Abstract: The Standard Model (SM) is a chiral theory, where right- and left-handed fermion fields transform differently under the gauge group. Extra fermions, if they do exist, need to be heavy otherwise they would have already been observed. With no complex mechanisms at work, such as confining interactions or extra-dimensions, this can only be achieved if every extra right-handed fermion comes paired with a left-handed one transforming in the same way under the Standard Model gauge group, otherwise the new states would only get a mass after electroweak symmetry breaking, which would necessarily be small (similar to 100 GeV). Such a simple requirement severely constrains the fermion content of Grand Unified Theories (GUTs). It is known for example that three copies of the representations (5) over bar + 10 of SU(5) or three copies of the 16 of SO(10) can reproduce the Standard Model's chirality, but how unique are these arrangements? In a systematic way, this paper looks at the possibility of having non-standard mixtures of fermion GUT representations yielding the correct Standard Model chirality. Family unification is possible with large special unitary groups for example, the 171 representation of SU(19) may decompose as 3(16) + 120 + 3(1) under SO(10).

Abstract: First observations of the B-S(0) ->psi(2S)eta, B-(s)(0) ->psi(2S)pi(+)pi(-) decays are made using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment in proton proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV. The ratios of the branching fractions of each of the *(2S) modes with respect to the corresponding J/psi decays are B(B-s(0) ->psi(2S)eta)/B(B-s(0) -> J(2S)eta) = 0.83 +/- 0.14 (stat) +/- 0.12 (B), B(B0 ->psi(2S)pi(+)pi(-))/B(B0 -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.56 +/- 0.07 (stat) +/- 0.05 (syst) +/- 0.01 (B), B(B0 ->psi(2S)pi(+)pi(-))/B(B-s(0) -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.34 +/- 0.04 (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) +/- 0.01 (B). where the third uncertainty corresponds to the uncertainties of the dilepton branching fractions of the J/* and psi(28) meson decays.

Abstract: The coefficient c(A) required for O(a) improvement of the axial current in lattice QCD with N-f = 3 flavors of Wilson fermions and the tree-level Symanzik-improved gauge action is determined non-perturbatively. The standard improvement condition using Schrodinger functional boundary conditions is employed at constant physics for a range of couplings relevant for simulations at lattice spacings of approximate to 0.09 fm and below. We define the improvement condition projected onto the zero topological charge sector of the theory, in order to avoid the problem of possibly insufficient tunneling between topological sectors in our simulations at the smallest bare coupling. An interpolation formula for c(A) (g(0)(2)) is provided together with our final results.

Abstract: Motivated by the recent finding of five Omega(c) states by the LHCb collaboration, and the successful reproduction of three of them in a recent approach searching for molecular states of meson-baryon with the quantum numbers of Omega(c), we extend these ideas and make predictions for the interaction of meson-baryon in the beauty sector, searching for poles in the scattering matrix that correspond to physical states. We find several Omega(b) states: two states with masses 6405 MeV and 6465 MeV for J(P) = 1/2(-) ; two more states with masses 6427 MeV and 6665 MeV for 3/4(-) ; and three states between 6500 and 6820 MeV, degenerate with J(P) = 1/2(-), 3/4(-), stemming from the interaction of vector-baryon in the beauty sector.

Abstract: A measurement of the total pp cross section at the LHC at root s = 7 TeV is presented. In a special run with high-beta* beam optics, an integrated luminosity of 80 μb(-1) was accumulated in order to measure the differential elastic cross section as a function of the Mandelstam momentum transfer variable t. The measurement is performed with the ALFA sub-detector of ATLAS. Using a fit to the differential elastic cross section in the vertical bar t vertical bar range from 0.01 GeV2 to 0.1 GeV2 to extrapolate to vertical bar t vertical bar --> 0, the total cross section, sigma(tot)(pp --> X), is measured via the optical theorem to be: sigma(tot)(pp --> X) = 95.35 +/- 0.38 (stat.) +/- 1.25 (exp.) +/- 0.37 (extr.) mb, where the first error is statistical, the second accounts for all experimental systematic uncertainties and the last is related to uncertainties in the extrapolation to vertical bar t vertical bar --> 0. In addition, the slope of the elastic cross section at small vertical bar t vertical bar is determined to be B = 19.73 +/- 0.14 (stat.) +/- 0.26 (syst.) GeV-2.