Abstract: A search for high-mass resonances decaying to tau nu using proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV produced by the Large Hadron Collider is presented. Only tau-lepton decays with hadrons in the final state are considered. The data were recorded with the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb(-1). No statistically significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed; model-independent upper limits are set on the visible tau nu production cross section. Heavy W' bosons with masses less than 3.7 TeV in the sequential standard model and masses less than 2.2-3.8 TeV depending on the coupling in the nonuniversal Go(221) model are excluded at the 95% credibility level.

Abstract: The ratio of branching fractions R(D*(-)) equivalent to B(B-0 -> D*(-) iota(+)v(iota))/B(B-0 -> D*(-) mu+ v(mu)) is measured using a data sample of proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1). For the first time, R(D*-) is determined using the iota-lepton decays with three charged pions in the final state. The B-0 -> D*(-) iota+ v(iota) yield is normalized to that of the B-0 -> D*(-) pi(+) pi(-) pi(+) mode, providing a measurement B-0 -> D*(-) iota+ v(iota) / B(B-0 -> D*(-) pi(+) pi(-) pi(+)) = 1.97 +/- 0.13 +/- 0.18, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The value of (B-0 -> D*(-) iota+ v(iota)) = (1.42 +/- 0.094 +/- 0.129 +/- 0.054)% is obtained, where the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the branching fraction of the normalization mode. Using the well-measured branching fraction of the B-0 -> D*(-) mu+ v(mu) decay, a value of R(D*(-)) = 0.291 +/- 0.019 +/- 0.026 +/- 0.013 is established, where the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the branching fractions of the normalization and B-0 -> D*(-) mu+ v(mu) modes. This measurement is in agreement with the standard model prediction and with previous results.

Abstract: We analyze relevant signals expected at the LHC for a left sneutrino as the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP). The discussion is carried out in the “mu from nu” supersymmetric standard model (mu nu SSM), where the presence of R-parity breaking couplings involving right-handed neutrinos solves the μproblem and reproduces neutrino data. The sneutrinos are pair produced via a virtual W, Z or gamma in the s channel. From the prompt decay of a pair of left sneutrinos LSPs of any family, a significant diphoton signal plus missing transverse energy (MET) from neutrinos can be present in the mass range 118-132 GeV, with 13 TeV center-of-mass energy and an integrated luminosity of 100 fb(-1). In addition, in the case of a pair of tau left sneutrinos LSPs, given the large value of the tau Yukawa coupling diphoton plus leptons and/or multileptons can appear. We find that the number of expected events for the multilepton signal, together with properly adopted search strategies, is sufficient to give a significant evidence for a sneutrino of mass in the range 130-310 GeV, even with the integrated luminosity of 20 fb(-1). In the case of the signal producing diphoton plus leptons, an integrated luminosity of 100 fb(-1) is needed to give a significant evidence in the mass range 95-145 GeV. Finally, we discuss briefly the presence of displaced vertices and the associated range of masses.

Abstract: Lifetime measurements of excited states of the light N = 52 isotones Kr-88, Se-86, and Ge-84 have been performed, using the recoil distance Doppler shift method and VAMOS and AGATA spectrometers for particle identification and gamma spectroscopy, respectively. The reduced electric quadrupole transition probabilities B(E2; 2(+)-> 0(+)) and B(E2; 4(+)-> 2(+)) were obtained for the first time for the hard-to-reach 84Ge. While the B(E2; 2(+)-> 0(+) ) values of Kr-88, Se-86 saturate the maximum quadrupole collectivity offered by the natural valence (3s, 2d, 1g(7/2), 1h(11/2)) space of an inert Ni-78 core, the value obtained for Ge-84 largely exceeds it, suggesting that shape coexistence phenomena, previously reported at N less than or similar to 49, extend beyond N = 50. The onset of collectivity at Z = 32 is understood as due to a pseudo-SU(3) organization of the proton single-particle sequence reflecting a clear manifestation of pseudospin symmetry. It is realized that the latter provides actually reliable guidance for understanding the observed proton and neutron single particle structure in the whole medium-mass region, from Ni to Sn, pointing towards the important role of the isovector-vector rho field in shell-structure evolution.

Abstract: We show that the space of solutions of a wide class of Ricci-based metric-affine theories of gravity can be put into correspondence with the space of solutions of general relativity (GR). This allows us to use well-established methods and results from GR to explore new gravitational physics beyond it.