Leptoquarks: Neutrino masses and accelerator phenomenology

Leptoquark-Higgs interactions induce mixing between leptoquark states with different chiralities once the electro-weak symmetry is broken. In such LQ models Majorana neutrino masses are generated at 1-loop order. Here we calculate the neutrino mass matrix and explore the constraints on the parameter space enforced by the assumption that LQ-loops explain current neutrino oscillation data. LQs will be produced at the LHC, if their masses are at or below the TeV scale. Since the fermionic decays of LQs are governed by the same Yukawa couplings, which are responsible for the non-trivial neutrino mass matrix, several decay branching ratios of LQ states can be predicted from measured neutrino data. Especially interesting is that large lepton flavour violating rates in muon and tau final states are expected. In addition, the model predicts that, if kinematically possible, heavier LQs decay into lighter ones plus either a standard model Higgs boson or a $Z^0/W^{\pm}$ gauge boson. Thus, experiments at the LHC might be able to exclude the LQ mechanism as explanation of neutrino data.Comment: 28 pages, 10 figure

Maximum a posteriori estimation through simulated annealing for binary asteroid orbit determination

This paper considers a new method for the binary asteroid orbit determination problem. The method is based on the Bayesian approach with a global optimisation algorithm. The orbital parameters to be determined are modelled through an a posteriori distribution made of a priori and likelihood terms. The first term constrains the parameters space and it allows the introduction of available knowledge about the orbit. The second term is based on given observations and it allows us to use and compare different observational error models. Once the a posteriori model is built, the estimator of the orbital parameters is computed using a global optimisation procedure: the simulated annealing algorithm. The maximum a posteriori (MAP) techniques are verified using simulated and real data. The obtained results validate the proposed method. The new approach guarantees independence of the initial parameters estimation and theoretical convergence towards the global optimisation solution. It is particularly useful in these situations, whenever a good initial orbit estimation is difficult to get, whenever observations are not well-sampled, and whenever the statistical behaviour of the observational errors cannot be stated Gaussian like.Comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ

On Prospects for Exploration of Supersymmetry in Double Beta Decay Experiments

We analyze constraints on the parameters of the R-parity violating supersymmetry which can be extracted from non-observation of the neutrinoless nuclear double beta decay ($0\nu\beta\beta$) at a given half-life lower bound. Our analysis covers a large class of phenomenologically viable R-parity violating SUSY models. We introduce special characteristics: the SUSY sensitivity of a $\beta\beta$ decaying isotope and the SUSY reach of a $0\nu\beta\beta$ experiment. The former provides a physical criterion for a selection of the most promising isotopes for SUSY searches and the latter gives a measure of success for a $0\nu\beta\beta$ experiment in exploring the R-parity violating SUSY parameter space. On this basis we discuss prospects for exploration of supersymmetry in various $0\nu\beta\beta$ experiments.Comment: 11 pages, 5 Postscript figures. Modified and updated version is printed also in Proc. of NANP97 (JINR, Dubna, July 7--11, 1997): Phys. Atom Nucl, 1998, 61, vol. 6, p.1092--109