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At least 217 records · Page 12

Search for Rare Processes: Mu2e and KOTO

The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics has been very successful in describing the fundamental forces, the properties of elementary particles, and predicting particles prior to their discovery, for example the top quark and the Higgs boson. Yet the SM does not explain all phenomena, and discoveries of physics processes beyond the SM will allow progress in our understanding of the fundamental nature of matter and forces. The search for rare processes is one of the paths to look for new physics. Two of these searches are for muon to electron conversion and the decay $\text{K}_\text{L}\rightarrow \pi^0 \nu \bar{\nu}$. Our main effort was in the Mu2e experiment under construction at Fermilab, which has the goal of searching for the neutrinoless conversion of a muon into an electron at a single event sensitivity of 2.87 x 10-17 and, in the process, provide evidence of physics processes beyond the Standard Model. We developed the firmware to be used in the Mu2e tracker readout, assisted in the construction and operation of the Mu2e Vertical Slice Test, and provided input to studies of cosmic event reconstructions in Mu2e using simulated data. Under this reward we also concluded our effort in two KOTO experiment in J-PARC, Japan and set a limit on the rate of the rare decay, $\text{K}_\text{L}\rightarrow \pi^0 \nu \bar{\nu}$ using the data collected in the 2016-2018 period. We also maintained and operated the DAQ system used for data collection thru 2021.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

An Energy-Integrated Analysis for Measuring the Anomalous Precession Frequenzc for the Muon g - 2 Experiment at Fermilab

In the search for physics beyond the Standard Model, the Muon g - 2 Experiment at Fermilab (E989) will make the most precise measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, a μ . Improvements in precision come from both increased statistics and new techniques to significantly reduce previous systematic uncertainties. The muon a μ is determined by extracting both the anomalous spin precession frequency, ω a , and the average magnetic field sampled by the muons, B. Traditionally an energy threshold analysis method which requires reconstruction of decay positrons from the muon decay, μ + → e + ν e ν μ has been used to extract ω a . This thesis will describe a novel, energy-integrated analysis method for ωa extraction that does not require full reconstruction of positron hits and lowers the energy threshold therefore sampling more of the stored muons. This new technique has different sensitivities to effects like gain fluctuations and positron pulse pile-up. The analysis results will focus on data taken in 2019, the second year of running the experiment.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Sensitivities to neutrino non-standard interactions from the disappearance of muon (anti)neutrinos at the NOvA experiment

The experimental confirmation of the phenomenon of neutrino oscillations provided evidence for a non-zero value for the mass of neutrinos, a property not initially predicted by the Standard Model of Physics. Investigations of the existence of the so called Physics Beyond the Standard Model is a subject of growing interest and effort in the field of particle physics. Interactions of neutrinos with matter are well described by the Standard Model, however in the presence of new Physics, additional phenomena regarding neutrino properties would be possible, including non-standard interactions of neutrinos with matter. The NOvA experiment, at Fermilab, has been investigating neutrino oscillations through studies of ν µ produced at the Fermilab accelerator facilities, and also comprise a suitable environment for investigation of additional phenomena taking part in the neutrino oscillation framework. We show in this thesis the results of the sensitivity studies to neutrino non standard interactions in the NOvA experiment through investigation of the disappearance of muon (anti)neutrinos during their evolution in the NOvA 810 km baseline. We investigate the effect of the NSI parameters, |ε µτ | and δ µτ , on the determination of the standard oscillation parameters sin 2 (θ 23 ) and Δ$m^2_{32}$, as well as the relation between each parameter, for both neutrino mass hierarchies. This study makes use of an exposure of 9.48 × 10 20 POT for neutrino beam (FHC), and 12.33 × 10 20 POT for antineutrino beam (RHC). No deviations from the standard oscillation scenario is found at the 90% CL limit. The joint neutrino and antineutrino fit yields a limit of |ε µτ | ≤ 0.086 (0.085) for a fixed value of δ µτ = 0, and |ε µτ | ≤ 1.054 (1.053) for the case where both NSI parameters are fitted, for the normal (inverted) neutrino mass hierarchy, at the 90% CL. In the current sensitivity, all values of δ µτ are found to be allowed. The 90% CL interval for the standard oscillation parameters are Δ$m^2_{32}$ ϵ [2.379, 2.580] and sin 2 (θ 23 ) ϵ [0.420, 0.602] for the normal hierarchy scenario, and Δ$m^2_{32}$ ϵ [-2.639, - 2.438] and sin 2 (θ 23 ) ϵ [0.418, 0.602] for the inverted hierarchy scenario.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Relations between b → cτν decay modes in scalar models

As a consequence of the Ward identity for hadronic matrix elements, we find relations between the differential decay rates of semileptonic decay modes with the underlying quark-level transition b → cτν, which are valid in scalar models. The decay-mode dependent scalar form factor is the only necessary theoretical ingredient for the relations. Otherwise, they combine measurable decay rates as a function of the invariant mass-squared of the lepton pair $q^2$ in such a way that a universal decay-mode independent function is found for decays to vector and pseudoscalar mesons, respectively. This can be applied to the decays $B → D^{\ast}τv, B_s → D^\ast_sτv, B_c → J/ψτv$ and $B → Dτv, B_s → D_sτv, B_c → η_cτv$, with implications for $R(D^{(\ast)}), R(D^{(\ast)}_s), R(J/ψ), R(η_c)$, and $\mathcal{B}(B_c → τv)$. The slope and curvature of the characteristic $q^2$-dependence is proportional to scalar new physics parameters, facilitating their straight forward extraction, complementary to global fits.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Electric dipole moments, new forces and dark matter

New sources of CP violation beyond the Standard Model are crucial to explain the baryon asymmetry in the Universe. We discuss the impact of new CP violating interactions in theories where a dark matter candidate is predicted by the cancellation of gauge anomalies. In these theories, the constraint on the dark matter relic density implies an upper bound on the new symmetry breaking scale from which all new states acquire their masses. We investigate in detail the predictions for electric dipole moments and show that if the relevant CP-violating phase is large, experiments such as the ACME collaboration will be able to fully probe the theory.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Vector bosons and jets in proton collisions

Events with vector bosons produced in association with jets have been extensively studied at hadron colliders and provide high-accuracy tests of the standard model. A good understanding of these processes is of paramount importance for precision Higgs physics, as well as for searches for new physics. In particular, associated production of γ, W, or Z bosons with light-flavor and heavy-flavor jets is a powerful tool for testing perturbative QCD calculations, Monte Carlo event generators, and can also constrain the parametrizations used to describe the parton content of the proton. Furthermore, events with a W or Z boson produced with two well-separated jets can be used to distinguish between electroweak and strong production mechanisms, and to set limits on contributions of physics beyond the standard model. This review summarizes the historical theoretical developments and the state-of-the-art in the modeling of vector-boson-plus-jet physics while focusing on experimental results by the LHC collaborations in run 1 and run 2 and including comparisons with recent measurements at the Tevatron.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Higgs coupling measurements and the scale of new physics

A primary goal of present and future colliders is measuring the Higgs couplings to Standard Model (SM) particles. Any observed deviation from the SM predictions for these couplings is a sign of new physics whose energy scale can be bounded from above by requiring tree-level unitarity. In this paper, we extend previous work on unitarity bounds from the Higgs cubic coupling to Higgs couplings to vector bosons and top quarks. We find that HL-LHC measurements of these couplings compatible with current experimental bounds may point to a scale that can be explored at the HL-LHC or a next-generation collider. Our approach is completely model-independent: we assume only that there are no light degrees of freedom below the scale of new physics, and allow arbitrary values for the infinitely many couplings beyond the SM as long as they are in agreement with current measurements. We also extend and clarify the methodology of this analysis, and show that if the scale of new physics is above the TeV scale, then the deviations can be described by the leading higher-dimension gauge invariant operator, as in the SM effective field theory.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Searches for Higgs boson production through decays of heavy resonances

The discovery of the Higgs boson has led to new possible signatures for heavy resonance searches at the LHC. Since then, search channels including at least one Higgs boson plus another particle have formed an important part of the program of new physics searches. In this report, the status of these searches by the CMS Collaboration is reviewed. Searches are discussed for resonances decaying to two Higgs bosons, a Higgs and a vector boson, or a Higgs boson and another new resonance. All analyses use proton–proton collision data collected at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV in the years 2016–2018. A combination of the results of these searches is presented together with constraints on different beyond-the-standard model scenarios, including scenarios with extended Higgs sectors, heavy vector bosons and extra dimensions. Studies are shown for the first time by CMS on the validity of the narrow-width approximation in searches for the resonant production of a pair of Higgs bosons. The potential for a discovery at the High Luminosity LHC is also discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

On the statistical treatment of the Cabibbo angle anomaly

We point out that testing the equality of the Cabibbo angle as extracted from $\Gamma(K\rightarrow \pi l\nu)$, the ratio $\Gamma(K\rightarrow l\nu)/\Gamma(\pi\rightarrow l\nu)$ and nuclear $\beta$ decays is not identical to a test of first row unitarity of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix. The reason is that a CKM unitarity test involves only two parameters, while the degrees of freedom for the assessment of the goodness-of-fit of the universality of the Cabibbo angle entailed by the Standard Model (SM) is equal to the number of measurements minus one. Beyond the SM all different processes could in principle give different Cabibbo angles. Consequently, the difference between the two tests becomes relevant starting from three observables giving results for the Cabibbo angle that are in tension with each other. With current data, depending on the treatment of the nuclear $\beta$ decays, we find that New Physics is favored over the SM at $5.1\,\sigma$ or $3.6\,\sigma$ while CKM unitarity is rejected at $4.8\sigma$ or $3.0\sigma$, respectively. We argue that the best method to test the SM is to test the equality of the Cabibbo angle, because CKM unitarity is only one aspect of the SM.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The first measurement of the muon anomalous magnetic moment from the Fermilab Muon g-2 collaboration

This paper will cover the physics and methods behind Fermilab’s Muon g-2 Experiment, along with the long-awaited results from Run-1. The experiment was undertaken to resolve the tension between the Standard Model and the previous measurement taken at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The measured value of the muon magnetic anomaly is a µ (FNAL) = 116592040(54) × 10 -11 . This result is in good agreement with Brookhaven’s previous measurement. The new world average, a µ (Exp) = 116592061(41) × 10 -11 , shows a difference from the theoretical value of the Standard Model (SM), a µ (SM) = 116591810(43) × 10 -11 , of 4.2 standard deviations, strongly hinting at physics beyond the Standard Model. The experiment requires the simultaneous measurement of the muon precession frequency, the magnetic field, and the muons’ distribution in the field. All three of these measurements will be discussed in context, along with the main systematic corrections and uncertainties.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Accelerator-Based Neutrino Beams

Over the past six decades, accelerator-based neutrino beams have revolutionized particle physics. Neutrinos created with accelerators have been used to discover the muon neutrino and tau neutrinos was discovered and to confirm the existence of neutrino oscillations. More recently, long-baseline experiments have offered the first experimental hint of CP violation in the neutrino sector. Building and operating such beams is an enormous technical challenge, yet they remain our most versatile tool for studying neutrinos. With new experiments such as DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande, and ideas such as neutrino factories, the next generation of beams will address open questions about neutrino mass ordering, CP violation, and possible physics beyond the standard model.

Fields, Laura [Notre Dame U.] (ORCID:0000000182813↗

New Thermonuclear Rate of 7 Li(d,n)2 4 He Relevant to the Cosmological Lithium Problem

Accurate 7 Li(d,n)2 4 He thermonuclear reaction rates are crucial for precise prediction of the primordial abundances of lithium and beryllium and to probe the mysteries beyond fundamental physics and the standard cosmological model. However, uncertainties still exist in current reaction rates of 7 Li(d,n)2 4 He widely used in big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN) simulations. In this work, we reevaluate the 7 Li(d,n)2 4 He reaction rate using the latest data on the three near-threshold 9 Be excited states from experimental measurements. We present for the first time uncertainties that are directly constrained by experiments. Additionally, we take into account for the first time the contribution from the subthreshold resonance at 16.671 MeV of 9 Be. We obtain a 7 Li(d,n)2 4 He rate that is overall smaller than the previous estimation by about a factor of 60 at the typical temperature of the onset of primordial nucleosynthesis. We implemented our new rate in BBN calculations, and we show that the new rates have a very limited impact on the final light element abundances in uniform density models. Typical abundance variations are in the order of 0.002%. For nonuniform density BBN models, the predicted 7 Li production can be increased by 10% and the primordial production of light nuclides with mass number A > 7 can be increased by about 40%. Our results confirm that the cosmological lithium problem remains a long-standing unresolved puzzle from the standpoint of nuclear physics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Beyond the Standard Model Explanations of GW190521

The LIGO-Virgo Collaboration has recently announced the detection of a heavy binary black hole merger, with component masses that are difficult to account for in standard stellar structure theory. In this Letter, we propose several explanations based on models of new physics, including new light particle losses, modified gravity, large extra dimensions, and a small magnetic moment of the neutrino. Each of these affect the physics of the pair instability differently, leading to novel mechanisms for forming black holes inside the mass gap.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Interplay of Nuclear and New Physics with Low-Energy Neutrino Sources

Low-energy neutrino sources, such as those from stopped pion or core-collapse supernova, interact with target nuclei in detectors through either coherent elastic or inelastic scattering processes. These interactions provide valuable insights into various Standard Model and Beyond the Standard Model phenomena, with significant implications for nuclear physics, particle physics, and astrophysics. The precision of coherent elastic scattering, where the nucleus remains in its ground state, depends on the accuracy of the underlying weak form factor of the nucleus. In contrast, inelastic scattering, where neutrinos excite the target nucleus to low-lying nuclear states, involves complex nuclear structures and dynamics and are quite poorly constrained. In this talk, I will present an overview of the field, highlight recent advancements, and outline future directions.

Pandey, Vishvas [Fermilab] (ORCID:0000000230827987↗

Real-Time Artificial Intelligence for Particle Reconstruction and Higgs Physics

With the discovery of the Higgs boson at the CERN LHC, the world's highest-energy particle accelerator complex, scientists have acquired an important tool to study the fundamental building blocks of the universe. Precision measurements of Higgs bosons produced with large momentum allow for unique insights into the structure of the interactions of the Higgs boson with other particles that may shed light on physics beyond the standard model. While experimentally challenging, exploring such interactions with novel artificial intelligence (AI) methods can advance our understanding of the Higgs sector, including the Higgs boson's self-interaction. Moreover, the LHC is undergoing a major upgrade to further increase its particle collision rate and thereby operate for an additional decade. The experimental detectors at the upgraded facility must process at least a factor of ten more data at rates of hundreds of terabytes per second all under challenging conditions. New AI techniques are required to reconstruct and select, or trigger on, the most physics-sensitive events in real-time to handle the resulting avalanche of data. The proposed research will achieve the goals of the LHC program at the CMS experiment by developing a sub-microsecond event reconstruction system using real-time AI algorithms that employ field-programmable gate array technologies. By harnessing sophisticated AI techniques, this research focuses on measuring the production of Higgs bosons at large momentum while enhancing particle reconstruction methods in the trigger and beyond. Overall, the proposed research has broader implications for the use of AI in resource-constrained, low-latency embedded applications across all fields of science.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A Gaseous Argon-Based Near Detector to Enhance the Physics Capabilities of DUNE

This document presents the concept and physics case for a magnetized gaseous argon-based detector system (ND-GAr) for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) Near Detector. This detector system is required in order for DUNE to reach its full physics potential in the measurement of CP violation and in delivering precision measurements of oscillation parameters. In addition to its critical role in the long-baseline oscillation program, ND-GAr will extend the overall physics program of DUNE. The LBNF high-intensity proton beam will provide a large flux of neutrinos that is sampled by ND-GAr, enabling DUNE to discover new particles and search for new interactions and symmetries beyond those predicted in the Standard Model.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Calibration of the DUNE Far Detector Using Cosmic-ray Muon Events

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) aims to set new limits on parameters associated with neutrino oscillations, neutrino astrophysics, and beyond the Standard Model (SM) searches such as nucleon decay. DUNE will quantify the magnitude of CP violation in the lepton sector, and determine the neutrino mass ordering. These benefit highly from the large target mass and excellent imaging, tracking, and particle identification capabilities of Liquid Argon Time Projection Chambers (LArTPCs). Detector calibration is essential to make precise physics measurements. For instance, accurate energy reconstruction is necessary for measuring many of the aforementioned quantities with the precision required for discovering new physics and fully exploiting the capabilities of the detector. Cosmic muons are a freely available natural source of calorimetric data and can be used for calibrating various detector parameters. This thesis provides an analysis of simulated cosmic-ray muon events generated with the Muon Simulation Underground (MUSUN) generator in the DUNE horizontal drift (HD) far detector (FD). The study focuses on analysing the energy and angular distribution of various classes of muon events, as well as characterising the different particles produced by cosmic muon interactions. The analysis of π0 → 2γ events within the cosmic-ray muon sample is presented in this thesis with a detailed study of reconstructing electromagnetic showers. The π0 mass is reconstructed within the DUNE FD, yielding a value of (136 ± 7) MeV/c2. Additionally, the thesis introduces methods for dE/dx calibration using simulated and reconstructed muon tracks. A calibration constant Ccal = (5.469 ± 0.003) × 10−3 ADC × tick/e is obtained through a model-dependent calibration process, where 1 tick corresponds to 500 ns of sampling time of an ADC. Furthermore, a calibration technique is presented, demonstrating precise translation from dQ/dx to dE/dx. This calibration method is applied to stopping muons, charged pions, and protons in the DUNE FD, addressing the measurement of energy loss in the detector volume. These are important calibrations of the DUNE FD and will contribute to achieving the exciting physics goals of the experiment.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Constraints on flavor-diagonal non-standard neutrino interactions from Borexino Phase-II

The Borexino detector measures solar neutrino fluxes via neutrino-electron elastic scattering. Observed spectra are determined by the solar-$\nu_{e}$ survival probability $P_{ee}(E)$, and the chiral couplings of the neutrino and electron. Some theories of physics beyond the Standard Model postulate the existence of Non-Standard Interactions (NSI's) which modify the chiral couplings and $P_{ee}(E)$. In this paper, we search for such NSI's, in particularly neutral-current-like interactions that modify the $\nu_e - e$ and $\nu_\tau - e$ couplings, using Borexino Phase II data. Standard Solar Model predictions of the solar neutrino fluxes for both high- and low-metallicity assumptions are considered. No indication of new physics is found at the level of sensitivity of the detector and constraints on the parameters of the NSI's are placed. In addition, with the same dataset the value of $\sin^2\theta_W$ is obtained with a precision comparable to that achieved in reactor antineutrino experiments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗