New determination of the upper limit for the muon neutrino mass

We have measured the muon momentum in pion decay at rest using a magnetic spectrometer. From the result, p_μ⁺ = (29.787±0.005) MeV/c, we deduce a squared muon neutrino mass of (0.23±0.54) MeV²/c⁴.     

Palmerolide A, a cytotoxic macrolide from the antarctic tunicate Synoicum adareanum

Palmerolide A, a 20-membered macrocyclic polyketide bearing carbamate and vinyl amide functionality, was isolated from the tunicate Synoicum adareanum collected from the vicinity of Palmer Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. Palmerolide A displays potent and selective cytotoxicity toward melanoma (UACC-66 LC50 = 0.018 muM) and appears to operate via inhibition (IC50 = 2 nM) of V-ATPase.     

Positron plasma diagnostics and temperature control for antihydrogen production

Production of antihydrogen atoms by mixing antiprotons with a cold, confined, positron plasma depends critically on parameters such as the plasma density and temperature. We discuss nondestructive measurements, based on a novel, real-time analysis of excited, low-order plasma modes, that provide comprehensive characterization of the positron plasma in the ATHENA antihydrogen apparatus. The plasma length, radius, density, and total particle number are obtained. Measurement and control of plasma temperature variations, and the application to antihydrogen production experiments are discussed.     

Antiproton-proton annihilation at rest intoπ + π − η ′ andπ + π − η from atomicS andP states

We have measured the branching ratios for \(\bar pp\) annihilation at rest intoπ ⁺ π ^? η andπ ⁺ π ^? η′ in hydrogen gas in two data samples that have different fractions ofS-wave andP-wave initial states. The branching ratios are derived from a comparison with the topological branching ratio for \(\bar pp\) annihilations into four charged pions of (49±4)% and the branching ratio intoπ ⁺ π ^? π ⁺ π ^? π ⁰ of (18.7±1.6)%. We find a significant reduction of the branching ratios fromP-states for \(\bar pp \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ - \eta \) andπ ⁺ π ^? η′ in comparison toS-state annihilation. $$\begin{gathered} BR(S - wave \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ - \eta ) = (13.7 \pm 1.46) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(P - wave \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ - \eta ) = (3.35 \pm 0.84) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(S - wave \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ - \eta ') = (3.46 \pm 0.67) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(P - wave \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ - \eta ') = (0.61 \pm 0.33) \cdot 10^{ - 3} . \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ In a partial wave analysis of theπ ⁺ π ^? η Dalitz plot we find the following contributions: Phase space, \(a_2^ + (1320)\pi ^ \mp \) ,ηρ⁰ andf ₂(1270)η: $$\begin{gathered} BR(S - wave \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ - \eta PS) = (6.31 \pm 1.22) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(P - wave \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ - \eta PS) = (0.47 \pm 0.26) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(^1 S_0 \to a_2^ \pm (1320)\pi ^ \mp ) = (2.59 \pm 0.73) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(^3 S_1 \to a_2^ \pm (1320)\pi ^ \mp ) = (1.31 \pm 0.48) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(P - wave \to a_2^ \pm (1320)\pi ^ \mp ) = (1.31 \pm 0.69) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(^3 S_1 \to \rho \eta ) = (3.29 \pm 0.90) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(^1 P_1 \to \rho \eta ) = (0.94 \pm 0.53) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(^1 S_0 \to f_2 (1270)\eta ) = (0.083 \pm 0.086) \cdot 10^{ - 3} \hfill \\ BR(P - wave \to f_2 (1270)\eta ) = (0.64 \pm 0.26) \cdot 10^{ - 3} . \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ We find a 2 σ effect for the reaction \(\bar pp \to a_0^ \pm (980)\pi ^ \mp \) , \(a_0^ \pm \to \eta \pi ^ \pm \) , with a branching ratio of (0.13±0.07)·10^?3. For η' production we give a branching ratio of \(\bar pp \to \rho \eta '\) of (1.81±0.44)·10^?3 from³ S ₁. We estmate a contribution of about 0.3·10^?3 for ρη' fromP-states. The ratio of ρη and ρη' rpoduction is used to test the validity of the quark line rule. In theπ ⁺ π ^? π ⁺ π ^? γ final state we do not observe the reaction \(\bar pp \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ - \omega \) , ω→π ⁺ π ^? λ and derive an upper limit of 3·10^?3 for decay modeω→π ⁺ π ^? λ.     

Search for laser-induced formation of antihydrogen atoms

Antihydrogen can be synthesized by mixing antiprotons and positrons in a Penning trap environment. Here an experiment to stimulate the formation of antihydrogen in the n = 11 quantum state by the introduction of light from a CO2 continuous wave laser is described. An overall upper limit of 0.8% with 90% C.L. on the laser-induced enhancement of the recombination has been found. This result strongly suggests that radiative recombination contributes negligibly to the antihydrogen formed in the experimental conditions used by the ATHENA Collaboration.     

N\bar N annihilation at rest into five pions

annihilation at rest into five pions was studied in the ASTERIX spectrometer by stopping antiprotrons from LEAR in a H₂ or D₂ gas target. In annihilations in H₂ leading to the ^+–+–0 final state, the invariant mass spectra of two, three, and four pions show no evidence for any new narrow states. In the difference of the four pion mass spectra recoiling against a ^– and those recoiling against a ⁺ shows a resonance-like structure ( (1480)), confirming a previous analysis with a smaller event sample. The (1480) mass is shown to depend strongly on the momentum of the spectator proton. In H₂, we searched for the (1480) in the reaction (1480), (1480) ^+–+– to clarify whether the (1480) is identical to the 4-mode of thef ₂ (1520). No evidence for this decay mode was found. A prominent resonance in innihilation into five pions is the meson. We find two quasi-two-body intermediate states: and (1235). The mass and width of theb ₁ (1235) are determined to be:

High-pressure structures of disilane and their superconducting properties

A systematic ab initio search for low-enthalpy phases of disilane (Si2H6) at high pressures was performed based on the minima hopping method. We found a novel metallic phase of disilane with Cmcm symmetry, which is enthalpically more favorable than the recently proposed structures of disilane up to 280 GPa, but revealing compositional instability below 190 GPa. The Cmcm phase has a moderate electron-phonon coupling yielding a superconducting transition temperature T(c) of around 20 K at 100 GPa, decreasing to 13 K at 220 GPa. These values are significantly smaller than previously predicted T(c))s for disilane at equivalent pressure. This shows that similar but different crystalline structures of a material can result in dramatically different T(c)'s and stresses the need for a systematic search for a crystalline ground state.     

Vortex lattice transitions in YNi2B2C

We have performed extensive small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) diffraction studies of the vortex lattice in single crystal YNi₂B₂C for B‖c. High-resolution SANS, combined with a field-oscillation vortex lattice preparation technique, allows us to separate Bragg scattered intensities from two orthogonal domains and accurately determine the unit cell angle, β. The data suggest that upon increasing field there is a finite transition width where both low- and high-field distorted hexagonal vortex lattice phases, mutually rotated by 45°, coexist. The smooth variation of diffracted intensity from each phase through the transition corresponds to a redistribution of populations between the two types of domains.     

Energy landscape of fullerene materials: a comparison of boron to boron nitride and carbon

Using the minima hopping global geometry optimization method on the density functional potential energy surface we show that the energy landscape of boron clusters is glasslike. Larger boron clusters have many structures which are lower in energy than the cages. This is in contrast to carbon and boron nitride systems which can be clearly identified as structure seekers. The differences in the potential energy landscape explain why carbon and boron nitride systems are found in nature whereas pure boron fullerenes have not been found. We thus present a methodology which can make predictions on the feasibility of the synthesis of new nanostructures.