). From the distributions of the proper-time intervals between a B0to D*+D*- decay and the other B meson in the event, we obtain evidence of CP violation with measured parameters AD*+D*-=0.15+/-0.13(stat)+/-0.04(syst) and SD*+D*-=-0.96+/-0.25(stat)-0.16+0.13(syst).Comment: Published in PR

Search for B→πℓ+ℓ−B \to \pi \ell^+\ell^- Decays at Belle

We present a search for the B-> pi e^+ e^- and B-> pi \mu^+ \mu^- decays, with a data sample of 657 million BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+e^-$ collider. Signal events are reconstructed from a charged or a neutral pion candidate and a pair of oppositely charged electrons or muons. No significant signal is observed and we set the upper limit on the isospin-averaged branching fraction BF(B -> \pi \ell^+\ell^-) < 6.2x10^-8 at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, accepted by PRD(RC

Measurements of Charmless Hadronic b->s Penguin Decays in the pi+pi-K+pi- Final State and First Observation of B0 -> rho0K+pi-

We report measurements of charmless hadronic B^0 decays into the pi+pi-K+pi+ final state. The analysis uses a sample of 657x10^6 BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider at the Y(4S) resonance. The decay B^0 -> rho0 Kpi is observed for the first time; the significance is 5.0sigma and the corresponding partial branching fraction for M_Kpi in (0.75,1.20) GeV/c^2 is [2.8 +- 0.5(stat) +-0.5(syst)] x 10^{-6}. We also obtain the first evidence for B^0 -> f0Kpi with 3.5sigma significance and for B^0 -> pi+pi-K*0 with 4.5sigma significance. For the two-body decays B^0 -> rho0K*0 and B^0 -> f0K*0, the significances are 2.7sigma and 2.5sigma, respectively, and the upper limits on the branching fractions are 3.4x10^{-6} and 2.2x10^{-6} at 90% confidence level.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. accepted by PRD(RC

Measurement of Time-Dependent CP-Violating Parameters in B0 -> K0S K0S decays

We report a measurement of the CP-violating parameters in B0->K0S K0S decays based on a data sample of 657 million BBbar pairs collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. In this study, one neutral B meson is fully reconstructed in the B0->K0S K0S decay mode, and the flavor of the accompanying B meson is identified by its decay products. The CP-violating parameters are measured from the asymmetry in the distributions of the proper-time interval between the two B decays: S = -0.38 +0.69-0.77(stat) +-0.09(syst) and A = -0.38 +-0.38(stat) +-0.05(syst).Comment: 5pages, 2figures, submitted to PR