16537102
On the existence of angular correlations in decays with heavy matter partners
If heavy partners of the Standard Model matter fields are discovered at the LHC it will be imperative to determine their spin in order to uncover the underlying theory. In decay chains, both the spin and the mass hierarchy of all particles involved can influence the resulting angular correlations. We present the necessary conditions for decays involving the matter partners to exhibit angular correlations. In particular we find that when the masses are not degenerate, a heavy fermionic sector always displays angular correlations in cascade decays. When the masses are closely degenerate the size of spin effects is controlled by a global phase parameter. In a large region of the parameter space, correlations are strongly suppressed. In other regions, such as in UED model where this phase is fixed by 5-d Lorentz invariance, the correlations are pronounced. In addition, we show that in certain cases one may even have enough information to determine the spin of other heavy partners involved in the decay (such as the Lightest Stable Partner or a heavy gluon).
118617332
Muonic hydrogen and MeV forces
We explore the possibility that a new interaction between muons and protons is responsible for the discrepancy between the CODATA value of the proton-radius and the value deduced from the measurement of the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen. We show that a new force carrier with roughly MeV-mass can account for the observed energy-shift as well as the discrepancy in the muon anomalous magnetic moment. However, measurements in other systems constrain the couplings to electrons and neutrons to be suppressed relative to the couplings to muons and protons, which seems challenging from a theoretical point of view. One can nevertheless make predictions for energy shifts in muonic deuterium, muonic helium, and true muonium under the assumption that the new particle couples dominantly to muons and protons.
13997029
Lepton jets in (supersymmetric) electroweak processes
We consider some of the recent proposals in which weak-scale dark matter is accompanied by a GeV scale dark sector that could produce spectacular lepton-rich events at the LHC. Since much of the collider phenomenology is only weakly model dependent it is possible to arrive at generic predictions for the discovery potential of future experimental searches. We concentrate on the production of dark states through Z0 bosons and electroweak-inos at the Tevatron or LHC, which are the cleanest channels for probing the dark sector. We properly take into account the effects of dark radiation and dark cascades on the formation of lepton jets. Finally, we present a concrete definition of a lepton jet and suggest several approaches for inclusive experimental searches.
125375882
A REVIEW OF SPIN DETERMINATION AT THE LHC
We review the prospects of direct spin determination of new particles which may be discovered at the LHC. We discuss the general framework and the different channels which contain spin information. The experimental challenges associated with such measurements are briefly discussed and the most urgent unresolved problems are emphasized.
119203743
RECAST — extending the impact of existing analyses
Searches for new physics by experimental collaborations represent a significant investment in time and resources. Often these searches are sensitive to a broader class of models than they were originally designed to test. We aim to extend the impact of existing searches through a technique we call recasting. A framework designed to facilitate the usage of this technique, called RECAST, is presented. We illustrate the issues and subtleties involved through several examples, including new results obtained from the reanalysis of archived LEP data. Website:www.recast.it
119202891
Nonlinear dynamics of 3D massive gravity
We explore the nonlinear classical dynamics of the three-dimensional theory of “New Massive Gravity” proposed by Bergshoeff, Hohm and Townsend. We find that the theory passes remarkably highly nontrivial consistency checks at the nonlinear level. In particular, we show that: (1) In the decoupling limit of the theory, the interactions of the helicity-0 mode are described by a single cubic term — the so-called cubic Galileon — previously found in the context of the DGP model and in certain 4D massive gravities. (2) The conformal mode of the metric coincides with the helicity-0 mode in the decoupling limit. Away from this limit the nonlinear dynamics of the former is described by a certain generalization of Galileon interactions, which like the Galileons themselves have a well-posed Cauchy problem. (3) We give a non-perturbative argument based on the presence of additional symmetries that the full theory does not lead to any extra degrees of freedom, suggesting that a 3D analog of the 4D Boulware-Deser ghost is not present in this theory. Last but not least, we generalize “New Massive Gravity” and construct a class of 3D cubic order massive models that retain the above properties.
121839880
The influence of the nuclear medium on K+ total cross sections
Abstract The study of the K + total cross sections on a wide range of nuclei has revealed important modifications of the free-space K + -nucleon interaction when the nucleon is embedded in a nucleus. Data indicating such an effect were first obtained in a comparison of the total cross sections on carbon and deuterium. In this letter we report new measurements on 6 Li, silicon, and calcium, and demonstrate that the previously reported modifications occur quite generally.