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Agullo, I., Navarro-Salas, J., Olmo, G. J., & Parker, L. (2010). Revising the observable consequences of slow-roll inflation. Phys. Rev. D, 81(4), 043514–14pp.
Abstract: We study the generation of primordial perturbations in a (single-field) slow-roll inflationary Universe. In momentum space, these (Gaussian) perturbations are characterized by a zero mean and a nonzero variance Delta(2) (k, t). However, in position space the variance diverges in the ultraviolet. The requirement of a finite variance in position space forces one to regularize Delta(2) (k, t). This can (and should) be achieved by proper renormalization in an expanding Universe in a unique way. This affects the predicted scalar and tensorial power spectra (evaluated when the modes acquire classical properties) for wavelengths that today are at observable scales. As a consequence, the imprint of slow-roll inflation on the cosmic microwave background anisotropies is significantly altered. We find a nontrivial change in the consistency condition that relates the tensor-to-scalar ratio r to the spectral indices. For instance, an exact scale-invariant tensorial power spectrum, n(t) = 0, is now compatible with a nonzero ratio r approximate to 0.12 +/- 0.06, which is forbidden by the standard prediction (r = -8n(t)). The influence of relic gravitational waves on the cosmic microwave background may soon come within the range of planned measurements, offering a nontrivial test of the new predictions.
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CDF Collaboration(Aaltonen, T. et al), & Cabrera, S. (2010). Measurement of the WW plus WZ production cross section using a matrix element technique in lepton plus jets events. Phys. Rev. D, 82(11), 112001–15pp.
Abstract: We present a measurement of the WW + WZ production cross section observed in a final state consisting of an identified electron or muon, two jets, and missing transverse energy. The measurement is carried out in a data sample corresponding to up to 4.6 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity at root s = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF II detector. Matrix element calculations are used to separate the diboson signal from the large backgrounds. The WW + WZ cross section is measured to be 17.4 +/- 3.3 pb in agreement with standard model predictions. A fit to the dijet invariant mass spectrum yields a compatible cross section measurement.
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BABAR Collaboration(Aubert, B. et al), Azzolini, V., Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., Milanes, D. A., & Oyanguren, A. (2010). Measurement and interpretation of moments in inclusive semileptonic decays (B)over-bar -> Xcl(nu)over-bar. Phys. Rev. D, 81(3), 032003–25pp.
Abstract: We present results for the moments of observed spectra in inclusive semileptonic B-meson decays to charm hadrons (B) over bar -> X(c)l(-)(nu) over bar. Moments of the hadronic-mass and the combined mass-and-energy spectra for different minimum electron or muon momenta between 0.8 and 1: 9 GeV/c are obtained from a sample of 232 X 10(6) Gamma(4S) -> B (B) over bar events, collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B-meson factory at SLAC. We also present a reevaluation of the moments of electron-energy spectra and partial decay fractions B((B) over bar -> X(c)e(-)(nu) over bar) for minimum electron momenta between 0.6 and 1: 5 GeV/c based on a sample of 51 X 10(6) Gamma(4S) -> B (B) over bar events. The measurements are used for the extraction of the total decay fraction, the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix element vertical bar V-cb vertical bar, the quark masses m(b) and m(c), and four heavy-quark QCD parameters in the framework of a Heavy-Quark Expansion (HQE). We find B((B) over bar -> X(c)l(-)(nu) over bar = (10.64 +/- 0.17 +/- 0.06)% and vertical bar V-cb vertical bar = (42.05 +/- 0.45 +/- 0.70) X 10(-3).
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BABAR Collaboration(del Amo Sanchez, P. et al), Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., Milanes, D. A., & Oyanguren, A. (2010). Search for the rare decay B -> Kv(v)over-bar. Phys. Rev. D, 82(11), 112002–10pp.
Abstract: We present a search for the rare decays B+ -> K+ v (v) over bar and B-0 -> K-0 v (v) over bar using 459 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Flavor-changing neutral-current decays such as these are forbidden at tree level but can occur through one-loop diagrams in the standard model (SM), with possible contributions from new physics at the same order. The presence of two neutrinos in the final state makes identification of signal events challenging, so reconstruction in the semileptonic decay channels B -> D-(*) lv of the B meson recoiling from the signal B is used to suppress backgrounds. We set an upper limit at the 90% confidence level (CL) of 1.3 x 10(-5) on the total branching fraction for B+ -> K+ v (v) over bar, and 5.6 x 10(-5) for B-0 -> K-0 v (v) over bar. We additionally report 90% CL upper limits on partial branching fractions in two ranges of dineutrino mass squared for B+ -> K+ v (v) over bar.
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SciBooNE Collaboration(Kurimoto, Y. et al), Catala-Perez, J., Gomez-Cadenas, J. J., & Sorel, M. (2010). Measurement of inclusive neutral current pi(0) production on carbon in a few-GeV neutrino beam. Phys. Rev. D, 81(3), 033004–18pp.
Abstract: The SciBooNE Collaboration reports inclusive neutral current neutral pion production by a muon neutrino beam on a polystyrene target (C8H8). We obtain (7.7 +/- 0.5(stat) +/- 0.5(sys)) X 10(-2) as the ratio of the neutral current neutral pion production to total charged current cross section; the mean energy of neutrinos producing detected neutral pions is 1.1 GeV. The result agrees with the Rein-Sehgal model implemented in our neutrino interaction simulation program with nuclear effects. The spectrum shape of the pi(0) momentum and angle agree with the model. We also measure the ratio of the neutral current coherent pion production to total charged current cross section to be (0.7 +/- 0.4) X 10(-2).
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