Abstract: In this paper we study the nonperturbative structure of the SU(3) four-gluon vertex in the Landau gauge, concentrating on contributions quadratic in the metric. We employ an approximation scheme where “one-loop” diagrams are computed using fully dressed gluon and ghost propagators, and tree-level vertices. When a suitable kinematical configuration depending on a single momentum scale p is chosen, only two structures emerge: the tree-level four-gluon vertex, and a tensor orthogonal to it. A detailed numerical analysis reveals that the form factor associated with this latter tensor displays a change of sign (zero-crossing) in the deep infrared, and finally diverges logarithmically. The origin of this characteristic behavior is proven to be entirely due to the masslessness of the ghost propagators forming the corresponding ghost-loop diagram, in close analogy to a similar effect established for the three-gluon vertex. However, in the case at hand, and under the approximations employed, this particular divergence does not affect the form factor proportional to the tree-level tensor, which remains finite in the entire range of momenta, and deviates moderately from its naive tree-level value. It turns out that the kinematic configuration chosen is ideal for carrying out lattice simulations, because it eliminates from the connected Green's function all one-particle reducible contributions, projecting out the genuine one-particle irreducible vertex. Motivated by this possibility, we discuss in detail how a hypothetical lattice measurement of this quantity would compare to the results presented here, and the potential interference from an additional tensorial structure, allowed by Bose symmetry, but not encountered within our scheme.

Abstract: In this work, we explore the flavor-changing decays H-i -> bs in a general supersymmetric scenario. In these models the flavor-changing decays arise at loop level, but-because they originate from a dimension-four operator-they do not decouple and may provide a first sign of new physics for heavy masses beyond the reach of colliders. In the framework of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model, we find that the largest branching ratio of the lightest Higgs (H-1) is O(10(-6)) after imposing present experimental constraints, while heavy Higgs states may still present branching ratios O(10(-3)). In a more general supersymmetric scenario, where additional Higgs states may modify the Higgs mixings, the branching ratio BR(H-1 -> bs) can reach values O(10(-4)), while heavy Higgses still remain at O(10(-3)). Although these values are clearly out of reach for the LHC, a full study in a linear collider environment could be worth pursuing.

Abstract: Using decays to f-meson pairs, the inclusive production of charmonium states in b-hadron decays is studied with pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. Denoting by B-C = B(b -> CX) x B(C -> phi phi) the inclusive branching fraction of a b hadron to a charmonium state C that decays into a pair of phi mesons, ratios R-C2(C1) = B-C1/B-C2 are determined as R-eta c(1S)(chi c0) = 0.147 +/- 0.023 +/- 0.011, R-eta c(1S)(chi c1) = 0.073 +/- 0.016 +/- 0.006, R-eta c(1S)(chi c2) = 0.081 +/- 0.013 +/- 0.005, R-chi c0(chi c1) = 0.50 +/- 0.11 +/- 0.01, R-chi c0(chi c2) = 0.56 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.01 and R-eta c(1S)(eta c(2S)) = 0.040 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.004. Here and below the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Upper limits at 90% confidence level for the inclusive production of X(3872), X(3915) and.c2(2P) states are obtained as R-chi c1(X(3872)) < 0.34, R-chi c0(X(3915)) < 0.12 and R-chi c2(chi c2(2P)) < 0.16. Differential cross-sections as a function of transverse momentum are measured for the eta(c)(1S) and chi(c) states. The branching fraction of the decay B-s(0). phi phi phi is measured for the first time, B(B-s(0) -> phi phi phi) = (2.15 +/- 0.54 +/- 0.28 +/- 0.21 B) x10(-6). Here the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction of the decay B-s(0) -> phi phi, which is used for normalization. No evidence for intermediate resonances is seen. A preferentially transverse phi polarization is observed. Themeasurements allow the determination of the ratio of the branching fractions for the eta(c)(1S) decays to ff and p (p) over bar as B(eta(c)(1S) -> phi phi)/B(eta(c)(1S) -> p (p) over bar) = 1.79 +/- 0.14 +/- 0.32.