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Elementary Particles and Fields and String Theory

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Doctoral Dissertations

2017

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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Production Of Cosmological Observables During The Inflationary Epoch, Cody Goolsby-Cole Nov 2017

Production Of Cosmological Observables During The Inflationary Epoch, Cody Goolsby-Cole

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation proposal explores the production of present day cosmological observables which might have been produced during the inflationary era. The first observable is the current net electric charge of our observable universe produced by charge fluctuations during inflation. Next, we examine the possibility of a signal in the primordial gravitational wave power spectrum produced by a scalar field with a time dependent mass. Finally, we examine primordial magnetic fields produced during inflation through the Ratra model coupling with the Schwinger effect.


A Search For Double Beta Decay Of Xenon To Excited States Of Barium With Exo-200, Sereres Johnston Mar 2017

A Search For Double Beta Decay Of Xenon To Excited States Of Barium With Exo-200, Sereres Johnston

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis presents searches for several modes of double beta decays of 136Xe to two low-lying excited levels of 136Ba. For each final level, both 2ν and 0ν double beta decay processes are considered. The data and general techniques developed by the EXO-200 collaboration are used, including a Machine Learning process to improve sensitivity in multivariate space. EXO-200 is an experimental program searching for 0νββ decay in a time projection chamber filled with 175 kg of liquid Xenon enriched to 80% 136Xe, functioning as both source and detector. Experimental searches of double beta decay with 136Xe and other isotopes are …