Abstract: A newly developed segmented YSO scintillator detector was implemented for the first time at the RI-beam Factory at RIKEN Nishina Center as an implantation-decay counter. The results from the experiment demonstrate that the detector is a viable alternative to conventional silicon-strip detectors with its good timing resolution and high detection efficiency for beta particles. A Position-Sensitive Photo-Multiplier Tube (PSPMT) is coupled with a 48 x 48 segmented YSO crystal. To demonstrate its capabilities, a known short-lived isomer in Ni-76 and the beta decay of Co-74 were measured by implanting those ions into the YSO detector. The half-lives and gamma-rays observed in this work are consistent with the known values. The beta-ray detection efficiency is more than 80 % for the decay of Co-74.

Abstract: beta-delayed gamma-neutron spectroscopy has been performed on the decay of A=84 to 87 gallium isotopes at the RI-beam Factory at the RIKEN Nishina Center using a high-efficiency array of 3He neutron counters (BRIKEN). beta-2n-gamma events were measured in the decays of all of the four isotopes for the first time, which is direct evidence for populating the excited states of two-neutron daughter nuclei. Detailed decay schemes with the gamma branching ratios were obtained for these isotopes, and the neutron emission probabilities (P-xn) were updated from the previous study. Hauser-Feshbach statistical model calculations were performed to understand the experimental branching ratios. We found that the P-1n and P-2n values are sensitive to the nuclear level densities of 1n daughter nuclei and showed that the statistical model reproduced the P-2n/P-1n ratio better when experimental levels plus shell-model level densities fit by the Gilbert-Cameron formula were used as the level-density input. We also showed the neutron and gamma branching ratios are sensitive to the ground-state spin of the parent nucleus. Our statistical model analysis suggested J <= 3 for the unknown ground-state spin of the odd-odd nucleus Ga-86, from the I gamma(4(+)-> 2(+))/I-gamma(2(+)-> 0(+)) ratio of Ga-84 and the P-2n/P-1n ratio. These results show the necessity of detailed understanding of the decay scheme, including data from neutron spectroscopy, in addition to gamma measurements of the multineutron emitters.

Abstract: By solving the Muskhelishvili-Omnes integral equations, the scalar form factors of the semileptonic heavy meson decays D -> pi(l) over bar nu(l), D -> (K) over bar(l) over bar nu(l), (K) over bar -> pi(l) over bar nu(l) and (B) over bar (s) -> Kl (nu) over bar (l) are simultaneously studied. As input, we employ unitarized heavy meson-Goldstone boson chiral coupled-channel amplitudes for the energy regions not far from thresholds, while, at high energies, adequate asymptotic conditions are imposed. The scalar form factors are expressed in terms of Omn\`es matrices multiplied by vector polynomials, which contain some undetermined dispersive subtraction constants. We make use of heavy quark and chiral symmetries to constrain these constants, which are fitted to lattice QCD results both in the charm and the bottom sectors, and in this latter sector to the light-cone sum rule predictions close to q(2)=0 as well. We find a good simultaneous description of the scalar form factors for the four semileptonic decay reactions. From this combined fit, and taking advantage that scalar and vector form factors are equal at q(2)=0, we obtain |V-cd| = 0.244 +/- 0.022, |V-cs| = 0.945 +/- 0.041 and |V-ub| = (4.3 +/- 0.7)x10(-3) for the involved Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements. In addition, we predict the following vector form factors at q(2) = 0: |f(+)(D ->eta)(0)| = 0.01 +/- 0.05, |f(+)(Ds ->eta)(0)| = 0.50 +/- 0.08, |f(+)(Ds ->eta)(0)| = 0.73 +/- 0.03 and|f(+)((B) over bar ->eta)(0)| = 0.82 +/- 0.08, which might serve as alternatives to determine the CKM elements when experimental measurements of the corresponding differential decay rates become available. Finally, we predict the different form factors above the q(2)-regions accessible in the semileptonic decays, up to moderate energies amenable to be described using the unitarized coupled-channel chiral approach.

Abstract: Neutral current single pion production induced by neutrinos and antineutrinos on nucleon targets has been investigated in manifestly relativistic baryon chiral perturbation theory with explicit Delta(1232) degrees of freedom up to O(p(3)). At low energies, where chiral perturbation theory is applicable, the total cross sections for the different reaction channels exhibit a sizable non-resonant contribution, which is not present in event generators of broad use in neutrino oscillation and cross section experiments such as GENIE and NuWro.

Abstract: We calculate the masses and sigma terms of the doubly charmed baryons up to next-to-next-to-next-toleading order [i.e., O(p(4))] in a covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory by using the extended-on-mass-shell renormalization scheme. Their expressions both in infinite and finite volumes are provided for chiral extrapolation in lattice QCD. As a first application, our chiral results of the masses are confronted with the existing lattice QCD data in the presence of finite-volume corrections. Up to O(p(3)), all relevant low-energy constants can be well determined. As a consequence, we obtain the physical values for the masses of Xi(cc) and Omega(cc) baryons by extrapolating to the physical limit. Our determination of the Xi(cc) mass is consistent with the recent experimental value by LHCb Collaboration, however, larger than the one by SELEX Collaboration. In addition, we predict the pion-baryon and strangeness-baryon sigma terms, as well as the mass splitting between the Xi(cc) and Omega(cc) states. Their quark mass dependences are also discussed. The numerical procedure can be applied to the chiral results of O(p(4)) order, where more unknown constants are involved, when more data are available for unphysical pion masses.