Abstract: Projective invariance is a symmetry of the Palatini version of General Relativity which is not present in the metric formulation. The fact that the Riemann tensor changes nontrivially under projective transformations implies that, unlike in the usual metric approach, in the Palatini formulation this tensor is subject to a gauge freedom, which allows some ambiguities even in its scalar contractions. In this sense, we show that for the Schwarzschild solution there exists a projective gauge in which the (affine) Kretschmann scalar, K (R beta μnu R alpha beta μnu)-R-alpha, can be set to vanish everywhere. This puts forward that the divergence of curvature scalars may, in some cases, be avoided by a gauge transformation of the connection.

Abstract: Non-unitarity of the neutrino mixing matrix is expected in many scenarios with physics beyond the Standard Model. Motivated by the search for deviations from unitary, we study two neutrino counting observables: the neutrino-antineutrino gamma process and the invisible Z boson decay into neutrinos. We report on new constraints for non-unitarity coming from the first of these observables. We study the potential constraints that future collider experiments will give from the invisible decay of the Z boson, that will be measured with improved precision.

Abstract: A search for non-resonant Higgs boson pair production, as predicted by the Standard Model, is presented, where one of the Higgs bosons decays via the H -> bb channel and the other via one of the H -> WW*/ZZ*/tau tau channels. The analysis selection requires events to have at least two b-tagged jets and exactly two leptons (electrons or muons) with opposite electric charge in the final state. Candidate events consistent with Higgs boson pair production are selected using a multi-class neural network discriminant. The analysis uses 139 fb(-1) of pp collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. An observed (expected) upper limit of 1.2 (0.9(-0.3)(+0.4)) pb is set on the non-resonant Higgs boson pair production cross-section at 95% confidence level, which is equivalent to 40 (29(-9)(+14)) times the value predicted in the Standard Model.

Abstract: A search for long-lived particles decaying into an oppositely charged lepton pair, μmu, ee, or e mu, is presented using 32.8 fb(-1) of pp collision data collected at root s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Candidate leptons are required to form a vertex, within the inner tracking volume of ATLAS, displaced from the primary pp interaction region. No lepton pairs with an invariant mass greater than 12 GeV are observed, consistent with the background expectations derived from data. The detection efficiencies for generic resonances with lifetimes (c tau) of 100-1000 mm decaying into a dilepton pair with masses between 0.1-1.0 TeV are presented as a function of p(T) and decay radius of the resonances to allow the extraction of upper limits on the cross sections for theoretical models. The result is also interpreted in a supersymmetric model in which the lightest neutralino, produced via squark-antisquark production, decays into l(+) l'(-) nu(l, l' = e, mu) with a finite lifetime due to the presence of R-parity violating couplings. Cross-section limits are presented for specific squark and neutralino masses. For a 700 GeV squark, neutralinos with masses of 50-500 GeV and mean proper lifetimes corresponding to c tau values between 1 mm to 6 m are excluded. For a 1.6 TeV squark, c tau values between 3 mm to 1 m are excluded for 1.3 TeV neutralinos.

Abstract: We present the first full-fledged study of the flavor-exotic isoscalar T-bb(-) equivalent to bb (u) over bar(d) over bar tetraquark with spin and parity J(P) = 1(+). We report accurate solutions of the four-body problem in a quark model, characterizing the structure of the state as a function of the ratio M-Q/m(q) of the heavy to light quark masses. For such a standard constituent model, T-bb(-) lies approximately 150 MeV below the strong decay threshold B- (B) over bar*(0) and 105 MeV below the electromagnetic decay threshold B- (B) over bar (0)gamma. We evaluate the lifetime of T-bb(-), identifying the promising decay modes where the tetraquark might be looked for in future experiments. Its total decay width is Gamma approximate to 87 x 10(-15) GeV and therefore its lifetime tau approximate to 7.6 ps. The promising final states are B*(-) D*(+) l (v) over bar (l) and (B) over bar*(0) l (v) over bar (l) among the semileptonic decays, and B*(-) D*(+) D-s*(-), (B) over bar*(0) D*(0) D-s*(-), and B*(-) D*(+) rho(-) among the nonleptonic ones. The semileptonic decay to the isoscalar J(P) = 0(+) tetraquark T-bc(0) is also relevant but it is not found to be dominant. There is a broad consensus about the existence of this tetraquark, and its detection will validate our understanding of the low-energy realizations of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) in the multiquark sector.