Review of Linac-Ring Type Collider Proposals

There are three possibly types of particle colliders schemes: familiar (well known) ring-ring colliders, less familiar however sufficiently advanced linear colliders and less familiar and less advanced linac-ring type colliders. The aim of this paper is two-fold: to present possibly complete list of papers on linac-ring type collider proposals and to emphasize the role of linac-ring type machines for future HEP research.Comment: quality of figures is improved, some misprints are correcte

The Heliosphere---Blowing in the Interstellar Wind

Measurements of the velocity of interstellar HeI inside of the heliosphere have been conducted over the past forty years. These historical data suggest that the ecliptic longitude of the direction of the interstellar flow has increased at an average rate of about 0.19 degrees per year over time. Possible astronomical explanations for these short-term variations in the interstellar gas entering the heliosphere are presented.Comment: Accepted for the proceedings of Solar Wind 1

Signs of heavy Higgs bosons at CLIC: An e+e−e^+ e^- road to the Electroweak Phase Transition

We analyse the sensitivity of the proposed Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) to the existence of beyond the Standard Model (SM) Higgs bosons through their decays into pairs of massive gauge bosons $H \to VV$ and SM-like Higgses $H \to hh$, considering CLIC centre of mass energies $\sqrt{s} = 1.4$ TeV and $3$ TeV. We find that resonant di-Higgs searches at CLIC would allow for up to two orders of magnitude improvement w.r.t. the sensitivity achievable by HL-LHC in the mass range $m_H \in [250\,\mathrm{GeV},\, 1 \,\mathrm{TeV}]$. Focusing then on a real singlet extension of the SM, we explore the prospects of heavy Higgs searches at CLIC for probing the regions of parameter space yielding a strongly first order electroweak phase transition that could generate the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry of the Universe. Our study illustrates the complementarity between CLIC and other possible future colliders like FCC-ee in probing singlet extensions of the SM, and shows that high-energy $e^+ e^-$ colliders provide a powerful means to unravel the nature of electroweak symmetry breaking in the early Universe.Comment: 27 pages, 15 figure

Probe of anomalous quartic WWZγWWZ\gamma couplings in the photon-photon collisions

In this paper, we examine the potentials of the processes $\gamma \gamma\rightarrow W^{+} W^{-}Z$ and $e^{+}e^{-} \rightarrow e^{+}\gamma^{*} \gamma^{*} e^{-} \rightarrow e^{+} W^{+} W^{-} Z e^{-}$ at the CLIC with $\sqrt{s}=0.5,1.5$ and $3$ TeV to investigate anomalous quartic $WWZ\gamma$ couplings by two different CP-violating and CP-conserving effective Lagrangians. We find $95\%$ confidence level limits on the anomalous coupling parameters at the three CLIC energies and various integrated luminosities. The best limits obtained from the process $\gamma \gamma\rightarrow W^{+} W^{-}Z$ on the anomalous $\frac{k_{0}^{W}}{\Lambda^{2}}$, $\frac{k_{c}^{W}}{\Lambda^{2}}$ and $\frac{k_{2}^{m}}{\Lambda^{2}}$ couplings defined by CP-conserving effective Lagrangians are $[-1.73;\, 1.73]\times 10^{-7}$ GeV$^{-2}$, $[-2.44;\, 2.44]\times 10^{-7}$ and $[-1.89; \, 1.89]\times 10^{-7}$ GeV$^{-2}$, while $\frac{a_{n}}{\Lambda^{2}}$ coupling determined by CP-violating effective Lagrangians is obtained as $[-1.74;\, 1.74]\times 10^{-7}$ GeV$^{-2}$. In addition, the best limits derived on $\frac{k_{0}^{W}}{\Lambda^{2}}$, $\frac{k_{c}^{W}}{\Lambda^{2}}$ and $\frac{k_{2}^{m}}{\Lambda^{2}}$ and $\frac{a_{n}}{\Lambda^{2}}$ from the process $e^{+}e^{-} \rightarrow e^{+}\gamma^{*} \gamma^{*} e^{-} \rightarrow e^{+} W^{+} W^{-} Z e^{-}$ are obtained as $[-1.09;\, 1.09]\times 10^{-6}$ GeV$^{-2}$, $[-1.54;\, 1.54]\times 10^{-6}$ GeV$^{-2}$, $[-1.18;\, 1.18]\times 10^{-6}$ and $[-1.04;\, 1.04]\times 10^{-6}$ GeV$^{-2}$, respectively.Comment: 33 pages, 27 figures, 4 tables, version to appear in JHE

Physics at LHC

The prospects for physics at the LHC are discussed, starting with the foretaste, preparation (and perhaps scoop) provided by the Tevatron, in particular, and then continuing through the successive phases of LHC operation. These include the start-up phase, the early physics runs, the possible search for new physics in double diffraction, the continuation to nominal LHC running, and the possible upgrade of the LHC luminosity. Emphasis is placed on the prospects for Higgs physics and the search for supersymmetry. The progress and discoveries of the LHC will set the time-scale and agenda for the major future accelerator projects that will follow it.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, Concluding talk at the Physics at LHC conference, Krakow, July 200

Updated Post-WMAP Benchmarks for Supersymmetry

We update a previously-proposed set of supersymmetric benchmark scenarios, taking into account the precise constraints on the cold dark matter density obtained by combining WMAP and other cosmological data, as well as the LEP and b -> s gamma constraints. We assume that R parity is conserved and work within the constrained MSSM (CMSSM) with universal soft supersymmetry-breaking scalar and gaugino masses m_0 and m_1/2. In most cases, the relic density calculated for the previous benchmarks may be brought within the WMAP range by reducing slightly m_0, but in two cases more substantial changes in m_0 and m_1/2 are made. Since the WMAP constraint reduces the effective dimensionality of the CMSSM parameter space, one may study phenomenology along `WMAP lines' in the (m_1/2, m_0) plane that have acceptable amounts of dark matter. We discuss the production, decays and detectability of sparticles along these lines, at the LHC and at linear e+ e- colliders in the sub- and multi-TeV ranges, stressing the complementarity of hadron and lepton colliders, and with particular emphasis on the neutralino sector. Finally, we preview the accuracy with which one might be able to predict the density of supersymmetric cold dark matter using collider measurements.Comment: 43 pages LaTeX, 13 eps figure

The Local Leo Cold Cloud and New Limits on a Local Hot Bubble

We present a multi-wavelength study of the local Leo cold cloud (LLCC), a very nearby, very cold cloud in the interstellar medium. Through stellar absorption studies we find that the LLCC is between 11.3 pc and 24.3 pc away, making it the closest known cold neutral medium cloud and well within the boundaries of the local cavity. Observations of the cloud in the 21-cm HI line reveal that the LLCC is very cold, with temperatures ranging from 15 K to 30 K, and is best fit with a model composed of two colliding components. The cloud has associated 100 micron thermal dust emission, pointing to a somewhat low dust-to-gas ratio of 48 x 10^-22 MJy sr^-1 cm^2. We find that the LLCC is too far away to be generated by the collision among the nearby complex of local interstellar clouds, but that the small relative velocities indicate that the LLCC is somehow related to these clouds. We use the LLCC to conduct a shadowing experiment in 1/4 keV X-rays, allowing us to differentiate between different possible origins for the observed soft X-ray background. We find that a local hot bubble model alone cannot account for the low-latitude soft X-ray background, but that isotropic emission from solar wind charge exchange does reproduce our data. In a combined local hot bubble and solar wind charge exchange scenario, we rule out emission from a local hot bubble with an 1/4 keV emissivity greater than 1.1 Snowdens / pc at 3 sigma, 4 times lower than previous estimates. This result dramatically changes our perspective on our local interstellar medium.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Vector figure version available at http://www.astro.columbia.edu/~jpeek

Constraining the Higgs self couplings at e+e−e^+e^- colliders

We study the sensitivity to the shape of the Higgs potential of single, double, and triple Higgs production at future $e^+e^-$ colliders. Physics beyond the Standard Model is parameterised through the inclusion of higher-dimensional operators $(\Phi^\dagger \Phi- v^2/2)^n/\Lambda^{(2n-4)}$ with $n=3,4$, which allows a consistent treatment of independent deviations of the cubic and quartic self couplings beyond the tree level. We calculate the effects induced by a modified potential up to one loop in single and double Higgs production and at the tree level in triple Higgs production, for both $Z$ boson associated and $W$ boson fusion production mechanisms. We consider two different scenarios. First, the dimension six operator provides the dominant contribution (as expected, for instance, in a linear effective-field-theory(EFT)); we find in this case that the corresponding Wilson coefficient can be determined at $\mathcal{O}(10\%)$ accuracy by just combining accurate measurements of single Higgs cross sections at $\sqrt{\hat s}=$240-250 GeV and double Higgs production in $W$ boson fusion at higher energies. Second, both operators of dimension six and eight can give effects of similar order, i.e., independent quartic self coupling deviations are present. Constraints on Wilson coefficients can be best tested by combining measurements from single, double and triple Higgs production. Given that the sensitivity of single Higgs production to the dimension eight operator is presently unknown, we consider double and triple Higgs production and show that combining their information colliders at higher energies will provide first coarse constraints on the corresponding Wilson coefficient.Comment: minor changes, version accepted for publication in JHE

Advances on creep–fatigue damage assessment in notched components

In this paper, the extended Direct Steady Cyclic Analysis method (eDSCA) within the Linear Matching Method Framework (LMMF) is combined with the Stress Modified Ductility Exhaustion method and the modified Cavity Growth Factor (CGF) for the first time. This new procedure is used to systematically investigate the effect of several load parameters including load level, load type and creep dwell duration on the creep–fatigue crack initiation process in a notched specimen. The results obtained are verified through a direct comparison with experimental results available in the literature demonstrating great accuracy in predicting the crack initiation life and the driving mechanisms. Furthermore, this extensive numerical study highlighted the possible detrimental effect of the creep–ratchetting mechanism on the crack growth process. This work has a significant impact on structural integrity assessments of complex industrial components and for the better understanding of creep–fatigue lab scale tests

Conceptual Design of a Post-Collision Transport Line for CLIC at 3 TeV

Strong beam-beam effects at the interaction point of a high-energy linear collider such as CLIC lead to an emittance growth for the outgoing beams, as well as to the production of beamstrahlung photons and e+e- coherent pairs. We present a conceptual design of the post-collision line for the nominal CLIC machine at 3 TeV, which separates the various components of the outgoing beam thanks to a vertical magnetic chicane, before transporting them to their respective dump