Particle Physics on the Plains​ 2024

2 Nov 2024, 08:00 → 3 Nov 2024, 18:05 US/Central

2048 Malott Hall (University of Kansas)

Particle Physics on the Plains will be held on November 2-3, 2024, at the University of Kansas. The workshop facilitates a discussion about the latest results in particle phenomenology and theory among  particle theorists in the region.  The format will be in person.

Talks are intended to be mostly student/postdoc talks.  If there is room in the schedule, we will add faculty talks. Nevertheless, this is an excellent opportunity for faculty to keep up on research in the region and gather for lengthy discussions.

September 24, 2024  There are funds available to help support lodging for students and postdocs who give talks. To be eligible for these funds students/postdocs must register and submit a talk abstract by 11:59 pm CDT September 24, 2024.  Preference will be given to regional theoretical particle physics students/postdocs. However, provided funds are available, we will support the lodging of additional students/postdocs. Further details are on the registration and lodging pages. To obtain lodging, abstracts and registration must be submitted by this date.

October 24, 2024 Registration closes at 11:59 CDT.

Confirmed invited speakers:  Andre de Gouvea (Northwestern University) has agreed to attend and give a talk.

COVID-19:  Information about COVID-19 regulations at KU can be found here: https://protect.ku.edu/

Lunch on Saturday and coffee breaks will be provided during the conference.

This workshop is supported in part by the Department of Energy Office of Science, Research Excellence Initiative of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, the University of Kansas Office of Research, and the University of Kansas Department of Physics & Astronomy.

Previous year's website:  2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 (Part 1), 2022 (Part 2), 2023

Organizers: Talal Chowdhury, KC Kong, Ian Lewis (chair), Douglas McKay, John Ralston

 

Saturday 2 November

08:00 → 08:50 Registration

08:50 → 10:15 Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics 1

Convener: Kevin Kelly (Texas A&M University)

08:50 Conference Logistics/Setup

Speaker: Ian Lewis (The University of Kansas)

PPP_2024.pdf

09:00 Constraining Non-Annihilating Ultra-Heavy Dark Matter through Exoplanets

Exoplanets have the potential to capture dark matter, and, if captured in significant amounts, this dark matter may form a black hole within an exoplanet’s core. Such processes could lead to notable heating effects or even the destruction of the exoplanet.

Speaker: Mehrdad Phoroutan-Mehr (University of California, Riverside (UCR))

Presentation.pdf

09:18 Old neutron stars as a new probe of relic neutrinos and sterile neutrino dark matter

We study the kinetic cooling (heating) of old neutron stars due to coherent scattering with relic neutrinos (sterile neutrino dark matter) via Standard Model neutral-current interactions. We take into account several important physical effects, such as gravitational clustering, coherent enhancement, neutron degeneracy, Pauli blocking, and weak potential. We find that the anomalous cooling of nearby neutron stars due to relic neutrino scattering is difficult to observe. However, the anomalous heating of neutron stars due to coherent scattering with keV-scale sterile neutrino dark matter could also be observed by JWST or future telescopes, which would probe hitherto unexplored parameter space in the sterile neutrino mass-mixing plane.

Speaker: Takuya Okawa

PPP2024_okawa.pdf

09:36 A comprehensive analysis of supernova neutrino-dark matter interactions

We present a comprehensive analysis of nonstandard neutrino interactions with the dark sector in an effective field theory (EFT) framework, considering exact analytic formulae for the differential scattering cross sections of neutrinos with scalar, fermionic, and vector dark matter (DM) for dark sector models with mediators of different spins. We then implement the full catalog of constraints on the parameter space of the neutrino-dark matter/mediator couplings and masses, including cosmological/astrophysical bounds coming from Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, Cosmic Microwave Background, DM/neutrino self-interactions, DM collisional damping, thermal relic density, and SN1987A, as well as laboratory constraints from neutrinoless double decay, 3-body meson decays and invisible $Z$ decays. To illustrate the practical consequences of our new results, we take the galactic supernova neutrinos in the MeV energy range as a concrete example and highlight the difficulties in finding any observable effect of neutrino-DM interactions. Finally, we identify new benchmark points potentially promising for future observational prospects of the attenuation of the neutrino flux of a galactic supernova and comment on their implications for the detection prospects in future large-volume neutrino experiments such as DUNE, Hyper-K and JUNO.

Speaker: Dr Deepak Sathyan

DM-nu PPP, Deepak.pdf

09:54 Cosmic Ray Boosted Dark Matter at IceCube

Cosmic ray (CR) upscattering of dark matter is one of the most straightforward mechanisms to accelerate ambient dark matter, making it detectable at high threshold, large volume experiments. In this work, we revisit CR upscattered dark matter signals at the IceCube detector, considering both proton and electron scattering, in the former case including both quasielastic and deep inelastic scattering. We consider both scalar and vector mediators over a wide range of mediator masses, and use lower energy IceCube data than has previously been used to constrain such models. We show that our analysis sets the strongest existing constraints on cosmic ray boosted dark matter over much of the eV - MeV mass range.

Speaker: Christopher Cappiello (Washington University in St. Louis)

PPP Cosmic Ray-Boosted Dark Matter at IceCube.pdf

10:15 → 10:45 Coffee

10:45 → 12:30 Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics 2

Convener: Kuver Sinha (University of Oklahoma)

10:45 Welcome

10:55 Physical Review Journals and the APS

In this talk I will briefly discuss submitting to and reviewing for the Physical Review journals, current editorial initiatives and directions in publishing, and membership in the American Physical Society.

Speaker: Joshua Sayre

SayreJ-PPP2024.pdf

11:05 Majorana versus Dirac, Beyond Neutrinoless Double-Beta Decay

The nature of neutrinos — Majorana fermions or Dirac fermions — is among the most pressing issues in neutrino physics today. I explore observables capable, in principle, of revealing the nature of neutrinos beyond the well-known searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay. While none are really competitive unless we get very lucky, they help us understand the more “practical" differences between Majorana and Dirac fermions.

Speaker: Andre De Gouvea

Particle_Physics_Plains.pdf

11:35 Tau Tridents at Accelerator Neutrino Facilities

We present the first detailed study of Standard Model neutrino tridents involving tau leptons at the near detectors of accelerator neutrino facilities. These processes were previously thought to be negligible, even at future facilities like DUNE, based on approximations that underestimated the tau trident cross sections. Our full $2\to 4$ calculation, including both coherent and incoherent scatterings, reveals that the DUNE near detector will get a non-negligible number of tau tridents, which is an important background to new physics searches. We identify promising kinematic features that may allow the distinction of tau tridents from the usual neutrino charged-current background at DUNE and thus could establish the observation of tau tridents for the first time. We also comment on the detection prospects at other accelerator and collider neutrino experiments.

Speaker: Diego Lopez Gutierrez (Washington University in St Louis)

Diego_PPP_2024.pdf

11:53 Looking at the flavor composition of solar neutrinos

We examine solar neutrinos in dark matter detectors, focusing on flavor-dependent radiative corrections to the coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE$\nu$NS) cross section within a three-flavor framework, incorporating matter effects from the Sun and Earth. Detectors with thresholds $\lesssim 1$ keV and exposures of $\sim 100$ ton-years could probe beyond-tree-level effects and offer unique insights into the muon and tau components of the solar neutrino flux. Recent CE$\nu$NS measurements by PandaX-4T and XENONnT provide sensitivity to non-standard interactions (NSI) and tau-flavor parameters, marking a significant advancement in neutrino physics. Complementary studies of neutrino-electron scattering in Borexino, and future data from JUNO, could further probe $\nu_\mu$ and $\nu_\tau$ contributions and test novel physics such as non-unitary evolution and U(1)$_{L_\mu-L_\tau}$ interactions.

Speaker: Nityasa Mishra

PPP.pdf

12:11 Probing Scalar Non-Standard Interactions via Flavor Composition of Astrophysical Neutrinos

Scalar Non-Standard interaction(SNSI) of neutrinos contribute as modifications to the neutrino mass matrix in the oscillation Hamiltonan and can induce a small active-sterile mass splitting via a Majorana-type interaction due to the matter effect. This framework leads to pseudo-Dirac behavior of neutrinos, introducing rich phenomenology in neutrino oscillations, particularly for high-energy astrophysical neutrinos. The matter effect due to SNSI would affect the flavor ratios predictions from the high-energy astrophysical neutrinos when compared to the standard oscillation flavor ratio measurements which depends on the physical processes occurring in the sources( pion decay chain , muon damped pion decay etc). In this work we use the flavor modifications of astrophysical neutrinos as a probe of scalar NSI, comparing with the existing flavor ratio constraints from IceCube and with projections for next-generation neutrino telescopes like IceCube-Gen2. The results excluded from this flavor analysis are then translated back onto model parameters i.e. yukawa couplings and mass allowing us to place new constraints on the parameter space for light scalar NSI.

Speaker: Ankur Verma

PPP_Ankur1.pdf

12:30 → 14:00 Lunch

14:00 → 15:50 Collider Physics

Convener: Doojin Kim

14:00 Neutrino Magnetic Moment at Colliders

Heavy neutral leptons (HNLs), well-motivated beyond the Standard Model (SM) particles, can be produced at present and future collider facilities. HNL can interact with the SM sector via the transition magnetic moment. The transition magnetic moment can be well-constrained for higher HNL mass. In this talk, I will explore the parameter space for different colliders. I will present the production and decay channels of HNL. I will show the projected sensitivity for the magnetic moment in multiple proposed collider experiments. Finally, I will discuss the contrast between various channels and their degree of sensitivity.

Speaker: Mr Samiur R. Mir (Oklahoma State University)

ppp-HNL.pdf

14:18 Hadronic Top Quark Polarimetry with ParticleNet

Observables sensitive to top quark polarization are important for characterizing and discovering new physics. The most powerful spin analyzer in the top decay is the down-type fermion from the W, which in the case of leptonic decay allows for very clean measurements. However, in many applications, it is useful to measure the polarization of hadronically decaying top quarks via an optimal hadronic spin analyzer. In this talk, we introduce and use jet flavor tagging to significantly improve spin analyzing power in hadronic decays beyond exclusive kinematic information employed in previous studies. We provide parametric estimates of the improvement from flavor tagging with any set of measured observables and demonstrate this in practice on simulated data using a Graph Neural Network (GNN).

Speaker: Alberto Navarro (Oklahoma State University)

PPP_2024_Alberto .pdf

14:36 New W Boson Decay Channel at the LHC

We investigate the $W$ boson's exotic decay channel, $W \rightarrow \ell\ell\ell \nu$, at the LHC. Although the four-body final states suppress the decay branching ratio, the large production of $W$ bosons makes detecting and precisely measuring this decay probability entirely feasible.
Our simulation study indicates that this tiny branching ratio can be measured with sub-percent precision at the HL-LHC. This decay channel can also constrain Standard Model extensions. Using the $ L_\mu-L_\tau$ model as a benchmark, we find that the current bound on the gauge coupling for $Z'$ mass in the range of $[4,75]$ GeV can significantly improve.

Speaker: Peiran Li (University of Minnesota)

W_lllv_Kansas.pdf

14:54 Real Singlet Benchmarks for Double Higgs Production in the Multi-TeV Regime

The simplest extension that can be added to the SM is the addition of a real singlet scalar S, which can result in a double Higgs bosson production if this new singlet is sufficiently heavy. New benchmark points are found by maximizing the production rate, which will allow to compare to the experimental results while this are being searched. The maximum values are shown for different values of the mixing angle and the resulting new mass eigenstate.

Speaker: Miguel Angel Soto Alcaraz

TALK.pdf

15:12 Three-Higgs Boson Production within the Standard Model and its Triplet Extension

In High Energy Physics, double and triple Higgs production play a crucial role in assessing the Higgs self-couplings, namely the trilinear and quartic Higgs couplings, which are responsible for endowing elementary particles with mass and shaping the Higgs potential. Directly measuring these couplings presents challenges, as they require the simultaneous production of two or more Higgs bosons. Additionally, achieving accurate measurements of the quartic Higgs coupling at the LHC necessitates high luminosity. Muon colliders, with their higher center-of-mass energies compared to proton colliders, offer advantages that potentially mitigate some of the difficulties associated with measuring these couplings. In our research, we focused on investigating the production of three Higgs particles through the interaction of high-energy muon beams emitting collinear photons at the one-loop level. We employed the Effective Photon Approximation (EPA) to establish Parton Distribution Functions and determined the total cross-sections of these processes. This analysis was conducted within the frameworks of the Standard Model and the Higgs Triplet Model (HTM). Notably, in the HTM, a hierarchy exists between the masses of singly charged Higgs bosons and doubly charged Higgs bosons, and we thoroughly investigated this influence in our research at the 3, 10, and 100 TeV Muon Colliders. To perform these calculations for the 2-to-3 processes, we used the FeynRules, GoSam-2.0, FeynArts, and FormCalc Mathematica packages to generate analytic expressions for the scattering amplitude and numerical results for the cross-sections. In my talk, I will cover our preliminary results regarding three-Higgs production through photon fusion.

Speaker: Bathiya Samarakoon (Wichita State University)

PPP_KU_2024.pdf

15:30 Non-linear Higgs CP-violation

Exploring additional CP violation sources at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is vital for the Higgs physics program beyond the Standard Model. An unexplored avenue at the LHC is a significant non-linear realization of CP violation, naturally described in non-linear Higgs Effective Field Theory (HEFT). In this talk, we will discuss constraining such interactions across a broad spectrum of single and double Higgs production processes, incorporating differential information where feasible statistically and theoretically. We focus on discerning anticipated correlations in the Standard Model Effective Field Theory from those achievable in HEFT in top-Higgs and gauge-Higgs interactions

Speaker: Akanksha Bhardwaj (Oklahoma State University)

Akanksha_PPP_KU_2024.pdf

15:50 → 16:20 Coffee

16:20 → 18:00 Beyond the Standard Model Phenomenology 1

Convener: Vedran Brdar (Oklahoma State University (US))

16:20 Free Regional Computational Resources for High-Energy Physics and Astroparticle Research: High-Performance Computing and Distributed Systems

In this presentation, I will elucidate the diverse array of cutting-edge computing resources available for unrestricted use. Noteworthy examples include the BeoCat High-Performance Computing (HPC) system at Kansas State University, the formidable Pete Supercomputer at Oklahoma State University, the highly efficient BeoShock HPC system at Wichita State University, and the Open Science Grid (OSG), which provides a distributed computing infrastructure particularly well-suited for large-scale parameter scans and high-throughput tasks. These resources grant users access to both Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). One of the prevalent applications within the field of particle physics pertains to Monte Carlo simulations and the utilization of machine learning techniques.

Speaker: Terrance Figy (Wichita State University)

ParticleOnPlains-Fall-2024.pdf

ParticleOnPlains-Fall-2024.pptx

16:30 Momentum shift and on-shell recursion relation for electroweak theory

We study the All-Line Transverse (ALT) shift which we developed for on-shell recursion of amplitudes for particles of any mass. We discuss the validity of the shift for general theories of spin $\leq$ 1, and illustrate the connection between Ward identity and constructibility for massive spin-1 amplitude under the ALT shift. We apply the shift to the electroweak theory, and various four-point scattering amplitudes among electroweak gauge bosons and fermions are constructed. We show explicitly that the four-point gauge boson contact terms in massive electroweak theory automatically arise after recursive construction, independent of UV completion, and they automatically cancel the terms growing as (energy)$^4$ at high energy. We explore UV completion of the electroweak theory that cancels the remaining (energy)$^2$ terms and impose unitarity requirements to constrain additional couplings. The ALT shift framework allows consistent treatment in dealing with contact term ambiguities for renormalizable massive and massless theories, which we show can be useful in studying real-world amplitudes with massive spinors.

Speaker: Ishmam Mahbub (University of Minnesota Twin Cities)

recursion_amplitude.pdf

16:48 Domain walls of string theory axions

String theory strings can magnetically source axions or axion like particles. The axions get potential from string instantons and can produce domain walls. The string-domain wall network can be stable for a long time. The later collapse of the domain walls produce more than one type of axion mass eigenstates apart from gravitational waves.

Speaker: Saurav Das (Washington University in St. Louis)

DAS_PPP_2024.pdf

17:06 Right-Handed Neutrino Masses from the Electroweak Scale

Heavy right-handed neutrinos are highly motivated due to their connection with the origin of neutrino masses via the seesaw mechanism. If the right-handed neutrino Majorana mass is at or below the weak scale, direct experimental discovery of these states is possible in accelerator experiments. However, there is no a priori reason to prefer such light right-handed neutrinos since the Majorana mass is a technically natural parameter and could comfortably reside at any scale, including at scales far above the weak scale. Here we explore the possibility that the right-handed neutrino Majorana mass originates from electroweak symmetry breaking. Working within an effective theory with two Higgs doublets, nonzero lepton number is assigned to the bilinear operator built from the two Higgs fields, which is then coupled to the right-handed neutrino mass operator. In tandem with the neutrino Yukawa coupling, a seesaw mechanism will operate, generating the light SM neutrino masses along with right-handed neutrinos with masses below the electroweak scale. This scenario leads to novel phenomenology in the Higgs sector, which may be probed at the LHC and at future colliders. There are also interesting prospects for neutrinoless double beta decay and lepton flavor violation. We will also explore some theoretical aspects of the scenario, including the technical naturalness of the effective field theory and ultraviolet completions of the right-handed neutrino Majorana mass.

Speaker: Wenjie Huang

PPP_2024_Huang.pdf

17:24 Enhanced Dark Matter Abundance in First-Order Phase Transitions

We propose a novel scenario to obtain the correct relic abundance for thermally under-produced dark matter. This scenario utilizes a strongly first-order phase transition at temperature $T_{\rm PT}$ that gives rise to dark matter mass $m$. Freeze-out in the broken phase can yield the desired abundance in the entire region currently allowed by observational bounds and theoretical constraints for $10^2 T_{\rm PT} \lesssim m \lesssim 10^4 T_{\rm PT}$. We show that the accompanying gravitational waves are strong enough to be detected by many upcoming and proposed experiments. This, in tandem with dark matter indirect searches, provides a multi-messenger probe of such models. Positive signals in the future can help reconstruct the potential governing the phase transition and shed light on an underlying particle physics realization.

Speaker: Cash Hauptmann (University of Nebraska - Lincoln)

Hauptmann_PPP_2024_DM_abundance_enhancement.pdf

17:42 Flavored Resonant Leptogenesis in a Type-I Two Higgs Doublet Model

In this work, we explore flavored resonant leptogenesis within the framework of a Type-I Two Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM), where the second Higgs doublet couples exclusively to right-handed neutrinos. We investigate how the flavor effects and flavor decoherence influence the generation of baryon asymmetry in the early universe. This model allows for a reduction in the mass scale of the right-handed neutrinos down to TeV while mitigating fine-tuning issues that typically arise in traditional resonant leptogenesis scenarios.

Speaker: Kairui Zhang (University of Oklahoma-Norman)

Leptogenesis.pdf

Sunday 3 November

08:30 → 09:00 Registration

09:00 → 10:50 Beyond the Standard Model Phenomenology 2

Convener: Kaladi Babu

09:00 A Model of Low-Scale Pati-Salam Gauge Bosons

We propose an $E_6$-inspired Pati-Salam (PS) model that naturally accommodates multi-TeV leptoquark gauge bosons, $X_\mu$, while incorporating an unbroken discrete $Z_2$ symmetry. In this model, Standard Model (SM) fermions are $Z_2$-even, while exotic fermions in the PS multiplets are $Z_2$-odd. A notable feature is that the PS gauge bosons are $Z_2$-odd, resulting in their coupling exclusively between ordinary and exotic fermions. This prevents flavor-violating meson decays at the tree level, with such effects arising only at the one-loop level, allowing for a lower PS breaking scale. The most stringent constraint arises from meson decays, particularly $K_L \to \mu e$, allowing PS gauge boson masses as low as $m_X \gtrsim \mathcal{O}$(few) TeV. This relatively low PS scale offers exciting collider prospects for probing leptoquark gauge bosons as well as vector-like fermions. Additionally, we explore compelling mechanisms for generating small neutrino masses via either a tree-level seesaw or one-loop scotogenic realization. The unbroken $Z_2$ symmetry also allows for a dark matter (DM) candidate, which could be either a singlet-doublet fermionic DM or a singlet scalar DM.

Speaker: Mr Sumit Biswas (Student)

A_Model_of_Low_Scale_Pati_Salam_Gauge_Bosons_PPP_2024 (1).pdf

09:18 Solving the strong CP problem with massless grand-color quarks

We propose a solution to the strong CP problem that specifically relies on massless quarks and has no light axion. The QCD color group $SU(3)_c$ is embedded into a larger, simple gauge group (grand-color) where one of the massless, colored fermions enjoys an anomalous chiral symmetry, rendering the strong CP phase unphysical. The grand-color gauge group $G_{\rm GC}$ is Higgsed down to $SU(3)_c\times G_{c'}$, after which $G_{c'}$ eventually confines at a lower scale, spontaneously breaking the chiral symmetry and generating a real, positive mass to the massless, colored fermion. Since the chiral symmetry has a $G_{c'}$ anomaly, there is no corresponding light Nambu-Goldstone boson. The anomalous chiral symmetry can be an accidental symmetry that arises from an exact discrete symmetry without introducing a domain wall problem. Potential experimental signals of our mechanism include vector-like quarks near the TeV scale, pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons below the 10 GeV scale, light dark matter decay, and primordial gravitational waves from the new strong dynamics.

Speaker: Ravneet Bedi (University of Minnesota)

Bedi_p3_Massless_up_quark.pdf

09:36 Automatic quality axion from Gauged Flavor symmetry

The axion solution to the strong CP problem is closely entwined with the flavor structure of the standard model. So our model attempts at explaining the Flavor puzzle through the Frogatt Nielsen mechanism where the $U(1)_F$ flavor symmetry is gauged and we thereby end up with a "quality axion" as the result of a residual $U(1)_{PQ}$ symmtery. This is achieved in a DFSZ like scenario with a "Flavon" field of the gauged $U(1)_F$ in addition to the PQ scalar. We find that, demanding a favorable mass texture compatible with $SU(5)$ embedding, the charges we require to cancel the anomalies naturally provide us an accidental quality axion whose scale is connected to the scale of right handed neutrino mass making it a viable ``Majoraxion". We also analyze the flavor violating (FV) axion phenomenology to test the model at the E949, E787 and CLEO experimental constraints on the FV vector axion quark couplings.

Speaker: Sai Charan Chandrasekar (PhD Student at Oklahoma State University)

09:54 Dirac leptogenesis in the left-right symmetric model

In this talk, I explain the baryon asymmetry of the universe via Dirac leptogenesis in the left-right symmetric model in which the fermion masses are generated through a universal seesaw mechanism. This model is further motivated by providing an axionless solution to the strong CP problem. Similar to standard leptogenesis, the decay of heavy vector-like leptons generates CP violation and leads to a departure from thermal equilibrium. To account for neutrino oscillation data and the observed baryon asymmetry, in the non-degenerate mass scenario, the left-right symmetry breaking scale required to be approximately $\kappa_R > 10^{13} \, \mathrm{GeV}$. However, in the degenerate mass scenario for vector-like leptons, the scale can be significantly reduced.

Speaker: AJAY Kaladharan

Dirac_LRSM_Ajay.pdf

10:12 Navigating the flood of electromagnetic secondary production at SHiP

We perform a simulation of dark-vector production from electromagnetic cascades at SHiP. The cascades are initiated by photons from $\pi^0\rightarrow \gamma \gamma$, and lead to substantial increases in sensitivity for long-lived dark vectors with masses below $\sim 50-300~{\rm MeV}$. The dominant production mode in the regions of new sensitivity is $e^+ e^- \rightarrow V(\gamma)$. New sensitivity projections for dark photons and gauged $L_i-L_j$ models are provided for SHiP and compared to previous literature.

Speaker: Tao Zhou (Texas A&M University)

taozhou_p3_2024.pdf

10:30 Efficient method to compute the bounce action for a first order cosmological phase transition

In a first order phase transition, a barrier forms between two minima. The transition from false to true minimum proceeds through tunneling, and the probability of the transition is determined by the bounce action. Techniques have been developed to solve for the field configuration that minimizes the action. More recently, J.R. Espinosa developed a method that introduces an auxiliary tunneling potential, $V_t$, allowing one to bypass the bounce equation and calculate the action from the potential and tunneling potential. In this talk, I will introduce a new way of constructing the auxiliary function, $V_t$, leading to a more efficient calculation of the action.

Speaker: Morgan Cassidy

PPP24 (1).pdf

09:00 → 10:50 Dark Matter

Convener: Gopolang Mohlabeng (University of California, Irvine)

09:00 First Constraints on Axion-like Particles from Multimessenger Studies of White Dwarf Mergers

Multimessenger observations of white dwarf (WD) mergers may lead to new constraints on the coupling of axion-like particles (ALPs) to photons and electrons. The merger process creates a high energy environment conducive to the production of ALPs while also producing a gravitational wave (GW) signal. After escaping the merger remnant, the ALPs decay into photons, adding to the expected photon signal. In this talk, I will discuss how we calculate the extra photon signal from WD merger simulations and compare to X-ray observations to derive new ALP constraints.

Speaker: Edward Walsh

First Constraints on Axion-like Particles from Multimessenger Studies.pdf

First Constraints on Axion-like Particles from Multimessenger Studies.pptx

09:18 Signs of Primordial Black Holes in the 21 cm Signal

The temperature of baryons at the end of the cosmic dark ages can be measured using the 21-cm hyperfine transition of neutral hydrogen. Any energy injection from the dark sector can potentially be constrained through these measurements. Exotic compact objects, such as PBHs, can alter the temperature by transferring heat to the gas through dynamical friction (DF). In this study, we compute the prospects for constraining PBHs with future 21 cm observations.

Speaker: Badal Bhalla (University of Oklahoma)

09:36 Signals from Cosmic Boosted Strongly Interacting Dark Matter

In this work, we investigate the potential of cosmic boosted strongly interacting dark matter (CBSIDM), which opens up the sub-GeV mass range for exploration. The boosted kinetic energy of CBSIDM enhances Earth’s ability to capture DM particles in this range, thereby extending the accessible mass range below 1 GeV and making direct detection signals observable. This also allows CBSIDM to constitute a larger fraction ($f_\chi$) of the total dark matter. Previous studies have focused solely on the non-boosted, strongly interacting galactic dark matter component, where $f_\chi$ was constrained by stringent limits on the non-boosted DM-nucleon scattering cross-section for masses between 1–10 GeV. For this new scenario, we derive stringent limits from large-volume neutrino detectors, such as DUNE and Super-Kamiokande (SK), as well as from dark matter direct detection experiments like XENONnT, along with broader astrophysical implications.

Speaker: Debopam Goswami (Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University)

PPP2024_Debopam_Goswami.pdf

09:54 Exploring the impact of Non-Standard Interactions on Sterile Neutrino dark matter production: Part 1

Mixing between active and sterile neutrinos represents a fundamental mechanism for sterile neutrino dark matter production in the early Universe. However, the standard Dodelson-Widrow (DW) mechanism is in tension with astrophysical bounds, particularly those arising from structure formation and X-ray observations. To address these challenges, and building on previous works, we introduce non-standard interactions (NSIs) in both the active and sterile sectors, including active neutrino self-interactions, sterile neutrino self-interactions, and active-sterile secret interactions. These interactions are mediated by a generic $U(1)$ scalar mediator, and we explore their effects in different regimes of mediator mass. We find that depending on the mediator mass, sterile neutrino production rate can be enhanced by resonance or through number changing reactions, potentially offering a resolution to the constraints that limit the standard DW mechanism.

Speaker: Aaroodd UR

PPP2024.pdf

10:12 Exploring the impact of Non-Standard Interactions on Sterile Neutrino dark matter production: Part 2

Mixing between active and sterile neutrinos represents a fundamental mechanism for sterile neutrino dark matter production in the early Universe. However, the standard Dodelson-Widrow (DW) mechanism is in tension with astrophysical bounds, particularly those arising from structure formation and X-ray observations. To address these challenges, and building on previous works, we introduce non-standard interactions (NSIs) in both the active and sterile sectors, including active neutrino self-interactions, sterile neutrino self-interactions, and active-sterile secret interactions. These interactions are mediated by a generic U(1) scalar mediator, and we explore their effects in different regimes of mediator mass. We find that depending on the mediator mass, sterile neutrino production rate can be enhanced by resonance or through number changing reactions, potentially offering a resolution to the constraints that limit the standard DW mechanism.

Speaker: Jianrong Tang

2024 PPP Presentation-Jianrong Tang.pdf

10:50 → 11:20 Coffee

11:20 → 13:10 Astrophysical Probes

Convener: dorival Gonçalves (Oklahoma State University)

11:20 New Approaches for Detecting Light Dark Matter

Direct detection of dark matter is essential for understanding its particle nature and properties in the late universe. However, traditional methods designed to target WIMPs face significant challenges in probing sub-GeV dark matter masses. These difficulties highlight the need for developing new techniques to effectively detect light dark matter. In this talk, I will first provide an overview of the current status of the field, followed by recent works in new approaches aimed at exploring the previously inaccessible parameter space.

Speaker: Tao Xu (The University of Oklahoma)

11:38 Space Quantum Sensors for Jovian-Bound Dark Matter

We propose the use of space-based quantum sensors to study ultralight dark matter bound to planets. Using Jupiter and Earth as examples, we demonstrate that current and future experiments can constrain the mass and coupling of scalar dark matter. Jupiter, being the most massive planet in the solar system, is expected to accumulate the largest amount of dark matter compared to lighter planets. This provides the most stringent possible bounds from planetary probes within our solar system in the future.

Speaker: Fazlollah Hajkarim (University of Oklahoma)

FH-talk-kansas-2024-website.pdf

11:56 Modeling frequency instability in high-quality resonant experiments DarkSRF

In the pathfinder project of DarkSRF, the thermal jittering of the receiver cavity has been conservatively modeled with a constant mismatch, assuming the receiver is always off-resonant with the emitter. In this paper, we develop a more refined model by treating jittering as a random process, utilizing its power density spectrum. We derive the analytical solutions for the expectation value and variance of the power output and validate them with numerical simulations. Our results indicate significantly less power loss than previously predicted, leading to a substantial improvement in the existing bounds on dark photon mass and mixing strength.

Speaker: Hao-Ran Cui (University of Minnesota, twin cities)

Hao-Ran_Kansas.pdf

12:14 Multi-messenger Approach to Ultra-light Scalars

We propose a novel method to study the ultra-light scalars, where compact rotating objects undergo the phenomenon of superradiance to create gravitational waves and neutrino flux signals. The neutrino flux results from the 'right' coupling between the ultra-light scalars and the neutrinos. We study the intertwining of gravitational waves and neutrino flux signals produced from a single source and elaborate if and when the signals can be detected in existing and upcoming experiments in a direct manner. We also discuss an indirect way to test it by means of cosmic neutrino background which can be detected by upcoming PTOLEMY experiment.

Speaker: Soumya Bonthu (Oklahoma State University)

PPP.pdf

PPP.pptx

12:32 Energy Loss in Cepheids: Axions, Period-Luminosity Relation, and Hubble Tension

Axions are considered a promising candidate for dark matter due to their small mass and the potential for large-scale production in stellar environments, which can significantly affect stellar evolution. Cepheid variables are particularly sensitive to axion production, as it may eliminate the blue loop stages of their evolution. This alteration effectively removes certain evolutionary phases of Cepheids, leading to constraints on the axion coupling $g_{10}$.To investigate this, we simulate the pulsations of Cepheid variables and calculate the modified period-luminosity relations, revealing how axions influence their pulsation characteristics. We then compare these new pulsation models with theoretical astrophysical modeling to assess their implications for the current Hubble tension. This approach provides insights into both the properties of axions and their impact on cosmic measurements, potentially reconciling discrepancies in the determination of the Hubble constant.

Speaker: Thomas Gehrman (University of Oklahoma)

Cepheid_axions .pdf

12:50 Tau g-2

Speaker: Michael Murray (The University of Kansas (US))

ggTauTau_ParticlePhysicsOnThePlains2024.pdf

ggTauTau_ParticlePhysicsOnThePlains2024.pptx

13:10 → 13:30 Closing