Abstract: We apply the diabatic framework, a QCD-based formalism for the unified study of quarkoniumlike systems in terms of heavy quark-antiquark and open-flavor meson-meson components, to the description of coupled-channel meson-meson scattering. For this purpose, we first introduce a numerical scheme to find the solutions of the diabatic Schrodinger equation for energies in the continuum, then we derive a general formula for calculating the meson-meson scattering amplitudes from these solutions. We thus obtain a completely nonperturbative procedure for the calculation of open-flavor meson-meson scattering cross sections from the diabatic potential, which is directly connected to lattice QCD calculations. A comprehensive analysis of various elastic cross sections for open-charm and open-bottom meson-meson pairs is performed in a wide range of the center-of-mass energies. The relevant structures are identified, showing a spectrum of quasiconventional and unconventional quarkoniumlike states. In addition to the customary Breit-Wigner peaks, we obtain nontrivial structures such as threshold cusps and minimums. Finally, our results are compared with existing data and with results from our previous bound-state-based analysis, finding full compatibility with both.

Abstract: We compute the ghost spectral function in Yang-Mills theory by solving the corresponding Dyson-Schwinger equation for a given input gluon spectral function. The results encompass both scaling and decoupling solutions for the gluon propagator input. The resulting ghost spectral function displays a particle peak at vanishing momentum and a negative scattering spectrum, whose infrared and ultraviolet tails are obtained analytically. The ghost dressing function is computed in the entire complex plane, and its salient features are identified and discussed.

Abstract: An improved measurement of the decay B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) and searches for the decays B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) and B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma are performed at the LHCb experiment using data collected in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7, 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1, 2 and 6 fb(-1), respectively. The B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) branching fraction and effective lifetime are measured to be B(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)) = (3.09(-0.43-0.11)(+0.46+0.15)) x 10(-9) and tau(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)) = (2.07 +/- 0.29 +/- 0.03) ps, respectively, where the uncertain-ties include both statistical and systematic contributions. No significant signal for B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) and B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) gamma decays is found and the upper limits B(B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-)) < 2.6 x 10(-10) and B(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma) 2.0 x 10(-9) at 95% confidence level are determined, where the latter is limited to the range m(mu mu) > 4.9 GeV/c(2). Additionally, the ratio between the B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) and B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) branching fractions is measured to be R mu+mu- < 0.095 at 95% confidence level. The results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions.

Abstract: We measured 135 cross sections of residual nuclei produced in fragmentation reactions of C-12, N-14, and O-13-16,O-20,O-22 projectiles impinging on a carbon target at kinetic energies of near 400A MeV, most of them for the first time, with the R B-3/LAND setup at the GSI facility in Darmstadt (Germany). The use of this state-of-the-art experimental setup in combination with the inverse kinematics technique gave the full identification in atomic and mass numbers of fragmentation residues with a high precision. The cross sections of these residues were determined with uncertainties below 20% for most of the cases. These data are compared to other previous measurements with stable isotopes and are also used to benchmark different model calculations.

Abstract: In this work we explore the dynamics of the generalized hybrid metric-Palatini theory of gravity in the weak-field, slow-motion regime. We start by introducing the equivalent scalar-tensor representation of the theory, which contains two scalar degrees of freedom, and perform a conformal transformation to the Einstein frame. Linear perturbations of the metric in a Minkowskian background are then studied for the metric and both scalar fields. The effective Newton constant and the PPN parameter. of the theory are extracted after transforming back to the (original) Jordan frame. Two particular cases where the general method ceases to be applicable are approached separately. A comparison of these results with observational constraints is then used to impose bounds on the masses and coupling constants of the scalar fields.