Abstract: We propose a realization of the so-called bimodal/schizophrenic model proposed recently. We assume 54, the permutation group of four objects as flavor symmetry giving tri-bimaximal lepton mixing at leading order. In these models the second massive neutrino state is assumed quasi-Dirac and the remaining neutrinos are Majorana states. In the case of inverse mass hierarchy, the lower bound on the neutrinoless double beta decay parameter m(ee) is about two times that of the usual lower bound, within the range of sensitivity of the next generation of experiments.

Abstract: We propose a generic recipe for deforming extremal black holes into nonextremal black holes and we use it to find and study the static non-extremal black-hole solutions of several N = 2, d = 4 supergravity models (SL(2, R)/U(1), (CP) over bar (n) and STU with four charges). In all the cases considered, the non-extremal family of solutions smoothly interpolates between all the different extremal limits, supersymmetric and not supersymmetric. This fact can be used to explicitly find extremal non-supersymmetric solutions also in the cases in which the attractor mechanism does not completely fix the values of the scalars on the event horizon and they still depend on the boundary conditions at spatial infinity. We compare (supersymmetry) Bogomol'nyi bounds with extremality bounds, we find the first-order flow equations for the non-extremal solutions and the corresponding superpotential, which gives in the different extremal limits different superpotentials for extremal black holes. We also compute the entropies (areas) of the inner (Cauchy) and outer (event) horizons, finding in all cases that their product gives the square of the moduli-independent entropy of the extremal solution with the same electric and magnetic charges.

Abstract: ATLAS is a multipurpose experiment that records the products of the LHC collisions. In order to reconstruct the trajectories of the charged particles produced in these collisions. ATLAS has an internal tracking system made of silicon planar sensors (pixels and micro-strips) and drift-tube based detectors; both together, they constitute the ATLAS Inner Detector. The alignment of the ATLAS tracking system requires the determination of their almost 36,000 degrees-of-freedom (DOF) with high accuracy. Thus, the demanded precision for the alignment of the pixel and micro-strip sensors is below 10 μm. As alignment algorithms are based on the minimization of the track-hit residuals, a linear system with a large number of DOF has to be solved. The alignment results of the ATLAS tracker using data recorded during cosmic commissioning phases in 2008 and 2009 and the LHC start up run in 2009 will be presented. Moreover recent 7 TeV data collected during 2010 run have been used to study the detector performance. These studies reveal that the detector is aligned with a precision high enough to cope with the requirements.

Abstract: In the present work a two-component dark matter model is studied adopting the degenerate scenario in the R-parity conserving NMSSM. The gravitino LSP and the neutralino NLSP are extremely degenerate in mass, avoiding the BBN bounds and obtaining a high reheating temperature for thermal leptogenesis. In this model both gravitino (absolutely stable) and neutralino (quasi-stable) contribute to dark matter, and direct detection searches for neutralino are discussed. Points that survive all the constraints correspond to a singlino-like neutralino.

Abstract: We study the eta'N interaction within a chiral unitary approach which includes pi N, eta N and related pseudoscalar meson-baryon coupled channels. Since the SU(3) singlet does not contribute to the standard interaction and the eta' is mostly a singlet, the resulting scattering amplitude is very small and inconsistent with the experimental scattering length. The additional consideration of vector meson-baryon states into the coupled channel scheme, via normal and anomalous couplings of pseudoscalar to vector mesons, enhances substantially the eta'N amplitude. We also exploit the freedom of adding to the Lagrangian a new term, allowed by the symmetries of QCD, which couples baryons to the singlet meson of SU(3). Adjusting the unknown strength to the eta'N scattering length, we obtain predictions for the elastic eta'N -> eta'N and inelastic eta'N -> eta N, pi N, K Lambda, K Sigma cross sections at low eta' energies, and discuss their significance.