B−>πlνB -> \pi l \nu Form Factors Calculated on the Light-Front

A consistent treatment of $B\rightarrow \pi l \nu$ decay is given on the light-front. The $B$ to $\pi$ transition form factors are calculated in the entire physical range of momentum transfer for the first time. The valence-quark contribution is obtained using relativistic light-front wave functions. Higher quark-antiquark Fock-state of the $B$-meson bound state is represented effectively by the $|B^*\pi\rangle$ configuration, and its effect is calculated in the chiral perturbation theory. Wave function renormalization is taken into account consistently. The $|B^*\pi\rangle$ contribution dominates near the zero-recoil point ($q^2\simeq 25$ GeV$^2$), and decreases rapidly as the recoil momentum increases. We find that the calculated form factor $f_+(q^2)$ follows approximately a dipole $q^2$-dependence in the entire range of momentum transfer.Comment: Revtex, 19 pages, 9 figure

Cutout reinforcements for shear loaded laminate and sandwich composite panels

This paper presents the numerical and experimental studies of shear loaded laminated and sandwich carbon/epoxy composite panels with cutouts and reinforcements aiming at reducing the cutout stress concentration and increasing the buckling stability of the panels. The effect of different cutout sizes and the design and materials of cutout reinforcements on the stress and buckling behaviour of the panels are evaluated. For the sandwich panels with a range of cutout size and a constant weight, an optimal ratio of the core to the face thickness has been studied for the maximum buckling stability. The finite element method and an analytical method are employed to perform parametric studies. In both constant stress and constant displacement shear loading conditions, the results are in very good agreement with those obtained from experiment for selected cutout reinforcement cases. Conclusions are drawn on the cutout reinforcement design and improvement of stress concentration and buckling behaviour of shear loaded laminated and sandwich composite panels with cutouts

Light pseudoscalar eta and H->eta eta decay in the simplest little Higgs mode

The SU(3) simplest little Higgs model in its original framework without the so-called mu term inevitably involves a massless pseudoscalar boson eta, which is problematic for b-physics and cosmological axion limit. With the mu term introduced by hand, the eta boson acquires mass m_eta ~ mu, which can be lighter than half the Higgs boson mass in a large portion of the parameter space. In addition, the introduced mu term generates sizable coupling of H-eta-eta. The Higgs boson can dominantly decay into a pair of eta's especially when mH below the WW threshold. Another new decay channel of H->Z+eta can be dominant or compatible with H -> WW for mH above the Z+eta threshold. We show that the LEP bound on the Higgs boson mass is loosened to some extent due to this new H->eta eta decay channel as well as the reduced coupling of H-Z-Z. The Higgs boson mass bound falls to about 110 GeV for f=3-4 TeV. Since the eta boson decays mainly into a bb pair, H-> eta eta -> 4b and H-> Z eta -> Z bb open up other interesting search channels in the pursuit of the Higgs boson in the future experiments. We discuss on these issues.Comment: major modification considering the simplest little Higgs model with the mu ter

Detection of Optical Synchrotron Emission from the Radio Jet of 3C279

We report the detection of optical and ultraviolet emission from the kiloparsec scale jet of the well-known quasar 3C~279. A bright knot, discovered in archival V and U band {\it Hubble Space Telescope} Faint Object Camera images, is coincident with a peak in the radio jet \sim0.6\arcsec from the nucleus. The detection was also confirmed in Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 images. Archival Very Large Array and MERLIN radio data are also analyzed which help to show that the high-energy optical/UV continuum, and spectrum, are consistent with a synchrotron origin from the same population of relativistic electrons responsible for the radio emission.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figs. accepted for publication in ApJL with minor revision

Low cost silicon solar array project silicon materials task: Establishment of the feasibility of a process capable of low-cost, high volume production of silane (step 1) and the pyrolysis of silane to semiconductor-grade silicon (step 2)

A quartz fluid bed reactor capable of operating at temperatures of up to 1000 C was designed, constructed, and successfully operated. During a 30 minute experiment, silane was decomposed within the reactor with no pyrolysis occurring on the reactor wall or on the gas injection system. A hammer mill/roller-crusher system appeared to be the most practical method for producing seed material from bulk silicon. No measurable impurities were detected in the silicon powder produced by the free space reactor, using the cathode layer emission spectroscopic technique. Impurity concentration followed by emission spectroscopic examination of the residue indicated a total impurity level of 2 micrograms/gram. A pellet cast from this powder had an electrical resistivity of 35 to 45 ohm-cm and P-type conductivity