Abstract: We compute the bounds on the dark matter (DM) annihilation cross section using the most recent Cosmic Microwave Background measurements from WMAP9, SPT'11 and ACT'10. We consider DM with mass in the MeV-TeV range annihilating 100% into either an e(+)e(-) or a mu(+)mu(-) pair. We consider a realistic energy deposition model, which includes the dependence on the redshift, DM mass and annihilation channel. We exclude the canonical thermal relic abundance cross section (<sigma nu > = 3 x 10(-26) cm(3)s(-1)) for DM masses below 30 GeV and 15 GeV for the e(+)e(-) and mu(+)mu(-) channels, respectively. A priori, DM annihilating in halos could also modify the reionization history of the Universe at late times. We implement a realistic halo model taken from results of state-of-the-art N-body simulations and consider a mixed reionization mechanism, consisting on reionization from DM as well as from first stars. We find that the constraints on DM annihilation remain unchanged, even when large uncertainties on the halo model parameters are considered.

Abstract: Among the newly observed structures in the heavy-quarkonium mass region, some have been proposed to be hadronic molecules. We investigate the consequences of heavy- quark flavor symmetry on these heavy meson hadronic molecules. The symmetry allows us to predict new hadronic molecules on one hand, and test the hadronic molecular assumption of the observed structures on the other hand. We explore the consequences of the flavor symmetry assuming the X(3872) and Z(b)(10 610) as an isoscalar D (D) over bar* and isovector B (B) over bar* hadronic molecule, respectively. A series of hadronic molecules composed of heavy mesons are predicted. In particular, there is an isoscalar 1(++) B (B) over bar* bound state with a mass about 10 580 MeV which may be searched for in the Y(1S, 2S)pi(+) pi(-) pi(0) mass distribution; the isovector charmonium partners of the Z(b)(10 610) and the Z(b)(10 650) are also predicted, which probably corresponds to the very recently observed Z(c)(3900) and Z(c)(4025) resonances by the BESIII Collaboration.

Abstract: We present a coupled channel unitary approach to obtain states dynamically generated from the meson-baryon interaction with hidden charm, using constraints of heavy quark spin symmetry. As a basis of states, we use (D) over barB, (D) over bar *B states, with B baryon charmed states belonging to the 20 representations of SU(4) with J(P) = 1/2(+), 3/2(+). In addition we also include the eta N-c and J/psi N states. The inclusion of these coupled channels is demanded by heavy quark spin symmetry, since in the large m(Q) limit the D and D* states are degenerate and are obtained from each other by means of a spin rotation, under which QCD is invariant. The novelty in the work is that we use dynamics from the extrapolation of the local hidden gauge model to SU(4), and we show that this dynamics fully respects the constraints of heavy quark spin symmetry. With the full space of states demanded by the heavy quark spin symmetry and the dynamics of the local hidden gauge, we look for states dynamically generated and find four basic states that are bound, corresponding to (D) over bar Sigma(c), (D) over bar Sigma(c)*, (D) over bar*Sigma(c) and (D) over bar*Sigma*(c) decaying mostly into eta N-c and J/psi N. All the states appear in isospin I = 1/2, and we find no bound states or resonances in I = 3/2. The (D) over bar Sigma(c) state appears in J = 1/2 and the (D) over bar Sigma*(c) in J = 3/2; the (D) over bar*Sigma(c) appears nearly degenerate in J = 1/2, 3/2 and the (D) over bar*Sigma*(c) appears nearly degenerate in J = 1/2, 3/2, 5/2, with the peculiarity that in J = 5/2 the state has zero width in the space of states chosen. All the states are bound with about 50 MeV with respect to the corresponding (D) over barB thresholds, and the width, except for the J = 5/2 state, is also of the same order of magnitude. Finally, we discuss the uncertainties stemming from the expected breaking of SU(4) and the heavy quark spin symmetry.

Abstract: The collimation of energy inside medium-modified jets is investigated in the leading logarithmic approximation of QCD. The Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi (DGLAP) evolution equations are slightly modified by introducing splitting functions enhanced in the infrared sector. As compared to elementary collisions in the vacuum, the angular distribution of the jet energy is found to broaden in QCD media.

Abstract: We determine the (MS) over bar charm quark mass from a charmonium QCD sum rules analysis. On the theoretical side we use input from perturbation theory at O (alpha(3)(s)). Improvements with respect to previous O (alpha(3)(s)) analyses include (1) an account of all available e(+)e(-) hadronic cross section data and (2) a thorough analysis of perturbative uncertainties. Using a data clustering method to combine hadronic cross section data sets from di ff erent measurements we demonstrate that using all available experimental data up to c. m. energies of 10 : 538 GeV allows for determinations of experimental moments and their correlations with small errors and that there is no need to rely on theoretical input above the charmonium resonances. We also show that good convergence properties of the perturbative series for the theoretical sum rule moments need to be considered with some care when extracting the charm mass and demonstrate how to set up a suitable set of scale variations to obtain a proper estimate of the perturbative uncertainty. As the fi nal outcome of our analysis we obtain (m(c)) over bar((m(c)) over bar) = 1 : 282 +/- (0.009)(stat) +/- (0.009)(syst) +/- (0.019)(pert) +/- (0.010)(alpha s) +/- (0.002)(< GG >) GeV. The perturbative error is an order of magnitude larger than the one obtained in previous O (alpha(3)(s)) sum rule analyses.