On V_ud determination from kaon decays

The pion beta decay pi^+ -> pi^0 e^+ nu proceeds through pure weak vector hadronic currents and, therefore, the theoretical prediction for it is more reliable than for the processes with axial-vector current contribution. For example, recently the pion beta decay has been used for V_ud determination. The main aim of this letter is to point that kaon beta decay K^0 -> K^+(pi^+ pi^0) e^- nu-bar analogously can be used for this purpose.Comment: 3 pages, no figures, one reference adde

Overview of the SME: Implications and Phenomenology of Lorentz Violation

The Standard Model Extension (SME) provides the most general observer-independent field theoretical framework for investigations of Lorentz violation. The SME lagrangian by definition contains all Lorentz-violating interaction terms that can be written as observer scalars and that involve particle fields in the Standard Model and gravitational fields in a generalized theory of gravity. This includes all possible terms that could arise from a process of spontaneous Lorentz violation in the context of a more fundamental theory, as well as terms that explicitly break Lorentz symmetry. An overview of the SME is presented, including its motivations and construction. Some of the theoretical issues arising in the case of spontaneous Lorentz violation are discussed, including the question of what happens to the Nambu-Goldstone modes when Lorentz symmetry is spontaneously violated and whether a Higgs mechanism can occur. A minimal version of the SME in flat Minkowski spacetime that maintains gauge invariance and power-counting renormalizability is used to search for leading-order signals of Lorentz violation. Recent Lorentz tests in QED systems are examined, including experiments with photons, particle and atomic experiments, proposed experiments in space and experiments with a spin-polarized torsion pendulum.Comment: 40 pages, Talk presented at Special Relativity: Will it Survive the Next 100 Years? Potsdam, Germany, February, 200

CPT, T, and Lorentz Violation in Neutral-Meson Oscillations

Tests of CPT and Lorentz symmetry using neutral-meson oscillations are studied within a formalism that allows for indirect CPT and T violation of arbitrary size and is independent of phase conventions. The analysis is particularly appropriate for studies of CPT and T violation in oscillations of the heavy neutral mesons D, B_d, and B_s. The general Lorentz- and CPT-breaking standard-model extension is used to derive an expression for the parameter for CPT violation. It varies in a prescribed way with the magnitude and orientation of the meson momentum and consequently also with sidereal time. Decay probabilities are presented for both uncorrelated and correlated mesons, and some implications for experiments are discussed.Comment: 11 pages, references added, accepted in Physical Review

Search for the Rare Decay KL --> pi0 ee

The KTeV/E799 experiment at Fermilab has searched for the rare kaon decay KL--> pi0ee. This mode is expected to have a significant CP violating component. The measurement of its branching ratio could support the Standard Model or could indicate the existence of new physics. This letter reports new results from the 1999-2000 data set. One event is observed with an expected background at 0.99 +/- 0.35 events. We set a limit on the branching ratio of 3.5 x 10^(-10) at the 90% confidence level. Combining the results with the dataset taken in 1997 yields the final KTeV result: BR(KL --> pi0 ee) < 2.8 x 10^(-10) at 90% CL.Comment: 4 pages, three figure

Measurement of Cosmic-ray Muon-induced Spallation Neutrons in the Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory

AbstractMuon-induced neutrons are one of the major backgrounds to various underground experiments, such as dark matter searches, low-energy neutrino oscillation experiments and neutrino-less double beta-decay experiments. Previous experiments on the underground production rate of muon-induced neutrons were mostly carried out either at shallow sites or at very deep sites. The Aberdeen Tunnel experiment aims to measure the neutron production rate at a moderate depth of 611 meters water equivalent. Our apparatus comprises of six layers of plastic-scintillator hodoscopes for tracking the incident cosmic-ray muons, and 760 L of gadolinium-doped liquid-scintillator for both neutron production and detection targets. In this paper, we describe the design and the performance of the apparatus. The preliminary result on the measurement of neutron production rate is also presented

Signals for Lorentz Violation in Electrodynamics

An investigation is performed of the Lorentz-violating electrodynamics extracted from the renormalizable sector of the general Lorentz- and CPT-violating standard-model extension. Among the unconventional properties of radiation arising from Lorentz violation is birefringence of the vacuum. Limits on the dispersion of light produced by galactic and extragalactic objects provide bounds of 3 x 10^{-16} on certain coefficients for Lorentz violation in the photon sector. The comparative spectral polarimetry of light from cosmologically distant sources yields stringent constraints of 2 x 10^{-32}. All remaining coefficients in the photon sector are measurable in high-sensitivity tests involving cavity-stabilized oscillators. Experimental configurations in Earth- and space-based laboratories are considered that involve optical or microwave cavities and that could be implemented using existing technology.Comment: 23 pages REVTe

Measurements of exclusive B_s^0 decays at the Y(5S) resonance

Several exclusive $B_s^0$ decays are studied using a 1.86 fb-1 data sample collected at the Y(5S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e^+ e^- collider. In the $B_s^0 \to D_s^- \pi^+$ decay mode we find 10 $B_s^0$ candidates and measure the corresponding branching fraction. Combining the B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)-} \pi^+, B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)-} \rho^+, B_s^0 -> J/\psi \phi and B_s^0 -> J/\psi \eta decay modes, a significant $B_s^0$ signal is observed. The ratio \sigma (e^+ e^- -> B_s^* \bar{B}_s^*) / \sigma (e^+ e^- -> B_s^{(*)} \bar{B}_s^{(*)}) = (93^{+7}_{-9} \pm 1)% is obtained at the Y(5S) energy, indicating that $B_s^0$ meson production proceeds predominantly through the creation of $B^*_s \bar{B}^*_s$ pairs. The $B_s^0$ and $B_s^*$ meson masses are measured to be M(B_s^0)=(5370 \pm 1 \pm 3)MeV/c^2 and M(B_s^*)=(5418 \pm 1 \pm 3)MeV/c^2. Upper limits on the B_s^0 -> \gamma \gamma, B_s^0 -> \phi \gamma, B_s^0 -> K^+ K^- and B_s^0 -> D_s^{(*)+} D_s^{(*)-} branching fractions are also reported.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, published in Phys. Rev. D76, 012002 (2007

Search for Resonant B±→K±h→K±γγB^{\pm}\to K^{\pm} h \to K^{\pm} \gamma \gamma Decays at Belle

We report measurements and searches for resonant $B^{\pm} \to K^{\pm} h \to K^{\pm} \gamma \gamma$ decays where $h$ is a $\eta,\eta^{\prime},\eta_{c},\eta_{c}(2S),\chi_{c0},\chi_{c2},J/\psi$ meson or the X(3872) particle.Comment: accepted by Physics Letters

Search for lepton-flavor-violating τ→ℓV0\tau\to\ell V^0 decays at Belle

We have searched for neutrinoless $\tau$ lepton decays into $\ell$ and $V^0$, where $\ell$ stands for an electron or muon, and $V^0$ for a vector meson ($\phi$, $\omega$, $K^{*0}$, $\bar{K}^{*0}$ or $\rho^0$), using 543 fb$^{-1}$ of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy $e^+e^-$ collider. No excess of signal events over the expected background has been observed, and we set upper limits on the branching fractions in the range $(5.9-18) \times 10^{-8}$ at the 90% confidence level. These upper limits include the first results for the $\ell \omega$ mode as well as new limits that are significantly more restrictive than our previous results for the $\ell \phi$, $\ell K^{*0}$, $\ell \bar{K}^{*0}$ and $\ell \rho^0$ modes.Comment: 7 pages, 16 figure

Search for new charmonium states in the processes e+ e- --> J/psi D(*) D(*) at sqrt{s} ~ 10.6 GeV

We present a study of the X(3940) state in the process e+e- -> J/psi D* Dbar. The X(3940) mass and width are measured to be (3942 +7 -6 +- 6)MeV/c^2 and Gamma=(37 + 26 - 15 +- 8 MeV. In the process e+e- -> J/psi D* D*bar we have observed another charmonium-like state, which we denote as X(4160), in the spectrum of invariant masses of D*+ D*- combinations. The X(4160) parameters are M= 4156 + 25 - 20 +- 15 MeV/c^2 and Gamma = 139 + 111 -61 +- 21 MeV. The analysis is based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 693 /fb recorded near the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+ e- asymmetric-energy collider.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures Contribution paper for conferences EPS2007 and Lepton Photon 2007, Belle-Conference-070