Abstract: This work reports on accurate, high-resolution measurements of the Mg-25(n, gamma)Mg-26 and Mg-25(n, tot) cross sections in the neutron energy range from thermal to about 300 keV, leading to a significantly improved Mg-25(n, gamma)Mg-26 parametrization. The relevant resonances for n+Mg-25 were characterized from a combined R-matrix analysis of the experimental data. This resulted in an unambiguous spin/parity assignment of the corresponding excited states in Mg-26. With this information experimental upper limits of the reaction rates for Ne-22(alpha, n)Mg-25 and Ne-22(alpha, gamma)Mg-26 were established, potentially leading to a significantly higher (alpha, n)/(alpha, gamma) ratio than previously evaluated. The impact of these results has been studied for stellar models in the mass range 2 to 25 M-circle dot. (C) 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.

Abstract: A new baryon state is observed in the Lambda(0)(b)pi(+)pi(-) mass spectrum with high significance using a data sample of pp collisions, collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies root s = 7, 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb(-1). The mass and natural width of the new state are measured to be m = 6072.3 +/- 2.9 +/- 0.6 +/- 0.2 MeV, Gamma = 72 +/- 11 +/- 2 MeV, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The third uncertainty for the mass is due to imprecise knowledge of the Lambda(0)(b) baryon mass. The new state is consistent with the first radial excitation of the Lambda(0)(b) baryon, the Lambda(b)(2S)(0) resonance. Updated measurements of the masses and the upper limits on the natural widths of the previously observed Lambda(b)(5912)(0) and Lambda(b)(5920)(0) states are also reported.

Abstract: Using proton-proton collision data at centre-of-mass energies of root s = 7, 8 and 13 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb(-1), the invariant mass spectrum of J/psi pairs is studied. A narrow structure around 6.9 GeV/c(2) matching the line-shape of a resonance and a broad structure just above twice the J/psi mass are observed. The deviation of the data from nonresonant J/psi-pair production is above five standard deviations in the mass region between 6.2 and 7.4 GeV/c(2), covering predicted masses of states composed of four charm quarks. The mass and natural width of the narrow X(6900) structure are measured assuming a Breit-Wigner lineshape.

Abstract: The first observation of the B-s(0) -> (chi(c1)(3872) -> J/Psi pi(broken vertical bar) pi(-)) pi(broken vertical bar) pi(-) decay is reported using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1, 2 and 6 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13TeV, respectively. The ratio of branching fractions relative to the B-s(0) -> (Psi(2S) -> J/Psi pi(+) pi(-)) pi(+) pi(-) decay is measured to be [GRAPHICS] where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The mass spectrum of the pi(+) pi(-) system recoiling against the chi(c1)(3872) meson exhibits a large contribution from B-s(0) -> chi(c1)(3872) (integral(0)(980) -> pi(+) pi(-)) decays.

Abstract: We investigate the performance of large area radiation detectors, with high energy-and spatial-resolution, intended for the development of a Total Energy Detector with gamma-ray imaging capability, so-called i-TED. This new development aims for an enhancement in detection sensitivity in time-of-flight neutron capture measurements, versus the commonly used C6D6 liquid scintillation total-energy detectors. In this work, we study in detail the impact of the readout photosensor on the energy response of large area (50 x 50 mm(2)) monolithic LaCl3(Ce) crystals, in particular when replacing a conventional mono-cathode photomultiplier tube by an 8 x 8 pixelated silicon photomultiplier. Using the largest commercially available monolithic SiPM array (25 cm(2)), with a pixel size of 6 x 6 mm(2), we have measured an average energy resolution of 3.92% FWHM at 662 keV for crystal thick-nesses of 10, 20 and 30 mm. The results are confronted with detailed Monte Carlo (MC) calculations, where optical processes and properties have been included for the reliable tracking of the scintillation photons. After the experimental validation of the MC model, we use our MC code to explore the impact of a smaller photosensor segmentation on the energy resolution. Our optical MC simulations predict only a marginal deterioration of the spectroscopic performance for pixels of 3 x 3 mm(2).