Abstract: The production of psi(2S) mesons in proton-lead collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of root s(NN) = 8.16TeV is studied with the LHCb detector using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 nb(-1). The prompt and nonprompt psi(2S) production cross-sections and the ratio of the psi(2S) to J/psi cross-section are measured as a function of the meson transverse momentum and rapidity in the nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass frame, together with forward-to-backward ratios and nuclear modification factors. The production of prompt psi(2S) is observed to be more suppressed compared to pp collisions than the prompt J/psi production, while the nonprompt productions have similar suppression factors.

Abstract: We present a tunable metal ion beam that delivers controllable ion currents in the picoamp range for testing of dry-phase ion sensors. Ion beams are formed by sequential atomic evaporation and single or multiple electron impact ionization, followed by acceleration into a sensing region. Controllability of the ionic charge state is achieved through tuning of electrode potentials that influence the retention time in the ionization region. Barium, lead, and cadmium samples have been used to test the system, with ion currents identified and quantified using a quadrupole mass analyzer. Realization of a clean Ba2+ ion beam within a bench-top system represents an important technical advance toward the development and characterization of barium tagging systems for neutrinoless double beta decay searches in xenon gas. This system also provides a testbed for investigation of novel ion sensing methodologies for environmental assay applications, with dication beams of Pb2+ and Cd2+ also demonstrated for this purpose.

Abstract: A Dalitz plot analysis of the D-s(+) -> pi(-)pi(+)pi(+) decay is presented. The analysis is based on proton-proton collision data recorded by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 8TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.5 fb(-1). The resonant structure of the decay is obtained using a quasi-model-independent partial-wave analysis, in which the pi(+)pi(-) S-wave amplitude is parameterised as a generic complex function determined by a fit to the data. The S-wave component is found to be dominant, followed by the contribution from spin-2 resonances and a small contribution from spin-1 resonances. The latter includes the first observation of the D-s(+) -> omega(782)pi(+) channel in the D-s(+) -> pi(-)pi(+)pi(+) decay. The resonant structures of the D-s(+) -> pi(-)pi(+)pi(+) and D+ -> pi(-)pi(+)pi(+) decays are compared, providing information about the mechanisms for the hadron formation in these decays.

Abstract: Tuning is an essential requirement for the search of dark matter axions employing haloscopes since its mass is not known yet to the scientific community. At the present day, most haloscope tuning systems are based on mechanical devices which can lead to failures due to the complexity of the environment in which they are used. However, the electronic tuning making use of ferroelectric materials can provide a path that is less vulnerable to mechanical failures and thus complements and expands current tuning systems. In this work, we present and design a novel technique for using the ferroelectric Potassium Tantalate (KTaO3 or KTO) material as a tuning element in haloscopes based on coupled microwave cavities. In this line, the structures used in the Relic Axion Detector Exploratory Setup (RADES) group are based on several cavities that are connected by metallic irises, which act as interresonator coupling elements. In this article, we also show how to use these KTaO3 films as interresonator couplings between cavities, instead of inductive or capacitive metallic windows used in the past. These two techniques represent a crucial upgrade over the current systems employed in the dark matter axions community, achieving a tuning range of 2.23% which represents a major improvement as compared to previous works (<0.1%) for the same class of tuning systems. The theoretical and simulated results shown in this work demonstrate the interest of the novel techniques proposed for the incorporation of this kind of ferroelectric media in multicavity resonant haloscopes in the search for dark matter axions.

Abstract: A precision measurement of the Z boson production cross-section at root s = 13 TeV in the forward region is presented, using pp collision data collected by the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.1 fb(-1). The production cross-section is measured using Z -> mu(+)mu(-) events within the fiducial region defined as pseudorapidity 2.0 < eta < 4.5 and transverse momentum p(T) > 20 GeV/c for both muons and dimuon invariant mass 60 < M-mu μ< 120 GeV/c(2). The integrated cross-section is determined to be sigma(Z -> mu(+)mu(-)) = 196.4 +/- 0.2 +/- 1.6 +/- 3.9 pb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the luminosity determination. The measured results are in agreement with theoretical predictions within uncertainties.