Abstract: Many extensions of the Standard Model posit the existence of heavy particles with long lifetimes. In this Letter, results are presented of a search for events containing one or more such particles, which decay at a significant distance from their production point, using a final state containing charged hadrons and an associated muon. This analysis uses a data sample of proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb(-1) collected in 2011 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. Results are interpreted in the context of R-parity violating supersymmetric scenarios. No events in the signal region are observed and limits are set on the production cross section for pair production of supersymmetric particles, multiplied by the square of the branching fraction for a neutralino to decay to charged hadrons and a muon, based on the scenario where both of the produced supersymmetric particles give rise to neutralinos that decay in this way. However, since the search strategy is based on triggering on and reconstructing the decay products of individual long-lived particles, irrespective of the rest of the event, these limits can easily be reinterpreted in scenarios with different numbers of long-lived particles per event. The limits are presented as a function of neutralino lifetime, and for a range of squark and neutralino masses.

Abstract: We study the process J/Psi -> gamma phi omega, measured by the BES experiment, where a neat peak close to the phi omega threshold is observed and is associated to a scalar meson resonance around 1800 MeV. We make the observation that a scalar resonance coupling to phi omega unavoidably couples strongly to K (K) over bar, but no trace of a peak is seen in the K (K) over bar spectrum of the J/Psi -> gamma K (K) over bar at this energy. This serves us to rule out the interpretation of the observed peak as a signal of a new resonance. After this is done, a thorough study is performed on the production of a pair of vector mesons and how its interaction leads necessarily to a peak in the J/Psi -> gamma phi omega reaction close to the phi omega threshold, due to the dynamical generation of the f(0)(1710) resonance by the vector-vector interaction. We then show that both the shape obtained for the phi omega mass distribution, as well as the strength are naturally reproduced by this mechanism. The work also explains why the phi omega peak is observed in the BES experiment and not in other reactions, like B-+/- -> K-+/-phi omega of Belle.

Abstract: We explore two bilarge neutrino mixing Anzatze within the context of Abelian flavor symmetry theories: (BL1) sin theta(12) similar to lambda, sin theta(13) similar to lambda, sin theta(23) similar to lambda, and (BL2) sin theta(12) similar to lambda, sin theta(13) similar to lambda, sin theta(23) similar to 1 – lambda. The first pattern is proposed by two of us and is favored if the atmospheric mixing angle theta(23) lies in the first octant, while the second one is preferred for the second octant of theta(23). In order to reproduce the second texture, we find that the flavor symmetry should be U(1) x Z(m), while for the first pattern the flavor symmetry should be extended to U(1) x Z(m) x Z(n) with m and n of different parity. Explicit models for both mixing patterns are constructed based on the flavor symmetries U(1) x Z(3) x Z(4) and U(1) x Z(2). The models are extended to the quark sector within the framework of SU(5) grand unified theory in order to give a successful description of quark and lepton masses and mixing simultaneously. Phenomenological implications are discussed.

Abstract: We study single kaon production off the nucleon induced by electrons (positrons) i.e., e(-) (e(+)) + N -> v(e) ((v) over bar (e)) + (K) over bar (K) + N' at low energies. The possibility of observing these processes with the high luminosity beams available at TJNAF and Mainz is discussed, taking into account that the strangeness conserving electromagnetic reactions have a higher energy threshold for (K) over bar (K) production. The calculations are done using a microscopic model that starts from the SU(3) chiral Lagrangians and includes background terms and the resonant mechanisms associated to the lowest lying resonance Sigma*(1385)

Abstract: We propose that dark matter is stable as a consequence of an accidental Z(2) that results from a flavour symmetry group which is the double-cover group of the symmetry group of one of the regular geometric solids. Although model-dependent, the phenomenology resembles that of a generic “inert Higgs” dark matter scheme.