Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Stefano Moretti

Publications and source records attributed to Stefano Moretti.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Bayesian Active Search on Parameter Space: a 95 GeV Spin-0 Resonance in the ($B-L$)SSM

In the attempt to explain possible data anomalies from collider experiments in terms of New Physics (NP) models, computationally expensive scans over their parameter spaces are typically required in order to match theoretical predictions to experimental observations. Under the assumption that anomalies seen at a mass of about 95 GeV by the Large Electron-Positron (LEP) and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments correspond to a NP signal, which we attempt to interpret as a spin-0 resonance in the $(B-L)$ Supersymmetric Standard Model ($(B-L)$SSM), chosen as an illustrative example, we introduce a novel Machine Learning (ML) approach based on a multi-objective active search method, called b-CASTOR, able to achieve high sample efficiency and diversity, due to the use of probabilistic surrogate models and a volume based search policy, outperforming competing algorithms, such as those based on Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods.

hep-ph↗

On the CP Nature of the `95 GeV' Anomalies

Under the assumption that the various evidences of a `95 GeV' excess, seen in data at the Large Electron Positron (LEP) collider as well as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), correspond to actual signals of new physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM), we characterise the underlying particle explaining these anomalies in terms of its Charge/Parity (CP) quantum numbers. In doing so, we use $χ^2$ fits to test the CP-even (scalar) and CP-odd (pseudoscalar) hypotheses and superpositions of these, thus under the assumption of a spin-0 resonance. This is done through the exploitation of $τ^+τ^-$ decays, in both their fully hadronic and semi-leptonic modes, in a model-independent way, so that our approach enables one to test a variety of BSM hypotheses, having proven here that the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) will be in a position to disentangle the CP nature of such a new particle within $\pm(0.27-0.47)$ radians of the true hypothesis at $90\%$ Confidence Level (CL), depending on the assumed background systematics.

hep-ph↗

Searching for single production of vectorlike quarks decaying into Wb at a future muon-proton collider

This work investigates the discovery potential for singly produced vectorlike quarks~(VLQs) $T$ ($Q=+2/3e$) and $Y$ ($Q=-4/3e$) decaying to $Wb$ at future $μp$ colliders with $\sqrt{s}=5.29$, 6.48, and 9.16 TeV, analyzing both leptonic and hadronic $W$ decay channels through detailed detector simulations. The hadronic channel demonstrates superior sensitivity, enabling $5σ$ discovery up to $m_T=3750$ GeV ($m_Y=4100$ GeV) at 9.16 TeV with 100 fb$^{-1}$, while exclusion limits reach $m_T=4500$ GeV ($g^*\geq0.06$) and $m_Y=4800$ GeV ($κ_Y\geq0.04$) - significantly beyond LHC capabilities. At 5.29 TeV, discovery regions cover $g^*\in[0.15,0.5]$ for $m_T\in[1500,2520]$ GeV and $κ_Y\in[0.12,0.5]$ for $m_Y\in[1700,2700]$ GeV, with exclusions extending to $m_T=2750$ GeV and $m_Y=3020$ GeV. These results, obtained within a simplified two-parameter framework ($m_{T/Y}$ and electroweak couplings $g^{\ast}$), establish $μp$ colliders as uniquely powerful tools for probing high-mass VLQ states, particularly in the boosted jet regime.

hep-ph↗

Deconstructing resonant Higgs pair production at the LHC: effects of coloured and neutral scalars in the NMSSM test case

We study resonant production of pairs of Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs bosons, in the presence of new neutral Higgs states together with new coloured scalars (stops or sbottoms) in loops within the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric SM (NMSSM). This is used as a test case to prove that the Large Hadron Collider has sensitivity to a variety of effects stemming from interferences between resonant (heavy) Higgs diagrams and/or among these and non-resonant topologies involving loops of both tops and stops. These effects can alter significantly the naive description of individual $s$-channel Breit-Wigner resonances, leading to distortions of the latter which, on the one hand, may mask their presence but, on the other hand, could enable one to extract features of the underlying new physics scenario. This last aspect is made possible through a decomposition of the $gg\to hh$ signal process into all its amplitude components, each of which has a well-defined coupling structure. Ultimately, such effects can be traced back to the relevant Feynman diagrams and can enable a detailed interpretation of this process. To illustrate this, we introduce various Benchmark Points that exhibit potentially observable features during the current and/or upcoming runs of the LHC in one or more of the three customary di-Higgs decay channels: $b\bar bb\bar b$, $b\bar b τ^+τ^-$ and $b\bar bγγ$.

hep-ph↗

Triplet fermion WIMP dark matter in the general supersymmetric Georgi-Machacek model

The supersymmetric custodial triplet model (SCTM), which is a fully-super\-symmetric generalization of the Georgi-Machacek (GM) model, is constructed by extending the Higgs sector of the minimal supersymmetric standard model by three triplet chiral superfields with hypercharge $Y=0,\pm 1$, in order to maintain the holomorphy of the superpotential and satisfy the requirements of anomaly cancellation. The global $SU(2)_L\otimes SU(2)_R$ symmetry has to be respected for the superpotential and soft supersymmetry breaking sector, where the former will only be broken by the Yukawa couplings and the latter one will be broken spontaneously to the custodial $SU(2)_V$ symmetry after electroweak symmetry breaking similar as the GM model. The ensuing complicated spectrum not only gives rich collider phenomenology but also provides more available Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) Dark Matter (DM) candidates. In this paper, we explore the viability of WIMP solutions for DM in the SCTM, by considering the increasingly stringent constraints from direct detection DM experiments. Our numerical simulations show that a significant portion of the SCTM parameter space remains viable despite these constraints and will be fully tested in future experiments.

hep-ph↗

Testing CP-violation in a Heavy Higgs Sector at CLIC

We propose to probe CP-violation in the heavy (pseudo)scalar sector of an extended Higgs model, in which we make simultaneous use of the $HVV$ ($V=W^\pm, Z$) and $Ht\bar{t}$ interactions of a heavy Higgs state $H$. The CP-even component of $H$ can be probed through the tree level $HVV$ interaction while the CP-odd component of $H$ can be probed if the final $t\bar{t}$ pair can be tested to form a $^1S_0$ state. We can then confirm CP-violation if both CP-even and CP-odd components of $H$ are discovered. This is possible at the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) by exploiting $H$ production from Vector-Boson Fusion (VBF) and decay to $t\bar{t}$ pairs. We analyze the distribution of the azimuthal angle between the leptons coming from top and antitop quarks, that would allow one to disentangle the CP nature of such a heavy Higgs state. We also show its implications for the 2-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM) with CP-violation.

hep-ph↗

Exploring Potential Higgs Resonances at 650 GeV and 95 GeV in the 2HDM Type III

Recent searches by the CMS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the `diphoton plus $b\bar{b}$ final state' have revealed an excess near 650 GeV, which might indicate the presence of a (broad) heavy resonance decaying into a Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson and an additional particle. At the same time, both ATLAS and CMS as well as all experiments at the Large Electron-Position (LEP) collider have reported excesses consistent with a light Higgs boson channel around 95 GeV, suggesting a potential connection between these two signals. In this study, we investigate these anomalies within the context of the CP-conserving 2-Higgs-Doublet Model (2HDM) Type~III. In our proposed scenario, a heavy CP-odd Higgs boson $A$ with a mass near 650 GeV decays into a SM-like Higgs boson $H$ and a $Z$ boson, with the $H$ boson subsequently decaying into diphotons and the $Z$ boson decaying into $b\bar{b}$ pairs. To explain the excess around 95 GeV, we independently select the mass of the light CP-even Higgs boson of the model $h$ to be around this value. This configuration allows for a consistent explanation of both the high- and low-mass excesses observed in the experiments. Through a detailed analysis, we demonstrate that these two signals can be fitted simultaneously at the 2.5$σ$ significance level, offering a promising solution to the observed anomalies and potentially hinting at new physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM).

hep-ph↗

Independence Axioms in Social Ranking

Independence from non-essential changes in input information is a widely recognized axiom in social choice theory. This independence reduces the cost of specifying and/or analyzing non-essential data. This study makes a comprehensive analysis of independence axioms in the context of social ranking solutions (SRSs). We consider seven independence axioms (two of which are new) and provide a novel characterization of the lexicographic excellence solution and plurality by substituting these independence axioms in the existing characterization of the intersection initial segment rule. The characterizations highlight the differences among the three SRSs in terms of independence.

econ.TH↗

Constraints on the $X17$ boson from IceCube searches for non-standard interactions of neutrinos

We explain the ATOMKI anomaly with a very light $Z'$ state that features non-anomalous and non-flavour-universal vector and axial-vector couplings to all leptons. This $Z'$ comes from a theoretical framework with a spontaneously broken $U(1)'$ symmetry in addition to the Standard Model gauge group and is compliant with current measurements of the anomalous magnetic moments of the electron and the muon as well as beam dump experiments. The lepton flavour structure of this model allows for $Z'$ couplings to all light neutrinos, suggesting the possibility of $Z'$-mediated Non-Standard Interactions (NSIs) of neutrinos in matter, so that measurements of the strength parameters of the NSIs can constrain the value of the couplings. We use experimental constraints on NSIs of neutrinos using older TEXONO data and newer IceCube data. The IceCube data, in particular, strongly constrain the flavour universality of the leptonic vector current. The constraints enable us to define the region of parameter space of this theoretical scenario that can be pursued in further phenomenological analyses.

hep-ph↗

Exploring the Dark Sector of the inspired FNSM at the LHC

We establish the possibility of having a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB) Dark Matter (DM) candidate in the inspired Froggatt-Nielsen Singlet Model (iFNSM) wherein a direct connection exists between the DM mass and new flavon symmetry-breaking scale. We find a considerable allowed region of parameter space for the ensuing pseudoscalar DM, which is dependent upon the flavon Vacuum Expectation Value (VEV) and Yukawa couplings, over which it may be possible to explain the fermion mass hierarchy. Finally, we choose a Benchmark Point (BP) and perform detailed collider analyses to probe this DM state in the context of Run 3 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Specifically, in this model, one obtains large missing transverse energy ($\slashed{E}_T$) when the DM particle is resonantly produced from the decay of a heavy Higgs field, along with multiple jets from Initial State Radiation (ISR). Thus, the ensuing $\slashed{E}_T$ + $n\, {\rm jets}~(n \geq 1)$ signature is an excellent probe of DM in this construct.

hep-ph↗

Mill's canons meet social ranking: A characterization of plurality

In his book entitled ''A System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive'' (1843), John Stuart Mill proposed principles of inductive reasoning in the form of five canons. To date, these canons are classic methods for causal reasoning: they are intended to single out the circumstances that are connected to the phenomenon under focus. The present paper reinterprets Mill's canons in the modern theory of social ranking solutions, which aims to estimate the power of individuals based on teams' performances. We first apply Mill's canons to determine the key success factors in cooperative performances and then characterize plurality using a strong version of Mill's first canon. Plurality is also compatible with most other canons. Thus, our results demonstrated a hidden link between classical causal reasoning and the theory of social ranking solutions.

econ.TH↗

TESS photometry of the nova eruption in V606 Vul: asymmetric photosphere and multiple ejections?

Lightcurves of many classical novae deviate from the canonical "fast rise - smooth decline" pattern and display complex variability behavior. We present the first TESS-space-photometry-based investigation of this phenomenon. We use Sector 41 full-frame images to extract a lightcurve of the slow Galactic nova V606 Vul that erupted nine days prior to the start of the TESS observations. The lightcurve covers the first of two major peaks of V606 Vul that was reached 19 days after the start of the eruption. The nova reached its brightest visual magnitude V=9.9 in its second peak 64 days after the eruption onset, following the completion of Sector 41 observations. To increase the confidence level of the extracted lightcurve, we performed the analysis using four different codes implementing the aperture photometry (Lightkurve, VaST) and image subtraction (TESSreduce, tequila_shots) and find good agreement between them. We performed ground-based photometric and spectroscopic monitoring to complement the TESS data. The TESS lightcurve reveals two features: periodic variations (0.12771 d, 0.01 mag average peak-to-peak amplitude) that disappeared when the source was within 1 mag of peak optical brightness and a series of isolated mini-flares (with peak-to-peak amplitudes of up to 0.5 mag) appearing at seemingly random times. We interpret the periodic variations as the result of azimuthal asymmetry of the photosphere engulfing the nova-hosting binary that was distorted by and rotating with the binary. Whereas we use spectra to associate the two major peaks in the nova lightcurve with distinct episodes of mass ejection, the origin of mini-flares remains elusive.

astro-ph.SR↗

Probing the decay $A^0\to h^0 Z^{(*)}$ in Two-Higgs-Doublet Models in the inverted hierarchy scenario at the Large Hadron Collider

Searches are being carried out at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for the decay of the CP-odd scalar ($A^0$) in Two-Higgs-Doublet Models (2HDMs) with Natural Flavour Conservation (NFC) in the channel $A^0\to h^0 Z$, where $h^0$ is either the discovered 125 GeV Higgs boson or is an undiscovered CP-even scalar with a mass below 125 GeV. The latter possibility is called the "inverted hierarchy scenario" (IH) and would provide the opportunity of simultaneous discovery of two scalars. In both searches the selection cuts are optimised for the case of an on-shell $Z$ boson. For the case of the $Z$ boson being off-shell (denoted by $Z^*$, for which $m_{A^0} - m_{h^0}<m_Z$) no limits are set on the relevant 2HDM parameters from this process. It is known that the decay $A^0\to h^0 Z^*$ can have a large branching ratio (BR) in 2HDMs (especially in the Type I structure). In the context of the IH scenario and developing our previous work, we calculate the signal cross section $σ(gg\to A^0)\times {\rm BR}(A^0\to h^0Z^{(*)})\times {\rm BR}(h^0\to b\overline b,τ\overline τ)$ in the four types of 2HDMs with NFC. We also suggest some selection cuts that could provide sensitivity to $A^0\to h^0 Z^*$ in the IH scenario.

hep-ph↗

Ranking alternatives from opinions on criteria

A primary challenge in collective decision-making is that achieving unanimous agreement is difficult, even at the level of criteria. The history of social choice theory illustrates this: numerous normative criteria on voting rules have been proposed; however, disagreements persist regarding which criteria should take precedence. This study addresses the problem of ranking alternatives based on the aggregation of opinions over criteria that the alternatives might fulfill. Using the opinion aggregation model, we propose a new rule, termed the Intersection Initial Segment (IIS) rule, and characterize it using five axioms: neutrality, independence of the worst set, independence of the best set, weak intersection very important player, and independence of non-unanimous improvement. We illustrate our approach on a running example where the objective is to rank voting rules, showing that our opinion aggregation model is particularly well-suited to this context, and that the IIS rule is a counterpart to the method discussed in Nurmi's paper (2015).

econ.TH↗

Unveiling E$_6$SSM Scalar Diquarks at the HL-LHC

We investigate the phenomenology of scalar diquarks with sub-TeV masses within the framework of the $E_6$ Supersymmetric Standard Model (E$_6$SSM) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Focusing on the lightest of the six diquarks predicted by the model, we select some representative low masses for them in a parameter space region consistent with experimental constraints from direct searches for additional Higgs boson(s), Cold Dark Matter (CDM), and supersymmetry, as well as from flavor physics analyses. Using Monte Carlo ($MC$) simulations, we assess these benchmark points against the latest LHC results corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb$^{-1}$. We further evaluate the signal significance of the pair-production of these diquarks, when each of them decays into $tb$ pairs, at the $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV LHC Run 3 with design integrated luminosity of 300 fb$^{-1}$, and also at the 3000 fb$^{-1}$ High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC). Our analysis yields a statistical significance exceeding $3σ$ at the HL-LHC for diquark masses up to 1 TeV, indicating promising prospects for their discovery.

hep-ph↗

Leptonic CP-violation in the sneutrino sector of the BLSSM with Inverse Seesaw

We study CP violation (CPV) in the sneutrino sector within the B-L extension of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (BLSSM), wherein an inverse seesaw mechanism has been implemented. CPV arises from the new superpotential couplings in the (s)neutrino sector, which can be complex and the mixing of CP-eigenstates induced by those couplings. CPV leads to asymmetries in so called T-odd observables, but we argue that such asymmetries also lead to a wider distribution of those observables. We look at a final state where a sneutrino decays to a lepton, two jets and missing transverse momentum at the Future Circular Collider operating in hadron-hadron mode at $100$ TeV and with a luminosity of 3 ab$^{-1}$. In order to exclude the CP conserving scenario we need to improve traditional analysis by introducing boosted decision trees using both standard kinematic variables and T-odd observables and we need $Z^{\prime}$ boson not too much above current bounds as a portal to produce sneutrinos efficiently.

hep-ph↗

Generating particle physics Lagrangians with transformers

In physics, Lagrangians provide a systematic way to describe laws governing physical systems. In the context of particle physics, they encode the interactions and behavior of the fundamental building blocks of our universe. By treating Lagrangians as complex, rule-based constructs similar to linguistic expressions, we trained a transformer model -- proven to be effective in natural language tasks -- to predict the Lagrangian corresponding to a given list of particles. We report on the transformer's performance in constructing Lagrangians respecting the Standard Model $\mathrm{SU}(3)\times \mathrm{SU}(2)\times \mathrm{U}(1)$ gauge symmetries. The resulting model is shown to achieve high accuracies (over 90\%) with Lagrangians up to six matter fields, with the capacity to generalize beyond the training distribution, albeit within architectural constraints. We show through an analysis of input embeddings that the model has internalized concepts such as group representations and conjugation operations as it learned to generate Lagrangians. We make the model and training datasets available to the community. An interactive demonstration can be found at: \url{https://huggingface.co/spaces/JoseEliel/generate-lagrangians}.

cs.LG↗

Anatomy of Vector-Like Top-Quark Models in the Alignment Limit of the 2-Higgs Doublet Model Type-II

A comprehensive extension of the ordinary 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM), supplemented by Vector-Like Quarks (VLQs), in the "alignment limit" is presented. In such a scenario, we study the possibility that Large Hadron Collider (LHC) searches for VLQs can profile their nature too, i.e., whether they belong to a singlet, doublet, or triplet representation. To achieve this, we exploit both Standard Model (SM) decays of VLQs with top-(anti)quark Electromagnetic (EM) charge ($T$), i.e., into $b,t$ quarks and $W^\pm, Z,h$ bosons (which turn out to be suppressed and hence $T$ states can escape existing limits) as well as their exotic decays, i.e., into $b,t$ (and possibly $B$) quarks and $H^\pm, H, A$ bosons. We show that quite specific decay patterns emerge in the different VLQ representations so that, depending upon which $T$ signals are accessed at the LHC, one may be able to ascertain the underlying Beyond Standard Model (BSM) structure, especially if mass knowledge of the new fermionic and bosonic sectors can be inferred from (other) data.

hep-ph↗