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M. Piccolo

Publications and source records attributed to M. Piccolo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Design and Commissioning of Readout Electronics for a $K_L^0$ and $\mu$ Detector at the Belle II Experiment

The K-long and muon detector (KLM) constitutes the outer-most volume of the Belle II spectrometer at the interaction region of the SuperKEKB collider in Tsukuba, Japan. The KLM detector was partially upgraded since the Belle experiment by replacing many of its resistive-plate chambers with scintillators containing wavelength-shifting fibers and instrumenting it with silicon photomultipliers. We describe the readout electronics, firmware, and software created to control and acquire data from the scintillators and resistive-plate chambers.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2023

Model-independent extraction of form factors and $|V_{cb}|$ in $\overline{B} \rightarrow D \ell^- \overline{\nu}_\ell$ with hadronic tagging at BaBar

Using the entire BaBar $\Upsilon(4S)$ data set, the first two-dimensional unbinned angular analysis of the semileptonic decay $\overline{B} \rightarrow D \ell^- \overline{\nu}_\ell$ is performed, employing hadronic reconstruction of the tag-side $B$ meson from $\Upsilon(4S)\to B\overline{B}$. Here, $\ell$ denotes the light charged leptons $e$ and $\mu$. A novel data-driven signal-background separation procedure with minimal dependence on simulation is developed. This procedure preserves all multi-dimensional correlations present in the data. The expected $\sin^2\theta_\ell$ dependence of the differential decay rate in the Standard Model is demonstrated, where $\theta_\ell$ is the lepton helicity angle. Including input from the latest lattice QCD calculations and previously available experimental data, the underlying form factors are extracted using both model-independent (BGL) and dependent (CLN) methods. Comparisons with lattice calculations show flavor SU(3) symmetry to be a good approximation in the $B_{(s)}\to D_{(s)}$ sector. Using the BGL results, the CKM matrix element $|V_{cb}|=(41.09\pm 1.16)\times 10^{-3}$ and the Standard Model prediction of the lepton-flavor universality violation variable $\mathcal{R}(D)=0.300\pm 0.004$, are extracted. The value of $|V_{cb}|$ from $\overline{B} \rightarrow D \ell^- \overline{\nu}_\ell$ tends to be higher than that extracted using $\overline{B} \rightarrow D \ell^- \overline{\nu}_\ell$. The Standard Model $\mathcal{R}(D)$ calculation is at a $1.97\sigma$ tension with the latest HFLAV experimental average.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2023

Search for $B$ Mesogenesis at BABAR

A new mechanism has been proposed to simultaneously explain the presence of dark matter and the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. This scenario predicts exotic $B$ meson decays into a baryon and a dark sector anti-baryon ($\psi_D$) with branching fractions accessible at $B$ factories. We present a search for $B \rightarrow \Lambda \psi_D$ decays using data collected by the $BABAR$ experiment at SLAC. This reaction is identified by fully reconstructing the accompanying $B$ meson and requiring the presence of a single $\Lambda$ baryon in the remaining particles. No significant signal is observed, and bounds on the $B \rightarrow \Lambda \psi_D$ branching fraction are derived in the range $0.13 - 5.2\times 10^{-5}$ for $1.0 < m_{\psi_D} < 4.2$ GeV/$c^{2}$. These results set strong constraints on the parameter space allowed by the theory.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2020

Precision measurement of the ${\cal B}(\Upsilon(3S)\to\tau^+\tau^-)/{\cal B}(\Upsilon(3S)\to\mu^+\mu^-)$ ratio

We report on a precision measurement of the ratio ${\cal R}_{\tau\mu}^{\Upsilon(3S)} = {\cal B}(\Upsilon(3S)\to\tau^+\tau^-)/{\cal B}(\Upsilon(3S)\to\mu^+\mu^-)$ using data collected with the BaBar detector at the SLAC PEP-II $e^+e^-$ collider. The measurement is based on a 28 fb$^{-1}$ data sample collected at a center-of-mass energy of 10.355 GeV corresponding to a sample of 122 million $\Upsilon(3S)$ mesons. The ratio is measured to be ${\cal R}_{\tau\mu}^{\Upsilon(3S)} = 0.966 \pm 0.008_\mathrm{stat} \pm 0.014_\mathrm{syst}$ and is in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 0.9948 within 2 standard deviations. The uncertainty in ${\cal R}_{\tau\mu}^{\Upsilon(3S)}$ is almost an order of magnitude smaller than the only previous measurement.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2020

Search for lepton-flavor violating decays $D^{0}\rightarrow X^{0}e^{\pm}\mu^{\mp}$

We present a search for seven lepton-flavor-violating neutral charm decays of the type $D^{0}\rightarrow X^{0} e^{\pm} \mu^{\mp}$, where $X^{0}$ represents a $\pi^{0}$, $K^{0}_{\rm S}$, $\bar{K^{*0}}$, $\rho^{0}$, $\phi$, $\omega$, or $\eta$ meson. The analysis is based on $468$ fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ annihilation data collected at or close to the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance with the BaBar detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. No significant signals are observed, and we establish 90\% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions in the range $(5.0 - 22.5)\times 10^{-7}$. The limits are between one and two orders of magnitude more stringent than previous measurements.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2019

Measurements of the Absolute Branching Fractions of $B^\pm \to K^\pm X_{c\bar c}$

A study of the two body decays $B^\pm\rightarrow X_{c\bar c}K^\pm$, where X$_{c\bar c}$ refers to one charmonium state, is reported by BaBar collaboration using a data sample of 424 fb$^{-1}$. The absolute determination of branching fractions for these decays are significantly improved compared to previous BaBaR measurements. Evidence is found for the decay $B^+\rightarrow X(3872)K^+$ at the $3\sigma$ level. The absolute branching fraction ${\cal B}(B^+\rightarrow X(3872)K^+) = (2.1\pm0.6({\rm stat})\pm0.3({\rm syst}))\times 10^{-4}$ is measured for the first time. It follows that ${\cal B}(X(3872)\rightarrow J/\psi\pi^+\pi^-)=(4.1\pm1.3)\%$, supporting the hypothesis of a molecular component for this resonance.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2019

Search for $B^- \to \Lambda \bar p \nu \bar\nu$ with the BABAR experiment

We search for the rare flavor-changing neutral current process $B^- \to \Lambda {\overline p} \nu{\overline{\nu}}$ using data from the BABAR experiment. A total of 424 fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ collision data collected at the center-of-mass energy of the $\Upsilon$(4S) resonance is used in this study, corresponding to a sample of ${(471 \pm 3) \times 10^{6}}$ $B\overline{B}$ pairs. Signal $B^- \to \Lambda {\overline p} \nu{\overline{\nu}}$ candidates are identified by first fully reconstructing a $B^+$ decay in one of many possible exclusive decays to hadronic final states, then examining detector activity that is not associated with this reconstructed $B^+$ decay for evidence of a signal $B^- \to \Lambda {\overline p} \nu{\overline{\nu}}$ decay. The data yield is found to be consistent with the expected background contribution under a null signal hypothesis, resulting in an upper limit of ${{\cal B} (B^- \to \Lambda {\overline p} \nu{\overline{\nu}}) < 3.0\times 10^{-5}}$ at the $90\%$ confidence level.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2019

Search for rare or forbidden decays of the $D^{0}$ meson

We present a search for nine lepton-number-violating and three lepton-flavor-violating neutral charm decays of the type $D^0\rightarrow h^{\prime -} h^{-}\ell^{\prime +} \ell^{+}$ and $D^0\rightarrow h^{\prime -} h^{+}\ell^{\prime\pm} \ell^{\mp}$, where $h$ and $h^{\prime}$ represent a $K$ or $\pi$ meson and $\ell$ and $\ell^{\prime}$ an electron or muon. The analysis is based on $468$ fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ annihilation data collected at or close to the $Y(4S)$ resonance with the BaBar detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. No significant signal is observed for any of the twelve modes and we establish 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions in the range $(1.0 - 30.6)\times 10^{-7}$. The limits are between one and three orders of magnitude times more stringent than previous measurements.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2014

Measuring Propagation Speed of Coulomb Fields

The problem of gravity propagation has been subject of discussion for quite a long time: Newton, Laplace and, in relatively more modern times, Eddington pointed out that, if gravity propagated with finite velocity, planets motion around the sun would become unstable due to a torque originating from time lag of the gravitational interactions. Such an odd behavior can be found also in electromagnetism, when one computes the propagation of the electric fields generated by a set of uniformly moving charges. As a matter of fact the Liénard-Weichert retarded potential leads to a formula indistinguishable from the one obtained assuming that the electric field propagates with infinite velocity. Feyman explanation for this apparent paradox was based on the fact that uniform motions last indefinitely. To verify such an explanation, we performed an experiment to measure the time/space evolution of the electric field generated by an uniformely moving electron beam. The results we obtain on such a finite lifetime kinematical state seem compatible with an electric field rigidly carried by the beam itself.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2014

Evidence for the decay B0 --> omega omega and search for B0 --> omega phi

We describe searches for B meson decays to the charmless vector-vector final states omega omega and omega phi with 471 x 10^6 B Bbar pairs produced in e+ e- annihilation at sqrt(s) = 10.58 GeV using the BABAR detector at the PEP-II collider at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We measure the branching fraction B(B0 --> omega omega) = (1.2 +- 0.3 +0.3-0.2) x 10^-6, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic, corresponding to a significance of 4.4 standard deviations. We also determine the upper limit B(B0 --> omega phi) < 0.7 x 10^-6 at 90% confidence level. These measurements provide the first evidence for the decay B0 --> omega omega, and an improvement of the upper limit for the decay B0 --> omega phi.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2013

Study of the decay $\bar{B}^{0}\rightarrowΛ_{c}^{+}\bar{p}π^{+}π^{-}$ and its intermediate states

We study the decay $\bar{B}^{0}\rightarrowΛ_{c}^{+}\bar{p}π^{+}π^{-}$, reconstructing the Λ_{c}^{+} baryon in the $p K^{-}π^{+}$ mode, using a data sample of $467\times 10^{6}$ $B\bar{B}$ pairs collected with the BaBar detector at the PEP-2 storage rings at SLAC. We measure branching fractions for decays with intermediate $Σ_{c}$ baryons to be ${\cal B}[\bar{B}^{0}\rightarrowΣ_{c}(2455)^{++}\bar{p}π^{-}]=(21.3 \pm 1.0 \pm 1.0 \pm 5.5) \times 10^{-5}$, ${\cal B}[\bar{B}^{0}\rightarrowΣ_{c}(2520)^{++}\bar{p}π^{-}]=(11.5\pm 1.0 \pm 0.5 \pm 3.0)\times 10^{-5}$, ${\cal B}[\bar{B}^{0}\rightarrowΣ_{c}(2455)^{0}\bar{p}π^{+}]=(9.1 \pm 0.7 \pm 0.4 \pm 2.4)\times10^{-5}$, and ${\cal B}[\bar{B}^{0}\rightarrowΣ_{c}(2520)^{0}\bar{p}π^{+}]= (2.2 \pm 0.7 \pm 0.1\pm 0.6) \times 10^{-5}$, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the uncertainty on the $Λ_{c}^{+}\rightarrow\proton\Kmπ^{+}$ branching fraction, respectively. For decays without $Σ_{c}(2455)$ or $Σ_{c}(2520)$ resonances, we measure ${\cal B}[\bar{B}^{0}\rightarrowΛ_{c}^{+}\bar{p}π^{+}π^{-}]_{\mathrm{non-Σ_{c}}}=(79 \pm 4 \pm 4 \pm 20)\times10^{-5}$. The total branching fraction is determined to be ${\cal B}[\bar{B}^{0}\rightarrowΛ_{c}^{+}\bar{p}π^{+}π^{-}]_{\mathrm{total}}=(123 \pm 5 \pm 7 \pm 32)\times10^{-5}$. We examine multibody mass combinations in the resonant three-particle $Σ_{c}\bar{p}π$ final states and in the four-particle $Λ_{c}^{+}\bar{p}π^{+}π^{-}$ final state, and observe different characteristics for the $\bar{p}π$ combination in neutral versus doubly-charged $Σ_{c}$ decays.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2013

Search for direct CP-violation in singly-Cabibbo suppressed D+- --> K+ K- pi+- decays

We report on a search for direct CP asymmetry in the singly Cabibbo-suppressed decay D+- --> K+ K- pi+- using a data sample of 476 fb-1 accumulated with the BaBar detector running at and just below the Y(4S) resonance. The CP-violating decay rate asymmetry A_CP is determined to be (0.35 +- 0.30 +- 0.15)%. Model-dependent and model-independent Dalitz plot analysis techniques are used to search for CP-violating asymmetries in the various intermediate states.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2013

Observation of Time Reversal Violation in the B0 Meson System

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 $\bar{B}^0$), and $J/ψK_S^0$ or $c\bar{c} K_S^0$ final states (referred to as $B_+$ or $B_-$), allow comparisons between the probabilities of four pairs of T-conjugated transitions, for example, $\bar{B}^0 \rightarrow B_-$ and $B_- \rightarrow \bar{B}^0$, as a function of the time difference between the two B decays. Using 468 million $B\bar{B}$ pairs produced in $Υ(4S)$ decays collected by the BABAR detector at SLAC, we measure T-violating parameters in the time evolution of neutral B mesons, yielding $ΔS_T^+ = -1.37 \pm 0.14 (stat.) \pm 0.06 (syst.)$ and $ΔS_T^- = 1.17 \pm 0.18 (stat.) \pm 0.11 (syst.)$. 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.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2012

Branching fraction and form-factor shape measurements of exclusive charmless semileptonic B decays, and determination of |V_{ub}|

We report the results of a study of the exclusive charmless semileptonic decays, B^0 --> pi^- l^+ nu, B^+ --> pi^0 l^+ nu, B^+ --> omega l^+ nu, B^+ --> eta l^+ nu and B^+ --> eta^' l^+ nu, (l = e or mu) undertaken with approximately 462x10^6 B\bar{B} pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector. The analysis uses events in which the signal B decays are reconstructed with a loose neutrino reconstruction technique. We obtain partial branching fractions in several bins of q^2, the square of the momentum transferred to the lepton-neutrino pair, for B^0 --> pi^- l^+ nu, B^+ --> pi^0 l^+ nu, B^+ --> omega l^+ nu and B^+ --> eta l^+ nu. From these distributions, we extract the form-factor shapes f_+(q^2) and the total branching fractions BF(B^0 --> pi^- l^+ nu) = (1.45 +/- 0.04_{stat} +/- 0.06_{syst})x10^-4 (combined pi^- and pi^0 decay channels assuming isospin symmetry), BF(B^+ --> omega l^+ nu) = (1.19 +/- 0.16_{stat} +/- 0.09_{syst})x10^-4 and BF(B^+ --> eta l^+ nu) = (0.38 +/- 0.05_{stat} +/- 0.05_{syst})x10^-4. We also measure BF(B^+ --> eta^' l^+ nu) = (0.24 +/- 0.08_{stat} +/- 0.03_{syst})x10^-4. We obtain values for the magnitude of the CKM matrix element V_{ub} by direct comparison with three different QCD calculations in restricted q^2 ranges of B --> pi l^+ nu decays. From a simultaneous fit to the experimental data over the full q^2 range and the FNAL/MILC lattice QCD predictions, we obtain |V_{ub}| = (3.25 +/- 0.31)x10^-3, where the error is the combined experimental and theoretical uncertainty.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2009

Study of Solid State Photon Detectors Read Out of Scintillator Tiles

We present preliminary results on efficiency and light collection uniformity read out performances of different assemblies of scintillator tiles, coupled with solid state photon detectors of different make. Our test beam data suggest that the use of 2 mm scintillator tiles without wavelength shifting fibers may be possible in an ILC hadron calorimeter.

physics.ins-det↗
arXiv2006

A new concept for streamer quenching in resistive plate chambers

In this paper we propose a new concept for streamer quenching in Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs). In our approach, the multiplication process is quenched by the appropriate design of a mechanical structure inserted between the two resistive electrodes. We show that stable performance is achieved with binary gas mixtures based on argon and a small fraction of isobutane. Fluorocarbons, deemed responsible for the degradation of the electrode inner surface of RPC detectors, are thus fully eliminated from the gas mixture. This design {also resulted} in a simplified assembly procedure. Preliminary results obtained with a few prototypes of ``Mechanically Quenched RPCs'' and some prospects for future developments are discussed.

physics.ins-det↗
arXiv2005

Digital Hadron Calorimetry with Glass RPC Active Detectors

Glass RPC detectors are an attractive candidate for the active part of a highly granular digital hadron calorimeter (DHCAL) at the ILC. A numerical study, based on the GEANT3 simulation package, of the performance of such a calorimeter is presented in this work. A simplified model for the RPC response, tuned on real data, is implemented in the simulation. The reliability of the simulation is demonstrated by comparison to existing data collected with a large volume calorimeter prototype exposed to a pion beam in an energy range from 2 GeV to 10 GeV. In view of an optimization of the readout pitch, a detailed study of the energy and position resolution at the single hadron level for different read-out pad dimensions is presented. These results are then used in a parametric form to obtain a preliminary estimate of the contribution of DHCAL to the reconstruction of the energy flow at the ILC detector.

physics.ins-det↗