Lerendegui-Marco, J., Babiano-Suarez, V., Balibrea-Correa, J., Caballero, L., Calvo, D., Ladarescu, I., et al. (2024). Simultaneous Gamma-Neutron Vision device: a portable and versatile tool for nuclear inspections. EPJ Tech. Instrum., 11(1), 2–17pp.
Abstract: This work presents GN-Vision, a novel dual gamma-ray and neutron imaging system, which aims at simultaneously obtaining information about the spatial origin of gamma-ray and neutron sources. The proposed device is based on two position sensitive detection planes and exploits the Compton imaging technique for the imaging of gamma-rays. In addition, spatial distributions of slow- and thermal-neutron sources (<100 eV) are reconstructed by using a passive neutron pin-hole collimator attached to the first detection plane. The proposed gamma-neutron imaging device could be of prime interest for nuclear safety and security applications. The two main advantages of this imaging system are its high efficiency and portability, making it well suited for nuclear applications were compactness and real-time imaging is important. This work presents the working principle and conceptual design of the GN-Vision system and explores, on the basis of Monte Carlo simulations, its simultaneous gamma-ray and neutron detection and imaging capabilities for a realistic scenario where a Cf-252 source is hidden in a neutron moderating container.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Akiot, A., Amos, K. R., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Bouchhar, N., et al. (2023). Search for flavour-changing neutral tqH interactions with H → γγ in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV using the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 12(12), 195–53pp.
Abstract: A search for flavour-changing neutral interactions involving the top quark, the Higgs boson and an up-type quark q ( q = c, u) is presented. The proton-proton collision data set used, with an integrated luminosity of 139 fb(-1), was collected at root s = 13TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Both the decay process t -> qH in tt production and the production process pp. tH, with the Higgs boson decaying into two photons, are investigated. No significant excess is observed and upper limits are set on the t. cH and the t. uH branching ratios of 4.3x10(-4) and 3.8x10(-4), respectively, at the 95% confidence level, while the expected limits in the absence of signal are 4.7x10(-4) and 3.9x10(-4). Combining this search with ATLAS searches in the H. t+ t- and H. b <overline> b final states yields observed (expected) upper limits on the t -> cH branching ratio of 5.8 x 10(-4) (3.0 x 10(-4)) at the 95% confidence level. The corresponding observed (expected) upper limit on the t -> uH branching ratio is 4.0 x 10(-4) (2.4 x 10(-4)).
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Navarro-Salas, J. (2024). Black holes, conformal symmetry, and fundamental fields. Class. Quantum Gravity, 41(8), 085003–14pp.
Abstract: Cosmic censorship protects the outside world from black hole singularities and paves the way for assigning entropy to gravity at the event horizons. We point out a tension between cosmic censorship and the quantum backreacted geometry of Schwarzschild black holes, induced by vacuum polarization and driven by the conformal anomaly. A similar tension appears for the Weyl curvature hypothesis at the Big Bang singularity. We argue that the requirement of exact conformal symmetry resolves both conflicts and has major implications for constraining the set of fundamental constituents of the Standard Model.
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Sanchis-Lozano, M. A., & Sanz, V. (2024). Observable imprints of primordial gravitational waves on the temperature anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background. Phys. Rev. D, 109(6), 063529–11pp.
Abstract: We examine the contribution of tensor modes, in addition to the dominant scalar ones, on the temperature anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). To this end, we analyze in detail the temperature two -point angular correlation function C(Theta) from the Planck 2018 dataset, focusing on large angles (Theta greater than or similar to 120 degrees) corresponding to small l multipoles. A hierarchical set of infrared cutoffs are naturally introduced to the scalar and tensor power spectra of the CMB by invoking an extra Kaluza-Klein spatial dimension compactifying at about the grand unified theory scale between the Planck epoch and the start of inflation. We associate this set of lower scalar and tensor cutoffs with the parity of the multipole expansion of the C(Theta) function. By fitting the Planck 2018 data we compute the multipole coefficients, thereby reproducing the well-known odd -parity preference in angular correlations seen by all three satellite missions: Cosmic Background Explorer, WMAP, and Planck. Our fits improve significantly once tensor modes are included in the analysis, hence providing a hint of the imprints of primordial gravitational waves on the temperature correlations observed in the CMB today. To conclude, we suggest a relationship between, on the one hand, the lack of (positive) large -angle correlations and the odd -parity dominance in the CMB and, on the other hand, the effect of primordial gravitational waves on the CMB temperature anisotropies.
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De Romeri, V., Martin Lozano, V., & Sanchez Garcia, G. (2024). Neutrino window to scalar leptoquarks: From low energy to colliders. Phys. Rev. D, 109(5), 055014–21pp.
Abstract: Leptoquarks are theorized particles of either scalar or vector nature that couple simultaneously to quarks and leptons. Motivated by recent measurements of coherent elastic neutrino -nucleus scattering, we consider the impact of scalar leptoquarks coupling to neutrinos on a few complementary processes, from low energy to colliders. In particular, we set competitive constraints on the typical mass and coupling of scalar leptoquarks by analyzing recent COHERENT data. We compare these constraints with bounds from atomic parity violation experiments, deep inelastic neutrino -nucleon scattering and collider data. Our results highlight a strong complementarity between different facilities and demonstrate the power of coherent elastic neutrino -nucleus scattering experiments to probe leptoquark masses in the sub-TeV range. Finally, we also present prospects for improving current bounds with future upgrades of the COHERENT detectors and the planned European Spallation Source.
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