Abstract: A search for Higgs boson pair production via vector-boson fusion (VBF) in the b bbar b bbar final state is carried out with the ATLAS experiment using 126 fb(-1) of proton- proton collision data delivered at root s = 13 TeV by the Large Hadron Collider. This search is sensitive to VBF production of additional heavy bosons that may decay into Higgs boson pairs, and in a non-resonant topology it can constrain the quartic coupling between the Higgs bosons and vector bosons. No significant excess relative to the Standard Model expectation is observed, and limits on the production cross-section are set at the 95% confidence level for a heavy scalar resonance in the context of an extended Higgs sector, and for non-resonant Higgs boson pair production. Interpretation in terms of the coupling between a Higgs boson pair and two vector bosons is also provided: coupling values normalised to the Standard Model expectation of kappa (2V)< -0.76 and <kappa>(2V)> 2.90 are excluded at the 95% confidence level in data.

Abstract: The understanding of stellar structure represents the crossroads of our theories of the nuclear force and the gravitational interaction under the most extreme conditions observably accessible. It provides a powerful probe of the strong field regime of General Relativity, and opens fruitful avenues for the exploration of new gravitational physics. The latter can be captured via modified theories of gravity, which modify the Einstein-Hilbert action of General Relativity and/or some of its principles. These theories typically change the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations of stellar's hydrostatic equilibrium, thus having a large impact on the astrophysical properties of the corresponding stars and opening a new window to constrain these theories with present and future observations of different types of stars. For relativistic stars, such as neutron stars, the uncertainty on the equation of state of matter at supranuclear densities intertwines with the new parameters coming from the modified gravity side, providing a whole new phenomenology for the typical predictions of stellar structure models, such as mass-radius relations, maximum masses, or moment of inertia. For non-relativistic stars, such as white, brown and red dwarfs, the weakening/strengthening of the gravitational force inside astrophysical bodies via the modified Newtonian (Poisson) equation may induce changes on the star's mass, radius, central density or luminosity, having an impact, for instance, in the Chandrasekhar's limit for white dwarfs, or in the minimum mass for stable hydrogen burning in high-mass brown dwarfs. This work aims to provide a broad overview of the main such results achieved in the recent literature for many such modified theories of gravity, by combining the results and constraints obtained from the analysis of relativistic and non-relativistic stars in different scenarios. Moreover, we will build a bridge between the efforts of the community working on different theories, formulations, types of stars, theoretical modelings, and observational aspects, highlighting some of the most promising opportunities in the field.

Abstract: We consider a left-right symmetric extension of the Standard Model where the spontaneous breakdown of the left-right symmetry is triggered by doublets. The electroweak rho parameter is protected from large corrections in this Doublet Left-Right Model (DLRM), contrary to the triplet case. This allows in principle for more diverse patterns of symmetry breaking. We consider several constraints on the gauge and scalar sectors of DLRM: the unitarity of scattering processes involving gauge bosons with longitudinal polarisations, the radiative corrections to the muon Delta r parameter and the electroweak precision observables measured at the Z pole and at low energies. Combining these constraints within the frequentist CKMfitter approach, we see that the fit pushes the scale of left-right symmetry breaking up to a few TeV, while favouring an electroweak symmetry breaking triggered not only by the SU (2)(L) x SU (2)(R) bi-doublet, which is the case most commonly considered in the literature, but also by the SU (2)(L) doublet.

Abstract: Particles beyond the Standard Model (SM) can generically have lifetimes that are long compared to SM particles at the weak scale. When produced at experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, these long-lived particles (LLPs) can decay far from the interaction vertex of the primary proton-proton collision. Such LLP signatures are distinct from those of promptly decaying particles that are targeted by the majority of searches for new physics at the LHC, often requiring customized techniques to identify, for example, significantly displaced decay vertices, tracks with atypical properties, and short track segments. Given their non-standard nature, a comprehensive overview of LLP signatures at the LHC is beneficial to ensure that possible avenues of the discovery of new physics are not overlooked. Here we report on the joint work of a community of theorists and experimentalists with the ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb experiments-as well as those working on dedicated experiments such as MoEDAL, milliQan, MATHUSLA, CODEX-b, and FASER-to survey the current state of LLP searches at the LHC, and to chart a path for the development of LLP searches into the future, both in the upcoming Run 3 and at the high-luminosity LHC. The work is organized around the current and future potential capabilities of LHC experiments to generally discover new LLPs, and takes a signature-based approach to surveying classes of models that give rise to LLPs rather than emphasizing any particular theory motivation. We develop a set of simplified models; assess the coverage of current searches; document known, often unexpected backgrounds; explore the capabilities of proposed detector upgrades; provide recommendations for the presentation of search results; and look towards the newest frontiers, namely high-multiplicity 'dark showers', highlighting opportunities for expanding the LHC reach for these signals.

Abstract: The first observation of the decay B-0 -> D-0(D) over bar K-0(+)pi(-) is reported using proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011, 2012 and 2016. The measurement is performed in the full kinematically allowed range of the decay outside of the D*(-) region. The ratio of the branching fraction relative to that of the control channel B-0 -> D-0<(DK+)-K-0 pi(-)+ is measured to be R = (14.2 +/- 1.1 +/- 1.0)%, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The absolute branching fraction of B-0 -> D-0(D) over bar K-0(+)pi(- )decays is thus determined to be B(B-0 -> D-0(D) over bar K-0(+)pi(-)) = (3.50 +/- 0.27 +/- 0.26 +/- 0.30) x 10(-4), where the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the control channel. This decay mode is expected to provide insights to spectroscopy and the charm-loop contributions in rare semileptonic decays.