An extremely energetic cosmic ray observed by a surface detector array

Cosmic rays are energetic charged particles from extraterrestrial sources, with the highest-energy events thought to come from extragalactic sources. Their arrival is infrequent, so detection requires instruments with large collecting areas. In this work, we report the detection of an extremely energetic particle recorded by the surface detector array of the Telescope Array experiment. We calculate the particle's energy as [Formula: see text] (~40 joules). Its arrival direction points back to a void in the large-scale structure of the Universe. Possible explanations include a large deflection by the foreground magnetic field, an unidentified source in the local extragalactic neighborhood, or an incomplete knowledge of particle physics.

Indications of proton-dominated cosmic-ray composition above 1.6 EeV

We report studies of ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray composition via analysis of depth of air shower maximum (X(max)), for air shower events collected by the High-Resolution Fly's Eye (HiRes) observatory. The HiRes data are consistent with a constant elongation rate d<X(max)>/d[log(E)] of 47.9+/-6.0(stat)+/-3.2(syst) g/cm2/decade for energies between 1.6 and 63 EeV, and are consistent with a predominantly protonic composition of cosmic rays when interpreted via the QGSJET01 and QGSJET-II high-energy hadronic interaction models. These measurements constrain models in which the galactic-to-extragalactic transition is the cause of the energy spectrum ankle at 4x10(18) eV.

First observation of the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin suppression

The High Resolution Fly's Eye (HiRes) experiment has observed the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin suppression (called the GZK cutoff) with a statistical significance of five standard deviations. HiRes' measurement of the flux of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays shows a sharp suppression at an energy of 6 x 10(19) eV, consistent with the expected cutoff energy. We observe the ankle of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum as well, at an energy of 4 x 10(18) eV. We describe the experiment, data collection, and analysis and estimate the systematic uncertainties. The results are presented and the calculation of the statistical significance of our observation is described.

Measurement of the flux of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays from monocular observations by the High Resolution Fly's Eye experiment

We have measured the cosmic ray spectrum above 10(17.2) eV using the two air-fluorescence detectors of the High Resolution Fly's Eye observatory operating in monocular mode. We describe the detector, phototube, and atmospheric calibrations, as well as the analysis techniques for the two detectors. We fit the spectrum to a model consisting of galactic and extragalactic sources.

High statistics measurement of the K+-->pi0e+nu (K+e3) branching ratio

E865 at the Brookhaven National Laboratory AGS collected about 70 000 K(+)(e3) events to measure the K(+)(e3) branching ratio relative to the observed K+-->pi(+)pi(0), K+-->pi(0)micro(+)nu, and K+-->pi(+)pi(0)pi(0) decays. The pi(0) in all the decays was detected using the e(+)e(-) pair from pi(0)-->e(+)e(-)gamma decay and no photons were required. Using the 2002 Particle Data Group branching ratios for the normalization decays, we obtain BR(K(+)(e3(gamma)))=(5.13+/-0.02(stat)+/-0.09(syst)+/-0.04(norm))%, where K(+)(e3(gamma)) includes the effect of virtual and real photons. This result is approximately 2.3sigma higher than the current Particle Data Group value. Implications for the V(us) element of the CKM matrix, and the matrix's unitarity are discussed.

Search for the KL-->pi 0 pi 0 e+e- decay in the KTeV experiment

The recent discovery of a large CP violating asymmetry in KL-->pi+pi-e+e- mode has prompted us to seach for the associated KL-->pi 0 pi 0 e+e- decay mode in the KTeV-E799 experiment at Fermilab. In 2.7 x 10(11) K(L) decays, one candidate event has been observed with an expected background of 0.3 event, resulting in an upper limit for the KL-->pi 0 pi 0 e+e- branching ratio of 6.6 x 10(-9) at the 90% C.L.

Radiative decay width measurements of neutral kaon excitations using the primakoff effect

We use K(L)'s in the 100-200 GeV energy range to produce 147 candidate events of the axial vector pair K1(1270)-K1(1400) in the nuclear Coulomb field of a Pb target and determine the radiative widths Gamma(K1(1400)-->K0+gamma)=280.8+/-23.2(stat)+/-40.4(syst) keV and Gamma(K1(1270)-->K0+gamma)=73.2+/-6.1(stat)+/-28.3(syst) keV. These first measurements appear to be lower than the quark-model predictions. We also place upper limits on the radiative widths for K(*)(1410) and K(*)(2)(1430) and find that the latter is vanishingly small in accord with SU(3) invariance in the naive quark model.

Experimental study of the radiative decays K+-->mu(+)nue(+)e(-) and K+-->e(+)nue(+)e(-)

Experiment 865 at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron obtained 410 K+-->e(+)nue(+)e(-) and 2679 K+-->mu(+)nue(+)e(-) events including 10% and 19% background. The branching ratios were measured to be [2.48+/-0.14(stat)+/-0.14(syst)]x10(-8) (m(ee)>150 MeV) and (7.06+/-0.16+/-0.26)x10(-8) (m(ee)>145 MeV), respectively. Results for the decay form factors are presented.

Measurement of the K(L) charge asymmetry

We present a measurement of the charge asymmetry delta(L) in the mode K(L)-->pi(+/-)e(-/+)nu based on 298 x 10(6) analyzed decays. We measure a value of delta(L) = [3322+/-58(stat)+/-47(syst)]x10(-6), in good agreement with previous measurements and 2.4 times more precise than the current best published result. The result is used to place more stringent limits on CPT and DeltaS = DeltaQ violation in the neutral kaon system.

New measurement of K(+)(e4) decay and the s-pave pi pi-scattering length a(0)(0)

A sample of 4 x 10(5) events from the decay K(+)-->pi(+)pi(-)e(+)nu(e) (K(e4)) has been collected in experiment E865 at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. The analysis of these data yields new measurements of the K(e4) branching ratio [(4.11+/-0.01+/-0.11) x 10(-5)], the s-wave pi pi scattering length [a(0)(0) = 0.216+/-0.013(stat)+/-0.004(syst)+/-0.005(theor)], and the form factors F, G, and H of the hadronic current and their dependence on the invariant pi pi mass.

First measurement of form factors of the decay Xi(0) --> Sigma(+)e(-)nu macro(e)

We present the first measurement of the form factor ratios g(1)/f(1) (direct axial vector to vector), g(2)/f(1) (second class current), and f(2)/f(1) (weak magnetism) for the decay Xi(0)-->Sigma(+)e(-)nu macro(e) using the KTeV (E799) beam line and detector at Fermilab. From the Sigma(+) polarization measured with the decay Sigma(+)-->p pi(0) and the e(-)-nu; correlation, we measure g(1)/f(1) to be 1.32+/-(0.21)(0.17)(stat)+/-0.05(syst), assuming the SU(3)(f) (flavor) values for g(2)/f(1) and f(2)/f(1). Our results are all consistent with exact SU(3)(f) symmetry.

Branching ratio measurement of the decay K(L) --> e(+)e(-)mu(+)mu(-)

We have collected a 43 event sample of the decay K(L)-->e(+)e(-)mu(+)mu(-) with negligible backgrounds and measured its branching ratio to be (2.62+/-0.40+/-0.17)x10(-9). We see no evidence for CP violation in this decay. In addition, we set the 90% confidence upper limit on the combined branching ratios for the lepton flavor violating decays K(L)-->e(+/-)e(+/-)mu(-/+)mu(-/+) at B(K(L)-->e(+/-)e(+/-)mu(-/+)mu(-/+))< or =1.23x10(-10), assuming a uniform phase space distribution.

Measurement of the branching ratio and form factor of K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma

We report on the analysis of the rare decay K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma the 1997 data from the KTeV experiment at Fermilab. A total of 9327 candidate events are observed with 2.4% background, representing a factor of 40 increase in statistics over the current world sample. We find that B(K(L)-->mu(+)mu(-)gamma) = (3.62 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.08(syst)) x 10(-7). The form factor parameter alpha(K*) is measured to be alpha(K*) = -0.160(+0.026)(-0.028). In addition, we make the first measurement of the parameter alpha from the D'Ambrosio-Isidori-Portolés form factor, finding alpha = -1.54 +/- 0.10. In that model, this alpha measurement limits the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa parameter rho>-0.2.

Measurements of the rare decay K(L) --> e(+)e(-)e(+)e(-)

We observe 441 K(L)-->e(+)e(-)e(+)e(-) candidate events with a background of 4.2 events and measure B(K(L)-->e(+)e(-)e(+)e(-)) = [3.72+/-0.18(stat)+/-0.23(syst)]x10(-8) in the KTeV/E799II experiment at Fermilab. Using the distribution of the angle between the planes of the e(+)e(-) pairs, we measure the CP parameters beta(CP) = -0.23+/-0.09(stat)+/-0.02(syst) and gamma(CP) = -0.09+/-0.09(stat)+/-0.02(syst). We also present the first detailed study of the e(+)e(-) invariant mass spectrum in this decay mode.

Measurement of the branching ratio and asymmetry of the decay Xi degrees -->Sigma degrees gamma

We have studied the rare weak radiative hyperon decay Xi degrees -->Sigma degrees gamma in the KTeV experiment at Fermilab. We have identified 4045 signal events over a background of 804 events. The dominant Xi degrees -->Lambdapi degrees decay, which was used for normalization, is the only important background source. An analysis of the acceptance of both modes yields a branching ratio of B(Xi degrees -->Sigma degrees gamma)/B(Xi degrees -->Lambdapi degrees ) = (3.34+/-0.05+/-0.09)x10(-3). By analyzing the final state decay distributions, we have also determined that the Sigma degrees emission asymmetry parameter for this decay is alpha(XiSigma) = -0.63+/-0.09.

Study of the K(0)(L) --> pi(+)pi(-)gamma Direct Emission Vertex

We have performed studies of the K(0)(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)gamma direct emission ( DE) and inner Bremsstrahlung ( IB) vertices, based on data collected by KTeV during the 1996 Fermilab fixed target run. We find a(1)/a(2) = -0.737+/-0.034 GeV2 for the DE form-factor parameter in the rho-propagator parametrization, and report on fits of the form factor to linear and quadratic functions as well. We concurrently measure gamma(K(0)(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)gamma,E(*)(gamma)>20 MeV)/gamma(K(0)(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)) = (20.8+/-0.3)x10(-3), and a K(0)(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)gamma DE/(DE+IB) branching ratio of 0.683+/-0.011.

Search for the decay KL --> pi(0)e+e-

We report on a search for the decay KL-->pi(0)e+e- carried out by the KTeV/E799 experiment at Fermilab. This decay is expected to have a significant CP violating contribution and the measurement of its branching ratio could support the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mechanism for CP violation or could point to new physics. Two events were observed in the 1997 data with an expected background of 1.06+/-0.41 events, and we set an upper limit B(KL-->pi(0)e+e-)<5.1 x 10(-10) at the 90% confidence level.

Search for lepton flavor violation in K+ decays into a charged pion and two leptons

A search for lepton flavor violating decays, K+ --> mu+ mu+ pi-, K+ --> e+ e+ pi-, K+ --> pi+ e+ mu-, K+ --> mu+ e+ pi-, and pi0 --> e+ mu-, was performed using the data collected in Experiment E865 at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. No signal was found in any of the decay modes. At the 90% confidence level, the branching ratios are less than 3.0x10(-9), 6.4x10(-10), 5. 2x10(-10), 5.0x10(-10), and 3.4x10(-9), respectively.

Improved limit on the rate of the decay K+ --> pi(+)&mgr;(+)e(-)

We report results of a search for the lepton-family number violating decay K+-->pi(+)&mgr;(+)e(-) from data collected by experiment E865 in 1996 at the Alternating Gradient Synchroton of Brookhaven National Laboratory. We place an upper limit on the branching ratio at 3.9x10(-11) ( 90% C.L.). Together with results based on data collected in 1995 and an earlier experiment, E777, this result establishes a combined 90% confidence level upper limit on the branching ratio at 2.8x10(-11). We also report a new upper limit on the branching ratio for pi(0)-->&mgr;(+)e(-) of 3.8x10(-10) ( 90% C. L.).

Search for the decay K(L) --> pi(0)&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-)

We report on a search for the decay K(L)-->pi(0)&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-) carried out as a part of the KTeV experiment at Fermilab. This decay is expected to have a significant CP violating contribution and a direct measurement will either support the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mechanism for CP violation or point to new physics. Two events were observed in the 1997 data with an expected background of 0.87+/-0.15 events, and we set an upper limit B(K(L)-->pi(0)&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-))<3. 8x10(-10) at the 90% confidence level.

New measurement of the rare decay K+ --> pi(+)&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-)

More than 400 K+-->pi(+)&mgr;(+)&mgr;(-) events were observed in a rare K+ decay experiment at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. Normalized to the K+-->pi(+)pi(+)pi(-) decay, the branching ratio is determined to be [9.22+/-0.60(stat)+/-0. 49(syst)]x10(-8). This branching ratio and the &mgr;&mgr; mass spectrum is in very good agreement with the measurement of the K+-->pi(+)e(+)e(-) decay, but deviates significantly from the previous measurement.

Search for the weak decay of a lightly bound H0 dibaryon

We present results of a search for a new form of hadronic matter, a six-quark, dibaryon state called the H0, a state predicted to exist in several theoretical models. Analyzing data collected by experiment E799-II at Fermilab, we searched for the decay H0-->Lambdappi(-) and found no candidate events. We place an upper limit on [B(H0-->Lambdappi(-))dsigma(H)/dOmega]/(dsigma(Xi)/dOmega) and, in the context of published models, exclude the region of lightly bound mass states just below the LambdaLambda mass threshold, 2.194<M(H)<2.231 GeV/c(2), with lifetimes from approximately 5x10(-10) sec to approximately 1x10(-3) sec.

Observation of CP violation in K(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)e(+)e(-) decays

We report the first observation of a manifestly CP violating effect in the K(L)-->pi(+)pi(-)e(+)e(-) decay mode. A large asymmetry was observed in the distribution of these decays in the CP-odd and T-odd angle straight phi between the decay planes of the e(+)e(-) and pi(+)pi(-) pairs in the K(L) center of mass system. After acceptance corrections, the overall asymmetry is found to be [13.6+/-2. 5(stat)+/-1.2(syst)]%. This is the largest CP-violating effect yet observed when integrating over the entire phase space of a mode and the first such effect observed in an angular variable.