ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fassi, F., Ferrer, A., et al. (2014). Search for Quantum Black Hole Production in High-Invariant-Mass Lepton plus Jet Final States Using pp Collisions at root s=8 TeV and the ATLAS Detector. Phys. Rev. Lett., 112(9), 091804–18pp.
Abstract: This Letter presents a search for quantum black-hole production using 20.3 fb(-1) of data collected with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at the LHC at root s = 8 TeV. The quantum black holes are assumed to decay into a final state characterized by a lepton (electron or muon) and a jet. In either channel, no event with a lepton-jet invariant mass of 3.5 TeV or more is observed, consistent with the expected background. Limits are set on the product of cross sections and branching fractions for the lepton + jet final states of quantum black holes produced in a search region for invariant masses above 1 TeV. The combined 95% confidence level upper limit on this product for quantum black holes with threshold mass above 3.5 TeV is 0.18 fb. This limit constrains the threshold quantum black-hole mass to be above 5.3 TeV in the model considered.
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Civiletti, M., Pallis, C., & Shafi, Q. (2014). Upper bound on the tensor-to-scalar ratio in GUT-scale supersymmetric hybrid inflation. Phys. Lett. B, 733, 276–282.
Abstract: We explore the upper bound on the tensor-to-scalar ratio r in supersymmetric (F-term) hybrid inflation models with the gauge symmetry breaking scale set equal to the value 2.86 . 10(16) GeV, as dictated by the unification of the MSSM gauge couplings. We employ a unique renormalizable superpotential and a quasi-canonical Kahler potential, and the scalar spectral index n(s) is required to lie within the two-sigma interval from the central value found by the Planck satellite. In a sizable region of the parameter space the potential along the inflationary trajectory is a monotonically increasing function of the inflaton, and for this case, r less than or similar to 2.9.10(-4), while the spectral index running, vertical bar dn(s)/d ln k vertical bar, can be as large as 0.01. Ignoring higher order terms which ensure the boundedness of the potential for large values of the inflaton, the upper bound on r is significantly larger, of order 0.01, for subplanckian values of the inflaton, and vertical bar dn(s)/dlnk vertical bar similar or equal to 0.006.
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Chachamis, G., Hentschinski, M., Madrigal Martinez, J. D., & Sabio Vera, A. (2014). Forward jet production and quantum corrections to the gluon Regge trajectory from Lipatov's high energy effective action. Phys. Part. Nuclei, 45(4), 788–799.
Abstract: We review Lipatov's high energy effective action and show that it is a useful computational tool to calculate scattering amplitudes in (quasi)-multi-Regge kinematics. We explain in some detail our recent work where a novel regularization and subtraction procedure has been proposed that allows to extend the use of this effective action beyond tree level. Two examples are calculated at next-to-leading order: forward jet vertices and the gluon Regge trajectory.
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Celis, A., Cirigliano, V., & Passemar, E. (2014). Lepton flavor violation in the Higgs sector and the role of hadronic tau-lepton decays. Phys. Rev. D, 89(1), 013008–19pp.
Abstract: It has been pointed out recently that current low-energy constraints still allow for sizable flavor-changing decay rates of the 125 GeV boson into leptons, h -> tau l (l = e, mu). In this work we discuss the role of hadronic tau-lepton decays in probing lepton flavor violating couplings in the Higgs sector. At low energy, the effective Higgs coupling to gluons induced by heavy quarks contributes to hadronic tau decays, establishing a direct connection with the relevant process at the LHC, pp(gg) -> h -> tau l. Semileptonic transitions like tau -> l pi pi are sensitive to flavor-changing scalar couplings, while decays such as tau -> l eta((l)) probe pseudoscalar couplings, thus providing a useful low-energy handle to disentangle possible Higgs flavor violating signals at the LHC. As part of our analysis, we provide an appropriate description of all the relevant hadronic matrix elements needed to describe Higgs mediated tau -> pi pi transitions, improving over previous treatments in the literature.
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Celis, A., Cirigliano, V., & Passemar, E. (2014). Model-discriminating power of lepton flavor violating tau decays. Phys. Rev. D, 89(9), 095014–14pp.
Abstract: Within an effective field theory framework, we discuss the possibility to discriminate among different operators that contribute to lepton flavor violating (LFV) tau decays. Correlations among decay rates in different channels are shown to provide a basic handle to unravel the origin of LFV in these processes. More information about the underlying dynamics responsible for LFV can be gathered from differential distributions in three-body decays like tau -> μpi pi or tau -> 3 mu: these are considered in some detail. We incorporate in our analysis recent developments in the determination of the hadronic form factors for tau -> μpi pi. Future prospects for the observation of LFV tau decays and its interpretation are also discussed.
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