[en] Exotic Searches have been performed using the ZEUS detector at HERA. Results from a resonance search are presented in terms of Leptoquark and R-parity violating SUSY interpretations, using an event sample corresponding to 47pb^-1 of e⁺p data taken between 1994 and 1997. No significant evidence for a resonance was found in either scenario and limits were derived for leptoquark and s quark production. The first measurement of the W production cross section in ep collisions is summarized. An explicit upper limit on the W production cross section has been derived and has been translated into constraints on anomalous WWγ couplings. Finally, preliminary results are shown for the e^-p data collected in 1998 and 1999 at HERA. No deviations from the Standard Model were observed both in a search for events with an isolated high P_T lepton and in the high-Q² neutral current (NC) analyses

[en] To build a muon collider, of the order of 10¹² muons must be produced and then collected in a small phase space to achieve interesting luminosities. The muons are produced by targeting a bunched proton beam on a target in a region of strong magnetic field. The pions resulting from the proton interactions are constrained to helical trajectories by the magnetic field, and decay to muons in some drift space. The resulting muons occupy very large phase space. They must then be collected and cooled before they can be injected into an accelerator chain. Reducing this phase space of the produced muons, by at least 10⁶, is a critical issue in producing a high luminosity muon collider. The scheme considered here is based on frictional cooling in gases (M Muhlbauer et al 1999 Hyperfine Interact. 119 305). This in principle gives the possibility to cool both μ⁺ and μ^- to the sufficient emittance

[en] Protactinium-233 (²³³Pa) was generated by neutron activation of thorium and isolated by column chromatography using an octanol-impregnated resin. Absolute activity standardization was performed on ²³³Pa using three independent methods, the results of which agreed within their associated uncertainties. The standardized ²³³Pa was used to calibrate a secondary standard ionization chamber and high purity germanium detectors to enable a rapid and traceable method for the production and quantification of this radiotracer. (author)

[en] An informal bilateral comparison of "1"4C liquid scintillation (LS) counting at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been completed. Two solutions, one containing "1"4C-labeled sodium benzoate and one containing "1"4C-labeled n-hexadecane, were measured at both laboratories. Despite observed LS cocktail instabilities, the two laboratories achieved accord in their standardizations of both solutions. At the conclusion of the comparison, the beta spectrum used for efficiency calculations was identified as inadequate and the data were reanalyzed with different inputs, improving accord. - Highlights: • NIST and NRC carried out a comparison of "1"4C liquid scintillation counting. • Cocktail instability was a problem with a benzoate solution. • Cocktail instability was less problematic with a hexadecane solution. • The two laboratories recovered activities for both solutions that were in accord. • Results were improved by adopting a β spectrum shape factor C(W_e)=1–0.37W_e.

[en] A ²³¹Pa reference material has been characterized for amount of protactinium. This reference material is primarily intended for calibration of ²³³Pa tracers produced for ²³⁵U-²³¹Pa model age measurements associated with nuclear forensics and nuclear safeguards. Primary measurements for characterization were made by isotope dilution mass spectrometry of a purified ²³¹Pa solution using a ²³³Pa isotopic spike. The spike was calibrated by allowing multiple aliquots of the ²³³Pa spike solution to decay to ²³³U and then measuring the ingrown ²³³U by isotope dilution mass spectrometry using a certified uranium assay and isotopic standard as a reverse-spike. The new ²³¹Pa reference material will simplify calibration of the ²³³Pa isotope dilution spikes, provide metrological traceability, and potentially reduce the overall measurement uncertainty of model ages. (author)

[en] A ²³¹Pa reference material has been characterized for amount of protactinium. This reference material is primarily intended for calibration of ²³³Pa tracers produced for ²³⁵U–²³¹Pa model age measurements associated with nuclear forensics and nuclear safeguards. Primary measurements for characterization were made by isotope dilution mass spectrometry of a purified ²³¹Pa solution using a ²³³Pa isotopic spike. The spike was calibrated by allowing multiple aliquots of the ²³³Pa spike solution to decay to ²³³U and then measuring the ingrown ²³³U by isotope dilution mass spectrometry using a certified uranium assay and isotopic standard as a reverse-spike. The new ²³¹Pa reference material will simplify calibration of the ²³³Pa isotope dilution spikes, provide metrological traceability, and potentially reduce the overall measurement uncertainty of model ages.

[en] Highlights: • Comparison of calculations of the activity of a ³H₂O LS source from the same experimental data set. • Data set from a triple-to-double coincidence ratio (TDCR) counter. • 17 laboratories participated in this exercise. • Results and relevant information on the computation techniques are presented and analysed. • All results are compatible but significant dispersion of the reported uncertainties. - Abstract: A comparison of calculations of the activity of a ³H₂O liquid scintillation source using the same experimental data set collected at the LNE-LNHB with a triple-to-double coincidence ratio (TDCR) counter was completed. A total of 17 laboratories calculated the activity and standard uncertainty of the LS source using the files with experimental data provided by the LNE-LNHB. The results as well as relevant information on the computation techniques are presented and analysed in this paper. All results are compatible, even if there is a significant dispersion between the reported uncertainties. An output of this comparison is the estimation of the dispersion of TDCR measurement results when measurement conditions are well defined.

[en] We describe the status of our effort to realize a first neutrino factory and the progress made in understanding the problems associated with the collection and cooling of muons towards that end. We summarize the physics that can be done with neutrino factories as well as with intense cold beams of muons. The physics potential of muon colliders is reviewed, both as Higgs Factories and compact high energy lepton colliders. The status and timescale of our research and development effort is reviewed as well as the latest designs in cooling channels including the promise of ring coolers in achieving longitudinal and transverse cooling simultaneously. We detail the efforts being made to mount an international cooling experiment to demonstrate the ionization cooling of muons