Abstract: A measurement of the ratios of the effective decay widths of D-0 -> pi(-)pi(+) and D-0 -> K- K+ decays over that of D-0 -> K-pi(+) decays is performed with the LHCb experiment using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb(-1). These observables give access to the charm mixing parameters y(CP)(pi pi) – y(CP)(K pi )and y(CP)(KK) -y(CP)(K pi), and are measured as y(CP)(pi pi) – y(CP)(K pi) = (6.57 +/- 0.53 +/- 0.16) x 10(-3), y(CP)(KK) – y(CP)(K pi) = (7.08 +/- 0.30 +/- 0.14) x 10(-3), where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The combination of the two measurements is Y-CP – y(CP)(K pi) = (6.96 +/- 0.26 +/- 0.13) x 10(-3), which is four times more precise than the previous world average.

Abstract: We discuss the possibility to measure particle couplings with stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds (SGWBs). Under certain circumstances a sequence of peaks of different amplitude and frequency-a stairway-emerges in a SGWB spectrum, with each peak probing a different coupling. The detection of such signature opens the possibility to reconstruct couplings (spectroscopy) of particle species involved in high energy phenomena generating SGWBs. Stairwaylike signatures may arise in causally produced backgrounds in the early Universe, e.g., from preheating or first order phase transitions. As a proof of principle we study a preheating scenario with an inflaton 0 coupled to multiple daughter fields f chi jg with different coupling strengths. As a clear stairway signature is imprinted in the SGWB spectrum, we reconstruct the relevant couplings with various detectors.

Abstract: The silhouette of a black hole having a critical curve (an unstable bound photon orbit) when illuminated by an optically thin accretion disk whose emission is confined to the equatorial plane shows a distinctive central brightness depression (the shadow) whose outer edge consists of a series of strongly lensed, selfsimilar rings superimposed with the disk???s direct emission. While the size and shape of the critical curve depend only on the background geometry, the pattern of bright and dark regions (including the size and depth of the shadow itself) in the image is strongly influenced by the (astro)physics of the accretion disk. This aspect makes it difficult to extract clean and clear observational discriminators between the Kerr black hole and other compact objects. In the presence of a second critical curve, however, observational differences become apparent. In this work we shall consider some spherically symmetric black hole and wormhole geometries characterized by the presence of a second critical curve, via a uniparametric family of extensions of the Schwarzschild metric. By assuming three toy models of geometrically thin accretion disks, we show the presence of additional light rings in the intermediate region between the two critical curves. The observation of such rings could represent a compelling evidence for the existence of black hole mimickers having multiple critical curves.

Abstract: We have performed a combined analysis of the BESIII data for both the Z(c)(3900) and Z(cs)(3985) structures, assuming that the latter is an SU(3) flavor partner of the former one. We have improved on the previous analysis of Albaladejo et al. [Phys. Lett. B 755, 337 (2016)] by computing the amplitude for the D-1(D) over barD* triangle diagram considering both D- and S-wave D1D*x couplings. We have also investigated effects from SU(3) light-flavor violations, which are found to be moderate and of the order of 20%. The successful reproduction of the BESIII spectra, in both the hidden-charm and hidden-charm strange sectors, strongly supports that the Z(cs)(3985) and Z(c)(3900) are SU(3) flavor partners placed in the same octet multiplet. The best results are obtained when an energy-dependent term in the diagonal D(*) (D) over bar ((s))((*)) interaction is included, leading to resonances (poles above the thresholds) to describe these exotic states. We have also made predictions for the isovector Z*c and isodoublet Z*(cs), D*(D) over bar*, and D*??D*s molecules, with J(PC) = 1(+-) and J(P) = 1(+), respectively. These states would be heavy-quark spin symmetry (HQSS) partners of the Z(c) and Z(cs). Besides the determination of the masses and widths of the Z(c)(3900) and Z(cs)(3985), we also predict those of the Z*(c) and Z*(cs) resonances.

Abstract: We study the interaction of the doubly bottom systems BB, B*B, BsB, B-s*B, B*B*, B*B-S, B*B-s*, BsBs, BsBs*, B-s*B-s* by means of vector meson exchange with Lagrangians from an extension of the local hidden gauge approach. The full s-wave scattering matrix is obtained implementing unitarity in coupled channels by means of the Bethe-Salpeter equation. We find poles below the channel thresholds for the attractively interacting channels B*B in I = 0, B-s*B – B*B-s in I = 1/2, B* B* in I = 0, and B-s*B* in I = 1/2, all of them with J(P) = 1(+). For these cases the widths are evaluated identifying the dominant source of imaginary part. We find binding energies of the order of 10-20 MeV, and the widths vary much from one system to the other: of the order of 10-100 eV for the B* B system and B-s*B – B* B-s, about 6 MeV for the B*B* system and of the order of 0.5 MeV for the B-s*B* system.