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At least 775 records · Page 43

Search for charged-lepton flavor violation in the production and decay of top quarks using trilepton final states in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV

A search is performed for charged-lepton flavor violating processes in top quark (𝑡) production and decay. The data were collected by the CMS experiment from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . The selected events are required to contain one opposite-sign electron-muon pair, a third charged lepton (electron or muon), and at least one jet of which no more than one is associated with a bottom quark. Boosted decision trees are used to distinguish signal from background, exploiting differences in the kinematics of the final states particles. The data are consistent with the standard model expectation. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are placed in the context of effective field theory on the Wilson coefficients, which range between 0.024–0.424 TeV −2 depending on the flavor of the associated light quark and the Lorentz structure of the interaction. These limits are converted to upper limits on branching fractions involving up (charm) quarks, 𝑡 → 𝑒⁢𝜇⁢𝑢 (𝑡 → 𝑒⁢𝜇⁢𝑐), of 0.032⁢(0.498) × 10 −6 , 0.022⁢(0.369) × 10 −6 , and 0.012⁢(0.216) × 10 −6 for tensorlike, vectorlike, and scalarlike interactions, respectively.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

3D-Reconstruction of Tau Neutrinos in LArTPC Detectors

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a next-generation neutrino experiment currently under construction. DUNE will consist of two high-resolution neutrino interaction imaging detectors exposed to the world’s most intense neutrino beam, with the Near Detector at Fermilab and the Far Detector 1,300 km away in the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota, US. The high statistics and excellent resolution capabilities of DUNE's $^{40}$Ar detector will allow us to make precision studies of oscillation parameters capable of searching for CP violation in the lepton sector, testing interaction models, and studying phenomena that have until now, seemed too complex to measure, like $\nu_\tau$ detection and therefore, providing the completion of the 3-flavor neutrino paradigm. Knowledge of the $\nu_\tau$ detection can impact a broad spectrum of open questions. These include searching for non-standard neutrino interactions, constraining the unitarity of the PMNS matrix, searching for sterile neutrinos, and studying neutrino interactions. In the case of LArTPC data, the detector hits can be considered nodes in a graph, and the edges represent the spatial and temporal relationships between them. By using graph neural networks, it is possible to exploit these relationships and improve the accuracy of particle identification and reconstruction. During my presentation and specifically for tau neutrino reconstruction, I will show the effectiveness and reliability of our in-house developed graph neural network (GNN), NuGraph. This GNN classifies detector hits based on the particle type responsible for their production, assuring that the system accurately identifies and categorizes information based on its unique characteristics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Calculation of the Nucleon Axial Form Factor Using Staggered Lattice QCD

The nucleon axial form factor is a dominant contribution to errors in neutrino oscillation studies. Lattice QCD calculations can help control theory errors by providing first-principles information on nucleon form factors. In these proceedings, we present preliminary results on a blinded calculation of $g_A$ and the axial form factor using HISQ staggered baryons with 2+1+1 flavors of sea quarks. Calculations are done using physical light quark masses and are absolutely normalized. We discuss fitting form factor data with the model-independent $z$ expansion parametrization.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Recent results from Long Baseline Neutrino experiments

Understanding the physics of neutrinos is of paramount relevance for the development of high energy physics, cosmology and astrophysics, thanks to their characteristics and phenomenology. In particular, the property of changing flavor while neutrinos travel, the so-called neutrino oscillation phenomenon, provides us with valuable information about their behavior and their impact on the standard model of particles and the evolution of the universe, for instance. Here I present an overview of the most recent results as reported by relevant experiments studying neutrinos produced by accelerator facilities and detected after traveling long distances: the so-called Long-Baseline neutrino experiments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Hadronization of heavy quarks

Heavy-flavor hadrons produced in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions are a sensitive probe for studying hadronization mechanisms of the quark-gluon-plasma. In this paper, we survey how different transport models for the simulation of heavy-quark diffusion through a quark-gluon plasma in heavy-ion collisions implement hadronization and how this affects final state observables. Utilizing the same input charm-quark distribution in all models at the hadronization transition, we find that the transverse-momentum dependence of the nuclear modification factor of various charm hadron species has significant sensitivity to the hadronization scheme. In addition, the charm-hadron elliptic flow exhibits a nontrivial dependence on the elliptic flow of the hadronizing partonic medium.

Atomic, Nuclear and Particle Physics↗

First Sterile Neutrino Search at NOvA Experiment Using both Neutrino and Anti-Neutrino Data

Neutrinos are among the most abundant fundamental particles in the universe, and yet they are so elusive that they pass through almost everything without leaving a trace. For decades, researchers have measured neutrino oscillations in great detail, refining our understanding of the theories. Yet, once again, neutrino shows their incredibly surprising nature through some recent experimental results, suggesting that our current understanding might be incomplete. Several experiments have observed an unexpected difference in the observed neutrino behaviour from what the Standard Model predicts, showing an excess in some cases (e.g. LSND, MiniBooNE) and a deficit of neutrino events in others (e.g. SAGE, GALLEX). These anomalies challenge our conventional theories of standard three neutrino flavors and phenomenologically motivate the sterile neutrino hypothesis, which does not interact through the usual weak force. While some results appear consistent with this idea, others have found no supporting evidence (e.g. MicroBooNE), leaving the question unanswered. NOvA is one such long-baseline neutrino experiment with its Near Detector (ND) at Fermilab and a Far Detector (FD) at 810 km in Minnesota. It uses the NuMI beam as its primary source of neutrinos for oscillation studies. Its two-detector setup, extended baseline, and ability to conduct combined $\nu$-$\bar\nu$ analyses position it to explore these phenomena in new ways. We use the joint $\nu_{\mu}$ and neutral current (NC) disappearance channels to probe active-sterile mixing in the 3+1 model. This analysis utilizes a data sample of 27$\times$10$^{20}$ protons on target (POT) in neutrino mode and 12.5$\times$10$^{20}$ protons on target (POT) in antineutrino mode. We found no evidence of sterile neutrino at 90$\%$ C.L. We present the limits in $\sin^{2}\theta_{24}$ vs $\Delta m^{2}_{41}$, $\sin^{2}\theta_{34}$ vs $\Delta m^{2}_{41}$, and $\sin^{2}2\theta_{\mu\tau}$ vs $\Delta m^{2}_{41}$ parameter spaces. The limits provided by this analysis are world leading in most of the parameter spaces.

Chaudhary, Shivam [Indian Inst. of Info. Tech. Guw↗

Perturbative unitarity constraints on charged/colored portals

Dark matter that was once in thermal equilibrium with the Standard Model is generally prohibited from obtaining all of its mass from the electroweak or QCD phase transitions. This implies a new scale of physics and mediator particles needed to facilitate dark matter annihilations. In this work, we consider scenarios where thermal dark matter annihilates via scalar mediators that are colored and/or electrically charged. We show how partial wave unitarity places upper bounds on the masses and couplings on both the dark matter and mediators. To do this, we employ effective field theories with dark matter as well as three flavors of sleptons or squarks with minimum flavor violation. For Dirac (Majorana) dark matter that annihilates via mediators charged as left-handed sleptons, we find an upper bound around 45 TeV (7 TeV) for both the mediator and dark matter masses, respectively. These bounds vary as the square root of the number of colors times the number of flavors involved. Therefore the bounds diminish by root two for right handed selectrons. The bounds increase by root three and root six for right and left handed squarks, respectively. Finally, because of the interest in natural models, we also focus on an effective field theory with only stops. We find an upper bound around 32 TeV (5 TeV) for both the Dirac (Majorana) dark matter and stop masses. In comparison to traditional naturalness arguments, the stop bound gives a firmer, alternative expectation on when new physics will appear. Similar to naturalness, all of the bounds quoted above are valid outside of a defined fine-tuned regions where the dark matter can co-annihilate. Furthermore, the bounds in this region of parameter space can exceed the well-known bounds from Griest and Kamionkowski (1900). We briefly describe the impact on planned and existing direct detection experiments and colliders.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

The Muon Smasher’s Guide

In this work, we lay out a comprehensive physics case for a future high-energy muon collider, exploring a range of collision energies (from 1 to 100 TeV) and luminosities. We highlight the advantages of such a collider over proposed alternatives. We show how one can leverage both the point-like nature of the muons themselves as well as the cloud of electroweak radiation that surrounds the beam to blur the dichotomy between energy and precision in the search for new physics. The physics case is buttressed by a range of studies with applications to electroweak symmetry breaking, dark matter, and the naturalness of the weak scale. Additionally, we make sharp connections with complementary experiments that are probing new physics effects using electric dipole moments, flavor violation, and gravitational waves. An extensive appendix provides cross section predictions as a function of the center-of-mass energy for many canonical simplified models.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Dark Photons in Rare $Z$ Boson Decays with the ATLAS Detector

A search for events with a dark photon produced in association with a dark Higgs boson via rare decays of the standard model Z boson is presented, using 139 fb –1 of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The dark boson decays into a pair of dark photons, and at least two of the three dark photons must each decay into a pair of electrons or muons, resulting in at least two same-flavor opposite-charge lepton pairs in the final state. The data are found to be consistent with the background prediction, and upper limits are set on the dark photon’s coupling to the dark Higgs boson times the kinetic mixing between the standard model photon and the dark photon, α D ϵ 2 , in the dark photon mass range of [5, 40] GeV except for the $Υ$ mass window [8.8, 11.1] GeV. This search explores new parameter space not previously excluded by other experiments.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Addressing R D(*) , R K(*) , muon g -2 and ANITA anomalies in a minimal R-parity violating supersymmetric framework

We analyze the recent hints of lepton flavor universality violation in both charged-current and neutral-current rare decays of B mesons in an R -parity-violating supersymmetric scenario. Motivated by simplicity and minimality, we had earlier postulated the third-generation superpartners to be the lightest (calling the scenario “RPV3”) and explicitly showed that it preserves gauge coupling unification and of course has the usual attribute of naturally addressing the Higgs radiative stability. Here we show that both R D ( * ) and R K ( * ) flavor anomalies can be addressed in this RPV3 framework. Interestingly, this scenario may also be able to accommodate two other seemingly disparate anomalies, namely, the longstanding discrepancy in the muon ( g - 2 ), as well as the recent anomalous upgoing ultrahigh-energy Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna events. Based on symmetry arguments, we consider three different benchmark points for the relevant RPV3 couplings and carve out the regions of parameter space where all (or some) of these anomalies can be simultaneously explained. We find it remarkable that such overlap regions exist, given the plethora of precision low-energy and high-energy experimental constraints on the minimal model parameter space. The third-generation superpartners needed in this theoretical construction are all in the 1–10 TeV range, accessible at the LHC and/or next-generation hadron colliders. We also discuss some testable predictions for the lepton-flavor-violating decays of the tau lepton and B mesons for the current and future B -physics experiments, such as LHCb and Belle II. Complementary tests of the flavor anomalies in the high- p T regime in collider experiments such as the LHC are also discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Effect of the QCD equation of state and strange hadronic resonances on multiparticle correlations in heavy ion collisions

The QCD equation of state at zero baryon chemical potential is the only element of the standard dynamical framework to describe heavy ion collisions that can be directly determined from first principles. Continuum extrapolated lattice QCD equations of state have been computed using 2+1 quark flavors (up/down and strange) as well as 2+1+1 flavors to investigate the effect of thermalized charm quarks on QCD thermodynamics. Lattice results have also indicated the presence of new strange resonances that not only contribute to the equation of state of QCD matter but also affect hadronic afterburners used to model the later stages of heavy ion collisions. We investigate how these new developments obtained from first principles calculations affect multiparticle correlations in heavy ion collisions. We compare the commonly used equation of state S95n-v1, which was constructed using what are now considered outdated lattice results and hadron states, to the current state-of-the-art lattice QCD equations of state with 2+1 and 2+1+1 flavors coupled to the most upto-date hadronic resonances and their decays. New hadronic resonances lead to an enhancement in the hadronic spectra at intermediate p T . Using an outdated equation of state can directly affect the extraction of the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio, η/s , of the quark-gluon plasma and results for different flow observables. The effects of the QCD equation of state on multiparticle correlations of identified particles are determined for both AuAu √ sNN = 200 GeV and PbPb √ sNN = 5.02 TeV collisions. New insights into the v 2 {2} to v 3 {2} puzzle in ultracentral collisions are found. Flow observables of heavier particles exhibit more non-linear behavior regardless of the assumptions about the equation of state, which may provide a new way to constrain the temperature dependence of η/s .

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Searching for axionlike particles in flavor-changing neutral current processes [A new flavor of searches for axion-like particles]

Here, we propose new searches for axionlike particles (ALPs) produced in flavor-changing neutral current (FCNC) processes. This proposal exploits the often-overlooked coupling of ALPs to W ± bosons, leading to FCNC production of ALPs even in the absence of a direct coupling to fermions. Our proposed searches for resonant ALP production in decays such as B → K(*)a, a → γγ, and K → πa, a → γγ could greatly improve upon the current sensitivity to ALP couplings to standard model particles. We also determine analogous constraints and discovery prospects for invisibly decaying ALPs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Searching for Large Extra Dimensions with MINOS and MINOS+

Most data from neutrino oscillation experiments are consistent with the standard three-flavor paradigm. With increasing experimental precision, potential effects from high scale physics that could modify oscillations in subtle ways are searched for. One such high scale physics scenario involves large extra dimensions. Following the Large Extra Dimension model, sterile neutrinos arising as Kaluza-Klein states in an extra dimension with size $R$ can mix with the three active neutrinos in 3+1 spacetime, thereby altering the neutrino oscillation probabilities. MINOS reported the strongest constraint on $R$ from a neutrino oscillation experiment, excluding $R > 0.45\,\mu\text{m}$ at 90\% C.L. An updated result will be presented, employing a new analysis technique that exploits the full power of both MINOS detectors and including the analysis of MINOS+ beam data which significantly increases the number of events at energies above the three-flavor minimum where the LED mod el effects are bigger.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Isotope dependence of muon-to-electron conversion

The lepton-flavor-violating conversion of a muon into an electron in the field of a nucleus is one of the most sensitive probes of physics beyond the Standard Model and the experiments Mu2e, COMET, and DeeMe will explore uncharted terrain in the near future. An observation of this μ - → e - conversion process opens up the possibility to distinguish the underlying operator or new-physics model by exploiting the target-nucleus dependence of the conversion rate. To facilitate the choice of optimal targets we provide μ - → e - conversion rates for all stable isotopes and estimate nuclear-structure uncertainties. Our results enable studies of mixed or enriched target materials that are particularly promising for distinguishing scenarios in which the muon converts either on protons or neutrons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Chiral heavy fermions in a two Higgs doublet model: 750 GeV resonance or not

For this article, we revisit models where a heavy chiral 4th generation doublet of fermions is embedded in a class of two Higgs doublets models (2HDM) with a discrete Z 2 symmetry, which couples the “heavy” scalar doublet only to the 4th generation fermions and the “light” one to the Standard Model (SM) fermions – the so-called 4G2HDM introduced by us several years ago. We study the constraints imposed on the 4G2HDM from direct searches of heavy fermions, from precision electroweak data (PEWD) and from the measured production and decay signals of the 125 GeV scalar, which in the 4G2HDM corresponds to the lightest CP-even scalar h. We then show that the recently reported excess in the γγspectrum around 750 GeV can be accommodated by the heavy CP-even scalar of the 4G2HDM, H, resulting in a unique choice of parameter space: negligible mixing (sin α ≲ O (10 −3 )) between the two CP-even scalars h, Hand heavy 4th generation quark and lepton masses m t ' ,m b' ≲ 400 GeV and m ν' , m τ' ≳ 900 GeV, respectively. Whether or not the 750 GeV γγ resonance is confirmed, interesting phenomenology emerges in q' – Higgs systems (q' = t', b'), that can be searched for at the LHC. For example, the heavy scalar states of the model, S=H, A, H + , may have BR(S→$-\atop{q'}$q') ∼O(1), giving rise to observable $-\atop{q'}$q' signals on resonance, followed by the flavor changing q' decays t'→uh (u =u, c) and/or b'→dh (d =d, s, b). This leads to rather distinct signatures, with or without charged leptons, of the form $-\atop{q'}$q'→(nj +mb +ℓW) S (j and b being light and b-quark jets, respectively), with n +m +ℓ =6–8 and unique kinematic features. These high jet-multiplicity signals appear to be very challenging and may need new search strategies for detection of such heavy chiral quarks. It is also shown that the flavor structure of the 4G2HDM can easily accommodate the interesting recent indications of a percent-level branching ratio in the lepton-flavor-violating (LFV) decay h →τμ of the 125 GeV Higgs, if it is experimentally confirmed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Impacts of rotation on three-dimensional hydrodynamics of core-collapse supernovae

We perform a series of simplified numerical experiments to explore how rotation impacts the three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamics of core-collapse supernovae. For our systematic study, we employ a light-bulb scheme to trigger explosions and a three-flavor neutrino leakage scheme to treat deleptonization effects and neutrino losses from the proto-neutron-star interior. Using a 15 M {sub ☉} progenitor, we compute 30 models in 3D with a wide variety of initial angular momentum and light-bulb neutrino luminosity. We find that the rotation can help the onset of neutrino-driven explosions for the models in which the initial angular momentum is matched to that obtained in recent stellar evolutionary calculations (∼0.3-3 rad s{sup –1} at the center). For the models with larger initial angular momentum, the shock surface deforms to be more oblate due to larger centrifugal force. This not only makes the gain region more concentrated around the equatorial plane, but also makes the mass larger in the gain region. As a result, buoyant bubbles tend to be coherently formed and rise in the equatorial region, which pushes the revived shock toward ever larger radii until a global explosion is triggered. We find that these are the main reasons that the preferred direction of the explosion in 3D rotating models is often perpendicular to the spin axis, which is in sharp contrast to the polar explosions around the axis that were obtained in previous two-dimensional simulations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Neutrinos: Theory and Phenomenology

The theory and phenomenology of neutrinos will be addressed, especially that relating to the observation of neutrino flavor transformations. The current status and implications for future experiments will be discussed with special emphasis on the experiments that will determine the neutrino mass ordering, the dominant flavor content of the neutrino mass eigenstate with the smallest electron neutrino content and the size of CP violation in the neutrino sector. Beyond the neutrino Standard Model, the evidence for and a possible definitive experiment to confirm or refute the existence of light sterile neutrinos will be briefly discussed.

HEP↗

Search for low-mass resonances decaying into two jets and produced in association with a photon or a jet at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is performed for localized excesses in the low-mass dijet invariant mass distribution, targeting a hypothetical new particle decaying into two jets and produced in association with either a high transverse momentum photon or a jet. The search uses the full Run 2 data sample from LHC proton-proton collisions collected by the ATLAS experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV during 2015–2018. Two variants of the search are presented for each type of initial-state radiation: one that makes no jet flavor requirements and one that requires both of the jets to have been identified as containing b-hadrons. No excess is observed relative to the Standard Model prediction, and the data are used to set upper limits on the production cross section for a benchmark Z' model and, separately, for generic, beyond the Standard Model scenarios which might produce a Gaussian-shaped contribution to dijet invariant mass distributions. The results extend the current constraints on dijet resonances to the mass range between 200 and 650 GeV.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗