We study the impact of the effect of multinucleon interactions in the reconstruction of the neutrino energy on the fit of the MiniBooNE data in terms of neutrino oscillations. We obtain some improvement of the fit of the MiniBooNE low-energy excess in the framework of two-neutrino oscillations and a shift of the allowed region in the ${\sin }^{2}2\vartheta \text{−}\mathrm{\Delta }{m}^2$ plane toward smaller values of ${\sin }^{2}2\vartheta$ and larger values of $\mathrm{\Delta }{m}^2$. However, this effect is not enough to solve the problem of the appearance-disappearance tension in the global fit of short-baseline neutrino oscillation data.

We present measurements of the electron-recoil (ER) response of the LUX dark matter detector based upon 170 000 highly pure and spatially uniform tritium decays. We reconstruct the tritium energy spectrum using the combined energy model and find good agreement with expectations. We report the average charge and light yields of ER events in liquid xenon at 180 and $105\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{cm}$ and compare the results to the NEST model. We also measure the mean charge recombination fraction and its fluctuations, and we investigate the location and width of the LUX ER band. These results provide input to a reanalysis of the LUX run 3 weakly interacting massive particle search.

We present the first search for the rare decay of ${\eta }^{\prime }$ into $K^{\pm }{\pi }^{\mp }$ in $J/\psi \to \varphi {\eta }^{\prime }$, using a sample of $1.3\times 10^{9}J/\psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector. No significant signal is observed, and the upper limit at the 90% confidence level for the ratio $\frac{\mathcal{B}({\eta }^{\prime }\to K^{\pm }{\pi }^{\mp })}{\mathcal{B}({\eta }^{\prime }\to \gamma {\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-})}$ is determined to be $1.3\times 10^{-4}$. In addition, we report the measurement of the branching fraction of $J/\psi \to \varphi {\eta }^{\prime }$ to be $[5.10\pm 0.03(\text{stat})\pm 0.32(\text{syst})]\times 10^{-4}$, which agrees with previous results from BESII.

The two-dimensional, massless Gross-Neveu model with $N_c$ colors and SU(2) isospin is studied analytically in the large $N_c$ limit. The chiral $\mathrm{SU}(2{)}_L\times \mathrm{SU}(2{)}_R$ symmetry is broken spontaneously in the vacuum. Twisted kinks connecting two arbitrary points on the vacuum manifold $S^3$ are constructed, and their properties are explored. The phase diagram as a function of temperature and baryon and isospin chemical potential is discussed, with special emphasis on inhomogeneous phases. The preferred form of the condensate is a product of the real kink crystal and the chiral spiral. Kink-kink scattering is solved, using the general solution of the multicomponent Bogoliubov–de Gennes equation recently presented by Takahashi.

In this work, we use a Hořava-Lifshitz scaling to rewrite a Lorentz-violating higher-order derivative electrodynamics controlled by a background 4-vector $n_{\mu }$. The photon propagator is obtained, and we analyze the dispersion relation, and the observational results of gamma-ray burst (GRB) experiments are used. The limits of the critical exponent are discussed in light of the GRB data, and the physical implications are compared with the current GRB-Lorentz-invariance-violation literature. We show that the bound for the Lorentz-violating coupling for dimension-6 operators, obtained from a Hořava-Lifshitz scaling, is 8 orders of magnitude better than the result found without considering a Hořava-Lifshitz scaling and also that this bound is near to 1, which is expected to be relevant phenomenologically.

We study the ultraviolet stability of gravity-matter systems for general numbers of minimally coupled scalars and fermions. This is done within the functional renormalization group setup put forward in [N. Christiansen, B. Knorr, J. Meibohm, J. M. Pawlowski, and M. Reichert, Phys. Rev. D 92, 121501 (2015).] for pure gravity. It includes full dynamical propagators and a genuine dynamical Newton’s coupling, which is extracted from the graviton three-point function. We find ultraviolet stability of general gravity-fermion systems. Gravity-scalar systems are also found to be ultraviolet stable within validity bounds for the chosen generic class of regulators, based on the size of the anomalous dimension. Remarkably, the ultraviolet fixed points for the dynamical couplings are found to be significantly different from those of their associated background counterparts, once matter fields are included. In summary, the asymptotic safety scenario does not put constraints on the matter content of the theory within the validity bounds for the chosen generic class of regulators.

Helical hypermagnetic fields in the primordial Universe can produce the observed amount of baryon asymmetry through the chiral anomaly without any ingredients beyond the standard model of particle physics. While they generate no $B-L$ asymmetry, the generated baryon asymmetry survives the spharelon washout effect, because the generating process remains active until the electroweak phase transition. Solving the Boltzmann equation numerically and finding an attractor solution, we show that the baryon asymmetry of our Universe can be explained, if the present large-scale magnetic fields indicated by the blazar observations have a negative helicity and existed in the early Universe before the electroweak phase transition. We also derive the upper bound on the strength of the helical magnetic field, which is tighter than the cosmic microwave background constraint, to avoid the overproduction of baryon asymmetry.

We discuss the implications of a PIXIE-like experiment, which would measure $\mu$-type spectral distortions of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at a level of ${\sigma }_{\mu }=(1/n)\times {10}^{-8}$, with $n\ge 1$ representing an improved sensitivity (e.g. $n=10$ corresponds to PRISM). Using Planck data and considering the six-parameter $\mathrm{\Lambda }\mathrm{CDM}$ model, we compute the posterior for ${\mu }_8\equiv \mu \times {10}^8$ and find ${\mu }_8=1.57_{-0.13}^{+0.11}$ (68% C.L.). This becomes ${\mu }_8=1.28_{-0.52}^{+0.30}$ (68% C.L.) when the running ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{s}}$ of the spectral index is included. We point out that a sensitivity of about $3\times \mathrm{PIXIE}$ implies a guaranteed discovery: $\mu$ distortion is detected or ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{s}}\ge 0$ is excluded (both at 95% C.L. or higher). This threshold sensitivity sets a clear benchmark for CMB spectrometry. For a combined analysis of PIXIE and current Planck data, we discuss the improvement on measurements of the tilt $n_{\mathrm{s}}$ and the running ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{s}}$ and the dependence on the choice of the pivot. A fiducial running of ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{s}}=-0.01$ (close to the Planck best fit) leads to a detection of negative running at $2\sigma$ for $5\times \mathrm{PIXIE}$. A fiducial running of ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{s}}=-0.02$, still compatible with Planck, requires $3\times \mathrm{PIXIE}$ to rule out ${\alpha }_{\mathrm{s}}=0$ (at 95% C.L.). We propose a convenient and compact visualization of the improving constraints on the tilt, running and tensor-to-scalar ratio.

Achieving quantum limited sensitivity in a laser interferometric gravitational wave detector can be hindered by an optomechanical parametric instability of the interferometer. This instability is sustained by a large number of idle high-finesse Stokes modes supported by the system. We show that by optimizing the geometrical shape of the mirrors of the detector, one reduces the diffraction-limited finesse of unessential optical modes and effectively increases the instability threshold. Utilizing parameters of the Advanced LIGO system as a reference, we find that the proposed technique allows constructing a Fabry-Perot interferometer with round-trip diffraction loss of the fundamental mode not exceeding 5 ppm, whereas the loss of the first dipole as well as the other high-order modes exceeds 1000 ppm and 8000 ppm, respectively. This is 2 orders of magnitude higher if compared with a conventional Advanced LIGO interferometer. The optimization comes at the price of tighter tolerances on the mirror tilt stability, but it does not result in a significant modification of the optical beam profile and does not require changes in the gravity detector readout system. The cavity with proposed mirrors is also stable with respect to the slight modification of the mirror shape.

We study two nonlinear extensions of the nonlocal $R{\square }^{-2}R$ gravity theory. We extend this theory in two different ways suggested by conformal symmetry, either replacing ${\square }^{-2}$ with $(-\square +R/6{)}^{-2}$, which is the operator that enters the action for a conformally-coupled scalar field, or replacing ${\square }^{-2}$ with the inverse of the Paneitz operator, which is a four-derivative operator that enters in the effective action induced by the conformal anomaly. We show that the former modification gives an interesting and viable cosmological model, with a dark energy equation of state today $w_{\mathrm{DE}}\simeq -1.01$, which very closely mimics $\mathrm{\Lambda }\mathrm{CDM}$ and evolves asymptotically into a de Sitter solution. The model based on the Paneitz operator seems instead excluded by the comparison with observations. We also review some issues about the causality of nonlocal theories, and we point out that these nonlocal models can be modified so to nicely interpolate between Starobinski inflation in the primordial universe and accelerated expansion in the recent epoch.

We study a level crossing between the QCD axion and an axionlike particle, focusing on the recently found phenomenon, the axion roulette, where the axionlike particle runs along the potential, passing through many crests and troughs, until it gets trapped in one of the potential minima. We perform detailed numerical calculations to determine the parameter space where the axion roulette takes place, and as a result domain walls are likely formed. The domain wall network without cosmic strings is practically stable, and it is nothing but a cosmological disaster. In a certain case, one can make domain walls unstable and decay quickly by introducing an energy bias without spoiling the Peccei-Quinn solution to the strong charge parity problem.

We discuss the characteristic low energy phenomenological implications of an $SU(5)$ supersymmetric (SUSY) grand unified theory whose flavor structure is controlled by the family symmetry $S_4\times U(1)$, which provides a good description of all quark and lepton masses, mixings as well as charge parity violation. Although the model closely mimics minimal flavor violation (MFV) as shown in M. Dimou, S. F. King, and C. Luhn, J. High Energy Phys. 02 (2016) 118., here we focus on the differences. We first present numerical estimates of the low energy mass insertion parameters, including canonical normalization and renormalization group running, for well-defined ranges of SUSY parameters and compare the naive model expectations to the numerical scans and the experimental bounds. Our results are then used to estimate the model-specific predictions for electric dipole moments (EDMs), lepton flavor violation (LFV), $B$ and $K$ meson mixing as well as rare $B$ decays. The largest observable deviations from MFV come from the LFV process $\mu \to e\gamma$ and the electron EDM.

We consider a three-Higgs doublet scenario in this paper, invariant under the discrete group $S_3$, and probe its high-scale validity by allowing the model parameters to evolve under a renormalization group. We choose two particular alignments of vacuum expectation values (vev) for our study, out of a set of several such possible ones. All three doublets receive nonzero vacuum expectation values in the first case, and in the second case, two of the doublets remain without vev. The constraints on the parameter space at low energy, including the measured value of the Higgs mass and the signal strengths, oblique corrections and also measurements of relic density and direct detection rates are juxtaposed with the conditions of vacuum stability, perturbativity and unitarity at various scales. We find that the scenario with three nonzero vevs is not valid beyond ${10}^7\mathrm{GeV}$, assuming no additional physics participates at the intermediate scales. On the contrary, the scenario with only one nonzero vev turns out to be a successful model for cold dark matter phenomenology, which also turns out to be valid up to the Planck scale at the same time. Stringent restrictions are obtained on the model parameter space in each case. Thus, the $S_3$ symmetric scalar sector emerges as an ultraviolet complete theory.

We investigate the question of electroweak naturalness within the deflected mirage mediation (DMM) framework for supersymmetry breaking in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. The class of DMM models considered are nine-parameter theories that fall within the general classification of the 19-parameter phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model. Our results show that these DMM models have regions of parameter space with very low electroweak fine-tuning, at levels comparable to the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model. These parameter regions should be probed extensively in the current LHC run.

We examine the possibility that the dark matter (DM) interpretation of the GeV scale Fermi gamma-ray excess at the Galactic center can be realized in a specific framework-secluded singlet fermionic dark matter model with small mixing between the dark and Standard Model sectors. Within this framework, it is shown that the DM annihilation into a bottom-quark pair, Higgs pair, and new scalar pair, shown to give good fits to the Fermi gamma-ray data in various model independent studies, can be successfully reproduced in our model. Moreover, unavoidable constraints from the antiproton ratio by PAMELA and AMS-02, the gamma-ray emission from the dwarf spheroidal galaxies by the Fermi-LAT, and the Higgs measurements by the LHC are also considered. Then, we find our best-fit parameters for the Fermi gamma-ray excess without conflicting other experimental and cosmological constraints if uncertainties on the DM density profile of the Milky Way Galaxy are taken into account. Successfully surviving parameters are benchmark points for future study on the collider signals.

The MINERvA Collaboration reports a novel study of neutrino-nucleus charged-current deep inelastic scattering (DIS) using the same neutrino beam incident on targets of polystyrene, graphite, iron, and lead. Results are presented as ratios of C, Fe, and Pb to CH. The ratios of total DIS cross sections as a function of neutrino energy and flux-integrated differential cross sections as a function of the Bjorken scaling variable $x$ are presented in the neutrino-energy range of 5–50 GeV. Based on the predictions of charged-lepton scattering ratios, good agreement is found between the data and prediction at medium $x$ and low neutrino energy. However, the ratios appear to be below predictions in the vicinity of the nuclear shadowing region, $x<0.1$. This apparent deficit, reflected in the DIS cross-section ratio at high $E_{\nu }$, is consistent with previous MINERvA observations [B. Tice et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 231801 (2014).] and with the predicted onset of nuclear shadowing with the axial-vector current in neutrino scattering.

The recently derived expressions for finite gauge transformations in double field theory with duality group $O(d,d)$ are generalized to give expressions for finite gauge transformations for extended field theories with duality group $SL(5,\mathbb{R})$, $SO(5,5)$ and $E_6$. The generalized metrics are discussed.

Our earlier paper “Complexity Equals Action” conjectured that the quantum computational complexity of a holographic state is given by the classical action of a region in the bulk (the “Wheeler-DeWitt” patch). We provide calculations for the results quoted in that paper, explain how it fits into a broader (tensor) network of ideas, and elaborate on the hypothesis that black holes are the fastest computers in nature.

In this paper, we study the three-dimensional noncommutative Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory. In the present analysis, a complete account for the gauge field two-point function renormalizability is presented and physical significant quantities are carefully established. The respective form factor expressions from the gauge field self-energy are computed at one-loop order. More importantly, an analysis of the gauge field dispersion relation, in search of possible noncommutative anomalies and infrared finiteness, is performed for three special cases, with particular interest in the highly noncommutative limit.

A comprehensive account of a new structured algorithm for obtaining nonrelativistic diffeomorphism invariances in both space and spacetime by gauging the Galilean symmetry in a generic nonrelativistic field theoretical model is provided. Various applications like the obtention of nonrelativistic diffeomorphism invariance, the introduction of the Chern-Simons term and its role in fractional quantum Hall effect, the induction of diffeomorphism in the irrotational fluid model, the abstraction of Newton-Cartan geometry, and the emergence of Horava-Lifshitz gravity are discussed in details.