Abstract: We explore a common symmetrical origin for two long standing problems in particle physics: the strong CP and the fermion mass hierarchy problems. The Peccei-Quinn mechanism solves the former one with an anomalous global U(1)(PQ) symmetry. Here we investigate how this U(1)(PQ) could at the same time explain the fermion mass hierarchy. We work in the context of a four-Higgs-doublet model which explains all quark and charged fermion masses with natural, i.e. order 1, Yukawa couplings. Moreover, the axion of the model constitutes a viable dark matter candidate and neutrino masses are incorporated via the standard type-I seesaw mechanism. A simple extension of the model allows for Dirac neutrinos.

Abstract: The signatures of dark matter at the LHC commonly involve, in simplified scenarios, the production of a single particle plus large missing energy, from the undetected dark matter. However, in Z ' -portal scenarios anomaly cancellation requires the presence of extra dark leptons in the dark sector. We investigate the signatures of the minimal scenarios of this kind, which involve cascade decays of the extra Z ' boson into the dark leptons, identifying a four-lepton signal as the most promising one. We estimate the sensitivity to this signal at the LHC, the high-luminosity LHC upgrade, a possible high-energy upgrade, as well as a future circular collider. For Z ' couplings compatible with current dijet constraints the multilepton signals can reach the 5 sigma level already at Run 2 of the LHC. At future colliders, couplings two orders of magnitude smaller than the electroweak coupling can be probed with 5 sigma sensitivity.

Abstract: We perform a forecast of the MSSM with universal soft terms (CMSSM) for the LHC, based on an improved Bayesian analysis. We do not incorporate ad hoc measures of the fine-tuning to penalize unnatural possibilities: such penalization arises from the Bayesian analysis itself when the experimental value of M-Z is considered. This allows to scan the whole parameter space, allowing arbitrarily large soft terms. Still the low-energy region is statistically favoured (even before including dark matter or g-2 constraints). Contrary to other studies, the results are almost unaffected by changing the upper limits taken for the soft terms. The results are also remarkable stable when using flat or logarithmic priors, a fact that arises from the larger statistical weight of the low-energy region in both cases. Then we incorporate all the important experimental constrains to the analysis, obtaining a map of the probability density of the MSSM parameter space, i.e. the forecast of the MSSM. Since not all the experimental information is equally robust, we perform separate analyses depending on the group of observables used. When only the most robust ones are used, the favoured region of the parameter space contains a significant portion outside the LHC reach. This effect gets reinforced if the Higgs mass is not close to its present experimental limit and persits when dark matter constraints are included. Only when the g-2 constraint (based on e(+)e(-) data) is considered, the preferred region (for μ> 0) is well inside the LHC scope. We also perform a Bayesian comparison of the positive- and negative-mu possibilities.

Abstract: This paper presents updated Monte Carlo configurations used to model the production of single electroweak vector bosons (W, Z/gamma*) in association with jets in proton-proton collisions for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Improvements pertaining to the electroweak input scheme, parton-shower splitting kernels and scale-setting scheme are shown for multi-jet merged configurations accurate to next-to-leading order in the strong and electroweak couplings. The computational resources required for these set-ups are assessed, and approximations are introduced resulting in a factor three reduction of the per-event CPU time without affecting the physics modelling performance. Continuous statistical enhancement techniques are introduced by ATLAS in order to populate low cross-section regions of phase space and are shown to match or exceed the generated effective luminosity. This, together with the lower per-event CPU time, results in a 50% reduction in the required computing resources compared to a legacy set-up previously used by the ATLAS collaboration. The set-ups described in this paper will be used for future ATLAS analyses and lay the foundation for the next generation of Monte Carlo predictions for single vector-boson plus jets production.

Abstract: A binned Dalitz plot analysis of the decays B (0) -> DK*(0), with D -> K (S) (0) pi(+)pi(-) and D -> K (S) (0) K+K-, is performed to measure the observables x(+/-) and y(+/-), which are related to the CKM angle gamma and the hadronic parameters of the decays. The D decay strong phase variation over the Dalitz plot is taken from measurements performed at the CLEO-c experiment, making the analysis independent of the D decay model. With a sample of proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment, the values of the CP violation parameters are found to be x(+) = 0.05 +/- 0.35 +/- 0.02, x(-) = -0.31 +/- 0.20 +/- 0.04, y(+) = -0.81 +/- 0.28 +/- 0.06 and y(-) = 0.31 +/- 0.21 +/- 0.05, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. These observables correspond to values gamma = (71 +/- 20)degrees, gamma(B0) = 0.56 +/- 0.17 and delta(B0) = (204(-20)(+21))degrees. The parameters gamma(B0) and delta(B0) are the magnitude ratio and strong phase difference between the suppressed and favoured B-0 decay amplitudes, and have been measured in a region of +/- 50 MeV/c(2) around the K*(892)(0) mass and with the magnitude of the cosine of the K*(892)(0) helicity angle larger than 0.4.