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n_TOF Collaboration(Barbagallo, M. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2016). Be-7(n,alpha)He-4 Reaction and the Cosmological Lithium Problem: Measurement of the Cross Section in a Wide Energy Range at n_TOF at CERN. Phys. Rev. Lett., 117(15), 152701–7pp.
Abstract: The energy-dependent cross section of the (7)Bed(n,alpha)He-4 reaction, of interest for the so-called cosmological lithium problem in big bang nucleosynthesis, has been measured for the first time from 10 meV to 10 keV neutron energy. The challenges posed by the short half-life of Be-7 and by the low reaction cross section have been overcome at nTOF thanks to an unprecedented combination of the extremely high luminosity and good resolution of the neutron beam in the new experimental area (EAR2) of the nTOF facility at CERN, the availability of a sufficient amount of chemically pure Be-7, and a specifically designed experimental setup. Coincidences between the two alpha particles have been recorded in two Si-Be-7-Si arrays placed directly in the neutron beam. The present results are consistent, at thermal neutron energy, with the only previous measurement performed in the 1960s at a nuclear reactor. The energy dependence reported here clearly indicates the inadequacy of the cross section estimates currently used in BBN calculations. Although new measurements at higher neutron energy may still be needed, the n_TOF results hint at a minor role of this reaction in BBN, leaving the long-standing cosmological lithium problem unsolved.
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n_TOF Collaboration(Damone, L. et al), Domingo-Pardo, C., Tain, J. L., & Tarifeño-Saldivia, A. (2018). Be-7 (n,p)Li-7 Reaction and the Cosmological Lithium Problem: Measurement of the Cross Section in a Wide Energy Range at n_TOF at CERN. Phys. Rev. Lett., 121(4), 042701–7pp.
Abstract: We report on the measurement of the Be-7(n,p)Li-7 cross section from thermal to approximately 325 keV neutron energy, performed in the high-flux experimental area (EAR2) of the n_TOF facility at CERN. This reaction plays a key role in the lithium yield of the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) for standard cosmology. The only two previous time-of-flight measurements performed on this reaction did not cover the energy window of interest for BBN, and they showed a large discrepancy between each other. The measurement was performed with a Si telescope and a high-purity sample produced by implantation of a Be-7 ion beam at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. While a significantly higher cross section is found at low energy, relative to current evaluations, in the region of BBN interest, the present results are consistent with the values inferred from the time-reversal Li-7(p,n)Be-7 reaction, thus yielding only a relatively minor improvement on the so-called cosmological lithium problem. The relevance of these results on the near-threshold neutron production in the p + Li-7 reaction is also discussed.
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Batra, A., Camara, H. B., Joaquim, F. R., Srivastava, R., & Valle, J. W. F. (2024). Axion Paradigm with Color-Mediated Neutrino Masses. Phys. Rev. Lett., 132(5), 051801–7pp.
Abstract: We propose a generalized Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zakharov-type axion framework in which colored fermions and scalars act as two -loop Majorana neutrino -mass mediators. The global Peccei-Quinn symmetry under which exotic fermions are charged solves the strong CP problem. Within our general proposal, various setups can be distinguished by probing the axion-to-photon coupling at helioscopes and haloscopes. We also comment on axion dark -matter production in the early Universe.
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Herrero-Garcia, J., Schwetz, T., & Zupan, J. (2012). Astrophysics independent bounds on the annual modulation of dark matter signals. Phys. Rev. Lett., 109(14), 141301–5pp.
Abstract: We show how constraints on the time integrated event rate from a given dark matter (DM) direct detection experiment can be used to bound the amplitude of the annual modulation signal in another experiment. The method requires only mild assumptions about the properties of the local DM distribution: that it is temporally stable on the scale of months and spatially homogeneous on the ecliptic. We apply the method to the annual modulation signal in DAMA/LIBRA, which we compare to the bounds derived from XENON10, XENON100, cryogenic DM search, and SIMPLE data. Assuming a DM mass of 10 GeV, we show that under the above assumptions about the DM halo, a DM interpretation of the DAMA/LIBRA signal is excluded for several classes of models: at 6.3 sigma (4.6 sigma) for elastic isospin conserving (violating) spin-independent interactions, and at 4.9 sigma for elastic spin-dependent interactions on protons.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Henry, L., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., et al. (2021). Angular Analysis of the B+ -> K*(+)mu(+) mu(-) Decay. Phys. Rev. Lett., 126(16), 161802–11pp.
Abstract: We present an angular analysis of the B+ -> K*(+)(-> K-S(0)pi(+))mu(+) mu(-) decay using 9 fb(-1) of pp collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. For the first time, the full set of CP-averaged angular observables is measured in intervals of the dimuon invariant mass squared. Local deviations from standard model predictions are observed, similar to those in previous LHCb analyses of the isospin-partner B-0 -> K*(0)mu(+)mu(-) decay. The global tension is dependent on which effective couplings are considered and on the choice of theory nuisance parameters.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., & Ruiz Vidal, J. (2022). Angular Analysis of D0 -> x plus x-mu plus mu- and D0 -> K plus K-mu plus mu- Decays and Search for CP Violation. Phys. Rev. Lett., 128(22), 221801–11pp.
Abstract: The first full angular analysis and an updated measurement of the decay-rate CP asymmetry of the D0→π+π−μ+μ− and D0→K+K−μ+μ− decays are reported. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. The full set of CP-averaged angular observables and their CP asymmetries are measured as a function of the dimuon invariant mass. The results are consistent with expectations from the standard model and with CP symmetry.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., Remon Alepuz, C., & Ruiz Vidal, J. (2022). Analysis of Neutral B-Meson Decays into Two Muons. Phys. Rev. Lett., 128(4), 041801–13pp.
Abstract: The branching fraction B(B-s(0)->mu(+)mu(-)) = (3.09(-0.43-0.11)(+0.46+0.15)) x 10(-9) and the effective lifetime to tau(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)) = 2.07 +/- 0.29 +/- 0.03 ps are measured, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. No significant signal for B-0 ->mu(+)mu(-)gamma) and B-s(0)->mu(+)mu(-)gamma decays is found and upper limits B(B(B-0 ->mu(+)mu(-)) < 2.6 x 10(-10) and B(B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma) < 2.0 x 10(-9) at the 95% C.L. are determined, where the latter is limited to the range m(mu mu) > 4.9 GeV/c(2). The results are in agreement with the standard model expectations.Branching fraction and effective lifetime measurements of the rare decay B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) and searches for the decays B-0 -> mu(+)mu(-) and B-s(0) -> mu(+)mu(-)gamma are reported using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at center-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to a luminosity of 9 fb(-1).
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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. (2018). Amplitude Analysis of the Decay (B)over-bar(0 )-> K-S(0)pi(+)pi(- )and First Observation of the CP Asymmetry in (B)over-bar(0 )-> K* (892)(-)pi(+). Phys. Rev. Lett., 120(26), 261801–10pp.
Abstract: The time-integrated untagged Dalitz plot of the three-body hadronic charmless decay (B) over bar (0 )-> K-S(0)pi(+)pi(- ) is studied using a pp collision data sample recorded with the LHCb detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1). The decay amplitude is described with an isobar model. Relative contributions of the isobar amplitudes to the (B) over bar (0 )-> K-S(0)pi(+)pi(- ) decay branching fraction and CP asymmetries of the flavor-specific amplitudes are measured. The CP asymmetry between the conjugate (B) over bar (0 )-> K* (892)(-)pi(+) and (B) over bar (0 )-> K* (892)(-)pi(+) decay rates is determined to be -0.308 +/- 0.062.
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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). Amplitude Analysis of the B0 -> K*0 μ+μ- Decay. Phys. Rev. Lett., 132(13), 131801–13pp.
Abstract: An amplitude analysis of the B-0 -> K*(0) mu(+)mu(-) decay is presented using a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.7 fb(-1) of pp collision data collected with the LHCb experiment. For the first time, the coefficients associated to short-distance physics effects, sensitive to processes beyond the standard model, are extracted directly from the data through a q(2)-unbinned amplitude analysis, where q(2) is the mu(+)mu(-) invariant mass squared. Long-distance contributions, which originate from nonfactorizable QCD processes, are systematically investigated, and the most accurate assessment to date of their impact on the physical observables is obtained. The pattern of measured corrections to the short-distance couplings is found to be consistent with previous analyses of b- to s-quark transitions, with the largest discrepancy from the standard model predictions found to be at the level of 1.8 standard deviations. The global significance of the observed differences in the decay is 1.4 standard deviations.
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LHCb Collaboration(Aaij, R. et al), Garcia Martin, L. M., Henry, L., Jashal, B. K., Martinez-Vidal, F., Oyanguren, A., et al. (2019). Amplitude Analysis of B-+/- -> pi(K+K-)-K-+/- Decays. Phys. Rev. Lett., 123(23), 231802–11pp.
Abstract: The first amplitude analysis of the B-+/- -> pi(K+K-)-K-+/- decay is reported based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) of pp collisions recorded in 2011 and 2012 with the LHCb detector. The data are found to be best described by a coherent sum of five resonant structures plus a nonresonant component and a contribution from pi pi <-> KK S-wave rescattering. The dominant contributions in the pi(+/-) K(-/+ )and K+ K- systems are the nonresonant and the B-+/- -> rho(1450)(0)pi(+/-) amplitudes, respectively, with fit fractions around 30%. For the rescattering contribution, a sizable fit fraction is observed. This component has the largest CP asymmetry reported to date for a single amplitude of (-66 +/- 4 +/- 2)%, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. No significant CP violation is observed in the other contributions.
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