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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). Measurement of the Higgs boson mass in the H -> ZZ* -> 4l and H -> gamma gamma channels with root s=13 TeV pp collisions using the ATLAS detector. Phys. Lett. B, 784, 345–366.
Abstract: The mass of the Higgs boson is measured in the H -> ZZ* -> 4l and in the H -> gamma gamma decay channels with 36.1 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data from the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. The measured value in the H -> ZZ* -> 4l channel is m(H)(ZZ*) = 124.79 +/- 0.37 GeV, while the measured value in the H -> gamma gamma channel is m(H)(gamma gamma) = 124.93 +/- 0.40 GeV. Combining these results with the ATLAS measurement based on 7 and 8 TeV proton-proton collision data yields a Higgs boson mass of m(H) = 124.97 +/- 0.24 GeV.
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Lara, I., Lopez-Fogliani, D. E., Muñoz, C., Nagata, N., Otono, H., & Ruiz de Austri, R. (2018). Looking for the left sneutrino LSP with displaced-vertex searches. Phys. Rev. D, 98(7), 075004–17pp.
Abstract: We analyze a displaced dilepton signal expected at the LHC for a tau left sneutrino as the lightest supersymmetric particle with a mass in the range 45-100 GeV. The sneutrinos are pair produced via a virtual W, Z or gamma in the s channel and, given the large value of the tau Yukawa coupling, their decays into two dileptons or a dilepton plus missing transverse energy from neutrinos can be significant. The discussion is carried out in the framework of the μnu SSM, where the presence of R-parity violating couplings involving right-handed neutrinos solves the μproblem and can reproduce the neutrino data. To probe the tau left sneutrinos we compare the predictions of this scenario with the ATLAS search for long-lived particles using displaced lepton pairs in pp collisions at root s = 8 TeV, allowing us to constrain the parameter space of the model. We also consider an optimization of the trigger requirements used in existing displaced-vertex searches by means of a high level trigger that exploits tracker information. This optimization is generically useful for a light metastable particle decaying into soft charged leptons. The constraints on the sneutrino turn out to be more stringent. We finally discuss the prospects for the 13 TeV LHC searches as well as further potential optimizations.
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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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Marquez-Martin, I., Arnault, P., Di Molfetta, G., & Perez, A. (2018). Electromagnetic lattice gauge invariance in two-dimensional discrete-time quantum walks. Phys. Rev. A, 98(3), 032333–8pp.
Abstract: Gauge invariance is one of the more important concepts in physics. We discuss this concept in connection with the unitary evolution of discrete-time quantum walks in one and two spatial dimensions, when they include the interaction with synthetic, external electromagnetic fields. One introduces this interaction as additional phases that play the role of gauge fields. Here, we present a way to incorporate those phases, which differs from previous works. Our proposal allows the discrete derivatives, that appear under a gauge transformation, to treat time and space on the same footing, in a way which is similar to standard lattice gauge theories. By considering two steps of the evolution, we define a density current which is gauge invariant and conserved. In the continuum limit, the dynamics of the particle, under a suitable choice of the parameters, becomes the Dirac equation and the conserved current satisfies the corresponding conservation equation.
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Sobczyk, J. E., Hernandez, E., Nakamura, S. X., Nieves, J., & Sato, T. (2018). Angular distributions in electroweak pion production off nucleons: Odd parity hadron terms, strong relative phases, and model dependence. Phys. Rev. D, 98(7), 073001–39pp.
Abstract: The study of pion production in nuclei is important for signal and background determinations in current and future neutrino oscillation experiments. The first step, however, is to understand the pion production reactions at the free nucleon level. We present an exhaustive study of the charged-current and neutral-current neutrino and antineutrino pion production off nucleons, paying special attention to the angular distributions of the outgoing pion. We show, using general arguments, that parity violation and time-reversal odd correlations in the weak differential cross sections are generated from the interference between different contributions to the hadronic current that are not relatively real. Next, we present a detailed comparison of three state-of-the-art, microscopic models for electroweak pion production off nucleons, and we also confront their predictions with polarized electron data, as a test of the vector content of these models. We also illustrate the importance of carrying out a comprehensive test at the level of outgoing pion angular distributions, going beyond comparisons done for partially integrated cross sections, where model differences cancel to a certain extent. Finally, we observe that all charged and neutral current distributions show sizable anisotropies, and identify channels for which parity-violating effects are clearly visible. Based on the above results, we conclude that the use of isotropic distributions for the pions in the center of mass of the final pion-nucleon system, as assumed by some of the Monte Carlo event generators, needs to be improved by incorporating the findings of microscopic calculations.
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Yao, D. L., Alvarez-Ruso, L., Hiller Blin, A. N., & Vicente Vacas, M. J. (2018). Weak pion production off the nucleon in covariant chiral perturbation theory. Phys. Rev. D, 98(7), 076004–25pp.
Abstract: Weak pion production off the nucleon at low energies has been systematically investigated in manifestly relativistic baryon chiral perturbation theory with explicit inclusion of the Delta(1232) resonance. Most of the involved low-energy constants have been previously determined in other processes such as pion-nucleon elastic scattering and electromagnetic pion production off the nucleon. For numerical estimates, the few remaining constants are set to be of natural size. As a result, the total cross sections for single pion production on neutrons and protons, induced either by neutrino or antineutrino, are predicted. Our results are consistent with the scarce existing experimental data except in the nu(mu)n -> mu(-)n pi(+) channel, where higher-order contributions might still be significant. The Delta resonance mechanisms lead to sizeable contributions in all channels, especially in nu(mu)p -> mu(-) p pi(+), even though the considered energies are close to the production threshold. The present study provides a well-founded low-energy benchmark for phenomenological models aimed at the description of weak pion production processes in the broad kinematic range of interest for current and future neutrino-oscillation experiments.
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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. (2018). Prompt and non-prompt J/psi elliptic flow in Pb plus Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Eur. Phys. J. C, 78(9), 784–23pp.
Abstract: The elliptic flow of prompt and non-prompt J/psi was measured in the dimuon decay channel in Pb+Pb collisions at root S-NN = 5.02 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 0.42 nb(-1) with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The prompt and non-prompt signals are separated using a two-dimensional simultaneous fit of the invariant mass and pseudo-proper decay time of the dimuon system from the J/psi decay. The measurement is performed in the kinematic range of dimuon transverse momentum and rapidity 9 < p(T) < 30 GeV, vertical bar y vertical bar < 2, and 0-60% collision centrality. The elliptic flow coefficient, v(2), is evaluated relative to the event plane and the results are presented as a function of transverse momentum, rapidity and centrality. It is found that prompt and non-prompt J/psi mesons have non-zero elliptic flow. Prompt J/psi v(2 )decreases as a function of p(T), while for non-prompt J/psi it is, with limited statistical significance, consistent with a flat behaviour over the studied kinematic region. There is no observed dependence on rapidity or centrality.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aaboud, M. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Barranco Navarro, L., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Cerda Alberich, L., et al. (2018). Measurements of Higgs boson properties in the diphoton decay channel with 36 fb(-1) of pp collision data at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Phys. Rev. D, 98(5), 052005–87pp.
Abstract: Properties of the Higgs boson are measured in the two-photon final state using 36.1 fb(-1) of proton-proton collision data recorded at root s = 13 TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. Cross-section measurements for the production of a Higgs boson through gluon-gluon fusion, vector-boson fusion, and in association with a vector boson or a top-quark pair are reported. The signal strength, defined as the ratio of the observed to the expected signal yield, is measured for each of these production processes as well as inclusively. The global signal strength measurement of 0.99 +/- 0.14 improves on the precision of the ATLAS measurement at root s = 7 and 8 TeV by a factor of two. Measurements of gluon-gluon fusion and vector-boson fusion productions yield signal strengths compatible with the Standard Model prediction. Measurements of simplified template cross sections, designed to quantify the different Higgs boson production processes in specific regions of phase space, are reported. The cross section for the production of the Higgs boson decaying to two isolated photons in a fiducial region closely matching the experimental selection of the photons is measured to be 55 +/- 10 fb, which is in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 64 +/- 2 fb. Furthermore, cross sections in fiducial regions enriched in Higgs boson production in vector-boson fusion or in association with large missing transverse momentum, leptons or top-quark pairs are reported. Differential and double-differential measurements are performed for several variables related to the diphoton kinematics as well as the kinematics and multiplicity of the jets produced in association with a Higgs boson. These differential cross sections are sensitive to higher order QCD corrections and properties of the Higgs boson, such as its spin and CP quantum numbers. No significant deviations from a wide array of Standard Model predictions are observed. Finally, the strength and tensor structure of the Higgs boson interactions are investigated using an effective Lagrangian, which introduces additional CP-even and CP-odd interactions. No significant new physics contributions are observed.
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De Romeri, V., Patel, K. M., & Valle, J. W. F. (2018). Inverse seesaw mechanism with compact supersymmetry: Enhanced naturalness and light superpartners. Phys. Rev. D, 98(7), 075014–15pp.
Abstract: We consider the supersymmetric inverse seesaw mechanism for neutrino mass generation within the context of a low-energy effective theory where supersymmetry is broken geometrically in an extra dimensional theory. It is shown that the effective scale characterizing the resulting compact supersymmetric spectrum can be as low as 500-600 GeV for moderate values of tan beta. The potentially large neutrino Yukawa couplings, naturally present in inverse seesaw schemes, enhance the Higgs mass and allow the superpartners to be lighter than in compact supersymmetry without neutrino masses. The inverse seesaw structure also implies a novel spectrum profile and couplings, in which the lightest supersymmetric particle can be an admixture of isodoublet and isosinglet sneutrinos. Dedicated collider as well as dark matter studies should take into account such specific features.
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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). First Observation of the Doubly Charmed Baryon Decay Xi(++)(cc) -> Xi(+)(c)pi(+). Phys. Rev. Lett., 121(16), 162002–10pp.
Abstract: The doubly charmed baryon decay Xi(++)(cc) -> Xi(+)(c)pi(+) is observed for the first time, with a statistical significance of 5.9 sigma, confirming a recent observation of the baryon in the Lambda K-+(c)-pi(+)pi(+) final state. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The Xi(++)(cc) mass is measured to be 3620.6 +/- 1.5(stat) +/- 0.4(syst) +/- 0.3(Xi(+)(c)) MeV/c(2) and is consistent with the previous result. The ratio of branching fractions between the decay modes is measured to be [B(Xi(++)(cc) -> Xi(+)(c)pi(+)) x B(Xi(+)(c) -> pK(-)pi(+))]/[B(Xi(++)(cc) -> Lambda K-+(c)-pi(+)pi(+)) x B(Lambda(+)(c) -> pK(-)pi(+))] = 0.035 +/- 0.009 (stat) +/- 0.003 (syst).
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