Search for: All records

We examine the arsenic distribution and its influence on dopant activation in poly-crystalline CdTe1−xSex solar cell absorbers prepared by vapor transport deposition followed by CdCl2 annealing. For as-deposited CdTe:As, local-electrode atom probe (LEAP) tomography reveals non-uniform distributions of arsenic clusters in the top “doped” layers. Following CdCl2 annealing, secondary ion mass spectrometry suggests that arsenic has diffused into the entire CdTe layer, while LEAP tomography reveals dissolution of the clusters, with nearly uniform distribution of arsenic atoms in CdTe. Since the arsenic fraction (fAs) is 1 × 1018 cm−3, but the hole density ranges from 7.5 to 9.5 × 1015 cm−3, we hypothesize that a large fraction of the arsenic has been incorporated into interstitial sites or cadmium substitutional sites, resulting in limited dopant activation. 

As the smallest and most abundant primary producer in the oceans, the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is of interest to diverse branches of science. For the past 30 years, research on this minimal phototroph has led to a growing understanding of biological organization across multiple scales, from the genome to the global ocean ecosystem. Progress in understanding drivers of its diversity and ecology, as well as molecular mechanisms underpinning its streamlined simplicity, has been hampered by the inability to manipulate these cells genetically. Multiple attempts have been made to develop an efficient genetic transformation method for Prochlorococcus over the years; all have been unsuccessful to date, despite some success with their close relative, Synechococcus. To avoid the pursuit of unproductive paths, we report here what has not worked in our hands, as well as our progress developing a method to screen the most efficient electroporation parameters for optimal DNA delivery into Prochlorococcus cells. We also report a novel protocol for obtaining axenic colonies and a new method for differentiating live and dead cells. The electroporation method can be used to optimize DNA delivery into any bacterium, making it a useful tool for advancing transformation systems in other genetically recalcitrant microorganisms. 

We present a measurement of the branching fraction and fraction of longitudinal polarization of $B^0\to {\rho }^{+}{\rho }^{-}$decays, which have two ${\pi }^0$’s in the final state. We also measure time-dependent $CP$violation parameters for decays into longitudinally polarized ${\rho }^{+}{\rho }^{-}$pairs. This analysis is based on a data sample containing $(387\pm 6)\times {10}^6$ $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(4S\right)$mesons collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB asymmetric-energy $e^{+}{e}^{-}$collider in 2019–2022. We obtain $\mathcal{B}(B^0\to {\rho }^{+}{\rho }^{-})=\left(2.89_{-0.22}^{+0.23}{}_{-0.27}^{+0.29}\right)\times {10}^{-5}$, $f_L=0.921_{-0.025}^{+0.024}{}_{-0.015}^{+0.017}$, $S=-0.26\pm 0.19\pm 0.08$, and $C=-0.02\pm 0.12_{-0.05}^{+0.06}$, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. We use these results to perform an isospin analysis to constrain the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa angle ${\varphi }_2$and obtain two solutions; the result consistent with other Standard Model constraints is ${\varphi }_2=\left({92.6}_{-4.7}^{+4.5}\right)°$. Published by the American Physical Society2025 

A<sc>bstract</sc> We perform the first search forCPviolation in$$ {D}_{(s)}^{+}\to {K}_S^0{K}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+} $$ $D_{\left(s\right)}^{+}\to K_S^0{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}$decays. We use a combined data set from the Belle and Belle II experiments, which studye⁺e⁻collisions at center-of-mass energies at or near the Υ(4S) resonance. We use 980 fb⁻¹of data from Belle and 428 fb⁻¹of data from Belle II. We measure sixCP-violating asymmetries that are based on triple products and quadruple products of the momenta of final-state particles, and also the particles’ helicity angles. We obtain a precision at the level of 0.5% for$$ {D}^{+}\to {K}_S^0{K}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+} $$ $D^{+}\to K_S^0{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}$decays, and better than 0.3% for$$ {D}_s^{+}\to {K}_S^0{K}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+} $$ $D_s^{+}\to K_S^0{K}^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}$decays. No evidence ofCPviolation is found. Our results for the triple-product asymmetries are the most precise to date for singly-Cabibbo-suppressedD⁺decays. Our results for the other asymmetries are the first such measurements performed for charm decays. 

A<sc>bstract</sc> Using data samples of 983.0 fb⁻¹and 427.9 fb⁻¹accumulated with the Belle and Belle II detectors operating at the KEKB and SuperKEKB asymmetric-energye⁺e⁻colliders, singly Cabibbo-suppressed decays$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0 $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0$,$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi }^{+}$, and$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Sigma }^0{\pi }^{+}$are observed for the first time. The ratios of branching fractions of$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0 $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0$,$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi }^{+}$, and$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Sigma }^0{\pi }^{+}$relative to that of$$ {\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+} $$ ${\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}$are measured to be$$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)}=\left(2.47\pm 0.16\pm 0.07\right)\%,\\ {}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)}=\left(1.56\pm 0.14\pm 0.09\right)\%,\\ {}\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)}=\left(4.13\pm 0.26\pm 0.22\right)\%.\end{array}} $$ $\begin{array}{c}\frac{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0\right)}{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)}=\left(2.47\pm 0.16\pm 0.07\right)\%,\\ \frac{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi }^{+}\right)}{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)}=\left(1.56\pm 0.14\pm 0.09\right)\%,\\ \frac{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Sigma }^0{\pi }^{+}\right)}{B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)}=\left(4.13\pm 0.26\pm 0.22\right)\%.\end{array}$ Multiplying these values by the branching fraction of the normalization channel,$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(2.9\pm 1.3\right)\% $$ $B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)=\left(2.9\pm 1.3\right)\%$, the absolute branching fractions are determined to be$$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0\right)=\left(7.16\pm 0.46\pm 0.20\pm 3.21\right)\times {10}^{-4},\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(4.52\pm 0.41\pm 0.26\pm 2.03\right)\times {10}^{-4},\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Sigma}^0{\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(1.20\pm 0.08\pm 0.07\pm 0.54\right)\times {10}^{-3}.\end{array}} $$ $\begin{array}{c}B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to p{K}_S^0\right)=\left(7.16\pm 0.46\pm 0.20\pm 3.21\right)\times {10}^{-4},\\ B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to \Lambda {\pi }^{+}\right)=\left(4.52\pm 0.41\pm 0.26\pm 2.03\right)\times {10}^{-4},\\ B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Sigma }^0{\pi }^{+}\right)=\left(1.20\pm 0.08\pm 0.07\pm 0.54\right)\times {10}^{-3}.\end{array}$ The first and second uncertainties above are statistical and systematic, respectively, while the third ones arise from the uncertainty in$$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^{+}\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right) $$ $B\left({\Xi }_c^{+}\to {\Xi }^{-}{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{+}\right)$. 

We measure the branching fraction and $CP$-violating flavor-dependent rate asymmetry of $B^0\to {\pi }^0{\pi }^0$decays reconstructed using the Belle II detector in an electron-positron collision sample containing $387\times {10}^6\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(4S\right)$mesons. Using an optimized event selection, we find $125\pm 20$signal decays in a fit to background-discriminating and flavor-sensitive distributions. The resulting branching fraction is $(1.25\pm 0.23)\times {10}^{-6}$and the $CP$-violating asymmetry is $0.03\pm 0.30$. Published by the American Physical Society2025 

A<sc>bstract</sc> We report measurements of the absolute branching fractions$$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}_{s}^{\pm }X\right)$$,$$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{0}/{\overline{D} }^{0}X\right)$$, and$$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{\pm }X\right)$$, where the latter is measured for the first time. The results are based on a 121.4 fb⁻¹data sample collected at the Υ(10860) resonance by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energye⁺e⁻collider. We reconstruct one$${B}_{s}^{0}$$meson in$${e}^{+}{e}^{-}\to \Upsilon\left(10860\right)\to {B}_{s}^{*}{\overline{B} }_{s}^{*}$$events and measure yields of$${D}_{s}^{+}$$,D⁰, andD⁺mesons in the rest of the event. We obtain$$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}_{s}^{\pm }X\right)=\left(68.6\pm 7.2\pm 4.0\right)\%$$,$$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{0}/{\overline{D} }^{0}X\right)=\left(21.5\pm 6.1\pm 1.8\right)\%$$, and$$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{\pm }X\right)=\left(12.6\pm 4.6\pm 1.3\right)\%$$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. Averaging with previous Belle measurements gives$$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}_{s}^{\pm }X\right)=\left(63.4\pm 4.5\pm 2.2\right)\%$$and$$\mathcal{B}\left({B}_{s}^{0}\to {D}^{0}/{\overline{D} }^{0}X\right)=\left(23.9\pm 4.1\pm 1.8\right)\%$$. For the$${B}_{s}^{0}$$production fraction at the Υ(10860), we find$${f}_{s}=\left({21.4}_{-1.7}^{+1.5}\right)\%$$. 

We measure the branching fraction of the decay $B^0\to J/\psi \omega$using data collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. The data contain $(387\pm 6)\times {10}^{6}B\overline{B}$meson pairs produced in energy-asymmetric $e^{+}{e}^{-}$collisions at the $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(4S\right)$resonance. The measured branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(B^0\to J/\psi \omega )=(2.16\pm 0.30\pm 0.14)\times {10}^{-5}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic, is more precise than previous results and constitutes the first observation of the decay with a significance of 6.5 standard deviations. Published by the American Physical Society2025 

We measure the time-integrated $CP$asymmetry in $D^0\to K_S^0{K}_S^0$decays reconstructed in $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to c\overline{c}$events collected by the Belle and Belle II experiments. The corresponding data samples have integrated luminosities of 980 and $428{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$, respectively. The $D^0$decays are required to originate from the $D^{*+}\to D^0{\pi }^{+}$decay, which determines the charm flavor at production time. A control sample of $D^0\to K^{+}{K}^{-}$decays is used to correct for production and detection asymmetries. The result, $(-1.4\pm 1.3\left(\mathrm{stat}\right)\pm 0.1\left(\mathrm{syst}\right))\%$, is consistent with previous determinations and with $CP$symmetry. Published by the American Physical Society2025