0000000000432745
AUTHOR
Andrea Donini
Follow-up on non-leptonic Kaon decays at large $N_c$
We report on the status of our dynamical simulations of a $SU (N_c )$ gauge theory with $N_c=3-6$ and $N_f =4$ fundamental fermions. These ensembles can be used to study the Large $N_c$ scaling of weak matrix elements in the GIM limit $m_c=m_u$, that might shed some light on the origin of the $\Delta I=1/2$ rule. We present preliminary results for the $K \to \pi$ matrix elements in the $N_c=3$ dynamical simulations, where we observe a significant effect of the quark loops that goes in the direction of enhancing the ratio of $A_0/A_2$ amplitudes. Finally, we present the relevant NLO Chiral Perturbation Theory predictions for the relation between $K \to \pi $ and $K \to \pi \pi$ amplitudes in…
Neutrino mixing and CP-violation
The prospects of measuring the leptonic angles and CP-odd phases at a neutrino factory are discussed in two scenarios: 1) three active neutrinos as indicated by the present ensemble of atmospheric plus solar data; 2) three active plus one sterile neutrino when the LSND signal is also taken into account. For the latter we develop one and two mass dominance approximations. The appearance of wrong sign muons in long baseline experiments and tau leptons in short baseline ones provides the best tests of CP-violation in scenarios 1) and 2), respectively.
Neutrino tomography of the Earth
Cosmic-ray interactions with the nuclei of the Earth's atmosphere produce a flux of neutrinos in all directions with energies extending above the TeV scale. However, the Earth is not a fully transparent medium for neutrinos with energies above a few TeV. At these energies, the charged-current neutrino-nucleon cross section is large enough so that the neutrino mean-free path in a medium with the Earth's density is comparable to the Earth's diameter. Therefore, when neutrinos of these energies cross the Earth, there is a non-negligible probability for them to be absorbed. Since this effect depends on the distance traveled by neutrinos and on their energy, studying the zenith and energy distri…
Towards N=1 Super-Yang-Mills on the Lattice
We consider the lattice regularization of N=1 supersymmetric Yang--Mills theory with Wilson fermions. This formulation breaks supersymmetry at any finite lattice spacing; we discuss how Ward identities can be used to define a supersymmetric continuum limit, which coincides with the point where the gluino becomes massless. As a first step towards the understanding of the zero gluino-mass limit, we present results on the quenched low-lying spectrum of SU(2) N=1 Super-Yang--Mills, at $\beta=2.6$ on a $V=16^3 \times 32$ lattice, in the OZI approximation. Our results, in spite of the quenched and OZI approximations, are in remarkable agreement with theoretical predictions in the supersymmetric t…
Physics at a future Neutrino Factory and super-beam facility
The conclusions of the Physics Working Group of the international scoping study of a future Neutrino Factory and super-beam facility (the ISS) are presented. The ISS was carried by the international community between NuFact05, (the 7th International Workshop on Neutrino Factories and Superbeams, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Rome, June 21-26, 2005) and NuFact06 (Ivine, California, 24{30 August 2006). The physics case for an extensive experimental programme to understand the properties of the neutrino is presented and the role of high-precision measurements of neutrino oscillations within this programme is discussed in detail. The performance of second generation super-beam experiments, …
Lattice B-parameters for Delta S=2 and Delta I=3/2 operators
We compute several matrix elements of dimension-six four-fermion operators and extract their B-parameters. The calculations have been performed with the tree-level Clover action at beta = 6.0. The renormalization constants and mixing coefficients of the lattice operators have been obtained non-perturbatively. In the renormalization scheme, at a renormalization scale mu similar or equal to 2 GeV, we find B-K(B-9(3/2))=0.66(11), B-7(3/2)=0.72(5) and B-8(3/2)=1.03(3). The result for B-8(3/2) has important implications for the calculation of epsilon'/epsilon.
Precision on leptonic mixing parameters at future neutrino oscillation experiments
Journal of High Energy Physics 2012.6 (2012): 73 reproduced by permission of Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA)
Meson interactions at large $N_c$ from Lattice QCD
We report on the computation of the scaling of QCD observables with the number of colours, $N_c$. For this, we use dynamical configurations with four active flavours, $N_f=4$, and values of $N_c=3-6$. We study the meson masses and decay constants, and compute the leading and subleading contributions to the Low Energy Constants (LECs) of the chiral Lagrangian. We also explore $\pi \pi$ scattering in the $I=2$ channel, and compute the $K \to \pi $ weak decay matrix elements. We comment on the relation of the latter to $K \to \pi\pi$ processes and the $\Delta I=1/2$ rule.
Minimal models with light sterile neutrinos
We study the constraints imposed by neutrino oscillation experiments on the minimal extensions of the Standard Model (SM) with $n_R$ gauge singlet fermions ("right-handed neutrinos"), that can account for neutrino masses. We consider the most general coupling to SM fields of the new fields, in particular those that break lepton number and we do not assume any a priori hierarchy in the mass parameters. We proceed to analyze these models starting from the lowest level of complexity, defined by the number of extra fermionic degrees of freedom. The simplest choice that has enough free parameters in principle (i.e. two mass differences and two angles) to explain the confirmed solar and atmospher…
Summary of golden measurements at a ν-factory
The precision and discovery potential of a neutrino factory based on muon storage rings is summarized. For three-family neutrino oscillations, we analyze how to measure or severely constraint the angle $\theta_{13}$, CP violation, MSW effects and the sign of the atmospheric mass difference $\Delta m^2_{23}$. The appearance of ``wrong-sign muons'' at three reference baselines is considered: 732 km, 3500 km and 7332 km. We exploit the dependence of the signal on the neutrino energy, and include as well realistic background estimations and detection efficiencies. The optimal baseline turns out to be $O$(3000 km).
B-parameters for ΔS=2 supersymmetric operators
We present a calculation of the matrix elements of the most general set of DeltaS=2 dimension-six four-fermion operators. The values of the matrix elements are given in terms of the corresponding B-parameters. Our results can be used in many phenomenological applications, since the operators considered here give important contributions to K^0--K^0bar mixing in several extensions of the Standard Model (supersymmetry, left-right symmetric models, multi-Higgs models etc.). The determination of the matrix elements improves the accuracy of the phenomenological analyses intended to put bounds on basic parameters of the different models, as for example the pattern of the sfermion mass matrices. Th…
Non-Perturbative Renormalization of Lattice Four-Fermion Operators without Power Subtractions
A general non-perturbative analysis of the renormalization properties of $\Delta I=3/2$ four-fermion operators in the framework of lattice regularization with Wilson fermions is presented. We discuss the non-perturbative determination of the operator renormalization constants in the lattice Regularization Independent (RI or MOM) scheme. We also discuss the determination of the finite lattice subtraction coefficients from Ward Identities. We prove that, at large external virtualities, the determination of the lattice mixing coefficients, obtained using the RI renormalization scheme, is equivalent to that based on Ward Identities, in the continuum and chiral limits. As a feasibility study of …
Gravity-mediated Scalar Dark Matter in Warped Extra-Dimensions
We revisit the case of scalar dark matter interacting just gravitationally with the Standard Model (SM) particles in an extra-dimensional Randall-Sundrum scenario. We assume that both, the dark matter and the Standard Model, are localized in the TeV brane and only interact via gravitational mediators, namely the graviton Kaluza-Klein modes and the radion. We analyze in detail the dark matter annihilation channel into two on-shell KK-gravitons, and contrary to previous studies which overlooked this process, we find that it is possible to obtain the correct relic abundance for dark matter masses in the range [1, 10] TeV even after taking into account the strong bounds from LHC Run II. We also…
Spin-dependence of gravity-mediated dark matter in warped extra-dimensions
We study the spin-dependence of Dark Matter (DM) particles which interact gravitationally with the Standard Model (SM) in an extra-dimensional Randall-Sundrum scenario. We assume that both the Dark Matter and the Standard Model are confined to the TeV (Infra-red) brane and only interact via gravitational mediators, namely Kaluza-Klein gravitons and the radion. We analyze the different DM annihilation channels and find that it is possible to achieve the presently observed relic abundance of Dark Matter, $\Omega_{\rm DM}$, within the freeze-out mechanism for DM particles of spin 0, 1/2 and 1. We study the region of the model parameter space for which $\Omega_{\rm DM}$ is achieved and compare …
The minimal 3+2 neutrino model versus oscillation anomalies
We study the constraints imposed by neutrino oscillation experiments on the minimal extension of the Standard Model that can explain neutrino masses, which requires the addition of just two singlet Weyl fermions. The most general renormalizable couplings of this model imply generically four massive neutrino mass eigenstates while one remains massless: it is therefore a minimal 3+2 model. The possibility to account for the confirmed solar, atmospheric and long-baseline oscillations, together with the LSND/MiniBooNE and reactor anomalies is addressed. We find that the minimal model can fit oscillation data including the anomalies better than the standard $3\nu$ model and similarly to the 3+2 …
Non-perturbative renormalization in kaon decays
We discuss the application of the MPSTV non-perturbative method \cite{NPM} to the operators relevant to kaon decays. This enables us to reappraise the long-standing question of the $\Delta I=1/2$ rule, which involves power-divergent subtractions that cannot be evaluated in perturbation theory. We also study the mixing with dimension-six operators and discuss its implications to the chiral behaviour of the $B_K$ parameter.
Four species neutrino oscillations at nu-Factory: sensitivity and CP-violation
The prospects of measuring the leptonic angles and CP-odd phases at a {\em neutrino factory} are discussed in the scenario of three active plus one sterile neutrino. We consider the $\nu_\mu \raw \nu_e$ LSND signal. Its associated large mass difference leads to observable neutrino oscillations at short ($\sim 1$ km) baseline experiments. Sensitivities to the leptonic angles down to $10^{-3}$ can be easily achieved with a 1 Ton detector. Longer baseline experiments ($\sim 100$ km) with a 1 Kton detector can provide very clean tests of CP-violation especially through tau lepton detection.
Gravity-mediated dark matter in clockwork/linear dilaton extra-dimensions
We study for the first time the possibility that Dark Matter (represented by particles with spin $0,1/2$ or $1$) interacts gravitationally with Standard Model particles in an extra-dimensional Clockwork/Linear Dilaton model. We assume that both, the Dark Matter and the Standard Model, are localized in the IR-brane and only interact via gravitational mediators, namely the Kaluza-Klein (KK) graviton and the radion/KK-dilaton modes. We analyse in detail the Dark Matter annihilation channel into Standard Model particles and into two on-shell Kaluza-Klein towers (either two KK-gravitons, or two radion/KK-dilatons, or one of each), finding that it is possible to obtain the observed relic abundanc…
Gain fractions of future neutrino oscillation facilities over T2K and NOvA
We evaluate the probability of future neutrino oscillation facilities to discover leptonic CP violation and/or measure the neutrino mass hierarchy. We study how this probability is affected by positive or negative hints for these observables to be found at T2K and NO nu A. We consider the following facilities: LBNE; T2HK; and the 10 GeV Neutrino Factory (NF10), and show how their discovery probabilities change with the running time of T2K and NO nu A conditioned to their results. We find that, if after 15 years T2K and NO nu A have not observed a 90% CL hint of CP violation, then LBNE and T2HK have less than a 10% chance of achieving a 5 sigma discovery, whereas NF10 still has a similar to …
Renormalization group invariant matrix elements of Delta S = 2 and Delta I = 3/2 four fermion operators without quark masses
We introduce a new parameterization of four-fermion operator matrix elements which does not involve quark masses and thus allows a reduction of systematic uncertainties. In order to simplify the matching between lattice and continuum renormalization schemes, we express our results in terms of renormalization group invariant B-parameters which are renormalization-scheme and scale independent. As an application of our proposal, matrix elements of DI=3/2 and SUSY DS =2 operators have been computed. The calculations have been performed using the tree-level improved Clover lattice action at two different values of the strong coupling constant (beta=6/g^2=6.0 and 6.2), in the quenched approximati…
A scalar field coupled to a brane in ${\cal M}_4 \times {\cal S}_1$. Part I: Kaluza-Klein spectrum and zero-mode localization
A toy model where a massless, real, scalar field $\Phi$ in a compact space-time ${\cal M}_4 \times {\cal S}_1$ is coupled to a brane (parametrized as a $\delta$-function) through the unique relevant operator $\delta (y) \Phi^2 (x,y)$ is considered. The exact Kaluza-Klein spectrum of the model is computed for any value of the coupling between field and brane using the Burniston-Siewert method to solve analytically transcendental equations. The exact KK-spectrum of a model with a Brane-Localized Kinetic Term is also computed. Weak- and strong-coupling limits are derived, matching or extending mathematically equivalent existing results. For a negative coupling, the would-be zero-mode $\psi_{0^…
Kaluza-Klein FIMP dark matter in warped extra-dimensions
We study for the first time the case in which Dark Matter (DM) is made of Feebly Interacting Massive Particles (FIMP) interacting just gravitationally with the standard model particles in an extra-dimensional Randall-Sundrum scenario. We assume that both the dark matter and the standard model are localized in the IR-brane and only interact via gravitational mediators, namely the graviton, the Kaluza-Klein gravitons and the radion. We found that in the early Universe DM could be generated via two main processes: the direct freeze-in and the sequential freeze-in. The regions where the observed DM relic abundance is produced are largely compatible with cosmological and collider bounds.
Golden measurements at a neutrino factory
The precision and discovery potential of a neutrino factory based on muon storage rings is studied. For three-family neutrino oscillations, we analyse how to measure or severely constraint the angle $\theta_{13}$, CP violation, MSW effects and the sign of the atmospheric mass difference $\Delta m^2_{23}$. We present a simple analytical formula for the oscillation probabilities in matter, with all neutrino mass differences non-vanishing, which clarifies the subtleties involved in disentangling the unknown parameters. The appearance of ``wrong-sign muons'' at three reference baselines is considered: 732 km, 3500 km, and 7332 km. We exploit the dependence of the signal on the neutrino energy, …