J. K. Ahn

Bio: J. K. Ahn is an academic researcher from Pusan National University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Physics & Nuclear physics. The author has an hindex of 24, co-authored 48 publications receiving 4089 citations.

Observation of reactor electron antineutrinos disappearance in the RENO experiment.

Abstract: The RENO experiment has observed the disappearance of reactor electron antineutrinos, consistent with neutrino oscillations, with a significance of 4.9 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six $2.8\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GW}}_{\mathrm{th}}$ reactors at the Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant in Korea, are detected by two identical detectors located at 294 and 1383 m, respectively, from the reactor array center. In the 229 d data-taking period between 11 August 2011 and 26 March 2012, the far (near) detector observed 17102 (154088) electron antineutrino candidate events with a background fraction of 5.5% (2.7%). The ratio of observed to expected numbers of antineutrinos in the far detector is $0.920\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.009(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.014(\mathrm{syst})$. From this deficit, we determine ${sin }^{2}2{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{13}=0.113\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.013(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.019(\mathrm{syst})$ based on a rate-only analysis.

Evidence for a narrow S = +1 baryon resonance in photoproduction from the neutron.

Abstract: The $\ensuremath{\gamma}n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{+}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}n$ reaction on $^{12}\mathrm{C}$ has been studied by measuring both ${K}^{+}$ and ${K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ at forward angles. A sharp baryon resonance peak was observed at $1.54\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/{c}^{2}$ with a width smaller than $25\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{M}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/{c}^{2}$ and a Gaussian significance of $4.6\ensuremath{\sigma}$. The strangeness quantum number ($S$) of the baryon resonance is $+1$. It can be interpreted as a molecular meson-baryon resonance or alternatively as an exotic five-quark state ($uudd\overline{s}$) that decays into a ${K}^{+}$ and a neutron. The resonance is consistent with the lowest member of an antidecuplet of baryons predicted by the chiral soliton model.

The γ→p→K+Λ and γ→p→K+Σ0 reactions at forward angles with photon energies from 1.5 to 2.4 GeV

Abstract: Differential cross sections and photon-beam asymmetries for the {gamma}-vectorp{yields}K{sup +}{lambda} and {gamma}-vectorp{yields}K{sup +}{sigma}{sup 0} reactions have been measured in the photon energy range from 1.5 to 2.4 GeV and in the angular range from {theta}{sub c.m.}=0 deg. to 60 deg. of the K{sup +} scattering angle in the center-of-mass system at the SPring-8/LEPS facility. The photon-beam asymmetries for both the reactions have been found to be positive and to increase with the photon energy. The measured differential cross sections agree with the data measured by the CLAS Collaboration at cos{theta}{sub c.m.} 0.9. In the K{sup +}{lambda} reaction, the resonance-like structure found in the CLAS and SAPHIR data at W=1.96 GeV is confirmed. The differential cross sections at forward angles suggest a strong K-exchange contribution in the t-channel for the K{sup +}{lambda} reaction, but not for the K{sup +}{sigma}{sup 0} reaction.

Experimental study of the decay KL0→π0νν̄

Abstract: The first dedicated search for the rare neutral-kaon decay K{sub L}{sup 0{yields}{pi}0{nu}{nu}} has been carried out in the E391a experiment at the KEK 12-GeV proton synchrotron. The final upper limit of 2.6x10{sup -8} at the 90% confidence level was set on the branching ratio for the decay.

Observation of reactor electron antineutrinos disappearance in the RENO experiment.

Abstract: The RENO experiment has observed the disappearance of reactor electron antineutrinos, consistent with neutrino oscillations, with a significance of 4.9 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six $2.8\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{GW}}_{\mathrm{th}}$ reactors at the Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant in Korea, are detected by two identical detectors located at 294 and 1383 m, respectively, from the reactor array center. In the 229 d data-taking period between 11 August 2011 and 26 March 2012, the far (near) detector observed 17102 (154088) electron antineutrino candidate events with a background fraction of 5.5% (2.7%). The ratio of observed to expected numbers of antineutrinos in the far detector is $0.920\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.009(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.014(\mathrm{syst})$. From this deficit, we determine ${sin }^{2}2{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{13}=0.113\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.013(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.019(\mathrm{syst})$ based on a rate-only analysis.

Modern theory of nuclear forces

Abstract: Nuclear forces can be systematically derived using effective chiral Lagrangians consistent with the symmetries of QCD. I review the status of the calculations for two- and three-nucleon forces and their applications in few-nucleon systems. I also address issues like the quark mass dependence of the nuclear forces and resonance saturation for four-nucleon operators.

Neutrino Mass and Mixing with Discrete Symmetry

Abstract: This is a review paper about neutrino mass and mixing and flavour model building strategies based on discrete family symmetry. After a pedagogical introduction and overview of the whole of neutrino physics, we focus on the PMNS mixing matrix and the latest global fits following the Daya Bay and RENO experiments which measure the reactor angle. We then describe the simple bimaximal, tri-bimaximal and golden ratio patterns of lepton mixing and the deviations required for a non-zero reactor angle, with solar or atmospheric mixing sum rules resulting from charged lepton corrections or residual trimaximal mixing. The different types of see-saw mechanism are then reviewed as well as the sequential dominance mechanism. We then give a mini-review of finite group theory, which may be used as a discrete family symmetry broken by flavons either completely, or with different subgroups preserved in the neutrino and charged lepton sectors. These two approaches are then reviewed in detail in separate chapters including mechanisms for flavon vacuum alignment and different model building strategies that have been proposed to generate the reactor angle. We then briefly review grand unified theories (GUTs) and how they may be combined with discrete family symmetry to describe all quark and lepton masses and mixing. Finally, we discuss three model examples which combine an SU(5) GUT with the discrete family symmetries A₄, S₄ and Δ(96).