Search

A light boson $U$ from an extra $U(1)$ interpolates between a generalized dark photon coupled to $Q,\ B$ and $L_i$ (or $B-L$), plus possibly dark matter, a dark $Z$ coupled to the $Z$ current, and one axially coupled to quarks and leptons. We identify the corresponding $U(1)_F$ symmetries, with $F= \gamma_Y Y+\gamma_B B+\gamma_{L_i}L_i+\gamma_A F_A+\gamma_{F'}F'\!+\gamma_d F_d$, $F_d$ acting in a dark sector and $F'$ on possible semi-inert BEH doublets uncoupled to quarks and leptons. The $U$ current is obtained from the $U(1)_F $ and $Z$ currents, with a mixing determined by the spin-0 BEH fields. The charge $Q_U$ of chiral quarks and leptons is a combination of $Q,\ B,\ L_i$ and $T_{3L}$ with the axial $F_A$. It involves in general isovector and isoscalar axial terms, in the presence of two BEH doublets. A longitudinal $U$ with axial couplings has enhanced interactions, and behaves much as an axionlike particle. Its axial couplings $g_A$, usually restricted to $< 2\times 10^{-7} m_U$(MeV), lead to effective pseudoscalar ones $g_P= g_A\times 2m_{q,l}\,/m_U=2^{1/4}\, G_F^{1/2}\, m_{q,l} \ A_\pm $. $\,A_\pm$ is proportional to an invisibility parameter $r=\cos\theta_A$ induced by a singlet v.e.v., possibly large and allowing the $U$ to be very weakly interacting. This allows for a very small gauge coupling, expressed with two doublets and a singlet as $g"\!/4\simeq 2\times 10^{-6} m_U$(MeV) $ r/\sin 2\beta$. We discuss phenomenological implications for meson decays, neutrino interactions, atomic-physics parity violation, naturally suppressed $\pi^0\to\gamma U$ decays, etc.. The $U$ boson fits within the grand-unification framework, in symbiosis with a $SU(4)_{\rm es }$ electrostrong symmetry broken at the GUT scale, with $Q_U$ depending on $Q,\ B-L,\ F_A$ and $T_{3A}$ through three parameters $\gamma_Y,\ \gamma_A$ and $\eta$., Comment: 25 pages

The cumulative emission of Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) from all past core-collapse supernovae (SNe) would lead to a diffuse flux with energies ${\mathcal O}(50)$ MeV. We use this to constrain ALPs featuring couplings to photons and to nucleons. ALPs coupled only to photons are produced in the SN core via the Primakoff process, and then converted into gamma rays in the Galactic magnetic field. We set a bound on $g_{a\gamma} \lesssim 5 \times 10^{-10}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$ for $m_a \lesssim 10^{-11}~{\rm eV}$, using recent measurements of the diffuse gamma-ray flux observed by the Fermi-LAT telescope. However, if ALPs couple also with nucleons, their production rate in SN can be considerably enhanced due to the ALPs nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung process. Assuming the largest ALP-nucleon coupling phenomenologically allowed, bounds on the diffuse gamma-ray flux lead to a much stronger $g_{a\gamma} \lesssim 6 \times 10^{-13}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$ for the same mass range. If ALPs are heavier than $\sim$ keV, the decay into photons becomes significant, leading again to a diffuse gamma-ray flux. In the case of only photon coupling, we find, e.g. $g_{a\gamma} \lesssim 5 \times 10^{-11}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$ for $m_a \sim 5~{\rm keV}$. Allowing for a (maximal) coupling to nucleons, the limit improves to the level of $g_{a\gamma} \lesssim 10^{-19}~{\rm GeV}^{-1}$ for $m_a \sim 20~{\rm MeV}$, which represents the strongest constraint to date., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. v2: minor changes to match the published version

A dedicated programme aiming at studying electromagnetic baryonic transitions in the time-like region has started at GSI using the pion beam and the High Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES) set-up. A pioneering experiment has been carried out in the second resonance region, at a center-of-mass energy of 1.49 GeV, using carbon and polyethylene targets, allowing for an analysis of the inclusivee+e-production and of the exclusive quasi-freeπ-p→ne+e-reaction, in complement to hadronic channels. Predictions for the Dalitz decay of N(1520) and N(1535) based on real photon couplings strongly underestimate thee+e-yield at invariant masses larger than 300 MeV/c2, which signals effects of time-like baryon transition form factors, in qualitative agreement with the Vector Dominance Models (VDM). A quantitative description of the observede+e-yield is achieved by taking into account the contribution from off-shellρs. The latter was provided by the preliminary results of a Bonn-Gatchina Partial Wave Analysis of the two-pion production channels, which were measured simultaneously in our experiment. A good agreement is also obtained using a covariant model for the time-like electromagnetic form factors for the N-N(1520) transition. The angular distributions for thee+e-production contain additional selective information on the spin structure of the different transitions. The measurements with the pion beam will be extended in future in the third resonance region. Hyperon Dalitz decay studies in proton induced reactions are also foreseen.

The results of a search for π decays to a photon and an invisible massive dark photon at the NA62 experiment at the CERN SPS are reported. From a total of 4.12 × 10 tagged π mesons, no signal is observed. Assuming a kinetic-mixing interaction, limits are set on the dark photon coupling to the ordinary photon as a function of the dark photon mass, improving on previous searches in the mass range 60–110 MeV/c. The present results are interpreted in terms of an upper limit of the branching ratio of the electro-weak decay π→ γνν¯ , improving the current limit by more than three orders of magnitude.

International audience; The 3rd generation quarks are, due to their large masses, highly sensitive probes for new physics connected to the electroweak symmetry breaking. While top quark pair production requires center-of-mass energies of larger than 350 GeV, the first stage of the ILC at a center-of-mass energy of 250 GeV can perform precision measurements of bottom quark pair production, thereby settling the long standing ~3$\sigma$ tension between the LEP experiments and SLC experiment. For this measurement, polarised beams of the ILC are of special importance as they enable the separation of the vector and axial-vector couplings of the $b$-quark to $Z^0$ boson and photon. Another important precision probe for new physics is triple gauge boson couplings. Thanks to the polarised beams and a much higher luminosity, a significant increase in precision beyond past and present experiments is expected at the first stage of the ILC for the TGCs involving $W^\pm$ bosons.

International audience; The gravitational deflection of massless and massive particles, both with and without spin, has been extensively studied. This paper discusses the lensing of a particle which oscillates between two interaction eigenstates. The deflection angle, lens equation and time delay between images are derived in a model of photon to hidden-photon oscillations. In the case of coherent oscillations, the coupled photon behaves as a massive particle with a mass equal to the product of the coupling constant and hidden-photon mass. The conditions for observing coherent photon-hidden photon lensing are discussed.

Following the renewed interest for axions as a dark matter component, we revisit the effects of energy loss by axion emission on the evolution of the first generation of stars. These stars with zero metallicity are supposed to be massive, more compact, and hotter than subsequent generations. It is hence important to extend previous studies restricted to solar metallicity stars. Our analysis first compares the evolution of solar metallicity 8, 10 and 12 M$_\odot$ stars to previous work. We then calculate the evolution of 8 zero metallicity stars with and without axion losses and with masses ranging from 20 to 150 M$_\odot$. For the solar metallicity models, we confirm the disappearance of the blue loop phase for a value of the axion-photon coupling, $g_{a\gamma}=10^{-10} {\rm GeV}^{-1}$. Regarding the Pop. III stars, we show that for $g_{a\gamma}=10^{-10} {\rm GeV}^{-1}$, their evolution is not much affected by axion losses except within the range of masses 80$-$130 M$_\odot$. Such stars show significant differences both in their tracks within the $T_c$-$\rho_c$ diagram and in their central composition (in particular $^{20}$Ne and $^{24}$Mg). We discuss the origin of these modifications from the stellar physics point of view, and their potential observational signatures., Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Proceedings, 10th Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs (AXION-WIMP 2014) 10th Patras Workshop on Axions, WIMPs and WISPs, AXION-WIMP 2014, Geneva, Switzerland, 29 Jun 2014 - 4 Jul 2014; Hamburg : Verlag Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY-PROC, 83-88 (2014). doi:10.3204/DESY-PROC-2014-03/januschek_friederike, Light-Shining-Through-Walls experiments are the search experiments for weakly interacting slim particles (WISPs) with the smallest model dependence. They have the advantage that not only the detection, but also the production of the WISPs takes place in the laboratory and can thus be controlled. Using lasers is the preferred option for most of the mass region and has led to the world's most stringent laboratory limits (ALPS~I) there. At CERN, OSQAR promises to surpass these and at DESY ALPS~II is currently set up, which is planning to probe the axion-like particle to photon coupling down to $|g_{a\gamma}|\gtrsim 2\cdot10^{-11}$ GeV$^{-1}$, which is in a region favored by many astrophysical hints., Published by Verlag Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Hamburg

We report on a new search for solar chameleons with the CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST). A GridPix detector was used to search for soft X-ray photons in the energy range from 200 eV to 10 keV from converted solar chameleons. No signiffcant excess over the expected background has been observed in the data taken in 2014 and 2015. We set an improved limit on the chameleon photon coupling, $\beta_\gamma < 5.7\times10^{10}$ for $1, Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables

The Physics Beyond Colliders initiative is an exploratory study aimed at exploiting the full scientific potential of the CERN's accelerator complex and scientific infrastructures through projects complementary to the LHC and other possible future colliders. These projects will target fundamental physics questions in modern particle physics. This document presents the status of the proposals presented in the framework of the Beyond Standard Model physics working group, and explore their physics reach and the impact that CERN could have in the next 10–20 years on the international landscape., Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics, 47 (1), ISSN:0305-4616, ISSN:0954-3899, ISSN:1361-6471, ISSN:0954-3889