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DOE OSTI2025

Advances for QCD and the standard model: color-confining light-front holography and the principle of maximum conformality

Here, I review how the application of superconformal quantum mechanics and light-front holography leads to new insights into the physics of color confinement, the spectroscopy and dynamics of hadrons, as well as surprising supersymmetric relations between the masses of mesons, baryons, and tetraquarks. Spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking is automatically fulfilled by supersymmetric Light-Front QCD. The light-front holographic approach (HLFQCD) also predicts the behavior of the QCD running coupling and other observables from the nonperturbative color-confining domain to the perturbative domain. One can determine the QCD running coupling to high precision from the data of just a single experiment over the entire perturbative regime by using the Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC). The PMC, which generalizes the conventional Gell-Mann-Low method for scale-setting in perturbative QED to non-Abelian QCD, provides a rigorous method for achieving unambiguous scheme-independent, fixed-order Standard Model predictions, consistent with the principles of the renormalization group. I also briefly review a novel feature of hadronic physics predicted by QCD: intrinsic heavy quarks.

Brodsky, Stanley J. [SLAC National Accelerator Lab↗

DOE OSTI2020

J/ ψ elliptic and triangular flow in Pb-Pb collisions at $ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} $ = 5 . 02 TeV

The inclusive J/ ψ elliptic ( v 2 ) and triangular ( v 3 ) flow coefficients measured at forward rapidity (2 . 5 < y < 4) and the v 2 measured at midrapidity (| y | < 0 . 9) in Pb-Pb collisions at $ \sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}} $ = 5 . 02 TeV using the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported. The entire Pb-Pb data sample collected during Run 2 is employed, amounting to an integrated luminosity of 750 μ b – 1 at forward rapidity and 93 μ b – 1 at midrapidity. The results are obtained using the scalar product method and are reported as a function of transverse momentum p T and collision centrality. At midrapidity, the J/ ψ v 2 is in agreement with the forward rapidity measurement. The centrality averaged results indicate a positive J/ ψ v 3 with a significance of more than 5 σ at forward rapidity in the p T range 2 < p T < 5 GeV/ c . The forward rapidity v 2 , v 3 , and v 3 /v 2 results at low and intermediate p T ( p T ≲ 8 GeV/ c ) exhibit a mass hierarchy when compared to pions and D mesons, while converging into a species-independent curve at higher p T . At low and intermediate p T , the results could be interpreted in terms of a later thermalization of charm quarks compared to light quarks, while at high p T , path-length dependent effects seem to dominate. The J/ ψ v 2 measurements are further compared to a microscopic transport model calculation. Using a simplified extension of the quark scaling approach involving both light and charm quark flow components, it is shown that the D-meson v n measurements can be described based on those for charged pions and J/ ψ flow.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Evidence for B + → K + ν ν ¯ decays

We search for the rare decay B + → K + ν ν ¯ in a 362 fb − 1 sample of electron-positron collisions at the ϒ ( 4 S ) resonance collected with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We use the inclusive properties of the accompanying B meson in ϒ ( 4 S ) → B B ¯ events to suppress background from other decays of the signal B candidate and light-quark pair production. We validate the measurement with an auxiliary analysis based on a conventional hadronic reconstruction of the accompanying B meson. For background suppression, we exploit distinct signal features using machine learning methods tuned with simulated data. The signal-reconstruction efficiency and background suppression are validated through various control channels. The branching fraction is extracted in a maximum likelihood fit. Our inclusive and hadronic analyses yield consistent results for the B + → K + ν ν ¯ branching fraction of [ 2.7 ± 0.5 ( stat ) ± 0.5 ( syst ) ] × 10 − 5 and [ 1.1 − 0.8 + 0.9 ( stat ) − 0.5 + 0.8 ( syst ) ] × 10 − 5 , respectively. Combining the results, we determine the branching fraction of the decay B + → K + ν ν ¯ to be [ 2.3 ± 0.5 ( stat ) − 0.4 + 0.5 ( syst ) ] × 10 − 5 , providing the first evidence for this decay at 3.5 standard deviations. The combined result is 2.7 standard deviations above the standard model expectation. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

DOE OSTI2022

Measurement of prompt D s + -meson production and azimuthal anisotropy in Pb–Pb collisions at s NN = 5.02 TeV

The production yield and angular anisotropy of prompt $D^{+}_{s}$ mesons were measured as a function of transverse momentum (p T ) in Pb–Pb collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 5.02 TeV collected with the ALICE detector at the LHC. $D^{+}_{s}$ mesons and their charge conjugates were reconstructed at midrapidity (|y| < 0.5) from their hadronic decay channel $D^{+}_{s}$ → φπ + , with φ → K - K + , in the p T intervals 2 < p T < 50 GeV/c and 2 < p T < 36 GeV/c for the 0–10% and 30–50% centrality intervals. For p T > 10 GeV/c, the measured $D^{+}_{s}$ -meson nuclear modification factor R AA is consistent with the one of non-strange D mesons within uncertainties, while at lower pT a hint for a $D^{+}_{s}$ -meson R AA larger than that of non-strange D mesons is seen. The enhanced production of $D^{+}_{s}$ relative to non- strange D mesons is also studied by comparing the pT-dependent $D^{+}_{s}$ /D 0 production yield ratios in Pb–Pb and in pp collisions. The ratio measured in Pb–Pb collisions is found to be on average higher than that in pp collisions in the interval 2 < p T < 8 GeV/c with a significance of 2.3σ and 2.4σ for the 0–10% and 30–50% centrality intervals. The azimuthal anisotropy coefficient v2 of prompt $D^{+}_{s}$ mesons was measured in Pb–Pb collisions in the 30–50% centrality interval and is found to be compatible with that of non-strange D mesons. The main features of the measured RAA, $D^{+}_{s}$ /D 0 ratio, and v 2 as a function of p T are described by theoretical calculations of charm-quark transport in a hydrodynamically expanding quark–gluon plasma including hadronisation via charm-quark recombination with light quarks from the medium. The p T -integrated production yield of $D^{+}_{s}$ mesons is compatible with the prediction of the statistical hadronisation model.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Anomalies in global SMEFT analyses. A case study of first-row CKM unitarity

Recent developments in the Standard Model analysis of semileptonic charged-current processes involving light quarks have revealed ~ 3σ tensions in Cabibbo universality tests involving meson, neutron, and nuclear beta decays. In this paper, we explore beyond the Standard Model explanations of this so-called Cabibbo Angle Anomaly in the framework of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT), including not only low-energy charged current processes (‘L’), but also electroweak precision observables (‘EW’) and Drell-Yan collider processes (‘C’) that probe the same underlying physics across a broad range of energy scales. The resulting ‘CLEW’ framework not only allows one to test explanations of the Cabibbo Angle Anomaly, but is set up to provide near model-independent analyses with minimal assumptions on the flavor structure of the SMEFT operators. Besides the global analysis, we consider a large number of simpler scenarios, each with a subset of SMEFT operators, and investigate how much they improve upon the Standard Model fit. We find that the most favored scenarios, as judged by the Akaike Information Criterion, are those that involve right-handed charged currents. Additional interactions, namely oblique operators, terms modifying the Fermi constant, and operators involving right-handed neutral currents, play a role if the CDF determination of the W mass is included in the analysis.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Observation of the B$^0_\mathrm{s}\to $X(3872)$\phi$ decay

Using a data sample of proton-proton collisions at s=13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb-1 collected by the CMS experiment in 2016–2018, the Bs0→X(3872)ϕ decay is observed. Decays into J/ψπ+π− and K+K- are used to reconstruct, respectively, the X(3872) and ϕ. The ratio of the product of branching fractions B[Bs0→X(3872)ϕ]B[X(3872)→J/ψπ+π−] to the product B[Bs0→ψ(2S)ϕ]B[ψ(2S)→J/ψπ+π−] is measured to be [2.21±0.29(stat)±0.17(syst)]%. The ratio B[Bs0→X(3872)ϕ]/B[B0→X(3872)K0] is found to be consistent with one, while the ratio B[Bs0→X(3872)ϕ]/B[B+→X(3872)K+] is two times smaller. This suggests a difference in the production dynamics of the X(3872) in B0 and Bs0 meson decays compared to B+. The reported observation may shed new light on the nature of the X(3872) particle.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Measurement Of The Total Cross-Section Of Muon Neutrino Charged-Current Coherent Pion Production in NOvA Near Detector

Charged Current (CC) coherent neutrino-nucleus pion production is characterized by small momentum transferred to the nucleus, which is left in its ground state. Despite the relatively large uncertainties on the production cross-section, coherent production of mesons by neutrinos represents an important process, as it can shed light on the structure of the weak current and can also constitute a potential source of background for modern neutrino oscillation experiments and searches for Beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics. This Ph.D. thesis presents a new measurement of CC coherent pion production in the NOvA near detector at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). The analysis is based on the use of both particle identification and kinematic selection criteria based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to achieve a selection purity of 60%. Given the energy range 1-5 GeV accessible with the available NOvA exposure in the NuMI beam, the results will also be relevant for f uture neutrino experiments like the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2025

New insights into the doubly charmed exotic mesons

Abstract Using effective Lagrangians constrained by the heavy quark spin symmetry and chiral symmetry, for the light quarks, we analyze the $$D^0 D^0\pi ^+,$$ D 0 D 0 π + , $$\bar{D}^0D^0\pi ^0$$ D ¯ 0 D 0 π 0 and $$D^0\bar{D}^{*0}$$ D 0 D ¯ ∗ 0 invariant mass spectra. Performing a simultaneous analysis of the doubly charmed and charm-anti-charm states gives further insights into the nature of the $$T^+_{cc}$$ T cc + and $$\chi ^0_{c1}(3872),$$ χ c 1 0 ( 3872 ) , exotic hadrons. It is confirmed that both states should lie below their respective $$DD^*$$ D D ∗ / $$D\bar{D}^*$$ D D ¯ ∗ thresholds. Also, the contributions of the triangle and box diagrams are negligible.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

New physics searches at kaon and hyperon factories

Rare meson decays are among the most sensitive probes of both heavy and light new physics. Among them, new physics searches using kaons benefit from their small total decay widths and the availability of very large datasets. On the other hand, useful complementary information is provided by hyperon decay measurements. We summarize the relevant phenomenological models and the status of the searches in a comprehensive list of kaon and hyperon decay channels. We identify new search strategies for under-explored signatures, and demonstrate that the improved sensitivities from current and next-generation experiments could lead to a qualitative leap in the exploration of light dark sectors.

NA62 experiment↗

DOE OSTI2021

Large N-ightmare dark matter

A dark QCD sector is a relatively minimal extension of the Standard Model (SM) that admits Dark Matter (DM) candidates, but requires no portal to the visible sector beyond gravitational interactions: a "nightmare scenario" for DM detection. Here, we consider a secluded dark sector containing a single flavor of light, vector-like dark quark gauged under (N). In the large-N limit, this single-flavor theory becomes highly predictive, generating two DM candidates whose masses and dynamics are described by few parameters: a light quark-antiquark bound state, the dark analog of the η' meson, and a heavy bound state of N quarks, the dark analog of the Δ ++ baryon. We show that the latter may freeze-in with an abundance independent of the confinement scale, forming DM-like relics for N ≲ 10, while the former may generate DM via cannibalization and freeze-out. We study the interplay of this two-component DM system, and determine the characteristic ranges of the confinement scale, dark-visible sector temperature ratio, and N that admit non-excluded DM, once effects of self-interaction constraints and bounds on effective degrees of freedom at the BBN and CMB epochs are included.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Prying Open the Dark Sector Window with SBND Off-Target Mode

Accelerator-based neutrino experiments with high-intensity proton beams and advanced detector technologies provide a powerful and complementary approach to probing physics beyond the Standard Model. The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab pioneered a dedicated Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) off-target (beam-dump) run, setting leading constraints on sub-GeV dark matter. In this work, we explore the physics opportunities enabled by operating the Short-Baseline Near Detector (SBND) at Fermilab in a future BNB off-target configuration, as well as in a dedicated beam-dump configuration. By redirecting the proton beam away from the nominal beryllium target, or by employing a dedicated beam-dump, neutrino-induced backgrounds are substantially suppressed, thereby enhancing SBND's sensitivity to many new physics scenarios. We demonstrate that such running modes significantly extend the reach for new physics. As representative examples, we present projected sensitivities to light dark matter, axion-like particles, heavy neutral leptons, and meson-portal scenarios.

Dutta, Bhaskar [TAMU, College Station] (ORCID:0000↗

DOE OSTI2023

On the question of quark confinement in the Abelian U(1) QED gauge interaction

If we approximate light quarks as massless and apply the Schwinger confinement mechanism to light quarks, we will reach the conclusion that a light quark q and its antiquark ${\bar q}$ will be confined as a $q\bar q$ boson in the Abelian U(1) QED gauge interaction in (1+1)D, as in an open string. From the work of Coleman, Jackiw, and Susskind, we can infer further that the Schwinger confinement mechanism persists even for massive quarks in (1+ 1)D. Could such a QED-confined $q\bar q$ one-dimensional open string in (1 + 1) D be the idealization of a flux tube in the physical world in (3+l)D, similar to the case of QCD-confined $q\bar q$ open string? If so, the QED-confined $q\bar q$ bosons may show up as neutral QED mesons in the mass region of many tens of MeV [Phys. Rev. C 81, 064903 (2010) & J. High Energy Phys. 2020(8), 165 (2020)]. Is it ever possible that a quark and an antiquark be produced and interact in QED alone to form a confined QED meson? Is there any experimental evidence for the existence of a QED meson (or QED mesons)? The observations of the anomalous soft photons, the XI7 particle, and the E38 particle suggest that they may bear the experimental evidence for the existence of such QED mesons. Further confirmation and investigations on the XI7 and E38 particles will shed definitive light on the question of quark confinement in QED in (3+1)D. Finally, implications of quark confinement in the QED interaction are discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Form factors for semileptonic B-decays with HISQ light quarks and clover b-quarks in Fermilab interpretation

We compute the vector, scalar, and tensor form factors for the $B\to \pi$, $B\to K$, and $B_s\to K$ amplitudes, which are needed to describe semileptonic $B$-meson decay rates for both the charged and neutral current cases. We use the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) action for the sea and light valence quarks. The bottom quark is described by the clover action in the Fermilab interpretation. Simulations are carried out on $N_f = 2+1+1$ MILC HISQ ensembles at approximate lattice spacings from $0.15$ fm down to $0.057$ fm. We present blinded preliminary results for the form factors.

Jeong, Hwancheol↗

DOE OSTI2020

Transverse-momentum and event-shape dependence of D-meson flow harmonics in Pb–Pb collisions at s NN = 5.02 TeV

The elliptic and triangular flow coefficients v 2 and v 3 of prompt D 0 , D + , and D * + mesons were measured at midrapidity ( | y | < 0.8 ) in Pb–Pb collisions at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of s NN = 5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The D mesons were reconstructed via their hadronic decays in the transverse momentum interval 1 < p T < 36 GeV / c in central (0–10%) and semi-central (30–50%) collisions. Compared to pions, protons, and J / ψ mesons, the average D-meson v n harmonics are compatible within uncertainties with a mass hierarchy for p T ≲ 3 GeV / c , and are similar to those of charged pions for higher p T . The coupling of the charm quark to the light quarks in the underlying medium is further investigated with the application of the event-shape engineering (ESE) technique to the D-meson v 2 and p T -differential yields. The D-meson v 2 is correlated with average bulk elliptic flow in both central and semi-central collisions. Within the current precision, the ratios of per-event D-meson yields in the ESE-selected and unbiased samples are found to be compatible with unity. All the measurements are found to be reasonably well described by theoretical calculations including the effects of charm-quark transport and the recombination of charm quarks with light quarks in a hydrodynamically expanding medium.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Longer-lived mediators from charged mesons and photons at neutrino experiments

Since many of the dark-sector particles interact with Standard Model (SM) particles in multiple ways, they can appear in experimental facilities where SM particles appear in abundance. In this study, we explore a particular class of longer-lived mediators that are dominantly produced from photons and charged mesons that arise in proton-beam fixed-target-type neutrino experiments. This class of mediators encompasses light scalars that appear in theories like extended Higgs sectors, muon(electro)philic scalars, etc. We evaluate the sensitivities of these mediators at beam-based neutrino experiments such as the finished ArgoNeuT, ongoing MicroBooNE, SBND, ICARUS, and the upcoming DUNE experiment. We find that muonphilic scalars are more enhanced while produced from three-body decay of charged mesons. The above-mentioned experiments can probe unexplored regions of parameter space that can explain the current discrepancy in the anomalous magnetic moment of muons. We further find that Compton-like scattering of photons is the largest source of electrophilic scalars. By utilizing this, the DUNE Near Detector can explore new regions in the sensitivity space of electrophilic scalars. We also show that Bethe-Heitler scattering processes can be used to probe flavor-specific lepton final states even for the mediator masses below twice the lepton mass. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

DOE OSTI2020

Measurement of D 0 -meson + hadron two-dimensional angular correlations in Au + Au collisions at s N N = 200 GeV

Open heavy flavor hadrons provide unique probes of the medium produced in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Due to their increased mass relative to light-flavor hadrons, long lifetime, and early production in hard-scattering interactions, they provide access to the full evolution of the partonic medium formed in heavy-ion collisions. This paper reports two-dimensional (2D) angular correlations between neutral D-mesons and unidentified charged particles produced in minimum-bias Au+Au collisions at s N N = 200 GeV. D 0 and D 0 ¯ mesons are reconstructed via their weak decay to K ∓ π ± using the Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT) in the Solenoidal Tracker at RHIC (STAR) experiment. Correlations on relative pseudorapidity and azimuth (Δη,ΔΦ) are presented for peripheral, mid-central and central collisions with D 0 transverse momentum from 2 to 10 GeV/c. Attention is focused on the 2D peaked correlation structure near the triggered D 0 -meson, the {\em near-side} (NS) peak, which serves as a proxy for a charm-quark containing jet. The correlated NS yield of charged particles per D 0 -meson and the 2D widths of the NS peak increase significantly from peripheral to central collisions. These results are compared with similar correlations using unidentified charged particles, consisting primarily of light-flavor hadrons, at similar trigger particle momenta. Similar per-trigger yields and widths of the NS correlation peak are observed. Here, the present results provide additional evidence that D 0 -mesons undergo significant interactions with the medium formed in heavy-ion collision and show, for the first time, significant centrality evolution of the NS 2D peak in the correlations of particles associated with a heavy-flavor hadron produced in these collisions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Eta Fragmentation Functions Revisited

We revisit the extraction of parton-to-eta meson fragmentation functions at next-to-leading order accuracy in QCD in the light of the recent hadroproduction measurements in proton-proton collisions obtained by the PHENIX, LHCb, and ALICE collaborations. In addition to an increased precision, the data explore complementary rapidity ranges and center-of-mass system energies. The analysis exploits the theoretical scale dependence to ease tensions among the data sets at different energies that are potentially caused by QCD corrections beyond the next-to-leading order. The resulting set of fragmentation functions yields a consistent description of all available data. Estimates of uncertainties are obtained with the Monte Carlo replica method.

FOS: Physical sciences↗

DOE OSTI2020

Application of dilaton chiral perturbation theory to N f = 8 , SU(3) spectral data

We extend dilaton chiral perturbation theory (dChPT) to include the taste splittings in the Nambu-Goldstone sector observed in lattice simulations of near-conformal theories with staggered fermions. We then apply dChPT to a recent simulation by the LSD collaboration of the SU(3) gauge theory with 8 fermions in the fundamental representation, which is believed to exhibit near-conformal behavior in the infrared, and in which a light singlet scalar state, nearly degenerate with the pions, has been found. We find that the mesonic sector of this theory can be successfully described by dChPT, including, in particular, the mesonic taste splittings found in the simulation. We confirm that current simulations of this theory are in the "large-mass" regime.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗