arXiv subjects

Jose Wudka

Publications and source records attributed to Jose Wudka.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Counting b-jets at the FCC-ee as a probe of top-quark flavor physics

We explore the sensitivity of a future FCC-ee to multi-TeV new physics (NP) that can generate vector, scalar and tensor flavor-changing (FC) $eetu_k$ contact interactions ($u_k=u,c$ for $k=1,2$), probed via single top-quark production, $e^+ e^- \to t \bar{u}_k, t \bar{u}_k \gamma$ (+ c.c.) and leading (following the top-quark decay) to two- and four-jet signals, $e^+ e^- \to 2j + X, 4j + X$, where $X$ denotes any non-jet final-state particles. Our analysis exploits an approximately conserved Standard Model (SM) quantum number introduced in [1] and termed "$b$-Parity" ($b_P$), which is applicable to scattering processes of the type $e^+ e^- \to n \cdot j_b + m \cdot j_\ell + X$, where $n$ and $m$ are the number of produced $b$-jets and light-jets ($u,d,c,s,$ and/or gluons) and $b_P=(-1)^n$. The FC $eetu_k$ four-fermion interactions can generate distinct $b_P$-odd ($b_P = -1$) signals in these multi-jet events, for which the only significant SM background stems from $b$-jet misidentification. We demonstrate that the FCC-ee, operating at a $\sqrt{s} = 240$ GeV (the $ZH$ run phase) with high luminosity and excellent flavor-tagging performance, is an ideal platform to search for these $b_P$-odd signatures. Indeed, by simply counting the number of final-state $b$-jets, the FCC-ee can probe NP scales of $\Lambda \sim 10$ TeV for the new heavy states that generate the vector, scalar and tensor $eetu$ and/or $eetc$ interactions. This reach, remarkably about 40 times the assumed FCC-ee center-of-mass energy, improves upon current bounds on some of these four-fermion operators by an order of magnitude and it critically relies on high-purity b-jet tagging.

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arXiv2026

Flavor physics at the EIC with b-jet tagging

We employ an approximate conserved quantum number (defined as "$b$-Parity" in [1]) of the Standard Model (SM): $b_P=(-1)^n$, where $n$ is the number of produced $b$-jets in the reaction $e + p/A \to n \cdot j_b +X$, to explore new TeV-scale flavor-changing interactions involving the 3rd generation quarks at the EIC; simply by counting the number of $b$-jets in the final state. In particular, the SM single and di-jet production at the EIC which occur through charge current interactions, $e + p/A \to j + \!\not\!E_T$ and $e + p/A \to 2\cdot j + \!\not\!E_T$, are $b_P$-even since the $b_P$-violating (i.e, $b_P=-1$) SM signals for these processes are necessarily CKM suppressed and, therefore, have a vanishingly small production rate. In contrast, new flavor physics can generate $b_P=-1$ signals at the EIC whose only significant SM background is due to $b$-jet misidentification. We thus show that $b_P$ can be used as a simple and sensitive probe of new flavor violating physics; specifically, we find that counting single $b$-jet events in $e + p/A \to j + \!\not\!E_T$ at the EIC with a center-of-mass (CM) energy of $\sqrt{s} \sim 140$ GeV, can probe scales of new physics up to $\Lambda \sim {\cal O}(5)$ TeV for a certain type of new chiral flavor-changing physics in 3rd generation interactions. This is remarkably more than 30 times larger than the assumed EIC CM energy and it critically depends on the $b$-tagging efficiency and purity as well as the feasibility of electron-beam polarization. The sensitivity of the di-jet process, $e + p/A \to 2j + \!\not\!E_T$, to these type of new physics is reduced compared to the single-jet channel.

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arXiv2024

Theoretical underpinnings of CP-Violation at the High-energy Frontier

We present a general analysis for the discovery potential of CP-violation (CPV) searches in scattering processes at TeV-scale colliders in an effective field theory framework, using the SMEFT basis for higher dimensional operators. In particular, we systematically examine the CP-violating sector of the SMEFT framework in some well motivated limiting cases, based on flavour symmetries of the underlying heavy theory. We show that, under naturality arguments of the underlying new physics (NP) and in the absence of (or suppressed) flavour-changing interactions, there is only a single operator, $Q_{tϕ} = ϕ^\dagger ϕ\left(\bar q_3 t \right) \tildeϕ $ which alters the top-Yukawa coupling, that can generate a non-vanishing CP-violating effect from tree-level SM$\times$NP interference terms. We find, however, that CPV from $Q_{tϕ} = ϕ^\dagger ϕ\left(\bar q_3 t \right) \tildeϕ $ is expected to be at best of $O(1\%)$ and, therefore, very challenging if at all measurable at the LHC or other future high-energy colliders. We then conclude that a potentially measurable CP-violating effect of $O(10\%)$ can arise in high-energy scattering processes ONLY if flavour-changing interactions are present in the underlying NP; in this case a sizable CPV can be generated at the tree-level by pure NP$\times$NP effects and not from SM$\times$NP interference. We provide several examples of CPV at the LHC and at a future $e^+e^-$ collider to support these statements.

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arXiv2024

The $L_\mu-L_\tau$ solution to the IceCube Ultra High Energy neutrino deficit in light of NA64

In this work we analyze the scenario where a MeV scale $L_\mu - L_\tau$ gauge boson can explain the deficit in the diffuse ultra high energy (UHE) astrophysical neutrino spectrum observed in IceCube, as well as the discrepancy between experimental and $e^+e^-$ dispersion data driven SM calculations of the muon anomalous magnetic moment. We map the parameter space of the model where the elastic resonant s-channel scattering of UHE neutrinos with the cosmic neutrino background, mediated by the new Z', can improve the description of the observed cascade and track spectra over the no-scattering hypothesis. Comparing to recent NA64$\mu$ results, we find that some part of the parameter space remains unexplored, but at a data volume of $10^{11}$ muons on target NA64$\mu$ will completely probe this region.

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arXiv2023

Optimal New Physics estimation in presence of Standard Model backgrounds

In this work, we develop a numerical technique for the optimal estimation of the new physics (NP) couplings applicable to any collider process without any simplifying assumptions. This approach also provides a way to measure the quality of the NP estimates derived using standard $\chi^2$ analysis and can be used to gauge the advantages of various modalities of collider design. We illustrate the techniques and arguments by considering the pair production of heavy charged fermions at an $e^+e^-$ collider.

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arXiv2023

Generic tests of CP-violation in high-$p_\text{T}$ multi-lepton signals at the LHC and beyond

We introduce a modification to the standard expression for tree-level CP-violation in scattering processes at the LHC, which is important when the initial state in not self-conjugate. Based on that, we propose a generic and model-independent search strategy for probing tree-level CP-violation in inclusive multi-lepton signals. We then use TeV-scale 4-fermion operators of the form $tu\ell\ell$ and $tc \ell \ell$ with complex Wilson coefficients as an illustrative example and show that it may generate ${\cal O}(10\%)$ CP asymmetries that should be accessible at the LHC with an integrated luminosity of ${\cal O}(1000)$ fb$^{-1}$.

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arXiv2023

Associated production of Higgs and single top at the LHC in presence of the SMEFT operators

We analyse the single top production in association with the Higgs at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) using Standard Model (SM) effective operators upto dimension six. We show that the presence of effective operators can significantly alter the existing bound on the top-Higgs Yukawa coupling. We analyse events at the LHC with 35.9 and 137(140) fb$^{-1}$ integrated luminosities using both cut-based and machine learning techniques to probe new physics (NP) scale and operator coefficients addressing relevant SM background reduction. The four fermi effective operator(s) that contributes to the signal, turns out to be crucial and a bound on the operator coefficient is obtained from the present data and for future sensitivities.

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arXiv2023

Optimal determination of New Physics couplings: A comparative study

We study the determination of new physics (NP) parameters using the optimal observable technique (OOT) in situations where the standard model (SM) dominates over the NP effects, and when the NP dominates over the SM contribution, using the 2-Higgs doublet model as an illustrative example; for the case of SM domination we extend our results using an effective theory parameterization of NP effects. For the case of SM dominance we concentrate on $t \bar{t}$ production in an $e^+e^-$ collider, while for the case of NP dominance we consider both $t \bar{t}$ production and pair production of charged scalars, also in an $e^+e^-$ collider. We discuss the effects of the efficiency of background reduction, luminosity and beam polarization, and provide a comparison of the optimal uncertainties with those obtained using a standard $\chi^2$ analysis of (Monte Carlo generated) collider data.

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arXiv2022

Neutrino masses and self-interacting dark matter with mass mixing $Z-Z^\prime$ gauge portal

New light gauge bosons can affect several low-energy experiments, such as atomic parity violation or colliders. Here, we explore the possibility that a dark sector is charged under a new $U(1)$ gauge symmetry, and the portal to the Standard Model is through a $Z-Z'$ mass mixing. In our approach, breaking the new gauge symmetry is crucial to generate neutrino masses. We investigate the parameter space to reproduce neutrino masses, the correct dark matter relic abundance, and to produce the observed core-like DM distribution in galactic centers.

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arXiv2022

Multi-lepton probes of new physics and lepton-universality in top-quark interactions

We explore the sensitivity to new physics (NP) in the associated production of top-quarks with leptons $pp \to t \bar t \ell^+ \ell^-$, which leads to the multi-leptons signals $pp \to n \ell + {\tt jets} + \not\!\! E_T$, where $n = 2,3,4$. The NP is parameterized via 4-Fermi effective $t\bar{t} \ell^+ \ell^-$ contact interactions of various types, which are generated by multi-TeV heavy scalar, vector or tensor exchanges in $t \bar t \to \ell^+ \ell^-$; we focus on the case of $\ell=e,μ$. We match the 4-Fermi $t t \ell \ell$ terms to the SMEFT operators and also give examples of specific underlying heavy physics that can generate such terms. Analysis of the SM signals and corresponding backgrounds shows that the di-lepton and tri-lepton channels are much better probes of the effective $t\bar{t} \ell^+ \ell^-$ 4-Fermi terms than the four-lepton one at the 13 TeV LHC. Therefore, the best sensitivity is obtained in the di- and tri-lepton channels, for which the dominant background $pp \to t \bar t$ and $pp \to WZ$, respectively, can be essentially eliminated after applying the $2\ell$ and $ 3 \ell$ selections and a sufficiently high invariant mass selection for the opposite sign same flavor (OSSF) lepton-pair. We explore two cases: lepton flavor universal (LFU) NP where the $t t e e$ and $t t μμ$ contact interactions are of same size and LFU violating (LFUV) NP, where the scale of the $t t μμ$ terms is assumed to be much lower. We show that in both cases it is possible to obtain new 95\% CL bounds on the scale of the $t t \ell \ell$ contact interactions at the level $Λ\gtrsim 2-3$ TeV, which are considerably tighter than the current bounds on these 4-Fermi terms.

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arXiv2022

Probing heavy charged fermions at $e^+e^-$ collider using the Optimal Observable Technique

In this work we study the production of color-neutral and singly-charged heavy leptons at the proposed International Linear Collider. We use the optimal observable technique to determine the statistical accuracy to which the coupling of such fermions to the $Z$ gauge boson (vector, axial or chiral) can be measured. We also consider a UV-complete model that contains these particles as well as a dark matter candidate, and consider some observable effects involving both; the correspondence to chargino production in supersymmetric models with heavy sleptons is briefly discussed.

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arXiv2021

Effective Theories with Dark Matter Applications

Standard Model (SM) of particle physics has achieved enormous success in describing the interactions among the known fundamental constituents of nature, yet it fails to describe phenomena for which there is very strong experimental evidence, such as the existence of dark matter, and which point to the existence of new physics not included in that model; beyond its existence, experimental data, however, have not provided clear indications as to the nature of that new physics. The effective field theory (EFT) approach, the subject of this review, is designed for this type of situations; it provides a consistent and unbiased framework within which to study new physics effects whose existence is expected but whose detailed nature is known very imperfectly. We will provide a description of this approach together with a discussion of some of its basic theoretical aspects. We then consider applications to high-energy phenomenology and conclude with a discussion of the application of EFT techniques to the study of dark matter physics and it possible interactions with the SM. In several of the applications we also briefly discuss specific models that are ultraviolet complete and may realize the effects described by the EFT.

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arXiv2021

New flavor physics in di- and tri-lepton events from single-top at the LHC and beyond

The associated production of a single-top with opposite-sign same-flavor (OSSF) di-leptons, $pp \to t \ell^+ \ell^-$ and $ pp \to t \ell^+ \ell^- + j$ ($j=$light jet), can lead to striking tri-lepton $pp \to \ell^\prime \ell^+ \ell^- + X$ and di-lepton $pp \to \ell^+ \ell^- + j_b + X$ ($j_b=b$-jet) events at the LHC, after the top decays. Although these rather generic multi-lepton signals are flavor-blind, they can be generated by new 4-Fermi flavor changing (FC) $u_i t \ell \ell$ scalar, vector and tensor interactions ($u_i \in u,c$), which we study in this paper; we match the FC $u_i t \ell \ell$ 4-Fermi terms to the SMEFT operators and also to different types of FC underlying heavy physics. The main backgrounds to these di- and tri-lepton signals arise from $t \bar t$, $Z$+jets and $VV$ ($V=W,Z$) production, but they can be essentially eliminated with a sufficiently high invariant mass selection on the OSSF di-leptons, $m_{\ell^+ \ell^-}^{\tt min}(OSSF) > 1$ TeV; the use of $b$-tagging as an additional selection in the di-lepton final state case also proves very useful. We find, for example, that the expected 95\% CL bounds on the scale of a tensor(vector) $u t μμ$ interaction, with the current $\sim 140$ fb$^{-1}$ of LHC data, are $Λ< 5(3.2) $ TeV or $Λ< 4.1(2.7)$ TeV, if analyzed via the di-muon $μ^+ μ^- + j_b$ signal or the $e μ^+ μ^-$ tri-lepton one, respectively. The expected reach at the HL-LHC with 3000 fb$^{-1}$ of data is $Λ< 7.1(4.7)$ TeV and $Λ< 2.4(1.5)$ TeV for the corresponding $u t μμ$ and $c t μμ$ operators. We also study the potential sensitivity at future 27 TeV and 100 TeV high-energy LHC successors and also discuss the possible implications of this class of FC 4-Fermi effective interactions on lepton non-universality tests at the LHC.

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arXiv2020

High $p_T$ correlated tests of lepton universality in lepton(s) + jet(s) processes; an EFT analysis

We suggest a new class of tests for searching for lepton flavor non-universality (LFNU) using ratio observables and based on correlations among the underlying LFNU new physics (NP) effects in several (seemingly independent) di-lepton and single lepton + jet(s) processes. This is demonstrated by studying the effects generated by LFNU 4-Fermi interactions involving 3rd generation quarks. We find that the sensitivity to the scale ($Λ$) of the LFNU 4-Fermi operators significantly improves when the correlations among the various di-lepton +jets and single-lepton + jets processes are used, reaching $Λ\sim {\cal O}(10)$~TeV at the HL-LHC.

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arXiv2019

Phenomenology of TeV-scale scalar Leptoquarks in the EFT

We examine new aspects of leptoquark (LQ) phenomenology using effective field theory (EFT). We construct a complete set of leading effective operators involving SU(2) singlets scalar LQ and the SM fields up to dimension six. We show that, while the renormalizable LQ-lepton-quark interaction Lagrangian can address the persistent hints for physics beyond the Standard Model in the B-decays $\bar B \to D^{(*)} τ\barν$, $\bar B \to \bar K \ell^+ \ell^-$ and in the measured anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, the LQ higher dimensional effective operators may lead to new interesting effects associated with lepton number violation. These include the generation of one-loop sub-eV Majorana neutrino masses, mediation of neutrinoless double-$β$ decay and novel LQ collider signals. For the latter, we focus on 3rd generation LQ ($ϕ_3$) in a framework with an approximate $Z_3$ generation symmetry, and show that one class of the dimension five LQ operators may give rise to a striking asymmetric same-charge $ϕ_3 ϕ_3$ pair-production signal, which leads to low background same-sign leptons signals at the LHC. For example, with $M_{ϕ_3} \sim 1$ TeV and a new physics scale of $Λ\sim 5$ TeV, we expect about $5000$ positively charged $τ^+ τ^+$ events via $pp \to ϕ_3 ϕ_3 \to τ^+ τ^+ + 2 \cdot j_b$ ($j_b$=b-jet) at the 13 TeV LHC with an integrated luminosity of 300 fb$^{-1}$. It is interesting to note that, in the LQ EFT framework, the expected same-sign lepton signals have a rate which is several times larger than the QCD LQ-mediated opposite-sign leptons signals, $gg,q \bar q \to ϕ_3 ϕ_3^* \to \ell^+ \ell^- +X$. We also consider the same-sign charged lepton signals in the LQ EFT framework at higher energy hadron colliders such as a 27 TeV HE-LHC and a 100 TeV FCC-hh.

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arXiv2018

Dark Matter as a remnant of SQCD Inflation

We propose a strongly coupled supersymmetric gauge theory that can accommodate both the inflation (in the form of generalized hybrid inflation) and dark matter (DM). In this set-up, we identify the DM as the Goldstones associated with the breaking of a global symmetry ($SU(4)\times SU(4) \to SU(4)$) after inflation ends. Due to the non-abelian nature of this symmetry, the scenario provides with multiple DMs. We then construct a low energy theory which generates a Higgs portal like coupling of the DMs with Standard Model (SM), thus allowing them to thermally freeze out. While the scales involved in the inflation either have a dynamical origin or related to UV interpretation in terms of a heavy quark field in the supersymmetric QCD (SQCD) sector, the DM masses however are generated from explicit breaking of the chiral symmetry of the SQCD sector. We discuss DM phenomenology for both degenerate and non-degenerate cases, poised with DM-DM interactions and find allowed region of parameter space in terms of relic density and direct search constraints.

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arXiv2015

Effective theories for Dark Matter interactions and the neutrino portal paradigm

In this article we discuss a general effective-theory description of a multi-component dark sector with an unspecified non-trivial symmetry and its interactions with the Standard Model generated by the exchange of heavy mediators. We then categorize the relevant effective operators given the current experimental sensistivity where the underlying theory is weakly coupled and renormalizable, with neutral mediators: either scalars or fermions. An interesting scenario resulting from this categorization is the neutrino portal, where only fermion mediators are present, and where the dark sector consists of fermions and scalars such that the lightest dark particle is a fermion, this scenario is characterized by having naturally suppressed couplings of the DM to all SM particles except the neutrinos and has received little attention in the literature. We find that there is a wide region in parameter space allowed by the current experimental constraints (relic abundance, direct and indirect detection limits); the cleanest signature of this paradigm is the presence of monochromatic neutrino lines with energy equal to that of the DM mass, but experimental sensitivity would have to be improved significantly before this can be probed.

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arXiv2015

EFT naturalness: an effective field theory analysis of Higgs naturalness

Assuming the presence of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) with a characteristic scale M ~ O(10) TeV, we investigate the naturalness of the Higgs sector at scales below M using an effective field theory (EFT) approach. We obtain the leading 1-loop EFT contributions to the Higgs mass with a Wilsonian-like hard cutoff, and determine the constraints on the corresponding operator coefficients for these effects to alleviate the little hierarchy problem up to the scale of the effective action Λ< M, a condition we denote by "EFT-naturalness". We also determine the types of physics that can lead to EFT-naturalness and show that these types of new physics are best probed in vector-boson and multiple-Higgs production. The current experimental constraints on these coefficients are also discussed.

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