Abstract: In this work we show that modifying the thermal history of the Universe by including an early period of matter domination can lead to the formation of astronomical objects. However, the survival of these objects can only be possible if the dominating matter decays to a daughter particle which is not only almost degenerate with the parent particle but also has an open annihilation channel. This requirement translates in an upper bound for the coupling of such a channel and makes the early structure formation viable.

Abstract: Charged Higgs bosons produced either in top-quark decays or in association with a top-quark, subsequently decaying via H-+/-! -> tau(+/-)nu(tau), are searched for in 36.1 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at root s = 13TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. Depending on whether the top-quark produced together with H-+/- decays hadronically or leptonically, the search targets tau+jets and tau+lepton fi nal states, in both cases with a hadronically decaying tau-lepton. No evidence of a charged Higgs boson is found. For the mass range of m(H)+/- = 90-2000 GeV, upper limits at the 95% con fi dence level are set on the production cross-section of the charged Higgs boson times the branching fraction B (H-+/-->tau(+/-)nu(tau)) in the range 4.2-0.0025 pb. In the mass range 90{160 GeV, assuming the Standard Model cross-section for tit production, this corresponds to upper limits between 0.25% and 0.031% for the branching fraction B (t -> bH(+/-)) x B (H-+/- -> tau(+/-)nu(tau)).

Abstract: Bilinear R-parity violation (BRPV) provides the simplest intrinsically supersymmetric neutrino mass generation scheme. While neutrino mixing parameters can be probed in high energy accelerators, they are unfortunately not predicted by the theory. Here we propose a model based on the discrete flavor symmetry Lambda(4) with a single R-parity violating parameter, leading to (i) correct Cabbibo mixing given by the Gatto-Sartori-Tonin formula, and a successful unification-like b-tau mass relation, and (ii) a correlation between the lepton mixing angles theta(13) and theta(23) in agreement with recent neutrino oscillation data, as well as a (nearly) massless neutrino, leading to absence of neutrinoless double beta decay.

Abstract: A search is presented for the lepton flavour violating decay B+ -> K+mu (-)tau (+) using a sample of proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, collected with the LHCb detector and corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9 fb(-1). The tau leptons are selected inclusively, primarily via decays with a single charged particle. The four-momentum of the tau lepton is determined by using B+ mesons from Bs20 -> B+K- decays. No significant excess is observed, and an upper limit is set on the branching fractionB(B+-> K+mu (-)tau (+))<3.9x10(-5)at90%confidence level.The obtained limit is comparable to the world-best limit.

Abstract: The measured branching fractions of B-mesons into leptonic final states derived by the LHCb, Belle and BaBar collaborations hint towards the breakdown of lepton flavour universality. In this work we take at face value the so-called R-D(()*()) observables that are defined as the ratios of neutral B-meson charged-current decays into a D-(*())-meson, a charged lepton and a neutrino final state in the tau and light lepton channels. A well-studied and simple solution to this charged current anomaly is to introduce a scalar leptoquark S-1 that couples to the second and third generation of fermions. We investigate how S-1 can also serve as a mediator between the Standard Model and a dark sector. We study this scenario in detail and estimate the constraints arising from collider searches for leptoquarks, collider searches for missing energy signals, direct detection experiments and the dark matter relic abundance. We stress that the production of a pair of leptoquarks that decays into different final states (i.e. the commonly called “mixed” channels) provides critical information for identifying the underlying dynamics, and we exemplify this by studying the t tau b nu and the resonant S-1 plus missing energy channels. We find that direct detection data provides non-negligible constraints on the leptoquark coupling to the dark sector, which in turn affects the relic abundance. We also show that the correct relic abundance can not only arise via standard freeze-out, but also through conversion-driven freeze-out. We illustrate the rich phenomenology of the model with a few selected benchmark points, providing a broad stroke of the interesting connection between lepton flavour universality violation and dark matter.