Abstract: We discuss the generation of small neutrino masses from d = 71 -loop diagrams. We first systematically analyze all possible d = 7 1 -loop topologies. There is a total of 48 topologies, but only 8 of these can lead to “genuine” d = 7 neutrino masses. Here, we define genuine models to be models in which neither d = 5 nor d = 7 tree -level masses nor a d = 5 1 -loop mass appear, such that the d = 7 1 -loop is the leading order contribution to the neutrino masses. All genuine models can then be organized w.r.t. their particle content. We find there is only one diagram with no representation larger than triplet, while there are 22 diagrams with quadruplets. We briefly discuss three minimal example models of this kind.

Abstract: The production of a Z boson and a photon in association with a high-mass dijet system is studied using 20.2 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 8TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider. Final states with a photon and a Z boson decaying into a pair of either electrons, muons, or neutrinos are analysed. Electroweak and total pp -> Z gamma jj cross-sections are extracted in two fiducial regions with different sensitivities to electroweak production processes. Quartic couplings of vector bosons are studied in regions of phase space with an enhanced contribution from pure electroweak production, sensitive to vector-boson scattering processes VV -> Z gamma. No deviations from Standard Model predictions are observed and constraints are placed on anomalous couplings parameterized by higher-dimensional operators using effective field theory.

Abstract: We report on the discovery of a new fast radio burst (FRB), FRB 150215, with the Parkes radio telescope on 2015 February 15. The burst was detected in real time with a dispersion measure (DM) of 1105.6 +/- 0.8 pc cm(-3), a pulse duration of 2.8(-0.5)(+1.2) ms, and a measured peak flux density assuming that the burst was at beam centre of 0.7(-0.1)(+0.2) Jy. The FRB originated at a Galactic longitude and latitude of 24.66 degrees, 5.28 degrees and 25 degrees away from the Galactic Center. The burst was found to be 43 +/- 5 per cent linearly polarized with a rotation measure (RM) in the range -9 < RM < 12 rad m(-2) (95 per cent confidence level), consistent with zero. The burst was followed up with 11 telescopes to search for radio, optical, X-ray, gamma-ray and neutrino emission. Neither transient nor variable emission was found to be associated with the burst and no repeat pulses have been observed in 17.25 h of observing. The sightline to the burst is close to the Galactic plane and the observed physical properties of FRB 150215 demonstrate the existence of sight lines of anomalously low RM for a given electron column density. The Galactic RM foreground may approach a null value due to magnetic field reversals along the line of sight, a decreased total electron column density from the Milky Way, or some combination of these effects. A lower Galactic DM contribution might explain why this burst was detectable whereas previous searches at low latitude have had lower detection rates than those out of the plane.

Abstract: Heavy vectorlike quarks with electric charge Q = 2/3 (also called heavy tops) appear naturally in many extensions of the Standard Model. Although these typically predict the existence of further particles below the TeV scale, direct searches for heavy tops have been performed assuming that they decay only into SM particles. The aim of this paper is to overcome this situation. We consider the most constraining experimental LHC searches for vectorlike quarks, including analyses of the 36 fb(-1) of data collected in the latest run at 13 TeV of center of mass energy, as well as searches sensitive to heavy tops decaying into a new scalar, S. Combining all these, we derive bounds for arbitrary values of the heavy top branching ratios. A simple code that automatizes this process is also provided. At the physics level, we demonstrate that bounds on heavy tops are not inevitably weaker in the presence of new light scalars. We find that heavy tops with masses below similar to 900 GeV are excluded by direct searches, independently of whether they decay into Zt, Ht, Wb or St (with S giving either missing energy of bottom quarks) or into any combination of them.

Abstract: We report on a measurement of the flavor-specific B-s(0) lifetime and of the D-s(-) lifetime using proton-proton collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment and corresponding to 3.0 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. Approximately 407 000 B-s(0) -> D-s(()*()) -> D-s(()*()-) mu+v(mu) decays are partially reconstructed in the K+K-pi(-)mu(+) final state. The B-s(0) and D-s(-) natural widths are determined using, as a reference, kinematically similar B-0 -> Dd(*)(-) mu+v(mu) decays reconstructed in the same final state. The resulting differences between widths of B-s(0) and B-0 mesons and of D-s(-) and D- mesons are Delta(Gamma)(B) = -0.0115 +/- 0.0053(stat) +/- 0.0041 (syst) ps(-1) and Delta(Gamma)(D) = 1.0131 +/- 0.0117(stat) +/- 0.0065(syst) ps(-1), respectively. Combined with the known B-0 and D- lifetimes, these yield the flavor-specific B-s(0) lifetime, tau(fs)(Bs0) = 1.547 +/- 0.013 (stat) +/- 0.010 (syst) +/- 0.004(tau(B)) ps and the D-s(-) lifetime, tau(Ds-) = 0.5064 +/- 0.0030(stat) +/- 0.0017(syst) +/- 0.0017(sys) +/- 0.0017(tau(D)). The last uncertainties originate from the limited knowledge of the B-0 and D- lifetimes. The results improve upon current determinations.