arXiv subjects

Emanuele Mereghetti

Publications and source records attributed to Emanuele Mereghetti.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Sterile neutrino dark matter within the $ν$SMEFT

Sterile neutrinos with masses at the $\mathrm{keV}$ scale and mixing to the active neutrinos offer an elegant explanation of the observed dark matter (DM) density. However, the very same mixing inevitably leads to radiative photon emission and the non-observation of such peaked $X$-ray lines rules out this minimal sterile neutrino DM hypothesis. We show that in the context of the Standard Model effective field theory with sterile neutrinos ($ν$SMEFT), higher dimensional operators can produce sterile neutrino DM in a broad range of parameter space. In particular, $ν$SMEFT interactions can open the large mixing parameter space due to their destructive interference, through operator mixing or matching, in the $X$-ray emission. We also find that, even in the zero mixing limit, the DM density can always be explained by $ν$SMEFT operators. The testability of the studied $ν$SMEFT operators in searches for electric dipole moments, neutrinoless double beta decay, and pion decay measurements is discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Neutron electric dipole moment from isovector quark chromo-electric dipole moment

We present results from our lattice QCD study of the contribution of the isovector quark cEDM (qcEDM) operator to the neutron EDM. The calculation was carried out on four 2+1+1-flavor highly improved staggered quark ensembles (provided to us by the MILC collaboration) using Wilson-clover quarks to construct correlation functions. We use the nonsinglet axial Ward identity including corrections up to O(a) to show how to control the power-divergent mixing of the isovector qcEDM operator with the lower dimensional pseudoscalar operator. Results for the nEDM are presented after conversion to the MS scheme at the leading-log order.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

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 $\sim 3σ$ 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.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Effective field theory for radiative corrections to charged-current processes I: Vector coupling

We study radiative corrections to low-energy charged-current processes involving nucleons, such as neutron beta decay and (anti)neutrino-nucleon scattering within a top-down effective-field-theory approach. We first match the Standard Model to the low-energy effective theory valid below the weak scale and, using renormalization group equations with anomalous dimensions of $\mathcal{O}(α, αα_s, α^2)$, evolve the resulting effective coupling down to the hadronic scale. Here, we first match to heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory and subsequently, below the pion-mass scale, to a pionless effective theory, evolving the effective vector coupling with anomalous dimensions of $\mathcal{O}(α, α^2)$ all the way down to the scale of the electron mass, relevant for beta decays. We thus provide a new evaluation of the ``inner" radiative corrections to the vector coupling constant and to the neutron decay rate, discussing differences with the previous literature. Using our new result for the radiative corrections, we update the extraction of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element $V_{ud}$ from the neutron decay.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

ALP contributions to $μ\to e$ conversion

We study the $μ\to e$ conversion process in nuclear targets arising in models of axion-like particles (ALPs) with hadronic and charged lepton flavor violating (CLFV) interactions. Contributions to this process generally fall into two categories: spin-independent (SI) and spin-dependent (SD). While the SI contribution can be generated by a dipole operator through purely leptonic ALP interactions, the SD contribution can also be present through ALP-quark interactions at tree-level. It is naively anticipated that the SI contribution would be dominant due to its coherent enhancement. In this $\textit{letter}$, we show that is not generically the case; in particular, for naturally-sized ALP couplings to quarks of order $\sim\!m_q/f_a$, the SD interaction induced by ALP-$π^0$ mixing turns out to be the leading contribution to $μ\to e$ conversion. Intuitively, this stems from the suppressed dipole contribution by the QED one-loop factor which counters the effect of SI coherent enhancement. Our study highlights the importance of $μ\to e$ conversion searches in exploring the parameter space of generic ALP models, and demonstrates the competitiveness of these searches in probing the CLFV ALP parameter space in the heavy mass range of $m_a\gtrsim m_μ$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

The case for an EIC Theory Alliance: Theoretical Challenges of the EIC

We outline the physics opportunities provided by the Electron Ion Collider (EIC). These include the study of the parton structure of the nucleon and nuclei, the onset of gluon saturation, the production of jets and heavy flavor, hadron spectroscopy and tests of fundamental symmetries. We review the present status and future challenges in EIC theory that have to be addressed in order to realize this ambitious and impactful physics program, including how to engage a diverse and inclusive workforce. In order to address these many-fold challenges, we propose a coordinated effort involving theory groups with differing expertise is needed. We discuss the scientific goals and scope of such an EIC Theory Alliance.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Quark Chromo-Electric Dipole Moment Operator on the Lattice

We present a lattice QCD study of the contribution of the isovector quark chromo-electric dipole moment (qcEDM) operator to the nucleon electric dipole moments (nEDM). The calculation was carried out on four 2+1+1-flavor of highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) ensembles using Wilson-clover quarks to construct correlation functions. This clover-on-HISQ formulation is not fully $O(a)$ improved, and gives rise to additional systematics over and above those due to removing excited state contributions to getting ground-state matrix elements, and the final chiral and continuum extrapolations to get the physical result. We use the non-singlet axial Ward identity including corrections up to $O(a)$ to show how to control the power-divergent mixing of the isovector qcEDM operator with the lower dimensional pseudoscalar operator. The residual corrections are observed to give rise to $O(25\%)$ violations in relations arising from the axial Ward identity. We devise three methods attempting to control the resulting uncertainty in the CP violating form factor; each of these, however, can have large $O(a^2)$ corrections. Preliminary results for the nEDM due to qcEDM are presented choosing the method giving the most uniform behavior.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

Neutrinoless double-beta decay in the neutrino-extended Standard Model

We investigate neutrinoless double-beta decay ($0νββ$) in the minimal extension of the standard model of particle physics, the $ν$SM, where gauge-singlet right-handed neutrinos give rise to Dirac and Majorana neutrino mass terms. We focus on the associated sterile neutrinos and argue that the usual evaluation of their contributions to $0νββ$, based on mass-dependent nuclear matrix elements, is missing important contributions from neutrinos with ultrasoft and hard momenta. We identify the hadronic and nuclear matrix elements that enter the new contributions, and calculate all relevant nuclear matrix elements for $^{136}$Xe using the nuclear shell model. Finally, we illustrate the impact on $0νββ$ rates in specific neutrino mass models and show that the new contributions significantly alter the $0νββ$ rate in most parts of the $ν$SM parameter space.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Nucleon form factors and the pion-nucleon sigma term

This talk summarizes the progress made since Lattice 2021 in understanding and controlling the contributions of towers of multihadron excited states with mass gaps starting lower than of radial excitations, and in increasing our confidence in the extraction of ground state nucleon matrix elements. The most clear evidence for multihadron excited state contributions (ESC) is in axial/pseudoscalar form factors that are required to satisfy the PCAC relation between them. The talk examines the broader question--which and how many of the theoretically allowed positive parity states $N(\textbf p)π(-\textbf p)$, $N(\textbf 0)π(\textbf 0)π(\textbf 0)$, $N(\textbf p)π(\textbf 0)$, $N(\textbf 0)π(\textbf p),\ \ldots$ make significant contributions to a given nucleon matrix element? New data for the axial, electric and magnetic form factors are presented. They continue to show trends observed in Ref[1]. The N${}^2$LO $χ$PT analysis of the ESC to the pion-nucleon sigma term, $σ_{πN}$, has been extended to include the $Δ$ as an explicit degree of freedom [2]. The conclusion reached in Ref [3] that $N π$ and $N ππ$ states each contribute about 10 MeV to $σ_{πN}$, and the consistency between the lattice result with $N π$ state included and the phenomenological estimate is not changed by this improvement.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

nEDM from the theta-term and chromoEDM operators

In a previous work, we showed that unresolved excited state contaminations provide a major source of systematic uncertainty in the calculation of the nucleon electric dipole moment due to the QCD topological term theta. Here we extend the calculation to the quark chromo-electric dipole moment operator (qcEDM). We also show quantitatively the impact of the mixing of the qcEDM with lower-dimensional operators on the lattice. Finally, we present preliminary results from a unitary clover-on-clover calculation for the QCD topological term.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2022

Theory Techniques for Precision Physics -- Snowmass 2021 TF06 Topical Group Report

The wealth of experimental data collected at laboratory experiments suggests that there is some scale separation between the Standard Model (SM) and phenomena beyond the SM (BSM). New phenomena can manifest itself as small corrections to SM predictions, or as signals in processes where the SM predictions vanish or are exceedingly small. This makes precise calculations of the SM expectations essential, in order to maximize the sensitivity of current and forthcoming experiments to BSM physics. This topical group report highlights some past and forthcoming theory developments critical for maximizing the sensitivity of the experimental program to understanding Nature at the shortest distances.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Ab initio calculation of the $β$ decay spectrum of $^6$He

We calculate the $β$ spectrum in the decay of $^6$He using Quantum Monte Carlo methods with nuclear interactions derived from chiral Effective Field Theory and consistent weak vector and axial currents. We work at second order in the multipole expansion, retaining terms suppressed by $\mathcal O(q^2/m_π^2)$, where $q$ denotes low-energy scales such as the reaction's $\mathcal Q$-value or the electron energy, and $m_π$ the pion mass. We go beyond the impulse approximation by including the effects of two-body vector and axial currents. We estimate the theoretical error on the spectrum by using four potential models in the Norfolk family of local two- and three-nucleon interactions, which have different cut-off, fit two-nucleon data up to different energies and use different observables to determine the couplings in the three-body force. We find the theoretical uncertainty on the $β$ spectrum, normalized by the total rate, to be well below the permille level, and to receive contributions of comparable size from first and second order corrections in the multipole expansion. We consider corrections to the $β$ decay spectrum induced by beyond-the-Standard Model charged-current interactions in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory, with and without sterile neutrinos, and discuss the sensitivity of the next generation of experiments to these interactions.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2022

Snowmass 2021 White Paper: Charged lepton flavor violation in the tau sector

Charged lepton flavor violation has long been recognized as unambiguous signature of New Physics. Here we describe the physics capabilities and discovery potential of New Physics models with charged lepton flavor violation in the tau sector as its experimental signature. Current experimental status from the B-Factory experiments BaBar, Belle and Belle II, and future prospects at Super Tau Charm Factory, LHC, EIC and FCC-ee experiments to discover New Physics via charged lepton flavor violation in the tau sector are discussed in detail. Submitted to the Proceedings of the US Community Study on the Future of Particle Physics (Snowmass 2021)

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Dilepton production in the SMEFT at $\mathcal O(1/Λ^4)$

We study the inclusion of $\mathcal O(1/Λ^4)$ effects in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory in fits to the current Drell-Yan data at the LHC. Our analysis includes the full set of dimension-6 and dimension-8 operators contributing to the dilepton process, and is performed to next-to-leading-order in the QCD coupling constant at both $\mathcal O(1/Λ^2)$ and $\mathcal O(1/Λ^4)$. We find that the inclusion of dimension-6 squared terms and certain dimension-8 operators has significant effects on fits to the current data. Neglecting them leads to bounds on dimension-6 operators off by large factors. We find that dimension-8 four-fermion operators can already be probed to the several-TeV level by LHC results, and that their inclusion significantly changes the limits found for dimension-6 operators. We discuss which dimension-8 operators should be included in fits to the LHC data. Only a manageable subset of two-derivative dimension-8 four-fermion operators need to be included at this stage given current LHC uncertainties.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Beta-decay implications for the W-boson mass anomaly

We point out the necessity to consider $β$-decay observables in resolutions of the $W$-boson anomaly in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory that go beyond pure oblique corrections. We demonstrate that present global analyses that explain the $W$-boson mass anomaly predict a large, percent-level, violation of first-row CKM unitarity. We investigate what solutions to the $W$-boson mass anomaly survive after including $β$-decay constraints.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

One-loop matching for quark dipole operators in a gradient-flow scheme

The quark chromoelectric dipole (qCEDM) operator is a CP-violating operator describing, at hadronic energies, beyond-the-standard-model contributions to the electric dipole moment of particles with nonzero spin. In this paper we define renormalized dipole operators in a regularization-independent scheme using the gradient flow, and we perform the matching at one loop in perturbation theory to renormalized operators of the same and lower dimension in the more familiar MS scheme. We also determine the matching coefficients for the quark chromomagnetic dipole operator (qCMDM), which contributes, for example, to matrix elements relevant to CP-violating and CP-conserving kaon decays. The calculation provides a basis for future lattice QCD computations of hadronic matrix elements of the qCEDM and qCMDM operators.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2022

Electric dipole moments and the search for new physics

Static electric dipole moments of nondegenerate systems probe mass scales for physics beyond the Standard Model well beyond those reached directly at high energy colliders. Discrimination between different physics models, however, requires complementary searches in atomic-molecular-and-optical, nuclear and particle physics. In this report, we discuss the current status and prospects in the near future for a compelling suite of such experiments, along with developments needed in the encompassing theoretical framework.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Theoretical developments in the SMEFT at dimension-8 and beyond

In this contribution to the Snowmass 2021 process we review theoretical developments in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT) with a focus on effects at the dimension-8 level and beyond. We review the theoretical advances that led to the complete construction of the operator bases for the dimension-8 and dimension-9 SMEFT Lagrangians. We discuss the possibility of obtaining all-orders results in the $1/Λ$ expansion for certain SMEFT observables as well as the current status of renormalization group running and implications for positivity, and briefly present the on-shell approach to constructing SMEFT amplitudes. Finally we present several new phenomenological effects that first arise at dimension-8 and discuss the impact of these terms on experimental analyses.

hep-ph↗