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NEXT Collaboration(Kekic, M. et al), Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M., Carcel, S., Carrion, J. V., Diaz, J., Felkai, R., et al. (2021). Demonstration of background rejection using deep convolutional neural networks in the NEXT experiment. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 189–22pp.
Abstract: Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely used state-of-the-art computer vision tools that are becoming increasingly popular in high-energy physics. In this paper, we attempt to understand the potential of CNNs for event classification in the NEXT experiment, which will search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in Xe-136. To do so, we demonstrate the usage of CNNs for the identification of electron-positron pair production events, which exhibit a topology similar to that of a neutrinoless double-beta decay event. These events were produced in the NEXT-White high-pressure xenon TPC using 2.6 MeV gamma rays from a Th-228 calibration source. We train a network on Monte Carlo-simulated events and show that, by applying on-the-fly data augmentation, the network can be made robust against differences between simulation and data. The use of CNNs offers significant improvement in signal efficiency and background rejection when compared to previous non-CNN-based analyses.
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Double Chooz collaboration(Abrahao, T. et al), & Novella, P. (2021). Reactor rate modulation oscillation analysis with two detectors in Double Chooz. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 190–18pp.
Abstract: A theta (13) oscillation analysis based on the observed antineutrino rates at the Double Chooz far and near detectors for different reactor power conditions is presented. This approach provides a so far unique simultaneous determination of theta (13) and the total background rates without relying on any assumptions on the specific background contributions. The analysis comprises 865 days of data collected in both detectors with at least one reactor in operation. The oscillation results are enhanced by the use of 24.06 days (12.74 days) of reactor-off data in the far (near) detector. The analysis considers the nu <mml:mo stretchy=“true”><overbar></mml:mover>e interactions up to a visible energy of 8.5 MeV, using the events at higher energies to build a cosmogenic background model considering fast-neutrons interactions and Li-9 decays. The background-model-independent determination of the mixing angle yields sin(2)(2 theta (13)) = 0.094 0.017, being the best-fit total background rates fully consistent with the cosmogenic background model. A second oscillation analysis is also performed constraining the total background rates to the cosmogenic background estimates. While the central value is not significantly modified due to the consistency between the reactor-off data and the background estimates, the addition of the background model reduces the uncertainty on theta (13) to 0.015. Along with the oscillation results, the normalization of the anti-neutrino rate is measured with a precision of 0.86%, reducing the 1.43% uncertainty associated to the expectation.
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Miranda, O. G., Papoulias, D. K., Sanders, O., Tortola, M., & Valle, J. W. F. (2021). Low-energy probes of sterile neutrino transition magnetic moments. J. High Energy Phys., 12(12), 191–24pp.
Abstract: Sterile neutrinos with keV-MeV masses and non-zero transition magnetic moments can be probed through low-energy nuclear or electron recoil measurements. Here we determine the sensitivities of current and future searches, showing how they can probe a previously unexplored parameter region. Future coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) or elastic neutrino-electron scattering (EvES) experiments using a monochromatic 'Cr source can fully probe the region indicated by the recent XENONIT excess.
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Folgado, M. G., Donini, A., & Rius, N. (2021). Spin-dependence of gravity-mediated dark matter in warped extra-dimensions. Eur. Phys. J. C, 81(3), 197–13pp.
Abstract: We study the possibility that Dark Matter (DM) particles of spin 0, 1/2 or 1 may interact gravitationally with Standard Model (SM) particles within the framework of a warped Randall-Sundrum (RS) model. Both the Dark Matter and the Standard Model particles are assumed to be confined to the infra-red (IR) brane and only interchange Kaluza-Klein excitations of the graviton and the radion (adopting the Goldberger-Wise mechanism to stabilize the size of the extra-dimension). We analyze the different DM annihilation channels and find that the presently observed Dark Matter relic abundance, Omega DM, can be obtained within the freeze-out mechanism for DM particles of all considered spins. This extends our first work concerning scalar DM in RS scenarios (Folgado et al., in JHEP 01:161. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2020)161, 2020) and put it on equal footing with our second work in which we studied DM particles of spin 0, 1/2 and 1 in the framework of the Clockwork/Linear Dilaton (CW/LD) model (Folgado et al., in JHEP 20:036. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP04(2020)036, 2020). We study the region of the model parameter space for which Omega DM is achieved and compare it with the different experimental and theoretical bounds. We find that, for DM particles mass mDM is an element of [1,15] TeV, most of the parameter space is excluded by the current constraints or will be excluded by the LHC Run III or by the LHC upgrade, the HL-LHC. The observed DM relic abundance can still be achieved for DM masses mDM is an element of [4,15] TeV and mG1<10 TeV for scalar and vector boson Dark Matter. On the other hand, for spin 1/2 fermion Dark Matter, only a tiny region with mDM<is an element of>[4,15] TeV, mG1 is an element of [5,10] TeV and Lambda >mG1 is compatible with theoretical and experimental bounds. We have also studied the impact of the radion in the phenomenology, finding that it does not modify significantly the allowed region for DM particles of any spin (differently from the CW/LD case, where its impact was quite significant in the case of scalar DM). We, eventually, briefly compare results in RS with those obtained in the CW/LD model.
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Babiano-Suarez, V. et al, Lerendegui-Marco, J., Balibrea-Correa, J., Caballero, L., Calvo, D., Ladarescu, I., et al. (2021). Imaging neutron capture cross sections: i-TED proof-of-concept and future prospects based on Machine-Learning techniques. Eur. Phys. J. A, 57(6), 197–17pp.
Abstract: i-TED is an innovative detection system which exploits Compton imaging techniques to achieve a superior signal-to-background ratio in (n, gamma) cross-section measurements using time-of-flight technique. This work presents the first experimental validation of the i-TED apparatus for high-resolution time-of-flight experiments and demonstrates for the first time the concept proposed for background rejection. To this aim, the Au-197(n, gamma) and Fe-56(n, gamma) reactions were studied at CERN n_TOF using an i-TED demonstrator based on three position-sensitive detectors. Two C6D6 detectors were also used to benchmark the performance of i-TED. The i-TED prototype built for this study shows a factor of similar to 3 higher detection sensitivity than state-of-the-art C6D6 detectors in the 10 keV neutron-energy region of astrophysical interest. This paper explores also the perspectives of further enhancement in performance attainable with the final i-TED array consisting of twenty position-sensitive detectors and newanalysis methodologies based on Machine-Learning techniques.
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