The three-body systems $\eta K^{*}{\overline{K}}^{*}$, $\pi K^{*}{\overline{K}}^{*}$, and $K{K}^{*}{\overline{K}}^{*}$ are further investigated within the framework of fixed-center approximation, where $K^{*}{\overline{K}}^{*}$ is treated as the fixed-center, corresponding to the possible scalar meson $a_0(1780)$ or the tensor meson $f_2^{\prime }(1525)$. The interactions between $\eta$, $\pi$, $K$, and $K^{*}$ are taken from the chiral unitary approach. The resonance structures appear in the modulus squared of the three-body scattering amplitude and suggest that $\eta /\pi /K-(K^{*}{\overline{K}}^{*}{)}_{a_0(1780)/f_2^{\prime }(1525)}$ hadron state can be formed. By scattering the $\eta$ meson on the fixed-center $(K^{*}{\overline{K}}^{*}{)}_{a_0(1780)}$, it is found that there is a distinct peak around 2100 MeV, as shown in the modulus squared of the three-body scattering amplitude, which can be associated with the meson $\pi (2070)$. For the scattering of the $\eta$ meson on the $(K^{*}{\overline{K}}^{*}{)}_{f_2^{\prime }(1525)}$, a resonance structure around 1890 MeV is found and it can be associated with the ${\eta }_2(1870)$ meson. Other resonance structures are also found and can be associated with ${\pi }_2(1880)$ and $\eta (2010)$.

Using a data sample of $(10087\pm 44)\times {10}^{6}J/\psi$ events collected by the BESIII detector in 2009, 2012, 2018 and 2019, the electromagnetic Dalitz process $J/\psi \to e^{+}{e}^{-}\eta (1405)$ is observed via the decay $\eta (1405)\to {\pi }^0{f}_0(980)$, $f_0(980)\to {\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-}$, with a significance of about $9.8\sigma$. The branching fraction of this decay is measured to be $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to e^{+}{e}^{-}\eta (1405)\to e^{+}{e}^{-}{\pi }^0{f}_0(980)\to e^{+}{e}^{-}{\pi }^0{\pi }^{+}{\pi }^{-})=(2.04\pm 0.20(\mathrm{stat})\pm 0.08(\mathrm{syst}))\times {10}^{-7}$. The branching fraction ratio $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to e^{+}{e}^{-}\eta (1405))/\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to \gamma \eta (1405))$ is determined to be $(1.36\pm 0.17(\mathrm{stat})\pm 0.06(\mathrm{syst}))\times {10}^{-2}$. Furthermore, an $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ invariant mass dependent transition form factor of $J/\psi \to e^{+}{e}^{-}\eta (1405)$ is presented for the first time. The obtained result provides input for different theoretical models and is valuable for the improved understanding the intrinsic structure of the $\eta (1405)$ meson.

The first observation of the decays $J/\psi \to \overline{p}{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}{K}_S^0$ and $J/\psi \to p{\overline{\mathrm{\Sigma }}}^{-}{K}_S^0$ is reported using $(10087\pm 44)\times {10}^{6}J/\psi$ events recorded by the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring. The branching fractions of each channel are determined to be $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to \overline{p}{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}{K}_S^0)=(1.361\pm 0.006\pm 0.025)\times {10}^{-4}$, and $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to p{\overline{\mathrm{\Sigma }}}^{-}{K}_S^0)=(1.352\pm 0.006\pm 0.025)\times {10}^{-4}$. The combined result is $\mathcal{B}(J/\psi \to \overline{p}{\mathrm{\Sigma }}^{+}{K}_S^0+\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{c}.)=(2.725\pm 0.009\pm 0.050)\times {10}^{-4}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The results presented are in good agreement with the branching fractions of the isospin partner decay $J/\psi \to p{K}^{-}{\overline{\mathrm{\Sigma }}}^0+\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{c}.$

We determine the efficacy of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (kSZ) signal extraction pipeline, using pairwise kSZ measurements, in recovering unbiased estimates of the signal and inference of the associated optical depth. We consider the impact of cluster coalignments along the line of sight, the modeling of baryonic clustering, and the presence of diffuse gas, as well as instrument beam convolution and noise. We demonstrate that two complementary approaches, aperture photometry, and a matched filter, can be used to recover an unbiased estimate of the cluster kSZ signal and the associated optical depth. Aperture photometry requires a correction factor accounting for the subtraction of signal in the annulus while the matched filter requires a tuning of the signal template profile. We show that both of these can be calibrated from simulated survey data. The optical depth estimates are also consistent with those inferred from stacked thermal SZ measurements. We apply the approaches to the publicly available Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) data. The techniques developed here provide a promising method to leverage upcoming kSZ measurements, from ACT, Simons Observatory, CCAT, and CMB-S4 with spectroscopic galaxy surveys from DESI, Euclid, and Roman, to constrain cosmological properties of the dark energy, gravity, and neutrino masses.

The inference of source parameters from gravitational-wave signals relies on theoretical models that describe the emitted waveform. Different model assumptions on which the computation of these models is based could lead to biases in the analysis of gravitational-wave data. In this work, we sample directly on four state-of-the-art binary black hole waveform models from different families, in order to investigate these systematic biases from the 13 heaviest gravitational-wave sources with moderate to high signal-to-noise ratios in the third Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog (GWTC-3). All models include spin-precession as well as higher-order modes. Using the “hypermodels” technique, we treat the waveform models as one of the sampled parameters, therefore directly getting the odds ratio of one waveform model over another from a single parameter estimation run. From the joint odds ratio over all 13 sources, we find the model NRSur7dq4 to be favored over SEOBNRv4PHM, with an odds ratio of 29.43; IMRPhenomXPHM and IMRPhenomTPHM have an odds ratio, respectively, of 4.70 and 5.09 over SEOBNRv4PHM. However, this result is mainly determined by three events that show a strong preference for some of the models and that are all affected by possible data quality issues. If we do not consider these potentially problematic events, the odds ratio do not exhibit a significant preference for any of the models. We also highlight that the models are not used at their full capabilities since, in order to compare them, we consider only the subdominant modes present in all of them. Although further work studying a larger set of signals will be needed for robust quantitative results, the presented method highlights one possible avenue for future waveform model development.

A large class of strongly correlated quantum systems can be described in certain large-N limits by quadratic in field actions along with self-consistency equations that determine the two-point functions. We use the replica approach and the notion of shifted Matsubara frequency to compute von Neumann and Rényi entanglement entropies for generic bipartitioning of such systems. We argue that the von Neumann entropy can be computed from equilibrium spectral functions without partitioning, while the Rényi entropy requires recalculating the spectrum in the interacting case. We demonstrate the flexibility of the method by applying it to examples of a two-site problem in presence of decoherence and coupled Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev models.

In this work we explore multiple search strategies for Higgsinos and mixed Higgsino-wino states in the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) and project the results onto the $(\mu ,M_2)$ plane. Assuming associated production of Higgsino-like pairs with a $W/Z$ boson, we develop a search in a channel characterized by a hadronically tagged vector boson accompanied by missing energy. We use as our template an ATLAS search for dark matter produced in association with a hadronically decaying vector boson, but upgrade the search by implementing a joint-likelihood analysis, binning the missing transverse energy distribution, which greatly improves the search sensitivity. For Higgsino-like states (more than 96% admixture) we find sensitivity to masses up to 550 GeV. For well-mixed Higgsino-wino states (70–30% Higgsino) we still find sensitivities above 300 GeV. Using this newly proposed search, we draw a phenomenological map of the wino-Higgsino parameter space, recasting several complementary searches for disappearing tracks, soft leptons, trileptons, and hadronic diboson events in order to predict LHC coverage of the $(\mu ,M_2)$ mass plane at integrated luminosities of up to $3{\mathrm{ab}}^{-1}$. Altogether, the full run of the HL-LHC can exclude much of the “natural” ($\mu ,M_2<500\mathrm{GeV}$) wino-Higgsino parameter space.

In this work we introduce ${\nu }^2$-flows, an extension of the $\nu$-flows method to final states containing multiple neutrinos. The architecture can natively scale for all combinations of object types and multiplicities in the final state for any desired neutrino multiplicities. In $t\overline{t}$ dilepton events, the momenta of both neutrinos and correlations between them are reconstructed more accurately than when using the most popular standard analytical techniques, and solutions are found for all events. Inference time is significantly faster than competing methods, and can be reduced further by evaluating in parallel on graphics processing units. We apply ${\nu }^2$-flows to $t\overline{t}$ dilepton events and show that the per-bin uncertainties in unfolded distributions is much closer to the limit of performance set by perfect neutrino reconstruction than standard techniques. For the chosen double differential observables ${\nu }^2$-flows results in improved statistical precision for each bin by a factor of 1.5 to 2 in comparison to the neutrino weighting method and up to a factor of four in comparison to the ellipse approach.

We show that very-long-baseline-interferometry (VLBI) observations of supermassive black holes will allow us to test the fundamental principles of general relativity (GR). GR is based on the universality of gravity and Einstein’s equivalence principle (EEP). However, EEP is not a basic principle of physics but an empirical fact. Nonminimal coupling (NMC) of electromagnetic fields violates EEP, and their effects manifest in the strong-gravity regime. Hence, VLBI observations of black holes provide an opportunity to test NMC in the strong-gravity regime. To the leading order in the spin parameter, we explicitly show that the NMC of the electromagnetic field introduces observable modifications to the black hole image. In addition, we find that the size of the photon rings varies by $\sim 3r_H$, which corresponds to $\sim 30\mu as$ for Sagittarius $A^{*}$ and $\sim 23\mu as$ for M87. VLBI telescopes are expected to attain a resolution of $\sim 5\mu as$ in the near future. However, direct detection of photon ring will require the resolution of $\sim 1\mu as$ for M87, which can potentially be probed by the space-based Event Horizon Explorer.

The NANOGrav and other pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) have recently announced evidence for nHz gravitational waves (GWs) that may originate from supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries. The spectral index of the GW signal differs from that predicted for binary evolution by GW emission alone, and we show that environmental effects such as dynamical friction with gas, stars, and dark matter improve the consistency of the SMBH binary model with the PTA data. We comment on the possible implications of environmental effects for PTA observations of fluctuations in the GW frequency spectrum and measurements of GWs at higher frequencies.

Within the framework of relative and absolute quantum field theories (QFTs), we present a general formalism for understanding polarizations of the intermediate defect group and constructing noninvertible duality defects in theories in $2k$ spacetime dimensions with self-dual gauge fields. We introduce the polarization pair, which fully specifies absolute QFTs as far as their ($k-1$)-form defect groups are concerned, including their ($k-1$)-form symmetries, global structures (including discrete $\theta$-angle), and local counterterms. Using the associated symmetry topological field theory (TFT), we show that the polarization pair is capable of succinctly describing topological manipulations, e.g., gauging ($k-1$)-form global symmetries and stacking counterterms, of absolute QFTs. Furthermore, automorphisms of the ($k-1$)-form charge lattice naturally act on polarization pairs via their action on the defect group; they can be viewed as dualities between absolute QFTs descending from the same relative QFT. Using this formalism, we present a prescription for building noninvertible symmetries of absolute QFTs. A large class of known examples, e.g., noninvertible defects in 4D $\mathcal{N}=4$ super-Yang-Mills, can be reformulated via this prescription. As another class of examples, we identify and investigate in detail a family of noninvertible duality defects in 6D superconformal field theories (SCFTs), including from the perspective of the symmetry TFT derived from type IIB string theory.

We make an attempt to describe Carroll particles with a nonvanishing value of energy (i.e. the Carroll particles which always stay in rest) in the framework of two time physics, developed in the series of papers by I. Bars and his coauthors. In the spacetime with one additional time dimension and one additional space dimension one can localize the symmetry which exists between generalized coordinate and their conjugate momenta. Such a localization implies the introduction of the gauge fields, which in turn implies the appearance of some first-class constraints. Choosing different gauge-fixing conditions and solving the constraints one obtain different time parameters, Hamiltonians, and generally, physical systems in the standard one time spacetime. In this way such systems as nonrelativistic particle, relativistic particles, hydrogen atoms, and harmonic oscillators were described as dual systems in the framework of two time physics. Here, we find a set of gauge fixing conditions which provides as with such a parametrization of the phase-space variables in the two time world which gives the description of Carroll particle in the one time world. Besides, we construct the quantum theory of such a particle using an unexpected correspondence between our parametrization and that obtained by Bars for the hydrogen atom in 1999.

In this work, we investigate the gravitational quasinormal modes (QNMs) and the gravitational resonances of a thick brane model. We use the asymptotic iteration and shooting methods to obtain the quasinormal frequencies (QNFs) of the brane. On the other hand, we investigate the resonances and their evolution numerically. The results show that the oscillations of the resonances equal (up to numerical error) the real parts of the QNFs, while the damping rates of the resonances equal the imaginary parts of the QNFs. The QNMs and resonances—both of them can be regarded as the characteristic modes of the thick brane—are closely related with each other. In addition, the lifetime of these QNMs could be very long, although perhaps they might be detected in a future accelerator or gravitational wave detector.

We consider a static, spherically symmetric space-time with an electric field arising from a quadratic metric-affine extension of general relativity. Such a space-time is free of singularities in the center of the black holes, while at large distances it quickly boils down to the usual Reissner-Nordström solution. We probe this space-time metric, which is uniquely characterized by two length scales, $r_q$ and $\ell$, using the astrometric and spectroscopic measurements of the orbital motion of the S2 star around the Galactic Center. Our analysis constrains $r_q$ to be below $2.7M$ for values $\ell <120$ A.U., strongly favoring a central object that resembles a Schwarzschild black hole.

Force-free electrodynamics (FFE) is known to describe the highly magnetized plasma around pulsars and astrophysical black holes. The equations describing FFE are highly nonlinear, and the task of finding a well-defined analytical solution has been unyielding. However, FFE can also be understood in terms of two-dimensional foliations of the ambient four-dimensional spacetime. The study of the foliations can provide significant insights into the structure of the force-free fields, and such foliations can be exploited to generate new null and nonnull solutions. In this paper, we present several nonnull solutions to the FFE equations in the Kerr spacetime obtained by applying the aforementioned methods of nonnull foliations.

We present a numerical analysis of the cosmological evolution of scalar field dark matter (SFDM) in the Boltzmann code class, based on a dynamical system analysis of previous works. We show a detailed study of the evolution of the different dynamical variables and in particular of the energy density and its corresponding linear perturbations. The numerical results are in good agreement with those of the original SFDM equations of motion and have better accuracy than other approaches. In addition, we calculate the temperature and matter power spectra and discuss the reliability of their numerical results. We also give simple examples in which we can put constraints on the field mass using recent likelihoods incorporated in the Monte Carlo Markov chain sampler montepython.

The main aim of this paper is to present the multiscalar field components as candidates for the dark energy of the Universe and their observational constraints. We start with the canonical quintessence and phantom fields with quadratic potentials and show that a more complex model should satisfy current cosmological observations. Then, we present some implications for a combination of two fields, called quintom models. We consider two types of models: one as the sum of the quintessence and phantom potentials, and one including an interacting term between fields. We find that adding one extra degree of freedom, via the interacting term, enriches the dynamics considerably and could lead to an improvement in the fit of $-2\ln \mathrm{\Delta }{\mathcal{L}}_{\max }=5.19$ compared to $\mathrm{\Lambda }\mathrm{CDM}$. The resultant effective equation of state is now able to cross the phantom divide line and in several cases presents an oscillatory or discontinuous behavior, depending on the interaction value. The parameter constraints of the scalar field models (quintessence, phantom, quintom, and interacting quintom) are performed using cosmic chronometer, type Ia supernovae, and baryon acoustic oscillation data, and the log-Bayes factors are computed to compare the performance of the models. We show that single scalar fields may face serious trouble and hence more complex models, i.e., multiple fields are necessary.

The Fermi-LAT observations of SN 2023ixf, a type II supernova in the nearby Pinwheel Galaxy, Messier 101 (M101), presents us with an excellent opportunity to constrain MeV-scale axionlike particles (ALPs). By examining the photon decay signature from heavy ALPs that could be produced in the explosion, the existing constraints on the ALP-photon coupling can be improved, under optimistic assumptions, by up to a factor of $\sim 2$ for masses $m_a\lesssim 3\mathrm{MeV}$. Under very conservative assumptions, we find a bound that is slightly weaker than the existing ones for $m_a\lesssim 0.5\mathrm{MeV}$. The exact reach of these searches depends mostly on properties of the SN progenitor. This study demonstrates the relevance of core-collapse supernovae, also beyond the Magellanic Clouds, as probes of fundamental physics.

We investigate the prospect of performing a null test of binary black hole (BBH) nature using spin-induced quadrupole moment (SIQM) measurements. This is achieved by constraining a deviation parameter ($\delta \kappa$) related to the parameter ($\kappa$) that quantifies the degree of deformation due to the spin of individual binary components on leading (quadrupolar) spin-induced moment. Throughout the paper, we refer to $\kappa$ as the SIQM parameter and $\delta \kappa$ as the SIQM-deviation parameter. The test presented here extends the earlier SIQM-based null tests for BBH nature by employing waveform models that account for double spin-precession and higher modes. We find that waveform with double spin-precession gives better constraints for $\delta \kappa$, compared to waveform with single spin-precession. We also revisit earlier constraints on the SIQM-deviation parameter for selected GW events observed through the first three observing runs ($O1-O3$) of LIGO-Virgo detectors. Additionally, the effects of higher-order modes on the test are also explored for a variety of mass-ratio and spin combinations by injecting simulated signals in zero-noise. Our analyses indicate that binaries with mass-ratio greater than three and significant spin precession may require waveforms that account for spin-precession and higher modes to perform the parameter estimation reliably.