FLAG Working Group(Aoki, S. et al), & Della Morte, M. (2017). Review of lattice results concerning low-energy particle physics. Eur. Phys. J. C, 77(2), 112–228pp.
Abstract: We review lattice results related to pion, kaon, D- and B-meson physics with the aim of making them easily accessible to the particle-physics community. More specifically, we report on the determination of the light-quark masses, the form factor f(+)(0), arising in the semileptonic K -> pi transition at zero momentum transfer, as well as the decay constant ratio fK / f pi and its consequences for the CKM matrix elements V-us and V-ud. Furthermore, we describe the results obtained on the lattice for some of the low-energy constants of SU(2) L x SU(2) R and SU(3) L x SU(3) R Chiral Perturbation Theory. We review the determination of the B-K parameter of neutral kaon mixing as well as the additional four B parameters that arise in theories of physics beyond the StandardModel. The latter quantities are an addition compared to the previous review. For the heavy-quark sector, we provide results for m(c) and m(b) (also new compared to the previous review), as well as those for D- and B-meson-decay constants, form factors, and mixing parameters. These are the heavy-quark quantities most relevant for the determination of CKM matrix elements and the global CKM unitarity-triangle fit. Finally, we review the status of lattice determinations of the strong coupling constant alpha(s).
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Bellomo, N., Bellini, E., Hu, B., Jimenez, R., Pena-Garay, C., & Verde, L. (2017). Hiding neutrino mass in modified gravity cosmologies. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 02(2), 043–12pp.
Abstract: Cosmological observables show a dependence with the neutrino mass, which is partially degenerate with parameters of extended models of gravity. We study and explore this degeneracy in Horndeski generalized scalar-tensor theories of gravity. Using forecasted cosmic microwave background and galaxy power spectrum datasets, we find that a single parameter in the linear regime of the effective theory dominates the correlation with the total neutrino mass. For any given mass, a particular value of this parameter approximately cancels the power suppression due to the neutrino mass at a given redshift. The extent of the cancellation of this degeneracy depends on the cosmological large-scale structure data used at different redshifts. We constrain the parameters and functions of the effective gravity theory and determine the influence of gravity on the determination of the neutrino mass from present and future surveys.
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Escudero, M., Hooper, D., & Witte, S. J. (2017). Updated collider and direct detection constraints on Dark Matter models for the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 02(2), 038–21pp.
Abstract: Utilizing an exhaustive set of simplified models, we revisit dark matter scenarios potentially capable of generating the observed Galactic Center gamma-ray excess, updating constraints from the LUX and PandaX- II experiments, as well as from the LHC and other colliders. We identify a variety of pseudoscalar mediated models that remain consistent with all constraints. In contrast, dark matter candidates which annihilate through a spin-1 mediator are ruled out by direct detection constraints unless the mass of the mediator is near an annihilation resonance, or the mediator has a purely vector coupling to the dark matter and a purely axial coupling to Standard Model fermions. All scenarios in which the dark matter annihilates throught-channel processes are now ruled out by a combination of the constraints from LUX/ PandaX-II and the LHC.
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Kim, J., Ko, P., & Park, W. I. (2017). Higgs-portal assisted Higgs inflation with a sizeable tensor-to-scalar ratio. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 02(2), 003–16pp.
Abstract: We show that the Higgs portal interactions involving extra dark Higgs field can save generically the original Higgs inflation of the standard model (SM) from the problem of a deep non-SM vacuum in the SM Higgs potential. Specifically, we show that such interactions disconnect the top quark pole mass from inflationary observables and allow multi-dimensional parameter space to save the Higgs inflation, thanks to the additional parameters (the dark Higgs boson mass m(phi), the mixing angle a between the SM Higgs H and dark Higgs Phi, and the mixed quartic coupling) affecting RG-running of the Higgs quartic coupling. The effect of Higgs portal interactions may lead to a larger tensor-to-scalar ratio, 0.08 less than or similar to r less than or similar to 0.1, by adjusting relevant parameters in wide ranges of alpha and m(phi), some region of which can be probed at future colliders. Performing a numerical analysis we find an allowed region of parameters, matching the latest Planck data.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., Ruiz Valls, P., et al. (2016). Differential branching fraction and angular moments analysis of the decay B-0 -> K+pi(-)mu(+)mu(-) in the K-0,K-2*(1431:)(0) region. J. High Energy Phys., 12(12), 065–24pp.
Abstract: Measurements of the differential branching fraction and angular moments of the decay B-0 -> K+pi(-)mu(+)mu(-) in the K+pi(-) invariant mass range 1330 <m(K+pi(-)) < 1530 MeV/c(2) are presented. Proton-proton collision data are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment. Differential branching fraction measurements are reported in five bins of the invariant mass squared of the dimuon system, q(2), between 0.1 and 8.0 GeV2/c(4). For the first time, an angular analysis sensitive to the S-, P- and D-wave contributions of this rare decay is performed. The set of 40 normalised angular moments describing the decay is presented for the q(2) range 1.1-6.0 GeV2/c(4).
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2016). Search for squarks and gluinos in events with hadronically decaying tau leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. Eur. Phys. J. C, 76(12), 683–33pp.
Abstract: A search for supersymmetry in events with large missing transverse momentum, jets, and at least one hadronically decaying tau lepton has been performed using 3.2 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at root s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider in 2015. Two exclusive final states are considered, with either exactly one or at least two tau leptons. No excess over the Standard Model prediction is observed in the data. Results are interpreted in the context of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking and a simplified model of gluino pair production with tau-rich cascade decays, substantially improving on previous limits. In the GMSB model considered, supersymmetry-breaking scale (Alpha) values below 92 TeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level, corresponding to gluino masses below 2000 GeV. For large values of tan beta, values of Alpha up to 107 TeV and gluino masses up to 2300 GeV are excluded. In the simplified model, gluino masses are excluded up to 1570 GeV for neutralino masses around 100 GeV. Neutralino masses below 700 GeV are excluded for all gluino masses between 800 and 1500 GeV, while the strongest exclusion of 750 GeV is achieved for gluino masses around 1450 GeV.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2016). Study of hard double-parton scattering in four-jet events in pp collisions root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment. J. High Energy Phys., 11(11), 110–52pp.
Abstract: Inclusive four-jet events produced in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of mass energy of root s = 7 TeV are analysed for the presence of hard double-parton scattering using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 37.3 pb(-1), collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The contribution of hard double-parton scattering to the production of four -jet events is extracted using an artificial neural network, assuming that hard double-parton scattering can be approximated by an uncorrelated overlaying of dijet events. For events containing at least four jets with transverse momentum PT >= 20 GeV and pseudorapidity vertical bar eta vertical bar <= 4.4, and at least one having pT >= 42.5 GeV, the contribution of hard double-parton scattering is estimated to be fDps = 0.092(-0.011)(+0.0005) (stat.) (+0.03337)(-0.011) (syst.). After combining this measurement with those of the inclusive dijet and four -jet cross -sections in the appropriate phase space regions, the effective cross-section, sigma(eff,) was determined to be sigma(eff) = 14.9(-1.0)(+1.2) (stat.) (+5.1)(-3.8) (syst.) mb. This result is consistent within the quoted uncertainties with previous measurements of sigma(eff), performed at centre-of-mass energies between 63 GeV and 8 TeV using various final states, and it corresponds to 21(-6%)(+7) of the total inelastic cross-section measured at root s = 7 TeV. The distributions of the observables sensitive to the contribution of hard double-parton scattering, corrected for detector effects, are also provided.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2016). Search for the Higgs boson produced in association with a W boson and decaying to four b-quarks via two spin-zero particles in pp collisions at 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Eur. Phys. J. C, 76(11), 605–31pp.
Abstract: This paper presents a dedicated search for exotic decays of the Higgs boson to a pair of new spin-zero particles, H -> aa, where the particle a decays to b-quarks and has a mass in the range of 20-60 GeV. The search is performed in events where the Higgs boson is produced in associationwith aW boson, giving rise to a signature of a lepton (electron or muon), missing transverse momentum, and multiple jets from b-quark decays. The analysis is based on the full dataset of pp collisions at root s = 13 TeV recorded in 2015 by theATLAS detector at theCERNLargeHadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb(-1). No significant excess of events above the Standard Model prediction is observed, and a 95% confidence-level upper limit is derived for the product of the production cross section for pp -> WH times the branching ratio for the decay H -> aa -> 4b. The upper limit ranges from 6.2 pb for an a-boson mass m(a) = 20 GeV to 1.5 pb for m(a) = 60 GeV.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2016). Search for Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model Higgs bosons H/A and for a Z ' boson in the tau tau final state produced in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS Detector. Eur. Phys. J. C, 76(11), 585–30pp.
Abstract: A search for neutral Higgs bosons of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) and for a heavneutral Z' boson is performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb(-1) from proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The heavy resonance is assumed to decay to a tau(+)tau(-) pair with at least one tau lepton decaying to final states with hadrons and a neutrino. The search is performed in the mass range of 0.2-1.2 TeV for the MSSM neutral Higgs bosons and 0.5-2.5 TeV for the heavy neutral Z' boson. The data are in good agreement with the background predicted by the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in MSSMand Z' benchmark scenarios. The most stringent constraints on the MSSM m(A)-tan beta space exclude at 95% confidence level (CL) tan beta > 7.6 for m(A) = 200 GeV in the m(h)(mod+) MSSM scenario. For the Sequential Standard Model, a Z(SSM)' mass up to 1.90 TeV is excluded at 95% CL and masses up to 1.82-2.17 TeV are excluded for a Z(SFM)' of the strong flavour model.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fernandez Martinez, P., et al. (2016). Performance of pile-up mitigation techniques for jets in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV using the ATLAS detector. Eur. Phys. J. C, 76(11), 581–36pp.
Abstract: The large rate of multiple simultaneous protonproton interactions, or pile-up, generated by the Large Hadron Collider in Run 1 required the development of many new techniques to mitigate the adverse effects of these conditions. This paper describes the methods employed in the ATLAS experiment to correct for the impact of pile-up on jet energy and jet shapes, and for the presence of spurious additional jets, with a primary focus on the large 20.3 fb(-1) data sample collected at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV. The energy correction techniques that incorporate sophisticated estimates of the average pile-up energy density and tracking information are presented. Jet-to-vertex association techniques are discussed and projections of performance for the future are considered. Lastly, the extension of these techniques to mitigate the effect of pile-up on jet shapes using subtraction and grooming procedures is presented.
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