TADPOLE for longitudinal electron-bunch diagnostics based on electro-optic upconversion
Electron-bunch diagnostics are desired to utilize unambiguous, non-destructive, single-shot techniques. Various methods fulfill the latter two demands, but feature significant ambiguities and constraints in the reconstruction of time-domain electron-bunch profiles, e.g. uncertainties arising from the phase retrieval of coherent radiation using the Kramers–Kronig relation. We present a novel method of measuring the spectral phase. The measurement is based on upconversion in an electro-optic crystal, where the THz-field spectrum of fs-electron bunches is shifted to the near-infrared. This technique allows the single-shot detection of its longitudinal form factor in both, amplitude and phase. The spectral phase and amplitude information is measured and thus the temporal profile reconstructed using temporal analysis by dispersing a pair of light E-fields, also known as TADPOLE. This is a combination of frequency resolved optical gating (FROG) and spectral interferometry, enabling the temporal measurement of low-power laser pulses. In this procedure, a narrow-bandwidth laser pulse detecting the longitudinal variations in the transverse electric field of an electron bunch via frequency mixing is interfered with a broadband and FROG-characterized reference pulse. The longitudinal beam profile may therefore be unambiguously inferred from the generated interferogram and the detected spectral-phase-information of the reference pulse.

title: Luminosity determination at HERA-B
abstract: A detailed description of an original method used to measure the luminosity accumulated by the HERA-B experiment for a data sample taken during the 2002–2003 HERA running period is reported. We show that, with this method, a total luminosity measurement can be achieved with a typical precision, including overall systematic uncertainties, at a level of 5% or better. We also report evidence for the detection of δ -rays generated in the target and comment on the possible use of such delta rays to measure luminosity.

title: Anisotropic low energy electron collision cross sections for methane derived from transport coefficients
abstract: Based on a comprehensive set of transport parameters of electrons in methane derived from single electron spectra in the range of field 0.01-15 Td the authors determined a set of elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections up to 3 eV. The necessity to include anisotropic elastic scattering in a Boltzmann analysis of methane is demonstrated. In addition the drift velocity in a mixture of methane with helium was used to enhance the reliability of the derived cross sections. The low energy part of the cross sections for elastic scattering is subject to a MERT analysis and is compared with total cross section data from single scattering experiments.

title: BUNCH COMPRESSION MONITOR
abstract: The longitudinal charge distribution in the electron bunches has a strong impact on the lasing process in a Free-Electron Laser based on the principle of Self Amplified Spontaneous Emission of radiation. For the ultraviolet and soft X ray FEL FLASH at DESY, structures in the range of ten to hundred micrometers play a crucial role. The investigation of the longitudinal charge distribution in the electron bunches on a bunch-by-bunch basis is an important issue for optimizing the bunch compression and improving the performance of the machine. This paper introduces a new tool for longitudinal diagnostics based on THz spectroscopy of coherent radiation. A novel spectrometer has been designed which permits to analyze the radiation of single electron bunches in a broad spectral range and with high resolution. Preliminary measurements with this spectrometer are presented. A strong variation of the CTR intensity in the 40 μm regime is observed when the off-crest phase in the accelerating cavities preceding the first magnetic bunch compressor is changed in small steps. This variation in the CTR intensity is found to be correlated with a similar variation in the pulse energy of the FEL light. Hence the THz spectrometer appears to be a very sensitive device for controlling the parameters of the bunch compression scheme.

title: HATSouth: A Global Network of Fully Automated Identical Wide-Field Telescopes*
abstract: HATSouth is the world's first network of automated and homogeneous telescopes that is capable of year-round 24 hr monitoring of positions over an entire hemisphere of the sky. The primary scientific goal of the network is to discover and characterize a large number of transiting extrasolar planets, reaching out to long periods and down to small planetary radii. HATSouth achieves this by monitoring extended areas on the sky, deriving high precision light curves for a large number of stars, searching for the signature of planetary transits, and confirming planetary candidates with larger telescopes. HATSouth employs six telescope units spread over three prime locations with large longitude separation in the southern hemisphere (Las Campanas Observatory, Chile; HESS site, Namibia; Siding Spring Observatory, Australia). Each of the HATSouth units holds four 0.18 m diameter f/2.8 focal ratio telescope tubes on a common mount producing an 8.2° × 8.2° field of view on the sky, imaged using four 4 K × 4 K CCD cameras and Sloan r filters, to give a pixel scale of 3.7'' pixel-1. The HATSouth network is capable of continuously monitoring 128 square arc degrees at celestial positions moderately close to the anti-solar direction. We present the technical details of the network, summarize operations, and present detailed weather statistics for the three sites. Robust operations have meant that on average each of the six HATSouth units has conducted observations on ~500 nights over a 2 years time period, yielding a total of more than 1 million science frames at a 4 minute integration time and observing ~10.65 hr day-1 on average. We describe the scheme of our data transfer and reduction from raw pixel images to trend-filtered light curves and transiting planet candidates. Photometric precision reaches ~6 mmag at 4 minute cadence for the brightest non-saturated stars at r ≈ 10.5. We present detailed transit recovery simulations to determine the expected yield of transiting planets from HATSouth. We highlight the advantages of networked operations, namely, a threefold increase in the expected number of detected planets, as compared to all telescopes operating from the same site.

title: Ultrabroadband terahertz source and beamline based on coherent transition radiation
abstract: Coherent transition radiation (CTR) in the THz regime is an important diagnostic tool for analyzing the temporal structure of the ultrashort electron bunches needed in ultraviolet and x-ray free-electron lasers. It is also a powerful source of such radiation, covering an exceptionally broad frequency range from about 200 GHz to 100 THz. At the soft x-ray free-electron laser FLASH we have installed a beam transport channel for transition radiation (TR) with the intention to guide a large fraction of the radiation to a laboratory outside the accelerator tunnel. The radiation is produced on a screen inside the ultrahigh vacuum beam pipe of the linac, coupled out through a diamond window and transported to the laboratory through an evacuated tube equipped with five focusing and four plane mirrors. The design of the beamline has been based on a thorough analysis of the generation of TR on metallic screens of limited size. The optical propagation of the radiation has been computed taking into account the effects of near-field (Fresnel) diffraction. The theoretical description of the TR source is presented in the first part of the paper, while the design principles and the technical layout of the beamline are described in the second part. First experimental results demonstrate that the CTR beamline covers the specified frequency range and preserves the narrow time structure of CTR pulses emitted by short electron bunches.

title: Amplitude analysis and the branching fraction measurement of $\bar{B}^0_s \to J/\psi K^+K^-$
abstract: An amplitude analysis of the final state structure in the Bs0→J/ψK+K- decay mode is performed using 1.0  fb-1 of data collected by the LHCb experiment in 7 TeV center-of-mass energy pp collisions produced by the LHC. A modified Dalitz plot analysis of the final state is performed using both the invariant mass spectra and the decay angular distributions. Resonant structures are observed in the K+K- mass spectrum as well as a significant non-resonant S-wave contribution over the entire K+K- mass range. The largest resonant component is the ϕ(1020), accompanied by f0(980), f2′(1525), and four additional resonances. The overall branching fraction is measured to be B(Bs0→J/ψK+K-)=(7.70±0.08±0.39±0.60)×10-4, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third due to the ratio of the number of Bs0 to B- mesons produced. The mass and width of the f2′(1525) are measured to be 1522.2±2.8-2.0+5.3  MeV and 84±6-5+10  MeV, respectively. The final state fractions of the other resonant states are also reported.

title: Measurement of the CKM angle $\gamma$ using $B^\pm \to D K^\pm$ with $D \to K^0_{\rm S} \pi^+\pi^-, K^0_{\rm S} K^+ K^-$ decays

title: HST and Spitzer Observations of the Host Galaxy of GRB 050904: A Metal-Enriched, Dusty Starburst at z=6.295
abstract: We present deep Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the host galaxy of GRB 050904 at z = 6.295. The host is detected in the H-band and marginally at 3.6 μm. From these detections, and limits in the z-band and 4.5 μm, we infer an extinction-corrected absolute magnitude, MUV ≈ −20.7 mag, or ∼ L*, a substantial star formation rate of ∼ 15 M⊙ yr , and a stellar mass of few × 10 M⊙. A comparison to the published sample of spectroscopically-confirmed galaxies at z > 5.5 reveals that the host of GRB 050904 would evade detection and/or confirmation in any of the current surveys due to the lack of detectable Lyα emission, which is likely the result of dust extinction (A1200 ∼ 1.5 mag). This suggests that not all luminous starburst galaxies at z ∼ 6 are currently being accounted for. Most importantly, using the metallicity of Z ≈ 0.05 Z⊙ inferred from the afterglow absorption spectrum, our observations indicate for the first time that the observed evolution in the massand luminosity-metallicity relations from z = 0 to z ∼ 2 continues on to z > 6. The ease of measuring redshifts and metallicities from the afterglow emission suggests that in tandem with the next generation groundand space-based telescopes, a GRB mission with dedicated near-IR follow-up can provide unique information on the evolution of stars and galaxies through the epoch of re-ionization. Subject headings: gamma rays:bursts — cosmology:observations — galaxies:high-redshift — galaxies:starburst — galaxies:abundances

title: A Comprehensive Study of GRB 070125, A Most Energetic Gamma-Ray Burst
abstract: We present a comprehensive multiwavelength analysis of the bright, long-duration gamma-ray burst GRB 070125, comprised of observations in gamma-ray, X-ray, optical, millimeter, and centimeter wave bands. Simultaneous fits to the optical and X-ray light curves favor a break on day 3.78, which we interpret as the jet break from a collimated outflow. Independent fits to optical and X-ray bands give similar results in the optical bands but shift the jet break to around day 10 in the X-ray light curve. We show that for the physical parameters derived for GRB 070125, inverse Compton scattering effects are important throughout the afterglow evolution. While inverse Compton scattering does not affect radio and optical bands, it may be a promising candidate to delay the jet break in the X-ray band. Radio light curves show rapid flux variations, which are interpreted as due to interstellar scintillation and used to derive an upper limit of 2.4 × 10^(17) cm on the radius of the fireball in the lateral expansion phase of the jet. Radio light curves and spectra suggest a high synchrotron self-absorption frequency indicative of the afterglow shock wave moving in a dense medium. Our broadband modeling favors a constant density profile for the circumburst medium over a windlike profile (R^(−2)). However, keeping in mind the uncertainty of the parameters, it is difficult to unambiguously distinguish between the two density profiles. Our broadband fits suggest that GRB 070125 is a burst with high radiative efficiency (>60%).

title: Cosmological Results from High-z Supernovae* **
abstract: The High-z Supernova Search Team has discovered and observed eight new supernovae in the redshift interval z = 0.3-1.2. These independent observations, analyzed by similar but distinct methods, confirm the results of Riess and Perlmutter and coworkers that supernova luminosity distances imply an accelerating universe. More importantly, they extend the redshift range of consistently observed Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) to z ≈ 1, where the signature of cosmological effects has the opposite sign of some plausible systematic effects. Consequently, these measurements not only provide another quantitative confirmation of the importance of dark energy, but also constitute a powerful qualitative test for the cosmological origin of cosmic acceleration. We find a rate for SN Ia of (1.4 ± 0.5) × 10-4 h3 Mpc-3 yr-1 at a mean redshift of 0.5. We present distances and host extinctions for 230 SN Ia. These place the following constraints on cosmological quantities: if the equation of state parameter of the dark energy is w = -1, then H0t0 = 0.96 ± 0.04, and ΩΛ - 1.4ΩM = 0.35 ± 0.14. Including the constraint of a flat universe, we find ΩM = 0.28 ± 0.05, independent of any large-scale structure measurements. Adopting a prior based on the Two Degree Field (2dF) Redshift Survey constraint on ΩM and assuming a flat universe, we find that the equation of state parameter of the dark energy lies in the range -1.48 -1, we obtain w < -0.73 at 95% confidence. These constraints are similar in precision and in value to recent results reported using the WMAP satellite, also in combination with the 2dF Redshift Survey.