RÉSUMÉ
The fusion-born alpha particle heating in magnetically confined fusion machines is a high priority subject for studies. The self-heating of thermonuclear fusion plasma by alpha particles was observed in recent deuterium-tritium (D-T) experiments on the joint European torus. This observation was possible by conducting so-called "afterglow" experiments where transient high fusion yield was achieved with neutral beam injection as the only external heating source, and then termination of the heating at peak performance. This allowed the first direct evidence for electron heating of plasmas by fusion-born alphas to be obtained. Interpretive transport modeling of the relevant D-T and reference deuterium discharges is consistent with the alpha particle heating observation.
RÉSUMÉ
Weak radiative decays of the B mesons belong to the most important flavor changing processes that provide constraints on physics at the TeV scale. In the derivation of such constraints, accurate standard model predictions for the inclusive branching ratios play a crucial role. In the current Letter we present an update of these predictions, incorporating all our results for the O(α_{s}^{2}) and lower-order perturbative corrections that have been calculated after 2006. New estimates of nonperturbative effects are taken into account, too. For the CP- and isospin-averaged branching ratios, we find B_{sγ}=(3.36±0.23)×10^{-4} and B_{dγ}=(1.73_{-0.22}^{+0.12})×10^{-5}, for E_{γ}>1.6 GeV. Both results remain in agreement with the current experimental averages. Normalizing their sum to the inclusive semileptonic branching ratio, we obtain R_{γ}≡(B_{sγ}+B_{dγ})/B_{câν}=(3.31±0.22)×10^{-3}. A new bound from B_{sγ} on the charged Higgs boson mass in the two-Higgs-doublet-model II reads M_{H^{±}}>480 GeV at 95% C.L.
