Abstract: We perform a comprehensive scan of the parameter space of a general singlet scalar extension of the Standard Model to identify the regions which can lead to a strong first-order phase transition, as required by the electroweak baryogenesis mechanism. We find that taking into account bubble nucleation is a fundamental constraint on the parameter space and present a conservative and fast estimate for it so as to enable efficient parameter space scanning. The allowed regions turn out to be already significantly probed by constraints on the scalar mixing from Higgs signal strength measurements. We also consider the addition of new neutrino singlet fields with Yukawa couplings to both scalars and forming heavy (pseudo)-Dirac pairs, as in the linear or inverse Seesaw mechanisms for neutrino mass generation. We find that their inclusion does not alter the allowed parameter space from early universe phenomenology in a significant way. Conversely, there are allowed regions of the parameter space where the presence of the neutrino singlets would remarkably modify the collider phenomenology, yielding interesting new signatures in Higgs and singlet scalar decays.

Abstract: This work is devoted to study the behavior of massless particles within the context of curved spacetime. In essence, we investigate the consequences of the scale factor C(?) of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric in the Einstein-aether formalism to study photon-like particles. To do so, we consider the system within the canonical ensemble formalism in order to derive the following thermodynamic state quantities: spectral radiance, Helmholtz free energy, pressure, entropy, mean energy and the heat capacity. Moreover, the correction to the Stefan-Boltzmann law and the equation of states are also provided. Particularly, we separate our study within three distinct cases, i.e. s = 0, p = 0; s = 1, p = 1; s = 2, p = 1. In the first one, the results are derived numerically. Nevertheless, for the rest of the cases, all the calculations are accomplished analytically showing explicitly the dependence of the scale factor C(?) and the Riemann zeta function ?(s). Furthermore, our analyses are accomplished in general taking into account three different regimes of temperature of the universe, i.e. the inflationary era (T = 10(13)GeV), the electroweak epoch (T = 10(3)GeV) and the cosmic microwave background (T = 10(-13)GeV).

Abstract: In this work, we discuss the possibility to test Heavy Neutral Leptons (HNLs) using “Cosmic Ray Beam Dump” experiments. In analogy with terrestrial beam dump experiments, where a beam first hits a target and is then absorbed by a shield, we consider high-energy incident cosmic rays impinging on the Earth's atmosphere and then the Earth's surface. We focus here on HNL production from atmospherically produced kaon, pion and D-meson decays, and discuss the possible explanation of the appearing Cherenkov showers observed by the SHALON Cherenkov telescope and the ultra-high energy events detected by the neutrino experiment ANITA. We show that these observations can not be explained with a long-lived HNL, as the relevant parameter space is excluded by existing constraints. Then we propose two new experimental setups that are inspired by these experiments, namely a Cherenkov telescope pointing at a sub-horizontal angle and shielded by the mountain cliff at Mount Thor, and a geostationary satellite that observes part of the Sahara desert. We show that the Cherenkov telescope at Mount Thor can probe currently untested HNL parameter space for masses below the kaon mass. We also show that the geostationary satellite experiment can significantly increase the HNL parameter space coverage in the whole mass range from 10 MeV up to 2 GeV and test neutrino mixing |U-& alpha;4|(2) down to 10(-11) for masses around 300 MeV.