arXiv subjects

V. Santoro

Publications and source records attributed to V. Santoro.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Development of High Intensity Neutron Source at the European Spallation Source

The European Spallation Source being constructed in Lund, Sweden will provide the user community with a neutron source of unprecedented brightness. By 2025, a suite of 15 instruments will be served by a high-brightness moderator system placed above the spallation target. The ESS infrastructure, consisting of the proton linac, the target station, and the instrument halls, allows for implementation of a second source below the spallation target. We propose to develop a second neutron source with a high-intensity moderator able to (1) deliver a larger total cold neutron flux, (2) provide high intensities at longer wavelengths in the spectral regions of Cold (4-10 Å), Very Cold (10-40 Å), and Ultra Cold (several 100 Å) neutrons, as opposed to Thermal and Cold neutrons delivered by the top moderator. Offering both unprecedented brilliance, flux, and spectral range in a single facility, this upgrade will make ESS the most versatile neutron source in the world and will further strengthen the leadership of Europe in neutron science. The new source will boost several areas of condensed matter research such as imaging and spin-echo, and will provide outstanding opportunities in fundamental physics investigations of the laws of nature at a precision unattainable anywhere else. At the heart of the proposed system is a volumetric liquid deuterium moderator. Based on proven technology, its performance will be optimized in a detailed engineering study. This moderator will be complemented by secondary sources to provide intense beams of Very- and Ultra-Cold Neutrons.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

Search for $B^- \to Λ\bar p ν\barν$ with the BABAR experiment

We search for the rare flavor-changing neutral current process $B^- \to Λ{\overline p} ν{\overlineν}$ 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 $Υ$(4S) resonance is used in this study, corresponding to a sample of ${(471 \pm 3) \times 10^{6}}$ $B\overline{B}$ pairs. Signal $B^- \to Λ{\overline p} ν{\overlineν}$ 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 $B^- \to Λ{\overline p} ν{\overlineν}$ 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 ${{\cal B} (B^- \to Λ{\overline p} ν{\overlineν}) < 3.0\times 10^{-5}}$ at the $90\%$ confidence level.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2018

Study of neutron shielding collimators for curved beamlines at the European Spallation Source

The European Spallation Source is being constructed in Lund, Sweden and is planned to be the world's brightest pulsed spallation neutron source for cold and thermal neutron beams ($\le$ 1 eV). The facility uses a 2 GeV proton beam to produce neutrons from a tungsten target. The neutrons are then moderated in a moderator assembly consisting of both liquid hydrogen and water compartments. Surrounding the moderator are 22 beamports, which view the moderator's outside surfaces. The beamports are connected to long neutron guides that transport the moderated neutrons to the sample position via reflections. As well as the desired moderated neutrons, fast neutrons coming directly from the target can find their way down the beamlines. These can create unwanted sources of background for the instruments. To mitigate such a kind of background, several instruments will use curved guides to lose direct line-of-sight (LoS) to the moderator and the target. In addition instruments can also use shielding collimators to reduce the amount of fast neutrons further traveling down the guide due to albedo reflections or streaming. Several different materials have been proposed for this purpose. We present the results of a study of different options for collimators and identify the optimal choices that balance cost, background and activation levels.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2016

A new $G$-parity violating amplitude in the $J/ψ$ decay?

The $J/ψ$ meson has negative $G$-parity so that, in the limit of isospin conservation, its decay into $π^+π^-$ should be purely electromagnetic. However, the measured branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(J/ψ\toπ^+π^-)$ exceeds by more than 3.9 standard deviations the expectation computed according to BaBar data on the $e^+e^-\toπ^+π^-$ cross section. The possibility that the two-gluon plus one-photon decay mechanism is not suppressed by $G$-parity conservation is discussed, even by considering other multi-pion decay channels. As also obtained by phenomenological computation, such a decay mechanism could be responsible for the observed discrepancy. Finally, we notice that the BESIII experiment, having the potential to perform an accurate measurement of the $e^+e^-\toπ^+π^-$ cross section in the 3 GeV energy region, can definitely prove or disprove this strong $G$-parity-violating mechanism by confirming or confuting the BaBar data.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

In-Beam Background Suppression Shield

The long (3ms) proton pulse of the European Spallation Source (ESS) gives rise to unique and potentially high backgrounds for the instrument suite. In such a source an instrument capabilities will be limited by it's Signal to Noise (S/N) ratio. The instruments with a direct view of the moderator, which do not use a bender to help mitigate the fast neutron background, are the most challenging. For these beam lines we propose the innovative shielding of placing blocks of material directly into the guide system, which allow a minimum attenuation of the cold and thermal fluxes relative to the background suppression. This shielding configuration has been worked into a beam line model using Geant4. We study particularly the advantages of single crystal sapphire and silicon blocks .

physics.ins-det↗

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↗

arXiv2012

Initial-State Radiation Measurement of the e+e- -> pi+pi-pi+pi- Cross Section

We study the process e+e- -> pi+pi-pi+pi-gamma, with a photon emitted from the initial-state electron or positron, using 454.3 fb^-1 of data collected with the BABAR detector at SLAC, corresponding to approximately 260,000 signal events. We use these data to extract the non-radiative sigma(e+e- ->pi+pi-pi+pi-) cross section in the energy range from 0.6 to 4.5 Gev. The total uncertainty of the cross section measurement in the peak region is less than 3%, higher in precision than the corresponding results obtained from energy scan data.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

A Measurement of the Semileptonic Branching Fraction of the B_s Meson

We report a measurement of the inclusive semileptonic branching fraction of the B_s meson using data collected with the BaBar detector in the center-of-mass (CM) energy region above the Upsilon(4S) resonance. We use the inclusive yield of phi mesons and the phi yield in association with a high-momentum lepton to perform a simultaneous measurement of the semileptonic branching fraction and the production rate of B_s mesons relative to all B mesons as a function of CM energy. The inclusive semileptonic branching fraction of the B_s meson is determined to be B(B_s to l nu X)=9.5 (+2.5/-2.0)(stat)(+1.1/-1.9)(syst)%, where l indicates the average of e and mu.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Search for hadronic decays of a light Higgs boson in the radiative decay Upsilon --> gamma A0

We search for hadronic decays of a light Higgs boson (A0) produced in radiative decays of an Upsilon(2S) or Upsilon(3S) meson, Upsilon --> gamma A0. The data have been recorded by the BABAR experiment at the Upsilon(3S) and Upsilon(2S) center of mass energies, and include (121.3 \pm 1.2) x 10^6 Upsilon(3S) and (98.3 \pm 0.9) x 10^6 Upsilon(2S) mesons. No significant signal is observed. We set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product branching fractions B(Upsilon(nS)-->gamma A0) x B(A0-->hadrons) (n=2 or 3) that range from 1 x 10^{-6} for an A0 mass of 0.3 GeV/c^2 to 8 x 10^{-5} at 7 GeV/c^2.

hep-ex↗