Abstract: We study the prospects of characterising Dark Matter at colliders using Machine Learning (ML) techniques. We focus on the monojet and missing transverse energy (MET) channel and propose a set of benchmark models for the study: a typical WIMP Dark Matter candidate in the form of a SUSY neutralino, a pseudo-Goldstone impostor in the shape of an Axion-Like Particle, and a light Dark Matter impostor whose interactions are mediated by a heavy particle. All these benchmarks are tensioned against each other, and against the main SM background (Z+jets). Our analysis uses both the leading-order kinematic features as well as the information of an additional hard jet. We explore different representations of the data, from a simple event data sample with values of kinematic variables fed into a Logistic Regression algorithm or a Fully Connected Neural Network, to a transformation of the data into images related to probability distributions, fed to Deep and Convolutional Neural Networks. We also study the robustness of our method against including detector effects, dropping kinematic variables, or changing the number of events per image. In the case of signals with more combinatorial possibilities (events with more than one hard jet), the most crucial data features are selected by performing a Principal Component Analysis. We compare the performance of all these methods, and find that using the 2D images of the combined information of multiple events significantly improves the discrimination performance.

Abstract: We study the processes gamma gamma -> eta(c )-> eta'K+K-, eta'pi(+)pi(-), and eta pi(+)pi(-) using a data sample of 519 fb(-1) recorded with the BABAR detector operating at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider at center-of-mass energies at and near the Upsilon(nS) (n = 2, 3, 4) resonances. This is the first observation of the decay eta(c)-> eta'K+K- and we measure the branching fraction Gamma (eta(c) -> eta' K+K- )/(Gamma(eta(c) -> eta'pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.644 +/- 0.039(stat) +/- 0.032(sys). Significant interference is observed between gamma gamma ->eta(c)->eta pi(+)pi(-) and the nonresonant two-photon process gamma gamma -> eta pi(+)pi(-). A Dalitz plot analysis is performed of eta(c) decays to eta'K+K-, eta'pi(+)pi(-) and eta pi(+)pi(-). Combined with our previous analysis of eta(c) -> K (K) over bar pi, we measure the K-0*(1430) parameters and the ratio between its eta'K and pi K couplings. The decay eta(c) -> eta'pi(+)pi(-) is dominated by the f(0)(2100) resonance, also observed in J/psi radiative decays. A new a(0) (1700) -> eta pi resonance is observed in the eta(c) -> eta pi(+)pi(-) channel. We also compare eta(c) decays to eta and eta' final states in association with scalar mesons as they relate to the identification of the scalar glueball.

Abstract: We study the processes e(+)e(-) -> pi+ pi-pi(0)pi(0)pi(0)pi(0)gamma and pi(+) pi(-) pi(0)pi(0)pi eta gamma in which an energetic photon is radiated from the initial state. The data were collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. About 7300 and 870 events, respectively, are selected from a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 469 fb(-1). The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the effective e(+)e(-) center-of-mass energy. The center-of-mass energies range from threshold to 4.5 GeV. From the mass spectra, the first ever measurements of the e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-) pi(0)pi(0)pi(0)pi(0) and the e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-) pi(0)pi(0)pi(0)eta cross sections are performed. The contributions from omega pi(0)pi(0)pi(0), eta pi(+)pi(-)pi(0), omega eta, and other intermediate states are presented. We observe the J=psi and psi(2S) in most of these final states and measure the corresponding branching fractions, many of them for the first time.

Abstract: We study the process e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-)eta gamma, where the photon is radiated from the initial state. About 8000 fully reconstructed events of this process are selected from the BABAR data sample with an integrated luminosity of 469 fb(-1). Using the pi(+)pi(-)eta invariant mass spectrum, we measure the e(+)e(-) -> pi(+)pi(-)eta cross section in the e(+)e(-) center-of-mass energy range from 1.15 to 3.5 GeV. The cross section is well described by the Vector-Meson dominance model with four.-like states. We observe 49 +/- 9 events of the J/Psi decay to pi(+)pi(-)eta and measure the product Gamma B-J/Psi -> e+e-(J/Psi ->pi+pi-eta) = 2.34 +/- 0.43(stat) +/- 0.16(syst) eV.

Abstract: We study the predictions for CP phases and absolute neutrino mass scale for broad classes of models with a U(2)-like flavor symmetry. For this purpose we consider the same special textures in neutrino and charged lepton mass matrices that are successful in the quark sector. While in the neutrino sector the U(2) structure enforces two texture zeros, the contribution of the charged lepton sector to the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) matrix can be parametrized by two rotation angles. Restricting to the cases where at least one of these angles is small, we obtain three representative scenarios. In all scenarios we obtain a narrow prediction for the sum of neutrino masses in the range of 60-75 meV, possibly in the reach of upcoming galaxy survey experiments. All scenarios can be excluded if near-future experimental date provide evidence for either neutrinoless double-beta decay or inverted neutrino mass ordering.