Study of the semileptonic decay Ds+→f0(980)e+ν and implications for Bs0→J/ψf0

Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology 80:5 (2009)

Authors:

KM Ecklund, Q He, J Insler, H Muramatsu, CS Park, EH Thorndike, F Yang, M Artuso, S Blusk, S Khalil, R Mountain, K Randrianarivony, T Skwarnicki, S Stone, JC Wang, LM Zhang, G Bonvicini, D Cinabro, A Lincoln, MJ Smith, P Zhou, J Zhu, P Naik, J Rademacker, DM Asner, KW Edwards, J Reed, AN Robichaud, G Tatishvili, EJ White, RA Briere, H Vogel, PUE Onyisi, JL Rosner, JP Alexander, DG Cassel, R Ehrlich, L Fields, L Gibbons, SW Gray, DL Hartill, BK Heltsley, JM Hunt, DL Kreinick, VE Kuznetsov, J Ledoux, H Mahlke-Krüger, JR Patterson, D Peterson, D Riley, A Ryd, AJ Sadoff, X Shi, S Stroiney, WM Sun, J Yelton, P Rubin, N Lowrey, S Mehrabyan, M Selen, J Wiss, M Kornicer, RE Mitchell, MR Shepherd, CM Tarbert, D Besson, TK Pedlar, J Xavier, D Cronin-Hennessy, KY Gao, J Hietala, R Poling, P Zweber, S Dobbs, Z Metreveli, KK Seth, BJY Tan, A Tomaradze, S Brisbane, J Libby, L Martin, A Powell, C Thomas, G Wilkinson, H Mendez, JY Ge, DH Miller, IPJ Shipsey, B Xin, GS Adams, D Hu, B Moziak, J Napolitano

Abstract:

Using e+e-→Ds-Ds*+ and Ds*-Ds+ interactions at 4170 MeV collected with the CLEO-c detector, we investigate the semileptonic decays Ds+→f0(980)e+ν and Ds+→e+ν. By examining the decay rates as functions of the four-momentum transfer squared q2, we measure the ratio [dBdq2(Ds+→f0(980)e+ν)B(f0→π+π-)]/[dBdq2(Ds+→e+ν) B(→K+K-)] at q2 of zero to be (42±11)%. This ratio has been predicted to equal the rate ratio [B(Bs→J/ψf0)B(f0→π+π-)]/ [B(Bs→J/ψ)B(→K+K-)], thus indicating that the CP eigenstate J/ψf0 could be useful for measuring CP violation via Bs mixing. Assuming a simple pole model for the form factor |f+(q2)| in the f0e+ν decay, we find a pole mass of (1.7-0.7+4.5±0.2)GeV. We also determine the f0 mass and width as (977-9+11±1) and (91-22+30±3)MeV, respectively. In addition, we present updated results for B(Ds+→f0(980)e+ν) B(f0→π+π-)=(0.20±0.03±0.01)% and B(Ds+→e+ν)=(2. 36±0.23±0.13)%. Assuming that the f0 wave function is a combination of strange and nonstrange quark-antiquark components, we use our measurement for B(Ds+→f0(980)e+ν) to extract a value of the mixing angle that we find consistent with s̄s dominance, adding to the mystery as to why the f0 decays predominantly to two pions rather than two kaons. © 2009 The American Physical Society.

SN 2008S: an electron-capture SN from a super-AGB progenitor?

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press (OUP) 398:3 (2009) 1041-1068

Authors:

MT Botticella, A Pastorello, SJ Smartt, WPS Meikle, S Benetti, R Kotak, E Cappellaro, RM Crockett, S Mattila, M Sereno, F Patat, D Tsvetkov, J Th Van Loon, D Abraham, I Agnoletto, R Arbour, C Benn, G Di Rico, N Elias-Rosa, DL Gorshanov, A Harutyunyan, D Hunter, V Lorenzi, FP Keenan, K Maguire, J Mendez, M Mobberley, H Navasardyan, C Ries, V Stanishev, S Taubenberger, C Trundle, M Turatto, IM Volkov

Absolute branching fraction measurements for exclusive Ds semileptonic decays

Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology 80:5 (2009)

Authors:

J Yelton, P Rubin, N Lowrey, S Mehrabyan, M Selen, J Wiss, RE Mitchell, MR Shepherd, D Besson, TK Pedlar, D Cronin-Hennessy, KY Gao, J Hietala, Y Kubota, T Klein, R Poling, AW Scott, P Zweber, S Dobbs, Z Metreveli, KK Seth, BJY Tan, A Tomaradze, J Libby, L Martin, A Powell, G Wilkinson, H Mendez, JY Ge, DH Miller, V Pavlunin, B Sanghi, IPJ Shipsey, B Xin, GS Adams, D Hu, B Moziak, J Napolitano, KM Ecklund, Q He, J Insler, H Muramatsu, CS Park, EH Thorndike, F Yang, M Artuso, S Blusk, S Khalil, J Li, R Mountain, K Randrianarivony, N Sultana, T Skwarnicki, S Stone, JC Wang, LM Zhang, G Bonvicini, D Cinabro, M Dubrovin, A Lincoln, MJ Smith, P Naik, J Rademacker, DM Asner, KW Edwards, J Reed, AN Robichaud, G Tatishvili, EJ White, RA Briere, H Vogel, PUE Onyisi, JL Rosner, JP Alexander, DG Cassel, JE Duboscq, R Ehrlich, L Fields, L Gibbons, R Gray, SW Gray, DL Hartill, BK Heltsley, D Hertz, JM Hunt, J Kandaswamy, DL Kreinick, VE Kuznetsov, J Ledoux, H Mahlke-Krüger, D Mohapatra, JR Patterson, D Peterson, D Riley, A Ryd, AJ Sadoff, X Shi, S Stroiney, WM Sun, T Wilksen

Abstract:

We measure the absolute branching fractions of Ds semileptonic decays where the hadron in the final state is one of φ, η, η′, KS0, K 0, and f0, using 2.8×105 e+e-→DsDs decays collected in the CLEO-c detector at a center-of-mass energy close to 4170 MeV. We obtain B(Ds+→e+νe)=(2.29±0.37±0.11)%, B(Ds+→ηe+νe)= (2.48±0.29±0.13)%, B(Ds+→η′e+νe)=(0.91±0. 33±0.05)%, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. We also obtain B(Ds+→K0e+νe)=(0.37±0.10±0. 02)%, and B(Ds+→K0e+νe)=(0.18±0.07±0.01)%, which are the first measurements of Cabibbo suppressed exclusive Ds semileptonic decays, and, B(Ds+→f0e+νe)×B(f0→π+π-)=(0.13±0.04±0.01) %. This is the first absolute product branching fraction determination for a semileptonic decay including a scalar meson in the final state. © 2009 The American Physical Society.

Evidence for decays of hc to multipion final states

Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology 80:5 (2009)

Authors:

GS Adams, D Hu, B Moziak, J Napolitano, KM Ecklund, Q He, J Insler, H Muramatsu, CS Park, EH Thorndike, F Yang, M Artuso, S Blusk, S Khalil, R Mountain, K Randrianarivony, T Skwarnicki, S Stone, JC Wang, LM Zhang, G Bonvicini, D Cinabro, A Lincoln, MJ Smith, P Zhou, J Zhu, P Naik, J Rademacker, DM Asner, KW Edwards, J Reed, AN Robichaud, G Tatishvili, EJ White, RA Briere, H Vogel, PUE Onyisi, JL Rosner, JP Alexander, DG Cassel, R Ehrlich, L Fields, L Gibbons, SW Gray, DL Hartill, BK Heltsley, JM Hunt, J Kandaswamy, DL Kreinick, VE Kuznetsov, J Ledoux, H Mahlke-Krüger, JR Patterson, D Peterson, D Riley, A Ryd, AJ Sadoff, X Shi, S Stroiney, WM Sun, T Wilksen, J Yelton, P Rubin, N Lowrey, S Mehrabyan, M Selen, J Wiss, M Kornicer, RE Mitchell, MR Shepherd, CM Tarbert, D Besson, TK Pedlar, J Xavier, D Cronin-Hennessy, KY Gao, J Hietala, T Klein, R Poling, P Zweber, S Dobbs, Z Metreveli, KK Seth, BJY Tan, A Tomaradze, S Brisbane, J Libby, L Martin, A Powell, C Thomas, G Wilkinson, H Mendez, JY Ge, DH Miller, IPJ Shipsey, B Xin

Abstract:

Using a sample of 2.59×107 ψ(2S) decays collected by the CLEO-c detector, we present results of a search for the decay chain ψ(2S)→π0hc, hc→n(π+π-)π0, n=1, 2, 3. We observe no significant signals for n=1 and n=3 and set upper limits for the corresponding decay rates. First evidence for the decay hc→π+π-π+π-π0 is presented, and a product branching fraction of B(ψ(2S)→hcπ0) ×B(hc→2(π+π-)π0)=1.88-0.45-0.30+0.48+0.47×10-5 is measured. This result implies that hc→hadrons and hc→γηc have comparable rates, in agreement with expectations. © 2009 The American Physical Society.

Galaxy Zoo: Exploring the Motivations of Citizen Science Volunteers

ArXiv 0909.2925 (2009)

Authors:

M Jordan Raddick, Georgia Bracey, Pamela L Gay, Chris J Lintott, Phil Murray, Kevin Schawinski, Alexander S Szalay, Jan Vandenberg

Abstract:

The Galaxy Zoo citizen science website invites anyone with an Internet connection to participate in research by classifying galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. As of April 2009, more than 200,000 volunteers had made more than 100 million galaxy classifications. In this paper, we present results of a pilot study into the motivations and demographics of Galaxy Zoo volunteers, and define a technique to determine motivations from free responses that can be used in larger multiple-choice surveys with similar populations. Our categories form the basis for a future survey, with the goal of determining the prevalence of each motivation.