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Oliver, J. F., & Rafecas, M. (2010). Improving the singles rate method for modeling accidental coincidences in high-resolution PET. Phys. Med. Biol., 55(22), 6951–6971.
Abstract: Random coincidences ('randoms') are one of the main sources of image degradation in PET imaging. In order to correct for this effect, an accurate method to estimate the contribution of random events is necessary. This aspect becomes especially relevant for high-resolution PET scanners where the highest image quality is sought and accurate quantitative analysis is undertaken. One common approach to estimate randoms is the so-called singles rate method (SR) widely used because of its good statistical properties. SR is based on the measurement of the singles rate in each detector element. However, recent studies suggest that SR systematically overestimates the correct random rate. This overestimation can be particularly marked for low energy thresholds, below 250 keV used in some applications and could entail a significant image degradation. In this work, we investigate the performance of SR as a function of the activity, geometry of the source and energy acceptance window used. We also investigate the performance of an alternative method, which we call 'singles trues' (ST) that improves SR by properly modeling the presence of true coincidences in the sample. Nevertheless, in any real data acquisition the knowledge of which singles are members of a true coincidence is lost. Therefore, we propose an iterative method, STi, that provides an estimation based on ST but which only requires the knowledge of measurable quantities: prompts and singles. Due to inter-crystal scatter, for wide energy windows ST only partially corrects SR overestimations. While SR deviations are in the range 86-300% (depending on the source geometry), the ST deviations are systematically smaller and contained in the range 4-60%. STi fails to reproduce the ST results, although for not too high activities the deviation with respect to ST is only a few percent. For conventional energy windows, i.e. those without inter-crystal scatter, the ST method corrects the SR overestimations, and deviations from the true random rate are of the order of 1% or less. In addition, in the case of conventional energy window STi results reproduce ST results and therefore the former can be used to obtain the true random rate.
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Noguera, S., & Vento, V. (2010). The pion transition form factor and the pion distribution amplitude. Eur. Phys. J. A, 46(2), 197–205.
Abstract: Recent BaBar data on the pion transition form factor, whose Q(2)-dependence is much steeper then predicted by asymptotic Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), have caused a renewed interest in its theoretical description. We present here a formalism based on a model-independent description for low photon virtuality and a high photon virtuality description based on QCD, which match at a scale Q(0). The high photon virtuality description incorporates a flat pion distribution amplitude, phi(x) = 1, at the matching scale Q(0) and QCD evolution from Q(0) to Q > Q(0). The flat pion distribution is connected, through soft pion theorems and chiral symmetry, to the pion valence parton distribution at the same low scale Q(0). The procedure leads to a good description of the data, and by incorporating additional twist-three effects, to an excellent description of the data.
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CDF Collaboration(Aaltonen, T. et al), & Cabrera, S. (2010). Search for new color-octet vector particle decaying to t(t)over-bar in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV. Phys. Lett. B, 691(4), 183–190.
Abstract: We present the result of a search for a massive color-octet vector particle, (e.g. a massive gluon) decaying to a pair of top quarks in proton-antiproton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. This search is based on 1.9 fb(-1) of data collected using the CDF detector during Run II of the Tevatron at Fermilab. We study t (t) over bar events in the lepton + jets channel with at least one b-tagged jet. A massive gluon is characterized by its mass, decay width, and the strength of its coupling to quarks. These parameters are determined according to the observed invariant mass distribution of top quark pairs. We set limits on the massive gluon coupling strength for masses between 400 and 800 GeV/c(2) and width-to-mass ratios between 0.05 and 0.50. The coupling strength of the hypothetical massive gluon to quarks is consistent with zero within the explored parameter space.
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Particle Data Group(Nakamura, K. et al), & Hernandez-Rey, J. J. (2010). Review of Particle Physics. J. Phys. G, 37(7a), 1–1422.
Abstract: This biennial Review summarizes much of particle physics. Using data from previous editions, plus 2158 new measurements from 551 papers, we list, evaluate, and average measured properties of gauge bosons, leptons, quarks, mesons, and baryons. We also summarize searches for hypothetical particles such as Higgs bosons, heavy neutrinos, and supersymmetric particles. All the particle properties and search limits are listed in Summary Tables. We also give numerous tables, figures, formulae, and reviews of topics such as the Standard Model, particle detectors, probability, and statistics. Among the 108 reviews are many that are new or heavily revised including those on neutrino mass, mixing, and oscillations, QCD, top quark, CKM quark-mixing matrix, V-ud & V-us, V-cb & V-ub, fragmentation functions, particle detectors for accelerator and non-accelerator physics, magnetic monopoles, cosmological parameters, and big bang cosmology. A booklet is available containing the Summary Tables and abbreviated versions of some of the other sections of this full Review. All tables, listings, and reviews (and errata) are also available on the Particle Data Group website: http://pdg.1b1.gov.
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Mukha, I. et al. (2010). Spectroscopy of proton-unbound nuclei by tracking their decay products in-flight: One- and two-proton decays of F-15, Ne-16, and Na-19. Phys. Rev. C, 82(5), 054315–14pp.
Abstract: A powerful method of investigating proton-unbound nuclear states by tracking their decay products in flight is discussed in detail. To verify the method, four known levels in F-15, Ne-16, and Na-19 were investigated by measuring the angular correlations between protons and the respective heavy-ion fragments stemming from the precursor decays in flight. The parent nuclei of interest were produced in nuclear reactions of one-neutron removal from Ne-17 and Mg-20 projectiles at energies of 410-450 A MeV. The trajectories of the respective decay products, O-14 + p + p and Ne-18 + p + p, were measured by applying a tracking technique with microstrip detectors. These data were used to reconstruct the angular correlations of the fragments, which provided information on energies and widths of the parent states. In addition for reproducing properties of known states, evidence for hitherto unknown excited states in F-15 and Ne-16 was found. This tracking technique has an advantage in studies of exotic nuclei beyond the proton drip line measuring the resonance energies and widths with a high precision although by using low-intensity beams and very thick targets.
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