Abstract: We present new limits on early dark energy (EDE) from the cosmic microwave background (CMB) using data from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) satellite on large angular scales and South Pole Telescope on small angular scales. We find a strong upper limit on the EDE density of Omega(e) < 0.018 at 95% confidence, a factor of three improvement over WMAP data alone. We show that adding lower-redshift probes of the expansion rate to the CMB data improves constraints on the dark energy equation of state, but not the EDE density. We also explain how small-scale CMB temperature anisotropy constrains EDE.

Abstract: Tensorial non-standard neutrino interactions are studied through a combined analysis of nuclear structure calculations and a sensitivity chi(2)-type of neutrino events expected to be measured at the COHERENT experiment, recently planned to operate at the Spallation Neutron Source (Oak Ridge). Potential sizeable predictions on transition neutrino magnetic moments and other electromagnetic parameters, such as neutrino milli-charges, are also addressed. The non-standard neutrino-nucleus processes, explored from nuclear physics perspectives within the context of quasi-particle random phase approximation, are exploited in order to estimate the expected number of events originating from vector and tensor exotic interactions for the case of reactor neutrinos, studied with TEXONO and GEMMA neutrino detectors.

Abstract: We generate new standard solar models using newly analyzed nuclear fusion cross sections and present results for helioseismic quantities and solar neutrino fluxes. The status of the solar abundance problem is discussed. We investigate whether nonstandard solar models with accretion from the protoplanetary disk might alleviate this problem. We examine a broad range of models, analyzing metal-enriched and metal-depleted accretion and three scenarios for the timing of accretion. Only partial solutions are found. Formetal-rich accreted material (Z(ac) greater than or similar to 0.018) there exist combinations of accreted mass and metallicity that bring the depth of the convective zone into agreement with the helioseismic value. For the surface helium abundance, the helioseismic value is reproduced if metal-poor or metal-free accretion is assumed (Z(ac) less than or similar to 0.09). In both cases a few percent of the solar mass must be accreted. Precise values depend on when accretion takes place. We do not find a simultaneous solution to both problems but speculate that changing the hydrogen-to-helium mass ratio in the accreted material may lead to more satisfactory solutions. We also show that, with current data, solar neutrinos are already a very competitive source of information about the solar core and can help constraining possible accretion histories. Even without helioseismic constraints, solar neutrinos rule out the possibility that more than 0.02 M(circle dot) from the protoplanetary disk were accreted after the Sun settled on the main sequence. Finally, we discuss how measurements of neutrinos from the CN cycle could shed light on the interaction between the early Sun and its protoplanetary disk.

Abstract: The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN is used to search for the decay of a scalar boson to a pair of long-lived particles, neutral under the Standard Model gauge group, in 20.3 fb(-1) of data collected in proton-proton collisions at root s = 8 TeV. This search is sensitive to long-lived particles that decay to Standard Model particles producing jets at the outer edge of the ATLAS electromagnetic calorimeter or inside the hadronic calorimeter. No significant excess of events is observed. Limits are reported on the product of the scalar boson production cross section times branching ratio into long-lived neutral particles as a function of the proper lifetime of the particles. Limits are reported for boson masses from 100 GeV to 900 GeV, and a long-lived neutral particle mass from 10 GeV to 150 GeV.

Abstract: In this Letter we analyse, in the context of the general 2-Higgs Doublet Model, the structure of the Yukawa matrices, (Y) over tilde (q)(1,2), by assuming a four-zero texture ansatz for their definition. In this framework, we obtain compact expressions for (Y) over tilde (q)(1,2), which are reduced to the Cheng and Sher ansatz with the difference that they are obtained naturally as a direct consequence of the invariants of the fermion mass matrices. Furthermore, in order to avoid large flavour violating effects coming from charged Higgs exchange, we consider the main flavour constraints on the off-diagonal terms of Yukawa texture ((chi) over tilde (q)(j))(kl) (k not equal l). We perform a chi(2)-fit based on current experimental data on the quark masses and the Cabibbo-KobayashiMaskawa mixing matrix V-CKM. Hence, we obtain the allowed ranges for the parameters (Y) over tilde (q)(1,2) at 1 sigma for several values of tan beta. The results are in complete agreement with the bounds obtained taking into account constraints on Flavour Changing Neutral Currents reported in the literature.