Abstract: Statistical inference of the fundamental parameters of supersymmetric theories is a challenging and active endeavor. Several sophisticated algorithms have been employed to this end. While Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and nested sampling techniques are geared towards Bayesian inference, they have also been used to estimate frequentist confidence intervals based on the profile likelihood ratio. We investigate the performance and appropriate configuration of MULTINEST, a nested sampling based algorithm, when used for profile likelihood-based analyses both on toy models and on the parameter space of the Constrained MSSM. We find that while the standard configuration previously used in the literarture is appropriate for an accurate reconstruction of the Bayesian posterior, the profile likelihood is poorly approximated. We identify a more appropriate MULTINEST configuration for profile likelihood analyses, which gives an excellent exploration of the profile likelihood (albeit at a larger computational cost), including the identification of the global maximum likelihood value. We conclude that with the appropriate configuration MULTINEST is a suitable tool for profile likelihood studies, indicating previous claims to the contrary are not well founded.

Abstract: This work aims to present the current state of simulations of electroluminescence (EL) produced in gas-based detectors with special interest for NEXT – Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC. NEXT is a neutrinoless double beta decay experiment, thus needs outstanding energy resolution which can be achieved by using electroluminescence. The process of light production is reviewed and properties such as EL yield and associated fluctuations, excitation and electroluminescence efficiencies, and energy resolution, are calculated. An EL production region with a 5 mm width gap between two infinite parallel planes is considered, where a uniform electric field is produced. The pressure and temperature considered are 10 bar and 293 K, respectively. The results show that, even for low values of VUV photon detection efficiency, good energy resolution can be achieved: below 0.4% (FWHM) at Q(beta beta) = 2.458 MeV.

Abstract: In this work we consider the renormalization of the chiral two-pion exchange potential with explicit Delta excitations for nucleon-nucleon scattering at next-to-leading (NLO) and next-to-next-to-leading order (N(2)LO). Because of the singular nature of the chiral potentials, correlations between different partial waves are generated. In particular, we show that two-body scattering by a short distance power like singular attractive interaction can be renormalized in all partial waves with a single counterterm, provided the singularities are identical. A parallel statement holds in the presence of tensor interactions when the eigenpotentials in the coupled channel problem also coincide. Although this construction reduces the total number of counterterms to 11 in the case of nucleon-nucleon scattering with chiral two-pion exchange interactions with Delta degrees of freedom, the differences in the scattering phases as compared to the case with the uncorrelated partial-wave renormalization become smaller as the angular momentum is increased in the elastic scattering region.