Search for a compressed supersymmetric spectrum with a light Gravitino

Presence of the light gravitino as dark matter candidate in a supersymmetric (SUSY) model opens up interesting collider signatures consisting of one or more hard photons together with multiple jets and missing transverse energy from the cascade decay. We investigate such signals at the 13 TeV LHC in presence of compressed SUSY spectra, consistent with the Higgs mass as well as collider and dark matter constraints. We analyse and compare the discovery potential in different benchmark scenarios consisting of both compressed and uncompressed SUSY spectra, considering different levels of compression and intermediate decay modes. Our conclusion is that compressed spectra upto 2.5 TeV are likely to be probed even before the high luminosity run of LHC. Kinematic variables are also suggested, which offer distinction between compressed and uncompressed spectra yielding similar event rates for photons + multi-jets + $E\!\!\!\!/_T$.Comment: 32 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables. Published in JHEP, minor modifications in text and few references adde

Exploring collider aspects of a neutrinophilic Higgs doublet model in multilepton channels

We consider a neutrinophilic Higgs scenario where the Standard Model is extended by one additional Higgs doublet and three generations of singlet right-handed Majorana neutrinos. Light neutrino masses are generated through mixing with the heavy neutrinos via the Type-I seesaw mechanism when the neutrinophilic Higgs gets a vacuum expectation value (VEV). The Dirac neutrino Yukawa coupling in this scenario can be sizable compared to those in the canonical Type-I seesaw mechanism owing to the small neutrinophilic Higgs VEV giving rise to interesting phenomenological consequences. We have explored various signal regions likely to provide a hint of such a scenario at the LHC as well as at future e(+)e(-) colliders. We have also highlighted the consequences of light neutrino mass hierarchies in collider phenomenology that can complement the findings of neutrino oscillation experiments.Peer reviewe

Left-right supersymmetric option at a high-energy upgrade of the LHC

We investigate the possibility that a minimal realization of left-right supersymmetry can be reachable at a high-energy upgrade of the LHC, expected to operate at a center-of-mass energy of 27 TeV. This minimal scenario has a relatively light SU(2)(R) doubly charged Higgs boson, which could decay dominantly into tau-lepton pairs. We explore the associated signals comprised of at least three hadronically decaying taus, or with at least two hadronic taus and one same-sign-same-flavor charged lepton pair. Our analysis shows that the former signature is challenging to use for getting handles on the signal due to the large corresponding background, and that the latter one can lead to a handful of new physics events in an almost backgroundfree environment. We however find that a signal comprised of three hadronically decaying tau leptons is likely to be observed at a low luminosity of proton-proton collisions at a 27 TeV upgrade of the LHC.Peer reviewe

Multileptonic signals of co-annihilating left-right supersymmetric dark matter

We perform a comprehensive dark matter analysis of left-right supersymmetric scenarios that includes constraints from dark matter direct and indirect detection experiments and that presents distinctive features from those available in minimal supersymmetry. We concentrate on dark matter candidates which, while satisfying all constraints, are different from those of the minimal supersymmetric standard model. We consider in our analysis all possible co-annihilation channels relevant for setups in which several states are light and nearly degenerate, and devise a set of representative benchmark points, requiring co-annihilations, which satisfy all restrictions. We then study their consequent LHC signals, which exhibit promising new multileptonic signatures involving W-R, that if observed, would provide a strong support for left-right supersymmetry.Peer reviewe

A wastewater bacterium 'Bacillus' sp. KUJM2 acts as an agent for remediation of potentially toxic elements and promoter of plant ('Lens culinaris') growth

This study investigated the role of an allochthonous Gram-positive wastewater bacterium (Bacillus sp. KUJM2) selected through rigorous screening, for the removal of potentially toxic elements (PTEs; As, Cd, Cu, Ni) and promotion of plant growth under PTE-stress conditions. The dried biomass of the bacterial strain removed PTEs (5 mg L−1) from water by 90.17–94.75 and 60.4–81.41%, whereas live cells removed 87.15–91.69 and 57.5–78.8%, respectively, under single-PTE and co-contaminated conditions. When subjected to a single PTE, the bacterial production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) reached the maxima with Cu (67.66%) and Ni (64.33%), but Cd showed an inhibitory effect beyond 5 mg L−1 level. The multiple-PTE treatment induced IAA production only up to 5 mg L−1 beyond which inhibition ensued. Enhanced germination rate, germination index and seed production of lentil plant (Lens culinaris) under the bacterial inoculation indicated the plant growth promotion potential of the microbial strain. Lentil plants, as a result of bacterial inoculation, responded with higher shoot length (7.1–27.61%), shoot dry weight (18.22–36.3%) and seed production (19.23–29.17%) under PTE-stress conditions. The PTE uptake in lentil shoots decreased by 67.02–79.85% and 65.94–78.08%, respectively, under single- and multiple-PTE contaminated conditions. Similarly, PTE uptake was reduced in seeds up to 72.82–86.62% and 68.68–85.94%, respectively. The bacteria-mediated inhibition of PTE translocation in lentil plant was confirmed from the translocation factor of the respective PTEs. Thus, the selected bacterium (Bacillus sp. KUJM2) offered considerable potential as a PTE remediating agent, plant growth promoter and regulator of PTE translocation curtailing environmental and human health risks