Search results for "Universe"
showing 10 items of 2171 documents
Updated BBN bounds on the cosmological lepton asymmetry for non-zero 13
2011
We discuss the bounds on the cosmological lepton number from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), in light of recent evidences for a large value of the neutrino mixing angle theta13. The largest asymmetries for electron and muon or tau neutrinos compatible with 4He and 2H primordial yields are computed versus the neutrino mass hierarchy and mixing angles. The flavour oscillation dynamics is traced till the beginning of BBN and neutrino distributions after decoupling are numerically computed. The latter contains in general, non thermal distortion due to the onset of flavour oscillations driven by solar squared mass difference in the temperature range where neutrino scatterings become inefficient …
Probing interactions within the dark matter sector via extra radiation contributions
2013
The nature of dark matter is one of the most thrilling riddles for both cosmology and particle physics nowadays. While in the typical models the dark sector is composed only by weakly interacting massive particles, an arguably more natural scenario would include a whole set of gauge interactions which are invisible for the standard model but that are in contact with the dark matter. We present a method to constrain the number of massless gauge bosons and other relativistic particles that might be present in the dark sector using current and future cosmic microwave background data, and provide upper bounds on the size of the dark sector. We use the fact that the dark matter abundance depends…
Kaluza-Klein FIMP dark matter in warped extra-dimensions
2020
We study for the first time the case in which Dark Matter (DM) is made of Feebly Interacting Massive Particles (FIMP) interacting just gravitationally with the standard model particles in an extra-dimensional Randall-Sundrum scenario. We assume that both the dark matter and the standard model are localized in the IR-brane and only interact via gravitational mediators, namely the graviton, the Kaluza-Klein gravitons and the radion. We found that in the early Universe DM could be generated via two main processes: the direct freeze-in and the sequential freeze-in. The regions where the observed DM relic abundance is produced are largely compatible with cosmological and collider bounds.
Detecting the long-distance structure of the X(3872)
2014
We study the X(3872)-->D^0 \bar D^0 \pi^0 decay within a D \bar D^* molecular picture for the X(3872) state. This decay mode is more sensitive to the long-distance structure of the X(3872) resonance than its J/\psi\pi\pi and J/\psi3\pi decays, which are mainly controlled by the details of the X(3872) wave function at short distances. We show that the D^0 \bar D^0 final state interaction can be important, and that a precise measurement of this partial decay width can provide valuable information on the interaction strength between the D^{(*)} \bar D^{(*)} charm mesons.
Measurement of atmospheric neutrino oscillations with the ANTARES neutrino telescope
2012
The data taken with the ANTARES neutrino telescope from 2007 to 2010, a total live time of 863 days, are used to measure the oscillation parameters of atmospheric neutrinos. Muon tracks are reconstructed with energies as low as 20 GeV. Neutrino oscillations will cause a suppression of vertical upgoing muon neutrinos of such energies crossing the Earth. The parameters determining the oscillation of atmospheric neutrinos are extracted by fitting the event rate as a function of the ratio of the estimated neutrino energy and reconstructed flight path through the Earth. Measurement contours of the oscillation parameters in a two-flavour approximation are derived. Assuming maximal mixing, a mass …
Effects of spin-orbit interaction on nuclear response and neutrino mean free path
2006
PTH; The effects of the spin-orbit component of the particle-hole interaction on nuclear response functions and neutrino mean free path are examined. A complete treatment of the full Skyrme interaction in the case of symmetric nuclear matter and pure neutron matter is given. Numerical results for neutron matter are discussed. It is shown that the effects of the spin-orbit interaction remain small, even at momentum transfer larger than the Fermi momentum. The neutrino mean free paths are marginally affected.
The ANTARES Optical Beacon System
2007
ANTARES is a neutrino telescope being deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of a three dimensional array of photomultiplier tubes that can detect the Cherenkov light induced by charged particles produced in the interactions of neutrinos with the surrounding medium. High angular resolution can be achieved, in particular when a muon is produced, provided that the Cherenkov photons are detected with sufficient timing precision. Considerations of the intrinsic time uncertainties stemming from the transit time spread in the photomultiplier tubes and the mechanism of transmission of light in sea water lead to the conclusion that a relative time accuracy of the order of 0.5 ns is desirabl…
Calibration and Characterization of the IceCube Photomultiplier Tube
2010
Over 5,000 PMTs are being deployed at the South Pole to compose the IceCube neutrino observatory. Many are placed deep in the ice to detect Cherenkov light emitted by the products of high-energy neutrino interactions, and others are frozen into tanks on the surface to detect particles from atmospheric cosmic ray showers. IceCube is using the 10-inch diameter R7081-02 made by Hamamatsu Photonics. This paper describes the laboratory characterization and calibration of these PMTs before deployment. PMTs were illuminated with pulses ranging from single photons to saturation level. Parameterizations are given for the single photoelectron charge spectrum and the saturation behavior. Time resoluti…
Performance of the front-end electronics of the ANTARES neutrino telescope
2010
ANTARES is a high-energy neutrino telescope installed in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of 2475 m. It consists of a three-dimensional array of optical modules, each containing a large photomultiplier tube. A total of 2700 front-end ASICs named Analogue Ring Samplers (ARS) process the phototube signals, measure their arrival time, amplitude and shape as well as perform monitoring and calibration tasks. The ARS chip processes the analogue signals from the optical modules and converts information into digital data. All the information is transmitted to shore through further multiplexing electronics and an optical link. This paper describes the performance of the ARS chip; results from the fu…
Observation and applications of single-electron charge signals in the XENON100 experiment
2014
The XENON100 dark matter experiment uses liquid xenon in a time projection chamber (TPC) to measure xenon nuclear recoils resulting from the scattering of dark matter Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). In this paper, we report the observation of single-electron charge signals which are not related to WIMP interactions. These signals, which show the excellent sensitivity of the detector to small charge signals, are explained as being due to the photoionization of impurities in the liquid xenon and of the metal components inside the TPC. They are used as a unique calibration source to characterize the detector. We explain how we can infer crucial parameters for the XENON100 experim…