BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2012). Amplitude analysis and measurement of the time-dependent CP asymmetry of B-0 -> (KSKSKS0)-K-0-K-0 decays. Phys. Rev. D, 85(5), 054023–21pp.
Abstract: We present the first results on the Dalitz-plot structure and improved measurements of the time-dependent CP-violation parameters of the process B-0 -> (KSKSKS0)-K-0-K-0 obtained using 468 x 10(6) B (B) over bar decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC. The Dalitz-plot structure is probed by a time-integrated amplitude analysis that does not distinguish between B-0 and (B) over bar (0) decays. We measure the total inclusive branching fraction B(B-0 -> (KSKSKS0)-K-0-K-0) = (6.19 +/- 0.48 +/- 0.15 +/- 0.12) x 10(-6), where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third represents the Dalitz-plot signal model dependence. We also observe evidence for the intermediate resonant states f(0)(980), f(0)(1710), and f(2)(2010). Their respective product branching fractions are measured to be (2.70(-1.19)(+1.25) +/- 0.36 +/- 1.17) x 10(-6), (0.50(-0.24)(+0.46) +/- 0.04 +/- 0.10) x 10(-6), and (0.54(-0.20)(+0.21) +/- 0.03 +/- 0.52) x 10(-6). Additionally, we determine the mixing-induced CP-violation parameters to be S = -0.94(-0.21)(+0.24) +/- 0.06 and C = -0.17 +/- 0.18 +/- 0.04, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. These values are in agreement with the standard model expectation. For the first time, we report evidence of CP violation in B-0 -> (KSKSKS0)-K-0-K-0 decays; CP conservation is excluded at 3.8 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2012). Search for the decay modes D-0 -> e(+) e(-), D-0 -> mu(+) mu(-), and D-0 -> e(+/-) μ-/+. Phys. Rev. D, 86(3), 032001–10pp.
Abstract: We present searches for the rare decay modes D-0 -> e(+) e(-), D-0 -> mu(+) mu(-), and D-0 -> e(+/-) mu(-/+) in continuum e(+) e(-) -> c (c) over bar events recorded by the BABAR detector in a data sample that corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 468 fb(-1). These decays are highly Glashow-Iliopoulos-Maiani suppressed but may be enhanced in several extensions of the standard model. Our observed event yields are consistent with the expected backgrounds. An excess is seen in the D-0 -> mu(+) mu(-) channel, although the observed yield is consistent with an upward background fluctuation at the 5% level. Using the Feldman-Cousins method, we set the following 90% confidence level intervals on the branching fractions: B(D-0 -> e(+) e(-)) < 1.7 x 10(-7), B(D-0 -> mu(+) mu(-)) within [0.6,8.1] x 10(-7), and B(D-0 -> e(+/-) mu(-/+)) < 3.3 x 10(-7).
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BABAR Collaboration(del Amo Sanchez, P. et al), Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., Milanes, D. A., & Oyanguren, A. (2012). Observation and study of the baryonic B-meson decays B -> D(*) p(p)over-bar (pi)(pi). Phys. Rev. D, 85(9), 092017–21pp.
Abstract: We present results for B-meson decay modes involving a charm meson, protons, and pions using 455 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs recorded by the BaBar detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider. The branching fractions are measured for the following ten decays: (B) over bar (0) -> D-0 p (p) over bar, (B) over bar (0) -> D*(0) p (p) over bar, (B) over bar (0) -> D+ p (p) over bar pi(-) , (B) over bar (0) -> D-0 p (p) over bar pi(-) , B- -> D-0 p (p) over bar pi(-) , B- -> D*(0) p (p) over bar pi(-) , (B) over bar (0) -> D-0 p (p) over bar pi(-) pi(+) , (B) over bar (0) -> D*(0) p (p) over bar pi(-) pi(+) B- -> D+ p (p) over bar pi(-) pi(-) , and B- -> D*(0) p (p) over bar pi(-) pi(-). The four B- and the two five-body (B) over bar (0) modes are observed for the first time. The four-body modes are enhanced compared to the three- and the five-body modes. In the three-body modes, the M(p (p) over bar) and M(D-(*)0 p) invariant- mass distributions show enhancements near threshold values. In the four-body mode (B) over bar (0) -> D+ p (p) over bar pi(-) , the M(p pi(-)) distribution shows a narrow structure of unknown origin near 1: 5 GeV/c(2). The distributions for the five-body modes, in contrast to the others, are similar to the expectations from uniform phase-space predictions.
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Reichardt, C. L., de Putter, R., Zahn, O., & Hou, Z. (2012). New limits on early dark energy from the South Pole telescope. Astrophys. J. Lett., 749(1), L9–5pp.
Abstract: We present new limits on early dark energy (EDE) from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) using data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite on large angular scales and South Pole Telescope on small angular scales. We find a strong upper limit on the EDE density of Omega(e) < 0.018 at 95% confidence, a factor of three improvement over WMAP data alone. We show that adding lower-redshift probes of the expansion rate to the CMB data improves constraints on the dark energy equation of state, but not the EDE density. We also explain how small-scale CMB temperature anisotropy constrains EDE.
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Strege, C., Bertone, G., Cerdeño, D. G., Fornasa, M., Ruiz de Austri, R., & Trotta, R. (2012). Updated global fits of the cMSSM including the latest LHC SUSY and Higgs searches and XENON100 data. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 03(3), 030–22pp.
Abstract: We present new global fits of the constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (cMSSM), including LHC 1/fb integrated luminosity SUSY exclusion limits, recent LHC 5/fb constraints on the mass of the Higgs boson and XENON100 direct detection data. Our analysis fully takes into account astrophysical and hadronic uncertainties that enter the analysis when translating direct detection limits into constraints on the cMSSM parameter space. We provide results for both a Bayesian and a Frequentist statistical analysis. We find that LHC 2011 constraints in combination with XENON100 data can rule out a significant portion of the cMSSM parameter space. Our results further emphasise the complementarity of collider experiments and direct detection searches in constraining extensions of Standard Model physics. The LHC 2011 exclusion limit strongly impacts on low-mass regions of cMSSM parameter space, such as the stau co-annihilation region, while direct detection data can rule out regions of high SUSY masses, such as the Focus-Point region, which is unreachable for the LHC in the near future. We show that, in addition to XENON100 data, the experimental constraint on the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon plays a dominant role in disfavouring large scalar and gaugino masses. We find that, should the LHC 2011 excess hinting towards a Higgs boson at 126 GeV be confirmed, currently favoured regions of the cMSSM parameter space will be robustly ruled out from both a Bayesian and a profile likelihood statistical perspective.
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