The magnetized steel and scintillator calorimeters of the MINOS experiment

The Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search (MINOS) experiment uses an accelerator-produced neutrino beam to perform precision measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters in the ""atmospheric neutrino"" sector associated with muon neutrino disappearance. This long-baseline experiment measures neutrino interactions in Fermilab`s NuMI neutrino beam with a near detector at Fermilab and again 735 km downstream with a far detector in the Soudan Underground Laboratory in northern Minnesota. The two detectors are magnetized steel-scintillator tracking calorimeters. They are designed to be as similar as possible in order to ensure that differences in detector response have minimal impact on the comparisons of event rates, energy spectra and topologies that are essential to MINOS measurements of oscillation parameters. The design, construction, calibration and performance of the far and near detectors are described in this paper. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The spectrum of an open vertex model based on the U(q)[SU(2)] algebra at roots of unity

We study the exact solution of an N-state vertex model based on the representation of the U(q)[SU(2)] algebra at roots of unity with diagonal open boundaries. We find that the respective reflection equation provides us one general class of diagonal K-matrices having one free-parameter. We determine the eigenvalues of the double-row transfer matrix and the respective Bethe ansatz equation within the algebraic Bethe ansatz framework. The structure of the Bethe ansatz equation combine a pseudomomenta function depending on a free-parameter with scattering phase-shifts that are fixed by the roots of unity and boundary variables. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Larvicidal activity of the water extract of Moringa oleifera seeds against Aedes aegypti and its toxicity upon laboratory animals

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Collider aspects of flavor physics at high Q

This chapter of the "Flavor in the era of LHC" workshop report discusses flavor-related issues in the production and decays of heavy states at the LHC at high momentum transfer Q, both from the experimental and the theoretical perspective. We review top quark physics, and discuss the flavor aspects of several extensions of the standard model, such as supersymmetry, little Higgs models or models with extra dimensions. This includes discovery aspects, as well as the measurement of several properties of these heavy states. We also present publicly available computational tools related to this topic.

Post-larval morphology, growth, and development of Uca cumulanta Crane, 1943 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ocypodidae) under laboratory conditions

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Larval cannibalism rates in the mangrove crab Ucides cordatus (Decapoda : Ocypodidae) under laboratory conditions

Predation of zoeas by megalopae of Ucides cordatus is frequently observed in the laboratory during larval rearing, a phenomenon that could considerably reduce the output of larviculture. Experiments were carried out in the present study to assess how the survivorship of larvae at the end of the larviculture is influenced by cannibalism by megalopae on the larvae of earlier stages, as well as on other megalopae. In addition, tests were performed to assess whether the adoption of different feeding protocols can decrease cannibalism rates. Experiments were carried out in plastic vials containing ocean water (salinity 25 g L-1) under controlled environmental conditions (26 degrees C and 16:8 h LD photoperiod). An ensemble analysis of all the developmental stages indicated that zoeal mortality rates were significantly higher in the presence of megalopae, a result that is consistent with cannibalism by megalopae. However, separate analysis for each developmental stage indicated that only zoea IV, V and VI show reduced survivorship. No cannibalism was detected among megalopae. Food supplementation using Artemia sp. at a density of 6 nauplii mL(-1) proved to be successful in reducing cannibalism rates, whereas supplementation at a lower density (0.3 nauplii mL(-1)) failed to show such an effect. The implications of these results for the larviculture of U. cordatus are discussed.

Positronium impact excitation of hydrogen molecule to B-1 Sigma(+)(u) and b(3)Sigma(+)(u) states

Calculation for the electronic excitation of the ground state of H-2 to B (1) Sigma(u)(+) and b(3) Sigma(u)(+) states by positronium- (Ps) atom impact has been carried out using the first Born approximation considering discrete Ps excitations up to n = 6 and Ps ionization in the final state. To include the effect of electron exchange, we propose an alternative approximation scheme in the light of the Rudge approach, which takes into account the composite nature of the Ps-atom projectile.

Method for determination of vertical bar U(e)3 vertical bar in neutrino oscillation appearance experiments

We point out that determination of the MNS matrix element \U-e3\ = s(13) in long-baseline nu(mu) --> nu(e) neutrino oscillation experiments suffers from large intrinsic uncertainty due to the unknown CP violating phase delta and sign of Deltam(13)(2). We propose a new strategy for accurate determination of theta(13); tune the beam energy at the oscillation maximum and do the measurement both in neutrino and antineutrino channels. We show that it automatically resolves the problem of parameter ambiguities which involves delta, theta(13), and the sign of Deltam(13)(2). (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Closing the SU(3)(L)circle times U(1)(X) symmetry at the electroweak scale

We show that some models with SU(3)(C)circle times SU(3)(L)circle times U(1)(X) gauge symmetry can be realized at the electroweak scale and that this is a consequence of an approximate global SU(2)(L+R) symmetry. This symmetry implies a condition among the vacuum expectation value of one of the neutral Higgs scalars, the U(1)(X)'s coupling constant, g(X), the sine of the weak mixing angle sin theta(W), and the mass of the W boson, M-W. In the limit in which this symmetry is valid it avoids the tree level mixing of the Z boson of the standard model with the extra Z(') boson. We have verified that the oblique T parameter is within the allowed range indicating that the radiative corrections that induce such a mixing at the 1-loop level are small. We also show that a SU(3)(L+R) custodial symmetry implies that in some of the models we have to include sterile (singlets of the 3-3-1 symmetry) right-handed neutrinos with Majorana masses, since the seesaw mechanism is mandatory to obtain light active neutrinos. Moreover, the approximate SU(2)(L+R)subset of SU(3)(L+R) symmetry implies that the extra nonstandard particles of these 3-3-1 models can be considerably lighter than it had been thought before so that new physics can be really just around the corner.

Vertex operators and soliton solutions of affine Toda model with U(2) symmetry

The symmetry structure of the non-Abelian affine Toda model based on the coset SL(3)/SL(2) circle times U(1) is studied. It is shown that the model possess non-Abelian Noether symmetry closing into a q-deformed SL(2) circle times U(1) algebra. Specific two-vertex soliton solutions are constructed.

CMS physics technical design report, volume II: Physics performance

CMS is a general purpose experiment, designed to study the physics of pp collisions at 14 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider ( LHC). It currently involves more than 2000 physicists from more than 150 institutes and 37 countries. The LHC will provide extraordinary opportunities for particle physics based on its unprecedented collision energy and luminosity when it begins operation in 2007. The principal aim of this report is to present the strategy of CMS to explore the rich physics programme offered by the LHC. This volume demonstrates the physics capability of the CMS experiment. The prime goals of CMS are to explore physics at the TeV scale and to study the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking - through the discovery of the Higgs particle or otherwise. To carry out this task, CMS must be prepared to search for new particles, such as the Higgs boson or supersymmetric partners of the Standard Model particles, from the start- up of the LHC since new physics at the TeV scale may manifest itself with modest data samples of the order of a few fb(-1) or less. The analysis tools that have been developed are applied to study in great detail and with all the methodology of performing an analysis on CMS data specific benchmark processes upon which to gauge the performance of CMS. These processes cover several Higgs boson decay channels, the production and decay of new particles such as Z' and supersymmetric particles, B-s production and processes in heavy ion collisions. The simulation of these benchmark processes includes subtle effects such as possible detector miscalibration and misalignment. Besides these benchmark processes, the physics reach of CMS is studied for a large number of signatures arising in the Standard Model and also in theories beyond the Standard Model for integrated luminosities ranging from 1 fb(-1) to 30 fb(-1). The Standard Model processes include QCD, B-physics, diffraction, detailed studies of the top quark properties, and electroweak physics topics such as the W and Z(0) boson properties. The production and decay of the Higgs particle is studied for many observable decays, and the precision with which the Higgs boson properties can be derived is determined. About ten different supersymmetry benchmark points are analysed using full simulation. The CMS discovery reach is evaluated in the SUSY parameter space covering a large variety of decay signatures. Furthermore, the discovery reach for a plethora of alternative models for new physics is explored, notably extra dimensions, new vector boson high mass states, little Higgs models, technicolour and others. Methods to discriminate between models have been investigated. This report is organized as follows. Chapter 1, the Introduction, describes the context of this document. Chapters 2-6 describe examples of full analyses, with photons, electrons, muons, jets, missing E-T, B-mesons and tau's, and for quarkonia in heavy ion collisions. Chapters 7-15 describe the physics reach for Standard Model processes, Higgs discovery and searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

Search for physics beyond the standard model using multilepton signatures in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Gauging U(1) symmetries and the number of right-handed neutrinos

In this Letter we consider that assuming: (a) that the only left-handed neutral fermions are the active neutrinos, (b) that B - L is a gauge symmetry, and (c) that the L assignment is restricted to the integer numbers, the anomaly cancellation imply that at least three right-handed neutrinos must be added to the minimal representation content of the electroweak standard model. However, two types of models arise: (i) the usual one where each of the three identical right-handed neutrinos has total lepton number L = 1: (ii) and the other one in which two of them carry L = 4 while the third one carries L = -5. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Search for physics beyond the standard model in events with a Z boson, jets, and missing transverse energy in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)