Abstract: Supersymmetric theories supplemented by an underlying flavor-symmetry G(f) provide a rich playground for model building aimed at explaining the flavor structure of the Standard Model. In the case where supersymmetry breaking is mediated by gravity, the soft-breaking Lagrangian typically exhibits large tree-level flavor violating e ff ects, even if it stems from an ultraviolet flavor-conserving origin. Building on previous work, we continue our phenomenological analysis of these models with a particular emphasis on leptonicflavor observables. We consider three representative models which aim to explain the flavor structure of the lepton sector, with symmetry groups G(f) = Delta (27), A(4); and S-3.

Abstract: We present global fits of an effective field theory description of real, and complex scalar dark matter candidates. We simultaneously take into account all possible dimension 6 operators consisting of dark matter bilinears and gauge invariant combinations of quark and gluon fields. We derive constraints on the free model parameters for both the real (five parameters) and complex (seven) scalar dark matter models obtained by combining Planck data on the cosmic microwave background, direct detection limits from LUX, and indirect detection limits from the Fermi Large Area Telescope. We find that for real scalars indirect dark matter searches disfavour a dark matter particle mass below 100 GeV. For the complex scalar dark matter particle current data have a limited impact due to the presence of operators that lead to p-wave annihilation, and also do not contribute to the spin-independent scattering cross-section. Although current data are not informative enough to strongly constrain the theory parameter space, we demonstrate the power of our formalism to reconstruct the theoretical parameters compatible with an actual dark matter detection, by assuming that the excess of gamma rays observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope towards the Galactic centre is entirely due to dark matter annihilations. Please note that the excess can very well be due to astrophysical sources such as millisecond pulsars. We find that scalar dark matter interacting via effective field theory operators can in principle explain the Galactic centre excess, but that such interpretation is in strong tension with the non-detection of gamma rays from dwarf galaxies in the real scalar case. In the complex scalar case there is enough freedom to relieve the tension.

Abstract: As a top-factory, the LHC is performing a direct study of top-quark anomalous FCNC couplings, which are, however, correlated closely with the rare B- and K-meson decays. In this paper, we study the effects of anomalous tqZ (with q = u, c) couplings in the rare decays B-s,B-d -> mu(+)mu(-), B -> X-s nu(nu) over bar, B -> K(*)nu(nu) over bar, K+ -> pi(+)nu(nu) over bar, and K-L -> pi(0)nu(nu) over bar. With the up-to-date experimental bounds on the branching ratios of these channels, constraints on the left-handed anomalous couplings X-ct(L), and X-ut(L) are derived, respectively. With these low-energy constraints taken into account, we find that, for real couplings X-ct(L) and X-ut(L), the indirect upper bounds on B(t -> qZ) are much lower than that from the D0 collaboration, but are still compatible with the 5 sigma discovery potential of ATLAS with an integrated luminosity of 10 fb(-1). With refined measurements to be available at the LHCb, the future super-B factories, the NA62 at CERN, and the KOTO at J-PARC, closer correlations between the t -> qZ and the rare B- and K-meson decays are expected in the near future, which will be helpful for the searches of thu e top-quark FCNC decays at the LHC.

Abstract: Motivated by the very recent measurements performed at the LHCb and the Tevatron of the B-s(0) – (B) over bar (0)(s) mixing, in this paper we revisit it in a family non-universal Z' model, to check if a simultaneous explanation for all the mixing observables, especially for the like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry observed by the D0 collaboration, could be made in such a specific model. In the first scenario where the Z' boson contributes only to the off-diagonal element M-12(s), it is found that, once the combined constraints from Delta M-s, phi(s) and Delta Gamma(s) are imposed, the model could not explain the measured flavour-specific CP asymmetry a(fs)(s), at least within its 1 sigma ranges. In the second scenario where the NP contributes also to the absorptive part Gamma(s)(12) via tree-level Z'-induced b -> c (c) over bars operators, we find that, with the constraints from Delta M-s, phi(s) and the indirect CP asymmetry in (B) over bar (d) -> J/psi K-S taken into account, the present measured 1 sigma experimental ranges for a(fs)(s) could not be reproduced too. Thus, such a specific Z' model with our specific assumptions could not simultaneously reconcile all the present data on B-s(0) – B-s(0) mixing. Future improved measurements from the LHCb and the proposed superB experiments, especially of the flavour-specific CP asymmetries, are expected to shed light on the issue.

Abstract: Using three- and four-body decays of D mesons produced in semileptonic b-hadron decays, precision measurements of D meson mass differences are made together with a measurement of the D-0 mass. The measurements are based on a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1) collected in pp collisions at 7 TeV. Using the decay D-0 -> K+K-K-pi(+), the D-0 mass is measured to be M(D-0) = 1864.75 +/- 0.15 (stat) +/- 0.11 (syst) MeV/c(2). The mass differences M(D+) – M(D-0) = 4.76 +/- 0.12 (stat) +/- 0.07 (syst) MeV/c(2), M(D-s(+)) – M(D+) = 98.68 +/- 0.03 (stat) +/- 0.04 (syst) MeV/c(2) are measured using the D-0 -> K+K-pi(+)pi(-) and D-(s)(+) -> K+K-pi(+) modes.