Abstract: In contemporary nuclear physics, the European Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) represents a crucial detection system for cutting-edge nuclear structure studies. AGATA consists of highly segmented high-purity germanium crystals and uses the pulse-shape analysis technique to determine both the position and the energy of the y-ray interaction points in the crystals. It is the tracking algorithms that deploy this information and enable insight into the sequence of interactions, providing information on the full or partial absorption of the 7 ray. A series of dedicated performance measurements for an AGATA set-up comprising 21 crystals is described. This set-up was used within the recent PreSPEC-AGATA experimental campaign at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung. Using the radioactive sources Co-56, Co-60 and Eu-152, absolute and normalized efficiencies and the peak-to-total of the array were measured. These quantities are discussed using different data analysis procedures. The quality of the pulse-shape analysis and the tracking algorithm are evaluated. The agreement between the experimental data and the Geant4 simulations is also investigated.

Abstract: Little Higgs models are promising constructs to solve the hierarchy problem affecting the Higgs boson mass for generic new physics. However, their preservation of lepton universality forbids them to account for the H -> tau μCMS hint and at the same time respect (as they do) the severe limits on H -> μe inherited from the nonobservation of μ-> e gamma We compute the predictions of the simplest little Higgs model for the H -> ll' decays and conclude that the measurement of any of these decays at LHC (even with a much smaller rate than currently hinted) would, under reasonable assumptions, disfavor this model. This result is consistent with our earlier observation of very suppressed lepton flavor violating semileptonic tau decays within this model.

Abstract: Using the eight time dependences e(-Gamma t)(1+C(i)cos Delta mt+S(i)sin Delta mt) for the decays Upsilon (4S) -> B-0(B) over bar (0) -> f(j)f(k), with the decay into a flavor-specific state f(j) = l(+/-)X before or after the decay into a CP eigenstate f(k) = c (c) over barK(S,L), as measured by the BABAR experiment, we determine the three CPT-sensitive parameters Re(z) and Im(z) in B-0-(B) over bar (0) mixing and vertical bar(A) over bar /A vertical bar in B-0 -> c (c) over barK(0) decays. We find Im(z) = 0.010 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.013, Re(z) = -0.065 +/- 0.028 +/- 0.014, and vertical bar(A) over bar /A vertical bar = 0.999 +/- 0.023 +/- 0.017, in agreement with CPT symmetry.