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Ken Kiers

Publications and source records attributed to Ken Kiers.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2002

Ubiquitous CP violation in a top-inspired left-right model

We explore CP violation in a Left-Right Model that reproduces the quark mass and CKM rotation angle hierarchies in a relatively natural way by fixing the bidoublet Higgs VEVs to be in the ratio m_b:m_t. Our model is quite general and allows for CP to be broken by both the Higgs VEVs and the Yukawa couplings. Despite this generality, CP violation may be parameterized in terms of two basic phases. A very interesting feature of the model is that the mixing angles in the right-handed sector are found to be equal to their left-handed counterparts to a very good approximation. Furthermore, the right-handed analogue of the usual CKM phase delta_L is found to satisfy the relation delta_R \approx delta_L. The parameter space of the model is explored by using an adaptive Monte Carlo algorithm and the allowed regions in parameter space are determined by enforcing experimental constraints from the K and B systems. This method of solution allows us to evaluate the left- and right-handed CKM matrices numerically for various combinations of the two fundamental CP-odd phases in the model. We find that all experimental constraints may be satisfied with right-handed W and Flavour Changing Neutral Higgs masses as low as about 2 TeV and 7 TeV, respectively.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2000

Direct CP violation in radiative b decays in and beyond the Standard Model

We consider the partial rate asymmetry in the inclusive decay modes b to s gamma and b to d gamma, concentrating on non-standard models with new charged Higgs interactions. We find that the charged Higgs contribution to the asymmetry for b to s gamma is small in such models due to a universal cancellation mechanism. The asymmetry is therefore difficult to distinguish experimentally from the Standard Model (SM) value, which is also small. The cancellation mechanism is found to be rendered inoperative in supersymmetry due to the presence of chargino loops. Unlike b to s gamma, the rate asymmetry for b to d gamma in Higgs models can be quite different from its SM value, generally ranging from -20% to +20%. Specific model calculations are performed for the Three-Higgs Doublet Model and the ``Top'' Two-Higgs Doublet Model to serve as illustrations. We also offer some suggestions that may be helpful to experimentalists in the detection of the inclusive mode b to d gamma.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1999

CP Violation in B Decays in a 2-Higgs Doublet Model for the Top Quark

In the absence of natural flavor conservation, multi-Higgs doublet models generally contain new sources of CP violation and anomalous charged Higgs Yukawa couplings. We present a charged-Higgs CP violation study of one such two-Higgs doublet model (2HDM) which treats the top quark differently from the other quarks. The phenomenological implications for the K-Kbar system and for B decays differ significantly from those of the standard model (SM) and of the 2HDM's with natural flavor conservation. In particular, the SM phase in this model could take a wide range of values, and the CP asymmetry in the "gold-plated" decay mode B to J/psi K_S could be quite different from and even of opposite sign relative to the SM prediction. A new mechanism is also noted for generating a large neutron electric dipole moment which is close to the present experimental limit.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1999

CP Violation in a two-Higgs doublet model for the top quark: B to psi K_S

We explore charged-Higgs CP-violating effects in an intriguing two-Higgs doublet model which accords special status to the top quark. In this model the heaviness of the top quark originates naturally from the much larger VEV of the second Higgs doublet compared to that of the first. The phenomenology of this model is quite distinct from that of the usual formulations of the two-Higgs doublet model. In particular, the model can easily account for the observed CP violation in the kaon sector even if the CKM matrix is real. The associated non-standard CP phase can be monitored through measurements of the time-dependent CP asymmetry in B to psi K_S in experiments at the upcoming B-factories.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1998

The neutrino ground state in a neutron star

We address a recent claim that the stability of neutron stars implies a lower bound on the mass of the neutrino. We argue that the result obtained by some previous authors is due to an improper summation of an infrared-sensitive series and that a non-perturbative "resummation" of the series yields a finite and well-behaved result. The stability of neutron stars thus gives no lower bound on the mass of the neutrino.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1998

Neutrino ground state in a dense star

It has recently been argued that long range forces due to the exchange of massless neutrinos give rise to a very large self-energy in a dense, finite-ranged, weakly-charged medium. Such an effect, if real, would destabilize a neutron star. To address this issue we have studied the related problem of a massless neutrino field in the presence of an external, static electroweak potential of finite range. To be precise, we have computed to one loop the exact vacuum energy for the case of a spherical square well potential of depth alpha and radius R. For small wells, the vacuum energy is reliably determined by a perturbative expansion in the external potential. For large wells, however, the perturbative expansion breaks down. A manifestation of this breakdown is that the vacuum carries a non-zero neutrino charge. The energy and neutrino charge of the ground state are, to a good approximation for large wells, those of a neutrino condensate with chemical potential mu=alpha. Our results demonstrate explicitly that long-range forces due to the exchange of massless neutrinos do not threaten the stability of neutron stars.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1997

Neutrino oscillations in a model with a source and detector

We study the oscillations of neutrinos in a model in which the neutrino is coupled to a localized, idealized source and detector. By varying the spatial and temporal resolution of the source and detector we are able to model the full range of source and detector types ranging from coherent to incoherent. We find that this approach is useful in understanding the interface between the Quantum Mechanical nature of neutrino oscillations on the one hand and the production and detection systems on the other hand. This method can easily be extended to study the oscillations of other particles such as the neutral K and B mesons. We find that this approach gives a reliable way to treat the various ambiguities which arise when one examines the oscillations from a wave packet point of view. We demonstrate that the conventional oscillation formula is correct in the relativistic limit and that several recent claims of an extra factor of 2 in the oscillation length are incorrect. We also demonstrate explicitly that the oscillations of neutrinos which have separated spatially may be "revived" by a long coherent measurement.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1997

Coherent Neutrino Propagation in a Dense Medium

Motivated by the effect of matter on neutrino oscillations (the MSW effect) we have studied the propagation of neutrinos in a dense medium. The dispersion relation for massive neutrinos in a medium is known to have a minimum at nonzero momentum $p\sim G_Fρ/\sqrt{2}$. We have studied in detail the origin and consequences of this dispersion relation for both Dirac and Majorana neutrinos both in a toy model with only neutral currents and a single neutrino flavour and in a realistic ``Standard Model'' with two neutrino flavours. For a range of neutrino momenta near the minimum of the dispersion relation, Dirac neutrinos are trapped by their coherent interactions with the medium. This effect does not lead to the trapping of Majorana neutrinos.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1997

Polarization Measurements and T-Violation in Exclusive Semileptonic B Decays

We provide a general analysis of time reversal invariance violation in the exclusive semileptonic B decays B to D l nu and B to D* l nu. Measurements of the lepton and D* polarizations can be used to search for and identify non-standard model sources of T violation. Upper limits are placed on the T-odd polarization observables in both the supersymmetric R-parity conserving and R-parity breaking theories, as well as in some non-supersymmetric extensions of the standard model, including multi-Higgs-doublet models, leptoquark models, and left-right symmetric models. It is noted that many of these models allow for large T-violating polarization effects which could be within the reach of the planned B factories.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1997

Coherent Neutrino Interactions in a Dense Medium

Motivated by the effect of matter on neutrino oscillations (the MSW effect) we study in more detail the propagation of neutrinos in a dense medium. The dispersion relation for massive neutrinos in a medium is known to have a minimum at nonzero momentum p \sim (G_Fρ)/\sqrt{2}. We study in detail the origin and consequences of this dispersion relation for both Dirac and Majorana neutrinos both in a toy model with only neutral currents and a single neutrino flavour and in a realistic "Standard Model" with two neutrino flavours. We find that for a range of neutrino momenta near the minimum of the dispersion relation, Dirac neutrinos are trapped by their coherent interactions with the medium. This effect does not lead to the trapping of Majorana neutrinos.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1997

Improving constraints on tan(beta)/m_H using B \to D tau \bar{nu}

We study the q^2 dependence of the exclusive decay mode B \to D tau \bar{nu} in type II two Higgs doublet models and show that this mode may be used to put stringent bounds on tan(beta)/m_H. There are currently rather large theoretical uncertainties in the q^2 distribution, but these may be significantly reduced by future measurements of the analogous distribution for B \to D(e,mu)\bar{nu}. We estimate that this reduction in the theoretical uncertainties would eventually (i.e., with sufficient data) allow one to push the upper bound on tan(beta)/m_H down to about 0.06 GeV^{-1}. This would represent an improvement on the current bound by about a factor of 7. We then apply the method of optimized observables which allows us to estimate the reach of an experiment with a given number of events. We thus find that an experiment with, for example, 10^3 events could set a 2σupper bound on tan(beta)/m_H of 0.07 GeV^{-1} or could differentiate at the 4.6σlevel between a 2HDM with tan(beta)/m_H = 0.1 GeV^{-1} and the SM.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1997

Testing Time Reversal Invariance in Exclusive Semileptonic B Meson Decays

We demonstrate that polarization measurements in exclusive semileptonic B decays are powerful tools for unraveling non-standard model sources of T-violation. Measurements of the transverse polarization of the tau lepton in the B to D tau nu and B to D* tau nu decays probe separately effective scalar and pseudoscalar CP-violating four-Fermi interactions, whereas the D* polarization in the B to D* l nu (l=e,mu) decay is sensitive to an effective right-handed quark current interaction. Two T-odd polarization structures exist involving the D* polarization and they can be isolated and studied separately. An estimate of these T-odd effects is also given in the context of supersymmetric theories.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1996

Supersymmetric Signatures at an $e$$γ$ Collider

High energy electron-photon colliders provide unique opportunities for probing physics beyond the standard model. We have studied the experimental signatures for two supersymmetric scenarios, with the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP) being either the lightest neutralino or the gravitino. In the ``neutralino LSP'' scenario favored by the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), it is found that some basic parameters of the model, $μ$, $\tanβ$, $M_1$ and $M_2$, may be uniquely determined from the outgoing electron energy spectrum without assuming high scale unification of the masses or couplings. In the ``gravitino LSP'' scenario which occurs naturally in models of low energy dynamical supersymmetry breaking, it is possible to have background-free signatures if the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP) has a long decay length. In cases that the NLSP decays quickly, ways to distinguish among the experimental signatures of the two scenarios and of the standard model (SM) background are discussed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1995

Coherence Effects in Neutrino Oscillations

We study the effect of coherent and incoherent broadening on neutrino oscillations both in vacuum and in the presence of matter (the MSW effect). We show under very general assumptions that it is not possible to distinguish experimentally neutrinos produced in some region of space as wave packets from those produced in the same region of space as plane waves with the same energy distribution.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1993

Scattering From a Two Dimensional Array of Flux Tubes: A Study of The Validity of Mean Field Theory

Mean Field Theory has been extensively used in the study of systems of anyons in two spatial dimensions. In this paper we study the physical grounds for the validity of this approximation by considering the Quantum Mechanical scattering of a charged particle from a two dimensional array of magnetic flux tubes. The flux tubes are arranged on a regular lattice which is infinitely long in the ``$y$'' direction but which has a (small) finite number of columns in the ``$x$'' direction. Their physical size is assumed to be infinitesimally small. We develop a method for computing the scattering angle as well as the reflection and transmission coefficients to lowest order in the Aharonov--Bohm interaction. The results of our calculation are compared to the scattering of the same particle from a region of constant magnetic field whose magnitude is equal to the mean field of all the flux tubes. For an incident plane wave, the Mean Field approximation is shown to be valid provided the flux in each tube is much less than a single flux quantum. This is precisely the regime in which Mean Field Theory for anyons is expected to be valid. When the flux per tube becomes of order 1, Mean Field Theory is no longer valid.

hep-th↗