Dissociation of dimethyl ether at high temperatures

The decomposition of dimethyl ether (CH₃OCH₃) has been investigated behind incident shock waves in a diaphragmless shock tube using laser schlieren densitometry, LS (T = 1500–2450 K, P = 57 ± 4, 125 ± 5 and 253 ± 12 Torr). The LS density gradient profiles were simulated and excellent agreement was found between the simulations and experimental profiles. Rate coefficients for CH₃OCH₃ → CH₃O + CH₃ were obtained. They showed strong fall-off, and at the lower end of the experimental temperature range are close to the low pressure limit. First order rate coefficient expressions were determined over 1500 < T < 2450 K. k_57Torr = (3.10 ± 1.0) × 10⁷⁹T^?19.03 exp(?54417/T) s^?1, k_125Torr = (1.12 ± 0.3) × 10⁸³T^?19.94 exp(?55554/T) s^?1and k_253Torr = (1.02 ± 0.3) × 10⁷³T^?17.09 exp(?51500/T) s^?1. The effect of a roaming channel for decomposition of dimethyl ether was assessed and the best agreement was obtained with 1% dissociation of DME via the roaming path.     

Measurement of B --> K*gamma branching fractions and charge asymmetries

The branching fractions of the exclusive decays B0-->K(*0)gamma and B+-->K(*+)gamma are measured from a sample of (22.74+/-0.36)x10(6) BB decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric e(+)e(-) collider. We find B (B0-->K(*0)gamma) = [4.23+/-0.40(stat)+/-0.22(syst)]x10(-5), B(B+-->K(*+)gamma) = [3.83+/-0.62(stat)+/-0.22(syst)]x10(-5) and constrain the CP-violating charge asymmetry to be -0.170K(*)gamma)<0.082 at 90% C.L.     

Low-temperature fate of the 0.7 structure in a point contact: a Kondo-like correlated state in an open system

Besides the usual conductance plateaus at multiples of 2e(2)/h, quantum point contacts typically show an extra plateau at approximately 0.7(2e(2)/h), believed to arise from electron-electron interactions that prohibit the two spin channels from being simultaneously occupied. We present evidence that the disappearance of the 0.7 structure at very low temperature signals the formation of a Kondo-like correlated spin state. Evidence includes a zero-bias conductance peak that splits in a parallel field, scaling of conductance to a modified Kondo form, and consistency between peak width and the Kondo temperature.     

Measurement of B0-B-0 flavor oscillations in hadronic B0 decays

Flavor oscillations of neutral B mesons have been studied in e+e- annihilation data collected with the BABAR detector at center-of-mass energies near the upsilon(4S) resonance. The data sample used for this purpose consists of events in which one B0 meson is reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode, while the flavor of the recoiling B0 is determined with a tagging algorithm that exploits the correlation between the flavor of the heavy quark and the charges of its decay products. From the time development of the observed mixed and unmixed final states, we determine the B0-B-0 oscillation frequency deltamd to be 0.516+/-0.016(stat)+/-0.010(syst) ps-1.     

Measurement of the branching fraction of Gamma(4S) --> B0B0

We report the first measurement of the branching fraction f(00) for Gamma(4S) --> B(0)B(0). The data sample consists of 81.7 fb(-1) collected at the Gamma(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) storage ring. Using partial reconstruction of the decay B(0) --> D(*+) l(-)nu(l) in which only the charged lepton and the soft pion from the decay D(*+) --> D(0)pi(+) are reconstructed, we obtain f(00) = 0.487 +/- 0.010(stat) +/- 0.008(syst). Our result does not depend on the branching fractions of B(0) --> D(*+)l(-)nu(l) and D(*+) --> D(0)pi(+) decays, on the ratio of the charged and neutral B meson lifetimes, nor on the assumption of isospin symmetry.     

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).     

Search for hadronic decays of a light Higgs boson in the radiative decay Υ→γA0

We search for hadronic decays of a light Higgs boson (A(0)) produced in radiative decays of an Υ(2S) or Υ(3S) meson, Υ→γA(0). The data have been recorded by the BABAR experiment at the Υ(3S) and Υ(2S) center-of-mass energies and include (121.3±1.2)×10(6) Υ(3S) and (98.3±0.9)×10(6) Υ(2S) mesons. No significant signal is observed. We set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product branching fractions B(Υ(nS)→γA(0))B(A(0)→hadrons) (n=2 or 3) that range from 1×10(-6) for an A(0) mass of 0.3 GeV/c(2) to 8×10(-5) at 7 GeV/c(2).     

Double prompt photon production at high transverse momentum byπ − on protons at 280 GeV/c

A search for pairs of highp _T prompt photons produced in hydrogen by a 280 GeV/c incidentπ ^- beam has been carried out using a fine-grained electromagnetic calorimeter and the Omega spectrometer at the CERN SPS. Clear evidence for the existence of such events is found with a six standard deviation signal forp _T >3.0 GeV/c. The cross-sections are consistent with beyond leading order QCD calculations. A discussion on the determination of α _s is also presented.     

Limits on the decay-rate difference of neutral B mesons and on CP, T, and CPT violation in B(0-0)B oscillations

Using events in which one of two neutral B mesons from the decay of an Upsilon(4S) meson is fully reconstructed, we determine parameters governing decay (DeltaGamma(d)/Gamma(d)), CP, and T violation (|q/p|), and CP and CPT violation (Re z,Im z). The results, obtained from an analysis of 88 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S) decays recorded by BABAR, are sgn(Re lambda(CP))DeltaGamma(d)/Gamma(d)=-0.008+/-0.037(stat)+/-0.018(syst)[-0.084,0.068],|q/p|=1.029+/-0.013(stat)+/-0.011(syst)[1.001,1.057],(Re lambda(CP)/|lambda(CP)|) Re z=0.014+/-0.035(stat)+/-0.034(syst)[-0.072,0.101],Im z=0.038+/-0.029(stat)+/-0.025(syst)[-0.028,0.104]. The values inside the square brackets indicate the 90% confidence-level intervals. These results are consistent with standard model expectations.