Abstract: In a general framework, valid for any H -> H' l(-)(v) over bar (l) semileptonic decay, we analyze the d(2)Gamma/(d omega d cos theta(l)) and d(2)Gamma/(d omega dE(l)) distributions, with omega being the product of the hadron four-velocities, theta(l) the angle made by the three-momenta of the charged lepton and the final hadron in the W- center of mass frame and E-l the charged lepton energy in the decaying hadron rest frame. Within the Standard Model (SM), d(2)Gamma/(d omega dE(l)) proportional to (c(0) (omega) c(1) (omega)E-l/M + c(2) (omega)E-l(2)/M-2), with M the initial hadron mass. We find that c(2) (omega) is independent of the lepton flavor and thus it is an ideal candidate to look for lepton flavor universality (LFU) violations. We also find a correlation between the a(2) (omega) structure function, which governs the (cos theta(l))(2) dependence of d(2)Gamma/(d omega d cos theta(l)), and c(2) (omega). Apart from trivial kinematical and mass factors, the ratio of a(2) (omega)/c(2) (omega) is a universal function that can be measured in any semileptonic decay, involving not only b -> c transitions. These two SM predictions can be used as new tests in the present search for signatures of LFU violations. We also generalize the formalism to account for some new physics (NP) terms, and show that neither c(2) nor a(2) are modified by left and right scalar NP terms, being however sensitive to left and right vector corrections. We also find that the a(2)/c(2) ratio is not modified by these latter NP contributions. Finally, and in order to illustrate our findings, we apply our general framework to the Lambda(b) -> Lambda(c)l (v) over bar (l) decay. We show that a measurement of c(2) (or a(2)) for tau decay would not only be a direct measurement of the possible existence of NP, but it would also allow to distinguish from NP fits to b -> c tau(v) over bar (tau) anomalies in the meson sector, which otherwise give the same total and differential d Gamma/d omega widths. We show that the same occurs for the other two terms, c(0) and c(1), that appear in d(2)Gamma/(d omega dE(l)), and for the cos theta(l) linear term of the angular distribution.

Abstract: We apply the general formalism derived by Penalva et al. [Phys. Rev. D 101, 113004 (2020)] to the semileptonic decay of pseudoscalar mesons containing a b quark. While present (B) over bar -> D-(*()) data give the strongest evidence in favor of lepton flavor universality violation, the observables that are normally considered are not able to distinguish between different new physics (NP) scenarios. In the above reference we discussed the relevant role that the various contributions to the double differential decay widths d(2)Gamma (d omega d cos theta(l)) and d(2)Gamma (d omega dE(l)) could play to this end. Here omega is the product of the two hadron fourvelocities, theta(l) is the angle made by the final lepton and final hadron three-momenta in the center of mass of the final two-lepton system, and E-l is the final charged lepton energy in the laboratory system. The formalism was applied by Penalva et al. to the analysis of the Lambda(b) -> Lambda(c) semileptonic decay, showing the new observables were able to tell apart different NP scenarios. Here we analyze the (B) over barc -> eta(c)tau(nu) over bar (tau), (B) over barc -> J/psi tau(nu) over bar (tau), (B) over bar -> D tau(nu) over bar (tau) and (B) over bar -> D*tau(nu) over bar (tau) , semileptonic decays. We find that, as a general rule, the (B) over barc -> J/psi observables, even including (tau) polarization, are less optimal for distinguishing between NP scenarios than those obtained from (B) over barc -> eta(c) decays, or those presented by Penalva et al. for the related Lambda(b) -> Lambda(c) semileptonic decay. Finally, we show that (B) over bar -> D and (B) over barc -> eta(c) , and (B) over bar -> D* and (B) over barc -> J/psi decay observables exhibit similar behaviors.

Abstract: In the context of lepton flavor universality violation (LFUV) studies, we fully derive a general tensor formalism to investigate the role that left- and right-handed neutrino new-physics (NP) terms may have in b -> c tau(nu) over bar (tau) transitions. We present, for several extensions of the Standard Model (SM), numerical results for the Lambda(b) -> Lambda(c)tau(nu) over bar (tau) semileptonic decay, which is expected to be measured with precision at the LHCb. This reaction can be a new source of experimental information that can help to confirm, or maybe rule out, LFUV presently seen in (B) over bar meson decays. The present study analyzes observables that can help in distinguishing between different NP scenarios that otherwise provide very similar results for the branching ratios, which are our currently best hints for LFUV. Since the tau lepton is very short-lived, we consider three subsequent tau-decay modes, two hadronic pi nu(tau) and rho nu(tau) and one leptonic mu(nu) over bar (mu)nu(tau), which have been previously studied for (B) over bar -> D(*) decays. Within the tensor formalism that we have developed in previous works, we re-obtain the expressions for the differential decay width written in terms of visible (experimentally accessible) variables of the massive particle created in the tau decay. There are seven different tau angular and spin asymmetries that are defined in this way and that can be extracted from experiment. Those asymmetries provide observables that can help in constraining possible SM extensions.

Abstract: We benefit from the lattice QCD determination by the HPQCD of the Standard Model (SM) form factors for the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s [Phys. Rev. D101(2020) 074513] and the SM and tensor ones for the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s* (arXiv:2304.03137[hep-lat]) semileptonic decays, and the heavy quark effective theory (HQET) relations for the analogous B -> D-(*()) decays obtained by F.U. Bernlochner et al. in Phys. Rev. D95(2017) 115008, to extract the leading and sub-leading Isgur-Wise functions for the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s(()*()) decays. Further use of the HQET relations allows us to evaluate the corresponding scalar, pseudoscalar and tensor form factors needed for a phenomenological study of new physics (NP) effects on the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s(()*()) semileptonic decay. At present, the experimental values for the ratios R-D(*) = Gamma[ (B) over bar -> D-(*())(tau- (nu) over bar tau)]/Gamma[(B) over bar -> D-(*())e(-)(mu(-)) (nu) over bar (e(mu))]are the best signal in favor of lepton flavor universality violation (LFUV) seen in charged current (CC) b -> c decays. In this work we conduct a study of NP effects on the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s(()*()) tau(-)(tau) semileptonic decays by comparing tau spin, angular and spin-angular asymmetry distributions obtained within the SM and three different NP scenarios. As expected from SU(3) light-flavor symmetry, we get results close to the ones found in a similar analysis of the (B) over bar -> D-(*()) case. The measurement of the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s(()*())(l (nu) over bar tau) semileptonic decays, which is within reach of present experiments, could then be of relevance in helping to establish or rule out LFUV in CC b -> c transitions.

Abstract: Nuclei in the vicinity of 78Ni are important benchmarks for nuclear structure, which can reveal changes in the shell structure far from stability. Spectroscopy of the odd-odd isotope 78Cu was performed for the first time in an experiment with the EURICA setup at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory at RIKEN Nishina Center. Excited states in the neutron-rich isotope were populated following the beta decay of 78Ni produced by in-flight fission and and separated by the BigRIPS separator. A level scheme based on the analysis of γ−γ coincidences is presented. Tentative spin and parity assignments were made when possible based on the β-decay feeding intensities and γ-decay properties of the excited states. Time correlations between β and γ decay show clear indications of an isomeric state with a half-life of 3.8(4) ms. Large-scale Monte Carlo shell-model calculations were performed using the A3DA-m interaction and a valence space comprising the full fp shell and the 1g9/2 and 2d5/2 orbitals for both protons and neutrons. The comparison of the experimental results with the shell-model calculations allows interpreting the excited states in terms of spin multiplets arising from the proton-neutron interaction. The results provide further insight into the evolution of the proton single-particle orbitals as a function of neutron number, and quantitative information about the proton-neutron interaction outside the doubly magic 78Ni core.