Abstract: Searches for exclusively produced W boson pairs in the process pp(gamma gamma) -> pW(+) W- p and an exclusively produced Higgs boson in the process pp(gg) -> pHp have been performed using e(+/-) mu(-/+) final states. These measurements use 20.2 fb(-1) of pp collisions collected by the ATLAS experiment at a center-of-mass energy root s = 8 TeV at the LHC. Exclusive production of W+ W- consistent with the Standard Model prediction is found with 3.0 sigma significance. The exclusive W+ W- production cross section is determined to be sigma(gamma gamma -> W+ W- -> e(+/-) mu(-/+) X) = 6.9 +/- 2.2(stat) +/- 1.4(sys) fb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction. Limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings are set at 95% confidence level as -1.7 x 10(-6) < a(0)(W) / Lambda(2) < 1.7 x 10(-6) GeV-2 and -6.4 x 10(-6) < a(C)(W) / Lambda(2) < 6.3 x 10(-6) GeV-2. A 95% confidence-level upper limit on the total production cross section for an exclusive Higgs boson is set to 1.2 pb.

Abstract: We study the scaling with the number of colors, N-c, of the weak amplitudes mediating kaon mixing and decay. We evaluate the amplitudes of the two relevant current-current operators on the lattice for N-c = 3-7. We conclude that the subleading 1/N-c corrections in B-k, are small, but those in the K -> pi pi amplitudes are large and fully anticoirelated in the I = 0, 2 isospin channels. We briefly comment on the implications for the Delta I = 1/2 rule.

Abstract: A study of B-c(+) -> K+K-pi(+) decays is performed for the first time using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Evidence for the decay B-c(+) -> chi(c0)(K+K-)pi(+) is reported with a significance of 4.0 standard deviations, giving sigma(B-c(+))/sigma(B+) x B(B-c(+) -> chi(c0)pi+) = (9.8(-3.0)(+3.4)(stat) +/- 0.8(stat)) x 10(-6). Here B denotes a branching fraction while sigma(B-c(+)) and sigma(B+) are the production cross sections for B-c(+) and B+ mesons. An indication of (b) over barc weak annihilation is found for the region m(K-pi(+)) < 1.834 GeV/c(2), with a significance of 2.4 standard deviations.

Abstract: The first full amplitude analysis of B+ -> J/psi phi K+ with J/psi -> mu(+)mu(-), phi -> K+K- decays is performed with a data sample of 3 fb(-1) of pp collision data collected at root s = 7 and 8 TeV with the LHCb detector. The data cannot be described by a model that contains only excited kaon states decaying into phi K+, and four J/psi phi structures are observed, each with significance over 5 standard deviations. The quantum numbers of these structures are determined with significance of at least 4 standard deviations. The lightest has mass consistent with, but width much larger than, previous measurements of the claimed X(4140) state. The model includes significant contributions from a number of expected kaon excitations, including the first observation of the K*(1680)+ -> phi K+ transition.

Abstract: As we anticipate the first results of the 2016 run, we assess the discovery potential of the LHC to “natural supersymmetry.” To begin with, we explore the region of the model parameter space that can be excluded with various center-of-mass energies (13 TeV and 14 TeV) and different luminosities (20 fb(-1), 100 fb(-1), 300 fb(-1) and 3000 fb(-1)). We find that the bounds at 95% C.L. on stops vary from m((t1) over tilde) greater than or similar to 800 GeV expected this summer to m((t1) over tilde) greater than or similar to 1500 GeV at the end of the high luminosity run, while gluino bounds are expected to range from m((g) over tilde) greater than or similar to 1700 GeV to m((g) over tilde) greater than or similar to 2500 GeV over the same time period. However, more pessimistically, we find that if no signal begins to appear this summer, only a very small region of parameter space can be discovered with 5 sigma significance. For this conclusion to change, we find that both theoretical and systematic uncertainties will need to be significantly reduced.