Beltran Jimenez, J., & Delhom, A. (2019). Ghosts in metric-affine higher order curvature gravity. Eur. Phys. J. C, 79(8), 656–7pp.
Abstract: We disprove the widespread belief that higher order curvature theories of gravity in the metric-affine formalism are generally ghost-free. This is clarified by considering a sub-class of theories constructed only with the Ricci tensor and showing that the non-projectively invariant sector propagates ghost-like degrees of freedom. We also explain how these pathologies can be avoided either by imposing a projective symmetry or additional constraints in the gravity sector. Our results put forward that higher order curvature gravity theories generally remain pathological in the metric-affine (and hybrid) formalisms and highlight the key importance of the projective symmetry and/or additional constraints for their physical viability and, by extension, of general metric-affine theories.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., et al. (2019). Search for the rare decay B+ -> mu(+) mu(-) mu(+)nu(mu). Eur. Phys. J. C, 79(8), 675–12pp.
Abstract: A search for the rare leptonic decay B +. μ+ μ- μ+.mu is performed using proton- proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb – 1 collected by the LHCb experiment. The search is carried out in the region where the lowest of the two μ+ μ- mass combinations is below 980 MeV/ c2. The data are consistent with the background- only hypothesis and an upper limit of 1.6x10 – 8 at 95% confidence level is set on the branching fraction in the stated kinematic region.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., et al. (2019). Electron reconstruction and identification in the ATLAS experiment using the 2015 and 2016 LHC proton-proton collision data at s=13 TeV. Eur. Phys. J. C, 79(8), 639–40pp.
Abstract: Algorithms used for the reconstruction and identification of electrons in the central region of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are presented in this paper; these algorithms are used in ATLAS physics analyses that involve electrons in the final state and which are based on the 2015 and 2016 proton-proton collision data produced by the LHC at root s = 13 The performance of the electron reconstruction, identification, isolation, and charge identification algorithms is evaluated in data and in simulated samples using electrons from Z -> ee and J/psi -> eedecays. Typical examples of combinations of electron reconstruction, identification, and isolation operating points used in ATLAS physics analyses are shown.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., et al. (2019). Measurement of distributions sensitive to the underlying event in inclusive Z boson production in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Eur. Phys. J. C, 79(8), 666–31pp.
Abstract: This paper presents measurements of charged-particle distributions sensitive to the properties of the underlying event in events containing a Z boson decaying into a muon pair. The data were obtained using the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb(-1). Distributions of the charged-particle multiplicity and of the charged-particle transverse momentum are measured in regions of the azimuth defined relative to the Z boson direction. The measured distributions are compared with the predictions of various Monte Carlo generators which implement different underyling event models. The Monte Carlo model predictions qualitatively describe the data well, but with some significant discrepancies.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., et al. (2019). Search for electroweak diboson production in association with a high-mass dijet system in semileptonic final states in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Phys. Rev. D, 100(3), 032007–36pp.
Abstract: This paper reports on a search for electroweak diboson (WW/WZ/ZZ) production in association with a high-mass dijet system, using data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of N root s = 13 TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.5 fb(-1), were recorded with the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016 at the Large Hadron Collider. The search is performed in final states in which one boson decays leptonically, and the other boson decays hadronically. The hadronically decaying W/Z boson is reconstructed as either two small-radius jets or one large-radius jet using jet substructure techniques. The electroweak production of WW/WZ/ZZ in association with two jets is measured with an observed (expected) significance of 2.7 (2.5) standard deviations, and the fiducial cross section is measured to be 45.1 +/- 8.6(stat.)(-14.6)(+15.9)(syst.) fb.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., et al. (2019). Measurement of CP-Violating and Mixing-Induced Observables in B-s(0) -> phi gamma Decays. Phys. Rev. Lett., 123(8), 081802–10pp.
Abstract: A time-dependent analysis of the B-s(0) -> phi gamma decay rate is performed to determine the CP -violating observables S-phi gamma and C-phi gamma and the mixing-induced observable A(phi gamma)(Delta). The measurement is based on a sample of pp collision data recorded with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The measured values are S-phi gamma = 0.43 +/- 0.30 +/- 0.11, C-phi gamma = 0.11 +/- 0.29 +/- 0.11, and A(phi gamma)(Delta) = -0.67(-0.41)(+0.37) +/- 0.17, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. This is the first measurement of the observables S and C in radiative B-s(0) decays. The results are consistent with the standard model predictions.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., et al. (2019). Updated measurement of time-dependent CP-violating observables in B-s(0) -> J/psi K+K- decays. Eur. Phys. J. C, 79(8), 706–26pp.
Abstract: The decay-time-dependent CP asymmetry in B0 s. J/. K + K-decays is measured using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.9 fb-1, collected with the LHCb detector at a centre-ofmass energy of 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. Using a sample of approximately 117 000 signal decays with an invariant K + K-mass in the vicinity of the f( 1020) resonance, the CP-violating phase fs is measured, along with the difference in decay widths of the light and heavy mass eigenstates of the B0 s-B0s system, s. The difference of the average B0 s and B0 meson decay widths, s-d, is determined using in addition a sample of B0. J/. K + p-decays. The values obtained are fs =-0.083 +/- 0.041 +/- 0.006 rad, s = 0.077 +/- 0.008 +/- 0.003 ps-1 and s-d = -0.0041 +/- 0.0024 +/- 0.0015 ps-1, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. These are the most precise single measurements of these quantities to date and are consistent with expectations based on the Standard Model and with a previous LHCb analysis of this decay using data recorded at centre-of-mass energies 7 and 8 TeV. Finally, the results are combined with recent results from B0 s. J/. p + p-decays obtained using the same dataset as this analysis, and with previous independent LHCb results.
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Mena, O., Palomares-Ruiz, S., Villanueva-Domingo, P., & Witte, S. J. (2019). Constraining the primordial black hole abundance with 21-cm cosmology. Phys. Rev. D, 100(4), 043540–23pp.
Abstract: The discoveries of a number of binary black hole mergers by LIGO and VIRGO have reinvigorated the interest that primordial black holes (PBHs) of tens of solar masses could contribute non-negligibly to the dark matter energy density. Should even a small population of PBHs with masses greater than or similar to O(M-circle dot) exist, they could profoundly impact the properties of the intergalactic medium and provide insight into novel processes at work in the early Universe. We demonstrate here that observations of the 21-cm transition in neutral hydrogen during the epochs of reionization and cosmic dawn will likely provide one of the most stringent tests of solar mass PBHs. In the context of 21-cm cosmology, PBHs give rise to three distinct observable effects: (i) the modification to the primordial power spectrum (and thus also the halo mass function) induced by Poisson noise, (ii) a uniform heating and ionization of the intergalactic medium via x-rays produced during accretion, and (iii) a local modification to the temperature and density of the ambient medium surrounding isolated PBHs. Using a four-parameter astrophysical model, we show that experiments like SKA and HERA could potentially improve upon existing constraints derived using observations of the cosmic microwave background by more than 1 order of magnitude.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2019). Extraction of form Factors from a Four-Dimensional Angular Analysis of (B)over-bar -> D*l(-)(nu)over-bar(l). Phys. Rev. Lett., 123(9), 091801–8pp.
Abstract: An angular analysis of the decay (B) over bar -> D*l(-)(nu) over bar (l), l is an element of {e, mu}, is reported using the full e(+) e(-) collision data set collected by the BABAR experiment at the Upsilon(4S) resonance. One B meson from the Upsilon(4S) -> B (B) over bar decay is fully reconstructed in a hadronic decay mode, which constrains the kinematics and provides a determination of the neutrino momentum vector. The kinematics of the semileptonic decay is described by the dilepton mass squared, q(2), and three angles. The first unbinned fit to the full four-dimensional decay rate in the standard model is performed in the so-called Boyd-Grinstein-Lebed approach, which employs a generic q(2) parametrization of the underlying form factors based on crossing symmetry, analyticity, and QCD dispersion relations for the amplitudes. A fit using the more model-dependent Caprini-Lellouch-Neubert (CLN) approach is performed as well. Our form factor shapes show deviations from previous fits based on the CLN parametrization. The latest form factors also provide an updated prediction for the branching fraction ratio R(D*) B((B) over bar -> D* tau(-)(nu) over bar (tau)) /B((B) over bar -> D*l(-)(nu) over bar (l)) = 0.253 +/- 0.005. Finally, using the well-measured branching fraction for the (B) over bar -> D*l(-)(nu) over bar (l) decay, a value of vertical bar V-cb vertical bar = (38.36 +/- 0.90) x 10(-3) is obtained that is consistent with the current world average for exclusive (B) over bar -> D(*)l(-)(nu) over bar (l) decays and remains in tension with the determination from inclusive semileptonic B decays to final states with charm.
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Anamiati, G., De Romeri, V., Hirsch, M., Ternes, C. A., & Tortola, M. (2019). Quasi-Dirac neutrino oscillations at DUNE and JUNO. Phys. Rev. D, 100(3), 035032–12pp.
Abstract: Quasi-Dirac neutrinos are obtained when the Lagrangian density of a neutrino mass model contains both Dirac and Majorana mass terms, and the Majorana terms are sufficiently small. This type of neutrino introduces new mixing angles and mass splittings into the Hamiltonian, which will modify the standard neutrino oscillation probabilities. In this paper, we focus on the case where the new mass splittings are too small to be measured, but new angles and phases are present. We perform a sensitivity study for this scenario for the upcoming experiments DUNE and JUNO, finding that they will improve current bounds on the relevant parameters. Finally, we also explore the discovery potential of both experiments, assuming that neutrinos are indeed quasi-Dirac particles.
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