Abstract: We propose a new strategy for the determination of the step scaling function sigma (u) in finite size scaling studies using the gradient flow. In this approach the determination of sigma (u) is broken in two pieces: a change of the flow time at fixed physical size, and a change of the size of the system at fixed flow time. Using both perturbative arguments and a set of simulations in the pure gauge theory we show that this approach leads to a better control over the continuum extrapolations. Following this new proposal we determine the running coupling at high energies in the pure gauge theory and re-examine the determination of the Lambda -parameter, with special care on the perturbative truncation uncertainties.

Abstract: A considerable experimental effort is currently under way to test the persistent hints for oscillations due to an eV-scale sterile neutrino in the data of various reactor neutrino experiments. The assessment of the statistical significance of these hints is usually based on Wilks' theorem, whereby the assumption is made that the log-likelihood is chi 2-distributed. However, it is well known that the preconditions for the validity of Wilks' theorem are not fulfilled for neutrino oscillation experiments. In this work we derive a simple asymptotic form of the actual distribution of the log-likelihood based on reinterpreting the problem as fitting white Gaussian noise. From this formalism we show that, even in the absence of a sterile neutrino, the expectation value for the maximum likelihood estimate of the mixing angle remains non-zero with attendant large values of the log-likelihood. Our analytical results are then confirmed by numerical simulations of a toy reactor experiment. Finally, we apply this framework to the data of the Neutrino-4 experiment and show that the null hypothesis of no-oscillation is rejected at the 2.6 sigma level, compared to 3.2 sigma obtained under the assumption that Wilks' theorem applies.

Abstract: We study the predictions for CP phases and absolute neutrino mass scale for broad classes of models with a U(2)-like flavor symmetry. For this purpose we consider the same special textures in neutrino and charged lepton mass matrices that are successful in the quark sector. While in the neutrino sector the U(2) structure enforces two texture zeros, the contribution of the charged lepton sector to the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) matrix can be parametrized by two rotation angles. Restricting to the cases where at least one of these angles is small, we obtain three representative scenarios. In all scenarios we obtain a narrow prediction for the sum of neutrino masses in the range of 60-75 meV, possibly in the reach of upcoming galaxy survey experiments. All scenarios can be excluded if near-future experimental date provide evidence for either neutrinoless double-beta decay or inverted neutrino mass ordering.

Abstract: The integrated fiducial cross-section and unfolded differential jet mass spectrum of high transverse momentum Z -> b (b) over bar decays are measured in Z gamma events in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV. The data analysed were collected between 2015 and 2016 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb(-1). Photons are required to have a transverse momentum p(T) > 175 GeV. The Z -> b (b) over bar decay is reconstructed using a jet with p(T) > 200 GeV, found with the anti-k(t) R = 1.0 jet algorithm, and groomed to remove soft and wide-angle radiation and to mitigate contributions from the underlying event and additional proton-proton collisions. Two different but related measurements are performed using two jet grooming definitions for reconstructing the Z -> b (b) over bar decay: trimming and soft drop. These algorithms differ in their experimental and phenomenological implications regarding jet mass reconstruction and theoretical precision. To identify Zbosons, b-tagged R = 0.2 track-jets matched to the groomed large-R calorimeter jet are used as a proxy for the b-quarks. The signal yield is determined from fits of the data-driven background templates to the different jet mass distributions for the two grooming methods. Integrated fiducial cross-sections and unfolded jet mass spectra for each grooming method are compared with leading-order theoretical predictions. The results are found to be in good agreement with Standard Model expectations within the current statistical and systematic uncertainties.

Abstract: We analyze the decays of the theoretically predicted lowest bottomonium hybrid H(1P) to open bottom two-meson states. We do it by embedding a quark pair creation model into the Born-Oppenheimer framework which allows for a unified, QCD-motivated description of bottomonium hybrids as well as bottomonium. A new 1P1 decay model for H(1P) comes out. The same analysis applied to bottomonium leads naturally to the well-known 3 P0 decay model. We show that H(1P) and the theoretically predicted bottomonium state Upsilon (5S), whose calculated masses are close to each other, have very different widths for such decays. A comparison with data from Upsilon (10860), an experimental resonance whose mass is similar to that of Upsilon (5S) and H(1P), is carried out. Neither a Upsilon (5S) nor a H(1P) assignment can explain the measured decay widths. However, a Upsilon (5S)-H(1P) mixing may give account of them supporting previous analyses of dipion decays of Upsilon (10860) and suggesting a possible experimental evidence of H(1P).