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Deppisch, F. F., Harz, J., Huang, W. C., Hirsch, M., & Pas, H. (2015). Falsifying high-scale baryogenesis with neutrinoless double beta decay and lepton flavor violation. Phys. Rev. D, 92(3), 036005–6pp.
Abstract: Interactions that manifest themselves as lepton number violating processes at low energies in combination with sphaleron transitions typically erase any preexisting baryon asymmetry of the Universe. In this article, we discuss the constraints obtained from an observation of neutrinoless double beta decay in this context. If a new physics mechanism of neutrinoless double beta decay other than the standard light neutrino exchange is observed, typical scenarios of high-scale baryogenesis will be excluded unless the baryon asymmetry is stabilized via some new mechanism. We also sketch how this conclusion can be extended beyond the first lepton generation by incorporating lepton flavor violating processes.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Alvarez Piqueras, D., Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fernandez Martinez, P., et al. (2015). Search for type-III seesaw heavy leptons in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector. Phys. Rev. D, 92(3), 032001–20pp.
Abstract: A search for the pair production of heavy leptons (N-0, L-+/-) predicted by the type-III seesaw theory formulated to explain the origin of small neutrino masses is presented. The decay channels N-0 -> W(+/-)l(+/-) (l = e, mu, tau) and L-+/- -> W(+/-)v (v = v(e), v(mu), v(tau)) are considered. The analysis is performed using the final state that contains two leptons (electrons or muons), two jets from a hadronically decaying W boson and large missing transverse momentum. The data used in the measurement correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb(-1) of pp collisions at root s = 8 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. No evidence of heavy lepton pair production is observed. Heavy leptons with masses below 325-540 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level, depending on the theoretical scenario considered.
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Pastore, A., Tarpanov, D., Davesne, D., & Navarro, J. (2015). Spurious finite-size instabilities in nuclear energy density functionals: Spin channel. Phys. Rev. C, 92(2), 024305–9pp.
Abstract: Background: It has been recently shown that some Skyrme functionals can lead to nonconverging results in the calculation of some properties of atomic nuclei. A previous study has pointed out a possible link between these convergence problems and the appearance of finite-size instabilities in symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) around saturation density. Purpose: We show that the finite-size instabilities not only affect the ground-state properties of atomic nuclei, but they can also influence the calculations of vibrational excited states in finite nuclei. Method: We perform systematic fully-self consistent random phase approximation (RPA) calculations in spherical doubly magic nuclei. We employ several Skyrme functionals and vary the isoscalar and isovector coupling constants of the time-odd term s . Delta s. We determine critical values of these coupling constants beyond which the RPA calculations do not converge because the RPA stability matrix becomes nonpositive. Results: By comparing the RPA calculations of atomic nuclei with those performed for SNM we establish a correspondence between the critical densities in the infinite system and the critical coupling constants for which the RPA calculations do not converge. Conclusions: We find a quantitative stability criterion to detect finite-size instabilities related to the spin s . Delta s term of a functional. This criterion could be easily implemented in the standard fitting protocols to fix the coupling constants of the Skyrme functional.
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Candela-Juan, C., Vijande, J., Garcia-Martinez, T., Niatsetski, Y., Nauta, G., Schuurman, J., et al. (2015). Comparison and uncertainty evaluation of different calibration protocols and ionization chambers for low-energy surface brachytherapy dosimetry. Med. Phys., 42(8), 4954–4964.
Abstract: Purpose: A surface electronic brachytherapy (EBT) device is in fact an x-ray source collimated with specific applicators. Low-energy (<100 kVp) x-ray beam dosimetry faces several challenges that need to be addressed. A number of calibration protocols have been published for x-ray beam dosimetry. The media in which measurements are performed are the fundamental difference between them. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surface dose rate of a low-energy x-ray source with small field applicators using different calibration standards and different small-volume ionization chambers, comparing the values and uncertainties of each methodology. Methods: The surface dose rate of the EBT unit Esteya (Elekta Brachytherapy, The Netherlands), a 69.5 kVp x-ray source with applicators of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 mm diameter, was evaluated using the AAPM TG-61 (based on air kerma) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) TRS-398 (based on absorbed dose to water) dosimetry protocols for low-energy photon beams. A plane parallel T34013 ionization chamber (PTW Freiburg, Germany) calibrated in terms of both absorbed dose to water and air kerma was used to compare the two dosimetry protocols. Another PTW chamber of the same model was used to evaluate the reproducibility between these chambers. Measurements were also performed with two different Exradin A20 (Standard Imaging, Inc., Middleton, WI) chambers calibrated in terms of air kerma. Results: Differences between surface dose rates measured in air and in water using the T34013 chamber range from 1.6% to 3.3%. No field size dependence has been observed. Differences are below 3.7% when measurements with the A20 and the T34013 chambers calibrated in air are compared. Estimated uncertainty (with coverage factor k = 1) for the T34013 chamber calibrated in water is 2.2%-2.4%, whereas it increases to 2.5% and 2.7% for the A20 and T34013 chambers calibrated in air, respectively. The output factors, measured with the PTW chambers, differ by less than 1.1% for any applicator size when compared to the output factors that were measured with the A20 chamber. Conclusions: Measurements using both dosimetric protocols are consistent, once the overall uncertainties are considered. There is also consistency between measurements performed with both chambers calibrated in air. Both the T34013 and A20 chambers have negligible stem effect. Any x-ray surface brachytherapy system, including Esteya, can be characterized using either one of these calibration protocols and ionization chambers. Having less correction factors, lower uncertainty, and based on measurements, performed in closer to clinical conditions, the TRS-398 protocol seems to be the preferred option.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Cabrera Urban, S., Castillo Gimenez, V., Costa, M. J., Fernandez Martinez, P., Ferrer, A., et al. (2015). A search for high-mass resonances decaying to tau(+)tau(-) in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector. J. High Energy Phys., 07(7), 157–44pp.
Abstract: A search for high-mass resonances decaying into tau(+)tau(-) final states using proton-proton collisions at root s = 8 TeV produced by the Large Hadron Collider is presented. The data were recorded with the ATLAS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.5-20.3 fb(-1). No statistically significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed; 95% credibility upper limits are set on the cross section times branching fraction of Z' resonances decaying into tau(+)tau(-) pairs as a function of the resonance mass. As a result, Z' bosons of the Sequential Standard Model with masses less than 2.02 TeV are excluded at 95% credibility. The impact of the fermionic couplings on the Z' acceptance is investigated and limits are also placed on a Z' model that exhibits enhanced couplings to third-generation fermions.
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