Abstract: Based on the full BABAR data sample of 466.5 million B (B) over bar pairs, we present measurements of the electron spectrum from semileptonic B meson decays. We fit the inclusive electron spectrum to distinguish Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) suppressed B -> X(u)ev decays from the CKM-favored B -> X(u)ev decays, and from various other backgrounds, and determine the total semileptonic branching fraction B(B -> X(u)ev) = (10.34 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.26(syst))%, averaged over B-+/- and B-0 mesons. We determine the spectrum and branching fraction for charmless B -> X(u)ev decays and extract the CKM element vertical bar V-ub vertical bar, by relying on four different QCD calculations based on the heavy quark expansion. While experimentally, the electron momentum region above 2.1 GeV/c is favored, because the background is relatively low, the uncertainties for the theoretical predictions are largest in the region near the kinematic endpoint. Detailed studies to assess the impact of these four predictions on the measurements of the electron spectrum, the branching fraction, and the extraction of the CKM matrix element vertical bar V-ub vertical bar are presented, with the lower limit on the electron momentum varied from 0.8 GeV/c to the kinematic endpoint. We determine V-ub vertical bar using each of these different calculations and find, vertical bar V-ub vertical bar = (3.794 +/- 0.107(exp) (+0.292)(-0.219) (SF) (+0.078)(-0.068)theory) x 10(-3) (De Fazio and Neubert), (4.563 +/- 0.126(exp) (+0.230)(+0.162)(-0.208)(-0.163)theory) x 10(-3) (Bosch, Lange, Neubert, and Paz), (3.959 +/- 0.104(exp -0.154)(SF-0.079)(+0.164)(+0.042) theory )x 10(-3) (Gambino, Giordano, Ossola, and Uraltsev), (3.848 +/- 0.108(exp -0.070)(theory)(+0.084)) x 10(-3) (dressed gluon exponentiation), where the stated uncertainties refer to the experimental uncertainties of the partial branching fraction measurement, the shape function parameters, and the theoretical calculations.

Abstract: A measurement of the inclusive pp -> t (t) over bar + X production cross section in the tau + jets final state using only the hadronic decays of the tau lepton is presented. The measurement is performed using 20.2 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data recorded at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The cross section is measured via a counting experiment by imposing a set of selection criteria on the identification and kinematic variables of the reconstructed particles and jets, and on event kinematic variables and characteristics. The production cross section is measured to be sigma(t (t) over bar) = 239 +/- 29 pb, which is in agreement with the measurements in other final states and the theoretical predictions at this center-of-mass energy.

Abstract: We present a comprehensive review of keV-scale sterile neutrino Dark Matter, collecting views and insights from all disciplines involved – cosmology, astrophysics, nuclear, and particle physics – in each case viewed from both theoretical and experimental/observational perspectives. After reviewing the role of active neutrinos in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, we focus on sterile neutrinos in the context of the Dark Matter puzzle. Here, we first review the physics motivation for sterile neutrino Dark Matter, based on challenges and tensions in purely cold Dark Matter scenarios. We then round out the discussion by critically summarizing all known constraints on sterile neutrino Dark Matter arising from astrophysical observations, laboratory experiments, and theoretical considerations. In this context, we provide a balanced discourse on the possibly positive signal from X-ray observations. Another focus of the paper concerns the construction of particle physics models, aiming to explain how sterile neutrinos of keV-scale masses could arise in concrete settings beyond the Standard Model of elementary particle physics. The paper ends with an extensive review of current and future astrophysical and laboratory searches, highlighting new ideas and their experimental challenges, as well as future perspectives for the discovery of sterile neutrinos.

Abstract: Two new algorithms for use in the analysis of pp collision are developed to identify the flavour of B mesons at production using pions and protons from the hadronization process. The algorithms are optimized and calibrated on data, using B-0 -> D- pi(+) decays from pp collision data collected by LIICh at centre -of -mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The tagging power of the new pion algorithm is 60% greater than the previously available one; the algorithm using protons to identify the flavour of a B-0 meson is the first of its kind.

Abstract: Recent analysis of the WMAP and Planck data have shown the presence of a dip and a bump in the spectrum of primordial perturbations at the scales k = 0.002 Mpc(-1) and k = 0.0035 Mpc(-1), respectively. We analyze for the first time the effects of a local feature in the inflaton potential to explain the observed deviations from scale invariance in the primordial spectrum. We perform a best-fit analysis of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation temperature and polarization data. The effects of the features can improve the agreement with observational data respect to the featureless model. The best-fit local feature affects the primordial curvature spectrum mainly in the region of the bump, leaving the spectrum unaffected on other scales.