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Richard J. Hill

Publications and source records attributed to Richard J. Hill.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2012

Universal behavior in the scattering of heavy, weakly interacting dark matter on nuclear targets

Particles that are heavy compared to the electroweak scale ($M \gg m_W$), and that are charged under electroweak SU(2) gauge interactions display universal properties such as a characteristic fine structure in the mass spectrum induced by electroweak symmetry breaking, and an approximately universal cross section for scattering on nuclear targets. The heavy particle effective theory framework is developed to compute these properties. As illustration, the spin independent cross section for low-velocity scattering on a nucleon is evaluated in the limit $M \gg m_W$, including complete leading-order matching onto quark and gluon operators, renormalization analysis, and systematic treatment of perturbative and hadronic-input uncertainties.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2011

Model independent determination of the axial mass parameter in quasielastic neutrino-nucleon scattering

Quasielastic neutrino-nucleon scattering is a basic signal process for neutrino oscillation studies. At accelerator energies, the corresponding cross section is subject to significant uncertainty due to the poorly constrained axial-vector form factor of the nucleon. A model-independent description of the axial-vector form factor is presented. Data from the MiniBooNE experiment for quasielastic neutrino scattering on carbon are analyzed under the assumption of a definite nuclear model. The value of the axial mass parameter, m_A=0.85^{+0.22}_{-0.07} +/- 0.09 GeV, is found to differ significantly from extractions based on traditional form factor models. Implications for future neutrino scattering and pion electroproduction measurements are discussed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2011

Model independent analysis of proton structure for hydrogenic bound states

Proton structure effects in hydrogenic bound states are analyzed using nonrelativistic QED effective field theory. Implications for the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen are discussed. Model-dependent assumptions in previous analyses are isolated, and sensitivity to poorly constrained hadronic structure in the two-photon exchange contribution is identified.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2010

Weakly Interacting Stable Pions

An unbroken discrete symmetry, analogous to G-parity in QCD, exists in standard model extensions with vector-like coupling of electroweak SU(2) to "hidden sector" fermions that are confined by a strong gauge force. For an irreducible SU(2) representation of the hidden sector fermions, the lightest hidden sector states form an isotriplet of "pions" with calculable mass splittings and couplings to standard model fields. The parity can be extended to fermions in real representations of color SU(3), and can provide dark matter candidates with distinct collider signatures.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2010

Model independent extraction of the proton charge radius from electron scattering

Constraints from analyticity are combined with experimental electron-proton scattering data to determine the proton charge radius. In contrast to previous determinations, we provide a systematic procedure for analyzing arbitrary data without model-dependent assumptions on the form factor shape. We also investigate the impact of including electron-neutron scattering data, and $ππ\to N\bar{N}$ data. Using representative datasets we find r_E^p=0.870 +/- 0.023 +/- 0.012 fm using just proton scattering data; r_E^p=0.880^{+0.017}_{-0.020} +/- 0.007 fm adding neutron data; and r_E^p=0.871 +/- 0.009 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.002 fm adding $ππ$ data. The analysis can be readily extended to other nucleon form factors and derived observables.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2009

SU(3)/SU(2): the simplest Wess-Zumino-Witten term

The observation that SU(3)/SU(2) ~ S^5 implies the existence of a particularly simple quantized topological action, or Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) term. This action plays an important role in anomaly cancellation in extensions of the Standard Model electroweak sector. A closed form is presented for the action coupled to arbitrary gauge fields. The action is shown to be equivalent to a limit of the WZW term for SU(3) x SU(3) / SU(3). By reduction of SU(3) x U(1) / SU(2) x U(1) to SU(2) x U(1) / U(1), the construction gives a topological derivation of the WZW term for the Standard Model Higgs field.

hep-th↗
arXiv2009

Low energy analysis of nu N --> nu N gamma in the Standard Model

The production of single photons in low energy (~1 GeV) neutrino scattering off nucleons is analyzed in the Standard Model. At very low energies, E(nu) << 1 GeV, a simple description of the chiral lagrangian involving baryons and arbitrary SU(2)_L x U(1)_Y gauge fields is developed. Extrapolation of the process into the ~1-2 GeV region is treated in a simple phenomenological model. Coherent enhancements in compound nuclei are studied. The relevance of single photon events as a background to experimental searches for nu(mu) --> nu(e) is discussed. In particular, single photons are a plausible explanation for excess events observed by the MiniBooNE experiment.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Update on semileptonic charm decays

A brief update is given on recent developments in the theory of exclusive semileptonic charm decays. A check on analyticity arguments from the kaon system is reviewed. Recent results on form factor shape measurements are discussed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Standard Model Gauging of the WZW Term: Anomalies, Global Currents and pseudo-Chern-Simons Interactions

The standard model $SU(2)_L\times U(1)_Y$ gauging of the Wess-Zumino-Witten term requires a modified counterterm when background fields, needed to generate the full set of currents, are introduced. The modified counterterm plays an essential role in properly defining covariant global currents and their anomalies. For example, it is required in order to correctly derive the gauge invariant baryon number current and its anomalous divergence. The background fields can also be promoted to a description of the physical spin-1 vector and axial-vector mesons in QCD and the counterterm leads to novel interactions. These are (pseudo-) Chern-Simons terms, such as $ε^{μνρσ} ω_μZ_ν\partial_ρA_σ$ and $ε^{μνρσ} ρ^{\pm}_μW^{\mp}_ν\partial_ρA_σ$ that mediate new interactions between neutrinos and photons at finite baryon density.

hep-th↗
arXiv2007

Topological physics in the standard model and beyond

Topological interactions are an essential ingredient for building consistent low-energy theories of fermions, gauge fields and Nambu-Goldstone bosons in the absence of explicit UV completions, such as in Little Higgs models. These interactions are also a probe of UV completion physics that may be out of direct experimental reach. The technology of topological, or Wess-Zumino-Witten interactions is described, using explicit examples in the standard model and in Little Higgs models. The construction of a simple topological action on SU(3)/SU(2) is described. Inconsistencies in some popular Little Higgs models are pointed out.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Anomaly mediated neutrino-photon interactions at finite baryon density

We propose new physical processes based on the axial vector anomaly and described by the Wess-Zumino-Witten term that couples the photon, Z-boson, and the omega-meson. The interaction takes the form of a pseudo-Chern-Simons term, $\sim ε_{μνρσ}ω^μZ^νF^{ρσ}$. This term induces neutrino-photon interactions at finite baryon density via the coupling of the Z-boson to neutrinos. These interactions may be detectable in various laboratory and astrophysical arenas. The new interactions may account for the MiniBooNE excess. They also produce a competitive contribution to neutron star cooling at temperatures >10^9 K. These processes and related axion--photon interactions at finite baryon density appear to be relevant in many astrophysical regimes.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

T-Parity Violation by Anomalies

Little Higgs theories often rely on an internal parity ("T-parity'') to suppress non-standard electroweak effects or to provide a dark matter candidate. We show that such a symmetry is generally broken by anomalies, as described by the Wess-Zumino-Witten term. We study a simple SU(3) x SU(3)/SU(3) Little Higgs scheme where we obtain a minimal form for the topological interactions of a single Higgs field. The results apply to more general models, including [SU(3) x SU(3)/SU(3)]^4, SU(5)/SO(5), and SU(6)/Sp(6).

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Topological Physics of Little Higgs Bosons

Topological interactions will generally occur in composite Higgs or Little Higgs theories, extra-dimensional gauge theories in which A_5 plays the role of a Higgs boson, and amongst the pNGB's of technicolor. This phenomena arises from the chiral and anomaly structure of the underlying UV completion theory, and/or through chiral delocalization in higher dimensions. These effects are described by a full Wess-Zumino-Witten term involving gauge fields and pNGB's. We give a general discussion of these interactions, some of which may have novel signatures at future colliders, such as the LHC and ILC.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2006

Constraints on the form factors for K --> pi l nu and implications for V_us

Rigorous bounds are established for the expansion coefficients governing the shape of semileptonic K-->pi form factors. The constraints enforced by experimental data from tau-->K pi nu eliminate uncertainties associated with model parameterizations in the determination of |V_us|. The results support the validity of a powerful expansion that can be applied to other semileptonic transitions.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2006

The modern description of semileptonic meson form factors

I describe recent advances in our understanding of the hadronic form factors governing semileptonic meson transitions. The resulting framework provides a systematic approach to the experimental data, as a means of extracting precision observables, testing nonperturbative field-theory methods, and probing a poorly understood limit of QCD.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2006

Heavy-to-light meson form factors at large recoil

Heavy-to-light meson form factors at large recoil can be described using the same techniques as for hard exclusive processes involving only light hadrons. Two competing mechanisms appear in the large-recoil regime, describing so-called ``soft-overlap'' and ``hard-scattering'' components of the form factors. It is shown how existing experimental data from B and D decays constrain the relative size of these components, and how lattice data can be used to study properties such as the energy scaling laws obeyed by the individual components. Symmetry relations between different form factors (F_+, F_0 and F_T), and between different heavy initial-state mesons (B and D), are derived in the combined heavy-quark and large-recoil limits, and are shown to generalize corresponding relations valid at small recoil. Form factor parameterizations that are consistent with the large-recoil limit are discussed.

hep-ph↗