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.