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At least 19 records

Precise absolute γ -ray and β - -decay branching intensities in the decay of Cu 29 67

In this work, absolute γ-ray emission probabilities in the β - decay of 67 Cu were measured by means of γ-ray and β - -decay singles and β - -γ coincidences. The new results, together with the known decay scheme of 67 Cu , were used to determine absolute β - -decay branching intensities. The present data differ significantly from previously published values. In addition, the half-life of the I π = 1/2 - isomer in 67 Zn was measured as T 1/2 = 9.37(4) μs, in a good agreement with earlier measurements. Lastly, from the analysis of the Fermi–Kurie plots, Q β - ( g.s.) = 560.3 (10) keV was deduced, which differs from the previously measured value of 577(8) keV but is in good agreement with Q β - ( g.s.) = 561.3 (15) keV recommended in the latest Atomic Mass Evaluation.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Search for invisible decays of the Higgs boson produced in association with a hadronically decaying vector boson in pp collisions at √s = 8 with the ATLAS detector

A search for Higgs boson decays to invisible particles is performed using 20.3 fb⁻¹ of pp collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The process considered is Higgs boson production in association with a vector boson (V = W or Z) that decays hadronically, resulting in events with two or more jets and large missing transverse momentum. No excess of candidates is observed in the data over the background expectation. The results are used to constrain V H production followed by H decaying to invisible particles for the Higgs boson mass range 115 < m H < 300 GeV. The 95 % confidence-level observed upper limit on σ VH × BR(H → inv.) varies from 1.6 pb at 115 GeV to 0.13 pb at 300 GeV. Assuming Standard Model production and including the gg → H contribution as signal, the results also lead to an observed upper limit of 78% at 95% confidence level on the branching ratio of Higgs bosons decays to invisible particles at a mass of 125 GeV.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Time-dependent analysis of B 0 → K S 0 π - π + γ decays and studies of the K + π - π + system in B + → K + π - π + γ decays

We measure the time-dependent CP asymmetry in the radiative-penguin decay B 0 → K S 0 π - π + γ , using a sample of 471×10 6 Υ(4S)→BB-events recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e- storage ring at SLAC. Using events with m Kππ < 1.8 GeV/c 2 , we measure the branching fractions of B+→K+π-π+γ and B0→K0π-π+γ, the branching fractions of the kaonic resonances decaying to K+π-π+, as well as the overall branching fractions of the B+→ρ0K+γ, B+→K*0π+γ and S-wave B+→(Kπ)0*0π+γ components. For events from the ρ mass band, we measure the CP-violating parameters SKS0π+π-γ=0.14±0.25±0.03 and CKS0π+π-γ=-0.39±0.20-0.02+0.03, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. We extract from this measurement the time-dependent CP asymmetry related to the CP eigenstate ρ0KS0 and obtain SKS0ργ=-0.18±0.32-0.05+0.06, which provides information on the photon polarization in the underlying b→sγ transition.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for a dark vector gauge boson decaying to π + π - using η → π + π - γ decays

In this report, we search for a dark vector gauge boson U ' that couples to quarks in the decay chain D * + → D 0 π + , D 0 → K S 0 η , η → U ' γ , U ' → π + π - . No signal is discovered and we set a mass-dependent limit on the baryonic fine structure constant of 10 - 3 - 10 - 2 in the U ' mass range of 290 to 520 MeV / c 2 . This analysis is based on a data sample of 976 fb - 1 collected by the Belle experiment at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + e - collider.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for flavour-changing neutral current top-quark decays t → qZ in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for flavour-changing neutral-current processes in top-quark decays is presented. Data collected with the ATLAS detector from proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb-1, are analysed. The search is performed using top-quark pair events, with one top quark decaying through the t → qZ (q = u, c) flavour-changing neutral-current channel, and the other through the dominant Standard Model mode t → bW. Only Z boson decays into charged leptons and leptonic W boson decays are considered as signal. Consequently, the final-state topology is characterized by the presence of three isolated charged leptons (electrons or muons), at least two jets, one of the jets originating from a b-quark, and missing transverse momentum from the undetected neutrino. Here, the data are consistent with Standard Model background contributions, and at 95% confidence level the search sets observed (expected) upper limits of 1.7 × 10 -4 (2.4 × 10 -4 ) on the t → uZ branching ratio and 2.4 × 10 -4 (3.2 × 10 -4 ) on the t → cZ branching ratio, constituting the most stringent limits to date.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

{beta} decay of 129Cd and excited states in 129In

The β decay of Cd 129 , produced in the relativistic fission of a U 238 beam, was experimentally studied at the RIBF facility at the RIKEN Nishina Center. From the γ radiation emitted after the β decays, a level scheme of In 129 was established comprising 31 excited states and 69 γ -ray transitions. The experimentally determined level energies are compared to state-of-the-art shell-model calculations. The half-lives of the two β -decaying states in Cd 129 were deduced and the β feeding to excited states in In 129 were analyzed. It is found that, as in most cases in the Z<50 , N≤82 region, both decays are dominated by the ν0g 7/2 →π0g 9/2 Gamow–Teller transition, although the contribution of first-forbidden transitions cannot be neglected.

Taprogge, J.↗

Dual-sensor technique for characterization of carrier lifetime decay transients in semiconductors

This work addresses the frequent discrepancy between transient photoconductive (PC) decay and transient photoluminescence (PL) decay. With this dual- sensor technique, one measures the transient PC and PL decay simultaneously with the same incident light pulse, removing injection-level uncertainty. Photoconductive decay measures the transient photoconductivity, Δσ(t). PCD senses carriers released from shallow traps as well as the photo-generated electron-hole pairs. In addition, variations in carrier mobility with injection level (and time) contribute to the decay time. PL decay senses only electron-hole recombination via photon emission. Theory and experiment will show that the time dependence of the two techniques can be quite different at high injection.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Recoil ions from the β decay of Sb 134 confined in a Paul trap [Study of Recoil ions from the β decay of Sb 134 using the Beta-decay Paul trap]

The low-energy recoiling ions from the β decay of 134 Sb were studied by using the Beta-decay Paul Trap. Using this apparatus, singly charged ions were suspended in vacuum at the center of a detector array used to detect emitted β particles, γ rays, and recoil ions in coincidence. The recoil ions emerge from the trap with negligible scattering, allowing β-decay properties and the charge-state distribution of the daughter ions to be determined from the β-ion coincidences. First-forbidden β-decay theory predicts a β–ν correlation coefficient of nearly unity for the 0 – to 0 + transition from the ground state of 134 Sb to the ground state of 134 Te. Although this transition was expected to have a nearly 100% branching ratio, an additional 17.2(52)% of the β-decay strength must populate high-lying excited states to obtain an angular correlation consistent with unity. As a result, the extracted charge-state distribution of the recoiling ions was compared with existing β-decay results and the average charge state was found to be consistent with the results from lighter nuclei.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Two dimensional numerical simulations of carrier dynamics during time-resolved photoluminescence decays in two-photon microscopy measurements in semiconductors

We use two-dimensional numerical simulations to analyze high spatial resolution time-resolved spectroscopy data. This analysis is applied to two-photon excitation time-resolved photoluminescence (2PE-TRPL) but is broadly applicable to all microscopic time-resolved techniques. By solving time-dependent drift-diffusion equations, we gain insight into carrier dynamics and transport characteristics. Accurate understanding of measurement results establishes the limits and potential of the measurement and enhances its value as a characterization method. Diffusion of carriers outside of the collection volume can have a significant impact on the measured decay but can also provide an estimate of carrier mobility as well as lifetime. In addition to material parameters, the experimental conditions, such as spot size and injection level, can impact the measurement results. Although small spot size provides better resolution, it also increases the impact of diffusion on the decay; if the spot size is much smaller than the diffusion length, it impacts the entire decay. By reproducing experimental 2PE-TRPL decays, the simulations determine the bulk carrier lifetime from the data. The analysis is applied to single-crystal and heteroepitaxial CdTe, material important for solar cells, but it is also applicable to other semiconductors where carrier diffusion from the excitation volume could affect experimental measurements.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Measurement of the branching ratio of B ¯ 0 → D * + τ - ν ¯ τ relative to B ¯ 0 → D * + ℓ - ν ¯ ℓ decays with a semileptonic tagging method

Here, we report a measurement of the ratio R ( D * ) = B ( B ¯ 0 → D * + τ - ν ¯ τ ) / B ( B ¯ 0 → D * + ℓ - ν ¯ ℓ ) , where ℓ denotes an electron or a muon. The results are based on a data sample containing 772 × 1 0 6 B B ¯ pairs recorded at the Υ ( 4 S ) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB e + e - collider. We select a sample of B 0 B ¯ 0 pairs by reconstructing both B mesons in semileptonic decays to D * ∓ ℓ ± . We measure R ( D * ) = 0.302 ± 0.030 ( stat ) ± 0.011 ( syst ) , which is within 1.6 σ of the Standard Model theoretical expectation, where the standard deviation σ includes systematic uncertainties. We use this measurement to constrain several scenarios of new physics in a model-independent technique.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Invisible Decays of a Higgs Boson Produced in Association with a Z Boson in ATLAS

A search for evidence of invisible-particle decay modes of a Higgs boson produced in association with a Z boson at the Large Hadron Collider is presented. No deviation from the standard model expectation is observed in 4.5 fb -1 (20.3 fb -1 ) of 7 (8) TeV pp collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment. Assuming the standard model rate for ZH production, an upper limit of 75%, at the 95% confidence level is set on the branching ratio to invisible-particle decay modes of the Higgs boson at a mass of 125.5 GeV. The limit on the branching ratio is also interpreted in terms of an upper limit on the allowed dark matter-nucleon scattering cross section within a Higgs-portal dark matter scenario. Within the constraints of such a scenario, the results presented in this Letter provide the strongest available limits for low-mass dark matter candidates. Limits are also set on an additional neutral Higgs boson, in the mass range 110 < m H < 400 GeV, produced in association with a Z boson and decaying to invisible particles.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Identifying and discriminating phase transitions along decaying shocks with line imaging Doppler interferometric velocimetry and streaked optical pyrometry [Identify phase transition along decaying shocks with line imaging VISAR and streaked optical pyrometry]

Ultrafast line-imaging velocity interferometer system for any reflector and streaked optical pyrometry are now commonly used to obtain high precision equation of state and electronic transport data under dynamic compression at major high energy density science facilities. In this work, we describe a simple way to improve distinguishing phase transformation signatures from other signals when monitoring decaying shock waves. The line-imaging capability of these optical diagnostics offers additional supporting evidence to the assignment of particular anomalies—such as plateaus or reversals—to the occurrence of a phase transition along the Hugoniot. Finally, we illustrate the discussion with two example datasets collected during laser driven shock compression of quartz and stishovite.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Oscillating decay rate in electron capture and the neutrino mass difference

Reported oscillations in the rate of decay of certain ions by K-electron capture have raised questions about whether and how such oscillations can arise in quantum-mechanical theory and whether they can measure the neutrino mass difference. Here I show that simple principles of quantum mechanics answer some questions and clarify what must be performed theoretically or experimentally to answer some others. The principal result is that quantum mechanics does allow mass-difference-dependent oscillations in principle, but it imposes conditions not obeyed by the approximate dynamical models that have been put forth up to now. In particular, indirect coupling between two neutrino mass channels must be taken into account. What needs to be done experimentally and theoretically is discussed

Peshkin, Murray↗