Huang, F., Sanz, V., Shu, J., & Xue, X. (2021). LIGO as a probe of dark sectors. Phys. Rev. D, 104(10), 095001–9pp.
Abstract: We show how current LIGO data is able to probe interesting theories beyond the Standard Model, particularly dark sectors where a dark Higgs boson triggers symmetry breaking via a first-order phase transition. We use publicly available LIGO O2 data to illustrate how these sectors, even if disconnected from the Standard Model, can be probed by gravitational wave detectors. We link the LIGO measurements with the model content and mass scale of the dark sector, finding that current O2 data are testing a broad set of scenarios that can be mapped into many different types of dark-sector models where the breaking of SU(N) theories with Nf fermions is triggered by a dark Higgs boson at scales ? similar or equal to 108-109 GeV with reasonable parameters for the scalar potential.
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Herrero-Garcia, J., Schwetz, T., & Zupan, J. (2012). Astrophysics independent bounds on the annual modulation of dark matter signals. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(14), 141301–5pp.
Abstract: We show how constraints on the time integrated event rate from a given dark matter (DM) direct detection experiment can be used to bound the amplitude of the annual modulation signal in another experiment. The method requires only mild assumptions about the properties of the local DM distribution: that it is temporally stable on the scale of months and spatially homogeneous on the ecliptic. We apply the method to the annual modulation signal in DAMA/LIBRA, which we compare to the bounds derived from XENON10, XENON100, cryogenic DM search, and SIMPLE data. Assuming a DM mass of 10 GeV, we show that under the above assumptions about the DM halo, a DM interpretation of the DAMA/LIBRA signal is excluded for several classes of models: at 6.3 sigma (4.6 sigma) for elastic isospin conserving (violating) spin-independent interactions, and at 4.9 sigma for elastic spin-dependent interactions on protons.
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Caputo, A., Esposito, A., & Polosa, A. D. (2019). Sub-MeV dark matter and the Goldstone modes of superfluid helium. Phys. Rev. D, 100(11), 116007–6pp.
Abstract: We show how a relativistic effective field theory for the superfluid phase of 4 He can replace the standard methods used to compute the production rates of low-momentum excitations due to the interaction with an external probe. This is done by studying the scattering problem of a light dark matter particle in the superfluid and comparing to some existing results. We show that the rate of emission of two phonons, the Goldstone modes of the effective theory, gets strongly suppressed for sub-MeV dark matter particles due to a fine cancellation between two different tree-level diagrams in the limit of small exchanged momenta. This phenomenon is found to be a consequence of the particular choice of the potential felt by the dark matter particle in helium. The predicted rates can vary by orders of magnitude if this potential is changed. We prove that the dominant contribution to the total emission rate is provided by excitations in the phonon branch. Finally, we analyze the angular distributions for the emissions of one and two phonons and discuss how they can be used to measure the mass of the hypothetical dark matter particle hitting the helium target.
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Botella, F. J., Branco, G. C., Nebot, M., Rebelo, M. N., & Silva-Marcos, J. I. (2017). Vector-like quarks at the origin of light quark masses and mixing. Eur. Phys. J. C, 77(6), 408–14pp.
Abstract: We show how a novel fine-tuning problem present in the Standard Model can be solved through the introduction of a Z(6) flavour symmetry, together with three Q = -1/3 quarks, three Q = 2/3 quarks, as well as a complex singlet scalar. The Z(6) symmetry is extended to the additional fields and it is an exact symmetry of the Lagrangian, only softly broken in the scalar potential, in order to avoid the domain-wall problem. Specific examples are given and a phenomenological analysis of the main features of the model is presented. It is shown that even for vector-like quarks with masses accessible at the LHC, one can have realistic quark masses and mixing, while respecting the strict constraints on processes arising from flavour changing neutral currents. The vector-like quark decay channels are also described.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2012). Search for the Z(1)(4050)(+) and Z(2)(4250)(+) states in (B)over-bar(0) -> chi K-c1(-)pi(+) and B+ -> chi K-c1(S)0 pi(+). Phys. Rev. D, 85(5), 052003–12pp.
Abstract: We search for the Z(1)(4050)(+) and Z(2)(4250)(+) states, reported by the Belle Collaboration, decaying to chi(c1)pi(+) in the decays (B) over bar (0) -> chi K-c1(-)pi(+) and B+ -> chi K-c1(S)0 pi(+) where chi(c1) -> J/psi gamma. The data were collected with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider operating at center-of-mass energy 10.58 GeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 429 fb(-1). In this analysis, we model the background-subtracted, efficiency-corrected chi(c1)pi(+) mass distribution using the K pi mass distribution and the corresponding normalized K pi Legendre-polynomial moments, and then test the need for the inclusion of resonant structures in the description of the chi(c1)pi(+) mass distribution. No evidence is found for the Z(1)(4050)(+) and Z(2)(4250)(+) resonances, and 90% confidence level upper limits on the branching fractions are reported for the corresponding B-meson decay modes.
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CDF Collaboration(Aaltonen, T. et al), & Cabrera, S. (2010). Improved Search for a Higgs Boson Produced in Association with Z -> l(+)l(-) in p(p)over-bar Collisions at root s=1.96 TeV. Phys. Rev. Lett., 105(25), 251802–7pp.
Abstract: We search for the standard model Higgs boson produced with a Z boson in 4: 1 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity collected with the CDF II detector at the Tevatron. In events consistent with the decay of the Higgs boson to a bottom-quark pair and the Z boson to electrons or muons, we set 95% credibility level upper limits on the ZH production cross section multiplied by the H -> b (b) over bar branching ratio. Improved analysis methods enhance signal sensitivity by 20% relative to previous searches. At a Higgs boson mass of 115 GeV/c(2) we set a limit of 5.9 times the standard model cross section.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2017). Search for B+ -> K+tau(+)tau(-) at the BABAR Experiment. Phys. Rev. Lett., 118(3), 031802–8pp.
Abstract: We search for the rare flavor-changing neutral current process B+ -> K+tau(+)tau(-) using data from the BABAR experiment. The data sample, collected at the center-of-mass energy of the Upsilon(4S) resonance, corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 424 fb(-1) and to 471 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs. We reconstruct one B meson, produced in the Upsilon(4S) -> B+B- decay, in one of many hadronic decay modes and search for activity compatible with a B+ -> K+tau(+)tau(-) decay in the rest of the event. Each tau lepton is required to decay leptonically into an electron or muon and neutrinos. Comparing the expected number of background events with the data sample after applying the selection criteria, we do not find evidence for a signal. The resulting upper limit, at the 90% confidence level, is B(B+ -> K+tau(+)tau(-)) < 2.25 x 10(-3).
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Lopez-March, N., Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2012). Search for the decay D-0 -> gamma gamma and measurement of the branching fraction for D-0 -> pi(0)pi(0). Phys. Rev. D, 85(9), 091107–8pp.
Abstract: We search for the rare decay of the D-0 meson to two photons, D-0 -> gamma gamma, and present a measurement of the branching fraction for a D-0 meson decaying to two neutral pions, B(D-0 -> pi(0)pi(0)). The data sample analyzed corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 470.5 fb(-1) collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider at SLAC. We place an upper limit on the branching fraction, B(D-0 -> gamma gamma) < 2.2 x 10(-6), at 90% confidence level. This limit improves on the existing limit by an order of magnitude. We also find B(D-0 -> pi(0)pi(0)) = (8.4 +/- 0.1 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.3 +/-) x 10(-4).
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., & Villanueva-Perez, P. (2013). Search for B -> K-(*()) v(v)over-bar and invisible quarkonium decays. Phys. Rev. D, 87(11), 112005–13pp.
Abstract: We search for the flavor-changing neutral-current decays B -> K-(*()) v (v) over bar, and the invisible decays J/psi -> v (v) over bar and psi(2S) -> v (v) over bar via B -> K-(*())J/psi and B -> K-(*()) psi(2S), respectively, using a data sample of 471 x 10(6) B (B) over bar pairs collected by the BABAR experiment. We fully reconstruct the hadronBic decay of one of the B mesons in the Y(4S) -> B (B) over bar decay, and search for the B -> K-(*()) v (v) over bar decay in the rest of the event. We observe no significant excess of signal decays over background and report branching fraction upper limits of B(B+ -> K+ v (v) over bar) < 3.7 x 10(-5), B(B-0 -> K-0 v<(v)over bar>) < 8.1 x 10(-5), B(B+ -> K*(+) v<(v)over bar>) < 11.6 x 10(-5), B(B-0 -> K*(0) v<(v)over bar>), < 9.3 x 10(-5), and combined upper limits of B(B -> K v<(v)over bar>) < 3.2 x 10(-5) and B(B -> K* v<(v)over bar>) < 7.9 x 10(-5), all at the 90% confidence level. For the invisible quarkonium decays, we report branching fraction upper limits of B(J/psi -> v<(v)over bar>) < 3.9 x 10(-3) and B(psi(2S) -> v<(v)over bar> < 15.5 x 10(-3) at the 90% confidence level. Using the improved kinematic resolution achieved from hadronic reconstruction, we also provide partial branching fraction limits for the B -> K-(*()) v<(v)over bar> decays over the full kinematic spectrum.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., & Villanueva-Perez, P. (2013). Search for a light Higgs boson decaying to two gluons or s(s)over-bar in the radiative decays of Upsilon(1S). Phys. Rev. D, 88(3), 031701–7pp.
Abstract: We search for the decay Upsilon(1S) -> A(0), A(0) -> gg or s (s) over bar, where A(0) is the pseudoscalar light Higgs boson predicted by the next-to-minimal supersymmetric Standard Model. We use a sample of (17.6 +/- 0.3) x 10(6) Upsilon(1S) mesons produced in the BABAR experiment via e(+)e(-) -> Upsilon(2S) -> pi(+)pi(-)Upsilon(1S). We see no significant signal and set 90%-confidence-level upper limits on the product branching fraction B(Upsilon(1S) -> gamma A(0)) . B(A(0) -> gg or s (s) over bar ranging from 10(-6) to 10(-2) for A(0) masses in the range 0.5-9.0 GeV/c(2).
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