Gomez-Cadenas, J. J., Martin-Albo, J., Menendez, J., Mezzetto, M., Monrabal, F., & Sorel, M. (2024). The search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. Riv. Nuovo Cimento, 46, 619–692.
Abstract: Neutrinos are the only particles in the Standard Model that could be Majorana fermions, that is, completely neutral fermions that are their own antiparticles. The most sensitive known experimental method to verify whether neutrinos are Majorana particles is the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay. The last 2 decades have witnessed the development of a vigorous program of neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments, spanning several isotopes and developing different strategies to handle the backgrounds masking a possible signal. In addition, remarkable progress has been made in the understanding of the nuclear matrix elements of neutrinoless double-beta decay, thus reducing a substantial part of the theoretical uncertainties affecting the particle-physics interpretation of the process. On the other hand, the negative results by several experiments, combined with the hints that the neutrino mass ordering could be normal, may imply very long lifetimes for the neutrinoless double-beta decay process. In this report, we review the main aspects of such process, the recent progress on theoretical ideas and the experimental state of the art. We then consider the experimental challenges to be addressed to increase the sensitivity to detect the process in the likely case that lifetimes are much longer than currently explored, and discuss a selection of the most promising experimental efforts.
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Penalva, N., Flynn, J. M., Hernandez, E., & Nieves, J. (2024). Study of new physics effects in (B)over-bars → Ds(*) τ-(ν)over-bar τ semileptonic decays using lattice QCD form factors and heavy quark effective theory. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 163–33pp.
Abstract: We benefit from the lattice QCD determination by the HPQCD of the Standard Model (SM) form factors for the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s [Phys. Rev. D101(2020) 074513] and the SM and tensor ones for the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s* (arXiv:2304.03137[hep-lat]) semileptonic decays, and the heavy quark effective theory (HQET) relations for the analogous B -> D-(*()) decays obtained by F.U. Bernlochner et al. in Phys. Rev. D95(2017) 115008, to extract the leading and sub-leading Isgur-Wise functions for the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s(()*()) decays. Further use of the HQET relations allows us to evaluate the corresponding scalar, pseudoscalar and tensor form factors needed for a phenomenological study of new physics (NP) effects on the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s(()*()) semileptonic decay. At present, the experimental values for the ratios R-D(*) = Gamma[ (B) over bar -> D-(*())(tau- (nu) over bar tau)]/Gamma[(B) over bar -> D-(*())e(-)(mu(-)) (nu) over bar (e(mu))]are the best signal in favor of lepton flavor universality violation (LFUV) seen in charged current (CC) b -> c decays. In this work we conduct a study of NP effects on the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s(()*()) tau(-)(tau) semileptonic decays by comparing tau spin, angular and spin-angular asymmetry distributions obtained within the SM and three different NP scenarios. As expected from SU(3) light-flavor symmetry, we get results close to the ones found in a similar analysis of the (B) over bar -> D-(*()) case. The measurement of the (B) over bar (s) -> D-s(()*())(l (nu) over bar tau) semileptonic decays, which is within reach of present experiments, could then be of relevance in helping to establish or rule out LFUV in CC b -> c transitions.
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Araujo Filho, A. A., Hassanabadi, H., Heidari, N., Kriz, J., & Zare, S. (2024). Gravitational traces of bumblebee gravity in metric-affine formalism. Class. Quantum Gravity, 41(5), 055003–21pp.
Abstract: This work explores various manifestations of bumblebee gravity within the metric-affine formalism. We investigate the impact of the Lorentz violation parameter, denoted as X, on the modification of the Hawking temperature. Our calculations reveal that as X increases, the values of the Hawking temperature attenuate. To examine the behavior of massless scalar perturbations, specifically the quasinormal modes, we employ the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin method. The transmission and reflection coefficients are determined through our calculations. The outcomes indicate that a stronger Lorentz-violating parameter results in slower damping oscillations of gravitational waves. To comprehend the influence of the quasinormal spectrum on time-dependent scattering phenomena, we present a detailed analysis of scalar perturbations in the time-domain solution. Additionally, we conduct an investigation on shadows, revealing that larger values of X correspond to larger shadow radii. Furthermore, we constrain the magnitude of the shadow radii using the EHT horizon-scale image of SgrA* . Finally, we calculate both the time delay and the deflection angle.
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Ferrando Solera, S., Pich, A., & Vale Silva, L. (2024). Direct bounds on Left-Right gauge boson masses at LHC Run 2. J. High Energy Phys., 02(2), 027–39pp.
Abstract: While the third run of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is ongoing, the underlying theory that extends the Standard Model remains so far unknown. Left-Right Models (LRMs) introduce a new gauge sector, and can restore parity symmetry at high enough energies. If LRMs are indeed realized in nature, the mediators of the new weak force can be searched for in colliders via their direct production. We recast existing experimental limits from the LHC Run 2 and derive generic bounds on the masses of the heavy LRM gauge bosons. As a novelty, we discuss the dependence of the WR and ZR total width on the LRM scalar content, obtaining model-independent bounds within the specific realizations of the LRM scalar sectors analysed here. These bounds avoid the need to detail the spectrum of the scalar sector, and apply in the general case where no discrete symmetry is enforced. Moreover, we emphasize the impact on the WR production at LHC of general textures of the right-handed quark mixing matrix without manifest left-right symmetry. We find that the WR and ZR masses are constrained to lie above 2 TeV and 4 TeV, respectively.
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Angles-Castillo, A., Perez, A., & Roldan, E. (2024). Bright and dark solitons in a photonic nonlinear quantum walk: lessons from the continuum. New J. Phys., 26(2), 023004–16pp.
Abstract: We propose a nonlinear quantum walk model inspired in a photonic implementation in which the polarization state of the light field plays the role of the coin-qubit. In particular, we take profit of the nonlinear polarization rotation occurring in optical media with Kerr nonlinearity, which allows to implement a nonlinear coin operator, one that depends on the state of the coin-qubit. We consider the space-time continuum limit of the evolution equation, which takes the form of a nonlinear Dirac equation. The analysis of this continuum limit allows us to gain some insight into the existence of different solitonic structures, such as bright and dark solitons. We illustrate several properties of these solitons with numerical calculations, including the effect on them of an additional phase simulating an external electric field.
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