Abstract: Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb(-1) recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of root s = 7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited B-c(+) state in the B-c(+)pi(+)pi(-) invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2 +/- 0.6(stat) +/- 0.1(syst) +/- 0.8(B-c(+)) MeV/c(2), where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the B-c(+) mass. It is consistent with expectations of the B-c*(2(3)S(1))(+) state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the B-c*(1(3)S(1))(+) -> B-c(+)gamma decay following B-c*(2(3)S(1))(+) -> B-c*(1(3)S(1))(+)pi(+)pi(-). A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2 sigma (3.2 sigma) and a mass of 6872.1 +/- 1.3(stat) +/- 0.1(syst) +/- 0.8(B-c(+)) MeV/c(2), and is consistent with the B-c(2(1)S(0))(+) state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date.

Abstract: Using proton-proton collision data, collected with the LHCb detector and corresponding to 1.0, 2.0 and 1.9 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity at the centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, respectively, the decay Lambda(0)(b) -> chi(c1)(3872)pK(-) with chi(c1)(3872) -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-) is observed for the first time. The significance of the observed signal is in excess of seven standard deviations. It is found that (58 +/- 15)% of the decays proceed via the two-body intermediate state chi(c1)(3872)Lambda(1520). The branching fraction with respect to that of the Lambda(0)(b) -> psi(2S)pK(-) decay mode, where the psi(2S) meson is reconstructed in the J/psi pi(+)pi(-) final state, is measured to be: B(Lambda(0)(b) -> chi(c1)(3872)pK(-))/B (Lambda(0)(b) -> psi(2S)pK(-)) x B(chi(c1)(3872) -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-))/B(psi(2S) -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-)) = (5.4 +/- 1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(-2), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.

Abstract: Using the high-resolution O-18(He-3, t)F-18 reaction at 0 degrees and at 140 MeV/nucleon, Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions were studied. A high energy resolution of 31 keV was achieved by applying dispersion matching techniques. The main part of the observed GT transition strength is concentrated in the transition to the F-18 ground state (g.s.). The absolute values of the reduced GT transition strengths, B(GT), were derived up to E-x = 12 MeV assuming proportionality between the B(GT) values and the reaction cross sections at 0 degrees. The B(GT) value obtained from the beta decay of F-18 (g.s.) -> O-18 (g.s.) was used to determine the proportionality constant. A total B(GT) of 4.06(5) was found and 76(1)% of the strength is concentrated to the ground state of F-18. The obtained B(GT) values were compared with those from the O-18(p, n) F-18 reaction and the mirror symmetric beta(+) decay of Ne-18 -> F-18. The candidates for 1(+) states with isospin T = 1 were identified by comparison with the O-18(p, p') data. The results of shell-model and quasiparticle-random-phase approximation calculations suggest constructive contributions of various configurations to the F-18 ground state, suggesting that this state is the low-energy super GT state.

Abstract: We analyze 7.3 yr of ANTARES high-energy neutrino and Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) gamma-ray data in search of cosmic neutrino + gamma-ray (nu + gamma) transient sources or source populations. Our analysis has the potential to detect either individual nu + gamma transient sources (durations delta t less than or similar to 1000 s), if they exhibit sufficient gamma-ray or neutrino multiplicity, or a statistical excess of nu + gamma transients of individually lower multiplicities. Individual high gamma-ray multiplicity events could be produced, for example, by a single ANTARES neutrino in coincidence with a LAT-detected gamma-ray burst. Treating ANTARES track and cascade event types separately, we establish detection thresholds by Monte Carlo scrambling of the neutrino data, and determine our analysis sensitivity by signal injection against these scrambled data sets. We find our analysis is sensitive to nu + gamma transient populations responsible for >5% of the observed gamma-coincident neutrinos in the track data at 90% confidence. Applying our analysis to the unscrambled data reveals no individual nu + gamma events of high significance; two ANTARES track + Fermi gamma-ray events are identified that exceed a once per decade false alarm rate threshold (p = 17%). No evidence for subthreshold nu + gamma source populations is found among the track (p = 39%) or cascade (p = 60%) events. Exploring a possible correlation of high-energy neutrino directions with Fermi gamma-ray sky brightness identified in previous work yields no added support for this correlation. While TXS.0506+056, a blazar and variable (nontransient) Fermi gamma-ray source, has recently been identified as the first source of high-energy neutrinos, the challenges in reconciling observations of the Fermi gamma-ray sky, the IceCube high-energy cosmic neutrinos, and ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays using only blazars suggest a significant contribution by other source populations. Searches for transient sources of high-energy neutrinos thus remain interesting, with the potential for either neutrino clustering or multimessenger coincidence searches to lead to discovery of the first nu + gamma transients.

Abstract: We analyze the constraints on colored scalar bosons imposed by the current LHC data at root s = 13 TeV. Specifically, we consider an additional electroweak doublet of color-octet scalars, satisfying the principle of minimal flavor violation in order to fulfill the stringent experimental limits on flavor-changing neutral currents. We demonstrate that colored scalars with masses below 800 GeV are already excluded, provided they are not fermiophobic.