13930079
The recurrent ultra-luminous X-ray transient NGC 253 ULX1
We present the results of ROSAT and XMM-Newton observations of the recurrent ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) NGC 253 ULX I. This transient is one of the few ULXs that was detected during several outbursts. The luminosity reached 1.4 × 10 39 erg s -1 and 0.5 x 10 39 erg s -1 in the detections by ROSAT and XMM-Newton, respectively, indicating a black hole X-ray binary (BHXRB) with a mass of the compact object of ≥11 M ○. . In the ROSAT detection NGC 253 ULX1 showed significant variability, whereas the luminosity was constant in the detection from XMM-Newton. The XMM-Newton EPIC spectra are well-tit by a hremsstrahlung model (kT = 2.24 keV, N H = 1.74 x 10 20 cm -2 ), which can he used to describe a comptonized plasma. No counterpart was detected in the optical I, R, B, NUV and FUV bands to limits of 22.9, 24.2. 24.3, 22 and 23 mag, respectively, pointing at a XRB with a low mass companion.
122869103
Evidence for Solar-Wind Charge-Exchange X-Ray Emission from the Earth’s Magnetosheath
122303611
The CRESST dark matter search
CRESST is a WIMP dark matter search using scintillating CaWO4 cryogenic detectors with active background suppression. First results obtained in the commissioning run are presented.
122921889
SIMULATION OF LOW ENERGY NEUTRON RECOILS WITH GEANT4
122260318
Direct dark matter search with CRESST and EURECA
Abstract The current status of the direct Dark Matter experiments CRESST (Cryogenic Rare Event Search with Superconducting Thermometers) and the planned EURECA (European Underground Rare Event Calorimeter Array) is presented. Both experiments are aimed at the direct detection of WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles), potential candidates for the Dark Matter in the universe. New design developments of the cryogenic detectors operated at mK temperatures are investigated to optimize detector performance and to simplify mass production. Thus, CRESST is also providing a basis for the EURECA project, aimed at a ton of cryogenic detectors with a multi-material target.
119283621
Results from 730 kg days of the CRESST-II Dark Matter search
The CRESST-II cryogenic Dark Matter search, aiming at detection of WIMPs via elastic scattering off nuclei in CaWO4 crystals, completed 730 kg days of data taking in 2011. We present the data collected with eight detector modules, each with a two-channel readout; one for a phonon signal and the other for coincidently produced scintillation light. The former provides a precise measure of the energy deposited by an interaction, and the ratio of scintillation light to deposited energy can be used to discriminate different types of interacting particles and thus to distinguish possible signal events from the dominant backgrounds.Sixty-seven events are found in the acceptance region where a WIMP signal in the form of low energy nuclear recoils would be expected. We estimate background contributions to this observation from four sources: (1) “leakage” from the e/γ-band (2) “leakage” from the α-particle band (3) neutrons and (4) 206Pb recoils from 210Po decay. Using a maximum likelihood analysis, we find, at a statistical significance of more than 4σ, that these sources alone are not sufficient to explain the data. The addition of a signal due to scattering of relatively light WIMPs could account for this discrepancy, and we determine the associated WIMP parameters.
14069651
A class of topological actions
We review definitions of generalized parallel transports in terms of Cheeger-Simons differential characters. Integration formulae are given in terms of Deligne-Beilinson cohomology classes. These representations of parallel transport can be extended to situations involving distributions as is appropriate in the context of quantized fields.
133716710
New applications of silicon micromachining
The use of photolithography and anisotropic etching of silicon wafers to make strong, thin membranes has created a large family of miniature sensing devices such as pressure transducers and accelerometers. This report describes several entirely new devices in which silicon membranes are used for their strength and for their transparency to certain kinds of radiation. Two applications are described: a rugged alpha detector and a fluid sample cell for small-angle x-ray scattering. 8 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.
118156527
Randall-Sundrum Models and Precision Observables
I present a review of phenomenological implications of the Randall-Sundrum (RS) model with bulk fermions and brane-localized Higgs boson. Modifications to the W-boson mass, corrections to the Peskin-Takeuchi parameters and to the Z -> bb couplings will be discussed. From these observables severe bounds on the mass scale of Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes arise. Constraints from all three observables are very sensitive to the exact value of the Higgs boson mass and the bounds can be significantly lowered by allowing for a heavy Higgs boson (m_h ~ 1 TeV). Consequences thereof, as well as other approaches like "little RS" models and models with custodial symmetry will also be briefly discussed.
119268338
Light dark matter, naturalness, and the radiative origin of the electroweak scale
A bstractWe study classically scale invariant models in which the Standard Model Higgs mass term is replaced in the Lagrangian by a Higgs portal coupling to a complex scalar field of a dark sector. We focus on models that are weakly coupled with the quartic scalar couplings nearly vanishing at the Planck scale. The dark sector contains fermions and scalars charged under dark SU(2) × U(1) gauge interactions. Radiative breaking of the dark gauge group triggers electroweak symmetry breaking through the Higgs portal coupling. Requiring both a Higgs boson mass of 125.5 GeV and stability of the Higgs potential up to the Planck scale implies that the radiative breaking of the dark gauge group occurs at the TeV scale. We present a particular model which features a long-range abelian dark force. The dominant dark matter component is neutral dark fermions, with the correct thermal relic abundance, and in reach of future direct detection experiments. The model also has lighter stable dark fermions charged under the dark force, with observable effects on galactic-scale structure. Collider signatures include a dark sector scalar boson with mass ≲ 250 GeV that decays through mixing with the Higgs boson, and can be detected at the LHC. The Higgs boson, as well as the new scalar, may have significant invisible decays into dark sector particles.
173517385
A Short Introduction to Critical Interfaces in 2D
These notes are meant as a gentle introduction to the concepts of Loewner chains, local growth, Stochastic Loewner Evolutions (SLE) and their relationships to Conformal Field Theories (CFT). These concepts have played an important role in physics and mathematics during the recent years. The first section describes two discrete examples, the exploration process and loop-erased random walks. It can be read almost without any prerequisites. The aim is to show that even for curves defined purely in geometrical terms, it is useful to have a statistical mechanics viewpoint where the measure on curves is derived from a measure on local degrees of freedom of some model. A third model, diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) is also introduced. The second section introduces Loewner chains and their relevance for the description of growth processes. A prerequisite is a minimal knowledge of complex analysis. The third section contains the derivation of the relevance of SLE in the description of interfaces when two properties, conformal invariance and the domain Markov property, are assumed/proved. The prerequisites are some knowledge of complex analysis and probability theory. The last section outlines the relation with Conformal Field Theory. This relation is via martingales and singular vectors. Again, the reader is assumed to have some basic knowledge of complex analysis and probability theory, and some familiarity with CFT. The discussion is informal. There is little or no claim at originality. We try to give some intuition based on explicit examples.