Boucenna, M. S., Morisi, S., Shafi, Q., & Valle, J. W. F. (2014). Inflation and majoron dark matter in the neutrino seesaw mechanism. Phys. Rev. D, 90(5), 055023–6pp.
Abstract: We propose that inflation and dark matter have a common origin, connected to the neutrino mass generation scheme. As a model we consider spontaneous breaking of global lepton number within the seesaw mechanism. We show that it provides an acceptable inflationary scenario consistent with the recent cosmic microwave background B-mode observation by the BICEP2 experiment. The scheme may also account for the baryon asymmetry of the Universe through leptogenesis for reasonable parameter choices.
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MoEDAL Collaboration(Acharya, B. et al), Bernabeu, J., Garcia, C., King, M., Mitsou, V. A., Vento, V., et al. (2014). The physics programme of the MoEDAL experiment at the LHC. Int. J. Mod. Phys. A, 29(23), 1430050–91pp.
Abstract: The MoEDAL experiment at Point 8 of the LHC ring is the seventh and newest LHC experiment. It is dedicated to the search for highly-ionizing particle avatars of physics beyond the Standard Model, extending significantly the discovery horizon of the LHC. A MoEDAL discovery would have revolutionary implications for our fundamental understanding of the Microcosm. MoEDAL is an unconventional and largely passive LHC detector comprised of the largest array of Nuclear Track Detector stacks ever deployed at an accelerator, surrounding the intersection region at Point 8 on the LHC ring. Another novel feature is the use of paramagnetic trapping volumes to capture both electrically and magnetically charged highly-ionizing particles predicted in new physics scenarios. It includes an array of TimePix pixel devices for monitoring highly-ionizing particle backgrounds. The main passive elements of the MoEDAL detector do not require a trigger system, electronic readout, or online computerized data acquisition. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the MoEDAL physics reach, which is largely complementary to the programs of the large multipurpose LHC detectors ATLAS and CMS.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fassi, F., Ferrer, A., et al. (2014). Search for high-mass dilepton resonances in pp collisions at root s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Phys. Rev. D, 90(5), 052005–30pp.
Abstract: The ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider is used to search for high-mass resonances decaying to dielectron or dimuon final states. Results are presented from an analysis of proton-proton (pp) collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1) in the dimuon channel. A narrow resonance with Standard Model Z couplings to fermions is excluded at 95% confidence level for masses less than 2.79 TeV in the dielectron channel, 2.53 TeV in the dimuon channel, and 2.90 TeV in the two channels combined. Limits on other model interpretations are also presented, including a grand-unification model based on the E-6 gauge group, Z* bosons, minimal Z' models, a spin-2 graviton excitation from Randall-Sundrum models, quantum black holes, and a minimal walking technicolor model with a composite Higgs boson.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Ferrer, A., Fiorini, L., et al. (2014). Search for supersymmetry in events with large missing transverse momentum, jets, and at least one tau lepton in 20 fb(-1) of root s=8 TeV proton-proton collision data with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 103–54pp.
Abstract: A search for supersymmetry (SUSY) in events with large missing transverse momentum, jets, at least one hadronically decaying tau lepton and zero or one additional light leptons (electron/muon), has been performed using 20.3 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data at root s = 8 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. No excess above the Standard Model background expectation is observed in the various signal regions and 95% confidence level upper limits on the visible cross section for new phenomena are set. The results of the analysis are interpreted in several SUSY scenarios, significantly extending previous limits obtained in the same final states. In the framework of minimal gauge-mediated SUSY breaking models, values of the SUSY breaking scale Lambda below 63 TeV are excluded, independently of tan beta. Exclusion limits are also derived for an mSUGRA/CMSSM model, in both the R-parity-conserving and R-parity-violating case. A further interpretation is presented in a framework of natural gauge mediation, in which the gluino is assumed to be the only light coloured sparticle and gluino masses below 1090 GeV are excluded.
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Binosi, D., Ibañez, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2014). Nonperturbative study of the four gluon vertex. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 059–32pp.
Abstract: In this paper we study the nonperturbative structure of the SU(3) four-gluon vertex in the Landau gauge, concentrating on contributions quadratic in the metric. We employ an approximation scheme where “one-loop” diagrams are computed using fully dressed gluon and ghost propagators, and tree-level vertices. When a suitable kinematical configuration depending on a single momentum scale p is chosen, only two structures emerge: the tree-level four-gluon vertex, and a tensor orthogonal to it. A detailed numerical analysis reveals that the form factor associated with this latter tensor displays a change of sign (zero-crossing) in the deep infrared, and finally diverges logarithmically. The origin of this characteristic behavior is proven to be entirely due to the masslessness of the ghost propagators forming the corresponding ghost-loop diagram, in close analogy to a similar effect established for the three-gluon vertex. However, in the case at hand, and under the approximations employed, this particular divergence does not affect the form factor proportional to the tree-level tensor, which remains finite in the entire range of momenta, and deviates moderately from its naive tree-level value. It turns out that the kinematic configuration chosen is ideal for carrying out lattice simulations, because it eliminates from the connected Green's function all one-particle reducible contributions, projecting out the genuine one-particle irreducible vertex. Motivated by this possibility, we discuss in detail how a hypothetical lattice measurement of this quantity would compare to the results presented here, and the potential interference from an additional tensorial structure, allowed by Bose symmetry, but not encountered within our scheme.
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Simpson, G. S. et al, & Montaner-Piza, A. (2014). Yrast 6(+) Seniority Isomers of Sn-136,Sn-138. Phys. Rev. Lett., 113(13), 132502–6pp.
Abstract: Delayed gamma-ray cascades, originating from the decay of (6(+)) isomeric states, in the very neutron-rich, semimagic isotopes Sn-136,Sn-138 have been observed following the projectile fission of a U-238 beam at RIBF, RIKEN. The wave functions of these isomeric states are proposed to be predominantly a fully aligned pair of f(7/2) neutrons. Shell-model calculations, performed using a realistic effective interaction, reproduce well the energies of the excited states of these nuclei and the measured transition rates, with the exception of the B(E2; 6(+) -> 4(+)) rate of Sn-136, which deviates from a simple seniority scheme. Empirically reducing the nu f(7/2)(2) orbit matrix elements produces a 4(1)(+) state with almost equal seniority 2 and 4 components, correctly reproducing the experimental B(E2; 6(+) -> 4(+)) rate of Sn-136. These data provide a key benchmark for shell-model interactions far from stability.
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XENON100 Collaboration(Aprile, E. et al), & Orrigo, S. E. A. (2014). Observation and applications of single-electron charge signals in the XENON100 experiment. J. Phys. G, 41(3), 035201–13pp.
Abstract: The XENON100 dark matter experiment uses liquid xenon in a time projection chamber (TPC) to measure xenon nuclear recoils resulting from the scattering of dark matter weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). In this paper, we report the observation of single-electron charge signals which are not related to WIMP interactions. These signals, which show the excellent sensitivity of the detector to small charge signals, are explained as being due to the photoionization of impurities in the liquid xenon and of the metal components inside the TPC. They are used as a unique calibration source to characterize the detector. We explain how we can infer crucial parameters for the XENON100 experiment: the secondary-scintillation gain, the extraction yield from the liquid to the gas phase and the electron drift velocity.
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Bernal, N., Forero-Romero, J. E., Garani, R., & Palomares-Ruiz, S. (2014). Systematic uncertainties from halo asphericity in dark matter searches. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 09(9), 004–30pp.
Abstract: Although commonly assumed to be spherical, dark matter halos are predicted to be non-spherical by N-body simulations and their asphericity has a potential impact on the systematic uncertainties in dark matter searches. The evaluation of these uncertainties is the main aim of this work, where we study the impact of aspherical dark matter density distributions in Milky-Way-like halos on direct and indirect searches. Using data from the large N-body cosmological simulation Bolshoi, we perform a statistical analysis and quantify the systematic uncertainties on the determination of local dark matter density and the so-called J factors for dark matter annihilations and decays from the galactic center. We find that, due to our ignorance about the extent of the non-sphericity of the Milky Way dark matter halo, systematic uncertainties can be as large as 35%, within the 95% most probable region, for a spherically averaged value for the local density of 0.3-0.4 GeV/cm(3). Similarly, systematic uncertainties on the J factors evaluated around the galactic center can be as large as 10% and 15%, within the 95% most probable region, for dark matter annihilations and decays, respectively.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fassi, F., Ferrer, A., et al. (2014). Measurement of the production cross-section of psi(2S) -> J/psi(-> mu(+)mu(-))pi(+) pi(-) in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV at ATLAS. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 079–49pp.
Abstract: The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for psi(2S) mesons are measured using 2.1 fb(-1) of pp collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of 7TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The measurement exploits the psi(2S) --> J/psi(--> mu(+)mu(-)) pi(+)pi(-) decay mode, and probes psi(2S) mesons with transverse momenta in the range 10 <= p(T) < 100 GeV and rapidity |y| < 2.0. The results are compared to other measurements of psi(2S) production at the LHC and to various theoretical models for prompt and non-prompt quarkonium production.
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Vincent, A. C., & Scott, P. (2014). Thermal conduction by dark matter with velocity and momentum-dependent cross-sections. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 04(4), 019–31pp.
Abstract: We use the formalism of Gould and Raffelt [1] to compute the dimensionless thermal conduction coefficients for scattering of dark matter particles with standard model nucleons via cross-sections that depend on the relative velocity or momentum exchanged between particles. Motivated by models invoked to reconcile various recent results in direct detection, we explicitly compute the conduction coefficients alpha and kappa for cross-sections that go as v(rel)(2), v(rel)(4), v(rel)(-2), q(2), q(4) and q(-2), where v(rel) is the relative DM-nucleus velocity and q is the momentum transferred in the collision. We find that a v(rel)(-2) depend ence can significantly enhance energy transport from the inner solar core to the outer core. The same can true for any q-dependent coupling, if the dark matter mass lies within some specific range for each coupling. This effect can complement direct searches for dark matter; combining these results with state-of-the-art solar simulations should greatly increase sensitivity to certain DM models. It also seems possible that the so-called Solar Abundance Problem could be resolved by enhanced energy transport in the solar core due to such velocity-or momentum-dependent scatterings.
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