Abstract: A large lepton number asymmetry of O(0.1-1) at present Universe might not only be allowed but also necessary for consistency among cosmological data. We show that, if a sizeable lepton number asymmetry were produced before the electroweak phase transition, the requirement for not producing too much baryon number asymmetry through sphalerons processes, forces the high scale lepton number asymmetry to be larger than about 30. Therefore a mild entropy release causing O(10-100) suppression of pre-existing particle density should take place, when the background temperature of the Universe is around T = O(10(-2) -10(2)) GeV for a large but experimentally consistent asymmetry to be present today. We also show that such a mild entropy production can be obtained by the late-time decays of the saxion, constraining the parameters of the Peccei-Quinn sector such as the mass and the vacuum expectation value of the saxion field to be m(phi) greater than or similar to O(10) TeV and phi(0) greater than or similar to O(10(14)) GeV, respectively.

Abstract: The results of a search for vector-like top quarks using events with exactly one lepton, at least four jets, and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search is optimised for pair production of vector-like top quarks in the Z(->nu nu) t + X decay channel. LHC pp collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of root S = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016 are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb(-1). No significant excess over the Standard Model expectation is seen and upper limits on the production cross-section of a vector-like T quark pair as a function of the T quark mass are derived. The observed (expected) 95% CL lower limits on the T mass are 870 GeV (890 GeV) for the weak-isospin singlet model, 1.05 TeV (1.06 TeV) for the weak-isospin doublet model and 1.16 TeV (1.17 TeV) for the pure Zt decay mode. Limits are also set on the mass as a function of the decay branching ratios, excluding large parts of the parameter space for masses below 1 TeV.

Abstract: A test of lepton universality, performed by measuring the ratio of the branching fractions of the B-0 -> K*(0)mu(+) mu(-) and B-0 -> K*e(+)e(-) decays, R-K*0, is presented. The K*(0) meson is reconstructed in the final state K+pi(-), which is required to have an invariant mass within 100 MeV/c(2) of the known K*(892)(0) mass. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 3 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The ratio is measured in two regions of the dilepton invariant mass squared, q(2), to be R-K*0 – {0.66(-0.007)(+0.11)(stat) +/- 0.03(syst) for 0.045 < q(2) < GeV2/c(4), 0.69(-0.07)(+0.11)(stat) +/- 0.05(syst) for 1.1 < q(2) < 6.0 GeV2/c(4). The corresponding 95.4% confidence level intervals are [0.52, 0.89] and [0.53, 0.94]. The results, which represent the most precise measurements of R-K*0 to date, are compatible with the Standard Model expectations at the level of 2.1-2.3 and 2.4-2.5 standard deviations in the two q(2) regions, respectively.

Abstract: We perform calculations for the eta(c) -> eta pi(+)pi(-) decay using elements of SU(3) symmetry to see the weight of different trios of pseudoscalars produced in this decay, prior to the final state interaction of the mesons. After that, the interaction of pairs of mesons, leading finally to eta pi(+)pi(-), is done using the chiral unitary approach. We evaluate the pi(+)pi(-) and pi eta mass distributions and find large and clear signals for f(0)(500), f(0)(980) and a(0)(980) excitation. The reaction is similar to the chi(c1) -> eta pi(+)pi(-), which has been recently measured at BESIII and its implementation and comparison with these predictions will be very valuable to shed light on the nature of the low mass scalar mesons.

Abstract: A plausible explanation for the lightness of neutrino masses is that neutrinos are massless at tree level, with their mass (typically Majorana) being generated radiatively at one or more loops. The new couplings, together with the suppression coming from the loop factors, imply that the new degrees of freedom cannot be too heavy (they are typically at the TeV scale). Therefore, in these models there are no large mass hierarchies and they can be tested using different searches, making their detailed phenomenological study very appealing. In particular, the new particles can be searched for at colliders and generically induce signals in lepton-flavor and lepton-number violating processes (in the case of Majorana neutrinos), which are not independent from reproducing correctly the neutrino masses and mixings. The main focus of the review is on Majorana neutrinos. We order the allowed theory space from three different perspectives: (i) using an effective operator approach to lepton number violation, (ii) by the number of loops at which the Weinberg operator is generated, (iii) within a given loop order, by the possible irreducible topologies. We also discuss in more detail some popular radiative models which involve qualitatively different features, revisiting their most important phenomenological implications. Finally, we list some promising avenues to pursue.