arXiv subjects

Nicola Serra

Publications and source records attributed to Nicola Serra.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Hunting for $B^+\to K^+ τ^+τ^-$ imprints on the $B^+ \to K^+ μ^+μ^-$ dimuon spectrum

We investigate the possibility of indirectly constraining the $B^{+}\to K^{+}τ^+τ^-$ decay rate using precise data on the $B^{+}\to K^{+}μ^+μ^-$ dimuon spectrum. To this end, we estimate the distortion of the spectrum induced by the $B^{+}\to K^{+}τ^+τ^-\to K^{+} μ^+μ^-$ re-scattering process, and propose a method to simultaneously constrain this (non-standard) contribution and the long-distance effects associated to hadronic intermediate states. The latter are constrained using the analytic properties of the amplitude combined with data and perturbative calculations. Finally, we estimate the sensitivity expected at the LHCb experiment with present and future datasets. We find that constraints on the branching fraction of $O(10^{-3})$, competitive with current direct bounds, can be achieved with the current dataset, while bounds of $O(10^{-4})$ could be obtained with the LHCb upgrade-II luminosity.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Probing effects of new physics in $Λ^0_{b}\toΛ^+_{c}μ^{-}\barν_μ$ decays

We present, for the first time, the six-fold differential decay density expression for $Λ^0_b\toΛ^+_{c} l^- \barν_{l}$, taking into account the polarisation of the $Λ^0_b$ baryon and a complete basis of new physics operators. Using the expected yield in the current dataset collected at the LHCb experiment, we present sensitivity studies to determine the experimental precision on the Wilson coefficients of the new physics operators with $Λ^0_{b}\toΛ^+_{c}μ^{-}\barν_μ$ decays in two scenarios. In the first case, unpolarised $Λ^0_{b}\toΛ^+_{c}μ^{-}\barν_μ$ decays with $Λ^+_c\to p K^+ π^-$ are considered, whereas polarised $Λ^0_{b}\toΛ^+_{c}μ^{-}\barν_μ$ decays with $Λ^+_c \to p K^0_S$ are studied in the second. For the latter scenario, the experimental precision that can be achieved on the determination of $Λ^0_b$ polarisation and $Λ^+_c$ weak decay asymmetry parameter is also presented.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Towards establishing Lepton Flavour Universality violation in $\bar{B}\to \bar{K}^*\ell^+\ell^-$ decays

Rare semileptonic $b \to s \ell^+ \ell^-$ transitions provide some of the most promising frameworks to search for new physics effects. Recent analyses of these decays have indicated an anomalous behaviour in measurements of angular distributions of the decay $B^0\to K^*μ^+μ^-$ and lepton-flavour-universality observables. Unambiguously establishing if these deviations have a common nature is of paramount importance in order to understand the observed pattern. We propose a novel approach to independently and complementary probe this hypothesis by performing a simultaneous amplitude analysis of $\bar{B}^0 \to \bar{K}^{*0} μ^+μ^-$ and $\bar{B}^0 \to \bar{K}^{*0} e^+e^-$ decays. This method enables the direct determination of observables that encode potential non-equal couplings of muons and electrons, and are found to be insensitive to nonperturbative QCD effects. If current hints of new physics are confirmed, our approach could allow an early discovery of physics beyond the standard model with LHCb run II data sets.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Global fits of GUT-scale SUSY models with GAMBIT

We present the most comprehensive global fits to date of three supersymmetric models motivated by grand unification: the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (CMSSM), and its Non-Universal Higgs Mass generalisations NUHM1 and NUHM2. We include likelihoods from a number of direct and indirect dark matter searches, a large collection of electroweak precision and flavour observables, direct searches for supersymmetry at LEP and Runs I and II of the LHC, and constraints from Higgs observables. Our analysis improves on existing results not only in terms of the number of included observables, but also in the level of detail with which we treat them, our sampling techniques for scanning the parameter space, and our treatment of nuisance parameters. We show that stau co-annihilation is now ruled out in the CMSSM at more than 95\% confidence. Stop co-annihilation turns out to be one of the most promising mechanisms for achieving an appropriate relic density of dark matter in all three models, whilst avoiding all other constraints. We find high-likelihood regions of parameter space featuring light stops and charginos, making them potentially detectable in the near future at the LHC. We also show that tonne-scale direct detection will play a largely complementary role, probing large parts of the remaining viable parameter space, including essentially all models with multi-TeV neutralinos.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

A global fit of the MSSM with GAMBIT

We study the seven-dimensional Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM7) with the new GAMBIT software framework, with all parameters defined at the weak scale. Our analysis significantly extends previous weak-scale, phenomenological MSSM fits, by adding more and newer experimental analyses, improving the accuracy and detail of theoretical predictions, including dominant uncertainties from the Standard Model, the Galactic dark matter halo and the quark content of the nucleon, and employing novel and highly-efficient statistical sampling methods to scan the parameter space. We find regions of the MSSM7 that exhibit co-annihilation of neutralinos with charginos, stops and sbottoms, as well as models that undergo resonant annihilation via both light and heavy Higgs funnels. We find high-likelihood models with light charginos, stops and sbottoms that have the potential to be within the future reach of the LHC. Large parts of our preferred parameter regions will also be accessible to the next generation of direct and indirect dark matter searches, making prospects for discovery in the near future rather good.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Status of the scalar singlet dark matter model

One of the simplest viable models for dark matter is an additional neutral scalar, stabilised by a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry. Using the GAMBIT package and combining results from four independent samplers, we present Bayesian and frequentist global fits of this model. We vary the singlet mass and coupling along with 13 nuisance parameters, including nuclear uncertainties relevant for direct detection, the local dark matter density, and selected quark masses and couplings. We include the dark matter relic density measured by Planck, direct searches with LUX, PandaX, SuperCDMS and XENON100, limits on invisible Higgs decays from the Large Hadron Collider, searches for high-energy neutrinos from dark matter annihilation in the Sun with IceCube, and searches for gamma rays from annihilation in dwarf galaxies with the Fermi-LAT. Viable solutions remain at couplings of order unity, for singlet masses between the Higgs mass and about 300 GeV, and at masses above $\sim$1 TeV. Only in the latter case can the scalar singlet constitute all of dark matter. Frequentist analysis shows that the low-mass resonance region, where the singlet is about half the mass of the Higgs, can also account for all of dark matter, and remains viable. However, Bayesian considerations show this region to be rather fine-tuned.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2018

Prospects for disentangling long- and short-distance effects in the decays $B\to K^* μ^+μ^-$

Theory uncertainties on non-local hadronic effects limit the New Physics discovery potential of the rare decays $B\to K^*μ^+μ^-$. We investigate prospects to disentangle New Physics effects in the short-distance coefficients from these effects. Our approach makes use of an event-by-event amplitude analysis, and relies on the state of the art parametrisation of the non-local contributions. We find that non-standard effects in the short-distance coefficients can be successfully disentangled from non-local hadronic effects. The impact of the truncation on the parametrisation of non-local contributions to the Wilson coefficients are for the first time systematically examined and prospects for its precise determination are discussed. We find that physical observables are unaffected by these uncertainties. Compared to other methods, our approach provides for a more precise extraction of the angular observables from data.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

FlavBit: A GAMBIT module for computing flavour observables and likelihoods

Flavour physics observables are excellent probes of new physics up to very high energy scales. Here we present FlavBit, the dedicated flavour physics module of the global-fitting package GAMBIT. FlavBit includes custom implementations of various likelihood routines for a wide range of flavour observables, including detailed uncertainties and correlations associated with LHCb measurements of rare, leptonic and semileptonic decays of B and D mesons, kaons and pions. It provides a generalised interface to external theory codes such as SuperIso, allowing users to calculate flavour observables in and beyond the Standard Model, and then test them in detail against all relevant experimental data. We describe FlavBit and its constituent physics in some detail, then give examples from supersymmetry and effective field theory illustrating how it can be used both as a standalone library for flavour physics, and within GAMBIT.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

GAMBIT: The Global and Modular Beyond-the-Standard-Model Inference Tool

We describe the open-source global fitting package GAMBIT: the Global And Modular Beyond-the-Standard-Model Inference Tool. GAMBIT combines extensive calculations of observables and likelihoods in particle and astroparticle physics with a hierarchical model database, advanced tools for automatically building analyses of essentially any model, a flexible and powerful system for interfacing to external codes, a suite of different statistical methods and parameter scanning algorithms, and a host of other utilities designed to make scans faster, safer and more easily-extendible than in the past. Here we give a detailed description of the framework, its design and motivation, and the current models and other specific components presently implemented in GAMBIT. Accompanying papers deal with individual modules and present first GAMBIT results. GAMBIT can be downloaded from gambit.hepforge.org.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Measuring the Breaking of Lepton Flavour Universality in $B\to K^*\ell^+\ell^-$

We propose measurements of weighted differences of the angular observables in the rare decays $B \to K^*\ell^+\ell^-$. The proposed observables are very sensitive to the difference between the Wilson coefficients $\mathcal{C}_9^{(e)}$ and $\mathcal{C}_9^{(μ)}$ for decays into electrons and muons, respectively. At the same time, the charm-induced hadronic contributions are kinematically suppressed to $\lesssim 7\% (4\%)$ in the region $1\,$GeV$^2 \leq q^2 \leq 6\,$GeV$^2$, as long as LFU breaking occurs only in $\mathcal{C}^{(\ell)}_{9}$. This suppression becomes stronger for the region of low hadronic recoil, $q^2 \geq 15\,$GeV$^2$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Search for New Physics in SHiP and at future colliders

SHiP is a newly proposed fixed-target experiment at the CERN SPS with the aim of searching for hidden particles that interact very weakly with SM particles. The work presented in this document investigates SHiP's physics reach in the parameter space of the Neutrino Minimal Standard Model ($ν$MSM), which is a theory that could solve most problems left open by the Standard Model with sterile neutrinos. A model introducing an extra $U(1)$ symmetry in the hidden sector, providing a natural candidate for dark matter, is also explored. This work shows that the SHiP experiment can improve by several orders of magnitude the sensitivity to Heavy Neutral Leptons below 2 GeV, scanning a large part of the parameter space below the $B$ meson mass. The remainder of the $ν$MSM parameter space, dominated by right-handed neutrinos with masses above 2 GeV, can be explored at a future $e^+e^-$ collider. Similarly, SHiP can greatly improve present constraints on $U(1)$ dark photons.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2015

Extracting Angular Observables without a Likelihood and Applications to Rare Decays

Our goal is to obtain a complete set of angular observables arising in a generic multi-body process. We show how this can be achieved without the need to carry out a likelihood fit of the angular distribution to the measured events. Instead, we apply the method of moments that relies both on the orthogonality of angular functions and the estimation of integrals by Monte Carlo techniques. The big advantage of this method is that the joint distribution of all observables can be easily extracted, even for very few events. The method of moments is shown to be robust against mismodeling of the angular distribution. Our main result is an explicit algorithm that accounts for systematic uncertainties from detector-resolution and acceptance effects. Finally, we present the necessary process-dependent formulae needed for direct application of the method to several rare decays of interest.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2014

A new relation between the zero of $A_{FB}$ in $B^0 \to K^* μ^+μ^-$ and the anomaly in $P_5^\prime$

We present two exact relations, valid for any dilepton invariant mass region (large and low-recoil) and independent of any effective Hamiltonian computation, between the observables $P_i$ and $P_i^{CP}$ of the angular distribution of the 4-body decay $B \to K^*(\to Kπ) l^+l^-$. These relations emerge out of the symmetries of the angular distribution. We discuss the implications of these relations under the (testable) hypotheses of no scalar or tensor contributions and no New Physics weak phases in the Wilson coefficients. Under these hypotheses there is a direct relation among the observables $P_{1}$,$P_2$ and $P_{4,5}^\prime$. This can be used as an independent consistency test of the measurements of the angular observables. Alternatively, these relations can be applied directly in the fit to data, reducing the number of free parameters in the fit. This opens up the possibility to perform a full angular fit of the observables with existing datasets. An important consequence of the found relations is that a priori two different measurements, namely the measured position of the zero ($q_0^2$) of the forward-backward asymmetry $A_{FB}$ and the value of $P_5^\prime$ evaluated at this same point, are related by $P_4^2(q_0^{2})+P_5^2(q_0^{2})=1$. Under the hypotheses of real Wilson coefficients and $P_4^\prime$ being SM-like, we show that the higher the position of $q_0^{2}$ the smaller should be the value of $P_5^\prime$ evaluated at the same point. A precise determination of the position of the zero of $A_{FB}$ together with a measurement of $P_4^\prime$ (and $P_1$) at this position can be used as an independent experimental test of the anomaly in $P_5^\prime$. We also point out the existence of upper and lower bounds for $P_1$, namely $P_5^{\prime 2}-1 \leq P_1 \leq 1-P_4^{\prime 2}$, which constraints the physical region of the observables.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2012

Search for new physics in $B_s \rightarrow μ^+ μ^-$ and $B \rightarrow K^{(*)} μ^+ μ^-$

Transitions of the type $b \to s l^+ l^-$ are flavour changing neutral current processes where new physics can enter in competing loop diagrams with respect to the Standard Model contributions. In these decays several observables sensitive to new physics, and where theoretical uncertainties are under control, can be constructed. Particularly interesting are the angular asymmetries in the decay $B_d \to K^* μ^+ μ^-$ and the measurement of the branching fraction of the decays $B_{s,d} \to μ^+ μ^-$. Recent measurements of these observables and the measurement of the isospin asymmetry in the decays $B \to K^{(*)} μ^+ μ^-$ are presented.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

Experimental constraints from flavour changing processes and physics beyond the Standard Model

Flavour physics has a long tradition of paving the way for direct discoveries of new particles and interactions. Results over the last decade have placed stringent bounds on the parameter space of physics beyond the Standard Model. Early results from the LHC, and its dedicated flavour factory LHCb, have further tightened these constraints and reiterate the ongoing relevance of flavour studies. The experimental status of flavour observables in the charm and beauty sectors is reviewed in measurements of CP violation, neutral meson mixing, and measurements of rare decays.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

$B_s\to μ^{+}μ^{-}$ the at LHC

The ATLAS, CMS and LHCb experiments will perform extensive searches for physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM). The investigation of decays of beauty hadrons represents an alternative and complementary approach to the direct BSM searches. A particularly promising observable for the search of New Physics (NP) in $B-$hadron decays, is the measurement of the branching ratio of the decay $B_S\to μ^{+} μ^{-}$. This observable is sensitive to physics BSM with new scalar or pseudoscalar effective operators, such as theories involving an extended Higgs sector. Here the prospects of the ATLAS, CMS and the LHCb experiments for such a measurement are discussed. In particular the LHCb experiment, thanks to its good particle identification and momentum resolution, has the potential for an early discovery of this decay.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2011

Tests of Factorization and SU(3) Relations in B Decays into Heavy-Light Final States

Using data from the B factories and the Tevatron, we perform tests of how well non-leptonic B decays of the kind B -> D^{(*)}_{(s)} P, where P is a pion or kaon, are described within the factorization framework. We find that factorization works well - as is theoretically expected - for color-allowed, tree-diagram-like topologies. Moreover, also exchange topologies, which have a non-factorizable character, do not show any anomalous behavior. We discuss also isospin triangles between the B -> D^{(*)} pi decay amplitudes, and determine the corresponding amplitudes in the complex plane, which show a significant enhancement of the color-suppressed tree contribution with respect to the factorization picture. Using data for B -> D^{(*)} K decays, we determine SU(3)-breaking effects and cannot resolve any non-factorizable SU(3)-breaking corrections larger than \sim 5%. In view of these results, we point out that a comparison between the \bar B^0_d -> D^+π^- and \bar B^0_s -> D_s^+π^- decays offers an interesting new determination of f_d/f_s. Using CDF data, we obtain the most precise value of this ratio at CDF, and discuss the prospects for a corresponding measurement at LHCb.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

New Strategy for B_s Branching Ratio Measurements and the Search for New Physics in B^0_s -> mu^+ mu^-

The LHCb experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider will soon allow us to enter a new era in the exploration of B_s decays. A particularly promising channel for the search of "new physics" is B^0_s -> mu^+ mu^-. The systematic key uncertainty affecting the measurement of this -- and in fact all B_s-decay branching ratios -- is the ratio of fragmentation functions f_d/f_s. As the presently available methods for determining f_d/f_s are not sufficient to meet the high precision at LHCb, we propose a new strategy using \bar B^0_s -> D_s^+ pi^- and \bar B^0_d -> D^+ K^-. It allows us to obtain a lower experimental bound on BR(B^0_s -> mu^+ mu^-) which offers a powerful probe for new physics. In order to go beyond this bound and to determine f_d/f_s with a theoretical precision matching the experimental one it is sufficient to know the SU(3)-breaking correction to a form-factor ratio from non-perturbative methods at the level of 20%. Thanks to our strategy, we can detect new physics in B^0_s -> mu^+ mu^- at LHCb with 5 sigma for a branching ratio as small as twice the Standard-Model value, which represents an improvement of the new-physics reach by about a factor of two with respect to the current LHCb expectation.

hep-ph↗