26680612
Search for solar axions by the CERN axion solar telescope with 3He buffer gas: closing the hot dark matter gap.
The CERN Axion Solar Telescope has finished its search for solar axions with (3)He buffer gas, covering the search range 0.64 eV ≲ ma ≲ 1.17 eV. This closes the gap to the cosmological hot dark matter limit and actually overlaps with it. From the absence of excess x rays when the magnet was pointing to the Sun we set a typical upper limit on the axion-photon coupling of gaγ ≲ 3.3 × 10(-10)  GeV(-1) at 95% C.L., with the exact value depending on the pressure setting. Future direct solar axion searches will focus on increasing the sensitivity to smaller values of gaγ, for example by the currently discussed next generation helioscope International AXion Observatory.
59426907
Cryogenic Loop Heat Pipes for the Cooling of Small Particle Detectors at CERN
The loop heat pipe (LHP) is among the most effective heat transfer elements. Its principle is based on a continuous evaporation/condensation process and its passive nature does not require any mechanical devices such as pumps to circulate the cooling agent. Instead a porous wick structure in the evaporator provides the capillary pumping forces to drive the fluid [1]. Cryogenic LHP are investigated as potential candidates for the cooling of future small‐scale particle detectors and upgrades of existing ones. A large spectrum of cryogenic temperatures can be covered by choosing appropriate working fluids. For high luminosity upgrades of existing experiments installed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) (TOTEM) and planned ones (FP420) [2–3] being in the design phase, radiation‐hard solutions are studied with noble gases as working fluids to limit the radiolysis effect on molecules detrimental to the functioning of the LHP. The installation compactness requirement of experiments such as the CAST frame‐store C...
19615803
Probing the eV-Mass range for solar axions with CAST
The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) is searching for solar axions which could be produced in the core of the Sun via the so-called Primakoff effect. Not only would these hypothetical particles solve the strong CP problem, but they are also one of the favored candidates for dark matter. In order to look for axions originating from the Sun, CAST uses a decommissioned LHC prototype magnet. In its 10 m long magnetic field region of 9 Tesla, axions could be reconverted into X-ray photons. Different X-ray detectors are installed on both ends of the magnet, which is mounted on a structure built to follow the Sun during sunrise and sunset for a total of about 3 hours per day. The analysis of the data acquired during the first phase of the experiment with vacuum in the magnetic field region yielded the most restrictive experimental upper limit on the axion-to-photon coupling constant for axion masses up to about 0.02 eV. In order to extend the sensitivity of the experiment to a wider mass range, the CAST experiment continues its search for axions with helium in the magnet bores. In this way it is possible to restore coherence of conversion for larger masses. Changing the pressure of the helium gas enables the experiment to scan different axion masses in the range of up to about 1.2 eV. Especially at high pressures, a precise knowledge of the gas density distribution is crucial to obtain accurate results. In the first part of this second phase of CAST, 4He was used and the axion mass region was extended up to 0.39 eV, a part of phase space favored by axion models. In CAST's ongoing 3He phase the studied mass range is now being extended further. In this contribution the final results of CAST's 4He phase will be presented and the current status of the 3He run will be given. This includes latest results as well as prospects of future axion experiments.
18170820
COOLING SYSTEM FOR THE MERIT HIGH‐POWER TARGET EXPERIMENT
MERIT is a proof‐of‐principle experiment of a target station suitable as source for future muon colliders or neutrino factories. When installed at the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) PS (Proton Synchrotron) complex fast‐extracted high‐intensity proton beams intercepted a free mercury jet inside a normal‐conducting, pulsed 15‐T capture solenoid magnet cooled with liquid nitrogen. Up to 25 MJ of Joule heat was dissipated in the magnet during a pulse. The fully automated, remotely controlled cryogenic system of novel design permitted the transfer of nitrogen by the sole means of differential pressures inside the vessels. This fast cycling system permitted several hundred tests in less than three weeks during the 2007 data taking campaign.
117736333
Results and perspectives of the solar axion search with the CAST experiment
The status of the solar axion search with the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) will be presented. Recent results obtained by the use of $^3$He as a buffer gas has allowed us to extend our sensitivity to higher axion masses than our previous measurements with $^4$He. With about 1 h of data taking at each of 252 different pressure settings we have scanned the axion mass range 0.39 eV$ \le m_{a} \le $ 0.64 eV. From the absence of an excess of x rays when the magnet was pointing to the Sun we set a typical upper limit on the axion-photon coupling of g$_{a\gamma} \le 2.3\times 10^{-10}$ GeV$^{-1}$ at 95% C.L., the exact value depending on the pressure setting. CAST published results represent the best experimental limit on the photon couplings to axions and other similar exotic particles dubbed WISPs (Weakly Interacting Slim Particles) in the considered mass range and for the first time the limit enters the region favored by QCD axion models. Preliminary sensitivities for axion masses up to 1.16 eV will also be shown reaching mean upper limits on the axion-photon coupling of g$_{a\gamma} \le 3.5\times 10^{-10}$ GeV$^{-1}$ at 95% C.L. Expected sensibilities for the extension of the CAST program up to 2014 will be presented. Moreover long term options for a new helioscope experiment will be evoked.
46905524
Latest results and prospects of the CERN Axion Solar Telescope
The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) experiment searches for axions from the Sun converted into few keV photons via the inverse Primakoff effect in the high magnetic field of a superconducting Large Hadron Collider (LHC) decommissioned test magnet. After results obtained with vacuum in the magnet pipes (phase I of the experiment) as well as with 4He the collaboration is now immersed in the data taking with 3He, to be finished in 2011. The status of the experiment will be presented, including a preliminary exclusion plot of the first 3He data. CAST is currently sensitive to realistic QCD axion models at the sub-eV scale, and with axion-photon couplings down to the ~ 2 × 10−10 GeV−1, compatible with solar life limits. Future plans include revisiting vaccuum and 4He configurations with improved sensitivity, as well as possible additional search for non-standard signals from chamaleons, paraphotons or other WISPs. For the longer term, we study the feasibility of an altogether improved version of the axion helioscope concept, with a jump in sensitivity of about one order of magnitude in gaγ beyond CAST.
17622844
Finite volume effects in the gluon propagator
We report on a preliminary study of the volume dependence of the gluon propagator. The propagator is computed using different lattice volumes, its extrapolation to infinite volume is investigated with particular attention to the its IR behaviour. Our data shows a mild but measurable dependence with the volume. Unfortunately, we are not able yet to clarify its behaviour close to zero momentum.
116966286
Search for a $W^\prime$ or Techni-$\rho$ Decaying into $WZ$ in $pp$ Collisions at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV
A search is performed in pp collisions at √s=7  TeV for exotic particles decaying via WZ to final states with electrons and muons. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of approximately 5  fb^(-1). No significant excess is observed in the data above the expected standard model background. Upper bounds at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section of the W′ boson described by the sequential standard model and on the W′ WZ coupling. W′ bosons with masses below 1143 GeV are excluded. Limits are also set in the context of low-scale technicolor models, under a range of assumptions concerning the model parameters.
124456081
LIMIT ON A HEAVY DIRAC NEUTRINO THROUGH OBLIQUE RADIATIVE CORRECTIONS
We compute the one-loop oblique corrections in a typical model with neutrino masses due to the seesaw mechanism. We verify that a Dirac neutrino mass up to 178 GeV is still allowed by the experimental data.
17425135
Scalar Bilepton Dark Matter
In this work we show that 3-3-1 model with right-handed neutrinos has a natural weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter candidate. It is a complex scalar with mass of order of some hundreds of GeV which carries two units of lepton number, a scalar bilepton. This makes it a very peculiar WIMP, very distinct from supersymmetric or extra-dimension candidates. Besides, although we have to make some reasonable assumptions concerning the several parameters in the model, no fine tuning is required in order to get the correct dark matter abundance. We also analyze the prospects for WIMP direct detection by considering recent and projected sensitivities for WIMP–nucleon elastic cross section from CDMS and XENON collaborations.
122619113
Infrared Finite Gluon Propagator and the Structure of Chiral Symmetry Breaking
We study the chiral symmetry breaking in QeD, using an effective potential for composite operators, with infrared finite gluon propagators that have been found by numerical calculation of the Schwinger· Dyson equations as well. as in lattice simulations. The existence of a gluon propagator that is finite at k 2 =O modifies substantially the transition between the phases with and without chiral symmetry.