ANTARES Collaboration(Albert, A. et al), Barrios-Marti, J., Coleiro, A., Colomer, M., Hernandez-Rey, J. J., Illuminati, G., et al. (2018). Long-term monitoring of the ANTARES optical module efficiencies using K-40 decays in sea water. Eur. Phys. J. C, 78(8), 669–8pp.
Abstract: Cherenkov light induced by radioactive decay products is one of the major sources of background light for deep-sea neutrino telescopes such as ANTARES. These decays are at the same time a powerful calibration source. Using data collected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope from mid 2008 to 2017, the time evolution of the photon detection efficiency of optical modules is studied. A modest loss of only 20% in 9 years is observed. The relative time calibration between adjacent modules is derived as well.
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Escudero, M., Witte, S. J., & Rius, N. (2018). The dispirited case of gauged U(1)(B-L) dark matter. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 190–30pp.
Abstract: We explore the constraints and phenomenology of possibly the simplest scenario that could account at the same time for the active neutrino masses and the dark matter in the Universe within a gauged U(1)(B-L) symmetry, namely right-handed neutrino dark matter. We find that null searches from lepton and hadron colliders require dark matter with a mass below 900 GeV to annihilate through a resonance. Additionally, the very strong constraints from high-energy dilepton searches fully exclude the model for 150 GeV < m(z') < 3 TeV. We further explore the phenomenology in the high mass region (i.e. masses greater than or similar to O(1) TeV) and highlight theoretical arguments, related to the appearance of a Landau pole or an instability of the scalar potential, disfavoring large portions of this parameter space. Collectively, these considerations illustrate that a minimal extension of the Standard Model via a local U(1)(B-L) symmetry with a viable thermal dark matter candidate is difficult to achieve without fine-tuning. We conclude by discussing possible extensions of the model that relieve tension with collider constraints by reducing the gauge coupling required to produce the correct relic abundance.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). Observation of the decay Lambda(0)(b) -> psi(2S)p pi(-). J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 131–18pp.
Abstract: The Cabibbo-suppressed decay Lambda(0)(b) -> psi(2S)p pi(-) is observed for the fi rst time using a data sample collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions corresponding to 1.0, 2.0 and 1.9 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13TeV, respectively. The psi(2S) mesons are reconstructed in the mu(+)mu(-) fi nal state. The branching fraction with respect to that of the Lambda(0)(b) -> psi(2S)pK(-) decay mode is measured to be B (Lambda(0)(b) -> psi(2S)p pi(-))/B (Lambda(0)(b) -> psi(2S)pK(-)) = (11.44 +/- 1.3 +/- 0.2)%, where the fi rst uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The psi(2S) p and psi(2S)pi(-) mass spectra are investigated and no evidence for exotic resonances is found.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Bailey, A. J., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., et al. (2018). Search for Low-Mass Dijet Resonances Using Trigger-Level Jets with the ATLAS Detector in pp Collisions at root s=13 TeV. Phys. Rev. Lett., 121(8), 081801–20pp.
Abstract: Searches for dijet resonances with sub-TeV masses using the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider can be statistically limited by the bandwidth available to inclusive single-jet triggers, whose data-collection rates at low transverse momentum are much lower than the rate from standard model multijet production. This Letter describes a new search for dijet resonances where this limitation is overcome by recording only the event information calculated by the jet trigger algorithms, thereby allowing much higher event rates with reduced storage needs. The search targets low-mass dijet resonances in the range 450-1800 GeV. The analyzed data set has an integrated luminosity of up to 29.3 fb(-1) and was recorded at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No excesses are found; limits are set on Gaussian-shaped contributions to the dijet mass distribution from new particles and on a model of dark-matter particles with axial-vector couplings to quarks.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). Observation of the decay (B)over-bar(s)(0) -> chi(c2) K+K- in the phi mass region. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 191–20pp.
Abstract: The (B) over bar (0)(s) -> chi(c2) K+ K- decay mode is observed and its branching fraction relative to the corresponding chi(c1) decay mode, in a +/- 15MeV/c(2) window around the phi mass, is found to be B ((B) over bar (0)(s) -> chi(c2) K+ K-)/B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> chi(c1) K+ K-) = (17.1 +/- 3.1 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.9)% where the fi rst uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third due to the knowledge of the branching fractions of radiative chi(c) decays. The decay mode (B) over bar (0)(s) -> chi(c1) K+ K- allows the B-s(0) mass to be measured as m(B-s(0)) = 5366.83 +/- 0.25 +/- 0.27MeV/c(2), where the fi rst uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. A combination of this result with other LHCb determinations of the B-s(0) mass is made.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). Measurement of the CKM angle gamma using B-+/- -> DK +/- with D -> K-S(0)pi(+)pi(-), (KSK+K-)-K-0 decays. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 176–36pp.
Abstract: A binned Dalitz plot analysis of B-+/- -> DK +/- decays, with D -> K-S(0)pi(+)pi(-) and D -> (KSK+K-)-K-0, is used to perform a measurement of the CP-violating observables x(+/-) and y(+/-), which are sensitive to the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa angle gamma. The analysis is performed without assuming any D decay model, through the use of information on the strong-phase variation over the Dalitz plot from the CLEO collaboration. Using a sample of proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb experiment in 2015 and 2016, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0 fb(-1), the values of the CP violation parameters are found to be x = (9.0 +/- 1.7 +/- 0.7 +/- 0.4) x 10(-2), y = (2.1 +/- 2.2 +/- 0.5 +/- 1.1) x 10(-2), x(+) = (-7.7 +/- 1.9 +/- 0.7 +/- 0.4) x 10(-2), and y(+) = (-1.0 +/- 1.9 +/- 0.4 +/- 0.9) x10(-2). The first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the uncertainty on the strong-phase measurements. These values are used to obtain gamma = (87(+)(12)(+11))degrees, r(B) = 0.086(-)(0.1)(43)(+0.013), and delta(B) = (101 +/- 11), where r(B) is the ratio between the suppressed and favoured B-decay amplitudes and delta(B) is the corresponding strong-interaction phase difference. This measurement is combined with the result obtained using 2011 and 2012 data collected with the LHCb experiment, to give gamma = (80(-9)(+10))degrees, r(B) = 0.080 +/- 0.011, and delta(B) = (110 +/- 10)degrees.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2018). Measurement of forward top pair production in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 174–19pp.
Abstract: Forward top quark pair production is studied in pp collisions in the μeb final state using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.93 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The cross-section is measured in a fiducial region where both leptons have a transverse momentum greater than 20 GeV and a pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. The quadrature sum of the azimuthal separation and the difference in pseudorapidities, denoted AR, between the two leptons must be larger than 0.1. The b-jet axis is required to be separated from both leptons by a Delta R of 0.5, and to have a transverse momentum in excess of 20 GeV and a pseudorapidity between 2.2 and 4.2. The cross-section is measured to be sigma(t (t) over bar )= 126 +/- 19 (stat) +/- 16 (sts) +/- 5 (lumi) fb where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the luminosity determination. The measurement is compatible with the Standard Model prediction.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Bailey, A. J., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo, F. L., et al. (2018). Measurements of b-jet tagging efficiency with the ATLAS detector using t(t)over-bar events at root s=13 TeV. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 089–47pp.
Abstract: The efficiency to identify jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) is measured using a high purity sample of dileptonic top quark-antiquark pairs (t (t) over bar) selected from the 36.1 fb(-1) of data collected by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016 from proton-proton collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy root s = 13 TeV. Two methods are used to extract the efficiency from t (t) over bar events, a combinatorial likelihood approach and a tag-and-probe method. A boosted decision tree, not using b-tagging information, is used to select events in which two b-jets are present, which reduces the dominant uncertainty in the modelling of the flavour of the jets. The efficiency is extracted for jets in a transverse momentum range from 20 to 300 GeV, with data-to-simulation scale factors calculated by comparing the efficiency measured using collision data to that predicted by the simulation. The two methods give compatible results, and achieve a similar level of precision, measuring data-to-simulation scale factors close to unity with uncertainties ranging from 2% to 12% depending on the jet transverse momentum.
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Vagnozzi, S., Dhawan, S., Gerbino, M., Freese, K., Goobar, A., & Mena, O. (2018). Constraints on the sum of the neutrino masses in dynamical dark energy models with w(z) >=-1 are tighter than those obtained in Lambda CDM. Phys. Rev. D, 98(8), 083501–20pp.
Abstract: We explore cosmological constraints on the sum of the three active neutrino masses M-v in the context of dynamical dark energy (DDE) models with equation of state (EoS) parametrized as a function of redshift z by w(z) = w(0) + w(a)z/ (1 + z), and satisfying w(z) >= -1 for all z. We make use of cosmic microwave background data from the Planck satellite, baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, and supernovae la luminosity distance measurements, and perform a Bayesian analysis. We show that, within these models, the bounds on M-v do not degrade with respect to those obtained in the Lambda CDM case; in fact, the bounds arc slightly tighter, despite the enlarged parameter space. We explain our results based on the observation that, for fixed choices of w(0), w(a) such that w(z) >= -1 (but not w = -1 for all z), the upper limit on M-v is tighter than the Lambda CDM limit because of the well-known degeneracy between w and M-v. The Bayesian analysis we have carried out then integrates over the possible values of w(0)-w(a) such that w(z) >= -1, all of which correspond to tighter limits on M-v than the Lambda CDM limit. We find a 95% credible interval (C.I.) upper bound of M-v < 0.13 eV. This bound can be compared with the 95% C.I. upper bounds of M-v < 0.16 eV, obtained within the Lambda CDM model, and M-v < 0.41 eV, obtained in a DDE model with arbitrary EoS (which allows values of w < -1). Contrary to the results derived for DDE models with arbitrary EoS, we find that a dark energy component with w(z) >= -1 is unable to alleviate the tension between high-redshift observables and direct measurements of the Hubble constant H o . Finally, in light of the results of this analysis, we also discuss the implications for DDE models of a possible determination of the neutrino mass ordering by laboratory searches.
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Barenboim, G., Kinney, W. H., & Morse, M. J. P. (2018). Phantom Dirac-Born-Infeld dark energy. Phys. Rev. D, 98(8), 083531–11pp.
Abstract: Motivated by the apparent discrepancy between cosmic microwave background measurements of the Hubble constant and measurements from Type-la supernovae, we construct a model for dark energy with equation of state w = p/rho < -1, violating the null energy condition. Naive canonical models of so-called “phantom” dark energy require a negative scalar kinetic term, resulting in a Hamiltonian unbounded from below and associated vacuum instability. We construct a scalar field model for dark energy with w < -1, which nonetheless has a Hamiltonian bounded from below in the comoving reference frame, i.e., in the rest frame of the fluid. We demonstrate that the solution is a cosmological attractor, and find that early-time cosmological boundary conditions consist of a “frozen” scalar field, which relaxes to the attractor solution once the dark energy component dominates the cosmological energy density. We consider the model in an arbitrary choice of gauge, and find that, unlike the case of comoving gauge, the fluid Hamiltonian is in fact unbounded from below in the reference frame of a highly boosted observer, corresponding to a nonlinear gradient instability. We discuss this in the context of general NEC-violating perfect fluids, for which this instability is a general property.
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