Abstract: Next-generation neutrinoless double beta decay experiments aim for half-life sensitivities of similar to 10(27) yr, requiring suppressing backgrounds to < 1 count/tonne/yr. For this, any extra background rejection handle, beyond excellent energy resolution and the use of extremely radiopure materials, is of utmost importance. The NEXT experiment exploits differences in the spatial ionization patterns of double beta decay and single-electron events to discriminate signal from background. While the former display two Bragg peak dense ionization regions at the opposite ends of the track, the latter typically have only one such feature. Thus, comparing the energies at the track extremes provides an additional rejection tool. The unique combination of the topology-based background discrimination and excellent energy resolution (1% FWHM at the Q-value of the decay) is the distinguishing feature of NEXT. Previous studies demonstrated a topological background rejection factor of <similar to> 5 when reconstructing electron-positron pairs in the Tl-208 1.6 MeV double escape peak (with Compton events as background), recorded in the NEXT-White demonstrator at the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc, with 72% signal efficiency. This was recently improved through the use of a deep convolutional neural network to yield a background rejection factor of similar to 10 with 65% signal efficiency. Here, we present a new reconstruction method, based on the Richardson-Lucy deconvolution algorithm, which allows reversing the blurring induced by electron diffusion and electroluminescence light production in the NEXT TPC. The new method yields highly refined 3D images of reconstructed events, and, as a result, significantly improves the topological background discrimination. When applied to real-data 1.6 MeV e(-)e(+) pairs, it leads to a background rejection factor of 27 at 57% signal efficiency.

Abstract: The Standard Model (SM) vacuum is unstable for the measured values of the top Yukawa coupling and Higgs mass. Here we study the issue of vacuum stability when neutrino masses are generated through spontaneous low-scale lepton number violation. In the simplest dynamical inverse seesaw, the SM Higgs has two siblings: a massive CP-even scalar plus a massless Nambu-Goldstone boson, called majoron. For TeV scale breaking of lepton number, Higgs bosons can have a sizeable decay into the invisible majorons. We examine the interplay and complementarity of vacuum stability and perturbativity restrictions, with collider constraints on visible and invisible Higgs boson decay channels. This simple framework may help guiding further studies, for example, at the proposed FCC facility.

Abstract: Measurements of four-lepton differential and integrated fiducial cross-sections in events with two same-flavour, opposite-charge electron or muon pairs are presented. The data correspond to 139 fb(-1) of root s = 13 TeV proton-proton collisions, collected by the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider (2015-2018). The final state has contributions from a number of interesting Standard Model processes that dominate in different four-lepton invariant mass regions, including single Z boson production, Higgs boson production and on-shell ZZ production, with a complex mix of interference terms, and possible contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model. The differential cross-sections include the four-lepton invariant mass inclusively, in slices of other kinematic variables, and in different lepton flavour categories. Also measured are dilepton invariant masses, transverse momenta, and angular correlation variables, in four regions of four-lepton invariant mass, each dominated by different processes. The measurements are corrected for detector effects and are compared with state-of-the-art Standard Model calculations, which are found to be consistent with the data. The Z -> 4l branching fraction is extracted, giving a value of (4.41 +/- 0.30) x 10(-6). Constraints on effective field theory parameters and a model based on a spontaneously broken B – L gauge symmetry are also evaluated. Further reinterpretations can be performed with the provided information.

Abstract: The first full angular analysis of the B0 -> D-Ds+ decay is performed using 6 fb(-1) of pp collision data collected with the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The Ds+-> Ds+gamma and D*- -> D<overbar></mml:mover>0- vector meson decays are used with the subsequent Ds+ -> K+K-pi (+) and D<overbar></mml:mover>0 -> K+pi (-) decays. All helicity amplitudes and phases are measured, and the longitudinal polarisation fraction is determined to be f(L) = 0.578 +/- 0.010 +/- 0.011 with world-best precision, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The pattern of helicity amplitude magnitudes is found to align with expectations from quark-helicity conservation in B decays. The ratio of branching fractions [B(B0 -> D-Ds+) x B(Ds+-> Ds+gamma)]/B(B-0 -> D(*-)Ds+) is measured to be 2.045 +/- 0.022 +/- 0.071 with world-best precision. In addition, the first observation of the Cabibbo-suppressed B-s -> D(*-)Ds+ decay is made with a significance of seven standard deviations. The branching fraction ratio B(B-s -> D(*-)Ds<mml:mo>+)/B(B-0 -> D(*-)Ds<mml:mo>+) is measured to be 0.049 +/- 0.006 +/- 0.003 +/- 0.002, where the third uncertainty is due to limited knowledge of the ratio of fragmentation fractions.<fig id=“Figa” position=“anchor”><graphic position=“anchor” specific-use=“HTML” mime-subtype=“JPEG” xmlns:xlink=“http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink” xlink:href=“MediaObjects/13130202116089FigaHTML.jpg” id=“MO1”></graphic

Abstract: The Scotogenic Model is one of the most minimal models to account for both neutrino masses and dark matter (DM). In this model, neutrino masses are generated at the one-loop level, and in principle, both the lightest fermion singlet and the lightest neutral component of the scalar doublet can be viable DM candidates. However, the correct DM relic abundance can only be obtained in somewhat small regions of the parameter space, as there are strong constraints stemming from lepton flavour violation, neutrino masses, electroweak precision tests and direct detection. For the case of scalar DM, a sufficiently large lepton-number-violating coupling is required, whereas for fermionic DM, coannihilations are typically necessary. In this work, we study how the new scalar singlet modifies the phenomenology of the Scotogenic Model, particularly in the case of scalar DM. We find that the new singlet modifies both the phenomenology of neutrino masses and scalar DM, and opens up a large portion of the parameter space of the original model.