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1. Photoproduction of $K^{+}{K}^{-}$ Pairs in Ultraperipheral Collisions

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.222303  

   Acharya, S; Adamová, D; Aglieri_Rinella, G; Agnello, M; Agrawal, N; Ahammed, Z; Ahmad, S; Ahn, S U; Ahuja, I; Akindinov, A; et al (May 2024, Physical Review Letters)

   $K^{+}{K}^{-}$pairs may be produced in photonuclear collisions, either from the decays of photoproduced $\varphi \left(1020\right)$mesons or directly as nonresonant $K^{+}{K}^{-}$pairs. Measurements of $K^{+}{K}^{-}$photoproduction probe the couplings between the $\varphi \left(1020\right)$and charged kaons with photons and nuclear targets. The kaon-proton scattering occurs at energies far above those available elsewhere. We present the first measurement of coherent photoproduction of $K^{+}{K}^{-}$pairs on lead ions in ultraperipheral collisions using the ALICE detector, including the first investigation of direct $K^{+}{K}^{-}$production. There is significant $K^{+}{K}^{-}$production at low transverse momentum, consistent with coherent photoproduction on lead targets. In the mass range $1.1<M_{KK}<1.4\mathrm{GeV}/c^2$above the $\varphi \left(1020\right)$resonance, for rapidity $\left|y_{KK}\right|<0.8$and $p_{T,KK}<0.1\mathrm{GeV}/c$, the measured coherent photoproduction cross section is $\mathrm{d}\sigma /\mathrm{d}y=3.37\pm 0.61\left(\text{stat}\right)\pm 0.15\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)\mathrm{mb}$. The center-of-mass energy per nucleon of the photon-nucleus (Pb) system $W_{\gamma \mathrm{Pb},n}$ranges from 33 to 188 GeV, far higher than previous measurements on heavy-nucleus targets. The cross section is larger than expected for $\varphi \left(1020\right)$photoproduction alone. The mass spectrum is fit to a cocktail consisting of $\varphi \left(1020\right)$decays, direct $K^{+}{K}^{-}$photoproduction, and interference between the two. The confidence regions for the amplitude and relative phase angle for direct $K^{+}{K}^{-}$photoproduction are presented. © 2024 CERN, for the ALICE Collaboration2024CERN 

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2. Search for proton decay via $p\to e^{+}\eta$ and $p\to {\mu }^{+}\eta$ with a 0.37 Mton-year exposure of Super-Kamiokande

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.110.112011  

   Taniuchi, N; Abe, K; Abe, S; Asaoka, Y; Bronner, C; Harada, M; Hayato, Y; Hiraide, K; Hosokawa, K; Ieki, K; et al (December 2024, Physical Review D)

   A search for proton decay into $e^{+}/{\mu }^{+}$and a $\eta$meson has been performed using data from a $0.373\mathrm{Mton}·\mathrm{year}$exposure (6050.3 live days) of Super-Kamiokande. Compared to previous searches this work introduces an improved model of the intranuclear $\eta$interaction cross section, resulting in a factor of 2 reduction in uncertainties from this source and $\sim 10\%$increase in signal efficiency. No significant data excess was found above the expected number of atmospheric neutrino background events resulting in no indication of proton decay into either mode. Lower limits on the proton partial lifetime of $1.4\times {10}^{34}\mathrm{years}$for $p\to e^{+}\eta$and $7.3\times {10}^{33}\mathrm{years}$for $p\to {\mu }^{+}\eta$at the 90% CL were set. These limits are around 1.5 times longer than our previous study and are the most stringent to date. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

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3. Evidence for $B^{+}\to K^{+}\nu \overline{\nu }$ decays

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.109.112006  

   Adachi, I; Adamczyk, K; Aggarwal, L; Ahmed, H; Aihara, H; Akopov, N; Aloisio, A; Anh_Ky, N; Asner, D M; Atmacan, H; et al (June 2024, Physical Review D)

   We search for the rare decay $B^{+}\to K^{+}\nu \overline{\nu }$in a $362{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$sample of electron-positron collisions at the $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(4S\right)$resonance collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We use the inclusive properties of the accompanying $B$meson in $\mathrm{\Upsilon }\left(4S\right)\to B\overline{B}$events to suppress background from other decays of the signal $B$candidate and light-quark pair production. We validate the measurement with an auxiliary analysis based on a conventional hadronic reconstruction of the accompanying $B$meson. For background suppression, we exploit distinct signal features using machine learning methods tuned with simulated data. The signal-reconstruction efficiency and background suppression are validated through various control channels. The branching fraction is extracted in a maximum likelihood fit. Our inclusive and hadronic analyses yield consistent results for the $B^{+}\to K^{+}\nu \overline{\nu }$branching fraction of $[2.7\pm 0.5(\mathrm{stat})\pm 0.5(\mathrm{syst}\left)\right]\times {10}^{-5}$and $\left[{1.1}_{-0.8}^{+0.9}\right(\mathrm{stat}{)}_{-0.5}^{+0.8}\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)]\times {10}^{-5}$, respectively. Combining the results, we determine the branching fraction of the decay $B^{+}\to K^{+}\nu \overline{\nu }$to be $[2.3\pm 0.5(\mathrm{stat}{)}_{-0.4}^{+0.5}\left(\mathrm{syst}\right)]\times {10}^{-5}$, providing the first evidence for this decay at 3.5 standard deviations. The combined result is 2.7 standard deviations above the standard model expectation. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

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4. Search for Nuclear Modifications of $B^{+}$ Meson Production in $p$ -Pb Collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=8.16\mathrm{TeV}$

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.111903  

   Hayrapetyan, A; Tumasyan, A; Adam, W; Andrejkovic, J W; Bergauer, T; Chatterjee, S; Damanakis, K; Dragicevic, M; Hussain, P S; Jeitler, M; et al (March 2025, Physical Review Letters)

   Nuclear medium effects on $B^{+}$meson production are studied using the binary-collision scaled cross section ratio between events of different charged-particle multiplicities from proton-lead collisions. Data, collected by the CMS experiment in 2016 at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=8.16\mathrm{TeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $175{\mathrm{nb}}^{-1}$, were used. The scaling factors in the ratio are determined using a novel approach based on the $Z\to {\mu }^{-}{\mu }^{+}$cross sections measured in the same events. The scaled ratio for $B^{+}$is consistent with unity for all event multiplicities, putting stringent constraints on nuclear modification for heavy flavor. © 2025 CERN, for the CMS Collaboration2025CERN 

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5. $\psi \left(2S\right)$ Suppression in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.042301  

   Acharya, S; Adamová, D; Adler, A; Aglieri_Rinella, G; Agnello, M; Agrawal, N; Ahammed, Z; Ahmad, S; Ahn, S U; Ahuja, I; et al (January 2024, Physical Review Letters)

   The production of the $\psi \left(2S\right)$charmonium state was measured with ALICE in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02\mathrm{TeV}$, in the dimuon decay channel. A significant signal was observed for the first time at LHC energies down to zero transverse momentum, at forward rapidity ( $2.5<y<4$). The measurement of the ratio of the inclusive production cross sections of the $\psi \left(2S\right)$and $\mathrm{J}/\psi$resonances is reported as a function of the centrality of the collisions and of transverse momentum, in the region $p_T<12\mathrm{GeV}/c$. The results are compared with the corresponding measurements in $pp$collisions, by forming the double ratio $[{\sigma }^{\psi \left(2S\right)}/{\sigma }^{J/\psi }{]}_{\mathrm{Pb}\text{−}\mathrm{Pb}}/[{\sigma }^{\psi \left(2S\right)}/{\sigma }^{J/\psi }{]}_{pp}$. It is found that in Pb-Pb collisions the $\psi \left(2S\right)$is suppressed by a factor of $\sim 2$with respect to the $J/\psi$. The $\psi \left(2S\right)$nuclear modification factor $R_{\mathrm{AA}}$was also obtained as a function of both centrality and $p_T$. The results show that the $\psi \left(2S\right)$resonance yield is strongly suppressed in Pb-Pb collisions, by a factor of up to $\sim 3$with respect to $pp$. Comparisons of cross section ratios with previous Super Proton Synchrotron findings by the NA50 experiment and of $R_{\mathrm{AA}}$with higher- $p_T$results at LHC energy are also reported. These results and the corresponding comparisons with calculations of transport and statistical models address questions on the presence and properties of charmonium states in the quark-gluon plasma formed in nuclear collisions at the LHC. © 2024 CERN, for the ALICE Collaboration2024CERN 

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