Abstract: Electric dipole moments are extremely sensitive probes for additional sources of CP violation in new physics models. Specifically, they have been argued in the past to exclude new CP-violating phases in two-Higgs-doublet models. Since recently models including such phases have been discussed widely, we revisit the available constraints in the presence of mechanisms which are typically invoked to evade flavour-changing neutral currents. To that aim, we start by assessing the necessary calculations on the hadronic, nuclear and atomic/molecular level, deriving expressions with conservative error estimates. Their phenomenological analysis in the context of two-Higgs-doublet models yields strong constraints, in some cases weakened by a cancellation mechanism among contributions from neutral scalars. While the corresponding parameter combinations do not yet have to be unnaturally small, the constraints are likely to preclude large effects in other CP-violating observables. Nevertheless, the generically expected contributions to electric dipole moments in this class of models lie within the projected sensitivity of the next-generation experiments.

Abstract: The direct CP asymmetries of the decays B-0 -> K-*0 mu(+) mu(-) and B+ -> K+ mu(+) mu(-) are measured using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb detector. The respective control modes B-0 -> J/psi K+ and B+ -> J/psi K+ are used to account for detection and production asymmetries. The measurements are made in several intervals of mu(+)mu(-) invariant mass squared, with the phi(1020) and charmonium resonance regions excluded. Under the hypothesis of zero CP asymmetry in the control modes, the average values of the asymmetries are A(CP)(B-0 -> K-*0 mu(+) mu(-) and B+ -> K+ mu(+) mu(-)) = -0.035 +/- 0.024 +/- 0.003, A(CP)(B+ -> K+ mu(+) mu(-) = 0.012 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.001, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are due to systematic effects. Both measurements are consistent with the Standard Model prediction of small CP asymmetry in these decays.

Abstract: The results of a search for top squark (stop) pair production in final states with one isolated lepton, jets, and missing transverse momentum are reported. The analysis is performed with proton-proton collision data at root s = 8 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2012 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb(-1). The lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) is taken to be the lightest neutralino which only interacts weakly and is assumed to be stable. The stop decay modes considered are those to a top quark and the LSP as well as to a bottom quark and the lightest chargino, where the chargino decays to the LSP by emitting a W boson. A wide range of scenarios with different mass splittings between the stop, the lightest neutralino and the lightest chargino are considered, including cases where the W bosons or the top quarks are off-shell. Decay modes involving the heavier charginos and neutralinos are addressed using a set of phenomenological models of supersymmetry. No significant excess over the Standard Model prediction is observed. A stop with a mass between 210 and 640 GeV decaying directly to a top quark and a massless LSP is excluded at 95% confidence level, and in models where the mass of the lightest chargino is twice that of the LSP, stops are excluded at 95% confidence level up to a mass of 500 GeV for an LSP mass in the range of 100 to 150 GeV. Stringent exclusion limits are also derived for all other stop decay modes considered, and model-independent upper limits are set on the visible cross-section for processes beyond the Standard Model.

Abstract: A study of B and B-s(0) meson decays into J/psi eta and J/psi eta' final states is performed using a data set of proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, collected by the LCHb experiment and corresponding to 3.0 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. The decay B-0 -> J/psi eta' is observed for the first time. The following ratios of branching fractions are measured: B(B-0 -> J psi eta')/B(B-s(0) -> J psi eta') = (2.28 +/- 0.65 (stat) +/- 0.010 (syst) +/- 0.13 (f(s)/f(d)) x 10(-2) , B(B-0 -> J psi eta')/B(B-s(0) -> J psi eta') = (1.85 +/- 0.65 (stat) +/- 0.09 (syst) +/- 0.11 (f(s)/f(d)) x 10(-2) where the third uncertainty is related to the present knowledge of f(s)/f(d), the ratio between the probabilities for a b quark to form a B-s(0) or a B-0 meson. The branching fraction ratios are used to determine the parameters of eta-eta' meson mixing. In addition, the first evidence for the decay B-s(0) -> psi(2S)' is reported, and the relative branching fraction is measured, B(B-s(0) -> psi(2S)eta')/B(B-s(0) -> J psi eta') = (38.7 +/- 9.0 (stat) +/- 1.3 (syst) +/- 0.9(B)) x 10(-2), where the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the branching fractions of J/psi and psi(2S) mesons.

Abstract: The associated production of a Z boson or an off-shell photon gamma* with a bottom quark in the forward region is studied using proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV. The Z bosons are reconstructed in the Z/gamma* -> mu(+)mu(-) final state from muons with a transverse momentum larger than 20 GeV, while two transverse momentum thresholds are considered for jets (10 GeV and 20 GeV). Both muons and jets are reconstructed in the pseudorapidity range 2.0 < eta < 4.5. The results are based on data corresponding to 1.0 fb(-1) recorded in 2011 with the LHCb detector. The measurement of the Z+b-jet cross-section is normalized to the Z+jet cross-section. The measured cross-sections are (Z/ (mu+ mu-) + b-jet) = 295 60 (stat) 51 (syst) 10 (lumi) fb (0.1) for p T(jet) > 10 GeV, and (Z/ (mu+ mu-) + b-jet) = 128 36 (stat) 22 (syst) 5 (lumi) fb (0.2) for p T(jet) > 20 GeV.