Flavour physics from an approximate U(2)^3 symmetry

The quark sector of the Standard Model exhibits an approximate U(2)^3 flavour symmetry. This symmetry, broken in specific directions dictated by minimality, can explain the success of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa picture of flavour mixing and CP violation, confirmed by the data so far, while allowing for observable deviations from it, as expected in most models of ElectroWeak Symmetry Breaking. Building on previous work in the specific context of supersymmetry, we analyze the expected effects and we quantify the current bounds in a general Effective Field Theory framework. As a further relevant example we then show how the U(2)^3 symmetry and its breaking can be implemented in a generic composite Higgs model and we make a first analysis of its peculiar consequences. We also discuss how some partial extension of U(2)^3 to the lepton sector can arise, both in general and in composite Higgs models. An optimistic though conceivable interpretation of the considerations developed in this paper gives reasons to think that new physics searches in the flavour sector may be about to explore an interesting realm of phenomena.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figure

Modelling the nucleon wave function from soft and hard processes

Current light-cone wave functions for the nucleon are unsatisfactory since they are in conflict with the data of the nucleon's Dirac form factor at large momentum transfer. Therefore, we attempt a determination of a new wave function respecting theoretical ideas on its parameterization and satisfying the following constraints: It should provide a soft Feynman contribution to the proton's form factor in agreement with data; it should be consistent with current parameterizations of the valence quark distribution functions and lastly it should provide an acceptable value for the \jp \to N \bar N decay width. The latter process is calculated within the modified perturbative approach to hard exclusive reactions. A simultaneous fit to the three sets of data leads to a wave function whose $x$-dependent part, the distribution amplitude, shows the same type of asymmetry as those distribution amplitudes constrained by QCD sum rules. The asymmetry is however much more moderate as in those amplitudes. Our distribution amplitude resembles the asymptotic one in shape but the position of the maximum is somewhat shifted.Comment: 32 pages RevTex + PS-file with 5 figures in uu-encoded, compressed fil

The role of planetary formation and evolution in shaping the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres

Over the last twenty years, the search for extrasolar planets revealed us the rich diversity of the outcomes of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. In order to fully understand how these extrasolar planets came to be, however, the orbital and physical data we possess are not enough, and they need to be complemented with information on the composition of the exoplanets. Ground-based and space-based observations provided the first data on the atmospheric composition of a few extrasolar planets, but a larger and more detailed sample is required before we can fully take advantage of it. The primary goal of the Exoplanet Characterization Observatory (EChO) is to fill this gap, expanding the limited data we possess by performing a systematic survey of hundreds of extrasolar planets. The full exploitation of the data that EChO and other space-based and ground-based facilities will provide in the near future, however, requires the knowledge of what are the sources and sinks of the chemical species and molecules that will be observed. Luckily, the study of the past history of the Solar System provides several indications on the effects of processes like migration, late accretion and secular impacts, and on the time they occur in the life of planetary systems. In this work we will review what is already known about the factors influencing the composition of planetary atmospheres, focusing on the case of gaseous giant planets, and what instead still need to be investigated.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication on Experimental Astronomy, special issue on the M3 EChO mission candidat

Study of hadronic event-shape variables in multijet final states in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

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Does true Gleason pattern 3 merit its cancer descriptor?

Nearly five decades following its conception, the Gleason grading system remains a cornerstone in the prognostication and management of patients with prostate cancer. In the past few years, a debate has been growing whether Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 prostate cancer is a clinically significant disease. Clinical, molecular and genetic research is addressing the question whether well characterized Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease has the ability to affect the morbidity and quality of life of an individual in whom it is diagnosed. The consequences of treatment of Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease are considerable; few men get through their treatments without sustaining some harm. Further modification of the classification of prostate cancer and dropping the label cancer for Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 disease might be warranted

Search for new physics in the multijet and missing transverse momentum final state in proton-proton collisions at √s=8 Tev

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Measurement of Higgs boson production and properties in the WW decay channel with leptonic final states

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High resolution imaging reveals heterogeneity in chromatin states between cells that is not inherited through cell division

BACKGROUND: Genomes of eukaryotes exist as chromatin, and it is known that different chromatin states can influence gene regulation. Chromatin is not a static structure, but is known to be dynamic and vary between cells. In order to monitor the organisation of chromatin in live cells we have engineered fluorescent fusion proteins which recognize specific operator sequences to tag pairs of syntenic gene loci. The separation of these loci was then tracked in three dimensions over time using fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: We established a work flow for measuring the distance between two fluorescently tagged, syntenic gene loci with a mean measurement error of 63 nm. In general, physical separation was observed to increase with increasing genomic separations. However, the extent to which chromatin is compressed varies for different genomic regions. No correlation was observed between compaction and the distribution of chromatin markers from genomic datasets or with contacts identified using capture based approaches. Variation in spatial separation was also observed within cells over time and between cells. Differences in the conformation of individual loci can persist for minutes in individual cells. Separation of reporter loci was found to be similar in related and unrelated daughter cell pairs. CONCLUSIONS: The directly observed physical separation of reporter loci in live cells is highly dynamic both over time and from cell to cell. However, consistent differences in separation are observed over some chromosomal regions that do not correlate with factors known to influence chromatin states. We conclude that as yet unidentified parameters influence chromatin configuration. We also find that while heterogeneity in chromatin states can be maintained for minutes between cells, it is not inherited through cell division. This may contribute to cell-to-cell transcriptional heterogeneity. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12860-016-0111-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Constraints on parton distribution functions and extraction of the strong coupling constant from the inclusive jet cross section in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

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Study of double parton scattering using W+2-jet events in proton-proton collisions at √s=7 TeV

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