Abstract: Studies of the spin and parity quantum numbers of the Higgs boson are presented, based on protonproton collision data collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The Standard Model spin-parity J(P) = 0(+) hypothesis is compared with alternative hypotheses using the Higgs boson decays H -> gamma gamma, H -> ZZ* -> 4l and H -> WW* -> l nu l nu, as well as the combination of these channels. The analysed dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 20.7 fb(-1) collected at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV. For the H -> ZZ* -> 4l decay mode the dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 fb(-1) collected at root s = 7 TeV is included. The data are compatible with the Standard Model J(P) = 0+ quantum numbers for the Higgs boson, whereas all alternative hypotheses studied in this Letter, namely some specific J(P) = 0(-), 1(+), 1(-), 2(+) models, are excluded at confidence levels above 97.8%. This exclusion holds independently of the assumptions on the coupling strengths to the Standard Model particles and in the case of the J(P) = 2(+) model, of the relative fractions of gluon-fusion and quark-antiquark production of the spin-2 particle. The data thus provide evidence for the spin-0 nature of the Higgs boson, with positive parity being strongly preferred.

Abstract: We study the isospin breaking in the reactions chi(c1) -> pi(0)pi(+)pi(-) and chi(c1) -> pi(0)pi(0)eta and its relation to the a(0)(980) – f(0)(980) mixing, which was measured by the BESIII Collaboration. We show that the same theoretical model previously developed to study the chi(c1) -> eta pi(+)pi(-) reaction (also measured by BESIII), and further explored in the predictions to the eta(c) -> eta pi(+)pi(-), can be successfully employed in the present study. We assume that the chi(c1) behaves as an SU(3) singlet to find the weight in which trios of pseudoscalars are created, followed by the final state interaction of pairs of mesons to describe how the a(0)(980) and f(0)(980) are dynamically generated, using the chiral unitary approach in coupled channels. The isospin violation is introduced through the use of different masses for the charged and neutral kaons, either in the propagators of pairs of mesons created in the chi(c1) decay, or in the propagators inside the T matrix, constructed through the unitarization of the scattering and transition amplitudes of pairs of pseudoscalar mesons. We find that violating isospin inside the T matrix makes the pi(0)eta -> pi(+)pi(-) amplitude nonzero, which gives an important contribution and also enhances the effect of the K (K) over bar term. We also find that the most important effect in the total amplitude is the isospin breaking inside the T matrix, due to the constructive sum of pi(0)eta -> pi(+)pi(-) and K (K) over bar -> pi(+)pi(-), which is essential to get a good agreement with the experimental measurement of the mixing.

Abstract: The nucleus Po-212 has been produced through the fragmentation of a U-238 primary beam at 1GeV/nucleon at GSI, separated with the FRagment Separator, FRS, and studied via isomer gamma-decay spectroscopy with the RISING setup. Two delayed previously unknown gamma rays have been observed. One has been attributed to the E3 decay of a 21(-) isomeric state feeding the alpha-emitting 45-s (18(+)) high-spin isomer. The other gamma-ray line has been assigned to the decay of a higher-lying 23(+) metastable state. These are the first observations of high-spin states above the Po-212 (18(+)) isomer, by virtue of the selectivity obtained via ion-by-ion identification of U-238 fragmentation products. Comparison with shell-model calculations points to shortfalls in the nuclear interactions involving high- jproton and neutron orbitals, to which the region around Z similar to 100 is sensitive.

Abstract: In this work, an Effective Field Theory (EFT) incorporating light SU(3)-flavour and heavy quark spin symmetries is used to describe charmed meson-antimeson bound states. At Lowest Order (LO), this means that only contact range interactions among the heavy meson and antimeson fields are involved. Besides, the isospin violating decays of the X(3872) will be used to constrain the interaction between the D and a (D) over bar* mesons in the isovector channel. Finally, assuming that the X(3915) and Y(4140) resonances are D* (D) over bar* and D-s* (D) over bar (s)* molecular states, we can determine the four Low Energy Constants (LECs) of the EFT that appear at LO and, therefore, the full spectrum of molecular states with isospin I = 0, 1/2 and 1.