Abstract: We present a novel theory of gravity by considering an extension of symmetric teleparallel gravity. This is done by introducing, in the framework of the metric-affine formalism, a new class of theories where the nonmetricity Q is nonminimally coupled to the matter Lagrangian. More specifically, we consider a Lagrangian of the form L similar to f(1)(Q) + f(2)(Q)L-M, where f(1) and f(2) are generic functions of Q, and L-M is the matter Lagrangian. This nonminimal coupling entails the nonconservation of the energy-momentum tensor, and consequently the appearance of an extra force. The formulation of the gravity sector in terms of the Q instead of the curvature may result in subtle improvements of the theory. In the context of nonminimal matter couplings, we are therefore motivated to explore whether the new geometrical formulation in terms of the Q, when implemented also in the matter sector, would allow more universally consistent and viable realizations of the nonminimal coupling. Furthermore, we consider several cosmological applications by presenting the evolution equations and imposing specific functional forms of the functions f(1)(Q) and f(2)(Q), such as power-law and exponential dependencies of the nonminimal couplings. Cosmological solutions are considered in two general classes of models, and found to feature accelerating expansion at late times.

Abstract: We examine the implication of the 750 GeV diphoton resonance on the two-Higgs-doublet model by imposing various theoretical and experimental constraints. The production rate of the two-Higgs-doublet model is smaller than the cross section observed at the LHC by 2 orders of magnitude. In order to accommodate the 750 GeV diphoton resonance, we extend the two-Higgs-doublet model by introducing additional Higgs fields, and focus on two different extensions: an inert complex Higgs triplet and a real scalar septuplet. As the 125 GeV Higgs is in agreement with the observed data, the production rate for the 750 GeV diphoton resonance can be enhanced to 0.6 fb for the former and 4.5 fb for the latter. The results of the latter are well consistent with the 750 GeV diphoton excess at the LHC.

Abstract: We investigate the idea of detecting pure neutrino-hydrogen interactions in a multinuclear target using the transverse kinematic imbalance technique [Lu et al., Phys. Rev. D 92, 051302 (2015)] in a high-pressure time projection chamber (HPTPC). With full solid-angle acceptance, MeV-level proton tracking threshold, state-of-the-art tracking resolution, and an 0(100 m(3)) gas volume at 10 bar, an HPTPC could provide an opportunity to realize this technique. We propose the use of hydrogen-rich gases in the TPC to achieve high detection purity with a large hydrogen mass. With the projected neutrino beam exposure at the DUNE experiment, neutrino-hydrogen events of the order of 10(4) per year with purity above 90% could be achieved with such an HPTPC using methane gas. In this paper, we present a systematic study of the event rate and purity for a variety of argon-alkanc mixtures, and examine these gas candidates for the TPC tracking-related properties.

Abstract: We present a consistent framework to set limits on properties of light sterile neutrinos coupled to all three active neutrinos using a combination of the latest cosmological data and terrestrial measurements from oscillations, beta-decay, and neutrinoless double-beta-decay (0 nu beta beta) experiments. We directly constrain the full 3 + 1 active-sterile mixing matrix elements vertical bar U-alpha 4 vertical bar(2) , with alpha is an element of (e,mu,tau), and the mass-squared splitting Delta m(41)(2) (math) m(4)(2) – m(1)(2). We find that results for a 3 + 1 case differ from previously studied 1 + 1 scenarios where the sterile is coupled to only one of the neutrinos, which is largely explained by parameter space volume effects. Limits on the mass splitting and the mixing matrix elements are currently dominated by the cosmological datasets. The exact results are slightly prior dependent, but we reliably find all matrix elements to be constrained below vertical bar U-alpha 4 vertical bar(2) less than or similar to 10(-3) . Short-baseline neutrino oscillation hints in favor of eV-scale sterile neutrinos arc in serious tension with these bounds, irrespective of prior assumptions. We also translate the bounds from the cosmological analysis into constraints on the parameters probed by laboratory searches, such as m(beta) or m(beta)(beta), the effective mass parameters probed by beta-decay and 0 nu beta beta searches, respectively. When allowing for mixing with a light sterile neutrino, cosmology leads to upper bounds of m(beta) < 0.09 eV and m(beta)(beta )< 0.07 eV at 95% CL, more stringent than the limits from current laboratory experiments.

Abstract: Among the newly observed structures in the heavy-quarkonium mass region, some have been proposed to be hadronic molecules. We investigate the consequences of heavy- quark flavor symmetry on these heavy meson hadronic molecules. The symmetry allows us to predict new hadronic molecules on one hand, and test the hadronic molecular assumption of the observed structures on the other hand. We explore the consequences of the flavor symmetry assuming the X(3872) and Z(b)(10 610) as an isoscalar D (D) over bar* and isovector B (B) over bar* hadronic molecule, respectively. A series of hadronic molecules composed of heavy mesons are predicted. In particular, there is an isoscalar 1(++) B (B) over bar* bound state with a mass about 10 580 MeV which may be searched for in the Y(1S, 2S)pi(+) pi(-) pi(0) mass distribution; the isovector charmonium partners of the Z(b)(10 610) and the Z(b)(10 650) are also predicted, which probably corresponds to the very recently observed Z(c)(3900) and Z(c)(4025) resonances by the BESIII Collaboration.