Abstract: We study f (R, T) theories of gravity, where T is the trace of the energy-momentum tensor T-mu v, with independent metric and affine connection (metric-affine theories). We find that the resulting field equations share a close resemblance with their metric-affine f(R) relatives once an effective energy-momentum tensor is introduced. As a result, the metric field equations are second-order and no new propagating degrees of freedom arise as compared to GR, which contrasts with the metric formulation of these theories, where a dynamical scalar degree of freedom is present. Analogously to its metric counterpart, the field equations impose the nonconservation of the energy-momentum tensor, which implies nongeodesic motion arid consequently leads to the appearance of an extra force. The weak field limit leads to a modified Poisson equation formally identical to that found in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity. Furthermore, the coupling of these gravity theories to perfect fluids, electromagnetic, and scalar fields, and their potential applications arc discussed.

Abstract: A search for the narrow structure, X(5568), reported by the DO Collaboration in the decay sequence X -> B-s(0) pi +/-, B-s(0) -> J/psi phi, is presented. The analysis is based on a data sample recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC corresponding to 4.9 fb(-1) of pp collisions at 7 TeV and 19.5 fb(-1)at 8 TeV. No significant signal was found. Upper limits on the number of signal events, with properties corresponding to those reported by DO, and on the A production rate relative to B-s(0) mesons, rho x, were determined at 95% confidence level. The results are N(X) < 382 and rho x <0.015 for B-s(0) mesons with transverse momenta above 10 GeV and N(X) < 356 and rho(x) < 0.016 for transverse momenta above 15 GeV. Limits are also set for potential B-s(0) pi(+) resonances in the mass range 5550 to 5700 MeV.

Abstract: A search for the standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a top-quark pair, t(t)overbar H, is presented. The analysis uses 36.1 fb(-1) of pp collision data at root s = 13 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015 and 2016. The search targets the H -> b(b)overbar decay mode. The selected events contain either one or two electrons or muons from the top-quark decays, and are then categorized according to the number of jets and how likely these are to contain b-hadrons. Multivariate techniques are used to discriminate between signal and background events, the latter being dominated by ft + jets production. For a Higgs boson mass of 125 GeV, the ratio of the measured t(t)overbarH signal cross-section to the standard model expectation is found to be μ= 0.84(-0.61)(+0.64). A value of μgreater than 2.0 is excluded at 95% confidence level (C.L.) while the expected upper limit is μ< 1.2 in the absence of a t(t)overbar H signal.

Abstract: The issue of pulse pile-up is frequently encountered in nuclear experiments involving high counting rates, which will distort the pulse shapes and the energy spectra. A digital method of off-line processing of pile-up pulses is presented. The pile-up pulses were firstly identified by detecting the downward-going zero-crossings in the first-order derivative of the original signal, and then the constituent pulses were reconstructed based on comparing the pile-up pulse with four models that are generated by combining pairs of neutron and.. standard pulses together with a controllable time interval. The accuracy of this method in resolving the pile-up events was investigated as a function of the time interval between two pulses constituting a pile-up event. The obtained results show that the method is capable of disentangling two pulses with a time interval among them down to 20 ns, as well as classifying them as neutrons or gamma rays. Furthermore, the error of reconstructing pile-up pulses could be kept below 6% when successive peaks were separated by more than 50 ns. By applying the method in a high counting rate of pile-up events measurement of the NEutron Detector Array (NEDA), it was empirically found that this method can reconstruct the pile-up pulses and perform neutron-gamma discrimination quite accurately. It can also significantly correct the distorted pulse height spectrum due to pile-up events.

Abstract: We study the capabilities of the short-baseline neutrino program at Fermilab to probe the unitarity of the lepton mixing matrix. We find the sensitivity to be slightly better than the current one. Motivated by the future DUNE experiment, we have also analyzed the potential of an extra liquid Argon near detector in the LBNF beamline. Adding such a near detector to the DUNE setup will substantially improve the current sensitivity on nonunitarity. This would help to remove CP degeneracies due to the new complex phase present in the neutrino mixing matrix. We also study the sensitivity of our proposed setup to light sterile neutrinos for various configurations.