0000000000960689
AUTHOR
G. Liu
Precision measurement of the ratio of the Λb0 to B¯0 lifetimes
The LHCb measurement of the lifetime ratio of the Lambda(0)(b) baryon to the (B) over bar (0) meson is updated using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected using 7 and 8 TeV centre-of-mass energy pp collisions at the LHC. The decay modes used are Lambda(0)(b) -> J/psi pK(-) and (B) over bar (0) -> J/psi pi K-+(-), where the pi K-+(-) mass is consistent with that of the (K) over bar*(0)(892) meson. The lifetime ratio is determined with unprecedented precision to be 0.974 +/- 0.006 +/- 0.004, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This result is in agreement with original theoretical predictions based on the heavy quark expansion.…
Precision measurement of D meson mass differences
Using three- and four-body decays of D mesons produced in semileptonic b-hadron decays, precision measurements of D meson mass differences are made together with a measurement of the D-0 mass. The measurements are based on a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1) collected in pp collisions at 7 TeV. Using the decay D-0 -> K+K-K-pi(+), the D-0 mass is measured to be M(D-0) = 1864.75 +/- 0.15 (stat) +/- 0.11 (syst) MeV/c(2). The mass differences M(D+) - M(D-0) = 4.76 +/- 0.12 (stat) +/- 0.07 (syst) MeV/c(2), M(D-s(+)) - M(D+) = 98.68 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.04 (syst) MeV/c(2) are measured using the D-0 -> K+K-pi(+)pi(-) and D-(s)(+) -> K+K-pi(+) modes.
Efficient generation of energetic ions in multi-ion plasmas by radio-frequency heating
We describe a new technique for the efficient generation of high-energy ions with electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves in multi-ion plasmas. The discussed ‘three-ion’ scenarios are especially suited for strong wave absorption by a very low number of resonant ions. To observe this effect, the plasma composition has to be properly adjusted, as prescribed by theory. We demonstrate the potential of the method on the world-largest plasma magnetic confinement device, JET (Joint European Torus, Culham, UK), and the high-magnetic-field tokamak Alcator C-Mod (Cambridge, USA). The obtained results demonstrate efficient acceleration of 3He ions to high energies in dedicated hydrogen–deuterium mixtures.…
Novel method for determination of tritium depth profiles in metallic samples
Tritium accumulation in fusion reactor materials is considered a serious radiological issue, therefore a lot of effort has been concentrated on the development of radiometric techniques. A novel method, based on gradual dissolution, for the determination of the total tritium content and its depth profiles in metallic samples is demonstrated. This method allows for the measurement of tritium in metallic samples after their exposure to a hydrogen and tritium mixture, tritium containing plasma or after irradiation with neutrons resulting in tritium formation. In this method, successive layers of metal are removed using an appropriate etching agent in the controlled regime and the amount of evo…
Measurement of CP asymmetry in D 0 → K - K + and D 0 → π - πdecays
Time-integrated $CP$ asymmetries in $D^0$ decays to the final states $K^- K^+$ and $\pi^- \pi^+$ are measured using proton-proton collisions corresponding to $3\mathrm{\,fb}^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected at centre-of-mass energies of $7\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$ and $8\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$. The $D^0$ mesons are produced in semileptonic $b$-hadron decays, where the charge of the accompanying muon is used to determine the initial flavour of the charm meson. The difference in $CP$ asymmetries between the two final states is measured to be \begin{align} \Delta A_{CP} = A_{CP}(K^-K^+)-A_{CP}(\pi^-\pi^+) = (+0.14 \pm 0.16\mathrm{\,(stat)} \pm 0.08\mathrm{\,(syst)})\% \ . \nonu…
Overview of the JET results
Since the installation of an ITER-like wall, the JET programme has focused on the consolidation of ITER design choices and the preparation for ITER operation, with a specific emphasis given to the bulk tungsten melt experiment, which has been crucial for the final decision on the material choice for the day-one tungsten divertor in ITER. Integrated scenarios have been progressed with the re-establishment of long-pulse, high-confinement H-modes by optimizing the magnetic configuration and the use of ICRH to avoid tungsten impurity accumulation. Stationary discharges with detached divertor conditions and small edge localized modes have been demonstrated by nitrogen seeding. The differences in…
Differential branching fractions and isospin asymmetries of B -> K ((*)) μ(+) μ(-) decays
The isospin asymmetries of $B \to K\mu^+\mu^-$ and $B \to K^{*}\mu^+\mu^-$ decays and the partial branching fractions of the $B^0 \to K^0\mu^+\mu^-$, $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$ and $B^+ \to K^{*+}\mu^+\mu^-$ decays are measured as functions of the dimuon mass squared, $q^2$. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 3$~$fb$^{-1}$ from proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7$\,$TeV and 8$\,$TeV in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The isospin asymmetries are both consistent with the Standard Model expectations. The three measured branching fractions, while individually consistent, all favour lower values than their respective Standard M…
Anisotropic Stick-slip friction of highly oriented thin films of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) at the molecular level
Lateral force microscopy (LFM) studies of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) films with molecular resolution are reported. Thin PTFE layers with a high degree of orientation were obtained by pressing and sliding a block of polymer on a clean, heated muscovite mica substrate. LFM nanographs obtained on these films by scanning at directions between ca. 40 and 90° with respect to the film orientation direction, i.e. with respect to the direction of the polymer chains, showed a “stick-slip” type frictional motion of the LFM probe tip at the molecular level. The friction force observed at constant load decreased with decreasing scan angles. Chain-chain packing distances obtained by LFM and contact…
Comparison of the structure of the plasma-facing surface and tritium accumulation in beryllium tiles from JET ILW campaigns 2011-2012 and 2013-2014
In this study, beryllium tiles from Joint European Torus (JET) vacuum vessel wall were analysed and compared regarding their position in the vacuum vessel and differences in the exploitation conditions during two campaigns of ITER-Like-Wall (ILW) in 2011-2012 (ILW1) and 2013-2014 (ILW2) Tritium content in beryllium samples were assessed. Two methods were used to measure tritium content in the samples - dissolution under controlled conditions and tritium thermal desorption. Prior to desorption and dissolution experiments, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were used to study structure and chemical composition of plasma-facing-surfaces of the beryllium sampl…
Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of the decay $B^{0} \to K^{*0} \mu^{+}\mu^{-}$
The angular distribution and differential branching fraction of the decay B-0 -> K*(0)mu(+)mu(-) are studied using a data sample, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1). Several angular observables are measured in bins of the dimuon invariant mass squared, q(2). A first measurement of the zero-crossing point of the forward-backward asymmetry of the dimuon system is also presented. The zero-crossing point is measured to be q(0)(2) = 4.9 +/- 0.9 GeV2/c(4), where the uncertainty is the sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions.
Measurement of the branching fraction of the decay Bs0→KS0KS0
A measurement of the branching fraction of the decay Bs0→KS0KS0 is performed using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 fb-1 collected by the LHCb experiment between 2011 and 2016. The branching fraction is determined to be B(Bs0→KS0KS0)=[8.3±1.6(stat)±0.9(syst)±0.8(norm)±0.3(fs/fd)]×10-6, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third and fourth are due to uncertainties on the branching fraction of the normalization mode B0→φKS0 and the ratio of hadronization fractions fs/fd. This is the most precise measurement of this branching fraction to date. Furthermore, a measurement of the branching fraction of the decay B0…
Searches for violation of lepton flavour and baryon number in tau lepton decays at LHCb
Searches for the lepton flavour violating decay tau(-) -> mu(-)mu(+)mu(-) and the lepton flavour and baryon number violating decays tau(-) -> (p) over bar mu(+)mu(-) and tau(-) -> p mu(-)mu(-) have been carried out using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1), taken by the LHCb experiment at root s = 7 TeV. No evidence has been found for any signal, and limits have been set at 90% confidence level on the branching fractions: B(tau(-) -> mu(-)mu(+)mu(-) mu(+)mu(-)) p mu(-)mu(-)) (p) over bar mu(+)mu(-) and tau(-) -> p mu(-)mu(-) decay modes represent the first direct experimental limits on these channels.
Overview of the JET results in support to ITER
The 2014–2016 JET results are reviewed in the light of their significance for optimising the ITER research plan for the active and non-active operation. More than 60 h of plasma operation with ITER first wall materials successfully took place since its installation in 2011. New multi-machine scaling of the type I-ELM divertor energy flux density to ITER is supported by first principle modelling. ITER relevant disruption experiments and first principle modelling are reported with a set of three disruption mitigation valves mimicking the ITER setup. Insights of the L–H power threshold in Deuterium and Hydrogen are given, stressing the importance of the magnetic configurations and the recent m…
Determination of the $X(3872)$ meson quantum numbers
The quantum numbers of the X(3872) meson are determined to be J(PC) = 1(++) based on angular correlations in B+ -> X(3872)K+ decays, where X(3872) -> pi(+) pi(-) j/psi and J/psi -> pi(+) mu(-). The data correspond to 1.0 fb(-1) of pp collisions collected by the LHCb detector. The only alternative assignment allowed by previous measurements J(PC) = 2(-+) is rejected with a confidence level equivalent to more than 8 Gaussian standard deviations using a likelihood-ratio test in the full angular phase space. This result favors exotic explanations of the X(3872) state.
Modelling of JET hybrid plasmas with emphasis on performance of combined ICRF and NBI heating
International audience; During the 2015--2016 JET campaigns, many efforts have been devoted to the exploration of high-performance plasma scenarios envisaged for DT operation in JET. In this paper, we review various key recent hybrid discharges and model the combined ICRF NBI heating. These deuterium discharges with deuterium beams had the ICRF antenna frequency tuned to match the cyclotron frequency of minority H at the centre of the tokamak coinciding with the second harmonic cyclotron resonance of D. The modelling takes into account the synergy between ICRF and NBI heating through the second harmonic cyclotron resonance of D beam ions, allowing us to assess its impact on the neutron rate…