IGISOL Collaboration(Zakari-Issoufou, A. A. et al), Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Valencia, E., Agramunt, J., Estevez, E., et al. (2015). Total Absorption Spectroscopy Study of Rb-92 Decay: A Major Contributor to Reactor Antineutrino Spectrum Shape. Phys. Rev. Lett., 115(10), 102503–6pp.
Abstract: The antineutrino spectra measured in recent experiments at reactors are inconsistent with calculations based on the conversion of integral beta spectra recorded at the ILL reactor. Rb-92 makes the dominant contribution to the reactor antineutrino spectrum in the 5-8 MeV range but its decay properties are in question. We have studied Rb-92 decay with total absorption spectroscopy. Previously unobserved beta feeding was seen in the 4.5-5.5 region and the GS to GS feeding was found to be 87.5(25)%. The impact on the reactor antineutrino spectra calculated with the summation method is shown and discussed.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Barbagallo, M. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2016). Be-7(n,alpha)He-4 Reaction and the Cosmological Lithium Problem: Measurement of the Cross Section in a Wide Energy Range at n_TOF at CERN. Phys. Rev. Lett., 117(15), 152701–7pp.
Abstract: The energy-dependent cross section of the (7)Bed(n,alpha)He-4 reaction, of interest for the so-called cosmological lithium problem in big bang nucleosynthesis, has been measured for the first time from 10 meV to 10 keV neutron energy. The challenges posed by the short half-life of Be-7 and by the low reaction cross section have been overcome at nTOF thanks to an unprecedented combination of the extremely high luminosity and good resolution of the neutron beam in the new experimental area (EAR2) of the nTOF facility at CERN, the availability of a sufficient amount of chemically pure Be-7, and a specifically designed experimental setup. Coincidences between the two alpha particles have been recorded in two Si-Be-7-Si arrays placed directly in the neutron beam. The present results are consistent, at thermal neutron energy, with the only previous measurement performed in the 1960s at a nuclear reactor. The energy dependence reported here clearly indicates the inadequacy of the cross section estimates currently used in BBN calculations. Although new measurements at higher neutron energy may still be needed, the n_TOF results hint at a minor role of this reaction in BBN, leaving the long-standing cosmological lithium problem unsolved.
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MoEDAL Collaboration(Acharya, B. et al), Bernabeu, J., Garcia, C., Mamuzic, J., Mitsou, V. A., Ruiz de Austri, R., et al. (2017). Search for Magnetic Monopoles with the MoEDAL Forward Trapping Detector in 13 TeV Proton-Proton Collisions at the LHC. Phys. Rev. Lett., 118(6), 061801–6pp.
Abstract: MoEDAL is designed to identify new physics in the form of long-lived highly ionizing particles produced in high-energy LHC collisions. Its arrays of plastic nuclear-track detectors and aluminium trapping volumes provide two independent passive detection techniques. We present here the results of a first search for magnetic monopole production in 13 TeV proton-proton collisions using the trapping technique, extending a previous publication with 8 TeV data during LHC Run 1. A total of 222 kg of MoEDAL trapping detector samples was exposed in the forward region and analyzed by searching for induced persistent currents after passage through a superconducting magnetometer. Magnetic charges exceeding half the Dirac charge are excluded in all samples and limits are placed for the first time on the production of magnetic monopoles in 13 TeV pp collisions. The search probes mass ranges previously inaccessible to collider experiments for up to five times the Dirac charge.
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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. (2017). Search for Heavy Higgs Bosons A/H Decaying to a Top Quark Pair in pp Collisions at root s=8 TeV with the ATLAS Detector. Phys. Rev. Lett., 119(19), 191803–20pp.
Abstract: A search for heavy pseudoscalar (A) and scalar (H) Higgs bosons decaying into a top quark pair (t (t) over bar) has been performed with 20.3 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy root s = 8 TeV. Interference effects between the signal process and standard model t (t) over bar production, which are expected to distort the signal shape from a single peak to a peak-dip structure, are taken into account. No significant deviation from the standard model prediction is observed in the t (t) over bar invariant mass spectrum in final states with an electron or muon, large missing transverse momentum, and at least four jets. The results are interpreted within the context of a type-II two-Higgs-doublet model. Exclusion limits on the signal strength are derived as a function of the mass m(A/H) and the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the two Higgs fields, tan beta, for m(A/H) > 500 GeV.
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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. (2017). Search for Baryon-Number Violating Xi(0)(b) Oscillations. Phys. Rev. Lett., 119(18), 181807–9pp.
Abstract: A search for baryon-number violating Xi(0)(b) oscillations is performed with a sample of pp collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1). The baryon number at the moment of production is identified by requiring that the Xi(0)(b) come from the decay of a resonance Xi(b)*(-) -> Xi(0)(b)pi(-) or Xi(b)'(-) -> Xi(0)(b)pi(-) and the baryon number at the moment of decay is identified from the final state using the decays Xi(0)(b) -> Xi(0)(c)pi(-) , Xi(+-)(c) -> pK(-)pi(+). No evidence of baryon-number violation is found, and an upper limit at the 95% confidence level is set on the oscillation rate of omega < 0.08 ps(-1), where. is the associated angular frequency.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., & Villanueva-Perez, P. (2017). Measurement of the D* (2010)(+) -D+ Mass Difference. Phys. Rev. Lett., 119(20), 202003–7pp.
Abstract: We measure the mass difference, Delta m(+), between the D* (2010)(+) and the D+ using the decay chain D* (2010)(+) -> D+ pi(0) with D+ -> K- pi(+)pi(+). The data were recorded with the BABAR detector at center-of-mass energies at and near the (sic)(4S) resonance, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of approximately 468 fb(-1). We measure Delta m(+) = (140601.0 +/- 6.8[stat] +/- 12.9[syst]) keV. We combine this result with a previous BABAR measurement of Delta m(0) = m(D* (2010)(+)) – m(D-0) to obtain Delta m(D) = m(D+) – m(D-0) = (4824.9 +/- 6.8[stat] +/- 12.9[syst]) keV. These results are compatible with and approximately five times more precise than the Particle Data Group averages.
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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. (2017). chi(c1) and chi(c2) Resonance Parameters with the Decays chi(c1,c2) -> J/psi mu(+)mu(-). Phys. Rev. Lett., 119(22), 221801–9pp.
Abstract: The decays chi(c1) -> J/psi mu(+)mu(-) and chi(c1) -> J/psi mu(+)mu(-) are observed and used to study the resonance parameters of the chi(c1) and chi(c2) mesons. The masses of these states are measured to be m(chi(c1)) = 3510.71 +/- 0.04(stat) +/- 0.09(syst) MeV and m(chi(c2)) = 3556.10 +/- 0.06(stat) +/- 0.11(syst) MeV, where the knowledge of the momentum scale for charged particles dominates the systematic uncertainty. The momentum-scale uncertainties largely cancel in the mass difference m(chi(c2)) – m(chi(c1)) = 45.39 +/- 0.07(stat) +/- 0.03(syst) MeV. The natural width of the chi(c2) meson is measured to be Gamma(chi(c2)) = 2.10 +/- 0.20(stat) +/- 0.02(syst) MeV. These results are in good agreement with and have comparable precision to the current world averages.
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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. (2017). First Observation of the Rare Purely Baryonic Decay B0 -> p p-bar. Phys. Rev. Lett., 119(23), 232001–10pp.
Abstract: The first observation of the decay of a B0 meson to a purely baryonic final state, B-0 -> p$(p)over-bar-$ , is reported. The proton-proton collision data sample used was collected with the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1). The branching fraction is determined to be B(B-0 -> p$(p)over-bar-$) = (1.25 +/- 0.27 +/- 0.18) x 10(-8), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The decay mode B-0 -> p$(p)over-bar-$ is the rarest decay of the B-0 meson observed to date. The decay B-s(0 )-> p$(p)over-bar-$ is also investigated. No signal is seen and the upper limit B(B-s(0) -> p$(p)over-bar-$) < 1.5 x 10(-8) at 90% confidence level is set on the branching fraction.
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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. (2017). Observation of D-0 meson decays to pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) and K+ K- mu(+) mu(-) final states. Phys. Rev. Lett., 119(18), 181805–10pp.
Abstract: The first observation of the D-0 -> pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-) and D-0 -> K+ K- mu(+) mu(-) decays is reported using a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by LHCb at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, and corresponding to 2 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. The corresponding branching fractions are measured using as normalization the decay D-0 -> K- pi(+) [mu(+) mu(-)](rho 0/omega), where the two muons are consistent with coming from the decay of a rho(0) or omega meson. The results are B(D-0 -> pi(+) pi(-) mu(+) mu(-)) = (9.64 +/- 0.48 +/- 0.51 +/- 0.97) x 10(-7) and B(D-0 -> K+ K- mu(+) mu(-)) = (1.54 +/- 0.27 +/- 0.09 +/- 0.16) x 10(-7), where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the limited knowledge of the normalization branching fraction. The dependence of the branching fraction on the dimuon mass is also investigated.
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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 Dark Photons Produced in 13 TeV pp Collisions. Phys. Rev. Lett., 120(6), 061801–11pp.
Abstract: Searches are performed for both promptlike and long-lived dark photons, A', produced in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, using A' -> mu(+)mu(-) decays and a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.6 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb detector. The promptlike A' search covers the mass range from near the dimuon threshold up to 70 GeV, while the long-lived A' search is restricted to the low-mass region 214 < mo(A') < 350 MeV. No evidence for a signal is found, and 90% confidence level exclusion limits are placed on the gamma-A' kinetic-mixing strength. The constraints placed on promptlike dark photons are the most stringent to date for the mass range 10.6 < m(A') < 70 GeV, and are comparable to the best existing limits for m(A') < 0.5 GeV. The search for long-lived dark photons is the first to achieve sensitivity using a displaced-vertex signature.
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