arXiv subjects

V. E. Barnes

Publications and source records attributed to V. E. Barnes.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Measurement of the charge asymmetry of electrons from the decays of $W$ bosons produced in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV

At the Fermilab Tevatron proton-antiproton ($p\bar{p}$) collider, high-mass electron-neutrino ($eν$) pairs are produced predominantly in the process $p \bar{p} \rightarrow W(\rightarrow eν) + X$. The asymmetry of the electron and positron yield as a function of their pseudorapidity constrain the slope of the ratio of the $u$- to $d$-quark parton distributions versus the fraction of the proton momentum carried by the quarks. This paper reports on the measurement of the electron-charge asymmetry using the full data set recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab in 2001--2011 and corresponding to 9.1~fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. The measurement significantly improves the precision of the Tevatron constraints on the parton-distribution functions of the proton. Numerical tables of the measurement are provided.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2021

A novel measurement of initial-state gluon radiation in hadron collisions using Drell-Yan events

A study of initial-state gluon radiation (ISR) in hadron collisions is presented using Drell-Yan (DY) events produced in proton-antiproton collisions by the Tevatron collider at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. This paper adopts a novel approach which uses the mean value of the Z/$γ^*$ transverse momentum $ $ in DY events as a powerful observable to characterize the effect of ISR. In a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.4 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the CDF Run II detector, $ $ is measured as a function of the Z/$γ^*$ invariant mass. It is found that these two observables have a dependence, $ = -8 + 2.2 \ln m_{DY}^2$ [GeV/c], where $m_{DY}$ is the value of the Z/$γ^*$ mass measured in units of GeV/$c^2$. This linear dependence is observed for the first time in this analysis. It may be exploited to model the effect of ISR and constrain its impact in other processes.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2020

Generalized Analysis of the Eötvös Experiment

We present a generalized phenomenological formalism for analyzing the original Eötvös experiment in the presence of gravity and a generic "5th force." To date no evidence for a 5th force has emerged since its presence was suggested by a 1986 reanalysis of the 1922 publication coauthored by Eötvös, Pekàr, and Fekete (EPF). However, our generalized analysis introduces new mechanisms capable in principle of accounting for the EPF data, while at the same time avoiding detection by most recent experiments carried out to date. As an example, some of these mechanisms raise the possibility that the EPF signal could have arisen from an unexpected direction if it originated from the motion of the Earth through a medium.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Search for Higgs-like particles produced in association with bottom quarks in proton-antiproton collisions

We report on a search for a spin-zero non-standard-model particle in proton-antiproton collisions collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab at a center-of-mass-energy of 1.96 TeV. This particle, the $ϕ$ boson, is expected to decay into a bottom-antibottom quark pair and to be produced in association with at least one bottom quark. The data sample consists of events with three jets identified as initiated by bottom quarks and corresponds to $5.4~\text{fb}^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. In each event, the invariant mass of the two most energetic jets is studied by looking for deviations from the multijet background, which is modeled using data. No evidence is found for such particle. Exclusion upper limits ranging from 20 to 2 pb are set for the product of production cross sections times branching fraction for hypothetical $ϕ$ boson with mass between 100 and 300 GeV/$c^2$. These are the most stringent constraints to date.

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arXiv2018

Search for standard-model Z and Higgs bosons decaying into a bottom-antibottom quark pair in proton-antiproton collisions at 1.96 TeV

The Collider Detector at Fermilab collected a unique sample of jets originating from bottom-quark fragmentation ($b$-jets) by selecting online proton-antiproton ($p\bar{p}$) collisions with a vertex displaced from the $p\bar{p}$ interaction point, consistent with the decay of a bottom-quark hadron. This data set, collected at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=$1.96 TeV, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $5.4~\rm{fb}^{-1}$, is used to measure the $Z$-boson production cross section times branching ratio into $b\bar{b}$. The number of $Z\rightarrow b\bar{b}$ events is determined by fitting the dijet-mass distribution while constraining the dominant $b$-jet background, originating from QCD multijet events, with data. The result, $σ(p\bar{p} \rightarrow Z) \times \mathcal{B}(Z \rightarrow b\bar{b})= 1.11\pm 0.08(\text{stat}) \pm 0.14(\text{syst})~\text{nb}$, is the most precise measurement of this process, and is consistent with the standard-model prediction. The data set is also used to search for Higgs-boson production. No significant signal is expected in our data and the first upper limit on the cross section for the inclusive $p\bar p \rightarrow H\rightarrow b\bar b$ process at $\sqrt{s}=$1.96 TeV is set, corresponding to 33 times the expected standard-model cross section, or $σ= 40.6$ pb, at the 95\% confidence level.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2018

Measurement of the differential cross sections for $W$-boson production in association with jets in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV

This paper presents a study of the production of a single $W$ boson in association with one or more jets in proton-antiproton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV, using the entire data set collected in 2001-2011 by the Collider Detector at Fermilab at the Tevatron, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $9.0$ fb$^{-1}$. The $W$ boson is identified through its leptonic decays into electron and muon. The production cross sections are measured for each leptonic decay mode and combined after testing that the ratio of the $W(\rightarrow μν)+$jets cross section to the $W(\rightarrow eν)+$jets cross section agrees with the hypothesis of $e$-$μ$ lepton universality. The combination of measured cross sections, differential in the inclusive jet multiplicity ($W+\geqslant N$ jets with $N=1,\,2,\,3, \textrm{or }4$) and in the transverse energy of the leading jet, are compared with theoretical predictions.

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arXiv2018

Indications of an unexpected signal associated with the GW170817 binary neutron star inspiral

We report experimental evidence at the 2.5$σ$ level for an unexpected signal associated with the GW170817 binary neutron star inspiral. This evidence derives from a laboratory experiment simultaneously measuring the $β$-decay rates of Si-32 and Cl-36 in a common detector. Whereas the Si-32 and Cl-36 decay rates show no statistical correlation before or after the inspiral, they are highly correlated ($\sim 95\%$) in the 5 hour time interval immediately following the inspiral. If we interpret this correlation as arising from the influence of particles emitted during the inspiral, then we can estimate the mass $m_{x}$ of these particles from the time delay between the gravity-wave signal and a peak in the $β$-decay data. We find for particles of energy 10 MeV, $m_{x}$ $\lesssim$ 16 eV which includes the neutrino mass region $m_ν$ $\lesssim$ 2 eV. The latter is based on existing limits for the masses $m_{i}$ of the three known neutrino flavors. Additionally, we find that the correlation is even stronger if we include data in the 80 minute period before the arrival of the gravity wave signal. Given the large number of radionuclides whose decays are being monitored at any given time, we conjecture that other groups may also be in a position to search for statistically suggestive fluctuations of radionuclide decay rates associated with the GW170817 inspiral, and possibly with other future inspirals.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

A search for the exotic meson $X(5568)$ with the Collider Detector at Fermilab

A search for the exotic meson $X(5568)$ decaying into the $B^0_s π^{\pm}$ final state is performed using data corresponding to $9.6 \textrm{fb}^{-1}$ from $p{\bar p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 1960$ GeV recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. No evidence for this state is found and an upper limit of 6.7\% at the 95\% confidence level is set on the fraction of $B^0_s$ produced through the $X(5568) \rightarrow B^0_s \, π^{\pm}$ process.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Measurement of the inclusive-isolated prompt-photon cross section in $p\bar{p}$ collisions using the full CDF data set

A measurement of the inclusive production cross section of isolated prompt photons in proton-antiproton collisions at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$=1.96TeV is presented. The results are obtained using the full Run II data sample collected with the Collider Detector at the Fermilab Tevatron, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9.5fb$^{-1}$. The cross section is measured as a function of photon transverse energy, $E_T^γ$, in the range 30$ < E_T^γ <$500GeV and in the pseudorapidity region $|η^γ|<$1.0. The results are compared with predictions from parton-shower Monte Carlo models at leading order in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and from next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The latter show good agreement with the measured cross section.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Measurement of the $D^+$-meson production cross section at low transverse momentum in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV

We report on a measurement of the $D^{+}$-meson production cross section as a function of transverse momentum ($p_T$) in proton-antiproton ($p\bar{p}$) collisions at 1.96 TeV center-of-mass energy, using the full data set collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab in Tevatron Run II and corresponding to 10 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. We use $D^{+} \to K^-π^+π^+$ decays fully reconstructed in the central rapidity region $|y|<1$ with transverse momentum down to 1.5 GeV/$c$, a range previously unexplored in $p\bar{p}$ collisions. Inelastic $p\bar{p}$-scattering events are selected online using minimally-biasing requirements followed by an optimized offline selection. The $K^-π^+π^+$ mass distribution is used to identify the $D^+$ signal, and the $D^+$ transverse impact-parameter distribution is used to separate prompt production, occurring directly in the hard scattering process, from secondary production from $b$-hadron decays. We obtain a prompt $D^+$ signal of 2950 candidates corresponding to a total cross section $σ(D^+, 1.5 < p_T < 14.5~\mbox{GeV/}c, |y|<1) = 71.9 \pm 6.8 (\mbox{stat}) \pm 9.3 (\mbox{syst})~μ$b. While the measured cross sections are consistent with theoretical estimates in each $p_T$ bin, the shape of the observed $p_T$ spectrum is softer than the expectation from quantum chromodynamics. The results are unique in $p\bar{p}$ collisions and can improve the shape and uncertainties of future predictions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Is there a signal for Lorentz non-invariance in existing radioactive decay data?

Measurements of the beta decay rates of nuclei have revealed annual periodicities with approximately the same relative amplitude even though the half-lives range over nine orders of magnitude. Here we show that this can be explained if the emitted neutrinos behave as if they propagate in a medium with a refractive index which varies as the Earth orbits the sun. This refractive index may be due to fundamental Lorentz non-invariance (LNI), or apparent LNI arising from interactions with solar or relic neutrinos, or dark matter. Additionally, this medium could have consequences for experiments attempting to measure the neutrino mass.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Measurement of the $WW$ and $WZ$ production cross section using final states with a charged lepton and heavy-flavor jets in the full CDF Run II data set

We present a measurement of the total {\it WW} and {\it WZ} production cross sections in $p\bar{p}$ collision at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV, in a final state consistent with leptonic $W$ boson decay and jets originating from heavy-flavor quarks from either a $W$ or a $Z$ boson decay. This analysis uses the full data set collected with the CDF II detector during Run II of the Tevatron collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.4 fb$^{-1}$. An analysis of the dijet mass spectrum provides $3.7σ$ evidence of the summed production processes of either {\it WW} or {\it WZ} bosons with a measured total cross section of $σ_{WW+WZ} = 13.7\pm 3.9$~pb. Independent measurements of the {\it WW} and {\it WZ} production cross sections are allowed by the different heavy-flavor decay-patterns of the $W$ and $Z$ bosons and by the analysis of secondary-decay vertices reconstructed within heavy-flavor jets. The productions of {\it WW} and of {\it WZ} dibosons are independently seen with significances of $2.9σ$ and $2.1σ$, respectively, with total cross sections of $σ_{WW}= 9.4\pm 4.2$~pb and $σ_{WZ}=3.7^{+2.5}_{-2.2}$~pb. The measurements are consistent with standard-model predictions.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Search for Perturbations of Nuclear Decay Rates Induced by Reactor Electron Antineutrinos

We report the results of an experiment conducted near the High Flux Isotope Reactor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, designed to address the question of whether a flux of reactor-generated electron antineutrinos can alter the rates of weak nuclear interaction-induced decays for Mn-54, Na-22, and Co-60. This experiment, while quite sensitive, cannot exclude perturbations less than one or two parts in $10^4$ in $β$ decay (or electron capture) processes, in the presence of an antineutrino flux of $3\times 10^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. The present experimental methods are applicable to a wide range of isotopes. Improved sensitivity in future experiments may be possible if we can understand and reduce the dominant systematic uncertainties.

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2016

Measurement of $\sin^2θ^{\rm lept}_{\rm eff}$ using $e^+e^-$ pairs from $γ^*/Z$ bosons produced in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at a center-of-momentum energy of 1.96 TeV

At the Fermilab Tevatron proton-antiproton ($p\bar{p}$) collider, Drell-Yan lepton pairs are produced in the process $p \bar{p} \rightarrow e^+e^- + X$ through an intermediate $γ^*/Z$ boson. The forward-backward asymmetry in the polar-angle distribution of the $e^-$ as a function of the $e^+e^-$-pair mass is used to obtain $\sin^2θ^{\rm lept}_{\rm eff}$, the effective leptonic determination of the electroweak-mixing parameter $\sin^2θ_W$. The measurement sample, recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF), corresponds to 9.4~fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity from $p\bar{p}$ collisions at a center-of-momentum energy of 1.96 TeV, and is the full CDF Run II data set. The value of $\sin^2θ^{\rm lept}_{\rm eff}$ is found to be $0.23248 \pm 0.00053$. The combination with the previous CDF measurement based on $μ^+μ^-$ pairs yields $\sin^2θ^{\rm lept}_{\rm eff} = 0.23221 \pm 0.00046$. This result, when interpreted within the specified context of the standard model assuming $\sin^2 θ_W = 1 - M_W^2/M_Z^2$ and that the $W$- and $Z$-boson masses are on-shell, yields $\sin^2θ_W = 0.22400 \pm 0.00045$, or equivalently a $W$-boson mass of $80.328 \pm 0.024 \;{\rm GeV}/c^2$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Measurement of the $B_c^{\pm}$ production cross section in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV

We describe a measurement of the ratio of the cross sections times branching fractions of the $B_c^+$ meson in the decay mode $B_c^+ \rightarrow J/ψμν$ to the $B^+$ meson in the decay mode $B^+ \rightarrow J/ψK^+$ in proton-antiproton collisions at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV. The measurement is based on the complete CDF Run II data set, which comes from an integrated luminosity of $8.7\,{\rm fb}^{-1}$. The ratio of the production cross sections times branching fractions for $B_c^+$ and $B_c^+$ mesons with momentum transverse to the beam greater than $6~\textrm{GeV}/c$ and rapidity magnitude smaller than 0.6 is $0.211\pm 0.012~\mbox{(stat)}^{+0.021}_{-0.020}~\mbox{(syst)}$. Using the known $B^+ \rightarrow J/ψK^+$ branching fraction, the known $B^+$ production cross section, and a selection of the predicted $B_c^+ \rightarrow J/ψμν$ branching fractions, the range for the total $B_c^+$ production cross section is estimated.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Measurement of vector boson plus $D^{*}(2010)^+$ meson production in $\bar{p}p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96\, {\rm TeV}$

A measurement of vector boson ($V$) production in conjunction with a $D^{*}(2010)^+$ meson is presented. Using a data sample corresponding to $9.7\, {\rm fb}^{-1}$ of ^Mproton-antiproton collisions at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=1.96\rm~ TeV$ produced by the Fermilab Tevatron, we reconstruct $V+D^{*+}$ samples with the CDF~II detector. The $D^{*+}$ is fully reconstructed in the $D^{*}(2010)^+ \rightarrow D^{0}(\to K^-π^+)π^+$ decay mode. This technique is sensitive to the associated production of vector boson plus charm or bottom mesons. We measure the ratio of production cross sections $σ(W+D^{*})/σ(W)$ = $[1.75\pm 0.13 {\rm (stat)}\pm 0.09 {\rm (syst)}]\% $ and $σ(Z+D^{*})/σ(Z)$ = $[1.5\pm 0.4 {\rm (stat)} \pm 0.2 {\rm (syst)}]\% $ and perform a differential measurement of $dσ(W+D^{*})/dp_T(D^{*})$. Event properties are utilized to determine the fraction of $V+D^{*}(2010)^+$ events originating from different production processes. The results are in agreement with the predictions obtained with the {\sc pythia} program, limiting possible contribution from non-standard-model physics processes.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry of top-quark and antiquark pairs using the full CDF Run II data set

We measure the forward--backward asymmetry of the production of top quark and antiquark pairs in proton-antiproton collisions at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 1.96~\mathrm{TeV}$ using the full data set collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) in Tevatron Run II corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9.1~\rm{fb}^{-1}$. The asymmetry is characterized by the rapidity difference between top quarks and antiquarks ($Δy$), and measured in the final state with two charged leptons (electrons and muons). The inclusive asymmetry, corrected to the entire phase space at parton level, is measured to be $A_{\text{FB}}^{t\bar{t}} = 0.12 \pm 0.13$, consistent with the expectations from the standard-model (SM) and previous CDF results in the final state with a single charged lepton. The combination of the CDF measurements of the inclusive $A_{\text{FB}}^{t\bar{t}}$ in both final states yields $A_{\text{FB}}^{t\bar{t}}=0.160\pm0.045$, which is consistent with the SM predictions. We also measure the differential asymmetry as a function of $Δy$. A linear fit to $A_{\text{FB}}^{t\bar{t}}(|Δy|)$, assuming zero asymmetry at $Δy=0$, yields a slope of $α=0.14\pm0.15$, consistent with the SM prediction and the previous CDF determination in the final state with a single charged lepton. The combined slope of $A_{\text{FB}}^{t\bar{t}}(|Δy|)$ in the two final states is $α=0.227\pm0.057$, which is $2.0σ$ larger than the SM prediction.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

Measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry in low-mass bottom-quark pairs produced in proton-antiproton collisions

We report a measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry, $A_{FB}$, in $b\bar{b}$ pairs produced in proton-antiproton collisions and identified by muons from semileptonic $b$-hadron decays. The event sample was collected at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV with the CDF II detector and corresponds to 6.9 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. We obtain an integrated asymmetry of $A_{FB}(b\bar{b})=(1.2 \pm 0.7)$\% at the particle level for $b$-quark pairs with invariant mass, $m_{b\bar{b}}$, down to $40$ GeV/$c^2$ and measure the dependence of $A_{FB}(b\bar{b})$ on $m_{b\bar{b}}$. The results are compatible with expectations from the standard model.

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