Abstract: Cosmological constraints on the sum of neutrino masses and on the effective number of neutrino species in standard and nonstandard scenarios are computed using the most recent available cosmological data. Our cosmological data sets include the measurement of the baryonic acoustic oscillation (BAO) feature in the data release 9 CMASS sample of the baryon oscillation spectroscopic survey. We study in detail the different degeneracies among the parameters, as well as the impact of the different data sets used in the analyses. When considering bounds on the sum of the three active neutrino masses, the information in the BAO signal from galaxy clustering measurements is approximately equally powerful as the shape information from the matter power spectrum. The most stringent bound we find is Sigma m(nu) < 0.32 eV at 95% C.L. When nonstandard neutrino scenarios with N-eff massless or massive neutrino species are examined, power spectrum shape measurements provide slightly better bounds than the BAO signal only, due to the breaking of parameter degeneracies. Cosmic microwave background data from high multipoles from the South Pole Telescope turns out to be crucial for extracting the number of effective neutrino species. Recent baryon oscillation spectroscopic survey data combined with cosmic microwave background and Hubble Space Telescope measurements give N-eff = 3.66(-0.21-0.69)(+0.20+0.73) in the massless neutrino scenario, and similar results are obtained in the massive case. The evidence for extra radiation N-eff > 3 often claimed in the literature therefore remains at the 2 sigma level when considering up-to-date cosmological data sets. Measurements from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe combined with a prior on the Hubble parameter from the Hubble Space Telescope are very powerful in constraining either the sum of the three active neutrino masses or the number of massless neutrino species. If the former two parameters are allowed to freely vary, however, the bounds from the combination of these two cosmological probes get worse by an order of magnitude.

Abstract: The half-life of the yrast I-pi = 2(+) state in the neutron-rich nucleus W-188 has been measured using fast-timing techniques with the HPGe and LaBr3:Ce array at the National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest. The resulting value of t(1/2) = 0.87(12) ns is equivalent to a reduced transition probability of B(E2;2(1)(+) -> 0(1)(+)) = 85(12) W.u. for this transition. The B(E2;2(1)(+) -> 0(1)(+)) is compared to neighboring tungsten isotopes and nuclei in the Hf, Os, and Pt isotopic chains. Woods-Saxon potential energy surface (PES) calculations have been performed for nuclei in the tungsten isotopic chain and predict prolate deformed minima with rapidly increasing gamma softness for W184-192 and an oblate minimum for W-194.

Abstract: Kohn-Sham density functional calculations are reported for the structures of clusters consisting of a carbonyl sulfide (OCS) molecule with N = 1, 8, 18, and 40 attached He-3 atoms. The N = 1 cluster ground state is highly localized at the molecular waist (donut ring position), but for higher levels of excitation becomes increasingly delocalized. The first magic cluster with 8 atoms has a significant density at both ends of the molecule in addition to the donut ring. With N = 18 He-3 atoms the molecule is enclosed by a magic number closed shell. Another magic stable structure consisting of two nearly isotropically spherical closed shells is found at N = 40. A comparison with calculations for the same sized He-4 clusters show some important similarities, e. g., pile up at the donut ring position but altogether a more diffuse, less anisotropic structure. These results are discussed in the light of the recently analyzed infrared spectra measured in large pure He-3 droplets (N approximate to 1.2 x 10(4)) [B. Sartakov, J. P. Toennies, and A. F. Vilesov, J. Chem. Phys. 136, 134316 (2012)]. The moments of inertia of the 11 atom spherical shell structure, which is consistent with the experimental spectrum, lies between the predicted moments of inertia for N = 8 and N = 18 clusters. Overall the calculations reveal that the structures and energies of small doped He-3 are only slightly more diffuse and less energetic than the same He-4 clusters.

Abstract: Linear polarization measurements have been performed for gamma rays in Ru-91 produced with the Ni-58(Ar-36,2p1n gamma)Ru-91 reaction at a beam energy of 111 MeV. The EXOGAM Ge clover array has been used to measure the gamma-gamma coincidences, gamma-ray linear polarization, and gamma-ray angular distributions. The polarization sensitivity of the EXOGAM clover detectors acting as Compton polarimeters has been determined in the energy range 0.3-1.3 MeV. Several transitions have been observed for the first time. Measurements of linear polarization and angular distribution have led to the firm assignments of spin differences and parity of high-spin states in Ru-91. More specifically, calculations using a semiempirical shell model were performed to understand the structures of the first and second (21/2(+)) and (17/2(+)) levels. The results are in good agreement with the experimental data, supporting the interpretation of the nonyrast (21/2(+)) and (17/2(+)) states in terms of the J(max) and J(max) – 2 members of the seniority-three nu(g(9/2))(-3) multiplet.

Abstract: A generic search for anomalous production of events with at least three charged leptons is presented. The search uses a pp-collision data sample at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV corresponding to 4.6 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected in 2011 by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Events are required to contain at least two electrons or muons, while the third lepton may either be an additional electron or muon, or a hadronically decaying tau lepton. Events are categorized by the presence or absence of a reconstructed tau-lepton or Z-boson candidate decaying to leptons. No significant excess above backgrounds expected from Standard Model processes is observed. Results are presented as upper limits on event yields from non-Standard-Model processes producing at least three prompt, isolated leptons, given as functions of lower bounds on several kinematic variables. Fiducial efficiencies for model testing are also provided. The use of the results is illustrated by setting upper limits on the production of doubly charged Higgs bosons decaying to same-sign lepton pairs.