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We study the process e + e − → π + π − J/ψ at a center-of-mass energy of 4.260 GeV using a 525 pb −1 data sample collected with the BESIII detector operating at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider. The Born cross section is measured to be (62.9 ± 1.9 ± 3.7) pb, consistent with the production of the Y (4260). We observe a structure at around 3.9 GeV/c 2 in the π ± J/ψ mass spectrum, which we refer to as the Zc(3900). If interpreted as a new particle, it is unusual in that it carries an electric charge and couples to charmonium. A fit to the π ± J/ψ invariant mass spectrum, neglecting interference, results in a mass of (3899.0 ± 3.6 ± 4.9) MeV/c 2 and a width 3 of (46 ± 10 ± 20) MeV. Its production ratio is measured to be R = σ(e + e − →π ± Zc(3900) ∓ →π + π − J/ψ)) σ(e + e − →π + π − J/ψ) = (21.5 ± 3.3 ± 7.5)%. In all measurements the first errors are statistical and the second are systematic. PACS numbers: 14.40.Rt, 14.40.Pq, 13.66.Bc Since its discovery in the initial-state-radiation (ISR) process e + e − → γ ISR π + π − J/ψ [1], and despite its subsequent observations [2][3][4][5], the nature of the Y (4260) state has remained a mystery. Unlike other charmonium states with the same quantum numbers and in the same mass region, such as the ψ (4040) A similar situation has recently become apparent in the bottomonium system above the BB threshold, where there are indications of anomalously large couplings between the Υ(5S) state (or perhaps an unconventional bottomonium state with similar mass, the Y b (10890)) and the π + π − Υ(1S, 2S, 3S) and π + π − h b (1P, 2P ) final states [14,15]. More surprisingly, substructure in these π + π − Υ(1S, 2S, 3S) and π + π − h b (1P, 2P ) decays indicates the possible existence of charged bottomoniumlike states [16], which must have at least four constituent quarks to have a non-zero electric charge, rather than the two in a conventional meson. By analogy, this suggests there may exist interesting substructure in the Y (4260) → π + π − J/ψ process in the charmonium region.In this Letter, we present a study of the process e + e − → π + π − J/ψ at a center-of-mass (CM) energy of √ s = (4.260± 0.001) GeV, which corresponds to the peak of the Y (4260) cross section. We observe a charged structure in the π ± J/ψ invariant mass spectrum, which we refer to as the Z c (3900). The analysis is performed with a 525 pb −1 data sample collected with the BESIII detector, which is described in detail in Ref. [17]. In the studies presented here, we rely only on charged particle tracking in the main drift chamber (MDC) and energy deposition in the electromagnetic calorimeter (EMC).The GEANT4-based Monte Carlo (MC) simulation software, which includes the geometric description of the BE-SIII detector and the detector response, is used to optimize the event selection criteria, determine the detection efficiency, and estimate backgrounds. For the signal process, we use a sample of e + e − → π + π − J/ψ MC events generated assuming the π + π − J/ψ is produced via Y (4260) decays, and using the...

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay -these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions.Experiments carried out over the past half century have revealed that neutrinos are found in three states, or flavors, and can transform from one flavor into another. These results indicate that each neutrino flavor state is a mixture of three different nonzero mass states, and to date offer the most compelling evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model. In a single experiment, LBNE will enable a broad exploration of the three-flavor model of neutrino physics with unprecedented detail. Chief among its potential discoveries is that of matter-antimatter asymmetries (through the mechanism of charge-parity violation) in neutrino flavor mixing -a step toward unraveling the mystery of matter generation in the early Universe. Independently, determination of the unknown neutrino mass ordering and precise measurement of neutrino mixing parameters by LBNE may reveal new fundamental symmetries of Nature.Grand Unified Theories, which attempt to describe the unification of the known forces, predict rates for proton decay that cover a range directly accessible with the next generation of large underground detectors such as LBNE's. The experiment's sensitivity to key proton decay channels will offer unique opportunities for the ground-breaking discovery of this phenomenon.Neutrinos emitted in the first few seconds of a core-collapse supernova carry with them the potential for great insight into the evolution of the Universe. LBNE's capability to collect and analyze this high-statistics neutrino signal from a supernova within our galaxy would provide a rare opportunity to peer inside a newly-formed neutron star and potentially witness the birth of a black hole.To achieve its goals, LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, highintensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a fine-grained near neutrino detector installed just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is ∼1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions.With its exceptional combi...

In the past decade, one of the major challenges of particle physics has been to gain an in-depth understanding of the role of quark flavor. In this time frame, measurements and the theoretical interpretation of their results have advanced tremendously. A much broader understanding of flavor particles has been achieved; apart from their masses and quantum numbers, there now exist detailed measurements of the characteristics of their interactions allowing stringent tests of Standard Model predictions. Among the most interesting phenomena of flavor physics is the violation of the CP symmetry that has been subtle and difficult to explore. In the past, observations of CP violation were confined to neutral K mesons, but since the early 1990s, a large number of CP-violating processes have been studied in detail in neutral B mesons. In parallel, measurements of the couplings of the heavy quarks and the dynamics for their decays in large samples of K, D, and B mesons have been greatly improved in accuracy and the results are being used as probes in the search for deviations from the Standard Model. In the near future, there will be a transition from the current to a new generation of experiments; thus a review of the status of quark flavor physics is timely. This report is the result of the work of physicists attending the 5th CKM workshop, hosted by the University of Rome "La Sapienza", September 9-13, 2008. It summarizes the results of the current generation of experiments that are about to be completed and it confronts these results with the theoretical understanding of the field which has greatly improved in the past decade. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved