LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2017). First Observation of the Rare Purely Baryonic Decay B0 -> p p-bar. Phys. Rev. Lett., 119(23), 232001–10pp.
Abstract: The first observation of the decay of a B0 meson to a purely baryonic final state, B-0 -> p$(p)over-bar-$ , is reported. The proton-proton collision data sample used was collected with the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1). The branching fraction is determined to be B(B-0 -> p$(p)over-bar-$) = (1.25 +/- 0.27 +/- 0.18) x 10(-8), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The decay mode B-0 -> p$(p)over-bar-$ is the rarest decay of the B-0 meson observed to date. The decay B-s(0 )-> p$(p)over-bar-$ is also investigated. No signal is seen and the upper limit B(B-s(0) -> p$(p)over-bar-$) < 1.5 x 10(-8) at 90% confidence level is set on the branching fraction.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2017). Search for supersymmetry in events with b-tagged jets and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 11(11), 195–50pp.
Abstract: A search for the supersymmetric partners of the Standard Model bottom and top quarks is presented. The search uses 36.1 fb(-1) of pp collision data at root s = 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Direct production of pairs of bottom and top squarks ((b) over bar (1) and (t) over bar (1)) is searched for in final states with b-tagged jets and missing transverse momentum. Distinctive selections are defined with either no charged leptons (electrons or muons) in the final state, or one charged lepton. The zero-lepton selection targets models in which the (b) over bar (1) is the lightest squark and decays via (b) over bar (1) -> b((chi) over bar1)(0), where (chi) over bar (0)(1) is the lightest neutralino. The one-lepton final state targets models where bottom or top squarks are produced and can decay into multiple channels, (b) over bar (1) -> b((chi) over bar1)(0) and (b) over bar (1) -> b((chi) over bar1)(+/-), or (t) over bar (1) -> t((chi) over bar1)(0) and (t) over bar (1) -> b((chi) over bar1)(+/-), where (X) over bar (+/-)(1) is the lightest chargino and the mass difference m((chi) over bar1)(+/-) – m((chi) over bar1)(0) is set to 1 GeV. No excess above the expected Standard Model background is observed. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level on the mass of third-generation squarks are derived in various supersymmetry-inspired simplified models.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2017). Observation of D-0 meson decays to pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) and K+ K- mu(+) mu(-) final states. Phys. Rev. Lett., 119(18), 181805–10pp.
Abstract: The first observation of the D-0 -> pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) and D-0 -> K+ K- mu(+) mu(-) decays is reported using a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by LHCb at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, and corresponding to 2 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. The corresponding branching fractions are measured using as normalization the decay D-0 -> K- pi(+) [mu(+) mu(-)](rho 0/omega), where the two muons are consistent with coming from the decay of a rho(0) or omega meson. The results are B(D-0 -> pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-)) = (9.64 +/- 0.48 +/- 0.51 +/- 0.97) x 10(-7) and B(D-0 -> K+ K- mu(+) mu(-)) = (1.54 +/- 0.27 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.16) x 10(-7), where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the limited knowledge of the normalization branching fraction. The dependence of the branching fraction on the dimuon mass is also investigated.
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Escudero, M., Witte, S. J., & Hooper, D. (2017). Hidden sector dark matter and the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess: a closer look. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 11(11), 042–29pp.
Abstract: Stringent constraints from direct detection experiments and the Large Hadron Collider motivate us to consider models in which the dark matter does not directly couple to the Standard Model, but that instead annihilates into hidden sector particles which ultimately decay through small couplings to the Standard Model. We calculate the gamma-ray emission generated within the context of several such hidden sector models, including those in which the hidden sector couples to the Standard Model through the vector portal (kinetic mixing with Standard Model hypercharge), through the Higgs portal (mixing with the Standard Model Higgs boson), or both. In each case, we identify broad regions of parameter space in which the observed spectrum and intensity of the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess can easily be accommodated, while providing an acceptable thermal relic abundance and remaining consistent with all current constraints. We also point out that cosmic-ray antiproton measurements could potentially discriminate some hidden sector models from more conventional dark matter scenarios.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2017). Search for pair production of heavy vector-like quarks decaying to high-p(T) W bosons and b quarks in the lepton-plus-jets final state in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 10(10), 141–40pp.
Abstract: A search is presented for the pair production of heavy vector-like T quarks, primarily targeting the T quark decays to a W boson and a b-quark. The search is based on 36: 1 fb(-1) of pp collisions at root s = 13TeV recorded in 2015 and 2016 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Data are analysed in the lepton-plus-jets final state, including at least one b-tagged jet and a large-radius jet identified as originating from the hadronic decay of a high-momentum W boson. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed in the reconstructed T mass distribution. The observed 95% confidence level lower limit on the T mass are 1350 GeV assuming 100% branching ratio to Wb. In the SU(2) singlet scenario, the lower mass limit is 1170 GeV. This search is also sensitive to a heavy vector-like B quark decaying to Wt and other final states. The results are thus reinterpreted to provide a 95% con fidence level lower limit on the B quark mass at 1250 GeV assuming 100% branching ratio to Wt; in the SU(2) singlet scenario, the limit is 1080 GeV. Mass limits on both T and B production are also set as a function of the decay branching ratios. The 100% branching ratio limits are found to be applicable to heavy vector-like Y and X production that decay to Wb and Wt, respectively.
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