Abstract: Measurements of CP observables in B-0 -> DK0 decays are presented, where D represents a superposition of D-0 and D0 states. The D meson is reconstructed in the two-body final states K+pi(-), pi K-+(-), K+K- and pi(+)pi(-), and, for the first time, in the fourbody final states K+pi(-)pi(+)pi(-), pi K-+(-)pi(+)pi(-) and pi(+)pi(-)pi(+)pi(-). The analysis uses a sample of neutral B mesons produced in proton-proton collisions, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0, 2.0 and 1.8 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of ,8 and 13 TeV, respectively. First observations of the decays B-0 -> D(pi K-+(-))K-0 and B-0 -> D(pi(+)pi(-)pi(+)pi(-))K-0 are obtained. The measured observables are interpreted in terms of the CP -violating weak phase gamma.

Abstract: Statistical inference of the fundamental parameters of supersymmetric theories is a challenging and active endeavor. Several sophisticated algorithms have been employed to this end. While Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and nested sampling techniques are geared towards Bayesian inference, they have also been used to estimate frequentist confidence intervals based on the profile likelihood ratio. We investigate the performance and appropriate configuration of MULTINEST, a nested sampling based algorithm, when used for profile likelihood-based analyses both on toy models and on the parameter space of the Constrained MSSM. We find that while the standard configuration previously used in the literarture is appropriate for an accurate reconstruction of the Bayesian posterior, the profile likelihood is poorly approximated. We identify a more appropriate MULTINEST configuration for profile likelihood analyses, which gives an excellent exploration of the profile likelihood (albeit at a larger computational cost), including the identification of the global maximum likelihood value. We conclude that with the appropriate configuration MULTINEST is a suitable tool for profile likelihood studies, indicating previous claims to the contrary are not well founded.

Abstract: A dedicated sample of Large Hadron Collider proton-proton collision data at centre-of-mass energy s= 8 TeV is used to study inclusive single diffractive dissociation, pp -> X p. The intact final-state proton is reconstructed in the ATLAS ALFA forward spectrometer, while charged particles from the dissociated system X are measured in the central detector components. The fiducial range of the measurement is -4.0 < log(10)xi < -1.6 and 0.016 < |t| < 0.43 GeV2, where xi is the proton fractional energy loss and t is the squared four-momentum transfer. The total cross section integrated across the fiducial range is 1.59 +/- 0.13 mb. Cross sections are also measured differentially as functions of xi, t, and increment eta, a variable that characterises the rapidity gap separating the proton and the system X . The data are consistent with an exponential t dependence, d sigma/dt proportional to e(Bt) with slope parameter B = 7.65 +/- 0.34 GeV-2. Interpreted in the framework of triple Regge phenomenology, the xi dependence leads to a pomeron intercept of alpha(0) = 1.07 +/- 0.09.

Abstract: The measured branching fractions of B-mesons into leptonic final states derived by the LHCb, Belle and BaBar collaborations hint towards the breakdown of lepton flavour universality. In this work we take at face value the so-called R-D(()*()) observables that are defined as the ratios of neutral B-meson charged-current decays into a D-(*())-meson, a charged lepton and a neutrino final state in the tau and light lepton channels. A well-studied and simple solution to this charged current anomaly is to introduce a scalar leptoquark S-1 that couples to the second and third generation of fermions. We investigate how S-1 can also serve as a mediator between the Standard Model and a dark sector. We study this scenario in detail and estimate the constraints arising from collider searches for leptoquarks, collider searches for missing energy signals, direct detection experiments and the dark matter relic abundance. We stress that the production of a pair of leptoquarks that decays into different final states (i.e. the commonly called “mixed” channels) provides critical information for identifying the underlying dynamics, and we exemplify this by studying the t tau b nu and the resonant S-1 plus missing energy channels. We find that direct detection data provides non-negligible constraints on the leptoquark coupling to the dark sector, which in turn affects the relic abundance. We also show that the correct relic abundance can not only arise via standard freeze-out, but also through conversion-driven freeze-out. We illustrate the rich phenomenology of the model with a few selected benchmark points, providing a broad stroke of the interesting connection between lepton flavour universality violation and dark matter.

Abstract: Additional Higgs bosons appear in many extensions of the Standard Model (SM). While most existing searches for additional Higgs bosons concentrate on final states consisting of SM particles, final states containing beyond the SM (BSM) particles play an important role in many BSM models. In order to facilitate future searches for such final states, we develop a simplified model framework for heavy Higgs boson decays to a massive SM boson as well as one or more invisible particles. Allowing one kind of BSM mediator in each decay chain, we classify the possible decay topologies for each final state, taking into account all different possibilities for the spin of the mediator and the invisible particles. Our comparison of the kinematic distributions for each possible model realization reveals that the distributions corresponding to the different simplified model topologies are only mildly affected by the different spin hypotheses, while there is significant sensitivity for distinguishing between the different decay topologies. As a consequence, we point out that expressing the results of experimental searches in terms of the proposed simplified model topologies will allow one to constrain wide classes of different BSM models. The application of the proposed simplified model framework is explicitly demonstrated for the example of a mono-Higgs search. For each of the simplified models that are proposed in this paper we provide all necessary ingredients for performing Monte-Carlo simulations such that they can readily be applied in experimental analyses.