Abstract: Models involving an interaction between the dark matter and the dark energy sectors have been proposed to alleviate the long-standing Hubble constant tension. In this paper, we analyse whether the constraints and potential hints obtained for these interacting models remain unchanged when using simulated Planck data. Interestingly, our simulations indicate that a dangerous fake detection for a non-zero interaction among the dark matter and the dark energy fluids could arise when dealing with current cosmic microwave background (CMB) Planck measurements alone. The very same hypothesis is tested against future CMB observations, finding that only cosmic variance limited polarization experiments, such as PICO or PRISM, could be able to break the existing parameter degeneracies and provide reliable cosmological constraints. This paper underlines the extreme importance of confronting the results arising from data analyses with those obtained with simulations when extracting cosmological limits within exotic cosmological scenarios.

Abstract: We propose a new strategy for the determination of the step scaling function sigma (u) in finite size scaling studies using the gradient flow. In this approach the determination of sigma (u) is broken in two pieces: a change of the flow time at fixed physical size, and a change of the size of the system at fixed flow time. Using both perturbative arguments and a set of simulations in the pure gauge theory we show that this approach leads to a better control over the continuum extrapolations. Following this new proposal we determine the running coupling at high energies in the pure gauge theory and re-examine the determination of the Lambda -parameter, with special care on the perturbative truncation uncertainties.

Abstract: A considerable experimental effort is currently under way to test the persistent hints for oscillations due to an eV-scale sterile neutrino in the data of various reactor neutrino experiments. The assessment of the statistical significance of these hints is usually based on Wilks' theorem, whereby the assumption is made that the log-likelihood is chi 2-distributed. However, it is well known that the preconditions for the validity of Wilks' theorem are not fulfilled for neutrino oscillation experiments. In this work we derive a simple asymptotic form of the actual distribution of the log-likelihood based on reinterpreting the problem as fitting white Gaussian noise. From this formalism we show that, even in the absence of a sterile neutrino, the expectation value for the maximum likelihood estimate of the mixing angle remains non-zero with attendant large values of the log-likelihood. Our analytical results are then confirmed by numerical simulations of a toy reactor experiment. Finally, we apply this framework to the data of the Neutrino-4 experiment and show that the null hypothesis of no-oscillation is rejected at the 2.6 sigma level, compared to 3.2 sigma obtained under the assumption that Wilks' theorem applies.

Abstract: Using a proton-proton collision data sample collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb(-1), the observation of a new excited Xi(0)(b) resonance decaying to the Xi(-)(b)pi(+) final state is presented. The state, referred to as Xi(b) (6227)(0), has a measured mass and natural width of m(Xi(b)(6227)(0)) = 6227.1(-1.5)(+1.4) +/- 0.5 MeV and Gamma(Xi(b)(6227)(0)) = 18.6(-4.1)(+5.0) +/- 1.4 MeV, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic. The production rate of the Xi(b)(6227)(0) state relative to that of the Xi(-)(b) baryon in the kinematic region 2 < eta < 5 and p(T) < 30 GeV is measured to be f(Xi b(6227)0)/f(Xi b)(-) B(Xi(b)(6227)(0) -> Xi(-)(b)pi(+)) = 0.045 +/- 0.008 +/- 0.004, where B(Xi(b)(6227)(0) -> Xi(-)(b)pi(+)) is the branching fraction of the decay, and f(Xi b(6227)0) and f(Xi b-) represent fragmentation fractions. Improved measurements of the mass and natural width of the previously observedf Xi(b)(6227)(-) state, along with the mass of the Xi(-)(b) baryon, are also reported. Both measurements are significantly more precise than, and consistent with, previously reported values.

Abstract: The simulation and analysis of High Energy Physics experiments require a realistic simulation of the detector material and its distribution. The challenge is to describe all active and passive parts of large scale detectors like ATLAS in terms of their size, position and material composition. The common method for estimating the radiation length by weighing individual components, adding up their contributions and averaging the resulting material distribution over extended structures provides a good general estimate, but can deviate significantly from the material actually present. A method has been developed to assess its material distribution with high spatial resolution using the reconstructed scattering angles and hit positions of high energy electron tracks traversing an object under investigation. The study presented here shows measurements for an extended structure with a highly inhomogeneous material distribution. The structure under investigation is an End-of-Substructure-card prototype designed for the ATLAS Inner Tracker strip tracker – a PCB populated with components of a large range of material budgets and sizes. The measurements presented here summarise requirements for data samples and reconstructed electron tracks for reliable image reconstruction of large scale, inhomogeneous samples, choices of pixel sizes compared to the size of features under investigation as well as a bremsstrahlung correction for high material densities and thicknesses.