Radioactive background in a cryogenic dark matter experiment
New generation dark matter experiments aim at exploring the 10 −9  − 10 −10 pb cross-section region for WIMP-nucleon scalar interactions. Neutrons and gamma-rays, due to radioactive processes, are produced in the detector components and are one of the main factors that can limit detector sensitivity. Estimation of the background from this source then becomes a crucial task for designing future large-scale detectors. Radioactive background event rates from some detector components (such as copper and stainless steel), as well as from rock and concrete (lab walls), were estimated in this work for a hypothetical cryogenic dark matter detector (for instance EURECA) with a target mass of 100–1000 kg. Different shielding configurations (water, lead, polyethylene, plexiglass) were considered. Neutrons and photons were propagated to the detector using GEANT4. Some requirements for the radio-purity of the materials were deduced from the results of these simulations. Thickness of shielding in different configurations and the required gamma discrimination factor were investigated.

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: Particle polarization in inclusive reactions

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: 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: 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: Conformal covariant description of mesons and baryons in composite superconformal string model
abstract: Operator nucleon vertices are constructed in composite superconformal string model. Splitting of baryon Regge trajectories with the same quantum numbers but with opposite parity is provided by inclusion of special two-dimensional field to be carried spin-parity quantity on the basic two-dimensional surface. Then conservation of cyclic symmetry of hadron string amplitudes and necessary duality properties requires nucleon vertices with separation of spinor components of different chirality.

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: 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: 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: Implications of LHCb measurements and future prospects
abstract: During 2011 the LHCb experiment at CERN collected 1.0 fb−1 of $\sqrt{s} = 7\mbox{~TeV}$pp collisions. Due to the large heavy quark production cross-sections, these data provide unprecedented samples of heavy flavoured hadrons. The first results from LHCb have made a significant impact on the flavour physics landscape and have definitively proved the concept of a dedicated experiment in the forward region at a hadron collider. This document discusses the implications of these first measurements on classes of extensions to the Standard Model, bearing in mind the interplay with the results of searches for on-shell production of new particles at ATLAS and CMS. The physics potential of an upgrade to the LHCb detector, which would allow an order of magnitude more data to be collected, is emphasised.