Bepcii and Besiii
The Beijing Electron Collider has been upgraded (BEPCII) to a two-ring collider with a design luminosity of $1 \times 10^{33}$cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ at a center-of-mass energy of 3.78 GeV. It will operate between 2 and 4.6 GeV in the center of mass. With this luminosity, the BESIII detector will be able to collect, for example, 10 billion $J/\psi$ events in one year of running. This will be a unique facility in the world opening many physics opportunities. BEPCII and BESIII are both currently being commissioned, first events have been obtained, and data taking will take place in fall 2008.
Measurement of cross sections of the interactions e+e− → ϕϕω and e+e− → ϕϕϕ at center-of-mass energies from 4.008 to 4.600 GeV
Abstract Using data samples collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider at six center-of-mass energies between 4.008 and 4.600 GeV, we observe the processes e + e − → ϕ ϕ ω and e + e − → ϕ ϕ ϕ . The Born cross sections are measured and the ratio of the cross sections σ ( e + e − → ϕ ϕ ω ) / σ ( e + e − → ϕ ϕ ϕ ) is estimated to be 1.75 ± 0.22 ± 0.19 averaged over six energy points, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The results represent first measurements of these interactions.
Can Centauros or Chirons BE the First Observations of Evaporating Mini Black Holes
We argue that the signals expected from the evaporation of mini black holes — predicted in TeV-gravity models with large extra dimensions, and possibly produced in ultrahigh energy collisions in the atmosphere — are quite similar to the characteristics of the Centauro events, an old mystery of cosmic-ray physics.