0000000000956726
AUTHOR
V. Verzi
Measurement of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum above 2.5×1018 eV using the Pierre Auger Observatory
We report a measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays for energies above 2.5×10^18 eV based on 215,030 events recorded with zenith angles below 60°. A key feature of the work is that the estimates of the energies are independent of assumptions about the unknown hadronic physics or of the primary mass composition. The measurement is the most precise made hitherto with the accumulated exposure being so large that the measurements of the flux are dominated by systematic uncertainties except at energies above 5×10^19 eV. The principal conclusions are(1) The flattening of the spectrum near 5×10^18 eV, the so-called "ankle,"is confirmed.(2) The steepening of the spectrum at around 5×10^19…
Search for composite and exotic fermions at LEP 2
A search for unstable heavy fermions with the DELPHI detector at LEP is reported. Sequential and non-canonical leptons, as well as excited leptons and quarks, are considered. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 48~pb$^{-1}$ at an $e^+e^-$ centre-of-mass energy of 183~GeV and about 20~pb$^{-1}$ equally shared between the centre-of-mass energies of 172~GeV and 161~GeV. The search for pair-produced new leptons establishes 95\% confidence level mass limits in the region between 70~GeV/$c^2$ and 90~GeV/$c^2$, depending on the channel. The search for singly produced excited leptons and quarks establishes upper limits on the ratio of the coupling of the excited fermio…
Measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 10^18 eV using the Pierre Auger Observatory
We report a measurement of the flux of cosmic rays with unprecedented precision and Statistics using the Pierre Auger Observatory Based on fluorescence observations in coincidence with at least one Surface detector we derive a spectrum for energies above 10(18) eV We also update the previously published energy spectrum obtained with the surface detector array The two spectra are combined addressing the systematic uncertainties and, in particular. the influence of the energy resolution on the spectral shape The spectrum can be described by a broken power law E-gamma with index gamma = 3 3 below the ankle which is measured at log(10)(E-ankle/eV) = 18 6 Above the ankle the spectrum is describe…
Multi-resolution anisotropy studies of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We report a multi-resolution search for anisotropies in the arrival directions of cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory with local zenith angles up to $80^\circ$ and energies in excess of 4 EeV ($4 \times 10^{18}$ eV). This search is conducted by measuring the angular power spectrum and performing a needlet wavelet analysis in two independent energy ranges. Both analyses are complementary since the angular power spectrum achieves a better performance in identifying large-scale patterns while the needlet wavelet analysis, considering the parameters used in this work, presents a higher efficiency in detecting smaller-scale anisotropies, potentially providing directional informa…
A search for point sources of EeV neutrons
A thorough search of the sky exposed at the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory reveals no statistically significant excess of events in any small solid angle that would be indicative of a flux of neutral particles from a discrete source. The search covers from −90◦ to +15◦ in declination using four different energy ranges above 1 EeV (1018 eV). The method used in this search is more sensitive to neutrons than to photons. The upper limit on a neutron flux is derived for a dense grid of directions for each of the four energy ranges. These results constrain scenarios for the production of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays in the Galaxy.
Measurement of trilinear gauge couplings in e(+)e(-) collisions at 161 GeV and 172 GeV
Trilinear gauge boson couplings are measured using data taken by DELPHI at 161 GeV and 172 GeV, Values for WWV couplings (V = Z,gamma) are determined from a study of the reactions e(+)e(-) --> W+W- and e(+)e(-) --> We nu, using differential distributions from the WW final state in which one W decays hadronically and the other leptonically, and total cross,section data from other channels, Limits are also derived on neutral ZV gamma couplings from an analysis of the reaction e(+)e(-) --> gamma + invisible particles. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.
Constraints on the origin of cosmic rays above 10^18 eV from large-scale anisotropy searches in data of the Pierre Auger Observatory
A thorough search for large-scale anisotropies in the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays detected above 10(18) eV at the Pierre Auger Observatory is reported. For the first time, these large-scale anisotropy searches are performed as a function of both the right ascension and the declination and expressed in terms of dipole and quadrupole moments. Within the systematic uncertainties, no significant deviation from isotropy is revealed. Upper limits on dipole and quadrupole amplitudes are derived under the hypothesis that any cosmic ray anisotropy is dominated by such moments in this energy range. These upper limits provide constraints on the production of cosmic rays above 10(…
Search for neutralino pair production at root s = 189 GeV
A search for pair-production of neutralinos at a LEP centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV gave no evidence for a signal. This limits the neutralino production cross-section and excludes regions in the parameter space of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM).
Ultra-High Energy Neutrinos at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The observation of ultrahigh energy neutrinos (UHE nu s) has become a priority in experimental astroparticle physics. UHE nu s can be detected with a variety of techniques. In particular, neutrinos can interact in the atmosphere (downward-going nu) or in the Earth crust (Earth-skimming nu), producing air showers that can be observed with arrays of detectors at the ground. With the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory we can detect these types of cascades. The distinguishing signature for neutrino events is the presence of very inclined showers produced close to the ground (i.e., after having traversed a large amount of atmosphere). In this work we review the procedure and …
A measurement of the Tau topological branching ratios
Using data collected in the DELPHI detector at LEP-1, measurements of the inclusive tau branching ratios for decay modes containing one, three, or five charged particles have been performed, giving the following results: B_1 = B(\tau^- -> (particle)^- \geq 0pi^0 \geq 0K^0 \nu_\tau(\bar{\nu})) = (85.316 +/- 0.093 +/- 0.049)%; B_3 = B(\tau^- -> 2h^-h^+ \geq 0pi^0 \geq 0K^0 \nu_\tau) = (14.569 +/- 0.093 +/- 0.048)%; B_5 = B(\tau^- -> 3h^-2h^+ \geq 0pi^0 \geq 0K^0 \nu_\tau) = (0.115 +/- 0.013 +/- 0.006)%, where h is either a charged pi or K meson. The first quoted uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic.
Interpretation of the depths of maximum of extensive air showers measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
To interpret the mean depth of cosmic ray air shower maximum and its dispersion, we parametrize those two observables as functions of the first two moments of the ln A distribution. We examine the goodness of this simple method through simulations of test mass distributions. The application of the parameterization to Pierre Auger Observatory data allows one to study the energy dependence of the mean ln A and of its variance under the assumption of selected hadronic interaction models. We discuss possible implications of these dependences in term of interaction models and astrophysical cosmic ray sources.
A search for $\eta'_c$ production in photon-photon fusion at LEP
A search for the production of the $\eta'_c$ meson, the first radial excitation of the ground state of charmonium $\eta_c$(2980), in the photon-photon fusion reaction at LEP has been performed using the data collected by the DELPHI detector during 1992-1996. No evidence of $\eta'_c$ production is found in the mass region 3520--3800 MeV/c^2. An upper limit for the ratio of the two-photon widths of the $\eta'_c$ and $\eta_c$ is obtained.
Probing the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with neutrinos in the EeV energy range using the Pierre Auger Observatory
Neutrinos with energies above 1017 eV are detectable with the Surface Detector Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The identification is efficiently performed for neutrinos of all flavors interacting in the atmosphere at large zenith angles, as well as for Earth-skimming τ neutrinos with nearly tangential trajectories relative to the Earth. No neutrino candidates were found in ∼ 14.7 years of data taken up to 31 August 2018. This leads to restrictive upper bounds on their flux. The 90% C.L. single-flavor limit to the diffuse flux of ultra-high-energy neutrinos with an Eν -2 spectrum in the energy range 1.0 × 1017 eV -2.5 × 1019 eV is E2 dNν/dEν < 4.4 × 10-9 GeV cm-2 s-1 sr-1, placing str…
Large-scale Cosmic-Ray Anisotropies above 4 EeV Measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present a detailed study of the large-scale anisotropies of cosmic rays with energies above 4 EeV measured using the Pierre Auger Observatory. For the energy bins [4,8] EeV and $E\geq 8$ EeV, the most significant signal is a dipolar modulation in right ascension at energies above 8 EeV, as previously reported. In this paper we further scrutinize the highest-energy bin by splitting it into three energy ranges. We find that the amplitude of the dipole increases with energy above 4 EeV. The growth can be fitted with a power law with index $\beta=0.79\pm 0.19$. The directions of the dipoles are consistent with an extragalactic origin of these anisotropies at all the energies considered. Addi…
Testing Hadronic Interactions at Ultrahigh Energies with Air Showers Measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
Ultrahigh energy cosmic ray air showers probe particle physics at energies beyond the reach of accelerators. Here we introduce a new method to test hadronic interaction models without relying on the absolute energy calibration, and apply it to events with primary energy 6-16 EeV (ECM=110-170 TeV), whose longitudinal development and lateral distribution were simultaneously measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory. The average hadronic shower is 1.33±0.16 (1.61±0.21) times larger than predicted using the leading LHC-tuned models EPOS-LHC (QGSJetII-04), with a corresponding excess of muons.
The Lateral Trigger Probability function for the Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray Showers detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory
In this paper we introduce the concept of Lateral Trigger Probability (LTP) function, i.e., the probability for an Extensive Air Shower (EAS) to trigger an individual detector of a ground based array as a function of distance to the shower axis, taking into account energy, mass and direction of the primary cosmic ray. We apply this concept to the surface array of the Pierre Auger Observatory consisting of a 1.5 km spaced grid of about 1600 water Cherenkov stations. Using Monte Carlo simulations of ultra-high energy showers the LTP functions are derived for energies in the range between 1017 and 1019 eV and zenith angles up to 65. A parametrization combining a step function with an exponenti…
A Precise Measurement of the $\tau$ Polarisation at LEP-1
The $\tau$ polarisation has been studied with the ${\rm e^+e^-}\to \tau^+\tau^-$ data collected by the DELPHI detector at LEP in 1993, 1994 and 1995 around the Z resonance firstly through the exclusive decay channels ${\rm e}\nu\bar{\nu}$ , $\mu\nu\bar{\nu}$ , $\pi\nu$ , $\rho\nu$ and ${\rm a}_1\nu$ and secondly with an inclusive hadronic analysis which benefits from a higher efficiency and a better systematic precision. The results have been combined with those previously published on 1990 to 1992 DELPHI data, to produce results which reflect the full LEP-1 statistics. The fit of the $\tau$ polarisation dependence on the production angle yielded the polarisation parameters ${\cal A}_{_{\sc…
Identified charged particles in quark and gluon jets
A sample of 2.2 million hadronic Z decays, selected from the data recorded by the Delphi detector at LEP during 1994-1995 was used for an improved measurement of inclusive distributions of pi+, K+ and p and their antiparticles in gluon and quark jets. The production spectra of the individual identified particles were found to be softer in gluon jets compared to quark jets, with a higher multiplicity in gluon jets as observed for inclusive charged particles. A significant proton enhancement in gluon jets is observed indicating that baryon production proceeds directly from colour objects. The maxima, xi^*, of the xi-distributions for kaons in gluon and quark jets are observed to be different.
Limits on point-like sources of ultra-high-energy neutrinos with the Pierre Auger Observatory
With the Surface Detector array (SD) of the Pierre Auger Observatory we can detect neutrinos with energy between 1017 eV and 1020 eV from point-like sources across the sky, from close to the Southern Celestial Pole up to 60 in declination, with peak sensitivities at declinations around ∼-53 and ∼+55, and an unmatched sensitivity for arrival directions in the Northern hemisphere. A search has been performed for highly-inclined air showers induced by neutrinos of all flavours with no candidate events found in data taken between 1 Jan 2004 and 31 Aug 2018. Upper limits on the neutrino flux from point-like steady sources have been derived as a function of source declination. An unrivaled sensit…
Measurement of the inclusive charmless and double-charm B branching ratios
The DELPHI experiment at LEP has measured the inclusive charmless B hadron decay branching ratio, the B branching ratio into two charmed particles, and the total number of charmed particles per B decay, using the hadronic Z data taken between 1992 and 1995. The results are extracted from a fit to the b-tagging probability distribution based on the precise impact parameter measurements made using the microvertex detector. The inclusive charmless B branching ratio, including B decays into hidden charm (c (c) over bar), is measured to be 0.033 +/- 0.021. The B branching ratio into two open charmed particles is 0.136 +/- 0.042. The mean number of charmed particles per B decay (including hidden …
Techniques for measuring aerosol attenuation using the Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory in Malargue, Argentina, is designed to study the properties of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with energies above 10(18) eV. It is a hybrid facility that employs a Fluorescence Detector to perform nearly calorimetric measurements of Extensive Air Shower energies. To obtain reliable calorimetric information from the FD, the atmospheric conditions at the observatory need to be continuously monitored during data acquisition. In particular, light attenuation due to aerosols is an important atmospheric correction. The aerosol concentration is highly variable, so that the aerosol attenuation needs to be evaluated hourly. We use light from the Central Laser Facility, lo…
First evidence for a charm radial excitation, D
Using D*+ mesons exclusively reconstructed in the DELPHI detector at LEP, an excess of 66 +/- 14(stat.) events is observed in the D(*+)pi(+)pi(-) final state with a mass of 2637 +/- 2(stat.) +/- 6(syst.) MeV/c(2) and a full width smaller than 15 MeV/c(2) (95% C.L.). This signal is compatible with the expected decay of a radially excited D*' (J(P) = 1(-))meson. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Identifying clouds over the Pierre Auger Observatory using infrared satellite data
We describe a new method of identifying night-time clouds over the Pierre Auger Observatory using infrared data from the Imager instruments on the GOES-12 and GOES-13 satellites. We compare cloud. identifications resulting from our method to those obtained by the Central Laser Facility of the Auger Observatory. Using our new method we can now develop cloud probability maps for the 3000 km(2) of the Pierre Auger Observatory twice per hour with a spatial resolution of similar to 2.4 km by similar to 5.5 km. Our method could also be applied to monitor cloud cover for other ground-based observatories and for space-based observatories. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Energy dependence of inclusive spectra in e+ e- annihilation
Inclusive charged hadron distributions as obtained from the DELPHI measurements at 130, 136, 161, 172 and 183 GeV are presented as a function of the variables rapidity, xi(p), p and transversal momenta. Data are compared with event generators and with MLLA calculations, in order to examine the hypothesis of local parton hadron duality. The differential momentum spectra show an indication for coherence effects in the production of soft particles. The relation between the energy dependence of the charged multiplicity and the rapidity distribution is examined. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Limit on the diffuse flux of ultrahigh energy tau neutrinos with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory are used to establish an upper limit on the diffuse flux of tau neutrinos in the cosmic radiation. Earth-skimming ντ may interact in the Earth's crust and produce a τ lepton by means of charged-current interactions. The τ lepton may emerge from the Earth and decay in the atmosphere to produce a nearly horizontal shower with a typical signature, a persistent electromagnetic component even at very large atmospheric depths. The search procedure to select events induced by τ decays against the background of normal showers induced by cosmic rays is described. The method used to compute the exposure for a detector continuously growing with time is de…
Update of the search for charginos nearly mass-degenerate with the lightest neutralino
The data collected by DELPHI in 1998 at the centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV have been used to update the search for charginos nearly mass-degenerate with the lightest supersymmetric particle, which is assumed to be the lightest neutralino. Mass differences below \Delta M = 3 GeV/c^2 are considered. No excess of events with respect to the Standard Model expectation has been observed, and exclusions in the plane of \Delta M versus chargino mass are given. The new \Delta M independent lower limit on the mass of the chargino is 62.4 GeV/c^2 in the higgsino scenario (which includes the gaugino mass unification scenario), if all sfermions are heavier than the lightest chargino. In the approximat…
Search for signatures of magnetically-induced alignment in the arrival directions measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present the results of an analysis of data recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory in which we search for groups of directionally-aligned events (or ‘multiplets’) which exhibit a correlation between arrival direc- tion and the inverse of the energy. These signatures are expected from sets of events coming from the same source after having been deflected by intervening coherent magnetic fields. The observation of several events from the same source would open the possibility to accurately reconstruct the position of the source and also measure the integral of the component of the magnetic field orthogonal to the trajectory of the cos- mic rays. We describe the largest multiplets found an…
Probing the radio emission from air showers with polarization measurements
The emission of radio waves from air showers has been attributed to the so-called geomagnetic emission process. At frequencies around 50 MHz this process leads to coherent radiation which can be observed with rather simple setups. The direction of the electric field induced by this emission process depends only on the local magnetic field vector and on the incoming direction of the air shower. We report on measurements of the electric field vector where, in addition to this geomagnetic component, another component has been observed which cannot be described by the geomagnetic emission process. The data provide strong evidence that the other electric field component is polarized radially wit…
Measurement of the Proton-Air Cross Section ats=57 TeVwith 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.
Search for the sgoldstino at √s = 189 to 202 GeV.
A search for the supersymmetric partner of the goldstino, the sgoldstino S, at LEP2 is presented. The production Sgamma followed by S decay into two gluons or into two photons was studied at 189 - 202 GeV LEP centre-of-mass energies. No evidence for the S production was found and limits on the S mass corresponding to different theory parameters are given.
Search for point-like sources of ultra-high energy neutrinos at the pierre auger observatory and improved limit on the diffuse flux of tau neutrinos
The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory can detect neutrinos with energy Eν between 1017 eV and 1020 eV from point-like sources across the sky south of +55º and north of −65º declinations. A search has been performed for highly inclined extensive air showers produced by the interaction of neutrinos of all flavors in the atmosphere (downward-going neutrinos), and by the decay of tau leptons originating from tau neutrino interactions in Earth’s crust (Earth-skimming neutrinos). No candidate neutrinos have been found in data up to 2010 May 31. This corresponds to an equivalent exposure of ∼3.5 years of a full surface detector array for the Earth-skimming channel and ∼2 years…
Measurement of trilinear gauge boson couplings WWV, (V Z,gamma) in e(+)e(-) collisions at 189 GeV
Measurements of the trilinear gauge boson couplings WWgamma and WWZ are presented using the data taken by DELPHI in 1998 at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV and combined with DELPHI data at 183 GeV. Values are determined for Delta(g_1^Z) and Delta(kappa_gamma), the differences of the WWZ charge coupling and of the WWgamma dipole coupling from their Standard Model values, and for lambda_gamma, the WWgamma quadrupole coupling. A measurement of the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moment of the W is extracted from the results for Delta(kappa_gamma) and lambda_gamma. The study uses data from the final states jjlv, jjjj, lX, jjX and gammaX, where j represents a quark jet, l an identifie…
A search for invisible Higgs bosons produced in e+e- interactions at LEP 2 energies
Searches for HZ production with the Higgs boson decaying into an invisible final state have been performed with the data collected by the DELPHI experiment up to the centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The hadronic and muon pair final states of the Z boson were analysed. From the absence of signal, upper limits on the cross-section and the corresponding Higgs boson mass limits were set at 95% confidence level. The results are interpreted as excluded parameter regions in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model and in the simplest Majoron model with one Higgs doublet and one Higgs singlet field. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Search for chargino pair production in scenarios with gravitino LSP and stau NLSP at GeV at LEP
Promptly decaying lightest charginos were searched for in the context of scenarios with gravitino LSP. It was assumed that the stau is the next to lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP). Data collected with the DELPHI detector at a centre-of-mass energy near 183~{~mbox{${mathrm{GeV}}$}}\nwere analysed combining the methods developed in previous searches. No evidence for the production of these particles was found. Hence, limits were derived at 95% confidence level. The mass of charginos was found to be greater than 85.5~GeV/$c^2$ for $m_{ ilde{chi}^+_1}-m_{ ilde{ au}_1}geq 0.3 {mathrm{GeV}}/c^2$, independently of the mass of the gravitino.
A Targeted Search for Point Sources of EeV Neutrons
A flux of neutrons from an astrophysical source in the Galaxy can be detected in the Pierre Auger Observatory as an excess of cosmic-ray air showers arriving from the direction of the source. To avoid the statistical penalty for making many trials, classes of objects are tested in combinations as nine “target sets”, in addition to the search for a neutron flux from the Galactic Center or from the Galactic Plane. Within a target set, each candidate source is weighted in proportion to its electromagnetic flux, its exposure to the Auger Observatory, and its flux attenuation factor due to neutron decay. These searches do not find evidence for a neutron flux from any class of candidate sources. …
Large-scale distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays detected above 1018 eV at the Pierre Auger Observatory
A thorough search for large-scale anisotropies in the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays detected above 1018 eV at the Pierre Auger Observatory is presented. This search is performed as a function of both declination and right ascension in several energy ranges above 1018 eV, and reported in terms of dipolar and quadrupolar coefficients. Within the systematic uncertainties, no significant deviation from isotropy is revealed. Assuming that any cosmic-ray anisotropy is dominated by dipole and quadrupole moments in this energy range, upper limits on their amplitudes are derived. These upper limits allow us to test the origin of cosmic rays above 1018 eV from stationary Galactic …
Calibration of the underground muon detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
To obtain direct measurements of the muon content of extensive air showers with energy above $10^{16.5}$ eV, the Pierre Auger Observatory is currently being equipped with an underground muon detector (UMD), consisting of 219 10 $\mathrm{m^2}$-modules, each segmented into 64 scintillators coupled to silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). Direct access to the shower muon content allows for the study of both of the composition of primary cosmic rays and of high-energy hadronic interactions in the forward direction. As the muon density can vary between tens of muons per m$^2$ close to the intersection of the shower axis with the ground to much less than one per m$^2$ when far away, the necessary bro…
Observation of inclined EeV air showers with the radio detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
With the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we have observed the radio emission from 561 extensive air showers with zenith angles between 60 and 84. In contrast to air showers with more vertical incidence, these inclined air showers illuminate large ground areas of several km2 with radio signals detectable in the 30 to 80 MHz band. A comparison of the measured radio-signal amplitudes with Monte Carlo simulations of a subset of 50 events for which we reconstruct the energy using the Auger surface detector shows agreement within the uncertainties of the current analysis. As expected for forward-beamed radio emission undergoing no significant absorption or sc…
Antennas for the detection of radio emission pulses from cosmic-ray induced air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory.
The Pierre Auger Observatory is exploring the potential of the radio detection technique to study extensive air showers induced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) addresses both technological and scientific aspects of the radio technique. A first phase of AERA has been operating since September 2010 with detector stations observing radio signals at frequencies between 30 and 80 MHz. In this paper we present comparative studies to identify and optimize the antenna design for the final configuration of AERA consisting of 160 individual radio detector stations. The transient nature of the air shower signal requires a detailed description of the antenna s…
The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detecto…
Measurement of the Λb0 decay form factor
The form factor of Λb0 baryons is estimated using 3.46×106 hadronic Z decays collected by the DELPHI experiment between 1992 and 1995. Charmed Λc+ baryons fully reconstructed in the pK-π+, pK S0, and Λπ+π+π - modes, are associated to a lepton with opposite charge in order to select Λb0→Λc+l-ν̄l decays. From a combined likelihood and event rate fit to the distribution of the Isgur-Wise variable w, and using the Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET), the slope of the b-baryon form factor is measured to be ρ̂2=2.03±0.46(stat) -1.00+0.72(syst). The exclusive semileptonic branching fraction Br(Λb0→Λc+l-ν̄l) can be derived from ρ̂2 and is found to be (5.0-0.8+1.1(stat)-1.2+1.6(syst))%. Limits on ot…
Search for supersymmetric particles in scenarios with a gravitino LSP and stau NLSP
Sleptons, neutralinos and charginos were searched for in the context of scenarios where the lightest supersymmetric particle is the gravitino. It was assumed that the stau is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. Data collected with the DELPHI detector at a centre-of-mass energy near 189 GeV were analysed combining the methods developed in previous searches at lower energies. No evidence for the production of these supersymmetric particles was found. Hence, limits were derived at 95% confidence level.
Cosmic-Ray Anisotropies in Right Ascension Measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present measurements of the large-scale cosmic-ray anisotropies in right ascension, using data collected by the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory over more than 14 years. We determine the equatorial dipole component, ~d⊥, through a Fourier analysis in right ascension that includes weights for each event so as to account for the main detector-induced systematic effects. For the energies at which the trigger efficiency of the array is small, the “East-West” method is employed. Besides using the data from the array with detectors separated by 1500 m, we also include data from the smaller but denser sub-array of detectors with 750 m separation, which allows us to extend …
Search for ultrarelativistic magnetic monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present a search for ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles with the Pierre Auger Observatory. Such particles, possibly a relic of phase transitions in the early universe, would deposit a large amount of energy along their path through the atmosphere, comparable to that of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). The air shower profile of a magnetic monopole can be effectively distinguished by the fluorescence detector from that of standard UHECRs. No candidate was found in the data collected between 2004 and 2012, with an expected background of less than 0.1 event from UHECRs. The corresponding 90% confidence level (C.L.) upper limits on the flux of ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles ra…
A study of the effect of molecular and aerosol conditions in the atmosphere on air fluorescence measurements at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The air fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory is designed to perforin calorimetric measurements of extensive air showers created by Cosmic rays of above 10(18) eV. To correct these measurements for the effects introduced by atmospheric fluctuations, the Observatory contains a group Of monitoring instruments to record atmospheric conditions across the detector site, ail area exceeding 3000 km(2). The atmospheric data are used extensively in the reconstruction of air showers, and are particularly important for the correct determination of shower energies and the depths of shower maxima. This paper contains a summary of the molecular and aerosol conditions measured at the Pierr…
Search for photons with energies above 1018 eV using the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
A search for ultra-high energy photons with energies above 1 EeV is performed using nine years of data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory in hybrid operation mode. An unprecedented separation power between photon and hadron primaries is achieved by combining measurements of the longitudinal air-shower development with the particle content at ground measured by the fluorescence and surface detectors, respectively. Only three photon candidates at energies 1-2 EeV are found, which is compatible with the expected hadron-induced background. Upper limits on the integral flux of ultra-high energy photons of 0.027, 0.009, 0.008, 0.008 and 0.007 km-2 sr-1 yr-1 are derived at 95% C.L. for ener…
Energy dependence of event shapes and of $\alpha_s$ at LEP 2
Infrared and collinear safe event shape distributions and their mean values are determined using the data taken at five different centre of mass energies above M-Z with the DELPHI detector at LEP. From the event shapes, the strong coupling alpha(s) is extracted in O(alpha(s)(2)), NLLA and a combined scheme using hadronisation corrections evaluated with fragmentation model generators as well as using an analytical power ansatz. Comparing these measurements to those obtained at M-Z, the energy dependence (running) of alpha(s) is accessible. The logarithmic energy slope of the inverse strong coupling is measured to be d alpha(s)(-1)/d log(E-cm) = 1.39 +/- 0.34 (stat) +/- 0.17(syst), in good ag…
Search for First Harmonic Modulation in the Right Ascension Distribution of Cosmic Rays Detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present the results of searches for dipolar-type anisotropies in different energy ranges above 2.5 × 1017 eV with the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, reporting on both the phase and the amplitude measurements of the first harmonic modulation in the right-ascension distribution. Upper limits on the amplitudes are obtained, which provide the most stringent bounds at present, being below 2% at 99% C.L. for EeV energies. We also compare our results to those of previous experiments as well as with some theoretical expectations.
Study of dimuon production in photon-photon collisions and measurement of QED photon structure functions at LEP
Muon pair production in the process e+e- -> e+e-mu+mu- is studied using the data taken at LEP1 (sqrt(s) \simeq m_Z) with the DELPHI detector during the years 1992-1995. The corresponding integrated luminosity is 138.5 pb^{-1}. The QED predictions have been tested over the whole Q^2 range accessible at LEP1 (from several GeV^2/c^4 to several hundred GeV^2/c^4) by comparing experimental distributions with distributions resulting from Monte Carlo simulations using various generators. Selected events are used to extract the leptonic photon structure function F_2^\gamma. Azimuthal correlations are used to obtain information on additional structure functions, F_A^\gamma and F_B^\gamma, which orig…
Muons in air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present the first hybrid measurement of the average muon number in air showers at ultrahigh energies, initiated by cosmic rays with zenith angles between 62° and 80°. The measurement is based on 174 hybrid events recorded simultaneously with the surface detector array and the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The muon number for each shower is derived by scaling a simulated reference profile of the lateral muon density distribution at the ground until it fits the data. A 1019eV shower with a zenith angle of 67°, which arrives at the surface detector array at an altitude of 1450 m above sea level, contains on average (2.68±0.04±0.48(sys))×107 muons with energies large…
Search for patterns by combining cosmic-ray energy and arrival directions at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Energy-dependent patterns in the arrival directions of cosmic rays are searched for using data of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We investigate local regions around the highest-energy cosmic rays with E ≥ 6×1019 eV by analyzing cosmic rays with energies above E ≥ 5×1018 eV arriving within an angular separation of approximately 15∘. We characterize the energy distributions inside these regions by two independent methods, one searching for angular dependence of energy-energy correlations and one searching for collimation of energy along the local system of principal axes of the energy distribution. No significant patterns are found with this analysis. The comparison of these measurements with …
Single intermediate vector boson production in e(+)e(-) collisions at root s=183 and 189 GeV
The cross sections for the production of single charged and neutral intermediate vector bosons were measured using integrated luminosities of 52 pb-1 and 154 pb-1 collected by the experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 182.6 GeV and 188.6 GeV, respectively. The cross sections for the reactions were determined in limited kinematic regions. The results found are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions for these channels. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V.
A measurement of the branching fractions of the b quark into charged and neutral b hadrons
The production fractions of charged and neutral b-hadrons in b-quark events from Z0 decays have been measured with the DELPHI detector at LEP. An algorithm has been developed, based on a neural network, to estimate the charge of the weakly-decaying b-hadron by distinguishing its decay products from particles produced at the primary vertex. From the data taken in the years 1994 and 1995, the fraction of bbar-quarks fragmenting into positively charged weakly-decaying b-hadrons has been measured to be: f^+ = (42.09 +/- 0.82 (stat.) +/- 0.89 (syst.))%. Subtracting the rates for charged Xibar_b^+ and Omegabar_b^+ baryons gives the production fraction of B^+ mesons: f_Bu = (40.99 +/- 0.82 (stat.)…
Advanced functionality for radio analysis in the Offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The advent of the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) necessitates the development of a powerful framework for the analysis of radio measurements of cosmic ray air showers. As AERA performs ‘‘radio- hybrid’’ measurements of air shower radio emission in coincidence with the surface particle detectors and fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the radio analysis functionality had to be incorporated in the existing hybrid analysis solutions for fluorescence and surface detector data. This goal has been achieved in a natural way by extending the existing Auger Offline software framework with radio functionality. In this article, we lay out the design, highlights and features …
Two-particle angular correlations in e(+)e(-) interactions compared with QCD predictions
Two-particle angular correlations in jet cones have been measured in e(+)e(-) annihilation into hadrons at LEP energies (root s = 91 and 183 GeV) and are compared with QCD predictions using the LPHD hypothesis. Two different functions have been tested. While the differentially normalized correlation function shows substantial deviations from the predictions, a globally normalized correlation function agrees well. The size of alpha(s)(eff) land other QCD parameters) and its running with the relevant angular scale, the validity of LPHD, and problems due to non-perturbative effects are discussed critically. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A search for anisotropy in the arrival directions of ultra high energy cosmic rays recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Observations of cosmic ray arrival directions made with the Pierre Auger Observatory have previously provided evidence of anisotropy at the 99% CL using the correlation of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) with objects drawn from the Véron-Cetty Véron catalog. In this paper we report on the use of three catalog independent methods to search for anisotropy. The 2pt–L, 2pt+ and 3pt methods, each giving a different measure of selfclustering in arrival directions, were tested on mock cosmic ray data sets to study the impacts of sample size and magnetic smearing on their results, accounting for both angular and energy resolutions. If the sources of UHECRs follow the same large scale structu…
Searches for anisotropies in the arrival directions of the highest energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory
We analyze the distribution of arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory in 10 years of operation. The data set, about three times larger than that used in earlier studies, includes arrival directions with zenith angles up to $80^\circ$, thus covering from $-90^\circ$ to $+45^\circ$ in declination. After updating the fraction of events correlating with the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the V��ron-Cetty and V��ron catalog, we subject the arrival directions of the data with energies in excess of 40 EeV to different tests for anisotropy. We search for localized excess fluxes and for self-clustering of event directions at angular scales up t…
A study of the Lorentz structure in tau decays
This paper describes a measurement of the Michel parameters, \eta, \rho, \xi, \xi\delta, and the average \nu_{\tau} helicity, h_{\nu_{\tau}}, in tau lepton decays together with the first measurement of the tensor coupling in the weak charged current. The tau+tau- pairs were produced at the LEP e+e- collider at CERN from 1992 through 1995 in the DELPHI detector. Assuming lepton universality in the decays of the tau the measured values of the parameters were: \eta = -0.005 +/- 0.036 +/- 0.037, \rho = 0.775 +/- 0.023 +/- 0.020, \xi = 0.929 +/- 0.070 +/- 0.030, \xi\delta = 0.779 +/- 0.070 +/- 0.028, h_{\nu_{\tau}} = -0.997 +/- 0.027 +/- 0.011. The strength of the tensor coupling was measured to…
Search for a fermiophobic Higgs at LEP 2
Higgs bosons predicted by the fermiophobic scenario within Two Higgs Doublets Models were searched for in the data collected by the DELPHI detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 GeV and 202 GeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 380 pb^{-1}. No signal was found and confidence limits were derived in the framework of possible extensions of the Standard Model Higgs sector.
Observation of the suppression of the flux of cosmic rays above 4x10^19eV
The energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 2.5 × 10¹⁸ eV, derived from 20,000 events recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory, is described. The spectral index γ of the particle flux, J ∝ E-γ, at energies between 4 × 10¹⁸ eV and 4 × 10¹⁹ eV is 2.69 ± 0.02(stat) ± 0.06(syst), steepening to 4.2 ± 0.4(stat) ± 0.06(syst) at higher energies. The hypothesis of a single power law is rejected with a significance greater than 6 standard deviations. The data are consistent with the prediction by Greisen and by Zatsepin and Kuz'min.
Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter
Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min energy threshold, 6 x 10(19) eV. The anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less than 3.1 degrees from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc (using the Veron-Cetty and Veron 12th catalog). An updated measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009. The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more precise measurement. The correlating…
Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre
Full list of authors: Acharyya, A.; Adam, R.; Adams, C.; Agudo, I.; Aguirre-Santaella, A.; Alfaro, R.; Alfaro, J.; Alispach, C.; Aloisio, R.; Alves Batista, R.; Amati, L.; Ambrosi, G.; Angüner, E. O.; Antonelli, L. A.; Aramo, C.; Araudo, A.; Armstrong, T.; Arqueros, F.; Asano, K.; Ascasíbar, Y. Ashley, M.; Balazs, C.; Ballester, O.; Baquero Larriva, A.; Barbosa Martins, V.; Barkov, M.; Barres de Almeida, U.; Barrio, J. A.; Bastieri, D.; Becerra, J.; Beck, G.; Becker Tjus, J.; Benbow, W.; Benito, M.; Berge, D.; Bernardini, E.; Bernlöhr, K.; Berti, A.; Bertucci, B.; Beshley, V.; Biasuzzi, B.; Biland, A.; Bissaldi, E.; Biteau, J.; Blanch, O.; Blazek, J.; Bocchino, F.; Boisson, C.; Bonneau Arbe…
Measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum using hybrid events of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The energy spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays above 10$^{18}$ eV is measured using the hybrid events collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory between November 2005 and September 2010. The large exposure of the Observatory allows the measurement of the main features of the energy spectrum with high statistics. Full Monte Carlo simulations of the extensive air showers (based on the CORSIKA code) and of the hybrid detector response are adopted here as an independent cross check of the standard analysis (Phys. Lett. B 685, 239 (2010)). The dependence on mass composition and other systematic uncertainties are discussed in detail and, in the full Monte Carlo approach, a region of confiden…
The exposure of the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It consists of a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level and a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The ‘‘hybrid” detection mode combines the information from the two subsystems. We describe the determination of the hybrid exposure for events observed by the fluorescence telescopes in coincidence with at least one water-Cherenkov detector of the surface array. A detailed knowledge of the time dependence of the detection operations is crucial for an accurate evaluation of the exposure. We discuss the relevance of monitoring data coll…
Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density (ρ ∝ P/T), affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The rate of events shows a ∼ 10% seasonal modulation and ∼ 2% diurnal one. We find that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects associated with the variations of P and ρ. The former affects the longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Molière radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is val…
Determination of |Vub|/|Vcb| with DELPHI at LEP
The ratio of the CKM quark-mixing matrix elements |Vub|/|Vcb| has been measured using B hadron semileptonic decays. The analysis uses the reconstructed mass M_X of the secondary hadronic system produced in association with an identified lepton. Since B -> X_u lepton anti-nu transitions are characterised by hadronic masses below those of the D mesons produced in B -> X_c lepton anti-nu transitions, events with a reconstructed value of M_X significantly below the D mass are selected. Further signal enrichments are obtained using the topology of reconstructed decays and hadron identification. A fit to the numbers of decays in the b -> u enriched and depleted samples with M_X above and…
A Search for Heavy Stable and Long-Lived Squarks and Sleptons in $e^+ e^-$ Collisions at Energies from 130 to 183 GeV
A search for stable and long-lived heavy charged particles used the data taken by the DELPHI experiment at energies from 130 to 183 GeV. The Cherenkov light detected in the Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector and the ionization loss measured in the Time Projection Chamber identify heavy particles from masses of 2 to nearly 89 GeV/c$^2$. Upper limits are given on the production cross-section and masses of sleptons, free squarks with a charge of $q = \pm 2/3e$ and hadronizing squarks. A search for stable and long-lived heavy charged particles used the data taken by the DELPHI experiment at energies from 130 to 183 GeV. The Cherenkov light detected in the Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector and the io…
Data-driven estimation of the invisible energy of cosmic ray showers with the Pierre Auger Observatory
The determination of the primary energy of extensive air showers using the fluorescence detection technique requires an estimation of the energy carried away by particles that do not deposit all their energy in the atmosphere. This estimation is typically made using Monte Carlo simulations and thus depends on the assumed primary particle mass and on model predictions for neutrino and muon production. In this work we present a new method to obtain the invisible energy from events detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory. The method uses measurements of the muon number at ground level, and it allows us to significantly reduce the systematic uncertainties related to the mass composition and th…
Measurement of the mass of the W boson using direct reconstruction at √s = 183 GeV
From data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 53.5 pb(-1) taken during the 183 GeV run in 1997, DELPHI has measured the W mass from direct reconstruction of WW --> lq (q) over bar and WW --> q (q) over bar q (q) over bar events. Combining these channels, a value of m(w) = 80.238 +/- 0.154(stat) +/- 0.035(syst) +/- 0.035(fsi) +/- 0.021 (LEP) GeV/c(2) is obtained, where fsi denotes final state interaction. Combined with the W mass obtained by DELPHI from the WW production cross-section and with the direct measurement at 172 GeV this leads to a measured value of m(w) = 80.270 +/- 0.137(stat) +/- 0.031(syst) +/- 0.030(fsi) +/- 0.021(LEP)GeV/c(2), in good agreement with the Standard Mod…
Measurement of the radiation energy in the radio signal of extensive air showers as a universal estimator of cosmic-ray energy
We measure the energy emitted by extensive air showers in the form of radio emission in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. Exploiting the accurate energy scale of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we obtain a radiation energy of 15.8±0.7(stat)±6.7(syst) MeV for cosmic rays with an energy of 1 EeV arriving perpendicularly to a geomagnetic field of 0.24 G, scaling quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy. A comparison with predictions from state-of-the-art first-principles calculations shows agreement with our measurement. The radiation energy provides direct access to the calorimetric energy in the electromagnetic cascade of extensive air showers. Comparison with our result thus allows the d…
Study of the four-jet anomaly observed at LEP centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV
The four-jet events collected by DELPHI during the special LEP run at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV in 1997 with an integrated luminosity of 5.9 pb(-1) are analysed. Their rate and the distributions of their di-jet masses, their smallest jet charges, and their di-jet charge separations all agree well with Standard Model predictions. Thus the hypothesis of pair production of a new particle with a sum of di-jet masses around 105 GeV/c(2) is not supported. The combined result of the four LEP collaborations refuting this hypothesis at over 99% confidence level is also given. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
An Indication of Anisotropy in Arrival Directions of Ultra-high-energy Cosmic Rays through Comparison to the Flux Pattern of Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Sources
A new analysis of the dataset from the Pierre Auger Observatory provides evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays on an intermediate angular scale, which is indicative of excess arrivals from strong, nearby sources. The data consist of 5514 events above 20 EeV with zenith angles up to 80 deg recorded before 2017 April 30. Sky models have been created for two distinct populations of extragalactic gamma-ray emitters: active galactic nuclei from the second catalog of hard Fermi-LAT sources (2FHL) and starburst galaxies from a sample that was examined with Fermi-LAT. Flux-limited samples, which include all types of galaxies from the Swift-BAT and 2MASS …
Search for $B^0_s-\overline{B^0_s}$ oscillations and a measurement of $B^0_d-\overline{B^0_d}$ oscillations using events with an inclusively reconstructed vertex
Neutral B meson oscillations in the B-s(0) - , and B-d(0) - systems were studied using a sample of about 4.0 million hadronic Z decays recorded by the DELPHI detector between 1992 and 2000. Events with a high transverse momentum lepton were removed and a sample of 770 k events with an inclusively reconstructed vertex was selected. The mass difference between the two physical states in the B-d(0) - system was measured to be: Deltam(d) = (0.531 +/- 0.025(stat.) +/- 0.007(syst.))ps(-1). The following limit on the width difference of these states was also obtained: DeltaGamma(Bd)/Gamma(Bd) oscillations was found, a limit on the mass difference of the two physical states was given:, Deltam(s) > …
Erratum to "Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger observatory"[Astroparticle Physics 32(2) (2009), 89-99]
The Pierre Auger Collaboration... K.B. Barber... J.A. Bellido... R.W. Clay... B.R. Dawson... V.C. Holmes... J. Sorokin... P. Wahrlich... B.J. Whelan... M.G. Winnick... et al.
Correlation of the highest-energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic objects.
Using data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory during the past 3.7 years, we demonstrated a correlation between the arrival directions of cosmic rays with energy above ~ 6x10^{19} electron volts and the positions of active galactic nuclei (AGN) lying within ~ 75 megaparsecs. We rejected the hypothesis of an isotropic distribution of these cosmic rays with at least a 99% confidence level from a prescribed a priori test. The correlation we observed is compatible with the hypothesis that the highest energy particles originate from nearby extragalactic sources whose flux has not been substantially reduced by interaction with the cosmic background radiation. AGN or objects having a similar…
Consistent measurements of alpha(s) from precise oriented event shape distributions
An updated analysis using about 1.5 million events recorded at $\sqrt{s} = M_Z$ with the DELPHI detector in 1994 is presented. Eighteen infrared and collinear safe event shape observables are measured as a function of the polar angle of the thrust axis. The data are compared to theoretical calculations in ${\cal O} (\alpha_s^2)$ including the event orientation. A combined fit of $\alpha_s$ and of the renormalization scale $x_{\mu}$ in $\cal O(\alpha_s^2$) yields an excellent description of the high statistics data. The weighted average from 18 observables including quark mass effects and correlations is $\alpha_s(M_Z^2) = 0.1174 \pm 0.0026$. The final result, derived from the jet cone energ…
Measurement of the Depth of Maximum of Extensive Air Showers above 10(18) eV
We describe the measurement of the depth of maximum, Xmax, of the longitudinal development of air showers induced by cosmic rays. Almost four thousand events above 10¹⁸ eV observed by the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory in coincidence with at least one surface detector station are selected for the analysis. The average shower maximum was found to evolve with energy at a rate of (106⁺³⁵₋₂₁) g/cm²/decade below 1018.24 ± 0.05 eV and (24 ± 3) g/cm²/decade above this energy. The measured shower-to-shower fluctuations decrease from about 55 to 26 g/cm². The interpretation of these results in terms of the cosmic ray mass composition is briefly discussed.
Cross-sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries from the Z(0) running of LEP
During 1993 and 1995 LEP was run at 3 energies near the Z $^0$ peak in order to give improved measurements of the mass and width of the resonance. During 1994, LEP operated only at the Z $^0$ peak. In total DELPHI accumulated data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 116 pb $^{-1}$ . Analyses of the hadronic cross-sections and of the cross-sections and forward-backward asymmetries in the leptonic channels used the most precise evaluations of the LEP energies. In the dimuon channel, events with a photon radiated from the initial state have been used to probe the cross-sections and asymmetries down to PETRA energies. Model independent fits to all DELPHI lineshape and asy…
Direct measurement of the muonic content of extensive air showers between 2× 1017 and 2×1018 eV at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The hybrid design of the Pierre Auger Observatory allows for the measurement of the properties of extensive air showers initiated by ultra-high energy cosmic rays with unprecedented precision. By using an array of prototype underground muon detectors, we have performed the first direct measurement, by the Auger Collaboration, of the muon content of air showers between 2 × 10 17 and 2 × 10 18 eV. We have studied the energy evolution of the attenuation-corrected muon density, and compared it to predictions from air shower simulations. The observed densities are found to be larger than those predicted by models. We quantify this discrepancy by combining the measurements from the muon detector …
Muons in air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory: Measurement of atmospheric production depth
The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory provides information about the longitudinal development of the muonic component of extensive air showers. Using the timing information from the flash analog-to-digital converter traces of surface detectors far from the shower core, it is possible to reconstruct a muon production depth distribution. We characterize the goodness of this reconstruction for zenith angles around 60° and different energies of the primary particle. From these distributions, we define Xμmax as the depth along the shower axis where the production of muons reaches maximum. We explore the potentiality of Xμmax as a useful observable to infer the mass compositi…
A search for point sources of EeV photons
Measurements of air showersmade using the hybrid technique developed with the fluorescence and surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory allow a sensitive search for point sources of EeV photons anywhere in the exposed sky. A multivariate analysis reduces the background of hadronic cosmic rays. The search is sensitive to a declination band from −85º to +20º, in an energy range from 1017.3 eV to 1018.5 eV. No photon point source has been detected. An upper limit on the photon flux has been derived for every direction. The mean value of the energy flux limit that results from this, assuming a photon spectral index of −2, is 0.06 eV cm−2 s−1, and no celestial direction exceeds 0.25 eV …
Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon flux above 1019 eV using the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
A method is developed to search for air showers initiated by photons using data recorded by the surface detector of the Auger Observatory. The approach is based on observables sensitive to the longitudinal shower development, the signal risetime and the curvature of the shower front. Applying this method to the data, upper limits on the flux of photons of 3.8 x 10-3, 2.5 x 10-3; and 2.2 x 10-3 km-2 sr-1 yr-1 above 1019 eV, 2 x 1019 eV; and 4 x 1019 eV are derived, with corresponding limits on the fraction of photons being 2.0%, 5.1%, and 31% (all limits at 95% c.l.). These photon limits disfavor certain exotic models of sources of cosmic rays. The results also show that the approach adopted…
Measurement of inclusive ρ0, f0(980), f2(1270), K and f′2(1525) production in Z0 decays
DELPHI results are presented on the inclusive production of the neutral mesons ρ0, f0(980), f2(1270), KView the MathML source and f′2(1525) in hadronic Z0 decays. They are based on about 2 million multihadronic events collected in 1994 and 1995, using the particle identification capabilities of the DELPHI Ring Imaging Cherenkov detectors and measured ionization losses in the Time Projection Chamber. The total production rates per hadronic Z0 decay have been determined to be: 1.19±0.10 for ρ0; 0.164±0.021 for f0(980); 0.214±0.038 for f2(1270); 0.073±0.023 for KView the MathML source; and 0.012±0.006 for f′2(1525). The total production rates for all mesons and differential cross-sections for …
Search for ultrahigh energy neutrinos in highly inclined events at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Erratum: Phys. Rev. D 85, 029902(E) (2012) [http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.85.029902]
Upper limit on the diffuse flux of ultrahigh energy tau neutrinos from the Pierre Auger Observatory
The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory is sensitive to Earth-skimming tau neutrinos that interact in Earth’s crust. Tau leptons from ντ charged-current interactions can emerge and decay in the atmosphere to produce a nearly horizontal shower with a significant electromagnetic component. The data collected between 1 January 2004 and 31 August 2007 are used to place an upper limit on the diffuse flux of ντ at EeV energies. Assuming an E−2ν differential energy spectrum the limit set at 90% C.L. is E2νdNντdEν<1.3×10−7 GeV cm−2 s−1 sr−1 in the energy range 2×1017 eV<E<2×1019 eV.
Measurement of the average shape of longitudinal profiles of cosmic-ray air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The profile of the longitudinal development of showers produced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays carries information related to the interaction properties of the primary particles with atmospheric nuclei. In this work, we present the first measurement of the average shower profile in traversed atmospheric depth at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The shapes of profiles are well reproduced by the Gaisser-Hillas parametrization within the range studied, for E>10 17.8 eV .A detailed analysis of the systematic uncertainties is performed using ten years of data and a full detector simulation. The average shape is quantified using two variables related to the width and asymmetry of the profile, and …
The effect of the geomagnetic field on cosmic ray energy estimates and large scale anisotropy searches on data from the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present a comprehensive study of the influence of the geomagnetic field on the energy estimation of extensive air showers with a zenith angle smaller than $60^\circ$, detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The geomagnetic field induces an azimuthal modulation of the estimated energy of cosmic rays up to the ~2% level at large zenith angles. We present a method to account for this modulation of the reconstructed energy. We analyse the effect of the modulation on large scale anisotropy searches in the arrival direction distributions of cosmic rays. At a given energy, the geomagnetic effect is shown to induce a pseudo-dipolar pattern at the percent level in the declination distribution t…
Trigger and aperture of the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory consists of 1600 water-Cherenkov detectors, for the study of extensive airshowers (EAS) generated by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. We describe the trigger hierarchy, from the identification of candidates howers at the level of a single detector, amongst a large background (mainly random single cosmic ray muons), up to the selection of real events and the rejection of random coincidences. Such trigger makes the surface detector array fully efficient for the detection of EAS with energy above 3 x 1018 eV, for all zenith angles between 03 and 603, independently of the position of the impact point and of the mass of the primary particl…
Search for charged Higgs bosons in e^{+}e^{-}$ collisions at √s=172 GeV
This paper presents results on charged Higgs boson production, based on LEP data collected at √s = 172 GeV, that complement the previous DELPHI results obtained at centre of mass energies up to 161 GeV. The charged Higgs bosons are assumed to be pair produced and to decay either into a quark pair or into τVτ. The three different possible final states are included in the analysis. Data from ring imaging Cherenkov and microvertex detectors are used to identify the quarks as a cs pair. The number of candidates found is compatible with the background expected from standard processes. Combining the results of the present analysis with those of the previous analysis at lower energies, a new lower…
Origin of atmospheric aerosols at the Pierre Auger Observatory using studies of air mass trajectories in South America
The Pierre Auger Observatory is making significant contributions towards understanding the nature and origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. One of its main challenges is the monitoring of the atmosphere, both in terms of its state variables and its optical properties. The aim of this work is to analyze aerosol optical depth $\tau_{\rm a}(z)$ values measured from 2004 to 2012 at the observatory, which is located in a remote and relatively unstudied area of the Pampa Amarilla, Argentina. The aerosol optical depth is in average quite low - annual mean $\tau_{\rm a}(3.5~{\rm km})\sim 0.04$ - and shows a seasonal trend with a winter minimum - $\tau_{\rm a}(3.5~{\rm km})\sim 0.03$ -, and a sum…
Search for neutral MSSM Higgs bosons at LEP
The four LEP collaborations, ALEPH, DELPHI, L3 and OPAL, have searched for the neutral Higgs bosons which are predicted by the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The data of the four collaborations are statistically combined and examined for their consistency with the background hypothesis and with a possible Higgs boson signal. The combined LEP data show no significant excess of events which would indicate the production of Higgs bosons. The search results are used to set upper bounds on the cross-sections of various Higgs-like event topologies. The results are interpreted within the MSSM in a number of "benchmark" models, including CP-conserving and CP-violating scenarios. Thes…
Reconstruction of inclined air showers detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory
We describe the method devised to reconstruct inclined cosmic-ray air showers with zenith angles greater than $60^\circ$ detected with the surface array of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The measured signals at the ground level are fitted to muon density distributions predicted with atmospheric cascade models to obtain the relative shower size as an overall normalization parameter. The method is evaluated using simulated showers to test its performance. The energy of the cosmic rays is calibrated using a sub-sample of events reconstructed with both the fluorescence and surface array techniques. The reconstruction method described here provides the basis of complementary analyses including an…
Measurements of the trilinear gauge boson couplings WWV (V = $\gamma$ Z) in e$^+$e$^-$ collisions at 183 GeV
Measurements of the trilinear gauge boson couplings WWγ and WWZ are presented from data taken by DELPHI in 1997 at an energy of 183 GeV. From a study of the reactions e + e − → W + W − , e + e − → Weν and e + e − → ννγ , values are obtained for Δg 1 Z and Δκ γ , the differences of the WWZ charge coupling and of the WWγ dipole couplings from their Standard Model values, and for λ γ , the WWγ quadrupole coupling. The observations are consistent with the predictions of the Standard Model. (Elsevier)
mb at MZ
Abstract The value of the b quark mass at the M Z scale defined in the MS renormalization scheme, m b ( M Z ), was determined using 2.8 million hadronic Z decays collected during 1992-1994 by the DELPHI detector to be m b (M Z )=2.67±0.25 ( stat. )±0.34 ( frag. )±0.27 ( theo. ) GeV/c 2 . The analysis considers NLO corrections to the three-jet production rate including mass effects, and the result obtained agrees with the QCD prediction of having a running b quark mass at an energy scale equal to M Z . This is the first time that such a measurement is performed far above the b b production threshold. The study also verifies the flavour independence of the strong coupling constant for b and l…
Description of atmospheric conditions at the Pierre Auger Observatory using the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS)
Atmospheric conditions at the site of a cosmic ray observatory must be known for reconstructing observed extensive air showers. The Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) is a global atmospheric model predicated on meteorological measurements and numerical weather predictions. GDAS provides altitude-dependent profiles of the main state variables of the atmosphere like temperature, pressure, and humidity. The original data and their application to the air shower reconstruction of the Pierre Auger Observatory are described. By comparisons with radiosonde and weather station measurements obtained on-site in Malargüe and averaged monthly models, the utility of the GDAS data is shown.
Nanosecond-level time synchronization of autonomous radio detector stations for extensive air showers
To exploit the full potential of radio measurements of cosmic-ray air showers at MHz frequencies, a detector timing synchronization within 1 ns is needed. Large distributed radio detector arrays such as the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) rely on timing via the Global Positioning System (GPS) for the synchronization of individual detector station clocks. Unfortunately, GPS timing is expected to have an accuracy no better than about 5 ns. In practice, in particular in AERA, the GPS clocks exhibit drifts on the order of tens of ns. We developed a technique to correct for the GPS drifts, and an independent method is used to cross-check that indeed we reach a nanosecond-scale timing accura…
Correlation of the highest-energy cosmic rays with the positions of nearby active galactic nuclei
Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory provide evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of the cosmic rays with the ighest-energies, which are correlated with the positions of relatively nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN) [Pierre Auger Collaboration, Science 318 (2007) 938]. The correlation has maximum significance for cosmic rays with energy greater than ~6 x 1019 eV and AGN at a distance less than ~75 Mpc. We have confirmed the anisotropy at a confidence level of more than 99% through a test with parameters specified a priori, using an independent data set. The observed correlation is compatible with the hypothesis that cosmic rays with the highest-energies originate fro…
Bounds on the density of sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from the Pierre Auger Observatory
We derive lower bounds on the density of sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays from the lack of significant clustering in the arrival directions of the highest energy events detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The density of uniformly distributed sources of equal intrinsic intensity was found to be larger than similar to (0.06 – 5) x 10(-4) Mpc(-3) at 95% CL, depending on the magnitude of the magnetic defections. Similar bounds, in the range (0.2 – 7) x 10(-4) Mpc(-3), were obtained for sources following the local matter distribution.