An embedding technique to determine ττ backgrounds in proton-proton collision data

An embedding technique is presented to estimate standard model tau tau backgrounds from data with minimal simulation input. In the data, the muons are removed from reconstructed mu mu events and replaced with simulated tau leptons with the same kinematic properties. In this way, a set of hybrid events is obtained that does not rely on simulation except for the decay of the tau leptons. The challenges in describing the underlying event or the production of associated jets in the simulation are avoided. The technique described in this paper was developed for CMS. Its validation and the inherent uncertainties are also discussed. The demonstration of the performance of the technique is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by CMS in 2017 at root s = 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 41.5 fb(-1).Peer reviewe

Performance of missing transverse momentum reconstruction in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV using the CMS detector

The performance of missing transverse momentum ((p) over right arrow (miss)(T)) reconstruction algorithms for the CMS experiment is presented, using proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected at the CERN LHC in 2016. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb(-1). The results include measurements of the scale and resolution of (p) over right arrow (miss)(T), and detailed studies of events identified with anomalous (p) over right arrow (miss)(T). The performance is presented of a (p) over right arrow (miss)(T) reconstruction algorithm that mitigates the effects of multiple proton-proton interactions, using the "pileup per particle identification" method. The performance is shown of an algorithm used to estimate the compatibility of the reconstructed (p) over right arrow (miss)(T) with the hypothesis that it originates from resolution effects.Peer reviewe

Late Miocene-early Pleistocene paleoproductivity variations of the Lop Nor in the Tarim Basin and its implications on aridification in Asian Interior

Extensive lacustrine deposits in the eastern Tarim Basin provide records of climate change influenced by the westerly winds and the Asian monsoon. To characterize the evolution of climate change in this region, we analyze elemental concentrations of barium (Ba) from the Ls2 drill core of Lop Nor, a paleo-lakebed located in the eastern Tarim Basin. Biogenic Ba concentrations from this drill core display a large-amplitude oscillation that generally follows a pattern similar to that of Artemisia content and ostracod assemblages, suggesting that is may serve as an index for climate change experienced in the basin. Our results indicate that biogenic Ba is especially sensitive to precipitation. All climatic proxies served in this study vary significantly over late Miocene to early Pleistocene time period. Strong aridification of eastern Tarim in the late Miocene to the early Pliocene may be attributed to a latitudinal shift in the westerly winds, which would have resulted in more moisture transported to southern and eastern Tibet. The growth of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau may have acted as an orographic barrier that blocked moisture sourced in the south from the northern margins of the plateau. We link weaker aridification in the late Pliocene to an increased intensity of the Indian Monsoon.</p

A Rb/Sr record of the weathering response to environmental changes in westerly winds across the Tarim Basin in the late Miocene to the early Pleistocene

The long-term record of lacustrine deposits in the Tarim Basin seems to provide a record of climate influenced by westerly winds. To characterize the evolution of westerly winds, we analyzed concentrations of Rb, V, Zn, Sc and Sr for the drill core Ls2 from Lop Nor in the eastern Tarim Basin. The Rb/Sr ratio in lacustrine deposits depends primarily on the Sr element activity during weathering, after the influence of source provenance has been removed. We assume that with such a correction, the Rb/Sr ratio is controlled by precipitation, which depends on moisture transport by westerly winds to the Tarim Basin. The Rb/Sr ratio displays a large-amplitude oscillation that generally follows a pattern similar to that of pollen and ostracod assemblages, which support the inference that rainfall amount affects the Rb/Sr ratio, and in turn suggests that it may serve as an index of precipitation that was transported by westerly wind. All these climatic proxies obviously changed since the late Miocene, suggesting stronger aridification that may be attributed to a latitudinal shift in westerly winds since the late Miocene. A southward migration of westerly winds, which then transported more moisture to the southern and eastern parts of the Tibetan Plateau, agrees with modeling results and the geological record during that time. This event may be causally related to the expansion of the northern hemisphere ice and/or regional tectonic uplift of high mountains around the Tarim Basin.</p

Size-Differentiated Chemical Characteristics of Asian Paleo Dust: Records from Aeolian Deposition on Chinese Loess Plateau

The Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) receives and potentially contributes to Asian dust storms that affect particulate matter (PM) concentrations, visibility, and climate. Loess on the CLP has experienced little weathering effect and is regarded as an ideal record to represent geochemical characteristics of Asian paleo dust. Samples were taken from 2-, 9-, and 15-m depths (representing deposition periods from similar to 12,000 to similar to 200,000 yr ago) in the Xi Feng loess profile on the CLP. The samples were resuspended and then sampled through total suspended particulates (TSP), PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1) (PM with aerodynamic diameters &lt; similar to 30, 10, 2.5, and 1 mu m, respectively) inlets onto filters for mass, elemental, ionic, and carbon analyses using a Desert Research Institute resuspension chamber. The elements Si, Ca, Al, Fe, K, Mg, water-soluble Ca (Ca(2+)), organic carbon, and carbonate carbon are the major constituents (&gt;1%) in loess among the four PM fractions (i.e., TSP, PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1)). Much of Ca is water soluble and corresponds with measures of carbonate, indicating that most of the calcium is in the form of calcium carbonate rather than other calcium minerals. Most of the K is insoluble, indicating that loess can be separated from biomass burning contributions when K(+) is measured. The loess has elemental abundances similar to those of the upper continental crust (UCC) for Mg, Fe, Ti, Mn, V, Cr, and Ni, but substantially different ratios for other elements such as Ca, Co, Cu, As, and Pb. These suggest that the use of UCC as a reference to represent pure or paleo Asian dust needs to be further evaluated. The aerosol samples from the source regions have similar ratios to loess for crustal elements, but substantially different ratios for species from anthropogenic sources (e.g., K, P, V, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Pb), indicating that the aerosol samples from the geological-source-dominated environment are not a &quot;pure&quot; soil product as compared with loess.</p

The last 130 ka precipitation reconstructionfrom Chinese loess 10Be

Cosmogenic 10Be is a promising precipitation index, because its fallout flux in sediments is mainly controlled by wet precipitation after its production in the atmosphere. Here we report on a new study for reconstructing precipitation during the last 130 ka using 10Be measurements from Chinese loess, with multivariable linear regression to remove the geomagnetic field modulation and dust flux dilution effects from the loess 10Be record. The broad similarity between our result and speleothem &delta;18O indicates that the new precipitation record is robust. It also records an interesting increase in precipitation that occurred during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), exhibiting a similar rainfall amount with that of MIS 5, suggesting that MIS 3 is a special period with strengthened summer Monsoon intensity. By comparison with a stacked marine isotope record and a summer insolation record, our precipitation data clearly show a close correspondence with Northern Hemisphere summer (June, July, and August) solar insolation changes on orbital timescales. During MIS 3, our record follows the insolation differential between 30&deg;N and 30&deg;S, suggesting that rising rainfall changes during MIS 3 are a response to the interhemispheric summer insolation differential forcing.</p

Soil-derived sulfate in atmospheric dust particles at Taklimakan desert

Dust-associated sulfate is believed to be a key species which can alter the physical and chemical properties of dust particles in the atmosphere. Its occurrence in the particles has usually been considered to be the consequence of particles&#39; aging in the air although it is present in some crustal minerals. Our observation at the north and south edge of Taklimakan desert, one of the largest dust sources in the Northern Hemisphere, during a dust episode in April 2008 revealed that sulfate in atmospheric dust samples most likely originated directly from surface soil. Its TSP, PM10 and PM2.5 content was proportional to samples&#39; mass and comprised steadily about 4% in the differently sized samples, the ratio of elemental sulfur to iron was approximately constant 0.3, and no demonstrable influence of pollutants from fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning was detected. These results suggest that sulfate could be substantially derived from surface soil at the desert area and the lack of awareness of this origin may impede accurate results in any investigation of atmospheric sulfur chemistry associated with Taklimakan dust and its subsequent local, regional and global effects on the atmosphere.</p

Evaluation of high-resolution elemental analyses of Chinese loess deposits measured by X-ray fluorescence core scanner

Chinese loess is a unique continental archive of Quaternary climate change, and its elemental components or ratios can provide significant insights into variations in the East Asian palaeomonsoon at tectonic to millennial timescales. However, high-resolution elemental analyses of loess deposits have seldom been reported. To investigate geochemical variations of loess sediments at millennial and centennial timescales, and their potential for recording abrupt climate change, powder and U-channel (long plastic single-boxes used to sub-sample the center of split core sections) samples were collected from the Gulang loess section on the northwestern Chinese Loess Plateau for conventional and scanning X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses. Results suggest that although ten elements (Al, Si, K. Ca, Ti, Fe, Zn, Rb, Sr and Zr,) can be detected robustly using scanning XRF method, only five elements (Si, Ca, Fe, Sr and Zr) can be employed confidently to infer the chemical weathering and grain size sorting effects. Comparison of scanning XRF-derived elemental data with magnetic susceptibility, grain size and speleothem records indicates that high-resolution elemental records have great potential for evaluating rapid fluctuations of the East Asia monsoon.</p

Background-like nitrate in desert air

The atmospheric nitrogen cycle is a key process driving the earth&#39;s environmental evolution. Current model studies require knowledge of NOx soil emissions from various land types, but desert emissions remain unquantified or are not addressed with high confidence. Our measurements at two observatories in Taklimakan desert during a dust episode showed an approximately stable and dust-independent nitrate in the air. Its concentration estimated from PM2.5, PM10 and TSP samples under non-dust, floating dust and dust storm conditions was 3.81&plusmn;1.24&mu;gm-3, 2.95&plusmn;0.69&mu;gm-3, 4.99&plusmn;1.71&mu;gm-3, respectively, despite the more-than-one-order difference of dust loading. This concentration was much larger than that in remote marine and tropical forest air. Comprehensive investigation revealed a similar presence of nitrate in other desert air. The nitrate was hypothesized to be the consequence of the conversion of NOx released from desert soils. These results indicate a background-like nitrate and active reactions of nitrogen compounds in desert air.</p