Observation of an excited charm baryon Omega c* decaying to Omega c0gamma

We report the first observation of an excited singly charmed baryon Omega c* (css) in the radiative decay Omega c0gamma, where the Omega c0 baryon is reconstructed in the decays to the final states Omega(-)pi+, Omega(-)pi+pi0, Omega(-)pi+pi(-)pi+, and Xi(-)K(-)pi+pi+. This analysis is performed using a data set of 230.7 fb(-1) collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The mass difference between the Omega c* and the Omega c0 baryons is measured to be 70.8+/-1.0(stat)+/-1.1(syst) MeV/c2. We also measure the ratio of inclusive production cross sections of Omega c* and Omega c0 in e+e(-) annihilation.     

Measurement of the B-->pi l nu branching fraction and determination of absolute value of V(ub) with tagged B mesons

We report a measurement of the B-->pi l nu branching fraction based on 211 fb(-1) of data collected with the BABAR detector. We use samples of B0 and B+ mesons tagged by a second B meson reconstructed in a semileptonic or hadronic decay and combine the results assuming isospin symmetry to obtain B(B(0)-->pi- l+ nu) = (1.33+/-0.17stat+/-0.11syst) x 10(-4). We determine the magnitude of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element absolute value V(ub) by combining the partial branching fractions measured in ranges of the momentum transfer squared and theoretical calculations of the form factor. Using a recent lattice QCD calculation, we find absolute value V(ub) = (4.5+/-0.5stat+/-0.3syst(+0.7) -0.5FF x 10(-3), where the last error is due to the normalization of the form factor.     

Observation of muon neutrino disappearance with the MINOS detectors in the NuMI neutrino beam

This Letter reports results from the MINOS experiment based on its initial exposure to neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI beam. The rates and energy spectra of charged current nu(mu) interactions are compared in two detectors located along the beam axis at distances of 1 and 735 km. With 1.27 x 10(20) 120 GeV protons incident on the NuMI target, 215 events with energies below 30 GeV are observed at the Far Detector, compared to an expectation of 336+/-14 events. The data are consistent with nu(mu) disappearance via oscillations with |Delta(m)2/32|=2.74 +0.44/-0.26 x10(-3)eV(2) and sin(2)(2theta(23))>0.87 (68% C.L.).     

Measurement of the branching fraction and photon energy moments of B-->Xs gamma and A(CP)(B --> X(s+d gamma))

The photon spectrum in B-->Xs gamma decay, where Xs is any strange hadronic state, is studied using a data sample of 88.5 x 10(6) e+ e- --> Upsilon(4S) --> BB decays collected by the BABAR experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The partial branching fraction, DeltaB(B --> Xs gamma) = (3.67+/-0.29(stat)+/-0.34(syst)+/-0.29(model)) x 10(-4), the first moment = 2.288+/-0.025+/-0.017+/-0.015 GeV, and the second moment E2(gamma) = 0.0328+/-0.0040+/-0.0023+/-0.0036 GeV2 are measured for the photon energy range 1.9 GeV < E gamma < 2.7 GeV. They are also measured for narrower E gamma ranges. The moments are then fit to recent theoretical calculations to extract the heavy quark expansion parameters m(b) and mu2(pi) and to extrapolate the partial branching fraction to E gamma > 1.6 GeV. In addition, the direct CP asymmetry A(CP)(B-->X(s+d gamma) is measured to be -0.110+/-0.115(stat)+/-0.017(syst).     

Particle pinch in gyrokinetic simulations of closed field-line systems

Gyrokinetic simulations of small-scale turbulent transport in a closed magnetic field-line plasma geometry are presented. The simulations are potentially applicable to dipolar systems such as the levitated dipole experiment (LDX) [J. Kesner, Plasma Phys. Rep. 23, 742 (1997).] and planetary magnetospheres, as well as simpler systems such as the Z pinch. We report here for the first time the existence of a robust particle (and weaker temperature) pinch regime, in which the particles are transported up the density gradient. The particle pinch is driven by non-MHD entropy-mode turbulence at k(⊥) ρ(i) ～ 1 and particle pinch appears at larger η ≡ L(n)/L(T) ? 0.7, consistent with quasilinear theory. Our results suggest that entropy-mode transport will drive the LDX plasma profiles toward a state with η ～ 0.7 and pressure gradients that are near marginal ideal MHD interchange-mode stability.     

Surface enhanced covalency and Madelung potentials in Nb doped SrTiO3 (100), (110) and (111) single crystals

The influence of surface enhanced covalency on the Madelung potential is experimentally investigated using angle-resolved photoemission for (100), (110) and (111) SrTiO₃ surfaces after annealing in UHV at 630 °C. Deconvolution of the core level spectra (O 1s, Sr 3d and Ti 2p) distinguishes bulk and surface components, which are interpreted in terms of surface enhanced covalency (SEC). By comparing the experimentally measured binding energies with theoretical calculations developed in the framework of the Localized-Hole Point-Ion Model, we quantitatively determine the effective electron occupancy at bulk and surface Sr and Ti sites. Our results confirm the essentially ionic character of Sr–O bond and the partially covalent character of Ti–O bond in bulk STO. The cation Ti and Sr electron occupation is greater for all the three surfaces than in the bulk. Surface covalency shifts the Madelung potential at the surface by ΔE_M. ΔE_M is a minimum for the (111) surface, and increases through (100), attaining a maximum for (110). The angle-resolved valence band spectra and the work function values also confirm this trend. The results are consistent with d–d charge fluctuations dominating at the surface, whereas metal-ligand charge transfers are more energetically favourable in the bulk.     

High-resolution study of x-ray resonant Raman scattering at the K edge of silicon

We report on the first high-resolution measurements of the K x-ray resonant Raman scattering (RRS) in Si. The measured x-ray RRS spectra, interpreted using the Kramers-Heisenberg approach, revealed spectral features corresponding to electronic excitations to the conduction and valence bands in silicon. The total cross sections for the x-ray RRS at the 1s absorption edge and the 1s-3p excitation were derived. The Kramers-Heisenberg formalism was found to reproduce quite well the x-ray RRS spectra, which is of prime importance for applications of the total-reflection x-ray fluorescence technique.     

Observation of the semileptonic decays B-->D*tau-nutau and evidence for B-->Dtau-nutau

We present measurements of the semileptonic decays B--->D0tau-nutau, B--->D*0tau-nutau, B0-->D+tau-nutau, and B0-->D*+tau-nutau, which are potentially sensitive to non-standard model amplitudes. The data sample comprises 232x10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BB decays collected with the BABAR detector. From a combined fit to B- and B0 channels, we obtain the branching fractions B(B-->Dtau-nutau)=(0.86+/-0.24+/-0.11+/-0.06)% and B(B-->D*tau-nutau)=(1.62+/-0.31+/-0.10+/-0.05)% (normalized for the B0), where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and normalization-mode-related.