Matter Effects of Sterile Neutrino in Light of Renormalization-Group Equations

The renormalization-group equation (RGE) approach to neutrino matter effects is further developed in this work. We derive a complete set of differential equations for effective mixing elements, masses and Jarlskog-like invariants in presence of a light sterile neutrino. The evolutions of mixing elements as well as Jarlskog-like invariants are obtained by numerically solving these differential equations. We calculate terrestrial matter effects in long-baseline (LBL) experiments, taking NOvA, T2K and DUNE as examples. In both three-flavor and four-flavor frameworks, electron-neutrino survival probabilities as well as the day-night asymmetry of solar neutrino are also evaluated as a further examination of the RGE approach.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; 22 pages, the version accepted by JHE

Doubly charmed baryon decays Ξcc++→Ξc(′)+π+\Xi_{cc}^{++}\to\Xi_c^{(\prime)+}\pi^+ in the quark model

In this work we study the doubly charmed baryon decays $\Xi_{cc}^{++}\to\Xi_c^{(\prime)+}\pi^+$ within the framework of the non-relativistic quark model (NRQM). Factorizable amplitudes are expressed in terms of transition form factors, while nonfactorizable amplitudes arising form the inner $W$-emission are evaluated using current algebra and the pole model and expressed in terms of baryonic matrix elements and axial-vector form factors. Nonperturbative parameters are then calculated using the NRQM. They can be expressed in terms of the momentum integrals of baryon wave functions, which are in turn expressed in terms of the harmonic oscillator parameters $\alpha_\rho$ and $\alpha_\lambda$ for $\rho$- and $\lambda$-mode excitation. The measured ratio $R$ of the branching fraction of $\Xi_{cc}^{++}\to \Xi^{\prime +}_c\pi^+$ relative to $\Xi_{cc}^{++}\to \Xi_c^+\pi^+$ can be accommodated in the NRQM with $\alpha_{\rho 1}$ and $\alpha_{\rho_2}$ being in the vicinity of 0.51 and 0.19, respectively, where $\alpha_{\rho 1}$ is the $\alpha_\rho$ parameter for $\Xi_{cc}^{++}$ and $\alpha_{\rho 2}$ for $\Xi_{c}^{(\prime)+}$. Decay asymmetries are predicted to be $-0.78$ and $-0.89$ for $\Xi_c^+\pi^+$ and $\Xi_c^{\prime +}\pi^+$ modes, respectively, which can be tested in the near future. We compare our results with other works and point out that although some other models can accommodate the ratio $R$, they tend to lead to a branching fraction of $\Xi_{cc}^{++}\to \Xi_c^+\pi^+$ too large compared to that inferred from the LHCb measurement of its rate relative to $\Xi_{cc}^{++}\to\Lambda_c^+ K^- \pi^+\pi^+$.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Whole Genome Sequencing in the Evaluation of Fetal Structural Anomalies: A Parallel Test with Chromosomal Microarray Plus Whole Exome Sequencing

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a powerful tool for postnatal genetic diagnosis, but relevant clinical studies in the field of prenatal diagnosis are limited. The present study aimed to prospectively evaluate the utility of WGS compared with chromosomal microarray (CMA) and whole exome sequencing (WES) in the prenatal diagnosis of fetal structural anomalies. We performed trio WGS (≈40-fold) in parallel with CMA in 111 fetuses with structural or growth anomalies, and sequentially performed WES when CMA was negative (CMA plus WES). In comparison, WGS not only detected all pathogenic genetic variants in 22 diagnosed cases identified by CMA plus WES, yielding a diagnostic rate of 19.8% (22/110), but also provided additional and clinically significant information, including a case of balanced translocations and a case of intrauterine infection, which might not be detectable by CMA or WES. WGS also required less DNA (100 ng) as input and could provide a rapid turnaround time (TAT, 18 ± 6 days) compared with that (31 ± 8 days) of the CMA plus WES. Our results showed that WGS provided more comprehensive and precise genetic information with a rapid TAT and less DNA required than CMA plus WES, which enables it as an alternative prenatal diagnosis test for fetal structural anomalies