119107054
Optical characterization of RTV615 silicone rubber compound
Room Temperature Vulcanized (RTV) silicone compounds are commonly used to bond optical components. For our application, we needed to identify an adhesive with good ultraviolet transmission characteristics, to couple photomultipliers to quartz windows in a Heavy Gas Cerenkov detector that is being constructed for Experimental Hall C of Jefferson Lab to provide π/K separation up to 11 GeV/c. To this end, we present the light transmission results for Momentive RTV615 silicone rubber compound for wavelengths between 195-400 nm, obtained with an adapted reflectivity apparatus at Jefferson Lab. All samples cured at room temperature have transmissions ~ 93% for wavelengths between 360-400 nm and fall sharply below 230 nm. Wavelength dependent absorption coefficients were extracted with four samples of different thicknesses cured at normal temperature (25° C for 7 days). The absorption coefficient drops approximately two orders in magnitude from 220-400 nm, exhibiting distinct regions of flattening near 250 nm and 330 nm. We also investigated the effect of a high temperature curing method (100° C for 1 hour) and found 5-10% better transmission than with the normal method. The effect was more significant with larger sample thickness (3.35 mm) over the wavelength range of 220-280 nm.
118857728
Dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in QED{sub 3} at finite density and impurity potential
We study the effects of finite chemical potential and impurity scattering on dynamical fermion mass generation in (2+1)-dimensional quantum electrodynamics. In any realistic systems, these effects usually cannot be neglected. The longitudinal component of the gauge field develops a finite static length produced by chemical potential and impurity scattering, while the transverse component remains long-ranged because of the gauge invariance. Another important consequence of impurity scattering is that the fermions have a finite damping rate, which reduces their lifetime. By solving the Dyson-Schwinger equation for the fermion mass function, it is found that these effects lead to strong suppression of the critical fermion flavor N{sub c} and the dynamical fermion mass in the symmetry broken phase.
612176
System size dependence of two-particle angular correlations in p+p, Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions
We present a systematic study of two-particle angular correlations in p+p, Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions over a broad range of pseudorapidity and azimuthal angle. The PHOBOS detector has a uniquely large angular coverage for inclusive charged particles, which allows for the study of correlations on both long- and short-range scales. A complex two-dimensional correlation structure emerges which is interpreted in the context of a cluster model. The cluster size and its decay width are extracted from the two-particle pseudorapidity correlation function. The cluster size found in semi-central Cu+Cu and Au+Au collisions is comparable to that found in p+p but a non-trivial increase of cluster size with decreasing centrality is observed. Moreover, the comparison between Cu+Cu and Au+Au systems shows an interesting scaling of the cluster size with the measured fraction of total cross section (which is related to b/2R), suggesting a geometric origin. These results should provide insight into the hadronization stage of the hot and dense medium created in heavy ion collisions.
118554000
OBSERVATION OF A RIDGE CORRELATION STRUCTURE IN HIGH MULTIPLICITY PROTON–PROTON COLLISIONS: A BRIEF REVIEW
This paper briefly reviews the striking experimental observation of a ridge-like dihadron correlation structure in high multiplicity proton–proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Recent progress of both experimental and theoretical efforts on understanding the physical origin of the novel effect is reviewed. Outlook on future direction of possible new studies is discussed.
119292700
Matter fields near quantum critical point in (2+1)-dimensional U(1) gauge theory
We study chiral phase transition and confinement of matter fields in (2+1)-dimensional U(1) gauge theory of massless Dirac fermions and scalar bosons. The vanishing scalar boson mass, r = 0, defines a quantum critical point between the Higgs phase and the Coulomb phase. We consider only the critical point r = 0 and the Coulomb phase with r > 0. The Dirac fermion acquires a dynamical mass when its flavor is less than certain critical value N c f , which depends quantitatively on the flavor Nb and the scalar boson mass r. When Nf < N c f , the matter fields carrying internal gauge charge are all confined if r 6 0 but are deconfined at the quantum critical point r = 0. The system has distinct low-energy elementary excitations at the critical point r = 0 and in the Coulomb phase with r 6 0. We calculate the specific heat and susceptibility of the system at r = 0 and r 6 0, which can help to detect the quantum critical point and to judge whether dynamical fermion mass generation takes place.
209836136
First Measurement of the Cross Section for Top-Quark Pair Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV
The first measurement of the cross section for top-quark pair production in pp collisions at the LHC at center-of-mass energy sqrt(s)= 7 TeV has been performed using 3.1 {pm} 0.3 inverse pb of data recorded by the CMS detector. This result utilizes the final state with two isolated, highly energetic charged leptons, large missing transverse energy, and two or more jets. Backgrounds from Drell-Yan and non-W/Z boson production are estimated from data. Eleven events are observed in the data with 2.1 {pm} 1.0 events expected from background. The measured cross section is 194 {pm} 72 (stat.) {pm} 24 (syst.) {pm} 21 (lumi.) pb, consistent with next-to-leading order predictions.
109503889
EM Calorimeter in BESIII Experiment
BESIII EM Calorimeter (EMC) is based on CsI crystals, working at upgraded Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC), called BEPCII. The overall BEPCII and BESIII design and current status are briefly described. The design and construction of EMC and its performance are presented. EMC works very well and its performances reach the design expectations, it plays an important roll in detector operation and in the BESIII trigger. There are some special features in the EMC construction and reconstruction: the crystals are assembled without support wall to reduce dead area; the time information of the EM clusters can help to suppress the machine background; the detector noise is smaller than similar detectors; the energy reconstruction with TOF signals helps to improve the energy resolution, especially for low energy showers. Several physics papers mainly based on EMC information have been published.
16608072
SDSS J124602.54+011318.8: A Highly Variable AGN, Not an Orphan GRB Afterglow
The optically variable source SDSS J124602.54+011318.8 first appears in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data as a bright point source with nonstellar colors. Subsequent SDSS imaging and spectroscopy showed that the point source declined or disappeared, revealing an underlying host galaxy at z = 0.385. Based on these properties, the source was suggested to be a candidate “orphan afterglow”: a moderately beamed optical transient, associated with a gamma-ray burst (GRB) whose highly beamed radiation cone does not include our line of sight. We present new imaging and spectroscopic observations of this source. When combined with a careful re-analysis of archival optical and radio data, the observations prove that SDSS J124602.54+011318.8 is in fact an unusual radioloud AGN, probably in the BL Lac class. The object displays strong photometric variability on time scales of weeks to years, including several bright flares, similar to the one initially reported. The SDSS observations are therefore almost certainly not related to a GRB. The optical spectrum of this object dramatically changes in correlation with its optical brightness. At the bright phase, weak, narrow oxygen emission lines and probably a broader Hα line are superposed on a blue continuum. As the flux decreases, the spectrum becomes dominated by the host galaxy light, with emerging stellar absorption lines. The narrow and broad emission lines persist. We briefly discuss the implications of this discovery on the study of AGNs and other optically variable or transient phenomena. Subject headings: galaxies: active, BL Lacertae objects: general, gamma rays: bursts
119112689
The rise-time distribution of nearby Type Ia supernovae
We present an analysis of the B- and V-band rise-time distributions of nearby Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Drawing mostly from the recently published Lick Observatory Supernova Search sample of SNe Ia , together with other published nearby SNe Ia with data starting at least 1 week before maximum light, we use a two-stretch template-fitting method to measure the rise and decline of BV light curves. Our analysis of 61 SNe with high-quality light curves indicates that the longer the time between explosion and maximum light (i.e. the rise time), the slower the decline of the light curve after maximum. However, SNe with slower post-maximum decline rates have a faster rise than would be expected from a single-parameter family of light curves, indicating that SN Ia light curves are not a single-parameter family of varying widths. Comparison of the B-band rise-time distribution for spectroscopically normal SNe Ia to those exhibiting high-velocity (HV) spectral features indicates that HV SNe Ia have shorter B-band rise times compared to their spectroscopically normal counterparts. After normalizing the
14803279
Multiwavelength Monitoring of the Dwarf Seyfert 1 Galaxy NGC 4395. III. Optical Variability and X-Ray/UV/Optical Correlations
We present optical observations of the low-luminosity Seyfert 1 nucleus of NGC 4395, as part of a multiwavelength reverberation-mapping program. Observations were carried out over two nights in 2004 April at Lick, Wise, and Kitt Peak Observatories. We obtained V- and B-band photometry, and spectra over the range 3500-6800 A. Simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope UV and Chandra X-ray observations are presented in companion papers. Even though NGC 4395 was in an extremely low state of activity, we detect significant continuum variability of 2%-10%, increasing toward shorter wavelengths. The continuum light curves, both spectroscopic and photometric, are qualitatively similar to the simultaneous UV and X-ray light curves. Interband cross-correlations suggest that the optical continuum emission lags behind the UV continuum emission by 24 minutes, and that the optical continuum emission lags behind the X-ray continuum emission by 44 ± 13 minutes, consistent with a reprocessing model for active galactic nucleus emission. There are also hints of Balmer emission lines lagging behind the optical continuum by an amount slightly larger than the emission-line lag detected in the UV. These results are all similar to those of other Seyfert 1 nuclei. The emission-line lag yields a mass measurement of the central black hole, which although not very significant, is consistent with the value derived from the simultaneous UV data.
18374707
The Carnegie Supernova Project: The Low-Redshift Survey
Supernovae are essential to understanding the chemical evolution of the universe. Type Ia supernovae also provide the most powerful observational tool currently available for studying the expansion history of the universe and the nature of dark energy. Our basic knowledge of supernovae comes from the study of their photometric and spectroscopic properties. However, the presently available data sets of optical and near- infrared light curves of supernovae are rather small and/or heterogeneous, and employ photometric systems that are poorly characterized. Similarly, there are relatively few supernovae whose spectral evolution has been well sampled, both in wavelength and phase, with precise spectrophotometric observations. The low-redshift portion of the Carnegie Supernova Project (CSP) seeks to remedy this situation by providing photometry and spectrophotometry of a large sample of supernovae taken on telescope/filter/detector systems that are well understood and well characterized. During a 5 year program that began in 2004 September, we expect to obtain high-precision ugriBVYJHKs light curves and optical spectrophotometry for about 250 supernovae of all types. In this paper we provide a detailed description of the CSP survey observing and data reduction methodology. In addition, we present preliminary photometry and spectra obtained for a few representative supernovae during the first observing campaign.