14131974
First direct detection limits on sub-GeV dark matter from XENON10.
The first direct detection limits on dark matter in the MeV to GeV mass range are presented, using XENON10 data. Such light dark matter can scatter with electrons, causing ionization of atoms in a detector target material and leading to single- or few-electron events. We use 15  kg day of data acquired in 2006 to set limits on the dark-matter-electron scattering cross section. The strongest bound is obtained at 100 MeV where σ(e)<3×10(-38)  cm2 at 90% C.L., while dark-matter masses between 20 MeV and 1 GeV are bounded by σ(e)<10(-37)  cm2 at 90% C.L. This analysis provides a first proof of principle that direct detection experiments can be sensitive to dark-matter candidates with masses well below the GeV scale.
119719187
Dark Matter in Light of the LUX Results
The landscape of dark matter direct detection has been profoundly altered by the slew of recent experiments. While some have claimed signals consistent with dark matter, others have seen few, if any, events consistent with dark matter. The results of the putative detections are often incompatible with each other in the context of naive spin-independent scattering, as well as with the null results. In particular, in light of the conflicts between the DM interpretation of the three events recently reported by the CDMS-Si experiment and the first results of the LUX experiment, there is a strong need to revisit the assumptions that go into the DM interpretations of both signals and limits. We attempt to reexamine a number of particle physics, astrophysics and experimental uncertainties. Specifically, we examine exothermic scattering, isospin-dependent couplings, modified halo models through astrophysics independent techniques, and variations in the assumptions about the scintillation light in liquid Xenon. We find that only a highly tuned isospin-dependent scenario remains as a viable explanation of the claimed detections, unless the scintillation properties of LXe are dramatically different from the assumptions used by the LUX experiment.
119186611
Anisotropic diffusion of electrons in liquid xenon with application to improving the sensitivity of direct dark matter searches
Electron diffusion in a liquid xenon time projection chamber has recently been used to infer the z coordinate of a particle interaction, from the width of the electron signal. The goal of this technique is to reduce the background event rate by discriminating edge events from bulk events. Analyses of dark matter search data which employ it would benefit from increased longitudinal electron diffusion. We show that a significant increase is expected if the applied electric field is decreased. This observation is trivial to implement but runs contrary to conventional wisdom and practice. We also extract a first measurement of the longitudinal diffusion coefficient, and confirm the expectation that electron diffusion in liquid xenon is highly anisotropic under typical operating conditions.
119106969
A coherent understanding of low-energy nuclear recoils in liquid xenon
Liquid xenon detectors such as XENON10 and XENON100 obtain a significant fraction of their sensitivity to light (10 GeV) particle dark matter by looking for nuclear recoils of only a few keV, just above the detector threshold. Yet in this energy regime a correct treatment of the detector threshold and resolution remains unclear. The energy dependence of the scintillation yield of liquid xenon for nuclear recoils also bears heavily on detector sensitivity, yet numerous measurements have not succeeded in obtaining concordant results. In this article we show that the ratio of detected ionization to scintillation can be leveraged to constrain the scintillation yield. We also present a rigorous treatment of liquid xenon detector threshold and energy resolution. Notably, the effective energy resolution differs significantly from a simple Poisson distribution. We conclude with a calculation of dark matter exclusion limits, and show that existing data from liquid xenon detectors strongly constrain recent interpretations of light dark matter.
121037084
BACKGROUNDS AND THRESHOLD OF XENON10 DARK MATTER EXPERIMENT
120475304
An eikonal line-integral model and factorization in QCD
We study an approximation to perturbative QCD in which all quarks (active and spectator) move along eikonal lines. These eikonal lines are described by matrix operatorsU defined by time-ordered and path-ordered integrals. All known examples of Bloch-Nordsieck cancellations follow simply from the unitary properties ofU. In particular, when the eikonal lines are space-like, the time-ordering can be omitted and the unitarity ofU is evident. In this model, it is possible to examine rather explicitly the soft and very-soft gluons whose effects must cancel if factorization is hold (to leading twist). We can show such cancellation if there is a smooth continuation from space-like eikonal lines to time-like ones. We give some examples relevant to this conjecture, but we are unable to prove it in general.
17415642
Elliptic Flow: A Study of Space-Momentum Correlations In Relativistic Nuclear Collisions
Here I review measurements of v2, the second component in a Fourier decomposition of the azimuthal dependence of particle production relative to the reaction plane in heavy-ion collisions. v2 is an observable central to the interpretation of the subsequent expansion of heavy-ion collisions. Its large value indicates significant space-momentum correlations, consistent with the rapid expansion of a strongly interacting Quark Gluon Plasma. Data is reviewed for collision energies from sqrt[sNN] = 2 to 200 GeV. Scaling observations and comparisons to hydrodynamic models are discussed.
5560322
Identified particle spectra and jet interactions with the medium
Through a combination of detector upgrades and advancements in analysis techniques, physicist at RHIC are extending their ability to identify particles at high p T . With these new capabilities some outstanding questions are being addressed: particularly regarding baryon production. Here I present an overview of new data on identified particle elliptic flow ( v 2 ) , identified particle p T spectra and identified hadron-hadron correlations. The observed phenomena provide insights into hard parton interactions with the bulk matter created in heavy-ion collisions and the relevant degrees-of-freedom during its early stages.
12143325
Constraints on Jupiters from observations of Galactic Bulge microlensing events during 2000.
We present observations of 8 Galactic Bulge microlensing events taken with the 1.0m JKT on La Palma during 2000 June and July. The JKT observing schedule was optimized using a prioritizing algorithm to automatically update the target list. For most of these events we have sampled the lightcurves at times where no information was available from the OGLE alert team. We assume a point-source point-lens (PSPL) model and perform a maximum likelihood fit to both our data and the OGLE data to constrain the event parameters of the fit. We then refit the data assuming a binary lens and proceed to calculate the probability of detecting planets with mass ratio q = 10 3 . We have seen no clear signatures of planetary deviations on any of the 8 events and we quantify constraints on the presence of planetary companions to the lensing stars. For two well observed events, 2000BUL31 and 2000BUL33, our detection probabilities
197447636
Interpreting Near-side Correlations
Recent data from heavy ion collisions at RHIC show strong near-side correlations extending over several units of rapidity. This ridge-like correlation exhibits an abrupt onset with collision centrality. In this talk, I argue that the centrality and beam-energy dependence of these near-angle correlations could provide access to information about the Quark Gluon Plasma phase boundary and the Equation of State of nuclear matter. A beam-energy-scan at RHIC will better reveal the true source of these correlations and should be a high priority at RHIC.