508 research outputs found
Tests of a proximity focusing RICH with aerogel as radiator
Using aerogel as radiator and multianode PMTs for photon detection, a
proximity focusing Cherenkov ring imaging detector has been constructed and
tested in the KEK 2 beam. The aim is to experimentally study the basic
parameters such as resolution of the single photon Cherenkov angle and number
of detected photons per ring. The resolution obtained is well approximated by
estimates of contributions from pixel size and emission point uncertainty. The
number of detected photons per Cherenkov ring is in good agreement with
estimates based on aerogel and detector characteristics. The values obtained
turn out to be rather low, mainly due to Rayleigh scattering and to the
relatively large dead space between the photocathodes. A light collection
system or a higher fraction of the photomultiplier active area, together with
better quality aerogels are expected to improve the situation. The reduction of
Cherenkov yield, for charged particle impact in the vicinity of the aerogel
tile side wall, has also been measured.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figure
Conclusions from CDF Results on CP Violation in D^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-, K^+K^- and Future Tasks
Within the Standard Model (SM) one predicts both direct and indirect CP
violation in D^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-, K^+K^- transitions, although the effects are
tiny: Indirect CP asymmetry cannot exceed O(10^{-4}), probably even O(10^{-5});
direct effects are estimated at not larger than 10^{-4}. At B factories direct
and indirect asymmetries have been studied with /\tau_{D^0} ~ 1; no CP
asymmetry was found with an upper bound of about 1%. CDF has shown intriguing
data on CP violation in D^0 \to \pi^+\pi^- [K^+K^-] with /\tau_{D^0} ~ 2.4
[2.65]. Also, CDF has not seen any CP violation. For direct CP asymmetry, CDF
has a sensitivity similar to the combination of the B factories, yet for
indirect CP violation it yields a significantly smaller sensitivity of
a_{cp}^{ind}=(-0.01 +- 0.06_{stat} +- 0.05_{syst})% due to it being based on
longer decay times. New Physics models (NP) like Little Higgs Models with
T-Parity (LHT) can produce an indirect CP asymmetry up to 1%; CDF's findings
thus cover the upper range of realistic NP predictions ~ 0.1 - 1%. One hopes
that LHCb and a Super-Flavour Factory will probe the lower range down to
~0.01%. Such non-ad-hoc NP like LHT cannot enhance direct CP violation
significantly over the SM level in D^0 \to \pi^+\pi^-, K^+K^- and D^{\pm} \to
\pi^{\pm}K^+K^- transitions, but others might well do so.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure. V2 has minor corrections and corresponds to the
published versio
D0 - D0bar mixing: theory basics
I discuss how the novel experimental data on D0 - D0bar mixing can be
combined to provide information on the fundamental theoretical quantities
describing the mixing itself. I then discuss the theoretical impact of the new
data, focusing in particular on the MSSM.Comment: Proceedings of the EPS-HEP 2007 Conference, Manchester (UK). 3 pages,
1 table, 1 figur
A consistent picture for large penguins in D -> pi+ pi-, K+ K-
A long-standing puzzle in charm physics is the large difference between the
D0 -> K+ K- and D0 -> pi+ pi- decay rates. Recently, the LHCb and CDF
collaborations reported a surprisingly large difference between the direct CP
asymmetries, Delta A_CP, in these two modes. We show that the two puzzles are
naturally related in the Standard Model via s- and d-quark "penguin
contractions". Their sum gives rise to Delta A_CP, while their difference
contributes to the two branching ratios with opposite sign. Assuming nominal
SU(3) breaking, a U-spin fit to the D0 -> K+ pi-, pi+ K-, pi+ pi-, K+ K- decay
rates yields large penguin contractions that naturally explain Delta A_CP.
Expectations for the individual CP asymmetries are also discussed.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure
The UTfit Collaboration Average of D meson mixing data: Spring 2012
We derive constraints on the parameters , and
that describe meson mixing using all available data, allowing
for CP violation. We also provide posterior distributions and predictions for
observable parameters appearing in physics.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Direct CP violation in charm and flavor mixing beyond the SM
We analyze possible interpretations of the recent LHCb evidence for CP
violation in D meson decays in terms of physics beyond the Standard Model. On
general grounds, models in which the primary source of flavor violation is
linked to the breaking of chiral symmetry (left-right flavor mixing) are
natural candidates to explain this effect, via enhanced chromomagnetic
operators. In the case of supersymmetric models, we identify two motivated
scenarios: disoriented A-terms and split families. These structures predict
other non-standard signals, such as nuclear EDMs close to their present bounds
and, possibly, tiny but visible deviations in K and B physics, or even sizable
flavor-violating processes involving the top quark or the stops. Some of these
connections, especially the one with nuclear EDMs, hold beyond supersymmetry,
as illustrated with the help of prototype non-supersymmetric models.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figure
Animal board invited review: advances in proteomics for animal and food sciences
Animal production and health (APH) is an important sector in the world economy, representing a large proportion of the budget of all member states in the European Union and in other continents. APH is a highly competitive sector with a strong emphasis on innovation and, albeit with country to country variations, on scientific research. Proteomics (the study of all proteins present in a given tissue or fluid - i.e. the proteome) has an enormous potential when applied to APH. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons and in contrast to disciplines such as plant sciences or human biomedicine, such potential is only now being tapped. To counter such limited usage, 6 years ago we created a consortium dedicated to the applications of Proteomics to APH, specifically in the form of a Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, termed FA1002 - Proteomics in Farm Animals: www.cost-faproteomics.org. In 4 years, the consortium quickly enlarged to a total of 31 countries in Europe, as well as Israel, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. This article has a triple purpose. First, we aim to provide clear examples on the applications and benefits of the use of proteomics in all aspects related to APH. Second, we provide insights and possibilities on the new trends and objectives for APH proteomics applications and technologies for the years to come. Finally, we provide an overview and balance of the major activities and accomplishments of the COST Action on Farm Animal Proteomics. These include activities such as the organization of seminars, workshops and major scientific conferences, organization of summer schools, financing Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) and the generation of scientific literature. Overall, the Action has attained all of the proposed objectives and has made considerable difference by putting proteomics on the global map for animal and veterinary researchers in general and by contributing significantly to reduce the East-West and North-South gaps existing in the European farm animal research. Future activities of significance in the field of scientific research, involving members of the action, as well as others, will likely be established in the future.European Science Foundation (Brussels, Belgium)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
New Physics Models of Direct CP Violation in Charm Decays
In view of the recent LHCb measurement of Delta A_CP, the difference between
the time-integrated CP asymmetries in D --> K+K- and D --> pi+pi- decays, we
perform a comparative study of the possible impact of New Physics degrees of
freedom on the direct CP asymmetries in singly Cabibbo suppressed D meson
decays. We systematically discuss scenarios with a minimal set of new degrees
of freedom that have renormalizable couplings to the SM particles and that are
heavy enough such that their effects on the D meson decays can be described by
local operators. We take into account both constraints from low energy flavor
observables, in particular D0-D0bar mixing, and from direct searches. While
models that explain the large measured value for Delta A_CP with chirally
enhanced chromomagnetic penguins are least constrained, we identify a few
viable models that contribute to the D meson decays at tree level or through
loop induced QCD penguins. We emphasize that such models motivate direct
searches at the LHC.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures. v2: typos corrected, reference added, published
versio
Democratized image analytics by visual programming through integration of deep models and small-scale machine learning
Analysis of biomedical images requires computational expertize that are uncommon among biomedical scientists. Deep learning approaches for image analysis provide an opportunity to develop user-friendly tools for exploratory data analysis. Here, we use the visual programming toolbox Orange (http://orange.biolab.si) to simplify image analysis by integrating deep-learning embedding, machine learning procedures, and data visualization. Orange supports the construction of data analysis workflows by assembling components for data preprocessing, visualization, and modeling. We equipped Orange with components that use pre-trained deep convolutional networks to profile images with vectors of features. These vectors are used in image clustering and classification in a framework that enables mining of image sets for both novel and experienced users. We demonstrate the utility of the tool in image analysis of progenitor cells in mouse bone healing, identification of developmental competence in mouse oocytes, subcellular protein localization in yeast, and developmental morphology of social amoebae
Charming CP Violation and Dipole Operators from RS Flavor Anarchy
Recently the LHCb collaboration reported evidence for direct CP violation in
charm decays. The value is sufficiently large that either substantially
enhanced Standard Model contributions or non-Standard Model physics is required
to explain it. In the latter case only a limited number of possibilities would
be consistent with other existing flavor-changing constraints. We show that
warped extra dimensional models that explain the quark spectrum through flavor
anarchy can naturally give rise to contributions of the size required to
explain the the LHCb result. The D meson asymmetry arises through a sizable
CP-violating contribution to a chromomagnetic dipole operator. This happens
naturally without introducing inconsistencies with existing constraints in the
up quark sector. We discuss some subtleties in the loop calculation that are
similar to those in Higgs to \gamma\gamma. Loop-induced dipole operators in
warped scenarios and their composite analogs exhibit non-trivial dependence on
the Higgs profile, with the contributions monotonically decreasing when the
Higgs is pushed away from the IR brane. We show that the size of the dipole
operator quickly saturates as the Higgs profile approaches the IR brane,
implying small dependence on the precise details of the Higgs profile when it
is quasi IR localized. We also explain why the calculation of the coefficient
of the lowest dimension 5D operator is guaranteed to be finite. This is true
not only in the charm sector but also with other radiative processes such as
electric dipole moments, b to s\gamma, \epsilon'/\epsilon_K and \mu\ to
e\gamma. We furthermore discuss the interpretation of this contribution within
the framework of partial compositeness in four dimensions and highlight some
qualitative differences between the generic result of composite models and that
obtained for dynamics that reproduces the warped scenario.Comment: 14 page
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