Abstract: Detection of high-energy neutrinos from distant astrophysical sources will open a new window on the Universe. The detection principle exploits the measurement of Cherenkov light emitted by charged particles resulting from neutrino interactions in the matter containing the telescope. A novel multi-PMT digital optical module (DOM) was developed to contain 31 3-inch photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). In order to maximize the detector sensitivity, each PMT will be surrounded by an expansion cone which collects photons that would otherwise miss the photocathode. Results for various angles of incidence with respect to the PMT surface indicate an increase in collection efficiency by 30% on average for angles up to 45 degrees with respect to the perpendicular. Ray-tracing calculations could reproduce the measurements, allowing to estimate an increase in the overall photocathode sensitivity, integrated over all angles of incidence, by 27% (for a single PMT). Prototype DOMs, being built by the KM3NeT consortium, will be equipped with these expansion cones.

Abstract: We propose an effective field theory incorporating light SU(3)-flavor and heavy quark spin symmetry to describe charmed meson-antimeson bound states. At lowest order the effective field theory entails a remarkable simplification: it only involves contact range interactions among the heavy meson and antimeson fields. We show that the isospin violating decays of the X(3872) can be used to constrain the interaction between the D and a (D) over bar* mesons in the isovector channel. As a consequence, we can rule out the existence of an isovector partner of the X(3872). If we additionally assume that the X(3915) and Y(4140) are D*(D) over bar* and D*(s)(D) over bar*(s) molecular states, we can determine the full spectrum of molecular states with isospin I = 0, 1/2 and 1.

Abstract: The large difference between the Planck scale and the electroweak scale, known as the hierarchy problem, is addressed in certain models through the postulate of extra spatial dimensions. A search for evidence of extra spatial dimensions in the diphoton channel has been performed using the full set of proton-proton collisions at root s = 7 TeV recorded in 2011 with the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. This dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb(-1). The diphoton invariant mass spectrum is observed to be in good agreement with the Standard Model expectation. In the context of the model proposed by Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos and Dvali, 95% confidence level lower limits of between 2.52 and 3.92 TeV are set on the ultraviolet cutoff scale MS depending on the number of extra dimensions and the theoretical formalism used. In the context of the Randall-Sundrum model, a lower limit of 2.06 (1.00) TeV at 95% confidence level is set on the mass of the lightest graviton for couplings of k/(M) over bar (Pl) = 0.1(0.01). Combining with the ATLAS dilepton searches based on the 2011 data, the 95% confidence level lower limit on the Randall-Sundrum graviton mass is further tightened to 2.23 (1.03) TeV for k/(M) over bar (Pl) = 0.1(0.01).

Abstract: The observation of ultrahigh energy neutrinos (UHE nu s) has become a priority in experimental astroparticle physics. UHE nu s can be detected with a variety of techniques. In particular, neutrinos can interact in the atmosphere (downward-going nu) or in the Earth crust (Earth-skimming nu), producing air showers that can be observed with arrays of detectors at the ground. With the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory we can detect these types of cascades. The distinguishing signature for neutrino events is the presence of very inclined showers produced close to the ground (i.e., after having traversed a large amount of atmosphere). In this work we review the procedure and criteria established to search for UHE nu s in the data collected with the ground array of the Pierre Auger Observatory. This includes Earth-skimming as well as downward-going neutrinos. No neutrino candidates have been found, which allows us to place competitive limits to the diffuse flux of UHE nu s in the EeV range and above.

Abstract: First observations of the B-S(0) ->psi(2S)eta, B-(s)(0) ->psi(2S)pi(+)pi(-) decays are made using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment in proton proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 7 TeV. The ratios of the branching fractions of each of the *(2S) modes with respect to the corresponding J/psi decays are B(B-s(0) ->psi(2S)eta)/B(B-s(0) -> J(2S)eta) = 0.83 +/- 0.14 (stat) +/- 0.12 (B), B(B0 ->psi(2S)pi(+)pi(-))/B(B0 -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.56 +/- 0.07 (stat) +/- 0.05 (syst) +/- 0.01 (B), B(B0 ->psi(2S)pi(+)pi(-))/B(B-s(0) -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-)) = 0.34 +/- 0.04 (stat) +/- 0.03 (syst) +/- 0.01 (B). where the third uncertainty corresponds to the uncertainties of the dilepton branching fractions of the J/* and psi(28) meson decays.