Pich, A., & Rodriguez-Sanchez, A. (2022). Violations of quark-hadron duality in low-energy determinations of alpha(s). J. High Energy Phys., 07(7), 145–42pp.
Abstract: Using the spectral functions measured in tau decays, we investigate the actual numerical impact of duality violations on the extraction of the strong coupling. These effects are tiny in the standard alpha(s)(m(tau)(2)) determinations from integrated distributions of the hadronic spectrum with pinched weights, or from the total tau hadronic width. The pinched-weight factors suppress very efficiently the violations of duality, making their numerical effects negligible in comparison with the larger perturbative uncertainties. However, combined fits of alpha(s) and duality-violation parameters, performed with non-protected weights, are subject to large systematic errors associated with the assumed modelling of duality-violation effects. These uncertainties have not been taken into account in the published analyses, based on specific models of quark-hadron duality.
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Gersabeck, E., & Pich, A. (2020). Tau and charm decays. C. R. Phys., 21(1), 75–92.
Abstract: A summary of recent precise results in tau and charm physics is presented. Topics include leptonic and hadronic tau decays, lepton flavour and lepton number violation, charm mixing and CP violation, leptonic and semileptonic charm decays, rare decays and spectroscopy.
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Abbas, G., Celis, A., Li, X. Q., Lu, J., & Pich, A. (2015). Flavour-changing top decays in the aligned two-Higgs-doublet model. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 005–26pp.
Abstract: We perform a complete one-loop computation of the two-body flavour-changing top decays t --> ch and t --> cV (V = gamma, Z), within the aligned two-Higgs-doublet model. We evaluate the impact of the model parameters on the associated branching ratios, taking into account constraints from flavour data and measurements of the Higgs properties. Assuming that the 125 GeV Higgs corresponds to the lightest CP-even scalar of the CP-conserving aligned two-Higgs-doublet model, we find that the rates for such flavour-changing top decays lie below the expected sensitivity of the future high-luminosity phase of the LHC. Measurements of the Higgs signal strength in the di-photon channel are found to play an important role in limiting the size of the t --> ch decay rate when the charged scalar of the model is light.
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Pich, A., & Rodriguez-Sanchez, A. (2016). Updated determination of alpha(s)(m(tau)(2)) from tau decays. Mod. Phys. Lett. A, 31(30), 1630032–15pp.
Abstract: Using the most recent release of the ALEPH tau decay data, we present a very detailed phenomenological update of the alpha(s)(m(tau)(2)) determination. We have exploited the sensitivity to the strong coupling in many different ways, exploring several complementary methodologies. All determinations turn out to be in excellent agreement, allowing us to extract a very reliable value of the strong coupling. We find alpha((nf =3))(s)(m(tau)(2)) = 0.328 +/- 0.012 which implies alpha((nf=5))(s)(M-Z(2)) = 0.1197 +/- 0.0014. We critically revise previous work, and point out the problems flawing some recent analyses which claim slightly smaller values.
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Pich, A. (2021). Precision physics with inclusive QCD processes. Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys., 117, 103846–41pp.
Abstract: The inclusive production of hadrons through electroweak currents can be rigorously analysed with short-distance theoretical tools. The associated observables are insensitive to the involved infrared behaviour of the strong interaction, allowing for very precise tests of Quantum Chromodynamics. The theoretical predictions for sigma(e(+)e(-) -> hadrons) and the hadronic decay widths of the tau lepton and the Z, W and Higgs bosons have reached an impressive accuracy of O(alpha(4)(s)). Precise experimental measurements of the Z and tau hadronic widths have made possible the accurate determination of the strong coupling at two very different energy scales, providing a highly significant experimental verification of asymptotic freedom. A detailed discussion of the theoretical description of these processes and their current phenomenological status is presented. The most precise determinations of alpha(s) from other sources are also briefly reviewed and compared with the fully-inclusive results.
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Mandal, R., Murgui, C., Peñuelas, A., & Pich, A. (2020). The role of right-handed neutrinos in b -> c tau nubar anomalies. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 022–46pp.
Abstract: Motivated by the persistent anomalies reported in the b -> c tau v<overbar></mml:mover> data, we perform a general model-independent analysis of these transitions, in the presence of light right-handed neutrinos. We adopt an effective field theory approach and write a low-energy effective Hamiltonian, including all possible dimension-six operators. The corresponding Wilson coefficients are determined through a numerical fit to all available experimental data. In order to work with a manageable set of free parameters, we define eleven well- motivated scenarios, characterized by the different types of new physics that could mediate these transitions, and analyse which options seem to be preferred by the current measurements. The data exhibit a clear preference for new-physics contributions, and good fits to the data are obtained in several cases. However, the current measurement of the longitudinal D<SUP></SUP> polarization in B -> D tau v<overbar></mml:mover> cannot be easily accommodated within its experimental 1 sigma range. A general analysis of the three-body B -> D tau v<overbar></mml:mover> and four-body B -> D<mml:mo><mml:mfenced close=“)” open=“(”><mml:mo>-> D pi</mml:mfenced>tau <mml:mover accent=“true”>v<mml:mo stretchy=“true”><overbar></mml:mover> angular distributions is also presented. The accessible angular observables are studied in order to assess their sensitivity to the different new physics scenarios. Experimental information on these distributions would help to disentangle the dynamical origin of the current anomalies.
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Eberhardt, O., Peñuelas, A., & Pich, A. (2021). Global fits in the Aligned Two-Higgs-Doublet model. J. High Energy Phys., 05(5), 005–37pp.
Abstract: We present the results of a global fit to the Aligned Two-Higgs Doublet Model, assuming that there are no new sources of CP violation beyond the quark mixing matrix. We use the most constraining flavour observables, electroweak precision measurements and the available data on Higgs signal strengths and collider searches for heavy scalars, together with the theoretical requirements of perturbativity and positivity of the scalar potential. The combination of all these constraints restricts the values of the scalar masses, the couplings of the scalar potential and the flavour-alignment parameters. The numerical fits have been performed using the open-source HEPfit package.
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Ferrando Solera, S., Pich, A., & Vale Silva, L. (2024). Direct bounds on Left-Right gauge boson masses at LHC Run 2. J. High Energy Phys., 02(2), 027–39pp.
Abstract: While the third run of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is ongoing, the underlying theory that extends the Standard Model remains so far unknown. Left-Right Models (LRMs) introduce a new gauge sector, and can restore parity symmetry at high enough energies. If LRMs are indeed realized in nature, the mediators of the new weak force can be searched for in colliders via their direct production. We recast existing experimental limits from the LHC Run 2 and derive generic bounds on the masses of the heavy LRM gauge bosons. As a novelty, we discuss the dependence of the WR and ZR total width on the LRM scalar content, obtaining model-independent bounds within the specific realizations of the LRM scalar sectors analysed here. These bounds avoid the need to detail the spectrum of the scalar sector, and apply in the general case where no discrete symmetry is enforced. Moreover, we emphasize the impact on the WR production at LHC of general textures of the right-handed quark mixing matrix without manifest left-right symmetry. We find that the WR and ZR masses are constrained to lie above 2 TeV and 4 TeV, respectively.
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Gisbert, H., & Pich, A. (2018). Direct CP violation in K-0 -> pi pi : Standard Model Status. Rep. Prog. Phys., 81(7), 076201–22pp.
Abstract: In 1988 the NA31 experiment presented the first evidence of direct CP violation in the K-0 -> pi pi decay amplitudes. A clear signal with a 7.2 sigma statistical significance was later established with the full data samples from the NA31, E731, NA48 and KTeV experiments, confirming that CP violation is associated with a Delta S = 1 quark transition, as predicted by the Standard Model. However, the theoretical prediction for the measured ratio epsilon'/epsilon has been a subject of strong controversy along the years. Although the underlying physics was already clarified in 2001, the recent release of improved lattice data has revived again the theoretical debate. We review the current status, discussing in detail the different ingredients that enter into the calculation of this observable and the reasons why seemingly contradictory predictions were obtained in the past by several groups. An update of the Standard Model prediction is presented and the prospects for future improvements are analysed. Taking into account all known short-distance and long-distance contributions, one obtains Re (epsilon' / epsilon) = (15 +/- 7) . 10(-4), in good agreement with the experimental measurement.
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Li, X. Q., Lu, J., & Pich, A. (2014). Bs,d(0) -> l(+)l(-) decays in the aligned two-Higgs-doublet model. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 022–39pp.
Abstract: The rare decays B-s,d(0) -> l(+)l(-) are analyzed within the general framework of the aligned two-Higgs doublet model. We present a complete one-loop calculation of the relevant short-distance Wilson coefficients, giving a detailed technical summary of our results and comparing them with previous calculations performed in particular limits or approximations. We investigate the impact of various model parameters on the branching ratios and study the phenomenological constraints imposed by present data.
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