Specific influence of univalent cations on the ionization of alumina-coated TiO2 particles and on the adsorption of poly(acrylic)acid

A surface counterion titration method was used to monitor the interaction of monovalents cations (Li(+), Na(+), TMA(+)) with the surface of alumina-coated TiO(2) particles in concentrated media at different pH and electrolyte concentrations. This method allows measuring separately the negative and positive contribution to the surface charge. It showed that Cl(-) and TMA(+) are indifferent ions, but Li(+) and Na(+) specifically adsorb on the non-ionized alumina surface sites. The binding sequence of cations is Li(+)>Na(+)>TMA(+) at all ionic strengths investigated and is consistent with the structure-making and structure-breaking model developed a few decades ago. Polyacrylic acid (PAA) previously neutralized with the corresponding hydroxide (LiOH, NaOH, TMAOH) has been adsorbed on the alumina surface at different pH. The polymer counterion has a significant influence on the polymer adsorption. The sequence of the surface coverage as a function of the polymer counterion follows the order Li-PAA > Na-PAA > TMA-PAA. The much higher surface coverage with Li-PAA and Na-PAA compared to TMA-PAA is explained by the specific adsorption of Li-PAA and Na-PAA on the nonionized alumina surface sites, the same way LiCl and NaCl do.     

Measurement of the top-quark mass in all-hadronic decays in pp collisions at CDF II

We present a measurement of the top-quark mass Mtop in the all-hadronic decay channel tt-->W+bW-b-->q1q2bq3q4b. The analysis is performed using 310 pb-1 of sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV pp[over ] collisions collected with the CDF II detector using a multijet trigger. The mass measurement is based on an event-by-event likelihood which depends on both the sample purity and the value of the top-quark mass, using 90 possible jet-to-parton assignments in the six-jet final state. The joint likelihood of 290 selected events yields a value of Mtop=177.1+/-4.9(stat)+/-4.7(syst) GeV/c2.     

Improved measurement of Vub with inclusive semileptonic B decays

We report a new measurement of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa parameter Vub made with a sample of 9.7 x 10(6) BB- events collected with the CLEO II detector. Using heavy quark theory, we combine the observed yield of leptons from semileptonic B decay in the end-point momentum interval 2.2-2.6 GeV/c with recent CLEO II data on B-->X(s)gamma to find Vub = (4.08+/-0.34+/-0.44+/-0.16+/-0.24)x10(-3), where the first two uncertainties are experimental and the last two are from theory.     

Improved measurement of the form factors in the decay lambda+c-->lambda + nue

Using the CLEO detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, we have studied the distribution of kinematic variables in the decay lambda(+)(c)lambda--> e(+)nu(e). By performing a four-dimensional maximum likelihood fit, we determine the form factor ratio, R= f(2)/f(1) = -0.31 +/- 0.05(stat) +/- 0.04(syst), the pole mass, M(pole) = [2.21 +/- 0.08(stat) +/- 0.14(syst)] GeV/c(2), and the decay asymmetry parameter of the lambda(+)(c), alpha (lambda(c)) = -0.86 +/-0.03(stat) +/- 0.02(syst), for q(2) = 0.67 (GeV/c(2))(2). We compare the angular distributions of the lambda(+)(c) and lambda(-)(c) and find no evidence for CP violation: A(lambda(c)) = (alpha(lambda(c)) + alpha (lambda(c)))/(alpha(lambda(c))-alpha(lambda(c))) = 0.00 +/- 0.03(stat) +/- 0.01(syst) +/- 0.02, where the third error is from the uncertainty in the world average of the CP-violating parameter, A(lambda), for ppi(-).     

Search for [corrected] B0(s) --> mu+ mu- and B0(d) [corrected] --> mu + mu- decays in pp collisions with CDF II

We report on a search for B0(s) --> mu+ mu- and B0(d) --> mu + mu- decays in pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV using 364 pb(-1) of data collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. After applying all selection requirements, we observe no candidates inside the B0(s) or B0(d) mass windows. The resulting upper limits on the branching fractions are B(B0(s) --> mu+ mu-) < 1.5 x 10(-7) and B(B0(d) --> mu+ mu-) < 3.9 x 10(-8) at 90% confidence level.     

Vibration of prolate spheroidal shells with shear deformation and rotatory inertia: axisymmetric case

This paper presents the derivation of the equations for nonaxisymmetric motion of prolate spheroidal shells of constant thickness. The equations include the effect of distributed mechanical surface forces and moments. The shell theory used in this derivation includes three displacements and two thickness shear rotations. Thus, the effects of membrane, bending, shear deformation, and rotatory inertia are included in this theory. The resulting five coupled partial differential equations are self-adjoint and positive definite. The frequency-wave-number spectrum has five branches, two acoustic and three optical branches representing flexural, extensional, torsional, and two thickness shear. For the case of axisymmetric motion, these were computed for various spheroidal shell eccentricities and thickness-to-length ratios for a large number of modes. The axisymmetric dynamic response for damped shells of various eccentricities and thicknesses under point and ring surface forces are presented.     

First search for the flavor changing neutral current decay D0-->gammagamma

Using 13.8 fb(-1) of data collected at or just below the Upsilon(4S) with the CLEO detector, we report the result of a search for the flavor changing neutral current process D0-->gammagamma. We observe no significant signal for this decay mode and determine 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions B(D0-->gammagamma)/B(D0-->pi(0)pi(0))<0.033 and B(D0-->gammagamma)<2.9 x 10(-5).     

First observation of the decay B --> J/psistraight phiK

We present the first observation of the decay B-->J/psistraight phiK. Using 9.6x10(6) B&Bmacr; meson pairs collected with the CLEO detector, we have observed ten fully reconstructed B-->J/psistraight phiK candidates, whereas the estimated background is 0.5+/-0.2 event. We obtain a branching fraction of B(B-->J/psistraight phiK) = (8. 8(+3.5)(-3.0)[stat]+/-1.3[syst])x10(-5). This is the first observed B meson decay requiring the creation of an additional s&smacr; quark pair.