Abstract: The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) employs a trigger system consisting of a first-level hardware trigger (L1) and a software-based high-level trigger. The L1 muon trigger system selects muon candidates, assigns them to the correct LHC bunch crossing and classifies them into one of six transverse-momentum threshold classes. The L1 muon trigger system uses resistive-plate chambers (RPCs) to generate the muon-induced trigger signals in the central (barrel) region of the ATLAS detector. The ATLAS RPCs are arranged in six concentric layers and operate in a toroidal magnetic field with a bending power of 1.5 to 5.5 Tm. The RPC detector consists of about 3700 gas volumes with a total surface area of more than 4000 m(2). This paper reports on the performance of the RPC detector and L1 muon barrel trigger using 60.8 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment in 2018 at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Detector and trigger performance are studied using Z boson decays into a muon pair. Measurements of the RPC detector response, efficiency, and time resolution are reported. Measurements of the L1 muon barrel trigger efficiencies and rates are presented, along with measurements of the properties of the selected sample of muon candidates. Measurements of the RPC currents, counting rates and mean avalanche charge are performed using zero-bias collisions. Finally, RPC detector response and efficiency are studied at different high voltage and front-end discriminator threshold settings in order to extrapolate detector response to the higher luminosity expected for the High Luminosity LHC.

Abstract: Up-to-date cosmological data analyses have shown that (sigma) a closed universe is preferred by the Planck data at more than 99% CL, and (b) interacting scenarios offer a very compelling solution to the Hubble constant tension. In light of these two recent appealing scenarios, we consider here an interacting dark matter-dark energy model with a non-zero spatial curvature component and a freely varying dark energy equation of state in both the quintessential and phantom regimes. When considering Cosmic Microwave Background data only, a phantom and closed universe can perfectly alleviate the Hubble tension, without the necessity of a coupling among the dark sectors. Accounting for other possible cosmological observations compromises the viability of this very attractive scenario as a global solution to current cosmological tensions, either by spoiling its effectiveness concerning the H-0 problem, as in the case of Supernovae Ia data, or by introducing a strong disagreement in the preferred value of the spatial curvature, as in the case of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations.

Abstract: Measurements of CP observables in B-+/- -> D(*) K-+/- and B-+/- -> D(*) pi(+/-) decays are presented, where D(*) indicates a neutral D or D* meson that is an admixture of meson and anti-meson states. Decays of the D(*) meson to the D pi(0) and D gamma final states are partially reconstructed without inclusion of the neutral pion or photon. Decays of the D meson are reconstructed in the K-+/-pi(-/+), K+K-, and pi(+)pi(-) final states. The analysis uses a sample of charged B mesons produced in proton-proton collisions and collected with the LHCb experiment, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 2.0, 1.0, and 5.7 fb(-1) taken at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13TeV, respectively. The measurements of partially reconstructed B-+/- -> D(*) K-+/- and B-+/- -> D(*)pi(+/-) with D -> K--/+pi(+/-) decays are the first of their kind, and a first observation of the B-+/- -> (D pi(0)) D*pi(+/-) decay is made with a significance of 6.1 standard deviations. All CP observables are measured with world-best precision, and in combination with other LHCb results will provide strong constraints on the CKM angle gamma.