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At least 721 records · Page 40

Search for a heavy resonance decaying into a top quark and a W boson in the lepton+jets final state at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV

A search for a heavy resonance decaying into a top quark and a W boson in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV is presented. The data analyzed were recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb -1 . The top quark is reconstructed as a single jet and the W boson, from its decay into an electron or muon and the corresponding neutrino. A top quark tagging technique based on jet clustering with a variable distance parameter and simultaneous jet grooming is used to identify jets from the collimated top quark decay. The results are interpreted in the context of two benchmark models, where the heavy resonance is either an excited bottom quark b* or a vector-like quark B. A statistical combination with an earlier search by the CMS Collaboration in the all-hadronic final state is performed to place upper cross section limits on these two models. The new analysis extends the lower range of resonance mass probed from 1.4 down to 0.7 TeV. For left-handed, right-handed, and vector-like couplings, b* masses up to 3.0, 3.0, and 3.2 TeV are excluded at 95% confidence level, respectively. The observed upper limits represent the most stringent constraints on the b* model to date.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Anomalous dimensions from Yukawa couplings in SMNEFT: four-fermion operators

The Standard Model Neutrino Effective Field Theory (SMNEFT) is the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) augmented with right-handed neutrinos. Building on our previous work, arXiv:2010.12109, we calculate the Yukawa coupling contributions to the one-loop anomalous dimension matrix for the 11 dimension-six four-fermion SMNEFT operators. We also present the new contributions to the anomalous dimension matrix for the 14 four-fermion SMEFT operators that mix with the SMNEFT operators through the Yukawa couplings of the right-handed neutrinos.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Scattering in black hole backgrounds and higher-spin amplitudes. Part II

We continue to investigate correspondences between, on the one hand, scattering amplitudes for massive higher-spin particles and gravitons in appropriate quantum-to-classical limits, and on the other hand, classical gravitational interactions of spinning black holes according to general relativity. We first construct an ansatz for a gravitational Compton amplitude, at tree level, constrained only by locality, crossing symmetry, unitarity and consistency with the linearized-Kerr 3-point amplitude, to all orders in the black hole’s spin. We then explore the extent to which a unique classical Compton amplitude can be identified by comparing with the results of the classical process of scattering long-wavelength gravitational waves off an exact Kerr black hole, determined by appropriate solutions of the Teukolsky equation. Up to fourth order in spin, we find complete agreement with a previously conjectured exponential form of the tree-level Compton amplitude. At higher orders, we extract tree-level contributions from the Teukolsky amplitude by an analytic continuation from a physical (a/GM < 1) to a particle-like (a/GM > 1) regime. Up to the sixth order in spin, we identify a unique conservative part of the amplitude which is insensitive both to the choice of boundary conditions at the black hole horizon and to branch choices in the analytic continuation. The remainder of the amplitude is determined modulo an overall sign from a branch choice, with the sign flipping under exchanging purely ingoing and purely outgoing boundary conditions at the horizon. Along the way, we make contact with novel applications of massive spinor-helicity variables pertaining to their relation to EFT operators and (spinning) partial amplitudes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Superadditivity at large charge

The weak gravity conjecture has been invoked to conjecture that the dimensions of charged operators in a CFT should obey a superadditivity relation (sometimes referred to as convexity). In this paper, we study superadditivity of the operator spectrum in theories expanded about the semi-classical saddle point that dominates correlators of large charge operators. We explore this in two contexts. The first is a model with two scalar fields that carry different charges, at a non-trivial Wilson-Fisher fixed point. A careful analysis of the semi-classics for this two field model demonstrates that ‘quantum’ violations of superadditivity (those not forbidden by the conjecture) persist in the large charge regime. We then turn to study the general properties of CFTs at large charge as bottom-up EFTs. By a trial and error procedure we come up with a seemingly consistent family of examples violating the conjecture. In so doing the presence of a genuine dilaton field appears necessary. On the one hand our result demonstrates that the superadditivity conjecture cannot be proven purely on the basis of a bottom-up analysis. On the other hand, the need for a dilaton, with the corresponding infinite fine tuning, indicates the conjecture-violating EFTs are unlikely to be UV completable.

effective field theories↗

Noncommutative gauge symmetry in the fractional quantum Hall effect

Abstract We show that a system of particles on the lowest Landau level can be coupled to a probe U(1) gauge field$$ \mathcal{A} $$ A μ in such a way that the theory is invariant under a noncommutative U(1) gauge symmetry. While the temporal component$$ \mathcal{A} $$ A 0 of the probe field is coupled to the projected density operator, the spatial components$$ \mathcal{A} $$ A i are best interpreted as quantum displacements, which distort the interaction potential between the particles. We develop a Seiberg-Witten-type map from the noncommutative U(1) gauge symmetry to a simpler version, which we call “baby noncommutative” gauge symmetry, where the Moyal brackets are replaced by the Poisson brackets. The latter symmetry group is isomorphic to the group of volume preserving diffeomorphisms. By using this map, we resolve the apparent contradiction between the noncommutative gauge symmetry, on the one hand, and the particle-hole symmetry of the half-filled Landau level and the presence of the mixed Chern-Simons terms in the effective Lagrangian of the fractional quantum Hall states, on the other hand. We outline the general procedure which can be used to write down effective field theories which respect the noncommutative U(1) symmetry.

Physics↗

Unleashing the power of EFT in neutrino-nucleus scattering

Neutrino physics is advancing into a precision era with the construction of new experiments, particularly in the few GeV energy range. Within this energy range, neutrinos exhibit diverse interactions with nucleons and nuclei. This study delves in particular into neutrino-nucleus quasi-elastic cross sections, taking into account both standard and, for the first time, non-standard interactions, all within the framework of effective field theory (EFT). The main uncertainties in these cross sections stem from uncertainties in the nucleon-level form factors, and from the approximations necessary to solve the nuclear many-body problem. We explore how these uncertainties influence the potential of neutrino experiments to probe new physics introduced by left-handed, right-handed, scalar, pseudoscalar, and tensor interactions. For some of these interactions the cross section is enhanced, making long-baseline experiments an excellent place to search for them. Our results, including tabulated cross sections for all interaction types and all neutrino flavors, can serve as the foundation for such searches.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Looking forward to lepton-flavor-violating ALPs

We assess the status of past and future experiments on lepton flavor violating (LFV) muon and tau decays into a light, invisible, axion-like particle (ALP), a . We propose a new experimental setup for MEG II, the MEGII-fwd , with a forward calorimeter placed downstream from the muon stopping target. Searching for μ → ea decays MEGII-fwd is maximally sensitive to LFV ALPs, if these have nonzero couplings to right-handed leptons. The experimental set-up suppresses the (left-handed) Standard Model background in the forward direction by controlling the polarization purity of the muon beam. The reach of MEGII-fwd is compared with the present constraints, the reach of Mu3e and the Belle-II reach from τ → ℓa decays. We show that a dedicated experimental campaign for LFV muon decays into ALPs at MEG II and Mu3e will be able to probe the ALP parameter space in an unexplored region well beyond the existing astrophysical constraints. We study the implications of these searches for representative LFV ALP models, where the presence of a light ALP is motivated by neutrino masses, the strong CP problem and/or the SM flavor puzzle. To this extent we discuss the majoron in low-scale seesaw setups and introduce the LFV QCD axion, the LFV axiflavon and the leptonic familon, paying particular attention to the cases where the LFV ALPs constitute cold dark matter.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Neutrinoless double beta decay rates in the presence of light sterile neutrinos

We investigate neutrinoless double-beta decay (0νββ) in minimal extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics where gauge-singlet right-handed neutrinos give rise to Dirac and Majorana neutrino mass terms. We argue that the standard treatment of these scenarios, based on mass-dependent nuclear matrix elements, is missing important contributions to the 0νββ amplitude. First, new effects arise from the exchange of neutrinos with very small (ultrasoft) momenta, for which we compute the associated nuclear matrix elements for the decays of 76 Ge and 136 Xe. These contributions can dominate the 0νββ rate in cases with light sterile neutrinos. The ultrasoft terms are also relevant in the more standard scenario of just three light Majorana neutrinos where they lead to a 10% reduction of the total 0νββ amplitude. Secondly, we highlight the importance of short-range terms associated with medium-heavy sterile neutrinos and provide explicit formulae that can be used in phenomenological analyses. As examples we discuss impact of these new effects in several explicit scenarios, including a realistic 3 + 2 model with two right-handed gauge-singlet neutrinos.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Gravitational waves from first-order phase transitions in Majoron models of neutrino mass

We show how the generation of right-handed neutrino masses in Majoron models may be associated with a first-order phase transition and accompanied by the production of a stochastic background of gravitational waves (GWs). We explore different energy scales with only renormalizable operators in the effective potential. If the phase transition occurs above the electroweak scale, the signal can be tested by future interferometers. We consider two possible energy scales for phase transitions below the electroweak scale. If the phase transition occurs at a GeV, the signal can be tested at LISA and provide a complementary cosmological probe to right-handed neutrino searches at the FASER detector. If the phase transition occurs below 100 keV, we find that the peak of the GW spectrum is two or more orders of magnitude below the putative NANOGrav GW signal at low frequencies, but well within reach of the SKA and THEIA experiments. We show how searches of very low frequency GWs are motivated by solutions to the Hubble tension in which ordinary neutrinos interact with the dark sector. We also present general calculations of the phase transition temperature and Euclidean action that apply beyond Majoron models.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Solidity without inhomogeneity: perfectly homogeneous, weakly coupled, UV-complete solids

Solid-like behavior at low energies and long distances is usually associated with the spontaneous breaking of spatial translations at microscopic scales, as in the case of a lattice of atoms. We exhibit three quantum field theories that are renormalizable, Poincaré invariant, and weakly coupled, and that admit states that on the one hand are perfectly homogeneous down to arbitrarily short scales, and on the other hand have the same infrared dynamics as isotropic solids. All three examples presented here lead to the same peculiar solid at low energies, featuring very constrained interactions and transverse phonons that always propagate at the speed of light. In particular, they violate the well known c$^2_L$>$\frac{4}{3}$c$^2_T$ bound, thus showing that it is possible to have a healthy renormalizable theory that at low energies exhibits a negative bulk modulus (we discuss how the associated instabilities are absent in the presence of suitable boundary conditions). We do not know whether such peculiarities are unavoidable features of large scale solid-like behavior in the absence of short scale inhomogeneities, or whether they simply reflect the limits of our imagination.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A low-energy perspective on the minimal left-right symmetric model

We perform a global analysis of the low-energy phenomenology of the minimal left-right symmetric model (mLRSM) with parity symmetry. We match the mLRSM to the Standard Model Effective Field Theory Lagrangian at the left-right-symmetry breaking scale and perform a comprehensive fit to low-energy data including mesonic, neutron, and nuclear β -decay processes, Δ F = 1 and Δ F = 2 CP-even and -odd processes in the bottom and strange sectors, and electric dipole moments (EDMs) of nucleons, nuclei, and atoms. We fit the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa and mLRSM parameters simultaneously and determine a lower bound on the mass of the right-handed W R boson. In models where a Peccei-Quinn mechanism provides a solution to the strong CP problem, we obtain $ {M}_{W_R} $ ≳ 5 . 5 TeV at 95% C.L. which can be significantly improved with next-generation EDM experiments. In the P -symmetric mLRSM without a Peccei-Quinn mechanism we obtain a more stringent constraint $ {M}_{W_R} $ ≳ 17 TeV at 95% C.L., which is difficult to improve with low-energy measurements alone. In all cases, the additional scalar fields of the mLRSM are required to be a few times heavier than the right-handed gauge bosons. We consider a recent discrepancy in tests of first-row unitarity of the CKM matrix. We find that, while TeV-scale W R bosons can alleviate some of the tension found in the V ud,us determinations, a solution to the discrepancy is disfavored when taking into account other low-energy observables within the mLRSM.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for a heavy resonance decaying to a top quark and a W boson at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV in the fully hadronic final state

A search for a heavy resonance decaying to a top quark and a W boson in the fully hadronic final state is presented. The analysis is performed using data from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb -1 recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The search is focused on heavy resonances, where the decay products of each top quark or W boson are expected to be reconstructed as a single, large-radius jet with a distinct substructure. The production of an excited bottom quark, b*, is used as a benchmark when setting limits on the cross section for a heavy resonance decaying to a top quark and a W boson. The hypotheses of b* quarks with left-handed, right-handed, and vector-like chiralities are excluded at 95% confidence level for masses below 2.6, 2.8, and 3.1 TeV, respectively. These are the most stringent limits on the b* quark mass to date, extending the previous best limits by almost a factor of two.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Search for vector-boson resonances decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark using $p p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search for a new massive charged gauge boson, $W'$, is performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The dataset used in this analysis was collected from proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb -1 . The reconstructed tb invariant mass is used to search for a $W'$ boson decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark. The result is interpreted in terms of a $W'$ boson with purely right-handed or left-handed chirality in a mass range of 0.5–6 TeV. Different values for the coupling of the $W'$ boson to the top and bottom quarks are considered, taking into account interference with single-top-quark production in the $s$-channel. No significant deviation from the background prediction is observed. The results are expressed as upper limits on the $W'$ → $tb$ production cross-section times branching ratio as a function of the $W'$-boson mass and in the plane of the coupling vs the $W'$-boson mass.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The Relevance of Pion-Exchange Contributions Versus Contact Terms in the Chiral Effective Field Theory Description of Nucleon–Nucleon Scattering

The standard way to demonstrate the relevance of chiral symmetry for the NN interaction is to consider higher partial waves of NN scattering which are controlled entirely by chiral pion-exchanges (since contacts vanish). However, in applications of NN-potentials to nuclear structure and reactions, the lower partial waves are the important ones, making the largest contributions. Lower partial waves are sensitive to the short-range potential, and so, when the short-range contacts were to dominate over the chiral pion contributions in lower partial waves, then the predictions from chiral potentials would have little to do with chiral symmetry. To address this issue, we investigate systematically the role of the (chiral) one- and two-pion exchanges, on the one hand, and the effect of the contacts, on the other hand, in the lower partial waves of NN scattering. We are able to clearly identify the signature of chiral symmetry in lower partial waves. Furthermore, our study has also a pedagogical spinoff as it demonstrates in detail how the reproduction of the lower partial-wave phase shifts comes about from the various ingredients of the theory.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

All-optical temporal differentiation in hot standing-wave-dressed atoms

We propose a scheme to realize all-optical temporal differentiation calculation to input pulse in an inverse Y-type four-level atomic system driven by a strong standing-wave. Two optical blockades are created at individual wavelengths of two probe fields in presence of one single strong standing-wave field. On one hand, ultra-narrow transmission windows are produced for probe pulse field 1 when probe field 2 is so strong as a controlling field in EIT configuration. The system can be designed as a phase-reverter of weak probe field 1 and can perform temporal differentiation calculation to it because aπ phase shift is created. On the other hand, the blockade at probe field 2 can be burst in two-photon resonance configuration when probe field 1 becomes strong and saturated absorption takes effect. So a two-photon switching is also expected in this standing-wave-dressed atomic system. The scheme has a potential for an all-optical transistor in quantum logical circuits.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

On the impact of tidal generation and energy storage integration in PV-rich electric distribution systems

Deep decarbonization of power system operations requires the maximal utilization of available renewable resources. At distribution-level operations, however, grid operators can face numerous challenges in integrating renewables at scale owing to the inherent intermittence of renewable energy resources. These include phenomena such as voltage fluctuations, which are typically mitigated through control actuators such as on-load tap changers (OLTC) as well as energy storage devices, such as battery energy storage systems (BESS). On the one hand, high intermittence of the available renewable portfolio may require increasingly aggressive control of actuators, thereby accelerating the probability of equipment failure. On the other hand, integrating BESS operations and having a diverse renewable generation portfolio can typically help stagger power/energy flow to mitigate the aforementioned adverse impacts. In this paper, we employ a Bayesian framework for equipment lifetime estimation to understand the impact of including tidal energy resources and BESS in distribution system operations for feeders having substantial distribution photovoltaic generation. Our results indicate that while tidal energy alone may slightly decrease equipment reliability, the adverse impact on reliability is significantly magnified by a generation portfolio consisting of tidal generation and photovoltaic generation. Here, we also study the tidal and photovoltaic hosting capacity problem with and without energy storage systems using equipment reliability as an added constraint. We conclude that energy storage increases the reliability-constrained hosting capacity of the distribution system.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Partitioned exponential methods for coupled multiphysics systems

Multiphysics problems involving two or more coupled physical phenomena are ubiquitous in science and engineering. This work develops a new partitioned exponential approach for the time integration of multiphysics problems. After a possible semi-discretization in space, the class of problems under consideration is modeled by a system of ordinary differential equations where the right-hand side is a summation of two component functions, each corresponding to a given set of physical processes. The partitioned-exponential methods proposed herein evolve each component of the system via an exponential integrator, and information between partitions is exchanged via coupling terms. Here, the traditional approach to constructing exponential methods, based on the variation-of-constants formula, is not directly applicable to partitioned systems. Rather, our approach to developing new partitioned-exponential families is based on a general-structure additive formulation of the schemes. Two method formulations are considered, one based on a linear-nonlinear splitting of the right hand component functions, and another based on approximate Jacobians. The paper develops classical (non-stiff) order conditions theory for partitioned exponential schemes based on particular families of T-trees and B-series theory. Several practical methods of third order are constructed that extend the Rosenbrock-type and EPIRK families of exponential integrators. Several implementation optimizations specific to the application of these methods to reaction-diffusion systems are also discussed. Numerical experiments reveal that the new partitioned-exponential methods can perform better than traditional unpartitioned exponential methods on some problems.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Effect of ash in paper sludge on enzymatic hydrolysis

The valorization of paper sludge is a high-potential process to develop renewable fuels and chemicals, which can be integrated with pulp and paper mills. Calcium carbonate is the main ash component in sludge, which plays a role in buffering pH and potentially lowering the conversion during enzymatic hydrolysis. Therefore, it is important to investigate the effect of ash on sugar yields and examine pH change to introduce efficient and economical enzymatic hydrolysis of sludge. Carbohydrate conversion was enhanced when the ash was removed by fractionation. On the other hand, the highest sugar recovery was obtained when the sludge contained 20% ash content. The pH change during enzymatic hydrolysis was influenced by ash and explained why sludge-derived hydrolysate showed lower carbohydrate conversion. Therefore, a high shear process with the increased acid amount is suggested to prohibit the negative effect of ash and enhance the accessibility of cellulase to fibers. Finally, this study highlights the feasibility of using wet waste streams generated by the paper industry.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗