|
Penalva, N., Hernandez, E., & Nieves, J. (2019). Further tests of lepton flavor universality from the charged lepton energy distribution in b -> c semileptonic decays: The case of Lambda(b) -> Lambda(c) l(v)over-bar(l). Phys. Rev. D, 100(11), 113007–11pp.
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.
|
|
|
Miralles, V., & Pich, A. (2019). LHC bounds on colored scalars. Phys. Rev. D, 100(11), 115042–11pp.
Abstract: We analyze the constraints on colored scalar bosons imposed by the current LHC data at root s = 13 TeV. Specifically, we consider an additional electroweak doublet of color-octet scalars, satisfying the principle of minimal flavor violation in order to fulfill the stringent experimental limits on flavor-changing neutral currents. We demonstrate that colored scalars with masses below 800 GeV are already excluded, provided they are not fermiophobic.
|
|
|
Babiano, V., Balibrea, J., Caballero, L., Calvo, D., Ladarescu, I., Mira Prats, S., et al. (2020). First i-TED demonstrator: A Compton imager with Dynamic Electronic Collimation. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 953, 163228–9pp.
Abstract: i-TED consists of both a total energy detector and a Compton camera primarily intended for the measurement of neutron capture cross sections by means of the simultaneous combination of neutron time-of-flight (TOF) and gamma-ray imaging techniques. TOF allows one to obtain a neutron-energy differential capture yield, whereas the imaging capability is intended for the discrimination of radiative background sources, that have a spatial origin different from that of the capture sample under investigation. A distinctive feature of i-TED is the embedded Dynamic Electronic Collimation (DEC) concept, which allows for a trade-off between efficiency and image resolution. Here we report on some general design considerations and first performance characterization measurements made with an i-TED demonstrator in order to explore its gamma-ray detection and imaging capabilities.
|
|
|
Nieves, J., & Pavao, R. (2020). Nature of the lowest-lying odd parity charmed baryon Lambda(c)(2595) and Lambda(c)(2625) resonances. Phys. Rev. D, 101(1), 014018–17pp.
Abstract: We study the structure of the Lambda(c) (2595) and Lambda(c) (2625) resonances in the framework of an effective field theory consistent with heavy quark spin and chiral symmetries, which incorporates the interplay between Sigma(()(c)*() )pi – ND(*()) baryon-meson degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) and bare P-wave c (u) over bard quark-model states. We show that these two resonances are not heavy quark spin symmetry partners. The J(P) = 3/2(-) Lambda(c) (2625) should be viewed mostly as a dressed three-quark state, whose origin is determined by a bare state, predicted to lie very close to the mass of the resonance. The J(P) = 1/2(-) Lambda(c) (2595) seems to have, however, a predominant molecular structure. This is because it is either the result of the chiral Sigma(c)pi interaction, whose threshold is located much closer than the mass of the bare three-quark state, or because the light d.o.f. in its inner structure are coupled to the unnatural 0(-) quantum numbers. We show that both situations can occur depending on the renormalization procedure used. We find some additional states, but the classification of the spectrum in terms of heavy quark spin symmetry is difficult, despite having used interactions that respect this symmetry. This is because the bare quark-model state and the Sigma(c)pi threshold are located extraordinarily close to the Lambda(c) (2625) and Lambda(c) (2595), respectively, and hence they play totally different roles in each sector.
|
|
|
Yao, D. L., Fernandez-Soler, P., Guo, F. K., & Nieves, J. (2020). New parametrization of the form factors in (B)over-bar -> Dl(nu)over-bar(l) decays. Phys. Rev. D, 101(3), 034014–7pp.
Abstract: A new model-independent parametrization is proposed for the hadronic form factors in the semileptonic (B) over bar -> Dl (nu) over bar (l) decay. By a combined consideration of the recent experimental and lattice QCD data, we determine precisely the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element vertical bar V-cb vertical bar = 41.01(75) x 10(-3) and the ratio R-D = BR((B) over bar -> D tau(nu) over bar (tau))/BR((B) over bar -> Dl (nu) over bar (l)) = 0.301(5). The coefficients in this parametrization, related to phase shifts by sumrulelike dispersion relations and hence called phase moments, encode important scattering information of the (B) over bar (D) over bar interactions which are poorly known so far. Thus, we give strong hints about the existence of at least one bound and one virtual (B) over bar (D) over bar S-wave 0(+) states, subject to uncertainties produced by potentially sizable inelastic effects. This formalism is also applicable for any other semileptonic processes induced by the weak b -> c transition.
|
|
|
Bruschini, R., & Gonzalez, P. (2020). Radiative decays in charmonium beyond the p/m approximation. Phys. Rev. D, 101(1), 014027–16pp.
Abstract: We analyze the theoretical description of radiative decays in charmonium. We use an elementary emission decay model to build the most general electromagnetic transition operator. We show that accurate results for the widths can be obtained from a simple quark potential model reasonably fitting the spectroscopy if the complete form of the operator is used instead of its standard p/m approximation and the experimental masses are properly implemented in the calculation.
|
|
|
Folgado, M. G., Donini, A., & Rius, N. (2020). Gravity-mediated scalar Dark Matter in warped extra-dimensions. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 161–39pp.
Abstract: We revisit the case of scalar Dark Matter interacting just gravitationally with the Standard Model (SM) particles in an extra-dimensional Randall-Sundrum scenario. We assume that both, the Dark Matter and the Standard Model, are localized in the TeV brane and only interact via gravitational mediators, namely the graviton Kaluza-Klein modes and the radion. We analyze in detail the dark matter annihilation channel into two on-shell KK-gravitons, and contrary to previous studies which overlooked this process, we find that it is possible to obtain the correct relic abundance for dark matter masses in the range [1, 10] TeV even after taking into account the strong bounds from LHC Run II. We also consider the impact of the radion contribution (virtual exchange leading to SM final states as well as on-shell production), which does not significantly change our results. Quite interestingly, a sizeable part of the currently allowed parameter space could be tested by LHC Run III and by the High-Luminosity LHC.
|
|
|
Muñoz, E., Barrientos, L., Bernabeu, J., Borja-Lloret, M., Llosa, G., Ros, A., et al. (2020). A spectral reconstruction algorithm for two-plane Compton cameras. Phys. Med. Biol., 65(2), 025011–17pp.
Abstract: One factor limiting the current applicability extent of hadron therapy is the lack of a reliable method for real time treatment monitoring. The use of Compton imaging systems as monitors requires the correct reconstruction of the distribution of prompt gamma productions during patient irradiation. In order to extract the maximum information from all the measurable events, we implemented a spectral reconstruction method that assigns to all events a probability of being either partial or total energy depositions. The method, implemented in a list-mode maximum likelihood expectation maximization algorithm, generates a four dimensional image in the joint spatial-spectral domain, in which the voxels containing the emission positions and energies are obtained. The analytical model used for the system response function is also employed to derive an analytical expression for the sensitivity, which is calculated via Monte Carlo integration. The performance of the method is evaluated through reconstruction of various experimental and simulated sources with different spatial and energy distributions. The results show that the proposed method can recover the spectral and spatial information simultaneously, but only under the assumption of ideal measurements. The analysis of the Monte Carlo simulations has led to the identification of two important degradation sources: the mispositioning of the gamma interaction point and the missing energy recorded in the interaction. Both factors are related to the high energy transferred to the recoil electrons, which can travel far from the interaction point and even escape the detector. These effects prevent the direct application of the current method in more realistic scenarios. Nevertheless, experimental point-like sources have been accurately reconstructed and the spatial distributions and spectral emission of complex simulated phantoms can be identified.
|
|
|
Barenboim, G., Martinez-Mirave, P., Ternes, C. A., & Tortola, M. (2020). Sterile neutrinos with altered dispersion relations revisited. J. High Energy Phys., 03(3), 070–18pp.
Abstract: In this paper we investigate neutrino oscillations with altered dispersion relations in the presence of sterile neutrinos. Modified dispersion relations represent an agnostic way to parameterize new physics. Models of this type have been suggested to explain global neutrino oscillation data, including deviations from the standard three-neutrino paradigm as observed by a few experiments. We show that, unfortunately, in this type of models new tensions arise turning them incompatible with global data.
|
|
|
Villanueva-Domingo, P., Mena, O., & Miralda-Escude, J. (2020). Maximum amplitude of the high-redshift 21-cm absorption feature. Phys. Rev. D, 101(8), 083502–8pp.
Abstract: We examine the maximum possible strength of the global 21-cm absorption dip on the cosmic background radiation at high-redshift caused by the atomic intergalactic medium, when the Lyman-alpha coupling is maximum, assuming no exotic cooling mechanisms from interactions with dark matter. This maximum absorption is limited by three inevitable factors that need to be accounted for: (a) heating by energy transferred from the cosmic background radiation to the hydrogen atoms via 21-cm transitions, dubbed as 21-cm heating; (b) Ly alpha heating by scatterings of Ly alpha photons from the first stars; (c) the impact of the expected density fluctuations in the intergalactic gas in standard cold dark matter theory, which reduces the mean 21-cm absorption signal. Inclusion of this third novel effect reduces the maximum global 21-cm absorption by similar to 10%. Overall, the three effects studied here reduce the 21-cm global absorption by similar to 20% at z similar or equal to 17.
|
|