Precision Measurement of the Mass of the $tau$ Lepton

An energy scan near the $tau$ pair production threshold has been performed using the BESIII detector. About $24$ pb$^{-1}$ of data, distributed over four scan points, was collected. This analysis is based on $tau$ pair decays to $ee$, $emu$, $eh$, $mumu$, $mu h$, $hh$, $erho$, $murho$ and $pirho$ final states, where $h$ denotes a charged $pi$ or $K$. The mass of the $tau$ lepton is measured from a maximum likelihood fit to the $tau$ pair production cross section data to be $m_{tau} = (1776.91pm0.12 ^{+0.10}_{-0.13}$) MeV/$c^2$, which is currently the most precise value in a single measurement.

Observation of $eta^{prime}topi^{+}pi^{-}pi^{+}pi^{-}$ and $eta^{prime}topi^{+}pi^{-}pi^{0}pi^{0}$

Using a sample of $1.3times 10^9$ $J/psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector, we report the first observation of $eta^{prime}topi^{+}pi^{-}pi^{+}pi^{-}$ and $eta^{prime}topi^{+}pi^{-}pi^{0}pi^{0}$. The measured branching fractions are $mathcal{B}$($eta^{prime}topi^{+}pi^{-}pi^{+}pi^{-}$) = $(8.53pm0.69({rm stat.})pm0.64({rm syst.}))times10^{-5}$ and $mathcal{B}$($eta^{prime}topi^{+}pi^{-}pi^{0}pi^{0}$) = $(1.82pm0.35({rm stat.})pm0.18({rm syst.}))times10^{-4}$, which are consistent with theoretical predictions based on a combination of chiral perturbation theory and vector-meson dominance.

Observation of Electromagnetic Dalitz decays J/psi to P e^+e^-

Based on a sample of (225.3pm2.8)times 10^{6} J/psi events collected with the BESIII detector, the electromagnetic Dalitz decays of J/psi to P e^+e^-(P=eta/eta/pi^0) are studied. By reconstructing the pseudoscalar mesons in various decay modes, the decays J/psi to eta e^+e^-, J/psi to eta e^+e^- and J/psi to pi^0 e^+e^- are observed for the first time. The branching fractions are determined to be mathcal{B}(J/psito eta e^+e^-) = (5.81pm0.16pm0.31)times10^{-5}, mathcal{B}(J/psito eta e^+e^-) = (1.16pm0.07pm0.06)times10^{-5}, and mathcal{B}(J/psito pi^0 e^+e^-)=(7.56pm1.32pm0.50)times10^{-7}, where the first errors are statistical and the second ones systematic.

Study of $e^+e^- rightarrow pbar{p}$ in the vicinity of $psi(3770)$

Using 2917 $rm{pb}^{-1}$ of data accumulated at 3.773~$rm{GeV}$, 44.5~$rm{pb}^{-1}$ of data accumulated at 3.65~$rm{GeV}$ and data accumulated during a $psi(3770)$ line-shape scan with the BESIII detector, the reaction $e^+e^-rightarrow pbar{p}$ is studied considering a possible interference between resonant and continuum amplitudes. The cross section of $e^+e^-rightarrowpsi(3770)rightarrow pbar{p}$, $sigma(e^+e^-rightarrowpsi(3770)rightarrow pbar{p})$, is found to have two solutions, determined to be ($0.059pm0.032pm0.012$) pb with the phase angle $phi = (255.8pm37.9pm4.8)^circ$ ($<$0.11 pb at the 90% confidence level), or $sigma(e^+e^-rightarrowpsi(3770)rightarrow pbar{p}) = (2.57pm0.12pm0.12$) pb with $phi = (266.9pm6.1pm0.9)^circ$ both of which agree with a destructive interference. Using the obtained cross section of $psi(3770)rightarrow pbar{p}$, the cross section of $pbar{p}rightarrow psi(3770)$, which is useful information for the future PANDA experiment, is estimated to be either ($9.8pm5.7$) nb ($<17.2$ nb at 90% C.L.) or $(425.6pm42.9)$ nb.

Project 8: Using Radio-Frequency Techniques to Measure Neutrino Mass

The Project 8 experiment aims to measure the neutrino mass using tritium beta decays. Beta-decay electron energies will be measured with a novel technique: as the electrons travel in a uniform magnetic field their cyclotron radiation will be detected. The frequency of each electrons cyclotron radiation is inversely proportional to its total relativistic energy; therefore, by observing the cyclotron radiation we can make a precise measurement of the electron energies. The advantages of this technique include scalability, excellent energy resolution, and low backgrounds. The collaboration is using a prototype experiment to study the feasibility of the technique with a $^{83m}$Kr source. Demonstrating the ability to see the 17.8 keV and 30.2 keV conversion electrons from $^{83m}$Kr will show that it may be possible to measure tritium beta-decay electron energies ($Q approx 18.6$ keV) with their cyclotron radiation. Progress on the prototype, analysis and signal-extraction techniques, and an estimate of the potential future of the experiment will be discussed.

Transit Timing Observations from Kepler: VI. Potentially interesting candidate systems from Fourier-based statistical tests

We analyze the deviations of transit times from a linear ephemeris for the Kepler Objects of Interest (KOI) through Quarter six (Q6) of science data. We conduct two statistical tests for all KOIs and a related statistical test for all pairs of KOIs in multi-transiting systems. These tests identify several systems which show potentially interesting transit timing variations (TTVs). Strong TTV systems have been valuable for the confirmation of planets and their mass measurements. Many of the systems identified in this study should prove fruitful for detailed TTV studies.

Highlights from the NA60 experiment

The NA60 experiment is a fixed-target experiment at the CERN SPS. It has measured the dimuon yield in Indium--Indium collisions with an In beam of 158 AGeV/c and in p-A collisions with a proton beam of 400 and 158 AGeV/c. The results allow to address three important physics topics, namely the study of the rho spectral function in nuclear collisions, the clarification of the origin of the dimuon excess measured by NA50 in the intermediate mass range, and the J/psi suppression pattern in a collision system different from Pb-Pb. An overview of these results will be given in this paper.