Abstract: Shell structure and magic numbers in atomic nuclei were generally explained by pioneering work(1) that introduced a strong spin-orbit interaction to the nuclear shell model potential. However, knowledge of nuclear forces and the mechanisms governing the structure of nuclei, in particular far from stability, is still incomplete. In nuclei with equal neutron and proton numbers (N = Z), enhanced correlations arise between neutrons and protons (two distinct types of fermions) that occupy orbitals with the same quantum numbers. Such correlations have been predicted to favour an unusual type of nuclear superfluidity, termed isoscalar neutron-proton pairing(2-6), in addition to normal isovector pairing. Despite many experimental efforts, these predictions have not been confirmed. Here we report the experimental observation of excited states in the N = Z = 46 nucleus Pd-92. Gamma rays emitted following the Ni-58(Ar-36,2n)Pd-92 fusion-evaporation reaction were identified using a combination of state-of-the-art high-resolution c-ray, charged-particle and neutron detector systems. Our results reveal evidence for a spin-aligned, isoscalar neutron-proton coupling scheme, different from the previous prediction(2-6). We suggest that this coupling scheme replaces normal superfluidity (characterized by seniority coupling(7,8)) in the ground and low-lying excited states of the heaviest N = Z nuclei. Such strong, isoscalar neutron-proton correlations would have a considerable impact on the nuclear level structure and possibly influence the dynamics of rapid proton capture in stellar nucleosynthesis.

Abstract: A search for diphoton events with large missing transverse energy is presented. The data were collected with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3: 1 pb(-1). No excess of such events is observed above the standard model background prediction. In the context of a specific model with one universal extra dimension with compactification radius R and gravity-induced decays, values of 1/R < 729 GeV are excluded at 95% C. L., providing the most sensitive limit on this model to date.

Abstract: Using 347: 5 fb(-1) of data recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II electron-positron collider, 244 x 10(3) signal events for the D+ -> K- pi(+)e(+)nu(e) decay channel are analyzed. This decay mode is dominated by the (K) over bar*(892)(0) contribution. We determine the (K) over bar*(892)(0) parameters: m(K*(892)0) (895.4 +/- 0.2 +/- 0.2) MeV/c(2),Gamma(0)(K*(892)0) (46.5 +/- 0.3 +/- 0.2) MeV/c(2), and the Blatt-Weisskopf parameter r(BW) = 2.1 +/- 0.5 +/- 0.5 (GeV/c)(-1), where the first uncertainty comes from statistics and the second from systematic uncertainties. We also measure the parameters defining the corresponding hadronic form factors at q(2) = 0 (r(V) = V(0)/A(1)(0) = 1.463 +/- 0.031, r(2) = A(2)(0)/A(1)(0) = 0.801 +/- 0.020 +/- 0.020) and the value of the axial-vector pole mass parametrizing the q(2) variation of A(1) and A(2): m(A) (2.63 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.13) GeV/c(2). The S-wave fraction is equal to (5.79 +/- 0.16 +/- 0: 15)%. Other signal components correspond to fractions below 1%. Using the D+ -> K-pi(+)pi(+) channel as a normalization, we measure the D+ semileptonic branching fraction: B(D+ K-pi(+)e(+)nu(e)) (4.00 +/- 0: 03 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.09) x 10(-2), where the third uncertainty comes from external inputs. We then obtain the value of the hadronic form factor A(1) at q(2) 0: A(1)(0) 0.6200 +/- 0.0056 +/- 0.0065 +/- 0.0071. Fixing the P-wave parameters, we measure the phase of the S wave for several values of the K pi mass. These results confirm those obtained with K pi production at small momentum transfer in fixed target experiments.

Abstract: We present a model for weak charged-current induced nuclear reactions at energies of interest for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments. This model is a natural extension of the work in Refs. [1,2], where the quasielastic contribution to the inclusive electron and neutrino scattering on nuclei was analyzed. The model is based on a systematic many-body expansion of the gauge boson absorption modes that includes one, two, and even three-body mechanisms, as well as the excitation of Delta isobars. The whole scheme has no free parameters, besides those previously adjusted to the weak pion production off the nucleon cross sections in the deuteron, since all nuclear effects were set up in previous studies of photon, electron, and pion interactions with nuclei. We have discussed at length the recent charged-current quasielastic MiniBooNE cross section data, and showed that two-nucleon knockout mechanisms are essential to describing these measurements.

Abstract: The LHCf experiment aims to improve knowledge of forward neutral particle production spectra at the LHC energy which is relevant for the interpretation of air shower development of high energy cosmic rays. Two detectors, each composed of a pair of sampling and imaging calorimeters, have been installed at the forward region of IP1 to measure pi(0) energy spectra above 600 GeV. In this paper, we present a Monte Carlo study of the pi(0) measurements to be performed with one of the LHCf detectors for proton-proton collisions at root s = 14 TeV. In approximately 40 min of operation at luminosity 0.8 x 10(29) cm(-2) s(-1) during the beam commissioning phase of LHC, about 1.5 x 10(4) pi(0) events are expected to be obtained at two transverse positions of the detector. The backgrounds from interactions of secondary particles with beam pipes and interactions of beam particles with residual gas in the beam pipes are expected to be less than 0.1% of the signal from pi(0)s. We also discuss the capability of LHCf measurements to discriminate between the various hadron interaction models that are used for simulation of high energy air showers, such as DPMJET3.03, QGSJETII-03, SIBYLL2.1 and EPOS1.99.