Constraining supersymmetry using the relic density and the Higgs boson
I will present the impact of the recent measurements of Planck, LHC experiments and Xenon100 in terms of constraints on supersymmetric parameters. I will consider two models: mSUGRA for an illustration, and a more general Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with 13 free parameters. The analysis is done with the SFitter tool allowing a comparison of Bayesian and profile likelihoods results. I will pin point how the allowed structures in the parameter spaces are driven by the combination of the dark matter annihilation mechanisms and the light Higgs mass predictions.

title: Complete one-loop calculation of the T-violating D-parameter in neutron decay in the MSSM
abstract: We investigate the violation of time reversal invariance in the decay of the free neutron in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM). The coefficient of the triple product of the neutron spin and the momenta of electron and neutrino, the so-called D parameter, is computed at one-loop order including all diagrams. We find that D is mainly sensitive to the trilinear A coupling in the squark sector and to the phase of the coefficient $\mu$ which mixes the two Higgs superfields. The maximal MSSM contribution using parameters still allowed by experiment is however at $D \approx 10^{-7}$, while QED final state interactions give a value of $D_{\mathrm {fsi}} = - 2.3 \cdot 10^{-5}$. Explicit expressions for all relevant diagrams are given in an appendix.

title: Di-boson and Tri-boson production at the LHC
abstract: The status of di-boson and tri-boson production is shortly review. Using the VBFNLO and the LOOPSIM package, approximated results at NNLO QCD are given for WZ production. Results for waa + jet at NLO QCD are also shown.

title: Physics beyond the standard model: supersymmetry
abstract: This collection of studies on new physics at the LHC constitutes the report of the supersymmetry working group at the Workshop 'Physics at TeV Colliders', Les Houches, France, 2007. They cover the wide spectrum of phenomenology in the LHC era, from alternative models and signatures to the extraction of relevant observables, the study of the MSSM parameter space and finally to the interplay of LHC observations with additional data expected on a similar time scale. The special feature of this collection is that while not each of the studies is explicitly performed together by theoretical and experimental LHC physicists, all of them were inspired by and discussed in this particular environment.

title: Helmholtz Alliance Linear Collider Forum
abstract: Supersymmetric scenarios with a very weakly interacting lightest superpartner (LSP) - like the gravitino or axino - naturally give rise to a long-lived next-to-LSP (NLSP). If the NLSP is a charged slepton it leaves a very distinct signature in a collider experiment. At the ILC/CLIC it will be possible to capture a significant fraction of the produced charged sleptons and observe their decays. These decays potentially reveal the nature of the LSP and thus provide a unique possibility to measure the properties of a very weakly interacting LSP which otherwise is most likely hidden from any other observation, like direct or indirect dark matter searches. We review the proposals that have been made to measure the LSP properties at the ILC/CLIC and compare its potential to the capability of the LHC.

title: NLO QCD corrections to $W^\pm Z\gamma$ production with leptonic decays
abstract: We present a computation of the O(alpha_s) QCD corrections to W^\pm Z \gamma production at the Large Hadron Collider. The photon is considered as real, and we include full leptonic decays for the W and Z bosons. Based on the structure of the VBFNLO program package, we obtain numerical results through a fully flexible Monte Carlo program, which allows to implement general cuts and distributions of the final-state particles. The NLO QCD corrections are sizable and strongly exceed the theory error obtained by a scale variation of the leading-order result. Also, the shapes of relevant observables are significantly altered.

title: How cold is cold dark matter? Small-scales constraints from the flux power spectrum of the high-redshift lyman-alpha forest.
abstract: We present constraints on the mass of warm dark matter (WDM) particles derived from the Lyman-alpha flux power spectrum of 55 high-resolution HIRES spectra at 2.0 or approximately 1.2 keV (2sigma) if the WDM consists of early decoupled thermal relics and m(WDM) > or approximately 5.6 keV (2sigma) for sterile neutrinos. Adding the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Lyman-alpha flux power spectrum, we get m(WDM) > or approximately 4 keV and m(WDM) > or approximately 28 keV (2sigma) for thermal relics and sterile neutrinos. These results improve previous constraints by a factor of 2.

title: Discovery of Excess O?I Absorption toward the z=6.42 QSO SDSS?J1148+5251
abstract: We present a search for O?I in the spectra of nine 4.9 ? zQSO ? 6.4 QSOs taken with Keck HIRES. We detect six systems with N > 1013.7 cm-2 in the redshift intervals where O?I??1302 falls redward of the Ly? forest. Four of these lie toward SDSS?J1148+5251 (zQSO = 6.42). This imbalance is unlikely to arise from variations in sensitivity among our data or from a statistical fluctuation. The excess O?I occurs over a redshift interval that also contains transmission in Ly? and Ly?. Therefore, if these O?I systems represent pockets of neutral gas, then they must occur within or near regions of the IGM that are highly ionized. In contrast, no O?I is detected toward SDSS?J1030+0524 (zQSO = 6.30), whose spectrum shows complete absorption in Ly? and Ly? over ?z ~ 0.2. Assuming no ionization corrections, we measure mean abundance ratios [O/Si] = -0.04 ? 0.06, [C/O] = -0.31 ? 0.09, and [C/Si] = -0.34 ? 0.07 (2 ?), which are consistent with enrichment dominated by Type II supernovae. The O/Si ratio limits the fraction of silicon in these systems contributed by metal-free very massive stars to 30%, a result that is insensitive to ionization corrections. The ionic comoving mass densities along the zQSO > 6.2 sight lines, including only the detected systems, are ? = (7.0 ? 0.6) ? 10-8, ? = (9.6 ? 0.9) ? 10-9, and ? = (1.5 ? 0.2) ? 10-8.

title: A Spectacular Radio Flare from XRF 050416a at 40 Days and Implications for the Nature of X-Ray Flashes
abstract: We present detailed optical, near-infrared, and radio observations of the X-ray flash XRF 050416a obtained with Palomar and Siding Springs Observatories, as well as the HST and VLA, placing this event among the best-studied X-ray flashes to date. In addition, we present an optical spectrum from Keck LRIS from which we measure the redshift of the burst, z = 0.6528. At this redshift the isotropic-equivalent prompt energy release was about 1051 ergs, and using a standard afterglow synchrotron model, we find that the blast wave kinetic energy is a factor of 10 larger, EK,iso ≈ 1052 ergs. The lack of an observed jet break to t ~ 20 days indicates that the opening angle is θj 7° and the total beaming-corrected relativistic energy is 1050 ergs. We further show that the burst produced a strong radio flare at t ~ 40 days accompanied by an observed flattening in the X-ray band, which we attribute to an abrupt circumburst density jump or an episode of energy injection (from either a refreshed shock or off-axis ejecta). Late-time observations with HST show evidence for an associated supernova with peak optical luminosity roughly comparable to that of SN 1998bw. Next, we show that the host galaxy of XRF 050416a is actively forming stars at a rate of at least 2 M☉ yr-1 with a luminosity of LB ≈ 0.5L* and metallicity of Z ~ 0.2-0.8 Z☉. Finally, we discuss the nature of XRF 050416a in the context of short-hard GRBs and under the framework of off-axis and dirty fireball models for X-ray flashes.

title: First comparison of ionization and metallicity in two lines of sight toward HE 1104-1805 AB at z=1.66
abstract: Using new Nubble Space Telescope Faint Object Spectrograph, the New Technology Telescope ESO Multi Mode Instrument, and Keck HIRES spectra of the gravitationally lensed double QSO HE 1104-1805 AB (z(em) = 2.31) and assuming UV photoionization by a metagalactic radiation held, we derive physical conditions (ionization levels, metal abundances, and cloud sizes along the lines of sight) in five C IV + Mg II absorption systems clustered around z = 1.66 along the two lines of sight. Three of these systems are associated with a damped Ly alpha (DLA) system with log N(N I)= 20.85, which is observed in the UV spectra of the bright QSO image, A. The other two systems are associated with a Lyman-limit system with log N(H I)= 17.57 seen in the fainter image, B. The Cry and Mg II line profiles in A resemble those in the B spectra and span Delta v approximate to 360 km s(-1). The angular separation, theta = 3.195 ", between A and B corresponds to a transverse proper separation of S-perpendicular to = 8.3 h(50)(-1) kpc for q(0) = 0.5 and a lens at z = 1. Assuming that the relative metal abundances in these absorption systems are the same as those observed in the DLA system, we find that the observed N(C IV)/N(Mg II) ratios imply ionization parameters of log Gamma = -2.95 to - 2.35. Consequently, these clouds should be small (0.5-1.6 kpc with a hydrogen density of n(H) less than or similar to 0.01 cm(-3)) and relatively highly ionized. The absorption systems to B are found to have a metallicity 0.63 times lower than the metallicity of the gas giving rise to the DLA system, Z(DLA) similar or equal to 1/10 Z(circle dot). We detect O vr at z = 1.66253 in both QSO spectra but no associated N v. Our model calculations lead us to conclude that the C Iv clouds should be surrounded by large (similar to 100 kpc), highly ionized low-density clouds (n(H) similar to 10(-4) cm(-3)) in which O vr, but only weak C IV, absorption occurs. In this state, log Gamma greater than or equal to -1.2 reproduces the observed ratio of N(O vr)/N(N v)> 60. These results are discussed in view of the disk/halo and hierarchical structure formation models.

title: Omega (baryon) and the geometry of intermediate redshift Lyman alpha absorption systems
abstract: Estimates of Omega_baryon from primordial nucleosynthesis together with standard assumptions about the ionization state of low column density Lyman alpha forest clouds can be used to determine an upper limit for the cloud thickness along the line of sight. This upper limit provides significant constraints on the axis ratio of the absorbers and on the overall fraction of the baryonic matter contained in these objects if the recently measured large values for their transversal size are representative. The absorbers have to be considerably flattened structures and may possibly contain a substantial fraction of the baryonic matter at high redshift.