10041169
Conformal invariance on orbifolds and excitations of singularity
We study conformal field theory on two-dimensional orbifolds and show this to be an effective way to analyze physical effects of geometric singularities with angular deficits. They are closely related to boundaries and cross caps. Representative classes of singularities can be described exactly using generalizations of boundary states. From this we compute correlation functions and derive the spectra of excitations localized at the singularities.
119528597
Branes and mirror symmetry in N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions
We use brane configurations and SL(2, Z) symmetry of the type IIB string to construct mirror N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories in three dimensions. The mirror map exchanges Higgs and Coulomb branches, Fayet-Iliopoulos and mass parameters and U(1)R symmetries. Some quantities that are determined at the quantum level in one theory are determined at the classical level of the mirror. One such example is the complex structure of the Coulomb branch of one theory, which is determined quantum mechanically. It is mapped to the complex structure of the Higgs branch of the mirror theory, which is determined classically. We study the generation of N = 2 superpotentials by open D-string instantons in the brane configurations.
17461222
The principle of least action and the geometric basis of D-branes
We analyze thoroughly the boundary conditions allowed in classical non-linear sigma models and derive from first principle the corresponding geometric objects, i.e. D-branes. In addition to giving classical D-branes an intrinsic and geometric foundation, D-branes in nontrivial H flux and D-branes embedded within D-branes are precisely defined. A well known topological condition on D-branes is replaced.
117583858
Dirichlet branes and nonperturbative aspects of supersymmetric string and gauge theories
In chapter 1 the author reviews some elements of string theory relevant to the rest of this report. He touches on both the classical, i.e. perturbative, string physics before D-branes rise to prominence, and some of the progresses they brought forth. In chapter 2 he proceeds to give an exact algebraic formulation of D-branes in curved spaces. This allows one to classify them in backgrounds of interest and study their geometric properties. He applies this formalism to string theory on Calabi-Yau and other supersymmetry preserving manifolds. Then he studies the behavior of the D-branes under mirror symmetry in chapter 3. Mirror symmetry is known to be a symmetry of string theory perturbatively. He finds evidence for its nonperturbative validity when D-branes are also considered and compute some dynamical consequences. In chapter 4 he turns to examine the consistency of curved and/or intersecting D-brane configurations. They have been used recently to extract information about the field theories that arise in certain limits. It turns out that there are potential quantum mechanical inconsistencies associated with them. What saves the day are certain subtle topological properties of D-branes. This resolution has implications for the conserved charges carried by the D-branes, which he computesmore » for the cases studied in chapter 2. In chapter 5 he uses intersecting brane configurations to study three dimensional supersymmetric gauge theories. There is also a mirror symmetry there that, among other things, exchanges classical and quantum mechanical quantities of a (mirror) pair of theories. It has an elegant realization in term of a symmetry of string theory involving D-branes. The author employs it to study a wide class of 3d models. He also predicts new mirror pairs and unconventional 3d field theories without Lagrangian descriptions.« less
121970317
Charged particle identification with PHOS and central tracking of ALICE
The ALICE Photon Spectrometer (PHOS) has been designed to measure the photon spectrum produced in pp and AA collisions at LHC over a broad transverse momentum range from 0.5–100 GeV/c. We present a study on the matching of charged tracks, detected by the ALICE central tracking detectors, with clusters of hit PHOS elements. Matching efficiency and contamination due to false matches have been deduced for charged pions, muons and electrons. The study indicates also that material from other detectors in front of PHOS disturbs the photon detection.
118604753
Strange and multi-strange particle production in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV with ALICE
We present ALICE results on strange and multi-strange hadron production as a function of centrality in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{{\rm NN}}} = 2.76~{\rm TeV}$ at the LHC. Their transverse momentum spectra, yields and particle ratios are compared to the corresponding measurements in pp collisions to address strangeness enhancement and high pT particle suppression. The results are also compared to measurements at RHIC and SPS energies.
108585326
Trigger electronics for the Alice PHOS detector
Abstract The Photon Spectrometer of ALICE consists of 5 identical modules of 56×64 PWO crystals with a total of 100° azimuthal coverage of the barrel. The electronics required for implementing both the L0 trigger for high luminosity p–p physics and the L1 trigger for high p T Pb+Pb physics has been studied. A full integration of the trigger logic into the detector's enclosure is based on analog transmission of fast trigger sums between stacks of front-end boards and trigger-router units. The latter contain 112 digitizer channels of 10 bit, which are mapped into a single FPGA per trigger unit, covering areas of 24×16 crystals. The running modes allow for Level-0 trigger at 800 ns and Level-1 at 6200 ns trigger latencies. The design and status of the PHOS trigger electronics are outlined.
119264215
A model of nuclear recoil scintillation efficiency in noble liquids
Abstract Scintillation efficiency of low-energy nuclear recoils in noble liquids plays a crucial role in interpreting results from some direct searches for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter. However, the cause of a reduced scintillation efficiency relative to electronic recoils in noble liquids remains unclear at the moment. We attribute such a reduction of scintillation efficiency to two major mechanisms: (1) energy loss and (2) scintillation quenching. The former is commonly described by Lindhard’s theory and the latter by Birk’s saturation law. We propose to combine these two to explain the observed reduction of scintillation yield for nuclear recoils in noble liquids. Birk’s constants kB for argon, neon and xenon determined from experimental data are used to predict noble liquid scintillator’s response to low-energy nuclear recoils and low-energy electrons. We find that energy loss due to nuclear stopping power that contributes little to ionization and excitation is the dominant reduction mechanism in scintillation efficiency for nuclear recoils, but that significant additional quenching results from the nonlinear response of scintillation to the ionization density.
7829180
The BRAHMS ring imaging Cherenkov detector
Abstract A Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector built for the BRAHMS experiment at the Brookhaven RHIC is described. This detector has a high index of refraction gas radiator. Cherenkov light is focused on a photo-multiplier based photon detector with a large spherical mirror. The combination of momentum and ring radius measurement provides particle identification from 2.5 to 35 GeV/ c for pions and kaons and well above 40 GeV/ c for protons during runs that had the radiator index of refraction set at n - 1 = 1700 × 10 - 6 .