Herrero-Garcia, J., Schwetz, T., & Zupan, J. (2012). Astrophysics independent bounds on the annual modulation of dark matter signals. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(14), 141301–5pp.
Abstract: We show how constraints on the time integrated event rate from a given dark matter (DM) direct detection experiment can be used to bound the amplitude of the annual modulation signal in another experiment. The method requires only mild assumptions about the properties of the local DM distribution: that it is temporally stable on the scale of months and spatially homogeneous on the ecliptic. We apply the method to the annual modulation signal in DAMA/LIBRA, which we compare to the bounds derived from XENON10, XENON100, cryogenic DM search, and SIMPLE data. Assuming a DM mass of 10 GeV, we show that under the above assumptions about the DM halo, a DM interpretation of the DAMA/LIBRA signal is excluded for several classes of models: at 6.3 sigma (4.6 sigma) for elastic isospin conserving (violating) spin-independent interactions, and at 4.9 sigma for elastic spin-dependent interactions on protons.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Amoros, G., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Ferrer, A., et al. (2012). Search for tb Resonances in Proton-Proton Collisions at root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS Detector. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(8), 081801–19pp.
Abstract: This Letter presents a search for tb resonances in 1.04 fb(-1) of LHC proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. Events with a lepton, missing transverse momentum, and two jets are selected and the invariant mass of the corresponding final state is reconstructed. The search exploits the shape of the tb invariant mass distribution compared to the expected standard model backgrounds. The model of a right-handed W'(R) with standard model-like couplings is chosen as the benchmark model for this search. No statistically significant excess of events is observed in the data, and upper limits on the cross section times the branching ratio of W'(R) resonances at 95% C.L. lie in the range of 6.1-1.0 pb for W'(R) masses ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 TeV. These limits are translated into a lower bound on the allowed right-handed W'(R) mass, giving mW'(R) > 1.13 TeV at 95% C.L.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Bernabeu, J., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., & Villanueva-Perez, P. (2012). Observation of Time-Reversal Violation in the B-0 Meson System. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(21), 211801–8pp.
Abstract: Although CP violation in the B meson system has been well established by the B factories, there has been no direct observation of time-reversal violation. The decays of entangled neutral B mesons into definite flavor states (B-0 or (B) over bar (0)), and J/psi K-L(0) or c (c) over barK(S)(0) final states (referred to as B+ or B-), allow comparisons between the probabilities of four pairs of T-conjugated transitions, for example, (B) over bar (0) -> B- and B- -> (B) over bar (0), as a function of the time difference between the two B decays. Using 468 X 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs produced in Y(4S) decays collected by the BABAR detector at SLAC, we measure T-violating parameters in the time evolution of neutral B mesons, yielding Delta S-T(+) = -137 +/- 0.14(stat) +/- 0.06(syst) and Delta S-T(-) = 1.17 +/- 0.18(stat) +/- 0.11(syst). These nonzero results represent the first direct observation of T violation through the exchange of initial and final states in transitions that can only be connected by a T-symmetry transformation.
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Pierre Auger Collaboration(Abreu, P. et al), & Pastor, S. (2012). Measurement of the Proton-Air Cross Section at root s=57 TeV with the Pierre Auger Observatory. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(6), 062002–9pp.
Abstract: We report a measurement of the proton-air cross section for particle production at the center-of-mass energy per nucleon of 57 TeV. This is derived from the distribution of the depths of shower maxima observed with the Pierre Auger Observatory: systematic uncertainties are studied in detail. Analyzing the tail of the distribution of the shower maxima, a proton-air cross section of [505 +/- 22(stat)(-36)(+28)(syst)] mb is found.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fassi, F., Ferrer, A., et al. (2012). Search for Direct Top Squark Pair Production in Final States with One Isolated Lepton, Jets, and Missing Transverse Momentum in root s=7 TeV pp Collisions Using 4.7 fb(-1) of ATLAS Data. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(21), 211803–18pp.
Abstract: A search is presented for direct top squark pair production in final states with one isolated electron or muon, jets, and missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV. The measurement is based on 4.7 fb(-1) of data collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Each top squark is assumed to decay to a top quark and the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). The data are found to be consistent with standard model expectations. Top squark masses between 230 GeV and 440 GeV are excluded with 95% confidence for massless LSPs, and top squark masses around 400 GeV are excluded for LSP masses up to 125 GeV.
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