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Pierre Auger Collaboration(Abreu, P. et al), & Pastor, S. (2011). The Pierre Auger Observatory scaler mode for the study of solar activity modulation of galactic cosmic rays. J. Instrum., 6, P01003–16pp.
Abstract: Since data-taking began in January 2004, the Pierre Auger Observatory has been recording the count rates of low energy secondary cosmic ray particles for the self-calibration of the ground detectors of its surface detector array. After correcting for atmospheric effects, modulations of galactic cosmic rays due to solar activity and transient events are observed. Temporal variations related with the activity of the heliosphere can be determined with high accuracy due to the high total count rates. In this study, the available data are presented together with an analysis focused on the observation of Forbush decreases, where a strong correlation with neutron monitor data is found.
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HADES Collaboration(Agakishiev, G. et al), Diaz, J., & Gil, A. (2010). In-medium effects on K-0 mesons in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Phys. Rev. C, 82(4), 044907–9pp.
Abstract: We present the transverse momentum spectra and rapidity distributions of pi(-) and K-S(0) in Ar + KCl reactions at a beam kinetic energy of 1.756 A GeV measured with the High Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES). The reconstructed K-S(0) sample is characterized by good event statistics for a wide range in momentum and rapidity. We compare the experimental pi(-) and K-S(0) distributions to predictions by the Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics (IQMD) model. The model calculations show that K-S(0) at low transverse momenta constitute a particularly well-suited tool to investigate the kaon in-medium potential. Our K-S(0) data suggest a strong repulsive in-medium K-0 potential of about 40 MeV strength.
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CDF Collaboration(Aaltonen, T. et al), & Cabrera, S. (2010). Measurement of the top quark mass in the dilepton channel using m(T2) at CDF. Phys. Rev. D, 81(3), 031102–9pp.
Abstract: We present measurements of the top quark mass using m(T2), a variable related to the transverse mass in events with two missing particles. We use the template method applied to t (t) over bar dilepton events produced in p (p) over bar collisions at Fermilab's Tevatron Collider and collected by the CDF detector. From a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.4 fb(-1), we select 236 t (t) over bar candidate events. Using the m(T2) distribution, we measure the top quark mass to be M-top = 168.0(-4.0)(4.8)(stat) +/- 2.9(syst) GeV/c(2). By combining m(T2) with the reconstructed top quark mass distributions based on a neutrino weighting method, we measure M-top = 169.3 +/- 2.7(stat) +/- 3.2(syst) GeV/c(2). This is the first application of the m(T2) variable in a mass measurement at a hadron collider.
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Aguilar-Saavedra, J. A., & Bernabeu, J. (2010). W polarisation beyond helicity fractions in top quark decays. Nucl. Phys. B, 840(1-2), 349–378.
Abstract: We calculate the density matrix for the decay of a polarised top quark into a polarised W boson and a massive 17 quark, for the most general Wth vertex arising from dimension-six gauge-invariant effective operators. We show that, in addition to the well-known W helicity fractions, for polarised top decays it is worth defining and studying the transverse and normal W polarisation fractions, that is, the W polarisation alone two directions orthogonal to its momentum. In particular, a rather simple forward-backward asymmetry in the normal direction is found to be very sensitive to complex phases in one of the Wth anomalous couplings. This asymmetry, which indicates a normal W polarisation, can be generated for example by a P-odd. T-odd transition electric dipole moment. We also investigate the angular distribution of decay products in the top quark rest frame, calculating the spin analysing powers for a general Wth vertex. Finally we show that, using a combined fit to top decay observables and the t W cross section, at LHC it will be possible to obtain model-independent measurements of all the (complex) Wth couplings as well as the single top polarisation. Implications for spin correlations in top pair production are also discussed.
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Sanjuan, R., Nebot, M., Chirico, N., Mansky, L. M., & Belshaw, R. (2010). Viral Mutation Rates. J. Virol., 84(19), 9733–9748.
Abstract: Accurate estimates of virus mutation rates are important to understand the evolution of the viruses and to combat them. However, methods of estimation are varied and often complex. Here, we critically review over 40 original studies and establish criteria to facilitate comparative analyses. The mutation rates of 23 viruses are presented as substitutions per nucleotide per cell infection (s/n/c) and corrected for selection bias where necessary, using a new statistical method. The resulting rates range from 10(-8) to 10(-6) s/n/c for DNA viruses and from 10(-6) to 10(-4) s/n/c for RNA viruses. Similar to what has been shown previously for DNA viruses, there appears to be a negative correlation between mutation rate and genome size among RNA viruses, but this result requires further experimental testing. Contrary to some suggestions, the mutation rate of retroviruses is not lower than that of other RNA viruses. We also show that nucleotide substitutions are on average four times more common than insertions/deletions (indels). Finally, we provide estimates of the mutation rate per nucleotide per strand copying, which tends to be lower than that per cell infection because some viruses undergo several rounds of copying per cell, particularly double-stranded DNA viruses. A regularly updated virus mutation rate data set will be available at www.uv.es/rsanjuan/virmut.
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