Determination of |Vud| from Fermi decays and the unitarity of the KM-mixing matrix

We re-evaluate the ƒt-values and their radiative corrections for the eight superallowed β⁺ decays for which very accurate data are available and also include the results for ¹⁰C, for which the measurements are approaching a similar accuracy. The main new feature is a recalculation of the nuclear-structure dependent part C_NS of the O() radiative correction using wave functions more realistic than those used previously. This determines the value of the element V_ud of the quark mixing matrix. Moreover, we recalculate V_us in the framework of a quark model. The resulting values of these two matrix elements indicate a violation of unitarity of the mixing matrix. We discuss implications of this regarding possible extensions of the minimal version of the standard model of electroweek interactions.     

The Λc and its inclusive nonleptonic decay

The inclusive nonleptonic decay of the Λ_c⁺ is reanalyzed using a nonrelativistic quark model representation of the Λ_c⁺- wavefunction. It is shown that the same approximation which leads to the familiar spectator and annihilation type contributions naturally also gives interference terms as a direct consequence of Fermi statistics. Numerical estimates which include these novel contributions, are presented for the Λ_c⁺ lifetime and semileptonic branching ratio.     

Interprétation de la susceptibilité magnétique de l'oxysulfure de samarium par un modèle de champ cristallin

The paramagnetic susceptibility of polycrystalline samarium oxysulfide has been measured between 3° and 300°K. The data are interpreted with an approximation to the crystal potential of the form

V_c = _JV₂⁰O₂⁰ + β_JV₄⁰O₄⁰ + β_JV₄³O₄³

and correction taking into account exchange is made. The energy levels and crystal fields parameters have been calculated. Fluorescence studies of Gd₂O₂S: Sm³⁺ and Y₂O₂S: Sm³⁺ have confirmed these results.     

Octet baryons in the independent-quark-model approach based on the dirac equation with a power-law potential

Several properties of octet baryons such as (i) the magnetic moment, (ii) (G_A/G_v)_n for neutron β-decay and (iii) the charge radius of the proton have been calculated in a simple independent-quark model under the assumption that the individual constituent quarks are confined, in first approximation, by a relativistic power-law potential V_q(r)=(1+β)(a^v+1r^v+V₀) with a, v>0. In view of the simplicity of the model, the results obtained are quite encouraging.     

Experimental study of the time-dependent rate of K → πππ

The time-dependence of the decay rate of initially pure K⁰ into the final state (π⁺π⁻π⁰) has been studied in search for the decay k_S⁰→π⁺π⁻π⁰. No evidence is found in a sample of 384 observed events. The ratio of the CP -violating K_S⁰ amplitude and the K_L⁰ amplitude is η₊₋₀ = (0.13_−0.20^+0.17) + i(0.17_−0.26^+0.27); the ratio of the CP-conserving K_S⁰ amplitude and the K_L⁰ amplitude is < 0.4. The energy dependence of the K⁰→π⁺π⁻π⁰ matrix element is found to be a₊₋₀ = −0.31 ± 0.03.     

The nature of 0 excitations in Er

Lifetimes of excited 0⁺ states in ¹⁶⁶Er have been measured with the (n,n′γ) reaction. The first and second excited 0⁺ states have no significant collective enhancements of their decays, and their properties are suggestive of pair-type excitations rather than those of a β vibration or phonon excitation built on the γ vibration. The third excited 0⁺ state at 1934 keV has an enhanced decay to the ground state band with B(E2; 0₄⁺ → 2_gsb⁺) = 8.8 ± 0.9 W.u., consistent with that expected for a β vibration.     

Evaluation of the screening correction to allowed β-decay for light elements

The screening correction to allowed β-decay is given to order ³ and is compared with the “exact” value for light elements.     

Measurement of the slope parameter for the neutral pion spectrum in KL → πππ decay

The π⁰ spectrum in the K_L⁰ → 3π decay was measured using a wire chambers magnetic spectrometer. In the usual approximation, the matrix element can be expressed as: M² ≈ 1 + 2a₀(M_K/M_π²)(2T_π⁰−T_π⁰max) + a₁(M_K²/M_π⁴)(2T_π⁰−T_π⁰max)². We obtained a₀ = −0.282 ± 0.011 and a₁ consistent with zero.     

Considerations concerning the radiative corrections to muon decay in the Fermi and Standard theories

The FAC, PMS, and BLM optimization methods are applied to the QED corrections to the muon lifetime in the Fermi V-A theory. The FAC and PMS scales are close to m_e, while the BLM scale nearly coincides with the geometric average √m_em_μ. The optimized expressions are employed to estimate the third order coefficient in the (m_μ) expansion and the theoretical error of the perturbative series. Using arguments based on effective field theory and a simple examination of Feynman diagrams, it is shown that, if contributions of (m_μ²/M_W²) are neglected, the corrections to muon decay in the SM factorize into the QED correction of the Fermi V-A theory and the electroweak amplitude g²/(1 − Δr), both of which are strictly scale-independent. We use the results to clarify how the QED corrections to muon decay and the Fermi constant G_F should be used in the SM, and what is the natural choice of scales if running couplings are employed.     

The ΔNγ electromagnetic transition form factors GM(q) and GE(q)

A parameter-free, nonperturbative calculation of the ΔNγ electromagnetic transition amplitudes GM*(q2), GE*(q2), and the resonant multipole ratio REM(q2)≡E1+3/2(q2)/M1+3/2(q2) is performed in terms of the well-known nucleon isovector Sachs form factor GMV. Our methods are fully relativistic with conservation of the electromagnetic current guaranteed. We find that GM*(q2) decreases more rapidly than the nucleon dipole form factor when −q21 GeV2/c2 and that REM(q2) remains small even for very high four-momentum transfer implying that the perturbative QCD prediction REM(q2)→1 is purely asymptotic and is valid only for extremely high |q2|.     

Neutrino masses, muon g−2, and lepton-flavour violation in the supersymmetric see-saw model

In the light of the recent muon (g_μ−2) result by the E821 experiment at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, we study the event rates of the charged lepton-flavour-violating (LFV) processes in the supersymmetric standard model (SUSY SM) with the heavy right-handed neutrinos (SUSY see-saw model). Since the left-handed sleptons get the LFV masses via the neutrino Yukawa interaction in this model, the event rate of μ→eγ and the SUSY-SM correction to (g_μ−2)/2 (δa_μ^SUSY) are strongly correlated. When the left-handed sleptons have a LFV mass between the first and second generations ( ) in the mass matrix, it should be suppressed by 10⁻³ (10⁻⁹/δa_μ^SUSY) compared with the diagonal components (m_SUSY²), from the current experimental bound on μ→eγ. The recent (g_μ−2) result indicates δa_μ^SUSY10⁻⁹. The future charged LFV experiments could cover . These experiments will give a significant impact on the flavour models and the SUSY-breaking models. In the SUSY see-saw model is proportional to square of the tau-neutrino Yukawa-coupling constant. In the typical models where the neutrino-oscillation results are explained and the top-quark and tau-neutrino Yukawa couplings are unified at the GUT scale, a large LFV mass of is generated, and the large LFV event rates are predicted. We impose a so-called no-scale condition for the SUSY-breaking parameters at the GUT scale, which suppresses the FCNC processes, and derive the conservative lower bound on μ→eγ. The predicted Br(μ→eγ) could be covered at the future LFV experiments.     

Spectroscopy of light Λ hypernuclei

We recently measured high-statistics and high-resolution spectra of p-shell Λ hypernuclei produced by the (π⁺, K⁺) reaction. In this article, cross sections and their angular distributions of _Λ¹²C and _Λ¹⁶O are reported. The obtained cross sections are well reproduced by DWIA calculations.     

Experimental observation of the Σ hypernuclei, ΣH and ΣC

The hypernuclei _Σ⁶H and _Σ¹⁶C were observed by the (K⁻, π⁺) reaction on targets of ⁶Li and liquid O, respectively, at 713 MeV/c incident K⁻ momentum. Structure is seen in _Σ⁶H which may be interpreted in terms of particle-hole excitations similar to the previously observed states in _Λ⁶Li. The inablitity to resolve individual Σ hypernuclear levels in _Σ¹⁶C, due in part to the excitation of non-coherent states as a result of the large momentum transfer of about 130 MeV/c, precludes the extraction of the Σ-nucleus spin-orbit potential strength. The Σ-nucleus well depth appears to be 7 to 10 MeV less than that for the Λ.     

Evidence of kaon nuclear and Coulomb potential effects on soft K production from nuclei

The ratio of forward K⁺ production on copper, silver and gold targets to that on carbon has been measured at proton beam energies between 1.5 and 2.3 GeV as a function of the kaon momentum p_K using the ANKE spectrometer at COSY-Jülich. The strong suppression in the ratios observed for p_K<200–250 MeV/c may be ascribed to a combination of Coulomb and nuclear repulsion in the K⁺A system. This opens a new way to investigate the interaction of K⁺-mesons in the nuclear medium. Our data are consistent with a K⁺A nuclear potential of V_K⁰≈20 MeV at low kaon momenta and normal nuclear density. Given the sensitivity of the data to the kaon potential, the current experimental precision might allow one to determine V_K⁰ to better than 3 MeV.     

High-precision half-life measurement for the superallowed β+ emitter ²⁶Al(m)

A high-precision half-life measurement for the superallowed β+ emitter 26Al(m) was performed at the TRIUMF-ISAC radioactive ion beam facility yielding T 1/2 6346.54 ± 0.46(stat) ± 0.60 (syst) ms, consistent with, but 2.5 times more precise than, the previous world average. The 26Al(m) half-life and ft value, 3037.53(61) s, are now the most precisely determined for any superallowed β decay. Combined with recent theoretical corrections for isospin-symmetry-breaking and radiative effects, the corrected Ft value for (26)Al(m), 3073.0(12) s, sets a new benchmark for the high-precision superallowed Fermi β-decay studies used to test the conserved vector current hypothesis and determine the V(ud) element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix.     

Compton scattering by the proton through θcms = 75° and 90° in the Δ-resonance region

Differential cross sections for Compton scattering by the proton have been measured in the energy interval between 200 and 500 MeV at scattering angles of θcms = 75° and θcms = 90° using the CATS, the CATS/TRAJAN, and the COPP setups with the Glasgow Tagger at MAMI (Mainz). The data are compared with predictions from dispersion theory using photo-meson amplitudes from the recent VPI solution SM95. The experiment and the theoretical procedure are described in detail. It is found that the experiment and predictions are in agreement as far as the energy dependence of the differential cross sections in the Δ-range is concerned. However, there is evidence that a scaling down of the resonance part of the M1+3/2 photo-meson amplitude by (2.8 ± 0.9)% is required in comparison with the VPI analysis. The deduced value of the M1+3/2-photoproduction amplitude at the resonance energy of 320 MeV is: |M1+3/2| = (39.6 ± 0.4) × 10−3 mπ+−1.     

The Al problem

A precision measurement of the ²⁶Al^m---²⁶Mg mass difference brings the anomalously low ft value for the super-allowed pure Fermi transition ²⁶Al^m(β⁺)²⁶Mg closer to the average of the ft values of six similar β⁺ transitions. The anomaly, however, is still significant.     

The decay of 91 min As

The energies and relative intensities of γ-rays following the β-decay of ⁷⁸As (and ⁷⁶As) to levels in ⁷⁸Se (and ⁷⁶Se) have been measured using an 8 cm³ Ge(Li) spectrometer. The β-decay of ⁷⁸As has been measured using a superconducting magnet beta-ray spectrometer with two 3 mm thick Si(Li) detectors. These data plus β-γ and γ-γ coincidence results have been used to construct a level scheme with 18 excited levels in ⁷⁸Se. The half-life of ⁷⁸As was measured to be 90.7±0.2 min.     

Mesonic and non-mesonic decay widths of ΛC

Results are reported on the precise measurement of the lifetime and the weak-decay branching ratios with charged particle(π⁻ and proton) emission from _Λ¹²C formed via ¹²C(π⁺,K⁺) reaction. The π⁻ mesonic decay width is consistent with the calculations including the pion wave function distortion effect. We observed large contribution of the neutron-stimulated decay widths, Γ(Λ + n → n + n), in the non-mesonic weak decay, which cannot be explained by the current theoretical calculations.     

Normal skin effect in the polycrystals

The surface impedance γ and the penetration depth δ of the electromagnetic field was calculated for a polycrystalline conductor under the conditions of the normal skin effect. The polycrystal is composed from the single-phase slightly anisotropic single-crystalline grains of arbitrary symmetry. Corrections (γ-γ₀)/γ₀ and (δ-δ₀)/δ₀ due to the polycrystallinity are functions of the parameter ζ=δ₀/a, where γ₀ and δ₀ are the impedance and the penetration depth of the isotropic conductor with the conductivity σ₀=Sp σ_ik/3, σ_ik is the separate grain conductivity tensor, and a is the mean size of a grain.

The effective conductivity of a polycrystal can be obtained either from the impedance γ (σ_ef^(γ)) or from the penetration depth δ (σ_ef^(δ)) It was found that σ_ef^(γ)≠σ_ef^(δ) The corrections (σ-σ_ef^((γ))/σ₀ and (σ₀-σ_ef^(δ))/σ₀ depend on the frequency of the incident wave.

The obtained results are also applicable in the infrared spectrum region. It was shown that, just as for the isotropic conductor, there is the total reflection of the electromagnetic wave from the polycrystal surface.

It was necessary to examine the oblique incidence of an electromagnetic wave onto the surface of an isotropic metal for the substantiation of the set of the boundary conditions used.