Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “STANDARD MODEL”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 793 records · Page 44

Search for new phenomena in final states with two opposite-charge, same-flavor leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV

Search results are presented for physics beyond the standard model in final states with two opposite-charge, same-flavor leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{−1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2016. The analysis uses the invariant mass of the lepton pair, searching for a kinematic edge or a resonant-like excess compatible with the Z boson mass. The search for a kinematic edge targets production of particles sensitive to the strong force, while the resonance search targets both strongly and electroweakly produced new physics. The observed yields are consistent with the expectations from the standard model, and the results are interpreted in the context of simplified models of supersymmetry. In a gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking (GMSB) model of gluino pair production with decay chains including Z bosons, gluino masses up to 1500–1770 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level depending on the lightest neutralino mass. In a model of electroweak chargino-neutralino production, chargino masses as high as 610 GeV are excluded when the lightest neutralino is massless. In GMSB models of electroweak neutralino-neutralino production, neutralino masses up to 500-650 GeV are excluded depending on the decay mode assumed. Finally, in a model with bottom squark pair production and decay chains resulting in a kinematic edge in the dilepton invariant mass distribution, bottom squark masses up to 980–1200 GeV are excluded depending on the mass of the next-to-lightest neutralino.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Methods for Specifying Scientific Data Standards and Modeling Relationships with Applications to Neuroscience [Plus Supplementary Data]

Neuroscience continues to experience a tremendous growth in data; in terms of the volume and variety of data, the velocity at which data is acquired, and in turn the veracity of data. These challenges are a serious impediment to sharing of data, analyses, and tools within and across labs. Here, we introduce BRAINformat, a novel data standardization framework for the design and management of scientific data formats. The BRAINformat library defines application-independent design concepts and modules that together create a general framework for standardization of scientific data. We describe the formal specification of scientific data standards, which facilitates sharing and verification of data and formats. We introduce the concept of Managed Objects, enabling semantic components of data formats to be specified as self-contained units, supporting modular and reusable design of data format components and file storage. We also introduce the novel concept of Relationship Attributes for modeling and use of semantic relationships between data objects. Based on these concepts we demonstrate the application of our framework to design and implement a standard format for electrophysiology data and show how data standardization and relationship-modeling facilitate data analysis and sharing. The format uses HDF5, enabling portable, scalable, and self-describing data storage and integration with modern high-performance computing for data-driven discovery. The BRAINformat library is open source, easy-to-use, and provides detailed user and developer documentation and is freely available at: https://bitbucket.org/oruebel/brainformat.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Search for anomalous triple gauge couplings in WW and WZ production in lepton + jet events in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 13 TeV

A search is presented for three additional operators that would lead to anomalous WWγ or WWZ couplings with respect to those in the standard model. They are constrained by studying events with two vector bosons, a W boson decaying to eν or μν, and a W or Z boson decaying hadronically, reconstructed as a single, massive, large- radius jet. The search uses a data set of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, recorded by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2016, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. Using the reconstructed diboson invariant mass, 95% confidence intervals are obtained for the anomalous coupling parameters of -1.58 < $c_{WWW}$/Λ$^{2}$< 1.59 TeV$^{-2}$, -2.00 < c$_{W}$/Λ$^{2}$< 2.65 TeV$^{-2}$, and -8.78 < c$_{B}$/Λ$^{2}$< 8.54 TeV$^{-2}$, in agreement with standard model expectations of zero for each parameter. These are the strictest bounds on these parameters to date.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for low-mass hidden-valley dark showers with non-prompt muon pairs in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV

A search for signatures of a dark analog to quantum chromodynamics is performed. The analysis targets long-lived dark mesons that decay into standard-model particles, with a high branching fraction of the dark mesons decaying into muons. The dark mesons are formed by the hadronisation of dark partons, which are produced by a decay of the Higgs boson. The search is performed using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 41.6 fb −1 , which was collected in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV by the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC in 2018 using non-prompt muon triggers. The search is based on resonant muon pair signatures. Machine-learning techniques are employed in the analysis, utilising boosted decision trees to discriminate between signal and background. No significant excess is observed above the standard model expectation. Upper limits on the branching fraction of the Higgs boson decaying to dark partons are determined to be as low as 10−4 at 95% confidence level, surpassing and extending the existing limits on models with dark $\tilde{ω}$ mesons for mean proper decay lengths of less than 500 mm and for $\tilde{ω}$ masses down to 0.3 GeV. First limits are set for extended dark-shower models with two dark flavours that contain dark photons, probing their masses down to 0.33 GeV.

Beyond Standard Model↗

Early-Universe Model Building

Theoretical investigations into the evolution of the early universe are an essential part of particle physics that allow us to identify viable extensions to the Standard Model as well as motivated parameter space that can be probed by various experiments and observations. In this white paper, we review particle physics models of the early universe. First, we outline various models that explain two essential ingredients of the early universe (dark matter and baryon asymmetry) and those that seek to address current observational anomalies. We then discuss dynamics of the early universe in models of neutrino masses, axions, and several solutions to the electroweak hierarchy problem. Finally, we review solutions to naturalness problems of the Standard Model that employ cosmological dynamics.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The Halo Boundary of Galaxy Clusters in the SDSS

Analytical models and simulations predict a rapid decline in the halo density profile associated with the transition from the “infalling” regime outside the halo to the “collapsed” regime within the halo. Using data from SDSS, we explore evidence for such a feature in the density profiles of galaxy clusters using several different approaches. We first estimate the steepening of the outer galaxy density profile around clusters, finding evidence for truncation of the halo profile. Next, we measure the galaxy density profile around clusters using two sets of galaxies selected on color. We find evidence of an abrupt change in galaxy colors that coincides with the location of the steepening of the density profile. Since galaxies that have completed orbits within the cluster are more likely to be quenched of star formation and thus appear redder, this abrupt change in galaxy color can be associated with the transition from single-stream to multi-stream regimes. We also use a standard model comparison approach to measure evidence for a “splashback”-like feature, but find that this approach is very sensitive to modeling assumptions. Finally, we perform measurements using an independent cluster catalog to test for potential systematic errors associated with cluster selection. We identify several avenues for future work: improved understanding of the small-scale galaxy profile, lensing measurements, identification of proxies for the halo accretion rate, and other tests. With upcoming data from the DES, KiDS, and HSC surveys, we can expect significant improvements in the study of halo boundaries.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Search for new physics in final states with two opposite-sign, same-flavor leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 13 TeV

A search is presented for physics beyond the standard model in final states with two opposite-sign, same-flavor leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 fb$^{−1}$ of proton-proton collisions at $ \sqrt{s}=13 $ TeV collected with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2015. The analysis uses the invariant mass of the lepton pair, searching for a kinematic edge or a resonant-like excess compatible with the Z boson mass. Both search modes use several event categories in order to increase the sensitivity to new physics. These categories are based on the rapidity of the leptons, the multiplicity of jets and b jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta, and missing transverse momentum. The observations in all signal regions are consistent with the expectations from the standard model, and the results are interpreted in the context of simplified models of supersymmetry.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Combination of Searches for Higgs Boson Pair Production in Proton-Proton Collisions at s =13 TeV

This Letter describes a search for Higgs boson pair production using the combined results from four final states: bbγγ, bbττ, bbbb, and bbVV, where V represents a W or Z boson. The search is performed using data collected in 2016 by the CMS experiment from LHC proton-proton collisions at s=13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb-1. Limits are set on the Higgs boson pair production cross section. A 95% confidence level observed (expected) upper limit on the nonresonant production cross section is set at 22.2 (12.8) times the standard model value. A search for narrow resonances decaying to Higgs boson pairs is also performed in the mass range 250-3000 GeV. No evidence for a signal is observed, and upper limits are set on the resonance production cross section. © 2019 CERN.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Sterile neutrino dark matter in left-right theories

SU(2) L × SU(2) R gauge symmetry requires three right-handed neutrinos (N i ), one of which, N 1 , can be sufficiently stable to be dark matter. In the early universe, W R exchange with the Standard Model thermal bath keeps the right-handed neutrinos in thermal equilibrium at high temperatures. N 1 can make up all of dark matter if they freeze-out while relativistic and are mildly diluted by subsequent decays of a long-lived and heavier right-handed neutrino, N 2 . We systematically study this parameter space, constraining the symmetry breaking scale of SU(2) R and the mass of N 1 to a triangle in the (v R , M 1 ) plane, with v R &#x3D; (10 6 - 3 × 10 12 ) GeV and M 1 &#x3D; (2 keV–1 MeV). Much of this triangle can be probed by signals of warm dark matter, especially if leptogenesis from N 2 decay yields the observed baryon asymmetry. The minimal value of v R is increased to 10 8 GeV for doublet breaking of SU(2) R , and further to 10 9 GeV if leptogenesis occurs via N 2 decay, while the upper bound on M 1 is reduced to 100 keV. In addition, there is a component of hot N 1 dark matter resulting from the late decay of N 2 → N 1 ℓ+ℓ- that can be probed by future cosmic microwave background observations. Interestingly, the range of v R allows both precision gauge coupling unification and the Higgs Parity understanding of the vanishing of the Standard Model Higgs quartic at scale vR. Finally, we study freeze-in production of N 1 dark matter via the WR interaction, which allows a much wider range of (v R , M 1 ).

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Frank–Kasper Phases of Diblock Copolymer Melts: Self-Consistent Field Results of Two Commonly Used Models

We constructed phase diagrams of conformationally asymmetric diblock copolymer A-B melts using the polymer self-consistent field (SCF) calculations of both the dissipative particle dynamics chain (DPDC) model (i.e., compressible melts of discrete Gaussian chains with the DPD non-bonded potential) and the “standard” model (i.e., incompressible melts of continuous Gaussian chains with the Dirac δ-function non-bonded potential) in the χN-ε plane, where χN and ε characterize, respectively, the repulsion and conformational asymmetry between the A and B blocks, at the A-block volume fraction f = 0.2 and 0.3. Consistent with previous SCF calculations of the “standard” model, σ and A15 are the only stable Frank–Kasper (FK) phases among the five FK (i.e., σ, A15, C14, C15 and Z) phases considered. The stability of σ and A15 is due to their delicate balance between the energetic and entropic contributions to the Helmholtz free energy per chain of the system, which, within our parameter range, increases in the order of σ/A15, Z, and C14/C15. While in general the SCF phase diagrams of these two models are qualitatively consistent, A15 is not stable for the DPDC model at the copolymer chain length N = 10 and f = 0.3; any differences in the SCF phase diagrams are solely due to the differences between these two models.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Search for the nonresonant and resonant production of a Higgs boson in association with an additional scalar boson in the $γγττ$ final state in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV

The results of a search for the production of two scalar bosons in final states with two photons and two tau leptons are presented. The search considers both nonresonant production of a Higgs boson pair, HH, and resonant production via a new boson X which decays either to HH or to H and a new scalar Y. The analysis uses up to 138 fb −1 of proton-proton collision data, recorded between 2016 and 2018 by the CMS experiment at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No evidence for signal is found in the data. For the nonresonant production, the observed (expected) upper limit at 95% confidence level (CL) on the HH production cross section is set at 930 (740) fb, corresponding to 33 (26) times the standard model prediction. At 95% CL, HH production is observed (expected) to be excluded for values of κ λ outside the range between −12 (−9.4) and 17 (15). Observed (expected) upper limits at 95% CL for the X → HH cross section are found to be within 160 to 2200 (200 to 1800) fb, depending on the mass of X. In the X → Y(ττ)H(γγ) search, the observed (expected) upper limits on the product of the production cross section and decay branching fractions vary between 0.059–1.2 fb (0.087–0.68 fb). For the X → Y(γγ)H(ττ) search the observed (expected) upper limits on the product of the production cross section and Y → γγ branching fraction vary between 0.69–15 fb (0.73–8.3 fb) in the low Y mass search, tightening constraints on the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model, and between 0.64–10 fb (0.70–7.6 fb) in the high Y mass search.

Beyond Standard Model↗

Dynamical axion misalignment with small instantons

We present a new mechanism to relax the initial misalignment angle of the QCD axion and raise the cosmological bound on the axion decay constant. The QCD axion receives a contribution from small UV instantons during inflation, which raises its mass to the inflationary Hubble scale. This makes the axion start rolling down its potential early on. In the scenario, the standard model Yukawa couplings of quarks are dynamical, being of order one during the inflationary era and reducing to their standard model values once it ends. This means that after inflation the contribution of the small instantons is suppressed, and the axion potential reduces to the standard one from the usual IR instantons. As a result, when the axion starts to oscillate again after inflation, the initial misalignment angle is suppressed due to the dynamics during inflation. While the general idea of dynamical axion misalignment has been discussed in the literature before, we present in detail the major bottleneck on the mismatching between the minima of the axion potentials during and after inflation, and how it is circumvented in our scenario via the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. Taking into account of all the constraints, we find that the axion decay constant could be raised to the GUT scale, 10 15 GeV, in our scenario.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Dynamical axion misalignment with small instantons

We present a new mechanism to relax the initial misalignment angle of the QCD axion and raise the cosmological bound on the axion decay constant. The QCD axion receives a contribution from small UV instantons during inflation, which raises its mass to the inflationary Hubble scale. This makes the axion start rolling down its potential early on. In the scenario, the standard model Yukawa couplings of quarks are dynamical, being of order one during the inflationary era and reducing to their standard model values once it ends. This means that after inflation the contribution of the small instantons is suppressed, and the axion potential reduces to the standard one from the usual IR instantons. As a result, when the axion starts to oscillate again after inflation, the initial misalignment angle is suppressed due to the dynamics during inflation. While the general idea of dynamical axion misalignment has been discussed in the literature before, we present in detail the major bottleneck on the mismatching between the minima of the axion potentials during and after inflation, and how it is circumvented in our scenario via the Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. Taking into account of all the constraints, we find that the axion decay constant could be raised to the GUT scale, 1015 GeV, in our scenario.

Manuel A. Buen-Abad↗

Search for dark matter produced in association with a Higgs boson decaying to tau leptons at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for dark matter produced in association with a Higgs boson in final states with two hadronically decaying τ-leptons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis uses 139 fb -1 of proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider between 2015 and 2018. No evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model is found. The results are interpreted in terms of a 2HDM+a model featuring two scalar Higgs doublets and a pseudoscalar singlet field. Exclusion limits on the parameters of the model in selected benchmark scenarios are derived at 95% confidence level. Model-independent limits are also set on the visible cross-section for processes beyond the Standard Model producing missing transverse momentum in association with a Higgs boson decaying into τ-leptons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Study of same-sign W boson scattering and anomalous couplings in events with one tau lepton from pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV

A first study is presented of the cross section for the scattering of same-sign W boson pairs via the detection of a τ lepton. The data from proton-proton collisions at the center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV were collected by the CMS detector at the LHC, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . Events were selected that contain two jets with large pseudorapidity and large invariant mass, one τ lepton, one light lepton (e or μ), and significant missing transverse momentum. The measured cross section for electroweak same-sign WW scattering is $1.44^{+0.63}_{-0.56}$ times the standard model prediction. In addition, a search is presented for the indirect effects of processes beyond the standard model via the effective field theory framework, in terms of dimension-6 and dimension-8 operators.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for Higgs boson pair production in the two bottom quarks plus two photons final state in p p collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Searches are performed for nonresonant and resonant di-Higgs boson production in the $b\bar{b}γγ$ final state. The dataset used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb –1 of proton–proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. No excess above the expected background is found and upper limits on the di-Higgs boson production cross sections are set. A 95% confidence-level upper limit of 4.2 times the cross section predicted by the Standard Model is set on pp → HH nonresonant production, where the expected limit is 5.7 times the Standard Model predicted value. The expected constraints are obtained for a background hypothesis excluding pp → HH production. The observed (expected) constraints on the Higgs boson trilinear coupling modifier κ λ are determined to be [–1.5, 6.7] ([– 2.4, 7.7]) at 95% confidence level, where the expected constraints on κ λ are obtained excluding pp → HH production from the background hypothesis. For resonant production of a new hypothetical scalar particle X (X → HH → $b\bar{b}γγ$), limits on the cross section for pp → X → HH are presented in the narrow-width approximation as a function of m X in the range 251 GeV ≤ m X ≤ 1000 GeV. The observed (expected) limits on the cross section for pp → X → HH range from 640 fb to 44 fb (391 fb to 46 fb) over the considered mass range.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The REDTOP experiment: Rare $\eta/\eta^{\prime}$ Decays To Probe New Physics

The $\eta$ and $\eta^{\prime}$ mesons are nearly unique in the particle universe since they are almost Goldstone bosons and the dynamics of their decays are strongly constrained. The integrated $\eta$-meson samples collected in earlier experiments amount to $\sim10^{9}$ events. A new experiment, REDTOP (Rare Eta Decays To Probe New Physics), is being proposed, with the intent of collecting a data sample of order 10$^{14}$ $\eta$ (10$^{12}$ $\eta^{\prime}$) for studying very rare decays. Such statistics are sufficient for investigating several symmetry violations, and for searching for particles and fields beyond the Standard Model. In this work we present several studies evaluating REDTOP sensitivity to processes that couple the Standard Model to New Physics through all four of the so-called \emph{portals}: the Vector, the Scalar, the Axion and the Heavy Lepton portal. The sensitivity of the experiment is also adequate for probing several conservation laws, in particular $CP$, $T$ and Lepton Universality, and for the determination of the $\eta$ form factors, which is crucial for the interpretation of the recent measurement of muon $g-2$.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Studying ΔL = 2 Lepton Flavor Violation with Muons

Flavor violating processes in the lepton sector have highly suppressed branching ratios in the standard model. Thus, observation of lepton flavor violation (LFV) constitutes a clear indication of physics beyond the standard model (BSM). We review new physics searches in the processes that violate the conservation of lepton (muon) flavor by two units with muonia and muonium–antimuonium oscillations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗