Program for studying fundamental interactions at the PIK reactor facilities

A research program aimed at studying fundamental interactions by means of ultracold and polarized cold neutrons at the GEK-4-4′ channel of the PIK reactor is presented. The apparatus to be used includes a source of cold neutrons in the heavy-water reflector of the reactor, a source of ultracold neutrons based on superfluid helium and installed in a cold-neutron beam extracted from the GEK-4 channel, and a number of experimental facilities in neutron beams. An experiment devoted to searches for the neutron electric dipole moment and an experiment aimed at a measurement the neutron lifetime with the aid of a large gravitational trap are planned to be performed in a beam of ultracold neutrons. An experiment devoted to measuring neutron-decay asymmetries with the aid of a superconducting solenoid is planned in a beam of cold polarized neutrons from the GEK-4′ channel. The second ultracold-neutron source and an experiment aimed at measuring the neutron lifetime with the aid of a magnetic trap are planned in the neutron-guide system of the GEK-3 channel. In the realms of neutrino physics, an experiment intended for sterile-neutrino searches is designed. The state of affairs around the preparation of the experimental equipment for this program is discussed.     

Measurements of branching fraction, polarization, and charge asymmetry of B(+/-)-->rho(+/-)rho(0) and a search for B(+/-)-->rho(+/-)f(0)(980)

We measure the branching fraction (B), polarization (f(L)), and CP asymmetry (A(CP)) of B(+/-)-->rho(+/-)rho(0) decays and search for the decay B(+/-)-->rho(+/-)f(0)(980) based on a data sample of 231.8 x 10(6) Upsilon(4S)-->BB decays collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory. In B(+/-)-->rho(+/-)rho(0) decays we measure B=(16.8+/-2.2+/-2.3) x 10(-), f(L)=0.905+/-0.042(-0.027)(+0.023), and A(CP)=-0.12+/-0.13+/-0.10, and find an upper limit on the branching fraction of B(+/-)-->rho(+/-)f(0)(980)(-->pi(+)pi(-)) decays of 1.9 x 10(-6) at 90% confidence level.     

Search for D0-D0 mixing and branching-ratio measurement in the decay D0-->K+ pi- pi0

We analyze 230.4 fb;{-1} of data collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e;{+}e;{-} collider at SLAC to search for evidence of D0-D[over ];{0} mixing using regions of phase space in the decay D;{0}-->K;{+}pi;{-}pi;{0}. We measure the time-integrated mixing rate R_{M}=(0.023_{-0.014};{+0.018}(stat.)+/-0.004(syst.))%, and R_{M}<0.054% at the 95% confidence level, assuming CP invariance. The data are consistent with no mixing at the 4.5% confidence level. We also measure the branching ratio for D;{0}-->K;{+}pi;{-}pi;{0} relative to D;{0}-->K;{-}pi;{+}pi;{0} to be (0.214+/-0.008(stat.)+/-0.008(syst.))%.     

Observation of B+ --> K0K+ and B0 --> K0K0

We report observations of the b --> d penguin-dominated decays B+ --> K0K+ and B0 --> K0K0 in 316 fb(-1) of e+ e- collision data collected with the BABAR detector. We measure the branching fractions B(B+ --> K0K+) = (1.61+/-0.44+/-0.09) x 10(-6) and B(B0 --> K0K0 = (1.08+/-0.28+/-0.11) x 10(-6) and the CP-violating charge asymmetry A(CP)(K0K+) = 0.10+/-0.26+/-0.03. Using a vertexing technique previously employed in several analyses of all-neutral final states containing kaons, we report the first measurement of time-dependent CP-violating asymmetries in B0 --> K(S)0K(S)0, obtaining S = -1.28(-0.73-0.16)(+0.80+0.11) and C = -0.40+/-0.41+/-0.06. We also report improved measurements of the branching fraction B(B+ --> K0 pi+) = (23.9+/-1.1+/-1.0) x 10(-6) and CP-violating charge asymmetry A(CP)(K0 pi+) = -0.029+/-0.039+/-0.010.