Abstract: Many models of dark matter contain more than one new particle beyond those in the Standard Model. Often, heavier particles decay into the lightest dark matter particle as the Universe evolves. Here, we explore the possibilities which arise if one of the products in a (heavy particle) -> (dark matter) decay is a positron, and the lifetime is shorter than the age of the Universe. The positrons cool down by scattering off the cosmic microwave background and eventually annihilate when they fall into Galactic potential wells. The resulting 511 keV flux not only places constraints on this class of models, but might even be consistent with that observed by the INTEGRAL satellite.

Abstract: We make a theoretical study of the eta(1405) -> pi(0)f(0)(980) and eta(1405) -> pi(0)a(0)(980) reactions with an aim to determine the isospin violation and the mixing of the f(0)(980) and a(0)(980) resonances. We make use of the chiral unitary approach where these two resonances appear as composite states of two mesons, dynamically generated by the meson-meson interaction provided by chiral Lagrangians. We obtain a very narrow shape for the f(0)(980) production in agreement with a BES experiment. As to the amount of isospin violation, or f(0)(980) and a(0)(980) mixing, assuming constant vertices for the primary eta(1405) -> pi K-0 (K) over bar and eta(1405) -> pi(0)pi(0)eta production, we find results which are much smaller than found in the recent experimental BES paper, but consistent with results found in two other related BES experiments. We have tried to understand this anomaly by assuming an I = 1 mixture in the eta(1405) wave function, but this leads to a much bigger width of the f(0)(980) mass distribution than observed experimentally. The problem is solved by using the primary production driven by eta' -> K*(K) over bar followed by K* -> K pi, which induces an extra singularity in the loop functions needed to produce the f(0)(980) and a(0)(980) resonances. Improving upon earlier work along the same lines, and using the chiral unitary approach, we can now predict absolute values for the ratio Gamma(pi(0), pi(+)pi(-))/Gamma(pi(0), pi(0)eta) which are in fair agreement with experiment. We also show that the same results hold if we had the eta(1475) resonance or a mixture of these two states, as seems to be the case in the BES experiment.

Abstract: From a picture of the X(3872) where the resonance is a bound state of D (D) over bar*- c.c., we evaluate the decay width into the J/psi gamma channel, which is sensitive to the internal structure of this state. For this purpose we evaluate the loops through which the X(3872) decays into its components, and the J/psi and the photon are radiated from these components. We use the local hidden gauge approach extrapolated to SU(4) with a particular SU(4) breaking. The radiative decay involves anomalous couplings, and we obtain acceptable values which are compared to experiments and results of other calculations. Simultaneously, we evaluate the decay rate for the X(3872) into J/psi omega and J/psi rho, and the results obtained for the ratio of these decay widths are compatible with the experiment. We also show that considering only the (D) over bar D-0*(0) – c.c. component in the radiative decay reduces the partial decay width in more than three orders of magnitude, in large discrepancy with experiment.

Abstract: We propose applications of radioactive ion beam facilities to investigate physics beyond the Standard Model. In particular, we focus upon the search for sterile neutrinos and the possible measurement of coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering, by means of a low-energy beta beam with a Lorentz boost factor gamma approximate to 1. In both cases, we consider Li-8 and B-8 ions as neutrino sources. In the considered setup, the collected radioactive ions are sent inside a 4 pi detector. For the first application, we provide the number of events associated with neutrino-nucleus coherent scattering, when the detector is filled with a noble liquid. For the sterile search, we consider that the spherical detector is filled with a liquid scintillator, and that the neutrino detection channel is inverse beta decay. We provide the exclusion curves for the sterile neutrino mixing parameters, based upon the 3 _ 1 formalism, depending upon the achievable ion intensity. Our results are obtained both from total rates, and by including spectral information with binning in energy and in distance. The proposed experiment represents a possible alternative to clarify the current anomalies observed in neutrino experiments.

Abstract: The photon spectrum in B -> X-s gamma decay, where X-s is any strange hadronic state, is studied using a data sample of (382.8 +/- 4.2) x 10(6) e(+)e(-) -> Upsilon(4S) -> B (B) over bar events collected by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II collider. The spectrum is used to measure the branching fraction B(B -> X-s gamma) (3.21 +/- 0.15 +/- 0.29 +/- 0.08) x 10(-4) and the first, second, and third moments < E-gamma > = 2.267 +/- 0.019 +/- 0.032 +/- 0.003 GeV, <(E-gamma – < E-gamma >)(2)> = 0.0484 +/- 0.0053 +/- 0.0077 +/- 0.0005 GeV2, and <(E-gamma – < E-gamma)(3)> = -0.0048 +/- 0.0011 +/- 0.0011 +/- 0.0004 GeV3, for the range E-gamma > 1.8 GeV, where E-gamma is the photon energy in the B-meson rest frame. Results are also presented for narrower E-gamma ranges. In addition, the direct CP asymmetry A(CP)(B -> Xs+d gamma) is measured to be 0.057 +/- 0.063. The spectrum itself is also unfolded to the B-meson rest frame; that is the frame in which theoretical predictions for its shape are made.