Full simulation of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory proportional counters
The third phase of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment added an array of 3He proportional counters to the detector. The purpose of this neutral-current detection (NCD) array was to observe neutrons resulting from neutral-current solar-neutrino–deuteron interactions. We have developed a detailed simulation of current pulses from NCD array proportional counters, from the primary neutron capture on 3He through NCD array signal-processing electronics. This NCD array MC simulation was used to model the alpha-decay background in SNO's third-phase 8B solar-neutrino measurement.

title: DARK MATTER AND MASSIVE NEUTRINOS

title: Search for new physics in events with same-sign dileptons and b-tagged jets in pp collisions at $ \sqrt {s} = 7 $ TeV
abstract: A bstractA search for new physics is performed using isolated same-sign dileptons with at least two b-quark jets in the final state. Results are based on a 4.98 fb−1 sample of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV collected by the CMS detector. No excess above the standard model background is observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the number of events from non-standard-model sources. These limits are used to set constraints on a number of new physics models. Information on acceptance and efficiencies are also provided so that the results can be used to confront additional models in an approximate way.

title: Search for dark matter and large extra dimensions in monojet events in pp collisions at $ \sqrt {s} = {7} $ TeV
abstract: A bstractA search has been made for events containing an energetic jet and an imbalance in transverse momentum using a data sample of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. This signature is common to both dark matter and extra dimensions models. The data were collected by the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb−1. The number of observed events is consistent with the standard model expectation. Constraints on the dark matter-nucleon scattering cross sections are determined for both spin-independent and spin-dependent interaction models. For the spin-independent model, these are the most constraining limits for a dark matter particle with mass below 3.5 GeV/c2, a region unexplored by direct detection experiments. For the spin-dependent model, these are the most stringent constraints over the 0.1–200 GeV/c2 mass range. The constraints on the Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos, and Dvali model parameter MD determined as a function of the number of extra dimensions are also an improvement over the previous results.

title: Measurement of the single-top-quark t-channel cross section in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=7 $ TeV
abstract: A bstractA measurement of the single-top-quark t-channel production cross section in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=7 $ TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC is presented. Two different and complementary approaches have been followed. The first approach exploits the distributions of the pseudorapidity of the recoil jet and reconstructed top-quark mass using background estimates determined from control samples in data. The second approach is based on multivariate analysis techniques that probe the compatibility of the candidate events with the signal. Data have been collected for the muon and electron final states, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1.17 and 1.56 fb−1, respectively. The single-top-quark production cross section in the t-channel is measured to be 67.2±6.1 pb, in agreement with the approximate next-to-next-to-leading-order standard model prediction. Using the standard model electroweak couplings, the CKM matrix element |Vtb| is measured to be 1.020 ± 0.046 (meas.) ± 0.017 (theor.).

title: Search for Excited Electrons in ep Collisions at HERA
abstract: A search for excited electrons is performed using the full e±p data sample collected by the H1 experiment at HERA, corresponding to a total luminosity of 475 pb−1. The electroweak decays of excited electrons e*→eγ, e*→eZ and e*→νW with subsequent hadronic or leptonic decays of the W and Z bosons are considered. No evidence for excited electron production is found. Mass dependent exclusion limits on e* production cross sections and on the ratio f/Λ of the coupling to the compositeness scale are derived within gauge mediated models. These limits extend the excluded region compared to previous excited electron searches. The e* production via contact interactions is also addressed for the first time in ep collisions.

title: Decoherence, Chaos, and the Correspondence Principle
abstract: We present evidence that decoherence can produce a smooth quantum-to-classical transition in nonlinear dynamical systems. High-resolution tracking of quantum and classical evolutions reveals differences in expectation values of corresponding observables. Solutions of master equations demonstrate that decoherence destroys quantum interference in Wigner distributions and washes out fine structure in classical distributions, bringing the two closer together. Correspondence between quantum and classical expectation values is also reestablished.

title: Cosmic Calibration
abstract: The complexity and accuracy of current and future “precisio n c smology” observational campaigns has made it essential to develop an efficient technique for directly c ombining simulation and observational datasets to determine cosmological and model parameters; a procedure we term calibration. Once a satisfactory calibration of the underlying cosmological model is achieved, independent pr edictions for new observations become possible. For this procedure to be effective, robust characterization of the uncertainty in the calibration process is highly desirable. In thisLetter, we describe a statistical methodology which can achieve bo th of these goals. An application example based around dark matter structure formation simul ations and a synthetic mass power spectrum dataset is used to demonstrate the approach.  Cosmology: cosmological parameters — cosmology: theory

title: The Halo Mass Function: High-Redshift Evolution and Universality
abstract: We study the formation of dark matter halos in the concordance ΛCDM model over a wide range of redshifts, from -->z = 20 to the present. Our primary focus is the halo mass function, a key probe of cosmology. By performing a large suite of nested-box N-body simulations with careful convergence and error controls (60 simulations with box sizes from 4 to 256 h−1 Mpc), we determine the mass function and its evolution with excellent statistical and systematic errors, reaching a few percent over most of the considered redshift and mass range. Across the studied redshifts, the halo mass is probed over 6 orders of magnitude (107-1013.5 h−1 M☉). Historically, there has been considerable variation in the high-redshift mass function as obtained by different groups. We have made a concerted effort to identify and correct possible systematic errors in computing the mass function at high redshift and to explain the discrepancies between some of the previous results. We discuss convergence criteria for the required force resolution, simulation box size, halo mass range, initial and final redshifts, and time stepping. Because of conservative cuts on the mass range probed by individual boxes, our results are relatively insensitive to simulation volume, the remaining sensitivity being consistent with extended Press-Schechter theory. Previously obtained mass function fits near -->z = 0, when scaled by linear theory, are in good agreement with our results at all redshifts, although a mild redshift dependence consistent with that found by Reed et al. may exist at low redshifts. Overall, our results are consistent with a universal form for the mass function at high redshifts.

title: An Object-Oriented Parallel Particle-in-Cell Code for Beam Dynamics Simulation in Linear Accelerators
abstract: We present an object-oriented three-dimensional parallel particle-in-cell (PIC) code for simulation of beam dynamics in linear accelerators (linacs). An important feature of this code is the use of split-operator methods to integrate single-particle magnetic optics techniques with parallel PIC techniques. By choosing a splitting scheme that separates the self-fields from the complicated externally applied fields, we are able to utilize a large step size and still retain high accuracy. The method employed is symplectic and can be generalized to arbitrarily high order accuracy if desired. A two-dimensional parallel domain decomposition approach is employed within a message-passing programming paradigm along with a dynamic load balancing scheme. Performance tests on an SGI/Cray T3E-900 and an SGI Origin 2000 show good scalability of the object-oriented code. We present, as an example, a simulation of high current beam transport in the accelerator production of tritium (APT) linac design.

title: A Combined Three-Phase Signal Extraction of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Data Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo Technique
abstract: Neutrino physics has entered an era of precision, after proving that the Standard Solar Model is a viable theory and going beyond the current Standard Model of particle physics by proving that neutrinos possess nonzero masses. The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) experiment, along with other experiments, has restricted neutrino mixing angle (θ12) and the mass square difference (∆m21) to lie within the large mixing solution area. SNO, located 2 km underground in Sudbury, Canada, was an ultraclean heavy-water (D2O) imaging detector for observing neutrinos produced by fusion reactions in the Sun. Neutrino interactions with heavy water resulted in flashes of light called C̆erenkov radiation which was detected by an array of photomultiplier tubes. SNO took data from November 1999 to November 2006, totalling 1082 days of data taking. This work describes an improved measurement of the mixing parameters from a combined fit of all the data. For the signal extraction fit on the data consisting of 4 observable of an event – radial position, recoil electron energy, direction relative to the Sun and event isotropy – Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method based on Metropolis algorithm was employed. The nuisance parameters (systematics), weighted by external constraints, were allowed to vary in the fit. The goal of the thesis was to extract the survival probabilities of electron neutrinos and determine the total flux of active-flavour neutrinos from B decay in the Sun measured through the neutral current interactions of neutrinos on deuterium. The B flux from the fit is (5.24 ± 0.02) × 10 cm−2 s−1; uncertainty from statistics and systematics is 3.56%. Along with B flux, the fit extracted energy spectra of charged current interactions of neutrinos on deuterium and elastic scattering interactions of neutrinos on electrons. The fit described the energy-dependent day survival probability of solar neutrinos as a quadratic equation and asymmetry on the day survival probability as a linear equation. Four polynomial coefficients of the survival probability were extracted from the fit: constant coefficient as 0.3206± 0.0197, linear coefficient as 0.005± 0.008 and quadratic coefficient as −0.0014± 0.0033. There are two coefficients on the day-night asymmetry: constant coefficient as 0.0496 ± 0.0347 and the linear coefficient as −0.018 ± 0.028. The day-night asymmetry (0.0496) observed is 1.4σ away from zero. Using these findings, the oscillation space in terms of ∆m21 and θ12 will be further constrained. Compared to the previous published SNO results, the uncertainty on B went down from 3.83% to 3.56% and average B νe survival probability (p0) went down from 6.57% to 6.14%. If the data were analysed with the same assumptions, the decrease in uncertainties would have been approximately twice as big; however, more conservative systematic uncertainties were assigned in some cases.