Abstract: The total cross section and differential cross sections for the production of B-c(+/-) mesons, times their branching fraction to J/psi pi(+/-), are measured relative to those for the production of B-+/- mesons, times their branching fraction to J/psi K-+/-. The data used for this study correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1) of pp collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2012 at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV. The measurement is performed differentially in bins of transverse momentum p(T) for 13 GeV < p(T)(B-c(+/-)) < 22 GeV and p(T)(B-c(+/-)) > 22 GeV and in bins of rapidity y for vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.75 and 0.75 < vertical bar y vertical bar < 2.3. The relative cross section times branching fraction for the full range p(T) > 13 GeV and vertical bar y vertical bar < 2.3 is (0.34 +/- 0.04(stat) (+0.06)(-0.02 sys) +/- 0.01(lifetime))%. The differential measurements suggest that the production cross section of the B-c(+/-) decreases faster with p(T) than the production cross section of the B-+/-, while no significant dependence on rapidity is observed.

Abstract: A search for the exotic decay of the Higgs boson (H) into a b (b) over bar resonance plus missing transverse momentum is described. The search is performed with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider using 139 fb(-1) of pp collisions at root s = 13 TeV. The search targets events from ZH production in an NMSSM scenario where H -> chi(similar to 0)(2)chi(similar to 0)(1), with chi(similar to 0)(2) -> a chi(similar to 0)(1), where a is a light pseudoscalar Higgs boson and chi(similar to 0)(1,)(2) are the two lightest neutralinos. The decay of the a boson into a pair of b-quarks results in a peak in the dijet invariant mass distribution. The final-state signature consists of two leptons, two or more jets, at least one of which is identified as originating from a b-quark, and missing transverse momentum. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations and upper limits are set on the product of cross section times branching ratio for a three-dimensional scan of the masses of the chi(similar to 0)(2), chi(similar to 0)(1) and a boson.

Abstract: A search optimized for new heavy particles decaying to two b-quarks and produced in association with additional b-quarks is reported. The sensitivity is improved by b-tagging at least one lower-pT jet in addition to the two highest-pT jets. The data used in this search correspond to an integrated luminosity of 103 fb-1 collected with a dedicated trijet trigger during the 2017 and 2018 pffisffi = 13 TeV proton-proton collision runs with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The search looks for resonant peaks in the b-tagged dijet invariant mass spectrum over a smoothly falling background. The background is estimated with an innovative data-driven method based on orthonormal functions. The observed b-tagged dijet invariant mass spectrum is compatible with the background-only hypothesis. Upper limits at 95% confidence level on a heavy vector-boson production cross section times branching ratio to a pair of b-quarks are derived.