B. Sitar

The ALICE TPC, a large 3-dimensional tracking device with fast readout for ultra-high multiplicity events

The design, construction, and commissioning of the ALICE Time-Projection Chamber (TPC) is described. It is the main device for pattern recognition, tracking, and identification of charged particles in the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC. The TPC is cylindrical in shape with a volume close to 90 m(3) and is operated in a 0.5T solenoidal magnetic field parallel to its axis. In this paper we describe in detail the design considerations for this detector for operation in the extreme multiplicity environment of central Pb-Pb collisions at LHC energy. The implementation of the resulting requirements into hardware (field cage, read-out chambers, electronics), infrastructure (gas and cooling system, laser-calibration system), and software led to many technical innovations which are described along with a presentation of all the major components of the detector, as currently realized. We also report on the performance achieved after completion of the first round of stand-alone calibration runs and demonstrate results close to those specified in the TPC Technical Design Report

Discovery and cross-section measurement of neutron-rich isotopes in the element range from neodymium to platinum with the FRS

Abstract:Using the high-resolution performance of the fragment separator FRS at GSI we have discovered 60 new neutron-rich isotopes in the atomic number range of 60⩽Z⩽78. The new isotopes were unambiguously identified in reactions with a

Ξ− and Ξ+ production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon

Results of the production of Xi and Xi-bar hyperons in central Pb+Pb interactions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon are presented. This analysis utilises a global reconstruction procedure, which allows a measurement of 4pi integrated yields to be made for the first time. Inverse slope paramters, which are determined from an exponential fit to the transverse mass spectra, are shown. Central rapidity densities are found to be 1.49 +- 0.08 and 0.33 +- 0.04 per event per unit of rapidity for Xi and Xi-bar respectively. Yields integrated to full phase space are 4.12 +- 0.02 and 0.77 +- 0.04 for Xi and Xi-bar. The ratio of Xi-bar/Xi at mid-rapidity is 0.22 +- 0.03.

Lambda and lambda production in central Pb-Pb collisions at 40, 80, and 158A GeV.

Production of Lambda and Antilambda hyperons was measured in central Pb-Pb collisions at 40, 80, and 158A GeV beam energy on a fixed target. Transverse mass spectra and rapidity distributions are given for all three energies. The Lambda/pi ratio at midrapidity and in full phase space shows a pronounced maximum between the highest BNL Alternating Gradient Synchrotron and 40A GeV CERN Super Proton Synchrotron energies, whereas the Lambda/pi ratio exhibits a monotonic increase.

Transverse momentum fluctuations in nuclear collisions at 158A GeV

Results are presented on event-by-event fluctuations in transverse momentum of charged particles, produced at forward rapidities in p+p, C+C, Si+Si and Pb+Pb collisions at 158 AGeV. Three different characteristics are discussed: the average transverse momentum of the event, the Phi_pT fluctuation measure and two-particle transverse momentum correlations. In the kinematic region explored, the dynamical fluctuations are found to be small. However, a significant system size dependence of Phi_pT is observed, with the largest value measured in peripheral Pb+Pb interactions. The data are compared with predictions of several models.

Exploring the anomaly in the interaction cross section and matter radius of 23O

New measurements of the interaction cross sections of 22,23O at 900A MeV performed at the GSI, Darmstadt are reported that address the unsolved puzzle of the large cross section previously observed for 23O. The matter radii for these oxygen isotopes extracted through a Glauber model analysis are in good agreement with the new predictions of the ab initio coupled-cluster theory reported here. They are consistent with a 22O+neutron description of 23O as well.

Measurements of the K+→π0e+ν form factors

Abstract The q2 dependence of the vector form factor has been investigated using 3.2 × 104 K+ → π0e+ν decays. The usual linear parametrization. ƒ + (q 2 ) = ƒ(0)(1+λ + q 2 /m π 0 0 ) gives λ+ = 0.0284±0.0027. An analysis of the Dalitz plot density distribution for Ke3+ decays yields the values for the scalar and tensor couplings ƒs and ƒt, and their relative phase angle ost.

Energy dependence of Λ and Λ¯ production at CERN-SPS energies

Rapidity distributions for

Time projection chambers for tracking and identification of radioactive beams

\Lambda

Multi-hit drift time digitizer with one-nanosecond resolution

and