Abstract: We present a search for nine lepton-number-violating and three lepton-flavor-violating neutral charm decays of the type D-0 -> h'(-) h(-) l'(+) l(+) and D-0 -> h'(-) h(+) l'(+/-) l(-/+), where h and h' represent a K or pi meson and l and l' an electron or muon. The analysis is based on 468 fb(-1) of e(+) e(-) annihilation data collected at or close to the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. No significant signal is observed for any of the twelve modes, and we establish 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions in the range (1.0-30.6) x 10(-7). The limits are between 1 and 3 orders of magnitude more stringent than previous measurements.

Abstract: We explore whether nonstandard dark sector physics might be required to solve the existing cosmological tensions. The properties we consider in combination are (a) an interaction between the dark matter and dark energy components and (b) a dark energy equation of state w different from that of the canonical cosmological constant w = -1. In principle, these two parameters are independent. In practice, to avoid early-time, superhorizon instabilities, their allowed parameter spaces are correlated. Moreover, a clear degeneracy exists between these two parameters in the case of cosmic microwave background (CMB) data. We analyze three classes of extended interacting dark energy models in light of the 2019 Planck CMB results and Cepheid-calibrated local distance ladder H-0 measurements of Riess et al. (R19), as well as recent baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) and type Ia supernovae (SNeIa) distance data. We find that in quintessence coupled dark energy models, where w > -1, the evidence for a nonzero coupling between the two dark sectors can surpass the 5 sigma significance. Moreover, for both Planck + BAO or Planck + SNeIa, we find a preference for w > -1 at about three standard deviations. Quintessence models are, therefore, in excellent agreement with current data when an interaction is considered. On the other hand, in phantom coupled dark energy models, there is no such preference for a nonzero dark sector coupling. All the models we consider significantly raise the value of the Hubble constant, easing the H-0 tension. In the interacting scenario, the disagreement between Planck thorn BAO and R19 is considerably reduced from 4.3 sigma in the case of the Lambda cold dark matter (Lambda CDM) model to about 2.5 sigma. The addition of low-redshift BAO and SNeIa measurements leaves, therefore, some residual tension with R19 but at a level that could be justified by a statistical fluctuation. Bayesian evidence considerations mildly disfavor both the coupled quintessence and phantom models, while mildly favoring a coupled vacuum scenario, even when late-time datasets are considered. We conclude that nonminimal dark energy cosmologies, such as coupled quintessence, phantom, or vacuum models, are still an interesting route toward softening existing cosmological tensions, even when low-redshift datasets and Bayesian evidence considerations are taken into account.

Abstract: To test the predictive power of ab initio nuclear structure theory, the lifetime of the second 2(+) state in neutron-rich O-20, tau(2(2)(+)) = 150(-30)(+80) fs, and an estimate for the lifetime of the second 2(+) state in C-16 have been obtained for the first time. The results were achieved via a novel Monte Carlo technique that allowed us to measure nuclear state lifetimes in the tens-to-hundreds of femtoseconds range by analyzing the Doppler-shifted gamma-transition line shapes of products of low-energy transfer and deep-inelastic processes in the reaction O-18 (7.0 MeV/u) + Ta-181. The requested sensitivity could only be reached owing to the excellent performances of the Advanced gamma-Tracking Array AGATA, coupled to the PARIS scintillator array and to the VAMOS++ magnetic spectrometer. The experimental lifetimes agree with predictions of ab initio calculations using two- and three-nucleon interactions, obtained with the valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group for O-20 and with the no-core shell model for C-16. The present measurement shows the power of electromagnetic observables, determined with high-precision gamma spectroscopy, to assess the quality of first-principles nuclear structure calculations, complementing common benchmarks based on nuclear energies. The proposed experimental approach will be essential for short lifetime measurements in unexplored regions of the nuclear chart, including r-process nuclei, when intense beams, produced by Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) techniques, become available.

Abstract: We report four narrow peaks in the Xi K-0(b)- mass spectrum obtained using pp collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 9 fb(-1) recorded by the LHCb experiment. Referring to these states by their mass, the mass values are m[Omega(b)(6316)(-)] = 6315.64 +/- 0.31 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.50 MeV, m[Omega(b)(6330)(-)] = 6330.30 +/- 0.28 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.50 MeV, m[Omega(b)(6340)(-)] = 6339.71 +/- 0.26 +/- 0.05 +/- 0.50 MeV, m[Omega(b)(6350)(-)] = 6349.88 +/- 0.35 +/- 0.05 +/- 0.50 MeV, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and the last is due to the knowledge of the Xi(0)(b) mass. The natural widths of the three lower mass states are consistent with zero, and the 90% confidence-level upper limits are determined to be Gamma[Omega(b)(6316)(-)] < 2.8 MeV, Gamma[Omega(b)(6330)(-)] < 3.1 MeV and Gamma[Omega(b)(6340)-] < 1.5 MeV. The natural width of the Omega(b)(6350)(-) peak is 1.4(-0.8)(+1.0) +/- 0.1 MeV, which is 2.5 sigma from zero and corresponds to an upper limit of 2.8 MeV. The peaks have local significances ranging from 3.6 sigma to 7.2 sigma. After accounting for the look-elsewhere effect, the significances of the Omega(b)(6316)(-) and Omega(b)(6330)(-) peaks are reduced to 2.1 sigma and 2.6 sigma, respectively, while the two higher mass peaks exceed 5 sigma. The observed peaks are consistent with expectations for excited Omega(-)(b) resonances.

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. These searches look for A '->mu(+)mu(-) decays using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.5 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb detector. Neither search finds evidence for a signal, and 90% confidence-level exclusion limits are placed on the gamma-A ' kinetic mixing strength. The promptlike A ' search explores the mass region from near the dimuon threshold up to 70 GeV and places the most stringent constraints to date on dark photons with 214 < m(A ') less than or similar to 740 MeV and 10.6 < m(A ') less than or similar to 30 GeV. The search for long-lived A '->mu(+)mu(-) decays places world-leading constraints on low-mass dark photons with lifetimes O(1)ps.