Abstract: We present a tunable metal ion beam that delivers controllable ion currents in the picoamp range for testing of dry-phase ion sensors. Ion beams are formed by sequential atomic evaporation and single or multiple electron impact ionization, followed by acceleration into a sensing region. Controllability of the ionic charge state is achieved through tuning of electrode potentials that influence the retention time in the ionization region. Barium, lead, and cadmium samples have been used to test the system, with ion currents identified and quantified using a quadrupole mass analyzer. Realization of a clean Ba2+ ion beam within a bench-top system represents an important technical advance toward the development and characterization of barium tagging systems for neutrinoless double beta decay searches in xenon gas. This system also provides a testbed for investigation of novel ion sensing methodologies for environmental assay applications, with dication beams of Pb2+ and Cd2+ also demonstrated for this purpose.

Abstract: Noble element time projection chambers are a leading technology for rare event detection in physics, such as for dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay searches. Time projection chambers typically assign event position in the drift direction using the relative timing of prompt scintillation and delayed charge collection signals, allowing for reconstruction of an absolute position in the drift direction. In this paper, alternate methods for assigning event drift distance via quantification of electron diffusion in a pure high pressure xenon gas time projection chamber are explored. Data from the NEXT-White detector demonstrate the ability to achieve good position assignment accuracy for both high- and low-energy events. Using point-like energy deposits from Kr-83m calibration electron captures (E similar to 45 keV), the position of origin of low-energy events is determined to 2 cm precision with bias <1 mm. A convolutional neural network approach is then used to quantify diffusion for longer tracks (E >= 1.5 MeV), from radiogenic electrons, yielding a precision of 3 cm on the event barycenter. The precision achieved with these methods indicates the feasibility energy calibrations of better than 1% FWHM at Q(beta beta) in pure xenon, as well as the potential for event fiducialization in large future detectors using an alternate method that does not rely on primary scintillation.

Abstract: Using the entire sample of 467 x 10(6) Y(4S) -> B (B) over bar decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, we perform an analysis of B-+/- -> DK +/- decays, using decay modes in which the neutral D meson decays to either CP-eigenstates or non-CP-eigenstates. We measure the partial decay rate charge asymmetries for CP-even and CP-odd D final states to be A(CP+) = 0.25 +/- 0.06 +/- 0.02 and A(CP-) = 0.09 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.02, respectively, where the first error is the statistical and the second is the systematic uncertainty. The parameter A(CP+) is different from zero with a significance of 3.6 standard deviations, constituting evidence for direct CP violation. We also measure the ratios of the charged-averaged B partial decay rates in CP and non-CP decays, RCP+ 1.18 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.05 and RCP- = 1.07 +/- 0.08 +/- 0.04. We infer frequentist confidence intervals for the angle gamma of the unitarity triangle, for the strong phase difference delta(B), and for the amplitude ratio r(B), which are related to the B- -> DK- decay amplitude by r(B)e(i(delta B-gamma)) = A(B- -> (D) over bar K-0(-)) = A(B- -> (D) over bar K-0(-))/A(B- -> (DK-)-K-0). Including statistical and systematic uncertainties, we obtain 0: 24 < rB < 0: 45 ( 0: 06 < rB < 0: 51) and, modulo 180 degrees, 11.3 degrees < gamma < 22.7 degrees or 80.8 degrees < gamma < 99.2 degrees or 157.3 degrees < gamma < 168.7 degrees (7.0 degrees < gamma < 173.0 degrees) at the 68% ( 95%) confidence level.