Current Quark Research Articles

QCD phase diagram in the T–eB plane for varying pion mass

We study the effect of a varying pion mass on the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) phase diagram in the presence of an external magnetic field, aiming to understand it, for the first time, using Nambu–Jona-Lasinio like effective models. We compare results from both its local and nonlocal versions. In both cases, we find that the inverse magnetic catalysis (IMC) near the crossover is eliminated with increasing pion mass, while the decreasing trend of crossover temperature with increasing magnetic field persists for pion mass values at least up to 440 MeV. Thus, the models are capable of capturing qualitatively the results found by lattice QCD (LQCD) for heavy (unphysical) pions. The key feature in the models is the incorporation of the effect of a reduction in the coupling constant with increasing energy. Along with reproducing the IMC effect, it enables models to describe the effects of heavier current quark masses without introducing additional parameters. For the local NJL model, this agreement depends on how the parameters of the model are fit at the physical point. In this respect, the nonlocal version, which, due to its formulation, automatically exhibits the IMC effect around the crossover region, captures the physics more naturally. We further use the nonlocal framework to determine the pion mass beyond which the IMC effect around the transition region does not exist anymore. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Disentangling new physics in K→πνν¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ K\ o \\pi \ u \\overline{\ u} $$\\end{document} and B→KK∗νν¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ B\ o K\\left({K}^{\\ast}\\right)\ u \\overline{\ u} $$\\end{document} observables

We investigate the possibility of disentangling different new physics contributions to the rare meson decays and through kinematic distributions in the missing energy . We employ dimension-6 operators within the Low-Energy Effective Field Theory (LEFT), identifying the invisible part of the final state as either active or sterile neutrinos. Special emphasis is given to lepton-number violating (LNV) operators with scalar and tensor currents. We show analytically that contributions from vector, scalar, and tensor quark currents can be uniquely determined from experimental data of kinematic distributions. In addition, we present new correlations of branching ratios for K and B-decays involving scalar and tensor currents. As there could a priori also be new invisible particles in the final states, we include dark-sector operators giving rise to two dark scalars, fermions, or vectors in the final state. In this context, we present new calculations of the inclusive decay rate for dark operators. We show that careful measurements of kinematic distributions make it theoretically possible to disentangle the contribution from LEFT operators from most of the dark-sector operators, even when multiple operators are contributing. We revisit sum rules for vector currents in LEFT and show that the latter are also satisfied in some new dark-physics scenarios that could mimic LEFT. Finally, we point out that an excess in rare meson decays consistent with a LNV hypothesis would point towards highly flavor non-democratic physics in the UV, and could put high-scale leptogenesis under tension.

Quasi particle model vs lattice QCD thermodynamics: extension to Nf=2+1+1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$N_f=2+1+1$$\\end{document} flavors and momentum dependent quark masses

In the last decade a quasi-particle model (QPM) has supplied the basis for the study of heavy quark (HQ) production in ultra-relativistic collisions, allowing for a phenomenological estimate of the HQ diffusion coefficient Ds(T)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$D_s(T)$$\\end{document}. Using the new lattice QCD results for the equation of state (EoS) with 2+1+1 dynamical flavors, we extend the QPM from Nf=2+1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$N_f=2+1$$\\end{document} to Nf=2+1+1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$N_f=2+1+1$$\\end{document}, where the charm quark is included. Fixing the coupling g(T) by a fit to the lQCD energy density ϵ(T)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\epsilon (T)$$\\end{document}, we evaluate the impact of different temperature parametrizations of charm quark mass on EoS and susceptibilities χq(T)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\chi _q(T)$$\\end{document} of light, χs(T)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\chi _s(T)$$\\end{document} of strange and χc(T)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\chi _c(T)$$\\end{document} of charm quarks, the last favouring a charm quark mass increasing toward Tc\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$T_c$$\\end{document}. We also explore the extension of the QPM to a more realistic approach called QPMp\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_p$$\\end{document}, where quark and gluon masses explicitly depend on their momentum converging to the current quark mass at high momenta, as expected from asymptotic free dynamics. The QPMp\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_p$$\\end{document} allows for a simultaneous quantitative description not only of the EoS but also of the quark susceptibilities (χq(T)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\chi _q(T)$$\\end{document}, χs(T)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\chi _s(T)$$\\end{document}), which instead are underestimated in the simple QPM. Furthermore, evaluating the spatial diffusion coefficient 2πTDs(T)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$2\\pi T D_s(T)$$\\end{document} in the QPMp\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_p$$\\end{document}, we find it is also closer than QPM to the recent lQCD data performed including dynamical fermions. Finally, in a 1+1D expanding system, we evaluate the RAA(pT)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$R_{AA}(p_T)$$\\end{document} in the QPM and QPMp\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_p$$\\end{document}, finding a significant reduction at low momenta for QPMp\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_p$$\\end{document} which could lead in a realistic scenario to a better agreement to experimental data.

Study of τ− → ωπ−ντ decay in resonance chiral theory with tensor sources

In this work, we make a study of the τ− → ωπ−ντ decay in the framework of low-energy effective field theory. The JPG\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ {J}^{\\mathcal{P}G} $$\\end{document} decompositions of the quark currents and the ωπ final state show that, besides the Standard Model vector interaction, only the non-standard tensor interaction can have a non-zero contribution to the decay. To discuss its effect, a reliable calculation of the ωπ tensor form factors is necessary. After constructing the Lagrangian of resonance chiral theory with external tensor sources, we calculate both the vector and tensor form factors with the relevant resonance couplings determined by combining the QCD short-distance constraints, the fit to the spectral function of τ− → ωπ−ντ decay, as well as the matching between the Op4\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{O}\\left({p}^4\\right) $$\\end{document} odd-intrinsic-parity operators after integrating out the vector resonances and the Op6\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{O}\\left({p}^6\\right) $$\\end{document} operators of chiral perturbation theory. The new physics effect is then investigated in the distributions of the spectral function and the forward-backward asymmetry of τ− → ωπ−ντ decay. We find that the spectral function is dominated by the Standard Model, and the non-standard tensor contribution is negligible. However, since the forward-backward asymmetry can be only generated with a non-zero tensor interaction, the observable is quite sensitive to this kind of new physics. A future measurement of the observable at the Belle II experiment as well as at the proposed Tera-Z and STCF facilities is, therefore, strongly called for to check the existence of such a non-standard tensor interaction.

Magnetic catalysis and diamagnetism from pion fluctuations

In the framework of the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model beyond mean field approximation, the effects of pion fluctuations on (inverse) magnetic catalysis and magnetic susceptibility are studied. The negative magnetic susceptibility at low temperature is observed when contributions from both neutral and charged pions are taken into account. In the weak field approximation, it is observed that at finite temperature, the magnetic inhibition effect in the chiral limit, resulting from the difference between the transverse and longitudinal velocities of neutral pions, converts to weak magnetic catalysis when considering a nonzero current quark mass. Moreover, the magnetic catalysis is amplified by the charged pions. Therefore, no inverse magnetic catalysis is observed when considering pion fluctuations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Effective potential of composite operators in the first order region of the QCD phase transition

We propose a method to determine the effective potential of QCD from the gap equation by introducing the homotopy method between the solutions of the equation of motion. Via this method, the effective potential beyond the bare vertex approximation is obtained, which then generalizes the Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis effective potential for the bilocal composite operators. Moreover, the extended effective potential is set to be a function of self-energy instead of the propagator, which is the key point for the potential to be bounded from below. We then investigate the extended effective potential in the cases of phase transition of the QCD vacuum with a small current quark mass, the first order phase transition of QCD at finite temperature, and high baryon chemical potential. In the former case, the effective potential shows as an inflection point at the critical mass where the multiple solutions of the Dyson-Schwinger equation (DSE) vanishes, which is consistent with that obtained by solving the DSE directly. For the latter case, the in-medium properties, such as the latent heat and the difference of trace anomaly, of QCD is obtained. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Further prediction on the possible double-peak structure of the X17 particle

The [Formula: see text] particle, discovered by [A. J. Krasznahorkay et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 042501 (2016), doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.042501] at ATOMKI, was recently confirmed in the [Formula: see text] invariant mass spectra by [K. U. Abraamyan, C. Austin, M. I. Baznat, K. K. Gudima, M. A. Kozhin, S. G. Reznikov and A. S. Sorin, arXiv:2311.18632] at JINR. We notice with surprise and interest that the [Formula: see text] seems to have a double-peak structure. This is in a possible coincidence with our QCD sum rule study of [H.-X. Chen, arXiv:2006.01018], where we interpreted the [Formula: see text] as a tetraquark state composed of four bare quarks ([Formula: see text]), and claimed that “A unique feature of this tetraquark assignment is that we predict two almost degenerate states with significantly different widths”. These two different tetraquark states are described by two different chiral tetraquark currents [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. To verify whether the tetraquark assignment is correct or not, we replace the up and down quarks by the strange quarks, and apply the QCD sum rule method to study the other four chiral tetraquark currents [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We calculate their correlation functions, and find that non-perturbative QCD effects do not contribute much to them. Our results suggest that there may exist four almost degenerate tetraquark states with masses about [Formula: see text] MeV. Each of these states is composed of four bare quarks, either [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text].

Discovering long-lived particles at DUNE

Long-lived particles (LLPs) arise in many theories beyond the Standard Model. These may be copiously produced from meson decays (or through their mixing with the LLPs) at neutrino facilities and leave a visible decay signal in nearby neutrino detectors. We compute the expected sensitivity of the DUNE liquid argon (LAr) and gaseous argon near detectors (NDs) to light LLP decays. In doing so, we determine the expected backgrounds for both detectors, which have been largely overlooked in the literature, taking into account their angular and energy resolution. We show that searches for LLP decays into muon pairs, or into three pions, would be extremely clean. Conversely, decays into two photons would be affected by large backgrounds from neutrino interactions for both near detectors; finally, the reduced signal efficiency for e+e− pairs leads to a reduced sensitivity for ND-LAr. Our results are first presented in a model-independent way, as a function of the mass of the new state and its lifetime. We also provide detailed calculations for several phenomenological models with axionlike particles (coupled to gluons, electroweak bosons, or quark currents). Some of our results may also be of interest for other neutrino facilities using a similar detector technology (e.g., MicroBooNE, SBND, ICARUS, or the T2K near detector). Published by the American Physical Society 2024

The Structure and the Density of a Bare Quark Star in a Cold Genesis Theory of Particles

The Structure and the Density of a Bare Quark Star in a Cold Genesis Theory of Particles

Low-energy matrix elements of heavy-quark currents

In QCD at energies well below a heavy-quark threshold, the heavy-quark vector current can be represented via local operators made of the lighter quarks and of the gluon fields. We extract the leading perturbative matching coefficients for the two most important sets of operators from known results. As an application, we analytically determine the O(αs3)mc2/mb2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ extrm{O}(\\alpha _s^3)m_c^2/m_b^2$$\\end{document} effect of the bottom quark current on the R(s) ratio below the bottom but above the charm threshold. For the low-energy representation of the charm quark current, the two most important operators are given by the total divergence of dimension-six gluonic operators. We argue that the charm magnetic moment of the nucleon is effectively measuring the forward matrix elements of these gluonic operators and predict the corresponding bottom magnetic moment. Similarly, the contribution of the charm current to R(s≈1GeV2)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$R(s\\approx 1\\,\ extrm{GeV}^2)$$\\end{document}, which is associated with quark-disconnected diagrams, is dominantly determined by the decay constants of the ω\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\omega $$\\end{document} and ϕ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\phi $$\\end{document} mesons with respect to the two gluonic operators.

Renormalization group improvement and QCD sum rules

We summarize the results obtained for the quark masses (u,d,s,c, and b) in Refs. [1,2] and strong coupling (αs) using renormalization group (RG) improvement of the theoretical expressions and experimental inputs that enter in the QCD sum rules. We obtain mu(2GeV)=2.00−0.40+0.33MeV, md(2GeV)=4.21−0.45+0.48MeV, and ms(2GeV)=104.34−4.24+4.32MeV using Borel Laplace sum rules for the divergence of the axial vector currents. The relativistic sum rules for the moments of the heavy quark currents lead to the determination of αs(MZ)=0.1171(7), m‾c=1281.1(3.8)MeV and m‾b=4174.3(9.5)MeV.

The role of U(1) A symmetry breaking in the QCD corrections to the pion mass difference

The charged and neutral pion mass difference can be attributed to both the quantum electrodynamics and QCD contributions. The current quark mass difference (Δm) is the source of the QCD contribution. Here, in a two-flavour non-local Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model, we try to estimate the QCD contribution. Interestingly, we find that the strength of the symmetry-breaking parameter c plays a crucial role in obtaining the pion mass difference while intertwined with the current quark mass difference. To obtain the QCD contribution for the pion mass difference, we scan the parameter space in {Δm, c}, and by comparing this with the existing results, we constrained the parameter space. Further, using a fitted value of c, we determine the allowed range for the Δm in the model. The model estimated Δm ranges enable us to extract the chiral perturbation theory low energy constant, l 7 and verify the dependence of the pion mass difference on Δm. We also find out its dependence on c—it increases with the decreasing value of c, i.e. toward an axial anomaly restored phase.

Quarks species in a cold genesis theory; theoretic implications of a Vortical quark model

By the author’s cold genesis theory (CGT), based on the Galileian relativity, it was argued the possibility to explain the massic spectrum of the elementary particles by two species of preonic quasi-crystalline quarks: A) preonics –formed by basic preons z0(34 me) which form bosonic preons z2(4z0) and zpi(7z0) , and B) quarkonics – formed by 3n preonic quarks (4≥n≥1) (mainly –v- or/and s-quarks) or as crystalline cluster of 7x5 = 35 preonic or quarkonic quarks: (p+;n−) –nucleonic quarks or l±, s±,v± -preonic quarks, or c- or b- quarkonic quarks, (‚charm’, ‚botton’), in two flavors: f=1-of Standard model’s variant and f = 2 –of Souza/CGT’s variant. Because the basic z0-preons are explained as cluster of paired degenerate electrons, the strong forces between quarks and particles can be naturally explained by the existence of a permanent etherono-quantonic vortex around the super-dense kernel of electron generated by etherono-quantonic winds of the quantum vacuum and by an etheronic centripetal force of Magnus type. As consequence, in CGT can be argued a model of‚ gravistar’ having a shell of dark energy but also of photons vortexed around a rotational hard core (HC) of black hole type which –by matter→energy conversion can obtain periodically an antigravitic (pseudo)charge MA, by the releasing of heavy etherons of the destroyed degenerate electrons’ vortices. The antigravitic field of an enough high value of MA, produced by the friction between the surface of an internal hard core (HCi) of HC, of black hole type, and the interior surface of a crystalline shell of current strange cold quarks, HCe, could be –in this case, a natural equivalent of the‚ dilaton’ field considered in the EMD theories.

Kaon theory: 50 years later

Abstract We summarize the status of the kaon theory 50 years after the seminal paper of Kobayashi and Maskawa [Prog. Theor. Phys. 49, 652 (1973)], who pointed out that six quarks are necessary to have CP violation in the Standard Model (SM) and presented a parametrization of a 3 × 3 unitary matrix that, after the discovery of the charm quark in 1974 and the b quark in 1977, dominated the field of flavor-changing processes. One of the main goals of flavor physics since then has been the determination of the four parameters of this matrix, which we will choose here to be |Vus|, |Vcb|, and the two angles of the unitarity triangle, β and γ, with |Vus| introduced by Cabibbo in 1963. I will summarize the recent strategy for determination of these parameters without new physics (NP) infection. It is based on the conjecture of the absence of relevant NP contributions to ΔF = 2 processes that indeed can be demonstrated by a negative rapid test: the |Vcb|–γ plot. This in turn allows one to obtain SM predictions for rare K and B decays that are the most precise to date. We present strategies for the explanation of the anticipated anomaly in the ratio ε′/ε and the observed anomalies in b → sμ+μ− transitions that are consistent with our ΔF = 2 conjecture. In particular, the absence of NP in the parameter εK still allows for significant NP effects in ε′/ε and in rare kaon decays, moreover, in a correlated manner. Similarly, the absence of NP in ΔMs combined with anomalies in b → sμ+μ− transitions hints at the presence of right-handed quark currents. We also discuss how the nature of neutrinos, Dirac vs. Majorana ones, can be probed in $K\rightarrow \pi \nu \bar{\nu }$ and $B\rightarrow K(K^{*})\nu \bar{\nu }$ decays. The present status of the ΔI = 1/2 rule and ε′/ε is summarized.

Inverse magnetic catalysis effect and current quark mass effect on mass spectra and Mott transitions of pions under external magnetic field

Inverse magnetic catalysis effect and current quark mass effect on mass spectra and Mott transitions of pions under external magnetic field

π0, η, η' → γγ Decays and the Explicit Chiral Symmetry Breaking

Corrections to the Wess–Zumino–Witten anomaly caused by the explicit breaking of the SU(3) times SU(3) chiral symmetry are studied using the effective meson Lagrangian based on the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model with the simultaneous expansion in derivatives, current quark masses, and 1/Nc powers. The leading contribution and the first correction for the amplitudes of the π0, η, η' → γγ decays and the contact term in the eta {text{/}}eta {kern 1pt} ' to {{pi }^{ + }}{{pi }^{ - }}gamma amplitudes have been calculated. The results are compared with similar 1/Nc chiral perturbation calculations and existing experimental data.

CP violation in a model with Higgs triplets

We discuss CP-violation in a model with a real and a complex isospin triplet Higgs fields without introducing any symmetries except for the electroweak gauge symmetry. This corresponds to the minimal extension of the Higgs sector with the following properties: (i) providing new source of CP violation, (ii) absence of quark flavor changing neutral currents at tree level, and (iii) enabling the electroweak rho parameter to be unity at tree level in the scenario without imposing any new symmetries. Our model can be regarded as the generalized version of the Georgi-Machacek model, in which the global SU(2)L × SU(2)R symmetry is explicitly broken due to CP-violating terms in the potential. We present analytic formulas for theoretical constraints from perturbative unitarity and vacuum stability as well as contributions to the electron electric dipole moment (EDM) and the neutron EDM from all the Barr-Zee type diagrams. We then examine the parameter space allowed by the constraints mentioned above and also those from the uniqueness of the vacuum, measurements at Tevatron and LHC by using HEPfit to perform a global parameter fit. We find that the decays of the two lightest extra neutral (singly-charged) scalars, H1 and {H}_2left({H}_1^{pm}right) , into hZ (WZ) can be significant at the same time under the constraints, which can serve as direct evidence of CP violation in our model, but not from models with multi-doublet extensions.

Renormalon-Chain Contributions to Two-Point Correlators of Nonlocal Quark Currents

We calculate, within massless QCD, two-point correlator of nonlocal (composite) vector quark currents with arbitrary-length chains of the simplest fermion loops being inserted into gluon lines. Within the large $${{n}_{f}}$$ (or large $${{\beta }_{0}}$$ ) approximation, the correlator defines a perturbative contribution to the leading-twist distribution amplitudes for light mesons. Our results are consistent with a number of special cases in the literature. We consider functionals of the correlator, which are important for the phenomenology, and their properties as functional series.

Rare decay t→cγγ via scalar leptoquark doublets

A calculation of the one-loop contribution to the rare three-body flavor changing neutral current top quark decay $t\to c\gamma\gamma$ is presented in the framework of models with one or more scalar leptoquark $SU(2)$ doublets with hypercharge $7/6$. Analytical expressions for the invariant amplitude of the generic decay $f_i\to f_j\gamma\gamma$, with $f_{i,j}$ a lepton or quark, are presented in terms of Passarino-Veltman integral coefficients, from which the amplitudes for the processes $t\to c\gamma\gamma$ and $\ell_i\to \ell_j\gamma\gamma$ follow easily. An analysis of the current constraints on the parameter space is presented in the scenario with only one scalar LQ doublet and bounds on the LQ couplings are obtained from the muon $g-2$ anomaly, the lepton flavor violating (LFV) decay $\tau\to \mu\gamma$ and extra constraints meant to avoid tension between theory predictions and experimental data. For a LQ with a mass in the range of $1$--$1.5$ TeVs, the estimate ${\rm Br}(t\to c\gamma\gamma)\sim 10^{-11}$--$10^{-12}$ is obtained for the largest allowed values of the LQ coupling constants, which means that this decay would be below the reach of future experimental measurements. We also consider an scenario with three scalar doublets, which was recently proposed to explain the lepton flavor universality violation anomalies in $B$ decays as well as the muon $g-2$ anomaly. Although this scenario allows large LQ couplings to the tau lepton and the $c$ and $t$ quarks, the branching ratio of the $t\to c\gamma\gamma$ decay is also of the order of $10^{-11}$--$10^{-12}$ for LQ masses of 1.7 TeV.

Effect of mesonic off-shell correlations in the PNJL equation of state

We study the meson contribution to the equation of state of the 2-flavor PNJL model, including the full momentum dependence of the meson polarization loops. Within the Beth-Uhlenbeck approach, we demonstrate that the contribution from the quark-antiquark continuum excitations in the spacelike region $\omega^2 - q^2 < 0$, i.e. the Landau damping, leads to an increase of the pressure for temperatures $\gtrsim 0.8\,T_c^\chi$ and a significant meson momentum cut-off dependence in the mesonic pressure and the QCD trace anomaly. We investigate the dependence of the results on the choice of the Polyakov-loop potential parameter $T_0$. From the dependence of the mesonic pressure on the current quark mass, by means of the Feynman-Hellmann theorem, we evaluate the contribution of the pion quasiparticle gas and Landau damping to the chiral condensate.