Mongillo, M., Abdullahi, A., Banto Oberhauser, B., Crivelli, P., Hostert, M., Massaro, D., et al. (2023). Constraining light thermal inelastic dark matter with NA64. Eur. Phys. J. C, 83(5), 391–14pp.
Abstract: A vector portal between the Standard Model and the dark sector is a predictive and compelling framework for thermal dark matter. Through co-annihilations, models of inelastic dark matter (iDM) and inelastic Dirac dark matter (i2DM) can reproduce the observed relic density in the MeV to GeV mass range without violating cosmological limits. In these scenarios, the vector mediator behaves like a semi-visible particle, evading traditional bounds on visible or invisible resonances, and uncovering new parameter space to explain the muon (g – 2) anomaly. By means of a more inclusive signal definition at the NA64 experiment, we place new constraints on iDM and i2DM using a missing energy technique. With a recast-based analysis, we contextualize the NA64 exclusion limits in parameter space and estimate the reach of the newly collected and expected future NA64 data. Our results motivate the development of an optimized search program for semi-visible particles, in which fixed target experiments like NA64 provide a powerful probe in the sub-GeV mass range.
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Chatterjee, S. S., Lavignac, S., Miranda, O. G., & Sanchez Garcia, G. (2023). Constraining nonstandard interactions with coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering at the European Spallation Source. Phys. Rev. D, 107(5), 055019–17pp.
Abstract: The European Spallation Source (ESS), currently under construction in Sweden, will provide an intense pulsed neutrino flux allowing for high-statistics measurements of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) with advanced nuclear recoil detectors. In this paper, we investigate in detail the possibility of constraining nonstandard neutrino interactions (NSIs) through such precision CEvNS measurements at the ESS, considering the different proposed detection technologies, either alone or in combination. We first study the sensitivity to neutral-current NSI parameters that each detector can reach in 3 years of data taking. We then show that operating two detectors simultaneously can significantly improve the expected sensitivity on flavor-diagonal NSI parameters. Combining the results of two detectors turns out to be even more useful when two NSI parameters are assumed to be nonvanishing at a time. In this case, suitably chosen detector combinations can reduce the degeneracies between some pairs of NSI parameters to a small region of the parameter space.
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Servant, G., & Simakachorn, P. (2023). Constraining postinflationary axions with pulsar timing arrays. Phys. Rev. D, 108(12), 123516–16pp.
Abstract: Models that produce axionlike particles (ALPs) after cosmological inflation due to spontaneous U(1) symmetry breaking also produce cosmic-string networks. Those axionic strings lose energy through gravitational-wave emission during the whole cosmological history, generating a stochastic background of gravitational waves that spans many decades in frequency. We can therefore constrain the axion decay constant and axion mass from limits on the gravitational-wave spectrum and compatibility with dark matter abundance as well as dark radiation. We derive such limits from analyzing the most recent NANOGrav data from pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). The limits are similar to the Neff bounds on dark radiation for ALP masses ma less than or similar to 10-22 eV. On the other hand, for heavy ALPs with ma greater than or similar to 0.1 GeV and NDW not equal 1, new regions of parameter space can be probed by PTA data due to the dominant domain-wall contribution to the gravitational-wave background.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Amos, K. R., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cantero, J., et al. (2023). Constraints on spin-0 dark matter mediators and invisible Higgs decays using ATLAS 13 TeV pp collision data with two top quarks and missing transverse momentum in the final state. Eur. Phys. J. C, 83(6), 503–35pp.
Abstract: This paper presents a statistical combination of searches targeting final states with two top quarks and invisible particles, characterised by the presence of zero, one or two leptons, at least one jet originating from a b-quark and missing transverse momentum. The analyses are searches for phenomena beyond the Standard Model consistent with the direct production of dark matter in pp collisions at the LHC, using 139 fb(-1) of data collected with the ATLAS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The results are interpreted in terms of simplified dark matter models with a spin-0 scalar or pseudoscalar mediator particle. In addition, the results are interpreted in terms of upper limits on the Higgs boson invisible branching ratio, where the Higgs boson is produced according to the StandardModel in associationwith a pair of top quarks. For scalar (pseudoscalar) dark matter models, with all couplings set to unity, the statistical combination extends the mass range excluded by the best of the individual channels by 50 (25) GeV, excluding mediator masses up to 370 GeV. In addition, the statistical combination improves the expected coupling exclusion reach by 14% (24%), assuming a scalar (pseudoscalar) mediator mass of 10 GeV. An upper limit on the Higgs boson invisible branching ratio of 0.38 (0.30(-0.09)(+0.13)) is observed (expected) at 95% confidence level.
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ATLAS Collaboration(Aad, G. et al), Amos, K. R., Aparisi Pozo, J. A., Bailey, A. J., Cabrera Urban, S., Cantero, J., et al. (2023). Constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling from single- and double-Higgs production with the ATLAS detector using pp collisions at & RADIC;s=13 TeV. Phys. Lett. B, 843, 137745–20pp.
Abstract: Constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling are set by combining double-Higgs boson analyses in the bb over bar bb over bar , bb over bar & tau;+& tau;- and bb over bar & gamma; & gamma; decay channels with single-Higgs boson analyses targeting the & gamma;& gamma;, Z Z*, W W *, & tau;+& tau;- and bb over bar decay channels. The data used in these analyses were recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at & RADIC;s = 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 126-139 fb-1. The combination of the double-Higgs analyses sets an upper limit of & mu;HH < 2.4 at 95% confidence level on the double-Higgs production cross-section normalised to its Standard Model prediction. Combining the single-Higgs and double-Higgs analyses, with the assumption that new physics affects only the Higgs boson self-coupling (& lambda;HHH), values outside the interval -0.4 < & kappa;& lambda; = (& lambda;HHH/& lambda;SM H H H ) < 6.3 are excluded at 95% confidence level. The combined single-Higgs and double-Higgs analyses provide results with fewer assumptions, by adding in the fit more coupling modifiers introduced to account for the Higgs boson interactions with the other Standard Model particles. In this relaxed scenario, the constraint becomes -1.4 < & kappa;& lambda; < 6.1 at 95% CL.
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