Observation of exclusive electron-positron production in hadron-hadron collisions.
Phys Rev Lett 98:11 (2007) 112001
Abstract:
We present the first observation of exclusive e(+)e(-) production in hadron-hadron collisions, using pp[over] collision data at (square root) s = 1.96 TeV taken by the run II Collider Detector at Fermilab, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 532 pb(-1). We require the absence of any particle signatures in the detector except for an electron and a positron candidate, each with transverse energy E(T) > 5 GeV and pseudorapidity |eta| < 2. With these criteria, 16 events are observed compared to a background expectation of 1.9+/-0.3 events. These events are consistent in cross section and properties with the QED process pp[over] --> p + e(+)e(-) + p[over] through two-photon exchange. The measured cross section is 1.6(-0.3)(+0.5)(stat) +/- 0.3(syst) pb. This agrees with the theoretical prediction of 1.71+/-0.01 pb.Measurement of the helicity fractions of W bosons from top quark decays using fully reconstructed tt̄ events with CDF II
Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology 75:5 (2007)
Abstract:
We present a measurement of the fractions F0 and F+ of longitudinally polarized and right-handed W bosons in top-quark decays using data collected with the CDF II detector. The data set used in the analysis corresponds to an integrated luminosity of approximately 318pb-1. We select tt̄ candidate events with one lepton, at least four jets, and missing transverse energy. Our helicity measurement uses the decay angle θ*, which is defined as the angle between the momentum of the charged lepton in the W boson rest frame and the W momentum in the top-quark rest frame. The cos θ* distribution in the data is determined by full kinematic reconstruction of the tt̄ candidates. We find F0=0.85-0.22+0.15(stat)±0.06(syst) and F+=0.05-0.05+0.11(stat)±0.03(syst), which is consistent with the standard model prediction. We set an upper limit on the fraction of right-handed W bosons of F+<0.26 at the 95% confidence level. © 2007 The American Physical Society.Observation of exclusive electron-positron production in hadron-hadron collisions
Physical Review Letters 98:11 (2007)
Abstract:
We present the first observation of exclusive e+e- production in hadron-hadron collisions, using pp̄ collision data at s=1.96TeV taken by the run II Collider Detector at Fermilab, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 532pb-1. We require the absence of any particle signatures in the detector except for an electron and a positron candidate, each with transverse energy ET>5GeV and pseudorapidity |η|<2. With these criteria, 16 events are observed compared to a background expectation of 1.9±0.3 events. These events are consistent in cross section and properties with the QED process pp̄→p+e+e-+p̄ through two-photon exchange. The measured cross section is 1.6-0.3+0.5(stat)±0.3(syst)pb. This agrees with the theoretical prediction of 1.71±0.01pb. © 2007 The American Physical Society.Particle identification algorithms for the HARP forward spectrometer
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 572:2 (2007) 899-921
Abstract:
The particle identification (PID) methods used for the calculation of secondary pion yields with the HARP forward spectrometer are presented. Information from time of flight and Cherenkov detectors is combined using likelihood techniques. The efficiencies and purities associated with the different PID selection criteria are obtained from the data. For the proton-aluminium interactions at 12.9 GeV/c incident momentum, the PID efficiencies for positive pions are 86 % in the momentum range below 2 GeV/c, 92 % between 2 and 3 GeV/c and 98 % in the momentum range above 3 GeV/c. The purity of the selection is better than 92 % for all momenta. Special emphasis has been put on understanding the main error sources. The final PID uncertainty on the pion yield is 3.3 %. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Charged pion production in p+C collisions at 158 GeV/c beam momentum: Discussion
European Physical Journal C 49:4 (2007) 919-945