This thesis presents the first experimental calibration of the top-quark Monte-Carlo mass. It also provides the top-quark mass-independent and most precise top-quark pair production cross-section measurement to date. The most precise measurements of the top-quark mass obtain the top-quark mass parameter (Monte-Carlo mass) used in simulations, which are partially based on heuristic models. Its interpretation in terms of mass parameters used in theoretical calculations, e.g. a running or a pole mass, has been a long-standing open problem with far-reaching implications beyond particle physics, even affecting conclusions on the stability of the vacuum state of our universe. In this thesis, this problem is solved experimentally in three steps using data obtained with the compact muon solenoid (CMS) detector. The most precise top-quark pair production cross-section measurements to date are performed. The Monte-Carlo mass is determined and a new method for extracting the top-quark mass from theoretical calculations is presented. Lastly, the top-quark production cross-sections are obtained - for the first time - without residual dependence on the top-quark mass, are interpreted using theoretical calculations to determine the top-quark running- and pole mass with unprecedented precision, and are fully consistently compared with the simultaneously obtained top-quark Monte-Carlo mass.

This biography explores the life and career of the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, which is also the story of thirty years that transformed physics and forever changed our understanding of matter and the universe: nuclear physics and elementary particle physics were born, nuclear fission was discovered, the Manhattan Project was developed, the atomic bombs were dropped, and the era of "big science" began.It would be impossible to capture the full essence of this revolutionary period without first understanding Fermi, without whom it would not have been possible. Enrico Fermi: The Obedient Genius attempts to shed light on all aspects of Fermi's life - his work, motivation, influences, achievements, and personal thoughts - beginning with the publication of his first paper in 1921 through his death in 1954. During this time, Fermi demonstrated that he was indeed following in the footsteps of Galileo, excelling in his work both theoretically and experimentally by deepening our understanding of the Pauli exclusion principle, winning the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the fundamental properties of slow neutrons, developing the theory of beta decay, building the first nuclear reactor, and playing a central role in the development of the atomic bomb. Interwoven with this fascinating story, the book details the major developments in physics and provides the necessary background material to fully appreciate the dramatic changes that were taking place. Also included are appendices that provide a timeline of Fermi's life, several primary source documents from the period, and an extensive bibliography. This book will enlighten anyone interested in Fermi's work or the scientific events that led to the physics revolution of the first half of the twentieth century.

This volume is a collection of contributions by world-leading experts in the nuclear field who participated in the educational activities of the International School on Disarmament and Research on Conflicts (ISODARCO). It features some of most prominent scholars and practitioners who contributed in fundamental ways to shaping policies, strategies, theories, scholarly studies, and debates in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament. On the occasion of ISODARCO's 50th anniversary this book revisits a selection of contributions that capture the pressing issues during the five decades of continuous engagement in disarmament and non-proliferation education.

This is a comprehensive textbook designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Both authors rely on more than 20 years of teaching experience in renowned Physics Engineering courses to write this book addressing the students' needs. Kinetics and Spectroscopy of Low Temperature Plasmas derives in a full self-consistent way the electron kinetic theory used to describe low temperature plasmas created in the laboratory with an electrical discharge, and presents the main optical spectroscopic diagnostics used to characterize such plasmas. The chapters with the theoretical contents make use of a deductive approach in which the electron kinetic theory applied to plasmas with basis on the electron Boltzmann equation is derived from the basic concepts of Statistical and Plasma Physics. On the other hand, the main optical spectroscopy diagnostics used to characterize experimentally such plasmas are presented and justified from the point of view of the Atomic and Molecular Physics. Low temperature plasmas (LTP) are partially ionized gases with a broad use in many technological applications such as microelectronics, light sources, lasers, biology and medicine. LTPs lead to the production of atomic and molecular excited states, chemically reactive radicals, and activated surface sites, which are in the origin, among others, of the deposition of thin films, advanced nanotechnology products, solar cells, highly efficient combustion motors, and treatment of cancer cells.

This book deals with the new method of laser-driven acceleration for application to radiation biophysics and medicine. It provides multidisciplinary contributions from world leading scientist in order to assess the state of the art of innovative tools for radiation biology research and medical applications of ionizing radiation. The book contains insightful contributions on highly topical aspects of spatio-temporal radiation biophysics, evolving over several orders of magnitude, typically from femtosecond and sub-micrometer scales. Particular attention is devoted to the emerging technology of laser-driven particle accelerators and their application to spatio-temporal radiation biology and medical physics, customization of non-conventional and selective radiotherapy and optimized radioprotection protocols.

This thesis describes in detail a search for weakly interacting massive particles as possible dark matter candidates, making use of so-called mono-jet events. It includes a detailed description of the run-1 system, important operational challenges, and the upgrade for run-2. The nature of dark matter, which accounts for roughly 25% of the energy-matter content of the universe, is one of the biggest open questions in fundamental science. The analysis is based on the full set of proton-proton collisions collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at s = 8 TeV. Special attention is given to the experimental challenges and analysis techniques, as well as the overall scientific context beyond particle physics. The results complement those of non-collider experiments and yield some of the strongest exclusion bounds on parameters of dark matter models by the end of the Large Hadron Collider run-1. Details of the upgrade of the ATLAS Central Trigger for run-2 are also included.

This book explains - in simple terms and with almost no mathematics - the physics behind recent and glamorous discoveries in Cosmology, Quantum Mechanics, Elementary Particles (e.g. Higgs bosons) and Complexity Theory. En route it delves into the historical landmarks and revolutions that brought about our current understanding of the universe. The book is written mainly for those with little scientific background, both college students and lay readers alike, who are curious about the world of modern physics. Unsolved problems are highlighted and the philosophical implications of the sometimes astounding modern discoveries are discussed. Along the way the reader gains an insight into the mindset and methodology of a physicist.

This book begins with the basic terms and definitions and takes a student, step by step, through all areas of medical physics. The book covers radiation therapy, diagnostic radiology, dosimetry, radiation shielding, and nuclear medicine, all at a level suitable for undergraduates. This title not only describes the basics concepts of the field, but also emphasizes numerical and mathematical problems and examples. Students will find An Introduction to Medical Physics to be an indispensible resource in preparations for further graduate studies in the field.

This book is about dark matter's particle nature and the implications of a new symmetry that appears when a hypothetical dark matter particle is heavy compared to known elementary particles. Dark matter exists and composes about 85% of the matter in the universe, but it cannot be explained in terms of the known elementary particles. Discovering dark matter's particle nature is one of the most pressing open problems in particle physics. This thesis derives the implications of a new symmetry that appears when the hypothetical dark matter particle is heavy compared to the known elementary particles, a situation which is well motivated by the null results of searches at the LHC and elsewhere. The new symmetry predicts a universal interaction between dark matter and ordinary matter, which in turn may be used to determine the event rate and detectable energy in dark matter direct detection experiments. The computation of heavy wino and higgsino dark matter presented in this work has become a benchmark for the field of direct detection. This thesis has also spawned a new field of investigation in dark matter indirect detection, determining heavy WIMP annihilation rates using effective field theory methods. It describes a new formalism for implementing Lorentz invariance constraints in nonrelativistic theories, with a surprising result at 1/M^4 order that contradicts the prevailing ansatz in the past 20 years of heavy quark literature. The author has also derived new perturbative QCD results to provide the definitive analysis of key Standard Model observables such as heavy quark scalar matrix elements of the nucleon. This is an influential thesis, with impacts in dark matter phenomenology, field theory formalism and precision hadronic physics.

This book is a complete treatment of work done to resolve the problems of position-, current-, and shape-control of plasma in tokamak-type (toroidal) devices being studied as a potential means of commercial energy production by nuclear fusion. Modelling and control are both detailed, allowing non-expert readers to understand the control problem. Starting from the magneto-hydro-dynamic equations, all the steps needed for the derivation of plasma state-space models are enumerated with frequent recall of the basic concepts of electromagnetics. The control problem is then described, beginning with the control of current and position-vertical and radial-control and progressing to the more challenging shape control. The solutions proposed vary from simple PIDs to more sophisticated MIMO controllers. The second edition of Magnetic Control of Tokamak Plasmas contains numerous updates and a substantial amount of completely new material covering areas such as: * modelling and control of resistive wall modes-the most important non-axisimmetric mode; * the isoflux approach for shape control; * a general approach for the control of limiter plasmas; * the use of inner vessel coils for vertical stabilization; and * significantly enhanced treatment of plasma-shape control at JET, including experimental results and introducing a method implemented for operation in the presence of current saturations. Whenever possible, coverage of the various topics is rounded out with experimental results obtained on currently existing tokamaks. The book also includes a presentation of the typical actuators and sensors used for control purposes in tokamaks. Some mathematical details are given in the appendices for the interested reader. The ideas formulated in this monograph will be of great practical help to control engineers, academic researchers and graduate students working directly with problems related to the control of nuclear fusion. They will also stimulate control researchers interested more generally in the advanced applications of the discipline. Advances in Industrial Control aims to report and encourage the transfer of technology in control engineering. The rapid development of control technology has an impact on all areas of the control discipline. The series offers an opportunity for researchers to present an extended exposition of new work in all aspects of industrial control.

This thesis represents a unique mix of theoretical work discussing the Lorentz theory of gravity and experimental work searching for supersymmetry with the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. It begins by reviewing a set of widely-discussed theoretical solutions to the cosmological constant problem, including a natural solution provided by the recently developed Lorentz gauge theory of gravity. The Schwartzschild metric, de Sitter space, and quantum versions of the theory are also discussed. The thesis then looks to supersymmetry for an alternative solution. The idea behind supersymmetry is reviewed and an experimental search for supersymmetry is presented. A major contribution was to estimate one of the most significant backgrounds in this search, which arises from top-antitop quark pair production or W boson production in association with multiple jets where the W boson decays into the hadronically-decaying tau leptons and neutrinos. This background was estimated through a novel method involving kinematically analogous events but including a well-measured muon. This search significantly extends limits on supersymmetric partners of gluons from previous searches.

This book presents more than 300 exercises, with guided solutions, on topics that span both the experimental and the theoretical aspects of particle physics. The exercises are organized by subject, covering kinematics, interactions of particles with matter, particle detectors, hadrons and resonances, electroweak interactions and flavor physics, statistics and data analysis, and accelerators and beam dynamics. Some 200 of the exercises, including 50 in multiple-choice format, derive from exams set by the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Research (INFN) over the past decade to select its scientific staff of experimental researchers. The remainder comprise problems taken from the undergraduate classes at ETH Zurich or inspired by classic textbooks. Whenever appropriate, in-depth information is provided on the source of the problem, and readers will also benefit from the inclusion of bibliographic details and short dissertations on particular topics. This book is an ideal complement to textbooks on experimental and theoretical particle physics and will enable students to evaluate their knowledge and preparedness for exams.

With its many beautiful colour pictures, this book gives fascinating insights into the unusual forms and behaviour of matter under extremely high pressures and temperatures. These extreme states are generated, among other things, by strong shock, detonation and electric explosion waves, dense laser beams, electron and ion beams, hypersonic entry of spacecraft into dense atmospheres of planets and in many other situations characterized by extremely high pressures and temperatures. Written by one of the world's foremost experts on the topic, this book will inform and fascinate all scientists dealing with materials properties and physics and also serve as an excellent introduction to plasma-, shock-wave and high-energy-density physics for students and newcomers seeking an overview. This second edition is thoroughly revised and expanded, in particular with new material on high energy-density physics, nuclear explosions and other nuclear transformation processes.

This thesis describes the experimental and theoretical basics of free electron laser science, serving as an excellent introduction for newcomers to this young field. Beyond that, it addresses electron-beam lifetimes in third-generation synchrotron light sources, in particular with a view to optimizing them in the forthcoming ESRF upgrade. The lifetime of the electron beam in a storage ring is a measure of how fast electrons are being lost, and is thus an essential parameter determining the required injection frequency, which in turn affects beam stability and power consumption. The main limitation on the beam lifetime in these synchrotron light sources is the Touschek effect, i.e. the single scattering between two electrons in a bunch. In this thesis a model able to predict the Touschek lifetime is presented. The model is successfully tested against measurements and used to study the influence of other parameters such as current and size of vacuum chamber. Not least, it enables the settings of sextupole magnets to be optimized.

These proceedings gather invited and contributed talks presented at the XXI DAE-BRNS High Energy Physics Symposium, which was held at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in December 2014. The contributions cover many of the most active research areas in particle physics, namely (i) Electroweak Physics; (ii) QCD and Heavy Ion Physics; (iii) Heavy Flavour Physics and CP Violation; (iv) Neutrino Physics; (v) Astro-particle Physics and Cosmology; (vi) Formal Theory; (vii) Future Colliders and New Machines; and (viii) BSM Physics: SUSY, Extra Dimensions, Composites etc. The DAE-BRNS High Energy Physics Symposium, widely considered to be one of the premiere symposiums organised in India in the field of elementary particle physics, is held every other year and supported by the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy, India. Roughly 250 physicists and researchers participated in the 21st Symposium, discussing the latest advancements in the field in 18 plenary review talks, 15 invited mini-review talks and approximately 130 contributed presentations. Bringing together the essential content, the book offers a valuable resource for both beginning and advanced researchers in the field.

In this thesis the author contributes to the analysis of neutrino beam data collected between 2010 and 2013 to identify e events at the Super-Kamiokande detector. In particular, the author improves the pion-nucleus interaction uncertainty, which is one of the dominant systematic error sources in T2K neutrino oscillation measurement. In the thesis, the measurement of e oscillation in the T2K (Tokai to Kamioka) experiment is presented and a new constraint on CP is obtained. This measurement and the analysis establish, at greater than 5 significance, the observation of e oscillation for the first time in the world. Combining the T2K e oscillation measurement with the latest findings on oscillation parameters including the world average value of 13 from reactor experiments, the constraint on the value of CP at the 90% confidence level is obtained. This constraint on CP is an important step towards the discovery of CP violation in the lepton sector.

This book presents a comprehensive mathematical approach for solving stochastic magnetic field problems. It discusses variability in material properties and geometry, with an emphasis on the preservation of structural physical and mathematical properties. It especially addresses uncertainties in the computer simulation of magnetic fields originating from the manufacturing process. Uncertainties are quantified by approximating a stochastic reformulation of the governing partial differential equation, demonstrating how statistics of physical quantities of interest, such as Fourier harmonics in accelerator magnets, can be used to achieve robust designs. The book covers a number of key methods and results such as: a stochastic model of the geometry and material properties of magnetic devices based on measurement data; a detailed description of numerical algorithms based on sensitivities or on a higher-order collocation; an analysis of convergence and efficiency; and the application of the developed model and algorithms to uncertainty quantification in the complex magnet systems used in particle accelerators.

In this book, renowned scientists describe the various techniques used to detect and characterize extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, with a view to unveiling the "tricks of the trade" of planet detection to a wider community. The radial velocity method, transit method, microlensing method, and direct imaging method are all clearly explained, drawing attention to their advantages and limitations and highlighting the complementary roles that they can play in improving the characterization of exoplanets' physical and orbital properties. By probing the planetary frequency at different distances and in different conditions, these techniques are helping astrophysicists to reconstruct the scenarios of planetary formation and to give robust scientific answers to questions regarding the frequency of potentially habitable worlds. Twenty years have passed since the discovery of a Jupiter-mass companion to a main sequence star other than the Sun, heralding the birth of extrasolar planetary research; this book fully conveys the exciting progress that has been achieved during the intervening period.

This theses reports on an experimental search for an exotic hadron, +(1540) pentaquark, which is a genuine exotic hadron with a five-quark system of uuddsbar. The results of this book support that the existence of + was strongly constrained. The + pentaquark was searched for via the - p K- X reaction using a beam momentum of 2.01 GeV/c at the J-PARC hadron experimental facility, taking advantage of high-statistics and high-resolution compared with previous experiments, some of which claimed the evidence of +. In order to realize a good missing-mass resolution of 2 MeV, the beam spectrometer and superconducting kaon spectrometer were constructed. No clear peak was observed in the missing mass spectrum of the - p K- X reaction, and the upper limit of the production cross section was found to be less than 0.28 b/sr at the 90% confidence level in a mass region of 1500-1560 MeV/c2. This upper limit is an order of magnitude smaller than that of the previous KEK experiment. Compared with a theoretical calculation using the effective Lagrangian approach, the decay width of + was evaluated. The upper limits on the decay width were estimated to be 0.36 and 1.9 MeV for the + spin-parity of 1/2+ and 1/2-, respectively. These are quite small for a width of ordinary hadron resonances, and the existence of + was strongly constrained and is doubtful.

Combining incisive experiments with the latest theoretical advances, this book presents an extensive study of transfer-triggered breakup, the dominant process by which breakup occurs in reactions involving light, weakly bound nuclei. It demonstrates not only that lifetimes of resonant states shorter than a zeptosecond are crucially important for these reactions to suppress complete fusion, but also that such short lifetimes are experimentally accessible. By making quantitative predictions of the effect of breakup from short-lived resonant states on incomplete fusion at above-barrier energies, the book suggests that the extent to which near-target breakup can suppress complete fusion is much more limited than previously thought. With an impressive amount of complex data and state-of-the-art models, which were developed, modified, and tested over course of the Ph.D., it examines all aspects of nuclear reactions - nuclear models, modern detectors and spectrometers, as well as data analysis, and offers a detailed discussion of experimental results and technical developments like new radioactive beams. This excellent and beautifully written book presents outstanding quality experimental work that establishes a cornerstone in our understanding of the reaction dynamics of light weakly bound nuclei at energies around the Coulomb barrier.

Unified Field Mechanics, the topic of the 9th international symposium honoring noted French mathematical physicist Jean-Pierre Vigier cannot be considered highly speculative as a myopic critic might surmise. The 8th Vigier Symposium proceedings 'The Physics of Reality' should in fact be touted as a companion volume because of its dramatic theoretical Field Mechanics in additional dimensionality. Many still consider the Planck-scale zero-point field stochastic quantum foam as the 'basement of reality'. This could only be considered true under the limitations of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory. As we enter the next regime of Unified Field Mechanics we now know that the energy-dependent Einstein-Minkowski manifold called spacetime has a finite radius beyond which a large-scale multiverse beckons. So far a battery of 14 experiments has been designed to falsify the model. When the 1st is successfully performed, a revolution in Natural Science will occur! This volume strengthens and expands the theoretical and experimental basis for that immanent new age.

This monograph traces the development of our understanding of how and where energetic particles are accelerated in the heliosphere and how they may reach the Earth. Detailed data sets are presented which address these topics. The bulk of the observations are from spacecraft in or near the ecliptic plane. It is timely to present this subject now that Voyager-1 has entered the true interstellar medium. Since it seems unlikely that there will be a follow-on to the Voyager programme any time soon, the data we already have regarding the outer heliosphere are not going to be enhanced for at least 40 years.

This volume covers invited papers presented during the La Rabida 2015 International Scientific Meeting on Nuclear Physics, which can be considered heir of a well known series of triennial international summer schools on Nuclear Physics organized from 1982 till 2003 by the Basic Nuclear Physics group in the University of Sevilla. The La Rabida 2015 meeting offered to graduate students and young researchers a broad view of the field of Nuclear Physics. The first invited speaker presented the state-of-the-art of Relativistic Mean Field calculations. The second set of notes covers selected topics in gamma ray spectroscopy with exotic nuclei. The third speaker presented an introduction to the subject of severe accidents in nuclear power plants. In the fourth set of notes, the author illustrated how to use laser spectroscopy to determine very important observables of atomic nuclei. The fifth speaker devoted its notes to explain several aspects of neutrino physics. Finally, the sixth speaker presented an overview of nuclear medicine and radiodiagnostic. In addition to this, the inclusion of the posters and seminars presented by the students gives a fresh and ample perspective on the many different problems of interest nowadays for the Nuclear Physics community.

This book covers the principles and practices behind the Magnetic Confinement Fusion (MCF) approach to driven new source of energy. All possible technical methods, including well established theoretical research, as well as findings tested in an experimental tokamak reactor, are examined in order to determine how to best achieve breakeven via this pathway to plasma-driven fusion. The author undertakes a life cycle analysis to compare and contrast the efficiency, environmental impacts, and operating costs of plasma-driven MCF fusion against other forms of energy generation currently in widespread use. The associated computer code and numerical analysis are included in the book. No prior knowledge of MCF and no more than basic background in plasma physics is required.

This book is a unique collection of reviews that share a common topic, emergent phenomena in atomic nuclei, while revealing the multifaceted nature of the subject, from quarks to heavy nuclei. It tells an amazing story of a decades-long journey of trials and successes, up to present days, with the aim to understand the vast array of experimental data and the fundamentals of strongly interacting fermions. The emphasis is on discovering emergent orderly patterns amidst the overarching complexity of many-particle quantum-mechanical systems. Recent findings are discussed within an interesting framework: a combination of nuclear theory and experiment, of group theory and computational science, and of pivotal models of astonishing simplicity and state-of-the-art models empowered by supercomputers.A special theme resonates throughout the book: the important role of symmetries, exact and approximate, in exposing emergent features and guiding large-scale nuclear modeling. World-renowned experts offer their unique perspective on symmetries in the world of quarks and gluons, and that of protons and neutrons - from chiral symmetry, through spin-isospin and quasi-spin symmetries, to symplectic symmetry, - as well as on the emergent nature of nuclear collectivity, clustering, and pairing, viewed from spectroscopy, microscopic considerations, and first principles. The book provides an excellent foundation that allows researchers and graduate students in physics and applied mathematics to review the current status of the subject, and to further explore the research literature through exhaustive sets of references that also point to studies underpinned by similar techniques in condensed matter and atomic physics along with quantum information.