Search for Ultralight Dark Matter with Spectroscopy of Radio-Frequency Atomic Transitions.

The effects of scalar and pseudoscalar ultralight bosonic dark matter (UBDM) were searched for by comparing the frequency of a quartz oscillator to that of a hyperfine-structure transition in ^{87}Rb, and an electronic transition in ^{164}Dy. We constrain linear interactions between a scalar UBDM field and standard-model (SM) fields for an underlying UBDM particle mass in the range 1×10^{-17}-8.3×10^{-13} eV and quadratic interactions between a pseudoscalar UBDM field and SM fields in the range 5×10^{-18}-4.1×10^{-13} eV. Within regions of the respective ranges, our constraints on linear interactions significantly improve on results from previous, direct searches for oscillations in atomic parameters, while constraints on quadratic interactions surpass limits imposed by such direct searches as well as by astrophysical observations.

Improved Bounds on Ultralight Scalar Dark Matter in the Radio-Frequency Range.

We present a search for fundamental constant oscillations in the range 20 kHz-100 MHz that may arise within models for ultralight dark matter (UDM). Using two independent optical-spectroscopy apparatuses, we achieve up to ×1000 greater sensitivity in the search relative to previous work [D. Antypas et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 141102 (2019).PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.123.141102]. We report no observation of UDM and thus constrain respective couplings to electrons and photons within the investigated UDM particle mass range 8×10^{-11}-4×10^{-7} eV. The constraints significantly exceed previously set bounds from atomic spectroscopy and, as we show, may surpass in future experiments those provided by equivalence-principle (EP) experiments in a specific case regarding the combination of UDM couplings probed by the EP experiments.

New Physics Implications of Recent Search for K_{L}→π

The KOTO experiment recently reported four candidate events in the signal region of K_{L}→π^{0}νν[over ¯] search, where the standard model only expects 0.10±0.02 events. If confirmed, this requires physics beyond the standard model to enhance the signal. We examine various new physics interpretations of the result including these: (1) heavy new physics boosting the standard model signal, (2) reinterpretation of "νν[over ¯]" as a new light long-lived particle, or (3) reinterpretation of the whole signal as the production of a new light long-lived particle at the fixed target. We study the above explanations in the context of a generalized new physics Grossman-Nir bound coming from the K^{+}→π^{+}νν[over ¯] decay, bounded by data from the E949 and the NA62 experiments.

Probing New Long-Range Interactions by Isotope Shift Spectroscopy.

We explore a method to probe new long- and intermediate-range interactions using precision atomic isotope shift spectroscopy. We develop a formalism to interpret linear King plots as bounds on new physics with minimal theory inputs. We focus only on bounding the new physics contributions that can be calculated independently of the standard model nuclear effects. We apply our method to existing Ca^{+} data and project its sensitivity to conjectured new bosons with spin-independent couplings to the electron and the neutron using narrow transitions in other atoms and ions, specifically, Sr and Yb. Future measurements are expected to improve the relative precision by 5 orders of magnitude, and they can potentially lead to an unprecedented sensitivity for bosons within the 0.3 to 10 MeV mass range.

Little composite dark matter.

We examine the dark matter phenomenology of a composite electroweak singlet state. This singlet belongs to the Goldstone sector of a well-motivated extension of the Littlest Higgs with T-parity. A viable parameter space, consistent with the observed dark matter relic abundance as well as with the various collider, electroweak precision and dark matter direct detection experimental constraints is found for this scenario. T-parity implies a rich LHC phenomenology, which forms an interesting interplay between conventional natural SUSY type of signals involving third generation quarks and missing energy, from stop-like particle production and decay, and composite Higgs type of signals involving third generation quarks associated with Higgs and electroweak gauge boson, from vector-like top-partners production and decay. The composite features of the dark matter phenomenology allows the composite singlet to produce the correct relic abundance while interacting weakly with the Higgs via the usual Higgs portal coupling [Formula: see text], thus evading direct detection.

Exclusive window onto Higgs Yukawa couplings.

We show that both flavor-conserving and flavor-violating Yukawa couplings of the Higgs boson to first- and second-generation quarks can be probed by measuring rare decays of the form h→MV, where M denotes a vector meson and V indicates either γ, W or Z. We calculate the branching ratios for these processes in both the standard model and its possible extensions. We discuss the experimental prospects for their observation. The possibility of accessing these Higgs couplings appears to be unique to the high-luminosity LHC and future hadron colliders, providing further motivation for those machines.

Light nondegenerate squarks at the LHC.

Experimental bounds on squarks of the first two generations assume their masses to be eightfold degenerate and consequently constrain them to be heavier than ∼1.4 TeV when the gluino is lighter than 2.5 TeV. The assumption of squark-mass universality is neither a direct consequence of minimal flavor violation (MFV), which allows for splittings within squark generations, nor a prediction of supersymmetric alignment models, which allow for splittings between generations. We reinterpret a recent CMS multijet plus missing energy search allowing for deviations from U(2) universality and find significantly weakened squark bounds: A 400 GeV second-generation squark singlet is allowed, even with exclusive decays to a massless neutralino, and, in an MFV scenario, the down-type squark singlets can be as light as 600 GeV, provided the up-type singlets are pushed up to 1.8 TeV, for a 1.5 TeV gluino and decoupled doublet squarks.

Top B physics at the LHC.

In top-pair events where at least one of the tops decays semileptonically, the identification of the lepton charge allows us to tag not only the top quark charge but also that of the subsequent b quark. In cases where the b also decays semileptonically, the charge of the two leptons can be used to probe CP violation in heavy flavor mixing and decays. This strategy to measure CP violation is independent of those adopted so far in experiments, and can already constrain non standard model sources of CP violation with current and near future LHC data. To demonstrate the potential of this method we construct two CP asymmetries based on same-sign and opposite-sign leptons and estimate their sensitivities. This proposal opens a new window for doing precision measurements of CP violation in b and c quark physics via high p(T) processes at ATLAS and CMS.

Probing new top physics at the LHCb experiment.

We suggest that top quark physics can be studied at the LHCb experiment and that top quark production could be observed. Since LHCb covers a large pseudorapidity region in the forward direction, it has unique abilities to probe new physics in the top quark sector. Furthermore, we demonstrate that LHCb may be able to measure a t ̄t production rate asymmetry and, thus, indirectly probe an anomalous forward-backward t ̄t asymmetry in the forward region, a possibility suggested by the enhanced forward-backward asymmetry reported by the CDF experiment.

Implications of the dimuon CP asymmetry in B(d,s) decays.

The D0 Collaboration reported a 3.2σ deviation from the standard model (SM) prediction in the like-sign dimuon asymmetry. Assuming that new physics contributes only to B(d,s) mixing, we show that the data can be analyzed without using the theoretical calculation of ΔΓ(s), allowing for robust interpretations. We find that this framework gives a good fit to all measurements, including the recent CDF Collaboration S(ψϕ) result. The data allow universal new physics with similar contributions relative to the SM in the B(d) and B(s) systems, but favors a larger deviation in B(s) than in B(d) mixing. The general minimal flavor violation framework with flavor diagonal CP violating phases can account for the former case and remarkably even for the latter case. This observation makes it simpler to speculate about which extensions with general flavor structure may also fit the data.

Testing new indirect CP violation.

If new CP violating physics contributes to neutral meson mixing, but its contribution to CP violation in decay amplitudes is negligible, then there is a model independent relation between four (generally independent) observables related to the mixing: the mass splitting (x), the width splitting (y), the CP violation in mixing (1-|q/p|), and the CP violation in the interference of decays with and without mixing (phi). For the four neutral meson systems, this relation can be written in a simple approximate form: y tan phi approximately x(1-|q/p|). In the K system, all four observables have been measured and obey the relation to excellent accuracy. For the B(s) and D systems, new predictions are provided. The success or failure of these relations will probe the physics that is responsible for the CP violation.

Combining K0-K0 mixing and D0-D0 mixing to constrain the flavor structure of new physics.

New physics at high energy scale often contributes to K0-K0 and D0-D0 mixings in an approximately SU(2)L invariant way. In such a case, the combination of measurements in these two systems is particularly powerful. The resulting constraints can be expressed in terms of misalignments and flavor splittings.

Flavor anarchy in a Randall-Sundrum model with 5D minimal flavor violation and a low Kaluza-Klein scale.

A variant of a warped extra dimension model is presented. It is based on 5D minimal flavor violation, in which the only sources of flavor breaking are two 5D anarchic Yukawa matrices. These matrices also control the bulk masses, which are responsible for the resulting flavor hierarchy. The theory flows to a next to minimal flavor violation model where flavor violation is dominantly coming from the 3rd generation. Flavor violation is also suppressed by a parameter that dials the violation in the up or down sector. There is therefore a sharp limit in which there is no flavor violation in the down-type quark sector which, remarkably, is consistent with the observed flavor parameters. This is used to eliminate the current Randall-Sundrum flavor and CP problem. Our construction suggests that strong dynamic-based, flavor models may be built based on the same concepts.

Implications of the measurement of the Bs(0)Bs(0) mass difference.

We analyze the significant new model independent constraints on extensions of the standard model (SM) that follow from the recent measurements of the Bs(0)Bs(0) mass difference. The time-dependent CP asymmetry in Bs-->psiphi, S(psiphi), will be measured with good precision in the first year of CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) data taking, which will further constrain the parameter space of many extensions of the SM, in particular, next-to-minimal flavor violation. The CP asymmetry in semileptonic Bs decay, ASL(s), is also important to constrain these frameworks, and could give further clues to our understanding the flavor sector in the LHC era. We point out a strong correlation between S(psiphi) and ASL(s) in a very broad class of new physics models.

Electroweak baryogenesis from late neutrino masses.

Electroweak baryogenesis, given a first-order phase transition, does not work in the standard model because the quark Yukawa matrices are too hierarchical. On the other hand, the neutrino mass matrix is apparently not hierarchical. In models with neutrino mass generation at low scales, the neutrino Yukawa couplings lead to large CP violation in the reflection probability of heavy leptons by the expanding Higgs bubble wall, and can generate the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe. The mechanism predicts new vectorlike leptons below the TeV scale and sizable mu --> e processes.

B-factory signals for a warped extra dimension.

We study predictions for B physics in a class of warped extra dimension models recently introduced, where few ( approximately 3) TeV Kaluza-Klein masses are consistent with electroweak data due to custodial symmetry. As in the standard model (SM), flavor violations arise due to the heavy top quark leading to striking signals: (i) New physics contributions to DeltaF=2 transitions are comparable to the SM, so the success of the SM unitarity triangle fit is a "coincidence." Thus, clean extractions of unitarity angles are likely to be affected, in addition to O(1) deviation from the SM prediction in B(s) mixing. (ii) O(1) deviation from various SM predictions for B-->X(s)l(+)l(-). (iii) Large mixing-induced CP asymmetry in radiative B decays. Also, the neutron electric dipole moment is roughly 20 times larger than the current bound so that this framework has a "CP problem."