Strings from 3D gravity: asymptotic dynamics of AdS 3 gravity with free boundary conditions

Pure three-dimensional gravity in anti-de Sitter space can be formulated as an SL(2 , R ) × SL(2 , R ) Chern-Simons theory, and the latter can be reduced to a WZW theory at the boundary. In this paper we show that AdS 3 gravity with free boundary conditions is described by a string at the boundary whose target spacetime is also AdS 3 . While boundary conditions in the standard construction of Coussaert, Henneaux, and van Driel are enforced through constraints on the WZW currents, we find that free boundary conditions are partially enforced through the string Virasoro constraints

On the determination of the leptonic CP phase

The combination of data from long-baseline and reactor oscillation experiments leads to a preference of the leptonic CP phase δ CP in the range between π and 2π. We study the statistical significance of this hint by performing a Monte Carlo simulation of the relevant data. We find that the distribution of the standard test statistic used to derive confidence intervals for δ CP is highly non-Gaussian and depends on the unknown true values of θ 23 and the neutrino mass ordering. Values of δ CP around π/2 are disfavored at between 2σ and 3σ, depending on the unknown true values of θ 23 and the mass ordering. Typically the standard χ 2 approximation leads to over-coverage of the confidence intervals for δ CP . For the 2-dimensional confidence region in the ( δ CP , θ 23 ) plane the usual χ 2 approximation is better justified. The 2-dimensional region does not include the value δ CP = π/2 up to the 86.3% (89.2%) CL assuming a true normal (inverted) mass ordering. Furthermore, we study the sensitivity to δ CP and θ 23 of an increased exposure of the T2K experiment, roughly a factor 12 larger than the current exposure and including also anti-neutrino data. Also in this case deviations from Gaussianity may be significant, especially if the mass ordering is unknown

Antideuterons from decaying gravitino dark matter

We study the possibility of improving the constraints on the lifetime of gravitino dark matter in scenarios with bilinear R-parity violation by estimating the amount of cosmic-ray antideuterons that can be produced in gravitino decays. Taking into account all different sources of theoretical uncertainties, we find that the margin of improvement beyond the limits already set by cosmic-ray antiproton data are quite narrow and unachievable for the next generation of experiments. However, we also identify more promising energy ranges for future experiments

Halo-independent tests of dark matter direct detection signals: local DM density, LHC, and thermal freeze-out

From an assumed signal in a Dark Matter (DM) direct detection experiment a lower bound on the product of the DM-nucleon scattering cross section and the local DM density is derived, which is independent of the local DM velocity distribution. This can be combined with astrophysical determinations of the local DM density. Within a given particle physics model the bound also allows a robust comparison of a direct detection signal with limits from the LHC. Furthermore, the bound can be used to formulate a condition which has to be fulfilled if the particle responsible for the direct detection signal is a thermal relic, regardless of whether it constitutes all DM or only part of it. We illustrate the arguments by adopting a simplified DM model with a Z′ mediator and assuming a signal in a future xenon direct detection experiment

Revisiting the quantum decoherence scenario as an explanation for the LSND anomaly

We propose an explanation for the LSND anomaly based on quantum decoherence, postulating an exponential behavior for the decoherence parameters as a function of the neutrino energy. Within this ansatz decoherence effects are suppressed for neutrino energies above 200 MeV as well as around and below few MeV, restricting deviations from standard three-flavour oscillations only to the LSND energy range of 20–50 MeV. The scenario is consistent with the global data on neutrino oscillations, alleviates the tension between LSND and KARMEN, and predicts a null-result for MiniBooNE. No sterile neutrinos are introduced, conflict with cosmology is avoided, and no tension between short-baseline appearance and disappearance data arises. The proposal can be tested at planned reactor experiments with baselines of around 50 km, such as JUNO or RENO-50

HiggsSignals: Confronting arbitrary Higgs sectors with measurements at the Tevatron and the LHC

HiggsSignals is a Fortran90 computer code that allows to test the compatibility of Higgs sector predictions against Higgs rates and masses measured at the LHC or the Tevatron. Arbitrary models with any number of Higgs bosons can be investigated using a model-independent input scheme based on HiggsBounds. The test is based on the calculation of a <math><msup><mi mathvariant="italic">χ</mi><mn>2</mn></msup></math> measure from the predictions and the measured Higgs rates and masses, with the ability of fully taking into account systematics and correlations for the signal rate predictions, luminosity and Higgs mass predictions. It features two complementary methods for the test. First, the peak-centered method, in which each observable is defined by a Higgs signal rate measured at a specific hypothetical Higgs mass, corresponding to a tentative Higgs signal. Second, the mass-centered method, where the test is evaluated by comparing the signal rate measurement to the theory prediction at the Higgs mass predicted by the model. The program allows for the simultaneous use of both methods, which is useful in testing models with multiple Higgs bosons. The code automatically combines the signal rates of multiple Higgs bosons if their signals cannot be resolved by the experimental analysis. We compare results obtained with HiggsSignals to official ATLAS and CMS results for various examples of Higgs property determinations and find very good agreement. A few examples of HiggsSignals applications are provided, going beyond the scenarios investigated by the LHC collaborations. For models with more than one Higgs boson we recommend to use HiggsSignals and HiggsBounds in parallel to exploit the full constraining power of Higgs search exclusion limits and the measurements of the signal seen at <math><mrow><msub><mi>m</mi><mi>H</mi></msub><mo>≈</mo><mn>125.5</mn></mrow></math>  GeV

Applying exclusion likelihoods from LHC searches to extended Higgs sectors

LHC searches for non-standard Higgs bosons decaying into tau lepton pairs constitute a sensitive experimental probe for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM), such as supersymmetry (SUSY). Recently, the limits obtained from these searches have been presented by the CMS collaboration in a nearly model-independent fashion – as a narrow resonance model – based on the full 8TeV dataset. In addition to publishing a 95%C.L. exclusion limit, the full likelihood information for the narrow resonance model has been released. This provides valuable information that can be incorporated into global BSM fits. We present a simple algorithm that maps an arbitrary model with multiple neutral Higgs bosons onto the narrow resonance model and derives the corresponding value for the exclusion likelihood from the CMS search. This procedure has been implemented into the public computer code HiggsBounds (version 4.2.0 and higher). We validate our implementation by cross-checking against the official CMS exclusion contours in three Higgs benchmark scenarios in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), and find very good agreement. Going beyond validation, we discuss the combined constraints of the ττ search and the rate measurements of the SM-like Higgs at 125GeV in a recently proposed MSSM benchmark scenario, where the lightest Higgs boson obtains SM-like couplings independently of the decoupling of the heavier Higgs states. Technical details for how to access the likelihood information within HiggsBounds are given in the appendix. The program is available at http://higgsbounds.hepforge.org

Probing the Standard Model with Higgs signal rates from the Tevatron, the LHC and a future ILC

We explore the room for possible deviations from the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson coupling structure in a systematic study of Higgs coupling scale factor ( κ ) benchmark scenarios using the latest signal rate measurements from the Tevatron and LHC experiments. We employ χ 2 fits performed with HiggsSignals , which takes into account detailed information on signal efficiencies and major correlations of theoretical and experimental uncertainties. All considered scenarios allow for additional non-standard Higgs boson decay modes, and various assumptions for constraining the total decay width are discussed. No significant deviations from the SM Higgs boson coupling structure are found in any of the investigated benchmark scenarios. We derive upper limits on an additional (undetectable) Higgs decay mode under the assumption that the Higgs couplings to weak gauge bosons do not exceed the SM prediction. We furthermore discuss the capabilities of future facilities for probing deviations from the SM Higgs couplings, comparing the high luminosity upgrade of the LHC with a future International Linear Collider (ILC), where for the latter various energy and luminosity scenarios are considered. At the ILC model-independent measurements of the coupling structure can be performed, and we provide estimates of the precision that can be achieved

Updated fit to three neutrino mixing: status of leptonic CP violation

We present a global analysis of solar, atmospheric, reactor and accelerator neutrino data in the framework of three-neutrino oscillations based on data available in summer 2014. We provide the allowed ranges of the six oscillation parameters and show that their determination is stable with respect to uncertainties related to reactor neutrino and solar neutrino flux predictions. We find that the maximal possible value of the Jarlskog invariant in the lepton sector is 0.033 ±0.010 (±0.027) at the 1 σ (3 σ ) level and we use leptonic unitarity triangles to illustrate the ability of global oscillation data to obtain information on CP violation. We discuss “tendencies and tensions” of the global fit related to the octant of θ 23 as well as the CP violating phase δ CP . The favored values of δ CP are around 3π/2 while values around π /2 are disfavored at about Δχ 2 ≃6. We comment on the non-trivial task to assign a confidence level to this Δ χ 2 value by performing a Monte Carlo study of T2K data

Bayesian global analysis of neutrino oscillation data

We perform a Bayesian analysis of current neutrino oscillation data. When estimating the oscillation parameters we find that the results generally agree with those of the χ 2 method, with some differences involving s 23 2 and CP-violating effects. We discuss the additional subtleties caused by the circular nature of the CP-violating phase, and how it is possible to obtain correlation coefficients with s 23 2 . When performing model comparison, we find that there is no significant evidence for any mass ordering, any octant of s 23 2 or a deviation from maximal mixing, nor the presence of CP-violation