Tree-level Predictions Research Articles

One-loop corrections for WW to HH in Higgs EFT with the electroweak chiral Lagrangian

In this work we present the computation of the one-loop electroweak radiative corrections to the scattering process $WW\to HH$ within the context of the Higgs Effective Field Theory (HEFT). We assume that the fermionic interactions are like in the Standard Model, whereas the Beyond Standard Model interactions in the bosonic sector are given by the Electroweak Chiral Lagrangian. The computation of the one-loop amplitude and the renormalization program is performed in terms of the involved one-particle-irreducible functions (1PI) and using $R_\xi$ covariant gauges. The renormalization of 1PI functions at arbitrary external momenta is a more ambitious program than just renormalizing the amplitude with on-shell external legs and it has the advantage that they can be used in several scattering amplitudes. In fact, we use here some of the 1PI functions already computed in our previous work (devoted to $WZ \to WZ$). We will complement them here with the computation of the new 1PI functions required for $WW \to HH$. From this renormalization procedure we will also derive the full set of renormalized coefficients of the EChL that are relevant for this scattering process. In the last part, we will present the numerical results for the EChL predictions of the one-loop level cross section, $\sigma(WW \to HH)|_{\rm 1-loop}$, as a function of the center of mass energy, showing the relative size of the one-loop radiative corrections respect to the tree level prediction in terms of the EChL coefficients. The results of the one-loop corrections to $WW \to HH$ for the SM case will be also presented, for comparison with the EChL case, following the same computational method, i.e., by means of the renormalization of 1PI functions.

Tree-Level Citrus Yield Prediction Utilizing Ground and Aerial Machine Vision and Machine Learning

Tree-Level Citrus Yield Prediction Utilizing Ground and Aerial Machine Vision and Machine Learning

Development of individual tree growth and yield model across multiple contrasting species using nonparametric and parametric methods in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran

The Hyrcanian forests of Iran contain many species-rich communities that can only be maintained through an understanding of the renewal and development of these forests. Located in the Jojadeh section of the Farim forest in northern Iran, individual tree growth of five distinct species [(Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky), chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia Coss. ex J.Gay), Persian maple (Acer velutinum Boiss.), common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.) and Caucasian alder (Alnus subcordata C.A.Mey.)] were measured on 313 permanent sample plots (0.1 ha) over a 10-year period (2003–2013). In this analysis, various tree-level predictions were investigated using the available data with application of parametric models and two artificial neural networks [i.e., the multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF) networks]. Individual tree diameter growth models showed a robust negative relationship with basal area in larger trees, which was relatively consistent across species. A total height model indicated that the examined species did not differ for a given set of covariates. In the survival model, the survival probability of Oriental beech was lower than the other species, while the ingrowth model revealed sapling density of all species increased with greater basal area. The artificial neural network based on the MLP was superior for all models and predicted more accurately than the RBF. Furthermore, the models based on the MLP were also superior to the parametric individual tree models developed using mixed-effect regression. The use of these developed models in forest planning and management is imperative, particularly for uneven-aged stands, but assessment of long-term projection behavior across the contrasting statistical approaches used is warranted despite the general superiority of the nonparametric models.

Modelling the Crown Profile of Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) with a Combination of Component and Aggregate Measures of Crown Size

Research Highlights: We present statistical methods for using crown measurement data from multiple destructive sampling studies to model crown profiles in the Tree and Stand Simulator (TASS) and evaluate it using component (branch-level) and aggregate (tree-level) predictions. Combining data collected under different sampling protocols offered unique challenges. Background and Objectives: The approach to modelling crown profiles was based on Mitchell’s monograph on Douglas-fir growth and simulated dynamics. The functional form defines the potential crown size and shape and governs the rate of crown expansion. With the availability of additional data, we are able to update these functions as part of ongoing TASS development and demonstrate the formulation and fitting of new crown profile equations for stand-grown western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. Materials and Methods: Detailed measurements on 1616 branches from 153 trees were collected for TASS development over a 40-year period. Data were collected under two different sampling protocols and the methods were designed to allow the use of data from both protocols. Data collected on all branches were then introduced through the application of the ratio of length of each of the selected branches to the largest branch in the internode (RL). Results: A mixed-effects model with two random effects, which accounted for tree-level variation, provided the best fit. From that, a model that expressed one parameter as a function of another with one random effect was developed to complement the structure of the Tree and Stand Simulator (TASS). The models generally over-estimated crown size when compared to the projected crown area recorded from field measurements, and a scalar adjustment factor of 0.89 was applied that minimised mean-squared error of the differences. The new model is fit from direct measures of crown radius and predicts narrower crown shapes than previous functions used in TASS.

Aboveground biomass quantification and tree-level prediction models for the Brazilian subtropical Atlantic Forest

Forests are the largest biological reservoir of biomass and carbon on the planet. This fact turns them into the main tool to neutralise the CO2 emitted by human activities. Despite such importance, the uncertainties associated with biomass estimates in forests, especially in (sub)tropical forests, are enormous. Facing this scenario, the objectives of this study were (1) to quantify through destructive sampling the aboveground biomass (AGB) of 105 trees of 47 species occurring in a secondary subtropical evergreen rainforest in Brazil; (2) to investigate the AGB distribution in different tree compartments; and (3) to fit tree-level models to improve biomass estimates for the referred forest type. The results revealed that most of the AGB was stored in the compartments stem and large branches (diameter ≥ 5 cm). There was an increase in the proportion of biomass – in relation to the total tree AGB (kg) – allocated in the large branches as tree diameter at breast height (DBH) increased; this pattern was not observed for the compartments stem, thin branches (diameter < 5 cm), and leaves. The compartments thin branches and leaves represented between 5.4% and 17.0%, and 1.3% and 2.9% of the total tree AGB, respectively. From the 10 fitted biomass models, the linearised power models yielded the smallest errors. The best performance model, which returned a mean bias of 1.7%, may be written as AGB = exp(−8.9807 + 2.1642·ln[DBH] + 0.5072·ln[h] + 0.9999·ln[ρbas]); Baskerville’s factor = 1.0175. If there are no (reliable) data on tree total height (h; m), the following model, which embedded the DBH and wood basic specific gravity (ρbas; kg m−3), may be employed: AGB = exp(−9.0086 + 2.4606·ln[DBH] + 1.0895·ln[ρbas]); Baskerville’s factor = 1.0206.

Minimal Higgs inflation with an R2 term in Palatini gravity

It has recently been suggested that the Standard Model Higgs boson could act as the inflaton while minimally coupled to gravity - given that the gravity sector is extended with an $\alpha R^2$ term and the underlying theory of gravity is of Palatini, rather than metric, type. In this paper, we revisit the idea and correct some shortcomings in earlier studies. We find that in this setup the Higgs can indeed act as the inflaton and that the tree-level predictions of the model for the spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio are $n_s\simeq 0.941$, $r\simeq 0.3/(1+10^{-8}\alpha)$, respectively, for a typical number of e-folds, $N=50$, between horizon exit of the pivot scale $k=0.05\, {\rm Mpc}^{-1}$ and the end of inflation. Even though the tensor-to-scalar ratio is suppressed compared to the usual minimally coupled case and can be made compatible with data for large enough $\alpha$, the result for $n_s$ is in severe tension with the Planck results. We briefly discuss extensions of the model.

CMB lensing bispectrum: Assessing analytical predictions against full-sky lensing simulations

Cosmic microwave background (CMB) lensing is an integrated effect whose kernel is greater than half the peak value in the range $1<z<5$. Measuring this effect offers a powerful tool to probe the large-scale structure of the Universe at high redshifts. With the increasing precision of ongoing CMB surveys, other statistics than the lensing power spectrum, in particular the lensing bi-spectrum, will be measured at high statistical significance. This will provide ways to improve the constraints on cosmological models and lift degeneracies. Following on an earlier paper, we test analytical predictions of the CMB lensing bi-spectrum against full-sky lensing simulations, and discuss their validity and limitation in detail. The tree-level prediction of perturbation theory agrees with the simulation only up to $\ell\sim 200$, but the one-loop order allows capturing the simulation results up to $\ell\sim 600$. We also show that analytical predictions based on fitting formulas for the matter bi-spectrum agree reasonably well with simulation results, although the precision of the agreement depends on the configurations and scales considered. For instance, the agreement is at the $10\%$-level for the equilateral configuration at multipoles up to $\ell\sim2000$, but the difference in the squeezed limit raises to more than a factor of two at $\ell\sim2000$. This discrepancy appears to come from limitations in the fitting formula of the matter bi-spectrum. We also find that the analytical prediction for the post-Born correction to the bi-spectrum is in good agreement with the simulation. We conclude by discussing the bi-spectrum prediction in some theories of modified gravity.

High precision statistical Landau gauge lattice gluon propagator computation vs. the Gribov–Zwanziger approach

In this article we report on lattice results for the Landau gauge gluon propagator using large statistical ensembles. In particular, the compatibility of the lattice data with the tree level predictions of the Refined Gribov–Zwanziger and the Very Refined Gribov–Zwanziger actions is analysed, complementing earlier work using small-scale statistics. Our results show that the data is well described by the tree level estimate only up to momentap≲1 GeV and clearly favours the so-called Refined Gribov–Zwanziger scenario propagator. For the Very Refined Gribov–Zwanziger action, these results imply a particular relation betweend=2 condensates. Furthermore, we also provide a global fit of the lattice data that interpolates between the above scenario at low momenta and the usual continuum one-loop renormalization improved perturbation theory after introducing an infrared log-regularizing term.

Lepton flavor changing Higgs boson decays in a two Higgs doublet model with a fourth generation of fermions

We analyze the flavor changing decay in the framework of a two Higgs doublet model with a fourth generation of fermions (4G2HDM) which couples only to the heavy scalar doublet. We find that the respective branching ratio at one-loop level can reach values as high as 10−4–10−6 for masses of 300 GeV–1 TeV for the heavy leptons in the fourth family and the new heavy Higgs bosons. These radiative corrections are of the same order of magnitude as the tree level prediction of the 4G2HDM.

M-theory beyond the supergravity approximation

We analyze the four-point function of stress-tensor multiplets for the 6d quantum field theory with OSp(8∗|4) symmetry which is conjectured to be dual to M-theory on AdS7 × S4, and deduce the leading correction to the tree-level supergravity prediction by obtaining a solution of the crossing equations in the large-N limit with the superconformal partial wave expansion truncated to operators with zero spin. This correction corresponds to the M-theoretic analogue of ℛ4 corrections in string theory. We also find solutions corresponding to higher-spin truncations, but they are subleading compared to the 1-loop supergravity prediction, which has yet to be calculated.

Sensitivity of Above-Ground Biomass Estimates to Height-Diameter Modelling in Mixed-Species West African Woodlands.

It has been suggested that above-ground biomass (AGB) inventories should include tree height (H), in addition to diameter (D). As H is a difficult variable to measure, H-D models are commonly used to predict H. We tested a number of approaches for H-D modelling, including additive terms which increased the complexity of the model, and observed how differences in tree-level predictions of H propagated to plot-level AGB estimations. We were especially interested in detecting whether the choice of method can lead to bias. The compared approaches listed in the order of increasing complexity were: (B0) AGB estimations from D-only; (B1) involving also H obtained from a fixed-effects H-D model; (B2) involving also species; (B3) including also between-plot variability as random effects; and (B4) involving multilevel nested random effects for grouping plots in clusters. In light of the results, the modelling approach affected the AGB estimation significantly in some cases, although differences were negligible for some of the alternatives. The most important differences were found between including H or not in the AGB estimation. We observed that AGB predictions without H information were very sensitive to the environmental stress parameter (E), which can induce a critical bias. Regarding the H-D modelling, the most relevant effect was found when species was included as an additive term. We presented a two-step methodology, which succeeded in identifying the species for which the general H-D relation was relevant to modify. Based on the results, our final choice was the single-level mixed-effects model (B3), which accounts for the species but also for the plot random effects reflecting site-specific factors such as soil properties and degree of disturbance.

One-loop contributions to neutral minima in the inert doublet model

The vacuum structure of the inert doublet model is analysed at the one-loop level using the effective potential formalism, to verify the validity of tree-level predictions for the properties of the global minimum. An inert minimum (with massive fermions) and an inert-like minimum (with massless fermions) can coexist at tree level. But the one-loop analysis reveals that the allowed parameter space for the coexistence of more than one minimum is larger than the tree-level expected one. It is also shown that for some choices of parameters, the global minimum found at the one-loop level may be inert (or inert-like), contrary to what the tree-level analysis indicates.

Quantum smearing in hybrid inflation with chaotic potentials

We study the impact of 1-loop radiative corrections in a nonsupersymmetric model of hybrid inflation (HI) with chaotic (polynomial-like) potential, [Formula: see text]. These corrections can arise from the possible couplings of inflaton with other fields which can play an active role in the reheating process. The tree-level predictions of these models are shown to lie outside of the Planck’s latest bounds on the scalar spectral index [Formula: see text] and the tensor to scalar ratio [Formula: see text]. However, the radiatively corrected version of these models, [Formula: see text], is fully consistent with the Planck’s data. More specifically, fermionic radiative correction ([Formula: see text]) reduces the tensor to scalar ratio significantly and a red-tilted spectral index [Formula: see text], consistent with Planck’s data, is obtained even for sub-Planckian field-values.

NLO QCD + NLO EW corrections to WZZ productions with leptonic decays at the LHC

Precision tests of the Standard Model (SM) require not only accurate experiments, but also precise and reliable theoretical predictions. Triple vector boson production provides a unique opportunity to investigate the quartic gauge couplings and check the validity of the gauge principle in the SM. Since the tree-level predictions alone are inadequate to meet this demand, the next-to-leading order (NLO) calculation becomes compulsory. In this paper, we calculate the NLO QCD + NLO electroweak (EW) corrections to the $W^{\pm}ZZ$ productions with subsequent leptonic decays at the $14~{\rm TeV}$ LHC by adopting an improved narrow width approximation which takes into account the off-shell contributions and spin correlations from the $W^{\pm}$- and $Z$-boson leptonic decays. The NLO QCD+EW corrected integrated cross sections for the $W^{\pm}ZZ$ productions and some kinematic distributions of final products are provided. The results show that both the NLO QCD and NLO EW corrections are significant. In the jet-veto event selection scheme with $p_{T,jet}^{cut} = 50~ {\rm GeV}$, the NLO QCD+EW relative corrections to the integrated cross section are $20.5\%$ and $31.1\%$, while the genuine NLO EW relative corrections are $-5.42\%$ and $-4.58\%$, for the $W^+ZZ$ and $W^-ZZ$ productions, respectively. We also investigate the theoretical dependence of the integrated cross section on the factorization/renormalization scale, and find that the scale uncertainty is underestimated at the LO due to the fact that the strong coupling $\alpha_s$ is not involved in the LO matrix elements.

Linking individual-tree and whole-stand models for forest growth and yield prediction

Background: Different types of growth and yield models provide essential information for making informed decisions on how to manage forests. Whole-stand models often provide well-behaved outputs at the stand level, but lack information on stand structures. Detailed information from individual-tree models and size-class models typically suffers from accumulation of errors. The disaggregation method, in assuming that predictions from a whole-stand model are reliable, partitions these outputs to individual trees. On the other hand, the combination method seeks to improve stand-level predictions from both whole-stand and individual-tree models by combining them. Methods: Data from 100 plots randomly selected from the Southwide Seed Source Study of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) were used to evaluate the unadjusted individual-tree model against the disaggregation and combination methods. Results: Compared to the whole-stand model, the combination method did not show improvements in predicting stand attributes in this study. The combination method also did not perform as well as the disaggregation method in tree-level predictions. The disaggregation method provided the best predictions of tree- and stand-level survival and growth. Conclusions: The disaggregation approach provides a link between individual-tree models and whole-stand models, and should be considered as a better alternative to the unadjusted tree model.

R-parity violating supersymmetric contributions to the neutron beta decay at the one-loop level

The contribution of the R-parity violating minimal supersymmetric standard model to the neutron beta decay at the one-loop level is investigated. It is found that the baryon number and R-parity violating interactions contribute to the D correlation through one-loop corrections, while the tree level prediction is vanishing. The Fierz interference term is also investigated at the one-loop level by considering the lepton number and R-parity violating interactions. We show that future experimental progress can provide us with better constraints on some of the combinations of R-parity violating couplings.

Modeling the gluon propagator in Landau gauge: Lattice estimates of pole masses and dimension-two condensates

We present an analytic description of numerical results for the Landau-gauge SU(2) gluon propagator D(p^2), obtained from lattice simulations (in the scaling region) for the largest lattice sizes to date, in d = 2, 3 and 4 space-time dimensions. Fits to the gluon data in 3d and in 4d show very good agreement with the tree-level prediction of the Refined Gribov-Zwanziger (RGZ) framework, supporting a massive behavior for D(p^2) in the infrared limit. In particular, we investigate the propagator's pole structure and provide estimates of the dynamical mass scales that can be associated with dimension-two condensates in the theory. In the 2d case, fitting the data requires a non-integer power of the momentum p in the numerator of the expression for D(p^2). In this case, an infinite-volume-limit extrapolation gives D(0) = 0. Our analysis suggests that this result is related to a particular symmetry in the complex-pole structure of the propagator and not to purely imaginary poles, as would be expected in the original Gribov-Zwanziger scenario.

The spectrum of the 4-generation Dirac–Kähler extension of the SM

We compute the mass spectrum of the fermionic sector of the Dirac–Kähler extension of the SM (DK-SM) by showing that there exists a Bogoliubov transformation that transforms the DK-SM into a flavor U(4) extension of the SM (SM-4) with a particular choice of masses and mixing textures. Mass relations of the model allow determination of masses of the 4th generation. Tree level prediction for the mass of the 4th charged lepton is 370 GeV. The model selects the normal hierarchy for neutrino masses and reproduces naturally the near tri-bimaximal and quark mixing textures. The electron neutrino and the 4th neutrino masses are related via a see-saw-like mechanism.

MSSM Higgs with dimension-six operators

We investigate an extension of the MSSM Higgs sector by including the effects of all dimension-five and dimension-six effective operators and their associated supersymmetry breaking terms. The corrections to the masses of the neutral CP-even and CP-odd Higgs bosons due to the d = 5 and d = 6 operators are computed. When the d = 5 and d = 6 operators are generated by the same physics (i.e. when suppressed by powers of the same scale M), due to the relative tan β enhancement of the latter, which compensates their extra scale suppression ( 1 / M ), the mass corrections from d = 6 operators can be comparable to those of d = 5 operators, even for conservative values of the scale M. We identify the effective operators with the largest individual corrections to the lightest Higgs mass and discuss whether at the microscopic level and in the simplest cases, these operators are generated by “new physics” with a sign consistent with an increase of m h . Simple numerical estimates easily allow an increase of m h due to d = 6 operators alone in the region of 10–30 GeV, while for a much larger increase light new states beyond MSSM may be needed, in which case the effective description is unreliable. Special attention is paid to the treatment of the effective operators with higher derivatives. These can be removed by non-linear field redefinitions or by an “unfolding” technique, which effectively ensure that any ghost degrees of freedom (of mass ≳ M) are integrated out and absent in the effective theory at scales much smaller than M. Considering general coefficients of the susy operators with a scale of new physics above the LHC reach, it is possible to increase the tree-level prediction for the Higgs mass to the LEPII bound, thus alleviating the MSSM fine-tuning.

Weak corrections to gluon-induced top–antitop hadro-production

Abstract We calculate purely weak virtual one-loop corrections to the production cross section of top–antitop pairs at the Large Hadron Collider via the gluon–gluon fusion subprocess. We find very small negative corrections to the total cross section, of order − 0.6 % , but significantly larger effects to the differential one, particularly in the transverse momentum distribution, of order − 5 % to − 10 % (in observable regions). In case of parity-conserving spin-asymmetries of the final state, α S 2 α W corrections are typically of a few negative percent, with the exception of positive and negative peaks at + 12 % and − 5 % , respectively (near where the tree-level predictions change sign), while those arising in parity-violating asymmetries (which are identically zero in QCD) are typically at a level of a few permille.