Measurement of the Parity-Violating Longitudinal Single-Spin Asymmetry for W(+/-) Boson Production in Polarized Proton-Proton Collisions at root s=500 GeV

We report the first measurement of the parity-violating single-spin asymmetries for midrapidity decay positrons and electrons from W(+) and W(-) boson production in longitudinally polarized proton-proton collisions at root s = 500 GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured asymmetries, A(L)(W+) = -0.27 +/- 0.10(stat.) +/- 0.02(syst.) +/- 0.03(norm.) and A(L)(W-) = 0.14 +/- 0.19(stat.) +/- 0.02(syst.) +/- 0.01(norm.), are consistent with theory predictions, which are large and of opposite sign. These predictions are based on polarized quark and antiquark distribution functions constrained by polarized deep-inelastic scattering measurements.

Measurement of the Bottom Quark Contribution to Nonphotonic Electron Production in p plus p Collisions at root s=200 GeV

The contribution of B meson decays to nonphotonic electrons, which are mainly produced by the semileptonic decays of heavy-flavor mesons, in p + p collisions at root s = 200 GeV has been measured using azimuthal correlations between nonphotonic electrons and hadrons. The extracted B decay contribution is approximately 50% at a transverse momentum of p(T) >= 5 GeV/c. These measurements constrain the nuclear modification factor for electrons from B and D meson decays. The result indicates that B meson production in heavy ion collisions is also suppressed at high p(T).

Quasi-elastic barrier distribution of the (17)O+(64)Zn system and the derivation of the (17)O nuclear matter diffuseness

The quasi-elastic excitation function for the (17)O+(64)Zn system was measured at energies near and below the Coulomb barrier, at the backward angle theta(lab) = 161 degrees. The corresponding quasi-elastic barrier distribution was derived. The excitation function for the neutron stripping reactions was also measured, at the same angle and energies, and the experimental values of the spectroscopic factors were deduced by fitting the data. A reasonably good agreement was obtained between the experimental quasi-elastic barrier distribution with the coupled-channel calculations including a very large number of channels. Of the channels investigated, three dominated the coupling matrix: two inelastic channels, (64)Zn(2(1)(+)) and (17)O(1/(+)(2)), and one-neutron transfer channel, particularly the first one. On the other hand, a very good agreement is obtained when we use a nuclear diffuseness for the (17)O nucleus larger than the one for (16)O. We verify that quasi-elastic barrier distribution is a sensitive tool for determining nuclear matter diffuseness.

Comparison of (120)Sn((6)He, (6)He)(120)Sn and (120)Sn(alpha,alpha)(120)Sn elastic scattering and signatures of the (6)He neutron halo in the optical potential

Cross sections of (120)Sn(alpha,alpha)(120)Sn elastic scattering have been extracted from the alpha-particle-beam contamination of a recent (120)Sn((6)He,(6)He)(120)Sn experiment. Both reactions are analyzed using systematic double-folding potentials in the real part and smoothly varying Woods-Saxon potentials in the imaginary part. The potential extracted from the (120)Sn((6)He,(6)He)(120)Sn data may be used as the basis for the construction of a simple global (6)He optical potential. The comparison of the (6)He and alpha data shows that the halo nature of the (6)He nucleus leads to a clear signature in the reflexion coefficients eta(L) : The relevant angular momenta L with eta(L) >> 0 and eta(L) << 1 are shifted to larger L with a broader distribution. This signature is not present in the alpha-scattering data and can thus be used as a new criterion for the definition of a halo nucleus.

Three-Particle Coincidence of the Long Range Pseudorapidity Correlation in High Energy Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions

We report the first three-particle coincidence measurement in pseudorapidity (Delta eta) between a high transverse momentum (p(perpendicular to)) trigger particle and two lower p(perpendicular to) associated particles within azimuth |Delta phi| < 0.7 in root s(NN) = 200 GeV d + Au and Au + Au collisions. Charge ordering properties are exploited to separate the jetlike component and the ridge (long range Delta eta correlation). The results indicate that the correlation of ridge particles are uniform not only with respect to the trigger particle but also between themselves event by event in our measured Delta eta. In addition, the production of the ridge appears to be uncorrelated to the presence of the narrow jetlike component.

Near-Barrier Fusion of the (8)B+(58)Ni Proton-Halo System

Fusion cross sections were measured for the exotic proton-halo nucleus (8)B incident on a (58)Ni target at several energies near the Coulomb barrier. This is the first experiment to report on the fusion of a protonhalo nucleus. The resulting excitation function shows a striking enhancement with respect to expectations for normal projectiles. Evidence is presented that the sum of the fusion and breakup yields saturates the total reaction cross section.

Near- and subbarrier elastic and quasielastic scattering of the weakly bound (6)Li projectile on (144)Sm

High-precision data of backward-angle elastic and quasielastic scattering for the weakly bound (6)Li projectile on (144)Sm target at deep-sub-barrier, near-, and above-barrier energies were measured. From the deep-sub-barrier data, the surface diffuseness of the nuclear interacting potential was studied. Barrier distributions were extracted from the first derivatives of the elastic and quasielastic excitation functions. It is shown that sequential breakup through the first resonant state of the (6)Li is an important channel to be included in coupled-channels calculations, even at deep-sub-barrier energies.

Effects of the target spin on the reaction mechanism of the (16)O+(63)Cu system

Precise quasielastic and alpha-transfer excitation functions, at theta(lab) = 161 degrees, have been measured at energies near the Coulomb barrier for the (16)O + (63)Cu system. This is the first time reported quasielastic barrier distribution for a medium odd-A nucleus target deduced from the data. Additional elastic scattering angular distributions data available in the literature for this system were also used in the investigation of the role of several individual channels in the reaction dynamics, by comparing the data with free-parameter coupled-channels calculations. In order to do so, the nucleus-nucleus bare potential has a double-folding potential as the real component and only a very short-range imaginary potential. The quasielastic barrier distribution has been shown to be a powerful tool in this analysis at the barrier region. A high collectivity of the (63)Cu was observed, mainly due to the strong influence of its 5/2-and 7/2-states on all reaction channels investigated. A striking influence of the reorientation of the ground-state target-spin on the elastic cross sections, taken at backward angles, was also observed.

f t value of the 0(+)-> 0(+) beta(+) decay of (32)Ar: A measurement of isospin symmetry breaking in a superallowed decay

We determined the absolute branch of the T=2 superallowed decay of (32)Ar by detecting the beta(+)-delayed protons and gamma decays of the daughter state. We obtain b(SA)(beta)=(22.71 +/- 0.16)%, which represents the first determination of a proton branch to better than 1%. Using this branch along with the previously determined (32)Ar half-life and energy release, we determined ft=(1552 +/- 12) s for the superallowed decay. This ft value, together with the corrected Ft value extracted from previously known T=1 superallowed decays, yields a measurement of the isospin symmetry breaking correction in (32)Ar decay delta(exp)(C)=(2.1 +/- 0.8)%. This can be compared to a theoretical calculation delta(C)=(2.0 +/- 0.4)%. As by-products of this work, we determined the gamma and proton branches for the decay of the lowest T=2 state of (32)Cl, made a precise determination of the total proton branch and relative intensities of proton groups that leave (31)S in its first excited state and deduced an improved value for the (32)Cl mass.

A quasiclassical trajectory study of the OH plus SO reaction: The role of rotational energy

A full dimensional quasiclassical trajectory study of the OH+SO reaction is presented with the aim of investigating the role of the reactants rotational energy in the reactivity. Different energetic combinations with one and both reactants rotationally excited are studied. A passive method is used to correct zero-point-energy leakage in the classical calculations. The reactive cross sections, for each combination, are calculated and fitted to a capturelike model combined with a factor accounting for recrossing effects. Reactivity decreases as rotational energy is increased in any of both reactants. This fact provides a theoretical support for the experimental dependence of the rate constant on temperature.

On quantum integrability of the Landau-Lifshitz model

We investigate the quantum integrability of the Landau-Lifshitz (LL) model and solve the long-standing problem of finding the local quantum Hamiltonian for the arbitrary n-particle sector. The particular difficulty of the LL model quantization, which arises due to the ill-defined operator product, is dealt with by simultaneously regularizing the operator product and constructing the self-adjoint extensions of a very particular structure. The diagonalizibility difficulties of the Hamiltonian of the LL model, due to the highly singular nature of the quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian, are also resolved in our method for the arbitrary n-particle sector. We explicitly demonstrate the consistency of our construction with the quantum inverse scattering method due to Sklyanin [Lett. Math. Phys. 15, 357 (1988)] and give a prescription to systematically construct the general solution, which explains and generalizes the puzzling results of Sklyanin for the particular two-particle sector case. Moreover, we demonstrate the S-matrix factorization and show that it is a consequence of the discontinuity conditions on the functions involved in the construction of the self-adjoint extensions.

New Measurement of the pi(0) Radiative Decay Width

High precision measurements of the differential cross sections for pi(0) photoproduction at forward angles for two nuclei, (12)C and (208)Pb, have been performed for incident photon energies of 4.9-5.5 GeV to extract the pi(0) -> gamma gamma decay width. The experiment was done at Jefferson Lab using the Hall B photon tagger and a high-resolution multichannel calorimeter. The pi(0) -> gamma gamma decay width was extracted by fitting the measured cross sections using recently updated theoretical models for the process. The resulting value for the decay width is Gamma(pi(0) -> gamma gamma) = 7.82 +/- 0.14(stat) +/- 0.17(syst) eV. With the 2.8% total uncertainty, this result is a factor of 2.5 more precise than the current Particle Data Group average of this fundamental quantity, and it is consistent with current theoretical predictions.

Instability of the time dependent Horava-Witten model

We consider scalar perturbations in the time dependent Horava-Witten model in order to probe its stability. We show that during the nonsingular epoque the model evolves without instabilities until it encounters the curvature singularity where a big crunch is supposed to occur. We compute the frequencies of the scalar field oscillation during the stable period and show how the oscillations can be used to prove the presence of such a singularity.

Monte Carlo investigation of the critical behavior of Stavskaya's probabilistic cellular automaton

Stavskaya's model is a one-dimensional probabilistic cellular automaton (PCA) introduced in the end of the 1960s as an example of a model displaying a nonequilibrium phase transition. Although its absorbing state phase transition is well understood nowadays, the model never received a full numerical treatment to investigate its critical behavior. In this Brief Report we characterize the critical behavior of Stavskaya's PCA by means of Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling analysis. The critical exponents of the model are calculated and indicate that its phase transition belongs to the directed percolation universality class of critical behavior, as would be expected on the basis of the directed percolation conjecture. We also explicitly establish the relationship of the model with the Domany-Kinzel PCA on its directed site percolation line, a connection that seems to have gone unnoticed in the literature so far.

Some (3+1)-dimensional vortex solutions of the CP(N) model

We present a class of solutions of the CP(N) model in (3 + 1) dimensions. We suggest that they represent vortexlike configurations. We also discuss some of their properties. We show that some configurations of vortices have a divergent energy per unit length while for the others such an energy has a minimum for a very special orientation of vortices. We also discuss the Noether charge densities of these vortices.