Calculations of background for dark matter searches
Gamma-rays and neutrons are the most important backgrounds in high-sensitivity experiments for direct dark matter searches. They are produced in the dec ays of the radioactive isotopes in the detector materials and surroundings. Neutrons are or iginated in the spontaneous fission and(α ,n) reactions from the decays of uranium and thorium and their da ughters. Gamma-rays and neutrons can be attenuated and suppressed by passive and active shielding (including selfshielding). Cosmic-ray muons are responsible for producin g h gh-energy neutrons that can travel from large distances avoiding active veto systems, hitting the target and giving a signal similar to the WIMPs’ one. Gamma-rays can be discriminated from the W IMP-like interactions using different methods. This paper briefly discusses the status o f background studies for direct WIMP dark matter searches. Major sources of background, such as r adioactivity and cosmic rays, are considered. Special emphasis is given to high-energy muoninduced neutrons able to mimic the expected signal from WIMPs.

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: 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: 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: 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: Particle polarization in inclusive reactions

title: Observation of photon polarization in the b→sγ transition.
abstract: This Letter presents a study of the flavor-changing neutral current radiative B±→K±π∓π±γ decays performed using data collected in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies. In this sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3  fb-1, nearly 14 000 signal events are reconstructed and selected, containing all possible intermediate resonances with a K±π∓π± final state in the [1.1,1.9]  GeV/c2 mass range. The distribution of the angle of the photon direction with respect to the plane defined by the final-state hadrons in their rest frame is studied in intervals of K±π∓π± mass and the asymmetry between the number of signal events found on each side of the plane is obtained. The first direct observation of the photon polarization in the b→sγ transition is reported with a significance of 5.2σ.

title: Observation of the decay $B_c \rightarrow J/\psi K^+ K^- \pi^+ $
abstract: The decay $B_c\rightarrow J/\psi K^+ K^- \pi^+$ is observed for the first time, using proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb$^{-1}$. A signal yield of $78\pm14$ decays is reported with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. The ratio of the branching fraction of $\B_c \rightarrow J/\psi K^+ K^- \pi^+$ decays to that of $B_c \rightarrow J/\psi \pi^+$ decays is measured to be $0.53\pm 0.10\pm0.05$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.

title: Search for rare $B^0_{(s)}\rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^- \mu^+ \mu^-$ decays
abstract: A search for the decays $B^0_{s}\rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^- \mu^+ \mu^-$ and $B^0 \rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^- \mu^+ \mu^-$ is performed using data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0\ensuremath{\{\,fb}^{-1}}\xspace, collected with the LHCb detector in 2011. The number of candidates observed is consistent with the expected background and, assuming phase-space models of the decays, limits on the branching fractions are set: \{${\ensuremath{\cal B}\xspace}(B^0_{s}\rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^- \mu^+ \mu^-) < 1.6 \ (1.2) \times 10^{-8}$} and \{${\ensuremath{\cal B}\xspace}(B^0 \rightarrow \mu^+ \mu^- \mu^+ \mu^-)< 6.6 \ (5.3) \times 10^{-9}$} at 95\,% (90\,%) confidence level. In addition, limits are set in the context of a supersymmetric model which allows for the $B^0_{(s)}$ meson to decay into a scalar ($S$) and pseudoscalar particle ($P$), where $S$ and $P$ have masses of 2.5 GeV and 214.3 MeV, respectively, both resonances decay into $\mu^+\mu^-$. The branching fraction limits for these decays are \{${\ensuremath{\cal B}\xspace}(\ensuremath{B^0_{s}\rightarrow SP}\xspace) < 1.6 \ (1.2) \times 10^{-8}$} and \{${\ensuremath{\cal B}\xspace}(\ensuremath{B^0\rightarrow SP}\xspace)< 6.3 \ (5.1) \times 10^{-9}$} at 95% (90%) confidence level.

title: Measurement of CP asymmetry in $B^0_s \rightarrow D^{\mp}_s K^{\pm}$ decays
abstract: We report on measurements of the time-dependent CP violating observables in $B^0_s\rightarrow D^{\mp}_s K^{\pm}$ decays using a dataset corresponding to 1.0 fb$^{-1}$ of pp collisions recorded with the LHCb detector. We find the CP violating observables $C_f=0.53\pm0.25\pm0.04$, $A^{\Delta\Gamma}_f=0.37\pm0.42\pm0.20$, $A^{\Delta\Gamma}_{\bar{f}}=0.20\pm0.41\pm0.20$, $S_f=-1.09\pm0.33\pm0.08$, $S_{\bar{f}}=-0.36\pm0.34\pm0.08$, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. We use these observables to make the first measurement of the CKM angle $\gamma$ in $B^0_s\rightarrow D^{\mp}_s K^{\pm}$ decays, finding $\gamma$ = (115$_{-43}^{+28}$)$^\circ$ modulo 180$^\circ$ at 68% CL, where the error contains both statistical and systematic uncertainties.

title: Study of beauty hadron decays into pairs of charm hadrons
abstract: First observations of the decays Λb 0 → Λc +D(s) - are reported using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb-1 collected at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector. In addition, the most precise measurement of the branching fraction B(Bs 0→D+Ds -) is made and a search is performed for the decays B(s) 0→Λc +Λc -. The results obtained are B(Λb 0→Λc +D-)/ B(Λb 0→Λc +D s -)=0.042±0.003(stat)±0.003(syst), [B(Λb 0→Λc +D s -)/B(B0→D+D s -)]/[B(Λb 0→Λ c +π-)/B(B0→D +π-)]=0.96±0.02(stat)±0.06(syst),B(B s 0→D+Ds -)/ B(B0→D+Ds -)=0. 038±0.004(stat)±0.003(syst),B(B0→Λ c +Λc -)/B(B , B(Bs 0→Λc +Λ c -)/B(Bs 0→D+D s -)<0.30[95%C.L.]. Measurement of the mass of the Λb 0 baryon relative to the B0 meson gives M(Λb 0)-M(B0)=339. 72±0.24(stat)±0.18(syst)MeV/c2. This result provides the most precise measurement of the mass of the Λb 0 baryon to date.