17545140
First observation of the sigma(*+)(c) baryon and a new measurement of the sigma(*+)(c) mass.
Using data recorded with the CLEO II and CLEO II.V detector configurations at the Cornell Electron Storage Rings, we report the first observation and mass measurement of the Sigma(*+)(c) charmed baryon, and an updated measurement of the mass of the Sigma(+)(c) baryon. We find M(Sigma(*+)(c))-M(Lambda(+)(c)) = (231.0+/-1.1+/-2.0) MeV, and M(Sigma(+)(c))-M(Lambda(+)(c)) = (166.4+/-0.2+/-0.3) MeV, where the errors are statistical and systematic, respectively.
12584275
Study of charmless hadronic B meson decays to pseudoscalar-vector final states.
We report results of searches for charmless hadronic B meson decays to pseudoscalar( pi(+/-), K+/-, pi(0), or K(0)(S))-vector( rho, K(*), or omega) final states. By using 9.7x10(6) BB pairs collected with the CLEO detector, we report the first observation of B(-)--->pi(-)rho(0), B(0)-->pi(+/-)rho(-/+), and B(-)-->pi(-)omega, which are expected to be dominated by hadronic b-->u transitions. The measured branching fractions are (10.4(+3.3)(-3.4)+/-2.1)x10(-6), (27.6(+8.4)(-7.4)+/-4.2)x10(-6), and (11.3(+3.3)(-2.9)+/-1. 4)x10(-6), respectively. Branching fraction upper limits are set for all of the other decay modes investigated.
16089528
Observation of radiative leptonic decay of the tau lepton
Using 4.68 fb(-1) of e(+)e(-) annihilation data collected with the CLEO II detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we have studied tau radiative decays tau(-)-->nu(tau)&mgr;(-)nu;(&mgr;)gamma and tau(-)-->nu(tau)e(-)nu;(e)gamma. For a 10 MeV minimum photon energy in the tau rest frame, the branching fraction for radiative tau decay to a muon or electron is measured to be (3.61+/-0.16+/-0. 35)x10(-3) or (1.75+/-0.06+/-0.17)x10(-2), respectively. The branching fractions are in agreement with standard model theoretical predictions.
117035924
Measurement of B (tau- ---> tau-neutrino K- K0) and b (tau- ---> tau-neutrino K- K0 pi0)
34604877
Measurement of Cabibbo-suppressed decays of the tau lepton.
Branching ratios for the dominant Cabibbo-suppressed decays of the [tau] lepton have been measured by CLEO II in [ital e][sup +][ital e][sup [minus]] annihilation at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring ([radical][ital s] [similar to]10.6 GeV) using kaons with momenta below 0.7 GeV/[ital c]. The inclusive branching ratio into one charged kaon is (1.60[plus minus]0.12[plus minus]0.19)%. For the exclusive decays, [ital B]([tau][sup [minus]][r arrow][ital K][sup [minus]][nu][sub [tau]])=(0.66[plus minus]0.07[plus minus]0.09)%, [ital B]([tau][sup [minus]][r arrow][ital K][sup [minus]][pi][sup 0][nu][sub [tau]])=(0.51 [plus minus]0.10[plus minus]0.07)%, and, based on three events, [ital B]([tau][sup [minus]][r arrow][ital K][sup [minus]]2[pi][sup 0][nu][sub [tau]])[lt]0.3% at the 90% confidence level. These represent significant improvements over previous results. [ital B]([tau][sup [minus]][r arrow][ital K][sup [minus]][pi][sup 0][nu][sub [tau]]) is measured for the first time with exclusive [pi][sup 0] reconstruction.
181671081
Search for B ---> K lepton+ lepton- and B ---> K* lepton+ lepton- decays
118876977
Discovery of very high energy gamma-ray radiation from the BL Lac 1ES 0806+524
The high-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae object 1ES 0806+524, at redshift z = 0.138, was observed in the very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray regime by VERITAS between 2006 November and 2008 April. These data encompass the two- and three-telescope commissioning phases, as well as observations with the full four-telescope array. 1ES 0806+524 is detected with a statistical significance of 6.3 standard deviations from 245 excess events. Little or no measurable variability on monthly timescales is found. The photon spectrum for the period 2007 November to 2008 April can be characterized by a power law with photon index 3.6 ± 1.0stat ± 0.3sys between ~ 300 GeV and ~ 700 GeV. The integral flux above 300 GeV is (2.2 ± 0.5stat ± 0.4sys) × 10–12 cm–2 s–1 which corresponds to 1.8% of the Crab Nebula flux. Non-contemporaneous multiwavelength observations are combined with the VHE data to produce a broadband spectral energy distribution that can be reasonably described using a synchrotron--self-Compton model.
205218873
A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the starburst galaxy M82
Although Galactic cosmic rays (protons and nuclei) are widely believed to be mainly accelerated by the winds and supernovae of massive stars, definitive evidence of this origin remains elusive nearly a century after their discovery. The active regions of starburst galaxies have exceptionally high rates of star formation, and their large size—more than 50 times the diameter of similar Galactic regions—uniquely enables reliable calorimetric measurements of their potentially high cosmic-ray density. The cosmic rays produced in the formation, life and death of massive stars in these regions are expected to produce diffuse γ-ray emission through interactions with interstellar gas and radiation. M82, the prototype small starburst galaxy, is predicted to be the brightest starburst galaxy in terms of γ-ray emission. Here we report the detection of >700-GeV γ-rays from M82. From these data we determine a cosmic-ray density of 250 eV cm-3 in the starburst core, which is about 500 times the average Galactic density. This links cosmic-ray acceleration to star formation activity, and suggests that supernovae and massive-star winds are the dominant accelerators.
120325427
First results from VERITAS
Abstract VERITAS is an array of four, 12-m-diameter, Cherenkov telescopes, designed to explore the very-high-energy gamma-ray sky in the energy band between 100 GeV and 50 TeV. Its construction and commissioning have occurred over the past two years and the array has been taking scientific data with three or more telescopes since November 2006. We present results from observations made with VERITAS during the past observing season, including new results on the distant blazar 1ES 1218 + 304 , the active galaxy M87 and the high-mass X-ray binary system LS I + 61 303. We also describe the plans in place for the coming observing seasons.
42542272
A Search for Dark Matter Annihilation with the Whipple 10 m Telescope
We present observations of the dwarf galaxies Draco and Ursa Minor, the Local Group galaxies M32 and M33, and the globular cluster M15 conducted with the Whipple 10 m gamma-ray telescope to search for the gamma-ray signature of self-annihilating weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), which may constitute astrophysical dark matter (DM). We review the motivations for selecting these sources based on their unique astrophysical environments and report the results of the data analysis that produced upper limits on the excess rate of gamma rays for each source. We consider models for the DM distribution in each source based on the available observational constraints and discuss possible scenarios for the enhancement of the gamma-ray luminosity. Limits on the thermally averaged product of the total self-annihilation cross section and velocity of the WIMP, -->?? , are derived using conservative estimates for the magnitude of the astrophysical contribution to the gamma-ray flux. Although these limits do not constrain predictions from the currently favored theoretical models of supersymmetry (SUSY), future observations with VERITAS will probe a larger region of the WIMP parameter phase space, -->?? , and WIMP particle mass ( -->m?).
207872897
Radio imaging of the very-high-energy gamma-ray emission region in the central engine of a radio galaxy.
The accretion of matter onto a massive black hole is believed to feed the relativistic plasma jets found in many active galactic nuclei (AGN). Although some AGN accelerate particles to energies exceeding 10(12) electron volts and are bright sources of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission, it is not yet known where the VHE emission originates. Here we report on radio and VHE observations of the radio galaxy Messier 87, revealing a period of extremely strong VHE gamma-ray flares accompanied by a strong increase of the radio flux from its nucleus. These results imply that charged particles are accelerated to very high energies in the immediate vicinity of the black hole.