Gomez-Cadenas, J. J., Martin-Albo, J., Sorel, M., Ferrario, P., Monrabal, F., Muñoz, J., et al. (2011). Sense and sensitivity of double beta decay experiments. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 06(6), 007–30pp.
Abstract: The search for neutrinoless double beta decay is a very active field in which the number of proposals for next-generation experiments has proliferated. In this paper we attempt to address both the sense and the sensitivity of such proposals. Sensitivity comes first, by means of proposing a simple and unambiguous statistical recipe to derive the sensitivity to a putative Majorana neutrino mass, m(beta beta). In order to make sense of how the different experimental approaches compare, we apply this recipe to a selection of proposals, comparing the resulting sensitivities. We also propose a “physics-motivated range” (PMR) of the nuclear matrix elements as a unifying criterium between the different nuclear models. The expected performance of the proposals is parametrized in terms of only four numbers: energy resolution, background rate (per unit time, isotope mass and energy), detection efficiency, and beta beta isotope mass. For each proposal, both a reference and an optimistic scenario for the experimental performance are studied. In the reference scenario we find that all the proposals will be able to partially explore the degenerate spectrum, without fully covering it, although four of them (KamLAND-Zen, CUORE, NEXT and EXO) will approach the 50 meV boundary. In the optimistic scenario, we find that CUORE and the xenon-based proposals (KamLAND-Zen, EXO and NEXT) will explore a significant fraction of the inverse hierarchy, with NEXT covering it almost fully. For the long term future, we argue that Xe-136-based experiments may provide the best case for a 1-ton scale experiment, given the potentially very low backgrounds achievable and the expected scalability to large isotope masses.
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Gomez Dumm, D., Noguera, S., & Scoccola, N. N. (2011). Pion radiative weak decays in nonlocal chiral quark models. Phys. Lett. B, 698(3), 236–242.
Abstract: We analyze the radiative pion decay pi(+) -> e(+) nu(e)gamma within nonlocal chiral quark models that include wave function renormalization. In this framework we calculate the vector and axial-vector form factors F-V and F-A at q(2) = 0 – where q(2) is the e(+) nu(e) squared invariant mass – and the slope a of F-V (q(2)) at q(2) -> 0. The calculations are carried out considering different nonlocal form factors, in particular those taken from lattice QCD evaluations, showing a reasonable agreement with the corresponding experimental data. The comparison of our results with those obtained in the (local) NJL model and the relation of F-V and a with the form factor in pi(0) -> gamma*gamma decays are discussed.
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Giusarma, E., Corsi, M., Archidiacono, M., de Putter, R., Melchiorri, A., Mena, O., et al. (2011). Constraints on massive sterile neutrino species from current and future cosmological data. Phys. Rev. D, 83(11), 115023–10pp.
Abstract: Sterile massive neutrinos are a natural extension of the standard model of elementary particles. The energy density of the extra sterile massive states affects cosmological measurements in an analogous way to that of active neutrino species. We perform here an analysis of current cosmological data and derive bounds on the masses of the active and the sterile neutrino states, as well as on the number of sterile states. The so-called (3 + 2) models, with three sub-eV active massive neutrinos plus two sub-eV massive sterile species, is well within the 95% CL allowed regions when considering cosmological data only. If the two extra sterile states have thermal abundances at decoupling, big bang nucleosynthesis bounds compromise the viability of (3 + 2) models. Forecasts from future cosmological data on the active and sterile neutrino parameters are also presented. Independent measurements of the neutrino mass from tritium beta-decay experiments and of the Hubble constant could shed light on sub-eV massive sterile neutrino scenarios.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Giubrone, G. et al), & Tain, J. L. (2011). The Role of Fe and Ni for S-process Nucleosynthesis and Innovative Nuclear Technologies. J. Korean Phys. Soc., 59(2), 2106–2109.
Abstract: The accurate measurement of neutron capture cross sections of all Fe and Ni isotopes is important for disentangling the contribution of the s-process and the r-process to the stellar nucleosynthesis of elements in the mass range 60 < A < 120. At the same time, Fe and Ni are important components of structural materials and improved neutron cross section data is relevant in the design of new nuclear systems. With the aim of obtaining improved capture data on all stable iron and nickel isotopes, a program of measurements has been launched at the CERN Neutron Time of Flight Facility n_TOF.
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BABAR Collaboration(del Amo Sanchez, P. et al), Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2011). Measurements of branching fractions, polarizations, and direct CP-violation asymmetries in B+ -> rho K-0*(+) and B+ -> f(0)(980)K*(+) decays. Phys. Rev. D, 83(5), 051101–8pp.
Abstract: We present measurements of the branching fractions, longitudinal polarization, and direct CP-violation asymmetries for the decays B+ -> rho K-0*(+) and B+ -> f(0)(980)K*(+) with a sample of (467 +/- 5) x 10(6)B (B) over bar pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We observe B+ -> rho K-0*(+) with a significance of 5: 3 sigma and measure the branching fraction B(B+ -> rho K-0*(+)) = (4.6 +/- 1.0 +/- 0.4) x 10(-6), the longitudinal polarization f(L) = 0.78 +/- 0.12 +/- 0.03, and the CP-violation asymmetry A(CP) = 0.31 +/- 0.13 +/- 0.03. We observe B+ -> f(0)(980)K*(+) and measure the branching fraction B(B+ -> f(0)(980)K*(+)) x B(f(0)(980) -> pi(+)pi(-)) = (4.2 +/- 0.6 +/- 0.3) x 10(-6) and the CP-violation asymmetry A(CP) = 0.15 +/- 0.12 +/- 0.03. The first uncertainty quoted is statistical and the second is systematic.
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