Remarks on the Aharonov-Casher dynamics in a CPT-odd Lorentz-violating background
The Aharonov-Casher problem in the presence of a Lorentz-violating background nonminimally coupled to a spinor and a gauge field is examined. Using an approach based on the self-adjoint extension method, an expression for the bound-state energies is obtained in terms of the physics of the problem by determining the self-adjoint extension parameter.

title: On Aharonov–Casher scattering in a CPT-odd Lorentz-violating background
abstract: The effects of a Lorentz symmetry-violating background vector on Aharonov?Casher scattering in the nonrelativistic limit are considered. Using the self-adjoint extension method, we find that there is additional scattering for any value of the self-adjoint extension parameter and non-zero energy bound states for negative values of this parameter. Expressions for the energy bound states, phase-shift and scattering matrix are explicitly determined in terms of the self-adjoint extension parameter. The expression obtained for the scattering amplitude reveals that the helicity is not conserved in this scenario.

title: He–McKellar–Wilkens effect and scalar Aharonov–Bohm effect for a neutral particle based on the Lorentz symmetry violation
abstract: In this contribution, we discuss the He–McKellar–Wilkens effect and the scalar Aharonov–Bohm effect for neutral particles based on the Lorentz symmetry violation background, by showing that the background of the Lorentz symmetry violation yields Abelian quantum phases for a neutral particle. We also study the non-relativistic bound states for a neutral particle interacting with a Coulomb-like potential based on the Lorentz symmetry violation background given by a fixed vector field parallel to the radial direction.

title: Relativistic Landau-Aharonov-Casher quantization based on the Lorentz symmetry violation background
abstract: Based on the discussions about the Aharonov-Casher effect in the Lorentz symmetry violation background, we show that the analogue of the relativistic Landau quantization in the Aharonov-Casher setup can be achieved in the Lorentz-symmetry violation background.

title: On the spin- 1/2 Aharonov-Bohm problem in conical space: Bound states, scattering and helicity nonconservation
abstract: In this work the bound state and scattering problems for a spin-1/2 particle undergone to an Aharonov-Bohm potential in a conical space in the nonrelativistic limit are consider ed. The presence of a �-function singularity, which comes from the Zeeman spin interaction with the magnetic flux tube, is addressed by the self-adjoint extension method. One of the advantages of the present approach is the determination of the self-adjoint extension parameter in terms of physics of the problem. Expressions for the energy bound states, phase-shift and S matrix are determined in terms of the self-adjoint extension parameter, which is explicitly determined in terms of the parameters of the problem. The relation between the bound state and zero modes and the failure of helicity conservation in the scattering problem and its relation with the gyromagnetic ratio g are discussed. Also, as an application, we consider the spin-1/2 AharonovBohm problem in conical space plus a two-dimensional isotropic harmonic oscillator.

title: Finiteness of the noncommutative supersymmetric Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory
abstract: Within the superfield approach, we prove the absence of UV/IR mixing in the three-dimensional noncommutative supersymmetric Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory at any loop order and demonstrate its finiteness in one, three, and higher loop orders.

title: Search for a massive di-photon resonance at S**(1/2) = 91-GeV - 172-GeV
abstract: A search for the resonant production of high mass photon pairs associated with a leptonic or hadronic system has been performed using a total data sample of 25.7 pb^-1 taken at centre-of-mass energies between 130 GeV and 172 GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP. The observed number of events is consistent with the expected number from Standard Model processes. The observed candidates are combined with search results from sqrt{s} ~ M_Z to place limits on Br(H^0 -> gamma gamma) within the Standard Model for Higgs boson masses up to 77 GeV, and on the production cross section of any scalar resonance decaying into di-photons. Upper limits on Br(H^0 -> gamma gamma) x sigma(e^+e^- -> H^0 Z^0) of 290 - 830 fb are obtained over 40 < M_H < 160 GeV. Type-I two-Higgs-doublet scalars which couple only to gauge bosons are ruled out up to a mass of 76.5 GeV at the 95% confidence level.

title: Improved measurement of the lifetime of the τ lepton
abstract: A new measurement of the τ lifetime is presented. It uses data collected with the Opal detector during 1994, which almost doubles the size of the Opal τ sample. Two statistically independent techniques are used: an impact parameter analysis of one-prong decay tracks and a fit to the decay length distribution of three-prong decays. The lifetime obtained from the 1994 data by combining the results of these methods is τ τ = 289.7 ± 2.5 (stat)± 1.5 (sys) fs. When combined with the previous Opal τ lifetime measurement the improved τ lifetime is τ τ = 289.2 ± 1.7 (stat.) ± 1.2 (sys.) fs.

title: Pulsed gamma rays from the millisecond pulsar J0030+0451 with the fermi large area telescope
abstract: We report the discovery of gamma-ray pulsations from the nearby isolated millisecond pulsar PSR J0030+0451 with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the \emph{Fermi} Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly GLAST). This discovery makes PSR J0030+0451 the second millisecond pulsar to be detected in gamma-rays after PSR J0218+4232, observed by the EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The spin-down power $\dot E = $ 3.5 $\times$ 10$^{33}$ ergs s$^{-1}$ is an order of magnitude lower than the empirical lower bound of previously known gamma-ray pulsars. The emission profile is characterized by two narrow peaks, respectively 0.07 $\pm$ 0.01 and 0.08 $\pm$ 0.02 wide, separated by 0.44 $\pm$ 0.02 in phase. The first gamma-ray peak falls 0.15 $\pm$ 0.01 after the main radio peak. The pulse shape is similar to that of the "normal" gamma-ray pulsars. An exponentially cut-off power-law fit of the emission spectrum leads to an integral photon flux above 100 MeV of (6.76 $\pm$ 1.05 $\pm$ 1.35) $\times 10^{-8}$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ with cut-off energy (1.7 $\pm$ 0.4 $\pm$ 0.5) GeV. Based on its parallax distance of $(300 \pm 90)$ pc, we obtain a gamma-ray efficiency $L_\gamma / \dot{E} \simeq 15%$ for the conversion of spin-down energy rate into gamma-ray radiation, assuming isotropic emission.

title: A study of K0SK0S Bose-Einstein correlations in hadronic Z0 decays
abstract: Bose-Einstein correlations in K0SK0S pairs have been studied for the first time in e+e− annihilations. These correlations were measured through the quantity Q, the four momentum difference of the pair. Out of about half a million Z0 hadronic decay events a total of about 6000 events with two or more identified K0S mesons were used for the analysis We observe a threshold enhancement in K0SK0S pairs originating from a mixed sample of K0 K 0 and K0K0 ( K 0 K 0 ) pairs. Although we can not presently exclude that a part of this effect is due to scalar meson decays, our analysis attributes the enhancement to Bose-Einstein correlations. We find the values for the strength of the effect and the radius of the K0S emitting source to be λ = 1.12 ± 0.33 ± 0.29 and R0 = (0.72 ± 0.17 ± 0.19) fm, respectively, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic.

title: Search for scalar top and scalar bottom quarks using the OPAL detector at LEP
abstract: The scalar top quark can be the lightest charged supersymmetric particle and it can be lighter than the top quark itself in supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model. A search for a scalar top quark has been performed using a total data sample of 15.2 pb−1 at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 130, 136, and 161 GeV collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. No evidence was found above the background level expected from the Standard Model. The 95% C.L. lower limit on the scalar top quark mass is 58.7 GeV, if the mixing angle between the supersymmetric partners of the left- and right-handed states of the top quark is smaller than π4. If the mixing angle is zero, the limit is 65.4 GeV. These limits were obtained on the condition that the scalar top quark decays into a charm quark and the lightest neutralino, and that the mass difference between the scalar top quark and the lightest neutralino is larger than 10 GeV. Assuming a relatively light scalar neutrino, we also studied the complementary decay mode of the scalar top quark in which it decays into a bottom quark, a charged lepton, and a scalar neutrino. A mass limit on the light scalar bottom quark was also set in this study.