Standard model vacua for two-dimensional compactifications
We examine the structure of lower-dimensional standard model vacua for two-dimensional compactifications (on a 2D torus and on a 2D sphere). In the case of the torus we find a new standard model vacuum for a large range of neutrino masses consistent with experiment. Quantum effects play a crucial role in the existence of this vacuum. For the compactification on a sphere the classical terms dominate the effective potential for large radii and a stable vacuum is achieved only by introducing a large magnetic flux. We argue that there are no two-dimensional standard model vacua for compactifications on a surface of genus greater than one.

title: Color octet scalars and high p_T four-jet events at the LHC
abstract: We study the effect of color octet scalars on the high transverse momenta four-jet cross section at the LHC. We consider both weak singlet and doublet scalars, concentrating on the case of small couplings to quarks. We find that a relatively early discovery at the LHC is possible for a range of scalar masses.

title: Finite temperature structure of the compactified standard model
abstract: We analyze the finite temperature structure of the standard model coupled to gravity with one and two dimensions compactified (on a circle and a torus). We find that finite temperature effects wash out any vacua which exist at zero temperature. We also discuss the possibility of transitions between the four-dimensional universe and the lower-dimensional spacetimes.

title: Prospects and constraints for vector-like MFV matter at LHC
abstract: We examine the prospects for LHC discovery of SU(2)L singlet vector-like quarks that obey Minimal Flavour Violation (MFV) and are consistent with lower energy phenomenology. We study models where the vector-like quarks have the same quantum numbers as uR or dR, allowing mixing, which generally leads to significant low energy constraints. We find that at leading order in the MFV expansion there are two naturally phenomenologically viable MFV models of this type when the Weyl spinor components of the vector-like quarks are flavour triplets. We examine direct production bounds, flavour and electroweak precision data constraints for these models and determine the cross section for allowed values of the model parameters at LHC. For the models we identify as naturally phenomenologically viable, large amounts of parameter space afford a significant early discovery reach at LHC while being consistent with lower energy phenomenology.

title: Supersymmetric dark matter sectors
abstract: We investigate the properties of a dark matter sector where supersymmetry is a good symmetry. In this context we find that the stability of the dark matter candidate is possible even when R-parity is broken in the visible sector. In order to illustrate the idea we investigate a simple scenario where the dark matter candidate is the lightest scalar field in the dark sector which annihilates mainly into two sfermions when these channels are available. We study the relic density constraints and the predictions for the dark matter detection experiments.

title: Standard model with compactified spatial dimensions
abstract: We analyze the structure of the standard model coupled to gravity with spatial dimensions compactified on a three-torus. We find that there are no stable one-dimensional vacua at zero temperature, although there does exist an unstable vacuum for a particular set of Dirac neutrino masses.

title: Decay of Er156 compound nucleus
abstract: Charged particles and high energy \ensuremath{\gamma} rays from the decay of the $^{156}\mathrm{Er}$ compound nucleus populated at ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{x}}$=47 MeV excitation energy by the $^{12}\mathrm{C}$${+}^{144}$Sm and $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$${+}^{92}$Zr reactions have been measured to study possible nonstatistical or entrance channel effects. The experimental spectra and published evaporation residue and neutron data are compared with statistical model calculations. The comparison shows that the statistical model with standard parametrization of level density and yrast lines describes reasonably well the bulk of experimental observables but not the shape of neutron spectra if account is taken of the enhancement factor for E2 transitions. The discrepancies between experimental data and model calculations are discussed.

title: Yrast structure of the two-proton- and three-neutron-hole nucleus 203Hg from the decay of a 53/2+ isomer
abstract: The decay of a new, 53/2{sup +}, isomer at 8281 keV in {sup 203}Hg has been studied by {gamma} coincidence spectroscopy. A half-life of 146(30) ns was measured. In addition, another isomeric, 39/2{sup +}, level with a half-life of 7.8(1.5) ns was observed. Some elements of the Rydstroem shell-model interaction have been adjusted to reproduce level energies in nuclei with two to four holes in the {sup 208}Pb core. With this interaction, the new states in the five-hole nucleus {sup 203}Hg are reproduced with an rms error of 105 keV.

title: beta Decay Studies of Neutron-Rich Nuclei Near 52Ca
abstract: The $\beta$-decay and isomeric properties of $^{54}$Sc, $^{50}$K and $^{53}$Ca are presented, and their implications with respect to the goodness of the N=32 sub-shell closure discussed.

title: Yrast spectroscopy of N=82,83 isotopes Xe-136 and Xe-137 from Cm-248 fission

title: Rotation-aligned coupling in Fe 61
abstract: New levels have been established above the 861-keV, $9/{2}^{+}$ isomeric state in $^{61}\mathrm{Fe}$. The observations can be reproduced satisfactorily by shell model calculations, but only after a significant lowering of the $\ensuremath{\nu}{g}_{9/2}$ single-particle energy with respect to the value determined empirically from levels outside a $^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ core. The results are also described well within the scope of the particle-triaxial-rotor model assuming a deformation ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{2}~0.24$. The present findings, together with the recently measured magnetic and quadrupole moments of this state, point toward a structure possibly associated with a prolate shape.