High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)

Abstract: We embark on a systematical analysis of the quark and gluon gravitational form factors (GFFs) of the proton, by connecting energy-momentum tensor and the near-threshold vector meson photoproduction (NTVMP). Concretely, the quark contributions of GFFs are determined unprecedentedly by global fitting the cross section of the lightest vector meson $\rho^0$ photoproduction. Combined with the gluon GFFs achieved from heavy quarkonium $J/\psi$ photoproduction data, the complete GFFs are obtained and compared with the deeply virtual Compton scattering experimental results and LQCD determinations. The profound implications of this finding cannot be overstated, as it opens new avenues for obtaining comprehensive information on GFFs. Naturally, this work is not only an important basis for delving the proton enigmatic properties, % unraveling the secrets of the proton internal nature but also have significance theoretical guiding for future JLab and EICs experimental measurements.

Abstract: Ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs) at the LHC and RHIC provide important new information on the partonic structure of the proton and nuclei and small-$x$ dynamics in QCD. We review phenomenological applications of the collinear factorization at leading and next-to-leading orders of perturbative QCD and the dipole model to coherent and incoherent $J/\psi$ photoproduction in Pb-Pb UPCs at the LHC emphasizing the strong leading twist gluon nuclear shadowing, the role of quark-antiquark-gluon dipoles, and a possible onset the gluon saturation in nuclei. We also discuss inclusive and diffractive dijet photoproduction in UPCs, which give complementary constraints on nuclear parton distributions and the pattern of factorization breaking in diffraction.

Abstract: We study the role of the meson cloud on the electromagnetic transitions from decuplet ($B'$) to octet ($B$) baryons in terms of the squared four-momentum transfer $q^2$. In the quark model framework, the meson cloud dressing of the quark cores gives important contributions to the $\gamma^\ast N \to \Delta(1232)$ transition form factors. In the present work, we estimate the meson cloud contributions of all decuplet to octet baryon transitions ($\gamma^\ast B \to B'$ or $B' \to \gamma^\ast B$). Models that combine valence quark effects with pion and kaon cloud dressing provide a fair description of the radiative decays of decuplet to octet baryons, namely the $\Sigma^0(1385) \to \gamma \Lambda (1116)$ and $\Sigma^+(1385) \to \gamma \Sigma^+ (1193)$ decays. Previous studies indicated the relevance of the pion cloud effects on the $B^\prime \to \gamma^\ast B$ transition, but also suggested that the kaon cloud contributions may be important in the timelike region. We combine then the contributions of the bare core, estimated by a covariant quark model, with $q^2$-dependent contributions of pion and kaon clouds. We use the framework to calculate the Dalitz decay rates and the Dalitz decay widths of decuplet baryons in octet baryons with di-electrons ($B' \to e^+ e^- B$) or di-muons ($B' \to \mu^+ \mu^- B$). We conclude, based on the magnitude of our results, that most estimates of the $B' \to e^+ e^- B$ Dalitz decay widths may be tested at HADES and PANDA (GSI) in a near future. We discuss also the possibility of measuring the $\Delta (1232) \to \mu^+ \mu^- N$ and $\Sigma^0 (1385) \to \mu^+ \mu^- \Lambda (1116)$ decay widths in some facilities, based on the estimated branching ratios.

Abstract: Searches for new particles beyond the Standard Model (SM) are an important task for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). In this paper, we investigate the properties of the heavy non-SM Higgs bosons in the $\mu$-term extended Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model ($\mu$NMSSM). We scan the parameter space of the $\mu$NMSSM considering the basic constraints from Higgs data, dark matter (DM) relic density, and LHC searches for sparticles. And we also consider the constraints from the LZ2022 experiment and the muon anomaly constraint at 2$\sigma$ level. We find that the LZ2022 experiment has a strict constraint on the parameter space of the $\mu$NMSSM, and the limits from the DM-nucleon spin-independent (SI) and spin-dependent (SD) cross-sections are complementary. Then we discuss the exotic decay modes of heavy Higgs bosons decaying into SM-like Higgs boson. We find that for doublet-dominated Higgs $h_3$ and $A_2$, the main exotic decay channels are $h_3\rightarrow Z A_1$, $h_3\rightarrow h_1 h_2$, $A_2\rightarrow A_1 h_1$ and $A_2\rightarrow Z h_2$, and the branching ratio can reach to about 23$\%$, 10$\%$, 35$\%$ and 10$\%$ respectively. At the 13 TeV LHC, the production cross-section of $ggF\rightarrow h_3\rightarrow h_1 h_2$ and $ggF\rightarrow A_2\rightarrow A_1 h_1$ can reach to about $10^{-11}$pb and $10^{-10}$pb, respectively.

Abstract: Baryon asymmetry of the Universe offers one of the strongest hints for physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM). Remarkably, in the general two Higgs Doublet Model (g2HDM) that possesses a second set of Yukawa matrices, one can have electroweak baryogenesis (EWBG) while the electron electric dipole moment (eEDM) is evaded by a natural flavor tuning that echoes SM. We show that eEDM may first emerge around $10^{-30}\,e$ cm or so, followed by neutron EDM (nEDM) down to $10^{-27}\,e$ cm. We illustrate a cancellation mechanism for nEDM itself, which in turn can be probed when a facility capable of pushing down to $10^{-28}\,e$ cm becomes available.

Abstract: It is known that the Real Extended Bialas-Bzdak (ReBB) model describes the proton-proton ($pp$) and proton-antiproton ($p\bar p$) differential cross-section data in a statistically non-excludible way,\linebreak i.e., with a confidence level greater than or equal to 0.1\% in the center of mass energy range \linebreak 546 GeV $\leq\sqrt{s}\leq$ 8 TeV and in the squared four-momentum transfer range 0.37 GeV$^2$ $\leq -t\leq$ 1.2 GeV$^2$. Considering, instead of Gaussian, a more general L\'evy $\alpha$-stable shape for the parton distributions of the constituent quark and diquark inside the proton and for the relative separation between them, a generalized description of data is obtained, where the ReBB model corresponds to the $\alpha =$ 2 special case. Extending the model to $\alpha <$ 2, we conjecture that the validity of the model can be extended to a wider kinematic range, in particular, to lower values of the four-momentum transfer $-t$. We present the formal L\'evy $\alpha$-stable generalization of the Bialas-Bzdak model and show that a simplified version of this model can be successfully fitted, with $\alpha<$ 2, to the non-exponential, low $-t$ differential cross-section data of elastic proton-proton scattering at $\sqrt{s} =$ 8 TeV.

Abstract: We present the analytic evaluation of the second-order corrections to the massive form factors, due to two-loop vertex diagrams with a vacuum polarization insertion, with exact dependence on the external and internal fermion masses, and on the squared momentum transfer. We consider vector, axial-vector, scalar and pseudoscalar interactions between the external fermion and the external field. After renormalization, the finite expressions of the form factors are expressed in terms of polylogarithms up to weight three.

Abstract: We demonstrate the feasibility of probing the charged lepton flavor violating decay $\mu^{+}\!\!\rightarrow \!e^{+} X^{0}$ for the presence of a slow-moving neutral boson $X^{0}$ capable of undergoing gravitational binding to large structures, and as such able to participate in some cosmological scenarios. A short exposure to surface antimuons from beamline M20 at TRIUMF generates a branching ratio limit of $\lesssim 10^{-5}$. This is comparable or better than previous searches for this channel, although in a thus-far unexplored region of $X^{0}$ phase space very close to the kinematic limit of the decay. The future improved sensitivity of the method using a customized p-type point contact germanium detector is described.

Abstract: The so-called "principle of maximal conformality" is nonsense and does nothing to resolve the renormalization-scheme-dependence problem. Some essential facts about that problem are summarized. It is stressed that RG invariance is a symmetry and that any viable method for resolving the scheme-dependence problem should be formulatable in terms of the invariants of that symmetry.

Abstract: We investigate the capture rate of the cosmic neutrino background on tritium within the Standard Model, extended to incorporate three right-handed singlet neutrinos with explicit lepton-number violation. We consider a scenario where the $6 \times 6$ neutrino mixing matrix factorizes into three independent $2 \times 2$ pairs and analyze the states produced from weak interactions just before neutrino decoupling. Taking into account the unrestricted Majorana mass scale associated with lepton number violation, spanning from the Grand Unification scale to Planck-suppressed values, we observe a gradual transition in the capture rate from a purely Majorana neutrino to a purely (pseudo) Dirac neutrino. We demonstrate that the capture rate is modified if the lightest active neutrino is relativistic, and this can be used to constrain the tiniest value of mass-squared difference $\sim 10^{-35}\,{\rm eV}^2$, between the active-sterile pair, probed so far. Consequently, the cosmic neutrino capture rate could become a promising probe for discerning the underlying mechanism responsible for generating neutrino masses.

Abstract: The presence of multi-boson self-interactions is implied by the non-Abelian gauge structure of the Standard Model (SM). Precise measurements of these interactions allow not only testing the nature of the SM but also new physics contribution arising from the beyond SM. The investigation of these interactions can be approached in a model-independent manner using an effective theory approach, which forms the main motivation of this study. In this paper, we examine the anomalous neutral quartic gauge couplings through the process $\gamma \gamma \rightarrow Z Z$ at the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) with the center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=3$ TeV, integrated luminosities of ${\cal L}=5$ $\rm ab^{-1}$. The anomalous neutral quartic gauge couplings is implemented into FeynRules to generate a UFO module inserted into Madgraph to generate both background and signal events. These events are then passed through Pythia 8 for parton showering and Delphes to include realistic detector effects. We obtain that the sensitivities on the anomalous quartic neutral gauge couplings with $95\%$ Confidence Level are given as: $f_{T0}/\Lambda^{4}=[-1.06; 1.08]\times 10^{-3}$ ${\rm TeV^{-4}}$, $f_{T1}/\Lambda^{4}=[-1.06; 1.08]\times 10^{-3}$ ${\rm TeV^{-4}}$,$f_{T2}/\Lambda^{4}=[-1.06; 1.08]\times 10^{-3}$ ${\rm TeV^{-4}}$,$f_{T0}/\Lambda^{4}=[-1.06; 1.08]\times 10^{-3}$ ${\rm TeV^{-4}}$, $f_{T5}/\Lambda^{4}=[-4.08; 4.08]\times 10^{-4}$ ${\rm TeV^{-4}}$ and $f_{T8}/\Lambda^{4}=[-1.10; 1.10]\times10^{-4}$ ${\rm TeV^{-4}}$. Our results on the anomalous quartic neutral gauge couplings are set more stringent sensitivity with respect to the recent experimental limits.

Abstract: We propose a Born-Infeld contribution to the $U(1)_{B-L}$ extension of the Standard Model to explain the anomalous decay of beryllium by the X17 neutral boson, its possible connections to dark matter and the observed MeV gamma-ray bursts. The decay width of the $Z^0$ decay into 3$X$ process is computed based on NA64 experiment data.

Abstract: We discuss the construction of the chiral Lagrangian for a light spin-1 boson, here denoted as $X$, featuring both vector and axial-vector couplings to light $u,d,s$ quarks. Focusing on $\Delta S = 1$ transitions, we show that there are model-independent tree-level contributions to $K^\pm \to \pi^\pm X$, sourced by Standard Model charged currents, which receive an $m^2_K / m_X^2$ enhancement from the emission of a longitudinally polarized $X$. This flavour observable sets the strongest to date model-independent bound on the diagonal axial-vector couplings of $X$ to $u,d,s$ quarks for $m_X < m_K - m_\pi$, superseding the bounds arising from beam-dump and collider searches.

Abstract: In a 3-3-1 model with inverse seesaw neutrinos, we use a simple form of Higgs potential to give four CP-even Higgs bosons ($H \equiv h^0_1,h^0_2,h^0_3,h^0_4$). We investigate $H \rightarrow \mu \tau$ decays in the parameter space regions satisfying the experimental limits of $l_a \rightarrow l_b \gamma$ with running parameters being the mass of the charged Higgs boson ($m_{H_1^\pm}$) and the mixing matrix of the heavy neutrinos ($M_R$). We show that there exist regions of parameter space where all partial widths $\Gamma (H \rightarrow \mu \tau)$ are less than the current experimental limit ($4.1 \times 10^{-6} GeV$). Analyzing the contributing components to $\Gamma (H \rightarrow \mu \tau)$, we also compare the mass of the SM-like Higgs boson with the corresponding ones of the other CP-even Higgs bosons in this model.

Abstract: We investigate a simple extension of the standard model (SM) in which the dark matter consists of a feebly interacting fermion (FIMP), charged under a new $Z_4$ symmetry, that is produced in the early Universe by the freeze-in mechanism. The only other new particle included in the model is a singlet scalar, also charged under the $Z_4$, which couples to the fermion via Yukawa interactions and to the SM Higgs. The model is truly minimal, as it admits just five free parameters: two masses and three dimensionless couplings. Depending on their values, the freeze-in mechanism can be realized in different ways, each characterized by its own production processes. For all of them, we numerically study the relic density as a function of the free parameters of the model and determine the regions consistent with the dark matter constraint. Our results show that this scenario is viable over a wide range of couplings and dark matter masses. This model, therefore, not only offers a novel solution to the dark matter problem, but it also provides a minimal realization of freeze-in for fermion dark matter.