Abstract: In early 2010. the Large Hadron Collider forward (LHCf) experiment measured very forward neutral particle spectra in LHC proton-proton collisions. From a limited data set taken under the best beam conditions (low beam-gas background and low occurrence of pile-up events), the single photon spectra at root s = 7 TeV and pseudo-rapidity (eta) ranges from 8.81 to 8.99 and from 10.94 to infinity were obtained for the first time and are reported in this Letter. The spectra from two independent LHCf detectors are consistent with one another and serve as a cross check of the data. The photon spectra are also compared with the predictions of several hadron interaction models that are used extensively for modeling ultra-high energy cosmic-ray showers. Despite conservative estimates for the systematic errors, none of the models agree perfectly with the measurements. A notable difference is found between the data and the DPMJET 3.04 and PYTHIA 8.145 hadron interaction models above 2 TeV where the models predict higher photon yield than the data. The QGSJET II-03 model predicts overall lower photon yield than the data, especially above 2 TeV in the rapidity range 8.81 < eta < 8.99.

Abstract: We study a model based on the dihedral group D(4) in which the dark matter is stabilized by the interplay between a remnant Z(2) symmetry, of the same spontaneously broken non-abelian group, and an auxiliary Z(2)(f) introduced to eliminate unwanted couplings in the scalar potential. In the lepton sector the model is compatible with normal hierarchy only and predicts a vanishing reactor mixing angle, theta(13) = 0. Since m(nu 1) = 0, we also have a simple prediction for the effective mass in terms of the solar angle: vertical bar m(beta beta)vertical bar = vertical bar m(nu 2)vertical bar sin(2)theta circle dot similar to 10(-3) eV. There also exists a large portion of the model parameter space where the upper bounds on lepton flavor violating processes are not violated. We incorporate quarks in the same scheme finding that a description of the CKM mixing matrix is possible and that semileptonic K and D decays mediated by flavor changing neutral currents are under control.

Abstract: The ATLAS detector at the LHC is used to search for high-mass states, such as heavy charged gauge bosons (W '), decaying to a charged lepton (electron or muon) and a neutrino. Results are presented based on the analysis of pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.04 fb(-1). No excess above Standard Model expectations is observed. A W ' with Sequential Standard Model couplings is excluded at the 95% confidence level for masses up to 2.15 TeV.

Abstract: This Letter presents a search for high mass e(+)e(-) or mu(+)mu(-) resonances in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV at the LHC. The data were recorded by the ATLAS experiment during 2010 and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of similar to 40 pb(-1). No statistically significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed in the search region of dilepton invariant mass above 110 GeV. Upper limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the cross section times branching ratio of Z' resonances decaying to dielectrons and dimuons as a function of the resonance mass. A lower mass limit of 1.048 TeV on the Sequential Standard Model Z' boson is derived, as well as mass limits on Z* and E(6)-motivated Z' models.

Abstract: We evaluate exclusive semileptonic decays of ground-state spin-1/2 doubly heavy charmed baryons driven by a c -> s, d transition at the quark level. Our results for the form factors are consistent with heavy quark spin symmetry constraints which are valid in the limit of an infinitely massive charm quark and near zero recoil. Only a few exclusive semileptonic decay channels have been theoretically analyzed before. For those cases we find that our results are in a reasonable agreement with previous calculations.