arXiv subjects

G. Abbiendi

Publications and source records attributed to G. Abbiendi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Lepton pair production in muon-nucleus scattering

The MUonE experiment aims at providing a novel determination of the leading hadronic contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment through the study of elastic muon-electron scattering. Since the initial-state electrons are bound in a low-$Z$ atomic target, the interaction between the incoming muons and the nuclei is expected to be the main source of experimental background. In this article, we study the production of a real lepton pair from the muon-nucleus scattering, discussing its numerical impact in the MUonE kinematic configuration. The process is described as a scattering of a muon in an external Coulomb field with the addition of a form factor to describe the nuclear charge distribution. The calculation is implemented in the fully differential Monte Carlo event generator MESMER, without introducing any approximation on the angular variables.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

The Analytical Method algorithm for trigger primitives generation at the LHC Drift Tubes detector

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment prepares its Phase-2 upgrade for the high-luminosity era of the LHC operation (HL-LHC). Due to the increase of occupancy, trigger latency and rates, the full electronics of the CMS Drift Tube (DT) chambers will need to be replaced. In the new design, the time bin for the digitisation of the chamber signals will be of around 1~ns, and the totality of the signals will be forwarded asynchronously to the service cavern at full resolution. The new backend system will be in charge of building the trigger primitives of each chamber. These trigger primitives contain the information at chamber level about the muon candidates position, direction, and collision time, and are used as input in the L1 CMS trigger. The added functionalities will improve the robustness of the system against ageing. An algorithm based on analytical solutions for reconstructing the DT trigger primitives, called Analytical Method, has been implemented both as a software C++ emulator and in firmware. Its performance has been estimated using the software emulator with simulated and real data samples, and through hardware implementation tests. Measured efficiencies are 96 to 98\% for all qualities and time and spatial resolutions are close to the ultimate performance of the DT chambers. A prototype chain of the HL-LHC electronics using the Analytical Method for trigger primitive generation has been installed during Long Shutdown 2 of the LHC and operated in CMS cosmic data taking campaigns in 2020 and 2021. Results from this validation step, the so-called Slice Test, are presented.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

Mini-Proceedings of the STRONG2020 Virtual Workshop on "Space-like and Time-like determination of the Hadronic Leading Order contribution to the Muon $g-2$"

The mini-proceedings of the STRONG2020 Virtual Workshop "Space-like and Time-like determination of the Hadronic Leading Order contribution to the Muon $g-2$", November 24--26 2021, are presented. This is the first workshop of the STRONG2020 WP21: JRA3-PrecisionSM: Precision Tests of the Standard Model (http://www.strong-2020.eu/joint-research-activity/jra3-precisionsm.html). The workshop was devoted to review of the working group activitity on: $(\it i)$ Radiative Corrections and Monte Carlo tools for low-energy hadronic cross sections in $e^+ e^-$ collisions; $(\it ii)$ Annotated database for $e^+e^-$ into hadrons processes at low energy; $(\it iii)$ Radiative Corrections and Monte Carlo tools for $μ$-$e$ elastic scattering.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Results on Multiple Coulomb Scattering from 12 and 20 GeV electrons on Carbon targets

Multiple scattering effects of 12 and 20 GeV electrons on 8 and 20 mm thickness carbon targets have been studied with high-resolution silicon microstrip detectors of the UA9 apparatus at the H8 line at CERN. Comparison of the scattering angle between data and GEANT4 simulation shows excellent agreement in the core of the distributions leaving some residual disagreement in the tails.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

Study of the effects of radiation on the CMS Drift Tubes Muon Detector for the HL-LHC

The CMS drift tubes (DT) muon detector, built for withstanding the LHC expected integrated and instantaneous luminosities, will be used also in the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) at a 5 times larger instantaneous luminosity and, consequently, much higher levels of radiation, reaching about 10 times the LHC integrated luminosity. Initial irradiation tests of a spare DT chamber at the CERN gamma irradiation facility (GIF++), at large ($\sim$O(100)) acceleration factor, showed ageing effects resulting in a degradation of the DT cell performance. However, full CMS simulations have shown almost no impact in the muon reconstruction efficiency over the full barrel acceptance and for the full integrated luminosity. A second spare DT chamber was moved inside the GIF++ bunker in October 2017. The chamber was being irradiated at lower acceleration factors, and only 2 out of the 12 layers of the chamber were switched at working voltage when the radioactive source was active, being the other layers in standby. In this way the other non-aged layers are used as reference and as a precise and unbiased telescope of muon tracks for the efficiency computation of the aged layers of the chamber, when set at working voltage for measurements. An integrated dose equivalent to two times the expected integrated luminosity of the HL-LHC run has been absorbed by this second spare DT chamber and the final impact on the muon reconstruction efficiency is under study. Direct inspection of some extracted aged anode wires presented a melted resistive deposition of materials. Investigation on the outgassing of cell materials and of the gas components used at the GIF++ are underway. Strategies to mitigate the ageing effects are also being developed. From the long irradiation measurements of the second spare DT chamber, the effects of radiation in the performance of the DTs expected during the HL-LHC run will be presented.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2017

Measuring the leading hadronic contribution to the muon g-2 via $μ\,e$ scattering

We propose a new experiment to measure the running of the fine-structure constant in the space-like region by scattering high-energy muons on atomic electrons of a low-Z target through the process $μe \to μe$. The differential cross section of this process, measured as a function of the squared momentum transfer $t=q^2<0$, provides direct sensitivity to the leading-order hadronic contribution to the muon anomaly $a^{\rm{HLO}}_μ$. By using a muon beam of 150 GeV, with an average rate of $\sim1.3\times 10^7$ muon/s, currently available at the CERN North Area, a statistical uncertainty of $\sim 0.3\%$ can be achieved on $a^{\rm{HLO}}_μ$ after two years of data taking. This direct measurement of $a^{\rm{HLO}}_μ$ will provide an independent determination, competitive with the time-like dispersive approach, and consolidate the theoretical prediction for the muon $g$-2 in the Standard Model. It will allow therefore a firmer interpretation of the measurements of the future muon $g$-2 experiments at Fermilab and J-PARC.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2009

Measurement of alpha s with Radiative Hadronic Events

Hadronic final states with a hard isolated photon are studied using data taken at centre-of-mass energies around the mass of the Z0 boson with the OPAL detector at LEP. The strong coupling alpha S is extracted by comparing data and QCD predictions for event shape observables at average reduced centre-of-mass energies ranging from 24 GeV to 78 GeV, and the energy dependence of alpha S is studied. Our results are consistent with the running of alpha S as predicted by QCD and show that within the uncertainties of our analysis event shapes in hadronic Z0 decays with hard and isolated photon radiation can be described by QCD at reduced centre-of-mass energies. Combining all values from different event shape observables and energies gives alpha S (Mz)=0.1182 pm 0.0015(stat.) pm 0.0101(syst.).

hep-ex↗

arXiv2006

QCD coherence and correlations of particles with restricted momenta in hadronic Z decays

QCD coherence effects are studied based on measurements of correlations of particles with either restricted transverse momenta, pT<pTcut, where pT is defined with respect to the thrust axis, or restricted absolute momenta, p equiv |p| < pcut, using about four million hadronic Z decays recorded at LEP with the OPAL detector. The correlations are analyzed in terms of normalized factorial and cumulant moments. The analysis is inspired by analytical QCD calculations which, in conjunction with Local Parton-Hadron Duality (LPHD), predict that, due to colour coherence, the multiplicity distribution of particles with restricted transverse momenta should become Poissonian as pTcut decreases. The expected correlation pattern is indeed observed down to pTcut approx 1GeV but not at lower transverse momenta. Furthermore, for pcut to 0 GeV a strong rise is observed in the data, in disagreement with theoretical expectation. The Monte Carlo models reproduce well the measurements at large pTcut and pcut but underestimate their magnitudes at the lowest momenta. The e+e- data are also compared to the measurements in deep-inelastic e+p collisions. Our study indicates difficulties with the LPHD hypothesis when applied to many-particle inclusive observables of soft hadrons.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2006

Measurement of the running of the QED coupling in small-angle Bhabha scattering at LEP

Using the OPAL detector at LEP, the running of the effective QED coupling alpha(t) is measured for space-like momentum transfer from the angular distribution of small-angle Bhabha scattering. In an almost ideal QED framework, with very favourable experimental conditions, we obtain: Delta alpha(-6.07GeV^2) - Delta alpha(-1.81GeV^2) = (440 pm 58 pm 43 pm 30) X 10^-5, where the first error is statistical, the second is the experimental systematic and the third is the theoretical uncertainty. This agrees with current evaluations of alpha(t).The null hypothesis that alpha remains constant within the above interval of -t is excluded with a significance above 5sigma. Similarly, our results are inconsistent at the level of 3sigma with the hypothesis that only leptonic loops contribute to the running. This is currently the most significant direct measurment where the running alpha(t) is probed differentially within the measured t range.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2006

Measurement of the Strong Coupling alpha s from Four-Jet Observables in e+e- Annihilation

Data from e+e- annihilation into hadrons at centre-of-mass energies between 91 GeV and 209 GeV collected with the OPAL detector at LEP, are used to study the four-jet rate as a function of the Durham algorithm resolution parameter ycut. The four-jet rate is compared to next-to-leading order calculations that include the resummation of large logarithms. The strong coupling measured from the four-jet rate is alphas(Mz0)= 0.1182+-0.0003(stat.)+-0.0015(exp.)+-0.0011(had.)+-0.0012(scale)+-0.0013(mass) in agreement with the world average. Next-to-leading order fits to the D-parameter and thrust minor event-shape observables are also performed for the first time. We find consistent results, but with significantly larger theoretical uncertainties.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2005

Colour reconnection in e+e- -> W+W- at sqrt(s) = 189 - 209 GeV

The effects of the final state interaction phenomenon known as colour reconnection are investigated at centre-of-mass energies in the range sqrt(s) ~ 189-209 GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. Colour reconnection is expected to affect observables based on charged particles in hadronic decays of W+W-. Measurements of inclusive charged particle multiplicities, and of their angular distribution with respect to the four jet axes of the events, are used to test models of colour reconnection. The data are found to exclude extreme scenarios of the Sjostrand-Khoze Type I (SK-I) model and are compatible with other models, both with and without colour reconnection effects. In the context of the SK-I model, the best agreement with data is obtained for a reconnection probability of 37%. Assuming no colour reconnection, the charged particle multiplicity in hadronically decaying W bosons is measured to be (nqqch) = 19.38+-0.05(stat.)+-0.08 (syst.).

hep-ex↗

arXiv2005

Measurement of the mass and width of the W boson

The mass and width of the W boson are measured using e+e- -> W+W- events from the data sample collected by the OPAL experiment at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 170 GeV and 209 GeV. The mass (mw) and width (gw) are determined using direct reconstruction of the kinematics of W+W- -> qqbarlv and W+W- -> qqbarqqbar events. When combined with previous OPAL measurements using W+W- -> lvlv events and the dependence on mw of the WW production cross-section at threshold, the results are determined to be mw = 80.415 +- 0.042 +- 0.030 +- 0.009 GeV gw = 1.996 +- 0.096 +- 0.102 +- 0.003 GeV where the first error is statistical, the second systematic and the third due to uncertainties in the value of the LEP beam energy. By measuring mw with several different jet algorithms in the qqbarqqbar channel, a limit is also obtained on possible final-state interactions due to colour reconnection effects in W+W- -> qqbarqqbar events. The consistency of the results for the W mass and width with those inferred from other electroweak parameters provides an important test of the Standard Model of electroweak interactions

hep-ex↗

arXiv2005

Determination of alpha_s using Jet Rates at LEP with the OPAL detector

Hadronic events produced in e+e- collisions by the LEP collider and recorded by the OPAL detector were used to form distributions based on the number of reconstructed jets. The data were collected between 1995 and 2000 and correspond to energies of 91 GeV, 130-136 GeV and 161-209 GeV. The jet rates were determined using four different jet-finding algorithms (Cone, JADE, Durham and Cambridge). The differential two-jet rate and the average jet rate with the Durham and Cambridge algorithms were used to measure alpha(s) in the LEP energy range by fitting an expression in which order alpah_2s calculations were matched to a NLLA prediction and fitted to the data. Combining the measurements at different centre-of-mass energies, the value of alpha_s (Mz) was determined to be alpha(s)(Mz)=0.1177+-0.0006(stat.)+-0.0012$(expt.)+-0.0010(had.)+-0.0032(theo.) \.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2005

Searches for Gauge-Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking Topologies in e+e- collisions at LEP2

Searches were performed for topologies predicted by gauge-mediated Supersymmetry breaking models (GMSB). All possible lifetimes of the next-to-lightest SUSY particle (NLSP), either the lightest neutralino or slepton, decaying into the lightest SUSY particle, the gravitino, were considered. No evidence for GMSB signatures was found in the OPAL data sample collected at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt{s}=189-209 GeV at LEP. Limits on the product of the production cross-sections and branching fractions are presented for all search topologies. To test the impact of the searches, a complete scan over the parameters of the minimal model of GMSB was performed. NLSP masses below 53.5 GeV/c^2 in the neutralino NLSP scenario, below 87.4 GeV/c^2 in the stau NLSP scenario and below 91.9 GeV/c^2 in the slepton co-NLSP scenario are excluded at 95% confidence level for all NLSP lifetimes. The scan determines constraints on the universal SUSY mass scale Lambda from the direct SUSY particle searches of Lambda > 40,27,21,17,15 TeV/c^2 for messenger indices N=1,2,3,4,5 for all NLSP lifetimes.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2005

Running of the QED coupling in small-angle Bhabha scattering at LEP

Using the OPAL detector at LEP, the running of the effective QED coupling alpha(t) is measured for space-like momentum transfer, 2 \leq -t \leq 6 GeV^2, from the angular distribution of small-angle Bhabha scattering. This is currently the most significant direct observation of the running of the QED coupling in a single experiment and the first clear evidence of the hadronic contribution to the running in the space-like region. Our result is in good agreement with standard evaluations of alpha(t), based on data in the time-like region.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2005

Measurement of event shape distributions and moments in e+e- -> hadrons at 91-209 GeV and a determination of alpha_s

We have studied hadronic events from e+e- annihilation data at centre-of-mass energies from 91 to 209 GeV. We present distributions of event shape observables and their moments at each energy and compare with QCD Monte Carlo models. From the event shape distributions we extract the strong coupling alpha_s and test its evolution with energy scale. The results are consistent with the running of alpha_s expected from QCD. Combining all data, the value of alpha_s(M_Z) is determined to be alpha_s(M_Z) = 0.1191 +- 0.0005 (stat.) +- 0.0010 (expt.) +- 0.0011 (hadr.) +- 0.0044 (theo.). The energy evolution of the moments is also used to determine a value of alpha_s with slightly larger errors: alpha_s(M_Z) = 0.1223 +- 0.0005 (stat.) +- 0.0014 (expt.) +- 0.0016 (hadr.) +0.0054 -0.0036 (theo.).

hep-ex↗

arXiv2004

Mulit-Photon Events with Large Missing energy in e+e- collisions at sqrt(s)=192-209 GeV

Events with a final state consisting of two or more photons and large missing transverse energy have been observed in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies in the range 192 - 209 GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. Cross-section measurements are performed within the kinematic acceptance of the selection and compared with the expectation from the Standard Model process e+e- -> nu nu gamma gamma(gamma). No evidence for new physics contributions to this final state is observed. Upper limits on sigma (e+e- -> XX) BR^2(X -> Ygamma) are derived for the case of stable and invisible Y. In the case of massive Y the combined limits obtained from all the data range from 10 fb to 60 fb, while for the special case of massless Y the range is 20 fb to 40 fb. The limits apply to pair production of excited neutrions (X=nu^*,Y=nu), to neutralino production (X=~chi^0_2, Y=~chi^0_1) and to supersymmetric models in which X=~chi^0_1 and Y=~G is a light gravitino.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2004

Search for Radions at LEP2

A new scalar resonance, called the radion, with couplings to fermions and bosons similar to those of the Higgs boson, is predicted in the framework of Randall-Sundrum models, proposed solutions to the hierarchy problem with one extra dimension. An important distinction between the radion and the Higgs boson is that the radion would couple directly to gluon pairs, and in particular its decay products would include a significant fraction of gluon jets. The radion had the same quantum numbers as the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson, and therefore they can mix, with the resulting mass eigenstates having properties different from those of the SM Higgs boson. Existing searches for the Higgs boson are sensitive to the possible production and decay of radions and Higgs bosons in these models. For the first time, searches for the SM Higgs boson and flavour-independent and decay-mode independent searches for a neutral Higgs boson are used in combination to explore the parameter space of the Randall-Sundrum model. In the dataset recorded by the OPAL experiment at LEP, no evidence for radion or Higgs particle production was observed in any of those searches. The results are used to set limits on the radion and Higgs boson masses.

hep-ex↗