UVT-PMMA Cherenkov counter performance tests
The scintillation light is 1 45 of the Cherenkov light. These counters have good uniformity, in spite of the strong angular dependence of the Cherenkov light.

title: EXPLORER and NAUTILUS gravitational wave detectors: a status report
abstract: The two cryogenic resonant bar detectors of the ROG Collaboration, EXPLORER and NAUTILUS, have been taking data continuously with a high duty cycle for several years. We report here on the status of recent analysis of the data and in particular on the results of the burst searches in the year 2004.

title: Muon tracking underground
abstract: SummaryWe present a new design of plastic streamer tubes, optimized to match the experimental requirements of large-area under-ground detectors, where muon identification is needed with good angular resolution.RiassuntoSi descrive un nuovo disegno di tubi a streamer in plastica, ottimizzati per le esigenze sperimentali di apparati sotterranei di grande area, dove si richiede l'identificazione di muoni con buona risoluzione angolare.РзюмеПредлагается новый проект пластических стримерных трубок, оптимально согласованный с эксперименталыми требованиями подэемных детекторов на большой площади, когда небходима идентификция мюоноб с высокими угловым разрешением.

title: Detection of high energy cosmic rays with the resonant gravitational wave detectors NAUTILUS and EXPLORER
abstract: The cryogenic resonant gravitational wave detectors NAUTILUS and EXPLORER, made of an aluminum alloy bar, can detect cosmic ray showers. At temperatures above 1 K, when the material is in the normal-conducting state, the measured signals are in good agreement with the expected values based on the cosmic rays data and on the thermo-acoustic model. When NAUTILUS was operated at the temperature of 0.14 K, in superconductive state, large signals produced by cosmic ray interactions, more energetic than expected, were recorded. The NAUTILUS data in this case are in agreement with the measurements done by a dedicated experiment on a particle beam. The biggest recorded event was in EXPLORER and excited the first longitudinal mode to a vibrational energy of ∼670 K, corresponding to ∼360 TeV absorbed in the bar. Cosmic rays can be an important background in future acoustic detectors of improved sensitivity. At present, they represent a useful tool to verify the gravitational wave antenna performance.

title: Comparison of muon and neutrino times from decays of mesons in the atmosphere
abstract: We propose a test to compare the speed of muons and muon neutrinos produced in the same bundles in the atmosphere. By comparing the arrival times of primary muons and muons induced by neutrinos, experiments such as Super-Kamiokande, IceCube and ANTARES could verify recent hints on the possibility that neutrinos have a velocity larger than the speed of light. For smaller detectors such as MINOS and OPERA, where it may be challenging to recognize downgoing muons induced by neutrinos inside the active volume, another measurement may be possible thanks to the ns-time resolution. The arrival times of muons in a bundle produced by one cosmic ray interaction in the atmosphere should return a value compatible with the time resolution, while if neutrinos have larger velocity than muons some of the muons may arrive slightly earlier in a bundle of particles than others.

title: RAP: thermoacoustic detection at the DAΦNE beam test facility
abstract: In order to investigate the anomalous response at ultra-low temperatures of the resonant-mass gravitational wave detector NAUTILUS, the RAP experiment has been planned to measure the vibrations in a small cylindrical aluminium bar when hit by 105 510 MeV electrons from the DAΦNE beam test facility, corresponding to the energies released by typical extensive air showers. The results of the measurement at low temperature and in the superconducting regime are crucial to understand the interaction of ionizing particles with bulk superconductors and to confirm the results on the thermoacoustic model of the past experiments. The first run of RAP experiment is scheduled for the end of June. The scheme of operation and the preliminary results at room temperature will be presented.

title: Performance and operation of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter
abstract: The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75 848 channels corresponding to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise, is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented.

title: Performance of the CMS hadron calorimeter with cosmic ray muons and LHC beam data
abstract: The CMS Hadron Calorimeter in the barrel, endcap and forward regions is fully commissioned. Cosmic ray data were taken with and without magnetic field at the surface hall and after installation in the experimental hall, hundred meters underground. Various measurements were also performed during the few days of beam in the LHC in September 2008. Calibration parameters were extracted, and the energy response of the HCAL determined from test beam data has been checked.

title: Higgs and supersymmetry
abstract: Global frequentist fits to the CMSSM and NUHM1 using the MasterCode framework predicted Mh≃119 GeV in fits incorporating the (g−2)μ constraint and ≃126 GeV without it. Recent results by ATLAS and CMS could be compatible with a Standard Model-like Higgs boson around Mh≃125 GeV. We use the previous MasterCode analysis to calculate the likelihood for a measurement of any nominal Higgs mass within the range of 115 to 130 GeV. Assuming a Higgs mass measurement at Mh≃125 GeV, we display updated global likelihood contours in the (m0,m1/2) and other parameter planes of the CMSSM and NUHM1, and present updated likelihood functions for $m_{\tilde{g}}, m_{\tilde{q}_{R}}$, BR(Bs→μ+μ−) and the spin-independent dark matter cross section $\sigma^{\mathrm{SI}}_{p}$. The implications of dropping (g−2)μ from the fits are also discussed. We furthermore comment on a hypothetical measurement of Mh≃119 GeV.

title: Improved evidence for direct CP violation in B0-->pi+pi- decays and model-independent constraints on phi2.
abstract: We present a new measurement of the time-dependent CP-violating parameters in B(0)--> pi(+)pi(-) decays with 275 x 10(6) BB pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider operating at the Gamma(4S) resonance. We find 666 +/- 43 B(0) --> pi(+)pi(-) events and measure the CP-violating parameters: S(pipi) = -0.67 +/- 0.16(stat) +/- 0.06(syst) and A(pipi) = +0.56 +/- 0.12(stat) +/- 0.06(syst). We find evidence for large direct CP violation with a significance greater than 4 standard deviations for any S(pipi) value. Using isospin relations, we obtain 95.4% confidence intervals for the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark-mixing matrix angle phi(2) of 0 degree < phiv(2) < 19 degrees and 71 degrees < phi(2) < 180 degrees.

title: Study of sparking in Micromegas chambers
abstract: The discharge properties of Micromegas detector are studied in detail. Tests have demonstrated that the origin of discharges in hadron beams is mainly associated with nuclear interactions of the incident particle with the gas of the detector. Use of low average Z gas mixtures diminishes the spark rate. The streamer discharge model of Raether has been proved to be valid for this detector. A detector polarization which minimizes the spark energy is proposed. Gas and geometry factors improving the discharge limit are discussed.