Abstract: The simulation and analysis of High Energy Physics experiments require a realistic simulation of the detector material and its distribution. The challenge is to describe all active and passive parts of large scale detectors like ATLAS in terms of their size, position and material composition. The common method for estimating the radiation length by weighing individual components, adding up their contributions and averaging the resulting material distribution over extended structures provides a good general estimate, but can deviate significantly from the material actually present. A method has been developed to assess its material distribution with high spatial resolution using the reconstructed scattering angles and hit positions of high energy electron tracks traversing an object under investigation. The study presented here shows measurements for an extended structure with a highly inhomogeneous material distribution. The structure under investigation is an End-of-Substructure-card prototype designed for the ATLAS Inner Tracker strip tracker – a PCB populated with components of a large range of material budgets and sizes. The measurements presented here summarise requirements for data samples and reconstructed electron tracks for reliable image reconstruction of large scale, inhomogeneous samples, choices of pixel sizes compared to the size of features under investigation as well as a bremsstrahlung correction for high material densities and thicknesses.

Abstract: A search for the flavor-changing neutral-current decay B+ -> K+nu(nu) over bar is performed at the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB asymmetric energy electron-positron collider. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 63 fb(-1) collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance and a sample of 9 fb(-1) collected at an energy 60 MeV below the resonance. Because the measurable decay signature involves only a single charged kaon, a novel measurement approach is used that exploits not only the properties of the B+ -> K+nu(nu) over bar decay, but also the inclusive properties of the other B meson in the Upsilon(4S) -> B (B) over bar event, to suppress the background from other B meson decays and light-quark pair production. This inclusive tagging approach offers a higher signal efficiency compared to previous searches. No significant signal is observed. An upper limit on the branching fraction of B+ -> K+nu(nu) over bar of 4.1 x 10(-5) is set at the 90% confidence level.

Abstract: We report on new flavor tagging algorithms developed to determine the quark-flavor content of bottom (B) mesons at Belle II. The algorithms provide essential inputs for measurements of quark-flavor mixing and charge-parity violation. We validate and evaluate the performance of the algorithms using hadronic B decays with flavor-specific final states reconstructed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 62.8 fb(-1), collected at the gamma(4S) resonance with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We measure the total effective tagging efficiency to be epsilon(eff) = (30.0 +/- 1.2(stat) +/- 0.4(syst))% for a category-based algorithm and epsilon(eff) = (28.8 +/- 1.2(stat) +/- 0.4(syst))% for a deep-learning-based algorithm.

Abstract: The success of the Belle II experiment in Japan relies on the very high instantaneous luminosity, close to 6x1035 cm-2 s-1, expected from the SuperKEKB collider. The corresponding beam conditions at such luminosity levels generate large rates of background particles and creates stringent constraints on the vertex detector, adding to the physics requirements. Current prospects for the occupancy rates in the present vertex detector (VXD) at full luminosity fall close to the acceptable limits and bear large uncertainties. In this context, the Belle II collaboration is considering the possibility to install an upgraded VXD system around 2027 to provide a sufficient safety margin with respect to the expected background rate and possibly enhance tracking and vertexing performance. The VTX collaboration has started the design of a fully pixelated VXD, called VTX, based on fast and highly granular Depleted Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (DMAPS) integrated on light support structures. The two main technical features of the VTX proposal are the usage of a single sensor type over all the layers of the system and the overall material budget below 2% of radiation length, compared to the current VXD which has two different sensor technologies and about 3% of radiation length. A dedicated sensor (OBELIX), taylored to the specific needs of Belle II, is under development, evolving from the existing TJ-Monopix2 sensor. The time-stamping precision below 100 ns will allow all VTX layers to take part in the track finding strategy contrary to the current situation. The first two detection layers are designed according to a self-supported all-silicon ladder concept, where 4 contiguous sensors are diced out of a wafer, thinned and interconnected with post-processed redistribution layers. The outermost detection layers follow a more conventional approach with a cold plate and carbon fibre support structure, and light flex cables interconnecting the sensors. This document will review the context, technical details and development status of the proposed Belle II VTX.