New limits on radiative sterile neutrino decays from a search for single photons in neutrino interactions

It has been recently shown that excess events observed by the LSND and MiniBooNE neutrino experiments could be interpreted as a signal from the radiative decay of a heavy sterile neutrino _νh${\nu }_h$ produced in _νμ${\nu }_{\mu }$ neutral-current-like neutrino interactions. If the _νh${\nu }_h$ exist, it would be also produced by the _νμ${\nu }_{\mu }$ beam from the CERN SPS in the neutrino beam line shielding. The _νh${\nu }_h$?s would penetrate the shielding and be observed through the _νh→γν${\nu }_h\to \gamma \nu$ decay followed by the photon conversion into e⁺e⁻$e^{+}{e}^{-}$ pair in the active target of the NOMAD detector. The _νh${\nu }_h$?s could be also produced in the iron of the magnetic spectrometer of the CHORUS detector, located just in front of NOMAD. Considering these two sources of _νh${\nu }_h$?s we set new constraints on _νh${\nu }_h$ properties and exclude part of the LSND/MiniBooNE _νh${\nu }_h$ parameter space using bounds on single photons production in neutrino reactions recently reported by the NOMAD Collaboration. We find that broad bands in the parameter space are still open for more sensitive searches for the _νh${\nu }_h$ in future neutrino experiments.     

Renormalization group fixed point with a fourth generation: Higgs-induced bound states and condensates

In the Standard Model with four generations, the two-loop renormalization group equations for the Higgs quartic and Yukawa couplings show a quasi fixed point structure which does not appear at the one-loop level. This quasi fixed point behavior indicates a possible restoration of scale symmetry above some physical cut-off scale ΛFP${\Lambda }_{\mathrm{FP}}$. We conjecture that there exists a true fixed point which is reached at a similar energy scale. If the masses of the fourth family are sufficiently large, this cut-off scale, ΛFP${\Lambda }_{\mathrm{FP}}$, is situated in the range of a few TeV to the order of ¹⁰² TeV${10}^2\text{TeV}$, above which the Higgs quartic and Yukawa couplings become practically constant. We found that around ΛFP${\Lambda }_{\mathrm{FP}}$ the strong Yukawa couplings make it possible for the fourth generation to form bound states, including composite extra Higgs doublets. In this scenario the fourth generation condensates are obtained without introducing Technicolor or other unknown interactions.     

Eikonal contributions to ultra high energy neutrino–nucleon cross sections in low scale gravity models

We calculate low scale gravity effects on the cross section for neutrino–nucleon scattering at center of mass energies up to the Greisen–Zatsepin–Kuzmin (GZK) scale, in the eikonal approximation. We compare the cases of an infinitely thin brane embedded in n=5$n=5$ compactified extra-dimensions, and of a brane with a physical tension MS=1 TeV$M_S=1\text{TeV}$ and MS=10 TeV$M_S=10\text{TeV}$. The extra dimensional Planck scale MD$M_D$ is set at ¹⁰³ GeV${10}^3\text{GeV}$ and 2×¹⁰³ GeV$2\times {10}^3\text{GeV}$. We also compare our calculations with neutral current standard model calculations in the same energy range, and compare the thin brane eikonal cross section to its saddle point approximation. New physics effects enhance the cross section by orders of magnitude on average. They are quite sensitive to MS$M_S$ and MD$M_D$ choices, though much less sensitive to n.     

θ dependence of QCD at finite isospin density

We probe the θ   dependence of QCD at finite isospin chemical potential μI${\mu }_I$ using the effective chiral Lagrangian approach. The phase diagram in the θ  , μI${\mu }_I$ plane is constructed and described in detail in terms of chiral and pion condensates. The physics at θ∼π$\theta \sim \pi$ is investigated in both the normal and superfluid phase. Finally, the behaviour of the gluon condensate at finite μI${\mu }_I$ is computed.     

Pion radiative weak decays in nonlocal chiral quark models

We analyze the radiative pion decay π⁺→e⁺νeγ${\pi }^{+}\to e^{+}{\nu }_e\gamma$ within nonlocal chiral quark models that include wave function renormalization. In this framework we calculate the vector and axial-vector form factors FV$F_V$ and FA$F_A$ at q²=0$q^2=0$ — where q²$q^2$ is the e⁺νe$e^{+}{\nu }_e$ squared invariant mass — and the slope a   of FV(q²)$F_V(q^2)$ at q²→0$q^2\to 0$. The calculations are carried out considering different nonlocal form factors, in particular those taken from lattice QCD evaluations, showing a reasonable agreement with the corresponding experimental data. The comparison of our results with those obtained in the (local) NJL model and the relation of FV$F_V$ and a   with the form factor in π⁰→γ^?γ${\pi }^0\to {\gamma }^{?}\gamma$ decays are discussed.     

Finite quantum corrections to the tribimaximal neutrino mixing

We calculate finite   quantum corrections to the tribimaximal neutrino mixing pattern VTB$V_{\mathrm{TB}}$ in three generic classes of neutrino mass models. We show that three flavor mixing angles can all depart from their tree-level results described by VTB$V_{\mathrm{TB}}$, among which θ₁₂${\theta }_{12}$ is most sensitive to such quantum effects, and the Dirac CP-violating phase can radiatively arise from two Majorana CP-violating phases. This theoretical scheme offers a new way to understand why θ₁₃${\theta }_{13}$ is naturally small and how three CP-violating phases are presumably correlated.     

Kurtosis and compressibility near the chiral phase transition

The properties of net quark number fluctuations in the vicinity of the QCD chiral phase transition are discussed in terms of an effective chiral model in the mean-field approximation. We focus on the ratio of the fourth- to second-order cumulants (kurtosis) and the compressibility of the system and discuss their dependence on the pion mass. It is shown that near the chiral phase transition, both observables are sensitive to the value of mπ$m_{\pi }$. For physical mπ$m_{\pi }$, the kurtosis exhibits a peak whereas the inverse compressibility shows a dip at the pseudocritical temperature. These structures disappear for large mπ$m_{\pi }$. Our results, obtained in an effective model with two flavors, are qualitatively consistent with recent results of 2+1$2+1$ flavor lattice gauge theory. We also discuss the high- and low-temperature properties of these observables and the role of the coupling of the quark degrees of freedom to the Polyakov loop.     

Low-scale leptogenesis and the domain wall problem in models with discrete flavor symmetries

We propose a new mechanism for leptogenesis, which is naturally realized in models with a flavor symmetry based on the discrete group A₄$A_4$, where the symmetry breaking parameter also controls the Majorana masses for the heavy right-handed (RH) neutrinos. During the early universe, for T?TeV$T?\text{TeV}$, part of the symmetry is restored, due to finite temperature contributions, and the RH neutrinos remain massless and can be produced in thermal equilibrium even at temperatures well below the most conservative gravitino bounds. Below this temperature the phase transition occurs and they become massive, decaying out of equilibrium and producing the necessary lepton asymmetry. Unless the symmetry is broken explicitly by Planck-suppressed terms, the domain walls generated by the symmetry breaking survive till the quark–hadron phase transition, where they disappear due to a small energy splitting between the A₄$A_4$ vacua caused by the QCD anomaly.     

On the nuclear modification factor at RHIC and LHC

We show that pQCD factorization incorporated with pre-hadronization energy-loss effect naturally leads to flatness of the nuclear modification factor RAA$R_{\mathit{AA}}$ for produced hadrons at high transverse momentum pT$p_T$. We consider two possible scenarios for the pre-hadronization: In scenario 1, the produced gluon propagates through dense QCD medium and loses energy. In scenario 2, all gluons first decay to quark–antiquark pairs and then each pair loses energy as propagating through the medium. We show that the estimates of the energy-loss in these two different models lead to very close values and is able to explain the suppression of high-pT$p_T$ hadrons in nucleus–nucleus collisions at RHIC. We show that the onset of the flatness of RAA$R_{\mathit{AA}}$ for the produced hadron in central collisions at midrapidity is about pT≈15$p_T\approx 15$ and 25 GeV at RHIC and the LHC energies, respectively. We show that the smallness (RAA<0.5$R_{\mathit{AA}}<0.5$ ) and the high-pT$p_T$ flatness of RAA$R_{\mathit{AA}}$ obtained from the kT$k_T$ factorization supplemented with the Balitsky–Kovchegov (BK) equation is rather generic and it does not strongly depend on the details of the BK solutions. We show that energy-loss effect reduces the nuclear modification factor obtained from the kT$k_T$ factorization about 30–50% at moderate pT$p_T$.     

Target mass corrections for spin-dependent structure functions in collinear factorization

We derive target mass corrections (TMC) for the spin-dependent nucleon structure function g₁$g_1$ and polarization asymmetry A₁$A_1$ in collinear factorization at leading twist. The TMCs are found to be significant for g₁$g_1$ at large xB$x_B$, even at relatively high Q²$Q^2$ values, but largely cancel in A₁$A_1$. A comparison of TMCs obtained from collinear factorization and from the operator product expansion shows that at low Q²$Q^2$ the corrections drive the proton A₁$A_1$ in opposite directions.     

Three PT-symmetric Hamiltonians with completely different spectra

We discuss three Hamiltonians, each with a central-field part H₀$H_0$ and a PT-symmetric perturbation igz$igz$. When H₀$H_0$ is the isotropic Harmonic oscillator the spectrum is real for all g$g$ because H$H$ is isospectral to H₀+g²/2$H_0+g^2/2$. When H₀$H_0$ is the Hydrogen atom then infinitely many eigenvalues are complex for all g$g$. If the potential in H₀$H_0$ is linear in the radial variable r$r$ then the spectrum of H$H$ exhibits real eigenvalues for 0<g<g_c$0<g<g_c$ and a PT phase transition at g_c$g_c$.     

Coherent superpositions of states in coupled Hilbert-space using step by step Morris–Shore transformation

Creation of coherent superpositions in quantum systems with N_a$N_a$ states in the lower set and N_b$N_b$ states in the upper set is presented. The solution is drived by using the Morris–Shore transformation, which step by step reduces the fully coupled system to a three-state Λ$\Lambda$-like system and a set of decoupled states. It is shown that, for properly timed pulse, robust population transfer from an initial ground state (or superposition of M$M$ ground states) to an arbitrary coherent superposition of the ground states can be achieved by coincident pulses and/or STIRAP techniques.     

Non-standard interaction effects at reactor neutrino experiments

We study non-standard interactions (NSIs) at reactor neutrino experiments, and in particular, the mimicking effects on θ₁₃${\theta }_{13}$. We present generic formulas for oscillation probabilities including NSIs from sources and detectors. Instructive mappings between the fundamental leptonic mixing parameters and the effective leptonic mixing parameters are established. In addition, NSI corrections to the mixing angles θ₁₃${\theta }_{13}$ and θ₁₂${\theta }_{12}$ are discussed in detailed. Finally, we show that, even for a vanishing θ₁₃${\theta }_{13}$, an oscillation phenomenon may still be observed in future short baseline reactor neutrino experiments, such as Double Chooz and Daya Bay, due to the existences of NSIs.