Standard-model prediction for direct CP violation in $Ktopipi$ decay

We report the first lattice QCD calculation of the complex kaon decay amplitude $A_0$ with physical kinematics, using a $32^3times 64$ lattice volume and a single lattice spacing $a$, with $1/a= 1.3784(68)$ GeV. We find Re$(A_0) = 4.66(1.00)(1.26) times 10^{-7}$ GeV and Im$(A_0) = -1.90(1.23)(1.08) times 10^{-11}$ GeV, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The first value is in approximate agreement with the experimental result: Re$(A_0) = 3.3201(18) times 10^{-7}$ GeV while the second can be used to compute the direct CP violating ratio Re$(varepsilon/varepsilon)=1.38(5.15)(4.59)times 10^{-4}$, which is $2.1sigma$ below the experimental value $16.6(2.3)times 10^{-4}$. The real part of $A_0$ is CP conserving and serves as a test of our method while the result for Re$(varepsilon/varepsilon)$ provides a new test of the standard-model theory of CP violation, one which can be made more accurate with increasing computer capability.

$K_L-K_S$ mass difference from lattice QCD

We report on the first complete calculation of the $K_L-K_S$ mass difference, $Delta M_K$, using lattice QCD. The calculation is performed on a 2+1 flavor, domain wall fermion ensemble with a 330MeV pion mass and a 575 MeV kaon mass. We use a quenched charm quark with a 949 MeV mass to implement Glashow-Iliopoulos-Maiani cancellation. For these heavier-than-physical particle masses, we obtain $Delta M_K =3.19(41)(96)times 10^{-12}$ MeV, quite similar to the experimental value. Here the first error is statistical and the second is an estimate of the systematic discretization error. An interesting aspect of this calculation is the importance of the disconnected diagrams, a dramatic failure of the OZI rule.

Improved Measurement of Electron Antineutrino Disappearance at Daya Bay

We report an improved measurement of the neutrino mixing angle $theta_{13}$ from the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. We exclude a zero value for $sin^22theta_{13}$ with a significance of 7.7 standard deviations. Electron antineutrinos from six reactors of 2.9 GW$_{rm th}$ were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baselines of 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. Using 139 days of data, 28909 (205308) electron antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to the expected number of antineutrinos assuming no oscillations at the far hall is $0.944pm 0.007({rm stat.}) pm 0.003({rm syst.})$. An analysis of the relative rates in six detectors finds $sin^22theta_{13}=0.089pm 0.010({rm stat.})pm0.005({rm syst.})$ in a three-neutrino framework.

Testing linear hypotheses in high-dimensional regressions

For a multivariate linear model, Wilks likelihood ratio test (LRT) constitutes one of the cornerstone tools. However, the computation of its quantiles under the null or the alternative requires complex analytic approximations and more importantly, these distributional approximations are feasible only for moderate dimension of the dependent variable, say $ple 20$. On the other hand, assuming that the data dimension $p$ as well as the number $q$ of regression variables are fixed while the sample size $n$ grows, several asymptotic approximations are proposed in the literature for Wilks $bLa$ including the widely used chi-square approximation. In this paper, we consider necessary modifications to Wilks test in a high-dimensional context, specifically assuming a high data dimension $p$ and a large sample size $n$. Based on recent random matrix theory, the correction we propose to Wilks test is asymptotically Gaussian under the null and simulations demonstrate that the corrected LRT has very satisfactory size and power, surely in the large $p$ and large $n$ context, but also for moderately large data dimensions like $p=30$ or $p=50$. As a byproduct, we give a reason explaining why the standard chi-square approximation fails for high-dimensional data. We also introduce a new procedure for the classical multiple sample significance test in MANOVA which is valid for high-dimensional data.

Observation of electron-antineutrino disappearance at Daya Bay

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured a non-zero value for the neutrino mixing angle $theta_{13}$ with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six 2.9 GW$_{rm th}$ reactors were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baseline 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. With a 43,000 ton-GW_{rm th}-day livetime exposure in 55 days, 10416 (80376) electron antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to expected number of antineutrinos at the far hall is $R=0.940pm 0.011({rm stat}) pm 0.004({rm syst})$. A rate-only analysis finds $sin^22theta_{13}=0.092pm 0.016({rm stat})pm0.005({rm syst})$ in a three-neutrino framework.

A side-by-side comparison of Daya Bay antineutrino detectors

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment is designed to determine precisely the neutrino mixing angle $theta_{13}$ with a sensitivity better than 0.01 in the parameter sin$^22theta_{13}$ at the 90% confidence level. To achieve this goal, the collaboration will build eight functionally identical antineutrino detectors. The first two detectors have been constructed, installed and commissioned in Experimental Hall 1, with steady data-taking beginning September 23, 2011. A comparison of the data collected over the subsequent three months indicates that the detectors are functionally identical, and that detector-related systematic uncertainties exceed requirements.