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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). Measurement of forward top pair production in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV. J. High Energy Phys., 08(8), 174–19pp.
Abstract: Forward top quark pair production is studied in pp collisions in the μeb final state using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.93 fb(-1) collected with the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The cross-section is measured in a fiducial region where both leptons have a transverse momentum greater than 20 GeV and a pseudorapidity between 2.0 and 4.5. The quadrature sum of the azimuthal separation and the difference in pseudorapidities, denoted AR, between the two leptons must be larger than 0.1. The b-jet axis is required to be separated from both leptons by a Delta R of 0.5, and to have a transverse momentum in excess of 20 GeV and a pseudorapidity between 2.2 and 4.2. The cross-section is measured to be sigma(t (t) over bar )= 126 +/- 19 (stat) +/- 16 (sts) +/- 5 (lumi) fb where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third is due to the luminosity determination. The measurement is compatible with the Standard Model prediction.
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Barrientos, E., Lobo, F. S. N., Mendoza, S., Olmo, G. J., & Rubiera-Garcia, D. (2018). Metric-affine f(R,T) theories of gravity and their applications. Phys. Rev. D, 97(10), 104041–10pp.
Abstract: We study f (R, T) theories of gravity, where T is the trace of the energy-momentum tensor T-mu v, with independent metric and affine connection (metric-affine theories). We find that the resulting field equations share a close resemblance with their metric-affine f(R) relatives once an effective energy-momentum tensor is introduced. As a result, the metric field equations are second-order and no new propagating degrees of freedom arise as compared to GR, which contrasts with the metric formulation of these theories, where a dynamical scalar degree of freedom is present. Analogously to its metric counterpart, the field equations impose the nonconservation of the energy-momentum tensor, which implies nongeodesic motion arid consequently leads to the appearance of an extra force. The weak field limit leads to a modified Poisson equation formally identical to that found in Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld gravity. Furthermore, the coupling of these gravity theories to perfect fluids, electromagnetic, and scalar fields, and their potential applications arc discussed.
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Kuo, J. L., Lattanzi, M., Cheung, K., & Valle, J. W. F. (2018). Decaying warm dark matter and structure formation. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 12(12), 026–24pp.
Abstract: We examine the cosmology of warm dark matter (WDM), both stable and decaying, from the point of view of structure formation. We compare the matter power spectrum associated to WDM masses of 1.5 keV and 0.158 keV, with that expected for the stable cold dark matter ACDM Xi SCDM paradigm, taken as our reference model. We scrutinize the effects associated to the warm nature of dark matter, as well as the fact that it decays. The decaying warm dark matter (DWDM) scenario is well-motivated, emerging in a broad class of particle physics theories where neutrino masses arise from the spontaneous breaking of a continuous global lepton number symmetry. The majoron arises as a Nambu-Goldstone boson, and picks up a mass from gravitational effects, that explicitly violate global symmetries. The majoron necessarily decays to neutrinos, with an amplitude proportional to their tiny mass, which typically gives it cosmologically long lifetimes. Using N-body simulations we show that our DWDM picture leads to a viable alternative to the ACDM scenario, with predictions that can differ substantially on small scales.
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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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Donini, A., Palomares-Ruiz, S., & Salvado, J. (2019). Neutrino tomography of Earth. Nat. Phys., 15(1), 37–40.
Abstract: Cosmic-ray interactions with the atmosphere produce a flux of neutrinos in all directions with energies extending above the TeV scale(1). The Earth is not a fully transparent medium for neutrinos with energies above a few TeV, as the neutrinonucleon cross-section is large enough to make the absorption probability non-negligible(2). Since absorption depends on energy and distance travelled, studying the distribution of the TeV atmospheric neutrinos passing through the Earth offers an opportunity to infer its density profiles(3-7). This has never been done, however, due to the lack of relevant data. Here we perform a neutrino-based tomography of the Earth using actual data-one-year of through-going muon atmospheric neutrino data collected by the IceCube telescope(8). Using only weak interactions, in a way that is completely independent of gravitational measurements, we are able to determine the mass of the Earth and its core, its moment of inertia, and to establish that the core is denser than the mantle. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach to study the Earth's internal structure, which is complementary to traditional geophysics methods. Neutrino tomography could become more competitive as soon as more statistics is available, provided that the sources of systematic uncertainties are fully under control.
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Caballero-Folch, R. et al, Agramunt, J., Tain, J. L., Algora, A., Domingo-Pardo, C., Guadilla, V., et al. (2018). First determination of beta-delayed multiple neutron emission beyond A=100 through direct neutron measurement: The P-2n value of Sb-136. Phys. Rev. C, 98(3), 034310–10pp.
Abstract: Background: beta-delayed multiple neutron emission has been observed for some nuclei with A <= 100 being the Rb-100 the heaviest beta 2n emitter measured to date. So far only 25 P-2n values have been determined for the approximate to 300 nuclei that may decay in this way. Accordingly it is of interest to measure P-2n values for the other possible multiple neutron emitters throughout the chart of the nuclides. It is of particular interest to make such a measurement for nuclei with A > 100 to test the predictions of theoretical models and simulation tools for the decays of heavy nuclei in the region of very neutron-rich nuclei. In addition the decay properties of these nuclei are fundamental for the understanding of astrophysical nucleosynthesis processes such as the r-process and safety inputs for nuclear reactors. Purpose: To determine for the first time the two-neutron branching ratio the P-2n value for Sb-136 through a direct neutron measurement and to provide precise P-1n values for Sb-136 and Te-136. Method: A pure beam of each isotope of interest was provided by the JYFLTRAP Penning trap at the Ion Guide Isotope Separator On-Line (IGISOL) facility of the University of Jyvaskyla Finland. The purified ions were implanted into a moving tape at the end of the beam line. The detection setup consisted of a plastic scintillator placed right behind the implantation point after the tape to register the beta decays and the BELEN detector based on neutron counters embedded in a polyethylene matrix. The analysis was based on the study of the beta- and neutron-growth-and-decay curves and the beta-one-neutron and beta-two-neutron time correlations which allowed us the determination of the neutron branching ratios. Results: The P-2n value of Sb-136 was found to be 0.14(3)% and the measured P-1n values for Sb-136 and Te-136 were found to be 32.2(15)% and 1.47(6)% respectively. Conclusions: The measured P-2n value is a factor 44 smaller than predicted by the finite-range droplet model plus the quasiparticle random-phase approximation (FRDM+QRPA) model used for r-process calculations.
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Fileviez Perez, P., & Murgui, C. (2018). Dark matter and the seesaw scale. Phys. Rev. D, 98(5), 055008–9pp.
Abstract: We discuss the possibility of finding an upper hound on the seesaw scale using the cosmological bound on the cold dark matter relic density. We investigate a simple relation between the origin of neutrino masses and the properties of a dark matter candidate in a simple theory where the new symmetry breaking scale defines the seesaw scale. Imposing the cosmological hounds, we find an upper bound of order multi-TeV on the lepton number violation scale. We investigate the predictions for direct and indirect detection dark matter experiments and the possible signatures at the Large Hadron Collider.
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Oset, E., & Roca, L. (2018). Triangle mechanism in tau -> f(1)(1285)pi nu(tau) decay. Phys. Lett. B, 782, 332–338.
Abstract: We show that the tau(-) decay into f(1)(1285) pi(-)nu(tau) is dominated by a triangle loop mechanism with K*, (K) over bar* and K( or (K) over bar) as internal lines, which manifests a strong enhancement reminiscent of a nearby singularity present in the narrow K* limit and the near (K) over bar* K* threshold of the internal K* propagators. The f1(1285) is then produced by its coupling to the K* (K) over bar and (K) over bar* K which is obtained from a previous model where this resonance was dynamically generated as a molecular K* (K) over bar (or (K) over bar* K) state using the techniques of the chiral unitary approach. We make predictions for the f(1)pi mass distribution which significantly deviates from the phase-space shape, due to the distortion caused by the triangle mechanism and the K* (K) over bar threshold. We find a good agreement with the experimental value within uncertainties for the integrated partial decay width, which is a clear indication of the importance of the triangle mechanism in this decay and supports the dynamical origin of the f(1)(1285) as a K* (K) over bar and (K) over bar* K molecular state.
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Escudero, M., Lopez-Honorez, L., Mena, O., Palomares-Ruiz, S., & Villanueva-Domingo, P. (2018). A fresh look into the interacting dark matter scenario. J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys., 06(6), 007–35pp.
Abstract: The elastic scattering between dark matter particles and radiation represents an attractive possibility to solve a number of discrepancies between observations and standard cold dark matter predictions, as the induced collisional damping would imply a suppression of small-scale structures. We consider this scenario and confront it with measurements of the ionization history of the Universe at several redshifts and with recent estimates of the counts of Milky Way satellite galaxies. We derive a conservative upper bound on the dark matter photon elastic scattering cross section of sigma gamma DM < 8 x 10(-10) sigma(T) (m(DM)/GeV) at 95% CL, about one order of magnitude tighter than previous constraints from satellite number counts. Due to the strong degeneracies with astrophysical parameters, the bound on the dark matter-photon scattering cross section derived here is driven by the estimate of the number of Milky Way satellite galaxies. Finally, we also argue that future 21 cm probes could help in disentangling among possible non-cold dark matter candidates, such as interacting and warm dark matter scenarios. Let us emphasize that bounds of similar magnitude to the ones obtained here could be also derived for models with dark matter-neutrino interactions and would be as constraining as the tightest limits on such scenarios.
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Botella, F. J., Cornet-Gomez, F., & Nebot, M. (2018). Flavor conservation in two-Higgs-doublet models. Phys. Rev. D, 98(3), 035046–25pp.
Abstract: In extensions of the Standard Model with two Higgs doublets, flavor-changing Yukawa couplings of the neutral scalars may be present at tree level. In this work, we consider the most general scenario in which those flavor-changing couplings are absent. We revise the conditions that the Yukawa coupling matrices must obey for such general flavour conservation (gFC) and study the one-loop renormalization group evolution of such conditions in both the quark and lepton sectors. We show that gFC in the leptonic sector is one-loop stable under the renormalization group evolution, and in the quark sector, we present some new Cabibbo-like solution also one-loop stable under renormalization group evolution. At a phenomenological level, we obtain the regions for the different gFC parameters that are allowed by the existing experimental constraints related to the 125 GeV Higgs.
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