Abstract: The momentum-weighted sum of the charges of tracks associated to a jet is sensitive to the charge of the initiating quark or gluon. This paper presents a measurement of the distribution of momentum-weighted sums, called jet charge, in dijet events using 20.3 fb(-1) of data recorded with the ATLAS detector at root s = 8 TeV in pp collisions at the LHC. The jet charge distribution is unfolded to remove distortions from detector effects and the resulting particle-level distribution is compared with several models. The p(T) dependence of the jet charge distribution average and standard deviation are compared to predictions obtained with several leading-order and next-to-leading-order parton distribution functions. The data are also compared to different Monte Carlo simulations of QCD dijet production using various settings of the free parameters within these models. The chosen value of the strong coupling constant used to calculate gluon radiation is found to have a significant impact on the predicted jet charge. There is evidence for a pT dependence of the jet charge distribution for a given jet flavor. In agreement with perturbative QCD predictions, the data show that the average jet charge of quark-initiated jets decreases in magnitude as the energy of the jet increases.

Abstract: A complete set of exact analytic solutions to the mode equation is found in the region exterior to the acoustic horizon for a class of 1D Bose-Einstein condensate acoustic black holes. From these, analytic expressions for the scattering coefficients and gray-body factor are obtained. The results are used to verify previous predictions regarding the behaviors of the scattering coefficients and gray-body factor in the low-frequency limit.

Abstract: Radiative (B) over bar (0)((B) over bar (0)(s)) -> J/psi gamma decays provide an interesting case to test our understanding of ( non) perturbative QCD and eventually to probe physics beyond the standard model. Recently, the LHCb Collaboration reported an upper bound, updating the results of the BABAR Collaboration. Previous theoretical predictions based on QCD factorization or perturbative QCD have shown large variations due to different treatment of nonfactorizable contributions and meson-photon transitions. In this paper, we report on a novel approach to estimate the decay rates, which is based on a recently proposed model for B decays and the vector meson dominance hypothesis, widely tested in the relevant energy regions. The predicted branching ratios are Br[(B) over bar (0) -> J/psi gamma] = (3.50 +/- 0.34(-0.63)(+1.12)) x 10(-8) and Br[(B) over bar (0)(s) -> J/psi gamma] = (7.20 +/- 0.68(-1.30)(+2.31)) x 10(-7). The first uncertainty is systematic and the second is statistical, originating from the experimental (B) over bar (0)(s) -> J/psi gamma branching ratio.

Abstract: Recent cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropy measurements from the Planck mission have significantly improved previous constraints on the neutrino masses as well as the bounds on extended models with massless or massive sterile neutrino states. However, due to parameter degeneracies, additional low redshift priors are mandatory in order to sharpen the CMB neutrino bounds. We explore here the role of different priors on low redshift quantities, such as the Hubble constant, the cluster mass bias, and the reionization optical depth tau. Concerning current priors on the Hubble constant and the cluster mass bias, the bounds on the neutrino parameters may differ appreciably depending on the choices adopted in the analyses. With regard to future improvements in the priors on the reionization optical depth, a value of tau = 0.05 +/- 0.01, motivated by astrophysical estimates of the reionization redshift, would lead to Sigma m(nu) < 0.0926 eV at 90% C.L., when combining the full Planck measurements, baryon acoustic oscillation, and Planck clusters data, thereby opening the window to unravel the neutrino mass hierarchy with existing cosmological probes.

Abstract: Amplitude models are applied to studies of resonance structure in D-0 -> (KSK-)-K-0 pi(+) and D-0 -> (KSK+)-K-0 pi(-) decays using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment. Relative magnitude and phase information is determined, and coherence factors and related observables are computed for both the whole phase space and a restricted region of 100 MeV/c(2) around the K*(892)(+/-) resonance. Two formulations for the K pi S-wave are used, both of which give a good description of the data. The ratio of branching fractions B(D-0 -> (KSK+)-K-0 pi(-))/B(D-0 -> (KSK-)-K-0 pi(+)) is measured to be 0.655 +/- 0.004(stat) +/- 0.006(syst) over the full phase space and 0.370 +/- 0.003(stat) +/- 0.012(syst) in the restricted region. A search for CP violation is performed using the amplitude models and no significant effect is found. Predictions from SU(3) flavor symmetry for K*(892)K amplitudes of different charges are compared with the amplitude model results.