Abstract: A measurement of the inclusive W -> μnu production cross-section using data from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s=7 TeV is presented. The analysis is based on an integrated luminosity of about 1.0 fb(-1) recorded with the LHCb detector. Results are reported for muons with a transverse momentum greater than 20 GeV/c and pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. The W+ and W- production cross-sections are measured to be sigma(W+->mu+nu)=861.0 +/- 2.0 +/- 11.2 +/- 14.7pb, sigma(W-->mu-(nu)over bar)=675.8 +/- 1.9 +/- 8.8 +/- 11.6pb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third is due to the luminosity determination. Cross-section ratios and differential distributions as functions of the muon pseudorapidity are also presented. The ratio of W+ to W- cross-sections in the same fiducial kinematic region is determined to be sigma(W+->mu+nu)/sigma(W-->mu-(nu)over bar) = 1.274 +/- 0.005 +/- 0.009, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. Results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics.

Abstract: We revisit a single field inflationary model based on Coleman-Weinberg potentials. We show that in small field Coleman-Weinberg inflation, the observed amplitude of perturbations needs an extremely small quartic coupling of the inflaton, which might be a signature of radiative origin. However, the spectral index obtained in a standard cosmological scenario turns out to be outside the 2 sigma region of the Planck data. When a non-standard cosmological framework is invoked, such as brane-world cosmology in the Randall-Sundrum model, the spectral index can be made consistent with Planck data within la, courtesy of the modification in the evolution of the Hubble parameter in such a scheme. We also show that the required inflaton quartic coupling as well as a phenomenologically viable B – L symmetry breaking together with a natural electroweak symmetry breaking can arise dynamically in a generalized B – L extension of the Standard Model where the full potential is assumed to vanish at a high scale.

Abstract: We present statistically convergent profile likelihood maps obtained via global fits of a phenomenological Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with 15 free parameters (the MSSM-15), based on over 250M points. We derive constraints on the model parameters from direct detection limits on dark matter, the Planck relic density measurement and data from accelerator searches. We provide a detailed analysis of the rich phenomenology of this model, and determine the SUSY mass spectrum and dark matter properties that are preferred by current experimental constraints. We evaluate the impact of the measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon (g – 2) on our results, and provide an analysis of scenarios in which the lightest neutralino is a subdominant component of the dark matter. The MSSM-15 parameters are relatively weakly constrained by current data sets, with the exception of the parameters related to dark matter phenomenology (M-1, M-2, mu), which are restricted to the sub-TeV regime, mainly due to the relic density constraint. The mass of the lightest neutralino is found to be < 1.5TeV at 99% C.L., but can extend up to 3 TeV when excluding the g – 2 constraint from the analysis. Low-mass bino-like neutralinos are strongly favoured, with spin-independent scattering cross-sections extending to very small values, similar to 10(-20) pb. ATLAS SUSY null searches strongly impact on this mass range, and thus rule out a region of parameter space that is outside the reach of any current or future direct detection experiment. The best-fit point obtained after inclusion of all data corresponds to a squark mass of 2.3 TeV, a gluino mass of 2.1 TeV and a 130 GeV neutralino with a spin-independent cross-section of 2.4 x 10(-10) pb, which is within the reach of future multi-ton scale direct detection experiments and of the upcoming LHC run at increased centre-of-mass energy.