Search for B0 decays to invisible final states and to nunugamma

We establish upper limits on branching fractions for B0 decays to final states where the decay products are purely invisible (i.e., no observable final state particles) and for B0 decays to nunugamma. Within the standard model, these decays have branching fractions that are below current experimental sensitivity, but various models of physics beyond the standard model predict significant contributions from these channels. Using 88.5 x 10(6) BB pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II e(+)e- storage ring at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, we establish upper limits at the 90% confidence level of 22 x 10(-5) for the branching fraction of B0-->invisible and 4.7 x 10(-5) for the branching fraction of B0-->nunugamma.     

Bound on the ratio of decay amplitudes for -B0-->J/psiK*0 and B0-->J/psiK*0

We have measured the time-dependent decay rate for the process B-->J/psiK(*0) (892) in a sample of about 88x10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->B(-)B decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC. In this sample we study flavor-tagged events in which one neutral B meson is reconstructed in the J/psiK(*0) or J/psi(-)K(*0) final state. We measure the coefficients of the cosine and sine terms in the time-dependent asymmetries for J/psiK(*0) and J/psi(-)K(*0), find them to be consistent with the standard model expectations, and set upper limits at 90% confidence level (C.L.) on the decay amplitude ratios |A((-)B(0)-->J/psiK(*0))|/|A(B0-->J/psiK(*0))|<0.26 and |A(B0-->J/psi(-)K(*0))|/|A((-)B(0)-->J/psi(-)K(*0))|<0.32. For a single ratio of wrong-flavor to favored amplitudes for B0 and (-)B(0) combined, we obtain an upper limit of 0.25 at 90% C.L.     

Measurement of the time-dependent CP asymmetry in the B0-->phiK0 decay

We present a measurement of the time-dependent CP asymmetry for the neutral B-meson decay B0-->phiK0. We use a sample of approximately 114 x 10(6) B-meson pairs taken at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B-meson factory at SLAC. We reconstruct the CP eigenstates phiK0S and phiK0L, where phi-->K+K-, K0S-->pi+pi-, and K0L is observed via its hadronic interactions. The other B meson in the event is tagged as either a B0 or Bbar0 from its decay products. The values of the CP-violation parameters are SphiK=0.47+/-0.34(stat)+0.08-0.06(syst) and CphiK=0.01+/-0.33(stat)+/-0.10(syst).     

Measurement of the direct CP asymmetry in b-->s gamma Decays

We describe a measurement of the direct CP asymmetry between inclusive b-->s gamma and b-->s gamma decays. This asymmetry is expected to be less than 0.01 in the standard model, but could be enhanced up to about 0.10 by new physics contributions. We use a sample of 89 x 10(6) BB pairs recorded with the BABAR detector at SLAC PEP-II, from which we reconstruct a set of 12 exclusive b-->s gamma final states containing one charged or neutral kaon and one to three pions. We measure an asymmetry of A(CP)(b-->s gamma)=0.025+/-0.050(stat)+/-0.015(syst), corresponding to an allowed range of -0.06s gamma)<+0.11 at 90% confidence level.     

Observation of the decay B-->J/psietaK and search for X(3872)-->J/psieta

We report the observation of the B meson decay B+/- -->J/psietaK+/- and evidence for the decay B0-->J/psietaK0S, using 90 x 10(6) BB; events collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II e+e- asymmetric-energy storage ring. We obtain branching fractions of B(B+/- -->J/psietaK+/-) = [10.8 +/- 2.3(stat) +/- 2.4(syst)] x 10(-5) and B(B0-->J/psietaK0S) = [8.4 +/- 2.6(stat) +/- 2.7(syst)] x 10(-5). We search for the new narrow mass state, the X(3872), recently reported by the Belle Collaboration, in the decay B+/- -->X(3872)K+/-,X(3872)-->J/psieta and determine an upper limit of B[B +/- -->X(3872)K+/- -->J/psietaK+/-] < 7.7 x 10(-6) at 90% confidence level.     

A Mössbauer study of an impactite from the Monturaqui crater

The iron mineralogy of samples of the Monturaqui impactite has been studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy. Magnetite, maghemite, goethite and a ferrous glass phase were identified. In a magnetic separate a bcc-structured iron-nickel alloy was identified in addition to the oxide phases. The oxides have formed by weathering of iron-nickel alloys.     

On the difficulties and remedies in enforcing the div = 0 condition in the finite element analysis of thermal plumes with strongly temperature-dependent viscosity

A finite element (FE) analysis of experimentally observed creeping thermal plumes in a medium whose viscosity is strongly temperature-dependent is performed. Such plumes are considered to play an important role in numerous geological processes and numerical modelling is often the only option to study their physics. Initial simulations by means of the general-purpose Galerkin finite element package NACHOS-II demonstrated serious deficiencies of the method in modelling plumes with large viscosity contrasts, in spite of several options for the solution (mixed or penalty formulation) and the elements (continuous or discontinous pressure). In agreement with observations from FE simulations of isothermal Stokes flow in other studies, we have isolated the violation of the div = 0 or incompressibility constraint as the major culprit in the failure of the FE method. It is demonstrated that the a posteriori computed discrete divergence (DDIV) can be used as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the reliability of the FE solution and to rank the solution and element options provided in the NACHOS code. On the basis of these considerations, the combination of the mixed method with a Q₂-P₁ (discontinuous pressure) element turns out to be the most suitable for the present plume problem but is still unable to sufficiently enforce the div = 0 condition. With a goal to remedy this detrimental behaviour, several FE modifications and new approaches have been taken. These include: (i) use of a new scaling option for the governing equations which has the effect of equilbrating the stiffness matrices and thus improving their condition; (ii) implementation of several iterative solution techniques such as the iterated penalty and the Uzawa algorithm for the augmented Langrangian to better accommodate the dual role of the pressure; (iii) use of a multistep Newton method to better handle the high non-linearity of the coupled flow/transport problem. Although each of these options (or a combination of them) is able to improve on the quality of FE solution, the most startling amelioration has been gained with option (iii). Use of the latter resulted in very satisfactory modelling of the experimentally observed plumes.     

Equilibrium in heavy ion collisions

We discuss the question of equilibration in heavy ion collisions and how it can be addressed in experiment