arXiv subjects

Jernej F. Kamenik

Publications and source records attributed to Jernej F. Kamenik.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

Scalar diquark in t tbar production and constraints on Yukawa sector of grand unified theories

A colored weak singlet scalar state with hypercharge 4/3 is one of the possible candidates for the explanation of the unexpectedly large forward-backward asymmetry in $t \bar t$ production as measured by the CDF and D0 experiments. We investigate the role of this state in a plethora of flavor changing neutral current processes and precision observables of down-quarks and charged leptons. Our analysis includes tree- and loop-level mediated observables in the K and B systems, the charged lepton sector, as well as the $Z \to b \bar b$ width. We perform a fit of the relevant scalar couplings. This approach can explain the $(g-2)_μ$ anomaly while tensions among the CP violating observables in the quark sector, most notably the nonstandard CP phase (and width difference) in the $B_s$ system cannot be fully relaxed. The results are interpreted in a class of GUT models which allow for a light colored scalar with a mass below 1 TeV.

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arXiv2011

Probing anomalous tWb interactions with rare B decays

Precision studies of top quark properties are currently underway at the LHC and Tevatron colliders with the prospect of probing anomalous t-W -b interactions. In the mean time, recent experimental results for the B_{d,s} - \bar{B}_{d,s} oscillation observables, the branching ratio B_s->μ^+μ^-, as well as the forward - backward asymmetry in B->K\starl^+l^-, accompanied by the accurate theoretical predictions for the relevant observables obtained within the SM motivate a combined study of these observables in the presence of anomalous t - W - b vertices. We investigate contributions of such anomalous couplings to the B->X_s l^+l^- decay mode, and combining them with the modifications of the B_{d,s} - \bar{B}_d,s, B->X_sγ observables, we determine indirect bounds on the real and imaginary parts of the anomalous t - W - b interactions. We find these to be mostly superior to present direct constraints coming from top decay and production measurements at the LHC and Tevatron. Finally, we predict the allowed effects in the branching ratios of the B_s->μ^+μ^- and B->K^{(*)}ν\barν, as well as the forward-backward asymmetry in B->K^*l^+l^-. We find that improved knowledge of these observables in the future could further constrain some of the anomalous tWb interactions.

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arXiv2011

Review of new physics effects in t-tbar production

Both CDF and DO report a forward-backward asymmetry in t-tbar production that is above the standard model prediction. We review new physics models that can give a large forward backward asymmetry in t-tbar production at the Tevatron and the constraints these models face from searches for dijet resonances and contact interactions, from flavor physics and the t-tbar cross section. Expected signals at the LHC are also reviewed.

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arXiv2011

Interplay of t --> b W Decay and B_q Meson Mixing in Minimal Flavor Violating Models

Precise measurements of the top quark decay properties at hadron colliders offer interesting new possibilities of testing the standard model. At the same time, recent intriguing experimental results concerning CP violation in the B_d and B_s systems have stimulated many studies of physics beyond the standard model. We investigate anomalous t W d_j interactions as a possible source of new effects in B_{d,s} - bar B_{d,s} oscillations within a model independent approach based on the assumptions of Minimal Flavor Violation. After matching our effective operators onto the low-energy effective Lagrangian describing B_{d,s} meson mixing and evolving it down to the B-mass scale, we extract the preferred ranges of the anomalous t W d_j interactions at the weak scale. These values are then compared to previously considered constraints coming from the rare radiative B --> X_s gamma decay. Finally, we reconsider the associated effects in the t --> b W decays and find that the W helicity fractions F_{L,+} can deviate by as much as 15%, 30% from their standard model values, respectively. The deviations in F_L in particular, can reach the level of expected precision measurements at the LHC.

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arXiv2011

Discovering Dark Matter Through Flavor Violation at the LHC

We show that the discovery channel for dark matter (DM) production at colliders can be through flavor violating interactions resulting in a novel signature of a single top and large missing transverse energy. We discuss several examples where the production of DM is dominated by flavor violating couplings: minimal flavor violating models with a large bottom Yukawa, models with horizontal symmetries, and DM in nontrivial flavor group representations. Discovery at the 7 TeV LHC with a few fb^-1 may already be possible.

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arXiv2011

Top, Polarization, LHC and New Physics

Polarization observables in top quark decays are sensitive probes of possible new physics contributions to the interactions of the heavy third generation quarks. Within an effective theory approach such new physics contributions can be classified in terms of several higher dimensional operators. We investigate the interplay between indirect constraints on such operators, coming mainly from rare B physics processes, and direct measurements of top polarization observables at the LHC.

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arXiv2011

Forward-Backward t tbar Asymmetry from Anomalous Stop Pair Production

We analyse a simple Standard Model (SM) extension with only two new light fields: a scalar partner of the top (stop) (with mass above m_t) and a light neutral fermion chi^0 (with mass of a few GeV), coupled to SM quarks via a Yukawa interaction. We show that such model can lead to a significant enhancement of the forward-backward asymmetry in t tbar production at the Tevatron via the additional t tbar pairs produced from (stop anti-stop) decays. The model satisfies existing constraints on new-physics searches both at low and high energies, and could even address the cosmological dark-matter abundance. The implications for future searches at the LHC are briefly outlined.

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arXiv2011

Top LHCb Physics

We suggest that top physics can be studied at the LHCb experiment, and that top production could be observed. Since LHCb covers a large pseudorapidity region in the forward direction, it has unique abilities to probe new physics in the top sector. Furthermore, we demonstrate that LHCb may be able to measure a t\bar t production rate asymmetry, and thus indirectly probe an anomalous forward backward t\bar t asymmetry in the forward region; a possibility suggested by the enhanced forward-backward asymmetry reported by the CDF experiment.

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arXiv2011

Theory of b --> s/d nu anti-nu

The b --> s nu anti-nu transitions are sensitive probes of new physics (NP) in the form of non-standard Z penguin effects. They involve four experimentally accessible observables, among which the inclusive rate of B --> Xs nu anti-nu is the most theoretically clean, but is challenging to study experimentally. Theory errors in exclusive rates are dominated by form factors' normalization. They can be reduced in rate ratios like the K* polarization fractions in B --> K* nu anti-nu or by studying the ratio Br(B --> K nu anti-nu)/Br(B --> K l^+l^-). Measurable NP effects in b --> s/d nu anti-nu can be expressed in terms of two real parameters and are generally correlated with other flavor observables. Although in principle even in minimal flavor violating scenarios, NP can still saturate present direct bounds, in many explicit NP models new effects are already constrained by other B physics observables to be much smaller. Alternatively, b --> s/d E_miss can receive contributions from particles other than neutrinos in the final state and strong modifications of the invariant mass spectra are possible. However, interpretation of such effects in terms of bounds on interactions of such new particles is nontrivial when experimental searches employ kinematical cuts or their signal reconstruction efficiencies depend on expected signal kinematical distributions.

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arXiv2010

New physics in t-> b W decay at next-to-leading order in QCD

We consider contributions of non-standard tbW effective operators to the decay of an unpolarized top quark into a bottom quark and a W gauge boson at next-to-leading order in QCD. We find that the dipole operator O_{LR} contribution to the transverse-plus W helicity fraction F_+ is significantly enhanced compared to the leading order result at non-vanishing bottom quark mass. Nonetheless, presently the most sensitive observable to direct O_{LR} contributions is the longitudinal W helicity fraction F_L. In particular, the most recent CDF measurement of F_L already provides the most stringent upper bound on O_{LR} contributions, even when compared with indirect bounds from the rare decay B -> X_s gamma.

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arXiv2010

Light Colored Scalar as Messenger of Up-Quark Flavor Dynamics in Grand Unified Theories

The measured forward-backward asymmetry in the t tbar production at the Tevatron might be explained by the additional exchange of a colored weak singlet scalar. Such state appears in some of the grand unified theories and its interactions with the up-quarks are purely antisymmetric in flavor space. We systematically investigate the resulting impact on charm and top quark physics. The constraints on the relevant Yukawa couplings come from the experimentally measured observables related to D0--D0bar oscillations, as well as di-jet and single top production measurements at the Tevatron. After fully constraining the relevant Yukawa couplings, we predict possible signatures of this model in rare top quark decays. In a class of grand unified models we demonstrate how the obtained information enables to constrain the Yukawa couplings of the up-quarks at very high energy scale.

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arXiv2010

Implications of Flavor Dynamics for Fermion Triplet Leptogenesis

We analyze the importance of flavor effects in models in which leptogenesis proceeds via the decay of Majorana electroweak triplets. We find that depending on the relative strengths of gauge and Yukawa reactions the $B-L$ asymmetry can be sizably enhanced, exceeding in some cases an order of magnitude level. We also discuss the impact that such effects can have for TeV-scale triplets showing that as long as the $B-L$ asymmetry is produced by the dynamics of the lightest such triplet they are negligible, but open the possibility for scenarios in which the asymmetry is generated above the TeV scale by heavier states, possibly surviving the TeV triplet related washouts. We investigate these cases and show how they can be disentangled at the LHC by using Majorana triplet collider observables and, in the case of minimal type III see-saw models even through lepton flavor violation observables.

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arXiv2010

Lepton energy moments in semileptonic charm decays

We search for signals of Weak Annihilation in inclusive semileptonic D decays. We consider both the widths and the lepton energy moments, which are quite sensitive probes. Our analysis of Cleo data shows no clear evidence of Weak Annihilation, and allows us to put bounds on their relevance in charmless B semileptonic decays.

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arXiv2010

QCD Corrections to Flavor Changing Neutral Coupling Mediated Rare Top Quark Decays

Recently we have presented an analysis of flavor changing neutral coupling mediated radiative top quark decays at next-to-leading order in QCD. In the present paper we provide the details of the calculation of QCD corrections to t-> q gamma and t-> q Z decays within the effective theory approach including operator mixing. In particular, we calculate virtual matrix element corrections and the corresponding bremsstrahlung contributions. In the case of t-> q gamma we study the effects of kinematic cuts on the extracted branching ratios. Analytical formulae are given at all stages of the calculation. We find that the t-> q gamma decay can be used to probe also the effective operators mediating t-> q g processes, since these can naturally contribute 10% or more to the radiative decay, given typical experimental cuts on the decay kinematics at hadron colliders. Conversely, we argue that any positive experimental signal of the t-> q g process would indicate a natural lower bound on t-> q gamma decay rate.

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arXiv2010

Light colored scalars from grand unification and the forward-backward asymmetry in top quark pair production

The experimental results on the t bar t production cross section at the Tevatron are well described by the QCD contributions within the standard model, while the recent measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry cannot be accounted for within this framework. We consider light colored scalars appearing in a particular SU(5) GUT model within the 45-dimensional Higgs representation. A virtue of the model is that it connects the presence of a light colored SU(2) singlet (Delta_6) and a color octet weak doublet (Delta_1) with bounds on the proton lifetime, which constrain the parameter space of both scalars. We find that both the t bar t production cross section and the forward-backward asymmetry can be accommodated simultaneously within this model. The experimental results prefer a region for the mass of Delta_6 around 400 GeV, while Delta_1 is then constrained to have a mass around the TeV scale as well. We analyze possible experimental signatures and find that Delta_6 associated top production could be probed in the t bar t + jets final states at Tevatron and the LHC.

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arXiv2010

Flavor Changing Neutral Coupling Mediated Radiative Top Quark Decays at Next-to-Leading Order in QCD

We compute the branching ratios for the rare top quark decays t to c gamma and t to c Z mediated by effective flavor changing neutral couplings at the next-to-leading order in QCD including the effects due to operator mixing. After re-suming contributions of order [alpha_s log (Lambda / m_t)]^n, where Lambda is the scale at which the effective operators are generated, at leading log level using renormalization group methods, we compute finite matrix element corrections and study the effects of experimental kinematic cuts on the extracted branching ratios. We find that the t to c gamma decay can be used to probe also the effective operators mediating t to c g processes, since these can naturaly contribute 10% or more to the radiative decay. Conversely, any experimental signal of t to c g would indicate a natural lower bound on t to cZ, gamma.

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arXiv2009

Search for new physics in charm processes

Charm procceses are usually not considered to be favorable candidates in the search for new physics. Recent disagreement between experimental and lattice QCD results on the D_s decay constant has motivated us to systematically reinvestigate role of leptoquarks in rare charm meson decays. We include constrains coming from the light meson decays.

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arXiv2009

Theory of Semileptonic Charm Decays

A brief review of the theoretical description of exclusive and inclusive semileptonic charm decays is given. In light of the recent experimental puzzles in leptonic charm decays, the complementary role of semileptonic modes is emphasized. The relevance of semileptonic charm decay studies to the precise determination of the Vub CKM matrix element from semileptonic B decays is also discussed. Some interesting and important theoretical challenges are mentioned.

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