The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab reports a total excess of $638.0 \pm 132.8$ electron-like events ($4.8 \sigma$) from a data sample corresponding to $18.75 \times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target in neutrino mode, which is a 46\% increase in the data sample with respect to previously published results, and $11.27 \times 10^{20}$ protons-on-target in antineutrino mode. The additional statistics allow several studies to address questions on the source of the excess. First, we provide two-dimensional plots in visible energy and cosine of the angle of the outgoing lepton, which can provide valuable input to models for the event excess. Second, we test whether the excess may arise from photons that enter the detector from external events or photons exiting the detector from $\pi^0$ decays in two model independent ways. Beam timing information shows that almost all of the excess is in time with neutrinos that interact in the detector. The radius distribution shows that the excess is distributed throughout the volume, while tighter cuts on the fiducal volume increase the significance of the excess. We conclude that models of the event excess based on entering and exiting photons are disfavored.
We report preliminary results on the production of electron-positron pairs in the mass range 2.5 to 4 GeV in 400-GeV p-Be interactions. Production cross sections of the ψ(3100) near x=0 as a function of pt, x, and the decay angle are presented and implications of these new data for single direct leptons are discussed. A ψ′(3700) signal is observed at a level corresponding to σ(ψ′)σ(ψ)=(10±3)%.
The mass spectrum of muon pairs in the range 5 to 15 GeV is studied in the inclusive reaction p+nucleus→μ++μ−+anything. The ϒ and continuum distribution are presented as is the A dependence of the continuum. Comparison with a parton-annihilation model yields a sea-quark distribution.
The production of the ϒ family in proton-nucleus collisions is clarified by a sixfold increase in statistics. Constraining ϒ,ϒ′ masses to those observed at DORIS we find the statistical significance of the ϒ′′ to be 11 standard deviations. The dependence of ϒ production on pt, y, and s is presented. Limits for other resonance production in the mass range 4-18 GeV are determined.
Dimuon production is studied in 400-GeV proton-nucleus collisions. A strong enhancement is observed at 9.5 GeV mass in a sample of 9000 dimuon events with a mass $m_{\mu^+\mu^-} \to$ 5 GeV.
We present proton-nucleus dimuon-production cross sections for masses between 4 and 15 GeV, center-of-mass rapidities between -0.23 and 0.6 and incident energies of 200, 300, and 400 GeV. The data confirm scaling to the 20% level. The dependence of continuum 〈pT〉 on beam energy is also presented.
The forward production of charm states in 350 GeV p-Fe interactions has been studied via the production of prompt single muons with momentum p ≳ 20 GeV/ c . The data indicate equal production of single μ + and μ − events. The observed momentum distributions can be fit with the hypothesis that D mesons are produced with an invariant cross section proportional to (1 − x F ) 5.0±0.8 exp[−(2 ± 0.3) P t ] and do not favor a large diffractive cross section predicted by intrinsic charm models. Extrapolation of the distributions to x F = 0 yields a total D D production cross section of 22.6 ± 2.1(±3.6)ωb/nucleon on the assumption of a linear A dependence and 8% average semileptonic branching ratio of charm states.
A measurement of continuum dimuon production in proton-copper collisions at 800-GeV incident energy is presented. The dimuons observed in this experiment cover the mass range from 6.5 to 18 GeV near y=0 in the proton-nucleon center-of-momentum frame. Scaling forms of the cross section for the continuum are compared with the results of other experiments in the context of the parton model and quantum chromodynamics. The present limitations of such scaling comparisons are discussed.
Experiment E735 searched for evidence of the transition to quark-gluon plasma in p p collisions at √ s = 1.8 TeV. Using data from a high statistics run in 1988–1989, results are presented on multiplicity distributions, hyperon and phi production, and Bose-Einstein correlations. Some data were also taken at lower collision energies and results will be compared to previous experiments.
In an inclusive experiment, isotopically resolved fragments, 3≤Z≤13, produced in high-energy proton-nucleus collisions have been studied using a low mass time-of-flight, gas ΔE-silicon E spectrometer and an internal gas jet. Measurement of the kinetic energy spectra from 5 to 100 MeV enabled an accurate determination of fragment cross sections from both xenon and krypton targets. Fragment spectra showed no significant dependence on beam energy for protons between 80 and 350 GeV/c. The observed isobaric yield is given by YαAf−τ, where τ∼2.6 for both targets; this also holds for correlated fragment data. The power law is the signature for the fragment formation mechanism. We treat the formation of fragments as a liquid-gas transition at the critical point. The critical temperature Tc can be determined from the fragment isotopic yields, provided one can set an energy scale for the fragment free energy. The high energy tails of the kinetic energy spectra provide evidence that the fragments originate from a common remnant system somewhat lighter than the target which disassembles simultaneously via Coulomb repulsion into a multibody final state. Fragment Coulomb energies are about 110 of the tangent sphere values. The remnant is characterized by a parameter T, obtained from the high energy tails of the kinetic energy distributions. T is interpreted as reflecting the Fermi momentum of a nucleon in this system. Since T≫Tc, and T is approximately that value expected for a cold nucleus, we conclude that the kinetic energy spectra are dominated by this nonthermal contribution. [NUCLEAR REACTIONS Xe(p,X), Kr(p,X), 80≤Eq≤350 GeV; measured σ(E,θ), X=Li to Al, θ=34∘. Fragmentation.]
Forum