Forward pi^0 Production and Associated Transverse Energy Flow in Deep-Inelastic Scattering at HERA

Deep-inelastic positron-proton interactions at low values of Bjorken-x down to x \approx 4.10^-5 which give rise to high transverse momentum pi^0 mesons are studied with the H1 experiment at HERA. The inclusive cross section for pi^0 mesons produced at small angles with respect to the proton remnant (the forward region) is presented as a function of the transverse momentum and energy of the pi^0 and of the four-momentum transfer Q^2 and Bjorken-x. Measurements are also presented of the transverse energy flow in events containing a forward pi^0 meson. Hadronic final state calculations based on QCD models implementing different parton evolution schemes are confronted with the data.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figures and 3 table

Measurement of the charm and beauty structure functions using the H1 vertex detector at HERA

Inclusive charm and beauty cross sections are measured in e − p and e + p neutral current collisions at HERA in the kinematic region of photon virtuality 5≤Q 2≤2000 GeV2 and Bjorken scaling variable 0.0002≤x≤0.05. The data were collected with the H1 detector in the years 2006 and 2007 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 189 pb−1. The numbers of charm and beauty events are determined using variables reconstructed by the H1 vertex detector including the impact parameter of tracks to the primary vertex and the position of the secondary vertex. The measurements are combined with previous data and compared to QCD predictions

Advancing environmental sustainability of ceramic tile production: a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment case study from Sri Lanka

IntroductionEnvironmental sustainability in the ceramic tile industry has gained global attention due to its significant impact on the building and construction sector. Sustainable production strategies are critical to reducing environmental footprints while maintaining economic growth.MethodsThis study evaluates and compares the environmental impacts of conventional ceramic tile production with four proposed eco-innovation scenarios using a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. Environmental impacts were quantified per square meter of gross floor area of ceramic tile using SimaPro Faculty version. All four eco-innovation scenarios were compared against the conventional (base) scenario. Scenario 1 partially replaces virgin raw materials with waste materials (e.g., fly ash). Scenario 2 focuses on energy recovery for heating during the drying process. Scenario 3 substitutes conventional energy sources with cleaner alternatives. Scenario 4 integrates all these eco-innovative strategies.ResultsThe analysis indicates that human carcinogenic toxicity is the most critical environmental impact across all five scenarios. Among the eco-innovation alternatives, Scenario 4 emerges as the most sustainable, achieving a 26.73% reduction in terrestrial acidification, a 23.23% decrease in stratospheric ozone depletion, and a 21.36% reduction in global warming potential compared to the baseline scenario.DiscussionThese findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and ceramic manufacturers in Sri Lanka, supporting the development of sustainable strategies to enhance environmental performance. By integrating renewable energy, waste materials, and energy-efficient technologies, the ceramic tile industry can transition toward more sustainable production, striking a balance between economic growth and environmental stewardship. This research addresses local challenges and contributes to global efforts in sustainable manufacturing, setting a precedent for other industries

Multi-leptons with High Transverse Momentum at HERA

Events with at least two high transverse momentum leptons (electrons or muons) are studied using the H1 and ZEUS detectors at HERA with an integrated luminosity of 0.94 fb-1. The observed numbers of events are in general agreement with the Standard Model predictions. Seven di- and tri-lepton events are observed in e+p collision data with a scalar sum of the lepton transverse momenta above 100GeV while 1.94 ± 0.17 events are expected. Such events are not observed in e-p collisions for which 1.19 ± 0.12 are predicted. Total visible and differential di-electron and di-muon photoproduction cross sections are extracted in a restricted phase space dominated by photon-photon collisions. © SISSA 2009

Study of Charm Fragmentation into D^{*\pm} Mesons in Deep-Inelastic Scattering at HERA

The process of charm quark fragmentation is studied using $D^{*\pm}$ meson production in deep-inelastic scattering as measured by the H1 detector at HERA. Two different regions of phase space are investigated defined by the presence or absence of a jet containing the $D^{*\pm}$ meson in the event. The parameters of fragmentation functions are extracted for QCD models based on leading order matrix elements and DGLAP or CCFM evolution of partons together with string fragmentation and particle decays. Additionally, they are determined for a next-to-leading order QCD calculation in the fixed flavour number scheme using the independent fragmentation of charm quarks to $D^{*\pm}$ mesons.Comment: 33 pages, submitted to EPJ

Jet production in ep collisions at high Q(2) and determination of alpha(s)

The production of jets is studied in deep-inelastic e(+/-) p scattering at large negative four momentum transfer squared 150 LT Q(2) LT 15000 GeV2 using HERA data taken in 1999-2007, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 395 pb(-1). Inclusive jet, 2-jet and 3-jet cross sections, normalised to the neutral current deep-inelastic scattering cross sections, are measured as functions of Q(2), jet transverse momentum and proton momentum fraction. The measurements are well described by perturbative QCD calculations at next-to-leading order corrected for hadronisation effects. The strong coupling as determined from these measurement

Impact of climate change on workplace safety and health hazard in facilities management

Annually, 4% of global GDP is lost from accidents in workplaces; through stoppages, interruptions, treatment of injuries, rehabilitation and compensation [1]. Workplace safety and health (WSH) is thus a vital component of decent work, and by extension a step towards achieving sustainable development. WSH is considered a key policy area in addressing environmental, economic and social sustainability. This is ever important due to the transforming workplaces amidst the challenges posed by one of the other biggest challenges faced by the world today; climate change [2]. This is especially true for traditional industries such as building and construction, where green retrofitting and climate adaptation have been observed, altering traditional patterns of employment. The negative impacts induced by climate change on employment include damages to buildings and the impact on labour productivity by affecting working conditions and WSH of the facilities management (FM) industry. Such effects of climate change on WSH of future work have not been explored.</jats:p