Model-independent Measurement Research Articles

Probing the Standard Model with Higgs signal rates from the Tevatron, the LHC and a future ILC

We explore the room for possible deviations from the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson coupling structure in a systematic study of Higgs coupling scale factor benchmark scenarios using the latest signal rate measurements from the Tevatron and LHC experiments. We employ chi-squared fits performed with HiggsSignals, which takes into account detailed information on signal efficiencies and major correlations of theoretical and experimental uncertainties. All considered scenarios allow for additional non-standard Higgs boson decay modes, and various assumptions for constraining the total decay width are discussed. No significant deviations from the SM Higgs boson coupling structure are found in any of the investigated benchmark scenarios. We derive upper limits on an additional (undetectable) Higgs decay mode under the assumption that the Higgs couplings to weak gauge bosons do not exceed the SM prediction. We furthermore discuss the capabilities of future facilities for probing deviations from the SM Higgs couplings, comparing the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC with a future International Linear Collider (ILC), where for the latter various energy and luminosity scenarios are considered. At the ILC model-independent measurements of the coupling structure can be performed, and we provide estimates of the precision that can be achieved.

PRECISE ATMOSPHERIC PARAMETERS FOR THE SHORTEST-PERIOD BINARY WHITE DWARFS: GRAVITATIONAL WAVES, METALS, AND PULSATIONS

We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 61 low mass white dwarfs and provide precise atmospheric parameters, masses, and updated binary system parameters based on our new model atmosphere grids and the most recent evolutionary model calculations. For the first time, we measure systematic abundances of He, Ca and Mg for metal-rich extremely low mass white dwarfs and examine the distribution of these abundances as a function of effective temperature and mass. Based on our preliminary results, we discuss the possibility that shell flashes may be responsible for the presence of the observed He and metals. We compare stellar radii derived from our spectroscopic analysis to model-independent measurements and find good agreement except for those white dwarfs with Teff < 10,000 K. We also calculate the expected gravitational wave strain for each system and discuss their significance to the eLISA space-borne gravitational wave observatory. Finally, we provide an update on the instability strip of extremely low mass white dwarf pulsators.

Model-independent measurements of cosmic expansion and growth at z = 0.57 using the anisotropic clustering of CMASS galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 9

We analyze the anisotropic two dimensional galaxy correlation function (2DCF) of the CMASS galaxy sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 9 (DR9) of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) data. Modeling the 2DCF fully including nonlinear effects and redshift space distortions (RSD) in the scale range of 30 to 120 h^{-1}Mpc, we find H(0.57)r_s(z_d)/c=0.0444 +/- 0.0019, D_A(0.57)/r_s(z_d)=9.01 +/- 0.23, and f_g(0.57)\sigma_8(0.57)=0.474 +/- 0.075, where r_s(z_d) is the sound horizon at the drag epoch computed using a simple integral, and f_g(z) is the growth rate at redshift z, and \sigma_8(z) represents the matter power spectrum normalization on 8h^{-1}Mpc scale at z. We find that the scales larger than 120 h^{-1}Mpc are dominated by noise in the 2DCF analysis, and that the inclusion of scales 30-40 h^{-1}Mpc significantly tightens the RSD measurement. Our measurements are consistent with previous results using the same data, but have significantly better precision since we are using all the information from the 2DCF in the scale range of 30 to 120 h^{-1}Mpc. Our measurements have been marginalized over sufficiently wide priors for the relevant parameters; they can be combined with other data to probe dark energy and gravity.

Form factor effects in the direct detection of isospin-violating dark matter

Isospin-violating dark matter (IVDM) provides a possible mechanism to ameliorate the tension among recent direct detection experiments. For IVDM, we demonstrate that the results of direct detection experiments based on neutron-rich target nuclei may depend strongly on the density dependence of the symmetry energy which is presently largely unknown and controls the neutron skin thickness that reflects the relative difference of neutron and proton form factors in the neutron-rich nuclei. In particular, using the neutron and proton form factors obtained from Skyrme-Hartree-Fock calculations by varying the symmetry energy within the uncertainty region set by the latest model-independent measurement of the neutron skin thickness of 208Pb from PREX experiment at JLab, we find that, for IVDM with neutron-to-proton coupling ratio fixed to fn/fp=-0.7, the form factor effect may enhance the sensitivity of Xe-based detectors (e.g., XENON100 and LUX) to the DM-proton cross section by a factor of 3 in the DM mass region constrained by CMDS-II(Si) and even by more than an order of magnitude for heavy DM with mass larger than 80 GeV, compared with the results using the empirical Helm form factor. Our results further indicate that the form factor effect can significantly modify the recoil spectrum of Xe-based detectors for heavy IVDM with fn/fp=-0.7.

Measurement of the branching fraction B(Λc+ → pK-π+).

We present the first model-independent measurement of the absolute branching fraction of the Λ(c)(+) → pK(-)π(+) decay using a data sample of 978 fb(-1) collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) collider. The number of Λ(c)(+) baryons is determined by reconstructing the recoiling D((*)-) pπ(+) system in events of the type e(+)e(-) → D((*)-) pπ(+)Λ(c)(+). The branching fraction is measured to be B(Λ(c)(+) → pK(-)π(+)) = (6.84 ± 0.24(-0.27)(+0.21))%, where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.

ChPT tests at NA48 and NA62

Final results from an analysis of about 400 K± → π±γγ rare decay candidates collected by the NA48/2 and NA62 experiments at CERN during low intensity runs with minimum bias trigger configurations are presented. The results include a model-independent decay rate measurement and fits to Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) description. The data support the ChPT prediction for a cusp in the di-photon invariant mass spectrum at the two pion threshold.

An optimal and model-independent measurement of the intracluster pressure profile – I. Methodology and first applications

We present a statistically-optimal and model-independent method to extract the pressure profile of hot gas in the intracluster medium (ICM). Using the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, we constrain the mean pressure profile of the ICM by appropriately considering all primary cosmic microwave background (CMB) and instrumental noise correlations, while using the maximum resolution and sensitivity of all frequency channels. As a first application, we analyze CMB maps of WMAP 9-year data through a study of the Meta-Catalogue of X-ray detected Clusters of galaxies (MCXC). We constrain the universal pressure profile out to 4R_500 with 15-sigma confidence, though our measurements are only significant out to R_200. Using a temperature profile constrained from X-ray observations, we measure the mean gas mass fraction out to R_200. Within statistical and systematic uncertainties, our constraints are compatible with the cosmic baryon fraction and the expected gas fraction in halos. While Planck multi-frequency CMB data are expected to reduce statistical uncertainties by a factor of 20, we argue that systematic errors in determining mass of clusters dominate the uncertainty in gas mass fraction measurements at the level of 20 percent.

Direct Calorimetric Measurement of Enthalpy of Adsorption of Carbon Dioxide on CD-MOF-2, a Green Metal–Organic Framework

The enthalpy of adsorption of CO2 on an environmentally friendly metal-organic framework, CD-MOF-2, has been determined directly for the first time using adsorption calorimetry at 25 °C. This calorimetric methodology provides a much more accurate and model-independent measurement of adsorption enthalpy than that obtained by calculation from the adsorption isotherms, especially for systems showing complex and strongly exothermic adsorption behavior. The differential enthalpy of CO2 adsorption shows enthalpy values in line with chemisorption behavior. At near-zero coverage, an irreversible binding event with an enthalpy of -113.5 kJ/mol CO2 is observed, which is followed by a reversible -65.4 kJ/mol binding event. These enthalpies are assigned to adsorption on more and less reactive hydroxyl groups, respectively. Further, a second plateau shows an enthalpy of -40.1 kJ/mol and is indicative of physisorbed CO2. The calorimetric data confirm the presence of at least two energetically distinct binding sites for chemisorbed CO2 on CD-MOF-2.

Model-independent measurement of the top quark polarisation

We introduce a new asymmetry in the decay t→Wb→ℓνb, which is shown to be directly proportional to the polarisation of the top quark along a chosen axis, times a sum of W helicity fractions. The latter have already been precisely measured at the Tevatron and the Large Hadron Collider. Therefore, this new asymmetry can be used to obtain a model-independent measurement of the polarisation of top quarks produced in any process at hadron or lepton colliders.

Laser Raman Spectroscopy for KATRIN

The aim of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino experiment - KATRIN - is the direct (model-independent) measurement of the mass of the electron anti-neutrino [T. Thümmler, Introduction to direct neutrino mass measurements and KATRIN, Neutrino 2010 (Athens, Greece).]. For that purpose a windowless gaseous tritium source WGTS is used, with a tritium throughput of 40 g/day. In order to reach the design sensitivity of 0.2 eV/c2 (90% C.L.) the key parameters of the tritium source, i.e. the gas inlet rate and the gas composition, have to be stabilized and monitored at the 0.1 % level (1σ). Any small change of the tritium gas composition will manifest itself in non-negligible effects on the KATRIN measurements; therefore, precise methods to specifically monitor the gas composition have to be implemented. Laser Raman Spectroscopy is the method of choice for the monitoring of the gas composition because it is a non-invasive and fast in-line measurement technique. An overview of the current Raman activities at Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe (TLK) is given.

Studying the excitation function of the full cross section of a reaction using a modified transmission technique: Initial results

A method for direct and model-independent measurements of the full cross section for the reaction σR is described, along with the physical setting and the results from measuring σR(E) for the reaction 6He+197Au in the energy region near the Coulomb barrier. A comparison of cross section values measured by the direct method with a summed cross section of the reaction’s xn evaporation channels (x = 2–7) and a neutron’s disruption-pickup channels measured by means of activation analysis is presented, along with the familiar value in the literature for a full cross section obtained from processing with an optical model of experimental differential cross sections of the elastic scattering of 6He on 197Au.

On the design of experiments for determining ternary mixture free energies from static light scattering data using a nonlinear partial differential equation

We mathematically design sets of static light scattering experiments to provide for model-independent measurements of ternary liquid mixing free energies to a desired level of accuracy. A parabolic partial differential equation (PDE), linearized from the full nonlinear PDE [D. Ross, G. Thurston, and C. Lutzer, J. Chem. Phys. 129, 064106 (2008)], describes how data noise affects the free energies to be inferred. The linearized PDE creates a net of spacelike characteristic curves and orthogonal, timelike curves in the composition triangle, and this net governs diffusion of information coming from light scattering measurements to the free energy. Free energy perturbations induced by a light scattering perturbation diffuse along the characteristic curves and towards their concave sides, with a diffusivity that is proportional to the local characteristic curvature radius. Consequently, static light scattering can determine mixing free energies in regions with convex characteristic curve boundaries, given suitable boundary data. The dielectric coefficient is a Lyapunov function for the dynamical system whose trajectories are PDE characteristics. Information diffusion is heterogeneous and system-dependent in the composition triangle, since the characteristics depend on molecular interactions and are tangent to liquid-liquid phase separation coexistence loci at critical points. We find scaling relations that link free energy accuracy, total measurement time, the number of samples, and the interpolation method, and identify the key quantitative tradeoffs between devoting time to measuring more samples, or fewer samples more accurately. For each total measurement time there are optimal sample numbers beyond which more will not improve free energy accuracy. We estimate the degree to which many-point interpolation and optimized measurement concentrations can improve accuracy and save time. For a modest light scattering setup, a sample calculation shows that less than two minutes of measurement time is, in principle, sufficient to determine the dimensionless mixing free energy of a non-associating ternary mixture to within an integrated error norm of 0.003. These findings establish a quantitative framework for designing light scattering experiments to determine the Gibbs free energy of ternary liquid mixtures.

Observation of double charm production involving open charm in pp collisions at $ \sqrt {s} = {7}\;{\text{TeV}} $

Abstract The production of J/ψ mesons accompanied by open charm, and of pairs of open charm hadrons are observed in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 355 pb−1 collected with the LHCb detector. Model independent measurements of absolute cross-sections are given together with ratios to the measured J/ψ and open charm cross-sections. The properties of these events are studied and compared to theoretical predictions.

Cosmological model-independent Gamma-ray bursts calibration and its cosmological constraint to dark energy

As so far, the redshift of Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can extend to z ∼ 8 which makes it as a complementary probe of dark energy to supernova Ia (SN Ia). However, the calibration of GRBs is still a big challenge when they are used to constrain cosmological models. Though, the absolute magnitude of GRBs is still unknown, the slopes of GRBs correlations can be used as a useful constraint to dark energy in a completely cosmological model independent way. In this paper, we follow Wang's model-independent distance measurement method and calculate their values by using 109 GRBs events via the so-called Amati relation. Then, we use the obtained model-independent distances to constrain ΛCDM model as an example.

An Experimentalist's Overview of Solar Neutrinos

Four decades of solar neutrino research have demonstrated that solar models do a remarkable job of predicting the neutrino fluxes from the Sun, to the extent that solar neutrinos can now serve as a calibrated neutrino source for experiments to understand neutrino oscillations and mixing. In this review article I will highlight the most significant experimental results, with emphasis on the latest model-independent measurements from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. The solar neutrino fluxes are seen to be generally well-determined experimentally, with no indications of time variability, while future experiments will elucidate the lower energy part of the neutrino spectrum, especially pep and CNO neutrinos.

T and CPT symmetries in entangled neutral meson systems

Genuine tests of an asymmetry under T and/or CPT transformations imply the interchange between in-states and out-states. I explain a methodology to perform model-independent separate measurements of the three CP, T and CPT symmetry violations for transitions involving the decay of the neutral meson systems in B- and Φ-factories. It makes use of the quantum-mechanical entanglement only, for which the individual state of each neutral meson is not defined before the decay of its orthogonal partner. The final proof of the independence of the three asymmetries is that no other theoretical ingredient is involved and that the event sample corresponding to each case is different from the other two. The experimental analysis for the measurements of these three asymmetries as function of the time interval Δt > 0 between the first and second decays is discussed, as well as the significance of the expected results. In particular, one may advance a first observation of true, direct, evidence of Time-Reserval-Violation in B-factories by many standard deviations from zero, without any reference to, and independent of, CP-Violation.In some quantum gravity framework the CPT-transformation is ill-defined, so there is a resulting loss of particle-antiparticle identity. This mechanism induces a breaking of the EPR correlation in the entanglement imposed by Bose statistics to the neutral meson system, the so-called ω-effect. I present results and prospects for the ω-parameter in the correlated neutral meson-antimeson states.

Multiparticle-multihole states in31Mg and33Mg: A critical evaluation

The experiments that provide information about the level structure of the ``island of inversion'' isotopes ${}^{31}$Mg and ${}^{33}$Mg are reviewed. Since the model-independent measurement of their ground-state spins was done, much experimental data can be reinterpreted, and spins and parities can be assigned to their excited states. Both experimental level schemes are found in very good agreement with calculations based on antisymmetrized molecular dynamics combined with the generator coordinate method. These calculations predict that both ground states are dominated by $2\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$ neutron excitations (more than 85$%$ of the wave function). In the case of ${}^{33}$Mg, the energy of the $1\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$ and $3\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$ levels are calculated about 400 keV too high with respect to the ground state, while in ${}^{31}$Mg the $1\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}$ levels are calculated only 200 keV too high. New key experiments are suggested.

Parity violating electron scattering measurements of neutron densities

Parity violating electron scattering allows model-independent measurements of neutron densities that are free from most strong interaction uncertainties. In this paper, we present statistical error estimates for a variety of experiments. The neutron radius Rn can be measured in several nuclei, as long as the nuclear excited states are not too low in energy. We present error estimates for Rn measurements in 40Ca, 48Ca, 112Sn, 120Sn, 124Sn and 208Pb. In general, we find that the smaller the nucleus, the easier the measurement. This is because smaller nuclei can be measured at higher momentum transfers where the parity violating asymmetry Apv is larger. Also in general, the more neutron rich the isotope, the easier the measurement, because neutron-rich isotopes have larger weak charges and larger Apv. Measuring Rn in 48Ca appears very promising because it has a higher figure of merit than 208Pb. In addition, Rn(48Ca) may be more easily related to two-nucleon and three-nucleon interactions, including very interesting three-neutron forces, than Rn(208Pb). After measuring Rn, one can constrain the surface thickness of the neutron density an with a second measurement at somewhat higher momentum transfers. We present statistical error estimates for measuring an in 48Ca, 120Sn and 208Pb. Again, we find that an is easier to measure in smaller nuclei.

Model-independent measurement of t-channel single top quark production in [formula omitted] collisions at [formula omitted

We present a model-independent measurement of t-channel electroweak production of single top quarks in pp¯ collisions at s=1.96 TeV. Using 5.4 fb−1 of integrated luminosity collected by the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, and selecting events containing an isolated electron or muon, missing transverse energy and one or two jets originating from the fragmentation of b quarks, we measure a cross section σ(pp¯→tqb+X)=2.90±0.59(stat+syst) pb for a top quark mass of 172.5 GeV. The probability of the background to fluctuate and produce a signal as large as the one observed is 1.6×10−8, corresponding to a significance of 5.5 standard deviations.

Model-independent Higgs coupling measurements at the LHC using theH→ZZ→4ℓlineshape

We show that combining a direct measurement of the Higgs total width from the $H\ensuremath{\rightarrow}ZZ\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4\ensuremath{\ell}$ lineshape with Higgs signal rate measurements allows Higgs couplings to be extracted in a model-independent way from CERN LHC data. Using existing experimental studies with $30\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at one detector of the 14 TeV LHC, we show that the couplings squared of a 190 GeV Higgs to $WW$, $ZZ$, and $gg$ can be extracted with statistical precisions of about 10%, and a 95% confidence level upper limit on an unobserved component of the Higgs decay width of about 22% of the standard model Higgs width can be set. The method can also be applied for heavier Higgs masses.