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Solevi, P., Muñoz, E., Solaz, C., Trovato, M., Dendooven, P., Gillam, J. E., et al. (2016). Performance of MACACO Compton telescope for ion-beam therapy monitoring: first test with proton beams. Phys. Med. Biol., 61(14), 5149–5165.
Abstract: In order to exploit the advantages of ion-beam therapy in a clinical setting, delivery verification techniques are necessary to detect deviations from the planned treatment. Efforts are currently oriented towards the development of devices for real-time range monitoring. Among the different detector concepts proposed, Compton cameras are employed to detect prompt gammas and represent a valid candidate for real-time range verification. We present the first on-beam test of MACACO, a Compton telescope (multi-layer Compton camera) based on lanthanum bromide crystals and silicon photo-multipliers. The Compton telescope was first characterized through measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. The detector linearity was measured employing Na-22 and Am-Be sources, obtaining about 10% deviation from linearity at 3.44 MeV. A spectral image reconstruction algorithm was tested on synthetic data. Point-like sources emitting gamma rays with energy between 2 and 7 MeV were reconstructed with 3-5 mm resolution. The two-layer Compton telescope was employed to measure radiation emitted from a beam of 150 MeV protons impinging on a cylindrical PMMA target. Bragg-peak shifts were achieved via adjustment of the PMMA target location and the resulting measurements used during image reconstruction. Reconstructed Bragg peak profiles proved sufficient to observe peak-location differences within 10 mm demonstrating the potential of the MACACO Compton Telescope as a monitoring device for ion-beam therapy.
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Sobczyk, J. E., Rocco, N., & Nieves, J. (2019). Polarization of tau in quasielastic (anti)neutrino scattering: The role of spectral functions. Phys. Rev. C, 100(3), 035501–14pp.
Abstract: We present a study of the tau polarization in charged-current quasielastic (anti)neutrino-nucleus scattering. The spectral function formalism is used to compute the differential cross section and the polarization components for several kinematical setups, relevant for neutrino-oscillation experiments. The effects of the nuclear corrections in these observables are investigated by comparing the results obtained using two different realistic spectral functions, with those deduced from the relativistic global Fermi gas model, where only statistical correlations are accounted for. We show that the spectral functions, although they play an important role when predicting the differential cross sections, produce much less visible effects on the polarization components of the outgoing tau.
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Sobczyk, J. E., Rocco, N., Lovato, A., & Nieves, J. (2019). Weak production of strange and charmed ground-state baryons in nuclei. Phys. Rev. C, 99(6), 065503–16pp.
Abstract: We present results for the quasielastic weak production of Delta and Sigma hyperons induced by (nu) over bar. scattering off nuclei in the kinematical region of interest for accelerator neutrino experiments. We employ realistic hole spectral functions and we describe the propagation of the hyperons in the nuclear medium by means of a Monte Carlo cascade. The latter strongly modifies the kinematics and the relative production rates of the hyperons, leading to a nonvanishing Sigma(+) cross section, to a sizable enhancement of the Lambda production and to a drastic reduction of the Sigma(0) and Sigma(-) distributions. We also compute the quasielastic weak Lambda(c) production cross section, paying special attention to estimate the uncertainties induced by the model dependence of the vacuum n -> Lambda(c) weak matrix element. In this regard, the recent BESIII measurements of the branching ratios of Lambda(c) -> Lambda l(+)nu(l) (l = e, mu) are used to benchmark the available theoretical predictions.
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Sobczyk, J. E., Nieves, J., & Sanchez, F. (2020). Exclusive-final-state hadron observables from neutrino-nucleus multinucleon knockout. Phys. Rev. C, 102(2), 024601–16pp.
Abstract: We present results of an updated calculation of the two particle two hole (2p2h) contribution to the neutrino-induced charge-current cross section. We provide also some exclusive observables, interesting from the point of view of experimental studies, e.g., distributions of momenta of the outgoing nucleons and of available energy, which we compare with the results obtained within the NEUT generator. We also compute, and separate from the total, the contributions of 3p3h mechanisms. Finally, we discuss the differences between the present results and previous implementations of the model in MC event generators, done at the level of inclusive cross sections, which might significantly influence the experimental analyses, particularly in the cases where the hadronic observables are considered.
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Smith, W. A., Glazier, D. I., Mathieu, V., Albaladejo, M., Albrecht, M., Baldwin, Z., et al. (2023). Ambiguities in partial wave analysis of two spinless meson photoproduction. Phys. Rev. D, 108(7), 076001–12pp.
Abstract: We describe the formalism to analyze the mathematical ambiguities arising in partial-wave analysis of two spinless mesons produced with a linearly polarized photon beam. We show that partial waves are uniquely defined when all accessible observables are considered, for a wave set which includes S and D waves. The inclusion of higher partial waves does not affect our results, and we conclude that there are no mathematical ambiguities in partial-wave analysis of two mesons produced with a linearly polarized photon beam. We present Monte Carlo simulations to illustrate our results.
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Silva, J. E. G., Maluf, R. V., Olmo, G. J., & Almeida, C. A. S. (2022). Braneworlds in f(Q) gravity. Phys. Rev. D, 106(2), 024033–15pp.
Abstract: We propose a braneworld scenario in a modified symmetric teleparallel gravitational theory, where the dynamics for the gravitational field is encoded in the nonmetricity tensor rather than in the curvature. Assuming a single real scalar field with a sine-Gordon self-interaction, the generalized quadratic nonmetricity invariant Q controls the brane width while keeping the shape of the energy density. By considering power corrections of the invariant Q in the gravitational Lagrangian, the sine-Gordon potential is modified exhibiting new barriers and false vacuum. As a result, the domain wall brane obtains an inner structure, and it undergoes a splitting process. In addition, we also propose a nonminimal coupling between a bulk fermion field and the nonmetricity invariant Q. Such geometric coupling leads to a massless chiral fermion bound to the 3-brane and a stable tower of nonlocalized massive states.
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Sierra, D. A., De Romeri, V., & Rojas, N. (2019). CP violating effects in coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering processes. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 069–22pp.
Abstract: The presence of new neutrino-quark interactions can enhance, deplete or distort the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) event rate. The new interactions may involve CP violating phases that can potentially affect these features. Assuming light vector mediators, we study the effects of CP violation on the CEvNS process in the COHERENT sodium-iodine, liquid argon and germanium detectors. We identify a region in parameter space for which the event rate always involves a dip and another one for which this is never the case. We show that the presence of a dip in the event rate spectrum can be used to constraint CP violating effects, in such a way that the larger the detector volume the tighter the constraints. Furthermore, it allows the reconstruction of the effective coupling responsible for the signal with an uncertainty determined by recoil energy resolution. In the region where no dip is present, we find that CP violating parameters can mimic the Standard Model CEvNS prediction or spectra induced by real parameters. We point out that the interpretation of CEvNS data in terms of a light vector mediator should take into account possible CP violating effects. Finally, we stress that our results are qualitatively applicable for CEvNS induced by solar or reactor neutrinos. Thus, the CP violating effects discussed here and their consequences should be taken into account as well in the analysis of data from multi-ton dark matter detectors or experiments such as CONUS, nu-cleus or CONNIE.
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Sierra, D. A., De Romeri, V., Flores, L. J., & Papoulias, D. K. (2021). Axionlike particles searches in reactor experiments. J. High Energy Phys., 03(3), 294–38pp.
Abstract: Reactor neutrino experiments provide a rich environment for the study of axionlike particles (ALPs). Using the intense photon flux produced in the nuclear reactor core, these experiments have the potential to probe ALPs with masses below 10MeV. We explore the feasibility of these searches by considering ALPs produced through Primakoff and Compton-like processes as well as nuclear transitions. These particles can subsequently interact with the material of a nearby detector via inverse Primakoff and inverse Compton-like scatterings, via axio-electric absorption, or they can decay into photon or electron-positron pairs. We demonstrate that reactor-based neutrino experiments have a high potential to test ALP-photon couplings and masses, currently probed only by cosmological and astrophysical observations, thus providing complementary laboratory-based searches. We furthermore show how reactor facilities will be able to test previously unexplored regions in the similar to MeV ALP mass range and ALP-electron couplings of the order of gaee similar to 10(-8) as well as ALP-nucleon couplings of the order of g (1) ann similar to 10(-9), testing regions beyond TEXONO and Borexino limits.
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Sierra, D. A., De Romeri, V., Flores, L. J., & Papoulias, D. K. (2022). Impact of COHERENT measurements, cross section uncertainties and new interactions on the neutrino floor. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 01(1), 055–26pp.
Abstract: We reconsider the discovery limit of multi-ton direct detection dark matter experiments in the light of recent measurements of the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering process. Assuming the cross section to be a parameter entirely determined by data, rather than using its Standard Model prediction, we use the COHERENT CsI and LAr data sets to determine WIMP discovery limits. Being based on a data-driven approach, the results are thus free from theoretical assumptions and fall within the WIMP mass regions where XENONnT and DARWIN have best expected sensitivities. We further determine the impact of subleading nuclear form factor and weak mixing angle uncertainties effects on WIMP discovery limits. We point out that these effects, albeit small, should be taken into account. Moreover, to quantify the impact of new physics effects in the neutrino background, we revisit WIMP discovery limits assuming light vector and scalar mediators as well as neutrino magnetic moments/transitions. We stress that the presence of new interactions in the neutrino sector, in general, tend to worsen the WIMP discovery limit.
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Sieber, H., Kirpichnikov, D., Voronchikhin, I. V., Crivelli, P., Gninenko, S. N., Kirsanov, M. M., et al. (2023). Probing hidden sectors with a muon beam: Implication of spin-0 dark matter mediators for the muon (g-2) anomaly and the validity of the Weiszäcker-Williams approach. Phys. Rev. D, 108(5), 056018–11pp.
Abstract: In addition to vector (V) type new particles extensively discussed previously, both CP-even (S) and CP-odd (P) spin-0 dark matter (DM) mediators can couple to muons and be produced in the bremsstrahlung reaction mu- + N -mu- + N + S(P). Their possible subsequent invisible decay into a pair of Dirac DM particles, S(P) -chi chi over bar , can be detected in fixed target experiments through missing energy signature. In this paper, we focus on the case of experiments using high-energy muon beams. For this reason, we derive the differential cross sections involved using the phase space Weiszacker-Williams approximation and compare them to the exact-tree-level calculations. The formalism derived can be applied in various experiments that could observe muon-spin-0 DM interactions. This can happen in present and future proton beam-dump experiments such as NA62, SHIP, HIKE, and SHADOWS; in muon fixed target experiments as NA64 mu, MUonE and M3; in neutrino experiments using powerful proton beams such as DUNE. In particular, we focus on the NA64 μexperiment case, which uses a 160 GeV muon beam at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator. We compute the derived cross sections, the resulting signal yields and we discuss the experiment projected sensitivity to probe the relic DM parameter space and the (g – 2)mu anomaly favored region considering 1011 and 1013 muons on target.
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