Abstract: We have chosen the reactions D-s(+) -> pi(+) pi(0)a(0)(980)(f(0)(980)) investigating the isospin violating channel D-s(+) -> pi+ pi(0)f(0)(980). The reaction was chosen because by varying the pi(0)a(0)(980)(f(0)(980)) invariant mass one goes through the peak of a triangle singularity emerging from D-s(+) -> pi(K) over bar *K, followed by (K) over bar* -> (K) over bar pi(0) and the further merging of K (K) over bar to produce the a(0)(980) or f(0)(980). We found that the amount of isospin violation had its peak precisely at the value of the pi(0)a(0)(980)(f(0)(980)) invariant mass where the singularity has its maximum, stressing the role of the triangle singularities as a factor to enhance the mixing of the f(0)(980) and a(0)(980) resonances. We calculate absolute rates for the reactions and show that they are within present measurable range. The measurement of these reactions would bring further information into the role of triangle singularities in isospin violation and the a(0) – f(0) mixing, in particular, and shed further light into the nature of the low energy scalar mesons.

Abstract: A Rn-220 source is deployed on the XENON100 dark matter detector in order to address the challenges in calibration of tonne-scale liquid noble element detectors. We show that the Pb-212 beta emission can be used for low-energy electronic recoil calibration in searches for dark matter. The isotope spreads throughout the entire active region of the detector, and its activity naturally decays below background level within a week after the source is closed. We find no increase in the activity of the troublesome Rn-222 background after calibration. Alpha emitters are also distributed throughout the detector and facilitate calibration of its response to Rn-222. Using the delayed coincidence of Rn-220-Po-216, we map for the first time the convective motion of particles in the XENON100 detector. Additionally, we make a competitive measurement of the half-life of Po-212, t(1/2) = (293.9 +/- (1.0)(stat) +/- (0.6)(sys)) ns.

Abstract: A measurement of the inclusive pp -> t (t) over bar + X production cross section in the tau + jets final state using only the hadronic decays of the tau lepton is presented. The measurement is performed using 20.2 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The cross section is measured via a counting experiment by imposing a set of selection criteria on the identification and kinematic variables of the reconstructed particles and jets, and on event kinematic variables and characteristics. The production cross section is measured to be sigma(t (t) over bar) = 239 +/- 29 pb, which is in agreement with the measurements in other final states and the theoretical predictions at this center-of-mass energy.

Abstract: Based on the full BABAR data sample of 466.5 million B (B) over bar pairs, we present measurements of the electron spectrum from semileptonic B meson decays. We fit the inclusive electron spectrum to distinguish Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) suppressed B -> X(u)ev decays from the CKM-favored B -> X(u)ev decays, and from various other backgrounds, and determine the total semileptonic branching fraction B(B -> X(u)ev) = (10.34 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.26(syst))%, averaged over B-+/- and B-0 mesons. We determine the spectrum and branching fraction for charmless B -> X(u)ev decays and extract the CKM element vertical bar V-ub vertical bar, by relying on four different QCD calculations based on the heavy quark expansion. While experimentally, the electron momentum region above 2.1 GeV/c is favored, because the background is relatively low, the uncertainties for the theoretical predictions are largest in the region near the kinematic endpoint. Detailed studies to assess the impact of these four predictions on the measurements of the electron spectrum, the branching fraction, and the extraction of the CKM matrix element vertical bar V-ub vertical bar are presented, with the lower limit on the electron momentum varied from 0.8 GeV/c to the kinematic endpoint. We determine V-ub vertical bar using each of these different calculations and find, vertical bar V-ub vertical bar = (3.794 +/- 0.107(exp) (+0.292)(-0.219) (SF) (+0.078)(-0.068)theory) x 10(-3) (De Fazio and Neubert), (4.563 +/- 0.126(exp) (+0.230)(+0.162)(-0.208)(-0.163)theory) x 10(-3) (Bosch, Lange, Neubert, and Paz), (3.959 +/- 0.104(exp -0.154)(SF-0.079)(+0.164)(+0.042) theory )x 10(-3) (Gambino, Giordano, Ossola, and Uraltsev), (3.848 +/- 0.108(exp -0.070)(theory)(+0.084)) x 10(-3) (dressed gluon exponentiation), where the stated uncertainties refer to the experimental uncertainties of the partial branching fraction measurement, the shape function parameters, and the theoretical calculations.

Abstract: Decays of the Xi(-)(b) and Omega(-)(b) baryons to the charmless final states ph(-)h'(-), where h((')) denotes a kaon or pion, are searched for with the LHCb detector. The analysis is based on a sample of proton-proton collision data collected at center-of-mass energies root s = 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1). The decay Xi(-)(b) -> pK(-)K(-) is observed with a significance of 8.7 standard deviations, and evidence at the level of 3.4 standard deviations is found for the Xi(-)(b) -> pK(-)pi(-) decay. Results are reported, relative to the B- -> K+K-K- normalization channel, for the products of branching fractions and b-hadron production fractions. The branching fractions of Xi(-)(b) -> pK(-)pi(-) and Xi(-)(b) -> p pi(-)pi(-) relative to Xi(-)(b) -> pK(-)K(-) decays are also measured.