King, S. F., Marfatia, D., & Rahat, M. H. (2024). Toward distinguishing Dirac from Majorana neutrino mass with gravitational waves. Phys. Rev. D, 109(3), 035014–13pp.
Abstract: We propose a new method toward distinguishing the Dirac versus Majorana nature of neutrino masses from the spectrum of gravitational waves (GWs) associated with neutrino mass genesis. Motivated by the principle of generating small neutrino masses without tiny Yukawa couplings, we assume generic seesaw mechanisms for both Majorana and Dirac neutrino masses. For Majorana neutrinos, we further assume a spontaneously broken gauged U(1)B-L symmetry, independently of the type of Majorana seesaw mechanism, which gives a cosmic string induced GW signal flat over a wide range of frequencies. For Dirac neutrinos, we assume the spontaneous breaking of a Z2 symmetry, the minimal symmetry choice associated with all Dirac seesaw mechanisms, which is softly broken, generating a peaked GW spectrum from the annihilation of the resulting domain walls. In fact, the GW spectra for all types of Dirac seesaws with such a broken Z2 symmetry are identical, subject to a mild caveat. As an illustrative example, we study the simplest respective type-I seesaw mechanisms, and show that the striking difference in the shapes of the GW spectra can help differentiate between these Dirac and Majorana seesaws, complementing results of neutrinoless double beta decay experiments. We also discuss detailed implications of the recent NANOGrav data for Majorana and Dirac seesaw models.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Amaducci, S. et al), Babiano-Suarez, V., Caballero-Ontanaya, L., Domingo-Pardo, C., Ladarescu, I., Tain, J. L., et al. (2024). Measurement of the 140Ceðn;γþ Cross Section at n_TOF and Its Astrophysical Implications for the Chemical Evolution of the Universe. Phys. Rev. Lett., 132(12), 122701–8pp.
Abstract: 140Ce(n, gamma) is a key reaction for slow neutron -capture (s -process) nucleosynthesis due to being a bottleneck in the reaction flow. For this reason, it was measured with high accuracy (uncertainty approximate to 5%) at the n_TOF facility, with an unprecedented combination of a high purity sample and low neutron -sensitivity detectors. The measured Maxwellian averaged cross section is up to 40% higher than previously accepted values. Stellar model calculations indicate a reduction around 20% of the s -process contribution to the Galactic cerium abundance and smaller sizeable differences for most of the heavier elements. No variations are found in the nucleosynthesis from massive stars.
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Celestino-Ramirez, J. M., Escrihuela, F. J., Flores, L. J., & Miranda, O. G. (2024). Testing the nonunitarity of the leptonic mixing matrix at FASERv and FASERv2. Phys. Rev. D, 109(1), L011705–6pp.
Abstract: The FASERv experiment has detected the first neutrino events coming from LHC. Near future highstatistic neutrino samples will allow us to search for new physics within the neutrino sector. Motivated by the forthcoming promising FASERv neutrino data, and its successor, FASERv2, we study its potential for testing the unitarity of the neutrino lepton mixing matrix. Although it would be challenging for FASERv and FASERv2 to have strong constraints on this kind of new physics, we discuss its role in contributing to a future improved global analysis.
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Feijoo, A., Dai, L. R., Abreu, L. M., & Oset, E. (2024). Correlation function for the Tbb state: Determination of the binding, scattering lengths, effective ranges, and molecular probabilities. Phys. Rev. D, 109(1), 016014–8pp.
Abstract: We perform a study of the (B*+B0), (BB+)-B-*0 correlation functions using an extension of the local hidden gauge approach which provides the interaction from the exchange of light vector mesons and gives rise to a bound state of these components in I = 0 with a binding energy of about 21 MeV. After that, we face the inverse problem of determining the low energy observables, scattering length and effective range for each channel, the possible existence of a bound state, and, if found, the couplings of such a state to each (B*+B0), (BB+)-B-*0 component as well as the molecular probabilities of each of the channels. We use the bootstrap method to determine these magnitudes and find that, with errors in the correlation function typical of present experiments, we can determine all these magnitudes with acceptable precision. In addition, the size of the source function of the experiment from where the correlation functions are measured can be also determined with a high precision.
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Paredes-Torres, G., Gutierrez-Guerrer, L. X., Bashir, A., & Miramontes, A. S. (2024). First radial excitations of mesons and diquarks in a contact interaction. Phys. Rev. D, 109(11), 114006–12pp.
Abstract: We present a calculation for the masses of the first radially excited states of 40 mesons and diquarks made up of u , d , s , c , and b quarks, including states that contain one or both heavy quarks. To this end, we employ a combined analysis of the Bethe-Salpeter and Schwinger-Dyson equations within a self-consistent and symmetry-preserving vector-vector contact interaction. The same set of parameters describes ground and excited states of mesons and their diquark partners. The wave function of the first radial excitation contains a zero whose location is correlated with an additional parameter d F which is a function of dressed quark masses. Our results satisfy the equal spacing rules given by the Gell-Mann Okubo mass relations. Wherever possible, we make comparisons of our findings with known experimental observations as well as theoretical predictions of several other models and approaches including lattice quantum chromodynamics, finding a very good agreement. We report predictions for a multitude of radial excitations not yet observed in experiments.
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ATLAS and CMS Collaborations(Aad, G. et al), Aikot, A., Amos, K. R., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Bouchhar, N., et al. (2024). Evidence for the Higgs Boson Decay to a Z Boson and a Photon at the LHC. Phys. Rev. Lett., 132(2), 021803–32pp.
Abstract: The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton -proton collision datasets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140 fb-1 for each experiment, at a center -of -mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is 2.2 +/- 0.7 times the standard model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Aikot, A., Amos, K. R., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Bouchhar, N., et al. (2024). Measurement of the Centrality Dependence of the Dijet Yield in p plus Pb Collisions at √sNN=8.16 TeV with the ATLAS Detector. Phys. Rev. Lett., 132(10), 102301–22pp.
Abstract: ATLAS measured the centrality dependence of the dijet yield using 165 nb-1 of p + Pb data collected at root sNN = 8.16 TeV in 2016. The event centrality, which reflects the p + Pb impact parameter, is characterized by the total transverse energy registered in the Pb-going side of the forward calorimeter. The central-to-peripheral ratio of the scaled dijet yields, RCP, is evaluated, and the results are presented as a function of variables that reflect the kinematics of the initial hard parton scattering process. The RCP shows a scaling with the Bjorken x of the parton originating from the proton, xp, while no such trend is observed as a function of xPb. This analysis provides unique input to understanding the role of small proton spatial configurations in p + Pb collisions by covering parton momentum fractions from the valence region down to xp similar to 10-3 and xPb similar to 4 x 10-4.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Jaimes Elles, S. J., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Rebollo De Miguel, M., et al. (2023). Test of lepton flavor universality using B0 → D*- τ+ ντ decays with hadronic τ channels. Phys. Rev. D, 108(1), 012018–18pp.
Abstract: The branching fraction B(B-0 -> D*(-)tau(+)nu(tau)) is measured relative to that of the normalization mode B-0 -> D*(-) pi(+)pi(-)pi(+) using hadronic tau(+) -> pi(+)pi(-)pi(+) (pi(0))(nu) over bar (tau) decays in proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2 fb(-1). The measured ratio is B(B-0 -> D*(-)tau(+)nu(tau))/B(B-0 -> D*(-) pi(+)pi(-)pi(+)) = 1.70 +/- 0.10(-0.10)(+0.11), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is related to systematic effects. Using established branching fractions for the B-0 -> D*(-) pi(+)pi(-)pi(+) and B-0 -> D*(-)mu(+)nu(mu) modes, the lepton universality test R(D*(-)) = B(B-0 -> D*(-)tau(+)nu(tau))/B(B-0 -> D*(-)mu(+)nu(mu)) is calculated, R(D*(-)) = 0.247 +/- 0.015 +/- 0.015 +/- 0.012, where the third uncertainty is due to the uncertainties on the external branching fractions. This result is consistent with the Standard Model prediction and with previous measurements.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Jaimes Elles, S. J., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Rebollo De Miguel, M., et al. (2024). Improved Measurement of CP Violation Parameters in B0s → J/ψ K+ K- Decays in the Vicinity of the φ(1020) Resonance. Phys. Rev. Lett., 132(5), 051802–12pp.
Abstract: The decay-time-dependent CP asymmetry in B0s -> J=psi(-> mu+mu-)K+K- decays is measured using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6 fb-1, collected with the LHCb detector at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. Using a sample of approximately 349 000 B0s signal decays with an invariant K+K- mass in the vicinity of the phi(1020) resonance, the CP-violating phase phi s is measured, along with the difference in decay widths of the light and heavy mass eigenstates of the B0s-B over bar 0s system, Delta Gamma s, and the difference of the average B0s and B0 meson decay widths, Gamma s – Gamma d. The values obtained are phi s = -0.039 +/- 0.022 +/- 0.006 rad, Delta Gamma s = 0.0845 +/- 0.0044 +/- 0.0024 ps-1, and -0.0015 +/- 0.0014 ps-1, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. These are the most precise single measurements to date and are consistent with expectations based on the Standard Model and with the previous LHCb analyses of this decay. These results are combined with previous independent LHCb measurements. The phase phi s is also measured independently for each polarization state of the K+K- system and shows no evidence for polarization dependence.
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Krupczak, R., da Silva, T. N., Domingues, T. S., Luzum, M., Denicol, G. S., Gardim, F. G., et al. (2024). Causality violations in simulations of large and small heavy-ion collisions. Phys. Rev. C, 109(3), 034908–12pp.
Abstract: Heavy-ion collisions, such as Pb-Pb or p-Pb, produce extreme conditions in temperature and density that make the hadronic matter transition to a new state, called quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Simulations of heavy-ion collisions provide a way to improve our understanding of the QGP's properties. These simulations are composed of a hybrid description that results in final observables in agreement with accelerators like LHC and RHIC. However, recent works pointed out that these hydrodynamic simulations can display acausal behavior during the evolution in certain regions, indicating a deviation from a faithful representation of the underlying QCD dynamics. To pursue a better understanding of this problem and its consequences, this work simulated two different collision systems, Pb-Pb and p-Pb at root sNN = 5.02 TeV. In this context, our results show that causality violation, even though always present, typically occurs on a small part of the system, quantified by the total energy fraction residing in the acausal region. In addition, the acausal behavior can be reduced with changes in the prehydrodynamic factors and the definition of the bulk-viscous relaxation time. Since these aspects are fairly arbitrary in current simulation models, without solid guidance from the underlying theory, it is reasonable to use the disturbing presence of acausal behavior in current simulations to guide improvements towards more realistic modeling. While this work does not solve the acausality problem, it sheds more light on this issue and also proposes a way to solve this problem in simulations of heavy-ion collisions.
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