Characteristics of alpha, gamma and nuclear recoil pulses from NaI(Tl) at 10–100 keV relevant to dark matter searches
Measurements of the shapes of scintillation pulses produced by nuclear recoils, alpha particles and photons in NaI(Tl) crystals at visible energies of 10–100 keV have been performed in order to investigate possible sources of background in NaI(Tl) dark matter experiments and, in particular, the possible origin of the anomalous fast time constant events observed in the UK Dark Matter Collaboration experiments at Boulby mine [P.F. Smith et al.,  (1998) 275]. Pulses initiated by X-rays (via photoelectric effect close to the surface of the crystal) were found not to differ from those produced by high-energy photons (via Compton electrons inside the crystal) within experimental errors. However, pulses induced by alpha particles (degraded from an external MeV source) were found to be ∼10% faster than those of nuclear recoils, but insufficiently fast to account for the anomalous events.

title: Muon-induced background in the EDELWEISS dark matter search
abstract: A dedicated analysis of the muon-induced background in the EDELWEISS dark matter search has been performed on a data set acquired in 2009 and 2010. The total muon flux underground in the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (LSM) was measured to be Φ μ = ( 5.4 ± 0.2 - 0.9 + 0.5 )  muons/m 2 /d. The modular design of the μ -veto system allows the reconstruction of the muon trajectory and hence the determination of the angular dependent muon flux in LSM. The results are in good agreement with both MC simulations and earlier measurements. Synchronization of the μ -veto system with the phonon and ionization signals of the Ge detector array allowed identification of muon-induced events. Rates for all muon-induced events Γ μ = ( 0.172 ± 0.012 ) evts / ( kg d ) and of WIMP-like events Γ μ – n = 0.008 - 0.004 + 0.005 evts / ( kg d ) were extracted. After vetoing, the remaining rate of accepted muon-induced neutrons in the EDELWEISS-II dark matter search was determined to be Γ irred μ – n 6 · 10 - 4 evts / ( kg d ) at 90% C.L. Based on these results, the muon-induced background expectation for an anticipated exposure of 3000 kg d for EDELWEISS-III is N 3000 kg d μ – n 0.6 events.

title: Particle polarization in inclusive reactions

title: Progress report from the UK Dark Matter search at Boulby Mine
abstract: The UK Dark Matter Collaboration is currently running a series of scintillation devices at the Boulby mine in North Yorkshire to search for the neutralino, the hypothetical WIMP solution to the dark matter problem. Results of the current NaI(T1) detector array will be discussed, illustrating a population of events of unknown origin. Diagnostic tests performed to investigate the origin of these anomalous events will be outlined, including alpha, beta and neutron calibrations.

title: The potential of liquid xenon for WIMP search: the ZEPLIN diagnostic array
abstract: A Liquid Xenon based WIMP detector diagnostic array is currently developed by the UKDMC with the help of international collaborators. After a brief reminder on the detection principle in Liquid Xenon, the individual detectors will be described. ZEPLIN I, a detector with a 4 kg fiducial mass with a background discrimination based on Pulse Shape Analysis, is already underground and starting operation. Two setups with improved background discrimination tools (as the ionisation is also recorded) are designed and scheduled to move underground in the second half of 2001. Both of them, ZEPLIN II and ZEPLIN III, are predicted to be sensitive to rate of 0.1–0.01 events/kg/day within 2 years of data taking. Furthermore, new ideas for lower background readout devices are studied, in order to avoid the use of PhotoMultiplier Tubes (PMTs).

title: The ZEPLIN-III dark matter detector: Performance study using an end-to-end simulation tool
abstract: We present results from a GEANT4-based Monte Carlo tool for end-to-end simulations of the ZEPLIN-III dark matter experiment. ZEPLIN-III is a two-phase detector which measures both the scintillation light and the ionisation charge generated in liquid xenon by interacting particles and radiation. The software models the instrument response to radioactive backgrounds and calibration sources, including the generation, ray-tracing and detection of the primary and secondary scintillations in liquid and gaseous xenon, and subsequent processing by data acquisition electronics. A flexible user interface allows easy modification of detector parameters at run time. Realistic datasets can be produced to help with data analysis, an example of which is the position reconstruction algorithm developed from simulated data. We present a range of simulation results confirming the original design sensitivity of a few times 10−8 pb to the WIMP-nucleon cross-section.

title: Observation of charmonium pairs produced exclusively in $pp$ collisions
abstract: A search is performed for the central exclusive production of pairs of charmonia produced in proton-proton collisions. Using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $3{\rm\ fb}^{-1}$ collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, $J/\psi J/\psi$ and $J/\psi\psi(2S)$ pairs are observed, which have been produced in the absence of any other activity inside the LHCb acceptance that is sensitive to charged particles in the pseudorapidity ranges $(-3.5,-1.5)$ and $(1.5,5.0)$. Searches are also performed for pairs of P-wave charmonia and limits are set on their production. The cross-sections for these processes, where the dimeson system has a rapidity between 2.0 and 4.5, are measured to be $$ \begin{array}{rl} \sigma^{J/\psi J/\psi} &= 58\pm10{(\rm stat)} \pm 6{(\rm syst)}  , \\ \sigma^{J/\psi\psi(2S)} &= 63 ^{+27}_{-18}{(\rm stat)}\pm 10{(\rm syst)}  , \\ \sigma^{\psi(2S)\psi(2S)} &< 237 , \\ \sigma^{\chi_{c0}\chi_{c0}} &< 69 , \\ \sigma^{\chi_{c1}\chi_{c1}} &< 45 } &< 141 , \\ \end{array} $$ where the upper limits are set at the 90% confidence level. The measured $J/\psi J/\psi$ and $J/\psi\psi(2S)$ cross-sections are consistent with theoretical expectations.

title: Heavy states of hadron string as weak interacting massive particles for Dark Matter
abstract: Massive states (of order 10 Gev and more) of hadron string (with scale 1 Gev) can have very small coupling constants with usual baryons of the Universe. Corresponding mean times for them are found to be order and even more than the age of the Universe. They are proposed as possible candidates for weak interacting massive particles (WIMP) of Dark Matter.

title: Study of beauty hadron decays into pairs of charm hadrons
abstract: First observations of the decays Λb 0 → Λc +D(s) - are reported using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3fb-1 collected at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energies in proton-proton collisions with the LHCb detector. In addition, the most precise measurement of the branching fraction B(Bs 0→D+Ds -) is made and a search is performed for the decays B(s) 0→Λc +Λc -. The results obtained are B(Λb 0→Λc +D-)/ B(Λb 0→Λc +D s -)=0.042±0.003(stat)±0.003(syst), [B(Λb 0→Λc +D s -)/B(B0→D+D s -)]/[B(Λb 0→Λ c +π-)/B(B0→D +π-)]=0.96±0.02(stat)±0.06(syst),B(B s 0→D+Ds -)/ B(B0→D+Ds -)=0. 038±0.004(stat)±0.003(syst),B(B0→Λ c +Λc -)/B(B , B(Bs 0→Λc +Λ c -)/B(Bs 0→D+D s -)<0.30[95%C.L.]. Measurement of the mass of the Λb 0 baryon relative to the B0 meson gives M(Λb 0)-M(B0)=339. 72±0.24(stat)±0.18(syst)MeV/c2. This result provides the most precise measurement of the mass of the Λb 0 baryon to date.

title: Measurement of b-hadron branching fractions for two-body decays into charmless charged hadrons
abstract: A bstractBased on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.37 fb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011, the following ratios of branching fractions are measured:$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {{{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to } \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.262\pm 0.009\pm 0.017,} \\ {\left( {{f_s \left/ {f_d } \right.}} \right)\cdot {{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.316\pm 0.009\pm 0.019,} \\ {\left( {{f_s \left/ {f_d } \right.}} \right)\cdot {{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {\pi^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.074\pm 0.006\pm 0.006,} \\ {\left( {{f_d \left/ {f_s } \right.}} \right)\cdot {{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.018_{-0.007}^{+0.008}\pm 0.009,} \\ {\left( {{f_s \left/ {f_d } \right.}} \right)\cdot {{{\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {\pi^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to } \right)}} \right.}=0.050_{-0.009}^{+0.011}\pm 0.004,} \\ {{{{\mathcal{B}\left( {\Lambda_b^0\to p{\pi^{-}}} \right)}} \left/ {{\mathcal{B}\left( {\Lambda_b^0\to p{K^{-}}} \right)}} \right.}=0.86\pm 0.08\pm 0.05,} \\ \end{array} $where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Using the current world average of $ \mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right) $ and the ratio of the strange to light neutral B meson production fs/fd measured by LHCb, we obtain:$ \begin{array}{*{20}{c}} {\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to } \right)=\left( {5.08\pm 0.17\pm 0.37} \right)\times {10^{-6 }},} \\ {\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)=\left( {23.0\pm 0.7\pm 2.3} \right)\times {10^{-6 }},} \\ {\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {\pi^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)=\left( {5.4\pm 0.4\pm 0.6} \right)\times {10^{-6 }},} \\ {\mathcal{B}\left( {B^0 \to {K^{+}}{K^{-}}} \right)=\left( {0.11_{-0.04}^{+0.05}\pm 0.06} \right)\times {10^{-6 }},} \\ {\mathcal{B}\left( {B_s^0\to {\pi^{+}}{\pi^{-}}} \right)=\left( {0.95_{-0.17}^{+0.21}\pm 0.13} \right)\times {10^{-6 }}. $ is observed for the first time with a significance of more than 5σ.

title: Implications of LHCb measurements and future prospects
abstract: During 2011 the LHCb experiment at CERN collected 1.0 fb−1 of $\sqrt{s} = 7\mbox{~TeV}$pp collisions. Due to the large heavy quark production cross-sections, these data provide unprecedented samples of heavy flavoured hadrons. The first results from LHCb have made a significant impact on the flavour physics landscape and have definitively proved the concept of a dedicated experiment in the forward region at a hadron collider. This document discusses the implications of these first measurements on classes of extensions to the Standard Model, bearing in mind the interplay with the results of searches for on-shell production of new particles at ATLAS and CMS. The physics potential of an upgrade to the LHCb detector, which would allow an order of magnitude more data to be collected, is emphasised.