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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Ruiz Valls, P., & Sanchez Mayordomo, C. (2016). First Observation of D-0 – (D)over-bar(0) Oscillations in D-0 -> K+pi(-)pi(+)pi(-) Decays and Measurement of the Associated Coherence Parameters. Phys. Rev. Lett., 116(24), 241801–10pp.
Abstract: Charm meson oscillations are observed in a time-dependent analysis of the ratio of D-0 -> K+pi(-)pi(+)pi(-) to D-0 -> K-pi(+)pi(-)pi(+) decay rates, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) recorded by the LHCb experiment. The measurements presented are sensitive to the phase-space averaged ratio of doubly Cabibbo-suppressed to Cabibbo-favored amplitudes r(D)(K3 pi) and the product of the coherence factor R-D(K3 pi) and a charm mixing parameter y'(K3 pi). The constraints measured are r(D)(K3 pi) = (5.67 +/- 0.12) x 10(-2), which is the most precise determination to date, and R-D(K3 pi) y'(K3 pi) = (0.3 +/- 1.8) x 10(-3), which provides useful input for determinations of the CP-violating phase gamma in B-+/- -> DK +/-, D -> K--/+pi(+/-)pi(-/+)pi(+/-) decays. The analysis also gives the most precise measurement of the D-0 -> K+pi(-)pi(+)pi(-) branching fraction, and the first observation of D-0-(D) over bar (0) oscillations in this decay mode, with a significance of 8.2 standard deviations.
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Liddick, S. N., Spyrou, A., Crider, B. P., Naqvi, F., Larsen, A. C., Guttormsen, M., et al. (2016). Experimental Neutron Capture Rate Constraint Far from Stability. Phys. Rev. Lett., 116(24), 242502–6pp.
Abstract: Nuclear reactions where an exotic nucleus captures a neutron are critical for a wide variety of applications, from energy production and national security, to astrophysical processes, and nucleosynthesis. Neutron capture rates are well constrained near stable isotopes where experimental data are available; however, moving far from the valley of stability, uncertainties grow by orders of magnitude. This is due to the complete lack of experimental constraints, as the direct measurement of a neutron-capture reaction on a short-lived nucleus is extremely challenging. Here, we report on the first experimental extraction of a neutron capture reaction rate on Ni-69, a nucleus that is five neutrons away from the last stable isotope of Ni. The implications of this measurement on nucleosynthesis around mass 70 are discussed, and the impact of similar future measurements on the understanding of the origin of the heavy elements in the cosmos is presented.
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Gomis, P., & Perez, A. (2016). Decoherence effects in the Stern-Gerlach experiment using matrix Wigner functions. Phys. Rev. A, 94(1), 012103–11pp.
Abstract: We analyze the Stern-Gerlach experiment in phase space with the help of the matrix Wigner function, which includes the spin degree of freedom. Such analysis allows for an intuitive visualization of the quantum dynamics of the device. We include the interaction with the environment, as described by the Caldeira-Leggett model. The diagonal terms of the matrix provide us with information about the two components of the state that arise from interaction with the magnetic field gradient. In particular, from the marginals of these components, we obtain an analytical formula for the position and momentum probability distributions in the presence of decoherence that shows a diffusive behavior for large values of the decoherence parameter. These features limit the dynamics of the present model. We also observe the decay of the nondiagonal terms with time and use this fact to quantify the amount of decoherence from the norm of those terms in phase space. From here, we can define a decoherence time scale, which differs from previous results that make use of the same model. We analyze a typical experiment and show that, for that setup, the decoherence time is much smaller than the characteristic time scale for the separation of the two beams, implying that they can be described as an incoherent mixture of atoms traveling in the up and down directions with opposite values of the spin projection. Therefore, entanglement is quickly destroyed in the setup we analyzed.
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Ganioglu, E. et al, Rubio, B., Algora, A., Estevez-Aguado, E., & Molina, F. (2016). High-resolution study of Gamow-Teller transitions in the Ti-48(He-3,t)V-48 reaction. Phys. Rev. C, 93(6), 064326–10pp.
Abstract: In this work we have studied T-z = +2 -> +1, Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions in the Ti-48(He-3, t)V-48 chargeexchange reaction at 140 MeV/nucleon and 0 degrees at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka. From the high-resolution facility, consisting of a high-dispersion beamline and the Grand Raiden spectrometer, the spectrum had an energy resolution of 21 keV, among the best achieved. Individual GT transitions were observed and GT strength was derived for each state populated up to an excitation energy of 12 MeV. The total sum of the B(GT) strength observed in discrete states was 4.0, which is 33% of the sum-rule-limit value of 12. The results were compared with the results of shell-model calculations carried out with the GXPF1J interaction. The measured B(GT) distribution was also compared with that obtained in the (He-3, t) charge-exchange reaction on Ti-47. On the assumption of isospin symmetry the beta spectrum of the T-z = -2 nucleus Fe-48 was deduced from the observed spectrum in the Ti-48(He-3, t)V-48 reaction and this predicted spectrum was compared with the measured one.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Ruiz Valls, P., & Sanchez Mayordomo, C. (2016). Constraints on the unitarity triangle angle gamma from Dalitz plot analysis of B-0 -> DK+pi(-) decays. Phys. Rev. D, 93(11), 112018–19pp.
Abstract: The first study is presented of CP violation with an amplitude analysis of the Dalitz plot of B-0 -> DK+pi(-) decays, with D -> K+pi(-), K+K-, and pi(+)pi(-). The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to 3.0 fb(-1) of pp collisions collected with the LHCb detector. No significant CP violation effect is seen, and constraints are placed on the angle gamma of the unitarity triangle formed from elements of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix. Hadronic parameters associated with the B-0 -> DK*(892)(0) decay are determined for the first time. These measurements can be used to improve the sensitivity to gamma of existing and future studies of the B-0 -> DK*(892)(0) decay.
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