Abstract: The radiative decays of b-baryons facilitate the direct measurement of photon helicity in b -> s gamma transitions thus serving as an important test of physics beyond the Standard Model. In this paper we analyze the complete angular distribution of ground state b-baryon radiative decays to multibody final states assuming an initially polarized b-baryon sample. Our sensitivity study suggests that the photon polarization asymmetry can be extracted to a good accuracy along with a simultaneous measurement of the initial b-baryon polarization. With higher yields of b-baryons, achievable in subsequent runs of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), we find that the photon polarization measurement can play a pivotal role in constraining different new physics scenarios.

Abstract: Starting from a molecular picture for the X(3872) resonance, this state and its J(PC) = 2(++) heavy-quark spin symmetry partner [X-2(4012)] are analyzed within a model which incorporates possible mixings with 2P charmonium (c (c) over bar) states. Since it is reasonable to expect the bare chi(c1)(2P) to be located above the D (D) over bar* threshold, but relatively close to it, the presence of the charmonium state provides an effective attraction that will contribute to binding the X(3872), but it will not appear in the 2(++) sector. Indeed in the latter sector, the chi(c2)(2P) should provide an effective small repulsion, because it is placed well below the D*(D) over bar* threshold. We show how the 1(++) and 2(++) bare charmonium poles are modified due to the D-(*)(D) over bar ((*)) loop effects, and the first one is moved to the complex plane. The meson loops produce, besides some shifts in the masses of the charmonia, a finite width for the 1(++) dressed charmonium state. On the other hand, X(3872) and X-2(4012) start developing some charmonium content, which is estimated by means of the compositeness Weinberg sum rule. It turns out that in the heavy-quark limit, there is only one coupling between the 2P charmonia and the D-(*)(D) over bar ((*)) pairs. We also show that, for reasonable values of this coupling, leading to X(3872) molecular probabilities of around 70-90%, the X2 resonance destabilizes and disappears from the spectrum, becoming either a virtual state or one being located deep into the complex plane, with decreasing influence in the D*(D) over bar* scattering line. Moreover, we also discuss how around 10-30% charmonium probability in the X(3872) might explain the ratio of radiative decays of this resonance into psi(2S) gamma and J/psi gamma Finally, we qualitatively discuss within this scheme, the hidden bottom flavor sector, paying a special attention to the implications for the X-b and Xb(2) states, heavy-quark spin-flavor partners of the X(3872).

Abstract: We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.