A. Ivashkin

Origin of the low-mass electron pair excess in light nucleus-nucleus collisions

Abstract We report measurements of electron pair production in elementary p + p and d + p reactions at 1.25 GeV / u with the HADES spectrometer. For the first time, the electron pairs were reconstructed for n + p reactions by detecting the proton spectator from the deuteron breakup. We find that the yield of electron pairs with invariant mass M e + e − > 0.15 GeV / c 2 is about an order of magnitude larger in n + p reactions as compared to p + p . A comparison to model calculations demonstrates that the production mechanism is not sufficiently described yet. The electron pair spectra measured in C + C reactions are compatible with a superposition of elementary n + p and p + p collisions, leaving little room for additional electron pair sources in such light collision systems.

Dielectron production in Ar+KCl collisions at 1.76A GeV

We present results on dielectron production in 40 Ar+KCl collisions at 1.76A GeV. For the first time ω mesons could be reconstructed in a heavy-ion reaction at a bombarding energy which is well below the production threshold in free nucleon-nucleon collisions. The ω multiplicity has been extracted and compared to the yields of other particles, in particular of the φ meson. At intermediate e + e invariant masses, we find a strong enhancement of the pair yield over a reference spectrum from elementary nucleon-nucleon reactions suggesting the onset of non-trivial effects of the nuclear medium. Transverse-mass spectra and angular distributions have been reconstructed in three invariant mass bins. In the former unexpectedly large slopes are found for high-mass pairs. The latter, in particular the helicity-angle distributions, are largely consistent with expectations for ]

Partial wave analysis of the reaction p(3.5 GeV)+p → pK+Λ to search for the “ppK−” bound state

Employing the Bonn-Gatchina partial wave analysis framework (PWA), we have analyzed HADES data of the reaction p(3.5GeV ) + p !pK + �. This reaction might contain information about the kaonic cluster ”ppK − ” via its decay into p�. Due to interference effects in our coherent description of the data, a hypothetical KNN (or, specifically ”ppK − ”) cluster signal must not necessarily show up as a pronounced feature (e.g. a peak) in an invariant mass spectra like p�. Our PWA analysis includes a variety of resonant and non-resonant intermediate states and delivers a good description of our data (various angular distributions and two-hadron invariant mass spectra) without a contribution of a KNN cluster. At a confidence level of CLs=95% such a cluster can not contribute more than 2-12% to the total cross section with a pK + � final state, which translates into a production cross-section between 0.7 µb and 4.2 µb, respectively. The

A search for the analogue to Cherenkov radiation by high energy neutrinos at superluminal speeds in ICARUS

Abstract The OPERA Collaboration (2011) [1] has reported evidence of superluminal ν μ propagation between CERN and the LNGS. Cohen and Glashow (2011) [2] argued that such neutrinos should lose energy by producing photons and e + e − pairs, through Z 0 mediated processes analogous to Cherenkov radiation. In terms of the parameter δ ≡ ( v ν 2 − v c 2 ) / v c 2 , the OPERA result corresponds to δ ≈ 5 ⋅ 10 − 5 . For this value (note that ( v ν − v c ) / v c ≈ δ 2 ≈ 2.5 ⋅ 10 − 5 ) of δ , a very significant deformation of the neutrino energy spectrum and an abundant production of photons and e + e − pairs should be observed at LNGS. We present an analysis based on the 2010 and part of the 2011 data sets from the ICARUS experiment, located at Gran Sasso National Laboratory and using the same neutrino beam from CERN. We find that the rates and deposited energy distributions of neutrino events in ICARUS agree with the expectations for an unperturbed spectrum of the CERN neutrino beam, as also reported by OPERA. Our results therefore refute a superluminal interpretation of the OPERA result according to the Cohen and Glashow (2011) prediction [2] for a weak current analog to Cherenkov radiation. In a dedicated search, no superluminal Cherenkov-like e + e − pair or γ emission event has been directly observed inside the fiducial volume of the “bubble chamber-like” ICARUS TPC-LAr detector, setting the much stricter limit of δ 2.5 ⋅ 10 − 8 at the 90% confidence level, comparable with the one due to the observations from the SN1987a (M.J. Longo, 1987 [4] ). The observations of high energy neutrino events by Super-Kamiokande and IceCube are also pointing to a much stricter limit on δ .

Scintillation ring hodoscope with WLS fiber readout

Abstract A simple tracking system for measuring the K+ decay vertex along the beam axis in the T-Violation Experiment (E246) at KEK is described. It consists of 32 grooved BC408 plastic scintillator rings with embedded Y11 wavelength-shifting (WLS) optical fibers. Both ends of each multi-clad WLS fiber are directly viewed by a green-extended photomultiplier. Light yield of 46 photoelectrons per minimum ionizing particle in the 5 mm thick ring has been achieved. This configuration gives 1.7 mm position resolution determined purely by the 6 mm width of each ring. Time resolution of 1.0 ns and detection efficiency of 98.4% were obtained.

pK + Λ final state: Towards the extraction of the ppK − contribution

Abstract The reaction p ( @ 3.5 GeV ) + p → p + Λ + K + can be studied to search for the existence of kaonic bound states like p p K − leading to this final state. This effort has been motivated by the assumption that in p + p collisions the Λ ( 1405 ) resonance can act as a doorway to the formation of the kaonic bound states. The status of this analysis within the HADES Collaboration, with particular emphasis on the comparison to simulations, is shown in this work and the deviation method utilized by the DISTO Collaboration in a similar analysis is discussed. The outcome suggests the employment of a partial wave analysis do disentangle the different contributions to the measured p K + Λ final state.

Apparatus for a search for T-violating muon polarization in stopped-kaon decays

Abstract The detector built at KEK to search for T-violating transverse muon polarization in K + → π 0 μ + ν μ ( K μ 3 ) decay of stopped kaons is described. Sensitivity to the transverse polarization component is obtained from reconstruction of the decay plane by tracking the μ+ through a toroidal spectrometer and detecting the π0 in a segmented CsI(Tl) photon calorimeter. The muon polarization was obtained from the decay positron asymmetry of muons stopped in a polarimeter. The detector included features which minimized systematic errors while maintaining high acceptance.

Precise 3D Track Reconstruction Algorithm for the ICARUS T600 Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber Detector

Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LAr TPC) detectors offer charged particle imaging capability with remarkable spatial resolution. Precise event reconstruction procedures are critical in order to fully exploit the potential of this technology. In this paper we present a new, general approach to 3D reconstruction for the LAr TPC with a practical application to the track reconstruction. The efficiency of the method is evaluated on a sample of simulated tracks. We present also the application of the method to the analysis of stopping particle tracks collected during the ICARUS T600 detector operation with the CNGS neutrino beam.

Study of exclusive one-pion and one-eta production using hadron and dielectron channels in pp reactions at kinetic beam energies of 1.25 GeV and 2.2 GeV with HADES

Abstract.We present measurements of exclusive

ICARUS at FNAL

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