Abstract: The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment will search for dark matter particle interactions with a detector containing a total of 10 tonnes of liquid xenon within a double -vessel cryostat. The large mass and proximity of the cryostat to the active detector volume demand the use of material with extremely low intrinsic radioactivity. We report on the radioassay campaign conducted to identify suitable metals, the determination of factors limiting radiopure production, and the selection of titanium for construction of the LZ cryostat and other detector components. This titanium has been measured with activities of U-238(e) < 1.6 mBq/kg, U-238(I) < 0.09 mBq/kg, Th-232(e) = 0.28 +/- 0.03 mBq/kg, Th-232(I) = 0.25 +/- 0.02 mBq/kg, K-40 <0.54 mBq/kg, and (60) Co <0.02 mBq/kg (68% CL). Such low intrinsic activities, which are some of the lowest ever reported for titanium, enable its use for future dark matter and other rare event searches. Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to assess the expected background contribution from the LZ cryostat with this radioactivity. In 1,000 days of WIMP search exposure of a 5.6-tonne fiducial mass, the cryostat will contribute only a mean background of 0.160 +/- 0.001(stat) +/- 0.030(sys) counts.

Abstract: The Minimal Supersymmetric Extension of the Standard Model (MSSM) is able to explain the current data from neutrino physics. Unfortunately Split Supersymmetry as low energy approximation of this theory fails to generate a solar square mass difference, including after the addition of bilinear R-Parity Violation. In this work, it is shown how one can derive an effective low energy theory from the MSSM in the spirit of Split Supersymmetry, which has the potential of explaining the neutrino phenomenology. This is achieved by going beyond leading order in the process of integrating out heavy scalars from the original theory, which results in non-renormalizable operators in the effective low energy theory. It is found that in particular a d = 8 operator is crucial for the generation of the neutrino mass differences.

Abstract: The baryon electromagnetic form factors are expressed in terms of two-dimensional densities describing the distribution of charge and magnetization in transverse space at fixed light-front time. We calculate the transverse densities of the spin-1/2 flavor-octet baryons at peripheral distances b = O(M-pi(-1)) using methods of relativistic chiral effective field theory (chi EFT) and dispersion analysis. The densities are represented as dispersive integrals over the imaginary parts of the form factors in the timelike region (spectral functions). The isovector spectral functions on the two-pion cut t > 4 M-pi(2) are calculated using relativistic chi EFT including octet and decuplet baryons. The chi EFT calculations are extended into the rho meson mass region using an N / D method that incorporates the pion electromagnetic form factor data. The isoscalar spectral functions are modeled by vector meson poles. We compute the peripheral charge and magnetization densities in the octet baryon states, estimate the uncertainties, and determine the quark flavor decomposition. The approach can be extended to baryon form factors of other operators and the moments of generalized parton distributions.

Abstract: A search for the CP-violating strong decays eta -> pi(+)pi(-) and eta ' (958) -> pi(+)pi(-) has been performed using approximately 2.5 x 10(7) events of each of the decays D+ -> pi(+)pi(+)pi(-) and D-s(+) -> pi(+)pi(+)pi(-), recorded by the LHCb experiment. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) of pp collision data recorded during LHC Run 1 and 0.3fb(-1) recorded in Run 2. No evidence is seen for D-(s)(+) -> pi(+)eta((')) with eta((')) -> pi(+)pi(-), and upper limits at 90% confidence level are set on the branching fractions, B(eta -> pi(+)pi(-)) < 1.6 x 10(-5) and B(eta' -> pi(+)pi(-)) < 1.8 x 10(-5). The limit for the eta decay is comparable with the existing one, while that for the eta' is a factor of three smaller than the previous limit.

Abstract: We propose a realistic theory based on the SU(3) c. SU(3) L. SU(3) R. U(1) Xgauge group which requires the number of families to match the number of colors. In the simplest realization neutrino masses arise from the canonical seesaw mechanism and their smallness correlates with the observed V-A nature of the weak force. Depending on the symmetry breaking path to the Standard Model one recovers either a left-right symmetric theory or one based on the SU(3) c. SU(3) L. U(1) symmetry as the “next” step towards new physics.