Production and FCNC decay of supersymmetric Higgs bosons into heavy quarks in the LHC

We analyze the production and subsequent decay of the neutral MSSM Higgs bosons (h = h^0, H^0, A^0) mediated by flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) in the LHC collider. We have computed the h-production cross-section times the FCNC branching ratio, \sigma(pp -> h -> qq') = \sigma(pp -> h) B(h -> qq'), in the LHC focusing on the strongly-interacting FCNC sector. Here qq' is an electrically neutral pair of quarks of different flavors, the dominant modes being those containing a heavy quark: tc or bs. We determine the maximum production rates for each of these modes and identify the relevant regions of the MSSM parameter space, after taking into account the severe restrictions imposed by low energy FCNC processes. The analysis of \sigma(pp -> h -> qq') singles out regions of the MSSM parameter space different from those obtained by maximizing only the branching ratio, due to non-trivial correlations between the parameters that maximize/minimize each isolated factor. The production rates for the bs channel can be huge for a FCNC process (0.1-1 pb), but its detection can be problematic. The production rates for the tc channel are more modest (10^{-3}-10^{-2} pb), but its detection should be easier due to the clear-cut top quark signature. A few thousand tc events could be collected in the highest luminosity phase of the LHC, with no counterpart in the SM.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, LaTeX 2e. Typos corrected. Version to appear in JHE

A new cell primo-culture method for freshwater benthic diatom communities

A new cell primo-culture method was developed for the benthic diatom community isolated from biofilm sampled in rivers. The approach comprised three steps: (1) scraping biofilm from river pebbles, (2) diatom isolation from biofilm, and (3) diatom community culture. With a view to designing a method able to stimulate the growth of diatoms, to limit the development of other microorganisms, and to maintain in culture a community similar to the original natural one, different factors were tested in step 3: cell culture medium (Chu No 10 vs Freshwater “WC” medium modified), cell culture vessel, and time of culture. The results showed that using Chu No 10 medium in an Erlenmeyer flask for cell culture was the optimal method, producing enough biomass for ecotoxicological tests as well as minimising development of other microorganisms. After 96 h of culture, communities differed from the original communities sampled in the two rivers studied. Species tolerant of eutrophic or saprobic conditions were favoured during culture. This method of diatom community culture affords the opportunity to assess, in vitro, the effects of different chemicals or effluents (water samples andindustrial effluents) on diatom communities, as well as on diatom cells, from a wide range of perspectives

One-loop calculations for SUSY processes

Strategy and results for complete one-loop computations in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model are reviewed, with applications to the calculation of SUSY mass spectra and SUSY-particle processes. Determination of renormalization constants and counterterms are described in the on-shell renormalization scheme, and a translation between $\bar{\rm DR}$ and on-shell parameters is given. As an example, cross sections for chargino and neutralino pair production in $e^+e^-$ annihilation are presented, complete at the one-loop level.Comment: Talk presented at Loops and Legs in Quantum Field Theory, Zinnowitz, Germany, April 200

Fermionic decays of sfermions: a complete discussion at one-loop order

We present a definition of an on-shell renormalization scheme for the sfermion and chargino-neutralino sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Then, apply this renormalization framework to the interaction between charginos/neutralinos and sfermions. A kind of universal corrections is identified, which allow to define effective chargino/neutralino coupling matrices. In turn, these interactions generate (universal) non-decoupling terms that grow as the logarithm of the heavy mass. Therefore the full MSSM spectrum must be taken into account in the computation of radiative corrections to observables involving these interactions. As an application we analyze the full one-loop electroweak radiative corrections to the partial decay widths \Gamma(\tilde{f} -> f\neut) and \Gamma(\tilde{f} -> f'\cplus) for all sfermion flavours and generations. These are combined with the QCD corrections to compute the corrected branching ratios of sfermions. It turns out that the electroweak corrections can have an important impact on the partial decay widths, as well as the branching ratios, in wide regions of the parameter space. The precise value of the corrections is strongly dependent on the correlation between the different particle masses.Comment: LaTeX 53 pages, 22 figures, 3 tables. Typos correcte

Single top-quark production by strong and electroweak supersymmetric flavor-changing interactions at the LHC

(Abridged) We report on a complete study of the single top-quark production by direct supersymmetric flavor-changing neutral-current (FCNC) processes at the LHC. The total cross section for pp(gg)->t\bar{c}+\bar{t}c is computed at the 1-loop order within the unconstrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The present study extends the results of the supersymmetric strong effects (SUSY-QCD), which were advanced by some of us in a previous work, and includes the computation of the full supersymmetric electroweak corrections (SUSY-EW). Our analysis of pp(gg)->t\bar{c}+\bar{t}c in the MSSM has been performed in correspondence with the stringent low-energy constraints from b->s gamma. In the most favorable scenarios, the SUSY-QCD contribution can give rise to production rates of around 10^5 events per 100 fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity. Furthermore, we show that there exist regions of the MSSM parameter space where the SUSY-EW correction becomes sizeable. In the SUSY-EW favored regions, one obtains lower, but still appreciable, event production rates that can reach the 10^3 level for the same range of integrated luminosity. We study also the possible reduction in the maximum event rate obtained from the full MSSM contribution if we additionally include the constraints from B^0_s-\bar{B}^0_s. In view of the fact that the FCNC production of heavy quark pairs of different flavors is extremely suppressed in the SM, the detection of a significant number of these events could lead to evidence of new physics -- of likely supersymmetric origin.Comment: LaTex, 35 pages, typos corrected. Version accepted in JHE

HETEROTOPIA WORK. Correlation between the domestic built environment and home offices during COVID-19 confinement

The new COVID-19 context has transported work to a domestic setting. These new locations, heterotopic, do not always adequately respond to user needs.This paper explores the relationship between the domestic built environment and certain elements that shape it, the perception, emotional state and productivity of the users.A pilot case study was carried out with 11 volunteers who evaluated their home offices for seven work days using physical environment tools, two tests -fixed data and daily evaluation-. Also, environmental parameters of the territory were monitored.Among the main findings, we observed that the perception of size does not relate to actual size; a balcony is associated with happiness and calm. We have verified how biophilic elements promote well-being. Happiness and calm are related to hight and low levels of lux. There is a tendency of happiness associated with collaborative tasks, and calm with individual ones. This article opens up a path for exploratory research on resilient situations in which physical barriers force people to seek creative solutions and offers tools to empower users. Current trends in data-driven design and teleworking support research proposals like this one, with a focus on well-being, productivity

Obstructed D-Branes in Landau-Ginzburg Orbifolds

We study deformations of Landau-Ginzburg D-branes corresponding to obstructed rational curves on Calabi-Yau threefolds. We determine D-brane moduli spaces and D-brane superpotentials by evaluating higher products up to homotopy in the Landau-Ginzburg orbifold category. For concreteness we work out the details for lines on a perturbed Fermat quintic. In this case we show that our results reproduce the local analytic structure of the Hilbert scheme of curves on the threefold.Comment: 44 pages; v3: typos correcte

MW and sin^2\theta_eff in Split SUSY: present and future expectations

We analyse the precision electroweak observables MW and sin^2\theta_eff and their correlations in the recently proposed Split SUSY model. We compare the results with the Standard Model and Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model predictions, and with present and future experimental accuracies. Present experimental accuracies in (MW, sin^2\theta_eff) do not allow constraints to be placed on the Split SUSY parameter space. We find that the shifts in (MW, sin^2\theta_eff) induced by Split SUSY can be larger than the anticipated accuracy of the GigaZ option of the International Linear Collider, and that the most sensitive observable is sin^2\theta_eff. These large shifts are possible also for large chargino masses in scenarios with small tan(\beta) =~ 1.Comment: LaTeX, 13 pages, 4 figures. Comments adde

Sfermion Precision Measurements at a Linear Collider

At future e+- e- linear colliders, the event rates and clean signals of scalar fermion production - in particular for the scalar leptons - allow very precise measurements of their masses and couplings and the determination of their quantum numbers. Various methods are proposed for extracting these parameters from the data at the sfermion thresholds and in the continuum. At the same time, NLO radiative corrections and non-zero width effects have been calculated in order to match the experimental accuracy. The substantial mixing expected for the third generation sfermions opens up additional opportunities. Techniques are presented for determining potential CP-violating phases and for extracting tan(beta) from the stau sector, in particular at high values. The consequences of possible large mass differences in the stop and sbottom system are explored in dedicated analyses.Comment: Expanded version of contributions to the proceedings of ICHEP'02 (Amsterdam) and LCWS 2002 (Jeju Island