Measured lifetimes of states in 197Au and a critical comparison with the weak-coupling core-excitation model

The lifetimes of five excited states in ¹⁹⁷Au up to an excitation energy of 885 keV were measured by the recoil-distance method (RDM). These levels were populated by Coulomb excitation using both 90 MeV ²⁰Ne and 120 MeV ³⁵Cl ion beams. The experimentally determined spectroscopy of the low-lying levels $\text{3}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ (ground state) and $\text{1}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$, $\text{3}\text{2}{}_2{}^{\mathrm{+}}$, $\text{5}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$, and $\text{7}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ at 77.3, 268.8, 278.9, and 547.5 keV excitation energy, respectively, has been critically compared with the detailed predictions of the de-Shalit weak-coupling core-excitation model. When the model is taken to represent the case of a $\text{d}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>3</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ proton hole coupled to a ¹⁹⁸Hg core, the model parameters obtained are in accord with the criteria implicit for weak core coupling and, at the same time, are in remarkably good agreement with virtually all measured E2 and M1 transition rates.     

Evidence for B0 --> D+ D- and observation of B- --> D0D- and B- -->D0D*- decays

We report evidence for B(0) --> D(0)D(-) and the first observation of the decay modes B(-) --> D(0)D(-) and B(-) --> D(0)D(*-) based on a sample of 152 x 10(6) BB events collected by the Belle detector at KEKB. The branching fractions for B(0) --> D(+) D(-), B--->D(0)D(-), and B--> D(0)D(*-) are found to be (1.91 +/- 0.51 +/- 0.30) x10(-4), (4.83 +/- 0.78 +/- 0.58) x 10(-4), and (4.57 +/- 0.71 +/- 0.56) x 10(-4), respectively. Charge asymmetries in the B---> D(0)D(-) and B(-) --> D(0)D(*-) channels are consistent with zero.     

Measurement of time-dependent CP-violating asymmetries in B0 --> K(s)0K(s)0K(s)0 decay

We present a measurement of CP-violation parameters in the B0 --> K(s)0K(s)0K(s)0 decay based on a sample of 275 x 10(6) BB pairs collected at the upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB energy-asymmetric e+e- collider. One neutral B meson is fully reconstructed in the decay B0 --> K(s)0K(s)0K(s)0, and the flavor of the accompanying B meson is identified from its decay products. CP-violation parameters are obtained from the asymmetry in the distributions of the proper-time interval between the two B decays: S = +1.26 +/- 0.68(stat) +/- 0.20(syst) and [symbol: see text] = +0.54 +/- 0.34(stat) +/- 0.09(syst).     

Observation of the D1(2420)-->Dpi + pi- decays

We report on the first observation of D0/1(2420)-->D0pi- pi+ and D+/1(2420-->D+ pi- pi+ decays (where the contribution from the dominant known D1-->D*pi decay mode is excluded) in the B- -->D0/1pi-) and (-)B0-->D+/1pi- decays, respectively. The observation is based on 15.2 x 10(7) B(-)B events collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB collider. We also set 90% confidence level upper limits for the branching fractions of the four following decays: B- -->D0/1pi-, D01-->D(*0)pi- pi+, (-)B0-->D+/1pi-, D+/1-->D(*+) pi- pi+, B- -->D(*0)2(2460)pi-, D(*0)2 -->D(*0) pi- pi+, (-)B0-->D(*+)2(2460)pi-, D(*+)2-->D(*+)pi- pi+.     

Observation of a near-threshold omegaJ/psi mass enhancement in exclusive B-->KomegaJ/psi decays

We report the observation of a near-threshold enhancement in the omegaJ/psi invariant mass distribution for exclusive B-->KomegaJ/psi decays. The results are obtained from a 253 fb(-1) data sample that contains 275 x 10(6) BB pairs that were collected near the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy e(+)e(-) collider. The statistical significance of the omegaJ/psi mass enhancement is estimated to be greater than 8sigma.     

Search for D0-D0 mixing in D0 --> K+ pi(-) decays and measurement of the doubly-Cabibbo-suppressed decay rate

We have searched for mixing in the D(0)-D (0) system by measuring the decay-time distribution of D(0) --> K(+) pi(-) decays. The analysis uses 90 fb(-1) of data collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB e(+) e(-) collider. We fit the decay-time distribution for the mixing parameters x' and y' and also for the parameter R(D), which is the ratio of the rate for the doubly-Cabibbo-suppressed decay D(0)--> K+ pi(-) to that for the Cabibbo-favored decay D(0)--> K-pi(+). We do these fits both assuming CP conservation and allowing for CP violation. We use a frequentist method to obtain a 95% C.L. region in the x'(2) - y' plane. Assuming no mixing, we measure R(D) = (0.381 +/- 0.017(+0.008)(-0.016))%.     

Growth process and structure of Fe/Si(1 1 1) ultrathin film: Transition from single-domain Fe(1 1 1)/Si(1 1 1) to β-FeSi2

The growth processes and structures of Fe/Si(1 1 1) ultrathin films grown by solid-phase reactive epitaxy were investigated by coaxial impact-collision ion scattering spectroscopy (CAICISS). It has been revealed that the Fe(1 1 1) thin films with a bcc-type structure were epitaxially grown on a Si(1 1 1) crystal, even at room temperature, and formed a single-domain structure: Fe(1 1 1)∥Si(1 1 1). After annealing at above 600 °C, the Fe(1 1 1) films were transformed into β-FeSi₂ via the collapse of the bcc-type structure to an amorphous or polycrystalline structure. On the basis of the thickness dependences of the growth processes, this phenomenon was discussed in terms of the diffusion of Si into Fe thin films.     

Determination of /Vub/ from measurements of the inclusive charmless semileptonic partial rates of B mesons using full reconstruction tags

We present a measurement of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element /Vub/, based on 253 fb(-1) of data collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB e+ e- asymmetric collider. Events are tagged by fully reconstructing one of the B mesons, produced in pairs from Gamma(4S). The signal for b --> u semileptonic decay is distinguished from the b --> c background using the hadronic mass Mx, the leptonic invariant mass squared q2 and the variable P+ [triple bond] Ex - /px/. The results are obtained for events with p(l)* > or = 1 GeV/c, in three kinematic regions (1) Mx < 1.7 GeV/c2, (2) Mx < 1.7 GeV/c2 combined with q2 > 8 GeV2/c2, and by (3) P+ < 0.66 GeV/c. The matrix element /Vub/ is found to be (4.09 +/- 0.19 +/- 0.20(+0.14) -0.15 +/- 0.18) x 10(-3), where the errors are statistical, systematic including Monte Carlo modeling, theoretical, and from shape function parameter determination, respectively.     

Beam-size measurement with optical diffraction radiation at KEK accelerator test facility

An experiment on the investigation of optical diffraction radiation (ODR) from a slit target as a possible tool for noninvasive electron beam-size diagnostics has been performed at the KEK accelerator test facility. The experimental setup has been installed at the diagnostics section of the extraction line. We have performed the first incoherent ODR observation from a slit target. The measured angular distributions are in reasonable agreement with the theoretical expectation. The beam-size effect onto the ODR angular pattern has been observed. Moreover, the sensitivity to the beam size as small as 14 microm has been achieved.