Sanchis-Lozano, M. A., & Sarkisyan-Grinbaum, E. (2017). A correlated-cluster model and the ridge phenomenon in hadron-hadron collisions. Phys. Lett. B, 766, 170–176.
Abstract: A study of the near-side ridge phenomenon in hadron-hadron collisions based on a cluster picture of multiparticle production is presented. The near-side ridge effect is shown to have a natural explanation in this context provided that clusters are produced in a correlated manner in the collision transverse plane.
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Bernardoni, F., Blossier, B., Bulava, J., Della Morte, M., Fritzsch, P., Garron, N., et al. (2014). The b-quark mass from non-perturbative N-f=2 Heavy Quark Effective Theory at O(1/m(h)). Phys. Lett. B, 730, 171–177.
Abstract: We report our final estimate of the b-quark mass from N-f = 2 lattice QCD simulations using Heavy Quark Effective Theory non-perturbatively matched to QCD at O(1/m(h)). Treating systematic and statistical errors in a conservative manner, we obtain (m) over bar ((MS) over bar)(b) (2 GeV) = 4.88(15) GeV after an extrapolation to the physical point.
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Vicente, A. (2019). Higgs Lepton Flavor Violating Decays in Two Higgs Doublet Models. Front. Physics, 7, 174–13pp.
Abstract: The discovery of a non-zero rate for a lepton flavor violating decay mode of the Higgs boson would definitely be an indication of New Physics. We review the prospects for such signal in Two Higgs Doublet Models, in particular for Higgs boson decays into tau μfinal states. We will show that this scenario contains all the necessary ingredients to provide large flavor violating rates and still be compatible with the stringent limits from direct searches and low-energy flavor experiments.
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Carles, M., Lerche, C. W., Sanchez, F., Mora, F., & Benlloch, J. M. (2011). Position correction with depth of interaction information for a small animal PET system. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 648, S176–S180.
Abstract: In this work we study the effects on the spatial resolution when depth of interaction (001) information is included in the parameterization of the line of response (LOR) for a small animal positron emission tomography (PET) system. One of the most important degrading factors for PET is the parallax error introduced in systems that do not provide DOI information of the recorded gamma-rays. Our group has designed a simple and inexpensive method for DOI determination in continuous scintillation crystals. This method is based, on one hand, in the correlation between the scintillation light distribution width in monolithic crystals and the DOI, and, on the other hand, on a small modification of the widely applied charge dividing circuits (CDR). In this work we present a new system calibration that includes the DOI information, and also the development of the correction equations that relates the LOR without and with DOI information. We report the results obtained for different measurements along the transaxial field of view (FOV) and the image quality enhancement achieved specially at the edge of the FOV.
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Bloch, I. M., Caputo, A., Essig, R., Redigolo, D., Sholapurkar, M., & Volansky, T. (2021). Exploring new physics with O(keV) electron recoils in direct detection experiments. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 178–63pp.
Abstract: Motivated by the recent XENON1T results, we explore various new physics models that can be discovered through searches for electron recoils in O(keV)-threshold direct-detection experiments. First, we consider the absorption of axion-like particles, dark photons, and scalars, either as dark matter relics or being produced directly in the Sun. In the latter case, we find that keV mass bosons produced in the Sun provide an adequate fit to the data but are excluded by stellar cooling constraints. We address this tension by introducing a novel Chameleon-like axion model, which can explain the excess while evading the stellar bounds. We find that absorption of bosonic dark matter provides a viable explanation for the excess only if the dark matter is a dark photon or an axion. In the latter case, photophobic axion couplings are necessary to avoid X-ray constraints. Second, we analyze models of dark matter-electron scattering to determine which models might explain the excess. Standard scattering of dark matter with electrons is generically in conflict with data from lower-threshold experiments. Momentum-dependent interactions with a heavy mediator can fit the data with dark matter mass heavier than a GeV but are generically in tension with collider constraints. Next, we consider dark matter consisting of two (or more) states that have a small mass splitting. The exothermic (down)scattering of the heavier state to the lighter state can fit the data for keV mass splittings. Finally, we consider a subcomponent of dark matter that is accelerated by scattering off cosmic rays, finding that dark matter interacting though an O(100 keV)-mass mediator can fit the data. The cross sections required in this scenario are, however, typically challenged by complementary probes of the light mediator. Throughout our study, we implement an unbinned Monte Carlo analysis and use an improved energy reconstruction of the XENON1T events.
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ANTARES Collaboration(Aguilar, J. A. et al), Bigongiari, C., Dornic, D., Emanuele, U., Gomez-Gonzalez, J. P., Hernandez-Rey, J. J., et al. (2010). Zenith distribution and flux of atmospheric muons measured with the 5-line ANTARES detector. Astropart Phys., 34(3), 179–184.
Abstract: The ANTARES high-energy neutrino telescope is a three-dimensional array of about 900 photomultipliers distributed over 12 mooring lines installed in the Mediterranean Sea. Between February and November 2007 it acquired data in a 5-line configuration. The zenith angular distribution of the atmospheric muon flux and the associated depth-intensity relation are measured and compared with previous measurements and Monte Carlo expectations. An evaluation of the systematic effects due to uncertainties on environmental and detector parameters is presented.
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ANTARES Collaboration(Albert, A. et al), Barrios-Marti, J., Coleiro, A., Colomer, M., Hernandez-Rey, J. J., Illuminati, G., et al. (2019). The search for high-energy neutrinos coincident with fast radio bursts with the ANTARES neutrino telescope. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 482(1), 184–193.
Abstract: In the past decade, a new class of bright transient radio sources with millisecond duration has been discovered. The origin of these so-called fast radio bursts (FRBs) is still a mystery, despite the growing observational efforts made by various multiwavelength and multimessenger facilities. To date, many models have been proposed to explain FRBs, but neither the progenitors nor the radiative and the particle acceleration processes at work have been clearly identified. In this paper, we assess whether hadronic processes may occur in the vicinity of the FRB source. If they do, FRBs may contribute to the high-energy cosmic-ray and neutrino fluxes. A search for these hadronic signatures was carried out using the ANTARES neutrino telescope. The analysis consists in looking for high-energy neutrinos, in the TeV-PeV regime, that are spatially and temporally coincident with the detected FRBs. Most of the FRBs discovered in the period 2013-2017 were in the field of view of the ANTARES detector, which is sensitive mostly to events originating from the Southern hemisphere. From this period, 12 FRBs were selected and no coincident neutrino candidate was observed. Upper limits on the per-burst neutrino fluence were derived using a power-law spectrum, dN/DE nu proportional to E-nu(-gamma), for the incoming neutrino flux, assuming spectral indexes gamma = 1.0, 2.0, 2.5. Finally, the neutrino energy was constrained by computing the total energy radiated in neutrinos, assuming different distances for the FRBs. Constraints on the neutrino fluence and on the energy released were derived from the associated null results.
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Flores-Tlalpa, A., Lopez Castro, G., & Roig, P. (2016). Five-body leptonic decays of muon and tau lepton. J. High Energy Phys., 04(4), 185–21pp.
Abstract: We study the five-body decays u(-) -> e(-)e(+)e(-)nu u (nu) over bar (e) and tau(-) -> l(-)l'+l'-nu(tau)(nu) over bar (l) for l, l' = e, u within the Standard Model (SM) and in a general effective field theory description of the weak interactions at low energies. We compute the branching ratios and compare our results with two previous – mutually discrepan – SM calculations. By assuming a general structure for the weak currents we derive the expressions for the energy and angular distributions of the three charged leptons when the decaying lepton is polarized, which will be useful in precise tests of the weak charged current at Belle II. In these decays, leptonic T-odd correlations in triple products of spin and momenta – which may signal time reversal violation in the leptonic sector – are suppressed by the tiny neutrino masses. Therefore, a measurement of such T-violating observables would be associated to neutrinoless lepton flavor violating (LFV) decays, where this effect is not extremely suppressed. We also study the backgrounds that the SM five-lepton lepton decays constitute to searches of LFV L- -> ? l(-)l'+l'(-) decays. Searches at high values of the invariant mass of the l'(+)l'(-) pair look the most convenient way to overcome the background.
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Torres-Espallardo, I., Diblen, F., Rohling, H., Solevi, P., Gillam, J., Watts, D., et al. (2015). Evaluation of resistive-plate-chamber-based TOF-PET applied to in-beam particle therapy monitoring. Phys. Med. Biol., 60(9), N187–N208.
Abstract: Particle therapy is a highly conformal radiotherapy technique which reduces the dose deposited to the surrounding normal tissues. In order to fully exploit its advantages, treatment monitoring is necessary to minimize uncertainties related to the dose delivery. Up to now, the only clinically feasible technique for the monitoring of therapeutic irradiation with particle beams is Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In this work we have compared a Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC)-based PET scanner with a scintillation-crystal-based PET scanner for this application. In general, the main advantages of the RPC-PET system are its excellent timing resolution, low cost, and the possibility of building large area systems. We simulated a partial-ring scannerbeam monitoring, which has an intrinsically low positron yield compared to diagnostic PET. In addition, for in-beam PET there is a further data loss due to the partial ring configuration. In order to improve the performance of the RPC-based scanner, an improved version of the RPC detector (modifying the thickness of the gas and glass layers), providing a larger sensitivity, has been simulated and compared with an axially extended version of the crystal-based device. The improved version of the RPC shows better performance than the prototype, but the extended version of the crystal-based PET outperforms all other options. based on an RPC prototype under construction within the Fondazione per Adroterapia Oncologica (TERA). For comparison with the crystal-based PET scanner we have chosen the geometry of a commercially available PET scanner, the Philips Gemini TF. The coincidence time resolution used in the simulations takes into account the current achievable values as well as expected improvements of both technologies. Several scenarios (including patient data) have been simulated to evaluate the performance of different scanners. Initial results have shown that the low sensitivity of the RPC hampers its application to hadron
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Escudero, M., Witte, S. J., & Rius, N. (2018). The dispirited case of gauged U(1)(B-L) dark matter. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 190–30pp.
Abstract: We explore the constraints and phenomenology of possibly the simplest scenario that could account at the same time for the active neutrino masses and the dark matter in the Universe within a gauged U(1)(B-L) symmetry, namely right-handed neutrino dark matter. We find that null searches from lepton and hadron colliders require dark matter with a mass below 900 GeV to annihilate through a resonance. Additionally, the very strong constraints from high-energy dilepton searches fully exclude the model for 150 GeV < m(z') < 3 TeV. We further explore the phenomenology in the high mass region (i.e. masses greater than or similar to O(1) TeV) and highlight theoretical arguments, related to the appearance of a Landau pole or an instability of the scalar potential, disfavoring large portions of this parameter space. Collectively, these considerations illustrate that a minimal extension of the Standard Model via a local U(1)(B-L) symmetry with a viable thermal dark matter candidate is difficult to achieve without fine-tuning. We conclude by discussing possible extensions of the model that relieve tension with collider constraints by reducing the gauge coupling required to produce the correct relic abundance.
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