Abstract: Understanding single pion production reactions on free nucleons is the first step towards a correct description of these processes in nuclei, which are important for signal and background contributions in current and near future accelerator neutrino oscillation experiments. In this work, we reanalyze our previous studies of neutrino-induced one-pion production on nucleons for outgoing pi N invariant masses below 1.4 GeV. Our motivation is to get a better description of the nu(mu)n -> mu(-)n pi(+) cross section, for which current theoretical models give values significantly below data. This channel is very sensitive to the crossed Delta(1232) contribution and thus, to spin 1/2 components in the Rarita-Schwinger Delta propagator. We show how these spin 1/2 components are nonpropagating and give rise to contact interactions. In this context, we point out that the discrepancy with experiment might be corrected by the addition of appropriate extra contact terms and argue that this procedure will provide a natural solution to the nu(mu)n -> mu(-)n pi(+) puzzle. To keep our model simple, in this work, we propose to change the strength of the spin 1/2 components in the. propagator and use the nu(mu)n -> mu(-)n pi(+) data to constraint its value. With this modification, we now find a good reproduction of the nu(mu)n -> mu(-)n pi(+) cross section without affecting the good results previously obtained for the other channels. We also explore how this change in the. propagator affects our predictions for pion photoproduction and find also a better agreement with experiment than with the previous model.

Abstract: We explore in a rigorous manner the intuitive connection between the non-Markovianity of the evolution of an open quantum system and the performance of the system as a quantum memory. Using the paradigmatic case of a two-level open quantum system coupled to a bosonic bath, we compute the recovery fidelity, which measures the best possible performance of the system to store a qubit of information. We deduce that this quantity is connected, but not uniquely determined, by the non-Markovianity, for which we adopt the Breuer-Laine-Piilo measure proposed in Breuer et al (2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 210401). We illustrate our findings with explicit calculations for the case of a structured environment.

Abstract: Esteya (R) (Elekta Brachytherapy, Veenendaal, The Netherlands) is an electronic brachytherapy (eBT) system based on a 69.5 kVp x-ray source and a set of collimators of 1 to 3 cm in diameter, used for treating non-melanoma skin cancer lesions. This study aims to estimate room shielding requirements for this unit. The non-primary (scattered and leakage) ambient dose equivalent rates were measured with a Berthold LB-133 monitor (Berthold Technologies, Bad Wildbad, Germany). The latter ranges from 17 mSv h(-1) at 0.25 m distance from the x-ray source to 0.1 mSv h(-1) at 2.5 m. The necessary room shielding was then estimated following US and some European guidelines. The room shielding for all barriers considered was below 2 mmPb. The dose to a companion who, exceptionally, would stay with the patient during all treatment was estimated to be below 1 mSv if a leaded apron is used. In conclusion, Esteya shielding requirements are minimal.

Abstract: Measurements of jet activity in top-quark pair events produced in proton-proton collisions are presented, using 3.2 fb of pp collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are chosen by requiring an opposite-charge pair and two b-tagged jets in the final state. The normalised differential cross-sections of top-quark pair production are presented as functions of additional-jet multiplicity and transverse momentum, . The fraction of signal events that do not contain additional jet activity in a given rapidity region, the gap fraction, is measured as a function of the threshold for additional jets, and is also presented for different invariant mass regions of the system. All measurements are corrected for detector effects and presented as particle-level distributions compared to predictions with different theoretical approaches for QCD radiation. While the kinematics of the jets from top-quark decays are described well, the generators show differing levels of agreement with the measurements of observables that depend on the production of additional jets.

Abstract: Two-particle pseudorapidity correlations are measured in root s(NN) = 2.76 TeV Pb + Pb, root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV p+Pb, and root s = 13 TeV pp collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), with total integrated luminosities of approximately 7 μb(-1), 28 nb(-1), and 65 nb(-1), respectively. The correlation function CN(eta(1),eta(2))is measured as a function of event multiplicity using charged particles in the pseudorapidity range |eta| < 2.4. The correlation function contains a significant short-range component, which is estimated and subtracted. After removal of the short-range component, the shape of the correlation function is described approximately by 1 + < a(1)(2)>(1/2) eta(1) eta(2) in all collision systems over the full multiplicity range. The values of < a(1)(2)>(1/2) are consistent for the opposite-charge pairs and same-charge pairs, and for the three collision systems at similar multiplicity. The values of < a(1)(2)>(1/2) and the magnitude of the short-range component both follow a power-law dependence on the event multiplicity. The short-range component in p + Pb collisions, after symmetrizing the proton and lead directions, is found to be smaller at a given eta than in pp collisions with comparable multiplicity.