Abstract: We study the processes e(+)e--> pi(+)pi(-)pi(0)pi(0)pi(0)gamma and pi(+)pi(-)pi(0)pi(0)eta gamma in which an energetic photon is radiated from the initial state. The data are collected with the BABAR detector at SLAC. About 14 000 and 4700 events, respectively, are selected from a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 469 fb(-1). The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the effective e(+)e(-) center-of-mass energy. From the mass spectra, the first precise measurement of the e(+)e--> pi(+)pi(-)pi(0)pi(0)pi(0) cross section and the first measurement ever of the e(+)e--> pi(+)pi(-)pi(0)pi(0)pi(0)eta cross section are performed. The center-of-mass energies range from threshold to 4.35 GeV. The systematic uncertainty is typically between 10% and 13%. The contributions from omega pi(0)pi(0), eta pi(+)pi(-) and other intermediate states are presented. We observe the J/psi and psi(2S) in most of these final states and measure the corresponding branching fractions, many of them for the first time.

Abstract: In the framework of effective field theories with prominent helicity-0 and helicity-1 fields coupled to each other via a dimension-3 operator, we study the dynamics of inflation driven by the helicity-0 mode, with a given potential energy, as well as the evolution of cosmological perturbations, influenced by the presence of a mixing term between both helicities. In this scenario, the temporal component of the helicity-1 mode is an auxiliary field and can be integrated out in terms of the time derivative of the helicity-0 mode, so that the background dynamics effectively reduces to that in single-field inflation modulated by a parameter beta associated to the coupling between helicity-0 and helicity-1 modes. We discuss the evolution of a longitudinal scalar perturbation psi and an inflaton fluctuation delta phi, and we explicitly show that a particular combination of these two, which corresponds to an isocurvature mode, is subject to exponential suppression by the vector mass comparable to the Hubble expansion rate during inflation. Furthermore, we find that the effective single-field description corrected by beta also holds for the power spectrum of curvature perturbations generated during inflation. We compute the standard inflationary observables such as the scalar spectral index n(s), and the tensorto-scalar ratio r and confront several inflaton potentials with the recent observational data provided by Planck 2018. Our results show that the coupling between helicity-0 and helicity-1 modes can lead to a smaller value of the tensor-to-scalar ratio especially for small-field inflationary models, so our scenario exhibits even better compatibility with the current observational data.

Abstract: A descriptive summary is given of the results to-date from the framed standard model (FSM) which: Assigns geometric meaning to the Higgs field and to fermion generations, hence offering an explanation for the observed mass and mixing patterns of quarks and leptons, reproducing near-quantitatively 17 of SM parameters with only 7. Predicts a new vector boson G which mixes with gamma and Z, leading to deviations from the SM mixing scheme. For m(G) > 1 TeV, these deviations are within present experimental errors but should soon be detectable at LHC when experimental accuracy is further improved. Suggests the existence of a hidden sector of particles as yet unknown to experiment which interact but little with the known particles. The lowest members of the hidden sector of mass around 17 MeV, being electrically neutral and stable, may figure as dark matter constituents. The idea is to retrace the steps leading to the above results unencumbered by details already worked out and reported elsewhere. This has helped to clarify the logic, tighten some arguments and dispense with one major assumption previously thought necessary, thus strengthening earlier results in opening up possibly a new and exciting vista for further exploration.

Abstract: We carry out a systematic study of exotic QQ'(q) over bar(q) over bar four-quark states containing distinguishable heavy flavors, b and c. Different generic constituent models are explored in an attempt to extract general conclusions. The results are robust, predicting the same sets of quantum numbers as the best candidates to lodge bound states independently of the model used, the isoscalar J(P) = 0(+) and J(P) = 1(+) states. The first state would be strong and electromagnetic-interaction stable, while the second would decay electromagnetically to (B) over barD gamma. Isovector states are found to be unbound, preventing the existence of charged partners. The interest on exotic heavy-light tetraquarks with nonidentical heavy flavors comes reinforced by the recent estimation of the production rate of the isoscalar bc (u) over bar(d) over bar J(P) = 1(+) state, 2 orders of magnitude larger than that of the bb (u) over bar(d) over bar analogous state.

Abstract: We argue that high-quality data on the reaction e(+)e(-) -> pi(+) pi(-) eta will allow one to determine the doubly-virtual form factor eta -> gamma*gamma* in a model-independent way with controlled accuracy. This is an important step towards a reliable evaluation of the hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of themuon. When analyzing the existing data for e(+) e(-) -> pi(+) pi(-) eta for total energies squared k(2) > 1GeV(2), we demonstrate that the effect of the a(2) meson provides a natural breaking mechanism for the commonly employed factorization ansatz in the doubly-virtual form factor F-eta gamma*gamma* (q(2), k(2)). However, better data are needed to draw firm conclusions.