Belanger, G., Bharucha, A., Fuks, B., Goudelis, A., Heisig, J., Jueid, A., et al. (2022). Leptoquark manoeuvres in the dark: a simultaneous solution of the dark matter problem and the R-D(*) anomalies. J. High Energy Phys., 02(2), 042–58pp.
Abstract: The measured branching fractions of B-mesons into leptonic final states derived by the LHCb, Belle and BaBar collaborations hint towards the breakdown of lepton flavour universality. In this work we take at face value the so-called R-D(()*()) observables that are defined as the ratios of neutral B-meson charged-current decays into a D-(*())-meson, a charged lepton and a neutrino final state in the tau and light lepton channels. A well-studied and simple solution to this charged current anomaly is to introduce a scalar leptoquark S-1 that couples to the second and third generation of fermions. We investigate how S-1 can also serve as a mediator between the Standard Model and a dark sector. We study this scenario in detail and estimate the constraints arising from collider searches for leptoquarks, collider searches for missing energy signals, direct detection experiments and the dark matter relic abundance. We stress that the production of a pair of leptoquarks that decays into different final states (i.e. the commonly called “mixed” channels) provides critical information for identifying the underlying dynamics, and we exemplify this by studying the t tau b nu and the resonant S-1 plus missing energy channels. We find that direct detection data provides non-negligible constraints on the leptoquark coupling to the dark sector, which in turn affects the relic abundance. We also show that the correct relic abundance can not only arise via standard freeze-out, but also through conversion-driven freeze-out. We illustrate the rich phenomenology of the model with a few selected benchmark points, providing a broad stroke of the interesting connection between lepton flavour universality violation and dark matter.
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Sierra, D. A., De Romeri, V., Flores, L. J., & Papoulias, D. K. (2022). Impact of COHERENT measurements, cross section uncertainties and new interactions on the neutrino floor. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 01(1), 055–26pp.
Abstract: We reconsider the discovery limit of multi-ton direct detection dark matter experiments in the light of recent measurements of the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering process. Assuming the cross section to be a parameter entirely determined by data, rather than using its Standard Model prediction, we use the COHERENT CsI and LAr data sets to determine WIMP discovery limits. Being based on a data-driven approach, the results are thus free from theoretical assumptions and fall within the WIMP mass regions where XENONnT and DARWIN have best expected sensitivities. We further determine the impact of subleading nuclear form factor and weak mixing angle uncertainties effects on WIMP discovery limits. We point out that these effects, albeit small, should be taken into account. Moreover, to quantify the impact of new physics effects in the neutrino background, we revisit WIMP discovery limits assuming light vector and scalar mediators as well as neutrino magnetic moments/transitions. We stress that the presence of new interactions in the neutrino sector, in general, tend to worsen the WIMP discovery limit.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., & Ruiz Vidal, J. (2022). Measurement of the B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) decay properties and search for the B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) and B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) gamma decays. Phys. Rev. D, 105(1), 012010–34pp.
Abstract: An improved measurement of the decay B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) and searches for the decays B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) and B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma are performed at the LHCb experiment using data collected in proton-proton collisions at root s = 7, 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 1, 2 and 6 fb(-1), respectively. The B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) branching fraction and effective lifetime are measured to be B(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)) = (3.09(-0.43-0.11)(+0.46+0.15)) x 10(-9) and tau(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)) = (2.07 +/- 0.29 +/- 0.03) ps, respectively, where the uncertain-ties include both statistical and systematic contributions. No significant signal for B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) and B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) gamma decays is found and the upper limits B(B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-)) < 2.6 x 10(-10) and B(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma) 2.0 x 10(-9) at 95% confidence level are determined, where the latter is limited to the range m(mu mu) > 4.9 GeV/c(2). Additionally, the ratio between the B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) and B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) branching fractions is measured to be R mu+mu- < 0.095 at 95% confidence level. The results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions.
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Wasilewska, B. et al, & Gaudilla, V. (2022). gamma decay to the ground state from the excitations above the neutron threshold in the Pb-208(p, p ' gamma) reaction at 85 MeV. Phys. Rev. C, 105(1), 014310–7pp.
Abstract: A new measurement of gamma decay from the states above the neutron threshold in Pb-208 has been performed at Cyclotron Centre Bronowice in Krakow, Poland. The main goal of the experiment was to observe the gamma decay to the ground state from the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance (ISGQR). To this day, the only published observation of this phenomenon dates back to the late 1980s, where gamma decay to the ground state branching ratio was reported. At variance with the existing measurement using inelastic scattering of O-17, here proton inelastic scattering is employed. In particular, data were obtained for Pb-208(p, p'gamma) at 85 MeV beam energy, where gamma rays were measured for proton scattering angles 8.9 degrees, 10.7 degrees, 12.5 degrees, and 14.3 degrees. By applying a similar analysis method as in the previous experiment, the branching ratio of ISGQR gamma decay to the ground state was extracted from the data.
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R3B Collaboration(Boillos, J. M. et al), & Nacher, E. (2022). Isotopic cross sections of fragmentation residues produced by light projectiles on carbon near 400A MeV. Phys. Rev. C, 105(1), 014611–13pp.
Abstract: We measured 135 cross sections of residual nuclei produced in fragmentation reactions of C-12, N-14, and O-13-16,O-20,O-22 projectiles impinging on a carbon target at kinetic energies of near 400A MeV, most of them for the first time, with the R B-3/LAND setup at the GSI facility in Darmstadt (Germany). The use of this state-of-the-art experimental setup in combination with the inverse kinematics technique gave the full identification in atomic and mass numbers of fragmentation residues with a high precision. The cross sections of these residues were determined with uncertainties below 20% for most of the cases. These data are compared to other previous measurements with stable isotopes and are also used to benchmark different model calculations.
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