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Pierre Auger Collaboration(Aab, A. et al), & Pastor, S. (2014). A search for point sources of EeV photons. Astrophys. J., 789(2), 160–12pp.
Abstract: Measurements of air showers made using the hybrid technique developed with the fluorescence and surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory allow a sensitive search for point sources of EeV photons anywhere in the exposed sky. A multivariate analysis reduces the background of hadronic cosmic rays. The search is sensitive to a declination band from -85 degrees to +20 degrees, in an energy range from 10(17.3) eV to 10(18.5) eV. No photon point source has been detected. An upper limit on the photon flux has been derived for every direction. The mean value of the energy flux limit that results from this, assuming a photon spectral index of -2, is 0.06 eV cm(-2) s(-1), and no celestial direction exceeds 0.25 eV cm(-2) s(-1). These upper limits constrain scenarios in which EeV cosmic ray protons are emitted by non-transient sources in the Galaxy.
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Pierre Auger Collaboration(Aab, A. et al), & Pastor, S. (2014). A targeted search for point sources of EeV neutrons. Astrophys. J. Lett., 789(2), L34–7pp.
Abstract: A flux of neutrons from an astrophysical source in the Galaxy can be detected in the Pierre Auger Observatory as an excess of cosmic-ray air showers arriving from the direction of the source. To avoid the statistical penalty for making many trials, classes of objects are tested in combinations as nine “target sets,” in addition to the search for a neutron flux from the Galactic center or from the Galactic plane. Within a target set, each candidate source is weighted in proportion to its electromagnetic flux, its exposure to the Auger Observatory, and its flux attenuation factor due to neutron decay. These searches do not find evidence for a neutron flux from any class of candidate sources. Tabulated results give the combined p-value for each class, with and without the weights, and also the flux upper limit for the most significant candidate source within each class. These limits on fluxes of neutrons significantly constrain models of EeV proton emission from non-transient discrete sources in the Galaxy.
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Barenboim, G., & Park, W. I. (2016). New- vs. chaotic- inflations. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 02(2), 061–20pp.
Abstract: We show that “spiralized” models of new-inflation can be experimentally identified mostly by their positive spectral running in direct contrast with most chaotic-inflation models which have negative runnings typically in the range of O(10(-4)-10(-3)).
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Escudero, M., Hooper, D., & Witte, S. J. (2017). Updated collider and direct detection constraints on Dark Matter models for the Galactic Center gamma-ray excess. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 02(2), 038–21pp.
Abstract: Utilizing an exhaustive set of simplified models, we revisit dark matter scenarios potentially capable of generating the observed Galactic Center gamma-ray excess, updating constraints from the LUX and PandaX- II experiments, as well as from the LHC and other colliders. We identify a variety of pseudoscalar mediated models that remain consistent with all constraints. In contrast, dark matter candidates which annihilate through a spin-1 mediator are ruled out by direct detection constraints unless the mass of the mediator is near an annihilation resonance, or the mediator has a purely vector coupling to the dark matter and a purely axial coupling to Standard Model fermions. All scenarios in which the dark matter annihilates throught-channel processes are now ruled out by a combination of the constraints from LUX/ PandaX-II and the LHC.
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Kim, J., Ko, P., & Park, W. I. (2017). Higgs-portal assisted Higgs inflation with a sizeable tensor-to-scalar ratio. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 02(2), 003–16pp.
Abstract: We show that the Higgs portal interactions involving extra dark Higgs field can save generically the original Higgs inflation of the standard model (SM) from the problem of a deep non-SM vacuum in the SM Higgs potential. Specifically, we show that such interactions disconnect the top quark pole mass from inflationary observables and allow multi-dimensional parameter space to save the Higgs inflation, thanks to the additional parameters (the dark Higgs boson mass m(phi), the mixing angle a between the SM Higgs H and dark Higgs Phi, and the mixed quartic coupling) affecting RG-running of the Higgs quartic coupling. The effect of Higgs portal interactions may lead to a larger tensor-to-scalar ratio, 0.08 less than or similar to r less than or similar to 0.1, by adjusting relevant parameters in wide ranges of alpha and m(phi), some region of which can be probed at future colliders. Performing a numerical analysis we find an allowed region of parameters, matching the latest Planck data.
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Ibanez-Rosello, B., Bautista-Ballesteros, J. A., Candela-Juan, C., Villaescusa, J. I., Ballester, F., Vijande, J., et al. (2017). Evaluation of the shielding in a treatment room with an electronic brachytherapy unit. J. Radiol. Prot., 37(2), N5–N12.
Abstract: Esteya (R) (Elekta Brachytherapy, Veenendaal, The Netherlands) is an electronic brachytherapy (eBT) system based on a 69.5 kVp x-ray source and a set of collimators of 1 to 3 cm in diameter, used for treating non-melanoma skin cancer lesions. This study aims to estimate room shielding requirements for this unit. The non-primary (scattered and leakage) ambient dose equivalent rates were measured with a Berthold LB-133 monitor (Berthold Technologies, Bad Wildbad, Germany). The latter ranges from 17 mSv h(-1) at 0.25 m distance from the x-ray source to 0.1 mSv h(-1) at 2.5 m. The necessary room shielding was then estimated following US and some European guidelines. The room shielding for all barriers considered was below 2 mmPb. The dose to a companion who, exceptionally, would stay with the patient during all treatment was estimated to be below 1 mSv if a leaded apron is used. In conclusion, Esteya shielding requirements are minimal.
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Villanueva-Domingo, P., Gnedin, N. Y., & Mena, O. (2018). Warm Dark Matter and Cosmic Reionization. Astrophys. J., 852(2), 139–7pp.
Abstract: In models with dark matter made of particles with keV masses, such as a sterile neutrino, small-scale density perturbations are suppressed, delaying the period at which the lowest mass galaxies are formed and therefore shifting the reionization processes to later epochs. In this study, focusing on Warm Dark Matter (WDM) with masses close to its present lower bound, i.e., around the 3. keV region, we derive constraints from galaxy luminosity functions, the ionization history and the Gunn-Peterson effect. We show that even if star formation efficiency in the simulations is adjusted to match the observed UV galaxy luminosity functions in both CDM and WDM models, the full distribution of Gunn-Peterson optical depth retains the strong signature of delayed reionization in the WDM model. However, until the star formation and stellar feedback model used in modern galaxy formation simulations is constrained better, any conclusions on the nature of dark matter derived from reionization observables remain model-dependent.
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ANTARES Collaboration(Bhandari, S. et al), Barrios-Marti, J., Coleiro, A., Hernandez-Rey, J. J., Illuminati, G., Tönnis, C., et al. (2018). The SUrvey for Pulsars and Extragalactic Radio Bursts – II. New FRB discoveries and their follow-up. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 475(2), 1427–1446.
Abstract: We report the discovery of four Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) in the ongoing SUrvey for Pulsars and Extragalactic Radio Bursts at the Parkes Radio Telescope: FRBs 150610, 151206, 151230 and 160102. Our real-time discoveries have enabled us to conduct extensive, rapid multimessenger follow-up at 12 major facilities sensitive to radio, optical, X-ray, gamma-ray photons and neutrinos on time-scales ranging from an hour to a few months post-burst. No counterparts to the FRBs were found and we provide upper limits on afterglow luminosities. None of the FRBs were seen to repeat. Formal fits to all FRBs show hints of scattering while their intrinsic widths are unresolved in time. FRB 151206 is at low Galactic latitude, FRB 151230 shows a sharp spectral cut-off, and FRB 160102 has the highest dispersion measure (DM = 2596.1 +/- 0.3 pc cm(-3)) detected to date. Three of the FRBs have high dispersion measures (DM > 1500 pc cm(-3)), favouring a scenario where the DMis dominated by contributions from the intergalactic medium. The slope of the Parkes FRB source counts distribution with fluences > 2 Jy ms is alpha = – 2.2(-1.2)(+0.6) and still consistent with a Euclidean distribution (alpha = -3/2). We also find that the all-sky rate is 1.7(-0.9)(+1.5) x 10(3)FRBs/(4 pi sr)/day above similar to 2 Jy ms and there is currently no strong evidence for a latitude- dependent FRB sky rate.
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Cirigliano, V., Gisbert, H., Pich, A., & Rodriguez-Sanchez, A. (2020). Isospin-violating contributions to epsilon '/epsilon. J. High Energy Phys., 02(2), 032–44pp.
Abstract: The known isospin-breaking contributions to the K -> pi pi amplitudes are reanalyzed, taking into account our current understanding of the quark masses and the relevant non-perturbative inputs. We present a complete numerical reappraisal of the direct CP-violating ratio is an element of(')/is an element of, where these corrections play a quite significant role. We obtain the Standard Model prediction Re (is an element of(')/is an element of) = (14 +/- 5) <bold> </bold>10(-4), which is in very good agreement with the measured ratio. The uncertainty, which has been estimated conservatively, is dominated by our current ignorance about 1/N-C-suppressed contributions to some relevant chiral-perturbation-theory low-energy constants.
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Muñoz, E., Barrientos, L., Bernabeu, J., Borja-Lloret, M., Llosa, G., Ros, A., et al. (2020). A spectral reconstruction algorithm for two-plane Compton cameras. Phys. Med. Biol., 65(2), 025011–17pp.
Abstract: One factor limiting the current applicability extent of hadron therapy is the lack of a reliable method for real time treatment monitoring. The use of Compton imaging systems as monitors requires the correct reconstruction of the distribution of prompt gamma productions during patient irradiation. In order to extract the maximum information from all the measurable events, we implemented a spectral reconstruction method that assigns to all events a probability of being either partial or total energy depositions. The method, implemented in a list-mode maximum likelihood expectation maximization algorithm, generates a four dimensional image in the joint spatial-spectral domain, in which the voxels containing the emission positions and energies are obtained. The analytical model used for the system response function is also employed to derive an analytical expression for the sensitivity, which is calculated via Monte Carlo integration. The performance of the method is evaluated through reconstruction of various experimental and simulated sources with different spatial and energy distributions. The results show that the proposed method can recover the spectral and spatial information simultaneously, but only under the assumption of ideal measurements. The analysis of the Monte Carlo simulations has led to the identification of two important degradation sources: the mispositioning of the gamma interaction point and the missing energy recorded in the interaction. Both factors are related to the high energy transferred to the recoil electrons, which can travel far from the interaction point and even escape the detector. These effects prevent the direct application of the current method in more realistic scenarios. Nevertheless, experimental point-like sources have been accurately reconstructed and the spatial distributions and spectral emission of complex simulated phantoms can be identified.
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