No Arabic abstract
We introduce a set of clockwork models of flavor that can naturally explain the large hierarchies of the Standard Model quark masses and mixing angles. Since the clockwork only contains chains of new vector-like fermions without any other dynamical fields, the flavor constraints allow for relatively light new physics scale. For two benchmarks with gear masses just above 1 TeV, allowed by flavor constraints, we discuss the collider searches and the possible ways of reconstructing gear spectra at the LHC. We also examine the similarities and differences with the other common solutions to the SM flavor puzzle, i.e., with the Froggatt-Nielsen models, where we identify a new {it clockworked } version, and with the Randall-Sundrum models.
The clockwork mechanism, which can naturally explain the origin of small numbers, is implemented in $SO(10)$ grand unified theories to address the origin of hierarchies in fermion masses and mixings. We show that a minimal Yukawa sector involving a $10_H$ and $overline{126}_H$ of Higgs bosons, extended with two clockwork chains consisting of $16+overline{16}$ vector-like fermions, can explain the hierarchical patterns with all the Yukawa couplings being of order one. Emergence of a realistic mass spectrum does not require any symmetry that distinguishes the three generations. We develop clockwork-extended $SO(10)$ GUTs both in the context of SUSY and non-SUSY frameworks. Implementation of the mechanism in non-SUSY scenario assumes a Peccei-Quinn symmetry realized at an intermediate scale, with the clockwork sector carrying non-trivial charges, which solves the strong CP problem and provides axion as a dark matter candidate.
The next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) pQCD prediction for the $gammagamma^* to eta_c$ form factor was evaluated in 2015 using nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD). A strong discrepancy between the NRQCD prediction and the BaBar measurements was observed. Until now there has been no solution for this puzzle. In this paper, we present a NNLO analysis by applying the Principle of Maximum Conformality (PMC) to set the renormalization scale. By carefully dealing with the light-by-light diagrams at the NNLO level, the resulting high precision PMC prediction agrees with the BaBar measurements within errors, and the conventional renormalization scale uncertainty is eliminated. The PMC is consistent with all of the requirements of the renormalization group, including scheme-independence. The application of the PMC thus provides a rigorous solution for the $gammagamma^* to eta_c$ form factor puzzle, emphasizing the importance of correct renormalization scale-setting. The results also support the applicability of NRQCD to hard exclusive processes involving charmonium.
A solution for the neutrino mass and mixing pattern is proposed which is compatible with all available experimental data on neutrino oscillations. This solution involves Majorana neutrinos of the pseudo-Dirac type, i.e. m_Majorana << m_Dirac. The solar and atmospheric neutrino observations are mainly explained as nu_e - nu_e^S and nu_mu - nu_mu^S oscillations, where S indicates the sterile (``righthanded) partner of each neutrino generation, while the LSND result is interpreted in terms of standard nu_mu - nu_e oscillations. The resulting constraints on nu_mu - nu_tau and nu_tau - nu_tau^S oscillations are also discussed. This solution leaves room for a hierarchical mass and mixing scheme with a nu_tau mass in the few eV range, as favoured by some dark matter scenarios. The apparent conflict with standard Big Bang nucleosynthesis is addressed and the implications for current and future experiments are discussed. It is argued that both short and long baseline accelerator neutrino experiments are needed in order to decide between this solution and other oscillation scenarios.
In a fertile patch of the string landscape which includes the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) as the low energy effective theory, rather general arguments from Douglas suggest a power-law statistical selection of soft breaking terms (m(soft)^n where n=2n_F+n_D-1 with n_F the number of hidden sector F-SUSY breaking fields and n_D the number of D-term SUSY breaking fields). The statistical draw towards large soft terms must be tempered by requiring an appropriate breakdown of electroweak (EW) symmetry with no contributions to the weak scale larger than a factor 2-5 of its measured value, lest one violates the (anthropic) atomic principle. Such a simple picture of stringy naturalness generates a light Higgs boson with mass m_h~ 125 GeV with sparticles (other than higgsinos) typically beyond LHC reach. Then we expect first and second generation matter scalars to be drawn independently to the tens of TeV regime where the upper cutoff arises from two-loop RGE terms which drive third generation soft masses towards tachyonic values. Since the upper bounds on m_0(1,2) are the same for each generation, and flavor independent, then these will be drawn toward quasi-degenerate values. This mechanism leads to a natural mixed decoupling/quasi-degeneracy solution to the SUSY flavor problem and a decoupling solution to the SUSY CP problem.
We argue that the s-channel cut contribution to J/psi hadroproduction can be significantly larger than the usual cut contribution of the color-singlet mechanism, which is known to underestimate the experimental measurements. A scenario accounting for intermediate $cbar(c)$ interactions is proposed that reproduces the data at low- and mid-range transverse momenta P_T from the Fermilab Tevatron and BNL Relativistiv Heavy Ion Collider. The J/psi produced in this manner are polarized predominantly longitudinally.