LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Henry, L., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2021). Observation of the Bs0 -> (DD -/+)-D-*+/- decay. J. High Energy Phys., 03(3), 099–19pp.
Abstract: A search for the B-s(0) -> D*(+/-) D--/+ decay is performed using proton-proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13TeV collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb(-1). The decay is observed with a high significance and its branching fraction relative to the B-0 -> D*(+/-) D--/+ decay is measured to be B(B-s(0) -> D*D-+/-(-/+))/B(B-0 -> D*D-+/-(-/+)) = 0.137 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.006, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third is due to the uncertainty on the ratio of the B-s(0) and B-0 hadronisation fractions.
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NEXT Collaboration(Martinez-Lema, G. et al), Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M., Carcel, S., Carrion, J. V., Diaz, J., Felkai, R., et al. (2021). Sensitivity of the NEXT experiment to Xe-124 double electron capture. J. High Energy Phys., 02(2), 203–25pp.
Abstract: Double electron capture by proton-rich nuclei is a second-order nuclear process analogous to double beta decay. Despite their similarities, the decay signature is quite different, potentially providing a new channel to measure the hypothesized neutrinoless mode of these decays. The Standard-Model-allowed two-neutrino double electron capture (2 nu EC EC) has been predicted for a number of isotopes, but only observed in Kr-78, Ba-130 and, recently, Xe-124. The sensitivity to this decay establishes a benchmark for the ultimate experimental goal, namely the potential to discover also the lepton-number-violating neutrinoless version of this process, 0 nu EC EC. Here we report on the current sensitivity of the NEXT-White detector to Xe-124 2 nu EC EC and on the extrapolation to NEXT-100. Using simulated data for the 2 nu EC EC signal and real data from NEXT-White operated with Xe-124-depleted gas as background, we define an optimal event selection that maximizes the NEXT-White sensitivity. We estimate that, for NEXT-100 operated with xenon gas isotopically enriched with 1 kg of Xe-124 and for a 5-year run, a sensitivity to the 2 nu EC EC half-life of 6 x 10(22) y (at 90% confidence level) or better can be reached.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Henry, L., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2021). Observation of CP violation in two-body B-(s)(0)-meson decays to charged pions and kaons. J. High Energy Phys., 03(3), 075–43pp.
Abstract: The time-dependent CP asymmetries of B-0 -> pi(+)pi(-) and B-s(0) -> K+K- decays are measured using a data sample of pp collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.9 fb(-1), collected with the LHCb detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 13TeV. The results are C-pi pi = 0.311 +/- 0.045 +/- 0.015; S-pi pi = 0.706 +/- 0.042 +/- 0.013; C-KK = 0.164 +/- 0.034 +/- 0.014; S-KK = 0.123 +/- 0.034 +/- 0.015; A(KK)(Delta Gamma) = -0.83 +/- 0.05 +/- 0.09; where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The same data sample is used to measure the time-integrated CP asymmetries of B-0 -> K + pi(-) and B-s(0) -> K-pi(+) decays and the results are AB(CP)(B0) = -0.0824 +/- 0.0033 +/- 0.0033; A(CP)(Bs0) = 0.236 +/- 0.013 +/- 0.011. All results are consistent with earlier measurements. A combination of LHCb measurements provides the first observation of time-dependent CP violation in B-s(0) decays.
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Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Rubio, B., Fallot, M., & Gelletly, W. (2021). Beta-decay studies for applied and basic nuclear physics. Eur. Phys. J. A, 57(3), 85–28pp.
Abstract: In this reviewwe will present the results of recent beta-decay studies using the total absorption technique that cover topics of interest for applications, nuclear structure and astrophysics. The decays studied were selected primarily because they have a large impact on the prediction of (a) the decay heat in reactors, important for the safety of present and future reactors and (b) the reactor electron anti-neutrino spectrum, of interest for particle/nuclear physics and reactor monitoring. For these studies the total absorption technique was chosen, since it is the only method that allows one to obtain beta-decay probabilities free from a systematic error called the Pandemonium effect. The total absorption technique is based on the detection of the. cascades that follow the initial beta decay. For this reason the technique requires the use of calorimeters with very high. detection efficiency. The measurements presented and discussed here were performed mainly at the IGISOL facility of the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) using isotopically pure beams provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap. Examples are presented to show that the results of our measurements on selected nuclei have had a large impact on predictions of both the decay heat and the anti-neutrino spectrum from reactors. Some of the cases involve beta-delayed neutron emission thus one can study the competition between gamma – and neutron-emission from states above the neutron separation energy. The gamma-to-neutron emission ratios can be used to constrain neutron capture (n, gamma) cross sections for unstable nuclei of interest in astrophysics. The information obtained from the measurements can also be used to test nuclear model predictions of half-lives and Pn values for decays of interest in astrophysical network calculations. These comparisons also provide insights into aspects of nuclear structure in particular regions of the nuclear chart.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Henry, L., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2021). Search for heavy neutral leptons in W plus . μplus μ+/- jet decays. Eur. Phys. J. C, 81(3), 248–15pp.
Abstract: A search is performed for heavy neutrinos in the decay of a W boson into two muons and a jet. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of approximately 3.0 fb-1 of proton-proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV collected with the LHCb experiment. Both same-sign and opposite-signmuons in the final state are considered. Data are found to be consistent with the expected background. Upper limits on the coupling of a heavy neutrino with the Standard Model neutrino are set at 95% confidence level in the heavy-neutrino mass range from 5 to 50GeV/c2. These are of the order of 10(-3) for lepton-number-conserving decays and of the order of 10(-4) for lepton-number-violating heavy-neutrino decays.
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