Abstract: Heavy-ion collisions, such as Pb-Pb or p-Pb, produce extreme conditions in temperature and density that make the hadronic matter transition to a new state, called quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Simulations of heavy-ion collisions provide a way to improve our understanding of the QGP's properties. These simulations are composed of a hybrid description that results in final observables in agreement with accelerators like LHC and RHIC. However, recent works pointed out that these hydrodynamic simulations can display acausal behavior during the evolution in certain regions, indicating a deviation from a faithful representation of the underlying QCD dynamics. To pursue a better understanding of this problem and its consequences, this work simulated two different collision systems, Pb-Pb and p-Pb at root sNN = 5.02 TeV. In this context, our results show that causality violation, even though always present, typically occurs on a small part of the system, quantified by the total energy fraction residing in the acausal region. In addition, the acausal behavior can be reduced with changes in the prehydrodynamic factors and the definition of the bulk-viscous relaxation time. Since these aspects are fairly arbitrary in current simulation models, without solid guidance from the underlying theory, it is reasonable to use the disturbing presence of acausal behavior in current simulations to guide improvements towards more realistic modeling. While this work does not solve the acausality problem, it sheds more light on this issue and also proposes a way to solve this problem in simulations of heavy-ion collisions.

Abstract: We present a new way to interpret Top Standard Model measurements going beyond the SMEFT framework. Instead of the usual paradigm in Top EFT, where the main effects come from tails in momenta distributions, we propose an interpretation in terms of new physics which only shows up at loop-level. The effects of these new states, which can be lighter than required within the SMEFT, appear as distinctive structures at high momenta, but may be suppressed at the tails of distributions. As an illustration of this phenomena, we present the explicit case of a UV model with a Z \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ \mathcal{Z} $$\end{document} 2 symmetry, including a Dark Matter candidate and a top-partner. This simple UV model reproduces the main features of this class of signatures, particularly a momentum-dependent form factor with more structure than the SMEFT. As the new states can be lighter than in SMEFT, we explore the interplay between the reinterpretation of direct searches for colored states and Dark Matter, and Top measurements, made by ATLAS and CMS in the differential t t over bar \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$ t\overline{t} $$\end{document} final state. We also compare our method with what one would expect using the SMEFT reinterpretation, finding that using the full loop information provides a better discriminating power.

Abstract: We study the correlation functions of the (BD+)-D-0, (B+D0) system, which develops a bound state of approximately 40MeV, using inputs consistent with the T-cc(3875) state. Then, we address the inverse problem starting from these correlation functions to determine the scattering observables related to the system, including the existence of the bound state and its molecular nature. The important output of the approach is the uncertainty with which these observables can be obtained, considering errors in the (BD+)-D-0, (B+D0) correlation functions typical of current values in correlation functions. We find that it is possible to obtain scattering lengths and effective ranges with relatively high precision and the existence of a bound state. Although the pole position is obtained with errors of the order of 50% of the binding energy, the molecular probability of the state is obtained with a very small error of the order of 6%. All these findings serve as motivation to perform such measurements in future runs of high energy hadron collisions.

Abstract: The large distances travelled by neutrinos emitted from the Sun and core -collapse supernovae together with the characteristic energy of such neutrinos provide ideal conditions to probe their lifetime, when the decay products evade detection. We investigate the prospects of probing invisible neutrino decay capitalising on the detection of solar and supernova neutrinos as well as the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) in the next -generation neutrino observatories Hyper-Kamiokande, DUNE, JUNO, DARWIN, and RES-NOVA. We find that future solar neutrino data will be sensitive to values of the lifetime -to -mass ratio tau 1 /m 1 and tau 2 /m 2 of O(10 – 1 -10 – 2 ) s/eV. From a core -collapse supernova explosion at 10 kpc, lifetime -to -mass ratios of the three mass eigenstates of O(10 5 ) s/eV could be tested. After 20 years of data taking, the DSNB would extend the sensitivity reach of tau 1 /m 1 to 10 8 s/eV. These results promise an improvement of about 6-15 orders of magnitude on the values of the decay parameters with respect to existing limits.

Abstract: NEXT -100 is currently being constructed at the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc in the Spanish Pyrenees and will search for neutrinoless double beta decay using a high-pressure gaseous time projection chamber (TPC) with 100 kg of xenon. Charge amplification is carried out via electroluminescence (EL) which is the process of accelerating electrons in a high electric field region causing secondary scintillation of the medium proportional to the initial charge. The NEXT -100 EL and cathode regions are made from tensioned hexagonal meshes of 1 m diameter. This paper describes the design, characterization, and installation of these parts for NEXT -100. Simulations of the electric field are performed to model the drift and amplification of ionization electrons produced in the detector under various EL region alignments and rotations. Measurements of the electrostatic breakdown voltage in air characterize performance under high voltage conditions and identify breakdown points. The electrostatic deflection of the mesh is quantified and fit to a first -pr inciples mechanical model. Measurements were performed with both a standalone test EL region and with the NEXT-100 EL region before its installation in the detector. Finally, we describe the parts as installed in NEXT-100, following their deployment in Summer 2023.