Gariazzo, S. (2020). Constraining power of open likelihoods, made prior-independent. Eur. Phys. J. C, 80(6), 552–6pp.
Abstract: One of the most criticized features of Bayesian statistics is the fact that credible intervals, especially when open likelihoods are involved, may strongly depend on the prior shape and range. Many analyses involving open likelihoods are affected by the eternal dilemma of choosing between linear and logarithmic prior, and in particular in the latter case the situation is worsened by the dependence on the prior range under consideration. In this letter, we revive a simple method to obtain constraints that depend neither on the prior shape nor range and, using the tools of Bayesian model comparison, extend it to overcome the possible dependence of the bounds on the choice of free parameters in the numerical analysis. An application to the case of cosmological bounds on the sum of the neutrino masses is discussed as an example.
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Beltran Jimenez, J., & Delhom, A. (2020). Instabilities in metric-affine theories of gravity with higher order curvature terms. Eur. Phys. J. C, 80(6), 585–27pp.
Abstract: We discuss the presence of ghostly instabilities for metric-affine theories constructed with higher order curvature terms. We mainly focus on theories containing only the Ricci tensor and show the crucial role played by the projective symmetry. The pathological modes arise from the absence of a pure kinetic term for the projective mode and the non-minimal coupling of a 2-form field contained in the connection, and which can be related to the antisymmetric part of the metric in non-symmetric gravity theories. The couplings to matter are considered at length and cannot be used to render the theories stable. We discuss different procedures to avoid the ghosts by adding additional constraints. We finally argue how these pathologies are expected to be present in general metric-affine theories unless much care is taken in their construction.
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Molina, R., & Oset, E. (2020). Triangle singularity in B- ->K- X(3872); X ->pi 0 pi+ pi- and the X(3872) mass. Eur. Phys. J. C, 80(5), 451–9pp.
Abstract: We evaluate the contribution to the X(3872) width from a triangle mechanism in which the X decays into D0D<overbar></mml:mover>0-cc, then the D0(D<overbar></mml:mover>0) decays into D0 pi 0 (D<overbar></mml:mover>0 pi 0) and the D0D<overbar></mml:mover>0 fuse to produce pi+pi-. This mechanism produces an asymmetric peak from a triangle singularity in the pi+pi- invariant mass with a shape very sensitive to the X mass. We evaluate the branching ratios for a reaction where this effect can be seen in the B--> K-pi 0 pi+pi- reaction and show that the determination of the peak in the invariant mass distribution of pi <mml:mo>+pi <mml:mo>- is all that is needed to determine the X mass. Given the present uncertainties in the X mass, which do not allow to know whether the D<mml:mo>0<mml:mover accent=“true”>D<mml:mo stretchy=“false”><overbar></mml:mover>0 state is bound or not, measurements like the one suggested here should be most welcome to clarify this issue.
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Donini, A., Hernandez, P., Pena, C., & Romero-Lopez, F. (2020). Dissecting the Delta I=1/2 rule at large N-c. Eur. Phys. J. C, 80(7), 638–12pp.
Abstract: We study the scaling of kaon decay amplitudes with the number of colours, N-c, in a theory with four degenerate flavours, N-f = 4. In this scenario, two current-current operators, Q(+/-), mediate Delta S = 1 transitions, such as the two isospin amplitudes of non-leptonic kaon decays for K -> (pi pi)(I=0,2), A(0) and A(2.) In particular, we concentrate on the simpler K -> pi amplitudes, A(+/-), mediated by these two operators. A diagrammatic analysis of the large-N-c scaling of these observables is presented, which demonstrates the anticorrelation of the leading O(1/N-c) and O(N-f/N-c(2)) corrections in both amplitudes. Using our new N-f = 4 and previous quenched data, we confirm this expectation and show that these corrections are naturally large and may be at the origin of the Delta I = 1/2 rule. The evidence for the latter is indirect, based on the matching of the amplitudes to their prediction in Chiral Perturbation Theory, from which the LO low-energy couplings of the chiral weak Hamiltonian, g(+/-), can be determined. A NLO estimate of the K -> (pi pi)(I=0,2) isospin amplitudes can then be derived, which is in good agreement with the experimental value.
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Delhom, A. (2020). Minimal coupling in presence of non-metricity and torsion. Eur. Phys. J. C, 80(8), 728–17pp.
Abstract: We deal with the question of what it means to define a minimal coupling prescription in presence of torsion and/or non-metricity, carefully explaining while the naive substitution partial derivative -> del introduces extra couplings between the matter fields and the connection that can be regarded as non-minimal in presence of torsion and/or non-metricity. We will also investigate whether minimal coupling prescriptions at the level of the action (MCPL) or at the level of field equations (MCPF) lead to different dynamics. To that end, we will first write the Euler-Lagrange equations for matter fields in terms of the covariant derivatives of a general non-Riemannian space, and derivate the form of the associated Noether currents and charges. Then we will see that if the minimal coupling prescriptions is applied as we discuss, for spin 0 and 1 fields the results of MCPL and MCPF are equivalent, while for spin 1/2 fields there is a difference if one applies the MCPF or the MCPL, since the former leads to charge violation.
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