Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Dark matter or millisecond pulsars? A deep learning-based analysis of the Fermi Galactic Centre Excess

  Florian List, Nicholas L. Rodd, Geraint F. Lewis

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 034 (2023) · published 4 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The $\gamma$-ray Galactic Centre Excess (GCE) remains one of the few observed high-energy signals for which a dark matter (DM) origin is a plausible explanation. We present a deep learning-based analysis of the $\gamma$-ray sky in the Galactic Centre region, carefully accounting for the mathematical degeneracy between faint point-sources (PSs) such as millisecond pulsars (MSPs) and DM-like Poisson emission. Using recent models for the Galactic foregrounds, we find that relatively few bright PSs just below Fermi's detection threshold seem unlikely to explain the GCE, although we continue to find evidence for PSs. Looking ahead, further improvements in the modelling of the $\gamma$-ray sky will be crucial for distinguishing between a DM-like and point-like morphology of the signal.

• Kondo spectral functions at low-temperatures: A dynamical-exchange-correlation-field perspective

  Zhen Zhao

  SciPost Phys. 18, 002 (2025) · published 6 January 2025 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We calculate the low-temperature spectral function of the symmetric single impurity Anderson model using a recently proposed dynamical exchange-correlation (xc) field formalism. The xc field, coupled to the one-particle Green's function, is obtained through analytic analysis and numerical extrapolation based on finite clusters. In the Kondo regime, the xc field is modeled by an Ansatz that takes into account the different asymptotic behaviors in the small- and large-time regimes. The small-time xc field contributes to the Hubbard side-band, whereas the large-time to the Kondo resonance. We illustrate these features in terms of analytical and numerical calculations for small- and medium-size finite clusters, and in the thermodynamic limit. The results indicate that the xc field formalism provides a good trade-off between accuracy and complexity in solving impurity problems. Consequently, it can significantly reduce the complexity of the many-body problem faced by first-principles approaches to strongly correlated materials.

• Nucleon and pion PDFs: large-x asymptotics meets functional mimicry

  Aurore Courtoy, Pavel M. Nadolsky

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 063 (2022) · published 12 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We review strategies to unveil the primordial large-$x$ structure of the nucleons as well as the pion from hard-scattering experiments. Ideas are presented for learning about the $x\to 1$ limit of nonperturbative QCD dynamics at energy scales of order 1 GeV from collider experiments at much higher scales. The behavior of parton distributions at $x\to 1$ predicted by the quark counting rules and other low-energy theoretical approaches is contrasted with phenomenological PDFs. Polynomial mimicry of PDF parametrizations is one of many factors that influence the apparent power of the $(1-x)$ falloff. We discuss implications of the mimicry for the large-$x$ falloff of the pion PDFs.

• Non-chiral vertex operator algebra associated to Lorentzian lattices and Narain CFTs

  Ranveer Kumar Singh, Madhav Sinha

  SciPost Phys. 17, 047 (2024) · published 12 August 2024 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Frenkel, Lepowsky, and Meurman constructed a vertex operator algebra (VOA) associated to any even, integral, Euclidean lattice. In the language of physics, these are examples of chiral conformal field theories (CFT). In this paper, we define non-chiral vertex operator algebra and some associated notions. We then give a construction of a non-chiral VOA associated to an even, integral, Lorentzian lattice and construct their irreducible modules. We obtain the moduli space of such modular invariant non-chiral CFTs based on even, self-dual Lorentzian lattices of signature $(m,n)$ assuming the validity of a technical result about automorphisms of the lattice. We finally show that Narain conformal field theories in physics are examples of non-chiral VOA. Our formalism helps us to identify the chiral algebra of Narain CFTs in terms of a particular sublattice and give us the decomposition of its partition function into sum of characters.

• Background suppression in the COSINUS experiment: Active muon veto and radiopure materials selection

  M. Stukel, G. Angloher, Mukund Raghunath Bharadwaj, I. Dafinei , N. Di Marco, L. Einfalt, F. Ferroni, S. Fichtinger, A. Filipponi, T. Frank, M. Friedl, A. Fuss , Z. Ge, M. Heikinheimo, K. Huitu, M. Kellermann, R. Maji, M. Mancuso, L. Pagnanini, F. Petricca, S. Pirro, F. Pröbst, G. Profeta, A. Puiu, F. Reindl, K. Schäffner, J. Schieck, D. Schmiedmayer, C. Schwertner, M. Stahlberg, A. Stendahl, F. Wagner, S. Yue, V. Zema, Y. Zhu

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 032 (2023) · published 4 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  For over twenty-five years the DAMA/LIBRA experiment has reported an annual modulation signal that is consistent with a dark matter explanation. This signal is, currently, in tension with the null results observed by other searches that utilize different target detectors. The COSINUS experiment will perform a model-independent cross-check of the DAMA/LIBRA result by using the same target material, NaI crystals, operated as scintillating calorimeters. By measuring both temperature and light the NaI crystals in COSINUS will be able to distinguish between electron and nuclear recoils on an event-by-event basis. However, background events induced by cosmic-rays, environmental radioactivity or the intrinsic contamination of the materials used in the crystal, shielding and infrastructure can pose an issue to any analysis and must be fully understood. We report on the status of the development of the simulation for an active water Cherenkov muon veto, as well as the results of the beginning radiogenic material screening.

• Anomalous coupling studies with forward protons at the LHC

  C. Royon

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 115 (2022) · published 13 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We describe the gain on sensitivities to quartic $\gamma \gamma \gamma \gamma$, $\gamma \gamma WW$ and $\gamma \gamma \gamma Z$ anomalous couplings and to the search for Axion-Like Particles by two or three orders of magnitude with respect to standard methods at the LHC by tagging intact protons in the final state.

• Exponential enhancement of dark matter freezeout abundance

  Bibhushan Shakya

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 070 (2023) · published 5 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  A novel paradigm for thermal dark matter (DM), termed "bouncing dark matter", is presented. In canonical thermal DM scenarios, the DM abundance falls exponentially as the temperature drops below the mass of DM, until thermal freezeout occurs. This note explores a broader class of thermal DM models that are exceptions to this rule, where the DM abundance can deviate from the exponentially falling curve, and even rise exponentially, while in thermal equilibrium. Such scenarios can feature present day DM annihilation cross sections much larger than the canonical thermal target, improving the prospects for indirect detection of DM annihilation signals.

• Central exclusive production of $\eta_c$ and $\chi_{c0}$ in the light-front k$_{\perp}$-factorization approach

  Izabela Babiarz, Roman Pasechnik, Wolfgang Schäfer, Antoni Szczurek

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 118 (2022) · published 13 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We study the exclusive production of $J^{PC}=0^{++}, 0^{--}$ charmonium states in proton-proton collisions at the LHC energies. The amplitudes for $g^*g^*→\chi_{c0}$ as well as for$ gg→\eta_c$ mechanisms are derived in the kT-factorization approach. The $pp \to pp\eta_c$ reaction is discussed for the first time. We observe a substantial contribution from the nonperturbative domain of gluon virtualities, especially for $\eta_c$ production. To model the nonperturbative region better, we utilize models of the unintegrated gluon distribution based on parametrizations of the color dipole cross-section.

• Status and future prospects of the NEWS-G experiment

  P. Knights on behalf of the NEWS-G Collaboration

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 12, 024 (2023) · published 3 July 2023 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The NEWS-G collaboration is searching for light dark matter using spherical proportional counters. Access to the mass range from 50 MeV to 10 GeV is enabled by the combination of low energy threshold, light gaseous targets (H, He, Ne), and highly radio-pure detector construction. Several of the recent developments that have paved the way for the operation of a new 140 cm in diameter, spherical proportional counter are presented. Constructed and commissioned at LSM using 4N copper with a 500$\mu$xm electroplated inner layer, the detector is now installed in SNOLAB, where it has begun data taking. Building on the electroplating of the current detector, the collaboration construct its next detector directly in the underground laboratory, using ultra-pure copper electroforming. The design and construction of ECUME, a 140 cm in diameter spherical proportional counter fully electroformed underground is discussed, along with the potential to achieve sensitivity reaching the neutrino floor in light Dark Matter searches with a next-generation detector.

• Proton reconstruction with the Precision Proton Spectrometer (PPS) in Run 2 and the PPS at HL-LHC

  Fabrizio Ferro

  SciPost Phys. Proc. 8, 062 (2022) · published 12 July 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The Precision Proton Spectrometer (PPS) started operating in 2016 and has collected more than 110 fb$^{-1}$ of data over the course of the LHC Run 2, now fully available for physics analysis. This contribution covers the key features of the PPS alignment and optics calibration, which have been developed from scratch. The reconstructed proton distributions, the performance of the PPS simulation and finally the validation of the full reconstruction chain with physics data (dilepton events) are also illustrated.