Measurement of the inclusive ep scattering cross section at low Q2 and x at HERA
A measurement of the inclusive ep scattering cross section is presented in the region of low momentum transfers, 0.2 GeV2 ≤Q2≤12 GeV2, and low Bjorken x, 5⋅10−6≤x≤0.02. The result is based on two data sets collected in dedicated runs by the H1 Collaboration at HERA at beam energies of 27.6 GeV and 920 GeV for positrons and protons, respectively. A combination with data previously published by H1 leads to a cross section measurement of a few percent accuracy. A kinematic reconstruction method exploiting radiative ep events extends the measurement to lower Q2 and larger x. The data are compared with theoretical models which apply to the transition region from photoproduction to deep inelastic scattering.

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: 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: Search for third-generation leptoquarks and scalar bottom quarks in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=7\;TeV $
abstract: A bstractResults are presented from a search for third-generation leptoquarks and scalar bottom quarks in a sample of proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=7\;TeV $ collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb−1. A scenario where the new particles are pair produced and each decays to a b quark plus a tau neutrino or neutralino is considered. The number of observed events is found to be in agreement with the standard model prediction. Upper limits are set at 95% confidence level on the production cross sections. Leptoquarks with masses below ~450 GeV are excluded. Upper limits in the mass plane of the scalar quark and neutralino are set such that scalar bottom quark masses up to 410 GeV are excluded for neutralino masses of 50 GeV.

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: Low Mass WIMP Searches with a Neutrino Experiment: A Proposal for Further MiniBooNE Running
abstract: A proposal submitted to the FNAL PAC is described to search for light sub-GeV WIMP dark matter at MiniBooNE. The possibility to steer the beam past the target and into an absorber leads to a significant reduction in neutrino background, allowing for a sensitive search for elastic scattering of WIMPs off nucleons or electrons in the detector. Dark matter models involving a vector mediator can be probed in a parameter region consistent with the required thermal relic density, and which overlaps the region in which these models can resolve the muon g-2 discrepancy. Estimates of signal significance are presented for various operational modes and parameter points. The experimental approach outlined for applying MiniBooNE to a light WIMP search may also be applicable to other neutrino facilities.

title: Nonparametric reconstruction of the dark energy equation of state from diverse data sets
abstract: The cause of the accelerated expansion of the Universe poses one of the most fundamental questions in physics today. In the absence of a compelling theory to explain the observations, a first task is to develop a robust phenomenological approach: If the acceleration is driven by some form of dark energy, then the phenomenology is determined by the form of the dark energy equation of state w(z) as a function of redshift. A major aim of ongoing and upcoming cosmological surveys is to measure w and its evolution at high accuracy. Since w(z) is not directly accessible to measurement, powerful reconstruction methods are needed to extract it reliably from observations. We have recently introduced a new reconstruction method for w(z) based on Gaussian process modeling. This method can capture nontrivial w(z) dependences and, most importantly, it yields controlled and unbiased error estimates. In this paper we extend the method to include a diverse set of measurements: baryon acoustic oscillations, cosmic microwave background measurements, and supernova data. We analyze currently available data sets and present the resulting constraints on w(z), finding that current observations are in very good agreement with a cosmological constant. In addition, we explore how well our methodmore » captures nontrivial behavior of w(z) by analyzing simulated data assuming high-quality observations from future surveys. We find that the baryon acoustic oscillation measurements by themselves already lead to remarkably good reconstruction results and that the combination of different high-quality probes allows us to reconstruct w(z) very reliably with small error bounds.« less

title: The Case for Deep, Wide-Field Cosmology
abstract: Much of the science case for the next generation of deep, wide-field optical/infrared surveys has been driven by the further study of dark energy. This is a laudable goal (and the subject of a companion white paper by Zhan et al.). However, one of the most important lessons of the current generation of surveys is that the interesting science questions at the end of the survey are quite different than they were when the surveys were being planned. The current surveys succeeded in this evolving terrain by being very general tools that could be applied to a number of very fundamental measurements. Likewise, the accessibility of the data enabled the broader cosmological and astronomical community to generate more science than the survey collaborations could alone. With that in mind, we should consider some of the basic physical and cosmological questions that surveys like LSST and JDEM-Wide will be able to address.

title: How Wigner functions transform under symplectic maps
abstract: It is shown that, while Wigner and Liouville functions transform in an identical way under linear symplectic maps, in general they do not transform identically for nonlinear symplectic maps. Instead there are quantum corrections whose {Dirac_h} {r_arrow} 0 limit may be very complicated. Examples of the behavior of Wigner functions in the {Dirac_h} {r_arrow} 0 limit are given in order to examine to what extent the corresponding Liouville densities are recovered.

title: Multiplicative Noise: Applications in Cosmology and Field Theorya
abstract: Physical situations involving multiplicative noise arise generically in cosmology and field theory. In this paper, the focus is first on exact nonlinear Langevin equations, appropriate in a cosmological setting, for a system with one degree of freedom. The Langevin equations are derived using an appropriate time-dependent generalization of a model due to Zwanzig. These models axe then extended to field theories and the generation of multiplicative noise in such a context is discussed. Important issues in both the cosmological and field theoretic cases are the fluctuation-dissipation relations and the relaxation time scale. Of some importance in cosmology is the fact that multiplicative noise can substantially reduce the relaxation time. In the field theoretic context such a noise can lead to a significant enhancement in the nucleation rate of topological defects.