13936057
Microlocal Analysis and Renormalization in Finite Temperature Field Theory
We reassess the problem of renormalization in finite temperature field theory (FTFT). A new point of view elucidates the relation between the ultraviolet divergences for T = 0 and T ¬ = 0 theories and makes clear the reason why the ultraviolet behavior keeps unaffected when we consider the FTFT version associated to a given quantum field theory (QFT). The strength of the derivation one lies on the Hörmander’s criterion for the existence of products of distributions in terms of the wavefront sets of the respective distributions. The approach allows us to regard the FTFT both imaginary and real time formalism at once in a unified way in the contour ordered formalism.
119291520
The ultraviolet and infrared perturbative finiteness of massless QED$_3$
The perturbative ﬁniteness is one of the most peculiarproperties of topological ﬁeld theories in three space-time dimensions [1]. Thanks to a by-product of super-renormalizability and the presence of topological terms,Yang-Mills-Chern-SimonsandBF-Yang-Millstheoriesarealso ﬁnite at all orders in perturbation theory—in the senseof a vanishing function [2]. In spite of not being atopological ﬁeld theory, the massless QED
119528722
Gauge independence of the effective potential revisited
We apply the formalism of extended BRS symmetry to the investigation of the gauge dependence of the effective potential in a spontaneously symmetry broken gauge theory. This formalism, which includes a set of Grassmann parameters defined as the BRS variations of the gauge-fixing parameters, allows us to derive in a quick and unambiguous way the related Nielsen identities, which express the physical gauge independence, in a class of generalized 't Hooft gauges, of the effective potential. We show in particular that the validity of the Nielsen identities does not require any constraint on the gauge-fixing parameters, contrary to some claims found in the literature. We use the method of algebraic renormalization, which leads to results independent of the particular renormalization scheme used.
119307919
Finite one-loop radiative corrections in the Lorentz- and CPT-violating QED extension
We report on our current progress in the study of finite one-loop radiative corrections in the minimal Lorentz- and CPT-violating QED extension.
17124386
Exact scale invarianmce of the BF-Yang-Mills theory in three dimensions
The ``extended'' BF-Yang-Mills theory in 3 dimensions, which contains a minimally coupled scalar field, is shown to be ultraviolet finite. It obeys a trivial Callan-Symanzik equation, with all β-functions and anomalous dimensions vanishing. The proof is based on an anomaly-free trace identity valid to all orders of perturbation theory.
197441123
On the Geometry of Two-Dimensional Anisotropic Non-Linear Sigma Models
119259804
Lifetime measurements of 214Po and 212Po with the CTF liquid scintillator detector at LNGS
We have studied the α-decays of 214Po into 210Pb and of 212Po into 208Pb tagged by the coincidence with the preceding β-decays from 214Bi and 212Bi, respectively. The 222Rn, 232Th, and 220Rn sources used were sealed inside quartz vials and inserted in the Counting Test Facility at the underground Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy. We find that the mean lifetime of 214Po is (236.00 ± 0.42(stat) ± 0.15(syst)) μs and that of 212Po is (425.1 ± 0.9(stat) ± 1.2(syst)) ns. Our results, obtained from data with signal-to-background ratio larger than 1000, reduce the overall uncertainties and are compatible with previous measurements.
55022201
Artificial neutrino source experiment in Borexino
An experiment with an artificial neutrino source in Borexino is presented. The neutrino source can be located outside the detector or eventually, at the end of the solar neutrino phase, could be deployed inside. The physics case for the source experiment includes the search for short-baseline neutrino oscillations, neutrino-electron scattering at sub-MeV range, neutrino magnetic moment. Preliminary predictions of the sensitivity are reported for the sterile neutrino search.
27175903
New limits on heavy sterile neutrino mixing in 8B decay obtained with the Borexino detector
If heavy neutrinos with mass $m_{\nu_{H}}\geq$2$ m_e $ are produced in the Sun via the decay ${^8\rm{B}} \rightarrow {^8\rm{Be}} + e^+ + \nu_H$ in a side branch of pp-chain, they would undergo the observable decay into an electron, a positron and a light neutrino $\nu_{H}\rightarrow\nu_{L}+e^++e^-$. In the present work Borexino data are used to set a bound on the existence of such decays. We constrain the mixing of a heavy neutrino with mass 1.5 MeV $\leq m_{\nu_{H}} \le$ 14 MeV to be $|U_{eH}|^2\leq (10^{-3}-4\times10^{-6})$ respectively. These are tighter limits on the mixing parameters than obtained in previous experiments at nuclear reactors and accelerators.
120536446
Performances and calibrations of the Borexino detector
Borexino is a real-time detector for low energy Solar neutrino spectroscopy installed in the underground laboratories (3800 mwe depth) at Gran Sasso, Italy (LNGS). Borexino is specifically designed to measure the mono-energetic (866 keV) 7Be flux via neutrino-electron elastic scattering in ultra-pure organic scintillation liquid. The separation of signal and background relies on the identification of the Compton-like edge in the recoil electron energy spectrum at 667 keV. The physics potential of Borexino strongly depends on the unprecedented requirements of low level background. The exceptional radio-purity reached by the Borexino, in order to guarantee the success of the experiment, must be complemented with the identification and discrimination of the residual intrinsic contaminants, as well as of the external and cosmogenic backgrounds. Crucial in this respect are the energy and spatial reconstruction capabilities of the detector, which thus require a careful and precise assessment. We report on the Borexino performances after 1 year of data taking in reconstructing event energy and position, in discriminating on the nature of the contaminant with the pulse shape analysis and in the identification of fast coincidences looking at time and space correlations.
119181847
Positronium signature in organic liquid scintillators for neutrino experiments
Electron antineutrinos are commonly detected in liquid scintillator experiments via inverse {beta} decay by looking at the coincidence between the reaction products: neutrons and positrons. Prior to positron annihilation, an electron-positron pair may form an orthopositronium (o-Ps) state, with a mean lifetime of a few nanoseconds. Even if the o-Ps decay is speeded up by spin-flip or pick-off effects, it may introduce distortions in the photon emission time distribution, crucial for position reconstruction and pulse shape discrimination algorithms in antineutrino experiments. Reversing the problem, the o-Ps-induced time distortion represents a new signature for tagging antineutrinos in liquid scintillator. In this article, we report the results of measurements of the o-Ps formation probability and lifetime for the most used solvents for organic liquid scintillators in neutrino physics (pseudocumene, linear alkyl benzene, phenylxylylethane, and dodecane). We characterize also a mixture of pseudocumene +1.5 g/l of 2,5-diphenyloxazole, a fluor acting as wavelength shifter. In the second part of the article, we demonstrate that the o-Ps-induced distortion of the scintillation photon emission time distributions represent an optimal signature for tagging positrons on an event by event basis, potentially enhancing the antineutrino detection.