ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2018). Measurement of differential cross sections of isolated-photon plus heavy-flavour jet production in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV using the ATLAS detector. Phys. Lett. B, 776, 295–317.
Abstract: This Letter presents the measurement of differential cross sections of isolated prompt photons produced in association with a b-jet or a c-jet. These final states provide sensitivity to the heavy-flavour content of the proton and aspects related to the modelling of heavy-flavour quarks in perturbative QCD. The measurement uses proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2012 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of up to 20.2 fb(-1). The differential cross sections are measured for each jet flavour with respect to the transverse energy of the leading photon in two photon pseudorapidity regions: vertical bar eta(gamma)vertical bar < 1.37 and 1.56 < vertical bar eta(gamma)vertical bar < 2.37. The measurement covers photon transverse energies 25 < E-T(gamma) < 400 GeV and 25 < E-T(gamma) < 350 GeV respectively for the two vertical bar eta(gamma)vertical bar regions. For each jet flavour, the ratio of the cross sections in the two vertical bar eta(gamma)vertical bar regions is also measured. The measurement is corrected for detector effects and compared to leading-order and next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD calculations, based on various treatments and assumptions about the heavy-flavour content of the proton. Overall, the predictions agree well with the measurement, but some deviations are observed at high photon transverse energies. The total uncertainty in the measurement ranges between 13% and 66%, while the central gamma+b measurement exhibits the smallest uncertainty, ranging from 13% to 27%, which is comparable to the precision of the theoretical predictions.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2018). Search for an invisibly decaying Higgs boson or dark matter candidates produced in association with a Z boson in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Phys. Lett. B, 776, 318–337.
Abstract: A search for an invisibly decaying Higgs boson or dark matter candidates produced in association with a leptonically decaying Z boson in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV is presented. This search uses 36.1 fb(-1) of data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. No significant deviation from the expectation of the Standard Model backgrounds is observed. Assuming the Standard Model ZH production cross-section, an observed (expected) upper limit of 67% (39%) at the 95% confidence level is set on the branching ratio of invisible decays of the Higgs boson with mass m(H) = 125 GeV. The corresponding limits on the production cross-section of the ZH process with the invisible Higgs boson decays are also presented. Furthermore, exclusion limits on the dark matter candidate and mediator masses are reported in the framework of simplified dark matter models.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). First observation of forward Z -> b(b)over-bar production in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV. Phys. Lett. B, 776, 430–439.
Abstract: The decay Z -> b (b) over bar is reconstructed in pp collision data, corresponding to 2 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity, collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV. The product of the Z production cross-section and the Z -> b (b) over bar branching fraction is measured for candidates in the fiducial region defined by two particle-level b-quark jets with pseudorapidities in the range 2.2 < eta < 4.2, with transverse momenta p(T) > 20 GeV and dijet invariant mass in the range 45 < m(jj) < 165 GeV. From a signal yield of 5462 +/- 763 Z -> b (b) over bar events, where the uncertainty is statistical, a production cross-section times branching fraction of 332 +/- 46 +/- 59 pb is obtained, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The measured significance of the signal yield is 6.0 standard deviations. This measurement represents the first observation of the Z -> b (b) over bar production in the forward region of pp collisions.
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Sakai, S., Oset, E., & Ramos, A. (2018). Triangle singularities in B- -> K- pi- D(s0)+ and B- -> K- pi- D(s1)+. Eur. Phys. J. A, 54(1), 10–14pp.
Abstract: We study the appearance of structures in the decay of the B- into K-pi D--(s0)+ (2317) and K-pi D--(s1)+ (2460) final states by forming invariant mass distributions of pi D--(s0)+ and pi D--(s1)+ pairs, respectively. The structure in the distribution is associated to the kinematical triangle singularity that appears when the B- -> K- K*(0) D-0 (B- -> K- K*(0) D*(0)) decay process is followed by the decay of the K*(0) into pi(-) K+ and the subsequent rescattering of the K+ D-0 (K+ D*(0)) pair forming the D-s0(+) (2317) (D-s1(+) (2460)) resonance. We find this type of non-resonant peaks at 2850MeV in the invariant mass of pi D--(s0) pairs from B- -> K- pi(-) D-s0(+) (2317) decays and around 3000MeV in the invariant mass of pi D--(s1)+ pairs from B- -> K- pi(-) D-s1(+)(2460) decays. By employing the measured branching ratios of the B- -> K- K*(0) D-0 and B- -> K- K*(0) D*(0) decays, we predict the branching ratios for the processes B- into K-pi D--(s0)+ (2317) K-pi D--(s1)+ (2460), in the vicinity of the triangle singularity peak, to be about 8 x 10(-6) and 1 x 10(-6), respectively. The observation of this reaction would also give extra support to the molecular picture of the D-s0(+)(2317) and D-s1(+)(2460).
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Wang, E., Xie, J. J., Geng, L. S., & Oset, E. (2018). Analysis of the B+ -> J/Psi phi K+ data at low J/Psi phi invariant masses and the X(4140) and X(4160) resonances. Phys. Rev. D, 97(1), 014017–6pp.
Abstract: We have studied the J/Psi phi mass distribution of the B+ -> J/Psi phi K+ reaction from threshold to about 4250 MeV, and find that one needs the contribution of the X(4140) with a narrow width, together with the X(4160) which accounts for most of the strength of the distribution in that region. The existence of a clear cusp at the D-s*(D) over bar (s)* threshold indicates that the X(4160) resonance is strongly tied to the D-s*(D) over bar (s)* channel, which finds a natural interpretation in the molecular picture of this resonance.
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Afonso, V. I., Olmo, G. J., & Rubiera-Garcia, D. (2018). Mapping Ricci-based theories of gravity Into general relativity. Phys. Rev. D, 97(2), 021503–6pp.
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.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). Search for weakly decaying b-flavored pentaquarks. Phys. Rev. D, 97(3), 032010–11pp.
Abstract: Investigations of the existence of pentaquark states containing a single b (anti) quark decaying weakly into four specific final states J/psi K+pi(-)p, J/psi K-pi(-)p, J/psi K-pi(+)p, and J/psi phi(1020)p are reported. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) in 7 and 8 TeV pp collisions acquired with the LHCb detector. Signals are not observed and upper limits are set on the product of the production cross section times branching fraction with respect to that of the A(b)(0).
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IDS Collaboration(Lica, R. et al), & Morales, A. I. (2018). Evolution of deformation in neutron-rich Ba isotopes up to A=150. Phys. Rev. C, 97(2), 024305–12pp.
Abstract: The occurrence of octupolar shapes in the Ba isotopic chain was recently established experimentally up to N = 90. To further extend the systematics, the evolution of shapes in the most neutron-rich members of the Z = 56 isotopic chain accessible at present, Ba-148,Ba-150, has been studied via beta decay at the ISOLDE Decay Station. This paper reports on the first measurement of the positive-and negative-parity low-spin excited states of 150Ba and presents an extension of the beta-decay scheme of Cs-148. Employing the fast timing technique, half-lives for the 2(1)(+) level in both nuclei have been determined, resulting in T-1/2 = 1.51(1) ns for Ba-148 and T-1/2 = 3.4(2) ns for Ba-150. The systematics of low-spin states, together with the experimental determination of the B(E2 : 2(+) -> 0(+)) transition probabilities, indicate an increasing collectivity in Ba148-150, towards prolate deformed shapes. The experimental data are compared to symmetry conserving configuration mixing (SCCM) calculations, confirming an evolution of increasingly quadrupole deformed shapes with a definite octupolar character.
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T2K Collaboration(Abe, K. et al), Cervera-Villanueva, A., Izmaylov, A., Novella, P., Sorel, M., & Stamoulis, P. (2018). Measurement of the single pi(0) production rate in neutral current neutrino interactions on water. Phys. Rev. D, 97(3), 032002–13pp.
Abstract: The single pi(0) production rate in neutral current neutrino interactions on water in a neutrino beam with a peak neutrino energy of 0.6 GeV has been measured using the empty set, one of the subdetectors of the T2K near detector. The production rate was measured for data taking periods when the Pempty setD contained water (2.64 x 10(20) protons-on-target) and also periods without water (3.49 x 10(20) protons-on-target). A measurement of the neutral current single pi(0) production rate on water is made using appropriate subtraction of the production rate with water in from the rate with water out of the target region. The subtraction analysis yields 106 +/- 41 +/- 69 signal events where the uncertainties are statistical (stat.) and systematic (sys.) respectively. This is consistent with the prediction of 157 events from the nominal simulation. The measured to expected ratio is 0.68 +/- 0.26(stat) +/- 0.44(sys) +/- 0.12(flux). The nominal simulation uses a flux integrated cross section of 7.63 x 10(-39) cm(2) per nucleon with an average neutrino interaction energy of 1.3 GeV.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Lerendegui-Marco, J. et al.), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2018). Radiative neutron capture on Pu-242 in the resonance region at the CERN n_TOF-EAR1 facility. Phys. Rev. C, 97(2), 024605–21pp.
Abstract: The spent fuel of current nuclear reactors contains fissile plutonium isotopes that can be combined with uranium to make mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. In this way the Pu from spent fuel is used in a new reactor cycle, contributing to the long-term sustainability of nuclear energy. However, an extensive use of MOX fuels, in particular in fast reactors, requires more accurate capture and fission cross sections for some Pu isotopes. In the case of Pu-242 there are sizable discrepancies among the existing capture cross-section measurements included in the evaluations (all from the 1970s) resulting in an uncertainty as high as 35% in the fast energy region. Moreover, postirradiation experiments evaluated with JEFF-3.1 indicate an overestimation of 14% in the capture cross section in the fast neutron energy region. In this context, the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) requested an accuracy of 8% in this cross section in the energy region between 500 meV and 500 keV. This paper presents a new time-of-flight capture measurement on Pu-242 carried out at nTOF-EAR1 (CERN), focusing on the analysis and statistical properties of the resonance region, below 4 keV. The Pu-242(n, gamma) reaction on a sample containing 95(4) mg enriched to 99.959% was measured with an array of four C6D6 detectors and applying the total energy detection technique. The high neutron energy resolution of nTOF-EAR1 and the good statistics accumulated have allowed us to extend the resonance analysis up to 4 keV, obtaining new individual and average resonance parameters from a capture cross section featuring a systematic uncertainty of 5%, fulfilling the request of the NEA.
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