Challenges in Double Beta Decay

After nearly 80 years since the first guess on its existence, neutrino still escapes our insight: the mass and the true nature (Majorana or Dirac) of this particle is still unknown. In the past ten years, neutrino oscillation experiments have finally provided the incontrovertible evidence that neutrinos mix and have finite masses. These results represent the strongest demonstration that the Standard Model of electroweak interactions is incomplete and that new Physics beyond it must exist. None of these experimental efforts could however shade light on some of the basic features of neutrinos. Indeed, absolute scale and ordering of the masses of the three generations as well as charge conjugation and lepton number conservation properties are still unknown. In this scenario, a unique role is played by the Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay searches: these experiments can probe lepton number conservation, investigate the Dirac/Majorana nature of the neutrinos and their absolute mass scale (hierarchy problem) with unprecedented sensitivity. Today Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay faces a new era where large scale experiments with a sensitivity approaching the so-called degenerate-hierarchy region are nearly ready to start and where the challenge for the next future is the construction of detectors characterized by a tonne-scale size and an incredibly low background, to fully probe the inverted-hierarchy region. A number of new proposed projects took up this challenge. These are based either on large expansions of the present experiments or on new ideas to improve the technical performance and/or reduce the background contributions. n this paper, a review of the most relevant ongoing experiments is given. The most relevant parameters contributing to the experimental sensitivity are discussed and a critical comparison of the future projects is proposed.Comment: 70 pages, 16 figures, 6 tables. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1109.5515, arXiv:hep-ex/0501010, arXiv:0910.2994 by other author

Pentaquarks

Since LEPS collaboration reported the first evidence of $\Theta^+$ pentaquark in early 2003, eleven other experimental groups have confirmed this exotic state while many other groups didn't see any signal. If this state is further established by future high statistical experiments, its discovery shall be one of the most important events in hadron physics for the past three decades. This exotic baryon with such a low mass and so narrow a width imposes a big challenge to hadron theorists. Up to now, there have appeared more than two hundred theoretical papers trying to interpret this charming state. I will review some important theoretical developments on pentaquarks based on my biased personal views.Comment: Review Commissioned by International Journal of Modern Physics

The generalized parton distribution functions and the nucleon spin sum rules in the chiral quark soliton model

The theoretical predictions are given for the forward limit of the unpolarized spin-flip isovector generalized parton distribution function $(E^u - E^d)(x, \xi, t)$ within the framework of the chiral quark soliton model, with full inclusion of the polarization of Dirac sea quarks. We observe that $[(H^u - H^d) + (E^u - E^d)](x,0,0)$ has a sharp peak around $x=0$, which we interpret as a signal of the importance of the pionic $q \bar{q}$ excitation with large spatial extension in the transverse direction. Another interesting indication given by the predicted distribution in combination with Ji's angular momentum sum rule is that the $\bar{d}$-quark carries more angular momentum than the $\bar{u}$-quark in the proton, which may have some relation with the physics of the violation of the Gottfried sum rule.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures, revised final version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Non-Universal Gaugino Masses, CDMS, and the LHC

We consider the possibility that the recently reported events at the CDMS-II direct dark matter detection experiment are the result of coherent scattering of supersymmetric neutralinos. In such a scenario we argue that non-universal soft supersymmetry breaking gaugino masses are favored with a resulting lightest neutralino with significant Higgsino and wino components. We discuss the accompanying signals which must be seen at liquid-xenon direct detection experiments and indirect detection experiments if such a supersymmetric interpretation is to be maintained. We illustrate the possible consequences for early discovery channels at the LHC via a set of benchmark points designed to give rise to an observed event rate comparable to the reported CDMS-II data.Comment: Typos corrected and references adde

The strange quark condensate in the nucleon in 2+1 flavor QCD

We calculate the "strange quark content of the nucleon", , which is important for interpreting the results of some dark matter detection experiments. The method is to evaluate quark-line disconnected correlations on the MILC lattice ensembles, which include the effects of dynamical strange quarks. After continuum and chiral extrapolations, the result is <N |s s_bar |N> = 0.69 +- 0.07(statistical) +- 0.09(systematic), in the modified minimal subtraction scheme (2 GeV), or for the renormalization scheme invariant form, m_s partial{M_N}/partial{m_s} = 59(6)(8) MeV.Comment: Added figures and references, especially for fit range choice. Other changes for clarity. Version to appear in publicatio

Sensitivity to the pion-nucleon coupling constant in partial-wave analyses of elastic pi-N and NN scattering and pion photoproduction

We summarize results obtained in our studies of the pion-nucleon coupling constant. Several different techniques have been applied to pi-N and NN elastic scattering data, and the existing database for single-pion photoproduction. The most reliable determination comes from pi-N elastic scattering. The sensitivity in this reaction was found to be greater, by at least a factor of 3, when compared with analyses of NN elastic scattering or single-pion photoproduction.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure. Talk given at the Uppsala workshop on the pion-nucleon coupling constan