12512718
High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy and imaging of the nuclear outflow of the starburst galaxy NGC 253
Aims. Using XMM-Newton  data, we have studied the nuclear outflow of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 in X-rays with respect to its morphology and to spectral variations along the outflow. Methods. We analysed XMM-Newton  RGS spectra, RGS brightness profiles in cross-dispersion direction, narrow-band RGS and EPIC images, and EPIC PN brightness profiles of the nuclear region and of the outflow from NGC 253. Results. We detect a diversity of emission lines along the outflow of NGC 253. This includes the He-like ions of Si, Mg, Ne, and O and their corresponding ions in the next higher ionisation state. Additionally transitions from $\ion{Fe}{xvii}$ and $\ion{Fe}{xviii}$ are prominent. The derived temperatures from line ratios along the outflow range from 0.21 ± 0.01 to 0.79 ± 0.06 keV, and the ratio of $\ion{Fe}{xvii}$ lines indicates a predominantly collisionally ionised plasma. Additionally, we see indications of either a recombining or an underionised plasma in the $\ion{Fe}{xvii}$ line ratio. Derived electron densities are 0.106 ± 0.018 cm -3 for the nuclear region and 0.025 ± 0.003 cm -3 for the outflow region closest to the centre. The RGS image in the $\ion{O}{viii}$ line energy clearly shows the morphology of an outflow extending out to ~750 pc along the southeast minor axis, while the northwest part of the outflow is not seen in $\ion{O}{viii}$ due to the heavy absorption by the galactic disc. This is the first time that the hot wind fluid has been detected directly. The limb brightening in Chandra  and XMM-Newton  EPIC observations is only seen in the energy range that contains the $\ion{Fe}{xvii}$ lines (550-750 eV). In all other energy ranges between 400 and 2000 eV, no clear evidence of limb brightening could be detected.
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.
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.
122921889
SIMULATION OF LOW ENERGY NEUTRON RECOILS WITH GEANT4
122869103
Evidence for Solar-Wind Charge-Exchange X-Ray Emission from the Earth’s Magnetosheath
119163067
Status of the CRESST Dark Matter Search
The CRESST experiment aims for a detection of dark matter in the form of WIMPs. These particles are expected to scatter elastically off the nuclei of a target material, thereby depositing energy on the recoiling nucleus. CRESST uses scintillating CaWO4 crystals as such a target. The energy deposited by an interacting particle is primarily converted to phonons which are detected by transition edge sensors. In addition, a small fraction of the interaction energy is emitted from the crystals in the form of scintillation light which is measured in coincidence with the phonon signal by a separate cryogenic light detector for each target crystal. The ratio of light to phonon energy permits the discrimination between the nuclear recoils expected from WIMPs and events from radioactive backgrounds which primarily lead to electron recoils. CRESST has shown the success of this method in a commissioning run in 2007 and, since then, further investigated possibilities for an even better suppression of backgrounds. Here, we report on a new class of background events observed in the course of this work. The consequences of this observation are discussed and we present the current status of the experiment.
18094742
Exclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons
AbstractExclusive semileptonic decays of heavy mesons provide interesting information on systems consisting of quarks of unequal mass. We express the formfactors of the hadronic current in terms of relativistic bound state wave functions for which we take the solutions of a relativistic harmonic oscillator potential. The wave function overlap is determined by the quark mass dependent longitudinal momentum distribution and differs from results based on non relativistic wave functions. The semileptonic widths and lepton spectra are calculated using in addition nearest pole dominance for the momentum transfer dependence of the formfactors. We compare our results with recent experimental data. The formfactor calculation also allows an estimate of special nonleptonic transitions. From the CLEO results on
$$\bar B^0 \to \pi ^ + \pi ^ -$$
 and
$$\bar B^0 \to D^{* + } + \pi ^ -$$
 we find for the corresponding Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element ratio the limit |Vub/Vcb|≲0.3.
119289443
Flavor physics in the Randall-Sundrum model: II. Tree-level weak-interaction processes
A comprehensive analysis of tree-level weak interaction processes at low energy is presented for the Randall-Sundrum (RS) model with SU(2)L × U(1)Y bulk gauge symmetry and brane-localized Higgs sector. The complete form of the effective weak Hamiltonian is obtained, which results from tree-level exchange of Kaluza-Klein (KK) gluons and photons, the W± and Z0 bosons and their KK excitations, as well as the Higgs boson. Exact expressions are used for the bulk profiles of the various fields, and for the exchange of entire towers of KK gauge-boson states. A detailed phenomenological analysis is performed for potential new-physics effects in neutral-meson mixing and in rare decays of kaons and B mesons, including both inclusive and exclusive processes. We find that while the predictions for ∆F = 2 observables are rather model-independent, ∆F = 1 processes depend sensitively on the exact realizations of the electroweak gauge and the fermionic sector. In this context, we emphasize that the localization of the right-handed top quark in the extra dimension plays a crucial role in the case of rare Z0-mediated decays, as it determines the relative size of left- to right-handed couplings. We also extend earlier studies of quark flavor-changing neutral currents by examining observables which up to now attracted little attention. These include $$ D - \overline D $$ mixing, B → τντ, B → Xs(K*) l+l-, ϵ′K/ϵK, $$ \overline B \to \pi \overline K $$, $$ {\overline B^0} \to \phi {K_S} $$, $$ {\overline B^0} \to \eta '{K_S} $$, and B+ → π+π0.
121325077
On some relations between local height probabilities and conformal invariance
Abstract We observe that the expressions of order parameters (“local height probabilities”) in the regime III of integrable A, D lattice models are closely related to the partition functions of the associated minimal critical theories in a finite box with appropriate boundary conditions. This is more precisely stated in terms of corner transfer matrix properties. Our work thus points out a relation between integrable systems off critically and in the thermodynamic limit with models at critically but in a finite box, once the nome which parametrizes the elliptic Boltzmann weights in the former case is identified with the modular parameter in the latter. As an application we are able to obtain some new properties of the LHP for D N or E 6 , E 7 , E 8 models using conformal invariance techniques only.
118577113
Real Time Imaging of Quantum and Thermal Fluctuations: The Case of a Two-Level System
A quantum system in contact with a heat bath undergoes quantum transitions between energy levels upon absorption or emission of energy quanta by the bath. These transitions remain virtual unless the energy of the system is measured repeatedly, even continuously in time. Isolating the two indispensable mechanisms in competition, we describe in a synthetic way the main physical features of thermally activated quantum jumps. Using classical tools of stochastic analysis, we compute in the case of a two-level system the complete statistics of jumps and transition times in the limit when the typical measurement time is small compared to the thermal relaxation time. The emerging picture is that quantum trajectories are similar to those of a classical particle in a noisy environment, subject to transitions à la Kramer in a multi-well landscape, but with a large multiplicative noise.
119118347
On Casimir's Ghost

Abstract:We define on the universal enveloping superalgebra of 
$ a nonstandard adjoint action, endowing it with a module structure. This allows, in particular, to construct a bosonic operator which anticommutes with all the fermionic generators and which appears to be the square root of a certain Casimir operator.