Looking for BSM physics using top-quark polarization and decay-lepton kinematic asymmetries

We explore beyond-standard-model (BSM) physics signatures in the l + jets channel of the t (t) over bar pair production process at the Tevatron and the LHC. We study the effects of BSM physics scenarios on the top-quark polarization and on the kinematics of the decay leptons. To this end, we construct asymmetries using the lepton energy and angular distributions. Further, we find their correlations with the top polarization, net charge asymmetry and top forward-backward asymmetry. We show that when used together, these observables can help discriminate effectively between SM and different BSM scenarios, which can lead to varying degrees of top polarization at the Tevatron as well as the LHC. We use two types of colored mediator models to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed observables, an s-channel axigluon and a u-channel diquark.

Baryon number violation beyond the standard model

This thesis describes simple extensions of the standard model with new sources of baryon number violation but no proton decay. The motivation for constructing such theories comes from the shortcomings of the standard model to explain the generation of baryon asymmetry in the universe, and from the absence of experimental evidence for proton decay. However, lack of any direct evidence for baryon number violation in general puts strong bounds on the naturalness of some of those models and favors theories with suppressed baryon number violation below the TeV scale. The initial part of the thesis concentrates on investigating models containing new scalars responsible for baryon number breaking. A model with new color sextet scalars is analyzed in more detail. Apart from generating cosmological baryon number, it gives nontrivial predictions for the neutron-antineutron oscillations, the electric dipole moment of the neutron, and neutral meson mixing. The second model discussed in the thesis contains a new scalar leptoquark. Although this model predicts mainly lepton flavor violation and a nonzero electric dipole moment of the electron, it includes, in its original form, baryon number violating nonrenormalizable dimension-five operators triggering proton decay. Imposing an appropriate discrete symmetry forbids such operators. Finally, a supersymmetric model with gauged baryon and lepton numbers is proposed. It provides a natural explanation for proton stability and predicts lepton number violating processes below the supersymmetry breaking scale, which can be tested at the Large Hadron Collider. The dark matter candidate in this model carries baryon number and can be searched for in direct detection experiments as well. The thesis is completed by constructing and briefly discussing a minimal extension of the standard model with gauged baryon, lepton, and flavor symmetries.

Outline of the progress in the study of radioactive nuclear physics and super-heavy nuclei

We briefly introduce the current status and progress in the field of radioactive ion beam physics and the study of super-heavy nuclei. Some important problems and research directions are outlined, such as the sub-barrier fusion reaction, the direct reaction at Fermi energy and high energies, the property of nuclei at drip-lines, new magic numbers and new collective motion modes for unstable nuclei and the synthesis and study of the super-heavy nuclei.

Production cross sections of superheavy nuclei based on dinuclear system model

The barrier distribution function method is introduced in the dinuclear system model in the calculation of the transmission probability, which is the first stage in the synthesis of superheavy nuclei. Dynamical deformation and averaging collision orientations are considered in the calculation of the fusion probability by solving master equation numerically. Survival probability with respect to xn evaporation channel (x = 1-5) in the de-excitation process of the thermal compound nucleus is calculated, in which the level density of the Fermi-gas model is used. Production cross sections of a series of superheavy nuclei formed in the reactions taken magic and deformed nuclei as target in Ca-48 induced reactions are studied systematically. The calculated results are in good agreement with available experimental data. Isotopic dependence of the production cross sections in the reactions Ca-48 + Pu is analyzed.

Nuclear physics program at HIRFL

With the commissioning of HIRFL-CSR, HIRFL can provide heavy ion beams with energy covering the range of several MeV/u to 1 GeV/u. In this talk, the experiments on nuclear physics at different energies to be carried out with different experimental setups at HIRFL will be introduced.

STATUS AND PROSPECTS OF HIRFL EXPERIMENTS ON NUCLEAR PHYSICS

HIRFL is an accelerator complex consisting of 3 accelerators, 2 radioactive beams lines, 1 storage rings and a number of experimental setups. The research activities at HIRFL cover the fields of radio-biology, material science, atomic physics, and nuclear physics. This report mainly concentrates on the experiments of nuclear physics with the existing and planned experimental setups such as SHANS, RIBLL1, ETF, CSRe, PISA and HPLUS at HIRFL.

Laser Driven Nuclear Physics at ELI–NP

High power lasers have proven being capable to produce high energy γ-rays, charged particles and neutrons, and to induce all kinds of nuclear reactions. At ELI, the studies with high power lasers will enter for the first time into new domains of power and intensities: 10 PW and 10^23 W/cm^2. While the development of laser based radiation sources is the main focus at the ELI-Beamlines pillar of ELI, at ELI-NP the studies that will benefit from High Power Laser System pulses will focus on Laser Driven Nuclear Physics (this TDR, acronym LDNP, associated to the E1 experimental area), High Field Physics and QED (associated to the E6 area) and fundamental research opened by the unique combination of the two 10 PW laser pulses with a gamma beam provided by the Gamma Beam System (associated to E7 area). The scientific case of the LDNP TDR encompasses studies of laser induced nuclear reactions, aiming for a better understanding of nuclear properties, of nuclear reaction rates in laser-plasmas, as well as on the development of radiation source characterization methods based on nuclear techniques. As an example of proposed studies: the promise of achieving solid-state density bunches of (very) heavy ions accelerated to about 10 MeV/nucleon through the RPA mechanism will be exploited to produce highly astrophysical relevant neutron rich nuclei around the N~126 waiting point, using the sequential fission-fusion scheme, complementary to any other existing or planned method of producing radioactive nuclei.

The studies will be implemented predominantly in the E1 area of ELI-NP. However, many of them can be, in a first stage, performed in the E5 and/or E4 areas, where higher repetition laser pulses are available, while the harsh X-ray and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) environments are less damaging compared to E1.

A number of options are discussed through the document, having an important impact on the budget and needed resources. Depending on the TDR review and subsequent project decisions, they may be taken into account for space reservation, while their detailed design and implementation will be postponed.

The present TDR is the result of contributions from several institutions engaged in nuclear physics and high power laser research. A significant part of the proposed equipment can be designed, and afterwards can be built, only in close collaboration with (or subcontracting to) some of these institutions. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is currently under preparation with each of these key partners as well as with others that are interested to participate in the design or in the future experimental program.

Mesonic fluctuations in a nonlocal Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model

The effects of meson fluctuations are studied in a nonlocal generalization of the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model, by including terms of next-to-leading order (NLO) in 1/Nc. In the model with only scalar and pseudoscalar interactions NLO contributions to the quark condensate are found to be very small. This is a result of cancellation between virtual mesons and Fock terms, which occurs for the parameter sets of most interest. In the quark self-energy, similar cancellations arise in the tadpole diagrams, although not in other NLO pieces which contribute at the 25% level. The effects on pion properties are also found to be small. NLO contributions from real pi-pi intermediate states increase the sigma meson mass by 30%. In an extended model with vector and axial interactions, there are indications that NLO effects could be larger.

Meson properties in an extended nonlocal NJL model

We consider a non-local version of the NJL model, based on a separable quark-quark interaction. The interaction is extended to include terms that bind vector and axial-vector mesons. The non-locality means that no further regulator is required. Moreover the model is able to confine the quarks by generating a quark propagator without poles at real energies. Working in the ladder approximation, we calculate amplitudes in Euclidean space and discuss features of their continuation to Minkowski energies. Conserved currents are constructed and we demonstrate their consistency with various Ward identities. Various meson masses are calculated, along with their strong and electromagnetic decay amplitudes. We also calculate the electromagnetic form factor of the pion, as well as form factors associated with the processes γγ* → π0 and ω → π0γ*. The results are found to lead to a satisfactory phenomenology and lend some dynamical support to the idea of vector-meson dominance.

Projected changes in tropical cyclones over Vietnam and the South China Sea using a 25 km regional climate model perturbed physics ensemble

The regional climate modelling system PRECIS, was run at 25 km horizontal resolution for 150 years (1949-2099) using global driving data from a five member perturbed physics ensemble (based on the coupled global climate model HadCM3). Output from these simulations was used to investigate projected changes in tropical cyclones (TCs) over Vietnam and the South China Sea due to global warming (under SRES scenario A1B). Thirty year climatological mean periods were used to look at projected changes in future (2069-2098) TCs compared to a 1961-1990 baseline. Present day results were compared qualitatively with IBTrACS observations and found to be reasonably realistic. Future projections show a 20-44 % decrease in TC frequency, although the spatial patterns of change differ between the ensemble members, and an increase of 27-53 % in the amount of TC associated precipitation. No statistically significant changes in TC intensity were found, however, the occurrence of more intense TCs (defined as those with a maximum 10 m wind speed > 35 m/s) was found to increase by 3-9 %. Projected increases in TC associated precipitation are likely caused by increased evaporation and availability of atmospheric water vapour, due to increased sea surface and atmospheric temperature. The mechanisms behind the projected changes in TC frequency are difficult to link explicitly; changes are most likely due to the combination of increased static stability, increased vertical wind shear and decreased upward motion, which suggest a decrease in the tropical overturning circulation.

Standard model: An introduction

We present a primer on the Standard Model of the electroweak interaction. Emphasis is given to the historical aspects of the theory's formulation. The radiative corrections to the Standard Model are presented and its predictions for the electroweak parameters are compared with the precise experimental data obtained at the Z pole. Finally, we make some remarks on the perspectives for the discovery of the Higgs boson, the most important challenge of the Standard Model.

Muon transverse polarization in the K-l2 gamma decay in the standard model

The muon transverse polarization in the K+-->mu(+)nugamma process induced by the electromagnetic final state interaction is calculated in the framework of the standard model. It is shown that one loop contributions lead to a nonvanishing muon transverse polarization. The value of the muon transverse polarization averaged over the kinematical region of E(gamma)greater than or equal to20 MeV is equal to 5.63x10(-4).

Scaling in few-body nuclear physics

The nuclear matter calculations with realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials present a general scaling between the nucleon-nucleus binding energy, the corresponding saturation density, and the triton binding energy. The Thomas-Efimov three-body effect implies in correlations among low-energy few-body and many-body observables. It is also well known that, by varying the short-range repulsion, keeping the two-nucleon information (deuteron and scattering) fixed, the four-nucleon and three-nucleon binding energies lie on a very narrow band known as a Tjon line. By looking for a universal scaling function connecting the proper scales of the few-body system with those of the many-body system, we suggest that the general nucleus-nucleon scaling mechanism is a manifestation of a universal few-body effect.

Renormalization in few-body nuclear physics

Renormalized fixed-point Hamiltonians are formulated for systems described by interactions that originally contain point-like singularities (as the Dirac-delta and/or its derivatives). They express the renormalization group invariance of quantum mechanics. The present approach for the renormalization scheme relies on a subtracted T-matrix equation.

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the p(p)over-bar -> ZH -> v(v)over-barb(b)over-bar channel

We report a search for the standard model (SM) Higgs boson based on data collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 260 pb(-1). We study events with missing transverse energy and two acoplanar b jets, which provide sensitivity to the ZH production cross section in the nu nu bb channel, and to WH production when the lepton from the W ->center dot nu decay is undetected. The data are consistent with the SM background expectation, and we set 95% C.L. upper limits on sigma(pp -> ZH/WH) x B(H -> bb) from 3.4/8.3 to 2.5/6.3 pb, for Higgs-boson masses between 105 and 135 GeV.