Wurm, M. et al, & Mena, O. (2012). The next-generation liquid-scintillator neutrino observatory LENA. Astropart Phys., 35(11), 685–732.
Abstract: As part of the European LAGUNA design study on a next-generation neutrino detector, we propose the liquid-scintillator detector LENA (Low Energy Neutrino Astronomy) as a multipurpose neutrino observatory. The outstanding successes of the Borexino and KamLAND experiments demonstrate the large potential of liquid-scintillator detectors in low-energy neutrino physics. Low energy threshold, good energy resolution and efficient background discrimination are inherent to the liquid-scintillator technique. A target mass of 50 kt will offer a substantial increase in detection sensitivity. At low energies, the variety of detection channels available in liquid scintillator will allow for an energy and flavor-resolved analysis of the neutrino burst emitted by a galactic Supernova. Due to target mass and background conditions, LENA will also be sensitive to the faint signal of the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background. Solar metallicity, time-variation in the solar neutrino flux and deviations from MSW-LMA survival probabilities can be investigated based on unprecedented statistics. Low background conditions allow to search for dark matter by observing rare annihilation neutrinos. The large number of events expected for geoneutrinos will give valuable information on the abundances of Uranium and Thorium and their relative ratio in the Earth's crust and mantle. Reactor neutrinos enable a high-precision measurement of solar mixing parameters. A strong radioactive or pion decay-at-rest neutrino source can be placed close to the detector to investigate neutrino oscillations for short distances and sub-MeV to MeV energies. At high energies, LENA will provide a new lifetime limit for the SUSY-favored proton decay mode into kaon and antineutrino, surpassing current experimental limits by about one order of magnitude. Recent studies have demonstrated that a reconstruction of momentum and energy of GeV particles is well feasible in liquid scintillator. Monte Carlo studies on the reconstruction of the complex event topologies found for neutrino interactions at multi-GeV energies have shown promising results. If this is confirmed. LENA might serve as far detector in a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment currently investigated in LAGUNA-LBNO.
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Blennow, M., Fernandez-Martinez, E., Mena, O., Redondo, J., & Serra, E. P. (2012). Asymmetric Dark Matter and Dark Radiation. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 07(7), 022–23pp.
Abstract: Asymmetric Dark Matter (ADM) models invoke a particle-antiparticle asymmetry, similar to the one observed in the Baryon sector, to account for the Dark Matter (DM) abundance. Both asymmetries are usually generated by the same mechanism and generally related, thus predicting DM masses around 5 GeV in order to obtain the correct density. The main challenge for successful models is to ensure efficient annihilation of the thermally produced symmetric component of such a light DM candidate without violating constraints from collider or direct searches. A common way to overcome this involves a light mediator, into which DM can efficiently annihilate and which subsequently decays into Standard Model particles. Here we explore the scenario where the light mediator decays instead into lighter degrees of freedom in the dark sector that act as radiation in the early Universe. While this assumption makes indirect DM searches challenging, it leads to signals of extra radiation at BBN and CMB. Under certain conditions, precise measurements of the number of relativistic species, such as those expected from the Planck satellite, can provide information on the structure of the dark sector. We also discuss the constraints of the interactions between DM and Dark Radiation from their imprint in the matter power spectrum.
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Pierre Auger Collaboration(Abreu, P. et al), & Pastor, S. (2012). Description of atmospheric conditions at the Pierre Auger Observatory using the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS). Astropart Phys., 35(9), 591–607.
Abstract: Atmospheric conditions at the site of a cosmic ray observatory must be known for reconstructing observed extensive air showers. The Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) is a global atmospheric model predicated on meteorological measurements and numerical weather predictions. GDAS provides altitude-dependent profiles of the main state variables of the atmosphere like temperature, pressure, and humidity. The original data and their application to the air shower reconstruction of the Pierre Auger Observatory are described. By comparisons with radiosonde and weather station measurements obtained on-site in Malargue and averaged monthly models, the utility of the GDAS data is shown.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2012). Evidence for an Excess of (B)over-bar -> D-(*()) tau(-)(nu)over-bar(tau) Decays. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(10), 101802–8pp.
Abstract: Based on the full BABAR data sample, we report improved measurements of the ratios R(D-(*())) = B((B) over bar -> D-(*()) tau(-)(nu) over bar (tau))/B((B) over bar -> D-(*()) l(l)(-)(nu) over bar (l), where l is either e or mu. These ratios are sensitive to new physics contributions in the form of a charged Higgs boson. We measure R(D) = 0.440 +/- 0.058 +/- 0.042 and R(D*) = 0.332 +/- 0.024 +/- 0.018, which exceed the standard model expectations by 2.0 sigma and 2.7 sigma, respectively. Taken together, our results disagree with these expectations at the 3.4 sigma level. This excess cannot be explained by a charged Higgs boson in the type II two-Higgs-doublet model.
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Al-Dahan, N. et al, Algora, A., Molina, F., & Rubio, B. (2012). Multiple beta(-) decaying states in Re-194: Shape evolution in neutron-rich osmium isotopes. Phys. Rev. C, 85(3), 034301–9pp.
Abstract: beta decays from heavy, neutron-rich nuclei with A similar to 190 have been investigated following their production via the relativistic projectile fragmentation of an E/A = 1 GeV Pb-208 primary beam on a similar to 2.5 g/cm(2) Be-9 target. The reaction products were separated and identified using the GSI FRagment Separator (FRS) and stopped in the RISING active stopper. gamma decays were observed and correlated with these secondary ions on an event-by-event basis such that gamma-ray transitions following from both internal (isomeric) and beta decays were recorded. A number of discrete, beta-delayed gamma-ray transitions associated with beta decays from Re-194 to excited states in Os-194 have been observed, including previously reported decays from the yrast I-pi = (6(+)) state. Three previously unreported gamma-ray transitions with energies 194, 349, and 554 keV are also identified; these transitions are associated with decays from higher spin states in Os-194. The results of these investigations are compared with theoretical predictions from Nilsson multi-quasiparticle (MQP) calculations. Based on lifetime measurements and the observed feeding pattern to states in Os-194, it is concluded that there are three beta(-)-decaying states in Re-194.
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