Abstract: We show that binary black hole mergers with precessing evolution can potentially excite photons from the quantum vacuum in such a way that total helicity is not preserved in the process. Helicity violation is allowed by quantum fluctuations that spoil the electric-magnetic duality symmetry of the classical Maxwell theory without charges. We show here that precessing binary black hole systems in astrophysics generate a flux of circularly polarized gravitational waves which, in turn, provides the required helical background that triggers this quantum effect. Solving the fully nonlinear Einstein’s equations with numerical relativity we explore the parameter space of binary systems and extract the detailed dependence of the quantum effect with the spins of the two black holes. We also introduce a set of diagrammatic techniques that allows us to predict when a binary black hole merger can or cannot emit circularly polarized gravitational radiation, based on mirror-symmetry considerations. This framework allows to understand and to interpret correctly the numerical results, and to predict the outcomes in potentially interesting astrophysical systems.

Abstract: The study of J/ψ photoproduction at low energies has consequences for the understanding of multiple aspects of nonperturbative QCD, ranging from mechanical properties of the proton to the binding inside nuclei and the existence of hidden-charm pentaquarks. Factorization of the photon-c¯c and nucleon dynamics or vector meson dominance are often invoked to justify these studies. Alternatively, open-charm intermediate states have been proposed as the dominant mechanism underlying J/ψ photoproduction. As the latter violates this factorization, it is important to estimate the relevance of such contributions. We analyze the latest differential and integrated photoproduction cross sections from the GlueX and J/ψ−007 experiments. We show that the data can be adequately described by a small number of partial waves, which we parametrize with generic models enforcing low-energy unitarity. The results suggest a non-negligible contribution from open-charm intermediate states. Furthermore, most of the models present an elastic scattering length incompatible with previous extractions based on vector meson dominance and thus call into question its applicability to heavy mesons. Our results indicate a wide array of physics possibilities that are compatible with present data and need to be disentangled.

Abstract: The decay B-c(+) -> psi(2S)pi(+) with psi(2S) -> mu(+)mu(-) is observed with a significance of 5.2 sigma using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment. The branching fraction of B-c(+) -> psi(2S)pi(+) decays relative to that of the B-c(+) -> J/psi pi(+) mode is measured to be B(B-c(+) -> psi(2S)pi(+))/B(B-c(+) -> J/psi pi(+)) = 0.250 +/- 0.068(stat) +/- 0.014(syst) +/- 0.006(B). The last term is the uncertainty on the ratio B(psi(2S) -> mu(+)mu(-))/B(J/psi -> mu(+)mu(-)).

Abstract: First observations and measurements of the branching fractions of the (B) over bar (0)(s) -> D+D-, (B) over bar (0)(s) -> Ds+D- and (B) over bar (0)(s) -> D-0(D) over bar (0) decays are presented using 1.0 fb(-1) of data collected by the LHCb experiment. These branching fractions are normalized to those of (B) over bar (0) -> D+D-, B-0 -> D-Ds+ and B- -> (DDs-)-D-0, respectively. An excess of events consistent with the decay (B) over bar (0) -> D-0(D) over bar (0) is also seen, and its branching fraction is measured relative to that of B- -> D0Ds-. Improved measurements of the branching fractions B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> Ds+Ds-) and B(B- -> (DDs-)-D-0) are reported, each relative to B(B-0 -> D-Ds+). The ratios of branching fractions are B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> D+D-)/B((B) over bar (0) -> D+D-) = 1.08 +/- 0.20 +/- 0.10, B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> Ds+D-)/B(B-0 -> D-Ds+) = 0.050 +/- 0.008 +/- 0.004, B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> D-0(D) over bar (0))/B((B) over bar (-) -> (DDs-)-D-0) = 0.019 +/- 0.003 +/- 0.003, B((B) over bar (0) -> D-0(D) over bar (0))/B(B- -> (DDs-)-D-0) < 0.0024 at 90% CL, B(<(B)over bar>(0)(s) -> D-s(+)(D) over bar (-)(s))/B(B-0 -> D-Ds+) = 0.56 +/- 0.03 +/- 0.04, B(B -> (DDs)-D-0)/B(B-0 -> D-Ds+) = 1.22 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.07, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.

Abstract: Recent cosmic microwave background measurements at high multipoles from the South Pole Telescope and from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope seem to disagree in their conclusions for the neutrino and dark radiation properties. In this paper we set new bounds on the dark radiation and neutrino properties in different cosmological scenarios combining the ACT and SPT data with the nine-year data release of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP-9), baryon acoustic oscillation data, Hubble Telescope measurements of the Hubble constant, and supernovae Ia luminosity distance data. In the standard three massive neutrino case, the two high multipole probes give similar results if baryon acoustic oscillation data are removed from the analyses and Hubble Telescope measurements are also exploited. A similar result is obtained within a standard cosmology with N-eff massless neutrinos, although in this case the agreement between these two measurements is also improved when considering simultaneously baryon acoustic oscillation data and Hubble Space Telescope measurements. In the N-eff massive neutrino case the two high multipole probes give very different results regardless of the external data sets used in the combined analyses. When considering extended cosmological scenarios with a dark energy equation of state or with a running of the scalar spectral index, the evidence for neutrino masses found for the South Pole Telescope in the three neutrino scenario disappears for all the data combinations explored here. Again, adding Hubble Telescope data seems to improve the agreement between the two high multipole cosmic microwave background measurements considered here. In the case in which a dark radiation background with unknown clustering properties is also considered, SPT data seem to exclude the standard value for the dark radiation viscosity c(vis)(2) = 1/3 at the 2 sigma C.L., finding evidence for massive neutrinos only when combining SPT data with baryon acoustic oscillation measurements.