Publications

Order by: publication date number of citations

• Publishing statistical models: Getting the most out of particle physics experiments

  Kyle Cranmer, Sabine Kraml, Harrison B. Prosper, Philip Bechtle, Florian U. Bernlochner, Itay M. Bloch, Enzo Canonero, Marcin Chrzaszcz, Andrea Coccaro, Jan Conrad, Glen Cowan, Matthew Feickert, Nahuel Ferreiro Iachellini, Andrew Fowlie, Lukas Heinrich, Alexander Held, Thomas Kuhr, Anders Kvellestad, Maeve Madigan, Farvah Mahmoudi, Knut Dundas Morå, Mark S. Neubauer, Maurizio Pierini, Juan Rojo, Sezen Sekmen, Luca Silvestrini, Veronica Sanz, Giordon Stark, Riccardo Torre, Robert Thorne, Wolfgang Waltenberger, Nicholas Wardle, Jonas Wittbrodt

  SciPost Phys. 12, 037 (2022) · published 25 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The statistical models used to derive the results of experimental analyses are of incredible scientific value and are essential information for analysis preservation and reuse. In this paper, we make the scientific case for systematically publishing the full statistical models and discuss the technical developments that make this practical. By means of a variety of physics cases -- including parton distribution functions, Higgs boson measurements, effective field theory interpretations, direct searches for new physics, heavy flavor physics, direct dark matter detection, world averages, and beyond the Standard Model global fits -- we illustrate how detailed information on the statistical modelling can enhance the short- and long-term impact of experimental results.

  18 citations

• From models to SMEFT and back?

  Ilaria Brivio, Sebastian Bruggisser, Emma Geoffray, Wolfgang Kilian, Michael Krämer, Michel Luchmann, Tilman Plehn, Benjamin Summ

  SciPost Phys. 12, 036 (2022) · published 24 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We present a global analysis of the Higgs and electroweak sector, in the SMEFT framework and matched to a UV-completion. As the UV-model we use the triplet extension of the electroweak gauge sector. The matching is performed at one loop, employing functional methods. In the SFitter analysis, we pay particular attention to theory uncertainties arising from the matching. Our results highlight the complementarity between SMEFT and model-specific analyses.

  9 citations

• Sterile neutrinos as dark matter candidates

  Joachim Kopp

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 36 (2022) · published 19 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In these brief lecture notes, we introduce sterile neutrinos as dark matter candidates. We discuss in particular their production via oscillations, their radiative decay, as well as possible observational signatures and constraints.

  5 citations

• Real-time dynamics of the $O(4)$ scalar theory within the fRG approach

  Yang-yang Tan, Yong-rui Chen, Wei-jie Fu

  SciPost Phys. 12, 026 (2022) · published 18 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  In this paper, the real-time dynamics of the $O(4)$ scalar theory is studied within the functional renormalization group formulated on the Schwinger-Keldysh closed time path. The flow equations for the effective action and its $n$-point correlation functions are derived in terms of the "classical" and "quantum" fields, and a concise diagrammatic representation is presented. An analytic expression for the flow of the four-point vertex is obtained. Spectral functions with different values of temperature and momentum are obtained. Moreover, we calculate the dynamical critical exponent for the phase transition near the critical temperature in the $O(4)$ scalar theory in $3+1$ dimensions, and the value is found to be $z\simeq 2.023$.

  5 citations

• A massive variable flavour number scheme for the Drell-Yan process

  Rhorry Gauld

  SciPost Phys. 12, 024 (2022) · published 14 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  The prediction of differential cross-sections in hadron-hadron scattering processes is typically performed in a scheme where the heavy-flavour quarks ($c, b, t$) are treated either as massless or massive partons. In this work, a method to describe the production of colour-singlet processes which combines these two approaches is presented. The core idea is that the contribution from power corrections involving the heavy-quark mass can be numerically isolated from the rest of the massive computation. These power corrections can then be combined with a massless computation (where they are absent), enabling the construction of differential cross-section predictions in a massive variable flavour number scheme. As an example, the procedure is applied to the low-mass Drell-Yan process within the LHCb fiducial region, where predictions for the rapidity and transverse-momentum distributions of the lepton pair are provided. To validate the procedure, it is shown how the $n_f$-dependent coefficient of a massless computation can be recovered from the massless limit of the massive one. This feature is also used to differentially extract the massless ${\rm N3LO}$ coefficient of the Drell-Yan process in the gluon-fusion channel.

  3 citations

• A Study of QCD Radiation in VBF Higgs Production with Vincia and Pythia

  Stefan Höche, Stephen Mrenna, Shay Payne, Christian T Preuss, Peter Skands

  SciPost Phys. 12, 010 (2022) · published 10 January 2022 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We discuss and illustrate the properties of several parton-shower algorithms available in Pythia and Vincia, in the context of Higgs production via vector boson fusion (VBF). In particular, the distinctive colour topology of VBF processes allows to define observables sensitive to the coherent radiation pattern of additional jets. We study a set of such observables, using the Vincia sector-antenna shower as our main reference, and contrast it to Pythia's transverse-momentum-ordered DGLAP shower as well as Pythia's dipole-improved shower. We then investigate the robustness of these predictions as successive levels of higher-order perturbative matrix elements are incorporated, including next-to-leading-order matched and tree-level merged calculations, using Powheg Box and Sherpa respectively to generate the hard events.

  7 citations

• The one-loop tadpole in the geoSMEFT

  Tyler Corbett

  SciPost Phys. 11, 097 (2021) · published 26 November 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  Making use of the geometric formulation of the Standard Model Effective Field Theory we calculate the one-loop tadpole diagrams to all orders in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory power counting. This work represents the first calculation of a one-loop amplitude beyond leading order in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory, and discusses the potential to extend this methodology to perform similar calculations of observables in the near future.

  4 citations

• Towards the renormalisation of the Standard Model effective field theory to dimension eight: Bosonic interactions I

  Mikael Chala, Guilherme Guedes, Maria Ramos, Jose Santiago

  SciPost Phys. 11, 065 (2021) · published 21 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We compute the one-loop renormalisation group running of the bosonic Standard Model effective operators to order $v^4/\Lambda^4$, with $v\sim 246$ GeV being the electroweak scale and $\Lambda$ the unknown new physics threshold. We concentrate on the effects triggered by pairs of the leading dimension-six interactions, namely those that can arise at tree level in weakly-coupled ultraviolet completions of the Standard Model. We highlight some interesting consequences, including the interplay between positivity bounds and the form of the anomalous dimensions; the non renormalisation of the $S$ and $U$ parameters; or the importance of radiative corrections to the Higgs potential for the electroweak phase transition. As a byproduct of this work, we provide a complete Green basis of operators involving only the Higgs and derivatives at dimension-eight, comprising 13 redundant interactions.

  33 citations

• Elastic photon-initiated production at the LHC: the role of hadron-hadron interactions

  Lucian A. Harland-Lang, Valery A. Khoze, Mikhail G. Ryskin

  SciPost Phys. 11, 064 (2021) · published 21 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  We analyse in detail the role of additional hadron-hadron interactions in elastic photon-initiated (PI) production at the LHC, both in $pp$ and heavy ion collisions. We first demonstrate that the source of difference between our predictions and other results in the literature for PI muon pair production is dominantly due to an unphysical cut that is imposed in these latter results on the dimuon-hadron impact parameter. We in addition show that this is experimentally disfavoured by the shape of the muon kinematic distributions measured by ATLAS in ultraperipheral PbPb collisions. We then consider the theoretical uncertainty due to the survival probability for no additional hadron-hadron interactions, and in particular the role this may play in the tendency for the predicted cross sections to lie somewhat above ATLAS data on PI muon pair production, in both $pp$ and PbPb collisions. This difference is relatively mild, at the $\sim 10\%$ level, and hence a very good control over the theory is clearly required. We show that this uncertainty is very small, and it is only by taking very extreme and rather unphysical variations in the modelling of the survival factor that this tension can be removed. This underlines the basic, rather model independent, point that a significant fraction of elastic PI scattering occurs for hadron-hadron impact parameters that are simply outside the range of QCD interactions, and hence this sets a lower bound on the survival factor in any physically reasonable approach. Finally, other possible origins for this discrepancy are discussed.

  13 citations

• A somewhat random walk through nuclear and particle physics

  Thomas D. Cohen, Nicholas R. Poniatowski

  SciPost Phys. Lect. Notes 34 (2021) · published 20 September 2021 | Toggle abstract · pdf

  These notes are an outgrowth of an advanced undergraduate course taught at the University of Maryland, College Park. They are intended as an introduction to various aspects of particle and nuclear physics with an emphasis on the role of symmetry. The basic philosophy is to introduce many of the fundamental ideas in nuclear and particle physics using relatively sophisticated mathematical tools -- but to do so in as a simplified a context to explain the underlying ideas. Thus, for example, the Higgs mechanism is discussed in terms of an Abelian Higgs model. The emphasis is largely, but not entirely theoretical in orientation. The goal is for readers to develop an understanding of many of the underlying issues in a relatively sophisticated way.

  1 citation