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Ultra-pure NaI(Tl) crystals are the key element for a model-independent verification of the long standing DAMA result and a powerful means to search for the annual modulation signature of dark matter interactions. The SABRE collaboration has been developing cutting-edge techniques for the reduction of intrinsic backgrounds over several years. In this paper we report the first characterization of a 3.4 kg crystal, named NaI-33, performed in an underground passive shielding setup at LNGS. NaI-33 has a record low$$^{39}$$${}^{39}$K contamination of 4.3 ± 0.2 ppb as determined by mass spectrometry. We measured a light yield of 11.1 ± 0.2 photoelectrons/keV and an energymore »resolution of 13.2% (FWHM/E) at 59.5 keV. We evaluated the activities of$$^{226}$$${}^{226}$Ra and$$^{228}$$${}^{228}$Th inside the crystal to be$$5.9\pm 0.6~\upmu $$$5.9\pm 0.6\mu$Bq/kg and$$1.6\pm 0.3~\upmu $$$1.6\pm 0.3\mu$Bq/kg, respectively, which would indicate a contamination from$$^{238}$$${}^{238}$U and$$^{232}$$${}^{232}$Th at part-per-trillion level. We measured an activity of 0.51 ± 0.02 mBq/kg due to$$^{210}$$${}^{210}$Pb out of equilibrium and a$$\alpha $$$\alpha$quenching factor of 0.63 ± 0.01 at 5304 keV. We illustrate the analyses techniques developed to reject electronic noise in the lower part of the energy spectrum. A cut-based strategy and a multivariate approach indicated a rate, attributed to the intrinsic radioactivity of the crystal, of$$\sim $$$\sim$1 count/day/kg/keV in the [5–20] keV region.

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Abstract The accurate simulation of additional interactions at the ATLAS experiment for the analysis of proton–proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider presents a significant challenge to the computing resources. During the LHC Run 2 (2015–2018), there were up to 70 inelastic interactions per bunch crossing, which need to be accounted for in Monte Carlo (MC) production. In this document, a new method to account for these additional interactions in the simulation chain is described. Instead of sampling the inelastic interactions and adding their energy deposits to a hard-scatter interaction one-by-one, the inelastic interactions are presampled, independent of the hardmore »scatter, and stored as combined events. Consequently, for each hard-scatter interaction, only one such presampled event needs to be added as part of the simulation chain. For the Run 2 simulation chain, with an average of 35 interactions per bunch crossing, this new method provides a substantial reduction in MC production CPU needs of around 20%, while reproducing the properties of the reconstructed quantities relevant for physics analyses with good accuracy.« less

A bstract Charged lepton flavor violation is forbidden in the Standard Model but possible in several new physics scenarios. In many of these models, the radiative decays τ ± → ℓ ± γ ( ℓ = e, μ ) are predicted to have a sizeable probability, making them particularly interesting channels to search at various experiments. An updated search via τ ± → ℓ ± γ using full data of the Belle experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 988 fb − 1 , is reported for charged lepton flavor violation. No significant excess over background predictions from the Standardmore »Model is observed, and the upper limits on the branching fractions, $$ \mathcal{B} $$ B ( τ ± → μ ± γ ) ≤ 4 . 2 × 10 − 8 and $$ \mathcal{B} $$ B ( τ ± → e ± γ ) ≤ 5 . 6 × 10 − 8 , are set at 90% confidence level.« less

A bstract Using a data sample of 980 fb − 1 collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e + e − collider, we study the processes of $$ {\Xi}_c^0\to \Lambda {\overline{K}}^{\ast 0} $$ Ξ c 0 → Λ K ¯ ∗ 0 , $$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Sigma}^0{\overline{K}}^{\ast 0} $$ Ξ c 0 → Σ 0 K ¯ ∗ 0 , and $$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Sigma}^{+}{K}^{\ast -} $$ Ξ c 0 → Σ + K ∗ − for the first time. The relative branching ratios to the normalization mode of $$ {\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+} $$ Ξ c 0 → Ξ −more »π + are measured to be $$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to \Lambda {\overline{K}}^{\ast 0}\right)/\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right)=0.18\pm 0.02\left(\mathrm{stat}.\right)\pm 0.01\left(\mathrm{syst}.\right),\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Sigma}^0{\overline{K}}^{\ast 0}\right)/\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right)=0.69\pm 0.03\left(\mathrm{stat}.\right)\pm 0.03\left(\mathrm{syst}.\right),\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Sigma}^{+}{K}^{\ast -}\right)/\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right)=0.34\pm 0.06\left(\mathrm{stat}.\right)\pm 0.02\left(\mathrm{syst}.\right),\end{array}} $$ B Ξ c 0 → Λ K ¯ ∗ 0 / B Ξ c 0 → Ξ − π + = 0.18 ± 0.02 stat . ± 0.01 syst . , B Ξ c 0 → Σ 0 K ¯ ∗ 0 / B Ξ c 0 → Ξ − π + = 0.69 ± 0.03 stat . ± 0.03 syst . , B Ξ c 0 → Σ + K ∗ − / B Ξ c 0 → Ξ − π + = 0.34 ± 0.06 stat . ± 0.02 syst . , where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. We obtain $$ {\displaystyle \begin{array}{c}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to \Lambda {\overline{K}}^{\ast 0}\right)=\left(3.3\pm 0.3\left(\mathrm{stat}.\right)\pm 0.2\left(\mathrm{syst}.\right)\pm 1.0\left(\mathrm{ref}.\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Sigma}^0{\overline{K}}^{\ast 0}\right)=\left(12.4\pm 0.5\left(\mathrm{stat}.\right)\pm 0.5\left(\mathrm{syst}.\right)\pm 3.6\left(\mathrm{ref}.\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\\ {}\mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Sigma}^{+}{K}^{\ast 0}\right)=\left(6.1\pm 1.0\left(\mathrm{stat}.\right)\pm 0.4\left(\mathrm{syst}.\right)\pm 1.8\left(\mathrm{ref}.\right)\right)\times {10}^{-3},\end{array}} $$ B Ξ c 0 → Λ K ¯ ∗ 0 = 3.3 ± 0.3 stat . ± 0.2 syst . ± 1.0 ref . × 10 − 3 , B Ξ c 0 → Σ 0 K ¯ ∗ 0 = 12.4 ± 0.5 stat . ± 0.5 syst . ± 3.6 ref . × 10 − 3 , B Ξ c 0 → Σ + K ∗ 0 = 6.1 ± 1.0 stat . ± 0.4 syst . ± 1.8 ref . × 10 − 3 , where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and from $$ \mathcal{B}\left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Xi}^{-}{\pi}^{+}\right) $$ B Ξ c 0 → Ξ − π + , respectively. The asymmetry parameters $$ \alpha \left({\Xi}_c^0\to \Lambda {\overline{K}}^{\ast 0}\right) $$ α Ξ c 0 → Λ K ¯ ∗ 0 and $$ \alpha \left({\Xi}_c^0\to {\Sigma}^{+}{K}^{\ast -}\right) $$ α Ξ c 0 → Σ + K ∗ − are 0 . 15 ± 0 . 22(stat . ) ± 0 . 04(syst . ) and − 0 . 52 ± 0 . 30(stat . ) ± 0 . 02(syst . ), respectively, where the uncertainties are statistical followed by systematic.« less