NEXT Collaboration(Henriques, C. A. O. et al), Benlloch-Rodriguez, J. M., Carcel, S., Carrion, J. V., Diaz, J., Felkai, R., et al. (2022). Neutral Bremsstrahlung Emission in Xenon Unveiled. Phys. Rev. X, 12(2), 021005–23pp.
Abstract: We present evidence of non-excimer-based secondary scintillation in gaseous xenon, obtained using both the NEXT-White time projection chamber (TPC) and a dedicated setup. Detailed comparison with first-principle calculations allows us to assign this scintillation mechanism to neutral bremsstrahlung (NBrS), a process that is postulated to exist in xenon that has been largely overlooked. For photon emission below 1000 nm, the NBrS yield increases from about 10(-2) photon/e(-) cm(-1) bar(-1) at pressure-reduced electric field values of 50 V cm(-1) bar(-1) to above 3 x 10(-1) photon/e(-) cm(-1) bar(-1) at 500 V cm(-1) bar(-1). Above 1.5 kV cm(-1) bar(-1), values that are typically employed for electroluminescence, it is estimated that NBrS is present with an intensity around 1 photon/e(-) cm(-1) bar(-1), which is about 2 orders of magnitude lower than conventional, excimer-based electroluminescence. Despite being fainter than its excimeric counterpart, our calculations reveal that NBrS causes luminous backgrounds that can interfere, in either gas or liquid phase, with the ability to distinguish and/or to precisely measure low primary-scintillation signals (S1). In particular, we show this to be the case in the "buffer region, where keeping the electric field below the electroluminescence threshold does not suffice to extinguish secondary scintillation. The electric field leakage in this region should be mitigated to avoid intolerable levels of NBrS emission. Furthermore, we show that this new source of light emission opens up a viable path toward obtaining S2 signals for discrimination purposes in future single-phase liquid TPCs for neutrino and dark matter physics, with estimated yields up to 20-50 photons/e(-) cm(-1).
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Karuseichyk, I., Sorelli, G., Walschaers, M., Treps, N., & Gessner, M. (2022). Resolving mutually-coherent point sources of light with arbitrary statistics. Phys. Rev. Res., 4(4), 043010–11pp.
Abstract: We analyze the problem of resolving two mutually coherent point sources with arbitrary quantum statistics, mutual phase, and relative and absolute intensity. We use a sensitivity measure based on the method of moments and compare direct imaging with spatial-mode demultiplexing (SPADE), analytically proving advantage of the latter. We show that the moment-based sensitivity of SPADE saturates the quantum Fisher information for all known cases, even for non-Gaussian states of the sources.
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Lasa-Alonso, J., Olmos-Trigo, J., Devescovi, C., Hernandez, P., Garcia-Etxarri, A., & Molina-Terriza, G. (2023). Resonant helicity mixing of electromagnetic waves propagating through matter. Phys. Rev. Res., 5(2), 023116–8pp.
Abstract: Dual scatterers preserve the helicity of an incident field, whereas antidual scatterers flip it completely. In this setting of linear electromagnetic scattering theory, we provide a completely general proof on the nonexistence of passive antidual scatterers. However, we show that scatterers fulfilling the refractive index matching condition flip the helicity of the fields very efficiently without being in contradiction with the law of energy conservation. Moreover, we find that this condition is paired with the impedance matching condition in several contexts of electromagnetism and, in particular, within Fresnel's and Mie's scattering problems. Finally, we show that indexmatched media induce a resonant helicity mixing on the propagating electromagnetic waves. We reach this conclusion by identifying that the refractive index matching condition leads to the phenomenon of avoided crossing.
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Das, B. et al, & Algora, A. (2024). Broken seniority symmetry in the semimagic proton mid-shell nucleus 95Rh. Phys. Rev. Res., 6(2), L022038–7pp.
Abstract: Lifetime measurements of low-lying excited states in the semimagic ( N = 50) nucleus 95 Rh have been performed by means of the fast -timing technique. The experiment was carried out using gamma -ray detector arrays consisting of LaBr 3 (Ce) scintillators and germanium detectors integrated into the DESPEC experimental setup commissioned for the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research ( FAIR ) Phase -0, Darmstadt, Germany. The excited states in 95 Rh were populated primarily via the /3 decays of 95 Pd nuclei, produced in the projectile fragmentation of a 850 MeV / nucleon 124 Xe beam impinging on a 4 g / cm 2 9 Be target. The deduced electromagnetic E2 transition strengths for the gamma -ray cascade within the multiplet structure depopulating from the isomeric I pi = 21 / 2 + state are found to exhibit strong deviations from predictions of standard shell model calculations which feature approximately conserved seniority symmetry. In particular, the observation of a strongly suppressed E2 strength for the 13 / 2 + -> 9 / 2 + ground state transition cannot be explained by calculations employing standard interactions. This remarkable result may require revision of the nucleon-nucleon interactions employed in state-of-the-art theoretical model calculations, and might also point to the need for including three-body forces in the Hamiltonian.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2019). Observation of the Decay D-0 -> K- pi(+) e(+) e(-). Phys. Rev. Lett., 122(8), 081802–8pp.
Abstract: We report the observation of the rare charm decay D-0 -> K-pi(+)e(+)e(-), based on 468 fb(-1) of e(+)e(-) annihilation data collected at or close to the center-of-mass energy of the (sic)(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We find the branching fraction in the invariant mass range 0.675 < m(e(+)e(-)) < 0.875 GeV/c(2) of the electron-positron pair to be B(D-0 -> K-pi(+)e(+)e(-)) = (4.0 +/- 0.5 +/- 0.2 +/- 0.1) x 10(-6), where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third due to the uncertainty in the branching fraction of the decay D-0 -> K-pi(+)pi(+)pi(-) used as a normalization mode. The significance of the observation corresponds to 9.7 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties. This result is consistent with the recently reported D-0 -> K-pi(+)mu(+)mu(-) branching fraction, measured in the same invariant mass range, and with the value expected in the standard model. In a set of regions of m(e(+)e(-)), where long-distance effects are potentially small, we determine a 90% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction B(D-0 -> K-pi(+)e(+)e(-)) < 3.1 x 10(-6).
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Guadilla, V. et al, Algora, A., Tain, J. L., Agramunt, J., Aysto, J., Jordan, D., et al. (2019). Large Impact of the Decay of Niobium Isomers on the Reactor (v)over-bar(e) Summation Calculations. Phys. Rev. Lett., 122(4), 042502–6pp.
Abstract: Even mass neutron-rich niobium isotopes are among the principal contributors to the reactor antineutrino energy spectrum. They are also among the most challenging to measure due to the refractory nature of niobium, and because they exhibit isomeric states lying very close in energy. The beta-intensity distributions of Nb-100gs,Nb-100m and Nb-102gs,Nb-02m beta decays have been determined using the total absorption.-ray spectroscopy technique. The measurements were performed at the upgraded Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line facility at the University of Jyvaskyla. Here, the double Penning trap system JYFLTRAP was employed to disentangle the beta decay of the isomeric states. The new data obtained in this challenging measurement have a large impact in antineutrino summation calculations. For the first time the discrepancy between the summation model and the reactor antineutrino measurements in the region of the shape distortion has been reduced.
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Timar, J. et al, & Algora, A. (2019). Experimental Evidence for Transverse Wobbling in Pd-105. Phys. Rev. Lett., 122(6), 062501–6pp.
Abstract: New rotational bands built on the nu(h(11/2)) configuration have been identified in Pd-105. Two bands built on this configuration show the characteristics of transverse wobbling: the Delta I = 1 transitions between them have a predominant E2 component and the wobbling energy decreases with increasing spin. The properties of the observed wobbling bands are in good agreement with theoretical results obtained using constrained triaxial covariant density functional theory and quantum particle rotor model calculations. This provides the first experimental evidence for transverse wobbling bands based on a one-neutron configuration, and also represents the first observation of wobbling motion in the A similar to 100 mass region.
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BABAR Collaboration(Lees, J. P. et al), Martinez-Vidal, F., & Oyanguren, A. (2019). Search for a Stable Six-Quark State at BABAR. Phys. Rev. Lett., 122(7), 072002–7pp.
Abstract: Recent investigations have suggested that the six-quark combination uuddss could be a deeply bound state (S) that has eluded detection so far, and a potential dark matter candidate. We report the first search for a stable, doubly strange six-quark state in (sic) > S (Lambda) over bar(Lambda) over bar decays based on a sample of 90 x 10(6)(sic)(2S) and 110 x 10(6)(sic)(3S) decays collected by the BABAR experiment. No signal is observed, and 90% confidence level limits on the combined (sic)(2S, 3S) -> S (Lambda) over bar(Lambda) over bar branching fraction in the range (1.2-1.4) x 10(-7) are derived for m(s) < 2.05 GeV. These bounds set stringent limits on the existence of such exotic particles.
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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. (2019). First Measurement of Charm Production in its Fixed-Target Configuration at the LHC. Phys. Rev. Lett., 122(13), 132002–12pp.
Abstract: The first measurement of heavy-flavor production by the LHCb experiment in its fixed-target mode is presented. The production of J/psi and D-0 mesons is studied with beams of protons of different energies colliding with gaseous targets of helium and argon with nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energies of root s(NN) = 86.6 and 110.4 GeV, respectively. The J/psi and D-0 production cross sections in pHe collisions in the rapidity range [2, 4.6] are found to be sigma(J/psi) = 652 +/- 33(stat) +/- 42(syst) nb/nucleon and sigma(D0) = 80.8 +/- 2.4(syst) +/- 6.3(syst) μb/nucleon, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. No evidence for a substantial intrinsic charm content of the nucleon is observed in the large Bjorken-x 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). Search for the Production of a Long-Lived Neutral Particle Decaying within the ATLAS Hadronic Calorimeter in Association with a Z Boson from pp Collisions at root s=13 TeV. Phys. Rev. Lett., 122(15), 151801–19pp.
Abstract: This Letter presents a search for the production of a long-lived neutral particle (Z(d)) decaying within the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter, in association with a standard model (SM) Z boson produced via an intermediate scalar boson, where Z -> l(+) l(-) (l = e, mu). The data used were collected by the ATLAS detector during 2015 and 2016 pp collisions with a center-of-mass energy of root s = 13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 +/- 0.8 fb(-1). No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. Limits on the production cross section of the scalar boson times its decay branching fraction into the long-lived neutral particle are derived as a function of the mass of the intermediate scalar boson, the mass of the long-lived neutral particle, and its c tau from a few centimeters to one hundred meters. In the case that the intermediate scalar boson is the SM Higgs boson, its decay branching fraction to a long-lived neutral particle with a c tau approximately between 0.1 and 7 m is excluded with a 95% confidence level up to 10% for m(zd) between 5 and 15 GeV.
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