Multiparticle Decay Research Articles

COMPASS: meson spectroscopy and low-energy meson dynamics

Within the broad physics programme of the COMPASS collaboration at CERN SPS, soft reactions of high-energy hadron beams on different nuclear targets are investigated. Aiming at a better understanding of the strong interaction, novel results range from tests of chiral symmetry breaking to properties of diffractively produced meson resonances studied in their multi-particle decays, such as the a1(1420) with unusual properties. The talk will highlight the challenges of the employed experimental techniques, and as well of the analysis methods, that are developed to a large extent along with the analysis of the world’s largest data sets in the field.

Antisplit Supersymmetry

I explore the phenomenology of Supersymmetry models in which the gauginos are much heavier then that scalar particles of the MSSM. In these models, the gauginos are inaccessible to colliders while the scalar spectrum is compressed. I give several examples of models which exhibit this phenomenology built in the class of General Gauge Mediated Models. I explore possible LSP and NLSP candidates in these scenarios including Higgsino, stau, and sneutrino candidates. Collider signatures for these models include multi-particle decay chains, many taus in the final state, and possible displaced vertices with semi-long lived sparticles. I enumerate the most likely collider smoking gun collider signatures for each general LSP/NLSP scenario.

Multi-particle Emission from ${^{31}}$Ar at ISOLDE

A multi-particle decay experiment was successfully performed at the ISOLDE Decay Station. In this new permanent station, devoted to beta-decay studies, the novel MAGISOL Si-Plugin Chamber was installed to study the exotic decay modes of the proton drip-line nucleus Ar-31. The motivation was to search for beta 3p and beta 3p gamma channels, as well as to provide information on resonances in S-30 and P-29 relevant for the astrophysical rp-process. Description of the experimental set-up and preliminary results are presented.

Role of quantum statistics in multi-particle decay dynamics

The role of quantum statistics in the decay dynamics of a multi-particle state, which is suddenly released from a confining potential, is investigated. For an initially confined double particle state, the exact dynamics is presented for both bosons and fermions. The time-evolution of the probability to measure two-particle is evaluated and some counterintuitive features are discussed. For instance, it is shown that although there is a higher chance of finding the two bosons (as oppose to fermions, and even distinguishable particles) at the initial trap region, there is a higher chance (higher than fermions) of finding them on two opposite sides of the trap as if the repulsion between bosons is higher than the repulsion between fermions. The results are demonstrated by numerical simulations and are calculated analytically in the short-time approximation. Furthermore, experimental validation is suggested.

Hadron mass spectrum and the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio of hot hadronic matter

Lattice calculations of the QCD trace anomaly at temperatures $T<160$ MeV have been shown to match hadron resonance gas model calculations, which include an exponentially rising hadron mass spectrum. In this paper we perform a more detailed comparison of the model calculations to lattice data that confirms the need for an exponentially increasing density of hadronic states. Also, we find that the lattice data is compatible with a hadron density of states that goes as $\rho(m) \sim m^{-a}\exp(m/T_H) $ at large $m$ with $a> 5/2$ (where $T_H \sim 167$ MeV). With this specific subleading contribution to the density of states, heavy resonances are most likely undergo 2-body decay (instead of multi-particle decay), which facilitates their inclusion into hadron transport codes. Moreover, estimates for the shear viscosity and the shear relaxation time coefficient of the hadron resonance model computed within the excluded volume approximation suggest that these transport coefficients are sensitive to the parameters that define the hadron mass spectrum.

A new method for resolving combinatorial ambiguities at hadron colliders

We present a new method for resolving combinatorial ambiguities that arise in multi-particle decay chains at hadron colliders where the assignment of visible particles to the different decay chains has ambiguities. Our method, based on selection cuts favoring high transverse momentum and low invariant mass pairings, is shown to be significantly superior to the more traditional hemisphere method for a large class of decay chains, producing an increase in signal retention of up to a factor of 2. This new method can thus greatly reduce the combinatorial ambiguities of decay chain assignments.

Measurement of light mesons at RHIC by the PHENIX experiment

The PHENIX experiment at RHIC has measured a variety of light neutral mesons (π 0, K 0 , η, ω, η ′, φ) via multi-particle decay channels over a wide range of transverse momentum. A review of the recent results on the production rates of light mesons in p + p and their nuclear modification factors in d + Au, Cu + Cu and Au + Au collisions at different energies is presented.

Constraints on ``rare'' dyon decays

We obtain the complete set of constraints on the moduli of = 4 superstring compactifications that permit ``rare'' marginal decays of ¼-BPS dyons to take place. The constraints are analysed in some special cases. The analysis extends in a straightforward way to multi-particle decays. We discuss the possible relation between general multi-particle decays and multi-centred black holes.

The [formula omitted]2p decay mechanism of [formula omitted]Ar

We have measured the beta-decay of 31Ar with a high granularity setup sensitive to multiparticle decay branches. Two-proton emission is observed from the isobaric analog state in 31Cl to the four lowest states in 29P and furthermore from a large number of states fed in Gamow–Teller transitions. The mechanism of two-proton emission is studied via energy and angular correlations between the two protons. In all cases the mechanism is found to be sequential yielding information about states in 30S up to 8 MeV excitation energy. Improved data on the β-delayed one-proton branches together with the two-proton data provide precise information about the beta-strength distribution up to 15 MeV excitation energy.

Equilibrium and non-equilibrium effects in relativistic heavy ion collisions.

The hypothesis of local equilibrium (LE) in relativistic heavy ion collisions at energies from AGS to RHIC is checked in the microscopic transport model. We find that kinetic, thermal, and chemical equilibration of the expanding hadronic matter is nearly reached in central collisions at AGS energy for t ≥ 10 fm/ c in a central cell. At these times the equation of state may be approximated by a simple dependence P ≅ (0.12 − 0.15) ϵ. Increasing deviations of the yields and the energy spectra of hadrons from statistical model values are observed for increasing bombarding energies. The origin of these deviations is traced to the irreversible multiparticle decays of strings and many-body ( N ≥ 3) decays of resonances. The violations of LE indicate that the matter in the cell reaches a steady state instead of idealized equilibrium. The entropy density in the cell is only about 6% smaller than that of the equilibrium state.

Local equilibrium in heavy ion collisions: Microscopic model versus statistical model analysis

The assumption of local equilibrium in relativistic heavy ion collisions at energies from 10.7 AGeV (AGS) up to 160 AGeV (SPS) is checked in the microscopic transport model. Dynamical calculations performed for a central cell in the reaction are compared to the predictions of the thermal statistical model. We find that kinetic, thermal and chemical equilibration of the expanding hadronic matter are nearly approached late in central collisions at AGS energy for $t \geq 10$ fm/$c$ in a central cell. At these times the equation of state may be approximated by a simple dependence $P \cong (0.12-0.15) \epsilon$. Increasing deviations of the yields and the energy spectra of hadrons from statistical model values are observed for increasing energy, 40 AGeV and 160 AGeV. These violations of local equilibrium indicate that a fully equilibrated state is not reached, not even in the central cell of heavy ion collisions at energies above 10 AGeV. The origin of these findings is traced to the multiparticle decays of strings and many-body decays of resonances.

31Arexamined: New limit on the β-delayed three-proton branch

We have remeasured the decay of Ar-31 with a setup sensitive to multiparticle decay branches and obtained. a new limit of 1.1 x 10(-3) (99% C.L.) on the beta-delayed three-proton branch between the isobaric analog state in Cl-31 and the ground state of Si-28. This a factor of 17 below the previously reported first observation of beta-delayed three-proton emission in Ar-31. The limit on a possible beta 3p branch to the first excited state in Si-28 is 2.9 x 10(-4). [S0556-2813(99)04404-0].

Sensitivity to the impact parameter of the multiparticle decay at intermediate energy.

The multiparticle decay in collisions induced by 44 MeV/nucleon $^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ and $^{132}\mathrm{Xe}$ projectiles on several targets is studied using MEDEA 4\ensuremath{\pi} detection system. The impact parameter dependence of the charged particle multiplicity is determined. The dependence is strong in peripheral and midcentral collisions and becomes weaker in central collisions. The prediction of a molecular dynamics simulation is in agreement with the experiment.

Investigating the multiparticle decay in intermediate energy heavy ion collisions.

Exclusive measurements of light charged products (LCP) in the [sup 132]Xe+[sup 197]Au collisions at 44 MeV/nucleon have been performed using MEDEA 4[pi] detection system. The admixture of each partricle type into the LCP multiplicity is found to be almost independent of the impact parameter. The data are analyzed with a formalism where the fluctuations of the multiparticle decay are described by uncorrelated Poissonian statistical distributions. The impact parameter filtering is performed using the LCP multiplicity. Self-correlation and impact parameter averagining effects are identified. The dominance of the statistical contribution in the fluctuations of the LCP multiplicity is deduced.

Kinematical aspects of nonleptonic multiparticle decays of heavy baryons.

I derive formulas for analyzing in a model-independent way the nonleptonic multiparticle decays of spin-(1/2 baryons. Two- and three-body decays with up to two vector bosons in the final states are considered as special cases. All information contained in the polarizations of spinors and vector bosons is kept. These formulas may also be used to analyze polarized nucleon and meson scattering.

Isospin restrictions on charge distributions in charmed-particle decays

The isospin properties of the semileptonic and non-leptonic charm-changing weak interactions lead to restrictions on the branching ratios of the different charge states that can occur in multi-particle decays of charmed particles. Upper and lower bounds imposed by isospin invariance on these ratios, and on the average number of charged decay products, are calculated for various charmed-particle decay modes. Simultaneous bounds on the branching ratios of two different charge distributions in the same decay mode, or in isospin-related decay modes, are presented. Branching ratios are also calculated under the statistical postulate that all the allowed invariant isospin channels contribute equally and incoherently in each decay mode.

Generalized sequential decay approach to multiple production

A set of coupled Volterra-like integral equations is derived for all the quantities of physical interest in the multiparticle decay of a fireball formed in a high-energy collision process. The basic assumptions are i) the fireball decays sequentially either directly into pions or through the formation of mesonic clusters (these, in turn, are forced to decay sequentially into pions); ii) each elementary decay of either type occurs with an independent probability except for energy-momentum and charge conservation, which are imposed at every single decay step. A graphical method is developed as a short cut to derive the aforementioned integral equations.

Sequential decay approach to multiple production

A model is proposed in which multiparticle decay occurs through a sequential rate of one particle at a time. Energy and charge are conserved at each step and probability conservation follows. The mathematical study of the model can be formulated by means of Volterra integral equations.