Donini, A., Hernandez, P., Pena, C., & Romero-Lopez, F. (2020). Dissecting the Delta I=1/2 rule at large N-c. Eur. Phys. J. C, 80(7), 638–12pp.
Abstract: We study the scaling of kaon decay amplitudes with the number of colours, N-c, in a theory with four degenerate flavours, N-f = 4. In this scenario, two current-current operators, Q(+/-), mediate Delta S = 1 transitions, such as the two isospin amplitudes of non-leptonic kaon decays for K -> (pi pi)(I=0,2), A(0) and A(2.) In particular, we concentrate on the simpler K -> pi amplitudes, A(+/-), mediated by these two operators. A diagrammatic analysis of the large-N-c scaling of these observables is presented, which demonstrates the anticorrelation of the leading O(1/N-c) and O(N-f/N-c(2)) corrections in both amplitudes. Using our new N-f = 4 and previous quenched data, we confirm this expectation and show that these corrections are naturally large and may be at the origin of the Delta I = 1/2 rule. The evidence for the latter is indirect, based on the matching of the amplitudes to their prediction in Chiral Perturbation Theory, from which the LO low-energy couplings of the chiral weak Hamiltonian, g(+/-), can be determined. A NLO estimate of the K -> (pi pi)(I=0,2) isospin amplitudes can then be derived, which is in good agreement with the experimental value.
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Drewes, M., Garbrecht, B., Hernandez, P., Kekic, M., Lopez-Pavon, J., Racker, J., et al. (2018). ARS leptogenesis. Int. J. Mod. Phys. A, 33(5-6), 1842002–46pp.
Abstract: We review the current status of the leptogenesis scenario originally proposed by Akhmedov, Rubakov and Smirnov (ARS). It takes place in the parametric regime where the right-handed neutrinos are at the electroweak scale or below and the CP-violating effects are induced by the coherent superposition of different right-handed mass eigenstates. Two main theoretical approaches to derive quantum kinetic equations, the Hamiltonian time evolution as well as the Closed-Time-Path technique are presented, and we discuss their relations. For scenarios with two right-handed neutrinos, we chart the viable parameter space. Both, a Bayesian analysis, that determines the most likely configurations for viable leptogenesis given different variants of flat priors, and a determination of the maximally allowed mixing between the light, mostly left-handed, and heavy, mostly right-handed, neutrino states are discussed. Rephasing invariants are shown to be a useful tool to classify and to understand various distinct contributions to ARS leptogenesis that can dominate in different parametric regimes. While these analyses are carried out for the parametric regime where initial asymmetries are generated predominantly from lepton-number conserving, but flavor violating effects, we also review the contributions from lepton-number violating operators and identify the regions of parameter space where these are relevant.
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Edgecock, T. R. et al, Agarwalla, S. K., Cervera-Villanueva, A., Donini, A., Ghosh, T., Gomez-Cadenas, J. J., et al. (2013). High intensity neutrino oscillation facilities in Europe. Phys. Rev. Spec. Top.-Accel. Beams, 16(2), 021002–18pp.
Abstract: The EUROnu project has studied three possible options for future, high intensity neutrino oscillation facilities in Europe. The first is a Super Beam, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of pions created by bombarding targets with a 4 MW proton beam from the CERN High Power Superconducting Proton Linac. The far detector for this facility is the 500 kt MEMPHYS water Cherenkov, located in the Frejus tunnel. The second facility is the Neutrino Factory, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of mu(+) and mu(-) beams in a storage ring. The far detector in this case is a 100 kt magnetized iron neutrino detector at a baseline of 2000 km. The third option is a Beta Beam, in which the neutrinos come from the decay of beta emitting isotopes, in particular He-6 and Ne-18, also stored in a ring. The far detector is also the MEMPHYS detector in the Frejus tunnel. EUROnu has undertaken conceptual designs of these facilities and studied the performance of the detectors. Based on this, it has determined the physics reach of each facility, in particular for the measurement of CP violation in the lepton sector, and estimated the cost of construction. These have demonstrated that the best facility to build is the Neutrino Factory. However, if a powerful proton driver is constructed for another purpose or if the MEMPHYS detector is built for astroparticle physics, the Super Beam also becomes very attractive.
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Gago, A. M., Hernandez, P., Jones-Perez, J., Losada, M., & Moreno Briceño, A. (2015). Probing the Type I Seesaw mechanism with displaced vertices at the LHC. Eur. Phys. J. C, 75(10), 470–10pp.
Abstract: The observation of Higgs decays into heavy neutrinos would be strong evidence for new physics associated to neutrino masses. In this work we propose a search for such decays within the Type I Seesaw model in the few-GeV mass range via displaced vertices. Using 300 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity, at 13 TeV, we explore the region of parameter space where such decays are measurable. We show that, after imposing pseudorapidity cuts, there still exists a region where the number of events is larger than O(10). We also find that conventional triggers can greatly limit the sensitivity of our signal, so we display several relevant kinematical distributions which might aid in the optimization of a dedicated trigger selection.
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Hernandez, P., Kekic, M., Lopez-Pavon, J., Racker, J., & Rius, N. (2015). Leptogenesis in GeV-scale seesaw models. J. High Energy Phys., 10(10), 067–34pp.
Abstract: We revisit the production of leptonic asymmetries in minimal extensions of the Standard Model that can explain neutrino masses, involving extra singlets with Majorana masses in the GeV scale. We study the quantum kinetic equations both analytically, via a perturbative expansion up to third order in the mixing angles, and numerically. The analytical solution allows us to identify the relevant CP invariants, and simplifies the exploration of the parameter space. We find that sizeable lepton asymmetries are compatible with non-degenerate neutrino masses and measurable active-sterile mixings.
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Hernandez, P., Kekic, M., Lopez-Pavon, J., Racker, J., & Salvado, J. (2016). Testable baryogenesis is in seesaw models. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 157–29pp.
Abstract: We revisit the production of baryon asymmetries in the minimal type I seesaw model with heavy Majorana singlets in the GeV range. In particular we include “washout” effects from scattering processes with gauge bosons, Higgs decays and inverse decays, besides the dominant top scatterings. We show that in the minimal model with two singlets, and for an inverted light neutrino ordering, future measurements from SHiP and neutrinoless double beta decay could in principle provide sufficient information to predict the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. We also show that SHiP measurements could provide very valuable information on the PMNS CP phases.
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Hernandez, P., Kekic, M., & Lopez-Pavon, J. (2014). Low-scale seesaw models versus N-eff. Phys. Rev. D, 89(7), 073009–7pp.
Abstract: We consider the contribution of the extra sterile states in generic low-scale seesaw models to extra radiation, parametrized by N-eff. We find that the value of Neff is roughly independent of the seesaw scale within a wide range. We explore the full parameter space in the case of two extra sterile states and find that these models are strongly constrained by cosmological data for any value of the seesaw scale below O(100 MeV).
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Hernandez, P., Kekic, M., & Lopez-Pavon, J. (2014). N_eff in low-scale seesaw models versus the lightest neutrino mass. Phys. Rev. D, 90(6), 065033–12pp.
Abstract: We evaluate the contribution to N_eff of the extra sterile states in low-scale type I seesaw models (with three extra sterile states). We explore the full parameter space and find that at least two of the heavy states always reach thermalization in the early Universe, while the third one might not thermalize provided the lightest neutrino mass is below O(10(-3) eV). Constraints from cosmology therefore severely restrict the spectra of heavy states in the range 1 eV-100 MeV. The implications for neutrinoless double beta decay are also discussed.
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Hernandez, P., Pena, C., & Romero-Lopez, F. (2019). Large Nc scaling of meson masses and decay constants. Eur. Phys. J. C, 79(10), 865–13pp.
Abstract: We perform an ab initio calculation of the Nc scaling of the low-energy couplings of the chiral Lagrangian of low-energy strong interactions, extracted from the mass dependence of meson masses and decay constants. We compute these observables on the lattice with four degenerate fermions, Nf=4, and varying number of colours, Nc=3-6, at a lattice spacing of a similar or equal to 0.075 fm. We find good agreement with the expected Nc scaling and measure the coefficients of the leading and subleading terms in the large Nc expansion. From the subleading Nc corrections, we can also infer the Nf dependence, that we use to extract the value of the low-energy couplings for different values of Nf. We find agreement with previous determinations at Nc=3 and Nf=2,3 and also, our results support a strong paramagnetic suppression of the chiral condensate in moving from Nf=2 to Nf=3.
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Hernandez, P., Jones-Perez, J., & Suarez-Navarro, O. (2019). Majorana vs pseudo-Dirac neutrinos at the ILC. Eur. Phys. J. C, 79(3), 220–11pp.
Abstract: Neutrino masses could originate in seesaw models testable at colliders, with light mediators and an approximate lepton number symmetry. The minimal model of this type contains two quasi-degenerate Majorana fermions forming a pseudo-Dirac pair. An important question is to what extent future colliders will have sensitivity to the splitting between the Majorana components, since this quantity signals the breaking of lepton number and is connected to the light neutrino masses. We consider the production of these neutral heavy leptons at the ILC, where their displaced decays provide a golden signal: a forward-backward charge asymmetry, which depends crucially on the mass splitting between the two Majorana components. We show that this observable can constrain the mass splitting to values much lower than current bounds from neutrinoless double beta decay and natural loop corrections.
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