0000000000909946
AUTHOR
S Gambetta
The Pierre Auger Observatory scaler mode for the study of solar activity modulation of galactic cosmic rays
Since data-taking began in January 2004, the Pierre Auger Observatory has been recording the count rates of low energy secondary cosmic ray particles for the self-calibration of the ground detectors of its surface detector array. After correcting for atmospheric effects, modulations of galactic cosmic rays due to solar activity and transient events are observed. Temporal variations related with the activity of the heliosphere can be determined with high accuracy due to the high total count rates. In this study, the available data are presented together with an analysis focused on the observation of Forbush decreases, where a strong correlation with neutron monitor data is found.
Measurement of the Proton-Air Cross Section at root s=57 TeV with the Pierre Auger Observatory
We report a measurement of the proton-air cross section for particle production at the center-of-mass energy per nucleon of 57 TeV. This is derived from the distribution of the depths of shower maxima observed with the Pierre Auger Observatory: systematic uncertainties are studied in detail. Analyzing the tail of the distribution of the shower maxima, a proton-air cross section of [505±22(stat)-36+28(syst)]mb is found. © 2012 American Physical Society.
Erratum: The lateral trigger probability function for the ultra-high energy cosmic ray showers detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory (Astroparticle Physics (2011) 35 (266-276))
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Anisotropy and chemical composition of ultra-high energy cosmic rays using arrival directions measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Collaboration has reported evidence for anisotropy in the distribution of arrival directions of the cosmic rays with energies $E>E_{th}=5.5\times 10^{19}$ eV. These show a correlation with the distribution of nearby extragalactic objects, including an apparent excess around the direction of Centaurus A. If the particles responsible for these excesses at $E>E_{th}$ are heavy nuclei with charge $Z$, the proton component of the sources should lead to excesses in the same regions at energies $E/Z$. We here report the lack of anisotropies in these directions at energies above $E_{th}/Z$ (for illustrative values of $Z=6,\ 13,\ 26$). If the anisotropies above $E_{th}$ are du…
Search for CP violation in D (+/-) -> (KSK +/-)-K-0 and D-s(+/-) -> K-S(0)pi(+/-) decays
A search for \CP violation in Cabibbo-suppressed $D^{\pm}\rightarrow K^0_{\mathrm{S}} K^{\pm}$ and $D^{\pm}_{s}\rightarrow K^0_{\mathrm{S}} \pi^{\pm}$ decays is performed using $pp$ collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3~fb$^{-1}$, recorded by the LHCb experiment. The individual $CP$-violating asymmetries are measured to be \begin{eqnarray*} \mathcal{A}_{CP}^{D^{\pm}\rightarrow K^0_{\mathrm{S}} K^{\pm}} & = & (+0.03 \pm 0.17 \pm 0.14) \% \mathcal{A}_{CP}^{D^{\pm}_{s}\rightarrow K^0_{\mathrm{S}} \pi^{\pm}} & = & (+0.38 \pm 0.46 \pm 0.17) \%, \end{eqnarray*} assuming that $CP$ violation in the Cabibbo-favoured decays is negligible. A combination of the measured asymmet…
Measurement of polarization amplitudes and CP asymmetries in B 0 → Φk *(892)0
An angular analysis of the decay $B^0 \to \phi K^*(892)^0$ is reported based on a $pp$ collision data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{-1}$, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 7$ TeV with the LHCb detector. The P-wave amplitudes and phases are measured with a greater precision than by previous experiments, and confirm about equal amounts of longitudinal and transverse polarization. The S-wave $K^+ \pi^-$ and $K^+K^-$ contributions are taken into account and found to be significant. A comparison of the $B^0 \to \phi K^*(892)^0$ and $\bar{B}^0 \to \phi \bar{K}^*(892)^0$ results shows no evidence for direct CP violation in the rate asymmetry, in th…
Results of a self-triggered prototype system for radio-detection of extensive air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We describe the experimental setup and the results of RAuger, a small radio-antenna array, consisting of three fully autonomous and self-triggered radio-detection stations, installed close to the center of the Surface Detector (SD) of the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. The setup has been designed for the detection of the electric field strength of air showers initiated by ultra-high energy cosmic rays, without using an auxiliary trigger from another detection system. Installed in December 2006, RAuger was terminated in May 2010 after 65 registered coincidences with the SD. The sky map in local angular coordinates (i.e., zenith and azimuth angles) of these events reveals a strong azi…
Angular analysis of charged and neutral B → Kμ + μ − decays
The angular distributions of the rare decays B → K+µ+µ- and B0 → K0 <inf>a</inf>Sμ+μ- are studied with data corresponding to 3 fb-1 of integrated luminosity, collected in proton-proton collisions at 7 and 8TeV centre-of-mass energies with the LHCb detector. The angular distribution is described by two parameters, FH and the forward-backward asymmetry of the dimuon system AFB, which are determined in bins of the dimuon mass squared. The parameter F<inf>H</inf> is a measure of the contribution from (pseudo)scalar and tensor amplitudes to the decay width. The measurements of A<inf>FB</inf> and F<inf>H</inf> reported here are the most precise to d…