Dark sector models present a rich phenomenology that requires high-intensity beams and precision detectors for thorough exploration. The NA62 experiment has already published several constraints on dark sector models, leveraging proton beam dump and meson decay techniques. This proposal aims to demonstrate the NA62 detector discovery potential for dark sector candidates by using the positron-on-target technique. High-intensity secondary positron beams, reaching up to <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mo>∼</mo><mn>150</mn><mtext> </mtext><mtext> </mtext><mi>GeV</mi></mrow></math> energy, have already been produced at the North Area extracted beam lines. If a positron beam with an intensity in the range of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mn>2</mn><mo>×</mo><msup><mn>10</mn><mn>14</mn></msup></math> positrons on target per year is delivered, the NA62 detector would be ideal for searches of dark sector particles in both visible and invisible decay channels. Additionally, positron on target collisions would enable precision measurements of key standard model observables, including a detailed scan of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mi>σ</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msup><mrow><mi>e</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mi>e</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msup><mo stretchy="false">→</mo><msup><mrow><mi>π</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mi>π</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow></math> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mi>σ</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msup><mrow><mi>e</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mi>e</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msup><mo stretchy="false">→</mo><msup><mrow><mi>μ</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mi>μ</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow></math> at the di-pion and di-muon production threshold, with discovery potential for the True Muonium <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msup><mrow><mi>μ</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>+</mo></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mi>μ</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo></mrow></msup><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow></math> bound state.

Italy

F. Arias-Aragón

France

L. Darmé

R. Gargiulo

G. Grilli di Cortona

Bulgaria

V. Kozhuharov

Estonia

E. Nardi

CERN

M. Raggi

T. Spadaro

P. Valente

Dark sector searches with high-intensity positron beams in the CERN North Area

The energy-dependent hotspot model is used to predict cross sections for vector-meson diffractive photonuclear production off oxygen (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>γ</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi></mrow></math>) and neon (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>γ</mi><mi>Ne</mi></mrow></math>) that can be extracted from ultraperipheral O-O and Ne-Ne collisions, recently recorded at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. In both cases, two models are used to describe the nuclear shapes. Woods-Saxon prescriptions for O and Ne as well as an alpha-cluster description of O and a bowling-pin-like shape for Ne, according to the projected generator coordinate method (PGCM) formalism. Predictions are presented for the dependence on the center-of-mass energy of the photon-nucleus system, as well as on Mandelstam <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>t</mi></math>, of the cross sections for the coherent and the incoherent photonuclear production of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msup><mi>ρ</mi><mn>0</mn></msup></math> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>J</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>ψ</mi></mrow></math> vector mesons. Furthermore, the rapidity dependence of the ultraperipheral cross section is reported for all cases. It is found that the incoherent process provides a measurable signature for the approach to the gluon-saturation regime, and that the simultaneous determination of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msup><mi>ρ</mi><mn>0</mn></msup></math> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>J</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>ψ</mi></mrow></math> coherent and incoherent production provides a strong constraint on nuclear models for both O and Ne.

Czechia

J. Cepila

J.G. Contreras

M. Matas

A. Ridzikova

Diffractive vector meson photoproduction in oxygen-oxygen and neon-neon ultraperipheral collisions at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

In 2022, the collider detector at Fermilab (CDF) collaboration reported the $\textit{W}$-boson mass ( $ M_W= $ $ 80.4335\pm0.0094\; \text{GeV} $ ), which deviates from the standard model (SM) prediction ( $ M_W^{\rm SM}=80.357\pm0.006\; \text{GeV} $ ) by ~ $ 7\sigma $ . In contrast, the CMS collaboration obtained $ M_W=80.3602\pm0.0099\; \text{GeV} $ , which was very close to the SM global electroweak fit value of $ \sim80.357\; \text{GeV} $ . Motivated by this situation, we reassess the $\textit{W}$-boson mass within the lepton-specific two Higgs doublet model (LS-2HDM). To this end, we perform random scans (generated with SARAH 4.13.0 and evaluated with SPheno 4.0.3) and confront the results with up-to-date theoretical and experimental constraints. The scan enforces vacuum stability, perturbative unitarity, and perturbativity; electroweak precision observables via the oblique parameters $ (S,T,U) $ ; LEP bounds on $ H^\pm $ ; rare $\textit{B}$-meson decays; lepton flavor universality (LFU) in $\textit{Z}$ and $\textit{τ}$ decays; and 13 TeV LHC searches for additional Higgs bosons. Viable points are further tested with HiggsTools (HiggsSignals + HiggsBounds). In the LS-2HDM, if $ h_1 $ is the SM-like Higgs at $ m_{h_1}\simeq125 $ GeV with $ |\cos(\beta-\alpha)|\lesssim0.06 $ , $ 17\lesssim\tan\beta\lesssim39 $ , $ 144\lesssim m_{h_2}\lesssim414 $ GeV, and $ 435\lesssim m_{A,H^{\pm}}\lesssim685 $ GeV, the model reproduces the 2024 CMS $\textit{W}$-boson mass within $ 3\sigma $ . Solutions near the 2022 CDF value ( $ M_W=80.4335\pm0.0094\; \text{GeV} $ ) survive; however, after applying all constraints, including HiggsTools, they approach it at best within $ \lesssim2\sigma $ . Our findings emphasize that LS-2HDM favors the CMS results consistently with the current experimental results. Although one can theoretically accommodate the CDF results in this model, up-to-date electroweak precision bounds on oblique parameters $ (S,T,U) $ with the SM-like Higgs and LFU constraints exclude these solutions. Our results for $ W $ -boson mass can only be as close as about $ 2\sigma $ to $_{the CDF results}$.

Ali Çiçi

Hüseyin Dağ

Resolving the $\textit{W}$ boson mass in the lepton specific two Higgs doublet model * This work was supported in part by the Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Agency under project number 2022TENMAK(CERN)A5.H3.F2-02

Hadronic resonances, with lifetimes of a few <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>fm</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>c</mi></mrow></math> are key tools for studying the hadronic phase in high-energy collisions. This work investigates resonance production in pp collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><mi>s</mi></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>13.6</mn><mspace width="0.28em"></mspace><mi>TeV</mi></mrow></math> and in Pb-Pb collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>5.36</mn><mspace width="0.28em"></mspace><mi>TeV</mi></mrow></math> using the EPOS4 model. The EPOS4 model provides the capability of switching the Ultrarelativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) ON or OFF, allowing the study of final-state hadronic interactions in the hadronic phase. Although this study is primarily focused on understanding the production of hadronic resonances, we also investigate the production of strange and nonstrange hadrons in relation to rescattering, regeneration, baryon-to-meson production, and strangeness enhancement, using transverse momentum (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">T</mi></msub></math>) spectra and particle ratios. Rescattering effects and strangeness enhancement play an important role in the low-<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">T</mi></msub></math> region, where soft, nonperturbative processes dominate particle production. At intermediate <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">T</mi></msub></math>, the baryon-to-meson yield ratios show an enhancement, and the strong mass-dependent radial flow observed for baryons in the most central Pb-Pb collisions reflects the interplay between hadronization dynamics and collective effects. The average <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mi mathvariant="normal">T</mi></msub></math> scaled with the reduced hadron mass (i.e., the mass divided by the number of valence quarks) is examined, revealing a deviation from a linear trend for short-lived resonances, attributed to hadronic phase effects. By analyzing the yield ratios of short-lived resonances to stable hadrons in pp and Pb-Pb collisions, the time duration (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>τ</mi></math>) of the hadronic phase as a function of average charged multiplicity is estimated. The results show that <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>τ</mi></math> increases with increasing multiplicity and system size, also exhibiting a nonzero value for high-multiplicity pp collisions. It is found that the production of baryons such as nonstrange (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>p</mi></math>), strange (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</mi></math>), and multistrange (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi mathvariant="normal">Ξ</mi></math>, <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi mathvariant="normal">Ω</mi></math>) in the most central Pb-Pb collisions is influenced by competing processes of strangeness enhancement and baryon-antibaryon annihilation. Comparing these findings with measurements at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider offers valuable insights into the underlying dynamics of the hadronic phase and their production dynamics.

India

Vikash Sumberia

Dukhishyam Mallick

Sanjeev Singh Sambyal

Nasir Mehdi Malik

Examining hadronic resonance dynamics at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider: Insights from EPOS4

We present the implementation of next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD fully-differential corrections within the G framework, for both colour-singlet and colour-singlet+jet processes at hadron colliders, by employing a nonlocal subtraction approach. In particular, we discuss the implementation details and the challenges that arise when utilizing a dynamical infrared cutoff parameter. Additionally, we combine the subtraction with the projection-to-Born method in order to include fiducial power corrections. As a test case, we provide predictions for Drell-Yan and $\textit{Z}$+jet production at the LHC, using $\textit{N}$-jettiness as resolution variable. We validate the NNLO corrections of G against finding excellent agreement. Finally, we discuss how to extend our method to calculate the N LO QCD fully-differential corrections to colour-singlet production at hadron colliders.

Simone Alioli

Switzerland

Georgios Billis

Austria

Alessandro Broggio

Giovanni Stagnitto

NNLO predictions with nonlocal subtractions and fiducial power corrections in GENEVA

A generalization of the phenomenological blast-wave-Tsallis-power model, recently proposed by the author for the hadrons' transverse momentum (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mtext>T</mtext></msub></math>) spectra measured at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is developed to also describe the hadrons' <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mtext>T</mtext></msub></math>-differential elliptic flow coefficients <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>v</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></math> in identical nuclei collisions of different centralities. The model describes well the available data on <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mtext>T</mtext></msub></math> spectra and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>v</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></math> for any <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mtext>T</mtext></msub></math> of various particles, from pions to charmonia, in Pb-Pb collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo></mrow></math> 2.76 and 5.02 TeV and in Xe-Xe collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo></mrow></math> 5.44 TeV. Also, predictions for OO collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo></mrow></math> 5.36 TeV are given. While the model is mainly targeting the energies available at the LHC, it also works at much lower energies available at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.

JINR

Smbat Grigoryan

Blast-wave-Tsallis-power model for <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mi>T</mi></msub></math> spectra and elliptic flow <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>v</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></math> of hadrons in collisions of identical nuclei at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

In this manuscript we examine the high energy channeling radiation datasets from the CERN-NA63 experiment using ultrarelativistic synchrotron emission. To incorporate recoil, we examine the standard quasiclassical formalism as well as develop a formalism that includes the Unruh effect by utilizing a hyperbolic recoil acceleration, based on conservation of momentum, in the classical synchrotron trajectory. We also perform an asymptotic radiation timescale analysis that predicts a photon energy threshold, beyond which the Unruh effect dominates. We then compare the classical, quasiclassical, and Unruh synchrotron theories to the data. We find that above threshold, the Unruh effect saturates the spectrum of all datasets.

Germany

Morgan H. Lynch

Hyperbolic recoil and the Unruh effect at CERN-NA63

We present the implementation of the NNLO QCD corrections to double Higgs boson production at hadron colliders in G , matched to the parton shower. We include top-quark mass effects and the resummation of large logarithms of the zero-jettiness $$ {\mathcal{T}}_0 $$ , up to NNLL accuracy. This work extends our previous study, which was performed in the $\textit{m}$ → ∞ infinite top-quark mass approximation, providing a more realistic simulation framework for Higgs boson pair production. We validate our approach against NNLO predictions by M and assess the importance of mass effects comparing with our $\textit{m}$ → ∞ previous implementation.

Giulia Marinelli

Davide Napoletano

NNLO+PS double Higgs boson production with top-quark mass corrections in GENEVA

For the present work, we have used the <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>HYDJET</mi><mo>+</mo><mo>+</mo></mrow></math> model to explore the production of pure multi-strange hadrons in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>Pb</mi><mo>+</mo><mi>Pb</mi></mrow></math> collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>2.76</mn></mrow></math> TeV and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>5.02</mn></mrow></math> TeV collision energies, respectively. We have performed simulations to investigate transverse momentum (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>p</mi><mi>T</mi></msub></math>) spectra and elliptic flow (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>v</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></math>) for <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>ϕ</mi></math> mesons and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi mathvariant="normal">Ω</mi></math> baryons, and compared the results both with the ALICE experimental data and available model predictions for selected central classes. Furthermore, we have calculated the nuclear modification factors (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mi>A</mi><mi>A</mi></mrow></msub></math> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mi>C</mi><mi>P</mi></mrow></msub></math>), which provide a perception of jet quenching phenomena. Hence, our findings enable the study of the energy and system dependence of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>ϕ</mi></math> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi mathvariant="normal">Ω</mi></math> hadrons production over a wide range of ultrarelativistic collision energies. We also present the particle ratios (<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">Ω</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>ϕ</mi></mrow></math>, <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msup><mover><mi mathvariant="normal">Ω</mi><mo>¯</mo></mover><mo>+</mo></msup><mo>/</mo><msup><mi mathvariant="normal">Ω</mi><mo>−</mo></msup></mrow></math>, <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">Ω</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>π</mi></mrow></math>, and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>ϕ</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>π</mi></mrow></math>), offering insights into the strangeness enhancement and chemical properties of the medium at both CERN Large Hadron Collider collision energies. Additionally, we also explore the predictions for the <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi mathvariant="normal">Ω</mi></math> baryon in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>Pb</mi><mo>+</mo><mi>Pb</mi></mrow></math> collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>5.02</mn></mrow></math> TeV, focusing on <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mi>A</mi><mi>A</mi></mrow></msub></math>, <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>R</mi><mrow><mi>C</mi><mi>P</mi></mrow></msub></math>, and particle ratios within the <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>HYDJET</mi><mo>+</mo><mo>+</mo></mrow></math> framework, offering insights into future measurements and particle dynamics in high-energy heavy-ion collisions.

Gauri Devi

B.K. Singh

Production of multistrange hadrons in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>Pb</mi><mo>+</mo><mi>Pb</mi></mrow></math> collisions at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider using the <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mi>HYDJET</mi><mo>+</mo><mo>+</mo></mrow></math> model

In the present work, O-O collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>7</mn><mspace width="0.16em"></mspace><mi>TeV</mi></mrow></math> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>p</mi></math>-O collisions at <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><msqrt><msub><mi>s</mi><mrow><mi>N</mi><mi>N</mi></mrow></msub></msqrt><mo>=</mo><mn>9.9</mn><mspace width="0.16em"></mspace><mi>TeV</mi></mrow></math> are studied using the <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi mathvariant="normal" mathsize="small">PYTHIA8</mi></math>/Angantyr model for heavy-ion collisions. The theoretically predicted <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>α</mi></math>-cluster structure of oxygen nucleus is implemented in the model to investigate the effect of the initial configuration of the oxygen nucleus on final state observables. The results obtained from the <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>α</mi></math>-cluster structure are compared with those obtained from Woods-Saxon nuclear charge density distribution. The Angantyr model simulation showed that the radial distribution of the oxygen nucleus in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>α</mi></math>-cluster configuration is more compact in comparison to the Woods-Saxon distribution. The results on charged and identified particle pseudorapidity distribution are obtained in the two initial state configurations of the oxygen nucleus. The results demonstrated that the effect of initial geometrical configuration is more distinct in the noncentral collisions in comparison to the central collisions for both O-O and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>p</mi></math>-O collisions.

Deependra Sharma

Arpit Singh

Md. Samsul Islam

Basanta Nandi

Sadhana Dash

Effect of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>α</mi></math> clusters on particle production in O-O and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>p</mi></math>-O collisions at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider