Abstract: Solar neutrinos induce elastic neutrino-electron scattering in dark matter direct detection experiments, resulting in detectable event rates at current facilities. We analyze recent data from the XENONnT, LUX-ZEPLIN, and PandaX-4T experiments and we derive stringent constraints on several U(1) ' extensions of the Standard Model, accommodating new neutrino-electron interactions. We provide bounds on the relevant coupling and mass of light vector mediators for a variety of models, including the anomaly-free B – L model, lepton flavor-dependent interactions like L alpha – L beta , B – 2L e – L mu,tau , B – 3L alpha , and B + 2L μ+ 2L tau models. We compare our results with other limits obtained in the literature from both terrestrial and astrophysical experiments. Finally, we present forecasts for improving current bounds with a future experiment like DARWIN.

Abstract: Einstenian cubic gravity (ECG) is a modified theory of gravity constructed with cubic contractions of the curvature tensor. This theory has the remarkable feature of having the same two propagating degrees of freedom of Einstein gravity (EG), at the perturbative level on maximally symmetric spacetimes. The additional unstable modes steaming from the higher order derivative dynamics are suppressed provided that we consider the ECG as an effective field theory wherein the cubic terms are seen as perturbative corrections of the Einstein -Hilbert term. Extensions of ECG have been proposed in cosmology and compact objects in order to probe if this property holds in more general configurations. In this work, we construct a modified ECG gravity in a five dimensional warped braneworld scenario. By assuming a specific combination of the cubic parameters, we obtained modified gravity equations of motion with terms up to second -order. For a thin 3-brane, the cubic -gravity corrections yield an effective positive bulk cosmological constant. Thus, in order to keep the 5D bulk warped compact, an upper bound of the cubic parameter with respect to the bulk curvature was imposed. For a thick brane, the cubic -gravity terms modify the scalar field potential and its corresponding vacuum. Nonetheless, the domain -wall structure with a localized source is preserved. At the perturbative level, the Kaluza-Klein (KK) tensor gravitational modes are stable and possess a localized massless mode provided the cubic corrections are small compared to the EG braneworld.

Abstract: The Sun may capture asymmetric dark matter (DM), which can subsequently form bound-states through the radiative emission of a sub-GeV scalar. This process enables generation of scalars without requiring DM annihilation. In addition to DM capture on nucleons, the DM-scalar coupling responsible for bound-state formation also induces capture from self-scatterings of ambient DM particles with DM particles already captured, as well as with DM bound-states formed in-situ within the Sun. This scenario is studied in detail by solving Boltzmann equations numerically and analytically. In particular, we take into consideration that the DM self-capture rates require a treatment beyond the conventional Born approximation. We show that, thanks to DM scatterings on bound-states, the number of DM particles captured increases exponentially, leading to enhanced emission of relativistic scalars through bound-state formation, whose final decay products could be observable. We explore phenomenological signatures with the example that the scalar mediator decays to neutrinos. We find that the neutrino flux emitted can be comparable to atmospheric neutrino fluxes within the range of energies below one hundred MeV. Future facilities like Hyper-K, and direct DM detection experiments can further test such scenario.

Abstract: The very first light captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealed a population of galaxies at very high redshifts more massive than expected in the canonical Lambda CDM model of structure formation. Barring, among others, a systematic origin of the issue, in this paper, we test alternative cosmological perturbation histories. We argue that models with a larger matter component ohm m and/or a larger scalar spectral index n s can substantially improve the fit to JWST measurements. In this regard, phenomenological extensions related to the dark energy sector of the theory are appealing alternatives, with Early Dark Energy emerging as an excellent candidate to explain (at least in part) the unexpected JWST preference for larger stellar mass densities. Conversely, Interacting Dark Energy models, despite producing higher values of matter clustering parameters such as sigma 8 , are generally disfavored by JWST measurements. This is due to the energy -momentum flow from the dark matter to the dark energy sector, implying a smaller matter energy density. Upcoming observations may either strengthen the evidence or falsify some of these appealing phenomenological alternatives to the simplest Lambda CDM picture.

Abstract: A generic search for resonances is performed with events containing a Z boson with transverse momentum greater than 100 GeV, decaying into e+e− or μ+μ−. The analysed data collected with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider correspond to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. Two invariant mass distributions are examined for a localised excess relative to the expected Standard Model background in six independent event categories (and their inclusive sum) to increase the sensitivity. No significant excess is observed. Exclusion limits at 95% confidence level are derived for two cases: a model-independent interpretation of Gaussian-shaped resonances with the mass width between 3% and 10% of the resonance mass, and a specific heavy vector triplet model with the decay mode W′ → ZW → ℓℓqq.