High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)

Abstract: We argue that the mixing phenomenon of a neutral meson formed by a fictitious massive quark will disappear, if the electroweak symmetry of the Standard Model (SM) is restored at a high energy scale. This disappearance is taken as the high-energy input for the dispersion relation, which must be obeyed by the width difference between two meson mass eigenstates. The solution to the dispersion relation at low energy, i.e., in the symmetry broken phase, then connects the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements to the quark masses involved in the box diagrams responsible for meson mixing. It is demonstrated via the analysis of the $D$ meson mixing that the typical $d$, $s$ and $b$ quark masses demand the CKM matrix elements in agreement with measured values. In particular, the known numerical relation $V_{us}\approx \sqrt{m_s/m_b}$ with the $s$ ($b$) quark mass $m_s$ ($m_b$) can be derived analytically from our solution. Next we apply the same formalism to the mixing of the $\mu^- e^+$ and $\mu^+ e^-$ states through similar box diagrams with intermediate neutrino channels. It is shown that the neutrino masses in the normal hierarchy (NH), instead of in the inverted hierarchy or quasi-degenerate spectrum, match the observed Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata matrix elements. The lepton mixing angles larger than the quark ones are explained by means of the inequality $m_2^2/m_3^2\gg m_s^2/m_b^2$, $m_{2,3}$ being the neutrino masses in the NH. At last, the solution for the $\tau^-e^+$-$\tau^+e^-$ mixing specifies the mixing angle $\theta_{23}\approx 45^\circ$ with slight preference for the first octant. Our work suggests that the fermion masses and mixing parameters are constrained dynamically, and the neutrino mass orderings can be discriminated by the internal consistency of the SM.

Abstract: We investigate a new production mechanism of axion-like particle (ALP) from $B$ meson annihilation decays and its observation potential at the Belle and Belle II experiments. This mechanism allows for the production of ALP from $B$ meson decays in association with a large variety of mesons. In this article, we first estimate the branching ratios of such processes with a perturbative QCD method. Focussing on the most promising $B \to h a^{\prime}$ ($h=K^\pm, \pi^\pm, D^0$ and $D_s$) channels, we perform sensitivity studies for $a^{\prime}$ decaying invisibly or into diphoton with Belle and Belle II experiments.

Abstract: We study the behavior of a hadronic matter in the presence of an external magnetic field within the van der Waals hadron resonance gas (VDWHRG) model, considering both attractive and repulsive interactions among the hadrons. Various thermodynamic quantities like pressure ($P$), energy density ($\varepsilon$), magnetization ($\mathcal{M}$), entropy density ($s$), squared speed of sound ($c_{\rm s}^{2}$), specific heat capacity at constant volume ($c_{v}$) are calculated as functions of temperature ($T$) and static finite magnetic field ($eB$). We also consider the effect of baryochemical potential ($\mu_{B}$) on the above-mentioned thermodynamic observables in the presence of a magnetic field. Further, we estimate the magnetic susceptibility ($\chi_{\rm M}^{2}$), relative permeability ($\mu_{\rm r}$), and electrical susceptibility ($\chi_{\rm Q}^{2}$) which can help us to understand the system better. With the information of $\mu_{\rm r}$ and dielectric constant ($\epsilon_{r}$), we enumerate the refractive index ($RI$) of the system under consideration. Through this model, we quantify a liquid-gas phase transition in the T-eB-$\mu_B$ phase space.

Abstract: The multiplicity dependence of event-by-event fluctuations in mean transverse momentum, $\langle p_{\rm T} \rangle$, of charged particles has been studied in p$-$p collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV and 13 TeV using the PYTHIA 8 event generator. The charged particles were selected in kinematic range of $0.15 < p_{\rm T}<2$ GeV$/c$ and $|\eta| < 0.8$. The dynamical fluctuations would indicate towards the correlated emission of particles. The measurements in A$-$A and p$-$p collisions has shown a decrease in the strength of $ \langle p_{\rm T} \rangle$ fluctuations with the average charged particle multiplicity. The effects of various microscopic processes like color reconnection and multi-partonic interactions has been studied. A minimal dependency on the collision energy is also observed. Furthermore, the fluctuation observables are investigated in the intervals of transverse spherocity in order to comprehend the relative contributions resulting from hard scattering and underlying events. The present study would act as a baseline for future measurements in A$-$A as well as p$-$p collisions at the LHC.

Abstract: We propose a chiral quark model including the $\omega$ and $\rho$ meson contributions in addition to the $\pi$ and $\sigma$ meson contributions. We show that the masses of the ground state baryons such as the nucleon, $\Lambda_c$ and $\Lambda_b$ are dramatically improved in the model with the vector mesons compared with the one without them. The study of the tetraquark $T_{cc}$ is also performed in a coupled channel calculation and the resultant mass is much closer to the experiment than the result without vector meson contribution. This approach could be applied in future study of multi-quark systems.

Abstract: We consider threshold resummation of rapidity distributions, for which various approaches exist in the literature. Recently, a work by Lustermans, Michel, Tackmann suggested that older approaches by Becher, Neubert, Xu (BNX) and Bonvini, Forte, Ridolfi (BFR) were wrong because they miss some leading-power contributions at threshold. In this work, we prove and demonstrate that the BNX and BFR approaches are correct and able to resum threshold logarithms to leading-power accuracy. We then show that the BNX and BFR approaches can provide rather good alternatives to more modern approaches to threshold resummation of rapidity distributions, provided the threshold logarithms are resummed according to the $\psi$-soft definition introduced in the context of Higgs production.

Abstract: We investigate the $C\!P$-odd electric dipole moments (EDMs) of spin-1/2 charm baryons considering $C\!P$-violating dimension-6 operators in the Standard Model effective field theory. In the framework of heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory, we calculate the EDMs of single-charm baryons and present the estimates for beyond-the-standard model physics appearing at the TeV scale.

Abstract: We have studied anomalous four-photon couplings in the $\mu^+\mu^- \rightarrow \mu^+ \gamma\gamma \mu^-$ scattering at a future muon collider, assuming that anomalous quartic gauge couplings with one or two $Z$ bosons are zero. The collision energies of 3 TeV, 14 TeV, and 100 TeV are addressed. Both differential and total cross sections versus invariant mass of the outgoing photons are calculated. The best 95\% C.L. exclusion bounds on anomalous couplings are obtained to be $g_1 = 2.23 \times 10^{-8}$ TeV$^{-4}$ and $g_2 = 4.22 \times 10^{-8}$ TeV$^{-4}$. They correspond to the muon collision energy of 100 TeV. The partial-wave unitary constraints on $g_1$ and $g_2$ are examined. We have demonstrated that the unitarity is not violated in a region of the anomalous couplings obtained in the present paper.

Abstract: [Abridged] By combining swampland conjectures with observational data, it was recently noted that our universe could stretch off in an asymptotic region of the string landscape of vacua. In this framework, the cosmological hierarchy problem can be resolved by the addition of one mesoscopic (dark) dimension of size $\sim \lambda \, \Lambda^{-1/4} \sim 1~\mu{\rm m}$. The Planck scale of the higher dimensional theory, $M_{\rm UV} \sim \lambda^{-1/3} \Lambda^{1/12} M_{\rm Pl}^{2/3} \sim 10^{10}~{\rm GeV}$, is tantalizingly close to the energy above which the TA and Auger collaborations found conclusive evidence for a sharp cutoff of the flux of UHECRs. It was recently suggested that since physics becomes strongly coupled to gravity beyond $M_{\rm UV}$, universal features deep-rooted in the dark dimension could control the energy cutoff of the source spectra. Conversely, in the absence of phenomena inborn within the dark dimension, we would expect a high variance of the cosmic ray maximum energy characterizing the source spectra, reflecting the many different properties inherent to the most commonly assumed UHECR accelerators. A recent analysis of Auger and TA data exposed strong evidence for a correlation between UHECRs and nearby starburst galaxies, with a global significance post-trial of $4.7\sigma$. Since these galaxies are in our cosmic backyard, the flux attenuation factor due to cosmic ray interactions en route to Earth turns out to be negligible. This implies that for each source, the shape of the observed spectrum should roughly match the emission spectrum, providing a unique testing ground for the dark dimension hypothesis. Using Auger data, we carry out a maximum likelihood analysis to characterize the shape of the UHECR emission from the galaxies dominating the anisotropy signal. We show that the observed spectra could be universal only if $\lambda \lesssim 10^{-3}$.

Abstract: Research in high energy physics (HEP) requires huge amounts of computing and storage, putting strong constraints on the code speed and resource usage. To meet these requirements, a compiled high-performance language is typically used; while for physicists, who focus on the application when developing the code, better research productivity pleads for a high-level programming language. A popular approach consists of combining Python, used for the high-level interface, and C++, used for the computing intensive part of the code. A more convenient and efficient approach would be to use a language that provides both high-level programming and high-performance. The Julia programming language, developed at MIT especially to allow the use of a single language in research activities, has followed this path. In this paper the applicability of using the Julia language for HEP research is explored, covering the different aspects that are important for HEP code development: runtime performance, handling of large projects, interface with legacy code, distributed computing, training, and ease of programming. The study shows that the HEP community would benefit from a large scale adoption of this programming language. The HEP-specific foundation libraries that would need to be consolidated are identified

Abstract: We present a novel strategy for the simultaneous measurement of Higgs-boson branching ratios into gluons and light quarks at a future lepton collider operating in the Higgs-factory mode. Our method is based on template fits to global event-shape observables, and in particular fractional energy correlations, thereby exploiting differences in the QCD radiation patterns of quarks and gluons. In a constrained fit of the deviations of the light-flavour hadronic Higgs-boson branching ratios from their Standard Model expectations, based on an integrated luminosity of $5\,\text{ab}^{-1}$, we obtain $68\%$ confidence level limits of $\mu_{gg}=1 \pm 0.08$ and $\mu_{q\bar{q}}<2.3$.

Abstract: Several hints of the presence of a new state at about $95$ GeV have been observed recently. The CMS and ATLAS collaborations have reported excesses in the diphoton channel at about this diphoton invariant mass with local statistical significances of $2.9 \, \sigma$ and $1.7 \,\sigma$, respectively. Furthermore, a $2 \, \sigma$ excess in the $b\bar{b}$ final state was also observed at LEP, again pointing at a similar mass value. We interpret these intriguing hints of new physics in a variant of the Scotogenic model, an economical scenario that induces Majorana neutrino masses at the loop level and includes a viable dark matter candidate. We show that our model can naturally explain the 95 GeV excesses while respecting all experimental constraints and discuss other phenomenological predictions of our scenario.

Abstract: We study the electromagnetic radiation by a fermion carrying an electric charge $q$ embedded in a medium rotating with constant angular velocity $\bf\Omega$ parallel or anti-parallel to an external constant magnetic field $\bf B$. We assume that the rotation is "relatively slow"; namely, that the angular velocity $\Omega$ is much smaller than the inverse magnetic length $\sqrt{qB}$. In practice, such angular velocity can be extremely high. The fermion motion is a superposition of two circular motions: one due to its rigid rotation caused by forces exerted by the medium, another due to the external magnetic field. We derive an exact analytical expression for the spectral rate and the total intensity of this type of synchrotron radiation. Our numerical calculations indicate very high sensitivity of the radiation to the angular velocity of rotation. We show that the radiation intensity is strongly enhanced if $q\bf B$ and $\bf \Omega$ point in the same direction and is suppressed otherwise.

Abstract: The ATLAS collaboration has recently reported the results of a low-mass Higgs-boson search in the di-photon final state based on the full Run 2 data set. The results are based on an improved analysis w.r.t. the previous analysis, which included a part of the Run 2 data, with a substantially better sensitivity. The ``model-dependent'' search carried out by ATLAS shows an excess of events at a mass of about 95.4 GeV with a local significance of $1.7\,\sigma$. The results are compatible with a previously reported excess at the same mass, but somewhat higher significance of $2.9\,\sigma$, from the CMS collaboration, also based on the full Run 2 data set. Combining the two results (neglecting possible correlations) we find a signal strength of $\mu_{\gamma\gamma}^{\rm ATLAS+CMS} = 0.27^{+0.10}_{-0.09}$, corresponding to an excess of $3.2\,\sigma$. In this work, we investigate the implications of this result, updating a previous analysis based solely on the CMS Run 2 data. We demonstrate that the ATLAS/CMS combined di-photon excess can be interpreted as the lightest Higgs boson in a Two-Higgs doublet model that is extended by a complex singlet (S2HDM) of Yukawa types II and IV, while being in agreement with all other experimental and theoretical constraints.

Abstract: We investigate inflation driven by the Higgs boson in the Palatini formulation of General Relativity. Our analysis primarily focuses on a small non-minimal coupling of the Higgs field to gravity in the range $0<\xi\lesssim 1$. We incorporate the renormalization group running of the relevant parameters as computed within the Standard Model and allow for small corrections. In addition to $\xi$, our model features two tunable parameters: the low-energy value of the top Yukawa coupling and an effective jump of the Higgs self-interaction. Our results indicate that critical points leading to a large enhancement of the power spectrum can be produced. However, the observed amplitude of perturbations in the CMB cannot be matched within this setting. On the one hand, this makes it difficult to generate a sizable abundance of primordial black holes. On the other hand, our finding can be viewed as further evidence that Palatini Higgs inflation has favourable high-energy properties due to robustness against quantum corrections.