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Arbelaez, C., Hirsch, M., & Restrepo, D. (2017). Fermionic triplet dark matter in an SO(10)-inspired left-right model. Phys. Rev. D, 95(9), 095034–9pp.
Abstract: We study a left right (LR) extension of the Standard Model (SM) where the Dark Matter(DM) candidate is composed of a set of fermionic Majorana triplets. The DM is stabilized by a remnant Z(2) symmetry from the breaking of the LR group to the SM. Two simple scenarios where the DM particles plus a certain set of extra fields lead to gauge coupling unification with a low LR scale are explored. The constraints from relic density and predictions for direct detection are discussed for both scenarios. The first scenario with a SUd(2)(R) vectorlike fermion triplet contains a DM candidate which is almost unconstrained by current direct detection experiments. The second scenario, with an additional SU(2)R triplet, opens up a scalar portal leading to direct detection constraints which are similar to collider limits for right gauge bosons. The DM parameter space consistent with phenomenological requirements can also lead to successful gauge coupling unification in a SO(10) setup.
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Cepedello, R., Hirsch, M., & Helo, J. C. (2017). Loop neutrino masses from d=7 operator. J. High Energy Phys., 07(7), 079–21pp.
Abstract: We discuss the generation of small neutrino masses from d = 71 -loop diagrams. We first systematically analyze all possible d = 7 1 -loop topologies. There is a total of 48 topologies, but only 8 of these can lead to “genuine” d = 7 neutrino masses. Here, we define genuine models to be models in which neither d = 5 nor d = 7 tree -level masses nor a d = 5 1 -loop mass appear, such that the d = 7 1 -loop is the leading order contribution to the neutrino masses. All genuine models can then be organized w.r.t. their particle content. We find there is only one diagram with no representation larger than triplet, while there are 22 diagrams with quadruplets. We briefly discuss three minimal example models of this kind.
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Cepedello, R., Hirsch, M., & Helo, J. C. (2018). Lepton number violating phenomenology of d=7 neutrino mass models. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 009–24pp.
Abstract: We study the phenomenology of d = 7 1-loop neutrino mass models. All models in this particular class require the existence of several new SU(2)(L) multiplets, both scalar and fermionic, and thus predict a rich phenomenology at the LHC. The observed neutrino masses and mixings can easily be fitted in these models. Interestingly, despite the smallness of the observed neutrino masses, some particular lepton number violating (LNV) final states can arise with observable branching ratios. These LNV final states consists of leptons and gauge bosons with high multiplicities, such as 4/ + 4W, 6/ + 2W etc. We study current constraints on these models from upper bounds on charged lepton flavour violating decays, existing lepton number conserving searches at the LHC and discuss possible future LNV searches.
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Anamiati, G., Fonseca, R. M., & Hirsch, M. (2018). Quasi-Dirac neutrino oscillations. Phys. Rev. D, 97(9), 095008–16pp.
Abstract: Dirac neutrino masses require two distinct neutral Weyl spinors per generation, with a special arrangement of masses and interactions with charged leptons. Once this arrangement is perturbed, lepton number is no longer conserved and neutrinos become Majorana particles. If these lepton number violating perturbations are small compared to the Dirac mass terms, neutrinos are quasi-Dirac particles. Alternatively, this scenario can be characterized by the existence of pairs of neutrinos with almost degenerate masses, and a lepton mixing matrix which has 12 angles and 12 phases. In this work we discuss the phenomenology of quasi-Dirac neutrino oscillations and derive limits on the relevant parameter space from various experiments. In one parameter perturbations of the Dirac limit, very stringent bounds can be derived on the mass splittings between the almost degenerate pairs of neutrinos. However, we also demonstrate that with suitable changes to the lepton mixing matrix, limits on such mass splittings are much weaker, or even completely absent. Finally, we consider the possibility that the mass splittings are too small to be measured and discuss bounds on the new, nonstandard lepton mixing angles from current experiments for this case.
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Hirsch, M., Srivastava, R., & Valle, J. W. F. (2018). Can one ever prove that neutrinos are Dirac particles? Phys. Lett. B, 781, 302–305.
Abstract: According to the “Black Box” theorem the experimental confirmation of neutrinoless double beta decay (0 nu 2 beta) would imply that at least one of the neutrinos is a Majorana particle. However, a null 0 nu 2 beta signal cannot decide the nature of neutrinos, as it can be suppressed even for Majorana neutrinos. In this letter we argue that if the null 0 nu 2 beta decay signal is accompanied by a 0 nu 2 beta quadruple beta decay signal, then at least one neutrino should be a Dirac particle. This argument holds irrespective of the underlying processes leading to such decays.
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Gonzalez, M., Hirsch, M., & Kovalenko, S. G. (2018). Neutrinoless double beta decay and QCD running at low energy scales. Phys. Rev. D, 97(11), 115005–6pp.
Abstract: There is a common belief that the main uncertainties in the theoretical analysis of neutrinoless double beta (0 nu beta beta) decay originate from the nuclear matrix elements. Here, we uncover another previously overlooked source of potentially large uncertainties stemming from nonperturbative QCD effects. Recently perturbative QCD corrections have been calculated for all dimension 6 and 9 effective operators describing 0 nu beta beta-decay and their importance for a reliable treatment of 0 nu beta beta-decay has been demonstrated. However, these perturbative results are valid at energy scales above similar to 1 GeV, while the typical 0 nu beta beta scale is about similar to 100 MeV. In view of this fact we examine the possibility of extrapolating the perturbative results towards sub-GeV nonperturbative scales on the basis of the QCD coupling constant “freezing” behavior using background perturbation theory. Our analysis suggests that such an infrared extrapolation does modify the perturbative results for both short-range and long-range mechanisms of 0 nu beta beta-decay in general only moderately. We also discuss that the tensor circle times tensor effective operator cannot appear alone in the low energy limit of any renormalizable high-scale model and then demonstrate that all five linearly independent combinations of the scalar and tensor operators, which can appear in renormalizable models, are infrared stable.
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Cottin, G., Helo, J. C., & Hirsch, M. (2018). Searches for light sterile neutrinos with multitrack displaced vertices. Phys. Rev. D, 97(5), 055025–6pp.
Abstract: We study discovery prospects for long-lived sterile neutrinos at the LHC with multitrack displaced vertices, with masses below the electroweak scale. We reinterpret current displaced vertex searches making use of publicly available, parametrized selection efficiencies for modeling the detector response to displaced vertices. We focus on the production of right-handed WR bosons and neutrinos N in a left-right symmetric model, and find poor sensitivity. After proposing a different trigger strategy ( considering the prompt lepton accompanying the neutrino displaced vertex) and optimized cuts in the invariant mass and track multiplicity of the vertex, we find that the LHC with root s = 13 TeV and 300 fb(-1) is able to probe sterile neutrino masses between 10 GeV < m(N) < 20 GeV ( for a right-handed gauge boson mass of 2 TeV < m(WR) < 3.5 TeV). To probe higher masses up to m(N) similar to 30 GeV and m(WR) < 5 TeV, 3000 fb(-1) will be needed. This work joins other efforts in motivating dedicated experimental searches to target this low sterile neutrino mass region.
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Fonseca, R. M., Hirsch, M., & Srivastava, R. (2018). Delta L=3 processes: Proton decay and the LHC. Phys. Rev. D, 97(7), 075026–7pp.
Abstract: We discuss lepton number violation in three units. From an effective field theory point of view, Delta L = 3 processes can only arise from dimension 9 or higher operators. These operators also violate baryon number, hence many of them will induce proton decay. Given the high dimensionality of these operators, in order to have a proton half-life in the observable range, the new physics associated to Delta L = 3 processes should be at a scale as low as 1 TeV. This opens up the possibility of searching for such processes not only in proton decay experiments but also at the LHC. In this work we analyze the relevant d = 9, 11, 13 operators which violate lepton number in three units. We then construct one simple concrete model with interesting low- and high-energy phenomenology.
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Helo, J. C., Hirsch, M., & Ota, T. (2018). Proton decay and light sterile neutrinos. J. High Energy Phys., 06(6), 047–15pp.
Abstract: Within the standard model, non-renormalizable operators at dimension six (d = 6) violate baryon and lepton number by one unit and thus lead to proton decay. Here, we point out that the proton decay mode with a charged pion and missing energy can be a characteristic signature of d = 6 operators containing a light sterile neutrino, if it is not accompanied by the standard pi(0)e(+) final state. We discuss this effect first at the level of effective operators and then provide a concrete model with new physics at the TeV scale, in which the lightness of the active neutrinos and the stability of the proton are related.
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Helo, J. C., Hirsch, M., & Wang, Z. S. (2018). Heavy neutral fermions at the high-luminosity LHC. J. High Energy Phys., 07(7), 056–23pp.
Abstract: Long-lived light particles (LLLPs) appear in many extensions of the standard model. LLLPs are usually motivated by the observed small neutrino masses, by dark matter or both. Typical examples for fermionic LLLPs (a.k.a. heavy neutral fermions, HNFs) are sterile neutrinos or the lightest neutralino in R-parity violating supersymmetry. The high luminosity LHC is expected to deliver up to 3/ab of data. Searches for LLLPs in dedicated experiments at the LHC could then probe the parameter space of LLLP models with unprecedented sensitivity. Here, we compare the prospects of several recent experimental proposals, FASER, CODEX-b and MATHUSLA, to search for HNFs and discuss their relative merits.s
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