Particle Physics on the Plains​ 2026

Session

Astroparticle & Quantum Sensing

15 Nov 2026, 11:30

2048 Malott Hall (University of Kansas)

24. Solar Constraints on HNL Mixing with Tau Neutrinos

Mr Samiur R. Mir (Oklahoma State University)

15/11/2026, 11:30

The mixing of heavy neutral leptons (HNLs) with tau neutrinos remains far less constrained than their mixing with electron and muon neutrinos. In this talk, I will show how HNLs produced in the Sun can significantly improve existing constraints on HNL–$\nu_\tau$ mixing. HNLs can be produced through the scattering of tau neutrinos generated by neutrino oscillations in the solar interior. After...

19. E pur si rotat: Axion magnetic resonance in the coherent magnetic field of the Milky Way

Sai Charan Chandrasekar (PhD Student at Oklahoma State University)

15/11/2026, 11:48

The axion coupling to the photon allows for axion-photon oscillations and is governed by the coupling and background magnetic field. In astrophysical settings these oscillations possess resonant behavior while traversing the plasma of both intra and intergalactic media. We demonstrate that a second type of resonant enhancement is possible which depends on the spatial variation $\dot{\Theta}$...

13. A Stepping Stone Solution to the QCD Axion Isocurvature Problem

Kunfeng Lyu

15/11/2026, 12:06

We propose a ''stepping stone'' realization of the varying Peccei Quinn (PQ) scale solution to the QCD axion isocurvature problem. In conventional implementations, suppressing isocurvature during high scale inflation requires a large inflationary PQ scale, while the subsequent evolution toward the much smaller late time vacuum can induce parametric resonance and nonthermal restoration of the...

7. Ultrashort Gamma-Ray Burst Search in VERITAS Data

Ngan Nguyen (University Of Oklahoma)

15/11/2026, 12:24

The existence of bursts of astrophysical gamma rays with durations less than tens of microseconds are essentially unprobed. It was recently proposed that the VERITAS array could detect such bursts with an appropriate analysis of its archival data. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of a search for these bursts and devise a data-analysis protocol to carry it out. We perform realistic...

21. Quantum Networks for Dark Matter

Miguel Angel Soto Alcaraz

15/11/2026, 12:42

Quantum sensing has been used recently to try and detect new particle physics phenomena. Now, with prospects for real life quantum networks, a brief description of how they can be used to detect the dark matter around our galaxy will be provided.

25. Entanglement Protocol for Scalar-Mediated Forces

Writasree Maitra (Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis)

15/11/2026, 13:00

Light scalars are a well-motivated extension of the Standard Model and can mediate new interactions between matter at microscopic and mesoscopic distances. Inspired by proposals to test the quantum nature of gravity through gravitationally induced entanglement, we propose searching for such interactions using two adjacent matter-wave interferometers. Rather than relying on conventional force...