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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.

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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

A latitude-dependent analysis of the leptonic hypothesis for the Fermi Bubbles

The Fermi Bubbles are giant Galactic structures observed in both gamma-rays and microwaves. Recent studies have found support for the hypothesis that the gamma-ray and microwave emission can both be understood as arising from a hard cosmic ray electron population within the volume of the Bubbles, via inverse Compton scattering and synchrotron radiation, respectively. The relative rates of these processes are set by the relative energy density of the interstellar radiation field and the magnetic field within the Bubbles; consequently, under the hypothesis of a common origin, the combination of the gamma-ray and microwave measurements can be used to estimate the magnetic field within the Bubbles. We revisit the consistency of this hypothesis on a latitude-by-latitude basis, using data from Fermi, WMAP and Planck; estimate the variation of the electron spectrum within the Bubbles; and infer bounds on the magnetic field within the Bubbles as a function of distance from the Galactic plane. We find that while the microwave and gamma-ray spectra are generally consistent with the leptonic hypothesis for few-microGauss magnetic fields, there appears to be a preference for spectral hardening in the microwaves at mid-latitudes (especially in the $|b|$ ~ 25°–35° range) that is not mirrored in the gamma-rays. This result may hint at a non-leptonic contribution to the gamma-ray spectra; however, the discrepancy can be reconciled in purely leptonic models if the cut-off energy for the electrons is lower in this latitude range and the spectrum below the cut-off is harder.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Lepton flavor violation: From muon decays to muon colliders

We investigate the unique potential of a high-energy muon collider to probe lepton-flavor-violating signals arising from physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). Low-energy, precision searches for charged lepton flavor violation (LFV) are projected to dramatically improve their sensitivity in the coming years and could provide the first evidence of new physics. We interpret the sensitivity of these searches in terms of a set of LFV operators in the SM effective field theory. The same operators are then probed at the TeV scale via new, high-energy processes only available at a high-energy muon collider, such as 𝜇⁢𝜇 → 𝜇⁢𝜏 or the scattering of a muon of an electroweak gauge boson into LFV final states. We find that, for most operators, a muon collider could confirm signals if they are seen at future low-energy experiments, whereas for certain flavor combinations it extends the reach to scales well beyond those accessible at lower energies. We also project the sensitivity of a muon collider to lepton-flavor-violating decays of the SM Higgs boson and demonstrate improved sensitivity to ℎ → 𝑒⁢𝜏 and ℎ → 𝜇⁢𝜏 by an order of magnitude compared to the High-Luminosity LHC. The importance of having multiple, complementary probes is illustrated by considering both various combinations of operators and relative sizes of flavor-violating transitions between generations under various assumptions for the flavor structure of new physics.

Asadi, Pouya [University of California, Santa Cruz↗
DOE OSTI2026

Measurement of the ratio of the $𝐵^+_𝑐 → 𝐽/𝜓⁢𝜏^+⁢𝜈_𝜏$ and $𝐵^+_𝑐 → 𝐽/𝜓⁢𝜇^+⁢𝜈_𝜇$ branching fractions using three-prong 𝜏 lepton decays

The ratio between the $𝐵^+_𝑐 → 𝐽/𝜓⁢𝜏^+⁢𝜈_𝜏$ and $𝐵^+_𝑐 → 𝐽/𝜓⁢𝜇^+⁢𝜈_𝜇$ branching fractions is measured using a data sample of proton-proton collisions collected by CMS at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in the years 2016–2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 . The 𝐽/𝜓 meson is identified through its 𝐽/𝜓 → 𝜇 + ⁢𝜇 − decay and the tau lepton is reconstructed in the hadronic three-prong final state. The measured ratio of branching fractions in this tau decay mode, ℛ had 𝐽/𝜓 = $1.0⁢4^{+0.50}_{−0.44}$, is combined with the previous analysis based on the 𝜏 + $→ 𝜇^+⁢𝜈_𝜇\bar{𝜈}_𝜏$ leptonic decay channel, leading to ℛ 𝐽/𝜓 = 0.49 ± 0.26. As this result is consistent with the standard model prediction of 0.258 ± 0.004, no evidence of lepton flavor universality violation is found.

Chekhovsky, V. [Yerevan Physics Institute]↗
DOE OSTI2020

Leptonic unitarity triangles

We present a comprehensive analysis of leptonic unitarity triangles, using both current neutrino oscillation data and projections of next-generation oscillation measurements. Future experiments, sensitive to the degree of CP violation in the lepton sector, will enable the construction of precise triangles. We show how unitarity violation could manifest in the triangles and discuss how they serve as unitarity tests. We also propose the use of Jarlskog factors as a complementary means of probing unitarity. This analysis highlights the importance of testing the unitarity of the leptonic mixing matrix, an understanding of which is crucial for deciphering the nature of the neutrino sector.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Mass reconstruction of heavy neutral leptons from stopped mesons

Heavy neutral leptons (HNLs), depending on their mass and mixing, can be efficiently produced in meson decays from the target or absorber in short- to medium-baseline accelerator neutrino experiments, leaving detectable signals through their decays inside the neutrino detectors. We show that the currently running ICARUS experiment at Fermilab can reconstruct the HNL mass and explore new HNL parameter space in the mass range of 70–190 MeV. The mass reconstruction is enabled by two ingredients: (i) simple two-body kinematics of HNL production from stopped kaon decays at the NuMI absorber, followed by HNL decay into a charged-lepton pair and neutrino at the detector, and (ii) high resolution of Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber (LArTPC) detectors in reconstructing final state particles. Our mass reconstruction method is robust under realistic energy resolution and angular smearing of the charged leptons, and is applicable to any LArTPC detector. We also discuss the synergy between ICARUS and future facilities like DUNE near detector and PIP-II beam dump in probing the HNL parameter space. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

General signals for charged lepton flavor violating decays

We explore the most general phenomenology of charged lepton flavor violating (CLFV) decays of muon and tau leptons to the three body final states ($\bar{e}ee, \bar{μ}μμ, \bar{e}μμ, \bar{μ}μe, \bar{μ}ee, \bar{e}eμ$). By constructing a complete basis of operators at each dimension, we derive the most general amplitudes for these decay processes. By considering constraints from unitarity and Large Electron-Positron Collider (LEP), we show that operators of mass dimension 6 and 7 are the most likely to be observed in next generation experiments. Focusing on these dimensions, we compute the results of unpolarized (spin-averaged) decays parametrized in terms of the invariant masses of the daughter particles. We also compute the differential decay rates for polarized decays, in anticipation of the experimental search Mu3e, which expects to have a muon beam with ∼ 90% polarization, and the chiral Belle proposal, which aims to have a 70% polarized electron beam. To determine the extent to which the operators may be distinguished experimentally, we plot the differential distributions for each operator, showing that they leave only a few possible degenerate explanations. Through a statistical analysis, we estimate the number of events needed to break the degeneracies using the angular information. These results are adapted to treat ℓ → ℓ′⁢$v\bar{v}$, where the angular distribution of the outgoing charged lepton has enhanced distinguishing power. With many Standard Model extensions predicting these CLFV decays, these results will better enable upcoming searches to identify and/or constrain physics beyond the Standard Model.

phenomenology↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of the Higgs boson mass and width using the four-lepton final state in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ =13 TeV

A measurement of the Higgs boson mass and width via its decay to two 𝑍 bosons is presented. Proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb −1 at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, is used. The invariant mass distribution of four leptons in the on-shell Higgs boson decay is used to measure its mass and constrain its width. This yields the most precise single measurement of the Higgs boson mass to date, 125.04 ± 0.12 GeV, and an upper limit on the width Γ 𝐻 < 330 MeV at 95% confidence level. A combination of the on- and off-shell Higgs boson production decaying to four leptons is used to determine the Higgs boson width, assuming that no new virtual particles affect the production, a premise that is tested by adding new heavy particles in the gluon fusion loop model. This result is combined with a previous CMS analysis of the off-shell Higgs boson production with decay to two leptons and two neutrinos, giving a measured Higgs boson width of 3.0$^{+2.0}_{−1.5}$ MeV, in agreement with the standard model prediction of 4.1 MeV. The strength of the off-shell Higgs boson production is also reported. The scenario of no off-shell Higgs boson production is excluded at a confidence level corresponding to 3.8 standard deviations.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Search for baryon-number and lepton-number violating decays of Λ hyperons using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory

We present a search for ten baryon-number violating decay modes of Λ hyperons using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory. Nine of these decay modes result in a single meson and single lepton in the final state (Λ → mΙ) and conserve either the sum or the difference of baryon and lepton number (Β ± L). The tenth decay mode (Λ → p¯π + ) represents a difference in baryon number of two units and no difference in lepton number. Furthermore, we observe no significant signal and set upper limits on the branching fractions of these reactions in the range (4 – 200) x 10 7 at the 90% confidence level.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Neutrino flavor transformation in the lepton-asymmetric universe

We investigate neutrino flavor transformation in the early Universe in the presence of a lepton asymmetry, focusing on a two-flavor system with 1–3 mixing parameters. We identify five distinct regimes that emerge in an approximate treatment neglecting collisions as the initial lepton asymmetry at high temperature is varied from values comparable to current constraints on the lepton number down to values at which the neutrino-neutrino forward-scattering potential is negligible. The characteristic phenomena occurring in these regimes are (1) large synchronized oscillations, (2) minimal flavor transformation, (3) asymmetric (ν- or ν¯-only) MSW, (4) partial MSW, and (5) symmetric MSW. We examine our numerical results in the framework of adiabaticity, and we illustrate how they are modified by collisional damping. Lastly, we point out the existence of matter-neutrino resonances in the early Universe and show that they suffer from nonadiabaticity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hitting the Thermal Target for Leptophilic Dark Matter at Future Lepton Colliders

We study future lepton collider prospects for testing predictive models of leptophilic dark matter (DM) candidates with a thermal origin. We calculate experimental milestones for testing the parameter space compatible with freeze-out and the associated collider signals at past, present, and future facilities. This analysis places new limits on such models by leveraging the utility of lepton colliders. At 𝑒+⁢𝑒− machines, we make projections using precision 𝑍 -pole observables from 𝑒+⁢𝑒−→ℓ+⁢ℓ−+𝐸 signatures at large electron-positron collider and future projections for future circular collider (ee) in these channels. Additionally, a muon collider could also probe new thermal relic parameter space in this scenario via 𝜇+⁢𝜇−→𝑋+𝐸 , where 𝑋 is any easily identifiable standard model object. Collectively, these processes can probe much of the parameter space for which DM direct annihilation to ℓ+⁢ℓ− yields the observed relic density in Higgs-like models with mass-proportional couplings to charged leptons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Search for third-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to a top quark and a $\tau $ lepton at $\sqrt{s}=13\,\text {Te}\text {V} $

A search for pair production of heavy scalar leptoquarks (LQs), each decaying into a top quark and a $\tau$ lepton, is presented. The search considers final states with an electron or a muon, one or two $\tau$ leptons that decayed to hadrons, and additional jets. The data were collected in 2016 in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$. No evidence for pair production of LQs is found. Assuming a branching fraction of unity for the decay LQ$ \to $t$\tau$, upper limits on the production cross section are set as a function of LQ mass, excluding masses below 900 GeV at 95 % confidence level. Lastly, these results provide the most stringent limits to date on the production of scalar LQs that decay to a top quark and a $\tau$ lepton.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Search for electroweak production of supersymmetric particles in final states with two or three leptons at $\sqrt{s}=13 \hbox {TeV}$ with the ATLAS detector

A search for the electroweak production of charginos, neutralinos and sleptons decaying into final states involving two or three electrons or muons is presented. The analysis is based on 36.1 fb -1 of √s=13 TeV proton–proton collisions recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Several scenarios based on simplified models are considered. These include the associated production of the next-to-lightest neutralino and the lightest chargino, followed by their decays into final states with leptons and the lightest neutralino via either sleptons or Standard Model gauge bosons; direct production of chargino pairs, which in turn decay into leptons and the lightest neutralino via intermediate sleptons; and slepton pair production, where each slepton decays directly into the lightest neutralino and a lepton. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed and stringent limits at 95% confidence level are placed on the masses of relevant supersymmetric particles in each of these scenarios. For a massless lightest neutralino, masses up to 580 GeV are excluded for the associated production of the next-to-lightest neutralino and the lightest chargino, assuming gauge-boson mediated decays, whereas for slepton-pair production masses up to 500 GeV are excluded assuming three generations of mass-degenerate sleptons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Search for long-lived particles decaying to leptons with large impact parameter in proton–proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13\,\text {Te}\text {V}$

A search for new long-lived particles decaying to leptons using proton–proton collision data produced by the CERN LHC at √s = 13TeV is presented. Events are selected with two leptons (an electron and a muon, two electrons, or two muons) that both have transverse impact parameter values between 0.01 and 10cm and are not required to form a common vertex. Data used for the analysis were collected with the CMS detector in 2016, 2017, and 2018, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 118 (113)fb -1 in the ee channel (eμ and μμ channels). The search is designed to be sensitive to a wide range of models with displaced eμ, ee, and μμ final states. The results constrain several well-motivated models involving new long-lived particles that decay to displaced leptons. For some areas of the available phase space, these are the most stringent constraints to date.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Measurement of the CP properties of Higgs boson interactions with $\tau$-leptons with the ATLAS detector

A study of the charge conjugation and parity ($CP$) properties of the interaction between the Higgs boson and $\tau$-leptons is presented. The study is based on a measurement of $CP$-sensitive angular observables defined by the visible decay products of $\tau$-leptons produced in Higgs boson decays. The analysis uses 139 fb -1 of proton–proton collision data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Contributions from $\tau$-violating interactions between the Higgs boson and $\tau$-leptons are described by a single mixing angle parameter Φ $\tau$ in the generalised Yukawa interaction. Without constraining the $H$ $\rightarrow$ $\tau$$\tau$ signal strength to its expected value under the Standard Model hypothesis, the mixing angle Φ $\tau$ is measured to be 9° ± 16°, with an expected value of 0° ± 28° at the 68% confidence level. The pure $CP$-odd hypothesis is disfavoured at a level of 3.4 standard deviations. The results are compatible with the predictions for the Higgs boson in the Standard Model.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Search for pair production of third-generation leptoquarks decaying into a bottom quark and a $\tau $-lepton with the ATLAS detector

Abstract A search for pair-produced scalar or vector leptoquarks decaying into a b -quark and a $$\tau $$ τ -lepton is presented using the full LHC Run 2 (2015–2018) data sample of 139 fb $$^{-1}$$ - 1 collected with the ATLAS detector in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s} =13$$ s = 13 TeV. Events in which at least one $$\tau $$ τ -lepton decays hadronically are considered, and multivariate discriminants are used to extract the signals. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectation are observed and 95% confidence-level upper limits on the production cross-section are derived as a function of leptoquark mass and branching ratio $$\mathcal {B}$$ B into a $$\tau $$ τ -lepton and b -quark. For scalar leptoquarks, masses below 1460 GeV are excluded assuming $$\mathcal {B}=100$$ B = 100 %, while for vector leptoquarks the corresponding limit is 1650 GeV (1910 GeV) in the minimal-coupling (Yang–Mills) scenario.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Search for leptoquark pair production decaying into $te^- \bar{t}e^+$ or $t\mu ^- \bar{t}\mu ^+$ in multi-lepton final states in pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 13\,\textrm{TeV}$ with the ATLAS detector

A search for leptoquark pair production decaying into $te^- \bar{t}e^+$ or $t\mu ^- \bar{t}\mu ^+$ in final states with multiple leptons is presented. The search is based on a dataset of pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}=13~\text {TeV}$ recorded with the ATLAS detector during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb -1 . Four signal regions, with the requirement of at least three light leptons (electron or muon) and at least two jets out of which at least one jet is identified as coming from a b-hadron, are considered based on the number of leptons of a given flavour. The main background processes are estimated using dedicated control regions in a simultaneous fit with the signal regions to data. No excess above the Standard Model background prediction is observed and 95% confidence level limits on the production cross section times branching ratio are derived as a function of the leptoquark mass. Under the assumption of exclusive decays into $te^{-}$ ($t\mu ^{-}$ ), the corresponding lower limit on the scalar mixed-generation leptoquark mass $m_{\textrm{LQ}_{\textrm{mix}}^{\textrm{d}}}$ is at 1.58 (1.59) TeV and on the vector leptoquark mass $m_{{\tilde{U}}_1}$ at 1.67 (1.67) TeV in the minimal coupling scenario and at 1.95 (1.95) TeV in the Yang–Mills scenario.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Measurement of high-mass $t\bar{t}\ell ^{+}\ell ^{-}$ production and lepton flavour universality-inspired effective field theory interpretations at $\sqrt{s}=13$ $\text {T}\text {e}\hspace{-1.00006pt}\text {V}$ with the ATLAS detector

Measurements of $t\bar{t}\ell ^{+}\ell ^{-}$ production in the region of high dilepton invariant mass with effective field theory (EFT) interpretations are presented. They are performed using final states with three isolated leptons (electrons or muons) and are based on $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV proton–proton collision data with an integrated luminosity of $140\,\textrm{fb}^{-1}$, recorded from 2015 to 2018 with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Measurements of the $t\bar{t}\ell ^{+}\ell ^{-}$ signal strength and cross-section upper-limits are performed inclusively in lepton flavour and separately for electrons and muons. The study also aims to probe anomalous four-fermion interactions including to test for possible lepton flavor universality violation. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed and the measurements are interpreted through the EFT formalism to provide new constraints on the relevant operators.

Aad, G. [CNRS/IN2P3] (ORCID:0000000266654934)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Predictions for the leptonic Dirac CP-violating phase

In this paper, we explore the theoretical constraints on the observable parameters of neutrino mixing on predictions for the leptonic Dirac CP-violating phase within a well-studied class of simple theoretical models that includes a single source of CP violation due to charged lepton corrections. The approach guarantees that a physically meaningful prediction for the most likely values for the leptonic Dirac CP-violating phase is obtained.

Physics↗