Search

Extra dimensions with a bulk dilaton field can be power-law warped, unlike the exponential warping in the Randall-Sundrum (RS) model. We show that this mildly warped extra dimension can address the hierarchy problem with a novel Kaluza-Klein (KK) spectrum characterized by lighter feebly coupled KK modes compared to the KK modes in the RS model. We investigate the prospects of searching for signatures of such KK modes at current and future colliders, such as the LHC, CLIC, and FCC-ee using visible decays of KK gravitons. We also update the current bounds and projected limits for the RS model and the linear dilaton (LD) model. Furthermore, we explore the long-lived regime of KK gravitons at Belle II, beam dump experiments, e.g., FASER2, MATHUSLA, and SHiP, as well as constraints from astrophysical and cosmological observations. We find that combining both kinds of searches will enable comprehensive coverage of the model parameter space relevant to the electroweak hierarchy problem., Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables

Dark axion portal connects an axion-like-particle (ALP), which can be the QCD axion, with the SM by the coupling to a photon and a dark photon, leading to a rich and distinct phenomenology related to dark matter, astrophysics, and cosmology. We note that due to the gauge invariance, the $Z$ boson-dark photon-ALP coupling should also be generated with sizable strength, and we study its phenomenological consequences at $Z$ boson factories: LEP, FCC-ee, and forward physics detectors at the LHC and FPF@FCC - FASER and MATHUSLA. Due to the large number of $Z$ bosons produced, DAP particles can be efficiently produced and detected by semi-visible displaced decays of the heavier DS species to $\gamma$+inv. or $f^+ f^-$+inv., and via missing energy signature with zero or one photon. Because of the complementarity of the two approaches, we find great prospects in exploring both short and long-lived lifetime regimes of DAP, especially when the heavier dark species has mass above $0.1\,$GeV., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures

Tachyons have fascinated generations of physicists due to their peculiar behavior, but they did not solve any real physical problem. This may have changed with the recent works of Dragan et al., who have shown that superluminal observers may be related to the foundations of quantum mechanics (QM) because they require introducing non-determinism and wave-like behavior at the fundamental level. Unfortunately, we show that the tachyon quantum field theory proposed as a part of this program is not quantum since the tachyon field commutes at all points and the canonical commutations relations of a quantum scalar field are not satisfied. We also discuss other authors' theories, e.g., we show that the Dhar-Sudarshan's formula for the Feynman propagator violates unitarity, and we apply the LSZ formalism to tachyons for the first time, where we find that one cannot prove the LSZ asymptotic condition just by replacing plane waves with wavepackets., Comment: 2 figures, 8 pages; slightly expanded discussion compared to the one accepted by PRD

In some models of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM), one of the leading low energy consequences of the model appears in the form of the chromo-electric dipole moments (CEDMs) of the gluons and light quarks. We examine if these CEDMs can be distinguished from the QCD $\theta$-term through the experimentally measurable nuclear and atomic electric dipole moments (EDMs) in both cases with and without the Peccei-Quinn (PQ) mechanism solving the strong CP problem. We find that the nucleon EDMs show a distinctive pattern when the EDMs are dominantly induced by the light quark CEDMs without the PQ mechanism. In the presence of the PQ mechanism, the QCD $\theta$-parameter corresponds to the vacuum value of the axion field, which might be induced either by CEDMs or by UV-originated PQ breaking other than the QCD anomaly, for instance the PQ breaking by quantum gravity effects. We find that in case with the PQ mechanism the nucleon EDMs have a similar pattern regardless of what is the dominant source of EDMs among the CEDMs and $\theta$-term, unless there is a significant cancellation between the contributions from different sources. In contrast, some nuclei or atomic EDMs can have characteristic patterns significantly depending on the dominant source of EDMs, which may allow identifying the dominant source among the CEDMs and $\theta$-term. Yet, discriminating the gluon CEDM from the QCD $\theta$-parameter necessitates additional knowledge of low energy parameters induced by the gluon CEDM, which is not available at the moment. Our results imply that EDMs can reveal unambiguous sign of CEDMs while identifying the origin of the axion vacuum value, however it requires further knowledge of low energy parameters induced by the gluon CEDM., Comment: Abstract on the arxiv webpage updated to the final version. No changes to the draft

Various supersymmetric (SUSY) scenarios predict a sub-GeV neutralino decaying into a single photon and an invisible state. This signature has recently been studied in a number of intensity frontier experiments, finding constraints complementary to the usual collider searches. In this work, we study the prospects of searches for long-lived neutralinos coupled to an ALPino or gravitino, where each can act as the lightest SUSY particle (LSP). In addition to the neutralino decays into a LSP and a photon, we also consider three-body decays into a pair of charged leptons, and signatures related to scattering with electrons and secondary neutralino production. For both models, we find that the searches at FASER2 will allow to overcome the current bounds, while SHIP will extend these limits by more than an order of magnitude in the value of the coupling constant., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures

Inelastic Dark Matter (iDM) is an interesting thermal DM scenario that can pose challenges for conventional detection methods. However, recent studies demonstrated that iDM coupled to a photon by electric or magnetic dipole moments can be effectively constrained by intensity frontier experiments using the displaced single-photon decay signature. In this work, we show that by utilizing additional signatures for such models, the sensitivity reach can be increased towards the short-lived regime, $\gamma c\tau \sim O(1)\,$m, which can occur in the region of the parameter space relevant to successful thermal freeze-out. These processes are secondary iDM production taking place by upscattering in front of the decay vessel and electron scattering. Additionally, we consider dimension-6 scenarios of photon-coupled iDM - the anapole moment and the charge radius operator - where the leading decay of the heavier iDM state is $\chi_1 \to \chi_0 e^+ e^-$, resulting in a naturally long-lived $\chi_1$. We find that the decays of $\chi_1$ at FASER2, MATHUSLA, and SHiP will constrain these models more effectively than the scattering signature considered for the elastic coupling case, while secondary production yields similar constraints as the scattering., Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures. Fig. 2 added, minor changes in text, results unchanged. Matches version accepted by PRD

The dark axion portal is a dimension-5 coupling between an axion-like particle (ALP), a photon, and a dark photon, which is one of the targets of the intensity frontier searches looking for $\sim\,$sub-GeV long-lived particles (LLPs). In this work, we re-examine the limits set by existing detectors such as CHARM and NuCal, and by future experiments such as FASER2, MATHUSLA, and SHiP. We extend previous works by i) considering several mass regimes of the Dark Sector (DS) particles, leading to an extended lifetime regime of the unstable species, ii) including LLPs production occurring in previously neglected vector meson decays that actually dominate the LLP yield, and iii) by implementing secondary LLP production. It takes place by Primakoff-like upscattering of lighter DS species into LLP on tungsten layers of neutrino emulsion detector FASER$\nu$2. This process will allow FASER2 to cover a significant portion of the $\gamma c\tau \sim 1\,m$ region of the parameter space that is otherwise difficult to cover due to the large ($\sim O(100)\,m$) distance between the primary LLP production point and the decay vessel, where LLP decays take place, which is required in typical beam-dumb experiments for SM background suppression., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

A number of extensions of the Standard Model predict the existence of new light, weakly-coupled particles that couple to the visible sector through higher-dimensional operators containing one or two photons, suppressed by a high new physics scale, and thus have long lifetimes. In this work, we study the prospects for detecting three $\sim\,$sub-GeV such long-lived particles (LLP) at intensity frontier experiments: a massive spin-2 mediator ($G$), a dark axion portal, and a light neutralino coupled to ALPino or gravitino. We consider the production and visible decays of these particles in several current and proposed beam dump experiments (CHARM, NuCal, SeaQuest, NA62, SHiP) as well as in the LHC detectors (FASER, FASER$\nu$, FLArE, MATHUSLA). In addition to the usual displaced vertex signature, we also examine the impact of electron scattering signature and the Primakoff-like process which leads to conversion of $G$ into a photon or to the secondary LLP production via upscattering of the lighter dark sector state on dense material put in front of the detector. In all cases, we find the SHiP experiment could provide the strongest constraints for the displaced vertex search, while FASER2/FPF could provide complementary coverage of the $\gamma c\tau \sim 1$ m decay length region of the parameter space., Comment: Merger of arXiv:2305.05710, arXiv:2305.10409, arXiv:2306.00982 published in PRD; typo in Eq. 3 fixed; Refs. 117, 118 added; results unchanged

High energy collisions at the High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (LHC) produce a large number of particles along the beam collision axis, outside of the acceptance of existing LHC experiments. The proposed Forward Physics Facility (FPF), to be located several hundred meters from the ATLAS interaction point and shielded by concrete and rock, will host a suite of experiments to probe Standard Model (SM) processes and search for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM). In this report, we review the status of the civil engineering plans and the experiments to explore the diverse physics signals that can be uniquely probed in the forward region. FPF experiments will be sensitive to a broad range of BSM physics through searches for new particle scattering or decay signatures and deviations from SM expectations in high statistics analyses with TeV neutrinos in this low-background environment. High statistics neutrino detection will also provide valuable data for fundamental topics in perturbative and non-perturbative QCD and in weak interactions. Experiments at the FPF will enable synergies between forward particle production at the LHC and astroparticle physics to be exploited. We report here on these physics topics, on infrastructure, detector, and simulation studies, and on future directions to realize the FPF's physics potential., Comment: 429 pages, contribution to Snowmass 2021

Simplified models of light new physics provide a convenient benchmark for experimental searches for new physics signatures, including dark matter (DM). However, additional detection modes can arise in less simplified and more realistic scenarios where new degrees of freedom are invoked. In this study, we introduce a non-minimal model based on a popular dark photon portal to DM where the mediator mass is obtained by interactions with the dark Higgs boson which acts as a long-lived particle. We further add to this scenario a new heavy DM species secluded from the Standard Model. In this model, which involves light and heavy particles in the dark sector, we find some new interesting phenomenological features that lead to complementary probes in intensity frontier searches for light long-lived particles, indirect detection searches for dark matter, and cosmic microwave background surveys. We also find possible non-local effects in the DM indirect detection searches that could significantly affect the usual detection strategies., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, overview paragraph added in the introduction, accepted by PRD

We investigate a mechanism for the production of self-interacting dark matter based on WIMP-like messenger state decays into dark matter and dark radiation occurring after recombination. Such a transition leads to a mild relaxation of the Hubble tension, and at the same time may resolve the small-scale structure problems of the $\Lambda$CDM. We illustrate this mechanism in the Higgs portal dark matter model, which we find to be a promising route., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Contribution to proceedings of The European Physical Society Conference on High Energy Physics (EPS-HEP2021)

The Forward Physics Facility (FPF) is a proposal to create a cavern with the space and infrastructure to support a suite of far-forward experiments at the Large Hadron Collider during the High Luminosity era. Located along the beam collision axis and shielded from the interaction point by at least 100 m of concrete and rock, the FPF will house experiments that will detect particles outside the acceptance of the existing large LHC experiments and will observe rare and exotic processes in an extremely low-background environment. In this work, we summarize the current status of plans for the FPF, including recent progress in civil engineering in identifying promising sites for the FPF and the experiments currently envisioned to realize the FPF's physics potential. We then review the many Standard Model and new physics topics that will be advanced by the FPF, including searches for long-lived particles, probes of dark matter and dark sectors, high-statistics studies of TeV neutrinos of all three flavors, aspects of perturbative and non-perturbative QCD, and high-energy astroparticle physics., Comment: revised version, accepted by Physics Reports

The neutrino physics program at the LHC, which will soon be initiated by the FASER experiment, will provide unique opportunities for precision studies of neutrino interaction vertices at high energies. This will also open up the possibility to search for beyond the standard model (BSM) particles produced in such interactions in the specific high-energy neutrino beam-dump experiment. In this study, we illustrate the prospects for such searches in models with the dipole or $Z^\prime$ portal to GeV-scale heavy neutral leptons. To this end, we employ both the standard signature of new physics that consists of a pair of oppositely-charged tracks appearing in the decay vessel, and the additional types of searches. These include high-energy photons and single scattered electrons. We show that such a variety of experimental signatures could significantly extend the sensitivity reach of the future multi-purpose FASER 2 detector during the High-Luminosity phase of the LHC., Comment: 30 pages, 4 figures. Minor corrections and references added, results unchanged, matches published version in JHEP

We study a dark matter production mechanism based on decays of a messenger WIMP-like state into a pair of dark matter particles that are self-interacting via exchange of a light mediator. Its distinctive thermal history allows the mediator to be stable and therefore avoid strong limits from the cosmic microwave background and indirect detection. A natural by-product of this mechanism is a possibility of a late time, i.e., after recombination, transition to subdominant dark radiation component through three-body and one-loop decays to states containing the light mediator. We examine to what extent such a process can help to alleviate the $H_0$ tension. Additionally, the mechanism can provide a natural way of constructing dark matter models with ultra-strong self-interactions that may positively affect the supermassive black hole formation rate. We provide a simple realization of the mechanism in a Higgs portal dark matter model and find a significant region of the parameter space that leads to a mild relaxation of the Hubble tension while simultaneously having the potential of addressing small-scale structure problems of $\Lambda$CDM., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, typos corrected, reference added, results unchanged, matches published version in Phys. Rev. D

Many existing or proposed intensity-frontier search experiments look for decay signatures of light long-lived particles (LLPs), highly displaced from the interaction point, in a distant detector that is well-shielded from SM background. This approach is, however, limited to new particles with decay lengths similar to or larger than the baseline of those experiments. In this study, we discuss how this basic constraint can be overcome in BSM models that go beyond the simplest scenarios. If more than one light new particle is present in the model, an additional secondary production of LLPs may take place right in front of the detector, opening this way a new lifetime regime to be probed. We illustrate the prospects of such searches in the future experiments FASER, MATHUSLA and SHiP, for representative models, emphasizing possible connections to dark matter or an anomalous magnetic moment of muon. We also analyze additional advantages from employing dedicated neutrino detectors placed in front of the main decay volume., Comment: 33 pages, 13 figures, 1 table, typos corrected in appendices, no results affected

We provide an updated and improved study of the prospects of the H.E.S.S. and Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) experiments in testing neutralino dark matter in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with nine free parameters (p9MSSM). We include all relevant experimental constraints and theoretical developments, in particular the calculation of the Sommerfeld enhancement for both present-day annihilation and the relic abundance. We perform a state-of-the-art analysis of the CTA sensitivity with a log-likelihood test ratio statistics and apply it to a numerical scan of the p9MSSM parameter space focusing on a TeV scale dark matter. We find that, assuming Einasto profile of dark matter halo in the Milky Way, H.E.S.S. has already been able to nearly reach the so-called thermal WIMP value, while CTA will go below it by providing a further improvement of at least an order of magnitude. Both H.E.S.S. and CTA are sensitive to several cases for which direct detection cross section will be below the so-called neutrino floor, with H.E.S.S. being sensitive to most of the wino region, while CTA also covering a large fraction of the ~1 TeV higgsino region. We show that CTA sensitivity will be further improved in the monochromatic photon search mode for both single-component and underabundant dark matter., Comment: 33 pages, 6 figures, supplemental material with CTA limits provided. Minor corrections and references added, matches published version in JHEP