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Florian Bernlochner

Publications and source records attributed to Florian Bernlochner.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Joint LHCb--Belle II Prospects to Constrain New Physics in $B\to D^{(*)}τν$

Semileptonic $b\to cτ\barν_τ$ decays are powerful probes of non-Standard-Model effects within an effective-field-theory (EFT) framework, but fully exploiting them in current and future data demands combinations that maximise sensitivity while controlling biases from Standard-Model-based modelling and from theory inputs that are shared, and therefore correlated, across analyses in different experiments. We present a first sensitivity study of a combined extraction of Wilson coefficients in $\bar{B}\to D^{(*)}τ\barν_τ$ decays using LHCb- and Belle~II-like analysis configurations. Detector simulations for signal and backgrounds are typically generated under Standard Model assumptions; if non-SM contributions are present, this can bias the fitted Wilson coefficients. In addition, hadronic inputs such as form-factor parameters of signal and background components are common across analyses, requiring a consistent treatment of fully correlated effects in combinations. To avoid repeating large-scale detector simulation for each EFT hypothesis, we use event-by-event reweighting to map simulated samples to arbitrary combinations of Wilson coefficients. We then compare a simultaneous fit across multiple $\bar{B}\to D^{(*)}τ\barν_τ$ channels and datasets with a combination based on post-fit averages. Sharing Wilson coefficients and common form-factor parameters in the simultaneous fit reduces model-induced biases and improves sensitivity relative to independent fits, providing a robust and scalable strategy for precision EFT constraints in $b\to cτ\barν_τ$ transitions using forthcoming LHCb and Belle~II datasets.

hep-ex

Charming Darwin: the evolution of QCD parameters across different species

We explore the prospects of measurements of spectral moments of inclusive charm decays with BESIII. The rich and uniquely clean data set of charm mesons and baryons at BESIII offers a unique laboratory to study the evolution of Heavy Quark Expansion (HQE) parameters across different charm hadron species and to shed light on the interplay between heavy quark dynamics and light quark effects. The HQE in terms of inverse powers of the heavy meson mass is well-established in beauty decays, however due to the lighter charm mass its applicability to charm remains an open question. To date no determination of the HQE parameters, the kinetic energy, chromomagnetic moment and Darwin terms, has been attempted. A particularly important role here is given to the Darwin and weak annihilation operators, whose values are important to predict lifetimes of heavy hadrons. Using a fast simulation for the BESIII detector response and predictions for spectral moments, we investigate the sensitivity to HQE parameters with today's and possible future data sets. In addition, we discuss the theory challenges for the HQE in charm and the experimental limitations. We further investigate the sensitivity of determining the CKM matrix element $|V_{cs}|$ with inclusive semileptonic charm decays.

hep-ex

Truncation orders, external constraints, and the determination of $|V_{cb}|$

We present a model selection framework for the extraction of the CKM matrix element $|V_{cb}|$ from exclusive $B \to D^* l ν$ decays. By framing the truncation of the Boyd-Grinstein-Lebed (BGL) parameterization as a model selection task, we apply the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) to choose the optimal truncation order. We demonstrate the performance of our approach through a comprehensive toy study, comparing it to the Nested Hypothesis Test (NHT) method used in previous analyses. Our results show that the AIC-based approach produces unbiased estimates of $|V_{cb}|$, albeit with some issues of undercoverage. We further investigate the impact of unitarity constraints and explore model averaging using the Global AIC (gAIC) approach, which produced unbiased results with correct coverage properties. Our findings suggest that model selection techniques based on information criteria and model averaging offer a promising path towards more reliable $|V_{cb}|$ determinations.

hep-ph

Lifetimes of $b$-hadrons and mixing of neutral $B$-mesons: theoretical and experimental status

In this article, we review the current status of $B$-mixing and $b$-hadron lifetimes both from experimental and theoretical points of view. Furthermore, we discuss the phenomenological potential of these observables for deepening our understanding of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and for indirect searches for effects beyond the Standard Model (SM). In addition, we present new updated SM predictions for the mixing observables $ΔM_{d,s}$, $ΔΓ_{d,s}$ and $a_{fs}^{d,s}$. We conclude with an outlook on future prospects for theoretical and experimental improvements.

hep-ph

Novel approaches to determine $B^\pm$ and $B^0$ meson production fractions

We propose novel methods to determine the $Υ(4S)\to B^+B^-$ and $Υ(4S)\to B^0\bar B^0$ decay rates. The precision to which they and their ratio are known yields at present a limiting uncertainty around $2\%$ in measurements of absolute $B$ decay rates, and thus in a variety of applications, such as precision determinations of elements of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix and flavor symmetry relations. The new methods we propose are based in one case on exploiting the $Υ(5S)$ data sets, in the other case on the different average number of charged tracks in $B^\pm$ and $B^0$ decays. We estimate future sensitivities using these methods and discuss possible measurements of $f_d / f_u$ at the (HL-)LHC.

hep-ph

Snowmass White Paper: Belle II physics reach and plans for the next decade and beyond

Belle II is an experiment operating at the intensity frontier. Over the next decades, it will record the decay of billions of bottom mesons, charm hadrons, and tau leptons produced in 10 GeV electron-positron collisions at the SuperKEKB high-luminosity collider at KEK. These data, collected in low-background and kinematically known conditions, will allow us to measure hundreds of parameters that test the standard model (SM) and probe for the existence of new particles, at mass scales orders of magnitudes higher than those studied at the energy frontier. We project our sensitivities for measurements that are of primary relevance and where Belle II will be unique or world leading for data corresponding to 1 to 50 ab$^{-1}$. Belle II will uniquely probe non-SM contributions in sensitive $b \to q\bar q s$ decays and charmless $b \to q\bar q d(u)$ decays, semileptonic $b \to s ν\barν$ and $s τ^+ τ^-$ decays, fully leptonic $b \to \ell ν$ decays, and select $c \to u$ processes. Belle II will lead exploration of non-SM physics in $b \to c τν$ and $b \to s γ$ decays and will most precisely determine the quark-mixing parameters $|V_{ub}|$ and $|V_{cb}|$. Belle II will measure many parameters in $τ$ physics to precisions that will be world leading for the foreseeable future, including the electric and magnetic dipole moments, branching fractions for charged-lepton-flavor-violating decays, and quantities that test lepton-flavor universality. Belle II will perform unique searches for dark-sector particles with masses in the MeV-GeV range. We will also pursue a broad spectroscopy program for conventional and multiquark $c \bar c$ and $b \bar b$ states and provide essential inputs to sharpen the interpretation of muon magnetic-anomaly results. Our exploration of uncharted regions of non-SM parameter space with high precision will reveal non-SM particles or set stringent constraints on their existence, guiding future endeavors.

hep-ex

Learning Tree Structures from Leaves For Particle Decay Reconstruction

In this work, we present a neural approach to reconstructing rooted tree graphs describing hierarchical interactions, using a novel representation we term the Lowest Common Ancestor Generations (LCAG) matrix. This compact formulation is equivalent to the adjacency matrix, but enables learning a tree's structure from its leaves alone without the prior assumptions required if using the adjacency matrix directly. Employing the LCAG therefore enables the first end-to-end trainable solution which learns the hierarchical structure of varying tree sizes directly, using only the terminal tree leaves to do so. In the case of high-energy particle physics, a particle decay forms a hierarchical tree structure of which only the final products can be observed experimentally, and the large combinatorial space of possible trees makes an analytic solution intractable. We demonstrate the use of the LCAG as a target in the task of predicting simulated particle physics decay structures using both a Transformer encoder and a Neural Relational Inference encoder Graph Neural Network. With this approach, we are able to correctly predict the LCAG purely from leaf features for a maximum tree-depth of $8$ in $92.5\%$ of cases for trees up to $6$ leaves (including) and $59.7\%$ for trees up to $10$ in our simulated dataset.

physics.comp-ph

The FASER Detector

FASER, the ForwArd Search ExpeRiment, is an experiment dedicated to searching for light, extremely weakly-interacting particles at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Such particles may be produced in the very forward direction of the LHC's high-energy collisions and then decay to visible particles inside the FASER detector, which is placed 480 m downstream of the ATLAS interaction point, aligned with the beam collisions axis. FASER also includes a sub-detector, FASER$ν$, designed to detect neutrinos produced in the LHC collisions and to study their properties. In this paper, each component of the FASER detector is described in detail, as well as the installation of the experiment system and its commissioning using cosmic-rays collected in September 2021 and during the LHC pilot beam test carried out in October 2021. FASER will start taking LHC collision data in 2022, and will run throughout LHC Run 3.

physics.ins-det

The tracking detector of the FASER experiment

FASER is a new experiment designed to search for new light weakly-interacting long-lived particles (LLPs) and study high-energy neutrino interactions in the very forward region of the LHC collisions at CERN. The experimental apparatus is situated 480 m downstream of the ATLAS interaction-point aligned with the beam collision axis. The FASER detector includes four identical tracker stations constructed from silicon microstrip detectors. Three of the tracker stations form a tracking spectrometer, and enable FASER to detect the decay products of LLPs decaying inside the apparatus, whereas the fourth station is used for the neutrino analysis. The spectrometer has been installed in the LHC complex since March 2021, while the fourth station is not yet installed. FASER will start physics data taking when the LHC resumes operation in early 2022. This paper describes the design, construction and testing of the tracking spectrometer, including the associated components such as the mechanics, readout electronics, power supplies and cooling system.

physics.ins-det

First extraction of inclusive $V_{cb}$ from $q^2$ moments

We present the first determination of $V_{cb}$ from inclusive $B\to X_c \ell \barν_\ell$ using moments of the dilepton invariant mass, $q^2$. These moments are reparametrization invariant quantities and depend on a reduced set of non-perturbative parameters. This reduced opens a new path to extract these parameters up to $1/m_b^4$ purely from data and thereby reducing the uncertainty on $V_{cb}$. In this paper, we present our first determination of $V_{cb}$ using this method. Combining the recent measurements of $q^2$ moments by Belle and Belle II, our default fit gives $|V_{cb}| = (41.69\pm 0.63)\cdot 10^{-3}$. This results presents an important independent cross check of, and is consistent with, the previous state-of-the-art inclusive determinations using lepton energy and hadronic invariant mass moments.

hep-ph

The trigger and data acquisition system of the FASER experiment

The FASER experiment is a new small and inexpensive experiment that is placed 480 meters downstream of the ATLAS experiment at the CERN LHC. FASER is designed to capture decays of new long-lived particles, produced outside of the ATLAS detector acceptance. These rare particles can decay in the FASER detector together with about 500-1000 Hz of other particles originating from the ATLAS interaction point. A very high efficiency trigger and data acquisition system is required to ensure that the physics events of interest will be recorded. This paper describes the trigger and data acquisition system of the FASER experiment and presents performance results of the system acquired during initial commissioning.

physics.ins-det

First neutrino interaction candidates at the LHC

FASER$ν$ at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is designed to directly detect collider neutrinos for the first time and study their cross sections at TeV energies, where no such measurements currently exist. In 2018, a pilot detector employing emulsion films was installed in the far-forward region of ATLAS, 480 m from the interaction point, and collected 12.2 fb$^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. We describe the analysis of this pilot run data and the observation of the first neutrino interaction candidates at the LHC. This milestone paves the way for high-energy neutrino measurements at current and future colliders.

hep-ex

Future prospects for exploring present day anomalies in flavour physics measurements with Belle II and LHCb

A range of flavour physics observables show tensions with their corresponding Standard Model expectations: measurements of leptonic flavour-changing neutral current processes and ratios of semi-leptonic branching fractions involving different generations of leptons show deviations of the order of four standard deviations. If confirmed, either would be an intriguing sign of new physics. In this manuscript, we analyse the current experimental situation of such processes and for the first time estimate the combined impact of the future datasets of the Belle II and LHCb experiments on the present tensions with the Standard Model expectations by performing scans of the new physics contribution to the Wilson coefficients. In addition, the present day and future sensitivity of tree-level CKM parameters, which offer orthogonal tests of the Standard Model, are explored. Three benchmark points in time are chosen for a direct comparison of the estimated sensitivity between the experiments. A high complementarity between the future sensitivity achieved by the Belle II and LHCb experiments is observed due to their relative strengths and weaknesses. We estimate that all of the anomalies considered here will be either confirmed or ruled out by both experiments independently with very high significance by the end of data-taking at Belle II and the LHCb upgrade.

hep-ph

Online Data Reduction for the Belle II Experiment using DATCON

The new Belle II experiment at the asymmetric $e^+ e^-$ accelerator SuperKEKB at KEK in Japan is designed to deliver a peak luminosity of $8\times10^{35}\text{cm}^{-2}\text{s}^{-1}$. To perform high-precision track reconstruction, e.g. for measurements of time-dependent CP-violating decays and secondary vertices, the Belle II detector is equipped with a highly segmented pixel detector (PXD). The high instantaneous luminosity and short bunch crossing times result in a large stream of data in the PXD, which needs to be significantly reduced for offline storage. The data reduction is performed using an FPGA-based Data Acquisition Tracking and Concentrator Online Node (DATCON), which uses information from the Belle II silicon strip vertex detector (SVD) surrounding the PXD to carry out online track reconstruction, extrapolation to the PXD, and Region of Interest (ROI) determination on the PXD. The data stream is reduced by a factor of ten with an ROI finding efficiency of >90% for PXD hits inside the ROI down to 50 MeV in $p_\text{T}$ of the stable particles. We will present the current status of the implementation of the track reconstruction using Hough transformations, and the results obtained for simulated Υ(4S) $\rightarrow \, B\bar{B}$ events.

hep-ex