arXiv subjects

S. Lola

Publications and source records attributed to S. Lola.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Search for Tau Flavour Violation at the LHC

We explore the prospects for searches at the LHC for sparticle decays that violate $τ$ lepton number, in the light of neutrino oscillation data and the seesaw model for neutrino masses and mixing. We analyse the theoretical and phenomenological conditions required for tau flavour violation to be observable in χ_2 \to χ+ τ^\pm μ^\mp decays, for cosmologically interesting values of the relic neutralino LSP density. We study the relevant supersymmetric parameter space in the context of the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Extension of the Standard Model (CMSSM) and in SU(5) extensions of the theory. We pay particular attention to the possible signals from hadronic tau decays, that we analyse using PYTHIA event simulation. We find that a signal for τflavour-violating χ_2 decays may be observable if the branching ratio exceeds about 10%. This may be compatible with the existing upper limit on τ\to μγdecays if there is mixing between right-handed sleptons, as could be induced in non-minimal SU(5) GUTs.

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arXiv2008

Quintessential Kination and Thermal Production of SUSY e-WIMPs

The impact of a kination-dominated phase generated by a quintessential exponential model on the thermal abundance of Supersymmetric (SUSY) extremely Weekly Interacting Massive Particles (e-WIMPs) is investigated. For values of the quintessential energy-density parameter on the eve of nucleosynthesis close to its upper bound, we find that: (i) the gravitino constraint is totally evaded for unstable gravitinos; (ii) the thermal abundance of stable gravitinos is not sufficient to account for the cold dark matter of the universe; (iii) the thermal abundance of axinos can satisfy the cold dark matter constraint for values of the initial (``reheating'') temperature well above those required in the standard cosmology.

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arXiv2007

Dynamics of Domain Walls for Split and Runaway Potentials

We demonstrate that the evolution of wall-like inhomogeneities in run-away potentials, characteristic of dynamical supersymmetry breaking and moduli stabilisation, is very similar to the evolution of domain wall networks associated with double well potentials. Instabilities that would lead to a rapid decay of domain walls can be significantly ameliorated by compensation effects between a non-degeneracy of the vacua and a biased initial distribution, which can be naturally expected in a wide class or particle physics models that lead to out-of-equilibrium phase transitions. Within this framework, it is possible to obtain domain walls that live long enough to be relevant for the cosmic power spectrum and galaxy clustering, while being compatible with the observed cosmic microwave background anisotropies.

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arXiv2007

Radiative gravitino decays from R-parity violation

We study radiative gravitino decay within the framework of R-violating supersymmetry. For trilinear R-violating couplings that involve the third generation of fermions, or for light gravitinos, we find that the radiative loop-decay $\tilde{G} \to γν$ dominates over the tree-level ones for a wide set of parameters. We calculate the gravitino decay width and study its implications for cosmology and collider physics. Slow-decaying gravitinos are good dark matter candidates, for a range of parameters that would also predict observable R-violating signatures in colliders. In general the branching ratios are very dependent on the relative hierarchies of R-violating operators, and may provide relevant information on the flavour structure of the underlying fundamental theory.

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arXiv2002

Tau Flavour Violation in Sparticle Decays at the LHC

We consider sparticle decays that violate tau lepton number, motivated by neutrino oscillation data. We work in the context of the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (CMSSM), in which the different sleptons have identical masses at the GUT scale, and neutrino Dirac Yukawa couplings mix them. We find that the branching ratio for decay of the heavier neutralino chi_2 to chi + tau mu is enhanced when the LSP mass m_chi = m_stau_1, including the region of CMSSM parameter space where coannihilation keeps the relic chi density within the range preferred by cosmology. Thus chi_2 to chi + tau mu decay may provide a physics opportunity for observing the violation of tau lepton number at the LHC that is complementary to tau to mu + gamma decay. Likewise, chi_2 to chi + e mu decay is also enhanced in the coannihilation region, providing a complement to mu to e + gamma decay.

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arXiv2002

Explaining Anomalous CDF mu gamma Missing-E_T Events With Supersymmetry

CDF recently reported an excess of events in the mu-gamma-missing E_T channel that disagrees with the Standard Model prediction. No such excess was observed in the e-gamma-mett channel. We explain the excess via resonant smuon production with a single dominant R-parity violating coupling lambda'_{211}, in the context of models where the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric particle. The slepton decays to the lightest neutralino and a muon followed by neutralino decaying to a gravitino and photon. We determine a viable region of parameter space that fits the kinematical distributions of the Run I excess and illustrate the effect by examining the best fit point in detail. We provide predictions for an excess in the missing E_T and photon channel at Run I and Run II. Run II will decisively rule out or confirm our scenario.

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arXiv2001

Investigating the Supersymmetric Explanation of Anomalous CDF lepton(s) photon(s) Missing-E_T Events

The recent excess over the Standard Model prediction in the μγmissing-E_T channel reported by CDF can be well-explained by resonant smuon production with a single dominant R-parity violating coupling λ'_{211}, in the context of models where the gravitino is the lightest supersymmetric particle. The slepton decays to the lightest neutralino and a muon followed by neutralino decaying to a gravitino and photon. The kinematical distributions are fitted well by our hypothesis and we use them to constrain the available parameter space. The model also provides an explanation for the eeγγmissing-E_T event observed in Run I of the Tevatron by the CDF experiment. Our model predicts an excess of between 5 and 35 events in a γmissing-E_T channel at Run I. We provide predictions for signatures expected by the model at Run II.

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arXiv2001

Physics with Low-Energy Muons at a Neutrino Factory Complex

The physics potential of an intense source of low-energy muons is studied. Such a source is a necessary stage towards building the neutrino factories and muon colliders which are being considered at present. The CERN Neutrino Factory could deliver muon beams with intensities 3-4 orders of magnitude higher than available now, with large freedom in the choice of the time structure. Low-energy muon physics contributes to many fields of basic research, including rare muon decays, i.e., decays that do not conserve muon number, measurements of fundamental constants, the muon anomalous magnetic moment, determination of the Lorentz structure of the weak interaction, QED tests, CPT tests, proton and nuclear charge distributions (even for short-lived isotopes), and condensed matter physics. In studying the experimental programme, we analyse the present limitations, list the requirements on the new muon beams, and describe some ideas on how to implement these beam lines in a CERN neutrino factory complex.

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arXiv2001

Kaon physics with a high-intensity proton driver

We study opportunities for future high-precision experiments in kaon physics using a high-intensity proton driver, which could be part of the front-end of a muon storage ring complex. We discuss in particular the rare decays $K_L\toπ^0ν\barν$, $K^+\toπ^+ν\barν$, $K_L\toπ^0e^+e^-$, and lepton-flavour violating modes such as $K_L\toμe$ and $K\toπμe$. The outstanding physics potential and long-term interest of these modes is emphasized. We review status and prospects of current and planned experiments for the processes under consideration, and indicate possible improvements and strategies towards achieving the necessary higher sensitivity. Finally, we outline the machine requirements needed to perform these high-precision kaon experiments in the context of a muon storage ring facility.

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arXiv2001

Charged-Lepton-Flavour Violation in the CMSSM in View of the Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment

We use the BNL E821 measurement of g - 2, the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, to normalize, within a supersymmetric GUT framework, constrained MSSM (CMSSM) predictions for processes that violate charged-lepton flavour conservation, including mu to e gamma, mu to e conversion and K^0_L to mu e. We illustrate our analysis with two examples of lepton mass matrix textures motivated by data on neutrino oscillations. We find that mu to e gamma may well occur at a rate within one or two (two or three) orders of magnitude of the present experimental upper limit if g - 2 is within the one- (two-)standard deviation range indicated by E821. We also find that mu to e conversion is likely to occur at rate measurable by MECO, and there is a chance that K^0_L to mu e may be observable in an experiment using an intense proton source.

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arXiv2000

Charged-Lepton-Flavour Violation in Kaon Decays in Supersymmetric Theories

We discuss rare kaon decays that violate charged-lepton flavour conservation in supersymmetric theories with and without R parity, in view of possible experiments using an intense proton source as envisaged for a neutrino factory. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model, such decays are generated by box diagrams involving charginos and neutralinos, but the limits from μ-> e γ, μ-e conversion and Δm_K constrain the branching ratios to challengingly small values. However, this is no longer the case in R-violating theories, where such decays may occur at tree level at rates close to the present experimental limits. Within this framework, we obtain bounds on products of LL\bar{E} and LQ\bar{D} operators from the experimental upper limits on K^0 -> μ^\pm e^\mp and K^{\pm,0} -> π^{\pm,0} μ^\pm e^\mp decays. We also note the possibility of like-sign lepton decays K^\pm -> π^\mp \ell^\pm \ell^\pm in the presence of non-zero \tilde{b}_L-\tilde{b}_R mixing. We conclude that rare kaon decays violating charged-lepton flavour conservation could be an interesting signature of R violation.

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arXiv2000

Lepton Flavour Violation In Supersymmetric Models with Trilinear R-parity Violation

Supersymmetry with R-parity violation (RPV) provides an interesting framework for naturally accommodating small neutrino masses. Within this framework, we discuss the lepton-flavour violating (LFV) processes mu -> e gamma, mu -> eee, and mu -> e conversion in nuclei. We make a detailed study of the observables related to LFV in different RPV models, and compare them to the expectations of R-conserving supersymmetry with heavy right-handed neutrinos. We show that the predictions are vastly different and uniquely characterise each model, thus providing a powerful framework for experimentally distinguishing between different theories of LFV. Besides the obvious possibility of amplified tree-level generation of mu -> eee and mu -> e conversion in nuclei, we find that even in the case where these processes arise at the one-loop level, their rates are comparable to that of mu -> e gamma, in clear contrast to the predictions of R-conserving models. We conclude that in order to distinguish between the different models, such a combined study of all the LFV processes is necessary, and that measuring P-odd asymmetries in polarised mu -> eee can play a decisive role. We also comment on the intriguing possibility of RPV models yielding a large T-odd asymmetry in the decay of polarised mu -> eee.

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arXiv2000

Physics at high Q^2 and p^2_t: Summary of DIS 2000

We summarize the experimental and theoretical results presented in the "Physics at the Highest Q^2 and p^2_t" working group at the DIS 2000 Workshop. High Q^2 and p^2_t processes measured at current and future colliders allow to improve our knowledge of Standard Model (SM) physics, by providing precise measurements of the SM parameters and, consequently, consistency checks of the SM. Moreover, they give information on key quantities for the calculation of the SM expectations in a yet unexplored domain, such as the parton densities of the proton or the photon. In addition to these experimental inputs, higher-order calculations are also needed to obtain precise expectations for SM processes, which are a key ingredient for the searches for new phenomena in high Q^2 and p^2_t processes at current and future experiments. The experimental and theoretical status of SM physics at high Q^2 and p^2_t is reviewed in the first part of this summary, with the remaining being dedicated to physics beyond the Standard Model.

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arXiv2000

Report of the Beyond the Standard Model Working Group of the 1999 UK Phenomenology Workshop on Collider Physics (Durham)

The Beyond the Standard Model Working Group discussed a variety of topics relating to exotic searches at current and future colliders, and the phenomenology of current models beyond the Standard Model. For example, various supersymmetric (SUSY) and extra dimensions search possibilities and constraints are presented. Fine-tuning implications of SUSY searches are derived. The implications of Higgs (non)-discovery are discussed, as well as the program HDECAY. The individual contributions are included seperately. Much of the enclosed work is original, although some is reviewed.

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arXiv1999

Charged-Lepton-Flavour Violation in the Light of the Super-Kamiokande Data

Motivated by the data from Super-Kamiokande and elsewhere indicating oscillations of atmospheric and solar neutrinos, we study charged-lepton-flavour violation, in particular the radiative decays mu -> e gamma and tau -> mu gamma, but also commenting on mu -> 3e and tau -> 3 mu/e decays, as well as mu - e conversion on nuclei. We first show how the renormalization group may be used to calculate flavour-violating soft supersymmetry-breaking masses for charged sleptons and sneutrinos in models with universal input parameters. Subsequently, we classify possible patterns of lepton-flavour violation in the context of phenomenological neutrino mass textures that accommodate the Super-Kamiokande data, giving examples based on Abelian flavour symmetries. Then we calculate in these examples rates for mu -> e gamma and tau ->mu gamma, which may be close to the present experimental upper limits, and show how they may distinguish between the different generic mixing patterns. The rates are promisingly large when the soft supersymmetry-breaking mass parameters are chosen to be consistent with the cosmological relic-density constraints. In addition, we discuss mu -> e conversion on Titanium, which may also be accessible to future experiments.

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arXiv1999

Resonant single chargino and neutralino versus fermion-antifermion production at the Linear Collider

We study single superparticle productions at the linear collider, putting particular emphasis on resonant processes. We find that there exists a wide region of model parameters where single chargino and neutralino productions dominate over R-violating fermion-antifermion final states. For certain values of mu and M_2 it is possible to produce even the heavier charginos and neutralinos at significant rates, amplifying the total cross section and obtaining interesting chains of cascade decays. Effects from initial-state radiation are also included.

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arXiv1999

Neutrino Masses, Mixing Angles and the Unification of Couplings in the MSSM

In the light of the gathering evidence for $ν_μ-ν_τ$ neutrino oscillations, coming in particular from the Super-Kamiokande data on atmospheric neutrinos, we re-analyze the unification of gauge and Yukawa couplings within the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM). Guided by a range of different grand-unified models, we stress the relevance of large mixing in the lepton sector for the question of bottom-tau Yukawa coupling unification. We also discuss the dependence of the favoured value of $\tanβ$ on the characteristics of the high-energy quark and lepton mass matrices. In particular, we find that, in the presence of large lepton mixing, Yukawa unification can be achieved for intermediate values of $\tanβ$ that were previously disfavoured. The renormalization-group sensitivity to the structures of different mass matrices may enable Yukawa unification to serve as a useful probe of GUT models.

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arXiv1999

Direct T-violation measurements and T-odd effects in decay experiments

Motivated by the recent experimental announcements for direct measurements of time-reversal non-invariance in the neutral kaon system, we make a comparative discussion of the CPLEAR and KTeV measurements. The most suitable way to consistently incorporate the mixing, the time evolution and the decays of kaons, is to describe the neutral kaon system as a system with a non-Hermitean Hamiltonian. In this framework, the physical (decaying) incoming and outgoing states are distinct and belong to dual spaces. Moreover, since they are eigenstates of the full Hamiltonian, they never oscillate. This is directly manifest in the orthogonality conditions of the physical states, which entirely determine the evolution of the kaon system. Along these lines we conclude: CPLEAR studies K0-bar{K0} oscillations, a process where initial and final states can be reversed, the CPLEAR asymmetry being an effect directly related to the definition of time-reversal. Conclusively, CPLEAR provides a direct measurement of T-violation without any assumption either on unitarity or on CPT-invariance. The KTeV experiment studies in particular the process KL -> pi+ pi- e+ e- where they measure a T-odd effect. However, using unitarity together with estimates of the final state interactions, it should be possible to determine whether this effect can be identified with a genuine T-reversal violation.

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