Study of large hemispherical photomultiplier tubes for the ANTARES neutrino telescope
The ANTARES neutrino telescope, to be immersed depth in the Mediterranean Sea, will consist of a three-dimensional matrix of 900 large area photomultiplier tubes housed in pressure-resistant glass spheres. The selection of the optimal photomultiplier was a critical step for the project and required an intensive phase of tests and developments carried out in close collaboration with the main manufacturers worldwide. This paper provides an overview of the tests performed by the collaboration and describes in detail the features of the photomultiplier tube chosen for ANTARES.

title: The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector: Performance study using an end-to-end simulation tool
abstract: We present results from a GEANT4-based Monte Carlo tool for end-to-end simulations of the ZEPLIN-III dark matter experiment. ZEPLIN-III is a two-phase detector which measures both the scintillation light and the ionisation charge generated in liquid xenon by interacting particles and radiation. The software models the instrument response to radioactive backgrounds and calibration sources, including the generation, ray-tracing and detection of the primary and secondary scintillations in liquid and gaseous xenon, and subsequent processing by data acquisition electronics. A flexible user interface allows easy modification of detector parameters at run time. Realistic datasets can be produced to help with data analysis, an example of which is the position reconstruction algorithm developed from simulated data. We present a range of simulation results confirming the original design sensitivity of a few times 10−8 pb to the WIMP-nucleon cross-section.

title: The potential of liquid xenon for WIMP search: the ZEPLIN diagnostic array
abstract: A Liquid Xenon based WIMP detector diagnostic array is currently developed by the UKDMC with the help of international collaborators. After a brief reminder on the detection principle in Liquid Xenon, the individual detectors will be described. ZEPLIN I, a detector with a 4 kg fiducial mass with a background discrimination based on Pulse Shape Analysis, is already underground and starting operation. Two setups with improved background discrimination tools (as the ionisation is also recorded) are designed and scheduled to move underground in the second half of 2001. Both of them, ZEPLIN II and ZEPLIN III, are predicted to be sensitive to rate of 0.1–0.01 events/kg/day within 2 years of data taking. Furthermore, new ideas for lower background readout devices are studied, in order to avoid the use of PhotoMultiplier Tubes (PMTs).

title: Muon-induced background in the EDELWEISS dark matter search
abstract: A dedicated analysis of the muon-induced background in the EDELWEISS dark matter search has been performed on a data set acquired in 2009 and 2010. The total muon flux underground in the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (LSM) was measured to be Φ μ = ( 5.4 ± 0.2 - 0.9 + 0.5 )  muons/m 2 /d. The modular design of the μ -veto system allows the reconstruction of the muon trajectory and hence the determination of the angular dependent muon flux in LSM. The results are in good agreement with both MC simulations and earlier measurements. Synchronization of the μ -veto system with the phonon and ionization signals of the Ge detector array allowed identification of muon-induced events. Rates for all muon-induced events Γ μ = ( 0.172 ± 0.012 ) evts / ( kg d ) and of WIMP-like events Γ μ – n = 0.008 - 0.004 + 0.005 evts / ( kg d ) were extracted. After vetoing, the remaining rate of accepted muon-induced neutrons in the EDELWEISS-II dark matter search was determined to be Γ irred μ – n 6 · 10 - 4 evts / ( kg d ) at 90% C.L. Based on these results, the muon-induced background expectation for an anticipated exposure of 3000 kg d for EDELWEISS-III is N 3000 kg d μ – n 0.6 events.

title: Progress report from the UK Dark Matter search at Boulby Mine
abstract: The UK Dark Matter Collaboration is currently running a series of scintillation devices at the Boulby mine in North Yorkshire to search for the neutralino, the hypothetical WIMP solution to the dark matter problem. Results of the current NaI(T1) detector array will be discussed, illustrating a population of events of unknown origin. Diagnostic tests performed to investigate the origin of these anomalous events will be outlined, including alpha, beta and neutron calibrations.

title: Particle polarization in inclusive reactions

title: A possible description of the quantum numbers in a hadronic string model
abstract: Institute of Theoretical PhysicsUniversity of Stockholm, Box 6730S-113 85 Stockholm,  We consider a critical composite superconformalstring model to desribe hadronic interactions. We present a newapproach of introducing hadronic quantum numbers in the scat-tering amplitudes. The physical states carry the quantum num-bers and form a common system of eigenfunctions of the opera-tors in this string model. We give explicit constructions of thequantum number operators.

title: Critical Composite Superconformal String
abstract: In the paper the nilpotent conditions of BRST operator for new superconformal string model were found. This string includes anticommutation $2-d$ fields additional to the standard Neveu-Schwarz superconformal set which carry quark quantum numbers. In this case the superconformal symmetry is realized by a non-linear way. In the superconformal composite string new constraints for 1 and 1/2 conformal dimension should be added to the standard system of Virasoro superalgebra constraints for 2 and 3/2 conformal dimensions. The number $N$ of the constraints and numbers $D$ and $D'$ of bosonic and fermionic $2-d$ fields are connected by a simple relationship $D'/2+D-3N-15=0.$ Also perspectives of the critical composite superconformal string are discussed.

title: Composite superstring model for hadron amplitudes
abstract: Hadron dynamics is formulated in terms of interacting composite strings. These composite string amplitudes give other possible solution of duality equations for crossing channels in addition to classical string amplitudes. The composite strings carry quark flavour and spin degrees of freedom on edging two-dimensional surfaces. Consistent composite string models with extended N = 3 Virasoro superconformal symmetry are found. Simple amplitudes for interaction of π and K-mesons in this model are represented.

title: Quasi-stable states in the physical spectrum of the Neveu-Schwarz dual model
abstract: A certain class of states, comprising most of the spectrum for large mass M, is distinguished in the spectum of physical states predicted by the Neveu-Schwarz dual model with intercepts ..cap alpha../sub rho/(0) =1 and ..cap alpha../sub ..pi../(0) =1/2. The massive particles with large spins in this class are quasi-stable. Their couplings with all the other states are of order M/sup -1/ in comparison with the ordinary vertices. For the critical dimensions D=10 these states coincide with the zero-norm spurions. For the anomalous dimensions D=9 some of the quasi-stable states become new zero-norm spurion states.

title: Hadron vertices in composite superstring model
abstract: Hadron vertices for u, d, s quark flavours are formulated in terms of interacting composite strings. The vertices for emission of pi, K mesons and nucleons are presented.