Abstract: Based on the full BABAR data sample of 466.5 million B (B) over bar pairs, we present measurements of the electron spectrum from semileptonic B meson decays. We fit the inclusive electron spectrum to distinguish Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) suppressed B -> X(u)ev decays from the CKM-favored B -> X(u)ev decays, and from various other backgrounds, and determine the total semileptonic branching fraction B(B -> X(u)ev) = (10.34 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.26(syst))%, averaged over B-+/- and B-0 mesons. We determine the spectrum and branching fraction for charmless B -> X(u)ev decays and extract the CKM element vertical bar V-ub vertical bar, by relying on four different QCD calculations based on the heavy quark expansion. While experimentally, the electron momentum region above 2.1 GeV/c is favored, because the background is relatively low, the uncertainties for the theoretical predictions are largest in the region near the kinematic endpoint. Detailed studies to assess the impact of these four predictions on the measurements of the electron spectrum, the branching fraction, and the extraction of the CKM matrix element vertical bar V-ub vertical bar are presented, with the lower limit on the electron momentum varied from 0.8 GeV/c to the kinematic endpoint. We determine V-ub vertical bar using each of these different calculations and find, vertical bar V-ub vertical bar = (3.794 +/- 0.107(exp) (+0.292)(-0.219) (SF) (+0.078)(-0.068)theory) x 10(-3) (De Fazio and Neubert), (4.563 +/- 0.126(exp) (+0.230)(+0.162)(-0.208)(-0.163)theory) x 10(-3) (Bosch, Lange, Neubert, and Paz), (3.959 +/- 0.104(exp -0.154)(SF-0.079)(+0.164)(+0.042) theory )x 10(-3) (Gambino, Giordano, Ossola, and Uraltsev), (3.848 +/- 0.108(exp -0.070)(theory)(+0.084)) x 10(-3) (dressed gluon exponentiation), where the stated uncertainties refer to the experimental uncertainties of the partial branching fraction measurement, the shape function parameters, and the theoretical calculations.

Abstract: Bilinear R-parity violation provides an attractive origin for neutrino masses and mixings. In such schemes the gravitino is a viable decaying dark matter particle whose R-parity violating decays lead to monochromatic photons with rates accessible to astrophysical observations. We determine the parameter region allowed by gamma-ray line searches, dark matter relic abundance, and neutrino oscillation data, obtaining a limit on the gravitino mass m((G) over tilde) less than or similar to 1-10 GeV corresponding to a relatively low reheat temperature T-R less than or similar to few x 10(7)-10(8) GeV. Neutrino mass and mixing parameters may be reconstructed at accelerator experiments like the Large Hadron Collider.

Abstract: Borexino has been running since May 2007 at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy with the primary goal of detecting solar neutrinos. The detector a large unsegmented liquid scintillator calorimeter characterized by unprecedented low levels of intrinsic radioactivity is optimized for the study of the lower energy part of the spectrum. During Phase-I (2007-2010) Borexino first detected and then precisely measured the flux of the Be-7 solar neutrinos ruled out any significant day-night asymmetry of their interaction rate made the first direct observation of the pep neutrinos and set the tightest upper limit on the flux of solar neutrinos produced in the CNO cycle (carbon nitrogen oxigen) where carbon nitrogen and oxygen serve as catalysts in the fusion process. In this paper we discuss the signal signature and provide a comprehensive description of the backgrounds quantify their event rates describe the methods for their identification selection or subtraction and describe data analysis. Key features are an extensive in situ calibration program using radioactive sources the detailed modeling of the detector response the ability to define an innermost fiducial volume with extremely low background via software cuts and the excellent pulse-shape discrimination capability of the scintillator that allows particle identification. We report a measurement of the annual modulation of the Be-7 neutrino interaction rate. The period the amplitude and the phase of the observed modulation are consistent with the solar origin of these events and the absence of their annual modulation is rejected with higher than 99% C.L. The physics implications of Phase-I results in the context of the neutrino oscillation physics and solar models are presented.

Abstract: By gauging the Maxwell spacetime algebra, the standard geometric framework of Einstein gravity with cosmological constant term is extended by adding six four-vector fields A(mu)(ab)(x) associated with the six Abelian tensorial charges in the Maxwell algebra. In the simplest Maxwell extension of Einstein gravity this leads to a generalized cosmological term that includes a contribution from these vector fields. We also consider going beyond the basic gravitational model by means of bilinear actions for the new Abelian gauge fields. Finally, an analogy with the supersymmetric generalization of gravity is indicated. In an appendix, we propose an equivalent description of the model in terms of a shift of the standard spin connection by the A(mu)(ab)(x) fields.

Abstract: Charge asymmetry in the processes e(+)e(-) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma and e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-)gamma is measured using 232 fb(-1) of data collected with the BABAR detector at e(+)e(-) center-of-mass energies near 10.58 GeV. An observable is introduced and shown to be very robust against detector asymmetries while keeping a large sensitivity to the physical charge asymmetry that results from the interference between initial-and final-state radiation (FSR). The asymmetry is determined as a function of the invariant mass of the final-state tracks from production threshold to a few GeV/c(2). It is compared to the expectation from QED for e(+)e(-) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma, and from theoretical models for e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-)gamma. A clear interference pattern is observed in e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-)gamma, particularly in the vicinity of the f(2)(1270) resonance. The inferred rate of lowest-order FSR production is consistent with the QED expectation for e(+)e(-) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma, and is negligibly small for e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-)gamma.