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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. (2018). Constraints on off-shell Higgs boson production and the Higgs boson total width in ZZ -> 4l and ZZ -> 2l2v final states with the ATLAS detector. Phys. Lett. B, 786, 223–244.
Abstract: A measurement of off-shell Higgs boson production in the ZZ -> 4l and ZZ -> 2l2v decay channels, where stands for either an electron or a muon, is performed using data from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 13 TeV. The data were collected by the ATLAS experiment in 2015 and 2016 at the Large Hadron Collider, and they correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.1 fb(-1). An observed (expected) upper limit on the off-shell Higgs signal strength, defined as the event yield normalised to the Standard Model prediction, of 3.8 (3.4) is obtained at 95% confidence level (CL). Assuming the ratio of the Higgs boson couplings to the Standard Model predictions is independent of the momentum transfer of the Higgs production mechanism considered in the analysis, a combination with the on-shell signal-strength measurements yields an observed (expected) 95% CL upper limit on the Higgs boson total width of 14.4 (15.2) MeV.
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Vagnozzi, S., Dhawan, S., Gerbino, M., Freese, K., Goobar, A., & Mena, O. (2018). Constraints on the sum of the neutrino masses in dynamical dark energy models with w(z) >=-1 are tighter than those obtained in Lambda CDM. Phys. Rev. D, 98(8), 083501–20pp.
Abstract: We explore cosmological constraints on the sum of the three active neutrino masses M-v in the context of dynamical dark energy (DDE) models with equation of state (EoS) parametrized as a function of redshift z by w(z) = w(0) + w(a)z/ (1 + z), and satisfying w(z) >= -1 for all z. We make use of cosmic microwave background data from the Planck satellite, baryon acoustic oscillation measurements, and supernovae la luminosity distance measurements, and perform a Bayesian analysis. We show that, within these models, the bounds on M-v do not degrade with respect to those obtained in the Lambda CDM case; in fact, the bounds arc slightly tighter, despite the enlarged parameter space. We explain our results based on the observation that, for fixed choices of w(0), w(a) such that w(z) >= -1 (but not w = -1 for all z), the upper limit on M-v is tighter than the Lambda CDM limit because of the well-known degeneracy between w and M-v. The Bayesian analysis we have carried out then integrates over the possible values of w(0)-w(a) such that w(z) >= -1, all of which correspond to tighter limits on M-v than the Lambda CDM limit. We find a 95% credible interval (C.I.) upper bound of M-v < 0.13 eV. This bound can be compared with the 95% C.I. upper bounds of M-v < 0.16 eV, obtained within the Lambda CDM model, and M-v < 0.41 eV, obtained in a DDE model with arbitrary EoS (which allows values of w < -1). Contrary to the results derived for DDE models with arbitrary EoS, we find that a dark energy component with w(z) >= -1 is unable to alleviate the tension between high-redshift observables and direct measurements of the Hubble constant H o . Finally, in light of the results of this analysis, we also discuss the implications for DDE models of a possible determination of the neutrino mass ordering by laboratory searches.
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Albaladejo, M., Fernandez-Soler, P., Nieves, J., & Ortega, P. G. (2018). Contribution of constituent quark model c(s)over-bar states to the dynamics of the D*s0 (2317) and Ds1(2460) resonances. Eur. Phys. J. C, 78(9), 722–22pp.
Abstract: The masses of the D*(s0) (2317) and D-s1(2460) resonances lie below the DK and D* K thresholds respectively, which contradicts the predictions of naive quark models and points out to non-negligible effects of the D(*) K loops in the dynamics of the even-parity scalar (J(pi) = 0(+)) and axial-vector (J(pi) = 1(+)) c (s) over bar systems. Recent lattice QCD studies, incorporating the effects of the D(*) K channels, analyzed these spin-parity sectors and correctly described the D*(s0)(2317) – D-s1(2460) mass splitting. Motivated by such works, we study the structure of the D*(s0)(2317) and D-s1(2460) resonances in the framework of an effective field theory consistent with heavy quark spin symmetry, and that incorporates the interplay between D(*) K meson-meson degrees of freedom and bare P-wave c (s) over bar states predicted by constituent quark models. We extend the scheme to finite volumes and fit the strength of the coupling between both types of degrees of freedom to the available lattice levels, which we successfully describe. We finally estimate the size of the D(*) K two-meson components in the D*(s0)(2317) and D-s1(2460) resonances, and we conclude that these states have a predominantly hadronic-molecular structure, and that it should not be tried to accommodate these mesons within c (s) over bar constituent quark model patterns.
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de Medeiros Varzielas, I., Lopez-Ibañez, M. L., Melis, A., & Vives, O. (2018). Controlled flavor violation in the MSSM from a unified Delta(27) flavor symmetry. J. High Energy Phys., 09(9), 047–22pp.
Abstract: We study the phenomenology of a unified supersymmetric theory with a flavor symmetry Delta(27). The model accommodates quark and lepton masses, mixing angles and CP phases. In this model, the Dirac and Majorana mass matrices have a unified texture zero structure in the (1, 1) entry that leads to the Gatto-Sartori-Tonin relation between the Cabibbo angle and ratios of the masses in the quark sectors, and to a natural departure from zero of the theta 13(l) angle in the lepton sector. We derive the flavor structures of the trilinears and soft mass matrices, and show their general non-universality. This causes large flavor violating effects. As a consequence, the parameter space for this model is constrained, allowing it to be (dis)proven by flavor violation searches in the next decade. Although the results are model specific, we compare them to previous studies to show similar flavor effects (and associated constraints) are expected in general in supersymmetric flavor models, and may be used to distinguish them.
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Gimenez-Alventosa, V., Gimenez, V., Ballester, F., Vijande, J., & Andreo, P. (2018). Correction factors for ionization chamber measurements with the 'Valencia' and 'large field Valencia' brachytherapy applicators. Phys. Med. Biol., 63(12), 125004–10pp.
Abstract: Treatment of small skin lesions using HDR brachytherapy applicators is a widely used technique. The shielded applicators currently available in clinical practice are based on a tungsten-alloy cup that collimates the source-emitted radiation into a small region, hence protecting nearby tissues. The goal of this manuscript is to evaluate the correction factors required for dose measurements with a plane-parallel ionization chamber typically used in clinical brachytherapy for the 'Valencia' and 'large field Valencia' shielded applicators. Monte Carlo simulations have been performed using the PENELOPE-2014 system to determine the absorbed dose deposited in a water phantom and in the chamber active volume with a Type A uncertainty of the order of 0.1%. The average energies of the photon spectra arriving at the surface of the water phantom differ by approximately 10%, being 384 keV for the 'Valencia' and 343 keV for the 'large field Valencia'. The ionization chamber correction factors have been obtained for both applicators using three methods, their values depending on the applicator being considered. Using a depth-independent global chamber perturbation correction factor and no shift of the effective point of measurement yields depth-dose differences of up to 1% for the 'Valencia' applicator. Calculations using a depth-dependent global perturbation factor, or a shift of the effective point of measurement combined with a constant partial perturbation factor, result in differences of about 0.1% for both applicators. The results emphasize the relevance of carrying out detailed Monte Carlo studies for each shielded brachytherapy applicator and ionization chamber.
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Dudley, R. A., Anderson, P. R., Balbinot, R., & Fabbri, A. (2018). Correlation patterns from massive phonons in 1+1 dimensional acoustic black holes: A toy model. Phys. Rev. D, 98(12), 124011–18pp.
Abstract: Transverse excitations in analogue black holes induce a masslike term in the longitudinal mode equation. With a simple toy model we show that correlation functions display a rather rich structure characterized by groups of approximately parallel peaks. For the most part the structure is completely different from that found in the massless case.
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de Salas, P. F., Gariazzo, S., Laveder, M., Pastor, S., Pisanti, O., & Truong, N. (2018). Cosmological bounds on neutrino statistics. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 03(3), 050–18pp.
Abstract: We consider the phenomenological implications of the violation of the Pauli exclusion principle for neutrinos, focusing on cosmological observables such as the spectrum of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies, Baryon Acoustic Oscillations and the primordial abundances of light elements. Neutrinos that behave (at least partly) as bosonic particles have a modified equilibrium distribution function that implies a different influence on the evolution of the Universe that, in the case of massive neutrinos, can not be simply parametrized by a change in the effective number of neutrinos. Our results show that, despite the precision of the available cosmological data, only very weak bounds can be obtained on neutrino statistics, disfavouring a more bosonic behaviour at less than 2 sigma.
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Pavao, R., & Oset, E. (2018). Coupled channels dynamics in the generation of the Omega (2012) resonance. Eur. Phys. J. C, 78(10), 857–8pp.
Abstract: We look into the newly observed Omega (2012) state from the molecular perspective in which the resonance is generated from the (K) over bar Xi*, eta Omega and (K) over bar Xi channels. We find that this picture provides a natural explanation of the properties of the Omega (2012) state. We stress that the molecular nature of the resonance is revealed with a large coupling of the Omega (2012) to the (K) over bar Xi* channel, that can be observed in the Omega (2012) -> (K) over bar pi Xi decay which is incorporated automatically in our chiral unitary approach via the use of the spectral function of Xi* in the evaluation of the (K) over bar Xi* loop function.
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Binosi, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2018). Coupled dynamics in gluon mass generation and the impact of the three-gluon vertex. Phys. Rev. D, 97(5), 054029–15pp.
Abstract: We present a detailed study of the subtle interplay transpiring at the level of two integral equations that are instrumental for the dynamical generation of a gluon mass in pure Yang-Mills theories. The main novelty is the joint treatment of the Schwinger-Dyson equation governing the infrared behavior of the gluon propagator and of the integral equation that controls the formation of massless bound-state excitations, whose inclusion is instrumental for obtaining massive solutions from the former equation. The self-consistency of the entire approach imposes the requirement of using a single value for the gauge coupling entering in the two key equations; its fulfilment depends crucially on the details of the three-gluon vertex, which contributes to both of them, but with different weight. In particular, the characteristic suppression of this vertex at intermediate and low energies enables the convergence of the iteration procedure to a single gauge coupling, whose value is reasonably close to that extracted from related lattice simulations.
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Harko, T., Koivisto, T. S., Lobo, F. S. N., Olmo, G. J., & Rubiera-Garcia, D. (2018). Coupling matter in modified Q gravity. Phys. Rev. D, 98(8), 084043–13pp.
Abstract: We present a novel theory of gravity by considering an extension of symmetric teleparallel gravity. This is done by introducing, in the framework of the metric-affine formalism, a new class of theories where the nonmetricity Q is nonminimally coupled to the matter Lagrangian. More specifically, we consider a Lagrangian of the form L similar to f(1)(Q) + f(2)(Q)L-M, where f(1) and f(2) are generic functions of Q, and L-M is the matter Lagrangian. This nonminimal coupling entails the nonconservation of the energy-momentum tensor, and consequently the appearance of an extra force. The formulation of the gravity sector in terms of the Q instead of the curvature may result in subtle improvements of the theory. In the context of nonminimal matter couplings, we are therefore motivated to explore whether the new geometrical formulation in terms of the Q, when implemented also in the matter sector, would allow more universally consistent and viable realizations of the nonminimal coupling. Furthermore, we consider several cosmological applications by presenting the evolution equations and imposing specific functional forms of the functions f(1)(Q) and f(2)(Q), such as power-law and exponential dependencies of the nonminimal couplings. Cosmological solutions are considered in two general classes of models, and found to feature accelerating expansion at late times.
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