We present a survey of the photometric and kinematic properties of 39 nearby, nearly face-on disk galaxies. Our approach exploits echelle-resolution integral-field spectroscopy of the H-alpha regions, obtained with DensePak on the WIYN 3.5m telescope Bench Spectrograph. This data is complemented by HI line-profiles observed with the Nancay radio telescope for 25 of these sample galaxies. Twelve additional line-widths are available for sample galaxies from the literature. In this paper, we introduce the goals of this survey, define the sample selection algorithm, and amass the integral field spectroscopic data and HI line-widths. We establish spatially-integrated H-alpha line-widths for the sample. We test the veracity of these spatially-integrated line profiles by convolving narrow-band imaging data with velocity field information for one of the sample galaxies, PGC 38268, and also by comparing to HI line profiles. We find HI and H-alpha line profiles to be similar in width but different in shape, indicating we are observing different spatial distributions of ionized and neutral gas in largely axisymmetric systems with flat outer rotation-curves. We also find vertical velocity dispersions of the ionized disk gas within several disk scale-lengths have a median value of 18 km/s and an 80% range of 12-26 km/s. This is only a factor of ~2 larger than what is observed for neutral atomic and molecular gas. With standard assumptions for intrinsic and thermal broadening for H-alpha, this translates into a factor of three range in turbulent velocities, between 8 and 25 km/s.

We report on an improved measurement of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa {\it CP}-violating phase $\gamma$ through a Dalitz plot analysis of neutral $D$ meson decays to $K_S^0 \pi^+ \pi^-$ and $K_S^0 K^+ K^-$ in the processes $B^\mp \to D K^\mp$, $B^\mp \to D^* K^\mp$ with $D^* \to D\pi^0,D\gamma$, and $B^\mp \to D K^{*\mp}$ with $K^{*\mp} \to K_S^0 \pi^\mp$. Using a sample of 383 million $B\bar{B}$ pairs collected by the BABAR detector, we measure $\gamma=(76 \pm 22 \pm 5 \pm 5)^\circ$ (mod $180^\circ$), where the first error is statistical, the second is the experimental systematic uncertainty and the third reflects the uncertainty on the description of the Dalitz plot distributions. The corresponding two standard deviation region is 29^\circ < \gamma < 122^\circ. This result has a significance of direct {\it CP} violation ($\gamma \ne 0$) of 3.0 standard deviations.

We search for the flavor-changing neutral-current decays B->K(*)nu nubar, and the invisible decays J/psi->nu nubar and psi(2S)->nu nubar via B->K(*)J/psi and B->K(*)psi(2S) respectively, using a data sample of 471 x10^6 BB pairs collected by the BaBar experiment. We fully reconstruct the hadronic decay of one of the B mesons in the Upsilon(4S)->BB decay, and search for the B->K(*)nu nubar decay in the rest of the event. We observe no significant excess of signal decays over background and report branching fraction upper limits of BR(B+->K+nu nubar)<3.7 x10^-5, BR(B0->K0nu nubar)< 8.1 x10^-5, BR(B+->K*+nu nubar)<11.6 x10^-5, BR(B0->K*0nu nubar)<9.3 x10^-5, and combined upper limits of BR(B->Knu nubar)<3.2 x10^-5 and BR(B->K*nu nubar)<7.9 x10^-5, all at the 90% confidence level. For the invisible quarkonium decays, we report branching fraction upper limits of BR(J/psi->nu nubar)<3.9 x10^-3 and BR(psi(2S)->nu nubar)<15.5 x10^-3 at the 90% confidence level. Using the improved kinematic resolution achieved from hadronic reconstruction, we also provide partial branching fraction limits for the B->K(*)nu nubar decays over the full kinematic spectrum.

Based on the full BaBar data sample, we report improved measurements of the ratios R(D(*)) = B(B -> D(*) Tau Nu)/B(B -> D(*) l Nu), where l is either e or mu. These ratios are sensitive to new physics contributions in the form of a charged Higgs boson. We measure R(D) = 0.440 +- 0.058 +- 0.042 and R(D*) = 0.332 +- 0.024 +- 0.018, which exceed the Standard Model expectations by 2.0 sigma and 2.7 sigma, respectively. Taken together, our results disagree with these expectations at the 3.4 sigma level. This excess cannot be explained by a charged Higgs boson in the type II two-Higgs-doublet model. We also report the observation of the decay B -> D Tau Nu, with a significance of 6.8 sigma.

Based on the full BaBar data sample, we report improved measurements of the ratios R(D(*)) = B(B -> D(*) Tau Nu)/B(B -> D(*) l Nu), where l is either e or mu. These ratios are sensitive to new physics contributions in the form of a charged Higgs boson. We measure R(D) = 0.440 +- 0.058 +- 0.042 and R(D*) = 0.332 +- 0.024 +- 0.018, which exceed the Standard Model expectations by 2.0 sigma and 2.7 sigma, respectively. Taken together, our results disagree with these expectations at the 3.4 sigma level. This excess cannot be explained by a charged Higgs boson in the type II two-Higgs-doublet model. We also report the observation of the decay B -> D Tau Nu, with a significance of 6.8 sigma.

We search for invisible decays of the Upsilon(1S) meson using a sample of 91.4 x 10^{6} Upsilon(3S) mesons collected at the BaBar/PEP-II B-factory. We select events containing the decay Upsilon(3S) -> pi+ pi- Upsilon(1S) and search for evidence of an undetectable Upsilon(1S) decay recoiling against the dipion system. We set an upper limit on the branching fraction BR(Upsilon(1S) -> invisible) < 3.0 x 10^{-4} at the 90% confidence level.

We search for gravitational-wave signals associated with gamma-ray bursts detected by the Fermi and Swift satellites during the second half of the third observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (1 November 2019 15:00 UTC-27 March 2020 17:00 UTC).We conduct two independent searches: a generic gravitational-wave transients search to analyze 86 gamma-ray bursts and an analysis to target binary mergers with at least one neutron star as short gamma-ray burst progenitors for 17 events. We find no significant evidence for gravitational-wave signals associated with any of these gamma-ray bursts. A weighted binomial test of the combined results finds no evidence for sub-threshold gravitational wave signals associated with this GRB ensemble either. We use several source types and signal morphologies during the searches, resulting in lower bounds on the estimated distance to each gamma-ray burst. Finally, we constrain the population of low luminosity short gamma-ray bursts using results from the first to the third observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. The resulting population is in accordance with the local binary neutron star merger rate.

Six of the key physics measurements that will be made by the LHCb experiment, concerning CP asymmetries and rare B decays, are discussed in detail. The "road map" towards the precision measurements is presented, including the use of control channels and other techniques to understand the performance of the detector with the first data from the LHC.

A mechanism of baryogenesis and dark matter production via $B$-meson oscillations and decays has recently been proposed to explain the observed dark matter abundance and matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. This mechanism introduces a light dark sector particle ($\psi_D$) with a non-zero baryonic charge. We present a search for this new state in $B^+ \to \Lambda_c^+ \, \psi_D$decays using data collected at the$\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance by the BABAR detector at SLAC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $431.0 \rm{~fb}^{-1}$. The search leverages the full reconstruction of the$B^-$ meson in $\Upsilon(4S) \to B^+B^-$ decays, accompanied by the reconstruction of a $\Lambda_c^+$, to infer the presence of $\psi_D$. No significant signal is observed, and limits on the $B^+ \to \Lambda_c^+ \, \psi_D$ branching fraction are set at the level of $1.6 \times 10^{-4}$ at 90% confidence level for $0.94 < m_{\psi_D} < 2.99$ GeV. These results set strong constraints on the parameter space allowed by $B$-meson baryogenesis.

Using 230.2 fb^(-1) of e+e- annihilation data collected with the BABAR detector at and near the peak of the Y(4S) resonance, 489 +/- 55 events containing the pure leptonic decay D_s^+ --> mu^+ nu_mu have been isolated in charm-tagged events. The ratio of partial widths Gamma(D_s^+ --> mu^+ nu_mu)/Gamma(D_s^+ --> phi pi^+) is measured to be 0.143 +/- 0.018 +/- 0.006 allowing a determination of the pseudoscalar decay constant f_{D_s} = (283 +/- 17 +/- 7 +/- 14) MeV. The errors are statistical, systematic, and from the D_s^+ --> phi pi^+ branching ratio, respectively.

The EROS and MACHO collaborations have each published upper limits on the amount of planetary mass dark matter in the Galactic Halo obtained from gravitational microlensing searches. In this paper the two limits are combined to give a much stronger constraint on the abundance of low mass MACHOs.

We review existing methods for generating long streams of 1/f^alpha noise (0&lt;\alpha\le 2) focusing on the digital filtering of white noise. We detail the formalism to conceive an efficient random number generator (white outside some bounds) in order to generate very long streams of noise without an exhaustive computer memory load. For $\alpha=2$ it is shown why the process is equivalent to a random-walk and can be obtained simply by a first order filtering of white noise. As soon as \alpha&lt;2 the problem becomes non linear and we show why the exact digital filtering method becomes inefficient. Instead, we work out the formalism of using several 1/f^2 filters spaced logarithmically, to approximate the spectrum at the percent level. Finally, from work on logistic maps, we give hints on how to design generators with \alpha&gt;2. The software is available from this http URL\_article=8

Network data analysis methods are the only way to properly separate real gravitational wave (GW) transient events from detector noise. They can be divided into two generic classes: the coincidence method and the coherent analysis. The former uses lists of selected events provided by each interferometer belonging to the network and tries to correlate them in time to identify a physical signal. Instead of this binary treatment of detector outputs (signal present or absent), the latter method involves first the merging of the interferometer data and looks for a common pattern, consistent with an assumed GW waveform and a given source location in the sky. The thresholds are only applied later, to validate or not the hypothesis made. As coherent algorithms use a more complete information than coincidence methods, they are expected to provide better detection performances, but at a higher computational cost. An efficient filter must yield a good compromise between a low false alarm rate (hence triggering on data at a manageable rate) and a high detection efficiency. Therefore, the comparison of the two approaches is achieved using so-called Receiving Operating Characteristics (ROC), giving the relationship between the false alarm rate and the detection efficiency for a given method. This paper investigates this question via Monte-Carlo simulations, using the network model developed in a previous article.

The microlensing surveys MACHO, EROS, MOA and OGLE (hereafter called MEMO) have searched for microlensing toward the Large Magellanic Cloud for a cumulated duration of 27 years. We study the potential of joining these databases to search for very massive objects, that produce microlensing events with a duration of several years. We identified the overlaps between the different catalogs and compiled their time coverage to identify common regions where a joint microlensing detection algorithm can operate. We extrapolated a conservative global microlensing detection efficiency based on simple hypotheses, and estimated detection rates for multi-year duration events. Compared with the individual survey searches, we show that a combined search for long timescale microlensing should detect about ten more events caused by $100.M_{\odot}$ black holes if these objects have a major contribution to the Milky Way halo. Assuming that a common analysis is feasible, meaning that the difficulties that arise from using different passbands can be overcome, we show that the sensitivity of such an analysis might enable us to quantify the Galactic black hole component.

A search for lepton flavor violating decays of the $\tau$ lepton to a lighter mass lepton and a pseudoscalar meson has been performed using 339 fb$^{-1}$ of $e^+e^-$ annihilation data collected at a center-of-mass energy near 10.58 GeV by the BaBar detector at the SLAC PEP-II storage ring. No evidence of signal has been found, and upper limits on the branching fractions are set at $10^{-7}$ level.

A detailed investigation of hadronic interactions is performed using $\pi^-$-mesons with energies in the range 2--10 GeV incident on a high granularity silicon-tungsten electromagnetic calorimeter. The data were recorded at FNAL in 2008. The region in which the $\pi^-$-mesons interact with the detector material and the produced secondary particles are characterised using a novel track-finding algorithm that reconstructs tracks within hadronic showers in a calorimeter in the absence of a magnetic field. The principle of carrying out detector monitoring and calibration using secondary tracks is also demonstrated.

We report a measurement of the branching fractions of Bbar -> D** l^- nubar_l decays based on 417 fb-1 of data collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BaBar detector at the PEP-II e+e- storage rings. Events are selected by fully reconstructing one of the B mesons in a hadronic decay mode. A fit to the invariant mass differences m(D(*)pi)-m(D(*)) is performed to extract the signal yields of the different D** states. We observe the Bbar -> D** l^- nubar_l decay modes corresponding to the four D** states predicted by Heavy Quark Symmetry with a significance greater than six standard deviations including systematic uncertainties.

We report on a global CKM matrix analysis taking into account most recent experimental and theoretical results. The statistical framework (Rfit) developed in this paper advocates formal frequentist statistics. Other approaches, such as Bayesian statistics or the 95% CL scan method are also discussed. We emphasize the distinction of a model testing and a model dependent, metrological phase in which the various parameters of the theory are determined. Measurements and theoretical parameters entering the global fit are thoroughly discussed, in particular with respect to their theoretical uncertainties. Graphical results for confidence levels are drawn in various one and two-dimensional parameter spaces. Numerical results are provided for all relevant CKM parameterizations, the CKM elements and theoretical input parameters. Predictions for branching ratios of rare K and B meson decays are obtained. A simple, predictive SUSY extension of the Standard Model is discussed.

Using 385 fb^-1 of e^+e^- collision data collected at center-of-mass energies around 10.6 GeV, we search for time-integrated CP violation in the singly Cabibbo-suppressed decays D0/D0bar --> pi^- pi^+ pi^0 and D0/D0bar --> K^- K^+ pi^0. Our model-independent and model-dependent analyses show no evidence of CP violation in these decays. The intermediate amplitudes include well-defined flavor states [e.g., rho(770)^+- pi^-+, K*(892)^+- K^-+] and CP-odd eigenstates [e.g., rho(770)^0 pi^0, phi(1020) pi^0]. With the null results of the previous analyses for CP-even eigenstates D0/D0bar --> K^+ K^- and D0/D0bar --> pi^+ pi^-, we conclude that any CP violation in the singly Cabibbo-suppressed charm decays occurs at a rate which is not larger than a few percent. These results are in accord with the Standard Model predictions, and provide constraints on some models beyond the Standard Model.

We update the profile of the CKM matrix. The apex (rhobar,etabar) of the Unitarity Triangle is given by means of a global fit. We propose to include therein sin2alpha from the CP-violating asymmetries in B0->rho+rho-, using isospin to discriminate the penguin contribution. The constraint from epsilon'/epsilon is briefly discussed. We study the impact from the measurement of the rare decay K+->pi+nunu-bar, and from a future observation of KL->pi0nunubar. The B system is investigated in detail, beginning with 2beta+gamma and gamma from B0->D(*)+-pi-+ and B+->D(*)0K+. A significant part of this paper is dedicated to B decays into pipi, Kpi, rhopi and rhorho. Various phenomenological and theoretical approaches are studied. Within QCD Factorization we find a remarkable agreement of the pipi and Kpi data with the other UT constraints. A fit of QCD FA to all pipi and Kpi data leads to precise predictions of the related observables. We analyze separately the B->Kpi decays, and in particular the impact of electroweak penguins in response to recent phenomenological discussions. We find no significant constraint on electroweak nor hadronic parameters. We do not observe any unambiguous sign of New Physics, whereas there is some evidence for potentially large rescattering effects. Finally we use a model-independent description of a large class of New Physics effects in both BBbar mixing and B decays, namely in the b->d and b->s gluonic penguin amplitudes, to perform a new numerical analysis. Significant non-standard corrections cannot be excluded yet, however standard solutions are favored in most cases.