Abstract: A search for baryon-number violating Xi(0)(b) oscillations is performed with a sample of pp collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1). The baryon number at the moment of production is identified by requiring that the Xi(0)(b) come from the decay of a resonance Xi(b)*(-) -> Xi(0)(b)pi(-) or Xi(b)'(-) -> Xi(0)(b)pi(-) and the baryon number at the moment of decay is identified from the final state using the decays Xi(0)(b) -> Xi(0)(c)pi(-) , Xi(+-)(c) -> pK(-)pi(+). No evidence of baryon-number violation is found, and an upper limit at the 95% confidence level is set on the oscillation rate of omega < 0.08 ps(-1), where. is the associated angular frequency.

Abstract: The decays chi(c1) -> J/psi mu(+)mu(-) and chi(c1) -> J/psi mu(+)mu(-) are observed and used to study the resonance parameters of the chi(c1) and chi(c2) mesons. The masses of these states are measured to be m(chi(c1)) = 3510.71 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.09(syst) MeV and m(chi(c2)) = 3556.10 +/- 0.06(stat) +/- 0.11(syst) MeV, where the knowledge of the momentum scale for charged particles dominates the systematic uncertainty. The momentum-scale uncertainties largely cancel in the mass difference m(chi(c2)) – m(chi(c1)) = 45.39 +/- 0.07(stat) +/- 0.03(syst) MeV. The natural width of the chi(c2) meson is measured to be Gamma(chi(c2)) = 2.10 +/- 0.20(stat) +/- 0.02(syst) MeV. These results are in good agreement with and have comparable precision to the current world averages.

Abstract: The first observation of the D-0 -> pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) and D-0 -> K+ K- mu(+) mu(-) decays is reported using a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by LHCb at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, and corresponding to 2 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. The corresponding branching fractions are measured using as normalization the decay D-0 -> K- pi(+) [mu(+) mu(-)](rho 0/omega), where the two muons are consistent with coming from the decay of a rho(0) or omega meson. The results are B(D-0 -> pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-)) = (9.64 +/- 0.48 +/- 0.51 +/- 0.97) x 10(-7) and B(D-0 -> K+ K- mu(+) mu(-)) = (1.54 +/- 0.27 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.16) x 10(-7), where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the limited knowledge of the normalization branching fraction. The dependence of the branching fraction on the dimuon mass is also investigated.

Abstract: We explore three different alternatives for obtaining intrinsic and extrinsic parameters in conventional diagnostic X-ray frameworks: the direct linear transform (DLT), the Zhang method, and the Tsai approach. We analyze and describe the computational, operational, and mathematical background differences for these algorithms when they are applied to ordinary radiograph acquisition. For our study, we developed an initial 3D calibration frame with tin cross-shaped fiducials at specific locations. The three studied methods enable the derivation of projection matrices from 3D to 2D point correlations. We propose a set of metrics to compare the efficiency of each technique. One of these metrics consists of the calculation of the detector pixel density, which can be also included as part of the quality control sequence in general X-ray settings. The results show a clear superiority of the DLT approach, both in accuracy and operational suitability. We paid special attention to the Zhang calibration method. Although this technique has been extensively implemented in the field of computer vision, it has rarely been tested in depth in common radiograph production scenarios. Zhang's approach can operate on much simpler and more affordable 2D calibration frames, which were also tested in our research. We experimentally confirm that even three or four plane-image correspondences achieve accurate focal lengths.

Abstract: Despite dedicated research has been carried out to adequately map the distribution of the sperm whale in the Mediterranean Sea, unlike other regions of the world, the species population status is still presently uncertain. The analysis of two years of continuous acoustic data provided by the ANTARES neutrino telescope revealed the year-round presence of sperm whales in the Ligurian Sea, probably associated with the availability of cephalopods in the region. The presence of the Ligurian Sea sperm whales was demonstrated through the real-time analysis of audio data streamed from a cabled-to-shore deep-sea observatory that allowed the hourly tracking of their long-range echolocation behaviour on the Internet. Interestingly, the same acoustic analysis indicated that the occurrence of surface shipping noise would apparently not condition the foraging behaviour of the sperm whale in the area, since shipping noise was almost always present when sperm whales were acoustically detected. The continuous presence of the sperm whale in the region confirms the ecological value of the Ligurian sea and the importance of ANTARES to help monitoring its ecosystems.