Abstract: Neutron capture cross section measurements on Gd-155 and Gd-157 were performed using the time-of-flight technique at the nTOF facility at CERN on isotopically enriched samples. The measurements were carried out in the nTOF experimental area EAR1, at 185 m from the neutron source, with an array of 4 C6D6 liquid scintillation detectors. At a neutron kinetic energy of 0.0253 eV, capture cross sections of 62.2(2.2) and 239.8(8.4) kilobarn have been derived for Gd-155 and Gd-157, respectively, with up to 6% deviation relative to values presently reported in nuclear data libraries, but consistent with those values within 1.6 standard deviations. A resonance shape analysis has been performed in the resolved resonance region up to 181 eV and 307 eV, respectively for Gd-155 and Gd-157, where on average, resonance parameters have been found in good agreement with evaluations. Above these energies and up to 1 keV, the observed resonance-like structure of the cross section has been analysed and characterised. From a statistical analysis of the observed neutron resonances we deduced: neutron strength function of 2.01(28)x10-4 and 2.17(41)x10-4; average total radiative width of 106.8(14) meV and 101.1(20) meV and s-wave resonance spacing 1.6(2) eV and 4.8(5) eV for n + Gd-155 and n + Gd-157 systems, respectively.

Abstract: A measurement of production cross sections of the Higgs boson in proton-proton collisions is presented in the H -> tau tau decay channel. The analysis is performed using 36.1 fb(-1) of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 13 TeV. All combinations of leptonic (tau -> l v (v) over bar with l = e, mu) and hadronic (tau -> hadrons v) tau decays arc considered. The H -> tau tau signal over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is established with an observed (expected) significance of 4.4 (4.1) standard deviations. Combined with results obtained using data taken at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies, the observed (expected) significance amounts to 6.4 (5.4) standard deviations and constitutes an observation of H -> tau tau decays. Using the data taken at root s = 13 TeV, the total cross section in the H -> tau tau decay channel is measured to be 3.77(-0.59)(+0.60)(stat)(-0.74)(+0.87) (syst) pb, for a Higgs boson of mass 125 GeV assuming the relative contributions of its production modes as predicted by the Standard Model. Total cross sections in the H -> tau tau decay channel are determined separately for vector-boson-fusion production and gluon-gluon-fusion production to be sigma(VBF)(H -> tau tau) = 0.28 +/- 0.09 (stat)(-0.09)(+0.11) (syst) pb and sigma(ggF)(H -> tau tau) = 3.1 +/- 1.0 (stat)(-1.3)(+1.6) (syst) pb, respectively. Similarly, results of a fit are reported in the framework of simplified template cross sections. All measurements are in agreement with Standard Model expectations.

Abstract: We perform a Bayesian statistical analysis of the constraints on the nonlinear Effective Theory given by the Higgs electroweak chiral Lagrangian. We obtain bounds on the effective coefficients entering in Higgs observables at the leading order, using all available Higgs-boson signal strengths from the LHC runs 1 and 2. Using a prior dependence study of the solutions, we discuss the results within the context of natural-sized Wilson coefficients. We further study the expected sensitivities to the different Wilson coefficients at various possible future colliders. Finally, we interpret our results in terms of some minimal composite Higgs models.

Abstract: Momentum measurements for very high momentum charged particles, such as muons from electroweak vector boson decays, are particularly susceptible to charge-dependent curvature biases that arise from misalignments of tracking detectors. Low momentum charged particles used in alignment procedures have limited sensitivity to coherent displacements of such detectors, and therefore are unable to fully constrain these misalignments to the precision necessary for studies of electroweak physics. Additional approaches are therefore required to understand and correct for these effects. In this paper the curvature biases present at the LHCb detector are studied using the pseudomass method in proton-proton collision data recorded at centre of mass energy root s = 13 TeV during 2016, 2017 and 2018. The biases are determined using Z -> mu(+)mu(-) decays in intervals defined by the data-taking period, magnet polarity and muon direction. Correcting for these biases, which are typically at the 10(-4) GeV-1 level, improves the Z -> mu(+)mu(-) mass resolution by roughly 18% and eliminates several pathological trends in the kinematic-dependence of the mean dimuon invariant mass.

Abstract: In this work we present an attempt to describe the X1(2900) found by the LHCb collaboration, in the experimental data on the invariant mass spectrum of D-K+, as a three-meson molecular state of the KpD over line system. We discuss that the interactions in all the subsystems are attractive in nature, with the pD over line interaction generating over line D1(2420) and the Kp resonating as K1(1270). We find that the system can form a three-body state but with a mass higher than that of X1(2900). We investigate the KpD system too, finding that the three-body dynamics generates an isoscalar state, which can be related to D*s1(2860), and an exotic isovector state. This latter state has a mass similar to that of the X0(2900) and X1(2900) states found by LHCb, but a very small width (similar to 7.4 +/- 0.9 MeV) and necessarily requires more than two quarks to describe its properties. We hope that our findings will encourage experimental investigations of the isovector KpD state. Finally, in the pursuit of finding a description for X1(2900), we study the K over line K*D* system where over line K*D* forms 0+, 1+, and 2+ states. We do not find a state that can be associated with X1(2900).