Abstract: A search for the decay K-S(0) -> mu+ mu- is performed, based on a data sample of proton- proton collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of- mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The observed yield is consistent with the background- only hypothesis, yielding a limit on the branching fraction of B( K-S(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)) < 0.8 (1.0) x 10(-9) at 90% ( 95%) confidence level. This result improves the previous upper limit on the branching fraction by an order of magnitude.

Abstract: Taking into account the current global information on neutrino oscillation parameters we forecast the capabilities of future long-baseline experiments such as DUNE and T2HK in settling the atmospheric octant puzzle. We find that a good measurement of the reactor angle theta(13) plays a key role in fixing the octant of the atmospheric angle theta(23) with such future accelerator neutrino studies.

Abstract: We study the single electron spectra from D- and B-meson semileptonic decays in Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200, 62.4, and 19.2 GeV by employing the parton-hadron-string dynamics (PHSD) transport approach that has been shown to reasonably describe the charm dynamics at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and Large Hadron Collider energies on a microscopic level. In this approach the initial charm and bottom quarks are produced by using the PYTHIA event generator which is tuned to reproduce the fixed-order next-to-leading logarithm calculations for charm and bottom production. The produced charm and bottom quarks interact with off-shell (massive) partons in the quark-gluon plasma with scattering cross sections which are calculated in the dynamical quasiparticle model that is matched to reproduce the equation of state of the partonic system above the deconfinement temperature T-c. At energy densities close to the critical energy density (approximate to 0.5 GeV/fm(3)) the charm and bottom quarks are hadronized intoD and B mesons through either coalescence or fragmentation. After hadronization the D and B mesons interact with the light hadrons by employing the scattering cross sections from an effective Lagrangian. The final D and B mesons then produce single electrons through semileptonic decay. We find that the PHSD approach well describes the nuclear modification factor R-AA and elliptic flow upsilon(2) of single electrons in d + Au and Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV and the elliptic flow in Au + Au reactions at root s(NN) = 62.4 GeV from the PHENIX Collaboration, however, the large RAA at root s(NN) = 62.4 GeV is not described at all. Furthermore, we make predictions for the RAA of D mesons and of single electrons at the lower energy of root s(NN) = 19.2 GeV. Additionally, the medium modification of the azimuthal angle phi between a heavy quark and a heavy antiquark is studied. We find that the transverse flow enhances the azimuthal angular distributions close to phi = 0 because the heavy flavors strongly interact with nuclear medium in relativistic heavy-ion collisions and almost flow with the bulk matter.

Abstract: We explore in a rigorous manner the intuitive connection between the non-Markovianity of the evolution of an open quantum system and the performance of the system as a quantum memory. Using the paradigmatic case of a two-level open quantum system coupled to a bosonic bath, we compute the recovery fidelity, which measures the best possible performance of the system to store a qubit of information. We deduce that this quantity is connected, but not uniquely determined, by the non-Markovianity, for which we adopt the Breuer-Laine-Piilo measure proposed in Breuer et al (2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 210401). We illustrate our findings with explicit calculations for the case of a structured environment.

Abstract: A study of B-s(0) -> eta(c)phi and B-s(0) -> eta(c)pi(+)pi(-) decays is performed using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1), collected with the LHCb detector in Run 1 of the LHC. The observation of the decay B-s(0) -> eta(c)phi is reported, where the eta(c) meson is reconstructed in the p (p) over bar, K+K-pi(+)pi(-), pi(+)pi(-)pi(+)pi-and K+K-K+K-decay modes and the phi(1020) in the K+K-decay mode. The decay B-s(0) -> J/psi phi is used as a normalisation channel. Evidence is also reported for the decay B-s(0) -> eta(c)pi(+)pi(-), where the eta(c) meson is reconstructed in the p (p) over bar decay mode, using the decay B-s(0) -> J/psi phi pi(+)pi-as a normalisation channel. The measured branching fractions are B(B-s(0) -> eta(c)phi) = (5 : 01 +/- 0 : 53 +/- 0 : 27 +/- 0 : 63) x 10(-4), B(B-s(0) -> eta(c)pi(+)pi(-)) = (1 : 76 +/- 0 : 59 +/- 0 : 12 +/- 0 : 29) x 10(-4), where in each case the fi rst uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the external branching fractions.