High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)

Abstract: The branching fractions of $\tau \to \pi^+ \pi^-\pi^- \nu_\tau$ and $\tau \to \pi^- 2\pi^0\nu_\tau$ are calculated within the chiral NJL model. Features of the axial-vector $a_1$ meson which plays an important role in describing the $\tau$ decays are discussed. Permissible values for the mass and width of the $a_1$ meson are considered in accordance with the latest experiments.

Abstract: It has been shown previously that the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) factorization of heavy quarkonium production requires a TMD shape function. Its perturbative tail can be extracted by matching the cross sections valid at low and high transverse momenta. In this article we compare the order-$\alpha_s$ TMD expressions with the order-$\alpha_s^2$ collinear ones for $J/\psi$ production in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS), employing nonrelativistic QCD in both cases. In contrast to previous studies, we find that the small transverse momentum limit of the collinear expressions contain discontinuities. We demonstrate how to properly deal with them and include their finite contributions to the TMD shape functions. Moreover, we show that soft gluon emission from the low transverse momentum Born diagrams provide the same leading order TMD shape functions as required for the matching. Their revised perturbative tails have a less divergent behaviour as compared to the TMD fragmentation functions of light hadrons. Finally, we investigate the universality of TMD shape functions in heavy quarkonium production, identify the need for process dependent factorization and discuss the phenomenological implications.

Abstract: The monograph considers resonance and polarization effects in quantum electrodynamics processes that take place in a strong external magnetic field. A method for analyzing spin-polarization effects has been developed. The factorization of process cross sections in resonant conditions and the representation of these cross sections in the form of Breit-Wigner are considered. The possibility of testing these effects in modern international projects to test quantum electrodynamics in strong fields is shown.

Abstract: We study the decay $J/\psi\to\pi^{+}\pi^{-}\pi^{0}$ within the framework of the Khuri-Treiman equations. We find that the BESIII experimental di-pion mass distribution in the $\rho(770)$-region is well reproduced with a once-subtracted $P$-wave amplitude. Furthermore, we show that $F$-wave contributions to the amplitude improve the description of the data in the $\pi\pi$ mass region around 1.5 GeV. We also present predictions for the $J/\psi\to\pi^{0}\gamma^{*}$ transition form factor.

Abstract: Yukawa couplings of the first quark generation are notoriously difficult to constrain due to their small values within the Standard Model. Here we propose Higgs off-shell production, with the Higgs boson decaying to four leptons, as a probe of the up- and down-quark Yukawa couplings. Using kinematic discriminants similar to the ones employed in the Higgs width measurements we find that the down (up) Yukawa coupling can be constrained to a factor of 156 (260) times its Standard Model value at the high-luminosity LHC assuming only experimental systematic uncertainties. Off-shell Higgs production hence provides better sensitivity to the first-generation quark Yukawa couplings with respect to other probes such as Higgs+jet or Higgs pair production.

Abstract: We calculate the leading twist pion unpolarized transverse momentum distribution $f_1(x,k_T^2)$ and the Boer-Mulders function $h_1^\perp(x,k_T^2)$, using leading Fock-state light front wave functions (LF-LFWFs) based on Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations. These DS-BSEs based LF-LFWFs provide dynamically generated s- and p-wave components, which are indispensable in producing chirally odd Boer-Mulders function that has one parton spin flipped. Employing a non-perturbative SU(3) gluon rescattering kernel to treat the gauge link of the Boer-Mulders function, we thus obtain both TMDs at hadronic scale and then evolve them to the scale of $\mu^2=4.0$ GeV$^2$. We finally calculate the generalized Boer-Mulders shift and find it to be in agreement with the lattice prediction.

Abstract: We aim to study the energy loss of heavy quarks in the presence of the background magnetic field. To do so, we first investigate the effect of medium polarization on the propagation of charm and a bottom quark, considering an equilibrating quark-gluon plasma created in the relativistic heavy-ion colliders such as RHIC and LHC. The analysis is performed considering the high magnetic field produced due to the spectators from the initial hard collisions. Furthermore, we studied the nuclear modification factor, $R_{AA},$ for different values of magnetic field for the parameters relevant at RHIC and LHC energies. The energy loss of heavy quarks (HQs) was found to increase significantly. The corresponding nuclear modification factor ($R_{AA}$) suppresses upto 15\% at the highest magnetic field strength studied ($eB$ = 0.6 $\text{GeV}^2$).