We searched for the μ+μ− decay of a light vector gauge boson, also known as dark photon, in the e+e−→μ+μ−γISR process by means of the Initial State Radiation (ISR) method. We used 1.93 fb−1 of data ...collected by the KLOE experiment at the DAΦNE ϕ-factory. No structures have been observed over the irreducible μ+μ− background. A 90% CL limit on the ratio ε2=α′/α between the dark coupling constant and the fine structure constant of 3×10−6–2×10−7 has been set in the dark photon mass region between 519 MeV and 973 MeV. This new limit has been combined with the published result obtained investigating the hypothesis of the dark photon decaying into hadrons in e+e−→π+π−γISR events. The combined 90% CL limit increases the sensitivity especially in the ρ–ω interference region and excludes ε2 greater than (13−2)×10−7. For dark photon masses greater than 600 MeV the combined limit is lower than 8 ×10−7 resulting more stringent than present constraints from other experiments.
Based on a sample of 300 million KS mesons produced in ϕ→KLKS decays recorded by the KLOE experiment at the DAΦNE e+e− collider we have measured the branching fraction for the decay KS→πμν. The KS ...mesons are identified by the interaction of KL mesons in the detector. The KS→πμν decays are selected by a boosted decision tree built with kinematic variables and by a time-of-flight measurement. Signal efficiencies are evaluated with data control samples of KL→πμν decays. A fit to the reconstructed muon mass distribution finds 7223±180 signal events. Normalising to the KS→π+π− decay events the result for the branching fraction is B(KS→πμν)=(4.56±0.11stat±0.17syst)×10−4. It is the first measurement of this decay mode and the result allows an independent determination of |Vus| and a test of the lepton-flavour universality.
Few studies have intensively assessed the dynamic of all planktonic components and their microbial communities in hypertrophic shallow lakes. The aim of this work was to study the potential drivers ...shaping the microbial food-web components (heterotrophic bacteria and strictly phototrophic microplankton). Thus, we studied the monthly abundances and functional groups of the different planktonic food-web components (heterotrophic bacteria, picocyanobacteria, picoeukaryotes, heterotrophic flagellates, ciliates, phytoplankton, zooplankton) in two interconnected and hypertrophic Pampean shallow lakes (Gómez and Carpincho) during dry–wet periods (27-month study). We hypothesized that temporal (intra and inter-annual) factors exert a major role in shaping the microbial food-web components in both lakes. Both shallow lakes showed similar dynamic in the environmental variables, that followed inter-annual and seasonal variations. In Gómez, the variation of microbial components was mainly explained by a combination of environmental, predation, and temporal factors (38.2%), whereas in Carpincho by pure temporal drivers (31.8%). Microbial and predator components were significantly different between dry and wet periods. The connection and closeness between both lakes seem not to play a major role in the factors driving the microbial component abundances. These lakes are strongly influenced by temporal factors, which regulate not only the microbial components, but also the physical, chemical, and biological variables.
A
bstract
Using 1.63 fb
−1
of integrated luminosity collected by the KLOE experiment about 7 × 10
4
K
S
→
π
±
e
∓
ν
decays have been reconstructed. The measured value of the charge asymmetry for this ...decay is
A
S
= (−4.9 ± 5.7
stat
± 2.6
syst
) × 10
−3
, which is almost twice more precise than the previous KLOE result. The combination of these two measurements gives
A
S
= (−3.8 ± 5.0
stat
± 2.6
syst
) × 10
−3
and, together with the asymmetry of the
K
L
semileptonic decay, provides significant tests of the
CPT
symmetry. The obtained results are in agreement with
CPT
invariance.
A
bstract
Based on an integrated luminosity of 1.61 fb
−
1
e
+
e
−
collision data collected with the KLOE detector at DAΦNE, the Frascati
ϕ
-factory, a search for the
P
- and
CP
-violating decay
η → ...π
+
π
−
has been performed. Radiative
ϕ → ηγ
decay is exploited to access the
η
mesons. No signal is observed in the
π
+
π
−
invariant mass spectrum, and the upper limit on the branching fraction at 90% confidence level is determined to be ℬ(
η → π
+
π
−
)
<
4
.
9
×
10
−
6
, which is approximately three times smaller than the previous KLOE result. From the combination of these two measurements we get ℬ(
η → π
+
π
−
)
<
4
.
4
×
10
−
6
at 90% confidence level.
Dominant primary producer in macrophyte- or phytoplankton-dominated shallow lakes might imply differences in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) composition. We compared chromophoric dissolved organic ...matter (CDOM), plankton respiration (R), and bacterial (BP) and primary production (PP), in two contrasting shallow lakes. We hypothesized that DOC from the macrophyte-dominated lake would be qualitatively inferior, so that it can support a lower yield than DOC from the phytoplankton-dominated one. Macrophyte-dominated lake had more humic and aromatic CDOM, though molecular weight was similar in both lakes. A clear synchronism between lakes was observed in mean depth and several CDOM absorption coefficients, suggesting an external driver of the variation in DOC concentration and CDOM quality. The positive BP-PP and BP-Chl-
a
correlations in the macrophyte-dominated lake point out to a dependence of bacteria on phytoplankton for a supply of labile DOC. In turn, BP in the phytoplankton-dominated lake was balanced with grazing by HF (heterotrophic flagellates). The significantly higher HB:DOC and HF:DOC carbon ratios in the phytoplankton-dominated lake also suggest that better DOC quality would mean relatively more efficient C transfer to higher trophic levels. According to PP:BP and PP:R ratios both lakes should be considered autotrophic, although the macrophyte-dominated lake would be comparatively more heterotrophic.
The determination of low-energy cross sections and branching ratios of the
K
-
multi-nucleon absorption processes in
Λ
p
and
Σ
0
p
final states performed by the AMADEUS collaboration is presented. ...Low momentum
K
-
(
p
K
≃
127
MeV
/
c
) produced at the
DA
Φ
NE
collider are impinged on a Carbon target within the KLOE detector and the two and three nucleon absorption processes are disentangled by comparing the experimental data to phenomenological calculations. The
Λ
p
spectra are interpreted in terms of
K
-
multi-nucleon absorption processes; the possible contribution of a
K
-
pp
bound state is demonstrated to overlap with the two nucleon capture process, its absolute yield thus resulting indistinguishable.
We present the analysis of K− absorption processes on He4 leading to Λπ− final states, measured with the KLOE spectrometer at the DAΦNE e+e− collider and extract, for the first time, the modulus of ...the non-resonant K−n →Λπ− direct production amplitude about 33 MeV below the K‾N threshold. This analysis also allows to disentangle the K− nuclear absorption at-rest from the in-flight capture, for K− momenta of about 120 MeV. The data are interpreted with the help of a phenomenological model, and the modulus of the non-resonant K−n →Λπ− amplitude for K− absorption at-rest is found to be |AK−n→Λπ−|=(0.334±0.018stat−0.058+0.034syst)fm.
During summer 2005/2006, we characterized three sampling sites on mineral soils and four on ornithogenic soils from Cierva Point, Antarctic Peninsula, in terms of topographic and abiotic features ...(altitude, slope, magnetic direction, temperature, texture, pH, conductivity, organic matter, moisture and nutrient concentrations), and compared their microalgal communities through taxonomic composition, species richness, diversity, chlorophyll a content and their variation in time. Average values of pH, moisture, organic matter and nutrient concentrations were always significantly lower in mineral than in ornithogenic soils. Low N/P mass ratio showed potential N-limitation of biomass capacity in the former. On the other hand, the results suggested that physical stability is not as a key stress factor for mineral soil microalgae. Chlorophyll a concentration was not only higher in ornithogenic soils, but it also showed a wider range of values. As this parameter was positively correlated with temperature, pH, nutrients, organic matter and moisture, we cannot come to conclusions regarding the influence of each factor on algal growth. Communities of mineral soils were significantly more diverse than those of enriched ornithogenic soils due to higher species richness as well as higher equitability. Also, their structure was steadier over time, as shown by a cluster analysis based on relative frequency of algal taxa. Although Cyanobacteria and Bacillariophyceae dominated almost all samples, Chlorophyceae represented 34% of the 140 taxa recorded, and most of them observed only in cultures. The detection under controlled conditions of a high latent species richness in harsh mineral soil sites shows that the composition and equitability of these microalgal communities would be more prone to modification due to the manifold local consequences of climatic change than those of ornithogenic soils.
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