Abstract: We studied the proton-rich T-z = -1 nucleus Kr-70 through inelastic scattering at intermediate energies in order to extract the reduced transition probability, B(E2; 0+ -> 2+). Comparison with the other members of the A = 70 isospin triplet, Br-70 and Se-70, studied in the same experiment, shows a 3 sigma deviation from the expected linearity of the electromagnetic matrix elements as a function of T-z. At present, no established nuclear structure theory can describe this observed deviation quantitatively. This is the first violation of isospin symmetry at this level observed in the transition matrix elements. A heuristic approach may explain the anomaly by a shape change between the mirror nuclei Kr-70 and Se-70 contrary to the model predictions.

Abstract: When a heavy atomic nucleus splits (fission), the resulting fragments are observed to emerge spinning(1); this phenomenon has been a mystery in nuclear physics for over 40 years(2,3). The internal generation of typically six or seven units of angular momentum in each fragment is particularly puzzling for systems that start with zero, or almost zero, spin. There are currently no experimental observations that enable decisive discrimination between the many competing theories for the mechanism that generates the angular momentum(4-12). Nevertheless, the consensus is that excitation of collective vibrational modes generates the intrinsic spin before the nucleus splits (pre-scission). Here we show that there is no significant correlation between the spins of the fragment partners, which leads us to conclude that angular momentum in fission is actually generated after the nucleus splits (post-scission). We present comprehensive data showing that the average spin is strongly mass-dependent, varying in saw-tooth distributions. We observe no notable dependence of fragment spin on the mass or charge of the partner nucleus, confirming the uncorrelated post-scission nature of the spin mechanism. To explain these observations, we propose that the collective motion of nucleons in the ruptured neck of the fissioning system generates two independent torques, analogous to the snapping of an elastic band. A parameterization based on occupation of angular momentum states according to statistical theory describes the full range of experimental data well. This insight into the role of spin in nuclear fission is not only important for the fundamental understanding and theoretical description of fission, but also has consequences for the gamma-ray heating problem in nuclear reactors(13,14), for the study of the structure of neutron-rich isotopes(15,16), and for the synthesis and stability of super-heavy elements(17,18). gamma-ray spectroscopy experiments on the origin of spin in the products of nuclear fission of spin-zero nuclei suggest that the fission fragments acquire their spin after scission, rather than before.

Abstract: The first observation of the suppressed semileptonic B-s(0) -> K-mu(+)nu(mu) decay is reported. Using a data sample recorded in pp collisions in 2012 with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2 fb(-1), the branching fraction B(B-s(0) -> K-mu(+)nu(mu)) is measured to be [1.06 +/- 0.05(stat) +/- 0.08(syst)] x 10(-4), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second one represents the combined systematic uncertainties. The decay B-s(0) -> D-s(-)mu(+)nu(mu), where D-s(-) is reconstructed in the final state K+K-pi(-), is used as a normalization channel to minimize the experimental systematic uncertainty. Theoretical calculations on the form factors of the B-s(0) -> K- and B-s(0) -> D-s(-) transitions are employed to determine the ratio of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements vertical bar V-ub vertical bar/vertical bar V-cb vertical bar at low and high B-s(0) -> K- momentum transfer.

Abstract: The MoEDAL trapping detector consists of approximately 800 kg of aluminum volumes. It was exposed during run 2 of the LHC program to 6.46 fb(-1) of 13 TeV proton-proton collisions at the LHCb interaction point. Evidence for dyons (particles with electric and magnetic charge) captured in the trapping detector was sought by passing the aluminum volumes comprising the detector through a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. The presence of a trapped dyon would be signaled by a persistent current induced in the SQUID magnetometer. On the basis of a Drell-Yan production model, we exclude dyons with a magnetic charge ranging up to five Dirac charges (5g(D)) and an electric charge up to 200 times the fundamental electric charge for mass limits in the range 870-3120 GeV and also monopoles with magnetic charge up to and including 5g(D) with mass limits in the range 870-2040 GeV.

Abstract: We analyze the D (D) over bar mass distribution from a recent Belle experiment on the e(+)e(-) -> J/.D (D) over bar reaction, and show that the mass distribution divided by phase sp(c)e does not have a clear peak above the D (D) over bar threshold that justifies the experimental claim of chi(c0)(2P) state from those data. Then we use a unitary formalismwith coupled channels D+ D-, D-0 (D) over bar (0), D-s(D) over bar (s), and eta eta, with some of the interactions taken from a theoretical model, and use the data to fix other parameters. We then show that, given the poor quality of the data, we can get different fits leading to very different D (D) over bar amplitudes, some of them supporting a D (D) over bar bound state and others not. The main conclusion is that the claim for the chi(c0)(2P) state, already included in the PDG, is premature, but refined data can provide very valuable information on the D (D) over bar scattering amplitude. As side effects, we warn about the use of a Breit-Wigner amplitude parameterization close to threshold, and show that the D-s(D) over bar (s) channel plays an important role in this reaction.