BaBar experiment

In the field of particle physics BaBar is an international collaboration of more than 550 physicists and engineers investigating CP-violation effects using the BaBar particle detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, Stanford, CA, USA. If the CP symmetry holds, the decay rate of B meson particles and their anti-particles should be equal. Analysis of the BaBar results showed this was not the case—in the summer of 2002, definitive results were published based on the analysis of 87 million B/B-bar meson-pair events, clearly showing the decay rates were not equal. Consistent results were also gathered in the BELLE experiment at the KEK laboratory in Japan.

CP-violation was already predicted by the Standard Model of physics but the BaBar detector has increased the accuracy to which this effect has been experimentally measured. Currently results are in agreement with the standard model, but further investigation of a greater variety of decay modes may reveal discrepancies in the future.

The BaBar detector is a multi-layer particle detector. Its large solid angle coverage, vertex location with precision on the order of tens of micrometres (provided by a silicon vertex detector), good pion-kaon separation at multi-GeV momenta (provided by a novel Cherenkov detector), and few-percent precision electromagnetic calorimetry (CsI(Tl) scintillating crystals) allow a list of other scientific searches apart from CP violation in the B system. Studies of rare decays and searches for exotic particles and precision measurements of bottom and charm mesons and tau leptons are possible.

BaBar experiment

In the field of particle physics BaBar is an international collaboration of more than 550 physicists and engineers investigating CP-violation effects using the BaBar particle detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, Stanford, CA, USA. If the CP symmetry holds, the decay rate of B meson particles and their anti-particles should be equal. Analysis of the BaBar results showed this was not the case—in the summer of 2002, definitive results were published based on the analysis of 87 million B/B-bar meson-pair events, clearly showing the decay rates were not equal. Consistent results were also gathered in the BELLE experiment at the KEK laboratory in Japan.

CP-violation was already predicted by the Standard Model of physics but the BaBar detector has increased the accuracy to which this effect has been experimentally measured. Currently results are in agreement with the standard model, but further investigation of a greater variety of decay modes may reveal discrepancies in the future.

The BaBar detector is a multi-layer particle detector. Its large solid angle coverage, vertex location with precision on the order of tens of micrometres (provided by a silicon vertex detector), good pion-kaon separation at multi-GeV momenta (provided by a novel Cherenkov detector), and few-percent precision electromagnetic calorimetry (CsI(Tl) scintillating crystals) allow a list of other scientific searches apart from CP violation in the B system. Studies of rare decays and searches for exotic particles and precision measurements of bottom and charm mesons and tau leptons are possible.

BaBar experiment

In the field of particle physics BaBar is an international collaboration of more than 550 physicists and engineers investigating CP-violation effects using the BaBar particle detector at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, Stanford, CA, USA. If the CP symmetry holds, the decay rate of B meson particles and their anti-particles should be equal. Analysis of the BaBar results showed this was not the case—in the summer of 2002, definitive results were published based on the analysis of 87 million B/B-bar meson-pair events, clearly showing the decay rates were not equal. Consistent results were also gathered in the BELLE experiment at the KEK laboratory in Japan.

CP-violation was already predicted by the Standard Model of physics but the BaBar detector has increased the accuracy to which this effect has been experimentally measured. Currently results are in agreement with the standard model, but further investigation of a greater variety of decay modes may reveal discrepancies in the future.

Notable Events
The BaBar detector is a multi-layer particle detector. Its large solid angle coverage, vertex location with precision on the order of tens of micrometres (provided by a silicon vertex detector), good pion-kaon separation at multi-GeV momenta (provided by a novel Cherenkov detector), and few-percent precision electromagnetic calorimetry (CsI(Tl) scintillating crystals) allow a list of other scientific searches apart from CP violation in the B system. Studies of rare decays and searches for exotic particles and precision measurements of bottom and charm mesons and tau leptons are possible.

Aachen Flugzeugbau

Aachen Flugzeugbau was a German aircraft manufacturer of the early 20th century, established around the time of World War I. With the end of the war, and the prohibition on powered flight in Germany, the firm began to specialise in sailplane construction, and in 1921 became known as Aachener Segelflugzeugbau, producing designs by Wolfgang Klemperer. It was purchased by Junkers in 1923.

Aachen Cathedral

The Aachen Cathedral, frequently referred to as the "Imperial Cathedral" (in German: Kaiserdom) of Aachen, is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. Charlemagne began the construction of the Palace Chapel in 786. When he died in 814, he was buried in his own cathedral, and his bones are still preserved in a special shrine.

The cathedral obtained its present shape in the course of more than a millennium. The core of the Aachen cathedral is the Palace Chapel; being surprisingly small in comparison to the later additions, at the time of its construction it was the largest dome north of the Alps. Its fascinating architecture with Classical, Byzantine and Germanic-Franconian elements is the essence of a monumental building of great importance: for 600 years, from 936 to 1531, the Aachen cathedral was the church of coronation for 30 kings of the Holy Roman Empire.



In order to bear the enormous flow of pilgrims in the Gothic period a choir hall was built: a two-part Capella vitrea (glass chapel) which was consecrated on the 600th anniversary of Charlemagne's death.

Ever since, the magnificent architecture of the "glass house" of Aachen has never stopped being admired. In 1978, it was one of the first 12 items to make the entry into the UNESCO list of world heritage sites, as the first German and one of the first three European historical ensembles.

The Aachen cathedral treasury displays sacral masterpieces of the late Classical, Carolingian, Ottonian and Staufian period - among them there are some unique exhibits like the "Cross of Lothair" the "Bust of Charlemagne" and the "Persephone sarcophagus". The Cathedral Treasury in Aachen is regarded as one of the most important ecclesiastical treasuries in northern Europe.



In 1000, Otto III had Charlemagne's vault opened. It is said that the body was found in a remarkable state of preservation, seated on a marble throne, dressed in his imperial robes, with his crown on his head, the Gospels lying open in his lap, and his sceptre in his hand. A large picture representing Otto and his nobles gazing on the dead Emperor was painted on the wall of the great room in the Town Hall.

In 1165, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa again opened the vault and placed the remains in a sculptured sarcophagus made of Parian marble, said to have been the one in which Augustus Caesar was buried. The bones lay in this until 1215, when Frederick II had them put in a casket of gold and silver.