A measurement of the phases of the CP-violating amplitudes in K0→2π decays and a test of CPT invariance

Abstract The phases of the CP-violating amplitudes in K0→π+π− and K0→2π0 decays, φ+−=46.9°±2.2° and φ00=47.1°±2.8°, have been measured in the same experiment, and a direct comparison gives the phase difference φ00−φ+−=0.2°±2.9°. This result leads to an upper limit on possible CPT violation in the K0 mass matrix, of |(m K 0 −m K 0 )/m K 0 | −18 at the 95% confidence level and is the most stringent test of the equality of particle and antiparticle masses.

FIRST EVIDENCE FOR DIRECT CP VIOLATION

A large-area transition radiation detector

Abstract The construction and the operation of a large-area transition radiation detector (TRD) for the NA31 experiment at CERN are described. The TRD incorporates several novel features for stabilizing the detector response. The density of the gas mixture (xenon+helium+methane) in the detection chambers is matched to the carbon dioxide gas in the surrounding radiators by tuning the helium concentration to avoid a hydrostatic pressure difference, which would deform the chamber walls. The chamber pressure is continuously regulated by computer control to maintain it to within 1 μbar of the radiator pressure. The gas gain of each of the four chambers is regulated to better than 0.2% by changin…