Revisiting the production of ALPs at B-factories

In this paper, the production of Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) at B-factories via the process e+e− → γa is revisited. To this purpose, the relevant cross-section is computed via an effective Lagrangian with simultaneous ALP couplings to b-quarks and photons. The interplay between resonant and non-resonant contributions is shown to be relevant for experiments operating at s=mϒ(nS), with n = 1, 2, 3, while the non-resonant one dominates at ϒ(4S). These effects imply that the experimental searches performed at different quarkonia resonances are sensitive to complementary combinations of ALP couplings. To illustrate these results, constraints from existing BaBar and Belle data on ALPs decaying into invisible final states are derived, and the prospects for the Belle-II experiment are discussedThe authors acknowledge F. Anulli, D. Becirevic, S. Fajfer, A. Guerrera, C. Hearty, S.J.D. King, T. Ferben, S. Lacaprara, M. Margoni, F. Mescia, M. Passera and P. Paradisi for very useful exchanges. This project has received support by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement N◦ 674896 (ITN Elusives) and 690575 (RISE InvisiblePlus) and by the exchange of researchers project “The flavor of the invisible universe” funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). L.M. acknowledges partial financial support by the Spanish MINECO through the “Ram´on y Cajal” programme (RYC-2015-17173), by the Spanish “Agencia Estatal de Investigaci´on” (AEI) and the EU “Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional” (FEDER) through the project FPA2016-78645-P, and through the Centro de excelencia Severo Ochoa Program under grant SEV-2016-0597. L.M. thanks the Physics and Astronomy Department ‘G.Galilei’ of the Universit`a degli Studi di Padova for hospitality during the development of this projec

Testable axion-like particles in the minimal linear σ model

Axion and axion-like particle models are typically affected by a strong fine-tuning problem in conceiving the electroweak and the Peccei-Quinn breaking scales. Within the context of the Minimal Linear σ Model, axion-like particle constructions are identified where this hierarchy problem is solved, accounting for a TeV Peccei-Quinn breaking scale and a pseudoscalar particle with a mass larger than 10 MeV. Potential signatures at colliders and B-factories are discussedThe authors acknowledge partial financial support by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreements No.690575 and No. 674896. J.A.G and L.M. acknowledge partial financial support by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and the EU Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional(FEDER) through the project FPA2016-78645-P, and through the Centro de excelencia Severo Ochoa Program under grant SEV-2016-0597. L. M. acknowledges partial financial support by the Spanish MINECO through the “Ramón y Cajal” programme (RYC-2015-17173).J.A.G. and L.M. thank the Physics and Astronomy department “Galileo Galilei” of the Padua University for hospitality during the development of this project. Furthermore, L.M. thanks the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe for hospitality during the development of this projec

Identification of neural networks that contribute to motion sickness through principal components analysis of fos labeling induced by galvanic vestibular stimulation

Motion sickness is a complex condition that includes both overt signs (e.g., vomiting) and more covert symptoms (e.g., anxiety and foreboding). The neural pathways that mediate these signs and symptoms are yet to identified. This study mapped the distribution of c-fos protein (Fos)-like immunoreactivity elicited during a galvanic vestibular stimulation paradigm that is known to induce motion sickness in felines. A principal components analysis was used to identify networks of neurons activated during this stimulus paradigm from functional correlations between Fos labeling in different nuclei. This analysis identified five principal components (neural networks) that accounted for greater than 95% of the variance in Fos labeling. Two of the components were correlated with the severity of motion sickness symptoms, and likely participated in generating the overt signs of the condition. One of these networks included neurons in locus coeruleus, medial, inferior and lateral vestibular nuclei, lateral nucleus tractus solitarius, medial parabrachial nucleus and periaqueductal gray. The second included neurons in the superior vestibular nucleus, precerebellar nuclei, periaqueductal gray, and parabrachial nuclei, with weaker associations of raphe nuclei. Three additional components (networks) were also identified that were not correlated with the severity of motion sickness symptoms. These networks likely mediated the covert aspects of motion sickness, such as affective components. The identification of five statistically independent component networks associated with the development of motion sickness provides an opportunity to consider, in network activation dimensions, the complex progression of signs and symptoms that are precipitated in provocative environments. Similar methodology can be used to parse the neural networks that mediate other complex responses to environmental stimuli. © 2014 Balaban et al

Erratum to: The minimal axion minimal linear σ\sigma σ model

In this Erratum we clarify that in contrast to the statements made in the article the bounds on the axion coupling to two W's and to two Z's obtained from mono-W and mono-Z searches at the LHC are the following

Erratum to: The minimal axion minimal linear σ model (The European Physical Journal C, (2018), 78, 5, (415), 10.1140/epjc/s10052-018-5892-z)

In this Erratum we clarify that in contrast to the statements made in the article the bounds on the axion coupling to two W’s and to two Z’s obtained from mono-W and mono-Z searches at the LHC are the following:(Formula presented.) The corresponding limits in terms of fa/ci are given by:(Formula presented.) This change has interesting phenomenological effects as the scale (Formula presented.) can be as low as 1 TeV: this MLσMALP can then be tested both at colliders and at flavour factories. Moreover, this model does not present any fine-tuning. Finally, a corrected version of the article is also available on the arXiv (arXiv:1710.10500)

The minimal axion minimal linear

The minimal SO(5) / SO(4) linear $$\sigma$$ model is extended including an additional complex scalar field, singlet under the global SO(5) and the Standard Model gauge symmetries. The presence of this scalar field creates the conditions to generate an axion à la KSVZ, providing a solution to the strong CP problem, or an axion-like-particle. Different choices for the PQ charges are possible and lead to physically distinct Lagrangians. The internal consistency of each model necessarily requires the study of the scalar potential describing the $$SO(5)\rightarrow SO(4)$$, electroweak and PQ symmetry breaking. A single minimal scenario is identified and the associated scalar potential is minimised including counterterms needed to ensure one-loop renormalizability. In the allowed parameter space, phenomenological features of the scalar degrees of freedom, of the exotic fermions and of the axion are illustrated. Two distinct possibilities for the axion arise: either it is a QCD axion with an associated scale larger than $$\sim 10^{5}$$ TeV and therefore falling in the category of the invisible axions; or it is a more massive axion-like-particle, such as a 1 GeV axion with an associated scale of $$\sim 200$$ TeV, that may show up in collider searches