Non-standard neutrino interactions in the Zee–Babu model

We investigate non-standard neutrino interactions (NSIs) in the Zee–Babu model. The size of NSIs predicted by this model is obtained from a full scan over the parameter space, taking into account constraints from low-energy experiments such as searches for lepton flavor violation (LFV) and the requirement to obtain a viable neutrino mass matrix. The dependence on the scale of new physics as well as on the type of the neutrino mass hierarchy is discussed. We find that NSIs at the source of a future neutrino factory may be at an observable level in the ν_e→ν_τ and/or ν_μ→ν_τ channels. In particular, if the doubly charged scalar of the model has a mass in reach of the LHC and if the neutrino mass hierarchy is inverted, a highly predictive scenario is obtained with observable signals at the LHC, in upcoming neutrino oscillation experiments, in LFV processes, and for NSIs at a neutrino factory.     

Lepton flavour violating heavy Higgs decays within the and their detection at the LHC

Within the νMSSM, a Minimal Supersymmetric neutrino See-saw Model, Lepton Flavour Violating Higgs couplings are strongly enhanced at large tanβ (30), which can lead to BR(H⁰/A⁰→τμ)O(10⁻⁴), for M_H⁰/A⁰160 GeV. Enhancements on the production of Higgs bosons, through the gluon fusion mechanism, gg→H⁰/A⁰, and the associated production channel , whose rates grow with tanβ, as well as the mass degeneracy that occurs between the H⁰ and A⁰ states in this regime, also contribute to further the possibilities to detect a heavy Higgs signal into τμ pairs. We show that the separation of τμ Higgs events from the background at the upcoming CERN Large Hadron Collider could be done for Higgs masses up to about 600 GeV for 300 fb⁻¹ of luminosity, for large tanβ values. However, even with as little as 10 fb⁻¹ one can probe H⁰/A⁰ masses up to 400 GeV or so, if tanβ=60. Altogether, these processes then provide a new Higgs discovery mode as well as an independent test of flavour physics.     

Search for squark production in events with jets, hadronically decaying tau leptons and missing transverse energy at

A search for supersymmetric partners of quarks is performed in the topology of multijet events accompanied by at least one tau lepton decaying hadronically and large missing transverse energy. Approximately 1 fb⁻¹ of collision data from the Fermilab Tevatron Collider at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV recorded by the DØ detector is analyzed. Results are combined with the previously published DØ inclusive search for squarks and gluinos. No evidence of physics beyond the Standard Model is found and lower limits on the squark mass up to 410 GeV are derived in the framework of minimal supergravity with tanβ=15, A₀=−2m₀ and μ<0, in the region where decays to tau leptons dominate. Gaugino masses m_1/2 are excluded up to 172 GeV.     

New CP phase of – mixing on T violation in

A large CP-violating phase uncovered recently by CDF and DØ Collaborations in the time-dependent CP asymmetry (CPA) of the B_s→J/Ψ decay clearly indicates that a non-Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM) phase has to be brought into the b→s transition. We find that the model with SU(2)_L singlet exotic quarks cannot only provide the new phase induced from the Z-mediated flavor changing neutral current (FCNC) at tree level, but also strongly relate the B_s– mixing, B_q→V_qℓ⁺ℓ⁻ (V_d[s]=K^*[]) and B_s→μ⁺μ⁻ together. In particular, we show that the new CP phase can be unambiguously exposed by the large statistical significances of T violating observables in B_q→V_qℓ⁺ℓ⁻, while the branching ratio of B_s→μ⁺μ⁻ can be enhanced to be O(10⁻⁸).     

Higgs-pair production and decay in simplest little Higgs model

In the framework of the simplest little Higgs model (SLHM), we study the production of a pair of neutral CP-even Higgs bosons at the LHC. First, we examine the production rate and find that it can be significantly larger than the SM prediction. Then we investigate the decays of the Higgs-pair and find that for a low Higgs mass their dominant decay mode is hh→ηηηη (η is a CP-odd scalar) while and hh→ηηWW may also have sizable ratios. Finally, we comparatively study the rates of , , and pp→hh→WWWW in the SLHM and the littlest Higgs models (LHT). We find that for a light Higgs, compared with the SM predictions, all the three rates can be sizably enhanced in the LHT but severely suppressed in the SLHM; while for an intermediately heavy Higgs, both the LHT and SLHM can enhance sizably the SM predictions.     

Hierarchical matrices in the see-saw mechanism,large neutrino mixing and leptogenesis

We consider the see-saw mechanism for hierarchical Dirac and Majorana neutrino mass matrices m _D and M _R, including the CP violating phases. Simple arguments about the structure of the neutrino mass matrix and the requirement of successful leptogenesis lead to the situation that one of the right-handed Majorana neutrinos is much heavier than the other two, which in turn display a rather mild hierarchy. It is investigated how for the neutrino mixing one small and two large mixing angles are generated. The mixing matrix element |U _e3|² is larger than 10^-3 and a characteristic ratio between the branching ratios of lepton flavor violating charged lepton decays is found. Successful leptogenesis implies sizable CP violation in oscillation experiments. As in the original minimal see-saw model, the signs of the baryon asymmetry of the universe and of the CP asymmetry in neutrino oscillations are equal and there is no connection between the leptogenesis phase and the effective mass as measurable in neutrinoless double beta decay.Received: 28 May 2003, Revised: 13 September 2003, Published online: 26 November 2003     

Study of the process ee→ππγ in c.m. energy range 600–970 MeV at CMD-2

The cross section of the process e⁺e⁻→π⁰π⁰γ has been measured in the c.m. energy range 600–970 MeV with the CMD-2 detector. The following branching ratios have been determined:

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and

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. Evidence for the ρ⁰→f₀(600)γ decay has been obtained:

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. From a search for the process e⁺e⁻→ηπ⁰γ the following upper limit has been obtained: at 90% CL.     

Probing neutrino masses and tri-bimaximality with lepton flavor violation searches

We examine relation between neutrino oscillation parameters and prediction of lepton flavor violation, in light of deviations from tri-bimaximal mixing. Our study shows that upcoming experimental searches for lepton flavor violation process can provide useful implications for neutrino mass spectrum and mixing angles. With simple structure of heavy right-handed neutrino and supersymmetry breaking sectors, the discovery of τ→μγ$\tau \to \mu \gamma$ decay determines neutrino mass hierarchy if large (order 0.1) reactor angle is established.     

Dilepton mass spectra in collisions at and the contribution from open charm

PHENIX has measured the electron–positron pair mass spectrum from 0 to 8 GeV/c² in p+p collisions at . The contributions from light meson decays to e⁺e⁻ pairs have been determined based on measurements of hadron production cross sections by PHENIX. Within the systematic uncertainty of 20% they account for all e⁺e⁻ pairs in the mass region below 1 GeV/c². The e⁺e⁻ pair yield remaining after subtracting these contributions is dominated by semileptonic decays of charmed hadrons correlated through flavor conservation. Using the spectral shape predicted by PYTHIA, we estimate the charm production cross section to be 544±39(stat)±142(syst)±200(model) μb, which is consistent with QCD calculations and measurements of single leptons by PHENIX.     

Observation of χb production in the exclusive reaction ′→γγχb→γγ→γγ(eeorμμ−)

We report on the observation of 1 ³P_J (χ_b) production in the reaction ′→γχ_b→γγ→γγ(e⁺e⁻ or μ⁺μ⁻). The data were recorded with the nonmagnetic CUSB detector at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring, CESR. We observe 124 γγ events with either an electron or muon pair in the final state. In the γγ correlation plot about 40% of the events cluster around (120, 430) MeV.     

Constraining new physics in with reparametrization invariance and QCD factorization

Usually, B⁰→π⁺π⁻ decays are expressed in terms of weak amplitudes explicitly dependent on the CKM weak phase α or γ. In this Letter, we show that the weak amplitudes can be rewritten such that a manifest dependence on β emerges instead. Based on this, we constrain new-physics contributions to the CP-violating phase _d in mixing. Further, we apply reparametrization invariance and use QCD factorization predictions to investigate the bounds on an additional new-physics amplitude in B⁰→π⁺π⁻.     

Radiative neutrino decays in very strong magnetic fields

The radiative decay ν_H → ν_L + γ of massive neutrinos is analyzed in the framework of the standard model with lepton mixing for very strong magnetic fields B B_cr = m²_e/e 4.14 × 10¹³ G. The analysis is based on the approximate decay amplitude obtained by Gvozdev et al. Numerical results as well as analytical approximations for the decay rate are obtained for energies of the initial neutrino below and above the electron-positron pair creation threshold 2m_e.     

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with jets and missing transverse energy using 2.1 fb of collision data at

A data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.1 fb⁻¹ collected by the DØ detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider was analyzed to search for squarks and gluinos produced in collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. No evidence for the production of such particles was observed in topologies involving jets and missing transverse energy, and 95% C.L. lower limits of 379 GeV and 308 GeV were set on the squark and gluino masses, respectively, within the framework of minimal supergravity with tanβ=3, A₀=0, and μ<0. The corresponding previous limits are improved by 54 GeV and 67 GeV.     

Measurement of and the dipion contribution to the muon anomaly with the KLOE detector

We have measured the cross section σ(e⁺e⁻→π⁺π⁻γ(γ)) at DAΦNE, the Frascati -factory, using events with initial state radiation photons emitted at small angle and inclusive of final state radiation. We present the analysis of a new data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 240 pb⁻¹. We have achieved a reduced systematic uncertainty with respect to previously published KLOE results. From the cross section we obtain the pion form factor and the contribution to the muon magnetic anomaly from two-pion states in the mass range 0.592<M_ππ<0.975 GeV. For the latter we find Δ^ππa_μ=(387.2±0.5_stat±2.4_exp±2.3_th)×10⁻¹⁰.     

Complex CKM matrix, spontaneous CP violation and generalized symmetry

The multi-Higgs models having spontaneous CP violation (SPCPV) and natural flavor conservation (NFC) lead to a real CKM matrix V contradicting current evidence in favour of a complex V. This contradiction can be removed by using a generalized μ–τ (called 23) symmetry in place of the discrete symmetry conventionally used to obtain NFC. If the 23 symmetry is exact then the Higgs induced flavour changing neutral currents (FCNC) vanish as in the case of NFC. 23 breaking introduces SPCPV, a phase in V and suppressed FCNC among quarks. The FCNC couplings between i and j generations show a hierarchy with the result that the FCNC can have observable consequences in B mixing without conflicting with the mixing. Detailed fits to the quark masses and the CKM matrix are used to obtain the (complex) couplings and . Combined constraints from flavour and CP violations in the K, B_d, B_s, D mesons are analyzed within the model. They allow (i) relatively light Higgs, 100–150 GeV (ii) measurable extra contributions to the magnitudes and phases of the mixing amplitudes and (iii) the mixing at the current sensitivity level.     

Tunneling conductance in a gapped graphene-based superconducting structure: Case of massive Dirac electrons

The tunneling conductance in a NG/SG graphene junction in which the graphene was grown on a SiC substrate is simulated. The carriers in the normal graphene (NG) and the superconducting graphene (SG) are treated as massive relativistic particles. It is assumed that the Fermi energy in the NG and SG are E_FN400 meV and E_FS400 meV+U, respectively. Here U is the electrostatic potential from the superconducting gate electrode. It is seen that the Klein tunneling disappears in the case where a gap exist in the energy spectrum. As U→∞, the zero bias normalized conductance becomes persistent at a minimal value of G/G₀1.2. The normalized conductance G/G₀ is found to depend linearly on U with constant slope of , where is the size of the gap Δ opening up in the energy spectrum of the graphene grown on the SiC substrate. It is found that G/G₀2+αU for potentials in the range −270 meV<U<0 meV and G=0 for potentials U<−270 meV. As α→∞, the conductance for eV=Δ (V is the bias voltage placed across the NG/SG junction) can be approximated by a unit step function G(eV=Δ,U)/G₀2Θ(U). This last behavior indicates that a NG/SG junction made with gapped graphene could be used as a nano switch having excellent characteristics.     

Study of a neutrino mass texture generated in supergravity with bilinear R-parity violation

We study a particular texture of the neutrino mass matrix generated in supergravity with non-universal bilinear R-parity violation parameters. The relatively high value of makes the one-loop contribution to the neutrino mass matrix as important as the tree-level one. The atmospheric angle is nearly maximal, and its deviation from maximal mixing is related to the small size of the ratio between the solar and atmospheric mass scales. There is also a common origin for the small values of the solar and reactor angles, but the latter is much smaller due the large mass ratio between the heaviest two neutrinos. There is a high dependence of the neutrino mass differences on the scalar mass m₀ and the gaugino mass M_1/2, but a smaller dependence of the mixing angles on the same Sugra parameters. Measurements of branching ratios for the neutralino decays can give important information on the parameters of the model. There are good prospects at a future linear collider for these measurements, but a more detailed analysis is necessary for the LHC. Received: 29 October 2004, Revised: 8 July 2005, Published online: 13 September 2005     

Exclusive decay to double at next-to-leading order in

Within the non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD) factorization framework, we calculate the exclusive decay process η_b→J/ψJ/ψ to next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant, and, at leading order, in the charm quark relative velocity. It is found that this new contribution to the amplitude is comparable in magnitude to the previously calculated relativistic correction piece, but differs by a phase of about 90°. Including this new contribution will increase the previous prediction of substantially, thus brightening the discovery potential of this clean hadronic decay channel of η_b in the forthcoming LHC experiment.