Abstract: In the two-Higgs-doublet model the alignment of the Yukawa matrices in flavor space guarantees the absence of flavor-changing neutral currents at tree level, while introducing new sources for CP violation parametrized in a very economical way [Antonio Pich and Paula Tuzon, Phys. Rev. D 80, 091702 (2009)]. This implies a potentially large influence in a number of processes, b -> s gamma being a prominent example where rather high experimental and theoretical precision meet. We analyze the CP rate asymmetry in this inclusive decay and determine the resulting constraints on the model parameters. We demonstrate the compatibility with previously obtained limits [Martin Jung, Antonio Pich, and Paula Tuzon, J. High Energy Phys. 11 (2010) 003]. Moreover, we extend the phenomenological analysis of the branching ratio, and examine the influence of resulting correlations on the like-sign dimuon charge asymmetry in B decays.

Abstract: We investigate the reconstruction capabilities of the dark matter mass and spin-independent cross section from future ton-scale direct detection experiments using germanium, xenon, or argon as targets. Adopting realistic values for the exposure, energy threshold, and resolution of dark matter experiments which will come online within 5 to 10 years, the degree of complementarity between different targets is quantified. We investigate how the uncertainty in the astrophysical parameters controlling the local dark matter density and velocity distribution affects the reconstruction. For a 50 GeV WIMP, astrophysical uncertainties degrade the accuracy in the mass reconstruction by up to a factor of similar to 4 for xenon and germanium, compared to the case when astrophysical quantities are fixed. However, the combination of argon, germanium, and xenon data increases the constraining power by a factor of similar to 2 compared to germanium or xenon alone. We show that future direct detection experiments can achieve self-calibration of some astrophysical parameters, and they will be able to constrain the WIMP mass with only very weak external astrophysical constraints.

Abstract: We present an analysis of exclusive charmless semileptonic B-meson decays based on 377 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs recorded with the BABAR detector at the Y(4S) resonance. We select four event samples corresponding to the decay modes B-0 -> pi(-)l(+)v, B+ -> pi(0)l(+)v, B-0 -> rho(-)l(+)v, and B+ -> rho(0)l(+)v and find the measured branching fractions to be consistent with isospin symmetry. Assuming isospin symmetry, we combine the two B -> pi lv samples, and similarly the two B -> rho lv samples, and measure the branching fractions B(B-0 -> pi(-)l(+)v) = (1.41 +/- 0.05 +/- 0.07) x 10(-4) and B(B-0 -> rho(-)l(+)v) = (1.75 +/- 0.15 +/- 0.27) x 10(-4), where the errors are statistical and systematic. We compare the measured distribution in q(2), the momentum transfer squared, with predictions for the form factors from QCD calculations and determine the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element vertical bar V-ub vertical bar. Based on the measured partial branching fraction for B -> pi lv in the range q(2) < 12 GeV2 and the most recent QCD light-cone sum-rule calculations, we obtain vertical bar V-ub vertical bar = (3.78 +/- 0.13(-0.40)(+0.55)10(-3), where the errors refer to the experimental and theoretical uncertainties. From a simultaneous fit to the data over the full q(2) range and the FNAL/MILC lattice QCD results, we obtain vertical bar V-ub vertical bar = (2.95 +/- 0.31) x 10(-3) from B -> pi lv, where the error is the combined experimental and theoretical uncertainty.

Abstract: Methods: For Ir-192, I-125, and Pd-103, the authors considered from two to five published spectra. Spherical sources approximating common brachytherapy sources were assessed. Kerma and dose results from GEANT4, MCNP5, and PENELOPE-2008 were compared for water and air. The dosimetric influence of Ir-192, I-125, and Pd-103 spectral choice was determined. Results: For the spectra considered, there were no statistically significant differences between kerma or dose results based on Monte Carlo code choice when using the same spectrum. Water-kerma differences of about 2%, 2%, and 0.7% were observed due to spectrum choice for Ir-192, I-125, and Pd-103, respectively (independent of radial distance), when accounting for photon yield per Bq. Similar differences were observed for air-kerma rate. However, their ratio (as used in the dose-rate constant) did not significantly change when the various photon spectra were selected because the differences compensated each other when dividing dose rate by air-kerma strength. Conclusions: Given the standardization of radionuclide data available from the National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC) and the rigorous infrastructure for performing and maintaining the data set evaluations, NNDC spectra are suggested for brachytherapy simulations in medical physics applications.

Abstract: We present a theory of the density correlations that appear in an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate as a consequence of the emission of correlated pairs of Bogoliubov phonons by a time-dependent atom-atom scattering length. This effect can be considered as a condensed matter analog of the dynamical Casimir effect of quantum field theory. Different regimes as a function of the temporal shape of the modulation are identified and a simple physical picture of the phenomenon is discussed. Analytical expressions for the density correlation function are provided for the most significant limiting cases. This theory is able to explain some unexpected features recently observed in numerical studies of analog Hawking radiation from acoustic black holes.