Antihydrogen synthesis: A progress report

The main suggested routes for atomic antihydrogen ( ) formation will be reviewed in a pedestrian fashion. These are the following reactions: , and (iii) . The present status of the projects related to these reactions, as well as the projects' experimental scope, will also be discussed or referred to. Some speculations will be made regarding the physics that can be yielded by an antihydrogen probe.     

Production and decay of neutralinos in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model

Within the framework of the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM) we study neutralino production (i,j=1, …, 5) at center-of-mass energies between 100 and 600 GeV and the decays of the heavier neutralinos into the LSP plus a fermion pair, a photon or a Higgs boson. For representative gaugino/higgsino mixing scenarios, where the light neutralinos have significant singlet components, we find some striking differences between the NMSSM and the minimal supersymmetric model. Since in the NMSSM neutralino and Higgs sector are strongly correlated, the decay of the second lightest neutralino into a Higgs boson and the LSP often is kinematically possible and even dominant in a large parameter region of typical NMSSM scenarios. Also, the decay rates into final states with a photon may be enhanced.     

Neutrino decay of an axion in an external electromagnetic field

Switching on an external electromagnetic field opens a neutrino decay channel of a hypothetical pseudoscalar particle, an axion, which plays an important role in modern field theory. We obtain exact expressions in the one-loop approximation for the probability of the decay into a massless neutrino in a crossed fieldF and study the asymptotic behavior by the nature of the parameter . Moscow State Industrial University, Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 8–12, February, 1999.     

Signals of left-right supersymmetry ine + e − collisions

We study chargino and neutralino pair production at the Next Linear e⁺ e⁻ Collider in a supersymmetric left-right model. We investigateon- and off-resonance signals via the processes: and . These reactions could lead to observable signals as they compare with the background signal from W^± -pair production.     

Some two body non-leptonicB decays and estimation off D in the heavy quark effective theory

We have studied some of the two body nonleptonic decays ofB meson in the context of heavy quark effective theory using factorization hypothesis. Treatinga ₁ as a free parameter, we have obtained its value asa ₁=0.822±0.045, by correlating the experimental and predicted branching ratio for process. With this value ofa ₁ the branching ratios obtained for other decay channels are in good agreement with the experiment. The decay constant ofD meson is extracted to be 280.82 MeV. Heavy quark spin symmetry has also been tested.     

Hunting effective LSPs at LEP 200

Relatively light sneutrinos, which are experimentally allowed, may significantly affect the currently popular search strategies for supersymmetric particles by decaying dominantly into an invisible channel. In certain cases the second lightest neutralino may also decay invisibly leading to two extra carriers of missing energy — in addition to the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) — the effective LSPs (ELSPs). It is shown that these ELSPs are allowed in supergravity models with common scalar and gaugino masses at the unification scale for a sizable region of parameter space and are consistent with all constraints derived so far from SUSY searches. The pair production of right handed sleptons, which can very well be the lightest charged SUSY particles in this scenario, at LEP 200 and their decay signatures are discussed. The signal survives kinematical cuts required to remove the standard model background. Charginos are also pair produced copiously if kinematically accessible; they also decay dominantly into hadronically quiet di-lepton + modes leading to interesting unlike sign dilepton events which are again easily separable from the Standard Model backgrounds at LEP 200 energies.     

Yields of evaporation residues and average angular momentum in heavy ion induced fusion reactions leading to compound nucleus96Ru

Cross-sections for production of evaporation residues from the compound nucleus⁹⁶Ru* formed by fusion reactions²⁸Si+⁶⁸Zn,³²S+⁶⁴Ni,³⁷Cl+⁵⁹Co and⁴⁵Sc+⁵¹V have been obtained from the yields of their characteristicγ-rays. The measurements span an excitation energy range of 55 MeV to 70 MeV of the compound nucleus. The evaporation residue (ER) cross-sections have been analysed in terms of statistical model for the decay of the compound nucleus. A good agreement is found between statistical model calculation and the experimental evaporation residue cross-sections in all the four cases. It is shown that the average angular momentum of the compound nucleus can be deduced from a comparison of the experimentally measured and the statistical model predictions for the ER cross-sections. The validity of this method of deriving has been discussed for the case of¹⁶O+¹⁵⁴Sm system.     

Can radiogenic heat sources inside the Earth be located by their antineutrino incoming directions?

Antineutrinos born in the U and Th decay chains inside the Earth (geoneutrinos) carry information on the amount and distribution of radiogenic heat sources, which is of fundamental importance for geophysics. Models of the Earth distribute U and Th masses mainly between the continental crust and the lower mantle. It has been much discussed recently that a number of detectors stationed at appropriate geographical sites can separate the crust and mantle contributions. We analyze directional separation of signals arriving from the crust and the lower mantle with only one detector. We find that, with an ∼ 30-kt liquid scintillation antineutrino spectrometer using the + p → e ⁺ + n detection reaction and positron and neutron coordinate reconstruction techniques, the U and Th distribution model can roughly be tested. We also consider detector calibration using an ∼ 1-MCi commercially available ⁹⁰Sr-⁹⁰Y beta source which emits (E _ν,max = 2.28 MeV) in the geoneutrino energy range. The text was submitted by the authors in English. Also at CEA/Saclay.     

Positron decay in polymers: Molecular weight dependence in polystyrene

The decay time τ_l ofo-Ps by the electron pickoff process has been measured in polystyrene as a function of molecular weight. For samples below their glass transition temperature τ_l is essentially independent of . In the low molecular weight region, , τ_l increased with decreasing in line with earlier theoretical predictions. The overall behaviour reflects closely the dependence of free volume on . The effects of molecular motion on τ_l are examined and it is concluded that the decay time is insensitive to such motions in polystyrene below the melting point, in contrast to what is observed in polytetrafluoroethylene.     

On the leptonic decay of a heavy quarkonium with a Higgs-boson emission

The leptonic () decay of a heavy quark-antiquark bound state T( Q) with a Higgs-boson H emission is investigated. Applying the low-energy theorem to meson-Higgs coupling allows one to estimate the probability of the decay T( Q) → H. Only the simple version of the Standard Model extension containing two-Higgs doublet is considered. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

Prospects for B physics with the ATLAS and CMS detectors

The possibility of observing the radion using the ATLAS detector at the LHC is investigated. Studies on searches for the Standard Model Higgs with the ATLAS detector are re-interpreted to obtain limits on radion decay to γγ and ZZ^(*). The observability of radion decays into Higgs pairs, which subsequently decay into or is then estimated.     

Two-photon axion decay in an external electromagnetic field

The amplitude of two-photon axion decay in a crossed field is calculated, taking into account the polarization states of the photons. The decay probability and amplitude in an external electromagnetic field exceed the decay probability and amplitude in vacuum even for values of the invariant parameter greater than the small quantity m _a/m _e. Astrophysical aspects associated with this circumstance are discussed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 385–391 (February 1999)     

Long-time tails of the velocity autocorrelation functions for the triangular periodic Lorentz gas

We present numrical results on the velocity autocorrelation function (VACF)C(t)=<ν(t)·ν(0)> for the periodic Lorentz gas on a two-dimensional triangular lattice as a function of the radiusR of the hard disk scatterers on the lattice. Our results for the unbounded horizon case confirm 1/t decay of the VACF for long times (out to 100 times the mean free time between collisions) and provide strong support for the conjecture by Friedman and Martin that the 1/t decay is due to long free paths along which a moving particle does not scatter up to timet. Even after new sets of long free paths become available forR<1/4, we continue to find good agreement between numerical results and an analytically estimated 1/t decay. For the bounded horizon case , our numerical VACFs decay exponentially, although it is difficult to discriminate among pure exponential decay, exponential decay with prefactor, and stretched exponential decay.     

Antihydrogen at sub-Kelvin temperatures

We discuss the behavior of magnetically trapped antihydrogen ( ) at temperatures relevant for gravity and spectroscopy experiments (well below 1 K) and the possibilities of attaining these temperatures. Two possible options are considered. In the discussion of the first one, i.e. as admixture in cold H gas, we develop the quantum-mechanical theory of -H (and also -H) elastic and rearrangement collisions at ultra-low (sub-Kelvin) energies, when s-wave scattering in the incoming channel dominates. The rate constant of rearrangement leading to decay turns out to be large, which makes the possibilities for collisional cooling in H gas and -H coexistence rather limited. As we show, the most promising is the other option, i.e. atoms in the collisionless regime. For this regime the possibility of one-dimensional adiabatic cooling of is demonstrated by using the example of the Ioffe trap. This phenomenon, interesting from the fundamental point of view, offers the opportunity to cool below 1 mK.     

The $\eta_{c}(2980)$ formation in two-photon collisions at LEP energies

production in interactions has been detected via its decays into ,K ⁺ K ^- K ⁺ K ^- and in the data taken with the DELPHI detector at LEP1 and LEP2 energies. The two-photon radiative width averaged over all observed decay channels is = 13.9 2.0 (stat.) 1.4(syst.) 2.7 (BR) keV. No direct decay channel has been observed. An upper limit < 5.5 keV at 95% confidence level has been evaluated for this decay mode.Received: 3 July 2003, Published online: 7 November 2003     

NMR dynamics in disordered magnets

The excitation dynamics of site diluted magnets can be described at low energies (long length scales) by magnons, and above a crossover frequency, ω_c, (short length scales) by fractons. The density of fracton states is given by , where is the fracton dimensionality. Dilution gives rise to a characteristic length ξ∝(p−p _c)^ν, wherep _c is the critical concentration for (magnetic) percolation. The crossover frequency ω_c is proportional to ξ^-1[1+(θ/2)], where θ is the rate at which the diffusion constant decays with distance for diffusion on an equivalent network. A fractal dimensionD describes the density of magnetic sites on the infinite network, and . For percolating networks, for all dimensions ≥2. Neutron scattering structure factor measurements by Uemura and Birgeneau compare well with calculations using fracton concepts. Magnons are extended at low energies, while the fracton states are geometrically localized, with a wave function envelope proportional to exp . Here, is the fracton length scale at frequency ω. The exponentd _ϕ lies between 1 andd _min, the chemical length index (of the order of 1.6 in three dimensions). The localization of the magnetic excitations causes a spread in the NMR relaxation rates. A given nuclear moment will experience only a limited set of fracton excitations, resulting in an overall non-exponential decay of the NMR relaxation signal. When strong cross-relaxation is present, the relaxation will be exponential, but the temperature dependence will be strongly altered from the concentrated result.     

Self-assembled fluids with order-parameter-dependent mobility: The large-N limit

The effect of the order-parameter-dependent mobility, , on phase-ordering dynamics of self-assembled fluids is studied analytically within the large-N limit. The study is for quenching from an uncorrelated high temperature state into the Lifshitz line within the microemulsion phase. In the later stage of the ordering process, the structure factor exhibits multiscaling behavior with characteristic length scale The order-parameter-dependent mobility is found to slow down the rate of coarsening.