Abstract: Many new physics scenarios contain ultralight scalars, states which are either exactly massless or much lighter than any other massive particle in the model. Axions and majorons constitute well-motivated examples of this type of particle. In this work, we explore the phenomenology of these states in low-energy leptonic observables. After adopting a model independent approach that includes both scalar and pseudoscalar interactions, we briefly discuss the current limits on the diagonal couplings to charged leptons and consider processes in which the ultralight scalar phi is directly produced, such as μ-> e phi, or acts as a mediator, as in tau -> μμmu. Contributions to the charged leptons magnetic and electric moments are studied as well.

Abstract: We study the contribution of nu(e) -> nu(tau) -> tau -> μtransitions to the wrong-sign muon sample of the golden channel of the Neutrino Factory. Muons from tau decays are not really a background, since they contain information from the oscillation signal, and represent a small fraction of the sample. However, if not properly handled they introduce serious systematic error, in particular if the detector/analysis are sensitive to muons of low energy. This systematic effect is particularly troublesome for large theta(13) >= 1 degrees and prevents the use of the Neutrino Factory as a precision facility for large theta(13). Such a systematic error disappears if the tau contribution to the golden muon sample is taken into account. The fact that the fluxes of the Neutrino Factory are exactly calculable permits the knowledge of the tau sample due to the nu(e) -> nu(tau) oscillation. We then compute the contribution to the muon sample arising from this sample in terms of the apparent muon energy. This requires the computation of a migration matrix M-ij which describes the contributions of the tau neutrinos of a given energy E-i, to the muon neutrinos of an apparent energy E-j. We demonstrate that applying M-ij to the data permits the full correction of the otherwise intolerable systematic error.

Abstract: The known isospin-breaking contributions to the K -> pi pi amplitudes are reanalyzed, taking into account our current understanding of the quark masses and the relevant non-perturbative inputs. We present a complete numerical reappraisal of the direct CP-violating ratio is an element of(')/is an element of, where these corrections play a quite significant role. We obtain the Standard Model prediction Re (is an element of(')/is an element of) = (14 +/- 5) <bold> </bold>10(-4), which is in very good agreement with the measured ratio. The uncertainty, which has been estimated conservatively, is dominated by our current ignorance about 1/N-C-suppressed contributions to some relevant chiral-perturbation-theory low-energy constants.

Abstract: A measurement of CP-violating observables in B-+/-->(DK +/-)-K-& lowast; and B-+/--> D-& lowast;pi(+/-) decays is made where the photon or neutral pion from the D-& lowast;-> D gamma or D-& lowast;-> D pi(0) decay is not reconstructed. The D meson is reconstructed in the self-conjugate decay modes, D -> K-S(0)pi(+)pi(-) or D ->(KSK+K-)-K-0. The distribution of signal yields in the D decay phase space is analysed in a model-independent way. The measurement uses a data sample collected in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of approximately 9 fb(-1). The B-+/-->(DK +/-)-K-& lowast; and B-+/--> D-& lowast;pi(+/-) CP-violating observables are interpreted in terms of hadronic parameters and the CKM angle gamma, resulting in a measurement of gamma=(92(-17)(+21))degrees. The total uncertainty includes the statistical and systematic uncertainties, and the uncertainty due to external strong-phase inputs.