arXiv subjects

Laura Zani

Publications and source records attributed to Laura Zani.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Quantum Information meets High-Energy Physics: Input to the update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics

Some of the most astonishing and prominent properties of Quantum Mechanics, such as entanglement and Bell nonlocality, have only been studied extensively in dedicated low-energy laboratory setups. The feasibility of these studies in the high-energy regime explored by particle colliders was only recently shown and has gathered the attention of the scientific community. For the range of particles and fundamental interactions involved, particle colliders provide a novel environment where quantum information theory can be probed, with energies exceeding by about 12 orders of magnitude those employed in dedicated laboratory setups. Furthermore, collider detectors have inherent advantages in performing certain quantum information measurements, and allow for the reconstruction of the state of the system under consideration via quantum state tomography. Here, we elaborate on the potential, challenges, and goals of this innovative and rapidly evolving line of research and discuss its expected impact on both quantum information theory and high-energy physics.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

End-to-End Multi-Track Reconstruction using Graph Neural Networks at Belle II

We present the study of an end-to-end multi-track reconstruction algorithm for the central drift chamber of the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB collider using Graph Neural Networks for an unknown number of particles. The algorithm uses detector hits as inputs without pre-filtering to simultaneously predict the number of track candidates in an event and their kinematic properties. In a second step, we cluster detector hits for each track candidate to pass to a track fitting algorithm. Using a realistic full detector simulation including beam-induced backgrounds and detector noise taken from actual collision data, we find significant improvements in track finding efficiencies for tracks in a variety of different event topologies compared to the existing baseline algorithm used in Belle II. For events with a hypothetical long-lived massive particle with a mass in the GeV-range decaying uniformly along its flight direction into two charged particles, the GNN achieves a combined track finding and fitting efficiency of 85.4% with a fake rate of 2.5%, compared to 52.2% and 4.1% for the baseline algorithm. This is the first end-to-end multi-track machine learning algorithm for a drift chamber detector that has been utilized in a realistic particle physics environment.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2023

Studies on $\tau$ decays at Belle II

Tau leptons are powerful tools to probe physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). The Belle II experiment is installed at the SuperKEKB asymmetric energy electron-positron collider and aims at collecting the world's largest sample of tau pair events $e^{+}e^{-}\rightarrow \tau^+ \tau^-$. Direct searches for new invisible mediators, charged lepton flavor violation in $\tau$ decays, and tests of the SM via precision measurements of $\tau$ lepton properties and couplings are reported in the following article. The results presented here are based on the data collected by Belle II during 2019-2021.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2023

Dark sectors and {\tau} physics at Belle II

The possibility of a dark sector weakly coupling to Standard Model (SM) particles through new light mediators is explored at the Belle II experiment. We present here results from three different searches, for a long-lived (pseudo)scalar particle in rare $B$ decays; for a di-tau resonance in four-muon final states, and the update on the search for a \zprime\ boson decaying invisibly. We also look for lepton flavor violation by searching for $\tau\rightarrow\ell \alpha$ decays, with $\alpha$ a new invisible boson, and we report the first untagged reconstruction of $\tau$ pairs events searching for the neutrinoless decays $\tau \to \ell \phi$. Finally, we present the world's most precise measurement of the $\tau$ lepton mass. These studies are performed on samples from the data collected by the Belle II detector during 2019-2021 data taking.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2022

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 $b \to s \nu \bar\nu$ and $s \tau^+ \tau^-$ decays, fully leptonic $b \to \ell \nu$ decays, and select $c \to u$ processes. Belle II will lead exploration of non-SM physics in $b \to c \tau \nu$ and $b \to s \gamma$ decays and will most precisely determine the quark-mixing parameters $|V_{ub}|$ and $|V_{cb}|$. Belle II will measure many parameters in $\tau$ 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↗

arXiv2022

The Silicon Vertex Detector of the Belle II Experiment

Since the start of data taking in spring 2019 at the SuperKEKB collider (KEK, Japan) the Belle II Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) has been operating reliably and with high efficiency, while providing high quality data: high signal-to-noise ratio, greater than 99% hit efficiency, and precise spatial resolution. These attributes, combined with stability over time, result in good tracking efficiency. Currently the occupancy, dominated by beam-background hits, is quite low (about 0.5% in the innermost layer), causing no problems to the SVD data reconstruction. In view of the operation at higher luminosity foreseen in the next years, specific strategies aiming to preserve the tracking performance have been developed and tested on data. The time stability of the trigger allows reducing sampling of the strip-amplifier waveform. The good hit-time resolution can be exploited to further improve the robustness against the higher level of beam background. First effects of radiation damage on strip noise, sensor currents and depletion voltage have been measured: they do not have any detrimental effect on the performance of the detector. Furthermore, no damage to the SVD is observed after sudden and intense bursts of radiation due to beam losses.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

Track Finding at Belle II

This paper describes the track-finding algorithm that is used for event reconstruction in the Belle II experiment operating at the SuperKEKB B-factory in Tsukuba, Japan. The algorithm is designed to balance the requirements of a high efficiency to find charged particles with a good track parameter resolution, a low rate of spurious tracks, and a reasonable demand on CPU resources. The software is implemented in a flexible, modular manner and employs a diverse selection of global and local track-finding algorithms to achieve an optimal performance.

physics.ins-det↗