Neutron background in the Boulby Underground Laboratory
The neutron background in the Boulby Underground Laboratory is reviewed. Measurements of the neutron flux from the rock have been carried out with a small liquid scintillator cell. The neutron flux from rock has been measured as (1.72 ± 0.61 (stat.)±0.38 (syst.))×10-6 cm-2 s-1 above 0.5 MeV. The simulations based on the measurements of the uranium and thorium concentrations in rock predict the flux of 1.21 × 10-6 cm-2 s-1 above 0.5 MeV, in agreement with the measurements. Muon-induced neutron flux is measured with the large liquid scintillator, also served as an active veto system in the ZEPLIN-II experiment. The rate of gammas depositing more than ≈ 0.7 MeV, from neutron capture was found to be 0.096±0.003 (stat.) events/muon in 20-190 μs time window after the muon signal, about half of the rate predicted by GEANT4 models. This result is preliminary and more detailed simulations are in progress.

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: Particle polarization in inclusive reactions

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: 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: Precision measurement of D meson mass differences
abstract: A bstractUsing three- and four-body decays of D mesons produced in semileptonic b-hadron decays, precision measurements of D meson mass differences are made together with a measurement of the D0 mass. The measurements are based on a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1 collected in pp collisions at 7 TeV. Using the decay D0 → K+K−K−π+, the D0 mass is measured to be
$ M\left( } \right)={{{1864.75\pm 0.15\left( {\mathrm{stat}} \right)\pm 0.11\left( {\mathrm{syst}} \right)\mathrm{MeV}}} \left/ {{{c^2}}} \right.}. $
 The mass differences
 $ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{{{M\left( } \right)-M\left( } \right)=4.76\pm 0.12\left( {\mathrm{stat}} \right)\pm 0.07\left( {\mathrm{syst}} \right)\mathrm{MeV}}} \left/ {{{c^2}}} \right.},} \hfill \\ {{{{M\left( } \right)-M\left( } \right)=98.68\pm 0.03\left( {\mathrm{stat}} \right)\pm 0.04\left( {\mathrm{syst}} \right)\mathrm{MeV}}} \left/ {{{c^2}}} \right.}} \hfill \\ \end{array} $
 are measured using the D0 → K+K−π+π− and $ D_{(s)}^{+}\to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}{\pi^{+}} $ modes.

title: Quasi-stable states in the physical spectrum of the Neveu-Schwarz dual model
abstract: A certain class of states, comprising most of the spectrum for large mass M, is distinguished in the spectum of physical states predicted by the Neveu-Schwarz dual model with intercepts ..cap alpha../sub rho/(0) =1 and ..cap alpha../sub ..pi../(0) =1/2. The massive particles with large spins in this class are quasi-stable. Their couplings with all the other states are of order M/sup -1/ in comparison with the ordinary vertices. For the critical dimensions D=10 these states coincide with the zero-norm spurions. For the anomalous dimensions D=9 some of the quasi-stable states become new zero-norm spurion states.

title: Search for the rare decay $D^0 \to \mu^+ \mu^-$
abstract: A search for the rare decay $D^0 \to \mu^+ \mu^-$is performed using a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.9 fb$^{-1}$, of $pp$ collisions collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV by the LHCb experiment. The observed number of events is consistent with the background expectations and corresponds to an upper limit of \mbox{${\cal B}(D^0 \to \mu^+ \mu^-) < 6.2(7.6) \times 10^{-9}$} at \mbox{90%} \mbox{(95%)} confidence level. This result represents an improvement of more than a factor twenty with respect to previous measurements.

title: Observation of the resonant character of the Z(4430)(-) state.
abstract: Resonant structures in B^{0}→ψ^{'}π^{-}K^{+} decays are analyzed by performing a four-dimensional fit of the decay amplitude, using pp collision data corresponding to 3  fb^{-1} collected with the LHCb detector. The data cannot be described with K^{+}π^{-} resonances alone, which is confirmed with a model-independent approach. A highly significant Z(4430)^{-}→ψ^{'}π^{-} component is required, thus confirming the existence of this state. The observed evolution of the Z(4430)^{-} amplitude with the ψ^{'}π^{-} mass establishes the resonant nature of this particle. The mass and width measurements are substantially improved. The spin parity is determined unambiguously to be 1^{+}.

title: Measurement of b-hadron branching fractions for two-body decays into charmless charged hadrons
abstract: A bstractBased on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.37 fb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011, the following ratios of branching fractions are measured:$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to } \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.262\pm 0.009\pm 0.017,} \\ {\left( {{f_s \left/ {f_d } \right.}} \right)\cdot {{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.316\pm 0.009\pm 0.019,} \\ {\left( {{f_s \left/ {f_d } \right.}} \right)\cdot {{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {\pi^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.074\pm 0.006\pm 0.006,} \\ {\left( {{f_d \left/ {f_s } \right.}} \right)\cdot {{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.018_{-0.007}^{+0.008}\pm 0.009,} \\ {\left( {{f_s \left/ {f_d } \right.}} \right)\cdot {{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {\pi^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to } \right)}} \right.}=0.050_{-0.009}^{+0.011}\pm 0.004,} \\ {{{{\mathcal{B}\left( {\Lambda_b^0\to p{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {\Lambda_b^0\to p{K^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.86\pm 0.08\pm 0.05,} \\ \end{array} $where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Using the current world average of $ \mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right) $ and the ratio of the strange to light neutral B meson production fs/fd measured by LHCb, we obtain:$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to } \right)=\left( {5.08\pm 0.17\pm 0.37} \right)\times {10^{-6 }},} \\ {\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)=\left( {23.0\pm 0.7\pm 2.3} \right)\times {10^{-6 }},} \\ {\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {\pi^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)=\left( {5.4\pm 0.4\pm 0.6} \right)\times {10^{-6 }},} \\ {\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)=\left( {0.11_{-0.04}^{+0.05}\pm 0.06} \right)\times {10^{-6 }},} \\ {\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {\pi^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)=\left( {0.95_{-0.17}^{+0.21}\pm 0.13} \right)\times {10^{-6 }}. $ is observed for the first time with a significance of more than 5σ.